Review: William Hogarth: Master of Satire

This exhibition features prints of the 17th Century Englishman, William Hogarth. Hogarth was a satirist and critic who pioneered sequential art. The main work displayed is “Rakes Progress.” This comic-strip like series of prints chronicles the moral decline and fall of Tom Rakewell. Rakewell is the fictitious heir of a rich London merchant who wastes his money on riotous living and ultimately lands in prison. These prints are on display at the Brooks Museum until 3/15/09

Review: The Baroque World of Fernando Botero

This exhibition features paintings, sketches and sculpture of Columbian Fernando Botero. The style of his works are based on his childhood exposure to Baroque architecture and art of Roman Catholic churches in Northern Columbia. Most of the featured paintings deal with the religion, politics and Latin American society in general. All animal and human subjects are malproportioned and fat. Some of the paintings were warped to the point of being gaudy. The most interesting objects were the sculptures featured in front of the entrance of the museum.

This exhibit is running at the Brooks Museum from 11/19/08- 1/11/09

Movie Review “Billy: The Early Years”

This film chronicles the early life of evangelist Billy Graham through the eyes of a dying Charles Templeton. Charles Templeton co-founded Youth for Christ with Billy Graham. Templeton later renounced Christianity and actually published an agnostic apologetic.

This movie has an odd cast and director. Robby Benson directs. Martin Landau is an elderly Charles Templeton. Jennifer O’Neill (Summer of ’42) plays Templeton’s television interviewer. Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman) is Billy Graham’s mother. Armand Hammer’s grandson portrays Graham. Ice skating great, Scott Hamilton, makes a cameo appearance as a university professor.

The quality of the script and budget are better than an average “B” movie, but not quite up to “A” movie standards. Graham is portrayed in a fairly benevolent light. I’m not sure who the intended audience is. The message is not the usually overt evangelical dialogue of a low budget “Christian” movie (Facing the Giants), but not quite up to the standards of a mainstream Hollywood film.

Dixon Museum Review: The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Paintings from the Walters Art Museum

This fine exhibition features mid nineteenth century paintings from the Barbizon school, named after the French village of Barizon near Foutainbleau Forest. Instead of using nature as a backdrop for their paintings, this group used nature as both subject and inspiration. The style of painting is generally considered the forerunner of late nineteenth century Impressionism.

Also at the Dixon is a wonderful companion show The Road to Claude Monet: Four Paintings and Three Others. The exhibit includes four Monet’s and works of Camille Corot, Alfred Sisley and Camille Passaro. Featured paintings are from both the Dixon’s permanent collection and a private art collector in San Francisco.

Movie Review: "Eagle Eye"

This action thriller throws together Jerry Shaw, an intelligent young rebel who works at “Copy Cabana” and Rachel, a single young mother working as a paralegal. Their sad lives include the recent death of Jerry’s twin brother and Rachel’s young son’s departure for a band field trip. A female calls the duo with very explicit instructions- threatening to kill them and their loved ones. Their every move is tracked and controlled by everyday technology.

The action is so intense and rapid, that it is difficult to keep up with who and what is being threatened and destroyed. The plot is a little above average in sophistication. If you’re looking for an action flick without a lot of bad language and people doing the wild thing on screen - this is it.

Movie Review: "Babylon A. D."

This latest Vin Diesel Sci-Fi Action flick is set in the near future earth. Diesel plays the invisible American mercenary Toorop who is hired by Russian mobster “Gorsky” (played by a greatly made up Gerard Gipardeu) to escort a mysterious orphaned female empath from a secluded monastery to New York City. The film is action packed and has great special effects. The movie starts out with great promise, but by movie’s end, more questions remain unanswered than answered.

Movie Review: "Frozen River"

This Indie is currently showing at Malco Studio on the Square. Mid South native, Courtney Hunt, both wrote and directed this film. The plot concerns the interplay between two single mothers in a rural upstate New York border town. One is white and the other Mohawk. Both struggle to keep their families together in difficult financial and social circumstances by smuggling across the frozen St Lawrence River. The overall mood of the story is dark and depressing. In the end, both learn how to sacrifice self to serve each other. Unfortunately, the overarching principle of their decisions is post-modernist and willing to sacrifice honesty and integrity to meet the basic needs of their respective families.