The Secret Garden at CPT

My first show of 2021 was The Secret Garden at CenterPoint Theatre last night and, even though I'm not a big fan of this musical, I really loved this production. CPT chose to perform the shorter Spring version with a very minimal set and projections to keep the cast and crew safe and I think this actually puts the spotlight on the actors who all do a wonderful job! Mary Lennox (Caroline Drake) is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India and sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Zach Watts) at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. He has been grieving the death of his wife Lily (Laura Strong), who died in childbirth, for ten years and has closed off his heart, the house, and Lily's garden. Mary receives a cold welcome from the housekeeper Mrs. Medlock (Michelle Clark) and an indifferent one from her uncle. She is lonely and unhappy but is encouraged by a maid named Martha (Jessica Wadley) and her brother Dickon (Alex Young) to play outside and she soon discovers Lily's abandoned garden. She also discovers her cousin Colin (Colin Burke) who has been kept an invalid by Archibald's brother Neville (Russell Maxfield). As Mary brings the garden back to life, she also brings Colin and Archibald back to life. As I previously mentioned, the entire cast is phenomenal but I was especially impressed with Drake as Mary, Young as Dickon, and Burke as Colin. I always prefer the interactions between the children over the interactions between the adults in this show and these young actors are absolutely brilliant in the songs "Wick" and "Come Spirit, Come Charm." I particularly liked Young because his portrayal is so charming and charismatic. My favorite song has always been "Hold On" and Wadley gives a very powerful rendition of it. I also really enjoyed Strong's version of "Come to My Garden" because she has a beautiful voice and her duet of "Lift Me Up" with Burke gave me goosebumps because it is so emotional. Even though the set is very minimal, featuring a series of platforms at various levels, and there are only a few props, such as Mary's skipping rope and Colin's wheelchair, the costumes are quite elaborate, the lighting is dramatic, and the projections of various rooms in the manor and the gardens during the different seasons are very effective. I had a lovely time watching this show and I highly recommend it for the inspirational story of redemption and the stirring performances. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays through January 30 and tickets are $15 for the balcony and $18 for the main floor (go here).

The Marksman

Is it really even January if there isn't a movie with Liam Neeson portraying a character with a very particular set of skills exacting revenge against someone who has wronged him?  I saw the latest iteration, The Marksman, last night and it is a mediocre action thriller elevated by a lot of heart.  Jim Hanson (Neeson) is a former Marine with a ranch on the Arizona-Mexico border.  He uses alcohol to cope with the recent death of his wife from cancer as well as the imminent foreclosure on his ranch.  Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) and her son Miguel (Jacob Perez) are on the run from the cartel and, when they cross the border onto Hanson's land, he immediately informs border patrol.  Before they can be apprehended, Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba) and several other cartel members arrive and, since Jim's very particular skill is marksmanship (hence the title), a shoot-out ensues which kills Rosa and Mauricio's brother.  Before she dies, Rosa begs Jim to take Miguel to her family in Chicago and he reluctantly agrees (after surrendering him to border patrol and then breaking him out).  They are pursued on the road by Mauricio, who has vowed revenge for the death of his brother, and border patrol agents, including his stepdaughter (Katheryn Winnick), which leads to a confrontation on a farm in the middle of the heartland.  The plot is incredibly predictable, the villains are walking stereotypes, and the action sequences are surprisingly bland (with more hiding out than shooting out) but what makes this movie enjoyable, in my opinion, is the relationship that develops between Jim and Miguel.  Their alliance is an uneasy one in the beginning because Miguel blames Jim for his mother's death and Jim is more motivated by what is inside a mysterious bag that belonged to Rosa than any feelings for Miguel.  However, Miguel eventually penetrates Jim's curmudgeonly heart as they come to rely on each other on the road and their final resolution is powerful and heart-warming.  Perez is incredibly appealing as Miguel and Neeson displays a sensitivity that is usually not required in these action roles.  There is an off-hand comment about the government not being able to sort out the mess of immigration but this is curiously apolitical and I actually appreciated that.  This is one of the lesser Neeson revenge movies but it features enough genuine emotion for me to recommend it.

The White Tiger

When I saw the trailer for The White Tiger I was really intrigued (I have not read the best-selling novel by Aravind Adiga upon which it is based) so I decided to see it last night.  I enjoyed it because it reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire and Parasite, although it is not quite as charming as the former or as unsettling as the latter.  Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) was the smartest student in his school when he was a boy and had great dreams of earning a scholarship to get out of his poor Indian village.  However, when his father is unable to pay the harsh landlord of the village (Mahesh Manjrekar), his grandmother pulls him from school to work in the family tea shop.  He is told that this is the best he can hope from life but he is ambitious.  He conspires to become the driver for the landlord's son Ashok (Rajkummar Rao), who has recently returned from studying in America, and his American wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra).  Thinking himself lucky to have risen so far, Balram does everything he can to ingratiate himself to them.  While they are kind to him, they still think of themselves as better and have no compunction about betraying him to save themselves after a horrifying incident.  Balram eventually decides to become a white tiger, an aberration in nature that appears only once in a generation, and rebels against the rigid caste system that has held him down.  This is a sort of rags to riches story with quite a bit of dark humor but it is also a scathing indictment of an economic system that conspires to keep the majority of the people subservient to a privileged few.  The narrative employs flashbacks as Balram narrates his life story in a letter to the Chinese premier who is visiting India and, while this does lesson the dramatic tension a bit, it keeps the audience invested to see how a lowly servant is able to become an entrepreneur.  Gourav is incredibly appealing in the role because he makes you sympathize with Balram even though some of his actions are pretty despicable.  I do think the ending goes off the rails a little bit but I liked this movie and I would definitely recommend it.  It is now in theaters for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Netflix beginning January 22.

One Night in Miami

Last night I had the chance to see One Night in Miami and I think it is absolutely brilliant!  It is a fictionalized version of a meeting that happened between boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.), football legend Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in a hotel room in Miami Beach after Clay becomes the World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander) in 1964.  Their conversations are highly charged as they discuss the responsibility they have as successful Black men to further the civil rights movement.  The story is incredibly thought-provoking and I had tears in my eyes in the final scene because it is so powerful and, more importantly, because change is still needed even after all of these years.  The structure of the narrative is extremely effective because we are introduced to the four characters, and the struggles they face despite their fame and wealth, individually in a prologue before their meeting and then we see the effect of that meeting on their later lives in an epilogue afterwards. Regina King's direction is surprisingly dynamic considering the fact that the majority of the action takes place in the confined space of a hotel room.  My attention never wavered.  The four lead actors give absolutely phenomenal performances but I was especially impressed with Hodge, who has an imposing presence but is heartbreaking in a scene where a family friend (Beau Bridges) showers Brown with praise for his athletic prowess but won't let him inside the house, and Odom, who is defiant when Cooke is accused of selling out and then vulnerable when he laments that fact that he should have been the one to write "Blowin' in the Wind."  I loved hearing Odom sing Cooke's songs because it is impressive how well he captures his voice, particularly in an incredibly emotional version of "A Change is Gonna Come" (which is what prompted my tears at the end of the movie), and I also really enjoyed his original song "Speak Now" which plays during the credits.  This is an important and timely movie and I highly recommend it (with the proviso that there is a lot of profanity).  It is in theaters now for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Prime Video beginning January 15.

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!