After reading up on today's topic, I find myself wishing I'd seen some of the films by Neil LaBute, specifically In the Company of Men, which was recommended to me years ago by an old boss. I was told it was a nasty film about two nasty men who decide to mess with women for fun. Reading about LaBute, I find that he used to be a Mormon and that he attended Brigham Young University, where he met Aaron Eckhart (yes, Eckhart used to be a Mormon), who he worked with on many projects, including the above film. See, I used to be a Mormon, too, and I am interested in fellow wayward souls. Seems that while LaBute was at BYU in the theater program he first wrote the play “In the Company of Men” (to be later adapted into the film), for which he received an award from the Association of Mormon Letters. This is curious because what I've heard about the film doesn't seem to jive with Mormon values (when I was at BYU-Idaho, the theater department was going to put on a production of “Death of a Salesman” but didn't because they couldn't secure the right to alter the script to remove the paltry bits of profanity; Mormon theater programs are not terribly progressive). Indeed, he later was disfellowshipped (basically, placed on membership parole) for a three-part play entitled “Bash: Latter-Day Plays” that depicts Mormons performing shocking or violent acts. He later left the church of his own volition.
So, this is who we are talking about today, and his new film Some Velvet Morning, starring Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve. Tucci is Fred, a man who shows up one day at the house of his former lover, Velvet (Eve), declaring he has left his wife for her. As they talk and discuss and squabble, their history is revealed, and it may be a little darker than originally presumed.
Some Velvet Morning starts today as part of the Louisville Exclusives series at Village 8 Theaters. Village 8 is located at 4014 Dutchmans Lane. Further theater information and showtimes can be found at the Village 8 website.
Image: Internet Movie Database
