Gossip Central

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

The invitation to the special screening of a new documentary about Roman Polanski had the imprimatur of 20 directors in solidarity with the exiled Oscar winning director, and then a disclaimer, that the filmmakers, on location, would not be on hand at the Paris Theater. Nevertheless, I spotted Sidney Lumet, Julian Schnabel, Alex Gibney, Taylor Hackford, Barry Levinson, Bennett Miller, Bob Balaban, Lasse Hallstrom, and a slew of actors: Dustin Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, Emmy Rossum, Leelee Sobieski, Gretchen Mol, Julianna Margulies, Lena Olin, for the screening, some staying on for the buffet supper at the newly refurbished Plaza Hotel. It was like the old days, when the Plaza was a haven for fictitious little girls like Eloise, and for movie premieres of the most lavish sort: beef, bass, grilled chicken and veggies fit for kings. Carlos, my waiter, who had worked there for 25 years seemed pleased with lobby level luxury shops, saying that during the renovation, new rooms had been created, pockets of space no one had thought about now gave way to conference rooms on the 4th floor. But I digress.
     Marina Zenovich's  riveting “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" will air on HBO on June 9, and will be shown in theaters thereafter distributed by Mark Urman's ThinkFilm. Reading the papers, Zenovich came upon a story about Polanski's trial for raping a 13 year old in 1977, and thereafter fleeing the country. What is wrong with this picture, she thought and set about finding out. The resulting film uses provocative archival footage and interviews to trace Polanski's life in Hollywood, his unabashed obsession with young girls, the tragic circumstances of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate's murder by the Manson clan, the eerie echoes in his films, his Holocaust back story-mostly investigating the legal matters surrounding the trial, marked by a tricky judge who was out to get the infamous director. The result fascinates, not only in illuminating Polanski as a brilliant and charismatic character but as a revelation of our justice system. Polanski remains wanted in America, and desired in Pariswhere he resides with Emmanuelle Seigner, his wife for 18 years, and two children. Seigner starred most recently in Schnabel's “Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and in “Lou Reed's Berlin,” a hit at the recent Tribeca Film Festival. Though some of the hosting directors were not feasting at the Plaza, the girl in question was, her mother and husband in tow. Now Samantha Geimer (45) lives happily in Hawaii, having settled with Polanski out of court. Her mother Susan, conspicuously not in the film, was the proverbial elephant in the room dwarfing even the grandeur of the Plaza; you wanted to shake her while she glowingly invited everyone to visit in Kuaui.  How she could leave a 13 year old child alone with Polanski remains a mystery, leaving all the celebrity and media moms at the premiere asking, what is wrong with this picture?

Regina Weinreich            

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura

PEN World Voices

The French Consulate was chockablock with A-list writers as France conferred upon American author Edmund White the insignia of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters on Tuesday evening. Salman Rushdie joked it was the true kickoff to the six-day PEN World Voices festival even though many of the world renowned authors celebrating in the Fifth Avenue townhouse--among them Ian McEwan, Peter Cary, Michael Ondaatje, Francine du Plessix Gray, Francine Prose, and rocker/poet Patti Smith--attended the gala benefit the night before at the Museum of Natural History, presiding over tables of donors where over a million dollars was raised. The gala is a different matter, said Rushdie, describing how fitting it was to dine under the museum's great whale, where writers could unleash their inner Captain Ahab. Meanwhile, panels, readings, films, performances in venues all over the city and beyond mark the World Voices annual celebration of the written word. The French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy arrived, his wife, a chanteuse in a black cinched leather corset, in tow. But soon we were off to the Alliance Francaise for a session devoted to Darfur. BHL, as he is known, had been traveling to this besieged region of the Sudan, as has the actress Mia Farrow and both presented words and pictures enlightening the packed house on their personal experiences interviewing victims of the genocide. The stories are more heart-wrenching than ones you've heard. The focus of many aid efforts is on China PEN delivered a petition to the Chinese Consulate in New York-100 days before the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies-requesting the release of 38 jailed journalists and writers and seeking an end to restrictions on freedom of expression in China. In addition, we are all urged to take action against the selling of arms by China to the jingaweed, the murderers in Darfur. Go to www.darfurmetro.org and the NYC Coalition for Darfur: interfaitharts@gmail.com

Regina Weinreich            

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura

John Adams on HBO

The great achievement of the new 7-part HBO miniseries to begin on March 16 is that it gives history a human face. That face belongs to Paul Giamatti, whose grimace in “Sideways” changed the fate of merlot forever. In the episode premiered Monday night at MOMA, John Adams leads Congress into making the definitive decision to declare independence. Sage Ben Franklin (Tom Wilkinson) and Adams help Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane who stars in the soon to be released “Fugitive Pieces”) compose the famous Declaration providing the term “self-evident” as in “we hold these truths to be self-evident,” and I must say that I enjoyed the sly humor of their editing process, but also shed a tear at seeing true integrity in the soft-spoken David Morse as George Washington, so fine in “The Seafarer” on Broadway, here accessorized with a bulbous nose, as he accepts “the honor” of leadership. Laura Linney plays Abigail Adams whose scenes inoculating the Adams children against smallpox so gruesome and heartrending, parallel on the domestic front the difficult options  facing her husband and our country. The segment was a reminder of pride in our democracy that few have experienced in a long time. Based upon the book by David McCollough, the miniseries is directed by Tom Hooper, and produced by Tom Hanks. Taking the podium, each one emphasized the art and language of this work, every detail, each wig and wagon authentic to the period. Among those in the packed theater were Mike Nichols, Hanks' director for Charlie Wilson's War, and actors Candace Bergen, Peter Gallagher, Mamie Gummer. All stayed for supper, Thanksgiving fare lit by colonial lanterns, appropriate to a celebration of the founding fathers.
               Meantime, a few blocks away, Mel Brooks was holding court at the Rainbow Room, where Guild Hall was presenting their Lifetime Achievement Awards to Brooks, playwright Joe Pintauro and artist David Salle. Among the well-wishers munching on caviar and blinis and sipping mimosas were 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin and filmmaker Albert Maysles. Brooks said he was contemplating the difficulties of opening “The Producers” in Austria, Hitler's home turf. Don't ask. You had to be there.

Regina Weinreich            

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura

Friends with Benefits

Somehow the chessboard with opposing pieces, white against non-confrontational white does not add up to a recipe for world peace. It does, however, make a cerebral platform for dance, as conceived by Yoko Ono for Jack Lenor Larson's birthday celebration at the Long House Reserve Benefit the night of July 21. Looking much like a wedding cake in large brimmed white hat and layered white dress, she showed a sample reel of the documentary she is making about her life. Yoko Ono's parents are shown, a modest couple. The film segues to their flamboyant daughter in fox, in her John Lennon days, seated, a table between them. They could be playing chess but instead as the ill-fated Beatle looks on, Yoko gets up and provocatively spreads her leg, putting her foot on the chair.
          “I'm supposed to loosen up your inhibitions at opening your wallets,” she said to the tony Hamptonites at the outset of the auction where a $30 bottle of Grey Goose sold for $150. “Do you want to see me do a sex act?” she asked coquettishly and then quickly modified her query to include a key word. “Do you want to see me do a sex change act?” she asked. The crowd did not go wild, except for a few admirers at the front tables. Then she peeled off the layers of skirt to reveal slacks, her jacket exposing a vest and tie, and threw off the froufrou hat donning a fedora. Given that she is now well into her '60's, this seemed prudent.
           Playwright Edward Albee donated a Henry Moore etching, providing its provenance: he had seen it at Elizabeth Taylor's; she then gave it to her good friend Roddy McDowell who left it to Albee in his will. “It goes to a good cause,” said Albee, pleased to support the unique sculpture garden, currently featuring the work of Miguel Barcelo.
          Meanwhile, in another part of East Hampton, some truly beautiful bodies glided across a silver stage designed by David Salle in an apt setting for a new piece choreographed by Karole Armitage to the music of Gyorgy Ligeti. The occasion was an art auction to benefit Guild Hall in Tony Ingrao and Randy Kempner's sumptuous sculpture garden. Calvin Klein, Richard Price, Judy Hudson, Russell Simmons and family were among the crowd watching the performers in black leotards by Peter Speliopoulos in a modern dance evocative of Robert Wilson's work.  The stage, bare save for a silver tree, could serve as well for the staging of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. And befitting Beckett, the auction was silent.

                                                                             Regina Weinreich

Grey Gardens/Prince at le Flirt

The bathroom had the famous poster for the Maysles' Brothers' film, of Little Edie, vamping in her turban in front of the old house. Otherwise Grey Gardens was redone to old specs with tasteful blue walls and white trim in the dining room, and plush chintz couches, and book lined rooms. You strain to imagine how it was: mother and daughter here, amidst the hedges, home to cats and bugs, a place like its inhabitants, gone to seed. Now, both Edies are famous after the Grey Gardens hit on Broadway, and thanks to Christine Ebersole's Tony winning performance in both roles. And now, owned by Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Grey Gardens is the home all year (except August) of animal advocate Frances Hayward, founder of BeKind.org. Houses in East Hampton in magical neighborhoods such as this one, winding off Georgica Road, with lush gardens, where nooks and gazebos are nestled for discreet chatting, serve as perfect party places; this soiree featured the Humane Society of the United States' president Wayne Pacelle who addressed the crowd, including the attending animals. R. Couri Hay had his Cornelia (Guest) and Brooke (Astor). Designer Joanna Mastroianni brought her furry ball with red bow in a carrier.
Funny to see Patrick McMullen snapping away after reading a cheeky piece by Bob Morris in the Sunday paper about a photo exhibit featuring the guests at a zillion parties-- minus the New York Times Style section's most cheeky writer. In his “Age of Dissonance” rant, Morris posed as pissed. Soon Patrick snapped a shot of me with Frank Cilione and Ina da Silva. They were recovering from the night before: Prince had a private party at Cilione's new place, le Flirt, the former Tsunami on Three Mile Harbor; he arrived at 1:30 and stayed till 6:30, after his concert at the Ross School. Seems he had the place emptied, even of the deep pocket who had ordered Cristalle, and spun his own disks while the ladies in his posse danced up a storm. He is alleged to have consumed 4 Long Island iced teas, a lethal concoction of rum, vodka, triple sec, tequila, and something else. Even the bartender cringed when I asked for the recipe. This for a Jehovah's Witness! Upon hearing the news, a former girlfriend of Mick Jagger confided that the Rolling Stone played Prince in the bathroom. Russell Simmons, among the guests at Grey Gardens enjoying the sea bass, risotto and the most amazing sherbet bombe I have ever tasted, might know more about the mix of cocktails and faith and what that does to you on Sunday morning. Seems that Prince was staying with him.

                                                                                                  Regina Weinreich