At the Dietrich by Hildy Morgan
So. I’m at my desk eating my Frosted Flakes for breakfast (yeah, yeah, for those who think we should have ancient grains topped with kale to start our day, I say Frosted Flakes has extra vitamin D which means I never ever have to go outside in the sunlight which is good because we’re not having much of it these days so, when looked at properly, those little sugar flakes are almost as healthy as wheat bubbles (whatever) and brussel sprouts). Heh heh.
Ooooh, it’s soooo exciting! Gala night is going to be simply wonderful. We start with two terrific movies, we have new restaurants taking part as well as our tried and true super wonderful regulars like Epicurean Delight and the incomparable Twigs and, yes, Greenley’s and the new Season’s and I think one more but I can’t write about it now because it’s not a firm commitment yet. Plus, of course, we have Nimble Hill and their exquisite wines and their great beers (my husband is completely hooked on their porter which comes in a jug and which you can have refilled so you are saving the environment scads of debris and it’s sort of Irish or European or something to take your jug in to be filled – totally neat!) and then, of course, the movies themselves.
Our first film (depending on which theater you see them in of course, is The Lunchbox, a charming film from India about a lovely young woman whose husband pays her very little attention and who forms a friendship with an older man who adores the lunches she makes. The lunches are part of a huge program in India where lunches are prepared for working folks. I love when we have foreign films because they tell us so much about the culture we’re watching. And we learn so much about what they’re lives are really like. Remember when we showed A Separation from Iran? It told us about the justice system there and it was fascinating. Much more justice than I ever dreamed they would have had, which tells you that sometimes our news only scratches at the surfaces and doesn’t get to the heart of the people at all.
The other film is August Osage County with such a wonderful cast led by Meryl Streep (as a truly horrible woman) and Julia Roberts and Margo Martindale – if you are not familiar with her name you will know her when you see her. She’s an absolutely grand character actress who really should be a huge star by now! It’s a tour de force by the actresses and is one of those movies that makes your own family seem normal in comparison, and to that I say Amen!
So we have a light film and a bit heavier one for gala night, but both wonderful in content and presentation. You will have a good time. And speaking of which, if you want certain seats, now is the time to make those reservations – calls are already coming in. 996-1500 and you can choose your theater and your seat, How cool is that????
And now you are probably wondering what else we’re playing. Such cool stuff. From many countries. I don’t have enough room to tell you about all of them in this column – I’ll do that next week. But I’ll tell you that they are representative of many countries and all look completely wonderful. Interesting. Different. We are bringing back Philomena, even though we showed it, because we think it is such a gorgeous film and because Judi Dench is up for the Oscar because of it. (That’s a story about what secrecy and absolute power can do to the human soul!) We have the Kids For Cash documentary which strikes close to home and we have another charming doc about a school bus auctioned off in America which makes its way to Guatemala. It will charm your socks off!
And the rest I’ll tell you about next week, I promise. The brochure goes to the printer Friday, so you will be getting it soon. But in the meantime make those reservations. You know you’ll be so glad you did!
See you at the Dietrich.
