Brave is set in Scotland so I chose Quilt 2 as today's fractal "cookie" since it looks like plaid and the colors are featured pretty prominantly in the movie. Now--on with the review!
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First the good news: Brave is absolutely gorgeous! Every frame is beautifully drawn and drenched in amazing color. I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautifully-done computer-animated movie. There's also a really nice soundtrack loaded with Celtic music: if you're a fan (which I am) you're sure to enjoy listening to the music. The bad news: to see all this beauty you actually have to WATCH the movie. It's a great movie for girls and even women (the Baroness certainly enjoyed it) but any guy who has past puberty is going to be less-than-enthralled by this girly tale of self-discovery and empowerment.
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Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is none-too-happy to be a Princess of "marriageable" age: she's happy to be off riding, shooting and having adventures and is none too interested in in any of the suitors from the other Clans. After acting out she flees to the woods and encounters a witch who offers her a spell to change her fate. Of course no spell is cast without its consequence--and this one turns Merida's overbearing mother, Queen Elinore (voiced by Emma Thompson) into a gigantic bear! King Fergus (Billy Connolly) lost his leg to an ancient bear (an earlier victim of the witch) so the girl must hide Mamma Bear and figure out a way to break the curse. From this you ought to be able to figure out how the story unwinds from here.
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Honestly, I think the message that girls should be masters of their own fate and make their own choice is a great one--I just don't know if Brave is the best way to get that message out. The movie tries to mix action and slapstick but, like oil and water, it just doesn't work. I'm not a slapstick fan so I don't find physical humor all that funny. There wasn't a lot of laughter (even though the theater was crowded) so I'm guessing the jokes weren't that good. Even so, a lot of people were making positive comments on the way out of the theater so I'm guessing I just wasn't the target audience. Brave is the kind of movie parents can take their kids to see--and both should have a great time. Even the most jaded individual will find something worthwhile here.
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FINAL GRADE: B
Les Miserables is uniquely French--and what is more uniquely French than Bastille Day? Hence I chose it for today's fractal "cookie". Also, the musical deals with the (or at least A) French Revolution so it seemed doublly appropriate. So--on with the review!!!
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The latest national tour of Les Miserables is overwrought, overblown and oversung--and the audience completely ate it up. I found myself (strangely enough) thinking of the movie Spinal Tap when I was watching the show. ("We're turning the amps up to eleven!!!") The music starts big and goes bigger and biggest--but it doesn't stop 'til it hits gargantuan: furthermore--most of it is hard to sing with loads of impossibly high notes for every cast member. The good news is that everyone in the large cast is up to the task (there's not a bad voice among them) and they had to sing over a large orchestra (12 pieces instead of the usual 3-5 players). Honestly, it would be a sin to try and find fault with any aspect of the performances--they were 99 44/100% spot on. If there is anything to complain about in the show, it's the plot itself.
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Les Miserables, the novel from which the musical is taken, is a behemoth: the story spans many years and many locales. Following the story on stage is next-to-impossible: you would be completely lost without program notes. Furthermore, the whole story is one gigantic roller coaster: characters are either purely good or evil and motivations can swithc 180 degrees on a dime. For me, those are major "minuses" in a show. There's not a ounce of subtlety in ther show: everything is full out--whether it is the singing or the plot. I found myself wishing for a little less now and then--but I was definitely in the minority. I don't think I've seen the PAC fuller and the entire audience went wild for everything.
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This is the kind of show for those who don't attend theater regularly to go see: the audience can feel like they've seen something important without being mentaly or emotionally challenged. The songs are beautifully written and memorable (even if the average person will never be able to hope to sing one). Even though the cast is unknown they are all incredibly talented and their vocal instruments are spectacular to hear.
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FINAL GRADE: B+
Remember this fractal from early April? I used Winter White for my review of Mirror Mirror. No it's time to review Snow White And The Huntsman so I decided that the same story needs the same fractal. That being said--on with the review!
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Snow White has been revived and revised a number of times of late: this time the story gets the "sword and sorcery" treatment. Snow is no longer the sugary-sweet, completely innocent maiden we know from the Disney flick: she's still revoltingly pure but now she's plucky and strong in her own will. Kristen Stewart comes across like Bella Swan 2.0 with a broody, low-energy performance--but she really looks the part. Charlize Theron is suitably cold as the wicked Queen Ravenna but she doesn't get to go over the top. Chris Hemsworth draws on his experience playing Thor: this performance has all the gravitas but none of the fun. The Dwarfs (played by a bunch of normal-sized British Character Actors CGIed down) are a disreputable lot. The Queen gets a brother in this version (played by Ian McShane) has a thankless role as the Chief Stooge. There's a Prince (actually a Duke's son) but he's not super charming--but that's the script's fault not the Actor (Sam Claffin)--he's just not given anything to do her.
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Basically, you've seen this before: the whole movie is shot in muted tones that give the whole thing a cold, bleak tone. The costumes are adequate to the story but not over the top. The FX ran the gamut from pretty good to ho-hum. The whole tone of the movie is solemn and it evens ends on an ambiguous note: for me though--fairy tales need to end with "happily ever after" but this one never pays out. Neither Robyn or I enjoyed the movie but I think it might speak to the collective angst that the younger generation seems to love so maybe it just wasn't made for me.
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FINAL GRADE: B-
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Lets be brutally honest: neither Snow White And The Huntsman nor Mirror Mirror NEEDS to be seen on the big screen. Still, you might want to rent the video for one or the other some time down the line so I'm going to give you a comparison guide to decide which one (if any) you might want to spend your hard-earned cash on.
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SNOW WHITE: Lily Collins has it all over Kristen Stewart in the beauty department but Kristen is way more badass. Still, I'd much rather date Lily.
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THE EVIL QUEEN: Julia Roberts get the wardrobe and the over the top rants (not to mention a much better wardrobe) but Charlize Theron gets the award for evilest behavior.
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THE PRINCE: Army Hammer gets a much bigger part in Mirror Mirror and he has a goofy charm. Sam Claffin isn't given a lot to do so you can forgive him for being forgettable. Of course rhis movie IS titled Snow White And The Huntsman so what did you expect?
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THE DWARFS: both sets are disreputable fringies forced to evil by the actions of the Queen. Honestly neither movie really needed these guys.
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THE APPLE: yeah, Snow gets put to sleep in both flicks (however briefly) but the Apple hardly makes in impact on the either story.
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COSTUMES and SETS: Mirror Mirror wins the award for sheer creativity and spectacle (in fact these are the best things in the whole movie). Snow White And The Huntsman falls back on every 'sword and sorcery" convention you've seen since the 1970s. Mirror Mirror might score some "Oscar" noms but I doubt the other will get a mention anywhere.
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THE HUNTSMAN: this character only appears in one movie (and you should know which). His character didn't leave a lot of impression and, worst of all, (according to the Baroness at least) Chris Hemsworth keeps his shirt on through the whole movie.
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PACE and MOOD: Mirror Mirror plays like a squirrel on acid it tries to be a hybrid of action flick and romantic comedy but ends up being neither fish nor fowl. Snow White And The Huntsman has a decidedly Gothic tone: the pace is slow and deliberate. There isn't a lot of energy to move the audience to a lot of interest.
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FAMILY FRIENDLY FACTOR: Mirror Mirror has its share of action but there are fewer scary moments that might upset the kiddies. Snow White And The Huntsman is aimed more at the young adult market and nobody but the youngsters will have an issue with it.
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So now you have it all in one easy-to-compare bit. View at your own risk!
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'nuff said.
Picking a fractal cookie for Chicago is a near-impossible task. In the end I chose Opposites Flower because of the black-and-white costumes (OK mostly black but still...) worn in the show. Now you know--on with the review!
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Chicago has an iconic look that makes it instantly recognizable on stage. The mostly-black costumes, bare-bone staging and tortured choreography by the legendary Bob Fosse making the show live and die by its performance. Performance Riverside was smart enough not to touch the basic elements and Director Matt Neves was smart enough to cast first-rate talent.
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The story of Chicago is sort of secondary to the social commentary on the celebrity of scandal and the manipulation of-and-by the media. Back in 1976 when the show debuted on Broadway it didn't do well but a revival twenty years later was well received by the public who had grown much more cynical. Even though the show is set in the "Roaring Twenties" the contemporary style and message strikes a chord with today's audience. The latest production by Performance Riverside sticks closely to the standards an pretty much got the look right. Yes, there were a few bits that weren't the best lit and it wouldn't be a performance at the Landis without some sound issues (but there were fewer than usual so I suppose I should count hat as a win).
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Ayelet Firstenberg and Chelsea Emma Franko brought the brass as Velma and Roxie respectively but there was no subtlety in the performance. Still, both girls were good singers and dancers and were a lot of fun to watch. Kudos to both. Jason Webb in the role of Billy Flynn has an excellent voice, can dance and is a good actor: still, there was this weird Nathan Lane vibe in his performance that Robyn and I both noticed. Jamie Snyder (who got castigated in this blog for his rendition of Alfred Doolittle in the recent production of My Fair Lady) fares much better as Amos Hart: yes he had some accent issues (it went in and out--not to mention sounding like a NYC Jew for the most part) but he has a strong voice and brought a wounded-teddy bear quality to the role that made you want to jump on stage, give the poor guy a hug and say "there, there". Good job Jamie! As Mama Morton, Kami Martin Crump successfully navigated a tricky role that of "ball-bearing be-atch" with a heart of gold and made both aspects believable. Loved her! I won't reveal R.C. Sands big secret as Mary Sunshine (for the sake of those who haven't seen the show) but who knew that voice could come out of that body??? The Chorus danced and sang well (although one tenor kind of stood out from the chorus (and it's never a good thing when you can pick out an individual voice in a choral piece.) Still, they were up to the task and supported the leads wonderfully well.
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Chicago has a special place in my heart: the show appeals to my cynical nature (and it was what got Robyn and I into regular theater attendance) and frankly I was terrified that Performance Riverside would screw it up royally. Thankfully, the didn't: in fact in enjoyed this performance better than the national touring production I saw a few years ago. This show is well worth seeing.
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FINAL GRADE A-
I chose Thread as the fractal cookie for my review of The Avengers because of the near impossible task of weaving several storylines into one seamless whole. (Wow, short and sweet today!) So--on with the review!
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Logic dictates The Avengers should have been a completely awful movie. The writers had the Herculean task of combining two Iron Man movies, any number of Hulk flicks, Thor AND Captain America as well as adding and developing two new characters (Black Widow and Hawkeye). That many stories alone (not to mention all the Hollywood egos in play) should have made it beyond awful. But, wonder of wonders, the movie actually turned out to be pretty darn good. True, The Avengers is not without its flaws--the movie is way to "talky" and the 2 1/2 hour run time is a bit butt-numbing, There are a number of plot holes that should be obvious to even a baby. (Still, the whole script uses the convention of "comic book logic" and they do it to perfection.) The FX and fight scenes are first rate--just the thing for a summer popcorn flick.
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Mark Ruffalo finally brings the right note of nebbish to the role of Bruce Banner (not seen since the late Bill Bixby played the role of TV). His "nerd with issues" is completely believable. Of course Robert Downy Jr. gets the best wisecracks and Chris Evans as Captain America hits the right notes of sincerity and dedication. IMO Chris Hemsworth underplays Thor a bit and of all the plot lines his gets the least attention. I liked Scarlet Johansen as the Black Widow while Jeremy Renner did the best he could with what little he was given as Hawkeye. (That being said I found myself wondering what these two were doing with the rest of the lineup.) Clark Gregg (who has been Agent Phil Coulson in pretty much every one of the previous films that went in to create The Avengers) needs a special mention for his performance. (See the movie to find out why--not spoilers here.)
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The Anvengers isn't quite the perfect movie but it's loads of fun for action fans and those who love super heroes. There's no need to see it in 3D but the broad sweep of the scenes deserve to be seen on the big screen--and the bigger the better. Check your brain at the door and enjoy!
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FINAL GRADE: A-
No fractal "cookie" today. The Mockingjay symbol from The Hunger Games is far too iconic not to include in a review. Besides--I don't have anything remotely suitable in my fractal library.
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I cute my literary teeth on dystopian science fiction. I had read classics of the genre like Alas Babylon, On The Beach and 1984 by the time I was a high school freshman. You name it, chances are I've read it by now--and honestly I'm pretty much over the whole thing (since there doesn't seem to be a lot left to say). So when the SFBC started advertising The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I couldn't work up enough interest to buy the book. Even so I went to see the movie (because of the massive raves coming from all sides). The movie was pretty darn good but left me with a lot of questions so when we found a well-priced copy of the trilogy in hardback we decided to buy and give it a read. WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS AND PLAN TO (AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE PLOT IN ADVANCE) STOP READING NOW!!!
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It's reported that author Suzanne Collins got the idea for The Hunger Games after watching Survivor and coverage of the war in the Model East on television. She created a world where the wealthy. corrupt Capitol forced teenagers from outlying Districts barely seeking out a living to fight to the death with the winner's District getting extra food. The 74th Hunger Games drew Katniss Everdeen (who volunteered in place of her sister Primrose) and Peeta Mellark from District 12. Katniss charms everyone into becoming a media darling and eventually wins the game--even managing to save Peeta.
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No good deed goes unpunished in Catching Fire (second of the series). The action that saved their lives in the arena are perceived as an act of rebellion by the Capital and Rebels alike. Katniss is sent back into the arena for the "Quarter Quell." (Once every 25 years something "special" is done for the Hunger Games: this time the pool of contestants are drawn from surviving Victors.) An alliance forms to destroy the games from within and succeeds. Some of the contestants escape and Katniss awakens in District 13 (thought to have been destroyed in the first rebellion) to discover that Peeta and some of her new friends are being held captive in the Capitol and that her former home has been bombed out of existence.
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In Mockingjay Katniss accepts her role as the "face of the Rebellion" and she finally learns the whole, dark truth about the origins and history of the Rebellion. She deals with both the leaders of the Capitol and the Rebellion then has to choose between Peeta (the man who has loved her) and Gale (the man she always loved.)
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I try to tell myself this is a series written for teens and tweens so I should be kind. And, truthfully, the books have a lot of good points. The world is interesting if not well realized. The writing style of "first person present" (I get out of bed and head for the bathroom...) is interesting and different from most books you'll read. Sadly, that style is quite limiting: the reader never sees another point of view and we only learn about the characters through the filter of the narrator. To call most of the characters two dimensional would be an insult to cardboard cut-outs world wide: these characters are purely one-note. They exist only to further the story and/or to inflict pain or guilt on the lead character. It bothers me that supposedly smart characters make the worst possible decisions simply to make trouble for Katniss Everdeen.
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If you're looking for depth you ain't gonna find it here: a walk through the ocean of these books will scarcely get your feet damp. Still, there are a few gems among the gravel but those gems left me wanting more. (I know the writer has it in her but she didn't bring it out her.) The first book is quite good (mainly because of the setting). Book two is pretty much book one retold--only without as much fun and a lot more talking. The wheels completely come off in book three with a plot that strains willing sense of disbelief well past the breaking point. All that aside there is something between these covers that I can't define, something that speaks to a lot of younger folks. It's getting them reading and talking--maybe even thinking. And that's a good thing.
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'nuff said.
A review of a Summer In Song concert requires a summer fractal yes? Of course! What better cookie than Summer Solstice. So--on with the review.
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I must confess to a certain trepidation when I attended the Circle City Chorale concert yesterday. It was the fourth show in two days and by 4:00 PM the weather outside was warm and muggy. (I was having flashbacks to a concert last July in the same building when it was hotter and even muggier and the air considering was broken in the venue--so not fun!) Still, inside it was nice and cool and the Baroness and I had prime seats.
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The show started of with a bang (figuratively) with an scapula rendition of The Star Spangled Banner that was spot on followed by a rendition of Earth Song that literally had me moved to the point of tears because of the sheer beauty and power of the performance. Hark, O The Harps Eternal rounded out a standout section with the group singing unaccompanied in mixed formation. (Non-singers--this is doubly difficult to pull off: doing so successfully is the mark of a particularly-skilled group.) Mi Inspiracion (excuse the lack of Spanish diacritical marks) was nicely presented but I could tell it was a bunch of English-speakers trying to sing in a language they didn't understand: I caught a number of minor pronunciation errors that spoiled the song for me. Singin' In The Rain and They Can't Take Away From Me were crowd pleasers with only a few minor missteps that only a mean old critic would notice. The first section was capped off by a rousing medley of songs from The Lion King (to a recorded track.
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The main choir took a break leaving a dozen or so elite members who make up the Circle City Singers (which IMHO needs to be spelled with three "c"s for symmetry's sake). They kicked of their section with The Tortoise And The Hare, a sprielty tune I'd ever heard. Lots of fun and well presented. Next up were three songs by George Gershwin that were equally well done and had the audience snapping along. After intermission they were back on stage with Sting's Fields of Gold and Viva La Vida (yes, the song by Coldplay) both of which had musical issues (most of which I'm sure the general audience didn't catch). Honestly I don't remember a thing about I Carry Your Heart With Me. Dirait-On, a deceptively sweet and simple tune with a murderous arrangement hat defeats most choirs who attempt the tune. The song started and finished nicely but the multi-layered middle section came apart for me. Still, you gotta give this small group "props" for doing as well as they did--the song is that difficult.
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A medley from Guys And Dolls brought the Chorale back on stage--complete with costumed soloists and choralography! I would be remiss if I didn't single out Chorale President Steve Gold who was a complete hoot on his Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat solo: who knew the guy was such a total ham. Kristen Potts had the Baroness seething with jealousy (not really but I thought I'd say it anyway) with Adelaide's Lament. (Robyn had her own star turn with her version during the first Coffeehouses On Broadway.) Chery Osborn upstaged herself during her duet on I've Never Been In Love Before but her tone and delivery were quite lovely. Oh, her partner Erick Lange did well too. The Lean On Me/We Shall Overcome mash-up was suitably rousing but Stars I Shall Find didn't seem to fit in with the general tenor of the rest of this program segment. For The Sake Of Our Children didn't work at all for me: I was only able to understand about one word in five--particularly sad since I think it had a really powerful message to deliver. Ride On, King Jesus was nicely performed but personally I'd have rather seen it swapped with the Lion King medley: that really would have given some "pop" to the second half of the show.
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You know it wouldn't be a Ron Review without a few minor quibbles.
- the Star Spangled Banner was done without music and there was a great connection with the audience. The rest of the show was done with folders open and some of the connection to the audience was lost (in my opinion at least.) It would be great if the Chorale would memorize their music.
- there were a few smiling faces among the singers but most of the group looked--serious at best. (A few looked annoyed or unhappy--but maybe they were just tired after a long weekend.) I wanted to see more smiles on the choristers' faces.
- LADIES: if you're wearing flower pins you don't need necklaces. GUYS: consider switching to black shirts. Your current ensemble simply shines a bright, white spotlight on how badly the women outnumber you. That being said, kudos to the entire group for such a good blend. You'd know the men were outnumbered two to one.
- I missed a "wow" moment in this show. I think C3 should consider bringing back Africa as a signature-piece--maybe as an encore.
Any quibbles I had with the show were minor (and since I have the soul of a critic I had to find something to complain about). We enjoyed an hour-and-a-half of great music well performed. Good job one and all. It almost made Robyn and I miss the group enough to want o return. Almost...
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'nuff said.
