This week, Jared Bowen delves into "The Mystery of Worcester's Leonardo" at the Worcester Art Museum, and gives his take on the films "Chappaquiddick" and "Isle of Dogs."
"The Mystery of Worcester's Leonardo," on view at the Worcester Art Museum through June 3
Has the Worcester Art Museum discovered a hidden Leonardo in their collection? You can decide for yourself in "The Mystery of Worcester's Leonardo," an exhibition which dissects the museum's "A Miracle of Saint Donatus of Arezzo," a work originally attributed to the renaissance artist Lorenzo di Credi. Using x-ray technology to examine the brushwork of the panel, the Worcester Art Museum argues that certain features of "A Miracle of Saint Donatus of Arezzo" were in fact painted by the Renaissance master Leonardo. The work is reunited with "The Annunciation," another panel by Leonardo on loan from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Together, the panels allow audiences to make their own comparisons between the works. Jared says visitors should "come for the mystery, marvel in the arguments, and relish what undoubtedly appears to be a work painted by Leonardo da Vinci."
"Chappaquiddick," in theaters April 6
From Director John Curran comes "Chappaquiddick," a drama about the events surrounding Senator Edward Kennedy's mysterious car crash in 1969. Based on the senator's statement and the subsequent investigation, "Chappaquiddick" follows Kennedy (Jason Clarke) and his legal team the week after he drove his car off a bridge, an accident which resulted in the drowning death of Mary Jo Kopechne, a former campaign aid to Robert Kennedy. Jared calls "Chappaquiddick," "a methodical, responsible, and carefully plotted look at what happened."
"Isle of Dogs," in theaters now
Wes Anderson's latest work is a stop-motion animated film about a boy's quest to find his dog. Set 20 years in the future in the Japanese city of Megasaki, Mayor Kobayashi exiles all canines to Trash Island, or the titular "Isle of Dogs." It takes the 12-year-old boy, Atari, to rescue the dogs from permanent refugee status. The film features an A-list cast of voices, including Brian Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig, and Frances McDormand, among others. Jared describes "Isle of Dogs" as "a film that soars on its spirit."
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