Mary Queen of Scots

I have always had a fascination with Scotland in general (my grandmother was born in Scotland and my great-grandfather fought with the Gordon Highlanders in World War I) and Mary Stuart in particular (I chose her as a research topic in my AP European history class) so I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Mary Queen of Scots for quite some time.  It was next in my winter break movie marathon and I actually really liked it.  After Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) is widowed, she returns to Scotland to rule despite the objections of her half brother, the Earl of Moray (James McArdle), who has ruled as regent in her absence and of John Knox (David Tennant), a Protestant cleric who objects to her Catholicism.  She then makes a disastrous marriage to Lord Darnley (Jack Lowden) who ultimately betrays her.  When she is forced to abdicate the throne, she is left to the mercy of Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) who is envious of her beauty, bravery, and motherhood.  Elizabeth, acting on the advice of her male counselors, including William Cecil (Guy Pearce), eventually condemns her.  There are historical inaccuracies and it is a bit salacious but I really enjoyed this movie.  The narrative is framed by the fact that even though both women dislike being told what to do by the men surrounding them they are very much controlled by them and, if left to their own devices, they might have been friends and allies.  I found this to be very effective.  Both Ronan and Robbie give outstanding performances as the capricious and sometimes foolish Mary and the insecure yet imperious Elizabeth, respectively.  My favorite scene is a very theatrical meeting between the two of them, which probably didn't actually happen, where they size each other up.  It is masterful.  As with most historical dramas, the sets, production design, and costumes are beautiful and I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the darkness of Mary's court and the lightness of Elizabeth's.  I am probably biased by my interest in Mary Stuart but I would recommend this movie.

A New Year's Celebration

What better way to ring in the new year than by attending a concert with the Utah Symphony!  Last night (I will resume my winter break movie commentaries tomorrow) my friend Angela and I spent a wonderful evening listening to the orchestra play six dazzling pieces under the baton of guest conductor Xian Zhang (who was quite expressive and fun to watch).  They began with Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1 by Joan Tower which was quite dramatic because the only musicians on stage were the horns, brass, and percussion.  I really enjoyed the timpani at the end of the piece!  Next came selections from The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky which, of course, I absolutely loved.  I really enjoyed the Lilac Fairy's theme (which represents good) and Carabosse's theme (which represents evil) and how they are continually reintroduced as the two of them struggle with each other.  Next, the orchestra played Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra by Karol Szymanowski with Concertmaster Madeline Adkins as soloist.  I was unfamiliar with this piece but it was quite spectacular!  I was very impressed with Adkins because she not only played with great technical precision but she interpreted the piece with a lot of emotion.  It was a brilliant performance!  After the intermission, the orchestra played a waltz and a polka by Johann Strauss, Jr. and I pictured couples twirling at a New Year's Eve Ball in Vienna during these pieces.  They were so lively and exuberant!  The concert concluded with the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss.  This was simply delightful and I especially enjoyed the themes played by the oboe.  It was an amazing night of music and I definitely recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Note:  After the performance, I was invited to an after party at the BTG wine bar downtown and Angela came with me.  This is not something I would normally do but it was really quite fun.  I actually mingled with a few people and got to talk to the conductor very briefly (she is adorable).  There were hors d'oevres, desserts, and several different wines served and I felt very sophisticated (I even wore a dress!) partying with the Utah Symphony!

Welcome to Marwen

The next movie on my winter break list was Welcome to Marwen.  I was really looking forward to this but I didn't like as much as I thought I would.  This movie tells the true story of Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell), an artist who creates and photographs a miniature village called Marwen to deal with the PTSD he suffers after a vicious assault.  In the scenarios he creates with dolls in Marwen, Mark becomes Captain Hogie, a WWII pilot, who is continually attacked by Nazis, who represent his actual attackers, and saved by the women in his life:  Roberta (Merritt Weaver), who works at the hobby shop where he purchases items for the village, Anna (Gwendoline Christie), his Russian caregiver, Caralala (Eiza Gonzalez), a waitress at the bar where he works, Julie (Janelle Monae), his physical therapist, and Nicol (Leslie Mann), his new neighbor across the street.  The village also includes a Belgian witch named Deja Thoris (Diane Kruger) who keeps bringing the Nazis back to life and won't let him get close to anyone.  Mark must find a way to confront Deja, the doll in Marwen and what she represents in real life (which is easy to figure out if you can match colors), so he can face his attackers.   It is a compelling story and Carell gives an affecting performance but there is just something missing.  Most of the of the movie, unfortunately, takes place in Marwen.  It is almost as if the filmmakers wanted to show off their dazzling stop-motion animation techniques with the dolls more than they wanted to tell Mark's story.  I was left wanting to know more about Mark and the women in his life rather than their alter-egos who act out battle after battle.  Also, there are quite a few subplots that are brought up but then quickly abandoned without resolution, particularly the fate of his attackers after their sentencing hearing.   I can't help but feel that Mark's story is more interesting than this Hollywood version of it (I've heard there is a documentary called Marwencol which chronicles this story much better).

Vice

The next movie that I saw on winter break was Vice which tells the true story of how Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) goes from being a ne'er-do-well who flunks out of Yale to arguably the most powerful and influential Vice President in history.  It chronicles his positions as a Congressional intern, an aide to Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), the White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, the Representative from Wyoming, the Secretary of Defense under George H. W. Bush, the CEO of Halliburton, and, finally, the Vice President under George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell).  Politics aside, I found this movie to be incredibly disturbing.  Writer-Director Adam McKay employs many of the same techniques used so effectively in The Big Short, such as fast cuts, montages, and a narrator who speaks directly to the audience to explain complicated terminology (most notably the unitary executive theory which states that the President controls the entire executive branch and that neither the legislative nor judiciary branch can tell the executive branch what to do) but they are not as effective here because, in my opinion, the satirical tone doesn't fit the subject matter.  These characters are portrayed in a comical manner while doing truly reprehensible things and it was very off-putting to me.  Cheney appoints his cronies to cabinet positions as if he is (literally) playing a board game, he creates focus groups to find words and phrases that are more palatable to the unsuspecting public for his egregious actions, and he cherry picks intel to support going to war with Iraq.  Through it all he comes across as a cartoon villain.  Furthermore, I don't think this movie gives us much insight as to who Dick Cheney really is or what motivated him.  Christian Bale completely transforms himself for a nearly flawless impersonation but Cheney is such a bland figure that it doesn't seem that remarkable.  Amy Adams (as Lynne Cheney), Steve Carell, and Sam Rockwell give great performances but that really isn't enough to elevate this tone deaf mess of a movie.  Give this a miss.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

As I usually do, I spent a good portion of winter break in darkened theaters watching movies.  Now that winter break is over I will review all of the movies I saw over the next few days.  After we decorated gingerbread houses with Sean and Tashena we all spontaneously decided to see a late movie.  Tashena really wanted to see Ralph Breaks the Internet, a movie I wasn't really planning on seeing, so that is what we picked and it was so much fun.  Wreck-It-Ralph (John C Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) are still best friends at Litwak's Family Fun Center and Arcade but Vanellope is getting bored with the predictability of her game, Sugar Rush.  Ralph decides to create a new track in Sugar Rush to keep Vanellope happy but she overrides her player to test it out resulting in a broken steering wheel.  Since Sugar Rush is no longer made, the only way to get a replacement steering wheel is on eBay.  Mr. Litwak thinks it is too expensive and turns the game off.  Ralph and Vanellope decide to get the part they need themselves by entering the internet through a wifi router.  While looking for eBay, they have a series of adventures which teach them the true meaning of friendship.  What I liked most about this movie is how clever it is at portraying the internet.  I especially liked the characters of Yesss (Taraji P. Henson), the personification of the algorithm that determines trending videos, and J.P. Spamley (Bill Hader), the personification of clickbait pop-up ads.  I also loved the cameos by popular Youtube personalities, especially my favorite Flula Borg.  Sean loved all of the pop culture references, especially Fortnite.  Tashena loved the Disney Princesses and the hilarious shirts they wear when they are just chilling with Vanellope (I loved Moana's shirt).  This movie is a lot of fun but it also has a clever story filled with heart and dazzling visuals so, if you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend it!