‘The Seagull’ and other films
Playwright Anton Chekhov’s oft-tread comedy of manners “The Seagull” may not instantly scream 2018 movie remake, but Broadway and film director Michael Mayer, with a strong assist from playwright screen writer Stephen Karam, has fashioned a new screen version that’s an enticing, amusing and passionate showcase for its topdrawer cast led by a onceagain superb Annette Bening and featuring Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Brian Dennehy and Corey Stoll.
Although the action, set in the early 1900s, unfolds almost entirely in and around a Russian lakeside estate, the film rarely feels static or stagy, with enough brisk editing, active camerawork and intimate framing to make for satisfying cinema.
Karam, a 2016 Tony Award-winner for “The Humans,” has effectively tightened and reworked Chekhov’s four-act text — even adding a (nonessential) time-jumping device — resulting in a swifter and perhaps more audiencefriendly telling than usual.
A roundelay of romance plays out in scenes and exchanges that can be buoyant and funny but also harshly candid and even tragic as these vivid characters explore many of life’s big issues: growing older, artistic achievement, the pursuit of fame, the paths not taken, jealousy, loneliness, the pain and joys of love, and more. And let’s not forget the good news-bad news meaning of that title bird.
Perhaps because Chekhov, considered a founding father of modern drama, had an early penchant for writing subtextual dialogue, the story retains a contemporary feel, despite its period trappings. As for those, veteran film and Broadway costumer Ann Roth and production designer Jane Musky, refashioning a scenic Monroe, N.Y., manor house (which stood in for the Russian estate), make ace contributions.
“The Seagull.” Rated: PG-13, for some mature thematic elements, a scene of violence, drug use, and partial nudity. Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes Playing: Arclight Hollywood; Landmark, West Los Angeles.