Killers of the Flower Moon

Last night I had the chance to see an early screening of Killers of the Flower Moon in a packed theater at the Broadway.  It is a masterpiece and I know I will be thinking about it for a long time to come because it is so intense and unsettling.  The Osage Nation becomes unbelievably wealthy when oil is discovered on their land in Oklahoma in the 1920s but it also brings trouble as the white men in the nearby towns lie, cheat, manipulate, steal, and eventually, murder, to gain control of the money.  One such man is William King Hale (Robert De Niro), a wealthy cattle rancher who has evil intentions but presents himself in the guise of a benefactor to the Osage.  When his nephew Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) returns home from the Great War and begins working for him, Hale suggests that he woo and marry an Osage woman named Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone) in order to gain control of her headshares from the oil profits.  After the wedding, Hale and Burkhart begin plotting to kill members of Mollie's family one by one so that their headshares will be transferred to Mollie but these murders eventually get the attention of Tom White (Jesse Plemons), an agent of the new Bureau of Investigation.  Much has been made of the long runtime (three and a half hours) but I feel like it is earned because it is an incredibly compelling story that is equal parts epic Western, lurid crime drama, tragic love story, and scathing commentary on greed and corruption and my attention never wavered.  Frequent Scorsese collaborators De Niro and DiCaprio are outstanding (some of the best work of their careers) but Gladstone is absolutely captivating in a restrained performance in which she portrays every emotion imaginable (sometimes with just a glance).  One specific scene near the end of the movie where Gladstone's character silently accuses DiCaprio's character with just her eyes is devastating and left me reeling.  The supporting cast is also great and I was particularly impressed by Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, and Tatanka Means who all make the most of limited screen time.  All of the technical elements, from cinematography to production design to editing, are brilliant and I also really loved the score by Robbie Robertson because it really adds to the tension.  This is one of Scorsese's best movies and, while it won't be for everyone because of the dark themes and melancholy tone, I highly recommend it.

When I'm Dead

My October Book of the Month selection was When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey (the other options were Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, Wellness by Nathan Hill, The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis, and The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwonk). It should come as a surprise to no one that I picked the thriller but this one ended up being good not great. Axel Winthorp, a homicide detective, and his wife Rowan, a medical examiner, are frequently called away to investigate murder scenes in the crime-ridden town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin (Morrissey takes great pains to remind the reader that Black Harbor is extremely violent every other page). This means that their teenage daughter Chloe, who has undergone a radical change in personality in recent months which her parents have largely ignored, is often left to her own devices and she bemoans this fact by saying that they will only pay attention to her when she's dead. Axel and Rowan are inevitably called away from Chloe's performance in the school musical to investigate the death of a young girl who appears to have been strangled and they are dismayed to discover that it is the body of Chloe's best friend, Madison Caldwell. After they finish processing the scene, they discover that Chloe never made it home and, when they cannot reach her, they realize that she is missing. They initially suspect that Chloe's disappearance and Madison's murder are connected but, in the course of their investigation, they learn that Madison and another girl named Sari Simons were bullying Chloe and spreading rumors about an inappropriate relationship between her and the theatre teacher which may or may not be true. When Sari becomes the next victim, they are forced to question how well they know their daughter as well as confront the possibility that she might be involved in these murders. This is a dark and atmospheric police procedural told from the perspectives of Rowan, who believes that her daughter's disappearance is retribution for a past transgression, Axel, who is tormented by the fact that he may have failed to protect his daughter from a predatory teacher, and Libby, a teenager who lives next door to the Winthorps and has a strange obsession with Chloe. It is very suspenseful with lots of possible suspects, twists and turns, and red herrings which definitely kept me guessing. However, the psychological examination of the main characters, which rehashes the same events over and over again, and the endless descriptions of the poverty, despair, and crime found in Black Harbor slow down the pace after a strong beginning (but that didn't stop me from reading well into the night to find out what happens). Also, there are quite a few elements that seemed very unrealistic to me, particularly having a detective be involved in his own daughter's case and the lack of urgency in the police department's efforts to find her. While I didn't love this, I did enjoy it (it is especially appropriate for October) and found the resolution to be very intriguing so I would recommend it.

Note: This is the third installment in The Black Harbor series but I definitely think it works as a stand-alone because I haven't read the first two and there weren't any references that I didn't understand.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Last night my sister Marilyn and I relived one of the best concert experiences we have ever had by watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and, while nothing can compare to the exhilaration of actually being in the audience for this concert, the movie comes really close!  We both loved it!  What I enjoyed most about this is the dynamic camera work and editing because you really get a feel for the entire experience with lots of wide shots of the entire stage, the crowd, and the visuals on the screens along with all of the details that might have been missed (especially if you were sitting in the upper levels of the stadium like Marilyn and I were) with close up shots of Taylor and her dancers.  I loved seeing all of her facial expressions and gestures because they definitely enhance the storytelling found in each song.  I particularly loved seeing "willow," as Taylor cavorts in a circle with her coven of dancers wearing green velvet cloaks and carrying glowing orbs, because it is such a theatrical performance and it was cool to have so many different angles to see the overall effect.  I liked seeing "tolerate it" up close because the performance, which features two people in a dysfunctional relationship having dinner, is so intimate and being able to see facial expressions really adds to the vibe of the song.  I was also happy to get to see "the last great american dynasty" up close because I didn't realize that one of the dancers is portraying Rebekah Harkness and that Taylor doesn't come forward until the change in POV.  I was really struck by the emotion on Taylor's face during "marjorie" (she and I both have a grandma named Marjorie who is no longer living) and seeing her give Bianka Bryant the hat in "22" up close also made me emotional because it was such a sweet moment.  The production values are fantastic because the music seems like it has been enhanced (it sounded good live at Empower Field but it sounded great in Dolby surround sound) and the titles for each era are a lot of fun (especially for reputation).  I think Denver Night 2 won for its surprise songs ("Back to December" was a major highlight of the concert for me) but I liked the fact that she featured one from her first album, "Our Song," and one from her latest album, "You're On Your Own, Kid," as surprise songs for the movie.  I was a little bit sad when I heard that "'tis the damn season" was cut (it is one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs) and really surprised that she cut "cardigan" (especially since she included "betty" and "august" from the teenage love triangle) but I didn't miss them, or any of the other songs that were cut, while I was watching.  Since we saw this at a late screening on a Sunday night, it wasn't very full so we missed out on having lots of loud and rowdy fans sing and dance but we wore our concert hoodies and sang at the top of our lungs (even Marilyn who is normally very reserved).  It was so much fun!  I highly recommend this because, if you didn't have the opportunity to see this concert in person, this is the next best thing and, if you did, it will bring back so many memories!

Note:  I even bought the commemorative popcorn bucket and cup!  I almost never buy stuff like this because I abhor clutter but I simply cannot resist the siren song of Taylor Swift merchandise!

U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas

When I found out that U2 was doing a residency at a cool new billion dollar venue in Las Vegas I had a really stern talk with myself about how much money I had already spent on concerts this year and maybe, since I have already seen them seven times, I could skip this one.  That went over about as well as you might expect!  I ignored responsible Phaedra and immediately registered for the Verified Fan Presale and, when I was selected, I took it as a sign that I needed to see this show!  Amazing doesn't even begin to describe what I experienced last night!  The Sphere, as the name implies, is a giant sphere-shaped structure with both interior and exterior LED screens (the largest of their kind) and seating areas that cover two-thirds of the interior with an area that can be configured as a stage in the remainder.  U2 has a small square stage with a circular platform that is meant to mimic a turntable (Bono would frequently spin around on the circle).  This particular concert showcases the album Achtung Baby and U2 performed it in its entirety with a side one set and a side two set.  It was great to hear the hits from this album, including "Zoo Station" (which opened the show), "The Fly," "Even Better Than the Real Thing," "Mysterious Ways," "One" (sigh), and "Until the End of the World," but I also really enjoyed hearing the deeper tracks that I've never heard performed live before, such as "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World," "So Cruel" (my favorite of the show because Bono's vocal performance was so passionate)," "Acrobat," "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)," and "Love Is Blindness."  Each of these songs has an incredibly immersive visual display on the state-of-the-art LED screens.  My favorite visuals were for "The Fly" because they feature rows and rows of random numbers and letters that keep climbing up the screens and, when they reach the top, they actually collapse on each other and it looked like they were three-dimensional and coming towards the audience (it is hard to explain but it was pretty much the coolest thing ever).  Not only are the images three-dimensional but they also surround the audience!  Sometimes the images would include a live feed of the band and, because I was sitting in the cheaper seats at the top of arena (my one concession to responsible Phaedra), they were eye-level as if I was watching Bono from the front row (sigh).  In between the two Achtung Baby sets, the band performed a more stripped down acoustic set featuring "All I Want Is You," "Desire," "Angel of Harlem," and an incredibly emotional rendition of "Love Rescue Me" which Bono and The Edge sang as a duet (goosebumps).  For the encore, they performed their new song about Las Vegas, "Atomic City," as well as "Elevation," "Vertigo," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You" (which included amazing visuals featuring different animals), and "Beautiful Day." Bono is one of the most charismatic performers that I've ever seen and he was in fine form last night!  He struggled a bit with some of the higher notes but he was so engaging it didn't even matter (at least not to me or anyone around me).  This concert reminded me of how much I love him and, between his performance and all of the high-tech gadgetry, I felt like I was in sensory overload all night (in the best possible way).  It is definitely something I will never forget and I am so glad that irresponsible Phaedra won the argument!

The Music Man at HCTO

I had so much fun at HCTO last night because I saw their wonderful production of The Music Man (it is a sentimental favorite of mine).  I think I had a huge smile on my face from beginning to end!  This show tells the well-known story of a traveling salesman who comes to swindle the residents of River City by selling band instruments but falls in love with a librarian instead.  It features an amazing cast led by Bronson Dameron, who is incredibly charming and charismatic as Harold Hill, and Brittany Sanders, who has a beautiful voice as the uptight yet vulnerable Marion Paroo.  Dameron's renditions of "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," and "Gary, Indiana" are so much fun and I had to try really hard not to sing along (I mostly succeeded) while Sanders had me swooning during "Goodnight My Someone," "My White Night," and "Till There Was You."  Other standouts from the cast are Shawn Lynn as the befuddled Mayor Shinn ("Not one poop out of you madame"), Bonnie Wilson Whitlock as my favorite character Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn (I could not stop laughing during her hilarious performance as a Grecian Urn), and Thomas Wood, Jason Baldwin, Ryan Withers, and Davis Underwood as the feuding members of the school board who form a barber shop quartet ("Sincere," "Goodnight Ladies," "It's You," and "Lida Rose" are highlights of the show).  Ella Bleu Bradford as Zaneeta Shinn, Mayor Shinn's oldest girl, and Evan Naef as Tommy Djilas, a boy with reform school written all over him, are amazing dancers who lead a terrific ensemble in the big production numbers, particularly in "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marion the Librarian," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," and "Shipoopi."  I am always so impressed with how HCTO is able to stage these big numbers with energetic choreography in such a small space!  I wondered if "Marian the Librarian," my favorite number in the show, would be as dynamic as it has been in other productions I've seen but I loved the clever way the choreography incorporates a desk, a card catalog (so fun), a book cart, benches, and books.  I also loved the staging of "Rock Island" with all of the suitcases.  The set, which features the lattice porch of the Paroo house, a wisteria draped gazebo, and a wooden footbridge, is beautiful and the period costumes, especially Marian's dress for the social, are some of the best I've seen at HCTO (and the bar was already set pretty high with this theatre).  This is a delightful production that everyone is sure to love as much as I did and I highly recommend it!  It runs at HCTO through November 18 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note:  Just wait until you see the finale!  It is pretty spectacular!