2023 Blindspot Pick #1: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

15 Sunday Oct 2023

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“Parting is such sweet sorrow,”
Said the bard through Juliet.
It’s bittersweet
Till next we meet
Lest you or I forget.

But sweetness fades with waiting
While bitter amplifies.
By fits and starts,
Two hostage hearts
Will wear new love’s disguise.

And when the parting’s ended
And our hearts meet again,
The memory
Still sweet can be
But only as ‘twas then.
_____________________

MPA rating:  Not Rated (PG-13 seems right)

I’ll admit that October does seem a little late to start on that Blindspot series I announced back in January, but I at least haven’t waited this long to start watching them. I have already seen five of them, but my reviews have been painfully slow in coming. I need to get better at carving out time for them and not being afraid to keep them short. Since I’ve been knee-deep in writing a musical, it seems only right to kick off the Blindspot reviews with an acclaimed foreign musical called Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, or The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Sung-through entirely in French, the film follows two young lovers, mechanic Guy (Nino Castelnuovo) and umbrella store clerk Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), whose swooning rendezvous are kept secret from Geneviève’s busybody mother (Anne Vernon). Yet their budding romance is foiled by Guy’s being drafted to fight in the Algerian War. As Geneviève’s mother impresses on her the importance of marrying well, the young girl is faced with a difficult choice and a heartbreaking regret.

I can certainly see why The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is so beloved among cinephiles and stands as one of the quintessential bittersweet romances. While opera had its own long-standing tradition, an original, sung-through musical was quite a novelty for the time and an artistic risk that might not have paid off with lesser artists. But Michel Legrand’s haunting melodies add a tender beauty to the sung dialogue, which would be rather mundane if just spoken. A behind-the-scenes featurette was quite interesting as Legrand was interviewed about his initial struggles developing a theme for each character, an important element of musical writing. I was impressed to learn that all the actors were lip-syncing to other singers’ voices, considering how well Deneuve and Castelnuovo acted in line with their “singing.”

While the music is key to the film’s fame, even earning a Best Original Song Oscar nomination for “I Will Wait for You,” the parting song between Guy and Geneviève (also somehow getting noms for both Original and Adapted Score), the sets and cinematography deserve just as much praise. Considering director Jacques Demy’s previous two films were in black and white, the colors here are as vivid and impressive as Dorothy stepping into Oz, like an interior designer’s wet dream. The rooms and stores have brightly variegated walls that often look freshly painted, Geneviève’s yellow jacket pops against the rainy blue streets, and every choice of paint, costume, and wallpaper feels intentional for the background to accent the scene and give it an iconic look. Rarely does the use of color feel so integral to a film’s identity and success, making the lack of any technical Oscar nominations feel criminal.

If I’m being totally honest, the music tends to sound the same after a while, lacking variety that would keep the middle section from getting rather monotonous and boring. The film’s interest and emotion are highest at the beginning and end, and its final scenes especially have a superb bittersweetness that clearly went on to inspire other films like La La Land. Ultimately, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg feels like a film everyone ought to see at least once, making it a perfect Blindspot pick, but it’s not the kind of musical I’d want to rewatch often or one I would recommend to those musical-haters out there (you know who you are). Even if its narrative loses steam, it is impressive art for both ear and eye and a laudable trailblazer for musical cinema.

Best line: (Geneviève) “Mother, he’s leaving. He’ll be away for two years. I can’t live without him. I’ll die.”  (her mother, Madame Emery) “Stop crying. Look at me. People only die of love in movies.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
782 Followers and Counting

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

04 Monday Sep 2023

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Franchises and ruins share at least one thing in common,
And no, it’s not that both attest to how the best declined.
Whether we discuss the MCU or Tutankhamen,
It’s that they both give hope to those in search of more to find.

For ardent archaeologists, they know there’s always more,
Beneath the dirt, untapped, covert, and waiting to be found.
Likewise, the nerds of fandom herds will pray as they explore,
That patience be rewarded if they simply stick around.

While one digs in the future and the other in the past,
They live for tiny victories, discoveries to tout.
They can’t all be an ancient tomb or Endgame unsurpassed;
Sometimes it’s just a broken bust they can’t do much about.
________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

I realize my output has slowed of late, but, despite struggling with my writing schedule, I have not forgotten this blog. Besides, it’s not like I’m taking fifteen-year breaks between entries like a certain Harrison Ford series. Anyway, as my past reviews and rankings might indicate, I am pretty forgiving when it comes to franchise films that others lambaste. I still like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull more than anyone I know, and I can find plenty to enjoy from the supposed worst of Star Wars and the MCU. So I welcomed one final installment in the Indiana Jones franchise; Crystal Skull did have its issues, so perhaps one last adventure could end Indy’s cinematic journey on a high note. But though Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has some bright spots, it was more of a letdown than even I was expecting.

Set mostly in 1969, this truly final adventure for Indiana Jones involves the crotchety archaeologist being pulled into another race for a potentially magical Macguffin, pursued by a former Nazi scientist (the ever reliably villainous Mads Mikkelsen) and his CIA accomplices, as well as Indy’s goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) with unscrupulous motives of her own. The titular Dial of Destiny is the Antikythera mechanism, an actual ancient Greek artifact with gears that could predict astronomical events, though here it’s a simpler device with two halves that are believed to map time instead.

Say what you will about Crystal Skull but it did at least give Indy a happy ending with a son and marriage, and I do take issue with sequels like this that justify their existence by doing away with all that to make the main character miserable at the start. Nevertheless, director James Mangold proves to be a surprisingly effective stand-in for Spielberg, bringing a great sense of fun and adventure to the film’s opening sequence. It’s an extended chase back in 1944 with a perfectly de-aged Indy back in his Nazi-thwarting prime alongside his timid friend Basil (Toby Jones), Helena’s father. If the whole film had been as good as the opening, it would be a hit recalling the franchise at its best. It’s just not the same once we jump to older Indy at his glum retirement party.

I will give credit to the fast pacing that never lets too much time go by without a chase or a tense stand-off. One extended pursuit is a hoot as Indy, Helena, her young sidekick Teddy (Ethann Isidore), the bad guys, and vengeful mobsters all chase each other through the narrow streets of Tangier. I also appreciated some welcome cameos, including John Rhys-Davies returning as Sallah and Antonio Banderas as another old friend who helps with a Mediterranean dive. With all the action, it does take some suspension of disbelief to accept the now-octogenarian Ford’s ability to keep up. He doesn’t engage in the old-fashioned fisticuffs as much, but he still jumps from vehicles, climbs cliffs, endures injury, and falls out of planes with the best of them (or at least his body double does).

Despite the caveats above, I was still enjoying Dial of Destiny for the most part and was prepared to defend it against naysayers up until the ending. Obviously, I won’t spoil it, but it takes a supernatural turn that was hard to accept, with an unsatisfying villain defeat due to their own dumb decisions and a climax of historical passion that I just didn’t buy. It’s not the worst thing ever, but it felt like the first draft of a finale rather than the finished product, a neat idea that should have gone back to the drawing board. I was sort of hoping the time travel element might wrap back around to the opening sequence a la Back to the Future Part II, but I suppose that would be too supernatural. I was also underwhelmed by Helena’s character; Waller-Bridge has a winking charisma that’s easily likable, but her ideals are in direct opposition with Indy’s (complete with a smug barb about capitalism). Though they bond a bit, it’s not clear how much moral growth, if any, she’s had by the end.

I so wanted to like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but this is a case where I can agree with the disgruntled crowd. I would still watch it again for its good moments proving the effort that went into making this a worthy sequel and the simple fact that I love Ford in the lead role. It didn’t deserve to be the massive financial bomb it was, but sadly it’s a prime example of ending a franchise with a whimper rather than a bang.

Best line: (Indiana Jones) “I don’t believe in magic, but a few times in my life, I’ve seen things. Things I can’t explain. And I’ve come to believe it’s not so much about what you believe; it’s how hard you believe it.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
783 Followers and Counting

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

22 Saturday Jul 2023

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We all reach an age where a dream is our plan.
“I’ll live in a castle.” “I’ll marry that man.”
“I’ll dazzle that girl with an overpriced ring.”
But plans are a transient thing.

And little by little, our fantasies dim,
Our goals and ambitions grow cynically grim,
As reveries dwindle to traces.
It’s harder to hope in
Some window to open
With doors slamming shut in our faces.

We all have a trauma of dreams unfulfilled,
Of sand castles planned with no chances to build
Or rugs pulling out when we’re on the upswing,
For plans are a transient thing.

Although we all wish many things to undo,
All wishes aren’t false when they fail to come true.
Some comfort may be close at hand.
Where planning falls short,
We can find our support
In the good things we couldn’t have planned.
_____________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

Leave it to James Gunn to drop one of the best recent Marvel movies before jumping ship to rescue DC’s cinematic endeavors. The Guardians of the Galaxy have always seemed a little bit more separate from the main storyline of the MCU, even though the familial ties with Thanos brought them in league with the Avengers. As far as the three solo outings for the spacefaring team of Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), plus Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and others, they have gone about their intergalactic adventures without being overly tied to Marvel continuity, and many would say they are better for it. While Infinity War and Endgame may have thrown a wrench in Gunn’s initial plans for this threequel, he makes the most of his motley space crew to deliver a satisfying conclusion.

It’s easy to miss with all the cracking of skulls and jokes in the first two films, but perennial jerk Rocket Raccoon has remained a mystery up to this point, with a few hints at some traumatic past but little else. Finally, this third film gives him the spotlight, offering what might be the most tragic backstory of any Marvel character, along with an equally despicable villain in the High Evolutionary (the excellent Chukwudi Iwuji), a god-complexing scientist intent on perfecting life and society with little regard for the “lower life forms” he creates along the way. When this maniac sets his sights on capturing Rocket, the Guardians are forced into desperate measures to save his life.

First off, I was relieved that Vol. 3 actually built on the loose threads left in previous films, like the other Gamora left over after Endgame and the revenge plan of the Sovereign leader (Elizabeth Debicki) creating Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). It might have been nice if they weren’t secondary plotlines, but I’m glad they weren’t dropped the way Mordo’s villain buildup was ignored in the second Dr. Strange film. That is more of a concern the wider the MCU continuity spreads. In addition, it’s amazing how well-balanced the script is, giving every character their moment to shine, whether it’s the subtle bond between Rocket and Nebula (the only two Guardians who weren’t snapped away by Thanos) or Drax proving he can do more than fight and act dumb. Plus, it was nice to see Gunn favorite Nathan Fillion finally get a role in the MCU. In addition to the character work, there’s no shortage of outstanding, large-scale action, with better CGI than other recent Marvel entries and one tracking-shot fight scene that is a highlight of the whole franchise.

The question then is how this third film compares with its predecessors, and I’d probably consider it the best of the three. I wasn’t immediately a huge fan of the first film when it came out, but I’ve warmed up to it quite a bit, and the Vol. 2 was great fun, despite overemphasizing its own humor. In contrast to the lightweight Holiday Special on Disney+, this one takes itself much more seriously considering the grave stakes involved, and it boasts yet another fantastic soundtrack (I was ecstatic over the inclusion of Florence and the Machine). It manages to be funny without laughing at itself too much while also being the MCU film most likely to garner tears. Simply put, it’s a near-perfect capstone to the Guardians story and a satisfyingly emotional send-off for the characters and for Gunn’s involvement in the MCU. On the downside, its violence pushes the PG-13 rating, which also includes the MCU’s first needless F-bomb; while others online are rooting for the MCU’s shift into R-rated territory, I am staunchly in favor of it remaining at least somewhat family-friendly. Still, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 flies higher than any other Marvel movie in years. Time will tell if Gunn can deliver similar results for DC, but he certainly left a legacy at Marvel.

Best line: (Lylla the otter) “You still have a purpose here…. There are the hands that made us, and then there are the hands that guide their hands.”

Rank: List-Worthy (joining the other two)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
783 Followers and Counting

If I’d Been Born in Ireland

24 Saturday Jun 2023

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As some might have noticed, I’ve been rather absent from the blogosphere since the end of NaPoWriMo. This has been due mainly to a two-week vacation I took to Ireland and Scotland, as well as the preparation and readjustment periods before and after the trip. It was a major expedition for me since I had never been out of the United States before or even ridden on a plane, so to do both on my own was a big step outside my comfort zone, one I’m very glad that I took. It was sort of a pilgrimage tour where I traveled by bus with a group to various cathedrals, castles, and amazing sites. Trinity College and the huge library of the Long Room were particularly awe-inspiring for this book nerd, and climbing Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone was a highlight as well, especially since it means I’m now even more eloquent than before. 😉 (The picture at the top is the Rock of Cashel, which I visited on my first day over there.)

I don’t want to turn this into a travel blog, but I thought I would share this poem that I began writing during the trip and took final shape after I returned home, including the names of several locations I visited. I could see it as a Celtic folk song for travelers like me, fascinated with far-flung places that are perfectly normal to their inhabitants. And so as not to lose sight of the movie aspect of this blog, I’ve included five recommendations for films set in Ireland further down, in case someone else wants a vicarious visit to the Emerald Isle.

If I’d been born in Ireland
With so much to admire and
Places full of history,
I wonder how I’d feel.
Would every sight I care to see
Hold such familiarity
That all the ways the hills amaze
Would lack the same appeal?

I could truly be a local,
Hear a lilt to every vocal,
Owe a debt to good St. Patrick
That the snakes have long been gone.
My first language would be Blarney,
And I’d summer in Killarney.
I’d often tour the Cliffs of Moher
And catch a leprechaun.

But I can only fantasize
Of other mes in other lives.
I’m only here to visit, but I’m grateful for the chance.
I’m a listener and learner
And a journaling sojourner,
Here to stare at all the marvels locals only give a glance.

But if this were my home parish,
I would have so much to cherish.
I could round the Ring of Kerry
Back to where I’d always been.
I would gladly take a walk
Along the paths of Glendalough,
And the graves would not be strangers;
They would be potential kin.

I could reckon Dublin dear,
Gain a taste for Guinness beer,
Roam the castles and cathedrals
With the other residents,
Stay at home and not hotels,
As I claimed the Book of Kells,
The Hill of Slaine, and Yeats and Heaney
As inheritance.

If I’d been born in Ireland,
What more could I desire and
Where else are seen such hills of green,
My own backyard to roam?
From Down to Knock to Kylemore,
What else could I be praying for?
I wonder if I’d feel the same
If Ireland were home.

But I can only fantasize
Of other mes in other lives.
I’m only here to visit, but I’m grateful for the chance.
I’m a listener and learner
And a journaling sojourner,
Here to stare at all the marvels locals only give a glance.

And here are my top 5 Irish film recommendations, though I’ll also give a nod to Belfast, Brooklyn, and An Irish Goodbye, the recent winner of the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar, which I watched on the plane trip back home.

5. Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)

An oft-overlooked member of the Disney classic catalog, this charming take on Irish folklore deserves a place in more childhoods and features a pre-Bond Sean Connery singing.

4. The Quiet Man (1952)

I’m due for a rewatch of this one, but John Ford’s The Quiet Man had a big impact on Irish tourism, showcasing the lush green countryside for American audiences. I didn’t make it to the village of Cong, where it was filmed, but I saw many souvenirs still referencing the film and did pass a stream where some scenes were said to have been shot.

3. My Left Foot (1989)

Featuring masterful, Oscar-winning performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker, this biopic about palsied author and painter Christy Brown, a Dublin native, is one of the great inspirational stories.

2. Sing Street (2016)

This coming-of-age tale of Dublin teens forming a band in the 1980s boasts humor and heart and a set of surprisingly great songs that fit in perfectly with the period.

1. Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” – The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), Wolfwalkers (2020)

While Wolfwalkers is probably my favorite of this unofficial trilogy of singularly Celtic animated films from Cartoon Saloon, I had to let all three share the number 1 spot. While fictional, The Secret of Kells now has greater appeal for me since I was able to see the Book of Kells itself at Trinity College (literally right downstairs from the Long Room). Song of the Sea is a Ghibli-esque delight with its tale of selkies and faeries in a modern setting, while Wolfwalkers is an enchanting adventure setting magical “werewolves” of a sort against a backdrop of medieval strife. All three feature a beautiful animation style inspired by the curlicues and geometrical symmetry of illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells, and they never fail to captivate.

© 2023 S.G. Liput
783 Followers and Counting

NaPoWriMo 2023 Recap

11 Thursday May 2023

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It may have taken a while for me to announce it, but another National Poetry Writing Month has come to an end! This year was a little more stressful than years past, since I didn’t have many reviews already done ahead of time, leading to repeated instances of posting right around midnight. I hope I can plan better next year and just focus on the poems each day and be already done with the film reviews, which are an extra self-assigned obligation for the blog.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity to once again stretch my writing muscles with the daily poem prompts from the NaPoWriMo website. It was also a welcome opportunity to work through the backlog of movies I’ve seen in the last few years and just haven’t had the time or inspiration to review. I enjoy finding a movie that complements the prompt, which often results in poems I never would have come up with on my own. As a recap, here is a list of the posts from NaPoWriMo 2023:

April 1 – Vesper (2022) – List-Runner-Up

April 2 – Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) – List Runner-Up (tied for most likes, at 11)

April 3 – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) – Top 100-Worthy (tied for most likes, at 11, and my favorite film of the month)

April 4 – Old (2021) – Honorable Mention

April 5 – See How They Run (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 6 – The Mercy (2018) – Dishonorable Mention

April 7 – skipped

April 8 – Paint (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 9 – Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) – Honorable Mention (my favorite poem of the month)

April 10 – The Sea Beast (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 11 – Infinitum: Subject Unknown (2021) – Dishonorable Mention

April 12 – Nightbooks (2021) – List Runner-Up

April 13 – Shadow in the Cloud (2020) – List Runner-Up

April 14 – Moonfall (2022) – Honorable Mention

April 15 – Elvis (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 16 – The Bad Guys (2022) – List Runner-Up (tied for most likes, at 11)

April 17 – skipped

April 18 – Matilda the Musical (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 19 – Beast (2022) – Honorable Mention

April 20 – Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) – List Runner-Up

April 21 – skipped

April 22 – RRR (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 23 – Drifting Home (2022) – List Runner-Up (my VC’s favorite poem of the month)

April 24 – Dear Evan Hansen (2021) – List Runner-Up

April 25 – Notting Hill (1999) – List Runner-Up

April 26 – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) – List-Worthy

April 27 – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) – List-Worthy

April 28 – Suzume (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 29 – Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – List Runner-Up

April 30 – Disenchanted (2022) – List Runner-Up

A big thank you to everyone who read, liked, and commented throughout April! I haven’t been as interactive as I’d like with my fellow NaPoWriMo participants, but I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. I’ll still be keeping up with my usual schedule of poems and reviews (which will hopefully be a little more frequent) until next year brings that same creative rush of NaPoWriMo. Happy writing in the meantime!

Disenchanted (2022)

30 Sunday Apr 2023

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(For Day 30, the last day of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was to write a palinode, a poem that retracts a view from a previous poem or from earlier in the same poem. I sort of did that yesterday, but it seemed like a good way to reflect on both sequels and the temporary end of NaPoWriMo, until next year.)

When the villain is bested,
The henchmen arrested,
Then all of the heroes make merry.
When credits have rolled,
The story is told,
And endings are not temporary.

A glad ever after
Is sunshine and laughter;
What follows is better unsaid.
To many’s chagrin, you
Cannot just continue
When even the last page is read.

Just savor the story
That closed in its glory,
And you can imagine the rest.
Another adaptor
Might mar the next chapter.
It’s honestly probably best.

Although I’ll allow
That a “where are they now?”
Would probably earn some applause.
Finales are fleeting
And bear some repeating,
And endings are only a pause.
_____________________

MPA rating: PG

While Avatar: The Way of Water got ribbed for the extended delay between movies, it took Disney two years longer to finally deliver a second Enchanted, dropped half-heartedly on Disney+ late last year. It’s a prime example of a sequel many wanted and wanted to like yet ultimately can’t compete with its predecessor. In retrospect, we didn’t really need to know the details of how “happily ever after” fails to satisfy.

The first Enchanted was a breath of fresh air, a reverse isekai before that was even a term, with doe-eyed Giselle banished from her animated fantasy world to the streets of New York and injecting some much-needed sincerity into the lives of widower Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey). Years later, the family is seeking something more and moves out to the suburb of Monroeville, much to the chagrin of teenage Morgan (now played by Gabriella Baldacchino). After they struggle to integrate with the community, led by the imperious realtor Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph), Giselle uses a wish-granting wand to give them a more “fairy-tale” life, transforming the town into a literal magical land with all the delight and danger that entails.

Like the first film, the best thing about Disenchanted is Amy Adams, whose perky Giselle is progressively changed into an evil stepmother by her wish, since she is literally Morgan’s stepmother. She relishes playing with the caricature and trying to outdo Rudolph’s equally evil Malvina, even sharing a delightful song about their nasty rivalry called “Badder.” It’s a fun idea as the rest of the “real world” characters are brainwashed into fairy tale roles, complete with lavish costumes, but it can also run a bit thin, with Dempsey especially having very little to contribute. And the drama of the climax definitely feels forced, with the magic wand not being used effectively and the stroke of midnight somehow being delayed by jamming a clock tower’s gears.

Even if the plot falls short, it was admittedly nice seeing all the principal actors returning to these beloved characters, including James Marsden’s Edward and Idina Menzel’s Nancy. It was a crime that Menzel didn’t get a chance to sing in the original, and she does finally use her famous pipes with the anthemic “Love Power.” I was glad that Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz again teamed up for the sequel’s songs, though the lyrics can be lackluster and nothing comes close to the first film’s “That’s How You Know” dance number. Disenchanted does manage to capture at least part of the satirical charm and magic of the original, so it’s not a complete misfire, but it does show how special the first film was in balancing its real and fantastical elements. Even after so much time has passed, it’s still a tough act to follow.

Best line: (Morgan, in response to Edward and Nancy singing) “Does anyone in Andalasia ever just say stuff?”   (Giselle) “Not if we can help it!”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

29 Saturday Apr 2023

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(For Day 29 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a two-part poem focused on a food or meal, so I took the theme of sequels and wrote about that nagging desire for seconds.)

1.
You’ve had a good helping and just about full
But still feeling slightly insatiable.
The first round was marvelous, hitting the spot,
But are you appeased? No, you’re not.

There’s room in that stomach, an empty place,
That ought to be filled, just in case.
You cannot leave hunger to scratch and bide
When it’s only partially satisfied.

“It’s lonely in here,” your firsts assert;
Indulging in seconds would hardly hurt.
They’re begging for more, I must obey
This gastrointestinal power play.

Another undoubtedly will exceed.
It’s less of a want and more a need.
Seconds is seconds away, all right?
Coming to curb that appetite.

2.
Sure, I was hungry and now I’m not,
But did I desire the gut I’ve got?
I knew there was room and now it’s filled,
And now my duodenum’s less than thrilled.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m a slave
To all of the short-term whims I crave.
Some self-control could hardly hurt.
What’s that you say? Oh, boy… dessert!
______________________

MPA rating: PG-13

I have such mixed feelings about the Avatar franchise. James Cameron’s passion project seems to be widely acknowledged as an outlet for great visuals in service to a generic environmentalist story of alien natives versus colonizers, and it had become a joke to reference the extended delay between the 2009 original and its first of four sequels. Yet Cameron’s box office power remains undefeated, with The Way of Water silencing naysayers and skyrocketing to become the third highest-grossing film ever. I personally contributed to that revenue (I left for the theater saying “Time to go pay James Cameron’s salary”), mainly just to see the film’s admittedly impressive visuals on a big screen, something I skipped with the first one. And I’m glad I saw it, while also oddly feeling like I’m missing something to explain this series’ popularity.

Set sixteen years after the first film saw the victorious Na’vi send the encroaching humans packing, The Way of Water introduces audiences to another form of Na’vi culture, that of the ocean-dwelling Metkayina clan. When the humans return to colonize Pandora, not just plunder its resources, it also heralds the return of Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the dead colonel whose memories now reside in a new Avatar-like body, enabling him to seek revenge on the traitorous Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who has been busy raising a family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Thus, Jake leads his family away from their forest home to seek refuge with the Metkayina, learn their ways, and employ their help if and when the big bad humans find them.

One point in this sequel’s favor is that it no longer feels like an outright rip-off of Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas. With his world and backstory already established, Cameron can play with more original ideas, like the mystery surrounding Kiri, the adopted daughter who was somehow born from the corpse of Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver, who also plays Kiri via motion capture). Except that seems to be a greater concern for future installments, and the time is instead spent exploring marine environments and rescuing kidnapped children. While the dialogue is generally weak, I will give credit to the film’s theme of fatherhood, with Jake and Quaritch both struggling with their military and paternal duties, which is much more characterization than Quaritch got in the first film.

While the film’s story has a little more heart to it, owing to Jake’s shift from space marine to family man, it has many of the same strengths and faults as the first. There’s much to see and little to care about, but the spectacle manages to overcome the flaws. The underwater world so carefully designed is indeed a wonder to behold, full of vibrant coral reefs and giants both gentle and fierce, all rendered with the characters in that thoroughly immersive motion-capture animation it’s taken years to perfect. Like its predecessor, the climactic battle at the end is long and thrilling, taking some cues from Cameron’s Titanic past with its large-scale water warfare.

I enjoyed The Way of Water but would be hard-pressed to say whether it’s better or worse than the first Avatar, and I still think it’s a bit hard to swallow that both were nominated for Best Picture when Avengers: Endgame wasn’t. When this much effort and detail are poured into something over three hours long, I feel like I should like it more than I do, but I’m left with mild admiration for the visual triumph of the product so far rather than a sense of excitement for more sequels to come. Even so, there are promising seeds and conflicts sown here that could develop into something special, and, as this sequel proves more than anything, I wouldn’t bet against James Cameron.

Best line: (Quaritch) “Why so blue?”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Suzume (2022)

29 Saturday Apr 2023

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

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(For Day 28 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for an index-like poem, so I chose the word “door” as my index word for a pair of haikus, since doors are so prominent in this film.)

Opens and closes;
Keep in or keep out; slam it;
Lock it; lose the key.

Don’t dare to open;
Outside the gates; slipping through;
Miss the other side.
____________________

MPA rating: PG

In the same way cinephiles look forward to the next Christoper Nolan or Quentin Tarantino movie, anime fans eagerly await the advent of the next Makoto Shinkai film. I was excited to finally see his latest called Suzume in the theater, months after its Japanese premiere, and it had everything Shinkai does well: pouring rain, desperate running, eye-popping cataclysms, poignant reunions, all rendered in some of the most gorgeous animation this side of KyoAni. Yet it’s hard to forget that everything he creates will inevitably be compared to Your Name, the record-breaking blockbuster that put Shinkai on the international map. It’s a tough comparison, but Suzume still excels at the same kind of emotion-backed fantasy.

Suzume (Nanoka Hara), the title character, is a rural high school girl who directs an attractive visitor named Sota (Hokuto Matsumura) to some nearby ruins for which he is searching. When she follows out of curiosity, she discovers that a long-dormant evil has started breaking into our world to cause disasters, using doorways in abandoned areas as gateways that must be closed. When Sota is inexplicably cursed and transformed into… ahem, a chair, Suzume runs away from home to help him complete his mission, further complicated by a mischievous talking cat. (I loved a brief reference to Whisper of the Heart when the cat is spotted on a train.)

I’ll admit the chair part is a little hard to take seriously at first, especially since it forever labels this movie as “the one where a girl falls in love with a chair.” But if you roll with it, the object does take on greater meaning as a precious heirloom for Suzume, and there’s fun to be had with the absurdity of it. As the plot becomes a buddy road trip across Japan (a “meet-‘em-and-move-on” as I call them), it’s a little hard to believe how many people seem fine with supporting a runaway girl and letting her continue on her way. Yet it’s also an opportunity to take a peek into various lives she passes, which I always enjoy.

It’s interesting that two anime in the same year (this film and Drifting Home) both put a focus on the large number of abandoned areas throughout Japan, including a ferris wheel specifically, places that were once full of life and now have only echoes of what was. True to Shinkai form, the emotions grow with time, and even if Suzume and Sota ultimately just met, the bond and distress born from their relationship are highly affecting at the film’s emotional high points.

Even if I recognize the film’s faults, like the rather thin story fueled by contrivance, Shinkai just has a captivating style that is easy to get sucked into, aided by striking visuals and iconic music by the band Radwimps, his frequent collaborator. If Suzume had come out before Your Name and Weathering with You, I think I would love it more without the comparison, but I can’t quite say it’s better than them while sharing the same DNA. It did surpass Weathering with You to become the fourth highest-grossing Japanese film ever (right behind Your Name), so Shinkai still has enormous box office draw. It would be nice if he can step a little further out from under his own shadow, but I’m still very much a fan.

Rank: List Runner-Up (might go up with time)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

28 Friday Apr 2023

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

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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