Joker: Folie a Deux

I am a huge fan of Joker so I was really excited to see its sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, at an early access screening in IMAX with my nephew last night.  Unfortunately, it was a mixed bag for me (and a big miss for my nephew).  Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is now a prisoner at Arkham State Hospital where he is taunted by an abusive guard named Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson).  He meets fellow patient Harleen "Lee" Quinzel (Lady Gaga), who is obsessed with him, during a music therapy class and they often retreat into a world of fantasy to cope with the grim reality of their situation.  However, Fleck's trial is looming large and the newly elected district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawley) is seeking the death penalty.  His lawyer Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener) wants to use an insanity defense arguing that Fleck created the Joker as a completely separate personality in order to cope with the abuse he suffered all of his life and that it was the Joker, not Fleck, who committed the crimes.  However, Lee is enamored with the Joker 's celebrity and views him as a hero to the downtrodden of Gotham so Fleck thinks he should embrace the Joker persona to impress her.  The visuals are gorgeous (I loved the use of silhouettes) and the score by Hildur Gudnadottir, which is haunting and melancholy, really adds to the atmosphere.  I also really enjoyed the musical dream sequences (my favorite is "Gonna Build a Mountain" in the club where Fleck suffered his greatest humiliation) because they allow Fleck to fully express himself as the Joker.  Phoenix and Gaga are incredibly compelling as broken people who enable each other's madness and I was particularly impressed with how Gaga changes her vocal performance from hesitant as Lee to powerful as Harley Quinn.  My biggest problem is that the narrative takes a big swing by allowing the Joker to take center stage but then it doesn't commit to it in the third act (a recurring problem with many movies this year).  The ending, particularly the final scene between Fleck and Lee, returns to the theme that Arthur is merely a victim of societal decay, which is already thoroughly explored in the first movie, thus making this sequel completely unnecessary because it doesn't ultimately add anything new to the character.  It is very disappointing because the set up is there (my nephew explained how it should have ended and, honestly, I would have rather seen his edit).  Ugh!  There are elements that make this worth seeing but I think a lot of people might be disappointed with it.

The Woman in Black at Parker Theatre

I was so excited for The Woman in Black at Parker Theatre last night because I had never seen it before (despite the fact that it is the second longest running play in the West End after The Mousetrap). It is based on the Gothic horror novel of the same name by Susan Hill but it has a really clever twist. It is also incredibly scary because I almost jumped out of my seat at one point (I'm surprised I didn't scream). Arthur Kipps (Michael Hohl) is still traumatized by an encounter with an apparition that he had many years ago while settling the estate of Alice Drablow at a desolate and secluded mansion. He believes that he can rid himself of the nightmares that plague him by telling the story publicly on stage so he hires an Actor (Lucas Charon) to help him. The Actor convinces him that it would be better to act out the story rather than recite it from a manuscript so they begin rehearsing in a Victorian theatre using minimal props, realistic sound cues, and imaginative light design.  The Actor portrays a younger version of Kipps while he portrays all of the other characters and narrates the play. The action on stage shows Kipps attending Drablow's funeral, traveling to her house in an old-fashioned pony and trap, working alone in the eerie house, and witnessing unsettling events including the appearance of a strange figure dressed in black. They stop in between scenes to discuss their performances and, during one such break, Kipps promises a surprise. The Actor interprets this to mean that Kipps hired the actress who suddenly appears on stage as the woman in black. The action concludes when the young Kipps discovers the identity of the mysterious figure and when the Actor makes a startling realization about the actress portraying her. I absolutely loved the stagecraft used to create an unsettling atmosphere because it is amazing what just the sound of a door creaking or the appearance of shadows on a scrim can do to the imagination. The woman in black only appears a few times (one of those times was when she seemed to come from nowhere to stand right next to me in the aisle) and this is incredibly effective because it was terrifying every time I thought I saw her in the shadows. Charon's performance does much to add to the unease because his terror is palpable, especially when his only source of light is a torch in the almost pitch black darkness of the marsh. I was also quite impressed with how seamlessly Hohl inhabits all of the characters he plays with just a simple change of costume right on stage. This is one of the scariest shows I've ever seen (and I loved being scared) so it is perfect for this spooky season! It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through November 2 (go here for tickets).

Megalopolis

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of Megalopolis ever since it was screened at Cannes and TIFF (to say that it was polarizing would be an understatement) and I finally had the opportunity with my nephew at the Broadway last night.  It is really something!  The city of New Rome is in decline and the many political, economic, and industrial leaders disagree about how best to serve the population.  Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the mayor of New Rome, represents maintaining the status quo even though he is clearly ineffective and unpopular.  Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight), the CEO of the Crassus National Bank, represents unchecked wealth which he uses to distract the populace with decadent spectacles.  Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), Crassus's dissolute grandson, represents the misuse of power and creates scandals to discredit those against him and uses rhetoric to stir up discontent within the populace.  Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a visionary architect, represents change and wants to use a revolutionary material that he created to build a utopian city.  Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza), a TV host, pits Crassus and Pulcher against each other in a bid for wealth and power while Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), a socialite and the mayor's daughter, eventually brings her father and Catilina together with hope for the future.  The story is compelling and thought-provoking, particularly the message about the importance of progress, but it is told in a very chaotic way (I'm still trying to decide if it was done deliberately to emphasize the obvious parallels to the corruption, division, and instability of ancient Rome) with meandering subplots, unnecessary characters, and an uneven tone.  The visuals are often stunning but I did not like the score because it is very melodramatic.  I enjoyed all of the performances (I'm still trying to decide if the casting of problematic actors LaBeouf and Voight was done deliberately to highlight the depravity of the characters they play) but Driver, who always has a striking screen presence, is amazing because his physicality and unusual line deliveries are captivating and Plaza steals every scene she is in.  This will definitely not be for everyone but, while I had several issues with it, I mostly enjoyed it and want to see it again.  My nephew loved it and talked about it very animatedly the whole drive home.

Note:  Some IMAX screenings have a member of the audience pose an interactive question to Catilina to mimic an actual press conference.  I was ready to volunteer but my screening just had a voiceover during that scene.

The Wild Robot

Last night I went to see The Wild Robot and, even though I had heard great things about it, I was unprepared for just how powerful and emotional it is and for how much I loved it!  A robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) is stranded on an uninhabited island after the cargo ship transporting her from the factory runs aground during a typhoon.  She searches the island for a task to complete, which is her purpose, but most of the animals run from her in fear.  When she accidentally destroys a goose nest, the only surviving gosling imprints on her and, with a little help from a mischievous red fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), a harried mother opposum named Pinktail (Catherine O'Hara), an understanding falcon named Thunderbolt (Ving Rhames), a wise goose named Longneck (Bill Nighy), a misunderstood Beaver named Paddler (Matt Berry), and a ferocious grizzly bear named Thorn (Mark Hamill), she reluctantly takes on the tasks of feeding Brightbill (Kit Connor) and teaching him to swim and fly.  The story may be simple but it is compelling and very moving (I had tears in my eyes multiple times).  One of the themes that I really loved is that it is sometimes better to abandon everything you think you know and trust what you feel because Roz must overcome her programming in order to succeed with Brightbill.  I also loved the theme of acceptance because both Roz and Brightbill are shunned for being different but they both eventually save their community because of those differences.  In addition, Roz's experiences as a mother are incredibly powerful, especially when she realizes that she must ultimately let Brighbill go after teaching him to fly.  The animation is visually stunning with an evocative score to match and all of the vocal performances are highly nuanced (I was particularly impressed with Nyong'o because Roz's voice noticeably changes as she moves beyond her programming).  The hype is definitely real with this beautiful movie and I highly recommend it to everyone!

Jersey Boys at PTC

I grew up listening to the music of The Four Seasons because my dad was a huge fan. The first time I saw the Broadway touring production of Jersey Boys I knew my dad would love it so I bought tickets for him to see it the next night during intermission. He enjoyed it so much that I took him to see it again for Father's Day when the touring production came back to SLC. It was, therefore, really bittersweet to see it at PTC last night without him but I loved what they did with it and had to stop myself from singing along to every song! This jukebox musical (one of the best jukebox musicals I've seen) tells the story of how The Four Seasons went from four blue-collar guys singing under a streetlamp in New Jersey to global superstars and then how the pressure of fame caused it all to fall apart. Each member of the group, including Frankie Valli (Trevor James), Bob Gaudio (Daxton Bloomquist), Nick Massi (Brent Thiessen), and Tommy DeVito (Adam Enrique Hollick), narrates the story from his perspective because everyone remembers it the way they need to. The best thing about this show is all of the amazing music and I love how the lyrics of the songs mirror what is happening personally and professionally with the group. The four leads are incredible performers who sing and dance just like The Four Seasons and I was especially impressed with James because he captures Valli's falsetto perfectly. The ensemble is also outstanding because they all play multiple roles seamlessly with some quick costume and wig changes! What I love most about the Broadway production is the elaborate staging and, even though PTC's version is a bit more stripped down, it is still just as clever because the four of them often begin singing a song very simply and then set pieces move on stage around them and they put on jackets to depict the same song being performed on TV or a stage. I especially loved the staging of "Sherry" on American Bandstand, "Dawn (Go Away)" on The Ed Sullivan Show, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" in concert complete with a horn section, and "Rag Doll" (my favorite song by the group) at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The reprise of "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" after the bows is also a lot of fun because the audience was dancing in the aisles! This is such an entertaining show and fans of The Four Seasons are sure to love it (just be aware that there is a lot of profanity). It runs at PTC through September 28 and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).