Dumbo

Last night I went to see Disney's remake of its animated classic Dumbo and, while I absolutely loved the flying baby elephant, I didn't love the movie.  Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns to the Medici Brothers Circus after being wounded in World War I only to discover that the circus is in financial difficulty.  Max Medici (Danny DeVito), the ringmaster of the circus, has gambled on the purchase of Jumbo, a pregnant elephant, hoping that the novelty of a baby elephant will bring business.  He puts Farrier and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) in charge of the elephants.  The baby, named Dumbo, is born with extremely large ears and is ridiculed during his first appearance in the ring causing Jumbo to go on a rampage.  Max is forced to sell Jumbo but Farrier's children discover that Dumbo can fly which brings business back to the circus.  This attracts the attention of the impresario V.A. Vandemere (Michael Keaton) who brings the circus to Dreamland, his elaborate amusement park, and has Dumbo perform with the aerialist Colette Marchant (Eva Green).  However, Dreamland is not all that it appears to be and the circus performers decide that they must rescue Dumbo and reunite him with his mother.  I found most of the acting in this movie to be flat and lifeless, especially the children.  Honestly, the CGI elephant is much more expressive than any of the actors and I absolutely loved Dumbo's character design, especially those big blue eyes.  I also found the story to be very convoluted with the addition of themes of corporate greed and animal cruelty to the simple story told in the original.  But, ironically, it is the simple story of a baby longing to be reunited with his mother that is the best part of this movie and I found the early scenes between Dumbo and Jumbo to be incredibly affecting.  I wish that they had stayed at the circus longer to develop that relationship more.  Once the action moves to Dreamland it becomes very bloated with thinly drawn characters and loses focus until the heartwarming ending between Dumbo and his mother.  Dumbo is just so adorable and endearing and his yearning for his mother is so poignant that I was willing to overlook its faults and I would recommend it.

Fun at the Jazz Game

Tashena and I have been trying to get together for a Jazz game since January but with one thing or another we couldn't find a time that worked for both of us (she is so busy).  Since the regular season is ending soon (the Jazz have clinched a spot in the playoffs) I decided that I better get my act together and make it happen.  We went to the game last night and watched the Jazz play the Washington Wizards.  We always get to the arena early so that I can buy Tashena a shirt (this is tradition) and so we can get something to eat.  Because of the remodel of the Vivint arena there are so many great choices for dinner but I am partial to Hires (even though it is so expensive).  When the game started I mentioned to Tashena that I hoped the Jazz would win.  She answered, "Umm.  They're playing the Wizards!"  Apparently the Wizards don't have a very good record but they definitely gave the Jazz a run for their money and took the game to the final seconds which was a bit tense.  Tashena really likes Donovan Mitchell (whom she refers to as her husband) and he got an amazing breakaway to dramatically dunk the ball.  About halfway down the court he looked to see if anyone was close to him and got the biggest grin on his face when he saw that there wasn't!  Mitchell ended the night with 35 points to lead the Jazz to a 128-124 victory.  It was a great game but, honestly, I had such a good time just being with Tashena.  I haven't spent much time with her lately and I think we spent more time talking and laughing than we did watching the game.  She told me that I was embarrassing her about twenty times (mission accomplished), made fun of me for cheering every time Kyle Korver had the ball, and had me set up a Snapchat account so she could send me funny pictures!  It was such a fun night!  After the game she told me how glad she was that we were able to go!  I feel the same way!

Hotel Mumbai

Last night I went to a Thursday preview of Hotel Mumbai, the second movie starring Dev Patel this week (this is a good thing).  It is based on the 2008 attack of Mumbai where Muslim terrorists staged a coordinated attack on various locations throughout the city.  This movie focuses on the attack on the Taj, a luxury hotel where the guest is considered to be a god, and the heroism of the staff, who could have escaped through service exits, in trying to save as many guests as possible. Patel plays Arjun, a hotel waiter who is constantly berated by the head chef Hemnat Oberoi (Anupam Kher).  When the terrorists enter the hotel and shoot everyone in the lobby, both Arjun and Oberoi sequester a group of guests in the hotel restaurant, including Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) and David (Armie Hammer) a socialite and her American husband, as well as Vasili (Jason Isaacs), a wealthy Russian businessman.  With Special Forces hours away in Delhi, they eventually realize that they will have to take matters into their own hands to save themselves and this involves many harrowing sequences as they try to elude the terrorists, especially when David attempts to go back to his room to rescue his infant son who is being cared for by a nanny (Tilda Cobham-Hervey).  This movie is intense and unrelenting.  The action sequences put the audience right in the middle of the attack but it is very graphic and there were times when I needed to look away.  There are also moments when the tension is almost unbearable, particularly when the nanny is hiding from a group of terrorists and trying to keep the baby quiet.  I sometimes wondered if the brutality was necessary but it highlights the incredible lengths to which the staff members go in order to keep their guests safe.  I was quite moved by their courage and heroism!  There is an incredibly poignant scene where a wealthy British guest asks that Arjun remove his turban because she thinks that he is also a terrorist and she is afraid of him.  Arjun, who is a Sikh, shows her pictures of his family and explains the religious significance of his turban which brings her to tears.  This moment of understanding during a terrorist attack motivated by hatred for those who are different makes this movie one of my favorites this year (Patel is brilliant in this scene).  I recommend it but it is difficult to watch.

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!