The Filtered Excellence: April 17, 2014

AP FILM REVIEW FADING GIGOLO A ENT

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more:


WATCH THIS:

Fading Gigolo. Directed by John Turturro. Veteran actor John Turturro wrote, directed and stars in this beautiful offbeat very adult romantic comedy set in contemporary New York. Woody Allen plays Murray, the owner of a failing bookstore, who is presented a unique offer by his dermatologist (played by Sharon Stone): Finding the right man to complete a menage a trois for her and her girlfriend (Sophia Vergara) – for a fee of course. Murray suggests Fioravante (Turturro), a part time florist who also worked Murray’s store. After some hesitation, Fioravante agrees and suddenly finds himself part of the world’s oldest profession with Murray as his pimp. It takes a number of unexpected turns from there, and the result is a beautiful unique film. Turturro, one of cinema’s great character actors, dominates the film with his quiet confidence.  Allen, freed from overseeing all the elements of his own films, is having a blast as the failed bookstore owner turned pimp.  And the women of the film are all captivating, complex, and multi-dimensional characters, but its Paradis, a long time star in her native France, who is the real marvel in the film. She runs the gamut of emotions throughout – loss, regret, remorse, renewal and ultimately rebirth. Turturro has also quietly emerged as an outstanding director, keeping the pace brisk and like his co-star Woody Allen, he knows how to use the City of New York as a canvas. With a slew of big budget action movies about to bombard theaters, make a point to catch this sharp, funny, yet breezy film. It’s as real and original as you want a film to be.  Imperfect, but loveable even for its imperfections.  Fading Gigolo opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday. John Turturro will be doing Q&As at select screenings in New York April 18 through April 20th.  If you can get to any of them, we recommend it wholeheartedly.

  • You can go to www.fadinggigolo-movie.com for tickets and addition information and to watch the trailer.

Tasting Menu.  Directed by Roger Gual.  (subtitles)  The greatest restaurant in the world is closing and only a dozen or so lucky patrons will attend the final dinner.  Two of them– Mark and Rachel– were married when they made the reservation, but are now in the process of a divorce.  Although they haven’t seen each other in a year, a table on the last night of the restaurant’s operation is too precious an opportunity to turn down.  The evening that follows is a special night filled with joy, sadness, heavenly food, and the mysterious stories of the restaurant-goers and staff.  The restaurant is just a beautiful backdrop to the real story– that of the patrons in attendance, and “Tasting Menu” is a movie that takes it time– just as evening at a fine restaurant would.  The dining scenes are exquisite, but reminiscent of the movie “Big Night” it is the experiences of the evening and the interactions among the players that takes center stage.  Vincenta N’Dongo is understated and excellent in the role of the restaurant’s head chef, and Jan Cornet and Claudia Bassols give great performances as the estranged couple.  But it is  Fionnula Flanagan’s performance as the countess that will remain with you long after you leave the theater.  Tasting menu opens tomorrow, April 18th in limited release.

 

NBA Playoffs. The road to the NBA Finals begins this Sunday and its loaded with questions. Can the Heat pull off a three-peat or will this be the year that the Indiana Pacers or the Chicago Bulls assert themselves as one of the premier teams in the league? Can Brooklyn bring New York’s 40 plus year championship drought? Will the Spurs – who were just seconds away from another championship – get to finish the job or will the Thunder – led by MVP favorite Kevin Durant – finally bring a title to Oklahoma City? Can Dirk Nowitzki add to his Hall Of Fall legacy by bringing another title to Dallas or will Stephan Curry cement his status as one of the league top players by bringing Golden State to the promised land? Will Chris Paul and Blake Griffin bring gold to Lob City or will Dwight Howard and James Hardin bring bling to the Lone Star State? It all starts this Saturday on ESPN, TNT and ABC.

  • Check local listings for games and start times.

The Boondocks. Season Premiere April 21 on Adult Swim. Huey Freeman, his younger brother Riley, Grandad, Uncle Ruckus are back for its fourth and final season. However, one key show component will not return: Creator and writer Aaron McGruder has left the series to focus on his new Adult Swim series ‘Black Jesus’. Producers promise that the show will not back away from controversial subjects and topics and will remain as biting and edgy as ever. Giving what’s been happening in pop culture lately, expect no one to be spared. Season 4 of The Boondocks premieres April 21st on Adult Swim.

  • You can go to www.adultswim.com for run times and more information.

READ THIS:

There Goes Gravity: A Life In Rock And Roll by Lisa Robinson. Lisa Robinson not only witnessed some of the most significant moments in rock n roll, but also played a key role in shaping them. She introduced Lou Reed to David Bowie, helped Elvis Costello and The Clash secure record deals and was an early champion of the bands that emerged from New York City punk and New Wave scene. Robinson also gained the trust of press-averse bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, extensively covering multiple tours for each group. For the past 14 years, she was been the music editor for Vanity Fair, writing feature stories on the history of Motown Records, Jay Z, Lady Gaga, Eminem and many others. There Goes Gravity tells the story of how a young Manhattanite who used to sneak into jazz clubs became the ultimate music industry insider. Just some of the great stories includes how Robinson interviewed a teenage Michael Jackson at his family’s pool, getting caught in a lightning storm about The Rolling Stones private plane and having Lady Gaga cook her dinner at her parents home. She also reflects on her friendships with Lou Reed, Patti Smith and interviewing John Lennon just hours before being murdered. If you are looking for a glimpse insight the world of rock and pop culture over the past 40 years, this is the ultimate guide.

  • There Goes Gravity: A Life In Rock And Roll will be available on Tuesday through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major book retailers.

 

DO THIS:

New York City:  Tribeca Film Festival through April 27th. The premier American film festivals – and one of the top film festivals in the world – returns to downtown Manhattan for 10 days of feature films, shorts and documentaries. TFF also finds the right balance and this year is no different. There’s documentaries on artists ranging from Alice Cooper, Bjork, Susan Sontag and Nas, feature film rollouts for industry mainstays Roman Polanski, Jon Favreau and Courtney Cox (her new film, Just Before I Go, marks her directorial debut), a slew of comedies (including The One I Love starring Mad Men’s Elizabeth Moss), panels, competitions, and even a drive in movie (the 30th Anniversary screening of Splash! starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and directed by Ron Howard). This is a feast for both hardcore movie fans and those who want to expand their film knowledge. The Tribeca Film Festival runs through April 27th.

  • You can go to www.tribecafilmfestival.com for tickets and additional information.

 Austin Texas:  Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival.  Set aside April 23rd to the 26th and book a flight, because the 3rd Annual Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival in Austin promises to be everything you ever hoped a comedy festival would be. The line up is amazing with over 100 comedians performing in more than 80 different shows.  There are nine venues, parties every night, and all the energy of an event hitting its peak. And it’s in Austin, Texas, where the weather is amazing, the bars are endless and the food is fantastic.  We love Moontower, so here is our five reasons to go to Austin’s Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival this month.  


 

Want More Excellence?  Read Last Week’s Edition of The Filtered Excellence, or visit our Filtered Excellence page.