Generally, my movie preferences run to song-and-dance, romance, even “chick flicks.” So it was with some reluctance that I decided to see the real-life, cat-and-mouse thriller, “Breach.” I agreed because my son-in-law, Michael, is an avid moviegoer and he gave “Breach” an A-1 rating. I value his judgment and was rewarded.The film is based on a true story, an unconventional thriller that tells up front who the bad guy is. In spite of that, “Breach” kept me on the edge of my seat. Actor Chris Cooper gives a stellar performance as a double agent, Robert Hanssen. The information he gave the Russians sent Soviet agents who were working for the United States to their death. Robert Hanssen spied for the Soviet Union for more than 20 years (gasp!) while productively employed as a counterintelligence analyst for the F.B.I. What he did is considered the worst breach of U.S. Intelligence in the history of the F.B.I. The movie is not simply a spy thriller. It is also a drama that examines two men intertwined in a game – interesting to watch the two. I was kept intrigued from start to finish. “Breach” is a film about lies and secrets, and smart, arrogant men waylaid by their own pride and pathologies. Hanssen must have relished the sheer violation and control – a pious sadist who liked to put people on the spot. “Breach” is a serious film with a spy who is hard to explain. So there you have it – no singing, no dancing, no romance – but I enjoyed it. Thanks Mike!
If I told you that I attended a program that included a circus, complete with ringmaster, a man bewitched by a group of beautiful women, a colorful game of cards, and a fairy tale come to life, I don’t think you’d guess where all this took place. Surprise! I was fortunate to enjoy all of the above at the New York City Ballet. The title of this program is “For the Fun of It,” and indeed it was fun. Each of the four ballets is wonderful to watch. It starts with “Circus Polka,” with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Jerome Robbins. A jovial ringmaster puts adorable little girls through their paces. I loved seeing them. “Walpurgisnacht Ballet,” with music by Charles Counod and choreography by George Balanchine, has an almost all-female, lilac-tinted world. It was lovely. “Jeu de Cartes,” with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Peter Martins, presents a ballerina in a tutu adored with hearts. She is backed with the geometric grouping of an ensemble. The costumes are striking – black or red suits of cards on white tutus and body tights. “Firebird,” by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, has scenery and costumes by Chagall, and features beautiful dancing and vivid costumes. These four ballets made up a very entertaining program. To prove how much I loved it all, I didn’t yawn – not even once!
There’s an architect named Renzo Piano. Such a name has built-in appeal to me, so I researched his work. I found an outstanding example of the man’s great talent at The Morgan Library and Museum on Madison Avenue at 36th Street in New York. Completed in 2006, Mr. Piano (just love that name!) increased the exhibition space by more than 50 percent and added important visitor amenities for shopping and dining. The Morgan is truly beautiful, with light-filled spaces to display its treasures. The result is magnificent (am I gushing?!). A soaring central court connects the Morgan’s three historical buildings with new steel-and-glass pavilions. It feels like the gathering place of an Italian piazza. On my visit, I had to control myself from that “I want to see everything” feeling. I simply didn’t have the energy, even though I had checked in my heavy winter jacket and was wearing sneakers. In spite of being unencumbered, I still had to limit my artistic appetite to two exhibitions – and I picked two winners. The first was “Saul Steinberg: Illuminations.” I was interested in the artist because I knew his work in “The New Yorker.” I always enjoyed his creative and prolific interpretations of New York City. He saw its skyline, its people, its monuments and myths in a most unique and frequently comic way. Saul Steinberg was an eloquent satirist and a critic of contemporary culture. He made me smile a lot. The next stop at The Morgan was to see “Private Treasures.” The works spans more than 400 years form the 16th to the early 20th century. That boggles my mind. The earliest works come from a period when drawing was simply sued as a form of exercise. In “Private Treasures,” the show is drawn entirely from an anonymous private collection (that collector must have been loaded and she must have had an exceptional eye). The exhibition is accompanied by a lavish catalog, a guide that visitors can consult as they travel around the gallery. I didn’t look at the guidebook. If I had, I’d get too interested (and too tired) to see the 90 drawings. Happily, I found a few drawings that I liked, like Degas’ “Ballet Dancers’ Legs” and Vincent’s “The Drawing Lesson” and simply enjoyed them.
The only thing at first that bothered me about “The Lives of Others” was its title. I simply found it hard to remember – especially when I wanted to recommend this movie to others. It’s a first-rate thriller and, surprise, there are no buildings, crashing, no car chases, no high body counts or even bullets. “The Lives of Others” is both a politically gripping narrative and a human drama. The story creates three-dimensional characters and puts them in an impossible situation. Set in former East Germany, it starts in Berlin in 1984, right before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. It was a shock to find the action lasting until 1993. The film vividly captures the dispiriting atmosphere of a country where the state controls its citizens through fear and terror. In all those years, it was a world in which there was no justice. One cannot say for sure who the hero is. The most prominent figure is someone you wouldn’t give a second glance to if you passed him on the street. However, he would spot you and file you away in a drawer in the back of his mind. “The Lives of Others” has many terrifying moments. Smart twists and turns abound. I wasn’t aware that it was shown in color since the landscape is mainly shriveled to black-and-white. That made the subtitles easier to read. The movie is a well-made, politics-meets-truth-and beauty film, a riveting and potent narrative. No wonder it’s a winner of multiple awards. If you see this with friends, it will lend itself too much discussion and you won’t forget it too quickly. Oh, and now, thinking it over, I understand the title. You probably will too.