Week of 10/31: Frankenstein and Little Bear Ridge Road
Hi! I'm John Bonazzo, and this is Where Theater Meets Theatre. As a lifelong fan of movies and Broadway, I created this site to blend the two. I'm posting weekly roundups of what I've seen on stage and screen. Let's get started!
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Guillermo del Toro's latest Gothic horror film is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic story. As in the book, a North Pole expedition serves as the framing device, with Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his creature recounting their respective tales of woe.
I won't recount the whole plot and risk turning this post into a Wikipedia entry, but suffice it to say the film offers a faithful retelling of the classic story.
As expected in a del Toro movie, Frankenstein is a visual feast. The production design and costume design are top-notch, with Dan Laustsen's swooping cinematography enhancing the creepy atmosphere.
Oscar Isaac is charismatically creepy as the title character, and Mia Goth exudes tenderness as Elizabeth, Victor's sister-in-law who treats the creature more kindly than its maker ever did.
High marks also to the film's trio of elder statesmen:
โข Christoph Waltz as Victor's mysterious benefactor
โข Charles Dance as his abusive father
โข David Bradley as the blind man who befriends the creature
The best performance, however, comes from Jacob Elordi as The Creature. From the moment he appears onscreen in a violent confrontation with the North Pole crew, you can't take your eyes off him. His delivery of the line "Bring him to me!" ranks as one of the best movie moments of the year. With any justice, his combination of superhuman strength and enormous heart will lead to a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
Frankenstein is on Netflix November 7, but see it on the big screen if you can. It's playing at indie cinemas throughout the country (I saw it at Greenwood Features, a wonderful independent theater in Bethel, CT). Whatever format you choose, you'll discover that Del Toro's made one of the best films of the year.
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From film on a large scale to theater on a small one: The day after seeing Frankenstein, I went to the Booth Theatre on Broadway to see Little Bear Ridge Road.
I resisted buying tickets for a while because of the bullying allegations against lead producer Scott Rudin. The thrill of seeing Laurie Metcalf on Broadway won out, however (I've seen all her Broadway appearances since 2015, except COVID-cancelled Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Metcalf plays Sarah, a nurse living in middle-of-nowhere Idaho at the start of the pandemic. Her nephew Ethan (Micah Stock) shows up at her door to help clean out his dead father's (Sarah's brother's) house. The two form an uneasy alliance, and as COVID restrictions loosen a new boyfriend (John Drea as James) enters the picture for Ethan.
Samuel D Hunter's play, which premiered at Steppenwolf in Chicago, isn't the most gripping drama you'll ever see (though it's leagues better than his film The Whale). His attempts to wed the small-scale to the cosmic (James is an astrophysicist) aren't totally successful, though director Joe Mantello moves the chess pieces expertly.
One area where the minimalist gambit pays off is Scott Pask's set, which is literally a couch in a void. That's all you need to tell a great story, with Heather Gilbert's lighting adding effects as required.
Stock, a Tony nominee for It's Only a Play, has a compelling climactic breakdown. Unknown to me, Drea holds his own against his more seasoned compatriots.
The main reason to see the show, however, is (as always) Metcalf. It's great to see her in a meaty role again after her last Broadway outing, Grey House, which was disappointing.
Here, Metcalf gets to bring all her gifts to bear, and it's a joy to watch. Every wonderfully sarcastic line Hunter sends her way, she knocks out of the park.
It's not all gleeful invective, however. Toward the end of the play, Metcalf delivers a beautiful monologue in which emotions finally pour forth.
While the play isn't perfect, any chance to see three brilliant performers (especially Metcalf) do what they do best is worth seeing. Little Bear Ridge Road is a welcome addition to the fall theater season.