Ninth House

I have really enjoyed the Barnes & Noble Book Cub and I was particularly looking forward to last night's meeting because I absolutely loved the October selection, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. This novel presupposes that the members of the eight secret societies at Yale University (Skull & Bones, Scroll & Key, Book & Snake, Wolf's Head, Manuscript, Aurelian, St. Elmo's, and Berzelius) use magic to achieve success in politics, business, and entertainment. After one of the rituals ended badly, a fictional ninth society (Lethe) was created to have oversight over the other societies and to ensure that the rituals are performed correctly.  Daniel Arlington III, or Darlington as he is known, is the student leader of Lethe and he is responsible for training his replacement. Galaxy Stern, or Alex as she is known, has been chosen to replace him but he considers her to be entirely unsuitable because she has a troubled past. When a murder happens on campus, Alex can't shake the feeling that one of the societies is involved. Against the orders from everyone in Lethe, she uses several of Lethe's magic rituals to investigate (forming an alliance with a ghost) and discovers a connection to another unsolved murder from the past. I must admit that I had a difficult time getting into the story at first because it begins right in the middle of the action with the narrative alternating between the past and present. There are so many people, places, and events that I couldn't figure out what was going on. However, once I did figure it out I found the story to be incredibly compelling and I couldn't put it down. One of the things that I really liked about it is that, while this is a story about the supernatural, it seems very plausible. No one really knows what goes on in these secret societies and, because so many real-life members have achieved wealth, power, and success (George H. W. Bush, George H. Bush, John Kerry, John Ashcroft, Bob Woodward, Jodie Foster, Anderson Cooper), it makes you wonder! I also really enjoyed Alex as a character because she is a fish out of water at Yale but still manages to hold her own and I admire that. The relationship between Alex and Darlington is very dynamic because they each make assumptions about the other that prove to be false and they come to rely on and then respect each other. I also liked the murder mystery aspect of the story. The resolution took me completely by surprise, which is rare for me. We had a great discussion last night and one of our topics was which society would we most want to belong to. I would definitely want to belong to Aurelian because they have power over language and one of their magic rituals involves having words literally enter your body (it is painful but worth it) so that you can become a best-selling author! I highly recommend this book (with the proviso that it is quite dark and there are a few very disturbing scenes).

Note:  The next selection is The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I am quite excited to read this because I found her last novel, Then She Was Gone, to be incredibly suspenseful. Join me on January 7 at the Layton Barnes & Noble if you are local or at any other participating location (go here for information and to sign up) to discuss it!

Jojo Rabbit

I have wanted to see Jojo Rabbit ever since the trailer made me laugh out loud and I had the opportunity yesterday as the second half of my indie double feature.  I know that some people might be offended by this movie but I thought it was hilarious and surprisingly poignant.  Johannes "Jojo" Beltzer (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten year old fanatical member of the Hitler Youth who suffers from low self-esteem and is often given pep talks by his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi).  After being injured at a Hitler Youth training camp, Jojo investigates noises he hears coming from the attic and discovers that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie).  His first thought is to turn her in to the Gestapo but realizes that his mother would be arrested for helping a Jew.  Instead, he decides to interview her so he can write a book about Jews to help the Gestapo find them.  As he gets to know Elsa, he realizes that everything he has been taught about the Jews is false and eventually risks his life to save her.  I laughed and laughed during this movie, as did the audience at my screening.  The humor is incredibly irreverent which is something I very much enjoy.  I have heard criticism about the way the Nazis have been portrayed but, in my opinion, they are bumbling and incompetent for comedic effect (it reminded me of the British comedy 'Allo 'Allo), particularly Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell) who is bitter about leading the Hitler Youth after being wounded in battle, Finkel (Alfie Allen) who is the sycophantic second-in-command to Klezendorf, Fraulein Rahm (Rebel Wilson) who is a fanatical instructor at the Hitler Youth camp and has had 18 children for Germany, and Deertz (Stephen Merchant) who is an astonishingly unobservant Gestapo agent.  To me, it is obvious that this is a satire and that these portrayals are not meant to be taken as accurate historical representations.  Jojo's version of Hitler is meant to be viewed as an imaginary friend who acts the way he needs him to.  He is initially very funny and jovial to help Jojo feel more confident but eventually becomes more menacing to help him reject the Nazis  I have also heard criticism that it does not accurately portray the dangers of war but, in my opinion, this is definitely the worldview of a child who thinks of the Nazis as heroes until he discovers the truth and becomes disillusioned by them.  Finally, I loved the relationship between Jojo and Elsa.  I especially loved it when Elsa tells him that he is not really a Nazi but a scared little boy who likes playing dress up.  The ultimate message about learning to understand your enemy is incredibly touching but it just happens to in be one of the funniest movies I've seen all year.  I highly recommend it to people who enjoy satire.

Parasite

Yesterday I decided to see an independent foreign film from South Korea called Parasite because I had heard so many good things about it (the film won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival).  It is an absolutely brilliant social satire that, in my opinion, is one of the best films of the year because it kept me guessing until the haunting final frame.  Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) lives a hand-to-mouth existence with his wife Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), his son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), and his daughter Ki-jeong (Park So-dam).  They live in a basement apartment and work temporary jobs when they can get them.  One day Ki-woo's friend Min-hyuk (Park Seo-joon) comes to see him and offers to recommend him for his job as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family while he studies abroad.  Ki-woo forges some credentials and soon has the job.  He is dazzled by the family's luxurious home and lavish lifestyle and recommends his sister Ki-jeong as the son's art tutor.  The two of them conspire to have the chauffeur and the housekeeper fired so Ki-taek and Chung-sook can take their places.  Eventually the four of them infiltrate every aspect of the Park's lives but, when the family leaves for a camping trip, they learn that they are not the only ones who have done so and a tense and suspenseful confrontation ensues.  At first the movie is an amusing story about a group of con artists who take advantage of a gullible family but in the final act it takes a 180 degree turn and becomes a scathing indictment of how the wealthy survive on the labor of the poor (who exactly are the parasites referred to in the title?)  It is absolutely brilliant!  The final resolution left me stunned and I was not alone because the audience in my packed screening sat in silence even after the credits finished rolling and the lights came on.  I loved the shot composition in this movie because the division between the rich and poor is found in almost every scene, especially the juxtaposition between the cramped and claustrophobic basement hovel where the Kims live and the open and spacious modern house (which is almost a character) where the Parks live.  All of the performances are fantastic, especially Cho Yeo-jeong who plays Mrs. Park.  I loved this movie and I suspect that I will be thinking about it for days.  Don't let the subtitles stop you from seeing this masterpiece!  I highly recommend it!

Volleyball Road Trip

Whenever I would go to one of Tashena's volleyball games, basketball games, or track meets, I always envisioned going on a road trip to see her play one of these sports on the college level some day.  Yesterday that actually happened!  Tashena is on the volleyball team at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington and the Vikings had a road game against Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon (which is a five hour drive from SLC).  We decided to surprise her and go to the game so Kristine and Trent rented a van and my Mom, Marilyn, and I joined them.  It was such a fun road trip.

Tashena had no idea that we were coming and I will never forget the look on her face when she saw my Mom walk in the gym!  She ran over to her and hugged her with tears in her eyes!  Every minute of the five hour drive was worth it for that moment!  She was so happy to see all of us and I have to admit that I also had a tear in my eye because I have really missed her.  Big Bend ended up losing in three sets but they were close and it was a lot of fun to watch them play.

We sure do love this girl and we are so proud of her!

It was really hard to say goodbye but we will get to see her again soon at Thanksgiving!  We are already planning some epic games of Shanghai rummy!

Coco in Concert

Last night I celebrated the Day of the Dead by watching the movie Coco while the Utah Symphony played the score by Michael Giacchino live.  It was so much fun because I think Coco is such a magical movie!  It is about the importance of family as a twelve year old boy named Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead on Dia de los Meurtos to uncover a mystery about his ancestors.  I loved seeing this on the big screen again because the images are so vibrant and colorful, especially the marigold petals that are used to guide family members to their loved ones and the spirit animals.  The music in this movie is absolutely wonderful and features some incredibly beautiful themes that incorporate Spanish guitars, a festive mariachi band, and the full orchestra.  The Utah Symphony, under the baton of Associate Conductor Conor Covington, performed it beautifully and I often found myself watching the two guitar players rather than the screen.  My favorite parts of the score are "Crossing the Marigold Bridge," "Cave Dwelling on the Past," and "Reunion Familiar de Rivera" because I find the story to be so moving in these scenes and the music really adds to the pathos.  I also really enjoyed the many version of the song "Remember Me," particularly the version by Miguel and Mama Coco (I may or may not have been crying at that point).  The crowd, many of whom were in costumes with sugar skull makeup, was so much fun because they cheered out loud multiple times.  I really love the Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series and this was such a fun movie to include.  I enjoyed it so much and I recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance (go here).

Note:  There was a fantastic mariachi band performing before the show and there was an ofrenda in the lobby featuring pictures of famous composers (so clever).