Creed II

I really wanted to see Creed II when it was first released but I somehow never made it to the theater (maybe it was because I saw Bohemian Rhapsody so many times in November).  I decided to make the time over winter break and I am so glad I did because I really loved it!  When Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) wins the WBC World Heavyweight Championship, he is pressured into accepting a fight with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) who is the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the Russian prizefighter who killed Apollo Creed in the ring.  Thinking that Adonis is taking the fight for the wrong reasons, namely to prove something to his father, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) refuses to train him.  Adonis is heavily outmatched and essentially loses the fight but retains the title because Viktor hits him when he is down and is disqualified.  Meanwhile, his fiancee Bianca (Tessa Thompson) has given birth to their daughter Amara who is born deaf.  Adonis eventually realizes that he wants to fight for her and agrees to a rematch in Moscow after a brutal training regimen in the desert with Rocky.  The climactic battle between Adonis and Viktor is exciting and everything we have come to expect from the Rocky franchise (I cheered out loud) but it is the emotional journey that both fighters take that make this movie so good.  Both characters are weighted down by their respective fathers' legacies and they have to overcome those expectations in order to win.  I really liked that Viktor is a sympathetic antagonist and, while I wanted Adonis to win, I really felt Viktor's pain, especially in the scenes with his mother (Brigitte Nielsen).  Jordan and Stallone give very affecting performances and I really liked the chemistry between Jordan and Thompson.  Definitely go see this inspiring movie, if you haven't already!

Bumblebee

I am not a big fan of the Transformers franchise because I think they are mostly big CGI messes (I haven't even seen the last few).  However, I was very intrigued by the prequel Bumblebee and decided to see it next in my winter break marathon.  The rebellion started by Optimus Prime on Cybertron is not going well so he sends B-127 to Earth to set up a base of operations.  A Decepticon, Blitzwing, follows him and, even though he is seriously injured, B-127 kills him and then scans a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle.  He is discovered in a junkyard by a teenage girl named Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) who has withdrawn from the world from grief over her father's death.  She gets him running and nicknames him Bumblebee but this activates a signal which is detected by two more Decepticons, Shatter and Dropkick, who come to Earth looking for him.  Shatter and Dropkick join with Sector 7 led by Colonel Jack Burns (John Cena) to track down Bumblebee and this leads to an epic confrontation.  To my surprise, I really enjoyed this movie because it is so heartwarming and entertaining.  Bumblebee is an actual character, rather than a CGI caricature, with a distinct personality and the relationship between Bumblebee and Charlie is very real.  He helps her learn to trust again and she helps him figure out his purpose on Earth.  I loved it when Bumblebee, who can only communicate to Charlie through song lyrics on the radio, plays "Girlfriend in a Coma" by The Smiths to tell her that he doesn't want anything to happen to her during a battle.  Speaking of music, this is filled with great stuff from the 80s.  I just about lost my mind when I heard the beginning of "Save a Prayer" by Duran Duran!  This movie is a lot of fun, exactly the reboot this franchise needed, and I recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Mary Queen of Scots

I have always had a fascination with Scotland in general (my grandmother was born in Scotland and my great-grandfather fought with the Gordon Highlanders in World War I) and Mary Stuart in particular (I chose her as a research topic in my AP European history class) so I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Mary Queen of Scots for quite some time.  It was next in my winter break movie marathon and I actually really liked it.  After Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) is widowed, she returns to Scotland to rule despite the objections of her half brother, the Earl of Moray (James McArdle), who has ruled as regent in her absence and of John Knox (David Tennant), a Protestant cleric who objects to her Catholicism.  She then makes a disastrous marriage to Lord Darnley (Jack Lowden) who ultimately betrays her.  When she is forced to abdicate the throne, she is left to the mercy of Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) who is envious of her beauty, bravery, and motherhood.  Elizabeth, acting on the advice of her male counselors, including William Cecil (Guy Pearce), eventually condemns her.  There are historical inaccuracies and it is a bit salacious but I really enjoyed this movie.  The narrative is framed by the fact that even though both women dislike being told what to do by the men surrounding them they are very much controlled by them and, if left to their own devices, they might have been friends and allies.  I found this to be very effective.  Both Ronan and Robbie give outstanding performances as the capricious and sometimes foolish Mary and the insecure yet imperious Elizabeth, respectively.  My favorite scene is a very theatrical meeting between the two of them, which probably didn't actually happen, where they size each other up.  It is masterful.  As with most historical dramas, the sets, production design, and costumes are beautiful and I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the darkness of Mary's court and the lightness of Elizabeth's.  I am probably biased by my interest in Mary Stuart but I would recommend this movie.

A New Year's Celebration

What better way to ring in the new year than by attending a concert with the Utah Symphony!  Last night (I will resume my winter break movie commentaries tomorrow) my friend Angela and I spent a wonderful evening listening to the orchestra play six dazzling pieces under the baton of guest conductor Xian Zhang (who was quite expressive and fun to watch).  They began with Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1 by Joan Tower which was quite dramatic because the only musicians on stage were the horns, brass, and percussion.  I really enjoyed the timpani at the end of the piece!  Next came selections from The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky which, of course, I absolutely loved.  I really enjoyed the Lilac Fairy's theme (which represents good) and Carabosse's theme (which represents evil) and how they are continually reintroduced as the two of them struggle with each other.  Next, the orchestra played Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra by Karol Szymanowski with Concertmaster Madeline Adkins as soloist.  I was unfamiliar with this piece but it was quite spectacular!  I was very impressed with Adkins because she not only played with great technical precision but she interpreted the piece with a lot of emotion.  It was a brilliant performance!  After the intermission, the orchestra played a waltz and a polka by Johann Strauss, Jr. and I pictured couples twirling at a New Year's Eve Ball in Vienna during these pieces.  They were so lively and exuberant!  The concert concluded with the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss.  This was simply delightful and I especially enjoyed the themes played by the oboe.  It was an amazing night of music and I definitely recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Note:  After the performance, I was invited to an after party at the BTG wine bar downtown and Angela came with me.  This is not something I would normally do but it was really quite fun.  I actually mingled with a few people and got to talk to the conductor very briefly (she is adorable).  There were hors d'oevres, desserts, and several different wines served and I felt very sophisticated (I even wore a dress!) partying with the Utah Symphony!

Welcome to Marwen

The next movie on my winter break list was Welcome to Marwen.  I was really looking forward to this but I didn't like as much as I thought I would.  This movie tells the true story of Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell), an artist who creates and photographs a miniature village called Marwen to deal with the PTSD he suffers after a vicious assault.  In the scenarios he creates with dolls in Marwen, Mark becomes Captain Hogie, a WWII pilot, who is continually attacked by Nazis, who represent his actual attackers, and saved by the women in his life:  Roberta (Merritt Weaver), who works at the hobby shop where he purchases items for the village, Anna (Gwendoline Christie), his Russian caregiver, Caralala (Eiza Gonzalez), a waitress at the bar where he works, Julie (Janelle Monae), his physical therapist, and Nicol (Leslie Mann), his new neighbor across the street.  The village also includes a Belgian witch named Deja Thoris (Diane Kruger) who keeps bringing the Nazis back to life and won't let him get close to anyone.  Mark must find a way to confront Deja, the doll in Marwen and what she represents in real life (which is easy to figure out if you can match colors), so he can face his attackers.   It is a compelling story and Carell gives an affecting performance but there is just something missing.  Most of the of the movie, unfortunately, takes place in Marwen.  It is almost as if the filmmakers wanted to show off their dazzling stop-motion animation techniques with the dolls more than they wanted to tell Mark's story.  I was left wanting to know more about Mark and the women in his life rather than their alter-egos who act out battle after battle.  Also, there are quite a few subplots that are brought up but then quickly abandoned without resolution, particularly the fate of his attackers after their sentencing hearing.   I can't help but feel that Mark's story is more interesting than this Hollywood version of it (I've heard there is a documentary called Marwencol which chronicles this story much better).