Mad Max: Fury Road

I have been a huge fan of the Mad Max franchise.  The first movie was an obscure Australian cult classic that I watched over and over on cable when I was in Jr. High because I had a major crush on the young Mel Gibson (I loved the movie Gallipoli).  I was very intrigued about this new installment and, when my Mom mentioned that she wanted to see it, I eagerly bought tickets for Saturday afternoon.  My Mom is so cool!  Mad Max: Fury Road is an adrenaline rush that never lets up from the opening credits to the final scene and let me tell you now that it is intense!  I loved it and so did my Mom who kept saying, "Wow!"   Like its predecessors, the movie is set in a post-apocalyptic future in Australia where resources are scarce and small communities run by overlords exist throughout.  Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy replaces Mel Gibson in the title role) is captured by the War Boys who serve Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).  Max is designated as a universal blood donor and is needed by the dying War Boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult).  Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who drives a War Rig to other communities to barter for gas, veers off course while on a routine run and Joe soon discovers that his five wives, selected for breeding purposes, are missing.  Assuming, correctly, that his wives are with Furiosa, Joe sends his War Boys after her.  Lux, needing his blood, brings Max along on the high speed chase.  After an incredible battle in a sand storm, Max escapes and tries to steal the War Rig; however, Furiosa created a kill switch which means it is inoperable without her so Max reluctantly joins forces with her.  They then battle other gangs who are loyal to Joe in some of the best action sequences I have ever seen (of which, the vast majority were practical effects rather than CGI and many of the stunts were performed by members of Cirque de Soleil) as they search for the "Green Space" Furiosa remembers from her childhood.  While the action sequences are incredible (there were times when I couldn't catch my breath), the story of hope and redemption is compelling and the performances of Hardy and Theron are fantastic!  The bar has been set very high for the rest of the summer blockbusters! 

Utah Opera's The Rake's Progress

I am certainly glad that I took a chance and saw the opera The Rake's Progress Friday night.  It was a bold and innovative production unlike anything I've ever seen before and the music by Stravinsky was exquisite!  In the English countryside during the 18th century Tom Rakewell (Norman Reinhardt) laments the fact that he doesn't have any money but turns down an opportunity offered by Trulove (Branch Fields), the father of his fiancee Anne (Joelle Harvey), because he doesn't want the same monotonous job for the rest of his life.  A strange figure named Nick Shadow (Mark Schnaible) appears and informs him that he is heir to his, heretofore unknown, uncle's fortune.  Nick offers his "services" to manage Tom's fortune telling him that they will have a reckoning in one year.  Tom agrees and Nick whisks him off to London where he leads him down a path of debauchery.  Nick even convinces Tom to marry Baba the Turk (Jill Grove).  Anne, worried that she hasn't heard from Tom, comes to London in search of him but is in despair when she learns of his marriage. Tom, miserable in his new life, sinks all of his fortune into a dubious business deal proposed by Nick and loses everything.  While all of Tom's possessions are being sold at auction, Baba the Turk leaves him but Anne vows to remain true.  Nick the Shadow leads Tom to a graveyard where their reckoning must be made and demands Tom's soul as payment.  As Tom begs for his life, Nick offers a wager on a game of cards.  When Tom wins, Nick curses him with madness.  The story ends with Tom in an insane asylum while Anne sings him to sleep.  During the Epilogue, the cast warns that the Devil will find work for idle hands. The staging is based on a series of original etchings by William Hogarth which were Stravinsky's inspiration for the creation of the opera.  It is incredibly stylized and dramatic, almost as if the actors are inside of a drawing.  I thought it was highly effective. The costumes, also based on Hogarth's etchings, are superb.  I particularly loved the black and white costumes during the auction scene.  All of the actors sing their roles beautifully and I especially loved Anne's aria, "No word from Tom."  The orchestral music by Stravinsky is very dramatic (I love the Russians) and this opera featured the conducting debut of Thierry Fischer, the Music Director of the Utah Symphony, and I thought he did a magnificent job.  I loved the harpsichord throughout the piece!  This opera was over three hours long but, much to my surprise, I enjoyed every second of it!  Bravo to Utah Opera for bringing such a stellar production to Capitol Theatre!

Note:  I am beyond excited for the 2015-2016 Utah Opera season!  Go here for information because you won't want to miss a single production!

Clouds of Sils Maria

I have wanted to see Clouds of Sils Maria for quite some time.  Kristen Stewart is one my favorite actresses and she has garnered quite a bit of buzz (not to mention a Cesar Award for Best Supporting Actress) so I was really excited to see her performance!  I was finally able to see it last night and I am still thinking about it (because of the ambiguous ending).  Juliette Binoche plays Maria Enders, a celebrated stage and screen actress who is approaching middle age and contemplating her legacy.  Stewart plays Valentine, Maria's personal assistant upon whom she depends for everything.  A young director approaches Maria about reviving the play which launched her career.  When she was eighteen, Maria portrayed Sigrid, a young woman who seduces and then ruthlessly abandons an older woman, driving her to suicide; now the director wants her to play Helena, the older woman.  She reluctantly agrees to the role and travels with Valentine to a remote mountain retreat in Switzerland to rehearse.  As Maria and Valentine read through the play (while hiking through the beautiful mountains of Switzerland), the lines spoken by the characters in the play also reflect the relationship between the two women.  During a particularly heated scene, which seemingly depicts the tension unfolding in their lives, Valentine reveals the script and reads the stage direction.  When the role of Sigrid is given to a young actress (Chloe Grace Moretz) known for her superhero movies and her bad behavior off camera, Maria becomes increasingly insecure.  It is an intense psychological drama exploring the themes of life imitating art, youth vs. experience, and talent vs. celebrity which reminded me a great deal of the movie Birdman.  Both Binoche and Stewart give incredible performances.  Stewart, especially, is captivating and I found it highly amusing when the two main characters do a Google search of the young actress and discover scandals which mirror Stewart's own personal life.  The expansive mountain scenery is incredibly beautiful (I love Switzerland) and forms the perfect backdrop for the almost claustrophobic tension.  I  also loved the juxtaposition of the music (Pachelbel and Handel for Maria and Primal Scream for Valentine) which reinforces the division between  Maria and Valentine.  While I loved the film, it is very slow moving and cerebral so I wouldn't recommend it for everyone.

Note:  My favorite scene is when Valentine defends superhero movies to a somewhat snobbish Maria by saying that the action is just a convention to communicate a deeper truth.  As someone who can appreciate both blockbusters and independent films, I really loved that!

District Champion

Yesterday I got to see my beautiful and talented niece compete at the Jr. High Track and Field District Championship.  She qualified in three events: discus (she had a new PR of 119' 1/2" in the qualifying tournament), shot put, and long jump.

Tashena's first event was discus.  In her preliminary flight she didn't throw very far.  At one point she threw 71' which was farther than most of the other girls but it was almost ridiculous for her.  I think she was just messing with all of the other girls because they all fell apart during the final when she got serious!  Tashena's final distance was 111'6" to easily win first place!  She was quite disappointed with that distance (they were all throwing into the wind) because she wanted to set a record but no one was even close to her.  I am so proud of her!

In the shot put she had a new PR of 29'6" but she was still really disappointed to place fifth overall.  Her coach was really pleased because she improved over two feet during the season which is very unusual.  Most of the girls who placed ahead of her were ninth graders.  I am glad that the winner of the shot put was the girl from Kaysville who has been Tashena's biggest competition at the preliminary meets.  I've gotten to know her a little bit and I like her.

Tashena struggled a little bit in the long jump.  In the middle of her flight she had to compete in the final of the shot put and she had to go to the discus medal ceremony.  I think she was a bit distracted.  She made it into the final but she ended up scratching on two of her jumps.  She was disappointed but I am so proud of her!  It has been so much fun to watch her this season and I can't wait to see what she does next year because I know that she will be very determined!

A Big Win!

Last night I watched another baseball game with Sean's team, the Hot Rods.  There was a huge rainstorm right before the game but I am really glad I stayed because Sean played so well!  Sean usually gets on base with a walk or he strikes out but tonight he got a huge hit which resulted in two RBIs!  He has been feeling a little bit discouraged so this was a great moment for him!  He had another run (with a walk) and he made a great play on first base which resulted in an out!  His entire team played really well and when one player got a home run the whole team ran out to home plate to congratulate him!  I loved that!  The Hot Rods won the game 13-4.

I got another "look" for cheering too loud!

He was all smiles after the game!