Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's a throwback concert weekend in Dallas, as multiple musicians who made their rise in the business years ago are coming back to treat their fans. Additionally, there are visits from two nationally known comedians, an intriguing new theater production, an international dance troupe, art in nature, and a unique celebration of a big holiday.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, April 13

Sebastian Maniscalco: Why Would You Do That Tour
Sebastian Maniscalco, Just for Laughs’ 2016 Stand Up Comedian of the Year, captivates his audiences with his over the top, silly hyper-exaggerated body language and hilarious facial expressions. His Italian machismo persona fits him like a glove as he goes off on the funniest riffs on life’s minor irritations. He performs at Majestic Theatre.

Undermain Theatre presents Really
Undermain Theatre presents the latest play from award-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, Really, in which three people’s lives intertwine through the art of photography as they search for the truth of their common history. The tense and telling play about artists, legacy, and the ephemeral nature of time plays every Wednesday through Saturday until May 6.

Bob Weir & the Campfire Band in concert
The Grateful Dead may be no more, but you can still get that Dead feeling when Bob Weir, one of the founding members of the legendary band, brings his Campfire Band to the Music Hall at Fair Park in support of his album, Blue Mountain. The album is Weir’s first solo record in 10 years and his first album of entirely original material in 30 years.

Friday, April 14

TITAS presents Che Malambo
The Argentina-based company, Che Malambo, performs precise footwork and rhythmic stomping, drumming of the bombos, and singing and whirling boleadoras (lassos with stones on the end). A percussive dance and music spectacle, the company’s work celebrates the unique South American cowboy tradition of the gaucho. The all-male company performs at Dallas City Performance Hall on both Friday and Saturday.

Improv Arlington presents Damon Wayans Jr.
Damon Wayans Jr. has continued the Wayans comedy dynasty that started when his dad (Damon), his uncles (Keenan Ivory and Shawn), and his aunt (Kim) burst onto the scene in the '80s with In Living Color. He's established himself in his own right, starring in movies like How To Be Single and Let’s Be Cops, and on the TV series like Happy Endings and New Girl. He performs four stand-up sets at Improv Arlington, two each on both Friday and Saturday.

Saturday, April 15

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents "ZimSculpt"
The latest art exhibit to be displayed at Dallas Arboretum is "ZimSculpt," a world renowned exhibition of modern Zimbabwean stone sculptures that features over 200 sculptures, the largest collection ever assembled for a show in the U.S. Known as Shona sculpture, these contemporary pieces can be as large as 7 feet tall and are hand-carved from stone, as hard as granite, and often weigh tons. The exhibit is on display through July 31.

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians in concert
Edie Brickell is a Dallas original, having grown up in Oak Cliff and attending both Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts and SMU. She jumped to stardom in the '80s with her band, New Bohemians, thanks to hits like "What I Am." The current lineup plays at The Kessler for a special reunion concert.

The 1975 in concert with Pale Waves and Colouring
British alt-rock band The 1975 has made waves with their first two albums, and not just because of hits like "Love Me" and "Somebody Else." Their latest album is notable both for going straight to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and for its long and vaguely creepy title, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It. They play at Allen Event Center with opening acts Pale Waves and Colouring.

Morrissey in concert
There are few musicians that are harder to pin down than Morrissey. The former Smiths frontman is notorious for postponing or canceling concerts, having done so locally twice just last year. And wouldn't you know it, he just lost his voice in Tucson and canceled his April 12 concert in San Antonio. If he can make this date at Majestic Theatre, his fans will finally be able to hear songs from his latest album, 2014's World Peace Is None Of Your Business, live, along with other tunes from throughout his career.

Sunday, April 16

Easter in Lee Park
After church or brunch on Easter, head over to Lee Park for the annual Easter in Lee Park. The festival features The Real Housewives of Dallas’ LeeAnne Locken and lifestyle guru Steve Kemble, who is emceeing the festivities. The event includes the famed Lee Park Pooch Parade, live music from the Gypsy Playboys and DJ Jen Miller, an Easter egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, food trucks, and more.

Easter in Lee Park takes place on April 16.

Photo courtesy of Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy

Easter in Lee Park takes place on April 16.

event-planner

Movie Review

Jodie Foster brings depth and wit to French thriller A Private Life

Photo by Georges Lechaptois

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Jodie Foster has been a member of the Hollywood community for almost 60 years, first as a child actor on TV, and then branching out into movies. She earned an Oscar nomination at the tender age of 14 for her role in Taxi Driver, and she’s gone on to be nominated five times, winning twice. Now, at age 63, she’s showing she’s still capable of surprises by fluently speaking another language in the French film, A Private Life.

Foster plays Lilian Steiner, a psychiatrist who sees patients out of her Parisian apartment. When she learns of the death of one of her patients, Paula (Virginie Efira), she’s sad but otherwise unaffected until a few suspicious things start happening. This includes the robbery of her apartment, in which a recording of Paula’s last session with Lilian goes missing.

With the help of her ex-husband, Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil), Lilian becomes an amateur private detective, tracking the movements of Paula’s husband, Simon (Mathieu Amalric), whom she increasingly suspects of murder. At the same time, Lilian must navigate a tense relationship with her son, Julien (Vincent Lacoste), along with an unexpected rekindling of romance with Gabriel.

Written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, and co-written by Anne Berest, it is a psychological thriller that at times feels like an Inspector Clouseau movie. With little to go on but her own perhaps misguided suspicions, Lilian digs herself deeper into a situation of her own making. And she further clouds her mind by indulging in a tryst with Gabriel, who’s all too eager to help Lilian pursue her criminal theories. While the film is not a comedy, there are elements of humor that pop in to keep the story light.

Zlotowski plays with the competing tones of the story well, keeping viewers on Lilian’s side even as she indulges in things that might not be the healthiest for her. Lilian’s various eccentricities - an adherence to recording on old-fashioned mini discs instead of fully digital, keeping an emotional distance from her son and grandson - make her a fascinating character whose vacillating motivations keep viewers guessing as to what she’ll do next.

In a lot of ways, the film is a study of how Lilian needs to try to find ways to heal herself. The possibility of Paula being murdered wakes Lilian up to the idea that she has not been as attentive a doctor as she should be. The sessions with different patients that Zlotowski shows give the impression that there’s a general level of dissatisfaction with her, with one patient outright breaking up with her.

Foster is no less compelling speaking mostly in French than she is in English language movies. Her fluency is never in doubt, and she fits in seamlessly with the actual French actors in the film. Auteuil is a fun counterpart for Foster, showing an unexpected chemistry with her that keeps their scenes crackling with energy. Amalric, a Wes Anderson favorite, has a relatively small role but still stands out when he gets a chance.

A Private Life is not the type of thriller that American audiences might be used to, but its slow, methodical storytelling and subtle humor make it an interesting watch from beginning to end. The film is not up for any awards, but Foster’s performance shows she remains a top-tier actor.

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A Private Life is now playing in select theaters.

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