Steel Magnolias at HCT

Before Steel Magnolias was a popular movie, it was a play written by Robert Harling as a way for him to deal with the death of his sister from complications resulting from diabetes. I loved the movie so I was really excited to see Hale Theatre's production of the play last night. I laughed out loud many times and I admit that I wiped a tear from my eye. The story is about the bond a group of women, including Truvy Jones (Michelle Linn Hall), Annelle Dupuy (Amy Ware), Clairee Belcher (Teri Cowan), M'Lynn Eatenton (DeLayne Bluth Dayton), Shelby Eatenton (Madison Ford), and Ouiser Boudreaux (Jayne Luke), share in a small town in Louisiana and how they cope with the death of one of their own. The action takes place over several years in Truvy's beauty shop where the women meet to discuss the triumphs and challenges of their lives. Through it all the women support each other saying that they might be as delicate as magnolia flowers but, when it comes to adversity, they are as tough as steel. All six of the actresses are superb and very well suited to their roles but my favorite was definitely Luke! Ouiser has some of the best dialogue in the show ("I'm not crazy! I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years.") and Luke's delivery is absolutely hilarious with lots of physical comedy. The characters are very well known and I associated them with the actresses who portrayed them in the movie so I was pleasantly surprised that each actress in this production was able to make the character her own. The set is a lot of fun with all of the accoutrements of a real beauty parlor and they actually work! Annelle literally washes and sets M'Lynn's hair during one scene. I loved all of the wacky seasonal decorations, made by Annelle after she discovers arts and crafts, to denote the different time periods. The 1980s period costumes are a hoot and I especially liked all of Shelby's outfits in different shades of pink (her signature color). The best thing about this show is the message that you can get through anything with the support of your friends! I really enjoyed this heart-warming production and I highly recommend it (especially if you are a fan of the movie). It runs at HCT through June 1 (go here for tickets and information).

The Wedding Guest

I am a big fan of action thrillers and I am also a fan of Dev Patel so I was excited to see The Wedding Guest yesterday afternoon at my favorite art house theater.  A mysterious man named Jay (Patel) travels from London to Lahore, Pakistan.  He methodically and efficiently makes his way from Lahore to Islamabad, frequently changing vehicles and identities, and purchases guns, duct tape, and a suitcase.  He tells people that he is on his way to attend a family wedding but it turns out that he has been hired to kidnap the bride, Samira (Radhika Apte), by her secret lover, Deepesh (Jim Sarbh).  When the plan goes awry, Deepesh loses his nerve and wants Jay to return Samira to her family but she sees Jay as a way to escape from an arranged marriage and convinces him to go on the run through India.  Patel is great as an action hero (I would like to see him in more roles like this) and Apte gives a highly nuanced performance as a victim who might be more than she seems and their chemistry together is smoldering.  The plot is engaging because the audience never really knows who is playing whom and the action is full of suspense and intrigue.  I really enjoyed the first two acts but, after such a dramatic build up, the resolution does not really deliver what was incipiently promised and it loses focus.  However, two hours of Dev Patel, frequently shirtless, does have its compensations!

Note:  I am looking forward to seeing Dev Patel once again when Hotel Mumbai is released next weekend!

Us

Last night I went to see Us, the brilliant new horror movie from Jordan Peele that I am still thinking about.  In 1986 a little girl named Adelaide (Madison Curry) is visiting the boardwalk on Santa Cruz beach.  She wanders away from her parents and goes into a Hall of Mirrors attraction where she sees her physical double.  This encounter traumatizes her but her parents are never able to get her to talk about what happened.  In the present day Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) returns to Santa Cruz on vacation with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke), her daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and son Jason (Evan Alex).  She is uneasy and seems to fear being at the beach.  When she wants to leave, she finally confides what happened to her husband saying she senses that her double is still out there.  Moments later the doubles of all four family members break into their house and terrorize them.  This movie is incredibly suspenseful and the tension is almost unbearable but there are also some really funny comedic elements which lighten the mood periodically.  It is pretty gruesome (you will never look at scissors in the same way again) as the family tries to elude and then kill their doubles but it is also quite metaphorical and thought-provoking as the mystery of who the doubles are finally unravels.  Everything, literally everything, in this movie is portentous and full of symbolism so you really need to pay attention (and perhaps see it again) and there is a plot twist that is absolutely mind-blowing!  If you can handle the gore, I highly recommend this movie for its brilliant mixture of horror, comedy, and social commentary.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Unbelievably, the only time I have ever seen the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is when we watched it in my ninth grade English class after reading the novel!  I was so happy for the opportunity yesterday to see it again, this time on the big screen, as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  It is a brilliant adaptation of one of my very favorite novels and it had a very powerful impact on me.  Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham) Finch learn that their father Atticus (Gregory Peck) is a hero when he defends an innocent black man named Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) against a charge of rape, even though he knows he will lose, simply because it is the right thing to do.  They also learn not to judge people until they have seen things from their perspective through their interactions with the reclusive Boo Radley (Robert Duvall). Peck gives an incredible performance as one of the most beloved characters in literature and there is a moment when he is giving his summation to the jury that took my breath away!  I love how this scene was filmed because as he leans towards the jury he is looking directly into the camera so it seems as if he is talking to the audience.  It is so powerful and I hoped against hope that the jury would be convinced and return a different verdict.  Another moment that I found especially poignant was when all of the black people sitting in the gallery rise as a sign of respect as Atticus walks out of the courtroom.  It brought a tear to my eye!  The young actors, Alford, Badham, and John Megna as their friend Dill, also give wonderful performances as precocious, yet innocent, children who must learn difficult life lessons.  I loved the scene where Jem refuses to leave his father alone when facing a lynch mob and the scene where Scout walks Boo Radley home.  Finally, I loved Elmer Bernstein's haunting score and the realistic sets representing the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression.  It was an incredible experience seeing this beautiful movie on the big screen and I highly encourage everyone to take advantage of one last opportunity to see it on Wednesday (go here for information and tickets).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at CPT

I have a distinct memory of watching the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with my sisters at one of the PTA summer movies when I was in elementary school (do they still have this program at elementary schools?) so I thought it would be fun to see it performed by CenterPoint Theatre last night. It was just delightful! The Potts children, Jeremy (Preston Spencer) and Jemima (Kaylee Call), love playing with their favorite car, which happened to win the Grand Prix back in the day, at a junk yard. When it is sold for scrap metal they beg their father, an eccentric inventor named Caractacus Potts (Ryan Zaugg), to buy it instead. Caractacus raises the money through a series of inventions such as a candy making machine and a hair cutting machine. He restores the car and, renaming it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, takes the children and Truly Scrumptious (Alisa Woodbrey) to the seaside for a picnic where they discover that the car can float and fly. Two Vulgarian spies (Clark Bullen and Kannon Servoss) see this and want to steal it for the Baron and Baroness Bomburst (Mark Gurney and Jessica Love, respectively) who love toys. They kidnap Grandpa Potts (David Nielsen) so the family take Chitty to Vulgaria to rescue him and banish the Baron and Baroness. This production is not quite as polished as some of the others I have seen at CPT but the reason why I like community theatre is because it is so quirky. Everyone involved gave it their all and there were several highlights. Spencer and Call are adorable as the Potts children, especially in "Truly Scrumptious." I also really enjoyed the children's ensemble and "Teamwork" is definitely the best of the big song and dance numbers. Bullen and Servoss are hilarious as the Vulgarian spies and I loved watching their facial expressions and their physical comedy. The set pieces are a lot of fun, particularly the breakfast making machine, and it is really clever how they are able to make Chitty fly! However, the very best part of this show is Zaugg's performance as Caractacus because he has a lovely voice. The songs "You Too" and "Hushabye Mountain" are absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed this show and I recommend it, especially for children (go here for information and tickets).

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2

I am now officially on spring break (such as it is) and I can think of no better way to begin the long weekend than by hearing Rachmaninoff performed by the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall.  The concert last night was an incredible experience and it took away all of the stresses of the preceding week (the end of the term is always difficult).  The orchestra began with a piece called Play by Andrew Norman.  The composer was there to introduce it and he called it a journey from chaos, where the instruments compete with each other rather jarringly, to peace in which the instruments cooperate with each other in harmony.  The percussion instruments control all of the other instruments and seem to turn them on and off at various times.  Norman also ascribed different moods and emotions to each instrument (my favorite was the "angry" clarinet) and has them make sounds in unusual and unexpected ways, such as having the horn players hit their mouthpieces and having the pianist strum the strings directly.  It was very unusual but I enjoyed it.  This piece required a high level of concentration and engagement to listen for all of the different emotions and moods so the next piece, Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff, was a nice break.  It was lovely, with a beautiful theme performed by the strings, and I closed my eyes and let it envelope me.  After the intermission, the orchestra played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, one of my favorite pieces, and they performed it brilliantly!  I love Rachmaninoff because he is so emotional and tempestuous and this piece is, at times, incredibly dramatic with themes that are repeated until they build to a swelling crescendo, and, at other times, it is poignant and filled with so much longing, especially the second movement with a theme played by the piano and then echoed throughout the orchestra.  Soloist Alexander Gavrylyuk, with fingers flying up and down the keyboard, interpreted this piece beautifully and was rewarded with a thundering ovation.  The Utah Symphony can always be counted on for a lovely evening!

Note:  A shortened version of this program will be performed tonight as part of a new series called Unwound.  You can dress casually, applaud whenever you want, participate in a variety of activities in the lobby, and purchase food and drinks before the concert.  Go here for more information and tickets.

Howard Jones at the Eccles Theater

I love Howard Jones and I have seen him in concert more times than I can count.  When I heard that he was coming back to SLC I decided that I probably didn't need to see him yet again.  Then my friend Cyndi mentioned that she had an extra ticket to the concert and asked me if I wanted to go.  Of course I said yes!  The show was last night and it was so much fun!  This time he performed at the Eccles Theater, which is a great venue for a concert, and he was joined by Nick Beggs and Robin Boult for an acoustic set.  He started things off with "Pearl in the Shell" and then proceeded to play all of the hits, including "No One is to Blame," "Like to Get to Know You Well," "You Know I Love You, Don't You," "Don't Always Look at the Rain," "Everlasting Love," "Things Can Only Get Better," "Life in One Day," "Hide and Seek," and "What Is Love?"  It was amazing to hear stripped down versions of these instantly recognizable songs and my favorite was a really bluesy rendition of "Don't Always Look at the Rain."  He also played a few Beatles covers, including "Oh, Darling," "Come Together," and "Twist and Shout" which were fabulous.  For the encore, he played a new song from his forthcoming album called "Hero in Your Eyes," which I really liked, and he ended the evening with "New Song," which is the song that turned me into a Howard Jones fan all those years ago!  In between songs he told lots of stories (he mentioned that we probably knew all of his stories because he's been to SLC so many times!).  He said that watching Bohemian Rhapsody made him really nostalgic for Live Aid before he sang "Hide and Seek" (which is the song he sang at Live Aid) for us and that made me love him even more.  I loved every minute of this concert because it brought back so many memories of my youth and I am so glad Cyndi asked me along!

Note:  I went with Cyndi the last time I saw Howard Jones at Red Butte Garden.  I decree that we must always see Howard Jones in concert together from now on!

The Kid

Ever since I saw the remake of The Magnificent Seven I have been a fan of Western films.  As such I was very intrigued by the premise of The Kid (I am also a huge fan of Ethan Hawke who I think is very underrated as an actor) so I went to see it yesterday.  A young boy named Rio (Jake Schur) kills his father in self-defense after the latter beats his mother to death.  He and his sister Sara (Leila George) go on the run through the Southwest but he is tormented by what he has done.  They encounter the legendary Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) and his gang just before he is captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett (Hawke).  Rio and Sara decide to travel with Garrett as he takes Billy to justice in Santa Fe.  Both Garrett and Billy sense what Rio has done and they each have occasion to tell him about the first man they killed.  Each murder was committed under similar circumstances but each man chose to take a different path, one becoming a man of justice and the other an outlaw.  When Sara is kidnapped by her uncle (Chris Pratt) in retribution for his brother's murder, Rio must decide whether to enlist Garrett's help to bring him to justice or to join Billy the Kid and seek vengeance.  I found the story of a boy who must decide what kind of man he wants to become to be very compelling and both Hawke and DeHaan (who is hit or miss with me) give very strong performances.  It was also quite interesting to see Pratt play a villain and he was more than up for the challenge.  The action sequences are fantastic and the final shoot-out is one of the best I've seen.  I also really enjoyed the sepia toned cinematography with beautiful wide shots of the Southwest.  Because this movie was released opposite Captain Marvel it is very much under the radar but, if you are a fan of the genre, it is definitely worth seeking out.

La Cage aux Folles at PTC

Several years ago PTC created a series featuring rarely performed musicals in concert format.  The actors use scripts and there are minimal costumes, sets, and props to let the music take center stage.  They began with The Rocky Horror Show (which was so popular that PTC presented it two years in a row) and continued with Chess and In the Heights.  I am a huge fan of this concept and I was excited to learn that this year's show was La Cage aux Folles because I've never seen it before.  I saw it last night and it was so much fun!  Georges (James Patterson) is an impresario of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring performers in drag and Albin (Jamison Stern) is his partner and star attraction.  Chaos ensues when Georges's son Jean-Michel (Patrick Ryan Castle) announces that he is engaged to Anne (Barbara Camara), the daughter of a conservative politician (former Utah senator Jim Dabakis) who wants to meet his family.  This show is full of laughs and big song and dance numbers (this has the most extensive choreography I've seen in PTC's concert versions) but it is also very heartwarming because it is, ultimately, about the importance of family.  The entire cast is very strong but Patterson has an incredible voice, especially in "Song in the Sand," and Brandon Contreras steals every scene he is in as Albin's "maid."   Stern is also fantastic, especially when he performs as the drag queen Za Za with the Cagelles.  I thought the scene where Georges tries to teach Albin how to be more masculine was the funniest thing I had ever seen until Senator Jim Dabakis appeared in drag at the end of the show.  That alone was worth the price of admission!  I enjoyed this show so much and I can't wait to see what the concert production will be next year.

Note:  One of the characters in this show is named Phaedra!  I can't think of a better name for a drag queen!

Utah Opera's The Magic Flute

Even though The Magic Flute is not one of my favorite operas (I much prefer the tragedies to the comedies), I have seen it several times because the Utah Opera programs it often.  You might think, then, that I would have no interest in Utah Opera's current production but two things compelled me to attend a performance last night.  First, Thierry Fischer, Director of the Utah Symphony, is the conductor and, second, Celena Shafer, a Utah fan favorite, plays the Queen of the Night.  The story, essentially, is a simple one in which the main character goes on a journey of discovery but it does contain some very powerful themes including light vs. dark and good vs. evil.  The Queen of the Night (Shafer) persuades Prince Tamino (Andrew Stenson) to rescue her daughter Pamina (Zulimar Lopez-Hernandez) from the clutches of the high priest Sarastro (Matt Boehler) but she really just wants Sarastro's power.  The Queen's bird-catcher Papageno (Joo Wan Kang) accompanies Tamino and her three ladies (Abigail Rethwisch, Melanie Ashkar, and Anne Maguire) give them a magic flute, silver bells, and three spirits (Oliver Laughlin, Theodore Hyngstrom, and Liam Khor-Brogan from the Madeleine Choir School) to help and guide them.  Tamino has fallen in love with Pamina but Sarastro requires him to undergo trials of initiation involving fire and ice (which are dramatically staged) before he can be with her and, using the magic flute, he prevails which banishes the Queen of the Night.  Papageno fails his trials but, by using the silver bells, he is rewarded with his ideal match, Papagena (Grace Khal), anyway.  The libretto may be fantastical but the music is absolutely glorious.  Thierry Fischer has such a light touch so his interpretations of Mozart are always beautiful and last night was no exception.  I had goosebumps multiple times.  Shafer was brilliant as the Queen of the Night, especially in the famous aria "Der Holle Rache."  It was received with cheers and an extended round of applause from the audience.  In addition to Shafer, I was really impressed with the entire cast, particularly Lopez-Hernandez as Pamino and Boehler as Sarastro.  I also really enjoyed the physical comedy (more than I usually do) and the gorgeous costumes.  There is only one performance left but I would recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Captive State

Last night I went to see a Thursday preview of Captive State and, while it was not quite what I was expecting, I really enjoyed it.  In fact, I am still thinking about it!  Ten years after an alien invasion of Earth, a group of insurgents are trying to spark a rebellion against the aliens who control the city of Chicago and a group of collaborators are trying to stop them.  One of the insurgents, Rafe Drummond (Jonathan Majors), was involved in a former rebellion that failed and is presumed dead but he resurfaces to organize a new cell with members who communicate with each other through an elaborate sequence of messages (everyone has implants which monitor their actions) and create an intricate plot to bomb a unity rally at Soldier Field.  Police Detective William Mulligan (John Goodman), the former partner of Rafe's father who was killed during the initial invasion, sees signs around the city that Rafe has resurfaced and attempts to quash the rebellion.  Gabriel Drummond (Ashton Sanders), Rafe's younger brother, is the unwitting pawn in both sides of the rebellion as he is used as a courier by the insurgents to get a message to his brother and he used by Mulligan to infiltrate the cell.  The most intriguing, and often the most frustrating, aspect of this movie is that you never really know anyone's true motivation because the audience is dropped in the middle of things without a lot of explanation of who the characters are.  There were many times when I wasn't sure what was going on but felt intuitively that every detail would eventually lead to something very important.  That proved to be the case with a reveal in the third act that pretty much blew my mind.  This movie is not really about the aliens but, rather, the humans who collude with them to create a totalitarian state and what a small group of people are willing to do to end the oppression.  It is gritty, fast-paced, and exciting with hand-held camera work that puts the audience in the middle of the action.  I found it to be compelling, if sometimes confusing, and very entertaining.

Five Feet Apart

Last night I went to an advance screening of Five Feet Apart and while I do love a good adaptation of a YA novel, if I am honest, the main reason I wanted to see this movie was Cole Sprouse.  When I was watching the trailer I thought the brooding love interest was really cute and when the names of the actors were revealed at the end I was really surprised to see Cole Sprouse.  Wasn't he one of the twins from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody?  I watched many episodes of that show with Tashena when she was a little girl and, apparently, the twins are all grown up!  Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is a cystic fibrosis patient in the hospital trying to get healthy enough for a lung transplant and she is obsessed with following her extensive daily regimen of drugs and treatments.  Will Newman (Sprouse), another cystic fibrosis patient in the hospital for a drug trial to combat a serious infection that makes him ineligible for a lung transplant, has a fatalistic view of his illness and is very lackadaisical about following his regimen.  Even though they are forced to to stay six feet apart to prevent cross-infection, they manage to elude their ever vigilant nurse Barb (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) and eventually develop feelings for each other.  She pushes him to follow his daily regimen and he helps her to loosen up (her act of rebellion is to allow him to come one foot closer to her).  Richardson and Sprouse give touching performances and have lots of chemistry together, which is quite the accomplishment because their characters cannot touch each other, and their love story is very poignant.  However, while most movies about doomed relationships between teens with terminal illnesses can't help but be emotionally manipulative, the melodramatic plot twist at the end of this movie is incredibly contrived and far-fetched.  I did really enjoy this movie (and I had a tear in my eye during some of the more emotional scenes) but the ending kept it from being great.  I suspect teenagers will absolutely love it!

Captain Marvel

Is there anything more thrilling than sitting in the middle of a large and rowdy crowd in a darkened theater with a big tub of popcorn waiting for a much-anticipated blockbuster to start?  I was so excited to see Captain Marvel last night and it did not disappoint!  On Hala, the home planet of the Kree, Vers (Brie Larson) is a member of the Starforce eager to prove herself to her mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) who tells her that she must keep her emotions in check and control her mysterious powers.  She is selected for a mission to rescue an undercover operative who has infiltrated the Skrulls, shapeshifters with whom the Kree have been at war for years, but the Kree are ambushed and Vers is captured by the Skrulls and subjected to a memory probe which reveals some unsettling details about her past.  She manages to escape and takes a pod which crashes on Earth.  She attracts the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), survives an attack by a group of Skrulls who have followed her, and has recurring images of life as USAF test pilot Carol Danvers.  With Fury's help, Vers goes on a journey to discover who she really is, intervenes in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, and ultimately becomes Captain Marvel.  I loved this movie so much!  Carol Danvers is such a great character and her arc is so satisfying, particularly when she realizes, in a series of flashbacks to her childhood, that her greatest weakness is really her strength!  I loved the dynamic between Carol and Nick Fury and some of their scenes together are absolutely hilarious!  I also enjoyed the relationship between Carol and her best friend and fellow test pilot Marie Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) because they are so supportive of each other.  Larson is fantastic in the role, giving Danvers some emotional heft while being completely kick-ass in the fight sequences. The visuals are dazzling (I saw it in 3-D) and I loved all of the fun 90s references, especially the music!  The story does a clever job of fitting into the MCU and setting up Avengers: Endgame (I can't wait!).  Definitely see this powerful and entertaining movie!

Sarah Brightman at Abravanel Hall

I love Sarah Brightman (she originated the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera) and I have had the chance to see her twice at the Delta Center.  When I found out that she would be appearing at Abravanel Hall I couldn't wait to see her in a more intimate setting with better acoustics.  I went to the concert last night with my Dad and my sister Kristine and it was every bit as theatrical as the big arena shows but the sound was absolutely amazing!  She had a band, an orchestra, and a choir backing her with lots of lights and other visual effects.  She had nine different costume changes (the sponsor of her tour is Swarovski so you can imagine what her costumes looked like) and every move, look, and gesture was intricately choreographed!  I loved every minute of this concert and I am pretty sure that it will be one of the highlights of this year!  Favorites from the first act include "Stranger in Paradise," "Anytime, Anywhere," which is my favorite Sarah Brightman song, "Misere Mei," and "Figlio Perduto" from Beethoven's 7th Symphony (which was almost unbearably beautiful).  She sang an ethereal rendition of Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever" which brought a tear to my eye.  I've heard her sing it live before but it was especially poignant for me after watching Bohemian Rhapsody so many times.  She wore a flowing white gown which made her look like an angel and at the end of the song she was enveloped by a cloud of fog.  It was quite emotional. After the intermission she sang several songs from her latest album Hymn, including the title track, "Sogni," my favorite song from the album, with Vincent Niclo, "Better Is One Day," "Fly to Paradise," "Canto Per Noi," and "Tu Che M' Hai Preso Il Cuor."  She also sang "Pie Jesu" from Requiem, which is a piece I love because I sang it in choir when I was in college, and a simplified more intimate version of "Time To Say Goodbye" with her on piano.  The choir sang "Masquerade" from The Phantom of the Opera and then she and Niclo performed "The Phantom of the Opera" which brought the audience to their feet (not for the first or last time)!  She ended the set with a beautiful rendition of "Running."  For the encore, she performed "Deliver Me," "Ave Maria," and a rousing rendition of "A Question of Honour."  The show was simply spectacular and I am so glad that I got to see her in such an wonderful venue (especially with my Dad and sister)!

Note:  Over the years I have been lucky enough to see many powerful singers grace the stage at Abravanel Hall, including Rosemary Clooney, Betty Buckley, Elaine Paige, Sissel, Audra McDonald, and Renee Fleming.

Apollo 11

Apollo 11 was on my list of possibilities for Sundance this year but, by the time I was able to purchase tickets, every screening was sold out.  I hoped that it would eventually be released in theaters and, luckily, it has a limited run in IMAX and I was able to see it yesterday afternoon.  It is simply stunning!  This documentary shows us every aspect of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, from wheeling the launchpad into position on an enormous platform with caterpillar wheels to the splashdown of the capsule in the ocean, using previously unseen footage taken by NASA for a documentary that never came to fruition.  It is structured in chronological order as if we are watching this event happen in real time.  There is no narration; rather, the audio comes from the the NASA announcers, the technicians in the control room speaking into headsets, the astronauts in space, and the contemporary news commentary from Walter Conkrite.  I was a one-year-old child at the time of this mission so, of course, I don't remember anything about it but this documentary made me feel some of what it must have been like to watch it unfold!  There are some incredibly dramatic moments, such as the lift-off, the landing on the moon, the lift-off from the moon, and the re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.  Even though I knew the outcome of these events, I found myself holding my breath in suspense and that is due, in large part, to the brilliant pulse-pounding score by Matt Morton used in these moments.  As much as I enjoyed these dramatic scenes, I was absolutely fascinated by the more mundane moments that are also chronicled.  For some reason, I never really knew how long the mission was (I always think of it as taking place in a day or two).  It was so interesting to see the different color-coded teams who supported the astronauts around the clock and I loved hearing them check-in with the astronauts at the beginning of their shifts.  I was so surprised to see how primitive the technology was by today's standards and to see the giant binders with check-lists of tasks that had to be accomplished for the mission to succeed.  It really is overwhelming when you think about everything that had to go right to make it to the moon!  The images on the screen are simply breathtaking, especially the views in space and the images on the moon, but one of my favorite moments is when the screen is split to show all of the different departments giving the "go" for launch.  This is easily the best film that I have seen in 2019 and I urge you not to miss this incredible experience!

Greta

Last night I went to see a late night screening of Greta because I was really intrigued by the trailer.  I love a good psychological thriller but, unfortunately, this movie is not that.  Frances McCullen (Chloe Grace Moretz) finds an expensive handbag on the subway and decides to return it to its owner who turns out to be Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a middle-aged French woman who gives piano lessons in her home.  Having recently lost her mother, Frances befriends the lonely woman who becomes a sort of surrogate mother to her.  When Frances finds out a disturbing secret about Greta, she tries to end the relationship.  However, Greta won't let the friendship end and begins stalking Frances, becoming more and more aggressive until she eventually kidnaps Frances.  Two-thirds of this movie is really good.  It is intense and full of suspense.  Greta is such a fascinating character because at first she is very sympathetic as a lonely woman looking for a friend but then she becomes more and more menacing as her motivation is revealed.  The scenes between Greta and Frances are fraught with tension, especially when Greta visits the restaurant where Frances works, and both Huppert and Moretz give great performances.  Huppert is suitably creepy as the villain and Moretz really makes us feel Frances' desperation.  Regrettably, the final act descends into the absurd as a series of underdeveloped secondary characters enter the action to try and save Frances.  There is one scene in particular, when a private detective (Stephen Rea) visits Greta, that is so absolutely bonkers that I laughed out loud because I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Apparently, all of the acting budget was spent on Huppert and Moretz because every other actor in this movie is abysmal, especially Maika Monroe who plays Frances' roommate.  Finally, I found the final resolution to be be very campy, and not in a good way, which would have been fine had it been marketed as a B-movie rather than a spine-tingling thriller.  I was quite disappointed because, like so many movies I have seen this year (go here and here), it could have been so good if it had kept its focus on the dynamic between the two main characters.  Give this a miss.

Casablanca In Concert

I absolutely love the Utah Symphony Films In Concert Series!  Last night the film shown on the big screen with the score played live by the Utah Symphony was Casablanca, widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, and it was simply amazing!  Casablanca is one of my favorites and I've seen it many times, even on the big screen, but last night is definitely the best viewing experience I’ve had!  Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is a hard-drinking club owner who is only out for himself in Casablanca, a haven for European refugees desperate for exit visas to escape the Nazis during World War II.  He ably navigates the the world of black marketeers, corrupt officials, and German officers until Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his club with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a hero of the resistance in need of safe passage.  Ilsa was once Rick's lover in Paris but she abandoned him, and even though he has documents that will ensure safe passage for her and her husband, he is bitter and refuses to help her.  Ilsa loves Rick but she admires and respects her husband and will do anything to help him continue his work with the resistance, even sacrifice her own happiness, but is Rick willing to sacrifice his own happiness to help them?  I have to admit that I am usually so riveted by the action on the screen that I don't pay much attention to Max Steiner's score.  However, hearing it played live by the orchestra brought the music to the forefront and it added so much to the story!  I noticed that elements of the song "As Time Goes By" by Herman Hupfeld are incorporated beautifully throughout the score as a leitmotif for Rick and Ilsa's doomed relationship, adding to the poignancy of their scenes.  One of my favorite moments in the film is when "La Marseillaise" is sung to drown out a German drinking song and, once again, I noticed that elements of this anthem are used throughout to highlight the political intrigue.  I loved this concert and I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's screening (go here).

Muse at the Vivint Arena

I have seen Muse perform live many times and every show is a light and sound extravaganza.  Last night, when the band was in town in support of their latest album Simulation Theory, was certainly no exception.  It was an awesome concert!  I really love Simulation Theory and I was happy that they played quite a few songs from it.  They began the show with the Alternate Reality version of "Algorithm" and then played "Pressure," "Break It to Me," "Propaganda," "The Dark Side" (my favorite song from the album), a rousing version of "Thought Contagion" which got the Vivint Arena rocking, and the Acoustic Gospel version of "Dig Down."  Every song was accompanied by incredibly theatrical lights, lasers, visuals, and choreographed performers in various LED light up suits.  I loved it!  They also played the hits, and some more obscure tracks, including "Psycho," "Uprising," "Plug In Baby," "Supermassive Black Hole," "Hysteria," "Madness," "Mercy," "Time Is Running Out," and an epic version of "Take a Bow."  They ended their set with "Starlight," which is my favorite Muse song, and the obligatory confetti and streamers.  For the encore they played "Algorithm," a kick-ass medley of "Stockholm Syndrome," "Assassin," "Reapers," "The Handler," and "New Born" complete with a giant cyborg skeleton looming over the stage, and "Knights of Cydonia."  Matt Bellamy was in full rock-star mode wearing leather pants, neon shutter shades, and a variety of leather jackets (including several with LED lights) and he spent much of the evening shredding while on a runway extending into the crowd.  It was quite the spectacle and I absolutely loved it!

Once at PTC

When I saw the Broadway touring production of Once several years ago, I didn't know anything about the musical.  However, it quickly became one of my favorites because of the bittersweet love story and the incredibly beautiful music!  So I was thrilled to see PTC's version last night and I fell in love with the show all over again!  A Guy (Roderick Lawrence) is singing one of his songs on the street in Dublin when a Girl (Hillary Porter) hears him and strikes up a conversation.  She really likes his song but he tells her that he wants to give up on music because all of his songs were written about a girl who left him to go to New York.  She encourages him to sing more of his songs and eventually helps him record a demo.  He begins to have feelings for her and tells her that he may have written the songs for another girl but now he is singing them for her.  She knows that she needs to reconcile with her estranged husband for the sake of her daughter and that he needs to go to New York to play his music for his former girlfriend so she convinces him to go.  If you have ever had someone come into your life for just a brief moment but have a profound impact on it then this story will break your heart.  I had tears streaming down my face at the end.   The staging of this show is quite different from the Broadway version but I really liked the use of the turntable and the guitar motif.  The entire cast is unbelievably talented (all of the secondary characters in the show play a variety of instruments live on stage) but I was especially impressed with both Porter and Lawrence (I really loved Lawrence in this role).  They have beautiful voices and are outstanding musicians (piano and guitar, respectively).  Their renditions of my three favorite songs, "Falling Slowly," "If You Want Me," and "Gold," gave me goosebumps!  This just might be my very favorite production by PTC!  There is quite a bit of profanity (they are Irish, after all) but if you are not bothered by that I highly recommend this wonderful show (go here for tickets) which runs through March 2.

Fighting With My Family

Last night I went to see Fighting With My Family and I really enjoyed this biopic about WWE wrestler Saraya "Paige" Bevis.  Saraya (Florence Pugh) lives in the working class English town of Norwich and wrestles with her father Patrick "Rowdy Ricky" (Nick Frost), her mother Julia "Sweet Saraya" (Lena Headey), and her brother Zak "Zodiac" (Jack Lowden) in their own wrestling league, the World Association of Wrestling.  Both Saraya and Zak are invited to try-out for the WWE by Hutch Morgan (Vince Vaughn) but only Saraya is signed to NXT, the developmental league for the WWE.  Zak must deal with the loss of his dream and Saraya, who changes her name to Paige after a character on her favorite TV show Charmed, must survive a grueling training program as an outsider and an underdog.  She is a skilled wrestler but doesn't know how to brand herself or relate to the crowd.  The movie ends when Paige is given an opportunity to fight for the Divas Championship in some scenes that will make you want to stand up and cheer.  Zak must learn that teaching kids with nowhere else to go how to wrestle is important and Paige must learn that all she needs to do is be herself.  It is a bit formulaic but it is also funny (especially the scenes with her parents), inspirational, and heart warming.  Pugh and Lowden give earnest performances that make it easy to cheer for their characters while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is quite funny in a cameo.  I don't know much about wrestling but I had a lot of fun watching this feel-good movie and I would definitely recommend it.

Ballet West's Swan Lake

Last night I got to see a glorious production of my very favorite ballet, Swan Lake, and I got to see my favorite dancer with Ballet West, Christopher Ruud, perform for the final time on the Capitol Theatre stage as Prince Siegfried.  Needless to say it was a lovely evening!  The ballet begins when Princess Odette (Katherine Lawrence) and her handmaidens are transformed into swans by the Baron von Rothbart, an evil sorcerer.  Many years later Prince Siegfried (Ruud) is celebrating his 21st birthday with friends.  His mother, the Queen, presents him with a crossbow and reminds him that he must soon take a bride which fills him with dismay.  He decides to go hunting with his friends and follows a flock of swans to a lake where he captures one of them.  The swan struggles and then transforms into a beautiful woman.  It is the Princess Odette and she begs Siegfried to spare the other swans.  She is a swan by day but becomes a human in the moonlight and only the true love of a human man can break the spell she is under.  Siegfried is captivated by her and they dance the most beautiful pas de deux, which is filled with such longing and emotion, as they fall in love.  Before Siegfried can declare his love, the dawn comes and Odette is transformed back into a swan.  At Siegfried's birthday ball he is introduced to princesses from around the world but he is not interested until the Baron von Rothbart appears with his daughter Odile, who has been enchanted to look exactly like Odette.  Thinking that she is Odette, Siegfried dances a pas de deux with Odile, which mimics many of the same movements with his pas de deux with Odette but is more powerful and seductive, and he declares his love to her.  Rothbart then reveals his treachery.  Siegfried returns to the lake in despair and begs Odette for forgiveness, which she grants, before they hurl themselves onto the rocks breaking the spell.  Tchaikovsky's magnificent score was performed brilliantly and there were moments when the music was so heart-wrenching that it brought tears to my eyes.  The choreography is exquisite and the artists of Ballet West performed so passionately.  Ruud gave one of the best performances I've ever seen in the iconic role.  Lawrence was alternatively demure as Odette and provocative as Odile and I loved many of the swan-like mannerisms that were incorporated into her portrayal.  The opulent sets and lavish costumes transport the audience into another world and I was absolutely riveted throughout the whole performance.  My very favorite moment came when all of the swans emerged one by one from the mist.  It was magical!  I'm so glad that I was able to see my favorite dancer end an incredible career in such a beautiful production and I highly recommend getting a ticket to his final performance tonight (go here).

An American in Paris at HCT

If you need a little joie de vivre in your life (and who doesn't in the middle of winter) then might I suggest attending An American in Paris at Hale Centre Theatre. It is a song and dance extravaganza set in Paris after World War II featuring the music of George and Ira Gershwin. 'S wonderful! 'S marvelous! Jerry Mulligan (Wesley Valdez) is an American soldier who decides to stay in Paris after the war to pursue his dream of becoming a painter. He sees Lise (Juliet Doherty), a Parisian shopgirl with aspirations of becoming a ballerina, on the street and begins to pursue her. They meet every afternoon along the Seine and inevitably fall in love but complications arise. Lise feels a duty to the Baurel family for hiding her from the Nazis and accepts a proposal of marriage from their son Henri (Taylor Morris). Jerry is indebted to his patron Milo Davenport (Ashley Gardner Carlson), a rich American heiress who promotes his art and falls in love with him. It takes several more dazzling dance sequences for Jerry and Lise to realize that they belong together! The choreography, which is used to tell the story, is simply amazing! I especially loved the big production numbers "I've Got Rhythm" in the middle of a Parisian cafe, "I've Got Beginner's Luck" in the Galleries Lafayette where Lise works, "Rhapsody Ballet" at a costume ball, and "Stairway to Paradise" at a Parisian nightclub. I loved how the choreography incorporates props such as umbrellas, benches, lampposts, and perfume counters into the numbers. The cast features incredibly talented dancers, especially the two leads. Doherty (who is single-cast) performs the demanding choreography, much of it on pointe, effortlessly and with so much passion while Valdez is charismatic and captivating to watch. I was so impressed with their performance in the final ballet because it requires a lot of stamina coming at the end of the show. I also really enjoyed Carlson's characterization of Milo as a formidable, yet vulnerable, woman and she provides quite a bit of comic relief with her delivery. The costumes are fantastic, especially Milo's elaborate gowns, the dramatic black and red costumes at the ball, and the sparkly showgirl costumes in "Stairway to Paradise."  The set is very clever and incorporates inventive choreography as pieces are moved on and off the stage. Who could ask for anything more? This production is a beautiful love letter to the City of Lights (my favorite city) and I highly recommend it. An American in Paris runs at HCT on the Main Stage through April 6 (go here for tickets).

Note:  Don't forget about the hilarious A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder which is currently being performed on the HCT Jewel Box Stage through March 16.

My Fair Lady

After seeing the stage musical My Fair Lady performed as a concert with the Utah Symphony on Saturday night, I spent Sunday afternoon watching the Academy Award-winning film adaptation as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and I loved it so much!  This is one of my favorite movies from my childhood (I have vivid memories of watching it and other movie musicals at my Grandma Anderson's house) and it was incredible seeing it on the big screen!  Audrey Hepburn is absolutely luminous as Eliza Doolittle, a Covent Garden flower girl, and Rex Harrison is charmingly irascible as Professor Henry Higgins, the arrogant phonetics professor who sets about turning her into a lady.  I love every single scene in this film but I wait with bated breath for the Ascot race with all of those beautiful black and white gowns, especially Eliza's, and the Embassy Ball when Eliza makes her grand entrance in a glittering gown and is mistaken for royalty.  I love all of the instantly recognizable songs but my favorites are "On the Street Where You Live" sung by a lovesick Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett), "The Rain in Spain" sung by Eliza, Higgins, and Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) when Eliza finally makes some progress, and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" when Higgins suddenly realizes that he loves Eliza.  I love the production design for this film and I always swoon over Higgins' library!  This film is simply loverly and I had a huge smile on my face while watching it.  I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen and you have one more opportunity to do so on Wednesday (go here for more information).

My Fair Lady with the Utah Symphony

Last night the Utah Symphony performed a concert version of the stage musical My Fair Lady.  They were joined by Broadway stars Peter Scolari as Professor Henry Higgins (I saw him as the Wizard in Wicked on Broadway), Susan Derry as Eliza Doolittle, Jeff Mattsey as Alfred P. Doolittle, Charlie Tingen as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, and Michelle McConnell and Cree Carrico as the female ensemble.  In a concert setting there is minimal dialogue, limited choreography, and only a few costume changes so the music is allowed to shine.  The orchestra and the performers did an amazing job of bringing the story to life with their interpretation of the score.  Derry has a beautiful voice and I especially enjoyed her renditions of "Just You Wait" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." I also really liked her performance of "The Rain in Spain" with Scolari and I was very moved by his heartfelt version of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face."  Finally, I loved Tingen's performance of "On the Street Where You Live" which is my favorite song in the show because I think it is so romantic.  The entire evening was just loverly!

Note:  I've heard a rumor that the Utah Symphony will be performing the musical Singin' in the Rain in concert next season!

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at the Commonwealth Room

I became a fan of Promise of the Real when I saw them perform with Neil Young on tour.  I thought they had a really great rock-country sound.  Then I found out that Lukas Nelson co-wrote some of the songs for the movie A Star is Born with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and that Promise of the Real performs in the movie as Jackson Maine's band.  I loved these songs and I bought the movie soundtrack and listened to it over and over.  Then I discovered Promise of the Real's latest self-titled album which I also love.  When I found out that they were coming to SLC I bought a ticket as soon as they went on sale (which was a good thing because the show sold out very quickly) and I've been looking forward to it for so long!  I had never been to the Commonwealth Room before last night and now I think it is a great venue because it is so intimate.  I ended up right in front of the stage which was fantastic because Lukas Nelson is pretty easy on the eyes.  The older woman standing next to me said that if she was my age she would be chasing after him!  Not only is he good looking but he is very talented and charismatic and he and his band certainly know how to put on a good show!  They played their songs "Find Yourself" (which is my favorite), "Fool Me Once," "Just Outside of Austin," "Carolina," "Four Letter Word," "Little Girl," "Start to Go," "Forget About Georgia," "Turn Off the News," and "Something Real."  They also played a few songs off their forthcoming album, including "Save a Little Heartache" and "Where Does Love Go When It Dies" which I really liked.  I loved hearing all of these songs live because Lukas sounds so much like his Dad (who just happens to be Willie Nelson).  They also performed a few covers including a super sultry version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown," "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, and "L.A. Woman" by the Doors.  The highlight for me came during the encore when they played an amazing version of "Shallow" from A Star is Born.  It was incredibly powerful and it gave me goosebumps (even though it didn't include Lady Gaga).  This was my first concert of 2019 and it was definitely a good one!

Cold Pursuit

I went into Cold Pursuit last night thinking that it would be a typical Liam Neeson revenge movie.  While it is an action thriller that revolves around a father seeking vengeance for the death of his son, it is also a strangely compelling dark comedy that I liked much more than I thought I would.  Nels Coxman (Neeson) is a snowplow driver in the Colorado ski town of Kehoe.  His son Kyle (Michael Richardson), a baggage handler at the Kehoe airport, dies of an overdose of heroin.  Believing that his son didn't use drugs, Coxman investigates and discovers that he was killed by a drug cartel in Denver over a misplaced cocaine shipment.  He vows revenge and kills the three men directly responsible for Kyle's death but then decides to take down the leader of the cartel, Trevor "Viking" Calcote (Tom Bateman), as well.  Chaos ensues when Viking mistakenly assumes that his men were killed by the local Ute tribe, led by White Bull (Tom Jackson), who control the drug trade in Kehoe.  When his only son is killed by Viking in retribution, White Bull also vows revenge.  This leads to an epic shootout between Coxman, White Bull's gang, and Viking's gang, leaving an ambitious Kehoe police officer (Emmy Rossum) to sort out the bodies.  This movie is filled with eccentric characters (each with a nickname) who behave in such an over-the-top manner that it almost seems like a spoof of the genre.  All of their bizarre antics are wildly entertaining, especially the irreverent ways in which Coxman kills and disposes of the bodies of his victims, and I laughed out loud at the gallows humor many times.  My favorite part of the movie is when each character gets a full-screen "in memoriam" card, complete with nickname, after he is killed (the entire screen is filled with names and nicknames after the shootout!).  It gets pretty wacky (imagine if Taken and Fargo had a baby) but I enjoyed it.

Note:  This movie even has its own version of Fargo's infamous woodchipper scene.

They Shall Not Grow Old

My great-grandfather fought in World War I with the Gordon Highlanders and was wounded at the Battle of Ypres so I have had a lifelong fascination with this war.  I really wanted to see They Shall Not Grow Old, the Peter Jackson documentary commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, but I missed the original screenings for one reason or another.  I was so excited when I found out that it was returning to theaters for a limited engagement and I went to see it yesterday.  It begins with the black and white, silent, and grainy footage that we have all seen before and then transitions into restored and colorized images with recreated sound.  I know that many people are against colorizing old film footage but, to me, this gave the images an immediacy that I had never experienced before, as if these events had happened during my lifetime rather than one hundred years ago.  It is incredibly powerful to see!  The documentary also includes audio of interviews with 120 veterans about their experiences as British soldiers on the western front and these are incredibly moving.  I was struck by several commonalities in the narrative.  First, the men were very eager to enlist because, not only did they want to do their part for king and country, but they also wanted adventure.  Many of them were leaving the villages where they were born for the first time!  Second, most of them didn't complain about the truly horrific conditions in the trenches because they felt they had a job to do and simply got on with it.  Third, they regarded the German prisoners of war as lads just like themselves and started wondering why they were being asked to kill them.  Fourth, most of them reported that there were no celebrations on Armistice Day and many of them wondered what would happen to them now that the war was over.  Several mentioned that they were more concerned about going home than they were about enlisting!  These anonymous voices make the war come alive and I thought of my own great-grandfather many times, especially when the footage included men in kilts and the sound of a plaintive bagpipe.  I highly recommend seeing this extraordinary film while it is still in theaters!

Lend Me A Tenor at CPT

Last night I had the chance to see Lend Me A Tenor, the current production at CenterPoint Theatre, and it was so much fun.  Henry Saunders (Michael Hohl), the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, has invited the world-renowned tenor Tito Merelli (Dale Boam) to perform for one night only. He asks his assistant Max (Michael Gardner) to get Merelli to the opera house on time but, when Merelli is indisposed, he has to take drastic action. Add a jealous wife (Holly Reid), an ambitious diva (Kati Paul), a love-struck daughter (Katie Plott), a ditsy opera guild president (Laura Krummenacher), and an opera loving bellhop (Holden Smith) and hilarity ensues. It took a little while for this show to get going but, once it did, it was full of physical comedy and mistaken identity that had the audience howling with laughter. I especially enjoyed a scene where both Tito and Max, who is impersonating Tito, are entertaining women in the hotel suite and then the women inadvertently end up with different Titos. The set, which features a hotel sitting room and bedroom with a connecting door (which are both visible to the audience), is fantastic and really adds to the action as Tito and Max run in and out while slamming doors. The costumes are also a lot of fun, especially the opera guild president's dress ("You look like the Chrysler building!") and the costume Tito (and Max!) wears as Othello. The cast has great comedic timing, particularly Gardner who has great facial expressions as the overwrought Max. As an opera fan, I really enjoyed the arias used at the end of scenes because the subject mimics the action. I'm sure most audience members didn't catch on but I laughed out loud when Mozart's "Lacrimosa" played after Tito is presumed dead!  I recommend this hilarious show for a fun night out (go here for tickets).

Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique"

It seems like it has been such a long time since I've been to Abravanel Hall to hear the Utah Symphony so I was very happy to be there last night for a concert featuring one of my favorite composers!  The orchestra began with the Overture to Tannhauser by Richard Wagner and I absolutely loved it!  This opera is about the temptation and ultimate redemption of a troubadour and the music is incredibly dramatic (I loved the themes played by the brass)!  After this performance I definitely need to put this opera on my list ones I want to see!  Next came a trio of pieces by Hector Berlioz: Sara la baigneuse, Ballade for Three Choruses and Orchestra featuring the Utah Symphony Chorus and the University of Utah Chamber Choir; "La Mort d'Ophelie" from Tristia featuring the women from the aforementioned choruses; and Reverie et caprice for Violin and Orchestra featuring an amazing performance by soloist Philippe Quint.  I loved all of these pieces but I especially enjoyed the second because I am obsessed with the play Hamlet and I could see Ophelia's death scene very clearly as I listened to the beautiful and ethereal music.  After the intermission, the orchestra played Symphony No. 6  ("Pathetique") by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  I love the Russian composers because their music is very emotional and this piece, in particular, is almost unbearably so.  I especially enjoyed the final movement because I think it is so passionate and filled with such longing.  This was the best interpretation of this piece that I have ever heard and I had tears in my eyes at its conclusion!  It was an evening filled with music from three of the best composers from the 19th century romantic era performed beautifully by the Utah Symphony and I loved every minute of it!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Destroyer

Last night I went to see Destroyer, a film I've been wanting to see for months.  The trailer really intrigued me because it seemed to feature a tormented character looking for redemption which is a favorite theme of mine.  The tormented character in this film is LAPD Detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) who, twenty years ago, infiltrated a notorious gang in an undercover operation with an FBI agent (Sebastian Stan) that involved a robbery gone wrong.  She was clearly traumatized by this event and, with her career in shambles and her relationship with her daughter (Jade Pettyjohn) in crisis, she responds to a murder scene which she believes is a message for her that Silas (Toby Kebbell), the leader of the gang, has resurfaced.  On her own, she cruises the underbelly of Los Angeles looking for former gang members Toby (James Jordan), Arturo (Zach Villa), and Petra (Tatiana Maslany) as well as DiFranco (Bradley Whitford), a crooked lawyer who launders money for the gang, to find Silas and exact vengeance.  Interspersed with her search for Silas are flashbacks to her time in the gang and the ill-fated robbery with an interesting revelation about her participation (and another interesting revelation in the present).  It is a fairly standard story of revenge but it is elevated by a transformative performance by Kidman who makes you care about a thoroughly unpleasant person doing reprehensible things.  The rest of the cast is uniformly good as well, especially Whitford and Maslany.  This film, in many ways, reminded me of You Were Never Really Here in that there is a kind of beauty in the brutality (Bell is thoroughly battered and bruised throughout but never wavers in her determination to set things right) and the redemption comes from an unexpected source.  Not everyone will enjoy this movie but I think it is brilliant.

Sundance Film Festival 2019

The Sundance Film Festival has concluded for 2019 and I had such a great time!  I am incredibly sleep deprived but I saw some amazing films and had some wonderful conversations with film aficionados from all over the world (including a couple from Sweden and a really cool girl from Toronto).  I was able to see fifteen films this year including two with students!  My first film was a documentary called Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Played With Fire which intrigued me because I am a huge fan of the Millennium series of books.  It chronicles Larrson's job as a journalist as he relentlessly investigated neo-Nazis and the extreme right in Europe, wrote books about the subject, and founded a magazine called Expo.  This suggests that he is every bit as interesting as his character Mikael Blomkvist.  I found it fascinating and alarming that so many extreme groups exist in Europe.  My second film was Adam, a comedy about a naive and inexperienced high school student (Nicholas Alexander) who convinces his parents to let him spend the summer in New York City with his older sister (Margaret Qualley) who is hiding the fact that she is a lesbian from them.  He attends a party with his sister and her LGTBQ friends and meets Gillian (Bobbi Salvor Menuez).  He immediately falls in love with her but she is a lesbian and she thinks that he is transgender.  Hilarity ensues as he tries to keep up the ruse.  This film is really funny and what I liked most about it is that a cisgendered heterosexual male is the outsider whose character arc involves learning how to accept others.  My third film was To the Stars which is set in a rural town in Oklahoma during the 1960s.  Iris Deerborne (Kara Hayward) is an incredibly repressed teenager who is bullied by her mother and all of the kids at school.  Her life changes when she meets a new girl from the city with a secret (Liana Liberato).  It was shot in black and white which made it quite moody and atmospheric and, while it did become heavy-handed at times, I enjoyed this coming of age story.  My fourth film was another documentary called David Crosby: Remember My Name.  It is a brutally honest portrait of a man living with regrets with an amazing soundtrack!  As a fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young I really loved it!  My fifth film was a free midnight screening of Honey Boy.  The script was written by Shia LaBeouf about his own experiences as a child actor with an abusive father.  Lucas Hedges plays Otis, a young actor on a downward spiral when several DUIs and a drunken tirade land him in court-mandated rehab.  He is forced to confront his past through a series of flashbacks with Noah Jupe playing the young Otis and LaBeouf brilliantly playing his own father.  It is a beautiful and heartbreaking film and I am so glad I got to see it (even though I might be getting too old for these midnight screenings on school nights).  My sixth film was The Souvenir, a huge hit with the critics which I found to be a bit boring.  Julie (Honor Swinton-Byrne) is a young and inexperienced film student from a wealthy and privileged background struggling to find her voice.  She meets an older and charismatic man named Anthony (Tom Burke) and they begin a tumultuous affair.  Julie eventually discovers that Anthony is a heroin addict and their doomed relationship helps her find her voice as a filmmaker.  This film is incredibly episodic and vague and, even though many scenes are incredibly beautiful, sometimes they seem rather pointless.  I think it requires more engagement than I was willing to give it.  My seventh film was a student screening of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (go here for my review).  I really loved this film and so did my students.  My eighth film was Them That Follow, an incredibly atmospheric coming of age story about a young girl in rural Appalachia.  Mara (Alice Englert) is a devout member of a snake-handling Pentacostal community who is about to enter an arranged marriage but is secretly in love with a nonbeliever.  She must choose between her beliefs and the man she loves.  It starts very slowly but, when it gets going, it is very intense (audience members at my screening gasped out loud multiple times).  My ninth film was Midnight Traveler.  One of my colleagues in the English department asked me to chaperone his field trip to another student screening (he chaperoned my field trip, too).  This documentary chronicles the harrowing three year journey that filmmaker Hassan Fazili and his family, including two young daughters, take from Afghanistan to Europe seeking asylum after he receives a death threat from the Taliban.  The students were incredibly affected by everything this family had to go through which is truly heartbreaking.  My tenth film was The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a story about a young black man (Jimmie Fails) and his obsession with a Victorian house built by his grandfather.  It is a fresh, original, and quirky exploration of identity, friendship, gentrification, and urban violence.  I really liked it but it might not be for everyone.  My eleventh film was Clemency, which is my favorite film of the festival.  It is a powerful story about the death penalty (to which I am vehemently opposed) and how it affects those who are required to carry out executions.  Alfre Woodard stars as warden Bernadine Williams who conducts these "procedures" dispassionately and by the letter of the law until she suffers from PTSD over a botched execution.  She then becomes emotionally involved with Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), the next inmate scheduled for execution who may well be innocent.  Both Woodard and Hodge give brilliant and affecting performances which reduced me, and the entire audience, to tears multiple times.  I highly recommend this amazing film.  My twelfth film, Top End Wedding, is about a young woman's search for her mother and, ultimately, her own identity before her wedding.  I'm not usually a fan of romantic comedies but I had to see this film because it stars Gwilym Lee (who played Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody)!  It is fairly typical of the genre but it is quite funny and I enjoyed the setting in Australia.  My thirteenth film was Brittany Runs a Marathon, another favorite of mine.  Brittany (Gillian Bell) spends her evenings partying at clubs, her mornings recovering from hangovers, and her afternoons going late to her dead-end job as a ticket taker at a theatre.  She goes to a doctor to get a prescription for adderall but, instead, is told that she needs to lose weight or face serious health consequences.  She decides to start running and, eventually, to train for the New York Marathon.  This film is not just about Brittany's journey to run a marathon but it is also about her journey learning to love herself and I think it is not only funny but also incredibly inspiring.  I loved it!  My fourteenth film was Official Secrets which tells the true story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a whistleblower who leaks a classified document to the press hoping to stop the Iraq War.  I liked this film for its important story about an ordinary woman willing to face catastrophic consequences in order to follow her conscience as well as its stellar cast (the aforementioned Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Matt Smith, Jeremy Northam, and Rhys Ifans).  My fifteenth and final film was Love, Antosha, a documentary about the late actor Anton Yelchin.  It begins when his parents, professional ice skaters Irina and Viktor, decide to leave the Soviet Union to give their infant son a better life in the United States.  We learn that Anton suffered from cystic fibrosis, was not just a precocious child actor but a dedicated student of film, and was an accomplished photographer and musician (all of which I did not know before this film).  There are very touching interviews with many of his co-stars (most notably Chris Pine, Jennifer Lawrence, Martin Landeau, and Jodie Foster).  It made me miss him all over again!  Fifteen movies, ten days, five venues, two student screenings, and zero sleep produced countless memories!  I loved every minute!

Note:  It's nice to know that I have good taste!  All of my favorite films won awards this year:  Clemency won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, The Last Black Man in San Francisco won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Prize, Honey Boy won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Vision and Craft, Brittany Runs a Marathon won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award, and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize.  Good stuff!

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