Movie Review

Anna Kendrick stretches her dramatic chops in Alice, Darling

From the outside, it can be hard to understand how someone would choose to stay in a toxic relationship. When dealt with in movies, the situation is typically highly dramatized, often with a man getting his comeuppance in a thriller-type story. The new film Alice, Darling takes a different approach while still keeping the drama high.

Right from the first frame, Alice (Anna Kendrick) has a nervous energy about her, wrapping her hair tightly around her finger and constantly checking her text messages while out for drinks with her friends Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku) and Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn). The source of her tension is soon revealed to be her boyfriend Simon (Charlie Carrick), a gallery artist who seems to have a hold on her that’s less like love and more like possession.

She agrees to go on a weeklong trip with her friends, but she’s so afraid of Charlie’s reaction that she lies to him, saying she’s going on a work trip instead. But getting away from him seems to cause even more stress than being with him, with the idea of possibly displeasing Simon on her mind almost every minute of the day.

Directed by Mary Nighy, making her feature film debut, and written by Alanna Francis and story editor Mark Van de Ven, the film does an excellent job of imparting the pressure that Alice feels she is under. Although the scenes featuring Alice and Charlie together are limited, they sprinkle dialogue of Charlie manipulating Alice in subtle and overt ways throughout the film, showing the power he has over her.

Alice’s frazzled state of mind also reveals itself in her treatment of her friends, who she’s known virtually her entire life. She’s standoffish in general with both, and especially testy with Tess, but she’s even afraid to tell them exactly what’s going on. Despite being on vacation at a lake, Alice never lets herself let loose, always worried about what Simon would think.

If there’s a qualm to be had with the film, it’s that it seems to be setting up a thriller-type story that never comes. Instead, the drama stays mostly interior as Alice struggles with her overbearing thoughts. Consequently, it’s tough to get a full read on how deep the troubles with Simon actually go as the film only hints at the details of their relationship.

Kendrick has not had many great showcases in recent years, so this film gives her the chance to stretch her dramatic chops a bit. She does well, even if the role is a bit hard to read. Mosaku and Horn are not as well-known, but both put in effective performances, especially Mosaku. Carrick feels generic in a role that’s only designed to show the character’s bad traits.

Alice, Darling takes a different route toward exploring the abuser/victim dynamic, with that relationship taking a backseat to the one Alice has with her friends. It still contains plenty of dramatic moments; they just aren’t the ones that might be expected from this type of film.

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Alice, Darling opens in select AMC theaters on January 20.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Anna Kendrick in Alice, Darling

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Listen up

Underground hi-fi 'listening bar' Shyboy opens in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Shyboy

Shyboy lounge is new on Main Street in downtown Dallas.

A new lounge is turning up the volume beneath the streets of downtown Dallas: Shyboy, billed as Dallas' first "hi fi bar," will debut at 1313 Main St., in the subterranean level of The Drakestone building.

According to a release, opening weekend events will take place March 4-7.

The new nightlife concept comes from The Headington Companies, the folks behind the Joule hotel and other Main Street developments.

"Inspired by hi-fi listening bars around the world, with roots in Tokyo’s post-WWII 'jazz kissas,' Shyboy offers a social and listening experience unlike any other nightlife space, with progressive, genre-bending programming, signature hi-balls and cocktails, and two state-of-the-art OJAS sound systems, designed by Devon Turnbull," says the release. (Turnbull's speakers have been used in projects with Mark Ronson, Public Records in Brooklyn, and more.)

Jazz kissas are cafes that specialize in the playing of and listening to recorded jazz music; here, jazz is played for active listening rather than as background serenade.

Piggybacking on that idea, Shyboy will offer "an immersive environment where design, lighting, and atmosphere are treated as essential elements of the performance, inviting guests into a unique experience that blurs the line between listener and participant," they say.

The 3,000-square-foot underground space, once a bank vault in the historic Davis Building (renovated and rebranded as The Drakestone residential building in 2017), will house one of the most advanced sound systems in the city within its historic concrete "bones." Interiors were designed by acclaimed Dallas-based 5G Studio Collaborative.

The venue includes two distinct spaces. The main room functions as a social listening environment, where towering speakers double as sculptural focal points beneath curved underground ceilings.

A second chamber, called The Vault, is designed as a more intimate lounge for private events, sound classes, performances, and art exhibitions. The Vault’s entrance features an installation from artist Lachlan Turczan’s Optical Resonance series, which uses water and light to visibly respond to sound waves, the release says. The room also includes a newly commissioned reflective sculpture by Florentine artist Duccio Maria Gambi.

Shyboy’s inaugural month will include a lineup spanning house, deep grooves, soul, and global dance sounds. Opening weekend, March 4-7, will welcome talent like JT Donaldson (Shyboy music director), Dallas legend Red Eye, Sound Advice Vol. 1, Skeme Richards, Patrice Scott + Brandon Epocha, and Wamono Nights.

The calendar later in the year will feature appearances by celebrated DJs and producers such as Theo Parrish, Derrick Carter, Eli Escobar, Kai Alcé, and the Los Angeles-based listening collective In Sheep’s Clothing.

Shyboy’s cocktail menu starts at $13, and the bar will serve soft-serve ice cream.

Throughout March, there will be no cover charge for entry; for more information, visit the venue's website.

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