Shadow in the Cloud

Everything I heard about Shadow in the Cloud made it seem absolutely bonkers so, of course, I wanted to see it!  I had the chance last night and it was so much fun!  During World War II, Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloe Grace Moretz) is on a secret mission with a mysterious package that she must guard at all costs.  She catches a ride on an Allied B-17 bomber flying from New Zealand to Samoa and the male crew (Taylor John Smith, Beulah Koale, Nick Robinson, Callan Mulvey, Benedict Wall, Joe Witkowski, and Byron Coll) take great exception to having a woman on board.  They force her into the gun turret during takeoff where she hears their misogynistic comments about her over the radio.  She confronts them but they soon question both her identity and her mission.  They completely disregard her when she tells them that she sees a shadow on the wing but they are, in fact, being attacked by both Japanese bombers and winged mythological creatures which she must then fight in order to save them.  At first I thought the inclusion of the creatures was crazy, even though I was willing to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the movie, but I did a little bit of research and it actually does make sense within the context of World War II and they serve as a metaphor for Maude.  What I really liked about this movie is that the men are so dismissive of Maude (with some of the most cringe-worthy dialogue imaginable) but she is the one who shoots down two zeros, fights several creatures, and crash lands the plane (in some thrilling, if unrealistic, action sequences).  She proves that she is just as capable of fighting as the men (the end credits include photos of real female pilots during World War II) which is all the more powerful when the crew learns the contents of her mysterious package.  Moretz, who is hit or miss with me, is fully committed to the physicality of the role and gives a campy performance that is a lot of fun to watch.  It is as bonkers as I predicted but, if you can just go along with everything that is happening on screen, you will have a blast with this movie!  I recommend seeing it on a Friday night (the later the better) with a big tub of popcorn!

Note:  This reminded me of Overlord because they both combine World War II intrigue with elements of horror and I liked them both more than I thought I would!

Pieces of a Woman

I was interested in seeing Pieces of a Woman because Vanessa Kirby won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival last year.  I had the chance to see it last night and I was absolutely blown away by her performance.  Martha Weiss (Kirby) and Sean Carson (Shia LaBeouf) are an unlikely couple who are expecting a baby and hope to have a home birth.  When Martha goes into labor, they learn that their preferred midwife is unavailable and a replacement named Eva (Molly Parker) is sent instead.  Tragedy strikes when the baby's heartbeat slows down during the labor and, even though Eva does everything she can and eventually has them call for an ambulance, the baby dies shortly after it is born.  Martha must deal with her overwhelming grief, the disintegration of her relationship with Sean, and the pressure from her overbearing mother (Ellen Burstyn) to prosecute the midwife.  As I mentioned, Kirby gives an incredibly powerful and poignant performance.  The scene in which Martha goes into labor and gives birth happens in one long and sustained shot and it is absolutely brilliant because it is so immersive.  Martha's emotional confrontation with Eva in court is also an incredibly intense moment but I found the scene where she returns to work after her maternity leave, in another long tracking shot, to be so heartbreaking because none of her colleagues know what to say to her which adds to her isolation.  Burstyn and LaBeouf also give outstanding performances but it was sometimes difficult to watch the scenes where Sean becomes abusive towards Martha in light of the recent allegations against LaBeouf.  I loved the recurring motifs of building of a bridge and the germination of an apple seed because they represent the ways in which Sean and Martha are able to heal.  This movie is devastating to watch and, while it is not quite as good as Ordinary People or Manchester by the Sea (which, in my opinion, are two of the best movies about death and its aftermath) because it founders a bit with the addition of some unwieldy subplots, it is a very authentic portrayal of grief and I highly recommend it for the performances.  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then begins streaming on Netflix January 7 (today).

Herself

When I was choosing my tickets for Sundance last year, I had Herself on my list but I ultimately ended up getting tickets for other films.  I hoped that it would get a wide release at some point so I was really excited to be able to see it last night in advance of it streaming on Prime Video next week.  Sandra (Clare Dunne) flees her abusive husband Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) and takes her young daughters Molly (Molly McCann) and Emma (Ruby Rose O'Hara) with her.  She ends up living in a hotel and working two menial jobs while dealing with the never ending bureaucracy to find public housing.  Exasperated with the delays, she decides to take matters into her own hands and build a house herself.  She finds plans for a basic house online, acquires a piece of land from her employer (Harriet Walter), convinces a contractor (Conleth Hill) that she randomly meets at a home improvement store to work for free on weekends, and slowly finds a community of friends and strangers willing to help her.  As she builds this house, she also begins to rebuild her life despite the many overwhelming obstacles that she has to overcome in the process.  This is an incredibly poignant and inspirational story about empowerment and resiliency that I really enjoyed, especially the emphasis on the goodness of ordinary people which I found to be quite moving.  Dunne, who also co-wrote the screenplay, gives an affecting and believable performance that makes you want to cry and then stand up and cheer.  Even though this movie explores some really dark themes of spousal abuse, economic instability, and homelessness, it has a hopeful tone (even after the twist in the third act). The only complaint I have about this movie is that I sometimes couldn't understand the thick Irish accents but I would definitely recommend it (with the proviso that it includes some violence and language).  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then will stream on Prime Video beginning on January 8.

Pinocchio

Last night I saw a new live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale Pinocchio as my first movie of 2021 (and the last of the big Christmas releases).  It is much darker and stranger than the Disney animated version that we all grew up with but it is also incredibly enchanting and I really enjoyed it.  A poor Italian carpenter named Geppetto (Roberto Benigni) sees a traveling puppet show come through town and decides to make his own puppet to rival those in the troupe.  He carves the puppet Pinocchio (Federico Ielapi) out of a magical piece of wood which causes it to come to life.  Geppetto comes to regard the puppet as his son but Pinocchio longs for adventure and is easily led astray despite many warnings from the Talking Cricket (Davide Marotta).  He runs away and has a series of misadventures with beguiling characters and fantastical creatures which often require him to be rescued by the Blue Fairy (Marine Facth).  Pinocchio eventually encounters Geppetto, who has been looking for him, and begins working for a shepherd so that he can care for Geppetto when he becomes ill.  The Blue Fairy sees that Pinocchio has become worthy by his selflessness and grants his wish to be a real boy.  This is an Italian production filmed in Italy, where the story actually takes place, with Italian actors (it is dubbed in English but the voices are recognizably Italian) so it feels very authentic.  The landscape and all of the visuals are incredibly beautiful even if some of the creatures encountered by Pinocchio are bizarre (especially the Snail, who leaves a trail of slime behind wherever she goes, and the Tuna, who struggles to breathe rather dramatically).  Benigni, who is usually quite ostentatious, gives a restrained performance as Geppetto that is surprisingly affecting and Ielepi is so endearing as Pinocchio.  I was fascinated by the special effects, most of which are practical through makeup and prosthetics rather than CGI, because Pinocchio really does seem like a wooden puppet that has come to life (I especially loved how he creaks every time he moves).  As I mentioned, the story, which is very faithful to Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, has very dark themes even though it has a quirky and lighthearted tone so it might be a bit disturbing for young children (the scene where Cat and Fox hang Pinocchio from a tree is definitely unsettling).  However, I found it captivating and I would definitely recommend it to adults.

2020: Year In Review

 What a year it has been!  I had so many plans for 2020 (I was looking forward to seeing Hamilton in three different cities, a road trip to Denver to see the Colorado Avalanche, and an amazing trip to Iceland) but I could never have imagined that a global pandemic would change everything in March.  All of my plans were either canceled or postponed, I was quarantined for two weeks, I finished the school year by teaching online, I retired without any of the usual celebrations, and I had to adapt to the new normal of wearing a mask and social distancing.  This year had been difficult and I am definitely glad to see the end of it but, looking back, there have been lots of great memories, too.  I know that this year has been much more difficult for so many people who have faced financial hardship, illness, and the loss of loved ones so I am especially grateful for all of the small moments of joy that I have been able to experience despite Covid-19.

I received season tickets to the Smith Center in Las Vegas last year for Christmas.  I was able to take a road trip to see one of the shows, Escape to Margaritaville, in January before all of the theaters were closed.  It was a lot of fun.

I had a fantastic time at the Sundance Film Festival in January seeing 16 films in 10 days at five different venues with some of the coolest people from around the world.

The biggest event of 2020 was my retirement in May after teaching for 30 years in the Granite School District (at Kearns Jr. High and Hunter High Schools).  What an amazing career!

Even though I couldn't travel internationally (or even to other states for most of the spring and summer) I decided to visit some of the places that I have always wanted to see in Utah.  Here I am at the Spiral Jetty art installation near the Great Salt Lake in May.

At Antelope Island State Park in the middle of the Great Salt Lake in June.

At the Golden Spike National Historic Site (where the Transcontinental Railroad was completed) in June.

My annual camping trip to Hanna in June.  Nature was such a solace this year!

Sean and I decided to take some educational field trips on Fridays (we have some planned for 2021, too).  One of the first places we visited was Red Butte Garden in July.

The Sunflower Festival at Cross E Ranch in July.

A family camping trip in Hanna in July.

At the Bonneville Salt Flats (a place I have always wanted to visit) in July.

A fun and relaxing week at my favorite KOA in Fillmore (including day trips to Capitol Reef National Park, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park) in August.

A trip to Hogle Zoo with Sean in October.

A visit to This Is The Place Heritage Park with Sean in October.

A visit to the Tracy Aviary with Sean in October.

Thanksgiving with my family in November.

I have no idea what 2021 has in store but I am hopeful and, whatever happens, I will keep trying to find joy in the little things.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!