Nope

I have been looking forward to Nope since the first trailer and I finally had the chance to see it last night at a Thursday preview.  It is incredibly intense and thought-provoking and I loved it!  OJ and Emerald "Em" Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, respectively) are siblings who own Haywood Hollywood Horses, a ranch that trains horses for use in movies, but they are falling on hard times because most films now use CGI.  They have resorted to selling horses to a nearby Wild West attraction owned by Ricky "Jupe" Park (Steven Yeun), a former child star known for a tragic freak accident on a sitcom.  They all start to notice strange goings-on such as electricity cuts and objects that randomly fall from the sky but then OJ sees something mysterious.  They assume that it is a UFO and the Haywards want to capture it on film, first with surveillance cameras installed by Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) and then by a cinematographer (Michael Wincott) known for getting the impossible shot, while Park attempts to incorporate it into his live Wild West show.  There is a sense of unease, almost from the very first shot, that builds and builds until it is almost unbearable with brilliant sound design, atmospheric lighting, and stunning visual effects (I will never look at clouds the same way again).  I was completely captivated but also a bit uncomfortable in the very best way.  It is a spectacle that pays homage to other big blockbusters, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, and Signs, but it is also an indictment of our need to capture every experience and turn it into a spectacle.  There are lots of other ideas, such as the exploitation of animals and the marginalization of early Black contributions to moviemaking, that will have as many interpretations as there are viewers (which makes Peele so intriguing as a writer and director).  Kaluuya and Palmer, especially, are fantastic and portray the sibling dynamic very well.  This is another great addition to Peele's filmography and I recommend seeing it in IMAX!

Note:  The trailer for Oppenheimer played before this and I am so excited for it!

Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante at St. Mary's Church

I always look forward to the Utah Symphony concerts at St. Mary's Church in Park City every summer because they always end up being absolutely wonderful.  St. Mary's is a beautiful church with amazing views of the mountains through a wall of plate glass windows and it is a fantastic venue for chamber music.  Last night's concert began with Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel and I really enjoyed this whimsical piece.  I especially loved the second movement about Tom Thumb because I was transported to a magical forest (it helped that I could see trees all around me through the windows) with the sound of birdsong performed by the flutes and piccolo.  Next came Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with Kathryn Eberle and Yuan Qi as soloists.  I have always really loved Mozart and this piece is amazing.  I absolutely loved the second movement because the solo violin plays a moody and atmospheric theme meant to express grief and then the viola answers with a theme of consolation and this interplay between the two instruments is incredibly moving.  After the intermission the orchestra played Sinfonietta by Francis Poulenc.  This piece is light and breezy with really beautiful melodies but I really loved the dramatic ending, especially the timpani.  It was a lovely evening listening to the Utah Symphony in a beautiful setting and I highly recommend one of the remaining concerts at St. Mary's Church (go here for tickets).

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

Last night I went to see Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and I was definitely surprised by how much I loved this heartwarming story about a one inch shell!  Marcel (Jenny Slate) lives with a close-knit community of shells in a large house until there is a mysterious incident after the owners, Mark (Thoas Mann) and Larissa (Rosa Salazar), have a fight and move out which leaves him alone with just his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini).  The house becomes an Airbnb and a documentary filmmaker named Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp) moves in after a divorce.  He soon discovers Marcel and becomes enchanted with his charming existence.  He films him for his Youtube channel in order to try and find his family with both unexpected and joyful results.  Marcel is one of the most adorable and endearing characters I've seen in a long time and the way he views the world is so refreshing.  I loved all of the clever and innovative ways he uses everyday objects, especially the tennis ball he uses to get around the house and the stand mixer he rigs to shake fruit from the trees, and I was laughing out loud multiple times (and so was the large crowd at the Broadway).  I was also incredibly moved because there are some really powerful themes explored, which really resonated with me, involving being a caregiver for a family member and then being at loose ends when that role ends.  In fact, I actually had tears in my eyes during this subplot.  The portrayal of internet culture was really interesting and I found all of the people taking selfies in front of Marcel's house to be highly amusing.  I really enjoyed the mockumentary narrative device and the combination of live action and stop-motion animation is extremely well-done.  I didn't have a lot of interest in seeing this movie when I first heard about it but I'm so glad that I changed my mind because I loved it and I highly recommend it.

Sister Act at Murray Park Amphitheater

Last night I saw a production of Sister Act at the Murray Park Amphitheater.  I love seeing outdoor performances (I haven't seen very many this summer for some reason) and this show was so much fun!  A singer named Deloris Van Cartier (Kortney King-Lives) inadvertently witnesses her gangster boyfriend Curtis (Tyson Jensen) kill someone.  A love-struck cop named Eddie (Tommy Kay) places her in the Queen of Angels Convent to keep her safe until she can testify against him but she disrupts the orderly way of life at the convent until the Mother Superior (Cindy Swan) puts her in charge of the choir to keep her out of trouble.  The new and improved choir's unorthodox performances bring people back to the church but all of the attention puts the convent in danger after Curtis and his henchmen see Deloris on TV.   King-Lives is really understated as Deloris but she has an incredible voice and I enjoyed the pathos she brings to the role, especially in the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby."  Courtney Byrom is absolutely hilarious as Sister Mary Patrick because she is so flamboyant and over the top.  Chloe Cox, as T.J., Eric Lash, as Joey, and Jacob Crosby, as Pablo, almost steal the show in the songs "When I Find My Baby" and "Lady in the Long Black Dress" because they have some great disco moves!  The audience also laughed out loud during Kay's version of "I Could Be That Guy" because it features several costume changes and back-up dancers composed of homeless people from an alley.  The choreography is a lot of fun in the songs "Raise Your Voice," "Take Me To Heaven," "Sunday Morning Fever," and "Spread the Love Around," which are sung by the choir, and I especially enjoyed it whenever Sister Mary Theresa (Wendy Johnson Richhart), an older nun, incorporated her cane.  It is also really amusing when the Monsignor (Shan Lloyd) comes out into the audience with a collection basket during the nuns' performances (he made quite a bit of money!).  The costumes are absolutely fabulous and I loved how the Monsignor's vestments and the nuns' habits get more and more elaborate as the show goes on (I especially loved the purple sequins).  The set is very simple with a backdrop of stained glass windows with various pieces moved on and off as needed but it is effective.  I had a great time because the crowd for this show was really loud and animated (people were dancing in the aisles during the final number).  There are three more performances next weekend (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it.

Note:  There were very ominous clouds in the sky as I was driving to the amphitheater and it actually rained a little bit before the show but, luckily, it cleared up just as it started!

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Paris is my very favorite city in the world so I was really excited to see Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris last night.  Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) is a war widow in 1950s London who works as a cleaning lady.  When she sees a Dior gown owned by one of her wealthy clients she dreams of owning one herself and even takes in sewing in an ill-fated attempt to save enough money for one.  However, a series of fortuitous events makes her dream possible and she heads to Paris.  Claudine Colbert (Isabelle Hupper), the imperious director of the House of Dior, refuses to let her in but the rest of the staff is impressed by her cash and she is invited to a show.  She chooses one dress but, when she learns that it is promised to an exclusive client, she settles for another one.  After she learns that she will have to stay in Paris for fittings, she ends up having a series of adventures and, when she returns home, she has more than just a pretty frock because she discovers her self-respect (and a certain je ne sais quoi).  This movie is such a charming feel-good story about following your dreams no matter how outlandish they may seem to others and, even though a lot of it is extremely far-fetched, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Manville gives a delightful performance (which is a complete departure from Cyril Woodcock in Phantom Thread despite the fact that both movies are about haute couture in the 1950s) and I loved watching her go toe to toe with Huppert.  The costumes are absolutely gorgeous, especially all of the Dior gowns in the fashion show, and I loved the few scenes shot in Paris (I really want to go back).  This movie put a smile on my face and I recommend it!