Arts Talk

By STEVE PERSALL, JOHN FLEMING and MARY ANN MARGER

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 10, 2000

Don dazzles, movie doesn't

Paul Schrader's not-so-romantic, not-so-thrilling Forever Mine recently made its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, inciting unintentional laughter and more early exits than most movies in the lineup.

You may recall that Pinellas County played a role in the film's production last year.

Luckily, that role is Miami. Nobody can blame us.

Nearly an hour of the movie is a flashback to 1973 at the "Don CeSar Biscayne Hotel," with the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa in St. Pete Beach giving a flawless performance.

When the story shifts to 1987, New York City takes center stage. Make no mistake, though: The Don is the true star of Forever Mine.

The historic resort is the first and only thing on-screen during opening credits. Nostalgic tints make its trademark hot pink exterior appear redder, but that's called "character development" in the movie biz. Time-lapse photography moves the scene from sunlight to starlit night. Simply gorgeous.

Forever Mine is the story of a Don CeSar (wherever) cabana boy (Joseph Fiennes, Shakespeare in Love) who goes from towels to riches as a shady political fixer. He never loses his obsession with a resort guest (Gretchen Mol), to the chagrin of her apoplectic husband (Ray Liotta).

Forget the hammy actors and their arch dialogue in the foreground. See how the Don steals each scene in which it appears, from beach to bedrooms, always bathed in luscious colors. It's enough to make chambers of commerce envious and film critics squirm.

Telluride viewers who lingered through closing credits probably didn't know that Pinellas County's contributions are miscredited. Special thanks are given to "Don Ce Sar (sic) Hotel" and the "St. Petersburg Film Office" rather than the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission.

Thing is, the lettering is so small that few will notice those mistakes when Forever Mine is released (or escapes) directly to cable television.

The film's production company recently filed for bankruptcy and sold its holdings, lock, stock and movies, including Forever Mine. Starz/Encore movie channels have exclusive rights for broadcast beginning in November.

Quote, unquote

"I've grown tired of the harsh irony, winking condescension and cynical chic of the movies of the moment, even though I've had a hand in making some of them." -- Director Paul Schrader, rationalizing the dingy soap opera of Forever Mine.

Best overheard remark from a moviegoer after the screening: "It could have been good. It was good, when it was Body Heat."

Broadway on the tube

With 2,036 performances, Smokey Joe's Cafe was the longest running revue in Broadway history. Now the collection of Leiber and Stoller songs is the premiere presentation of the Broadway Television Network on cable and satellite TV's pay per view. The show airs tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. and costs $24.95.

The final performance of Smokey Joe's Cafe at the Virginia Theatre in New York was filmed with 10 cameras and 40 surround sound microphones, and they provide a nice straightforward documentation of the snappy production. The nine-member cast delivers a high-energy performance of Leiber and Stoller's amazingly versatile song book, ranging from country (Pearl's a Singer) to the Coasters' novelty tunes (Charlie Brown), Elvis rockers (Hound Dog) to bluesy ballads (Spanish Harlem).

Because the staging of Smokey Joe's Cafe is not unlike a conventional variety show format, it transfers well to television. The real test for Broadway on the small screen will come with more elaborate productions.

Local art goes traveling

Jacques Callot etchings from the collection of St. Petersburg resident David Patten are among the works on display in "Innovations in Printmaking: The Work of Jacques Callot" at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Sept. 16 to Dec. 10. For information, call the museum at (561) 832-5196.

"Dali Over Daytona," a show that includes works borrowed from St. Petersburg's Dali showplace, is on display at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach, through Nov. 10. For information, call (904) 255-0285.

Fame game

Largo photographer Janice Garrin is one of 37 artists chosen from 534 entries in "The Art of Photography" at the Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach. The show is a national juried competition of traditional and non-traditional photography and runs Thursday through Oct. 14.

Opportunities in the visual arts

48th Florida Craftsmen Exhibition, Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers, Jan. 19 to Feb. 23. Statewide annual competitive exhibition open to Florida contemporary craft artists 18 or older; applicants must join Florida Craftsmen (dues: $35 individual). For prospectus, send a self-addressed envelope, stamped with 55 cents postage, to Florida Craftsmen, 501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701, or download application at http://www.floridacraftsmen.net. (727) 821-7391. Deadline: Nov. 13.

Images 2001, A Festival of the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, March 10-12. Brochure: Images 2001, P.O. Box 1585, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32170; (904) 423-4733. Outdoor show. Deadline: Oct. 31.

- Compiled by film critic Steve Persall, performing arts critic John Fleming and art critic Mary Ann Marger

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