Friday, June 8, 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Dinner and a Movie

By Steve Herte

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney, 2018) – Director: Ron Howard. Writers: Jonathan Kasdan, Laurence Kasdan (s/p), George Lucas (characters). Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Joonas Suotamo, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Linda Hunt, Ian Kenny, John Tui, Anna Francolini, Andrew Woodall & Warwick Davis. Color, Rated PG-13, 135 minutes.

It’s easy to get confused with the timeline of the Star Wars movies, ten of which have been released and two of which are coming soon in 2019 and 2020.

Here we have a young Han Solo (Ehrenreich) who desperately wants to be the best starship pilot ever and will do anything to achieve that. He didn’t even have a last name at the outset of the film. It was given to him by a recruitment officer. In the opening credits we learn:

It is a lawless time. Crime Syndicates compete for resources - food, medicine, and hyperfuel. On the shipbuilding planet of Corellia, the foul Lady Proxima (Hunt) forces runaways into a life of crime in exchange for shelter and protection. On these mean streets, a young man fights for survival, but yearns to fly among the stars…”

Forced to steal for a living Han and his girlfriend Qi’ra (Clarke) manage to break away from a notorious gang and think that a vial of coaxium (hyperspace fuel) will get them passage on a transport. It works for Han but not for Qi’ra. Han becomes a flight cadet with the Imperial Navy but, we all know Han Solo and rules, gets expelled. In a battle scene, Han tries extortion on gang leader Tobias Beckett (Harrelson) and is arrested for desertion and “thrown to The Beast for its dinner.”


The beast in this case is Chewbacca (Suotamo), a 190-year-old Wookiee who is just as eager to escape as Han is. Fortunately, Han speaks Wookiee (yes, he does utter those strange, gurgling roars and is understood). Their escape impresses the hot-and-cold-running Beckett, who recruits them on an exciting coaxium train robbery on planet Vandor. But the plan goes awry when the Cloud Riders not only cost them two of their crew members but the entire shipment of coaxial as well. 

As with any gang story, Beckett is not the capo dei capi. He’s working for Dryden Vos (Bettany), who works for the Crimson Dawn Syndicate. And who winds up being Dryden Vos’ right hand person? Qi’ra, of course. To pay off Beckett’s debt to Dryden Vos, she accompanies them to steal highly unstable, raw coaxium from the planet Kessel and take it from there to the refinery on planet Savareen a feat never accomplished in time without hyperdrive. Qi’ra introduces the men to smuggler Lando Calrissian (Glover) a cheater at card games who eventually agrees to pilot them aboard his Millenium Falcon. Lando’s copilot is a smart-mouthed, attitude-ridden droid named L3-37 (Waller-Bridge) but without whom, even when mortally damaged, the “Kessel Run” would not have been accomplished in record time. (Han Solo’s boasting point in later episodes.)

From there it’s another double-cross from Beckett, a clarification of who exactly the good guys are, the famous Sabacc card game that wins the Millennium Falcon for Han and a brief encounter with Vos’ superior and the link-up to Episode IV is complete as Han and Chewy head for Tatooine.

Though under the able direction of Ron Howard this is a particularly noisy film. Emilia Clarke’s half mumbled lines are lost most of the time. You have to depend on the visuals to get what’s happening whenever she speaks. Alden Ehrenreich is perfectly cast as the over-confident swash-buckling Han Solo. I could see him becoming Harrison Ford. It was good to see Warwick Davis as Weazel, a member of the Cloud Riders and hear the voice of Anthony Daniels in another droid named Tak.

The two hours and fifteen minutes, though a bit long, passed without discomfort. The young boys I heard reviewing the movie after leaving the theater were kind of lukewarm about it. They enjoyed it but had serious doubts about (spoiler alert) Ray Park appearing near the end as Maul (not yet Darth Maul). So did I. Nevertheless, any Star Wars fans will love it and will be anticipating Episode IX, the last of the series and an anthology film about Boba Fett. Who knows? In 2021 you may be able to see all twelve films in order, if you’ve a severe case of insomnia.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 martini glasses.


44 & X
622 Tenth Avenue (at 44th Street)New York

Nothing in New York is as sure as change. The name of this restaurant intrigued me. It’s the location: the corner of 44th Street and Tenth Avenue. I was a little dismayed when I saw the side panel of the brown and white awning dangling out of place. However, the name etched onto the windows said “elegance” and the simple blond wood, bare-topped tables with white chairs and banquettes spoke volumes in their basic beauty. The single yellow rose on each table was the only color in the room. I told the hostess that I enjoyed people-watching and she chose a corner banquette by the window.

The cocktails are all “Tony Award Themed” and I chose “Frozen” (“Gin never bothered me anyway.”) made with Death’s Door gin, St. Germain, Cointreau, Blue Curacao, fresh lime juice, and a snowy sugar rim “nose.” It was potent and citrus and a beautiful sky blue.

My server, Kevin, informed me that 44 and X has been in business for 16 years. (This always amazes me. I should get to this neighborhood more often.) He explained the sizes of various dishes and gave me enough time to choose. It wasn’t easy. The selection included many foods I love.

The 2015 “Sinister Hand” red wine from Columbia Valley, Washington was my choice for dinner and it worked well with all my dishes. It’s a complex medium body red wine with lots of fruity flavor and a satisfying tang on the aftertaste.


The Goat Cheese and Pistachio soufflé with julienned Asia pears and pomegranate jus was the center of a star made of endive leaves. The juicy pear strips were hidden by the light, fluffy, nutty goat cheese.

The first time I ever had oysters they were fried and tasted metallic, but I loved the Polenta-crusted oysters, baby California frisée salad with crispy pancetta, and buttermilk ranch dressing. The oysters were good sized, tender and light flavored, nothing metallic and the coating was crispy and tasty. Normally you could drive me from the room with frisée but this was different. The ranch dressing gave a nearly flavorless, boring green a reason to be enjoyed.

44 and X is not a steakhouse, but after consulting Kevin I ordered the pan-seared filet mignon, with potatoes au gratin, tart tomato jam topping, and port wine jus. The filet was cooked perfectly to my specifications, tender on the inside, crispy blackened on the outside. The tomato topping did not overwhelm, just accented the meat. The potatoes were thin sliced and stacked on one side of the dish. They had a light, cauliflower-like taste that fooled me into forgetting they were potatoes. And the bright orange carrots siding the dish were crunchy and fresh. I greatly enjoyed it.


Any dessert that mentions peanut butter will be my choice. The peanut butter mousse tart with caramel sauce, topped by vanilla, chocolate, and malted milk ball ice creams, was light yet rich, sweet and nutty. The caramel sauce formed a stretched-out spring design on the plate. Peanuts scattered around the mousse were a light-hearted garnish.

My usual double espresso this time was accompanied by a glass of Andrew Quady Essencia Orange Muscat – orangey, citrus and heady. My meal was wonderful from start to finish. As I said before, I really have to get to Hell’s Kitchen more often. The care with which the food is served permeates the staff. When I discovered that the first roll I was served was a little stale, another was rushed to my table without a word from me. That was very impressive. 44 and X is a class act.

For the Dinner and a Movie archive, click here.

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