Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Fiddler on the Roof

Author(s): Al
Location: NY

"Fiddler on the Roof"

Directed by Mike Nichols
Written by David Benioff

Main Cast
Tevye: Mandy Patinkin
Golde: Kathy Bates
Motel Kamzoil: Roger Bart
Tzietel: Evan Rachel Wood
Perchik: Topher Grace
Hodel: Emmy Rossum
Chava: Kate Mara
Lazar Wolf: Harvey Fierstein
And
Yente: Barbra Streisand

Tagline: "N/A"

Synopsis: Tradition. It's what keeps the people of the small Russian-Jewish shtetl of Anatevka going every day as they go about their business. And tradition is what their entire society is based upon. All the fathers go to work, lead the home, and pray on the Sabbath. All the mothers cook, clean, and pray on the Sabbath. All the sons go to school, learn the trade from their fathers, and pray on the Sabbath. And all the daughters learn from their mothers, get married off to a nice man by the town matchmaker Yente and pray on the Sabbath. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it always will be.Tevye, the town milkman, thrives on tradition. He has 5 daughters, (Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Sprintze, and Bielke) and works hard to instill in them traditional Jewish values. He also tries to get his family by on a meager income, hoping to generate some wealth by finding her daughters rich husbands. He dreams of one day being a "rich man" and making his wife Golde and his daughters happy. So he is overjoyed when the town's prosperous butcher, Lazar Wolf, asks him for his oldest Tzeitel's hand in marriage. Tevye agrees happily, but Tzeitel is already in love with the town's meek tailor, Motel and they have secretly made a vow to marry. Though Tevye has already announced his daughter's engagement to Lazar Wolf, Motel gathers the courage to stand up to Tevye, proclaiming that "even a poor tailor is entitled to some happiness". Tevye, impressed, relents and agrees to give him Tzeitel's hand. They begin to plan a wedding.Meanwhile, Perchik, a student revolutionary, comes to Anatevka and begins to preach ideals that are directly at odds with those of the people of the town. Though they are set in their ways, he relentlessly tries to change them, showing them the changes that are happening all across the world. He and Hodel fall in love, much to Tevye's dismay. And Tevye also discovers that Chava is having a secret relationship with a Russian soldier.At Motel and Tzeitel's wedding, Perchik crosses the male and female barrier for the first time and dances with Hodel. Before the guests can protest, the Russian army invades for a "demonstration", wreaking destruction on Anatevka. As the world changes around them, the sheltered people of Anatevka must accept the changes around them and begin to let go their old traditions. But are these stodgy traditions what define their culture? Tevye must lead his community into the brave new world…step by step.

What the Press would say:
Fiddler on the Roof is the greatest musical of all time. I know, that's a bold statement to make in the first sentence of a movie review. But it's just one of those musicals that stirs up those feelings in people. Any Broadway buff worth their salt has seen it, and can tell you the intricacies of Mostel's performance versus Topol's in a snap. But even if you're not a Broadway expert, "Fiddler on the Roof" is accessible to anyone. And the acclaimed 1971 film translated it perfectly to the screen. And now that uppity Mike Nichols has the chutzpah to remake it?In the hands of a lesser director, the film would fail to live up to the standards of its predecessor and fail as a film. But Nichols has tons of experience in both the film and stage worlds, so it's only natural that he would combine them. He imbues the small town of Anatevka with brown, Earthy tones and treats the musical numbers like small rejoicings by the characters. It's usually very tough to blend songs with script, but he pulls it off, partly in thanks to David Benioff's screenplay that goes light on the hokey and heavy on the emotionally powerful, taking just enough liberties with the stageplay to make it faithful but to make it work on screen.Tevye is one of the all-time great stage roles for tenors, and so Mandy Patinkin was a natural for the role. Sure, he's not a big name, but can you imagine George Clooney as Tevye? Exactly. Patinkin embodies Tevye as a man who tries to be strong and stand up for what he thinks is right, but has too soft a heart to be arrogant. Tevye is a tree in the hurricane of changes around him that until now has ignored them and gone about his business, but is being ripped out and whirled around. Patinkin's performance is magnificent and dignified and his singing is legendary. Kathy Bates also puts in a great performance as Golde, Tevye's loudmouthed but kind wife. As the arranged-marriage Golde and Tevye begin to realize that they do care for each other, Bates plays it perfectly. She also handles the musical-comedy aspect of the role very well.Roger Bart is best known for his recurring role on "Desperate Housewives", but is a renowned Broadway actor. Motel is always a hard part to pull off, because it requires the actor to play a funny nerd but also show his inner strength. Bart does it, making us root for his character, the underdog, and stand up and cheer as we watch him and Tzeitel become happy together. Emmy Rossum is another highlight in the cast, showing remarkable depth as Hodel, a young woman who has been sheltered all her life and now having to make a choice- her family and tradition, or love and uncertainty? And I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about Barbra Streisand's casting. It's marvelous- she gives a rollicking, hilarious Dolly Levi-style performance as the town's matchmaker. What a great comeback for her in musical theater…hopefully someday she'll return to the stage. We can hope, right?So that's it. Fiddler on the Roof doesn't try to be the old movie, it doesn't try to be a Broadway musical, and it doesn't try to be a period drama. It rolls elements of all of those together into something that isn't a perfect movie, but certainly a great one. It's a movie musical for the ages, and if you haven't seen the show or the old movie, go out and see those now. And then see this film, which complements them both beautifully.

Best Picture – AMPAS
Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) – HFPA
Best Ensemble – SAG
Best Director – Mike Nichols
Best Actor – Mandy Patinkin
Best Actress – Kathy Bates
Best Supporting Actor – Roger Bart
Best Supporting Actress – Barbra Streisand
Best Supporting Actress – Emmy Rossum

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