Wagner & Me

I love Wagner's operas, and yet I know that he was anti-Semitic and that Hitler was a great fan.  It isn't always easy to separate the man from his genius, but Stephen Fry, a Jew who lost family members in the Holocaust, succeeds in doing just that in Wagner & Me.  He examines the man in personal and historical contexts and visits theaters, including Wagner's specially designed theater, where the music was, and is, played.  Ultimately, Fry comes to terms with his love of Wagner's masterpieces and is able to step, like a giddy child, into the theater to enjoy the annual Bayreuth Festival.  I really liked his analogy, comparing Wagner's music to a stained tapestry.  It is still beautiful, but the stain remains.

Midnight's Children

I haven't read Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, but after seeing the film, that is going to happen soon.  The story follows the lives of two babies who were born at midnight, August 15, 1947, the day of India's independence from Great Britain.  Shiva, born to a well-to-do family, and Saleem, born to a beggar's wife, but actually the son of a departing Brit, are switched in the nursery, after the death of the beggar's wife.  Narrated by Salman Rushdie as Saleem, the story follows the boys through childhood into adulthood intertwined with the backdrop of the history of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. 

I saw the film for two reasons.  First, I was impressed with director Deepa Mehta's film, Water, and wanted to see what she did with this story.  It didn't disappoint.  Second, the write-up categorized it as science fiction.  That aspect comes out when Saleem discovers that he can communicate with others of the 1,000 children who were born at or near the same midnight, each with some kind of power.  One of them, Parvati, is a magician, with whom Saleem falls in love.  As adults, the children are persecuted and sterilized.  In a way, I was reminded a bit of John Wyndham's book, The Chrysalids (aka Rebirth), which was the inspiration for the Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation, but with a different outcome.  I digress.  

I really enjoyed the movie.  It examined issues of religion, politics, society, family, human nature, love, hate, fear of "the other", and so on.  The book is over 500 pages, and I'm sure a lot must have been left out, particularly about the bond between the boys and the history of the 3 countries.  I'm looking forward to reading it.

As a post script, it was, as always, a treat to see  Anupam Kher in an all too short cameo role.

Go Goa Gone

Go Goa Gone is a Bollywood zombie comedy, with several laugh out loud moments.  In a nutshell, three friends end up going to an island near Goa for a rave party sponsored by the Russian mafia.  One of the drugs passed around ended up turning people into zombies, and the friends, along with a few other survivors, try to find a way off the island, while avoiding being eaten by the zombies.  Saif Ali Khan was a riot as Boris, an arsenal-toting member of the Russian mafia, a bit reminiscent of  Woody Harrelson's character in Zombieland.  Rather than being a Bollywood remake, it was an original story that payed homage to other films.  A familiar line that stood out was Boris quoting, "I'll be back."

Aside from its comedy genre, what impressed me about the film was that, before it began, Saif Ali Khan introduced the film with a brief warning about smoking, drinking, and drug use.  He emphasized it by relating his history as a smoker and the heart attack he had at 36.  Bollywood films always include a warning about smoking if it is going to appear on screen, but this one was actually powerful.  And the movie itself was a hilarious warning about the risks of drug abuse.

Star Trek Into Darkness

But for one detail, I loved Star Trek Into Darkness.  It was a new twist on an old story - familiar characters, role reversals, plot twists. I'm still getting used to the alternate reality, but it worked well. The excellent and already familiar crew of the Enterprise is back, and it was a treat to see Peter Weller in the film.  The one thing I didn't like was Benedict Cumberbatch's role.  I can't say why because it would give a major surprise away.  Suffice to say, he was excellent, but ultimately wrong for the character.  I wish they had just created a new one for him to play and it would have been perfect.  As it is, there are two actors who would have much better, each for a different reason.  DO NOT look at the Internet Movie Database links if you don't want spoilers. 

2012 Movie Visits

For the curious, here are my annual statistics for 2012:

126 visits to the movies (I don't count repeats)
72 current "regular" films (8 of them animated)
54 "other" films
    13 Bollywood films
    11 collections of short films (7 of them animated)
    5 documentaries
    17 classic films
    8 concerts/operas/stage productions

And which were my top 10?

  1. Les Misérables
  2. Life of Pi
  3. The Avengers
  4. Brave
  5. Caesar Must Die
  6. Robot & Frank
  7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
  9. Moonrise Kingdom
10. OMG: Oh My God!

Most fun - The Avengers
Favorite documentary - Caesar Must Die
Favorite Bollywood film - OMG: Oh My God!
Favorite animated film - Brave
Honorable mention - Lincoln (a great film and award-worthy)
Worst movie ever - Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning

The Last Mountain

I was incredibly angry after seeing The Last Mountain. I found myself disgusted by the greed displayed by the coal industry and the politicians (regardless of affiliation) that they buy and that is poisoning air and water and sickening innocent children. A pox upon the executives and their henchmen who bribe ("lobby") and the officials who are bought.

The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog had a good message about the difference between what we want and what we need. The voodoo aspects were a little too intense for a G rating. It didn't scare my granddaughters, but I had to answer a lot of questions. The 3-year-old also kept asking where the princess (the focus of Disney’s hypermarketing) was, and both got confused by the flashbacks and dream sequences. Louis the alligator was the most interesting and well done character, but it seemed like he was pulled from the cast of Fantasia and plopped into this movie. Prince Naveen seemed to be played by Pepe Le Pew in a frog suit. All in all, I think the movie is poorly rated and will disappoint the little girls expecting more emphasis on princessness.

The Goat Rodeo Sessions

I saw The Goat Rodeo Sessions last year, live on the silver screen. I wasn't actually disappointed because I didn't know what to expect. Most of the music was not very melodic (progressive bluegrass??) and wasn't my cup of tea, but it did give me an opportunity to go away (shut my eyes and see where the music takes me) without guilt. I thoroughly enjoyed the encore when they played Bach on bass, cello, and mandolin; played some good fiddle music; and ended with "All Through the Night" (I got a little misty during that). I was also proud of myself for recognizing Chris Thile, who was the lead singer for Nickel Creek.

Love Never Dies

Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, was an Australian production, revised from the failed London version. The good news: the sets were incredible and beautiful; there was a touch of heavy metal; Anna O'Byrne, as Christine, had a beautiful voice; and I got to blubber at the end. The bad news: it was decent, but not even close to The Phantom. When I saw it at the local Cinemark, I overheard someone in the lobby compare it to seeing Return of the Jedi after The Empire Strikes Back; it can only be a letdown. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who Ben Lewis (the Phantom) reminded me of - it was Vampire Bill. All in all, I enjoyed it and got to cry.

Les Misérables

I've seen Les Misérables on Broadway, at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, at several high schools, on PBS in concert from Royal Albert Hall (10th Anniversary), and in the movie theater in concert from O2 Arrena (25th Anniversary).  It's without question that I love the show.  I saw the 2012 film on Christmas morning.  There are no words I can use, no praise I can lavish, that can sufficiently describe how remarkable it was.  

Yes, it has some minor faults.  There was Thénardier as the only character with a French accent.  Perhaps it was to help him pretend to be more upper crust in a sea of British accents, but it was out of place.  The singing wasn't always perfect.  So what!  If a voice cracked or a note was a bit sour, it made the characters more human and their emotions (and those of the actors themselves) very real.  It's one thing to play a role, and another to LIVE the role.  I think that's what lifted Les Misérables to a different level.  Every actor in the film seemed invested in his or her character and became that character.

I expected an outstanding performance from multi-talented Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and was overwhelmed with its power.  As far as I'm concerned, he more than deserves every best actor award that is given for 2012.  The same can be said for Anne Hathaway as Fantine.  I could feel every bit of emotional and physical pain that she endured.  I was leery of Russell Crowe as Javert, but his performance was honest and nuanced.  He did not dissapoint, even in his final scene.  Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne were excellent as Cosette and Marius, and Samantha Barks reprised her stand-out appearance as Éponine from the 25th Anniversary concert.  The child actors, Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche and Isabelle Allen as the young Cosette, delivered strong performances.  Even Sacha Baron Cohen (in spite of the French accent) and Helena Bonham Carter made the Thénardiers more human and less irritatingly cartoonish than in the stage and concert productions I've seen.  A special and moving performance was that of Colm Wilkinson, who played Valjean on Broadway, in the role of the Bishop.

There was magic in the theater from the opening scene through the finale.  The cinematography was above and beyond.  It was part of what made this film so special.  Unlike the stage production, the cameras were able to focus on details that are missing from a live performance and added to the depth of the story.  You are there with men being worked to death in the opening.  You watch the barricade, which is just there as an integral part of the scenery on stage, being built and see where it fits in the city.  The sewer scene becomes horrific.  I was wondering how they would handle the finale, and I won't spoil it with any details.  Suffice that it was perfect.

I've seen several films that took me to a different plane or had me crying for days, even years, after watching them.  What took me by surprise with this one is that I looked up and actually thanked the Almighty for giving me the experience of  Les Misérables.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I was among the folks watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at midnight.  Was it worth staying up most of the night?  Sure, if you are a midnight movie geek.  It was a good film; it kept me awake; and I'm already waiting for the next one.  Was I moved to tears?  No.  Will I see it again?  Possibly, but I'm not rushing.  Was it worth seeing it in 3D?  Not necessarily, but then I'm not much of a fan of the format.  It was only by accident that I even chose the 3D screening.

Ian McKellen IS Gandalf, and his performance was flawless.  Martin Freeman was excellent as Bilbo.  Andy Serkis (and the visual arts geniuses behind the scenes) always amazes as Gollum.  I simply didn't find myself invested in the dwarves, who were the remaining main characters.  They were OK, but not memorable.  At least it was good to see, even if briefly, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Christopher Lee as Saruman, and Ian Holm as the older Bilbo.

I will admit that I've never read any of Tolkien's books.  I tried reading "The Hobbit" in college, when everyone else was reading it, but got quickly bored with it and didn't get very far.  I did listen to the audiobook a few years ago, but don't remember being excited or even much about it.  I wanted to enjoy the film as much as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but the story just doesn't click with me like the trilogy did.  Perhaps if you read and enjoyed the book, you will get more out of the movie.

Lincoln

With Lincoln, Steven Spielberg once again proves his mettle as a genius at the art of film-making; and I fully expect it to receive multiple Oscars at the next Academy Awards ceremony.  To top that off, Daniel Day-Lewis succeeds, after more than seven decades, in unseating Raymond Massey as the quintessential Abraham Lincoln and is a shoe-in for a best actor nomination, if not the Oscar itself.

Simply put, the film chronicles the machinations involved in the abolition of the institution of slavery in the United states by the passage of the 13th Amendment:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

What I found really intriguing were the soul searching and the intricate, sometimes seamy, negotiations over whether or not to state the noticeably missing concept that Negroes were equal to whites.  It was quite a lesson in diplomacy and compromise.

All the while, Mr. Lincoln has to balance his responsibility to the nation with the stress of his family life.  His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln (Sally Field), not recovered from the deaths of two sons and on the brink of insanity, is unaware of the silent suffering of her husband.  Their elder son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is determined to do his duty and join the army, which only adds to Mary's stress; while their younger son Tad (Gulliver McGrath) is a fixture at his father's side, sometimes out of place and underfoot.
         
The stellar cast also includes Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn as William Seward, James Spader as W.N. Bilbo, Hal Holbrook as Preston Blair, and more.

Spielberg and his team succeed brilliantly in bringing the characters in Tony Kushner's screenplay to life, adding humanity and context to two paragraphs of U.S. history. 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

 It's a pleasure when a movie lives up to the hype and turns out to be just what you were hoping for.  Jab Tak Hai Jaan ("until I breathe this life" or "as long as I live") was worth the anticipation.  The film, starring Shah Rukh Khan as Samar, Katrina Kaif as Meera, and Anushka Sharma as Akira, tells a tale of star-crossed lovers and includes all the melodramatic trappings that make for a good romance and generate lots of tears.  There are true love, danger, amnesia, joy, sadness, anger, separation, making deals with God, wrestling with God, plenty of singing and dancing, a moving poem, and Shah Rukh Khan.  My hankie was well-used.

The film begins with a dedication to director Yash Chopra (sadly, without subtitles), who died less than a month before its release.  During the credits, instead of bloopers or an item number, clips show Chopra directing his final movie and interacting with the actors.  A fine tribute to a beloved Bollywood icon.

A Late Quartet

A Late Quartet was more than a fascinating look at the relationships among the members of a string quartet. It also provided a music lesson sampler and some insight, without being maudlin, into the effect of Parkinson's disease on someone whose hands are an integral part of his being. Christopher Walken was superb in underplaying the role of cellist Peter, who recently lost his wife and now has to face life with Parkinson's Disease.  His decision to leave the quartet has a profound effect on the relationships of the other members: Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Juliette (Catherine Keener), and Daniel (Mark Ivanir).  The interactions among this ensemble cast, which also includes Imogen Poots as Robert and Juliette's daughter, Alexandra, are what makes the film work so well. 

Skyfall

Skyfall took me on a ride down memory lane, but not necessarily the way you would think. It was a pleasure listening to the song during the opening credits - somewhat reminiscent of Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger. There was a point at the beginning of the film where I thought that they slipped in a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.  A real audience pleaser was the appearance of Bond's Astin Martin.  What really drove me to distraction, though, was the music during the final confrontation and requisite explosion - the theme was way too familiar. When I got home, I was compelled to watch scenes from Thor and The Avengers to identify the film. The theme in question appeared in The Avengers when the giant metal dragon attacks the city.  No, wait a minute, now I have to re-watch Battleship!  I just watched a clip from it, and heard the same theme.

The movie itself was not the best Bond fare; but I did enjoy it, even though it got to a point when I wanted to pull out my phone and check the time.  Judi Dench was competent as ever as M, Ralph Fiennes was enjoyable as Mallory, Ben Whishaw made a passable Q, Naomie Harris provided a nice surprise as Eve, and Albert Finney was a real treat as Kincade.  There was some amzaing acting from Bérénice Marlohe as Sévérine. Then there was Javier Bardem as Silva, the mad and evil computer genius.  His role was over the top and just too cartoonish.

Daniel Craig is not my favorite Bond, but then nobody can really replace Sean Connery.  It's not all Craig's fault, but he plays Bond as too flawed and too emotional.  There is a scene, though, toward the end of the film that is actually silly and somewhat un-Bondish, but can be attributed to that bond between a boy and his car.

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

This week I had the privilege of attending a screening of 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama at one of my favorite movie houses, the Bryn Mawr Film Institute.  Part of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia's GEOfest, the documentary was introduced by filmmaker Rick Ray and followed by a lively Q&A.  The film and interview addressed the issues of war, peace, non-violence, the Chinese occupation, the future of Tibetan culture, and the interdependence of all people.  This simple interview, interspersed with current and historical footage, solidified my opinion that the 14th Dalai Lama is one of the few truly holy men in world history.

This Time Tomorrow

Shane Bissett's low-budget and unscripted story, This Time Tomorrow, begs the question: Do you have any plans for December 21, 2012 - just in case the world ends?  Stacey (Dave Coleman) wants to spend the day with his ex-girlfriend, Parker (Jade Elysan), hoping to rekindle their romance, if only until the end of the world.  I found it reminiscent of some of Richard Linklater's films (Before Sunrise, Waking Life, Before Sunset), where the main characters spend a lot of time in conversation about the meaning of life and relationships.  There was also a cast of quirky friends who added delightful flavor to the production. 

The Procession

In this hilarious short, Julie (Lucy Punch) tearfully begs her mother (Lily Tomlin) and brother (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) to attend a friend's funeral.  They grudgingly agree and, after stopping at a red light, find themselves leading The Procession, with no idea where they are going.  The situation and the interplay between mother and son during the whole ordeal plays with comedic brilliance on one of those deep seated fears that we all have at one time or another.  

Gayby

Gayby is a sweet and embarrassingly funny film with a simple premise.  Jenn (Jenn Harris) wants to have a baby the natural way with her best friend, Matt (Matthew Wilkas), who happens to be gay.  The antics they go through trying to get pregnant while pursuing their individual romantic interests are hilarious.  This was one of those, oh dear I have to pick one more movie choices I made at the 2012 Philadelphia Film Festival.  I chose well.

The Woman in the Septic Tank

My first reaction to The Woman in the Septic Tank was "interesting".  I didn't quite know what to make of it.  It began as an examination of poverty in the Philippines and became really disturbing when a mother sold her young daughter to an old white man.  Suddenly the scene shifted to three young filmmakers who are trying to get funding for their independent film, "With Nothing".  As they discuss the story, it changes and is replayed according to the new ideas.  The girl becomes a boy; then it becomes a musical.  When they hire a famous actress, it changes yet again to a soap opera.  Finally, actual filming begins.  Not wanting to give any spoilers, suffice to say that the septic tank does show up.