Category Archives: Movies

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

28 Friday Apr 2023

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(For Day 27 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for an emulative poem with a fancy simile and such, but I went off-prompt today. Subverting expectations, you might say.)

See what you want to see, it will be there.
Call it a masterpiece, people will stare.
Fancy it rotten and treat with disgust,
And what was a winner will soon be a bust.

Label it stable, and it shall be so.
Flag it as flaky, and look out below.
Brand it as brilliant, and all will believe,
While those who do not have some grievance to grieve.

What you intend will determine the end,
Or at least govern what you recommend.
See what you want to see, hoarding or growth,
Genius or charlatan, neither or both.
___________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

Considering I already included Glass Onion on my end-of-2022 favorites list, my feelings for it should not be a surprise. Also unsurprising for writer-director Rian Johnson, the reception for this follow-up to 2019’s Knives Out became rather polarized online, with disagreement on just how clever this latest mystery was, or was trying to be. But hey, I really enjoyed The Last Jedi, so I’m clearly not on board the Rian Johnson hate train. With no connection to Knives Out beyond its central detective Benoit Blanc (the ever-classy Daniel Craig), Glass Onion can easily be appraised on its own merits, and even if it doesn’t quite hit the highs of its predecessor, it’s still a deliriously well-crafted film full of twists, cameos, and an all-star ensemble.

Via a complex puzzle box, eccentric tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his diverse group of “disruptor” friends to a murder mystery weekend on his private Greek island. Among them are an up-and-coming governor (Kathryn Hahn), a scientist working for Miles’ company (Leslie Odom Jr.), a gun-toting streamer (Dave Bautista), a controversy-magnet supermodel (Kate Hudson), and Miles’ own ex-business partner with a chip on her shoulder (Janelle Monáe). And also unexpectedly invited is Benoit Blanc, ready to jump into action if the fake murder mystery should take an actually deadly turn.

Johnson excels at subverting expectations, which is especially advantageous in the mystery genre. Even if you think you can guess the culprit from the start (and you may well be right), the story does its utmost to cast doubt on every character. As the investigation progresses, Blanc learns of every character having a reason to want Miles dead, yet not much later, reasons come to light for every character to want to keep him alive. And while there’s no connection to Knives Out, Glass Onion shares its structure, taking an abrupt shift at the halfway point to look at the plot from an entirely new perspective, practically guaranteeing a second watch to verify what might have been missed. A good mystery is about the journey, the clues, the twists, just as much as the big reveal, which might be disappointing to some but has a timely message about how much faith we put into reputations.

The cast is certainly game as well, especially Norton as the ingratiatingly extravagant host and Monáe as the wronged Andi Brand, showing more range than her stoic first appearance might indicate. The rest of the cast have their moments to chew the scenery as well, with Bautista and Hudson particularly satirizing the more toxic elements of celebrity. The scene of all of the partygoers arriving at a dock is alone a great showcase of subtle characterization, based just on how they wear their masks in the midst of the pandemic. (It was interesting and a bit odd that the film actually referenced the COVID pandemic, yet promptly side-stepped social distancing with a fake “cure.” Only in the movies….) And, of course, Craig is a perfect gentleman, offering the same perceptive Southern charm as his first appearance and effectively making me forget that he’s James Bond for two hours.

Admittedly, there are things that don’t work quite as well, like the explosive climax that tries to be a moment of empowering rebellion with a clever callback but also borders on cringeworthy and unrealistic. Plus, certain characters get more attention than others, with Odom Jr. sadly being little more than an extra. And while I liked the circuitous reveal, Johnson should take care in his next outing to avoid a potential pattern in his culprits, so as to not be predictable. Despite some self-indulgence, Glass Onion is as entertaining a mystery as any, boasting both layers of genius and a disarming simplicity to match its name. To be honest, I didn’t even know “Glass Onion” was the name of a Beatles song, so kudos on incorporating that as well. I’m definitely looking forward to the next Benoit Blanc adventure.

Best line: (Birdie Jay, the politically incorrect model) “Like Miles said, I’m a truth teller. Some people can’t handle it.”   (Blanc) “It’s a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth. Don’t you think?”

Rank: List-Worthy (joining Knives Out)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

27 Thursday Apr 2023

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(For Day 26 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a portrait poem focused on the meaning of someone’s name. I decided to write mine as a eulogy for the MCU’s Black Panther and, by extension, the late Chadwick Boseman, including the meaning of his character T’Challa’s name.)

The mighty Black Panther, both hero and king,
Was true to tradition but not to a fault.
He knew his position so many exalt,
And yet he was gracious,
His heart ever spacious,
Intent to be balm on the wider world’s sting.

Black was the Panther, like so many sheep,
Scattered and battered in nations far-flung.
He fought for his people, his country unsung,
But knew there were others,
His sisters and brothers,
With wounds he could help heal, no matter how deep.

A Panther he was, unassuming but fierce,
A predator set on avenging the wronged.
And “he who put the knife where it belonged”
Defined you by name:
T’Challa, who came
To sheathe where he could and know whom to pierce.

The mighty Black Panther is with us no more;
He died as he lived, without pity or fear.
We trust those who pass never quite disappear,
And if our hearts break,
It is for a king’s sake,
A legacy no one can ever ignore.
_______________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

I can imagine how hard it was for writer-director Ryan Coogler to develop a follow-up to the 2018 smash hit Black Panther without his star Chadwick Boseman, who died unexpectedly after a hidden battle with colon cancer. Yet deliver he did. After the unsatisfying horror of Dr. Strange 2 and the hammy humor of Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a welcome return to gravitas, giving hope that 2022 wasn’t a total bust for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After T’Challa dies off-screen from an unspecified illness in the opening scene, his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and mother Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) are left to grieve and try to pick up the roles he left behind: monarch, leader, and superhero. While Wakanda was believed to be the only source of renowned super-metal vibranium, it is discovered that the secret underwater kingdom of Talokan also has it, as well as their own empowered defender in the mutant known as Namor, who will stop at nothing to maintain his nation’s secrecy.

It’s probably no surprise that Wakanda Forever doesn’t quite live up to the bar set by its predecessor. While the plot is overlong and sometimes bogged down by its dour tone and plot digressions, it manages to deliver some great performances and one of the MCU’s best character arcs. Shuri was a likable side character in the first film, but Letitia Wright really steps up here to pick up the Black Panther mantle, making her journey of grief and vengeance quite believable and poignant. Likewise, Angela Bassett has some powerful scenes as the matriarch of an increasingly broken family, and I do tend to agree she was robbed at the Oscars (though I could say the same for Stephanie Hsu, no offense to Jamie Lee Curtis). Tenoch Huerta is an outstanding addition to the MCU as Namor, offering a subtle ruthlessness that is somewhat justifiable from his mistrustful perspective.

While the film delves further into Namor’s backstory than needed, I see what they were going for in setting him and Talokan up as a dark mirror of Wakanda, taking their former xenophobia to a retaliatory extreme, not unlike Killmonger before. With so much subtext alongside the globe-hopping action and new characters (like Dominique Thorne’s Iron Man wannabe Riri Williams), the film can feel overstuffed and distinct from the more fun entries in the Marvel canon. Yet I found a lot to admire, particularly Shuri’s character progression and the deferential tribute to Boseman and T’Challa.

It took me longer than most to warm up to the first Black Panther, which I didn’t personally connect to, but this film helped me realize how highly I still regard these films, in contrast to the latest Thor movie. We’ll never know what a sequel with Boseman would have looked like, but, considering his absence, I consider Wakanda Forever a worthy successor.

Best line: (Namor) “Only the most broken people can be great leaders.”

Rank: List-Worthy (alongside the first, which has already replaced the Thor films on the List)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Notting Hill (1999)

25 Tuesday Apr 2023

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(For Day 25 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a love poem with a flower, a parenthetical statement, and unusual line breaks, a la e. e. cummings.)

That face is a face the world should see,
Plastered on billboards,
Far and wide. Let them come and sing your
Praise, brag they saw you (or
At least tried), throw their roses and carnations
At your feet, as I would mine,
And banish any doubt that you are anything but
Meant to shine.

In a perfect world, such laud would be yours,
Yet here you are,
With me
Instead.
An imperfect world your grace endures,
And yet perfection
Still
You spread
To me.
__________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

Growing up, I was introduced more to the Nora Ephron side of ‘90s romantic comedies, like Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail, and I love them dearly. But I do wonder if I had grown up with their British equivalents if they would be as dear to my heart. Notting Hill is a prime example of a rom com I saw only recently yet seems to have a prominent place in the genre. Featuring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in their prime, the film plays like a fairy tale reversal of Pretty Woman, with Roberts as the wealthy elite falling for a down-on-their-luck commoner.

William Thacker (Grant), owner of a struggling travel bookshop in the titular London neighborhood, is surprised when famous actress Anna Scott (Roberts) wanders into his store. Through happenstance and curiosity, the two connect, yet they are chagrined by the aggressive paparazzi and the growing doubt that their different stations in life could support a relationship. The film is an excellent example of writer Richard Curtis’s strengths, like quirky but relatable side characters and an earnest romantic climax, though thankfully with less of the intermittent crudeness of Love Actually.

Both leads are excellent and share an effortless chemistry, Roberts with her million-dollar smile and Grant with his self-deprecating air and diffident line delivery that heighten his everyman role. Rhys Ifans is also a stand-out as William’s ribald roommate Spike, who meanders around their flat as walking comic relief. While the film’s romantic development and sense of humor are rather low-key, making it not quite as memorable as others in the genre, it does have some brilliant moments, like a masterful tracking shot/time lapse where William walks through all four seasons while Notting Hill bustles around him. With its nostalgic soundtrack and feel-good boy-meets-girl romance, Notting Hill makes me want to explore other rom coms of the era that might also be favorites-in-the-making.

Best line: (William) “I live in Notting Hill. You live in Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world knows who you are; my mother has trouble remembering my name.”   (Anna) “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

25 Tuesday Apr 2023

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(For Day 24 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was to write a poem reviewing something that is not normally reviewed, so I imagined someone’s spiraling falsehoods being rated by their own mind.)

You’re doing it, dude.
You’re making it sell.
A lie gets you high
If you’re telling it well.

And there goes another!
That’s some web you weave.
It’s quite the art form
When the experts deceive.

A nine out of ten,
If I’m giving a score.
Just hold your eye contact
A little bit more.

A quick feigned offense,
And she bought it again.
There’s no way she knows
It’s a ten out of ten!

You can’t pull out now
When you’ve lasted this long.
A lie can be right
If you don’t mind the wrong.

The greatest of lies
Are built from ideals,
Which obviously
Are the hardest reveals.
____________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

I saw this movie musical in the theater a year and a half ago, and I just couldn’t quite bring myself to review it. Based on the Tony-winning musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of The Greatest Showman fame, Dear Evan Hansen was yet another movie musical adaptation to flop at the box office, without even the critical praise that In the Heights had. I’ve heard people rip this movie apart and complain about how it portrays mental illness or how star Ben Platt is too old to be playing a high school student, and I seem to be in the minority in not sharing those common objections. Yet the film is rather disappointing, even for a lover of movie musicals like me, just for reasons I can’t quite pin down.

I also had the privilege of seeing a touring production of the stage musical after seeing the film, so I have something to compare it to now. The plot is fairly faithful with anxious teenager Evan Hansen (Platt) barely navigating high school as he writes daily letters to himself, according to his therapist’s advice. One of these letters ends up in the possession of the volatile Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), who commits suicide, leaving his parents (Amy Adams, Danny Pino) and sister (Kaitlyn Dever) to believe Connor wrote the note to Evan. Evan can’t bring himself to contradict the despondent family and instead plays into the narrative of him and Connor being close friends.

I recall wryly asking one of my friends if he wanted to go see “a depressing musical” when the film came out. Dear Evan Hansen is heavy stuff, dealing with mental illness, suicide, familial resentment, and desperate grief, which is part of what made it such a powerful and relatable hit on Broadway. Clearly, the themes that worked on stage didn’t quite translate as well to film, yet the weaknesses of the film were baked into the story, in my view. Platt is a fantastic actor and singer (whose age didn’t bother me a bit), but there’s something inherently unrealistic about his socially graceless character being able to convince this family of his untruth, even if Connor’s mother practically goads him into it. It leads to some extremely cringy moments where Evan’s awkwardness is too hard to overlook. The songs are meant to smooth that suspension of disbelief, but again there’s a disconnect between him belting out “For Forever” in the Murphys’ dining room as opposed to an open stage with a large audience.

Pasek and Paul’s pop-influenced music is the best thing about the film, and I’m personally glad that Platt was able to bring the character he helped create to the big screen. His performances of the inspirational “You Will Be Found” or the devastating “Words Fail” show his incredible vocal and emotional range, and, despite not typically being a singer, Julianne Moore as Evan’s mom Heidi excels with “So Big / So Small,” a deeply poignant expression of motherly love. Amy Adams and Kaitlyn Dever are likewise only used for one song, but both deliver strong acting performances, that feel both genuine and oddly unrealistic at times. Fans of the musical were naturally disappointed by the removal of songs like “Disappear” and “Anybody Have a Map?”, especially when the new addition “The Anonymous Ones” is serviceable at best. At least they kept “Sincerely, Me” to retain the one lighthearted song in the story.

Dear Evan Hansen isn’t a bad film and in fact has a number of very powerful moments and performances, as well as an outstanding soundtrack. Its story just feels half-baked when brought from the distance of a stage to the intimacy of a camera close-up. Some rewrites and testing screenings might have benefited it, but I can’t bring myself to dislike it as much as so many do. It’s far from the strongest musical of 2021, but it still gave me all the intended feels.

Best line: (Heidi, singing to Evan) “Your mom is staying right here. No matter what, I’ll be here when it all feels so big till it all feels so small.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

Drifting Home (2022)

23 Sunday Apr 2023

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(For Day 23 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem in numbered sections about a place I no longer visit as much. The best example I could think of was my old elementary school, so I imagined the various places abandoned and nostalgic.)

I
I remember they filed in one at a time,
Students alert to the school bell’s chime.
My classroom became their knowledge base,
And I kept them all safe in my walls’ embrace.
I was their path
To history, math,
The parts of the cell, and the subjective case.
Those who I held left smarter by far,
But now I do wonder where all of them are.

II
I remember they joined me at tables so long
That both ends could easily sing their own song.
They pulled out their lunches so lovingly packed
Or else I provided whatever they lacked.
I was their meal,
Their chance to be real,
To trade and upgrade and get caught in the act.
The hungry were happy and brought up to par,
But now I do wonder where all of them are.

III
I remember they ran with unparalleled glee
To climb on my monkey bars, wild and free.
My stretches of rubber mulch, bordered by sand,
Gave them their chances to fall and crash-land.
I was their play,
The peak of their day,
A time to recess from the teacher’s command.
I was the source of both smile and scar,
But now I do wonder where all of them are.
_____________________________________

MPA rating: PG

While Makoto Shinkai and Mamoru Hosoda are the biggest names in anime films, there are plenty of other studios in the mix, such as Studio Colorido, which has an ongoing partnership with Netflix. With films like A Whisker Away and Drifting Home, they bring some welcome Ghibli-esque fantasy to the streaming service. In Drifting Home, a group of children go exploring in the abandoned apartment building where Kosuke and his childhood friend Natsume used to live with Kosuke’s grandfather. After the two have an argument, the building somehow ends up floating in the middle of the ocean, forcing the kids to survive off what they can scavenge.

While the premise could have become mere escapism for the children, the story actually puts them in real danger, with limited resources and a crumbling structure as their only refuge from the sea. The characters themselves are not anything special and sometimes grating, though the conflict between Kosuke and Natsume carries weight as they both reacted differently to the death of Kosuke’s grandfather, a loss which haunts their relationship and perhaps the apartment itself.

Beyond the survival aspects and interpersonal drama, a prominent theme involves the inherent grief of buildings and structures that were once full of life and activity but have become abandoned over time. It’s an interesting concept of a place having its own form of sorrow and passing away. Drifting Home may not stand out as much as other anime films, but it’s a lovely smaller effort highlighting how we connect to the places we grow up.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

RRR (2022)

22 Saturday Apr 2023

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(I had a rough day yesterday and missed Day 21 of NaPoWriMo, but I thought I’d try doubling up this weekend instead. Yesterday’s prompt was for a poem describing an abstract noun, using short lines and a made-up word. I chose Strength.)

I am strong
Because
I cannot afford
To be weak.

The weight of
My people’s hopes,
The yoke
Of all my foes,
The burden of
Love to defend
Have tempered
Me
Like steel.

But still
I only wish
To wake to laughter
In the aftermorn,
To kiss with
No farewell,
To let my power
Be still.

Strength I bear
That I may not
Bear it forever.
__________________________

MPA rating:  Not Rated (should be R for violence, which is fitting, right?)

After recently watching Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy, which marked a turning point in Indian cinema back in the 1950s, it was mind-blowing to see how far the country’s filmmaking has come with 2022’s RRR. I know Bollywood has a reputation for over-the-top spectacle, but this was my first introduction to the modern wow factor that Indian films have to offer. (Considering its wide distribution on Netflix, I doubt I’m alone there.) RRR follows two real-life Indian freedom fighters in the 1920s, telling a completely fictitious what-if story about them meeting and teaming up against the evil British empire. In American Revolution terms, I like to describe it as the Indian equivalent of “What if Ethan Allen and Francis Marion became bros and singlehandedly decimated the redcoats?”

Standing for Rise Roar Revolt (in English at least), RRR is the kind of epic that Hollywood just doesn’t make anymore, if it ever did, boasting an everything-goes narrative that makes it hard to classify. It’s heavy on the action but also has room to be a romance, a historical drama, a buddy film, and a musical. The supremely handsome Ram Charan plays A. Rama Raju, a member of the Delhi imperial police force trying to rise through the ranks. N.T. Rama Rao Jr. plays Komaram Bheem, a protector of the Gond tribe who goes undercover in Delhi after the British governor (Ray Stevenson) and his cruel wife (Alison Doody) abduct a young girl named Malli. Thus, the two initially meet and become good friends, not knowing they are on opposite sides, Bheem seeking to rescue Malli while Raju aims to capture him to earn favor with the British.

RRR is a lot. Boasting superhero-level stunts and CGI animals to rival Hollywood, the film looks amazing, albeit replete with slow-motion interludes to highlight the emotion or absurdity of the action. In that vein, it is also anything but subtle. The villainous Brits are cartoonishly evil without any nuance at all, save for the kind Jenny (Olivia Morris) who somehow becomes a love interest for Bheem despite neither of them understanding the other’s language. The film relishes in its own excess, from the rippling muscles of its often shirtless leads to the extravagant and lengthy action scenes that include one man taking on an entire angry mob and a free-for-all battle with tigers and deer invading a posh banquet. Honestly, some of the coolest moments almost feel like parody with how outrageous they are.

Yet there’s something refreshing about how RRR wears its cinematic heart on its sleeve, like the montage of Raju and Bheem bonding over their shared buffness, which brought to mind the ancient brotherhood of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. That kind of epic clash of good and evil with a cast of thousands was much more common in old Hollywood when epics were a common genre, so it’s interesting to see such large-scale heroics from a foreign perspective. And the film often uses its excess quite effectively, especially in the instantly iconic dance-off to the song “Naatu Naatu,” which won a deserved Oscar for Best Original Song and was one of the best movie moments of last year.

Aside from some brutal violence, the worst thing about RRR is its length. I was able to convince my VC to watch it (and she liked it), but only by breaking it up into three parts. At a little over three hours, it can feel more like a miniseries than a movie, so I would recommend that; basically, take a break whenever someone is caught by the British. RRR is epic in every sense of the word, and its mainstream success will likely open the door for more Americans, me included, to explore further what Indian cinema has to offer.

Best line: (Raju’s father) “He [the governor] said that an Indian’s life is not worth a bullet. So how will this bullet earn its value? When it comes out of your gun and pierces an Englishman’s heart.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

21 Friday Apr 2023

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(For Day 20 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was to imagine how archaeologists might appraise us in the far future, so I considered how superhero films might be mistaken for historical records.)

Here at the Museum of Archaic History,
The Superhero Wing is our most popular display.
Not very much survived the EMPs of World War III,
But rigorous historians have come to save the day!

It seems that back in yesteryear, some humans wielded talents
Of fight or flight or laser eyes, with symbols on their chest.
They often rescued many lives and kept the world in balance,
As all these documentaries on ancient disks attest.

We think that they were unionized protectors of the peace,
Belonging to the rival leagues of Marvel or DC.
They dealt with larger dangers too destructive for police,
Like evil gods and aliens we now no longer see.

We’ve found that certain famous ones, like Bat- and Spider-Men
Could somehow change appearance over years of derring-do.
Some believe these new facades came time and time again,
Whenever they’d regenerate like noted Doctor Who.

Some records, though, can’t be retrieved from archives decades-plus.
We don’t know what became of many stories lost to time.
We may not know what happened to Shazam or Morbius,
But still we will preserve their tales, the Conquerors of Crime.
___________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

While I tend to favor Marvel movies much more than DC, I quite enjoyed the first Shazam! With teenage Billy Batson granted the powers and adult body of a hero, it was a gleeful example of wish fulfillment while tackling some poignant themes of family and belonging. So I was excited for the sequel, but apparently I was in the minority. Shazam! Fury of the Gods has been a regrettable flop in the face of James Gunn’s takeover of DC, with many citing the planned reboot of the DC universe as a reason to not care about films like this that are probably a mere dead end. It’s unfortunate because even if this sequel does fall short of its predecessor, it’s still an entertaining adventure.

Following the victory of Billy (Asher Angel) and his foster family of empowered kids in the first film, they have settled into an uneasy groove of half-successful heroics around Philadelphia. When two daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu) steal the broken staff of the Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who gifted Billy his powers, they invade Earth with plans to reclaim the power of the Greek gods and probably destroy our realm in the process.

Zachary Levi is too naturally likable to dislike in this role. Even if he acts more childlike than his character’s actual teen self and makes some annoyingly foolish mistakes, his charisma helps smooth out the disconnect. It’s nice to see older actresses like Mirren and Liu still get a chance to kick butt in movies like this, and Rachel Zegler as the love interest for Billy’s foster brother Freddy is a welcome addition to any cast. Along with its sense of humor, the action and effects are as good as ever with mythological beasts and super-powered beatdowns keeping my inner child happy.

Ultimately, there’s little I can say against the critics who point out the rote villain motivations or the blatant product placement or the literal deus ex machina ending. Those points are true, and the efforts at emotion aren’t as deeply felt as the first film, but I still think Shazam deserved a better reception.

Best line: (The Wizard) “Billy, anyone can be worthy, if given a chance. Now go fight for your family! Go fight for the world!”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

Beast (2022)

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

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(For Day 19 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was to write about a childhood scare, like a monster. While a lion is not a personal boogeyman for me, this creature feature seemed to fit the bill.)

It’s lurking where you cannot see,
Blocking where you cannot flee,
Looming in the liminal of known and too afraid to know.
Do not breathe and do not stir.
That’s a growl and not a purr,
Growing louder by the second, growing sick of lying low.
Save your scream; it knows you’re there,
Not a dream and no nightmare.
Something hungry this way comes, and you have nowhere else to go.
____________________________

MPA rating: R (nothing overly gruesome that I recall)

Idris Elba is good in just about anything. Whether he’s playing an immortal djinn in a bathrobe or an Asgardian gatekeeper, his natural gravitas just enhances every role he takes on. That goes for the more pedestrian efforts as well. Beast can be summed up pretty easily: man vs. lion. Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, who takes his daughters on a South Africa safari to reconnect after the death of their mother but is forced to defend them against a rogue lion on a killing spree.

As a survival thriller, Beast is a solid entry, elevated by Elba’s lead performance and Baltasar Kormákur’s rather artsy direction, such as some outstanding tracking shots that I love so much. Yet the occasionally dumb plot is cookie-cutter standard for the genre and unlikely to surprise anyone. The plot armor of the climax even becomes a little laughable when Elba fights the beast barehanded and lasts far longer than other characters it killed within seconds. Beast is all too familiar, doing for lions what Jaws did for sharks, but its African setting and intimidating feline make it unique enough to be worth a casual watch.

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

Matilda the Musical (2022)

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

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(Yes, I missed another day, but I’m back on the horse. For Day 18 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for an abecedarian poem that follows the alphabet. Considering this musical has its own alphabet-themed song, it seemed like a good match.)

Apparently, you shouldn’t
Be a
Cruel and callous
Devotee of over-
Eager punishment
For one
Good cause:
Humanity.
If everyone was
Just and
Kind and
Listened as they spoke their
Mind, then maybe
No one would
Opine the worst in
People, which they find. The
Qualms and quirks of
Roald Dahl exaggerate
Such sin and gall
To juxtapose the truly nice
Up against the common
Vice.
Would you prefer a genial and
Xenial largesse? Or
Yield to yet another yoke of
Zealous nastiness?
___________________________

MPA rating: PG

I feel blessed that, in the last few years, my awakening to a greater appreciation for musical theater has coincided with a surge in movie musicals. While 2021 had a glut of them, the more sparse 2022 ended with a long-awaited adaptation of Matilda the Musical, based on Roald Dahl’s classic book about a telekinetic girl pushing back on her abusive home and school life.

Alisha Weir plays the title character with a sweet, bookish earnestness to contrast her loud and self-absorbed parents (Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough). After years of self-learning, she is sent off to the infamous Crunchem Hall, where she catches the eye of both warmhearted Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch) and the tyrannical headmistress Agatha Trunchbull (Emma Thompson, acting through a masculine fat suit).

I vaguely remember the 1996 movie adaptation with Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito, but it’s been long enough that I was able to enjoy this version without worrying about comparisons to the other. Of course, this one is enlivened by musical numbers, which are a sure improvement in my book. The music and lyrics by Tim Minchin are a good match for Dahl’s cartoonish reality, presented here by swinging wildly between gaudy, energetic highs and oppressively bleak lows. Matilda’s playful solo “Naughty” is a perfect summation of her character looking for small ways to rebel against the unkindness around her, while the detached number “When I Grow Up” manages to be both buoyant for young viewers and wistfully nostalgic for their elders. While the clever alphabetics of “School Song” are an early highlight for the school-size ensemble of child singers, the real standout is near the end with the showstopping “Revolting Children,” which deservingly went viral with its exuberant choreography and earworm tune.

Yet for all its good points, Matilda falls short of being one of my new favorite musicals, for reasons I can’t quite pin down. Thompson as the villainous Trunchbull is over-the-top in her abusive villainy, with so-so songs and an underwhelming exit, though much of that is baked into the character from Dahl’s book. While I enjoyed the musical numbers, even the smaller ones like Miss Honey’s emotional “My House” which showcases Lynch’s acting talent, only “Revolting Children” stood out after the credits rolled. But I suppose the main drawback is that Dahl’s style of storytelling lends itself to an abundance of obnoxiousness for the hero or heroine to overcome, and the obnoxiousness of Matilda’s parents and Miss Trunchbull is more grating than entertaining.

Maybe time will improve my opinion, and maybe I would feel different seeing this as a kid since the story is clearly aimed at children, such as the imaginative tale Matilda spins about circus performers (which does at least tie in nicely to the plot, unlike, say, the storytelling in The Breadwinner). Even if it’s not quite up there with the best, Matilda the Musical is full of magical charm and clearly a quality production with lots of passion and talent behind it. Now I think I’ll go watch “Revolting Children” for the twentieth time.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting

The Bad Guys (2022)

16 Sunday Apr 2023

Posted by in Movies, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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(For Day 16 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem of negation, describing something in terms of what it is not. Since the main characters of this film struggle in being reformed, I wrote up a list of what good guys don’t do.)

A good guy doesn’t rob a bank
Or overflow a septic tank
Or steal a precious, priceless gem
Or cause unwarranted mayhem.

They do not blow up oil rigs
Or feast on captive guinea pigs
Or lead police on reckless chases,
Fleeing to their secret bases.

A good guy would not live off lies
As a master of disguise,
And they should not win a game
Based on whom they kill or maim.

A truly good guy won’t consent
To hack the grid or government,
… Well, unless they have a good reason,
No, nevermind, that could be treason.

But most of all, a real good guy
Does not cheat or steal or lie,
Even if they’re unsuspected
(Not unless they’ve been elected).
____________________

MPA rating: PG

While Puss in Boots: The Last Wish got well-deserved acclaim last year, the other 2022 film from DreamWorks Animation was also a pleasant surprise. Based on an Aaron Blabey graphic novel series for children, The Bad Guys features the titular posse of menacing animals – Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Snake (Marc Maron), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Shark (Craig Robinson) – whose crime spree is brought to an end after a botched heist. Yet the criminal gang is given a chance to prove they can be reformed into good guys with the help of a do-gooder guinea pig (Richard Ayoade) and a foxy governor (Zazie Beetz).

First off, as an animation fan, I thought this film’s visual style was an absolute treat! It partakes in the now-familiar fusion of 2D and 3D ushered in by Into the Spider-Verse yet uses it for a distinct comic-book look that has a delightful smoothness to it, both in character design and movement. It’s probably best not to think too hard about the world of mostly humans, a few sentient animals, and otherwise normal animals, but the main troop have a great dynamic as their unique skills complement each other during heists, particularly the inventive uses of Snake’s long body despite lacking limbs. Wolf and Governor Foxington have an amazing amount of chemistry between them, while a police chief (Alex Borstein) intent on capturing the Bad Guys has some clear parallels with Inspector Zenigata of the Lupin III series, especially during the opening car chase.

DreamWorks has made some questionable creative choices, like focusing way too much on The Boss Baby, but movies like this and Puss in Boots have reignited my interest in what they’ll do next. Puss had weightier themes, but The Bad Guys is suave, cartoonish fun, incorporating the plotting and intrigue of heist movies with a believable redemption arc that stresses responsibility and the difficulty of earning back trust. Add in a catchy song for Anthony Ramos and some thrilling action scenes, and it’s the kind of animated film I would have loved growing up. Considering DreamWorks put the main characters in their recent updated logo sequence, I’m hoping this will become a worthwhile series.

Best line: (Diane Foxington, when Wolf insists no one will accept them as good guys) “Maybe they will believe you, maybe they won’t. But it doesn’t matter. Don’t do it for them. Do it for you. This is a chance to write your own story, to find a better life for you and your friends. Come on, what have you got to lose?”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
784 Followers and Counting