NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTIES

The 12 best ways to party on New Year's Eve in Houston

Look for a bubbly hotel party, David Bowie tributes, and tiki fun this New Year's Eve.

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel

On the night of December 31, Houston will be swarming with New Year's Eve parties. Here's a rundown of festive gatherings, which include a bubbly hotel party, David Bowie tributes, and tiki fun.

Stay safe — and feel free to party hop and plan your night and your ride sharing.

Belvedere Uptown Park
Courvoisier will present this party, which will have a band on the heated patio and the world-famous DJ Lowdown heating up the upscale lounge. And don't forget about the midnight toast, complete with party favors. 9 pm.

Darwin's Pub
It seems this watering hole is throwing a "Beenies and Bikinis New Year's Eve Party," as people are advised to show up in their swimwear gear since this place will also have hot tubs to lounge in. There will also be $2 Tecate and margaritas and a champagne toast at midnight. 7 pm.

El Big Bad
This spot will be doing its fifth-annual NYE party as part of a neighborhood block party, taking place in downtown Houston’s entertainment district. Come by and have their Unicorn Margarita, made by combining fresh squeezed limes, lemons, agave nectar and 100 percent Blue Weber Tequila and then dropping in a split of Korbel champagne. 8 pm.

Etro Lounge
Ring in the New Year by taking it back all the way to the 1980s with this party. DJ Rice Cube will be spinning all the Reagan-era jams in a special, mega-mix style. If you wanna show up wearing leg warmers, Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, or that jacket Michael Jackson wore in the 'Beat It" video — well, that's up to you. 9 pm.

Five Central
Head over to River Oaks and celebrate New Year's Eve at this location, which has five different venues. The built-in sound system ensures you’ll hear the live DJs' mix of year-ending hits and bangers loud and clear. A full dinner buffet will be ready to serve, and the bar will be open. 8 pm.

Four Seasons Houston
The swanky hotel will host a bubbly party sponsored by Moet & Chandon. Guests are invited to gather in the lobby of "Houston's Living Room" for a complimentary midnight toast, live DJ, music, food and drink specials (including craft cocktails), and specially priced bottles of Moët Imperial Brut for $110. 8 pm.

House of Blues Houston
'Lectric Eye, Houston's premier, David Bowie tribute band, will get in on the NYE shenanigans with a night of glam-rock music. These cats will be performing everything by the British legend, from his Ziggy Stardust days to his Thin White Duke era, right up to when we get to a brand new year. 8 pm.

Lei Low Bar
This spot will be having a "Nectar of the Gods" NYE party, where it will also be paying tribute to beloved, Los Angeles tiki bar Tiki Ti. There will also be a special menu paying tribute to Ray Buhen, the original god of tropical drinks. There is no cover and no reservations, but aloha attire is definitely recommended. 8 pm.

Pour Behavior
This new, cleverly named Midtown venue will have savory complimentary bites from the scratch kitchen and cocktails specially concocted for the occasion. Right before the clock strikes midnight, join in an exciting, live-video wall countdown complete with a complimentary champagne toast, a huge balloon drop, and confetti cannons. 8 pm.

The Houstonian
For an elegant, classic New Year's Eve party, head to The Houstonian for dinner at the upscale restaurant, TRIBUTE. Here you'll find them serving up Pol Roger Brut Reserve Non-Vintage Champagne, a hotel favorite that was also served at the reception following the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales to Ms. Meghan Markle last year. Dine on specialty items including roasted Maine lobster, grilled Wagyu New York strip, and tri-layer vanilla vodka panna cotta.

The Westin at the Woodlands
The dress code is 1920s cocktail attire for this Roaring '20s extravaganza, complete with live music, small plates, a seafood bar, and a champagne toast at midnight. Start the night in Sorriso Italian Kitchen with bites and pairings, then head upstairs to Como Social Club for rooftop views of the Waterway and a cash bar to welcome in the New Year. 9 pm.

The Woodlands Resort
All you 007 fans might want to check this one out. Place your bets at blackjack, roulette, craps, and Texas Hold ‘Em for your chance to win prizes including a James Bond Blu Ray collection, a 3rd Generation Amazon Echo, a 43-inch 4K TV, Apple Air Pods, a Fire HD Tablet, a Yeti Cooler, and much more. 9 pm.

nightlife drinks

Movie review

Florence Pugh proves her stardom yet again in A Good Person

Photo by Jeong Park / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

Florence Pugh in A Good Person.

The rise of Florence Pugh has been pretty astonishing to witness. After gaining acclaim for her film debut in 2016’s Lady Macbeth, the actor has gone back-and-forth between mainstream and art fare, starring in films as disparate as Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, Black Widow, and Little Women, for which she earned an Oscar nomination.

Now, thanks to her former romantic partner Zach Braff, she has another intense leading part to add to her filmography in A Good Person. Pugh plays Allison, a young, music-loving pharmaceutical rep who’s engaged to be married to Nathan (Chinaza Uche). One day, however, she’s involved in a car accident that winds up killing Molly (Nichelle Hines) and Jesse (Onwumere), her would-be sister- and brother-in-law.

The bulk of the film takes place a year after the accident, as Allison is still struggling with pain resulting from the crash and the grief/guilt over the deaths. Simultaneously, Daniel (Morgan Freeman) is doing his best to raise Molly and Jesse’s daughter, Ryan (Celeste O’Connor), and deal with his long estrangement from Nathan. A search for help with addiction for both Allison and Daniel leads them into a tentative friendship.

Written and directed by Braff (Garden State), the film touches on its serious issues in a deft manner. While Allison’s depressive state sends her down a bunch of tough roads for both her and the audience, the film is balanced with lighter moments, many of them courtesy of Allison’s mom, Diane (Molly Shannon). As much as the film is a meditation on how – and how not – to handle grief, it thrives on Allison’s various relationships, and scenes with each of the main co-stars build those bonds nicely.

Smaller details, like Allison riding her bike everywhere because she’s afraid to drive, pay dividends as well. Riding her bike causes her to show up sweaty and out-of-breath in multiple scenes, adding to the haggard and withdrawn look she maintains for most of the film. There can be a certain cliché in how someone acts when they’re trying to portray the state Allison is in, but Pugh, Braff, and the filmmaking team are able to subvert that trope with their choices.

If there’s one fault to the film, it’s that Braff can’t quite land the plane on each of the characters’ stories. All of the stories are related to one another, so it’s difficult to untangle them. After spending most of the film keeping them relatively separate, a decision to bring them all together in a late scene feels rushed and unsatisfying. It doesn’t ruin the film, but it does lessen it to a degree.

Written for Pugh by Braff when they were still a couple, the film hinges on Pugh carrying most of emotional weight of the story, and she delivers in a big way. She eschews histrionics in favor of more subtle acting, and the result is powerful. The 85-year-old Freeman hasn’t had a meaty dramatic role like this in a long time, so it’s nice to see he still has it. Shannon, O’Connor, and Zoe Lister-Jones also elevate the story.

Though it’s early in the year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pugh could snag an Oscar nomination for her performance in A Good Person. You could call it a star-making turn if she weren’t already a star; this just solidifies her place in Hollywood for years to come.

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A Good Person opened in theaters on March 24.

Photo by Jeong Park / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

Florence Pugh in A Good Person.

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Movie review

Florence Pugh proves her stardom yet again in A Good Person