Dark Corners

My July Book of the Month selection was Dark Corners by Megan Goldin (the other options were The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange, The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Hello Stranger by Katherine Center, and Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong). I picked it because I recently read and enjoyed The Night Swim (the first in the Rachel Krall series) and was eager for another case involving the popular podcast host. I think I liked this one even more! A violent criminal named Terrence Bailey, who was once the main suspect in a series of brutal murders against women, is about to be released from prison after serving time for breaking and entering. Two days before his release he receives a random visit from a young and successful social media influencer named Maddison Logan and then she disappears several hours later. In the course of their investigation, the FBI discovers that Logan spoke with Bailey about Krall during their meeting and they want to know why so they reluctantly ask for her help. Both Krall and the FBI come to believe that Bailey is somehow responsible for Logan's disappearance and she suspects that she might be the next victim. The narrative alternates between Krall's POV as she investigates Logan's last movements at an influencer convention and those of a rideshare driver who may or may not be Bailey's accomplice and an FBI agent racing against time. This is a fast-paced mystery filled with lots of suspenseful twists and turns that kept me reading into the early morning hours (and kept me guessing until the very end) but I especially enjoyed the deep dive into influencer culture because it is a lot more cut-throat than I imagined and I was absolutely fascinated (and, as someone who follows a few influncers on social media, I was also appalled). Rachel Krall is a great character (I love intelligent, strong, and independent female protagonists) and I particularly liked her development from a passive role as a reporter looking into a crime that happened years ago in the first novel to a more active participant in an on-going investigation in this one and I hope to see more of her in future installments of the series. The only aspect of the narrative the fell flat for me was the sudden romance between Krall and an FBI agent because it was a bit cringe-worthy and seemed out of character but this is a minor criticism. Even though this is the second in a series I think it works as a standalone (there are only a few references to the first novel and they are thoroughly explained) and I definitely recommend it to fans of mysteries.

Barbie

Last night Sean and I returned to the Broadway to see Barbie and, as with Oppenheimer the night before, it exceeded my already high expectations! A Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie), along with various other Barbies who who perform specific occupations within the matriarchal society (portrayed by Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cruz Kayne, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Emerald Fennell, and Marisa Abela), is living the best day ever in Barbieland while a Stereotypical Ken (Ryan Gosling), several other Kens (portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, Rob Brydon, and John Cena), and Allan (Michael Cera) do anything they can to get her attention.  Barbie soon experiences an existential crisis and seeks out a Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) who has been played with too hard.  Weird Barbie tells her that she must go to the Real World and find the child who plays with her to resolve any issues lest she end up like her.  However, things do not go as planned in the Real World because Ken stows away with her and is influenced by the patriarchy, the CEO of Mattel (Will Ferrell) wants to put her back in a box, and her child Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) berates her for giving girls unrealistic standards of beauty.  Barbie eventually discovers her true purpose with the help of Sasha's mother Gloria (America Ferrera) and Barbie's creator Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman).  I loved everything about this movie!  The message about identity is so incredibly powerful and a brilliant monologue about the travails of being a woman in today's society elicited applause from my audience while a montage to Billie Eilish's song "What Was I Made For?" reduced me to tears.  This is definitely an ode to female empowerment but I also really appreciated Ken's character arc as he goes on his own journey to self-actualization (in a hilarious 80s music video featuring a power ballad called "I'm Just Ken" performed by Gosling).  Gerwig (I love her unique voice as a filmmaker) effectively straddles the line between social commentary and nostalgia for a beloved toy through brilliant production design (the Barbie Dreamhouse with a slide to the pool is amazing), costumes that recreate some of Barbie's most famous looks, and witty self-referential dialogue that will have audiences laughing out loud (I loved a throw-away line about wearing high heels).  I can't think of anyone better to embody the iconic doll than Robbie and I loved her performance but Gosling is an absolute hoot who steals the show (especially in the aforementioned musical number) every time he is on screen.  It was such a fun experience watching this with a capacity crowd dressed in pink (they let me and Sean into the theater despite our lack of pink attire) and I highly recommend it!

Note:  After seeing both movies I stand by my recommendation to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on different days.  The shift in tone will be much too jarring!

Oppenheimer

Sean has been looking forward to Oppenheimer for months so we absolutely had to go to an early access screening in 35mm at the Broadway last night!  Even though it is three hours long with lots of dialogue and very heavy themes, we both found it to be riveting and we loved it!  J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) is a brilliant but highly-strung scientist who conducts theoretical research on quantum physics while teaching at U.C. Berkeley, dabbling in unionization, and beginning relationships with women (Florence Pugh and Emily Blunt) who have ties to the communist party.  Despite his dubious extracurricular activities, he is approached by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to head the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Oppenheimer assembles a team of scientists and they succeed in creating a bomb but he is conflicted because he knows that it is needed as a deterrent but is horrified by the prospect of using it.  Once the bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he is devastated and becomes a vocal opponent against the proliferation of nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union.  Oppenheimer's position angers Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey, Jr.), the head of the Atomic Energy Commission, and he surreptitiously convenes a hearing to revoke Oppenheimer's security clearance because of his perceived ties to communism.  This hearing and Strauss' Senate confirmation hearing for a cabinet position in the Eisenhower administration are interspersed with the events leading to the so-called Trinity test of the bomb and I honestly can't decide which scenes were more fraught with tension!  This is in large part due to the brilliant sound design and the intense score by Ludwig Goransson (the ticking sound that mimics a clock is especially effective is creating an anxious atmosphere).  The visuals are striking, particularly those used to portray the quantum realm, and give the audience access to the cataclysmic visions inside Oppenheimer's mind.  Murphy gives the performance of his career (which will undoubtedly be rewarded during awards season) and the scenes where Oppenheimer envisions the consequences of his actions are some of the most powerful I have ever seen (the closeups on Murphy's blue eyes are haunting).  Downey, Jr. also give a powerhouse performance!  I have always believed him to be a great actor but he is next-level here and I had goosebumps in a scene filled with his character's righteous anger.  In addition, I was very impressed with Blunt when her character goes toe-to-toe with the special prosecutor (Jason Clarke).  The narrative is incredibly dense with lots characters and many actors make a big impact in relatively small roles (my favorites include Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Dane DeHaan, Kenneth Branagh, Alden Ehrenreich, David Dastmalchian, Tony Goldwyn, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, and Gary Oldman).  This movie is a masterpiece and I think what intrigued me the most is that the exploration of power and accountability is morally complex and thought provoking.  Much has been made about the release of Oppenheimer and Barbie on the same weekend (Sean and I are seeing Barbie tonight) with many opting for double features but I think the tonal shifts will be too much and recommend seeing them on different days.

Note:  Sean and I were both dressed in black and we ended up in an elevator at the theater filled with people wearing pink.  Someone said, "I guess you can tell which movies we are all going to!"

Taylor Swift at Empower Field

I saw Taylor Swift when she was in SLC for the 1989 Tour and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen so, when the Eras Tour was announced, I really wanted to go.  Even though I ended up on the waitlist for the Verified Fan presale, I was still hopeful until the entire Ticketmaster site crashed.  Such was my mania to see this concert that, even though everyone was up in arms over the outrageous prices charged by scalpers (It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me), I resorted to StubHub and convinced my sister Marilyn to get a ticket as well.  We both spent the equivalent of the GNP of a small country for these tickets but it was absolutely worth it!  We drove to Denver for the show last night at Empower Field and it was an amazing three hour set celebrating all of Taylor Swift's studio albums, or eras, with pyrotechnics, intricate choreography (I love that she has backup dancers of all ethnicities and body types), multiple wardrobe changes (my favorites were an asymmetrical black catsuit embellished with red snakes for the Reputation era, a sparkly while and gold sequined princess gown for the Speak Now era, and a flowing white gown for the folklore era), a runway that extended across the floor of the stadium with a diamond-shaped stage in the center, and wristbands that lit up in sync with each song.  The Lover era was first and included "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince," "Cruel Summer," "The Man," "You Need to Calm Down," "Lover," and "The Archer."  For the Fearless era she sang "Fearless," "You Belong With Me," and "Love Story."  Next came the evermore era and she performed "'tis the damn season," "willow," "marjorie," "champagne problems," and "tolerate it." The reputation era featured "...Ready for It," "Delicate," "Don't Blame Me," and "Look What You Made Me Do." Marilyn's favorite era is Speak Now and Taylor played her favorite song "Enchanted" and "Long Live" which was recently added to the set.  Next came Red, which is my favorite era, and she sang "22," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "I Knew You Were Trouble," and "All Too Well."  For the folklore era she included "the 1," "betty," "the last great american dynasty," "august," "illicit affairs," "my tears ricochet" (one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs), and "cardigan."  The 1989 is another favorite era of mine and I loved hearing "Style," "Blank Space," "Shake It Off," "Wildest Dreams," and "Bad Blood."  Next came the surprise songs (which are exclusive to each show).  I have been paying attention and, after seeing a lot of my favorites get performed already, I was really eager to see what the Denver songs would be.  On the drive Marilyn and I decided that we wanted to hear "Back to December" and I about lost my mind when she actually played it (she also played "Starlight").  The show concluded with the Midnights era including "Lavender Haze," "Anti-Hero," "Midnight Rain," "Vigilante Shit," "Bejeweled," "Mastermind," and "Karma" (another one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs).  Swift is a consummate performer and every song felt like an elaborate theatrical production (my favorite performances were for "willow" because she and her dancers wore green velvet cloaks and carried orbs of light while cavorting in a circle like druids, for "the 1" because she was lying on the roof of a moss covered cabin while patterns of trees appeared in the crowd from the lights on the wristbands, and for "Vigilante Shit" because she and her dancers executed stylized Fosse-like choreography with chairs).  Marilyn and I both really loved this show (and so did the tens of thousands of appreciative fans all around us).  The tickets were ridiculously expensive and we had to drive eight hours but this experience is one I won't soon forget (and I would do it again in a heartbeat).

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

I love the Mission: Impossible franchise (I have very fond memories of watching Ghost Protocol the day it opened with my Dad and I included Fallout in my top ten of 2018) so I was really excited to see Dead Reckoning Part One last night in a packed theater!  I think Fallout is still my favorite but I absolutely loved this!  An experimental AI achieves sentience and infiltrates all major military and intelligence agencies and the only way it can be controlled, or destroyed, is with two parts of a cruciform key.  Every government around the world wants to find the keys for possible world dominion, including the U.S., so CIA director, and former IMF director, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) sends Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) on a covert mission to acquire one of the keys which leads him to disavowed MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson).  Ethan ultimately decides that this AI, now known as the Entity, is too powerful for one government to possess so he, Ilsa, and his team, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), go on an unsanctioned mission to acquire the second key in order to destroy it.  Not only must they elude U.S. government agents (Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis) sent to stop them but they also run afoul of a talented pickpocket with ambiguous loyalties (Hayley Atwell), a ruthless French assassin (Pom Klementieff), and the international arms broker Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby) before Ethan comes face to face with Gabriel (Esai Morales), a nemesis from his past who gives him a devastating choice.  This is a big action blockbuster (it should definitely be seen on the biggest screen possible) with some amazing set pieces, including a thrilling car chase through the streets of Rome, the much-hyped motorcycle jump off a mountain (Tom Cruise is a madman), hand-to-hand combat on top of a moving train, and the epic derailment of the aforementioned train, but the story is also incredibly compelling (and timely) with high stakes for both the world and for Ethan personally.  Cruise is not only brilliant in all of the action sequences but he gives a really affecting performance as a man forced to evaluate all of the choices he has made and all of the collateral damage those choices have caused.  Atwell's performance is also a highlight from a strong ensemble cast.  I had a great time watching this (I was often on the edge of my seat and even laughed out loud a few times at some great one-liners from Benji) and the 163 minute run-time flew by.  I can't wait for the conclusion next summer!