PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS (Maria Maggenti, U.S.). 82 minutes. Sunday (May 20), 9:45 pm, Isabel Bader. Rating: NN Rating: NN
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Reviews : Red Without Blue |
Here’s a film that’s well shot and has a terrific cast. Too bad it’s not about anything that matters.
Commitment-phobe Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser, Grey’s Anatomy’s Jane Doe) gets dumped by her girlfriend and then starts two affairs, one with Philip (Justin Kirk) and another with Grace (Gretchen Mol).
Turns out Grace and Philip are a couple who break up as they each fall for Allegra.
That set-up has some farce potential, but it never really pays off. There’s some sizzle, but only for a nano-second, when Grace and Allegra first meet.
And really, will-she-or-won’t-she (commit) and is-she-or-isn’t-she (queer) are old themes. Don’t any of these people have lives?
Opera lovers, beware: the title promises more than it delivers.
