Word: clever
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...human. Asians are, in this view, little more than worker drones willing to sacrifice themselves in an instant for the good of the state. This argument, is in essence, identical to the statements of people warning of "The Yellow Peril" in the 1950s. The Chinese regime is more than clever enough to use these beliefs against...
Although the notion of Hamlet as meta-drama isn't new to theater (i.e. Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead), Groundlings puts a clever and original spin on Shakespeare's nihilistic drama. Clamence indicts Roulleau for having watched a play, taken vicarious pleasure in the characters' lives, and ultimately refused to take a stake in its consequences. His trial thereby acquires a metaphorical character, addressing the purpose of theater in modern society and the nature of its relationship with its audience. In one tirade, Clamence likens Roulleau's behavior to our usual reaction to TV news...
Certainly Delbanco is conscious of the mechanics of his prose--quite literally, in fact. Ballard twice upbraids other characters for improper use of gerunds. Like Ballard, Delbanco has an ear for "pretty mots all in a row," and obviously takes care to produce affecting sentences. Unfortunately, his sometimes clever phrases usually detract from the overall quality of the work. Entire paragraphs are sometimes included just for the sake of one pun. Some sentences read like Delbanco took a thesaurus and looked up a longer synonym for any word under six letters...
...standard for all horror or semi-horror flicks. Though the very premise of this film involves a satirical jab at the legal profession, the movie doesn't ultimately match the sly wit of Scream or the films from which it borrows. The ending, in trying to be both clever and moralistic, comes off as manipulative and uninspired--in other words, too conventionally Hollywood. It's a huge let-down after a fun build...
Martin has always had a keen eye for human foibles, and he expands his considerable talent here in creating a very broad, if occasionally cliched cast of characters. As might be expected, clever retorts fly, the dialogue crackles and some characters come across as just plain silly. Jokes are set up in the beginning of the play, and recur later on, in different contexts, to great effect. The comic material Martin uses in Picasso succeeds in racking up the laughs, although it lacks the slight edge that elevated the best of his earlier into something more provocative and exciting. Still...