Artsminded: This film deserves honors too

• Quartet

Quartet

Talk about it

I realize this column is supposed to be about local arts, and the Academy Awards are not too local — anyway, I cannot recommend those movies because they were pretty much banished from the local theatres the day after the awards — in favor of highly animated films about brutality and/or silly romance.

But, great film is great art and, often, it is available locally through technology you have at home.

Even better, following in her father’s footsteps, Mickey Maher has brought most of the nominees to the Falls Theatre right here on Main Street.

Meanwhile, one film that wasn’t released until after the awards and that may come to River Falls, provides its audience with art that isn’t even mentioned in most of the reviews.

“Quartet” just opened in theaters within 20 miles. Directed by Dustin Hoffman, it stars Maggie Smith among other idolized older actors and it’s good.

But the most important thing about it is its supporting “players,” and I do mean “players.”

The film is set in an English home for retired musicians — Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay , as “actors” do a superb job. But most of the supporting cast are not actors — they are accomplished musicians.

Photos of them in their pre-retirement positions in orchestras — conductor of this great European orchestra, principal clarinetist in that American orchestra — are shown during the credits.

Every time the action takes us into a room of the “retirement home” or a small garden on its luscious grounds, we are treated to lovely classical music expertly played — the recreation of the residents.

Hoffman makes the film so that we see and hear fine music throughout — usually behind the action, but often by itself before the scene begins.

I recommend that if you, as art lovers, make one trip into Minnesota to see a film in the next few weeks, go to this one — unless, of course, it is here.

In this sad year when we have no orchestras performing in the Twin Cities, we can have superb music as background for a delightful film!

Upcoming events

We still have two more barn dances at the Academy Gym this season on March 16 with the Grit Pickers, and on April 13 with Poor Benny.

n You will be pleased to know that the Hammond Arts Alliance is once again —temporarily at least — at its home, Foster Hall, with a monthly show. The next one is the “Found Art Exhibit” for Earth Day. For more information visit: hammondarts.wordpress.com/about/.

n Gallery 120 behind Global M.A.D.E. had its monthly opening last week, but the exhibit of work by River Falls Art Students and their teacher Gina Padriana-Basche remains through the month.

n UWRF Annual Dance Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m., March 13-16 at the Blanche Davis Theatre, KFA. For tickets call 715-425-3114.

n Commissioned Composer Concert: For 47 years, the UWRF music department commissioned a composer of international renown to compose a work to be performed by UWRF musicians. The 2013 Composer is Professor Fang Man from the University of South Carolina, who has received many national and international awards in composition in­cluding a Guggenheim Fellowship and more. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Pompidou Centre, and Tokyo’s Opera City. The concert will be March 21 in KFA. Check the UWRF website for more information.

Tags: lifestyle, arts, entertainment