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The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Little Trouble Girls review – monstrous choirmaster spikes a sublime Catholic coming-of-age tale
This elegant and mysterious debut from Slovenian director Urška Djukić, with its superb musical score and sound design, reinvents the cliched idea of a Catholic girl's sexual awakening. It's also proof, if proof were needed, that no teacher in the world can be as cruel and abusive as a music teacher. We have already seen JK Simmons' terrifying jazz instructor in Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Isabelle Huppert's keyboard monster in Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher; now there is Slovenian actor and musician Saša Tabaković playing a demanding, yet insidious choirmaster in charge of a group of talented, vulnerable teenage girls. The film incidentally has a lesson for any teenage person watching: if a music teacher asks you to sit next to them on the piano stool with no one else in the room and murmurs 'You can confide in me' … you can't. The English title is taken from Sonic Youth's Little Trouble Girl, but otherwise this is strictly a matter of holy music. (The Slovenian original is Kaj Ti Je Deklica, which means 'what's wrong with you girl?'). Lucija (played by newcomer Jara Sofija Ostan) is a shy 16-year-old who is a member of her Catholic school's female choir; with her sexy, worldly, mercurial best friend Ana-Marija (Mina Švajger) she joins the choir's special trip across the Italian border for a week in Cividale del Friuli near Trieste; they rehearse in a nunnery, a lovely building with a courtyard featuring an olive tree, which is to assume a poetic quality as Lucija gazes at it during sleepless nights. To the intense irritation of the choirmaster, building work is going on, the noise from which disrupts his rehearsals, and darkens and complicates his mood. The girls look dreamily at the semi-clothed men doing the work, whom they also spy on as they go swimming, and there are many games of spin-the-bottle and truth-or-dare after lights out. The choral sequences of the film are wonderful, and the simple business of rehearsing, of taking music to pieces and putting it back together, is gripping. Tabaković's choirmaster is brilliant and demanding, with a born musician's natural severity but, as we are to see, something darker. The film's sound design is stunning in the sequences when we hear the girls' breathing exercises which themselves become a kind of eerie choral setpiece that mimics unconscious sexual excitement. Lucija and Ana-Marija boldly ask a kindly nun, Sister Magda (Saša Pavček) what it is like to do without physical pleasures and she tries honestly to answer that there is fulfilment in sublimating them into devotion to Christ. Is that what is happening with their music? Is that what the film is showing us: that their sexual development is being systematically suppressed, dammed, re-routed into religious music? Or could it be that sexuality is merely the inauthentic, immature version of music? Then there is the fateful, intimate encounter between the choirmaster and Lucija; he asks her to confide what troubles her, and Lucija rashly gives her an answer that deeply displeases and disappoints him, with awful results. It is then superseded by a kind of epiphany coda, enigmatically taking us forward to the next stage in Lucija's life. This is an utterly absorbing and outstandingly acted film. Little Trouble Girls screened at the Edinburgh film festival.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Little Trouble Girls review – monstrous choirmaster spikes a sublime Catholic coming-of-age tale
This elegant and mysterious debut from Slovenian director Urška Djukić, with its superb musical score and sound design, reinvents the cliched idea of a Catholic girl's sexual awakening. It's also proof, if proof were needed, that no teacher in the world can be as cruel and abusive as a music teacher. We have already seen JK Simmons' terrifying jazz instructor in Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Isabelle Huppert's keyboard monster in Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher; now there is Slovenian actor and musician Saša Tabaković playing a demanding, yet insidious choirmaster in charge of a group of talented, vulnerable teenage girls. The film incidentally has a lesson for any teenage person watching: if a music teacher asks you to sit next to them on the piano stool with no one else in the room and murmurs 'You can confide in me' … you can't. The English title is taken from Sonic Youth's Little Trouble Girl, but otherwise this is strictly a matter of holy music. (The Slovenian original is Kaj Ti Je Deklica, which means 'what's wrong with you girl?'). Lucija (played by newcomer Jara Sofija Ostan) is a shy 16-year-old who is a member of her Catholic school's female choir; with her sexy, worldly, mercurial best friend Ana-Marija (Mina Švajger) she joins the choir's special trip across the Italian border for a week in Cividale del Friuli near Trieste; they rehearse in a nunnery, a lovely building with a courtyard featuring an olive tree, which is to assume a poetic quality as Lucija gazes at it during sleepless nights. To the intense irritation of the choirmaster, building work is going on, the noise from which disrupts his rehearsals, and darkens and complicates his mood. The girls look dreamily at the semi-clothed men doing the work, whom they also spy on as they go swimming, and there are many games of spin-the-bottle and truth-or-dare after lights out. The choral sequences of the film are wonderful, and the simple business of rehearsing, of taking music to pieces and putting it back together, is gripping. Tabaković's choirmaster is brilliant and demanding, with a born musician's natural severity but, as we are to see, something darker. The film's sound design is stunning in the sequences when we hear the girls' breathing exercises which themselves become a kind of eerie choral setpiece that mimics unconscious sexual excitement. Lucija and Ana-Marija boldly ask a kindly nun, Sister Magda (Saša Pavček) what it is like to do without physical pleasures and she tries honestly to answer that there is fulfilment in sublimating them into devotion to Christ. Is that what is happening with their music? Is that what the film is showing us: that their sexual development is being systematically suppressed, dammed, re-routed into religious music? Or could it be that sexuality is merely the inauthentic, immature version of music? Then there is the fateful, intimate encounter between the choirmaster and Lucija; he asks her to confide what troubles her, and Lucija rashly gives her an answer that deeply displeases and disappoints him, with awful results. It is then superseded by a kind of epiphany coda, enigmatically taking us forward to the next stage in Lucija's life. This is an utterly absorbing and outstandingly acted film. Little Trouble Girls screened at the Edinburgh film festival.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sonny Gray strikes out 11, allows only 1 hit in dominant complete game as Cardinals blank Guardians
Actor J.K. Simmons throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Sonny Gray pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn dives back into first base as the ball gets away from Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo on a pickoff-attempt in the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés hits a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés gestures as he runs to home plate with a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés gestures as he runs to home plate with a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Actor J.K. Simmons throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Sonny Gray pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn dives back into first base as the ball gets away from Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo on a pickoff-attempt in the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés hits a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés gestures as he runs to home plate with a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) CLEVELAND (AP) — Sonny Gray allowed only one hit and struck out a season-high 11 for his first complete game since 2017 as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-0 on Friday night. Alec Burleson and Pedro Pagés homered, and Nolan Arenado had a pair of RBIs for the Cardinals, who bounced back after being shut out in their previous two games. Advertisement It is the seventh complete game of Gray's 13-year career and the 18th in the majors this season. It is also his fourth career shutout and first since 2015 when he was with the Athletics. Gray — who threw 89 pitches, including 66 strikes — had double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season and 20th in his career. Pagés and Burleson lined home runs off Cleveland starter Luis Ortiz (4-9) in the third inning. Pagés drove an elevated sinker over the left-field wall to lead off the frame and snap a 24-inning string where the Cardinals had not scored a run. Burleson connected for a two-run shot with two outs. The Guardians were blanked for the second straight game. Toronto's Kevin Gausman threw eight innings of two-hit ball in the Blue Jays 6-0 win on Thursday. Advertisement Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez was not in the lineup due to a bruised right forearm. Key moment Nolan Jones had a base hit to right field with two outs in the fifth which prevented the Guardians' from being no hit for the fifth time since 2021. Key stat After giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings in a 6-0 loss at Milwaukee on June 12, Gray has allowed only one run in 14 innings in his last two starts. Up next St. Louis RHP Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.31 ERA) goes up against Cleveland RHP Slade Cecconi (3-3, 3.38). ___ AP MLB:
Geek Tyrant
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Titus Welliver Joins J.K. Simmons in Gritty MGM+ Crime Series THE WESTIES — GeekTyrant
Titus Welliver is stepping back into a badge, but this time, it's dirty. The Bosch star has been cast opposite J.K. Simmons in The Westies , a new MGM+ period crime series created by Chris Brancato ( Godfather of Harlem ) and Michael Panes. Set in the early 1980s, the series drops into the brutal world of Hell's Kitchen's infamous Irish mob, just as the construction of the Jacob Javits Center opens up new opportunities and new enemies. In The Westies , Welliver plays Glenn Keenan, a conflicted NYPD officer raised among the Westies crew. He's a man caught in a classic crime story crossroads: law versus blood. His loyalty to the badge is tested by his deep ties to the gang and his love for his son, who's slipping down a dark path. This is great role for Welliver to take on, and it will be fun to see him share the screen with Simmons, who plays Eamon Sweeney, the Westies' charismatic but cutthroat boss. According to the official synopsis: 'Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. 'But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.' Welliver's return to crime storytelling isn't surprising. After playing LAPD detective Harry Bosch for seven seasons (and a spinoff), he recently shot a pilot for The Equalizer spinoff on CBS and appeared in the Sundance indie Ricky . For crime drama fans, especially those who crave a little period grit and street-level power plays, The Westies is shaping up to be one to watch. Production kicks off in July in Toronto. Source: Deadline
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ron Washington ran me through his famous infield drills. It was … incredibly hard
ANAHEIM, Calif. — You know that scene in the movie 'Whiplash'? The one from the 2014 Academy Award-winning drama, where an intimidating band teacher, played by J.K. Simmons, berates a young drummer, played by Miles Teller? Eventually, Simmons' character hurls a chair at Teller's head and screams in his face, spittle flying everywhere. Advertisement As I stood on the grass at Angel Stadium earlier this month, I couldn't help but fear I was about to end up like the drummer. I had an infielder's glove on my right hand but little idea how to use it; my main concern was trying to not make a fool of myself while an intense, legendary instructor oversaw my every move. A few days before, I'd asked Los Angeles Angels manager and renowned fielding coach Ron Washington to go through his patented infield drills. I wanted a more hands-on perspective on him and his team. He agreed, on one condition: I must take it seriously. That was no problem, but my ability might be. I am 31, but my baseball experience ended after Little League. Washington is no Simmons. He's not nearly as mean. But he does demand the same level of pinpoint precision. And his vocabulary is equally blue. 'You've got things in your mind that you think about the way s—'s supposed to go,' Washington told me. 'What you're doing right now is, you're with a f—in' expert. I'm a mother—-ing expert.' There's no denying that. He coached the Braves infield that won a World Series in 2021. He taught six-time Gold Glove winner Eric Chavez, who actually gifted him his third trophy as a thank you. And it all stems from this routine, one that Angels players go through before every game. It's designed to create instinctive habits for fielding ground balls from every possible angle. It couldn't be that hard, I'd thought. And yes, I am aware of the line most famously associated with Washington, from a different Academy Award-nominated movie, one that exposed him to a non-baseball audience: 'Moneyball.' And I should have known that it would, in fact, be incredibly hard. There was a towel set up on the grass, folded on the ends to give a little extra padding where my knees were supposed to go. There were three baseballs sitting in front of me. 'What is your idea of what those three balls are for?' Washington asked. Immediately, I was flustered. We hadn't even started. Advertisement 'Reaction time,' I guessed, praying he'd quickly correct me without further prodding. Instead, he let me continue. I filled the silence: 'I imagine I'm supposed to field them in some capacity.' 'What they do is they line your hands up,' he said, having heard enough. That is, in essence, the entire purpose of the drill. To work on mechanics for backhands, glove hands and up the middle. The drill forces you to take the most direct route to the ball, field it in the center of your glove and follow through properly to finish the play. Eventually the drill transitions to fungos, where footwork becomes paramount. I was a mess from the start. Using two hands to field, when back-hands and glove hands only require the glove. Then using one hand to field balls up the middle, when two hands are required. 'Just relax, Sam, you're good, just me and you,' Washington told me. 'Anything you do that's wrong, I'm going to correct it.' When I got it right, Washington's positive reinforcement was off the charts. Every rep done correctly was met with increasingly loud words of affirmation. 'There you go,' he'd say every time, his inflection rising and rising. 'Woah!' 'Beautiful.' After one stretch of strong plays he ran over and gave me a hug. The exact opposite, however, occurred just 14 minutes in. I'd been flipping the ball back to him with my glove, a huge no-no that I was unaware violated a key unwritten rule. Suddenly, he'd had enough and decided to enforce it. 'Don't be flipping that motherf—er to me out of that glove,' he said, noting that it was disrespectful. 'Put your hand in that mothef—er and flip it to me.' The intensity (both positive and negative), the cursing, the cackling laughter — it's all part of how he operates. You know that his compliments are not patronizing, because he's happy to let you know when you're doing it wrong. Advertisement 'This is the way I work,' he said. 'And I'm not demeaning you or downing you. This is just the way I teach.' Washington is a manager, yes — but he is a teacher first. Over the offseason, he'll open his doors to players from all levels, from high school to the big leagues, to go through a seven-day lesson. Often, for amateurs, he'll do it pro bono, knowing the family already paid for travel and a hotel. Washington's mettle has been tested in this job. After a decade out of the managerial chair, he took this position because he wanted one more shot. The Angels were the only team willing to give it. He captained the worst team in franchise history last season, finishing 63-99. The start of 2025 hasn't been any better: our drills came just hours after his team blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning the night before, the sixth straight loss in what would become a seven-game streak. None of that, however, changes his standing in the sport after 55 years in the game as a player, coach and manager. He came within one out of a World Series championship as manager of the Texas Rangers in 2011. 'Wash' is universally known throughout baseball circles. Watching Angels infielders perform Washington's fielding routine before games, I've often wondered about the purpose. Over time, it's become clear these drills are about more than fielding mechanics. This speaks to who Washington is, his identity as a coach. However much the Angels might struggle, no one can take this away from him. After 51 minutes of drills, I found myself in my worst nightmare. I'd intentionally asked to schedule this session long before players arrived at the park. It was set for noon, nearly seven hours before first pitch. I'd gotten there 15 minutes early, and Washington already had it set up, awaiting my arrival. This was a good thing, I thought. I didn't want living, breathing major-league ballplayers to get a glimpse of me doing this. Especially since I've typed my fair share of words about their poor play over the last five seasons. Advertisement Then Zach Neto appeared. He'd seen me from the press box — up where I normally sit — where he was recording a podcast. The Angels shortstop spotted me doing what he usually does. 'Hi Zach,' I said, ripping the band-aid off about a minute after he'd approached. 'Hi Sam,' he responded with a smile on his face. I told him I was tired, and that this was for a story I was working on. 'You gotta get it done first,' he countered, clearly enjoying this. With Neto watching, something interesting happened: the dynamic changed. Washington's positive reinforcement and understanding evaporated. 'You're writing about baseball, and you don't know what a f—n' backhand is,' he said as I struggled to line my feet up properly. Neto's presence also meant that everyone else would find out. Mike Trout, who had been placed on the IL a day earlier, made sure to let me know he'd acquired video of the excursion. 'Infield drills, I don't know about that,' he said with a chuckle. Logan O'Hoppe said that I should have to catch the ceremonial first pitch instead of him. 'How are your legs feeling?' Neto joked after the game ended. It wasn't until I woke up hours later that I realized why he'd asked. I've run five marathons, but soreness from just more than an hour of these drills rivaled next-day pain. 'That means you did it right,' Washington would tell me. Cold comfort. At least the players feel it too. Neto said it takes a few days into spring training for the aches to subside. After the drills ended, Washington went back to where he was sitting when I arrived. The seat where he's perched for every pitch of every game. He started talking about the difference between symptoms and causes. A bad play, he said, that's a symptom. That's what we see. But Washington believes he can spot the cause almost immediately. Advertisement 'You have to be able to listen, you have to be able to learn, and you have to be able to apply,' he said. 'If you can't listen, how the f— you gonna learn? And if you can't learn, how the f— are you going to apply?' This is what we on the Angels beat refer to as the 'Wash Cycle.' A de facto vent session that can go on for a while, the topics zig-zagging between anything on his mind — his team, the game at large or his life's story. Today, it was defense. And at this point, it was clear that he was no longer talking about me or our drills. His focus was on his ballclub, though he didn't say so. He pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke. I was ready for a nap. For Washington, the day was just getting started. Soon, more of his players would arrive. Everything we'd done for the last 75 minutes would be repeated many times over. The Angels might not be a winning team. Heck, they might be one of the worst teams in baseball. A 162-game season has a way of letting you know. But good, bad or somewhere in between, it won't change who Wash is. And what I came to understand on that early afternoon at Angel Stadium, as I was rushing, dragging, and bumbling the ball around, is that these drills are what define him. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Courtesy of the Los Angeles Angels)
