Zion 2021

Ever since I visited it for the first time when I was a little girl I have been drawn to Zion National Park.  Every time I come to St. George I have a really hard time resisting the urge to drive home through the park.  It adds quite a bit of time to the drive (it doesn't cost anything because I have an America the Beautiful pass which paid for itself the first weekend I got it) but it is so worth it because the views are incredible.  I got up early yesterday morning and drove straight there.  I basically had the park to myself (which is very unusual).  Here is an overload of pictures!

I had such a great time in the park yesterday!  There is something almost mystical about the red rocks!

Beauty and the Beast at Tuacahn Amphitheatre

I always used to see at least one show at Tuacahn Amphitheatre every year but I haven't been there in a long time.  Since I am trying to get to all of my favorite outdoor venues this summer I decided to plan a quick road trip to St. George this weekend to see Beauty and the Beast.  I have seen this show many times, including the Broadway touring production, but Tuacahn's version is absolutely magical. The transformation scene where the Prince is turned into a Beast was the first thing that took my breath away because the Enchantress flies over the audience as she casts the spell.  She also flies back to the stage from the audience when she transforms the Beast back into a Prince, with swirling rose petals all around him, and this is pretty spectacular.  During the song "Belle," Gaston rides into the town square on a real horse and I actually gasped out loud when I saw him!  The big production number "Be Our Guest" is always a lot of fun but in this show there is a flying chandelier (played by a member of the ensemble) that actually made me giggle!  I also loved "The Mob Scene" because the villagers have real torches and the shadows cast by the flames are so cool.  This show uses quite a few projections, which I sometimes dislike, but in this case they are fantastic, especially all of the antlers in the song "Gaston," the giant bottle of champagne (which shoots actual fireworks when the cork is popped) in "Be Our Guest," and the library in "Something There."  The costumes are also amazing!  I especially loved the dress worn by the Enchantress because it looks like a stained glass window, the sparkling yellow ball gown worn by Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" because people clapped and cheered when she made her entrance wearing it, and the dress worn by Belle in the finale because it is simply stunning (I loved the rose).  The cast is incredibly strong, particularly Nathaniel Hackman as the Beast and Crystal Kellogg as Belle.  I loved their renditions of "If I Can't Love Her" and "Is This Home?"  Both of these numbers elicited quite the reaction from the crowd.  I also really enjoyed Todd Dubail as Gaston and Elliot Peterson as Lefou because their interactions with each other are very entertaining.  I actually felt like I was seeing this show for the very first time and I left the amphitheatre with a huge smile on my face!  It was definitely worth the four hour drive and I highly recommend it!  In addition to Beauty and the Beast, Tuacahn is also performing School of Rock and The Count of Monte Cristo in repertory through the end of October.  Tickets may be purchased here.

CODA

The movie CODA (an acronym for Child of Deaf Adults) was the darling of the Sundance Film Festival this year.  It won all the prizes (U.S. Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, Special Jury Ensemble Cast Award, and Best Director U.S. Dramatic for Sian Heder) and the distribution rights were acquired by Apple for a record $25 million.  Obviously I wanted to see it but I really wanted to see it on the big screen (I have a one year subscription to Apple TV+ because I recently purchased a new phone but I like movies better when I can see them the way they were meant to be seen).  It was released at a theater that is a bit out of my way last weekend but I was thrilled to discover that it expanded to several more theaters this weekend (including one near me).  I saw it last night and I absolutely loved it!  Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of a deaf family consisting of her father Frank (Troy Kotsur), her mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and her brother Leo (Daniel Durant).  Her family owns a fishing business in Gloucester, Massachusetts and they rely on her to translate for them in all of their business dealings (and, rather humorously, during an awkward doctor visit).  She loves her family but she is often embarrassed by them and sometimes feels left out as the only one who can hear.  She spontaneously picks choir as her extra-curricular activity at school because she likes to sing (and because the boy she likes also picks it) but she has never sung in public before.  After drawing her out and pairing her with her crush Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) for a duet, her choir teacher Mr. Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez) encourages her to apply to the Berklee School of Music and begins giving her private lessons.  Pursuing her dream eventually clashes with her family's dependence on her until they all learn to see each other from a different perspective.  To be sure, this is the type of formulaic coming of age story that we have all seen before but it is incredibly heartwarming!  It features an exceptional lead performance by Jones as well as an ensemble cast made up of deaf performers which adds authenticity to the story.  I was holding back tears for much of the third act, especially during a scene where Frank realizes for the first time that Ruby has a gift (which is extremely well executed), but I couldn't hold them back any longer when Ruby draws inspiration from her family during an audition (I challenge anyone to make it through that scene without crying).  This feel-good movie is now one of my favorites of 2021 and I highly recommend it!

Note:  The music in this movie is really good (I recommend the soundtrack).

Candyman

I have not seen the original or either of the sequels but I thought the trailer for Candyman, billed as a spiritual sequel, looked really intriguing so I decided to see it last night.  I think it is brilliant but it functions more as social commentary on racial injustice than as a horror movie.  Artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his gallery director girlfriend Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) move into an upscale apartment located in a former low-income housing project that has been gentrified.  Brianna's brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) informs them that the area is haunted and relates an urban legend about the Candyman.  Anthony, desperate for an idea for an upcoming exhibit, decides to investigate and meets a longtime resident (Colman Domingo) of the area who tells him the origin of the myth.  Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd) was tortured and killed for having an affair with a white woman in the 19th century and now takes his revenge by killing anyone who summons him by saying his name five times into a mirror.  Anthony becomes dangerously obsessed with the Candyman and creates an art installation that unleashes the horror once again into the community.  This movie is incredibly atmospheric with disturbing imagery (including the brilliant use of mirrors and shadow puppets) and an unsettling score but I didn't find it to be very scary.  There is not a lot of suspense or tension because the Candyman always kills his victims immediately after his name is uttered five times and it becomes predictable.  What really works, however, is the use of the Candyman as a proxy for all of the Black men who have suffered violence against them simply because of who they are and this upset me deeply because the racial dynamics in my family.  In fact, I had more sympathy for a Black bystander hiding in a bathroom stall than I did for the victims being attacked by the Candyman because I was afraid that she would be blamed.  In my opinion, the thought-provoking update to the original story far outweighs any shortcomings with the execution of the horror elements and I highly recommend it.

The Protege

I was pleasantly surprised by The Foreigner so I thought I would probably like another action thriller from director Martin Campbell.  I saw his latest, The Protege, last night and, even though it is not a great movie, I enjoyed it anyway.  Moody Dutton (Samuel L. Jackson) is a highly sought-after international assassin who rescues a young girl (Eva Nguyen Thorsen) in Vietnam after she kills the men who kidnapped her and killed her family.  He becomes a surrogate father to her and teaches her everything he knows.  Thirty years later Anna Dutton (Maggie Q) is also an international assassin working with Moody on high-profile contracts.  When Moody is assassinated Anna vows revenge and eventually locates the man responsible in Vietnam.  She must return to her native land to confront her past but not before going toe to toe with the killer's fixer, Michael Rembrandt (Michael Keaton).  The story is incredibly convoluted and doesn't always make sense (I had no idea what was going on some of the time and I felt like I had missed a key piece of information), the characters are very one-dimensional, and there is a strange twist in the third act but this hardly matters.  Maggie Q and Michael Keaton have tremendous chemistry, whether it is in the scenes where they exchange witty banter or in the scenes where they try to kill each other, and they are so much fun to watch.  The action sequences are fantastic, especially all of the hand-to-hand combat.  I also really liked the ending because it is bold and not what I was expecting.  Maggie Q is incredibly fierce in the role and I would definitely like to see her in more (and better) action thrillers in the future.  It's not what I would call a "must-see" but it is very entertaining so I recommend it to fans of the genre (especially when it becomes available on a streaming platform).

Reminiscence

I was incredibly unmotivated last weekend and canceled plans to see Reminiscence twice before I finally got my act together to see it last night.  Unfortunately, because I waited a few days, I saw some reviews and they were mostly negative so I was not especially looking forward to it.  However, I actually enjoyed it more than I was expecting.  I really liked the premise because it is a neo-noir thriller set in a dystopian future with a tortured protagonist named Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) and a mysterious femme fatale named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson).  Climate change has caused the level of the ocean to rise and temperatures to become more extreme, leading to wars and riots.  Such a bleak existence has forced many people to retreat into their memories.  Nick and a fellow combat veteran, Watts Sanders (Thandiwe Newton), run a business in Miami where people can see and experience their memories again and again and they sometimes use their equipment to help D.A. Avery Castillo (Natalie Martinez) interview incapacitated witnesses.  One night Mae arrives after hours asking to access her memories to find her missing keys.  Nick sees more of her memories than is necessary and falls in love with her.  They begin a relationship but Mae vanishes without a trace after a few months leaving Nick in despair.  Despite warnings from Watts about his reckless behavior, he spends most of his time using the equipment on himself to access his memories of Mae hoping to find a clue to her whereabouts.  Meanwhile, D.A. Castillo requests their help deposing a comatose patient to get evidence against a drug lord named Saint Joe (Daniel Wu) and, when Nick sees Mae in his memories, he realizes that she is not who he thinks she is.  The plot is very convoluted and I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of all of the secondary characters and stories.  It is also quite derivative (it reminded me a lot of Strange Days which is a better movie).  However, I enjoyed the world-building, particularly the depiction of a Miami that is mostly under water, and the images on the screen are often stunning.  The commentary about the division between the rich and poor is very interesting, especially regarding the control of land which is the most valuable resource in this society.  Jackman and Ferguson give great performances and I was always invested in their relationship.  I also liked the action sequences, especially a scene in a ballroom under water.  It is not perfect but there is enough for me to recommend it, especially if you subscribe to HBOMax.

The Magic of Queen at Sandy Amphitheater

Last summer I really missed seeing outdoor performances (I wonder if I have mentioned that?) so this summer I made a list of all of my favorite outdoor performance venues and I have been trying to get to all of them (it looks like I will be able to check off most of them before the summer is over).  A few weeks ago I realized that I didn't include the Sandy Amphitheater (which is a great venue) so I decided to look at the website and see if there was a show that I might like.  I got very excited when I saw a show called The Magic of Queen (I wonder if I have mentioned that I really love Queen?) and I got even more excited when I saw that there were still good tickets available (it eventually sold out).  The show was last night and the weather could not have been better for an outdoor show!  Most of the summer has been unbearably hot and this week there has been a lot of rain but last night was nice and cool.  This was the first concert I have been to since I saw Sarah McLachlan at the Eccles Theatre in February of 2020 and I loved feeling the energy from such a large and enthusiastic crowd!  The Magic of Queen is a show featuring Brody Dolyniuk and his band performing the music of Queen (he also does shows performing the music of Led Zeppelin and Elton John).  He sounds like Freddie Mercury but he doesn't try to imitate him and I really enjoyed his versions of the classic songs.  The first half of the show included "One Vision," "Tie Your Mother Down," "Play the Game," "Keep Yourself Alive," "You're My Best Friend," "Killer Queen," "Now I'm Here," "Somebody to Love," and "Under Pressure."  After the intermission, they played a beautiful rendition of "Love of My Life" and then the crowd came to life during "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Fat Bottomed Girls."  Next came "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Radio Ga Ga" (complete with clapping).  Dolyniuk introduced the next song by saying that it was the title of a recent movie about a rock star and then started playing "Rocket Man," which got a huge laugh from the crowd.  Then they performed a stirring version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" which is the song I had been waiting all night for!  It did not disappoint!  The concert concluded, as Queen concerts often do, with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions." I had so much fun at this concert and I am so glad that I suddenly remembered to add Sandy Amphitheater to my list!  Go here for the remaining shows this summer.

The Night House

Last night I saw a late Thursday preview of The Night House in an empty theater.  In retrospect, that might not have been such a good idea because this movie is really scary at times and I may or may not have screamed out loud.  Beth (Rebecca Hall) lives in a lake house designed and built by her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) who has recently died by suicide.  She has a very dark past and her husband's death has clearly sent her over the edge.  She begins to feel a presence in the house, which she believes is her husband, and becomes obsessed with finding out why he decided to kill himself, seemingly out of the blue.  As she searches through his possessions, she finds several books about the occult, a number of pictures of women who look astonishingly similar to her, and architectural plans for a house that is a mirror image of her own which Owen had actually started building across the lake.  As Beth becomes more and more traumatized by the strange goings on in her house, she discovers that her troubled past may have had more of an impact on her husband than she imagined.  This is incredibly moody and atmospheric (my favorite kind of horror movie) and I especially liked the use of light and dark in the negative space in the house.  Shadows and outlines suddenly morph into something sinister and then back again and the effect is absolutely terrifying because Beth is not really sure of what she is seeing and neither is the audience.  I am not usually a fan of jump scares because they seem really lazy to me but there is one in particular in this movie that is very well done (this is where I may or may not have screamed).  The sound design is extremely menacing and it really adds to the almost unbearable tension.  Hall gives a brilliant performance and completely sells her character's grief, depression, anger, paranoia, and terror.  My biggest complaint with this movie is that all of the elements of the story don't quite come together as cohesively as they could have and it is a bit confusing.  The ending is very abrupt and not altogether satisfying after the buildup.  On the whole I did really enjoy The Night House and I would definitely recommend it to fans of horror movies.

Not a Happy Family

My Book of the Month selection for August was Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (the other options were Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson, The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova, The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, and Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy). I discovered Lapena during the lockdown when reading was my biggest source of entertainment and she quickly became one of my favorite authors! I devoured every one of her books in one sitting so I was thrilled when her latest was an option this month! I eagerly anticipated getting my blue box delivered to my door and, just like the others, I read it in a single day!  Fred and Sheila Mercer are a wealthy couple living in a secluded and affluent neighborhood in the Hudson Valley. They invite their three adult children and their partners, Catherine and her husband Ted, Dan and his wife Lisa, and Jenna and her latest fling Jake, to dinner on Easter Sunday. Fred has been a cruel and vindictive father and Sheila has been a passive and disinterested mother so tensions are running high even before the dinner. Fred uses the occasion to profess his disappointment in each of them and to make a bombshell announcement. Two days later Fred and Sheila are discovered dead, the victims of an especially brutal homicide. At first, the police believe it is a robbery that turned violent but they soon come to suspect all three of the siblings. Each of them have a strong motive and, more importantly, none of them have an alibi for the time of the murders. Shocking secrets are revealed, circumstantial evidence is found to connect all three of them to the crime, and desperate siblings eventually turn on each other but which one of them killed their parents? The chapters are short and alternate between the POVs of multiple characters who are unsympathetic and unreliable so it is incredibly suspenseful. I could not put this book down because new revelations, that continually changed who I suspected, appear in almost every chapter and I had to keep reading. Lapena kept me guessing until the very end, which doesn't happen often, and the resolution is incredibly satisfying! The final sentence made me cheer out loud! As a huge fan of Lapena I think this might be her best yet and I definitely recommend it (as well as all of her other books) to fans of murder mysteries.

Free Guy

Last night I had the chance to see Free Guy in IMAX and I had an absolute blast with this movie!  Guy (Ryan Reynolds) in an NPC (Non-Player Character) in an open-world video game called Free City.  Every morning he wakes up at the same time, wears the same blue shirt and tie, gets the same coffee, and follows the same route to his job as a bank teller with his best friend Buddy (Lil Rel Howery).  There is violence and mayhem all around him and his day usually culminates in a bank heist but it doesn't matter to him because he just wants to find someone special.  One day everything changes when he sees Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer) and decides to break his routine and follow her.  Molotov Girl is the avatar for a programmer named Millie (Comer) who plays Free City looking for evidence that Antwan (Taika Waititi), the publisher of the game, stole the code that she wrote with her partner Keys (Joe Keery) for a much more ambitious game.  Guy borrows a pair of sunglasses (which allows him to see the real gaming environment) and starts playing to impress Molotov Girl but he refuses to use violence and eventually becomes a hero to players around the world.  Millie enlists his help to find the evidence she needs and also starts to develop feelings for him but, when Antwan figures out what is happening, it becomes a race to save Free City before it is shut down.  This movie is just so much fun and Guy is the perfect role for the charismatic and goofy Reynolds.  He is really hit-or-miss with me but I laughed out loud multiple times at his antics because he is absolutely hilarious as the naive and optimistic Guy.  Comer is also really good as the kick-ass Molotov Girl but I also enjoyed her as the nerdy Millie, especially when she watches herself interacting with Guy on her computer screen.  Keery is quite endearing as Keys (I usually pay more attention to his hair than his performance) and Waititi is completely over-the-top as the egomaniacal CEO (but the shtick does get old after awhile).  There are lots of fun cameos (including real gamers who I didn't recognize) but my favorite is Channing Tatum as an avatar for a nerdy player (Matty Cardarople) living in his mother's basement.  The world-building in Free City seems really authentic to me (a non-gamer) and I liked all of the action sequences.  I also liked the commentary on the ease with which violence and collateral damage happen to background characters in video games and the resolution showing that the real world is ultimately more appealing than the gaming world.  I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would and I highly recommend it (and a big tub of popcorn) for a fun night out.

Note:  I did find it a bit cheesy that two of Disney's biggest IPs are thrown into the mix during the final act.

Respect

Last night I went to see a Thursday preview of Respect and, even though I thought it was a bit conventional and formulaic, I enjoyed this portrait of Aretha Franklin.  Young Aretha (Skye Dakota Turner) is devastated by the untimely death of her mother (Audra McDonald) which causes her to withdraw from her family and refuse to speak.  Her father (Forest Whitaker), a Baptist minister of a large church in Detroit, forces her to sing in front of his congregation to help her deal with her grief and she learns that music is the way to cope with her demons.  Several years later Aretha (now played by Jennifer Hudson) becomes an international star but she must overcome her controlling father, industry executives (Tate Donovan and Marc Maron) who think they know what is best for her career, an abusive husband (Marlon Wayons), and an addiction to alcohol before she finds her voice and returns to her roots with a triumphant gospel album and concert.  This is a fairly standard biopic that follows the familiar rise, fall, and redemption arc of its subject and, despite the fact that it has what feels like an overly long runtime, there are so many aspects of Franklin's life that are either not covered (there is a long list of bulleted items about her life before the credits roll) or covered very superficially (such as the implication that she was sexually abused as a child and that this abuse led to a pregnancy at a very young age).  However, this movie is elevated by a phenomenal performance by Hudson who absolutely dazzles when singing Franklin's greatest hits in concert, especially "Respect" and "Think."  The supporting performances are also fantastic, particularly those of Whitaker and Wayans.  Finally, I really enjoyed seeing the process of recording "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," "Respect," and "Ain't No Way" because it is so interesting to see how a song comes together.  This is not quite as great as I was hoping it would be but it is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of Aretha Franklin (and Jennifer Hudson).

Sister Act at CPT

Last night I went to see Sister Act, the musical based on the 1992 movie of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg, at CenterPoint Theatre and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The story is informed by the movie but the setting has been changed to Philadelphia in the 1970s (which allows for some great period costumes and choreography) and the songs are all original. A nightclub singer named Deloris Van Cartier (McKenna Kay Jensen) accidentally sees her gangster boyfriend Curtis (Dan Frederickson) kill someone so she is placed in the Queen of Angels Convent by a love-struck policeman named Eddie (Craig Williams) to keep her safe until she can testify against him. She wreaks havoc on their orderly way of life until the Mother Superior (Hazel Rowe) puts her in charge of the choir to keep her out of trouble. The new and improved choir's unorthodox performances bring people back to church but all of the attention puts the convent in danger when Curtis and his henchmen see Deloris on TV. This is such a fun and energetic show and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times! Jensen, who has an incredible voice that just about blows the roof off the theater, gives a really flamboyant performance as Deloris and I especially enjoyed her antics while she tries to teach the nuns to dance and all of the sass she gives to the Mother Superior. Frederickson, Christian Lackman (as T.J.), Oran Marc de Baritault (as Joey), and Jeremy Botelho (as Pablo) almost steal the show in the songs "When I Find My Baby" and "Lady in the Long Black Dress" with their hilarious disco moves (and their leisure suits). The same could be said of Williams in his song "I Could Be That Guy," which features back-up singers, who emerge from piles of garbage in shopping carts, and a dead cat! Dan Call, as the Monsignor, made me laugh every time he was on stage, especially when he acts as an emcee (with a bedazzled microphone) during the choir's performances and when he periodically reveals the total amount of money raised for the church improvement fund on a tote board. The choreography is a lot of fun in the songs "Raise Your Voice," "Take Me To Heaven," and "Spread the Love Around," which are sung by the choir, and I especially enjoyed it whenever Sister Mary Theresa (Chris Brown), an older nun, was a step behind everyone else. The costumes are completely over the top. The Monsignor's vestments get more and more elaborate as the show goes on and the purple and gold sequins on the nuns' habits are fabulous, baby! The orange and black plaid jumpsuits worn by Deloris' back-up singers are also quite spectacular. I really enjoyed the sets and the projections, particularly all of the stained glass windows because they are also projected on the ceiling.  I highly recommend this entertaining show for a fun night out. It runs through Sept. 4 on the Barlow Main Stage and tickets may be purchased here.

Nine Days

Not only was Nine Days my favorite selection at the Sundance Film Festival last year, it was my favorite movie of 2020.  I absolutely loved this beautiful exploration of what it means to be alive the first time I saw it and I think I loved it even more when I saw it again yesterday!  On an alternate plane of existence, Will (Winston Duke), a man who was once alive but had a difficult life experience, is tasked with choosing which souls will get the privilege of being born and then monitoring and recording the details of their life experience.  He is assisted by Kyo (Benedict Wong), a soul who is in limbo, and the two of them watch video footage from the POV of each person Will selected on vintage TV screens.  He is worried about a young man who is being bullied by his classmates and a veteran who has suffered a disabling injury but he takes great pride in a violin prodigy named Amanda.  On the day that she is about to perform a concert, she has a fatal car crash that is presumed to be a suicide.  Will is devastated by this loss and obsessively searches through his video archives to look for a sign as to what went wrong.  In the meantime, he must select a soul to replace her and several candidates arrive at his door to be interviewed over a period of nine days: Maria (Arianna Ortiz), Mike (David Rysdahl), Alexander (Tony Hale), Kane (Bill Skarsgard), and Emma (Zazie Beetz).  Afraid of making another mistake, Will tries to determine which candidate will be tough enough to handle all of the hardships and miseries of life.  When a candidate is dismissed, Will creates elaborate simulations of a life experience chosen by each one before he or she disappears from existence.  The final candidate to be dismissed asks for the experience that made Will feel the most alive which, ultimately, teaches him that life is also filled with joy.  Once again, the final scene brought me to tears because it is such a thought-provoking and poignant moment.  I loved the message that happiness can be found in the simplest of moments and that we shouldn't take any of our time on Earth for granted.  I also enjoyed all of the philosophical discussions that Will has with all of the candidates about the nature of humanity, particularly the question about the Holocaust.  Duke gives a phenomenal performance as a man afraid of life who eventually learns to live.  I cannot recommend this movie enough and it is definitely worth seeking out.

Annette

I saw an interview with Adam Driver, back when he was doing press for The Rise of Skywalker, during which he mentioned that he had recently finished filming a musical. I was immediately intrigued by the idea of Driver singing through an entire movie (even though he sings briefly in Hungry Hearts and Marriage Story) and it seems like I have been anticipating the release of Annette ever since!  My anticipation hit a fever pitch when his performance was universally lauded at the Cannes Film Festival (Annette was the opening film) and I have literally been counting down the days until I could see it!  I finally had the chance last night and, even though I thought I knew what to expect, I was completely blown away because it is a masterpiece!  Henry McHenry (Driver) is a provocative comedian who regularly kills his audiences, in his words, during his stage shows.  Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard) is a world-renowned opera singer who dramatically dies on stage every night.  At first glance they seem to inhabit different worlds but they both have one thing in common: they crave, and even need, the attention and adulation they get from their audiences.  They fall passionately in love, get engaged, get married, have a daughter named Annette, and then experience trouble in their marriage when Ann's fame eclipses Henry's.  All of this is reported in TMZ-like news breaks which function as a Greek chorus during their relationship.  Henry is full of self-loathing and eventually destroys his marriage, alienates his audience, exploits his gifted daughter, then kills a possible rival (Simon Helberg).  He is tormented by his guilt (which manifests itself with a birthmark on his cheek that gets bigger and bigger as he comes undone) until he is confronted by Annette (Devyn McDowell) who vows that she will never be like her parents.  Annette is surreal and operatic in scale as the lines between performance and reality are continually blurred.  In fact, the film opens with Ron and Russell Mael (who wrote the music and lyrics for the film) singing the song "So May We Start" in a recording studio and then continuing to sing while walking outside to the streets of L.A. where they are joined by the cast as themselves before they are transformed into their characters.  It is brilliant!  I also love that Annette is portrayed by a puppet and that she becomes a real little girl only after she refuses to perform ever again (in a scene that left me absolutely gutted) and that Ann haunts Henry like a vengeful character from an opera.  Driver, who is one of my favorite actors, gives a tour-de-force performance that is, in my opinion, the best of his considerable career.  I was really impressed by his physicality in an expletive-laden and rage-fueled rant during a comedy routine and by his singing ability, especially in the emotionally charged "Stepping Back in Time" and "Sympathy for the Abyss."  Annette is not the kind of film that usually gets attention from the Academy but Driver definitely deserves an Oscar nomination!  This will not be for everyone, although I was surprised to see so many people at my screening, but it is a major contender for my favorite movie of the year!

Note:  I already have tickets to see it again!

The Suicide Squad

For the past several months my nephew and I have been having a movie night every Saturday.  We get a treat and pick several movies to watch together and it has been so much fun (watching the movies and spending time with him).  Lately we have been working our way through all of the movies in the DCEU (we are huge fans) in preparation for the release of The Suicide Squad.  It is safe to say that we have been anticipating this movie for a long time and we both had a great time watching it in IMAX last night!  After the ruling family of Corto Maltese, an island nation off the coast of South America, is overthrown and a ruthless anti-American dictator (Joaquin Cosio) is installed, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) recruits a group of supervillains from Belle Reve penitentiary to destroy Project Starfish, run by Dr. Gaius Grieves/ The Thinker (Peter Capaldi) in a Nazi-era laboratory on the island, which could be catastrophic to the U.S. if it is in the wrong hands.  Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) is the field leader of the so-called Suicide Squad composed of Harleen Quinzel/ Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Robert DuBois/ Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Christopher Smith/ Peacemaker (John Cena), Cleo Cazo/ Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Abner Krill/ Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Nanaue/ King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone).  There are some interesting, and often hilarious, interactions within the group because Bloodsport and Peacemaker keep trying to show each other up, Harley Quinn has boyfriend issues, Ratcatcher has daddy issues, Polka-Dot Man has mommy issues, King Shark just wants a friend, and Flag has second thoughts about the mission.  The action sequences are fantastic, especially when Harley Quinn fights every soldier at the Presidential Palace to escape while the rest of the group is trying to come up with a plan to save her (Harley is so kick-ass), and they feature a killer soundtrack!  This movie is incredibly violent, gory, and filled with profanity but I was surprised by its heart and by how sympathetic the characters are.  I loved the message that even the lowliest and most despised creatures can still have a purpose and Sean really loved James Gunn's visual style and how all of the title cards are displayed.  This is how you make a comic book movie, in my opinion, and we both loved it!

Footloose at Sundance

Last night I took a beautiful drive through Provo Canyon to the Sundance Mountain Resort to see Footloose, this year's Sundance Summer Theatre production in partnership with Utah Valley University.  I have been coming to these shows for years and I was so excited to be back after last summer's production was cancelled.  In my zeal to be back in the mountains watching live theatre under the stars, however, I forgot that I don't really care for this musical (I saw it several years ago at HCT).  I love the 1984 movie about a big city boy who moves to a small Midwestern town where he discovers that rock and roll and dancing have been banned by a city council still reeling from a tragic accident five years earlier and the stage musical is at its best when it incorporates the music from the movie, including "Footloose," "Somebody's Eyes," "Holding Out for a Hero," "I'm Free," "Let's Hear It for the Boy," and "Almost Paradise."  Unfortunately, most of the songs written specifically for the musical are for the adults to sing and, in my opinion, they are incredibly contrived and take away from the energy of the show.  Jason Baldwin, as Shaw Moore, Bailee Brinkerhoff Morris, as Vi Moore, and Heather Shelley, as Ethel McCormack, all have great voices but I found myself looking at the program to see when the next familiar song was coming up whenever they were on stage, particularly during the second act (I think the majority of the audience just wanted to get to the dance).  It still could have been a lot of fun if the performances were great but I didn't really like them, either.  Eric Ascione, as Ren McCormack, is an incredible dancer who brings a lot of enthusiasm and charisma to the role but he is not a singer and he really struggles in "I'm Free" and "Almost Paradise." Beatriz Melo, as Rusty, Emma Wadsworth, as Urleen, and Abigail Watts, as Wendy Jo, embellish their songs with showy vocal runs, which is great if you are Mariah Carey, but if you are not Mariah Carey it just sounds like screeching that is off-key.  Their songs, particularly "Let's Hear It for the Boy," are sometimes really cringe-worthy.  I did really enjoy Hailey Hyde, as Ariel, because she has the best voice in the cast, and Maxwell Eddington, as Willard, because he is hilarious.  I will say that this production really shines in the high-energy choreography by Adam Ray Dyer and the big production numbers are very well executed by the talented dancers in the cast.  I especially loved the way "Holding Out for a Hero" and "I'm Free" are staged because the former incorporates superhero costumes and the latter incorporates athletic equipment in a gym.  I also really liked the set design by Glenn Pepe, especially the large metal bridge that looms above every scene which is brilliant because the car crash on the bridge still has a profound effect on the town even five years later.  This is probably my least favorite production that I've seen at Sundance (it should be noted that everyone around me seemed to love it) but I still had a lot of fun and I definitely loved being up in the mountains where it is significantly cooler than in the valley.  Footloose runs Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through August 14 but I believe all of the shows are sold out (go here for more information).

Stillwater

Last night I finally had the opportunity to see Stillwater (I had plans to see it two different times over the weekend but I couldn't get myself motivated enough to follow through with them) and, even though it drags on a bit, I really enjoyed it.  Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is an Oklahoma roughneck who periodically travels to Marseilles to visit his estranged daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin).  She went to France for a university study abroad program but has now been in prison for four years after being convicted of killing her girlfriend with circumstantial evidence during a high-profile and sensational trial (it obviously draws inspiration from the Amanda Knox case but the two stories are very different).  During his latest visit, Allison asks him to give a letter, written in French so he can't read it, to her lawyer which suggests that there might be DNA evidence to tie the murder to an Arab man named Akim (Adir Azougli) which will exonerate her.  However, her lawyer (Ann Le Ny) says that she cannot reopen the case based on hearsay and refuses to investigate.  Even though he is in over his head, he decides to stay in Marseilles and conduct an investigation himself with the help of Virginie (Camille Cottin), a woman staying in the room next to him at his hotel with her daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud), as a translator, guide, and possible love interest.  He goes to extraordinary lengths to prove his daughter’s innocence but will his actions destroy his newfound relationship with Virginie and Maya?  This movie really took me be surprise.  The narrative does involve an investigation into a murder (including a twist at the end that I predicted early on) with some interesting things to say about racial tension but I enjoyed it most when the story focused on rebuilding the damaged relationship between a father and a daughter.  I also enjoyed seeing Bill attempt to find a bit of redemption through his relationship with Maya as a way to atone for his failures with Allison.  Damon gives an incredibly affecting performance, one of his best, in an unsympathetic role and I was also really impressed by Cottin and Siauvaud (she received a lengthy standing ovation at Cannes).  The action slowly builds and builds, creating a palpable tension, but I feel like it gets bogged down when it returns to the murder mystery in the third act and my mind started to wander (it is a long movie).  It is not really the thriller that it is marketed to be but I would definitely recommend this movie because it is, ultimately, an intriguing character study with outstanding performances.

The Green Knight

As a huge fan of the actor Dev Patel and the director David Lowery, I was beyond excited to see The Green Knight last night and it certainly did not disappoint!  I think it is absolutely brilliant and it is now my favorite movie of the year (so far).  Gawain (Patel) is the dissolute nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris) and, while he is eager to prove himself, he fears that he is not destined for greatness.  On Christmas Day, King Arthur invites Gawain to join him and his Knights of the Round Table.  He knows that he is not worthy to sit at the king's side so, when a mysterious Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) summoned by his mother Morgan Le Fay (Sarita Choudhury) enters and issues a challenge, Gawain recklessly accepts.  He is allowed to strike the Green Knight with his ax on the condition that he submit to the same blow one year hence at the Green Chapel.  Gawain beheads the Green Knight, who does not falter, with one stroke but spends the following year in torment about keeping his end of the bargain.  He eventually sets off on a literal, but mostly metaphorical, journey to perform acts of courage and chivalry and undergo a test of honor at the castle of a lord (Joel Edgerton), lady (Alicia Vikander), and enchantress (Helena Browne) before facing the Green Knight.  This is a bold retelling of the classic legend and, even though I usually don't like it when liberties are taken with the source material, the final sequence absolutely blew me away and I am sure that I will be thinking about it for some time to come! The cinematography is beautiful and atmospheric but the action is slow because events are not explained but, rather, shown through imagery and symbolism.  Patel is riveting in the role and I was completely enthralled by his performance!  In fact, the last time I was so spellbound by a movie was when I saw A Ghost Story, also written and directed by Lowery.  This is definitely not for everyone and, if you prefer a more straightforward narrative, this is not a movie you will enjoy.  At my screening there were several people who walked out in the middle but there were also many people, myself included, who remained through the credits until the house lights came on in order to ponder the message about what it means to live with honor!  I think it is a masterpiece and I can't wait to see it again!

Note:  I usually taught Beowulf as part of the epic poetry unit in my British literature classes but every so often I would substitute Sir Gawain and the Green Knight just to mix it up.  If I was still teaching, I would definitely make the switch this year!

Jungle Cruise

I pretty much had to see the movie Jungle Cruise because it is based on one of the few rides at Disneyland that I will willingly go on!  I saw it last night at a Thursday preview and I really enjoyed it.  At the height of World War I, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) finds an artifact that leads to the Tree of Life which, according to legend, has powerful healing powers.  She and her fastidious brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall) travel to Brazil and hire a reluctant Captain Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to take them down the Amazon River in his dilapidated steamboat to find it.  They have a series of misadventures involving heat, wild animals, cannibals, and treacherous rapids but they are also being pursued by an ancient conquistador (Edgar Ramirez) who is trying to undo a curse that has kept him in the jungle for hundreds of years and a German aristocrat (Jesse Plemons) who wants to use the power to win the war.  Many of the action sequences feature very obvious (and subpar) CGI but they are certainly entertaining and exciting.  Johnson and Blunt are fantastic and have great chemistry, especially with their back-and-forth bickering (but not when their relationship inevitably turns romantic).  All of Frank's groan-worthy puns are so much fun because they reminded me of the ride at Disneyland.  Whitehall provides a lot of comic relief and, while McGregor's backstory might divide critics and audiences, I found it to be very affecting.  Ramirez is suitably creepy as Aguirre but I found the story of the Spanish conquistador to be very convoluted.  Plemons steals the show as the bombastic Prince Joachim and I laughed out loud at many of his over-the-top antics.  I also enjoyed the music by James Newton Howard and, rather unusually, Metallica (an instrumental version of "Nothing Else Matters" is used in a key scene and I think it is very effective).  This is not a masterpiece but it is a fun summer blockbuster that most will probably enjoy and I definitely recommend it.

Note:  This reminded me a lot of The Mummy, one of my favorite action movies, because they both feature smart, capable, and adventurous female characters (and they both have fun scenes involving library ladders).