I saw two examples of fantastic acting yesterday. One was in a new Off-Broadway play, the other was DeNiro's 1980 star turn in Raging Bull.

Thom Pain (Based on Nothing), a new play by Will Eno, just opened to astonishingly rave reviews. The play is a short monologue performed by James Urbaniak. The text is disjointed, very energetic, takes a couple of deep breaths, then plows on with complex layering of memories, emotions, and suppositions. At times the text is very clever, and it certainly has good pacing and high energy. But it also didn't seem to me to add up to a hill of beans--emotionally, I mean. Packed no wallop. Left me cold. You know. However, Urbaniak's performance almost overcomes the text's shortcomings. He seems sly, hurt, overloaded with emotional baggage, defensive, and one step ahead of the audience. He recites his monologue warily at times, on the attack at others. And it's fun to watch an actor do this. But when the lights came up, Penny--who was kind enough to invite me--and I looked at each other, shrugged, and said "So what?"

A very different reaction emerged as Paula, Mark, and I left the movie theater after see Raging Bull last night. A new print is in release to mark its 25th anniversary. I'd never seen it on the big screen before--and it's been many many years since I saw it on video. I'd forgotten so many things about it--how wonderfully complex the sound design is, the use of color "home movies" in the middle section, the drunken feel of the fight scenes slowing down and speeding up. DeNiro is not DeNiro--he becomes this character more completely than he ever did in any movie before or since (yes, that even includes his amazing performance in Meet the Fockers). Damion tells me that the packaging of the new 25th anniversary edition of the DVD is also wonderful--so if this revival is not playing "in your area" check out the DVD and be amazed.

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Happy St. Valentine's Day. Feh.