5.11.08
What I'm Reading
Martin Amis, Bob Dylan books, Richard Price
5.11.08
How I'm Feeling
Need a replacement for lower back
5.8.08
Weekend Highlights May 9-11
THE ROGOVOY REPORT
5.6.08
[PRESS RELEASE] Pinchas Zukerman daughter Natalia to headline at Club Helsinki
Coming to Great Barrington, Mass., nightclub on May 18
5.2.08
Singer/composer Jenny Scheinman at MASS MoCA is weekend's top pick
Preview by SETH ROGOVOY, Berkshire Living Magazine
4.25.08
[FILM REVIEW] Shine a Light (The Rolling Stones)
review by SETH ROGOVOY, Berkshire Living Magazine
4.17.08
[FILM REVIEW] The Counterfeiters
review by SETH ROGOVOY, Berkshire Living Magazine
4.11.08
Klezmatics do Woody Guthrie's Jewish songs
Weekend highlights, April 11-13
3.17.08
GOLEM returns to Club Helsinki for PURIM this Friday night
Press Release from Club Helsinki
7.1.07
[PERFORMANCE ART REVIEW] Aurelia Thierree at Jacob's Pillow
Review by Seth Rogovoy, BERKSHIRE LIVING
2.25.08
Richard Thompson, America, and Madeline Peyroux added to Mahaiwe lineup this spring
Mahaiwe press release
2.25.08
Dennis Prager to make the case for Judaism at Berkshire South
Simulcast of lecture at NY's 92nd St. Y
2.24.08
[MUSIC REVIEW] Urban vs. Pastoral Music at the Mahaiwe courtesy of Close Encounters with Music
Review by Seth Rogovoy, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine
2.18.08
[THEATER REVIEW] TRUMBO at Barrington Stage
Review by Seth Rogovoy, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine
2.18.08
[MUSIC REVIEW] Sarah Aroeste's neo-Ladino at Club Helsinki
Review by Seth Rogovoy, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine
2.18.08
[MUSIC REVIEW] Sarah Aroeste's neo-Ladino at Club Helsinki
Review by Seth Rogovoy, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine
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[FILM REVIEW] The Counterfeiters
4.17.08
THE COUNTERFEITERS
directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky
starring Karl Markovics
By SETH ROGOVOY, editor-in-chief and critic-at-large, BERKSHIRE LIVING Magazine
Don't let the fact that on the surface, this is one of those "ethical dilemma" stories, where people are thrown into the most impossible of situations -- typically the Holocaust, as is the situation here (Sophie's Choice being the one that broke the mold) -- and found to be somewhat wanting in their ethics and morality. While the filmmakers do engage that sort of schematizing among different characters and situations, for the most part this is a fascinating character study of heroism under pressure in the person of Salomon Sorowitsch, a real life, world-class forger played with stunning veracity by Karl Markovics -- off of whom you'll never take your eyes -- and filmed with an appropriately drab beauty by director Stefan Ruzowitzky and cinematographer Benedict Neuenfel. This movie didn't win the Oscar for best foreign language film for no reason.
4/27/2008
Regarding "The Counterfeiters"
Although one is inclined to believe that a movie which has the Holocaust as its backdrop, has a leg up in the voting among the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences....and as a Jew, I think I have what is known as a "free pass" to make this comment, similar to the leeway given a much more talented man than I, Richard Pryor...this movie is well worth seeing if for nothing more than the performance of Karl Markovics,. On that "ethical dilemma" issue, although the forgers were concentration camp inmates who, if successful, would have arguably extended the war and perhaps even changed the outcome, it is not much of a stretch to imagine the unrelenting trauma that must have been part of each minute of every day for these people. The will to live to quite intense and while it may be tempting to fault these people, what they did is certainly understandable under the circumstances.
From IP address: 70.109.249.225
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