Sentimental Value

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was Sentimental Value.  I have been looking forward to this ever since it won the Grand Prix at Cannes earlier this year and I was definitely not disappointed.  Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) is a stage and television actress in Norway who, along with her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), is dismayed when her estranged father, celebrated director Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgard), reappears in her life after the death of her mother.  He is hoping to make a comeback with an autobiographical movie about his mother featuring a script written specifically for Nora.  She is angry with her father for abandoning her and turns down the role thinking that he is only using her to get financing.  When Hollywood actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) becomes enamored with him after seeing a retrospective of his work at the Deauville Film Festival, he offers her the role instead and they begin rehearsals in the house, which has been in his family for generations, where key moments in the script actually happened.  Rachel eventually realizes that she cannot do justice to the role because she has no connection to the character.  Nora finally reads the script and recognizes that the character is actually based on her and that her father wrote it as a way to reconcile with her.  This features incredibly powerful performances from Skarsgard and Reinsve and I was especially impressed by the scene in which Gustav first offers Nora the role because there is so much raw emotion simmering under the surface during their seemingly polite conversation (it is absolutely riveting).  Fanning is also great and I loved the juxtaposition between how Rachel delivers a line from the script in English and how Nora delivers the same line in Norwegian because it is immediately apparent that the role was written for the latter.  The house in which Gustav, Nora, and Agnes grew up is used as a character to represent all of the memories that keep them in a dysfunctional relationship and it is remodeled throughout the narrative to depict the possibility of a fresh start.  This is a brilliant exploration of the power of art to heal and I highly recommend it.

Rental Family

Yesterday I spent most of the day at the Broadway watching movies with all of the other retired people!  My double feature started with Rental Family and I really loved it.  Phillip Vandarploeug (Brendan Fraser) is a lonely American actor living in Tokyo, Japan.  He struggles to find work (his biggest success has been playing a superhero in a toothpaste commercial) and to find a connection (he spends his evenings wistfully watching people in the apartments opposite his through the window).  His agent sends him on a job playing a "sad American" and he is disconcerted to realize that he has been hired to play a mourner at a funeral by a company that provides people to serve as family members, friends, colleagues, or other significant people for personal, social, or emotional reasons.  Shinji (Takehiro Hira), the owner of the company, offers him more work and, because he needs the money, he reluctantly agrees and plays a groom for a young woman who wants to appease her traditional parents and a friend to an antisocial young man who wants someone to play video games with him.  However, when he plays a reporter interviewing a retired actor (Akira Emoto) suffering from dementia and the estranged father of a young girl (Shannon Mahina Gorman) whose mother (Shino Shinozaki) wants to get her into a good school, he forms an emotional bond with both of them which eventually becomes problematic.  This has a beautiful message about the importance of feeling seen and there were several times when I had tears in my eyes.  I also loved the subplots involving the owner Shinji and another employee of the company (Mari Yamamoto) because they reveal the loneliness that has become endemic in society today.  Fraser gives a lovely and sensitive performance that never feels manipulative (in my opinion it is better than his performance in The Whale) and I loved his interactions with Emoto (particularly when Phillip stages a "jailbreak" because it is hilarious).  This is a gentle and touching movie that will make you laugh and cry and I highly recommend it.

Pride and Prejudice at CPT

Last night I went with both of my sisters to see Pride and Prejudice on the second stage at CPT and we absolutely loved it! The novel by Jane Austen is one of my all-time favorites and I love this particular adaptation by Melissa Leilani Larson so I was already looking forward to it and this production exceeded my expectations! When Mr. Bingley (Austinn Le), a single man in possession of a fortune, lets Netherfield Hall, Mrs. Bennett (Marinda Maxfield) immediately sets her sights on him as a possible husband for one of her five daughters. Bingley falls in love with the beautiful Jane (Kassandra Torres) but her sister Elizabeth (Elizabeth Moulton) takes an immediate dislike to his friend Mr. Darcy (Garrett Stephenson) because he is so aloof and disdainful. Elizabeth must overcome her prejudice and Mr. Darcy must overcome his pride for them to realize that they belong together. One of the things I love most about the novel is that the characters are so well delineated and everyone in the cast is incredibly well-suited to their role. I especially enjoyed how uptight Rylan Benson is as Mary (her facial expressions are hilarious), how overwrought Maxfield is as Mrs. Bennett, how smitten Le is as Bingley, and how imperious Hazel Rowe is as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Moulton and Stephenson have tremendous chemistry (which is interesting because Stephenson is usually in the THS cast), especially in the proposal scene when they are sparring back and forth because it is very emotionally charged and during their kiss at the end because it is definitely swoon-worthy. However, Tyler Roberts steals the show as Mr. Collins and I don't think I stopped laughing during the scene when he dances with Elizabeth at the Netherfield Ball. This adaptation is so good because, while it doesn't include everything from the novel, it captures its essence without sacrificing key moments and the use of letters between characters to advance the narrative is particularly effective. I love how the letters are staged in this show because the sender pantomimes what is happening as the recipient reads it aloud (this is especially well done with the letter Mr. Darcy sends Elizabeth after the proposal). The Regency costumes are beautiful (I loved all of the embellished fabrics and trims used in the gowns) and the way the characters add layers to differentiate their looks for different events is very clever. Finally, the set is incredible with lots of elaborate details. It includes a fireplace flanked by book shelves with a spiral staircase leading to a balcony on one side and marble pillars with large windows in between and a nook with a piano forte on the other. Large screens behind the set and on either side of the thrust stage show images that change to denote the various locations (I especially loved the ones used for Pemberley) and period furniture pieces are reconfigured for different scenes. I had so much fun seeing this with my sisters (who are also big fans of Jane Austen) and I would highly recommend it but, unfortunately, the entire run is sold out (with good reason). 

Note: You can still see CPT's production of A Christmas Story on the main stage through December 16 (go here for tickets).

Sisu: Road to Revenge

Last night I went to see Sisu: Road to Revenge and I had a great time (at one point someone in the audience cheered out loud).  I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the first movie (it is incredibly violent but also wildly entertaining and strangely satisfying) and this one amps up the carnage!  After World War II, Finland is forced to cede territory to the Soviet Union as part of the peace agreement and this displaces many, including the legendary ex-commando Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila). He crosses the border in order to find his former house and dismantles it board by board so he can transport it and rebuild it in Finland.  However, Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang), the Red Army soldier responsible for killing his wife and children during the war, is ordered by the KGB to find him and finish the job.  Absolute mayhem ensues but, this time, Korpi has a worthy opponent.  He must fight soldiers on tanks, motorcycles, planes, and a moving train (this occurs after he has been brutally tortured) before an epic confrontation with Draganov involving hand-to-hand combat (and several available items such as a fork, a shovel, and a ballistic missile).  The action is even more exciting and unrelenting (I especially loved a scene where he uses dynamite to catapult a tank that he has commandeered over a Soviet checkpoint) but also even more implausible (his truck is forced over a cliff into the water and he is able to use the boards from his house to build a makeshift raft).  As with the first movie, the violence is interspersed with some incredibly moving moments and Tommila gives another brilliant performance in which his physicality communicates the narrative (this time there is no dialogue with an amusing callback to the earlier movie).  If you are a fan of Sisu, buckle up because this is an even wilder ride and I highly recommend it (if you can handle the gore).

Jay Kelly

Last night I went to see Jay Kelly at the Broadway.  I am a big fan of director Noah Baumbach and I really enjoyed it.  Jay Kelly (George Clooney) is a famous movie star with a 35 year career in Hollywood who has an existential crisis and questions whether it has been worth the cost of all of his important relationships.  He spontaneously decides to travel to Europe, ostensibly for a tribute at a film festival but really to spend time with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards) who is on a trip with friends.  This forces members of his entourage, including his manager Ron (Adam Sandler), his publicist Liz (Laura Dern), and others, to leave their families on short notice to travel with him.  He has a series of misadventures on a train, including an incident with a German cyclist (Lars Eidinger) that goes viral, and reminisces, through flashbacks, about important people who are no longer in his life, including Peter (Jim Broadbent), the director who gave him his first big break, Timothy (Billy Crudup), a friend who blames him for stealing a role meant for him, Jessica (Riley Keough), his oldest daughter who feels abandoned by him, and Daphne (Eve Hewson), an actress with whom he had an ill-fated affair.  When he gets to the film festival, his daughter, who is angry at being followed, refuses to attend, his father (Stacy Keach), who he reluctantly invited, decides to go home early, and most of his entourage, who all have other responsibilities, abandon him.  His only support is Ron, who is paid to be there, and, even though the audience at the festival is visibly moved by a retrospective of his work, he finally realizes what he has lost.  This is a bit bloated with lots of underdeveloped characters to keep track of but I really liked the message about what truly matters in life which is shown through the juxtaposition between Jay and Ben (Patrick Wilson), a less famous actor who arrives at the festival with his wife (Isla Fisher) and other family members, as well as between Jay and Ron, who ultimately resigns in order to be with his wife (Greta Gerwig) and family.  This is a powerful portrait of a man who comes to regret his choices but it is also incredibly funny (I especially loved a running bit about a rider that stipulates having cheesecake on all of Jay's movie sets and at his appearances and another one in which he whines about being alone while having staff members cater to him).  Clooney is at his very best as Jay (a stand-in for himself?) and, even though I am not a big fan of Sandler, I was quite impressed with his performance as Ron.  I also loved Eidinger, who is absolutely deranged as the cyclist, and Alba Rohrwacher, who is hilarious as a fawning festival committee member.  You can probably wait to watch this on Netflix but I definitely recommend checking it out when it begins streaming on December 5.

Frozen at HCT

I have been looking forward to Frozen at HCT ever since the 2025 season was announced over a year ago! I finally had the chance to see it at a matinee yesterday and it is absolutely amazing (I think it is better than the Broadway touring production). Much like the movie, the musical begins with a young Elsa (Penny Hodson) and a young Anna (Bentley Nuila) building a snowman together. When Elsa accidentally freezes Anna with her mysterious powers, King Agnarr (Brock Dalgleish) and Queen Iduna (Breearna Mandla) tell her that she must hide herself away from Anna and the rest of Arendelle. However, after the King and Queen are lost at sea, Elsa (Jessica Hudson) must open the doors of the castle once again for her coronation. She loses control of herself, with devastating consequences, when Anna (Kelly Coombs) requests permission to marry Hans of the Southern Isles (Jon Rose) and then flees Arendelle. Anna follows her, hoping to save Arendelle from the endless winter, and is aided by Kristoff (Ethan Kelso), an ice harvester, Sven (Brae Anderson), his reindeer, and Olaf (BJ Whimpey), the snowman built by Elsa and Anna as young girls. Elsa fears that she is a monster but it is her ability to love that ultimately saves Anna and Arendelle. I loved Hudson's performance because Elsa's songs, "Dangerous to Dream," "Let It Go," and "Monster," are my favorites from the show and she sings them with so much emotion! Coombs is a perfect Anna and her versions of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?," "For the First Time in Forever," "Love Is an Open Door' (with Rose), "What Do You Know About Love?, (with Kelso), and "I Can't Lose You," (with Hudson) have an appealing wide-eyed innocence and an amusing awkwardness that is so much fun to watch. The rest of the cast is also outstanding but I especially enjoyed Tanner Sumens as the Duke of Weselton and Ryland Despain as Oaken because they are both hilarious! The audience, which was filled with lots of children, loved Wimpey as Olaf and they cheered and laughed out loud at everything he did! I loved all of the special effects used in "Let It Go," particularly the dangling LED lights which look like falling snow, the projections that are synchronized to Elsa's movements, and the quick costume change (the two little girls sitting next to me were amazed by this). I also loved the staging of "Fixer Upper," because the puppets for Pabbie (portrayed by Ben Fonoimoana Tutor) and Bulda (portrayed by Janzell Luika Kim Tutor) are so cool and the choreography for the Hidden Folk is a lot of fun, and of "Colder By the Minute," because the way that Anna is frozen and then thawed is so clever. Speaking of puppets, the one for Sven is incredible! Most of the costumes, especially for Elsa, Anna, and the residents of Arendelle, are informed by the movie and are beautiful (I loved the embroidery).  Finally, the set pieces are pretty spectacular!  My favorites include the maypole used during the summer festival, the gates of the castle, the castle chapel used during the coronation, the bridge at the foot of the North Mountain, the vignettes used in Olaf's song "In Summer," and, of course, Elsa's ice palace (I loved the icicles that come up from the pit and down from the rafters). I can't say enough about this wonderful production and I highly recommend getting tickets for the whole family this holiday season (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through January 31 with best availabilty for weekday matinees.

Jazz vs. Thunder

My friend Angela had her seats upgraded for the Utah Jazz game against the Oklahoma City Thunder last night and, luckily, this was a game that I had selected to go with her!  We got to sit on row two in the lower bowl and it is the closest I have ever been to the action!  It was so much fun!  I got to the arena early so I could watch the warm-up and I loved being able to see the players up close.  The Jazz started the game really well and scored 44 points in the first quarter, including eight 3-pointers, with 12 from Kevin Love (he electrified the crowd with every basket) and 11 from Lauri Markkanen.  Their 14 point lead at the end of the first quarter was their biggest of the night because the Thunder answered back with an 8-0 run to begin the second.  They eventually cut Utah's lead to one to end the first half 68-67.  Then the Jazz had an absolutely disastrous third quarter, as they often do, and let the Thunder go on a 33-4 run.  It was really frustrating to watch because the Jazz got lots of breakaways but they couldn't keep control of the ball once they ran it down the court (they ultimately had 28 turnovers during the game which resulted in 44 points for the Thunder) and ended the third down 110-88.  Utah had fewer turnovers in the fourth quarter and they got a spark from Walter Clayton, Jr. and Taylor Hendricks but it wasn't enough to stop Oklahoma City who went on to win the game 144-112.  Keyonte George had 20 points, Lauri Markkanen had 19, and Kyle Filipowski had 18 for the Jazz while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 for the Thunder (I have to admit that I really like him because he is Canadian).

Even though the Jazz lost (and were eliminated from the NBA Cup), I had a great time at the game because it was really exciting to sit so close!

Wicked Double Feature

Yesterday my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Wicked and Wicked: For Good double feature and it was so much fun!  I am glad that I got to see the first movie on the big screen again before the new one because, in my opinion, both of them form one cohesive narrative.  I think Wicked tells Elphaba's story (a misunderstood young woman learns how to control her magic and becomes the Wicked Witch of the West to fulfill her destiny) and Wicked: For Good tells Glinda's story (a popular young woman realizes that she doesn't need magic and becomes Glinda the Good to fulfill her destiny).  I was initially a bit concerned when it was announced that the stage musical was being divided into two movies because I think the second act is weaker than the first but Wicked: For Good definitely improves upon the source material with additions (of songs and scenes) that deepen the relationships between the characters.  I do think the movie gets off to a slow start with an expanded version of "Every Day More Wicked" (which includes reprises from many of the songs in the first movie) but I really loved the new songs "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in the Bubble" and the expanded version of "Wonderful" because they add to the characterizations of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), Glinda (Ariana Grande), and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), respectively.  I also liked the addition of a scene between Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Boq (Ethan Slater) because it shows her control over him, the wedding scene between Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) with cuts to Elphaba because it is so powerful, and several scenes with the animals because they emphasize Elphaba's motivation.  I was impressed with how the filmmakers portrayed Nessarose's enchanted shoes as well as how Dorothy (Bethany Weaver), the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) are depicted.  My favorite scenes were definitely the duet of "As Long as You're Mine" between Elphaba and Fiyero and the confrontation between Elphaba and Glinda at Dorothy's farmhouse after the tornado (the audience cheered during both of them).  As I previously mentioned, this movie focuses more on Glinda and Grande does a brilliant job portraying her journey.  Her acting is as exceptional as her singing, especially in "I Couldn't Be Happier," "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)," and "For Good" (the scene that follows this song brought me to tears).  Erivo's performance of "No Good Deed" is absolutely amazing (I had chills), Bailey's portrayal of Fiyero's inner conflict is very affecting, and, even though her singing is not great, Michelle Yeoh is fun to watch as the villain Madame Morrible.  It is not as big a spectacle as the first movie (there are few big choreographed numbers) but I enjoyed the world-building, particularly Elphaba's tree house hideaway, the production design, and the costumes.  I really loved this (my sister and I are already talking about seeing it again) and highly recommend it!

Note:  My sister made us pink and green hoodies (my sister and nephew had pink ones and I had a green one) with the logo embroidered on them.  We got lots of comments!

Keeper

I didn't like Longlegs as much as other people seemed to (I think the unbearable tension so painstakingly crafted in the first two acts is completely undone when the mystery is explained) but I was willing to give Osgood Perkins another chance because the trailer for Keeper looked intriguing.  I went to see it last night at the Broadway with my nephew and, in my opinion, it is even worse than Longlegs.  Dr. Malcolm Westridge (Rossif Sutherland) arranges for a romantic weekend with his girlfriend Liz (Tatiana Maslany) at his secluded cabin in the woods for their one year anniversary.  When they arrive, Malcolm insists that Liz eat a piece of the cake left there for them by the caretaker and, even though she doesn't like chocolate, she eventually acquiesces.  The next morning Malcolm is called away to a medical emergency and Liz begins having disturbing visions, which may or may not be real, of strange women who seem to be haunting the cabin.  It is only when Malcolm returns that Liz discovers the true horror lurking inside.  There is an opening montage and an early scene between Malcolm and Liz that set up a possible exploration of toxic relationships and men who are unwilling to commit (my nephew had an even better take about a serial killer who preys on women) and I would have preferred that, or literally anything else, to the actual resolution to the mystery.  Even more frustrating than the underwhelming ending is the incredibly slow, and monotonous, build-up that prioritizes style over substance (I did really like the cabin, which is a character in and of itself, with architectural angles and plate glass windows that allow for some interesting shots with cool perspectives and reflections). This isn't even remotely scary and I found the creatures to be bizarre rather than creepy (my nephew and I laughed out loud several times).  Finally, I didn't especially like Maslany's performance (my nephew argues that she does the best she can with the cringe-worthy dialogue) but Sutherland is one of the worst actors I have ever seen and the two of them have zero chemistry.  I definitely recommend avoiding this (even to fans of Perkins). 

Note: I think Perkins needs better material.  He excels in creating atmospheric visuals but they are undermined by weak screenplays.

A Christmas Story at CPT

I think the musical A Christmas Story is really fun and the new production at CPT, which I was able to see last night, is so good it deserves a major award! It is one month to Christmas and Ralphie Parker (Sam Akerlow) desperately wants an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. However, his Mother (Lindsey Stephens), his teacher Miss Shields (Abigail June Mathews), and even Santa Claus (Micah Young) all tell him that he will shoot his eye out despite all of his elaborate schemes to convince them. What I love most about this show is that all of the iconic scenes from the movie (which I love) are brought to life on stage, including when Randy (Danny Gallagher) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (Atticus Bronson) triple dog dares Flick (Jack Stephens) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man (Andy Leger) wins a major award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash world while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with Scut Farkus (John Nelson Wakley), when Ralphie gets a bunny costume from Aunt Clara, and when one of the Bumpus Hounds (played by Annie, making her stage debut) eats the turkey. I looked forward to all of these scenes and I often found myself mouthing all of the dialogue as it was spoken (I watch the movie several times every year). What I loved most about this specific production is the incredible talent of the young cast! Akerlow is a very endearing Ralphie and I loved his heartfelt performances of "It All Comes Down to Christmas," "Red Ryder Carbine-Action BB Gun," "Ralphie to the Rescue," and "Before the Old Man Comes Home." The kids in the ensemble are also outstanding, especially with the choreography in "It All Comes Down to Christmas (Reprise)," "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "Sticky Situation," "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" (I loved seeing the kids tap dance!), "Up On Santa's Lap," and "Somewhere Over Indiana" because they are so energetic. I particularly enjoyed Luciana Foster (the youngest member of the ensemble) because she is in character the whole time (her facial expressions are absolutely hilarious) and her tap dancing is incredible! The adults in the cast also do a great job and I really liked Rick Murdock, who narrates the show as radio personality Jean Shepherd, Mathews, who does a great job with the tap dancing in "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out," and Leger, who gives a spirited performance in "A Major Award" (I loved the kick-line with the lamps) and ad-libs a steady stream of made up expletives (my favorite was Fahrvergnugen).  Finally, this production features one of the best, and most elaborate, sets I've ever seen for this show (including the Broadway touring production and the one at PTC). I was really impressed by the Parker house, which features three large set pieces that rotate to show different views, and the Santa display at Higbee's Department Store, which includes a large slide. I had a huge smile on my face during the entire show and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) for a big dose of Christmas cheer! It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through December 16.

The Running Man

I am a big fan of Edgar Wright so I was really excited for his remake of The Running Man.  My nephew and I went to see it last night and we were both a bit underwhelmed.  In a dystopian future, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) cannot work because he has been blacklisted for insubordination so he is desperate for money when his daughter gets sick and needs costly medicine.  He decides that his only option is to attend the tryouts for one of the many violent game shows shown by the network to distract the population from the totalitarian regime and he is ultimately selected for The Running Man along with Tim Jansky (Martin Herlihy) and Jenni Laughlin (Katy O'Brian).  The object of this game is to survive for 30 days while being pursued by masked hunters, led by Evan McCone (Lee Pace), who eliminate the contestants when found.  Members of the community are encouraged to report sightings of them and they must record themselves and send in the tapes using monitored drop boxes every day.  If they survive, they win one billion dollars.  The show is produced by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) and hosted by Bobby "Bobby T" Thompson (Colman Domingo) and it eventually becomes clear to Richards that the two of them are manipulating the footage to keep the audience engaged and determined to find them.  Richards is soon the only contestant left and, after 14 days on the run, he has a dramatic confrontation with Killian but discovers that he has become a hero to the working-class who use him as a catalyst to rise up against the network.  I really liked some of the action sequences and the stylized production design but this ultimately becomes a slog to get through with too many underdeveloped characters helping Richards (my favorite is an unhinged Michael Cera who plays a rebel who only wants revenge against the hunters who killed his father) and a really heavy-handed message.  I also found Powell's performance to be strangely uneven (he is usually much more charismatic, especially in Hit Man) and, in my opinion, he doesn't quite pull off the wisecracking antihero.  This is definitely not the worst movie I have seen this year (that would be Magic Farm) but I was a little bit disappointed.

Note:  The funniest part of this movie is The Americanos, a trashy reality show that is also shown by the network, featuring matriarch Amoré Americano (Debi Mazar), Ariané Americano (Cat Cohen), Antoné Americano (Noah Ritter), and Adriané Americano (Emma Sidi).  It is very obviously a reference to the Kardashians and I laughed out loud every time it was shown.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Last night my nephew and I went to see Now You See Me: Now You Don't (he is a big fan of this franchise) and it was a really fun movie to see with a big crowd on a Saturday night.  The Four Horseman, including J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), reunite after twelve years for an underground magic show during which they expose a corrupt cryptocurrency trader only to reveal that they are actually three young magicians, Bosco (Dominic Sessa), June (Ariana Greenblatt), and Charlie (Justice Smith), who are impersonating the Horsemen.  However, Daniel is in the audience and he recruits them to help him with the heist of "The Heart," the world's largest diamond owned by Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), at the behest of the mysterious Eye.  After stealing the diamond, they are aided in their escape by the three other estranged Horsemen who claim that they were also recruited by the Eye.  They eventually learn the real reason for the heist and this leads to a confrontation with Vanderberg that proves to be another illusion.  I really enjoyed the elaborate scenes involving magic, especially a sequence in which they all perform magic tricks and sleights of hand in order to outdo each other and when they use the illusory rooms in a chateau owned by the Eye in order to elude the police (I loved the Ames room which plays with perspectives and the Infinity room which uses mirrors to create an endless space).  I also enjoyed a fun action scene in which Bosco steals a Formula 1 car in order to create a distraction and I loved the hilarious interactions between the older and younger generations (the bickering between Bosco and Daniel is especially funny but I also laughed when June opens a lock after Jack is unable to figure it out).  As with the other movies in this series, there are lots of plot twists (my nephew figured out a big one way before I did!) including one which could lead to another sequel.  I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it to fans of the first two.

The Wizard of Oz in Concert

Before seeing the new movie next week (I'm so excited!), I went to see the original at Abravanel Hall with the score performed live by the Utah Symphony last night.  I don't think I have ever seen The Wizard of Oz on the big screen before but I have a very vivid memory of watching it on TV at my Grandma Johnson's house when I was a little girl.  I remember being allowed to stay up past my bedtime (a rare treat) in order to see the whole movie and I was absolutely dazzled when Dorothy landed in Oz and the black and white images turned to color!  I was happy to see so many kids in the audience who were probably seeing the movie for the first time and I loved hearing them cheer at that same moment!  One of the things I love about these films in concert is all of the audience participation.  I heard lots of laughter when Hunk (Ray Bolger) tells Dorothy (Judy Garland) to use her brains, when Zeke (Bert Lahr) tells her to be courageous, when Hickory (Jack Haley) tells her that there will be a statue made of him someday, and when she calls Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton) a wicked old witch because they eventually turn into the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively.  There was also applause when Toto escapes from Mrs. Gulch and when Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch.  In addition to all of the well-known songs, I really enjoyed hearing the orchestra play the score by Herbert Strothart and, because it was so immersive, I noticed quite a few things I had never payed attention to before.  "Dorothy's Theme" incorporates many instantly recognizable elements from the song "Over the Rainbow" (it also received applause) and it is played multiple times in the movie, "Glinda's Theme" is an ethereal repetition of six notes played by the harp, strings, and woodwinds whenever Glinda (Billie Burke) appears in her bubble, "Toto's Theme" is a really playful sequence by the woodwinds with strings added when he flees from the Wicked Witch, "Miss Gulch's/ Wicked Witch Theme" is a menacing variation of "We're Off to See the Wizard" with lively strings and woodwinds, "The Wizard's Theme" features dramatic strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion to show his power, and the "Winkie March" uses timpani, bass drum, cymbals, and brass to create a militaristic sound.  I also really loved "Cyclone," which features an almost furious crescendo followed by an eerie silence as Dorothy's house lands in Oz, and "Munchkinland," which uses the flute, trumpet, and piano to create a magical soundscape as Dorothy steps out of her house.  I almost enjoyed listening to the music more than watching the movie but it was really fun to see such a classic on the big screen for the first time.  This concert will be repeated again tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  There are fun activities in the lobby before the concert (the kids seemed to have a lot of fun posing with Glinda).

Suffs at the Eccles

Last night I went to see the Broadway touring production of Suffs at the Eccles Theatre and I really loved it (both the story, involving fictionalized versions of historical characters, and the music, featuring stirring anthems, reminded me a lot of Hamilton). It focuses on the women's suffrage movement beginning in 1913 until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 from the perspectives of Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), who leads the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and advocates for a conservative and respectful approach to make women's suffrage palatable to President Woodrow Wilson (Jenny Ashman), and Alice Paul (Maya Keleher), who eventually forms the National Woman's Party (NWP) and pushes for direct action to force Wilson to support them. There is also a parallel story involving a rift between Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), a prominent Black journalist and activist who openly criticizes Paul for compromising on suffrage for Black women, and Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey), a Black teacher and activist who thinks working with Paul will eventually help their cause. Along with the infighting and disagreements between the women, this also explores the sacrifices they make and the mistreatment they suffer while working for the vote. I found the story to be incredibly compelling and I loved seeing depictions of real historical events such as the women's march on Washington the day before Wilson's inauguration, the suffragists standing silently in protest at the gates of the White House, the hunger strikes by the suffragists in prison, and the dramatic ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment by a single vote. The music is absolutely incredible and there were several moments when I wanted to stand up and cheer! My favorite songs were "Wait My Turn" as Ida expresses her anger at being excluded from the march, "The March (We Demand Equality)" as the women show their determination to be heard (this reminded me so much of "My Shot" from Hamilton and it gave me goosebumps), "Worth It" as Alice thinks about the challenges of defying societal norms, "This Girl" as Carrie describes the generational differences between her and Alice, "The Young Are at the Gates" as the women silently protest outside the White House, "Fire & Tea" as Carrie and the NAWSA have tea with President Wilson while Alice and the NWP burn him in effigy, and "Keep Marching" as the women continue their fight for equality. The performances are outstanding and filled with passion, the costumes are beautiful and do much to differentiate between the different generations, and the minimal sets keep the action moving. I loved everything about this powerful show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the Eccles Theatre through November 16 with matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at The Ruth

I won a golden ticket and got to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at The Ruth last night.  It is absolutely magical and I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to (I think it is so much better than the Broadway touring production).  Willy Wonka (Thomas Wood), the world's greatest chocolatier, laments that making chocolate has become bitter for him and he wants to find someone to take over his factory.  Charlie Bucket (Porter McCormick) is an imaginative boy who loves chocolate but, because his family is desperately poor, he can only afford one chocolate bar a year on his birthday.  After Wonka meets Charlie, he decides to invite five children who find a golden ticket hidden in one of his chocolate bars to tour his mysterious factory and soon four children from around the world, Augustus Gloop (Hudson Lee), Veruca Salt (Lucy White), Violet Beauregarde (Mak Milord), and Mike Teavee (Liam Kaufman), find them.  Charlie dreams of finding a ticket and Grandpa Joe (Mark Pulham), Grandma Josephine (Karen Shield), Grandpa George (Joel Applegate), and Grandma Georgina (Bonnie Whitlock) encourage him but his mother (Kimberly R. Muhlestein) warns him not to get his hopes up.  When Charlie doesn't find one in his birthday chocolate bar, Wonka contrives to give him another one with the last golden ticket inside.  The children join Wonka in the world of pure imagination but four of them give in to their negative impulses.  The greedy Augustus falls into a chocolate waterfall after being warned not to drink from it, the attention seeking Violet blows up into a giant blueberry after she wants to be the first to try an experimental piece of gum, the spoiled Veruca is pulled apart by the squirrels who sort the nuts after demanding one for herself, and the screen addicted Mike is shrunk inside a TV after abusing WonkaVision.  Charlie gives in to his imagination and sneaks a look at Wonka's designs but this convinces Wonka to take him on the Great Glass Elevator and give him his factory.  One of the things I disliked about the Broadway version is that the second act gets bogged down with all of the projections and technical wizardry so I was impressed to see The Ruth replicate the same magic with innovative sound and light cues and practical effects (the way they have Violet blow up into a giant blueberry is very clever).  I loved all of the performances, especially the adorable McCormick as Charlie (his wide-eyed exuberance in "Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!" is delightful) and the charismatic Wood as Wonka (his versions of "Pure Imagination" and "The View From Here" are lovely but I laughed out loud at his comedic delivery and hilarious facial expressions).  I was also quite moved by Muhlestein's performance of "If Your Father Were Here" and Kaufman's physical performance in the invisible corridor is brilliant.  The sets are really fun, particularly the bed full of grandparents in Charlie's crooked house and the glass elevator in Wonka's factory, and so are the costumes (the Oompa Loompas are depicted with elaborate costumes and synchronized movements so, in my opinion, their portrayal is not as problematic as in some other versions).  This show will never be a favorite (I still think most of the songs are pretty unmemorable) but The Ruth's production is fantastic and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It runs at the Smith Grand Theatre through December 31 (there is a special New Year's Eve performance with refreshments and a midnight countdown).

Die My Love

I loved You Were Never Really Here (it was my favorite film at Sundance in 2018) so I was very eager to see Lynne Ramsay's latest, Die My Love, at the Broadway last night and I was blown away by Jennifer Lawrence's committed performance.  Jackson (Robert Pattinson) and Grace (Lawrence) relocate from New York City to a small town in rural Montana after he inherits his uncle's rundown farmhouse.  A static opening shot from within the house makes it obvious that he is more excited about the move than she is.  After she gives birth and he takes a job working out of town for long periods of time, she is isolated, bored, and unable to write (her profession).  She is also extremely frustrated by the lack of physical intimacy with Jackson since the birth of the baby, especially when she comes to suspect that he is sleeping with other women on the road, and she begins acting more and more erratically (she literally claws at the walls).  Jackson becomes increasingly desperate to help her get better but he is largely ineffective (the more he tries to "fix her" the worse her behavior becomes) and she ultimately feels like he doesn't see her which signals the end of their relationship.  What I really liked about this movie is the immersive way that Grace's descent into madness is portrayed.  It is visceral and disjointed and it is often difficult to determine if what is happening is real or just inside her head (especially the frequent appearance of man on a motorcycle played by LaKeith Stanfield).  I have seen this criticized for lacking character development but, in my opinion, that is exactly the point because Grace does not have an identity beyond the one created for her by Jackson (so much of what she does is only inappropriate because Jackson thinks it is) and she eventually loses herself.  I have also seen criticism for the repetition of the same dynamic between Jackson and Grace over and over but, as someone who suffers from depression, it felt very authentic to me because these episodes often become a never ending spiral in which you become trapped.  Lawrence gives an absolutely brilliant physical performance, the best of her career, that perfectly captures Grace's unpredictability.  From one moment to the next I never knew what she was going to do or how she was going to respond and I loved the scenes in which Grace reacts to people without a filter (especially the cashier).  Pattinson does a great job portraying Jackson's early indifference and later desperation and I enjoyed Sissy Spacek as Pam, Jackson's mother, because she is an interesting foil to Grace (she is the only character who sees what is really happening to her).  I loved the use of a 4:3 aspect ratio to show Grace's claustrophobia as well as an incredibly chaotic soundtrack to represent Grace's state of mind (the scene with Toni Basil's "Hey Mickey" on repeat is hilarious).  I really liked this but a lot of people might find it difficult to watch.

Note:  I have always wanted to tell cashiers to stop talking to me!

Back to the Future

Back to the Future is back in the theaters to celebrate its 40th Anniversary (what?) and I had so much fun seeing it on the big screen again yesterday.  Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) meets his eccentric friend Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to test his latest invention, a time machine made out of a DeLorean powered by plutonium.  However, they are interrupted by Libyan terrorists who are not happy about having their plutonium stolen and Marty is forced to flee in the time machine which takes him to 1955.  He eventually finds Doc but he also inadvertently disrupts the meeting between his parents, Lorraine (Lea Thompson) and George (Crispin Glover), which puts his own existence in jeopardy.  Will Marty be able to get his parents back together?  Will Doc be able to get him back to 1985?  I think the action really holds up well after forty years, especially when Marty is pursued by the Libyans before he travels to 1955, when he is chased on an improvised skateboard through the town square by Biff (Thomas F. Wilson), and the incredibly tense sequence when he and Doc try to harness the electricity from a storm to power the DeLorean back to the future.  I love all of the subtle humor, particularly when the teacher judging the battle of the bands (Huey Lewis) says the song that Marty performs ("The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News) is too loud, when the Twin Pines Mall is renamed the Lone Pine Mall after he hits a pine tree in 1955, when he crash lands into a barn and the owners think he is an alien in a space ship (and when he uses this to his advantage to get George to ask Lorraine to the dance), when everyone thinks he is a sailor because of his puffer vest, when Doc refuses to believe that he is from the future after he tells him that the actor Ronald Reagan is president, when Lorraine pursues him after telling him that his girlfriend Elizabeth (Claudia Wells) is too forward, and when he performs "Johnny B. Goode" in front of Chuck Berry's cousin.  I also love the message that you can do anything you set your mind to (which Marty, who is scared to take a chance on his music, realizes after telling George to take a chance on his writing).  Finally, Fox is incredibly appealing as Marty and I can't think of anyone better than Lloyd to play a mad scientist!  I don't know how much longer this will be in theaters but, if you grew up in the 1980s, seeing this on the big screen again is a must!

Note:  My only criticism is that we are ten years past 2015 (the time Doc travels to at the end of the movie) and we still do not have flying cars!

Murdered to Death at the Empress Theatre

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie (I made a goal of reading all of her books one summer when I was a teenager) so I had a great time at the Empress Theatre's production of Murdered to Death last night because it is a hilarious spoof of the popular British author's murder mysteries. It features a 1930s setting in the drawing room of an isolated English country manor owned by a wealthy dowager and a cast of eccentric characters who all seem to have a motive for the murder that inevitably happens.  I absolutely loved being able to recognize all of the stereotypical characters and formulaic plot devices that I have come to love from all of Christie's whodunits and I don't think I stopped laughing all night. The aforementioned wealthy dowager is Mildred Bagshot (Diana Sorensen) and the suspects in her murder include her quintessentially stuffy butler Bunting (J.D. Robison), her young niece (and heir to her fortune) Dorothy Foxton (Addy Coates), and her guests for the weekend including the blustering Colonel Craddock (Scott Sorensen), his long-suffering wife Margaret (Catherine Bohman), French painter Pierre Marceau (Carina Dillon), and socialite Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington (Cathryn Guzzwell). On hand to help solve the murder is the busybody spinster Miss Maple (Chalese Craig), the bumbling Inspector Pratt (Paul Gibbs), and his put-upon assistant Constable Thompkins (Jiji Dillon). Hijinks ensue, including another murder right under everyone's noses, until the mystery is inadvertently solved after multiple twists and turns! The physical comedy and witty dialogue are very entertaining and you really have to pay attention to get all of the references (I was the only one in the audience who laughed at a quick allusion to Hercule Poirot). The entire cast does a fantastic job with all of the chaos but my favorite performance was that of Gibbs because his committed physicality and lightning-fast delivery of all of Pratt's malapropisms steal the show (when he uses nasturtiums instead of aspersions I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe). I also loved his interactions with the exasperated Dillon, particularly a running bit where he calls her Thompson instead of Thompkins (one of the funniest moments in the show is when he gets it right). Finally, I loved the set (one of the most elaborate I've seen at the Empress) with period furnishings that do much to evoke the time and place and two doors opposite each other which add to the mayhem as characters make quick entrances and exists. This is the perfect show for a fun night out and I definitely recommend getting a ticket for one of the remaining performances next weekend (go here).

Note:  The Empress Theatre very graciously provided me with tickets so I was able to bring my sister with me. It was her first visit to this theatre and she absolutely loved the show (she even correctly guessed the murderer during intermission).

National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren's Profession

Yesterday I went to a screening of the National Theatre Live production of Mrs. Warren's Profession which was filmed earlier this year from the Garrick Theatre in London's West End and presented by the Tanner Humanities Center and Salt Lake Film Society.  I had never seen George Bernard Shaw's scandalous play before (it was written in 1893 but not performed publicly until 1925 due to censorship laws) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Vivie Warren (Bessie Carter), a modern young woman who has recently graduated from university, reunites with her long absent mother Kitty (Imelda Staunton) after spending much of her life boarding with others.  Mrs. Warren arranges for Vivie to meet her friend Mr. Praed (Sid Sagar) and her business partner Sir George Crofts (Robert Glenister) as possible suitors but Vivie prefers her ne'er-do-well neighbor Frank Gardner (Reuben Joseph).  His father the Rev. Samuel Gardner (Kevin Doyle) objects to his relationship with Vivie because Mrs. Warren is not socially acceptable so she asks her mother why.  Mrs. Warren finally confesses that her childhood of poverty compelled her to work as a prostitute because she felt that it was a better way of achieving independence than the life of drudgery to which she was doomed by her class and gender.  Vivie is shocked but comes to respect her mother for her determination to succeed.  However, she is horrified when Sir George reveals that he and her mother own several brothels and that she now works as a madam.  This leads to an epic confrontation in which Vivie rejects her mother, and her money, to take an office job in the city and Mrs. Warren responds by saying that her profession is what provided Vivie with an education and choices that she never had.  I really enjoyed the thought-provoking narrative because, at various times, I found both characters to be guilty of, and victims of, hypocrisy and I think the audience is left to decide the morality of their actions.  Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter are outstanding and, because they are mother and daughter in real-life, their interactions have an added poignancy.  I was especially impressed by the scene in which Vivie accuses her mother of exploiting women and Mrs. Warren accuses her daughter of ingratitude because it is incredibly emotional and crackles with energy.  The only drawback is that, with such powerful performances from the women, the men are often overshadowed.  I loved the minimal set which begins as a beautiful garden filled with flowers and ends up as a stark gray office because this represents the journey from illusion to truth.  I also loved the inclusion of a large female ensemble, who are dressed as prostitutes and gradually remove all of the set pieces and props until the stage is bare, because it symbolizes the way such women are used.  This was another great production by NT Live and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see it.  Upcoming screenings at the Broadway include The Fifth Step on February 21, Hamlet on March 21, and Life of Pi on April 11.