All things Agatha Christie

I was digging through my old blog posts and was shocked to discover that I’ve never written more than a passing reference to Agatha Christie.  This is unacceptable as she is my favorite author.  I own every book she’s ever written and have read most of them.  If you aren’t familiar with her work it’s time you got an education.  (And I don’t mean that Carey Mulligan movie.  More on the Oscar nominations in a future post.)

Agatha Christie is one of the most prolific and popular mystery writers in history.  In her lifetime she penned 80 novels, 20 collections of short stories and a half-dozen original plays.  Her books have been translated into 56 languages and she has only been outsold by one other book – the Bible.  She passed away in 1976 at the age of 85.

What she is known for is detailed character studies – she was often more fascinated with the psychology of the murderer than the crime itself.  But her plots were generally woven in a careful and intricate manner.  Christie wasn’t an author that needed to rely on a twist ending (OK, maybe twice) – all the pieces were there for the reader.  Piecing them together is the challenge (and the joy) of reading her books.

Along the way she established a few famous detectives but only two really held the interest of her readers over the years.  Hercule Poirot, the round Belgian investigator appeared in her very first novel, A Mysterious Affair at Styles and would carry through her work for decades.  Eventually Christie grew tired of writing about Poirot, but she kept him in many books to soothe public demand.  Her other famous sleuth was the mild-mannered spinster Miss Marple, from St. Mary Mead.  Marple appeared in a dozen books and many short stories.

If you’ve never read any of Christie’s books, you might be wondering – where to start?  A fine question – I’m here to help.  Below is a list of a few books that I think are a good place to get started – some of Christie’s best to introduce you to her work.  When in doubt – stick to the work in the 1930s to mid-1940s.  After that the quality became more sporadic.

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – The closest Christie ever got to a twist ending, this was the Poirot book that really got her noticed.  Shocking in its dénouement, you’ll wonder why you didn’t see it coming.
2. The Murder at the Vicarage – This is the first novel to feature Miss Marple and to my mind remains the best.
3. The A.B.C. Murders – My favorite of the Poirot novels, this is the prototype for the serial killer genre so popular today.
4. And Then There Were None – My all-time favorite Christie book.  If you see the ending coming, I owe you $5.

Over the years there have been (far too) many attempts to adapt Agatha Chritie’s work for the stage and screen with varying degrees of success.  Christie did all writing for the original plays and adapted plays herself and the greatest by far has been The Mousetrap.  It is, in fact, the longest running play in history – still going on London’s West End today after 57 years.

Amongst the movie adaptations, a few were truly successful.  And Then There Were None came out in 1945 and wins my personal award for Most Faithful to the Original Text.  Later versions would alter the location or the ending in ways that were not great.  The most famous film was 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.  Although it moved away from the original book slightly, it was still well-done and exciting, featuring a host of famous actors including Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave and Maggie Smith.  It went on to be nominated for six Academy Awards and took home one of them – Ingrid Bergman for Best Supporting Actress.

After that the idea of doing a star-studded adaptation was in vogue, but the results got worse year after year.  Soon they moved to TV movies which went from really bad to pretty good.  Perhaps the best was Thirteen at Dinner starring Peter Ustinov as Poirot and Faye Dunaway as a famous actress.

Far better results came from (no surprise) the BBC which launched two successful TV series based on Christie’s books – Agatha Christie’s Poirot starring David Suchet and Miss Marple starring Joan Hickson.  Later attempts have dipped into ludicrous territory – putting detectives in stories they never belonged in and changing major details along the way.  (This transgression made its way into later episodes of the Poirot series also.)

And that’s a brief introduction to the wonderful world of Agatha Christie.  I hope you’ll check out her work – it’s some of the most fun and quick reading you can get.  Enjoy!

Getting Lost again

I don’t have a lot to say about this past week’s season premiere of Lost except, “Whoa.”  And to throw out my favorite line – a quote from Jack to Locke – “Nothing is irreversible.”  Oh really?  What did or did not happen?  Lots more questions to be answered now.

Fortunately, the friendly producers have given a bit of insight which helps frame discussion very well.  I encourage you to check it out.

And after that, check out this crazy sideways clip!

The Young Victoria review

The Young Victoria

The challenge of a film like this one is that it’s very hard to be everything at once.  You can either make a highly detailed historical film that includes all the important details of a monarch’s life, or you can choose a key part of that life and magnify it into a whole story.  In this case screenwriter Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) went with the latter, giving us a rich love story at the start of the Victorian era.

Victoria (Emily Blunt) was an exceptional young woman who entered the monarchy with all the petulance of her teenage years.  Refusing to sign away her rights to her mother’s advisor, she stumbles through her first years trying to find her way.  Her greatest challenges immediately are the potential suitors that are being pressed upon her, but Victoria is determined that although she is a woman, she will rule alone.  But eventually she does fall for one of those suitors – Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) who is being pressed upon her as a way to protect Belgian interests.  When he shows her the utmost respect and is willing to be her confidant and her equal, Victoria’s heart melts and she opens her world to love.  What follows is a brief recap of their first years together.

If I could sum up the movie in one word, it would be “charm.”  Emily Blunt is lovely, dynamic and witty as Victoria.  She is well-balanced by the quiet and magnetic Rupert Friend as Albert.  Their love story is a joy ride that you don’t want to end – completely believable.  The cast includes fine actors like Paul Bettany and Miranda Richardson, but the man who steals the show is Jim Broadbent as King William.

The direction by Jean-Marc Vallée is both sumptuous and confusing.  Some of his choices for camera shots are simply arresting – like a banquet table being set, or the final tableau of the Queen and King entering a ball.  But others make no sense and the editing at times is abrupt in a way that is noticeable and therefore distracting.

But overall this is a delightful film.  If you’re hoping for a strong history of Queen Victoria, this isn’t the movie for you.  But if you enjoy a good love story, then I think you’ll agree with me that this film deserves a B+.

Introduction to…Pandemic

It’s been a really long time since I posted about a board game and I don’t know why.  Probably because I’m spending so much time playing them!  But why should I have all the fun?  Here’s another great game to tell you about.

Today I’d like to introduce you a very different type of game that’s arguably been the most popular game of the past year in our house – Pandemic.  This is an easy game to learn, and doesn’t take very long to play. But unlike traditional games, this one is called cooperative, because all the players work together to secure a victory as a team.  It’s you against the game – can you save the world?

In this game you are working to stop the spread of some highly infectious diseases around the planet – pretty timely considering current events, no?  The diseases are represented by 4 colors of cubes (red, blue, black and yellow) that are concentrated in particular regions of the world.  Each player will move about the board trying to treat victims of each disease, while also searching for cure.  The players all start at the CDC in Atlanta, pictured below.

Players are dealt a hand of cards – each one pictures a city and is in the color of the type of disease that might strike there.  For example, you may have cards for Paris (blue), Baghdad (black), Sydney (red) and Mexico City (yellow).  The cards also tell you a few basic demographics about the city – built-in geography lesson!  To find a cure you need to get 5 cards in your hand of the same color – but the challenge is you can’t have more than 7 cards in your hand at any time.

The cards are also used on your turn to help you move around the board.  A player has several options on his turn, and can do 4 actions each time.  These include traveling by car or boat (adjacent cities, no card needed) or by plane which requires discarding the card for the city you want to fly to or from.  You can also remove a cube of disease (1 cube = 1 action), exchange a card with another player if you’re both in the same city featured on the card, or you can build a research station – again if you have the card for that city.  Once a player has accumulated 5 cards of the same color, she can move to a city with a research station, discard that set of cards, and mark that the disease has been cured!  Once that happens, you are able to clear out that particular disease much faster.  If you are able to remove all cubes of one color from the board (after finding a cure) then it is eradicated and the disease will not reappear for the remainder of the game.  In the image below, the blue disease has been cured, and the yellow disease has been eradicated.

Now, that’s all well and good, but where do the diseases come from?  There is a second pile of cards which also feature all the cities on them, and they comprise the infection deck.  At the beginning of the game you will reveal 9 city cards and infect them to varying degrees.  Then, at the end of each player’s turn he will draw a number of infection cards equal to the current infection rate (see below) and add a cube to those cities.

Still sound too easy to win?  Well we’re just getting started – let’s move onto Epidemic cards.  Amidst the player deck you will seed (somewhat evenly) 4 – 6 epidemic cards.  Each player draws 2 cards as the second part of her turn; should she get an Epidemic, she must play it face up and follow the instructions.  The first is that the infection rate increases one notch – which isn’t bad at first, but after the 3rd epidemic you’ll notice the rate is up to 3 cities per turn.  Secondly, a new city (drawn from the bottom of the deck) is infected with 3 cubes.  Lastly, the really nasty part – the discarded infection cards are shuffled and put back on top of the deck!  In other words, those cities that you’ve been running around and dealing with are going to continue being infected until you find a cure – and time is running out!

As if that wasn’t enough, you also must try to prevent disease outbreaks.  When a city has 3 cubes in it and that city shows up in the infection deck, the disease in that city outbreaks.  You place one cube of that city’s color in every city it’s adjacent to, regardless of color.  This turns your little problems into big ones fast.  Each time you have an outbreak, you note it on the outbreak meter, pictured at left.  The worst situation is a possible chain reaction, when a disease outbreaks from one city and sends a cube to an adjacent city that already has 3 cubes – double outbreak!

So now that you’re feeling the pressure, let’s talk about winning and losing.  The players win if they can find a cure for all 4 diseases before one of three things happens – the outbreak meter hits 8, you run out of all the cubes in one color, or the player deck is exhausted (which represents running out of time).  Trying to prevent all three of these situations is a real balancing act and is what makes the game so exciting!

Fortunately, there is some help for the players that will allow them to use some creative problem-solving to save the world.  Mixed into the player deck are a few special event cards which will allow you special privileges, like airlifting a player to any city, or building a free research station in any city with a government grant.  These special cards can be played at any time, regardless if it’s your turn or not.  Also, each player has a role which will allow you to do something not normally allowed.  For example, the Medic can move into a city and remove all cubes of that color as a single action.  The Scientist can find a cure with just 4 cards of the same color.

I’m a big fan of this game – I have declared that it was the best new game I played in all of 2009.  It requires strong communication, problem-solving and a good dose of luck to come up with a win.  And any time you think it’s getting too easy, there is always a way to ratchet up the difficulty.  Thus far I haven’t taught it to anyone that didn’t like it after one game.  In fact, I introduced some players to it at my house and then I went off to play another game.  They ended up playing through it 5 times in a row until they won!  Pandemic is a good game for players at all skill levels and is especially suited as a “gateway game” for players that haven’t tried many board games. It is designed for 2-4 players, but I particularly enjoy it with 2; it’s a great game for couples, as you have to work on your communication with each other!  This is a relatively short game, taking only about 45 minutes. Pandemic is published in the U.S. by Z-Man Games.

I’ll also add that recently Z-Man released an expansion set for this game called On the Brink.  It’s one of the best expansions I’ve seen.  You get more player roles, a bunch of new special event cards, improved player pawns and nifty storage cases shaped like petri dishes.  There are also 3 added scenarios that you can try which make the game even harder to win – trust me, it’s tough!  Definitely a lot of bang for your buck, so if you like the main game I highly recommend going for this new set to enhance your experience.

Thanks for reading my review – and I promise to be back soon with another game review.

Oscar bait movie reviews

Time to catch up on four films I saw recently, all of which are jockeying for some Oscar nominations next month.

Avatar

Jim Cameron’s latest has been (as always) controversial, because it cost a fortune.  Was it worth the money, and the extra money I paid to see it in 3-D?  The simple answer is yes – it’s a visual stunner that demands to be seen on the big screen and in its full glasses-required glory.  What’s most impressive is that Cameron has created an entire world, complete with its own topography, species and tribal traditions.

The downside?  The script is weak, and isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.  It’s pretty much Dances With Star Wars.  Much of the dialogue is bad, so the film relies on narrative voice-overs from Sam Worthington, the sexy male lead.  Fortunately no matter what she’s saying, Sigourney Weaver rocks, as usual.

Overall I think this movie is worth seeing, because what you see is so arresting that you start to forget about that pesky plot.  It’s a thrill ride that gives you a lot of highs, even if it leaves you feeling rather empty once it’s over.  My grade – a solid B.  For a simpler (and funnier) review – check out this link.

A Single Man

Based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood, this film is about dealing with grief – how does one cope when your entire world comes crashing down around you at once?  The main character (George) faces the death of his long-time lover and their pet dogs by choosing the only way out he can imagine.

The lead is played by Colin Firth in a performance that is shattering, startling and sublime.  He has a scene where he first finds out about his partner’s death, and the range of emotions that spread across his face – it’s just astonishing.  An Oscar nomination for him is a sure bet.  His co-stars include Matthew Goode (full of rakish charm) and Julianne Moore (a boozy British princess).

Tom Ford (yes, the fashion designer) directed the film, and it shows – his attention to detail is impeccable – every costume, set piece and prop is chosen with care.  Unfortunately the script is a little thin – not very much happens here.  It’s a minimalist story with rich ornamentation.  I give it a B+.

Nine

I’ve been looking forward to this musical (an adaptation of the stage show, which is itself an adaptation of Fellini’s 8 1/2) for quite some time.  With that cast of amazing actresses, combined with song and dance numbers, directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), how could I not?

The good news is that the women are very strong.  Penelope Cruz is a riot as Guido’s mistress, and easily has the best lines in the film.  Close behind her is a strong performance by Marion Cotillard as the wife – she is all dewy delicacy.  I want to go sit on her eyelashes and just hang out for awhile!  Judi Dench gives a bravura performance reminding us of old Paris – such charm!  Kate Hudson gives a great musical number, but she looks so much like her mother (Goldie Hawn) I could barely concentrate.  The most surprising performance was from Fergie, who was smoldering and attention-grabbing in the show-stopper “Be Italian.”

The film really hangs on how you feel about Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido.  If you find him charming and believe that he’s a lusty lothario, then it’s a winner.  But if you don’t really buy that (I didn’t), then it can be a disappointment.  So overall I give the movie a B-, but for some folks this could be a solid A.

Broken Embraces

The best of the films I’ve seen recently was the latest offering from Pedro Almodovar.  Once again he delivers an intricate plot where the web between characters slowly becomes revealed.  His ability to make his characters rich and complex is in full effect here once again.

This is a tale of a blind filmmaker who starts to tell his manager’s son the story of a lost love, and unreels secrets that never stop.  Lluís Homar is the passionate lead, and his memories are of a lusty and ambitious Penelope Cruz.  Their performances are passionate and engrossing, but that’s what we’ve come to expect in Almodovar films.  He also brought his usual stable of actors – everyone from Blanca Portillo to Lola Dueñas.  Seeing this movie made me want to run home and watch other favorites, like Volver!

Overall I give this movie an A-.  It has enjoyable performances, it’s well-paced and is visually appealing.  A few plot points bothered me just a touch, but on the whole this is solid.  Unfortunately I think it will be overlooked this Oscar season, so check it out while you can!

So…that’s what I’ve been up to lately.  Still on my list to see are The Princess and the Frog, Up in the Air, Young Victoria and Invictus.  How about you?

August: Osage County

Currently at the Kennedy Center is a touring production of  the Tony Award-winning play August: Osage County.  Scott and I were lucky enough to get some discounted tickets, and it was well worth it!

The play is definitely a black comedy.  Playwright Tracy Letts has a real gift for humor, offering up more laughs than I would have expected from such dark subject matter.  And yet she imbues her characters with deep, often hidden motivations which are what carry the play to its inevitable resolution.  But truly I laughed so hard and so often – it was fantastic!  Truly, utterly hilarious.

The plot begins by introducing us to the parents of the Weston clan – Beverly and his wife Violet.  He’s a washed up poet and an alcoholic, she’s perpetually addicted to prescription drugs.  Our window on their world is the housekeeper that Beverly hires – Johnna, a soft-spoken Cheyenne Indian in need of a job.  But tragedy strikes, and the whole family comes out of the woodwork – first Violet’s sister Mattie Fae and her husband Charlie and later their own son “Little Charles.”  All three of the Weston daughters also come to roost – Barbara, Ivy and Karen.

Photo by Robert J. Saferstein

Barbara, the eldest, is full of disdain and rage at her parents, fueled by her separation from her husband Bill.  She feels like she can’t control her daughter Jean, and vows not to make the same mistakes.  But as is so often the case, the sins of the parents are passed onto their children.

Ivy is the middle daughter who has remained in this small Oklahoma town to care for her parents.  On the surface she is scattered and genteel, but when she starts talking, it’s evident she’s anything but happy to see her sisters.

Karen is the youngest and full of life – so full of it that she chatters on and on, ignoring what’s happening around her.  She says that she has found happiness in life with her fiancée Steve, but is she just settling?

Well all those truths do come out, because at a feisty family dinner, matriarch Violet really lets go.  She’s determined that “truths will be told” and she could care less about the consequences.  What follows is a lot of laughing, fighting and crying.

Photo of Shannon Cochran, Jeff Still & Estelle Parsons by Robert J. Saferstein.

The strength of this show is really in the acting – most of the cast sparkles with the material they’ve been given, no matter how small the role.  Estelle Parsons as Violet proves she has come a long way from her stint on Roseanne, offering a searing portrayal of a woman with one foot firmly over the edge.  All three daughters are remarkable – Angelica Torn is full of quiet rage and clever one-liners as Ivy, while Amy Warren makes certain you won’t forget her bubbly Karen.  But the powerhouse is Shannon Cochran as Barbara, who matches Parsons blow for blow.  When she seethes with lines like, “Eat your fish, BITCH,” let’s just say you feel like you’d better eat that fish, pronto.

I also was really happy with the Anna Shapiro’s direction – her sense of rhythm and timing are impeccable.  It’s amazing how she’s able to milk the smallest moments for laughs, simply by spacing out the dialogue.  She especially makes good use of DeLanna Studi as Johnna, who pops in at just the right moments to offer a good laugh or a much-needed moment of sanity.  The overall pacing is also nice to see – for example, while Act 2 is very much about a shift in power between Violet and Barbara, the Act 3 opening is unquestionably controlled by Ivy as she unravels even more hidden secrets.

Lastly I have to admire the remarkable set design by Todd Rosenthal – a towering three-story house with at least seven visible rooms, and two staircases that get quite a workout.  The players are given plenty of room to breathe, but the house still gives off a sense that we are trapped in this loony bin until the lights come up.

So to sum it up – you really, really should go see this show!  (Not appropriate for kids – too much foul language.)  Don’t let the long running time of 3 1/2 hours scare you away – the play blazes by, and with two brief intermissions you don’t get antsy.  I understand there are still a lot of discount ticket offers there, so take advantage of them and see this show!  Any seat in the Eisenhower Theater will be a good one for this play with larger than life personalities.

10 ways to make Glee the best it can be

As you know by now, I’m a tad obsessed with Glee, as is much of America (it’s the highest rated new comedy of the season).  When you are this fond of something, it’s natural to get picky and critical – you want it to be the best it can be!  And with Glee I worry about its long-term prospects; after all, in television it’s a marathon to get yourself to syndication.

So I’ve been working on this list.  In particular I was inspired by the episode “Wheels,” which I think was the best of the season so far.

 

1.  Limit the amount of musical numbers, and make sure they serve the story.

One of the complaints the average person has with musicals is that they don’t believe people would just break out into song.  Occasionally that’s happened on this show, so…stop it.  If people burst into song it should be because they are, in fact, singing at that moment in the plot.  As far as the number of songs, I think three is a good limit.  In “Wheels” we had just the three numbers, each of which were well integrated into the plot.

2.  Always end with a big musical number!

A key facet of this show is that it ends on a high nearly every week, no more perfect than in the pilot episode.  Leave us with a knock-out every time, please!

3.  Focus on just two or three plot lines per episode.

The problem with some past episodes has been that they get too muddled as we follow a bunch of plot threads which are barely interwoven.  “Vitamin D” was a case where there was just too much going on, which left some of the plot dangling a bit.

4.  Tone down those love quadrangles.

Almost every great comedy has had some kind of major love connection that’s dragged out for a long time to add some tension.  The danger in that is that if you rely on it too much, when the connection finally happens the show starts to falter (see also: Moonlighting, Cheers).  So the writers would be wise to not make these groups of lovers (Will/Terri/Ken/Emma and Finn/Quinn/Puck/Rachel) such a heavy focus.

5.  Focus on more characters.

On all of the posters, advertisements and such there is a rather large cast shown.  Yet since then we’ve been spending so much time on the likes of Finn and Rachel that other characters are getting the short shrift.  What’s the story on Mercedes, other than a lack of gaydar?  Is there more to Tina than her supposed lisp?  What I loved about “Wheels” was that we got some good insight into what Artie is like, and even a bit more on Tina.  The second best episode of the season, “Preggers,” was focused on Kurt.  Keep that up!

6.  Make the characters three-dimensional.

In “Wheels” it took just one brief scene to turn Sue Sylvester from a two-dimensional caricature into a complex woman with hidden motivations.  Brilliant!  We need more of that.

7.  Deepen the bench.

Another challenge for this show is that the kids will “grow up” and eventually have to move on.  Let’s not fall into the same trap as Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved by the Bell!  To prepare for that, the writers need to start slowly introducing us to some of the second-stringers like Santana and “other Asian.”  An amazing new development has been moving Brittany to the forefront as the classic blond ditz who also has heart.  LOVE!

8.  Bring an end to the baby drama.

No offense to Quinn Fabray (love that name), but this whole baby subplot is getting tired.  In particular it’s ridiculous, because we’re led to believe that Will is so dense he can’t tell his own wife isn’t pregnant, and Finn is such an idiot that he doesn’t know how babies are made.  Let’s get to spring break as soon as possible to get this over with.  Remember that most sitcoms start to die when the leads get married or have a baby.

9.  The adults can’t overshadow the kids.

Yes, this show is meant to be a blend between what’s happening with the teachers and what’s happening with the students.  But the show is called Glee, which means it’s about the glee club first and foremost.  I’d rather not see another episode like “Acafellas” where it was all about Will, Ken and the like.  (Although I don’t mind some more of those cheesy 80’s boy band songs!)  The one exception to this rule – Sue Sylvester.  Please give us as much of her as possible.

10. Up the competition.

One thing that was so refreshing in some episodes has been the scouting of the competition.  We love our kids at McKinley, but it’s fun to see a completely different bunch performing in their own style (see also: Bring It On).  I wasn’t totally in love with this week’s episode (“Hairography”), but seeing some of the competition was fun.  Can’t wait for sectionals!

That’s my list – let me know what you think, and if you have ideas to add.

 

All images courtesy Fox Television.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

And here, appropriately, is my favorite Thanksgiving moment from Friends.

If you’re not in the U.S. – happy Thursday instead!

All that is Precious

Precious

The story of Clareece Precious Jones (played by Gabourey Sidibe) unfolds like a horror story.  We quickly learn that she is pregnant with her second child, and that both children were sired by her raping father.  Her mother spends all day in front of the television, expecting Precious to service her every need.  And mama Mary (played by Mo’Nique) is also violently abusive, spitting out an endless string of curse words in her first scene, all aimed at her daughter.  To top it all off, now she’s getting kicked out of middle school – at the age of 16.  (It gets worse.)  No wonder that Precious has terribly low self-esteem.  Yet she fantasizes about a better life all the time.  In this film we learn that having dreams is not the same thing as having hope.

Fortunately one woman after another crosses Precious’ path and recognizes that this is a lost soul in need of rescuing.  She ends up at an alternative school led by the indomitable Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) and also has a droll welfare worker (Mariah Carey) standing in her corner.  But as often as she’s able to move ahead, Precious is continuously swept back into the cycle of abuse perpetrated by her mother.  How can she rise above it all?  Well, you have to just go and see for yourself.

The script is an adaptation of Push, a novel by poetess Sapphire.  It’s so achingly real that one would think it’s based on a true story, perhaps the author’s own experience.  But this is a piece of fiction that could be the story of a thousand young girls in this country that are beat down by the position that life puts them in, and struggle against the system to find a way out.  Lee Daniels is the director, and this is only his second film – which is astonishing considering how deftly he brings this story to life.  The pacing of the film is very well done, giving us just enough moments of levity and brightness to counteract the pits of despair that dominate.  He smartly chooses to put us in Precious’ fantasies periodically to show that she’s able to step outside herself and try to find beauty in the ugly that is her life.

Newcomer to the screen Sidibe is remarkable not because she puts on a performance.  It is because she is so believable that it’s hard to imagine she isn’t Precious.  Her words come out half-mumbled all the time, but when she finds some joy, she simply glows.  And get ready, folks – you may not have expected to hear these words in your lifetime, but “Academy Award winner Mo’Nique” is very possible!  Her Mary is  bitterly explosive, unleashing her fury at a moment’s notice – it has the feel of a suspense movie, because you never see it coming.  It is only at the end that we begin to understand her motivation – unforgivable, but clearly excruciating.  Also surprising is the understated turn by Mariah Carey.  She goes anti-glam for this role, and it really works – we can almost forgive her for Glitter (but no, we shall not forget).

The remainder of the cast is full of “Oh that’s…!” surprises, which I won’t ruin here (and don’t go looking it up on IMDB first).  I’ll just say that amongst the cast is another famous musician, a woman on a prominent daily talk show, and an actress most known for a late 80’s sitcom that takes place in a high school.  Good luck!

On the whole this is a movie that is excellent in a way that is emotionally devastating.  It has been a long time since a film so aptly portrayed the dark pit of abuse, while giving an uplifting light to guide us out.  This movie hurts to see, but you are better for the experience.  My grade – A.

All images courtesy Lionsgate Films.

Wild Things

Where the Wild Things Are - a review

There is one real downside to a movie getting enormous critical buzz.  It sets unrealistically high expectations in some audience members (like me).  Spike Jonze’s latest suffers from that problem.

Because let me be clear on one thing – I liked the movie.  Quite a bit, actually.  But it wasn’t this great transformative experience I’d read about and hoped for.  Instead I found an intriguing film that didn’t fully connect.

The book by Maurice Sendak is a classic for its simplicity.  The film adaptation takes the same basic story, but expands the scope of world Max discovers.  The creatures all have names and personalities, and fight amongst themselves over petty concerns.  I feel it’s pretty clear that Jonze has set them each up to represent an aspect of Max’s personality he doesn’t see in himself – the unreasonable temper is embodied by Carol, the pessimism is Judith.  I liked this idea, but because it’s a so-called children’s movie, I think those stereotypes remain too one-dimensional.

The strength of the film is in the visuals – the monsters are fully realized as if they stepped right out of Sendak’s book.  The landscapes are stunning, particularly the fort built by the creatures.  And the unveiling of Carol’s fantasy diorama is a moment that makes you inhale with wonder.

All in all I think this is a good movie, but falls short of being great.  If you do want to see it, I recommend running out to do so now, because the big screen is where it’s meant to live.  My grade – B.