David Smith: Cubes and Anarchy

With Cubes and Anarchy, the first ever thematic exhibition of the heralded 20^th century constructivist avant-gard American sculptor, David Smith (1906-1965), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) brings together over 100 hard-edged geometric forms, drawings, paintings and photographs that express the artist's middle class and utopian optimism.

Differing from the traditional linear representation of Smith's works and influences, LACMA Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Carol S. Eliel focuses on the constant geometric abstraction present throughout Smith's career.

Often referred to as the three-dimensional counterpart to abstract expressionist painters and preceding minimalism, the exhibit includes the artist's earliest small scale sculptures of the 1930's marked by the European influences of Pablo Picasso and cubism. Displayed from the 1940's are Smith's figuratively based, highly detailed American surrealism works. From the 1950's are Smith's lyrically abstract, expressionist expansiveness. On display are also the artist's final works marking Smith's largest geometric breakthrough of monumental Cubis and Zigs.

Smith's work shows noticeable influences by other artists. Visual comparisons of Smith's The Hero (1951-1952) to Constantin Brancusi's Bird in Space (1925) as well as with Smith's Growing Forms (1939) and Brancusi's Endless Column (1918) are on view.

Inspired by Pablo Picasso's and Julio González's welded iron sculptures is Saw Head (1933).

Likewise, Smith's geometric forms applied to populist ideals, as in Unity of Three Forms (1937), Suspended Cube (1938), Three Planes (1960-61), and Zig IV (1961), were inspired by Russian contructivists such as Vladimir Tatlin and El Lissitzky.

In addition, Smith's geometrical forms (Zig III, 1961 and Bec-Dida Day, 1963) assert a link to Piet Mondrian. 
Bec-Dida Day (1963)’s color and shape correlation also reflects Vasily Kandinsky's influence.

The exhibit offers a fascinating look at David Smith's art, welding skills, and depth of vision. One needs to walk around these beautiful structures to feel the three dimensional relationship between the sculptures' form and space, as well as the legacy that brought David Smith to the forefront of international recognition.

The exhibit runs from April 3, 2011 through July 24, 2011 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles , CA 90036 . For more information call (323) 857-6000 or visit www.lacma.org

More about David Smith's work can be found at www.davidsmithestate.org

Paul

First time screenwriting collaborators, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, stars of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, reunite in an uplifting, science-fiction genre satire, containing numerous film references and cameo appearances that will please the loyal fan base.

Best friends sci-fi nerds, Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost), embark on a road trip across America to visit the most notorious UFO sightings.

While en route to area 51, the duo stumbles across Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), a green alien who escaped from a top-secret military base, and who seeks their help in reaching his mother ship. Differing from the stereotypical alien, Paul drinks beer, smokes pot, and is foul mouthed.

After picking up Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), a sheltered fundamentalist who spots the alien, the geeks are feverishly chased by Ruth's religious father Moses (John Carroll Lynch), the relentless federal agent Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman), and by the interplanetary bounty hunters, the methodical Haggard (Bill Hader) and the naïve O'Reilly (Joe Lo Truglio).

The humor touches on topics of culture, evolution and faith but it is the comfort level between the two main characters that delivers added realism and emotional weight.

Kristen Wiig is superb in her role as Ruth. Other solid supporting cast includes Blythe Danner as the old woman Tara, and Sigourney Weaver as the mysterious Big Guy, Agent Zoil's intimidating boss.

Seamlessly fitting the character to his environment, Director Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) generates a vivacious CGI animation of a defiant, carefree and approachable Paul.

A homage to Steven Spielberg aficionados, those not familiar with the references might miss a number of jokes, but will still find Paul a fun cinematic excursion, full of chuckles.

The Desert of Forbidden Art

Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev's enlightening documentary is about a priceless collection of 40,000 banned eclectic Russian Avant-Garde art amassed by Igor Savitsky during the Soviet regime, now in a museum at the Western border of Uzbekistan.

The diaries and letters of Savitsky and other artists are voiced by Ben Kingsley, Sally Field, and Ed Asner. Special to the documentary are period images, archival footage shown for the first time, recollections of the artists' children, now in their seventies and eighties, as well as close friends.

Most of the art Savitsky collected represents a unique artistic style that fuses European modernism with centuries-old Eastern traditions. Savitsky's first museum was opened in 1966 and included his collection of Karakalpaks folk crafts. In 2003 a bigger more modern museum was opened displaying only 3% of the collection as the rest is in need of restoration.

The documentary was filmed at the Nukus Museum where its current director Marinika Babanzarova oversees this collection however, economic and political conditions endanger the survivability of this beautiful art that speaks of a lost generation.

Win Win

Paul Giamatti's role of a perpetrator is different from that of his customary down-on-luck character. Married to Jackie (Amy Ryan), father to two young daughters, a wrestling coach, and an elderly lawyer, Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is struggling. Therefore, in order to make ends meet, he assumes legal guardianship of Leo Poplar (Burt Young), an elderly man with dementia. However, Mike doesn't go by the book and, in Giamatti's unique way, his decision doesn't compromise the audience's empathy. It is this duality in characterization that testifies for Giamatti's versatility as an actor.

Relatable and believable characters address a theme that resonates with today's times. The appearance of Kyle (newcomer, Alex Shaffer), a troubled runaway and the grandson Leo never knew, as well as Kyle's mother Cindy (Melanie Lynskey), returning from rehab, changes the dynamics.

While Mike's wife Jackie provides the story's moral equilibrium, Mike's camaraderie with his sympathetic fellow wrestling coaches, the CPA Vigman (Jeffrey Tambor) and the recently divorced Terry (Bobby Cannavale), add some humor.

Following a well balanced and unsentimental tone, the feature effectively brings unlikely people together in the Win Win spirit.

The Adjustment Bureau

Moving from screenwriting to directing, George Nolfi navigates through the theme of destiny and free will in this romance thriller based on Philip K. Dick's short story 'Adjustment Team'.

Matt Damon stars as the young and charismatic New York politician David Norris, who falls in love with the free-spirited contemporary dancer, Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). However, a mysterious group of men from the Adjustment Bureau conspire to keep the two apart. Agents travel through doorways, roofs and stairwells around the city manipulating situations to fit the Bureau's predetermined 'plan'. David must decide between pursuing his political career or the love of his life.

The on-screen chemistry between Damon and Blunt gives the movie an upper hand. Good supporting cast includes Anthony Mackie as the compassionate Harry, the Bureau representative assigned to David's case, John Slattery as Richardson, Harry's supervisor, Michael Kelly as Charlie Traynor, David's campaign manager and lifelong best friend, and Terence Stamp as Thompson, the head Bureau agent, as well as a few surprising cameo appearances.

While focusing on the humanistic portrayal of the characters and the story, sequences are kept simplistic, without flashy visuals, yet effectively engaging.