Author: diana

“Whiplash”—Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Written by diana on December 8, 2014. Posted in movie reviews. 3 Comments on “Whiplash”—Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Whiplash For lovers of jazz music and of stories dealing with young artists trying to find their way, this 2014 movie has it all. A young drummer, Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is accepted into Shaffer Conservatory, one of the best music schools in the country and yearns for the approval of Terence Fletcher, the school’s intimidating and legendary master (J. K. Simmons, in his best role since “Juno”). Fletcher is only interested in the best of the best students and hopes to find the next Charlie Parker, only to be continually disappointed. The sacrifices Andrew makes in order to please Fletcher...

Keith Haring (1958-1990): The Political Line (November 8-February 16, 2015)

Written by diana on December 1, 2014. Posted in Art. No Comments on Keith Haring (1958-1990): The Political Line (November 8-February 16, 2015)

Many of the works in this comprehensive exhibit at the De Young Museum (San Francisco) are being publicly presented for the first time, several on loan from the Keith Haring Foundation, Brooklyn, New York, [In March 2012, a retrospective exhibit of Haring’s work, Keith Haring: 1978-1982, opened at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. See my May 2012 review ] The imagery of Haring remains vital to the universally recognized visual language of the late 20th century. His enduring vision and critique of global problems is as relevant today as it was almost a quarter of a century ago. More than...

Ai Weiwei—Without a Trace

Written by diana on November 25, 2014. Posted in Art. 3 Comments on Ai Weiwei—Without a Trace

With Wind The extraordinary @Large Ai Weiwei exhibit is now part of the daily tour to Alcatraz by ferry (Pier 33). Ai Weiwei, 57 years old, whose art raises questions about freedom of expression and human rights, has served several prison sentences in China. This major installation invites viewer participation. Alcatraz Several of the prison buildings (now in ruins reminiscent of burnt-out inner city neighborhoods or the aftermath of Hiroshima) exhibit a range of Ai Weiwei’s artwork with the most evocative being “With Wind” and “Trace”. “With Wind” has an enormous dragon kite as its...

FWD—Fishing with Dynamite

Written by diana on November 18, 2014. Posted in Restaurants. No Comments on FWD—Fishing with Dynamite

Hamachi I first learned about this restaurant in Manhattan Beach (Los Angeles) in a January 22, 2014 New York Times review. It is amazing that such a tiny restaurant in a beachy little neighborhood received coverage from the premier East Coast cognoscenti. First and foremost, Fishing with Dynamite is a knockout—East Coast meets West Coast for superb service either at the tiny bar (where we loved sitting) or at a table. The place is lively and even the manager chatted with us, offering his views on this new restaurant’s mission and philosophy in a down-to-earth manner. I really expected it to...

“Olive Kitteridge”—Scenes from a Marriage, or A Bitter Edge

Written by diana on November 7, 2014. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on “Olive Kitteridge”—Scenes from a Marriage, or A Bitter Edge

The HBO mini-series based on Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Olive Kitteridge” delivers big time! With a stellar cast led by the astounding Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins, we see the two main characters Olive and Henry vacillate between love and despair, kindness and absence of human connection. Scenes from a marriage with a bitter edge. The main character, Olive Kitteridge, is intentionally the most puzzling and difficult to empathize with. She is more an anti-hero than a protagonist you identify with and hope for. There are glimmers of her compassion as the story winds...

La Balena—A whale of a meal

Written by diana on November 3, 2014. Posted in Restaurants. 2 Comments on La Balena—A whale of a meal

For a town like Carmel, it is exciting to find a restaurant that can really rival a good one in San Francisco. I think La Balena nails it! We started off with Polpo Grigliato (grilled octopus with potatoes, anchovy aioli, lemon and parsley). I have to confess that I am obsessed with this cephalopod. If octopus is on the menu, I have to try it. This is one of their signature antipasti, theirs is a bit salty but having said that, I would still order it again and let them know to be cautious with the salt. Others obviously like the polpo just the way it is. Then we had the Delicata salad: warm...