Charlie Countryman
November 12, 2013.
Thalia Theatre
upper west side
An old friend has a subscription to the Thalia Film Club, a theatre on the upper west side which previews soon to be released movies. For the privilege of seeing a film before the general public he pays $22 a ticket. The host of the series is Marshall Fine, a longtime film critic for Gannett.
So I went to see Charlie Countryman at the Thalia. It started slow, which is usually a bad sign. It got more and more arcane as time progressed until I was crawling in my seat. I would definitely have walked out on this movie had I been closer to the aisle. I was nursing the few sips of water left in my bottle to somehow relieve the pain of having to sit through this thing when I dropped the bottle. I got down on my knees and felt around for it, glad for the respite this mishap provided. I didn’t find it. So there I was, writhing in agony, grinding a hole in the seat without even my water bottle to suck on.
When the credits came on I found it quite near to my feet; the highlight of the evening except for my earlier glass of Johnny Black on the rocks and my visit with Mark.
So I haven’t really told you anything about Charlie Countryman. Well, you are better off for hearing nothing about it except: Do not see this movie under any circumstances unless you are a masochist. Even if they pay YOU $22 – stay away.
You have been warned.