Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

The Fourth of July celebrations might be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep the fun going. From sensational exhibits to free pizza slices and a summer rosé fest, read on for your guide to the best nine things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Mexican movies
Thursday, July 6-Saturday, July 8
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents “The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema,” featuring 14 films complementing current museum exhibition, Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910–1950. Screenings include You’re Missing the Point (Ahí está detalle) on Thursday, July 6; Another Dawn (Distinto Amanecer) on Friday, July 7; and A Woman in Love (Enamorada) on Saturday, July 8. (2 pm, tickets: $9 per person)
1001 Bissonnet St. 713-639-7300

Wish you were here
Thursday, July 6
Pink Floyd veteran Roger Waters plays at Toyota Center as part of his US + Them Tour, which comes behind his new solo album, Is This the Life We Really Want? Waters will also perform new songs as well as classic Pink Floyd tunes. (8 pm; tickets: $55-$295 per person)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Chills and thrills
Thursday, July 6-Sunday, July 8
New arts company Strange Bird Immersive presents The Man From Beyond: Houdini Séance Escape Room at the Silos on Sawyer. With only eight seats per show, the interactive adventure promises an adrenaline rush as participates take part in a séance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Daphne. (8 pm; tickets: $29-$36 per person)
1502 Sawyer St.; 832-314-8804

Art exhibit
Friday, July 7
"The Big Show" opening reception at Lawndale Art Center kicks off the art center's annual juried exhibit with work in all media by artists living within a 100-mile radius. Artwork will remain on display through August 12. (7-9 pm; tickets: free)
4912 Main St.; 713-528-5858

Jingle bells
Saturday, July 8
Celebrate the holidays early at 5K run, Christmas in July, benefiting The Salvation Army of Greater Houston. (7 am; tickets: $35-$50 per person)
1500 Austin St.; 713-752-0677

We’ll drink to that
Saturday, July 8
Wine representatives serve up free tastings of several refreshing rosés at the Summer Rosé Festival at Midtown’s Izakaya restaurant. The afternoon lineup also includes DJ spins and a photo booth, plus free appetizers from the kitchen and free samples from next door’s Fluff Bake Bar. Proceeds go to Houston Area Women’s Center. (12-4 pm; tickets: $25 per person or bring a donation of new — with tags — yoga pants, sweatpants, and sweatshirts)
318 Gray; 713-527-8988

When the moon hits your eye
Saturday, July 8
Montrose pizzeria Love Buzz celebrates its two-year anniversary with free slices of pizza and drink specials. Grazie. (1-6 pm; tickets: free entry)
412 Westheimer Rd.; 713-521-2899

Slam dunk
Saturday, July 8
The Harlem Globetrotters bring their show to NRG Arena in back-to-back games. The team roster includes Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm, along with female stars TNT Maddox, Ace Jackson, Swish Young, and Hoops Green. After each game, Globetrotter stars will sign autographs and take photos with fans. (2 pm and 7 pm; tickets: $$19-$408 per person)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Say yes
Sunday, July 9
Be inspired to create the wedding of your dreams at the Bibi Bridal Show at downtown’s Hyatt Regency Houston. Check out the newest trends in wedding design curated for luxurious South Asian weddings and get advice from industry experts on a range of topics from decor to choosing a photographer. (12 pm; tickets: $15 per person)
1200 Louisiana St.; 713-654-1234

The Harlem Globetrotters bring their show to NRG Arena in back-to-back games.

Photo courtesy of Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters bring their show to NRG Arena in back-to-back games.

event-planner

Movie Review

Jessica Chastain gets in a tangled love story in new drama Dreams

Photo courtesy of Teorema

Isaac Hernández and Jessica Chastain in Dreams.

The opening scenes of the new drama Dreams are bracing, fictional sequences that call to mind real-life scenarios. In them, a young Mexican man named Fernando (Isaac Hernández) goes through a somewhat harrowing journey from the back of a semi truck in South Texas all the way to San Francisco. It’s a familiar immigrant story that seems to set the stage for a film with something interesting to say.

It turns out, however, that Fernando has not made the long and arduous trek for a job. Instead, it’s to be with Jennifer McCarthy (Jessica Chastain), a rich woman who helps lead a foundation dedicated to multiple things, including funding dance academies. Fernando, a talented dancer, and Jennifer have been in an off-and-on affair for years, with Jennifer wanting to keep their relationship a secret.

Although both are drawn to each other in an inexplicable, lustful way, their bond is tenuous, with each of them dissatisfied for different reasons. Fernando clearly sacrifices much more of himself than Jennifer, who wants for nothing except maybe more affection from her father, Michael (Marshall Bell), and brother, Jake (Rupert Friend).

Writer/director Michel Franco seems to try to inject tension into Fernando and Jennifer’s relationship from the start, an attempt that is only halfway successful. It’s clear from the way they greet each other - not to mention a steamy sex scene shortly thereafter - that they have known each other for a good length of time. Franco is able to get across this familiarity with an economy of scenes, and the intensity of their bond holds for a while.

But as the film progresses and both of them grow disenchanted with their arrangement, Franco starts taking the story in some odd directions. The biggest issue is that it’s never clear at what point in time the story is taking place. Fernando ends up making multiple trips back and forth across the border, with Jennifer doing the same at one point, and Franco’s use of flashbacks muddies the waters, wrong-footing the audience when he should be trying to draw them further into Fernando and Jennifer’s complications.

Revelations in the final act make the story even more confusing, as both main characters start saying and doing harsh things that seem to come out of nowhere. That would be all well and good if Franco actually committed to their changes of heart, but he keeps things wishy-washy for most of the final 15 minutes, resulting in an ending that makes little sense for either character.

Despite the story issues, both Chastain and Hernández give compelling performances. Chastain has been a little under the radar since winning an Oscar for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, but she keeps this character interesting longer than it should have been. Hernández has limited credits and appears to have been cast for his dancing ability, but he goes toe-to-toe with Chastain on more than one occasion and acquits himself well.

Dreams had all of the ideas to explore a more in-depth story about the complicated immigration policies between Mexico and the U.S., or how wealthy people take advantage of those less fortunate. But Franco never finds the right footing, settling instead for a titillating and somewhat mystifying relationship story that feels half-baked.

---

Dreams is now playing in select theaters.

movies film