FILM ROUNDUP

KEITH UHLICH

On the Rocks. Rashida Jones and Bill Murray in

City Hall (Dir. Frederick Wiseman). Documentary. Turning his sights on the city government of Boston, Massachusetts—in particular its centrist-in-progressive’s-clothing mayor Marty Walsh—the incomparable documentarian Frederick Wiseman offers up a multifaceted portrait of American politics at a time when corruption, paranoia and distrust seem the orders of the day. Walsh initially comes off as a superheroic figure, showing up in just about every scene, at events ranging from a food bank charity dinner to a veteran’s celebration where he likens his struggles with alcoholism to battlefield combat. Yet as City Hall goes on (this is one of Wiseman’s longest works, at four-and-a-half hours), the calculations of, and the cracks within, Walsh’s persona come more to the fore. As they also do with the government he is at the head of (prepare yourself for the harrowing half-an-hour long cannabis dispensary community meeting). Wiseman’s approach, however, isn’t that of a gotcha! cynic but a healthy skeptic. The necessity of the institution he’s surveying doesn’t in any way mitigate its myriad flaws. And vice versa. [N/R] HHHH1/2

Dick Johnson Is Dead (Dir. Kirsten Johnson). Documentary. Kirsten Johnson follows up her exemplary nonfiction feature Cameraperson (2016) with this playful and moving documentary, available on Netflix, about her psychiatrist father Dick Johnson. As he approaches his mid80s, it seems that Dick, like his deceased wife (Kirsten’s mother), is well on his way to an Alzheimer’s-afflicted dotage. Knowing what’s coming, daughter aims to memorialize father on camera while he still has his wits about him. This includes filming elaborate fantasies of how Dick Johnson could die (a falling air conditioner to the head; a bone-breaking tumble down the stairs) as well as envisioning both his funeral and his ultimate heavenly reward. These knowingly goofy scenes switch on a dime between horrifying and hilarious; they’re cathartic precisely because they imagine the worst as a way of counterbalancing a pervasive, and very relatable, fear of loss. The rest of the film chronicles Johnsons père and fille as they navigate their new parentchild dynamic, preparing for the inevitable with a compassion so achingly specific it eschews easy sentimentality. [PG-13] HHHH1/2

On the Rocks (Dir. Sofia Coppola). Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans. Laura (Rashida Jones) is a NY mom and writer whose creative block (and general middle-age malaise) dovetails with her suspicions that her husband, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cheating on her. Enter Laura’s playboy father, art dealer Felix (Bill Murray), who semi-playfully stokes her doubts and plots some father-daughter surveillance time to catch Dean in the act—in-between bites of caviar and sips of cocktails, of course. Writer-director Sofia Coppola is working in yet another rarefied milieu, one where stickers touting Bernie Sanders and Stacey Abrams are accorded similar preeminence to a Monet “Water Lilies” canvas. It hardly feels like anything consequential can pierce the bubble she’s created, yet the toss-off nature of the film, as well as the nimble performances by Murray, Jones and Wayans, are key to its strange emotional resonance. A profound sadness undergirds the characters’ every action, though they often seem not to realize it. This feels like a tragedy in the guise of a farce. [R] HHH1/2

Time (Dir. Garrett Bradley). Documentary. Garrett Bradley’s superb doc, available on Amazon, focuses on Sibil Fox Richardson, a Louisiana activist, entrepreneur and mother (of six children) who, as a young woman, plotted a failed bank robbery with her husband Rob. Both of them went to jail. She was released after three-and-ahalf years, while Rob was sentenced to 60 years, and is perhaps to be paroled after 20. Though given the inequities of the American prison system, and its treatment of people of color in particular, who knows? The black-and-white feature unfolds achronologically (a good deal of footage is home videos Sibyl shot herself), collapsing decades of ups, downs and in-betweens into a free-floating, soul-stirring tone poem. Richardson herself is an incredible subject—tough and tender, righteously angry, though aware that the best revenge against the powers-that-be is, as she says, “success” in her one driving goal: getting the man she loves home where he belongs. [PG13] HHHH1/2 n

interview

A.D. AMOROSI

Laraaji

Laraaji

SINCE 1980 AND THErelease of Days of Radiance, pianist/autoharpist, Afro-transcendentalist, and ambient music icon Laraaji—a Philadelphia native raised in New Jersey—has become the very thing he strived to be: a Gandharva, a heavenly being possessed by the skills and spirits of music whose tones most resemble the joys and melancholy of meditative trance states.

The angels are with him on his most recent work, a self-described set of “contemplative sound paintings, embracing a quiet, tranquil unfolding of nurturing reflection” that is Sun Piano, Moon Piano, and Through Luminous Eyes. All released in 2020, each part of this new trilogy is more introspective, raw, and minimalistic than Laraaji’s meditative works on famed albums such as Flow Goes The Universe and Bring On The Sun.

The lushness of intricate layering, improvisation, a hymn-like mediative ardor, and the depth of spirit that is Laraaji’s hallmark can be witnessed in his trio of contemplative albums— to say nothing of the rich, bawdy sense of humor that he teaches in laughter workshops.

We caught up with each other at his home in New York City.

How could you tell, or feel, what works best for Sun Piano as opposed to Moon Piano

There were trails as to what sequences fit best or suited what.

You started as a pianist and blossomed into other instruments as you got older. When did you feel the pull of meditative sound, of soothing, healing ambiance?

It was in the 1970s, right after I filmed a part > 20

Winter Festivities

Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem

Through November 29. Celebrating its 28th year, Christkindlmarkt is a one-of-akind family event that brings Bethlehem Alive with the spirit of the season. Twice recognized as one of the best holiday markets in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure, the event features handmade works by more than 50 of the nation’s finest artisans, live Christmas music, handmade ornaments, nutcrackers, and collectibles from Germany, and cooking with St. Nicholas via Zoom select days in November (additional ticket required). SteelStacks, 645 E. First St., Bethlehem. 610-3321300 ChristmasCity.org

Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

November 6-December 31. Experience “Christmas City, USA” like never before. Horse-drawn carriage rides are the perfect way to enjoy the lights, sights, and sounds of Bethlehem. Tickets on sale now-get yours before they sell out. The Visitor Center, 501 Main St., Bethlehem. 800-360-8687. Purchase today at HistoricBethlehem.org

Historical Holidays in the Colonial Industrial Quarter

November 6-December 31. Activities include pop-up shopping, Putz displays, a winter art exhibition, Christmas Huts, Colonial Blacksmith demonstrations, and warming stations. 459 Old York Rd., Bethlehem. Reserve your timed tickets, 800-360-8687, HistoricBethlehem.org

Historical Holidays

at Burnside Plantation November 6-December 31. Find your perfect tree at our tree farm, and don’t miss the holiday greens sale and winter garden. Celebrate the farm’s historical roots through hands-on activities, a barn bake sale, outdoor displays, family photo ops, and pop-up shops. 1461 Schoenersville Rd., Bethlehem. Reserve your timed ticket at 800-360-8687 HistoricBethlehem.org

Storytime with St. Nick

November 7, 11 am, November 14, 10 am, and November 14, 2 pm (limited capacity). Presented by ArtsQuest, St. Nick is taking up residence on the Levitt Pavilion this year. He’ll spend the first part of each session reading one of his holiday favorites from his home on the stage. Afterward, every child in attendance is welcome to come up on stage-socially distanced-t tell St. Nick what gifts he should pass on to Santa for his list. Each square can accommodate up to four people for $25 per square ($22.50 ArtsQuest member). Patrons should bring chairs or blankets for seating on the Levitt Lawn.645 E. First St., Bethlehem. 610-332-1300 ChristmasCity.org

Holiday Cocktail Trails

November 7, 14, and 21, various locations in Downtown Bethlehem. Be sure to stop in Moravian Bookshop on Nov. 7, and enjoy a “Christmas Punch” to go. Presented by the Downtown Bethlehem Association. 610-739-1775 GetDowntownBethlehem.com

Christmas City’s Tree

Lighting Ceremony November 27, 5 pm, Virtual event. Join us virtually for Christmas City’s tree lighting ceremony. Details will be post-

in Lehigh Valley

ed on Facebook and the Lehigh Valley Chamber website. Free. 610-841-5800 Lehighvalleychamber.org

Trellis at City Hall

November 27-January 1, presented by Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce. Payrow Plaza (Bethlehem City Hall). The Chamber will be dedicating the ornaments on the trellis at Bethlehem City Hall to the healthcare heroes in our lives. Ornaments and engraving are free and first-come, first-serve. They will be on display all season and then available for pick up. If you are interested in reserving one or sponsoring this initiative, please email Angela at angelad@lehighvalleychamber.org. 610-841-5800 Lehighvalleychamber.org

Dining and a Show

Saturdays and Sundays, through November 30, 11 am-4 pm. Contemporary and classic holiday music by some of the regions’ top performers as you enjoy our special holiday menu at the ArtsQuest Center. Indoor/outdoor seating is based upon the day’s weather. Tables must be reserved in advance and are good for up to four people in the same party. SteelStacks, 645 E. First St., Bethlehem. 610-332-1300 Christmascity.org

Luminaria Night

December 12, sundown, citywide, Bethlehem. Luminaria Night is a beautiful evening when neighborhoods line their streets with luminaria-white bags illuminated by votive candles. Luminaria is a symbol of unity and caring for those less fortunate. Luminaria night started in 1998 in a small neighborhood in Bethlehem to benefit one family in need. Now celebrating its 22nd year, it has grown into a valley-wide event connecting neighborhoods in a beautiful evening of light and giving. All proceeds from the sale of kits go to New Bethany Ministries, a faith-based, nondiscriminatory agency providing programming to the hungry, homeless, poor, and mentally ill of Lehigh Valley. $10 kit includes ten candles, sand & bags. 610-691-5602, ext. 201 Newbethanyministries.org

Opening Up Our Hearts

Music and inspiration of Christmas, December 13, 4–6 pm. The Bach Choir of Bethlehem presents virtual concert on The Bach Choir’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Recorded outdoors in Nazareth and in Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, this virtual concert offers seasonal selections from Bach and other composers, along with poetry and sacred texts expressing the season's beauty. Free tickets. Bach.org 610-866-4382, ext. 110

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker

Christmas stream, December 19, 8 pm. Step into a simpler time filled with sweet dreams and Christmas magic. Worldclass artists, over 200 dazzling costumes, stunning sets, towering puppets, and soaring birds. Tickets sold through Moscow Ballet’s platform. $50 for stream only, and $65 for stream with Meet & Greet. $25 of each stream purchased will go to the non-profit State Theatre’s Your Seat is Waiting Campaign. Easton, PA. 610-252-3132, 800-999STATE, Statetheatre.org n