January 29, 2010

Review roundup: praise for Linney in 'Time Stands Still'

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies’ new drama, “Time Stands Still,” last night opened on Broadway to generally strong reviews, especially for Laura Linney as the injured war photographer uncomfortably at home.

She shares the stage — and critics’ praise — with Brian d’Arcy James as her freelance reporter boyfriend ready to pack it in, as well as Eric Bogosian as her editor who is dating the younger but not-altogether clueless Alicia Silverstone. (Even Variety even refers to “Silverstone’s enormously likable performance.”)

Daniel Sullivan’s directing of the Manhattan Theatre Club production elicits wide praise from the critics as well.

But for all the great reviews, they are not unanimous. The Wall Street Journal hates it, and others short Margulies for not delving deeper to break new ground.

“Time Stands Still” plays through March 21 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St., map. Regular tickets are priced from $57 to $111. Student rush tickets are sold for $27 at the box office on the day of the performance.

Producers advise the show may be inappropriate for 12 and under.

The reviews for “Time Stands Still” on Broadway:

New York Times - “‘Time Stands Still,’ which opened Thursday night at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater in a flawless Manhattan Theater Club production directed by Daniel Sullivan, is handily Mr. Margulies’s finest play since the Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Dinner With Friends.’ Like that keenly observed drama about the growing pains of adulthood, the new play explores the relationship between two couples at a crucial juncture in their lives, when the desire to move forward clashes with the instinct to stay comfortably — or even uncomfortably — in place.”

Variety - “Donald Margulies’ new play is a thoughtful, absorbing work, its strengths maximized in the crystalline naturalism of Daniel Sullivan’s production and the incisive interpretations of four astute actors. Reflecting on the divergent growth paths and changing needs of long-term relationships, “Time Stands Still” tends to tack on ethical debate points that reveal as much of the playwright’s voice as those of his characters. This makes the drama somewhat amorphous and less satisfying than it could be. But there’s a ring of truth to the emotional experience being thrashed out onstage that keeps it compelling.”

Post - “Unfortunately for Linney — and the audience at ‘Time Stands Still’ — Sarah also is a holier-than-thou, joyless prig. Had she been written better, Sarah would have been an interesting challenge for the actress — and she could have handled it — but author Donald Margulies (‘Sight Unseen,’ ‘Dinner With Friends’) only looks at murky waters, afraid to dive in.”

NY1 - “For all its virtues, the play doesn’t wholly succeed. It’s a situation drama with a narrow premise that tends to contrive its conflicts and the characters don’t always seem true to nature. But given the Manhattan Theatre Club’s impeccable production, audiences will find a visit to ‘Time Stands Still’ is time well spent.”

Hollywood Reporter - “And though this latest work occasionally suffers from a surfeit of themes and a lack of focus, it’s a nonetheless absorbing, ultimately very moving piece that is receiving a beautifully acted Broadway production.”

Associated Press - “But it is Linney who galvanizes the production, expertly riding the rhythms of Margulies’ insightful writing. There is an unsparing directness to her performance — not to mention a superb sense of timing — that makes this photographer one of the most compelling characters to grace a Broadway stage this season.”

USA Today - “Fortunately, she’s played here by the remarkable Laura Linney, whose unmannered lucidity and utter lack of vanity make Sarah more convincing and sympathetic. Likewise, Brian d’Arcy James’ natural, vital performance ensures that his role isn’t reduced to a sensitive modern male in distress.”

Wall Street Journal - “I wish I could say something nice about a play that stars Laura Linney, Alicia Silverstone, Eric Bogosian and Brian d’Arcy James. No can do: Donald Margulies’s ‘Time Stands Still’ is a predictable piece of middle-of-the-road Pulitzer bait that has nothing to recommend it beyond the cast, Daniel Sullivan’s staging and Mr. Beatty’s set, all of which are exemplary.”

Bloomberg - “Donald Margulies’s ‘Time Stands Still’ compellingly demonstrates what a master playwright can do with great economy and efficiency, and with four fine actors who conjure up a commanding cross section of our conflicted, compromising or intransigent world. “

New York magazine - “They also come off as believable relics of old-school, hard-core journalism, principled individuals who have perhaps poured too much of their hearts into what they do.”

Time Out - “Once again, the masterful director Daniel Sullivan has taken a solid play—taut and well-constructed, with hardly a single detail extraneous—and given us the smartest version of it possible.”

Back Stage - “But though the play gives Linney resonant opportunity, Margulies’ largely well-observed, intelligent four-hander ultimately can’t transcend its predictability. While the journey holds our interest, the destination is disappointing.”

Chicago Tribune - “Characters keep going to the bathroom, or out for ice cream, mostly to allow the play to mix up the points of view. More troublingly, the piece relies on idealistic characters who lack the sense of irony their real-world referents invariably exhibit, and who seem overly clueless about the changes in the media marketplace, and thus too-suddenly furious at the compromises they are being asked to make. These compromises have been around for a while now. A woman as smart as Linney’s Sarah would have turned pragmatist, and kept on doing her work.”

Los Angeles Times - “Alicia Silverstone, reprising the comic gem of a performance she gave at the Geffen, plays Richard’s new sweetheart, Mandy Bloom, an “event planner” less than half his age who has a hard time understanding why anyone wouldn’t choose personal happiness over global misery and despair. “

Daily News - “Fortunately, with Daniel Sullivan’s deft direction, the four actors glide past the shortfalls.”

Image source: Manhattan Theatre Club.

January 29, 2010 7:06 AM in Broadway, Midtown

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