The Filtered Excellence: October 1, 2015

Freeheld.  Based on the documentary of the same name, Freeheld stars Julianne Moore as Laurel Hester, a decorated New Jersey police detective recently diagnosed with cancer.  Her preparations to have her pension benefits willed over to her domestic partner Stacie Andree (Ellen Page) are held up by a group of county officials called The Freeholders.  Hester and Andree, aided by fellow detective Dane Wells (Michael Shannon) and activist Steven Goldstein (Steve Carell), fight back the only way they can: by rallying fellow police officers and the community in their fight for equality.  Working off a script by Ron Nyswaner (who also wrote the Oscar winning film Philadelphia), Moore and Page are a formidable on screen pair, bringing warmth, compassion and defiance to characters who find their personal lives unfairly put under a microscope.  Don’t be surprised if their names make the rounds during awards season.  The always solid Michael Shannon puts in another great performance as Hester’s friend and colleague Dane Wells. Shannon’s has been one of the great character actors for over a decade and this will only add to an already solid resume.  Steve Carrell proves that his work in Foxcatcher was no fluke, as he puts in another great dramatic turn as Steven Goldstein, the activist who helps put the boots on the ground and serves as Hester’s biggest cheerleader.    With solid direction by Peter Sollett, Freeheld is the film that is perfectly locked in with the tone and tenure of the times.  It opens nationwide this Friday.  You can go to www.freeheld.movie for more information.

The Martian.  Ridley Scott’s adaptation of the Andy Weir’s best selling novel hits the big screen this week.  Matt Damon stars as astronaut Mark Watney, presumed dead when a dust storm separates him from his crew during a manned mission to Mars.  Despite being resigned to the fact that he’s going to die, Watney, who’s more botanist than astronaut, uses his expertise to make water, creates an indoor potato field (using his own excrement for manure) and even manages to send out a signal to his crew that he’s still alive.  Once the crew (Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kristen Wiig and Kate Mara) receives the signals and is convinced that Watney is still alive, they must find a way to rescue Watney and get everyone back to Earth safely.  Though the film is loaded with great special effects, Scott, as he did with Blade Runner, is more concerned with the human element – namely man’s will to survive against extraordinary odds.  Damon is perfectly cast as Watney, combining optimism, sarcasm and boyish wonder when dealing with his new surroundings.  Anchored by a strong supporting cast, Ridley Scott has crafted another great thinking person’s action-adventure/sci-fi film that’s on par with any of his other masterpieces.  The Martian opens nationwide on Friday.  You can also go to www.TheMartianMovie.com for more information.

MLB Wild Card Game. The journey to the World Series begins next week as the Wild Card games will determine who moves onto the Division Series.  The National League Wild Card game features two teams looking to end long championship droughts.  The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t won a World Series since 1979, but under manager Clint Hurdle, they have made the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row – all while having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.  The Cubs haven’t won a Series since the turn of the century, but since hiring Theo Epstein as their GM, Joe Maddon as their manager, signing top left hander Jon Lester and developing such talent as Jake Arietta and Kris Bryant, a winning culture has returned to Wrigley Field.  The American League Wild Card is more muddled.  As of this writing, the Yankees, Astros, Angels and Twins are all in the hunt with the Yankees holding the top spot.  If they hold on, they will host a game on Tuesday night.  Who will move on to face the league’s elite?  Tune into ESPN Tuesday night at 8pm Eastern for the AL game and Wednesday night at 8pm Eastern on TBS to find out.

I’ll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones. Grace Jones’ no holds barred new memoir has been making a lot of noise for her verbal takedowns of Beyonce, Madonna, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and other current pop stars, but that’s only part of what is a highly engaging and informative tome.  Before becoming a fashion, music and pop culture icon, Jones recalls her days growing up in a strict religious household in Jamaica; re-locating to upstate New York; bouncing between modeling jobs in New York City and Philadelphia; her expatriate days in Paris modeling and hanging out with future stars Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange; her early attempts at a music career (including a disastrous audition of producers Gamble & Huff); returning to New York at the dawn of disco movement and how her historic collaborations with Jean-Paul Goude and Chris Blackwell laid the groundwork for becoming a full fledged icon.  Of course, Jones drops truth bombs on some of the Who’s Who of the fashion, music and film but only from her perspective and not looking to set straight any of the outrageous stories that have been said about her in the past.  Loaded with humor, candor, and historical insight (she gives a rich backstory of her family tree and of Jamaica itself), Grace Jones has, as she has done with everything else, put an entirely new spin on how to craft a memoir.  A true original.  I’ll Never Write My Memoirs is available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.

New York City: Wagner, Max! Wagner!  With the musical Passing Strange, Stew and Heidi Rodewald reinvented the rock musical.  For their latest work, they take the music of Wagner and shows how it found its way into the blues, slavery, racism, anti-Semintism and all points in between.  After premiering the new project at The Kennedy Center in D.C, Stew & Heidi – with help from Chris Rael and his band Church of Betty – brings this ambitious project to The Living Room in Brooklynon Saturday.  As with most of their work, expect part history lesson, comedic insights and a whole lot of rock n roll.  Go to www.livingroomny.com to tickets and more information.

New York City: The Comedy Filmmaker: Jerry Lewis: Whether it was as half of Martin & Lewis or on his own, the impact that Jerry Lewis had – and continues to have – on the comedic landscape has few peers.  Lewis will stop at the Museum Of The Moving Image for a career-spanning look at his work on film and behind the camera.  Simply put, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear a true comedy legend discuss his craft.  The Comedian Filmmaker: Jerry Lewis will be at The Museum Of The Moving Image on October 6th.  You can go to www.movingimage.us for tickets and more information.

Los Angeles: Frank Gehry Exhibit.  An giant of modern architecture, Frank Gehry’s work transformed city landscapes across the globe.  The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art is now presenting a complete retrospective of his work covering nearly 50 years of work.  It will included over 200 drawings (most of which are being displayed for the first time) and models charting the growth of various projects.  Its a unique look inside the mind of one of someone who have transformed city landscapes several times over.  Frank Gehry will be at The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art through March 20, 2016.  You can also go to www.lacma.org for more information.

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