I’VE LONG WONDERED WHERE THE WORD “CRABBO” CAME FROM.
TWO WOMEN {BY AL HOFF} Queen of the Earth begins with an ending: Catherine (Elisabeth Moss), shot in tight close-up, her face tearstreaked, is in the final throes of a breakup. The scene shifts and now she is en route to a lake house, along with her best friend, Virginia (Katherine Waterson), to recuperate. But in Alex Ross Perry’s spare melodrama, the week in the country exposes the rifts in the women’s friendship, and finds Catherine spiraling into a breakdown.
Troubled times: Elisabeth Moss
Or so it seems. The enigmatic film has a loose narrative, marked by flashbacks to last summer at the lake and lengthy monologues. Viewers will work to pick out threads, and even to sort out what might be delusion. The two summers are mirror images: In one, Virginia nurses a breakup, and is neglected by Catherine; now the roles are reversed. Both women enjoy material and social privilege, but seem incapable of looking after each other, or themselves, when life zigs rather than zags. Perry (Listen Up, Philip) shoots in a tense but ethereal style, employing close-ups, silence and sun-lit moodiness. The film recalls earlier arthouse works such as Persona, Interiors and Three Women and, like those films, demands a patient viewer. Starts Fri., Sept. 18. Harris AHOFF@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Kahlil Gibran’s best-selling book of poetry celebrating freedom of expression, The Prophet, has been adapted into an animated feature, directed by Roger Allers. In it, an exiled poet, his housekeeper and her lively daughter embark on a journey. The film features animated sequences created by Bill Plympton, Tomm Moore (Secret of the Kells), Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues) and others. Starts Fri., Sept. 18. Regent Square
{FILM STILLS COURTESY OF DAVID BERNABO}
Scenes from the film Food Systems: A Night Out
THE PLATE SHOW {BY CELINE ROBERTS}
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FTER A SUCCESSFUL Kickstarter and
months of shooting and editing, David Bernabo is releasing Food Systems: A Night Out, the first of three installments in a series about Pittsburgh’s food and restaurant culture. A 105-minute compilation of interviews and mesmerizing, fast-paced cooking montages allow the viewer to step into the world behind the swinging doors. By peeking into the lives of those whose sweat and innovation are making Pittsburgh a world-class dining city, the film focuses on the culture of who we are and where our culinary traditions came from. As to where we are going, Bernabo leaves that mostly up to the viewer. Most of the interviewees are big-hitter chefs like Jamilka Borges, Sonja Finn, Toni Pais, Bill Fuller, Keith Fuller and Kevin Sousa. But Bernabo (also known locally as
a musican, composer and performance artist) is careful to include food writers, historians, educators, servers and even a few politicians to give the full scope of what it takes to create “third places” (where we live our lives when we aren’t at home or work).
FOOD SYSTEMS: A NIGHT OUT DIRECTED BY: David Bernabo 7 p.m. Wed., Sept. 23 ($12 with reception) and noon, Sun., Sept. 27 ($8), Row House Cinema, Lawrenceville. Also, 7 p.m. Thu., Oct. 1, Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse, 1055 Spring Garden Ave., North Side (free)
The film’s major calling card is the tribute it pays to the history of Pittsburgh cuisine through the eyes and memories of those who have been in the industry since
the 1970s — when, according to Tim Ryan, the president of the Culinary Institute of America, even sourcing things like fresh herbs was difficult. Because restaurants are places of comings and goings, their life cycles often make huge impacts on the food culture but leave little physical trace after they’re gone. Each interviewee is linked to every other through the web of these life cycles. Many of them learned their craft side by side in the famous kitchens of La Normande, Big Burrito and Baum Vivant, and went on to open successful restaurants of their own. While history is paid its due, the film homes in on the present as well. A particularly endearing discussion of restaurant lingo reveals the more personal sides of those being interviewed. It’s hard for even the most professional staff not to crack a CONTINUES ON PG. 66
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