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Arts & Life
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT’ Rated R
Set in war-torn Afghanistan in 2018, “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” is more than a war story, and most likely not something you would expect from the director of films such as “Snatch,” “Sherlock Holmes,” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.”
Danger lurks in the Taliban-occupied portion of a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) heads up a special unit with an unenviable mission.
Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province looks like a vacation spot compared to Kinley’s posting to an area under Taliban control, as his team is tasked with finding enemy munitions and explosive storage sites.
During a routine search at a vehicle checkpoint, two of Kinley’s unit are killed by a truck bomb, including his Afghan interpreter, who is replaced with Ahmed (Dar Salim), a man who speaks four languages and candidly admits he’s in it for the money.
More than finances are at stake for the new interpreter. Ahmed’s son was killed by the Taliban, and his allegiance is to those countrymen who harbor bitterness or distaste for the terrorist thugs.
The relationship between Kinley and Ahmed is a little tricky. At first, Kinley harbors suspicions about his new interpreter, who makes it clear that he is not a verbatim translator because his skill is to interpret every situation.
When approaching a suspect building, Ahmed informs Kinley they won’t find any weapons inside, claiming to know what goes on behind the closed doors. They search anyway, only to find an opium den.
More searches prove unfruitful, and Kinley becomes frustrated on his last tour of duty and takes his concerns to his superior, Colonel Vokes (Jonny Lee Miller), who basically tells him to follow his gut instincts.
Things get more serious when Ahmed proves his worth by steering Kinley and his unit away from a trap that another interpreter has set just as they are about to travel into the middle of a Taliban ambush.
After returning to the base for a break, Kinley and his team head out on a grueling journey to arrive at a mine that is suspected to be a large weapons cache. Kinley and his men are overwhelmed by a Taliban assault.
Only Kinley and Ahmed survive the attack and manage to escape in a Taliban truck. After a breakdown, they are forced to flee on foot into the forest. In a hide-and-seek deadly game with the enemy, Kinley and Ahmed manage to kill some of their pursuers.
With the odds against them, Kinley and Ahmed are spotted after resting for the night in an abandoned home. Kinley is shot in the arm and leg, and then gets rescued by Ahmed.
At this point, Ahmed has already proved his skill at killing the enemy, and turns his attention to fashioning a makeshift sled to drag the wounded Kinley through treacherous terrain.
A series of circumstances put both Kinley and Ahmed in mortal danger, but the Afghan native is determined to get the American sergeant back to the Bagram Air Base.
Once back in the United States and reunited with his family, Kinley can think of nothing else than repaying a debt to Ahmed and his family who had been promised safe passage to America.
Returning as a private citizen to Afghanistan, Kinley seeks the help of military contractor Parker (Antony Starr) to extricate Ahmed and his family. The extraction turns out to be the biggest firefight of the journey for the former sergeant and his interpreter.
Watching “The Covenant” may stir uncomfortable memories of how the subsequent ill-fated withdrawal from Afghanistan proved to be a disaster not only for the United States but even more so for those left behind.
In case one is not thinking about the ramifications of a 20-year slog in hostile territory, the film’s end credits note how thousands of interpreters were abandoned to a dire fate, especially when the Taliban took full control of the country.
More than just a war movie, Ritchie’s foray into new territory focuses in an admirable way on the lives of two disparate war-weary men who stand for honor, valor, and loyalty, which are noble character traits seemingly in short supply today.
Though the brutality and inhumanity of war is not absent, the director is far more interested in telling the story of complex, fascinating human beings that are placed in trying circumstances.
Guy Ritchie has taken a gamble on a war film that he has acknowledged is his favorite genre and how he had tried for a long time to find a story that appealed to him.
Whatever one’s feelings about the subject of war, “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” is a film worth seeing for the humanity of multifaceted characters grappling with the emotions of duty, honor, and service in challenging situations.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Middletown Art Center
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Art Center will host the return of the Taurus Party on Saturday, May 13.
The event will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. at the center, 21456 State Highway 175.
Tickets are only $15 and will be sold at the door. Food and beverages will be available for sale. Movies and art fun will be available for children.
Back in 1992, Mark Nichols, an artist and blacksmith from Middletown, began throwing a group birthday party for himself and friends whose birthdays fell under the zodiac sign of Taurus, and thus began 31 years of a long-standing Middletown community tradition — the Taurus Party.
Nichols aka “Bubblemeister” or “Metalsmith Mark” hosted the first few Taurus Parties at Harbin Hot Springs and it later moved to his private property in Middletown.
The parties got bigger and always featured live music and other forms of entertainment including fire dancers, performance artists, drum circles and a bouncy house for the kids.
The parties were so loved and well attended that, about 10 years ago, additional astrological themed parties were added as well as a Halloween party.
After the Valley fire, Nichols relocated and then COVID prevented the ability to gather, until now.
This year The Middletown Art Center is honored to host the return of The Taurus Party.
The public is invited to join in celebrating all of its favorite Taurus Bulls in an all-out birthday bash including a performance by the William Scott Forbes band, non-fire fire dancing, food by Goddess of the Mountain, Delights drum circle, and an opportunity to make art for International World Collage Day.
About the band: Singer/songwriter William Scott Forbes was born and raised in rural Northern California where he picked up the electric guitar at an early age. His alt-country sound and songwriting is distinctive but influenced by Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Mark Knopfler.
He grew up in Middletown in Lake County before relocating to Mendocino County where he attended Laytonville High School and studied music at Santa Rosa Junior College.
He was partly raised by his late aunt who encouraged him and shared his belief in the positive power of music. Today he's grateful to have the privilege of playing with a top notch band that performs as the William Scott Forbes Band in venues large and small around California's beautiful North Coast.
Questions can be directed to 707-355-0595 (Mark), 707-809-8118 (MAC) or
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘RENFIELD’ Rated R
Missing from the poster art and the trailers, the tag line for “Renfield” is apparently “Evil doesn’t span eternity without a little help.” The “evil,” of course, as you may guess from the titular character’s association, refers to Count Dracula.
The help comes from the tortured aide of history’s most narcissistic boss, the bloodsucking vampire we all know and love from a plethora of films and novels.
Trapped in an eternal hell is the hapless Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who is forced to procure his master’s prey. He’s ready to break free if only he can escape the Stockholm Syndrome.
Life has become so intolerable for Renfield that he joined a support group that deals with toxic relationships. Ready to see if there’s life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness, Renfield only needs to figure out how to end his codependency.
Nicolas Cage’s Dracula is so maniacally egotistical and self-absorbed that he never misses a chance to debase and humiliate his indentured servant Renfield to do his every bidding.
Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire has been adapted so many times in cinematic productions that one can’t possibly keep track. Who is the best Dracula? Would it be Gary Oldman, Frank Langella or Christopher Lee? They seem to be second fiddle to Bela Legosi.
Let’s get to the point that Nicolas Cage is playing the nefarious vampire for campy fun. Sort of like what Leslie Nielsen delivered in Mel Brooks’ “Dracula: Dead and Loving It.”
The most unlikely Dracula was probably George Hamilton’s spoof of the vampire in “Love at First Bite.” Not that he didn’t have some fun with the character, but how could a guy with an aversion to sunlight have a Malibu surfer’s tan?
In “Renfield,” Count Dracula wears enough pancake makeup that exposure to the sun would melt his face. And if ever there was someone outside of Great Britain with a need for a good dental plan, he’s the one.
Dracula is not alone in tormenting poor Renfield. The Lobo New Orleans crime family, run by matriarch Bellafrancesca (Shoreh Aghdashloo), is at war with Renfield when he chooses to align with New Orleans police officer Rebecca (Awkwafina).
Corruption runs so rampant in New Orleans that the Lobo family has free reign, partly as the result of a police force so crooked that Rebecca is apparently the only honest cop in town. But Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwartz) is so dim-witted that his enforcer role is a joke.
While Renfield ends up wearing pastel-colored sweaters, he does find a way to become assertive and bold, to say nothing of his superhuman strength when a supply of bugs to consume is at hand.
With a serious crush on Officer Rebecca, Renfield takes on the Lobo henchmen with a graphic vengeance that results in bloody mayhem of shattered heads and severed limbs.
Turn the clock back more than thirty years, and recall that Nicolas Cage played an immortal predator in the horror comedy “Vampire’s Kiss.” It only seemed natural for him to take on the role of the most prominent vampire of them all.
No slight is meant to Nicholas Hoult’s Renfield to note that having more of Nicolas Cage’s range of emotions from absurd arrogance to real menace would have enhanced the campiness of “Renfield.”
How come vampires always end up living in New Orleans? Maybe we owe that to Anne Rice’s prolific novels. Whatever the case, the Crescent City is an appropriate venue for the genre.
CW NETWORK LAUNCHING NEW DRAMA SERIES
Supernatural crime thriller “The Rising” is the story of Neve Kelly (Clara Rugaard), who discovers that she is dead. Understandably, she’s scared and confused by this new non-existence, but moreover, when she realizes she’s been murdered, she’s furious.
Determined to find her killer and get justice, Neve takes advantage of her new supernatural abilities to go where the police cannot and investigate her own death.
In doing so, she uncovers deeply buried secrets and is forced to re-examine everything about her life and the people she cared about. “The Rising” is a story about love, justice, and the cost of pursuing the truth in a world that wants to keep it hidden.
The Australian surfer drama “Barons” is set in a time of sexual liberation, social disruption, protest, and war. The eight-part series captures a unique moment of upheaval and opportunity as a new surfing counterculture collides with the realities of enterprise.
Two best friends, inspired by their love for the Australian beach, create what will become iconic rival surf brands. Little do they know that their success will tear them and their worlds apart.
When their businesses go mainstream, the young rebels and their friends find themselves pulled deep into a world of corporate politics, jealousy, homophobia, and racial tension.
“Barons” finds that the selling of their surfer dreams to the world has created bitter, lasting rivalries.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Community and Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Camm Linden, will perform at the beginning of Lake County Symphony’s “Pre-Mother’s Day Concert” at 2 p.m., May 7 at the Soper Reese Theatre.
They start with “Adventures in Wonderland” by Paul Barker. In keeping with the LCSA tribute to the movies and stage, the LCCYO opens with this lighthearted contemporary piece.
Expect a cinematic theme layered with harmonic contrasts and accompanied by a constant, energetic rhythm.
Their next piece is “Siyahamba” a traditional South African folk song. The title of this engaging selection translates to “We are marching under the light” and is considered an ever-evolving part of the Zulu culture.
As the piece is passed down, each generation adapts it to their own sense of rhythm and notes. As such, it is thought there is “no wrong way” to perform this tune, if it is done in the spirit of joy and unity, arranged by Douglas Wagner.
“Smooth” written by Itaal Shur and Rob Thomas should sound familiar. This hit song was most famously performed by Carlos Santana on his 1999 “Supernatural” album.
Legendary music producer, Clive Davis, had to twist Santana's arm to record “Smooth” — a recording which eventually became Billboard's second-most popular single of all time.
This piece has been featured in several movies including “Keeping the Faith” and “Love Actually,” arranged by Jerry Brubaker.
Tickets for the concert are $25 for general seating and $30 for premium; they are available for purchase on the Soper Reese website, https://www.soperreesetheatre.com. LCSA members receive a $5 discount.
Please arrive 30 minutes early when buying tickets at the door for the regular 2 p.m. concert.
There is also an 11 a.m. dress rehearsal performance which costs $5 for adults and is free for those for those under 18. Please arrive extra early for this rehearsal concert to ensure a seat.