Girls Sleazy Matures

The following summaries of current, widely shown films are provided to help readers plan what to see. If additional coverage of a film has appeared in the Monitor, the date of the article is given in italics after the summary. Inclusion of a movie does not imply Monitor endorsement. The Movie Guide appears on the first and third Thursdays of the month. AFTER THE REHEARSAL - Talky, dense, emotionally complex ''chamber film'' about a stage director and two actresses having a deeply felt confrontation over their personal and professional lives. Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. (Rated R; contains vulgar language and mature subject matter.) ALPHABET CITY - Sympathetic portrait of a New York City dope dealer, packed with cliches of the genre. Partly redeemed by the visual imagination of director Amos Poe, who attracted notice with his underground thriller ''The Outsider'' and turns parts of his present opus into an infernal tone poem. (Rated R; contains violence, vulgarity, and incredibly sleazy characters.) May 17. THE BOUNTY - Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh sail again, only this time it's Lieutenant Bligh, since producer Dino De Laurentiis wants to get the historical details right and tell ''the true story.'' The result is pure hokum, nonetheless, in the old tradition of big-screen epics, competently directed by Roger Donaldson and occasionally inspired by Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of a surprisingly sympathetic skipper. (Rated PG; contains nudity and violence.) May 17. EL NORTE - Saga of a peasant brother and sister who flee oppression in their native Guatemala, only to find poverty in Mexico and new forms of hardship and servitude in California. Intelligently and resourcefully directed by Gregory Nava, though some of his storytelling strategies seem rather studied. (Not rated; contains violence and vulgar language.) March 1. ENTRE NOUS - Perceptive drama about two French women who forge a strong and loving friendship while fencing with family and personal problems. Directed with uncommon insight by Diane Kurys, who vividly paints not only specific characters but the deceptively complex moods and attitudes of the 1950s, when most of the action takes place. (Rated PG; contains some violence, nudity, and frank sexual talk.) March 8. ERENDIRA - A bizarre, surrealistic visual style marks this account of a young woman pushed into prositution by her grandmother, on whom she eventually takes revenge. Directed by Ruy Guerra from a screenplay by Nobel Prize-winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, based on part of his novel ''One Hundred Years of Solitude.'' (Not rated; contains sex, nudity, and violence.) FINDERS KEEPERS - Raucous comedy about a young man and his friends on the trail of a coffin-full of purloined money. Raggedly directed by Richard Lester. (Rated R; contains much vulgar language.) FIRESTARTER - Yet another silly thriller based on a Stephen King story, this about a little girl who can set distant objects on fire, an ability that sounded more impressive in the novel than it looks on screen. Directed by Mark L. Lester with no particular flair. (Rated R; contains vulgar language and violence.) May 31. FOOTLOOSE - In a small town where people think rock-and-roll is a synonym for sex, a teen-ager tries to organize a dance while romancing the preacher's daughter. John Lithgow's sensitive portrayal of the minister towers over everything else in the picture, which was slackly directed by Herbert Ross and contains some very silly production numbers. (Rated PG; contains vulgar language and talk about sex.) GREMLINS - At first there's only one, and he's very cute, but if you aren't careful he has zillions of babies that shift from mischievous to malicious. There's lots of fun and inventiveness to the tale, although director Joe Dante has trouble balancing the humor and horror, both of which are surprisingly blunt. (Rated PG; contains a little vulgar language and a lot of strong though cartoonlike violence.) June 7. GREYSTOKE, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES - Big, colorful, utterly predictable throwback to the wide-screen epics of the 1950s, rehashing the story of everyone's favorite ape-man with lots of hokey drama and a little real emotion. Directed by Hugh Hudson with the same dry dignity he brought to ''Chariots of Fire,'' missing the earnestly silly spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs , who wrote the original tale. (Rated PG; contains violence and a little vulgarity.) April 12. INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM - This time the hero of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' must restore a holy stone to an Indian village, or evil cultists will take over the world. Although director Steven Spielberg provides plenty of action and technical brilliance, the all-purpose violence is joined by a racism and sexism that have no place even in a pastiche of old Saturday-matinee styles. (Rated PG; contains much violence and yucky effects.) May 31. MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON - There's an engaging lilt to this bittersweet comedy about the immigrant experience, focusing on a jazz-loving Russian who defects to the United States and moves in with a poor black family. Still, director Paul Mazursky loses credibility with his contrasting portraits of Moscow and New York , picturing Russian poverty as harsh and spirit-killing but American poverty as romantic and kind of fun. (Rated R; contains sex and vulgar language.) MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL - Romantic comedy about two residents of a ski resort who are great pals until they both fall in love with Isabelle Huppert. Drearily directed by Bertrand Blier, with his habitual male bias just a little more muted than usual. (Not rated; contains sex and nudity.)

girls sleazy matures

Miss SaigonNational TourReview by Susan Berlin Season ScheduleAlso see Susan's reviews of Kings and The Panties, The Partner and The Profit: Scenes from the Heroic Life of the Middle ClassThe Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington is hosting the resplendent touring production of Miss Saigon, based on the production that opened in London in 2014 and appeared on Broadway in 2017. The cast is large, the musicians accomplished, and the human drama surprisingly intimate in such a vast setting.The epic musical romance by Claude-Michel Schönberg (music) and Richard Maltby Jr. & Alain Boublil (lyrics), inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly, originally became famous for its image of a helicopter hovering above mobs of people trying to flee the fall of Saigon in 1975. The spectacle is still there but, as directed by Laurence Connor, the actors never get swallowed up.That said, scenic designers Totie Driver and Matt Kinley have devised a multi-level set that is often fascinating to watch: the walls of a building unravel to form fences and barriers, then recombine in other shapes. Lighting designer Bruno Poet uses cones of light and jolting bursts to create cinematic effects onstage.Connor is working with a 42-member cast of acting, singing dancers driven by Bob Avian's visceral choreography: bar girls vamping, Marines brawling, Vietnamese soldiers parading before an enormous bust of Ho Chi Minh, tourists (in this production, including a Mormon missionary) crowding the streets of Bangkok's red-light district.Emily Bautista remains the heart of Miss Saigon as Kim, the Vietnamese orphan who endures the deaths of her family, the destruction of her village, degradation, abandonment, re-education, and single motherhood as she awaits the return of the man she loves. However, Red Concepción is the unrivaled star of this production as The Engineer, the sleazy Saigon bar owner and pimp determined to do anything to get a U.S. visa. Where the character is often played as reptilian and sly, Red Concepción is campy and broad in his gaudy suits (Andreane Neofitou designed the knockout costumes). He's shameless, cloaking his feral ambition in raffish charm, and it all culminates in the excess of "The American Dream."As Chris, the Marine who falls in love with Kim and tries to rescue her from the fall of Saigon, Anthony Festa never quite captures the nuances of his character. Chris is supposed to be dead inside when he meets Kim and she gives him a reason to go on; Festa sings nicely but comes across as boyish rather than damaged. In contrast, J. Daughtry is a dominating figure whenever he appears as Chris' friend John, who matures from selfishness and cynicism to strength as an advocate for Vietnamese-American children fathered by soldiers. Stacie Bono is lovely as the next woman in Chris' life, who gradually realizes she's in over her head, and Christine Bunuan as "showgirl" Gigi stands out in "The Movie in My Mind."Kennedy CenterMiss SaigonDecember 12th, 2018 - January 13th, 2019Music by Claude-Michel SchönbergLyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. & Alain BoublilAdapted from the original French text by Alain BoublilAdditional lyrics by Michael MahlerSaigon, 1975The Engineer: Red Red ConcepciónKim: Emily Bautista, Myra Molloy (at certain performances)Gigi: Christian BunuanYvonne: Anna-Lee WrightMimi: Jonelle MargalloFifi: Tiffany TohDominique: Madoka KoguchiYvette: Jackie NguyenBar Girls: Kai An Chee, Julie Eicher, Emily StillingsJohn: J. DaughtryChris: Anthony FestaMarines: Alexander Aguilar, Matthew Dailey, Daniel Gold, Noah Gouldsmith, Adam Roberts, Michael Russell, Paul Schwensen, Nicholas Walters, Michael WordlyBarmen: Eric Badiqué, Adam Kaokept, Emilio RamosThuy: Jinwoo JungEmbassy Workers, Inhabitants of Saigon, Vendors: The CompanyHo Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and Atlanta, April 1978Dragon Acrobats: Max B. Ehrlich, Daniel Gold, Noah GouldsmithAssistant Commissar: Julius SermoniaEllen: Stacie BonoTam: Jace Chen, Tyler Dunn, Ryder Khatiwala, Fin Moulding, Melanie Ramirez, Sarah RamirezVietnamese Army Soldiers: Eric Badiqué, Eymard Cabling, Adam Kaokept, Garrick Macatangay, Matthew Overberg, Emilio RamosCitizens of Ho Chi Minh City, Refugees: The CompanyAtlanta, September 1978Conference Delegates: The CompanyBangkok, October 1978Patpong Street Workers: Christine Bunuan, Jonelle Margallo, Emily Stillings, Tiffany Toh, Anna-Lee Wright, Max B. EhrlichMoulin Rouge Club Dancers: Madoka Koguchi, Jackie NguyenMoulin Club Owner: Eric BadiquéInhabitants of Bangkok, Vendors, Tourists: The CompanySaigon, April 1975Shultz: Matthew DaileyMarines, Vietnamese, Civilians: The CompanyBangkok, October 1978Inhabitants of Bangkok, Vendors, Tourists: The CompanyDirected by Laurence ConnorMusical staging and choreography by Bob AvianOpera House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts2700 F St. NW, Washington, DCTicket Information: (800) 444-1324 or (202) 467-4600 or www.kennedy-center.orgFor more information on the tour, visit www.miss-saigon.com/us-tour. 041b061a72