Date: June 15, 2014
Location: Pocono Movieplex
Time: 11:30 am
Party: 2 (my sister & I)
Writer/Director: Dean DeBlois
Based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell
Duration: 102 minutes (+3 trailers)
Cast:
Hiccup- Jay Baruchel
Stoick- Gerard Butler
Valka- Cate Blanchett
Astrid- America Ferrera
Snotlout- Jonah Hill
Fishlegs- Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Tuffnut- T.J. Miller
Ruffnut- Kristen Wiig
Gobber- Craig Ferguson
Eret- Kit Harington
Drago- Djimon Hounsou
Trailers:
The marquee to our theater had this movie's title and "Maleficent." Based on the first trailer, I was a little afraid they were showing the wrong movie.
Basically, it was a teaser trailer for next year's live-action "Cinderella," a black screen that rotated around a glass slipper. I don't know much about it, but I'm already excited about it much more than "Maleficent"... I'm not the biggest Angelina Jolie fan
The second looked like a pet project Guillermo de Toro had been working on for years. It was an animated film called "The Book of Life." His heritage was very much in play because it takes place in Spain, one scene had bullfighters involved and Zoe Saldana plays the female lead who's dressed like Carmen ala the opera of the same name.
The overall look of it reminded me a little bit of "Coraline," but with more textures, colors and patterns.
Then there was a Disney movie called "Big Hero 6" by the same people behind "Wreck-It Ralph" (still haven't seen it and still wanting to). It was a goofy teaser trailer where this kid conjured armor for his creature and has difficulty fitting the pieces over his large frame.
Write-up:
Intro
I figured we were due for another animated film my sister could enjoy. The box office has been going through a bit of a drought lately with nothing I'd really wanted to see.
As August approaches, I think that'll start to change.
It might not resonate with her in the long run as much as "The Lego Movie" did (which we'll most definitely get on DVD whenever possible), but we both enjoyed this movie a great deal.
So did the dozen or so other people in the theater with us. A lot of parents with kids, all younger than 12.
I feel bad going into this with little memory of the first movie, which I do remember enjoying quite a bit. I guess it would help to see the first movie before this one, but you won't be lost if this is the first time you're visiting the Nordic village of Berk.
Word Travels Fast
Going into it, I've heard a couple things about it. I've heard a lot of good things said about it. One trailer said it was "Braver than Brave and more fun than Frozen"... Loved both movies and I'll give them the first thing, but not the second.
[Brings me back to the "Captain America" trailer that claimed it was better than "The Avengers"... uh, no..]
I've also heard a couple negative things, few I paid attention to. One review I read compared the new sport of Berk to Quidditch... not that there's anything wrong with Quidditch, but I understand where the comparison came from.
Then I heard a rumored "traumatic" scene that drew comparisons to Bambi's mom getting shot... if the scene is what I think it is, it doesn't come until maybe the 90 minute mark*, just before the final battle scene. I can see why it might be rough for some people, but it isn't tragic to that nth degree.
Either way, it astounds me that this movie only raked in $50 million, $10mill shy of the #1 spot, "22 Jump Street."
How "22 Jump Street" is drawing such an audience is beyond me, although I haven't seen any of the series or the previous film. But you'd think with this movie being in 3D that'd give them more of a boost.
Speaking from an objective POV, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" was really well done.
Plot
We return to the island village of Berk 5 years after the previous film... which came out in 2010 (eh, I'll let that slide).
We enter in the middle of an action scene that happens to be their version of Quidditch. Riding dragons, the kids have to carry a sheep into their particular goal and there's plenty of roughhousing along the way. Then there's a black sheep that's worth an extra amount of points and could turn the tide (kinda like their Golden Snitch).
However, the only kid missing from the action is Hiccup, who is busy chartering more outer territory with his best friend, Toothless. He also tries out his set of wings, which he uses a few times to glide solo.
Part of the storyline is your run-of-the-mill "coming of age" story.
The village leader, Stoicke, just asked Hiccup to take over for him and he's unsure if he could handle the responsibility. Between his small build and his demeanor, it's understandable why he doesn't want the job.
While exploring with Astrid, they come upon dragon trappers, who tell them about their leader, Drago, who wants to take over the world with his dragon army.
As it turns out, Stoicke had met Drago before. We see a flashback where Drago proposes his dragon army idea to the other leaders and massacres them by dragon fire when they don't agree with him.
Stoicke decides to put the village on lockdown, but Hiccup believes he can convince Drago to change his mind... a naïve notion, yes, but that's exactly what he does.
His plan is not without its snags. Firstly, his big idea is surrendering to the dragon trappers so they'll take him to their leader. Secondly, his friends show up to rescue him and fowl everything up. Then Hiccup and Toothless run into a bit of trouble... or so it seems that way at first.
They get kidnapped by, as it turns out, Hiccup's believed-to-be-dead mother Valka who explains her 20 year absence and shows them the Dragon Paradise where she'd been living. Then Stoicke tracks them down and we have a touching reunion between him and Valka.
After that, conflict erupts when Drago arrives, overthrows the alpha dragon with a larger one of his own and spellbinds the remaining dragons to attack Berk.*
Everything turns all right in the end, but there are a bunch of great twists and turns I don't want to give away. Let's just say that the pay-off we get at the end: such a great ending 8-)
Cast and Characters
I was saddened when I read that Jay Baruchel was retiring from acting. With the exception of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" (he's just not cut out to be anything but a good guy), I've loved him in every movie. But I always knew I had this sequel to look forward to.
As was the case with the original, nobody else could play Hiccup to be the loveable young Viking we know him to be. Such an endearing underdog of a character we can't help but want to see do well.
Actually, for the first half hour of the movie, it was hard for me to watch this movie and not think about the all-star cast. I only remembered the first four names off the cast list, but I could picture the actors while listening to their voices. As much as I enjoy that, I also like to be lost in the illusion of animation.
After the first half hour, I became immersed in this fantastic world and forget about the actors...
...with the exception of one moment with Gerard Butler as Stoicke.
Now there's another of those "where the heck has he been?" names. Looking over his resume, a couple movies ring bells: Olympus has Fallen, Playing for Keeps, Chasing Mavericks... nothing I've seen or wanted to see or did well in general.
We hear his native Scottish accent in full force here, a great asset to this franchise.
He's one of few foreign actors I've encountered who got to KEEP their accents in their roles. (yet why is it that Robert Pattinson, Alex Pettyfer and Theo James had to go "American" for their roles? doesn't seem fair to me)
But I digress... there's a sweet scene where Stoicke serenades Valka with song to talk her into coming home with them. Even more sweet for me because I hadn't heard Gerard Butler sing since "The Phantom of the Opera"
http://moviegoerconfessions.blogspot.com/2013/11/53-phantom-of-opera-2004.html
Overall, the cast was great throughout this movie.
No matter what she does, Cate Blanchett always does well and having her in animation was a nice change of pace.
Djimon Housou, who I remember most from his compelling "Amistad" performance, made an already intimidating villain even more so. Plus the dude was drawn so ugly that you needed just the right voice to pull everything together.
Kit Harington plays the lead dragon trapper, Eret.
If my mom was around, she would have jumped for joy because he's a "Game of Thrones" actor. I don't know much about him, so I spent part of the movie thinking maybe Eret was played by Orlando Bloom. Either way, a really good looking guy with a hot accent.
This movie was not short on comedic relief and it provided great balance with all the dramatic and sentimental bits in between. One running joke that got laughs out of us and the audience was the way Ruffnut (the twin voiced by Kristen Wiig, who I did not recognize at all) fawned over him and his muscles.
Even animated, the dude was good looking. I also loved how, later on, he has a change of heart and allies with the good guys.
Jonah Hill is another voice easy to recognize and begs the question if it's fair that he has two movies coming out the same weekend. Whether he has a leading role or not is not the point :-P it's just a pet peeve of mine because that kind of thing never happens with actors and actresses I personally invest in.
Animation and Story
However good the reviews said this movie was in 3D (DreamWorks actually does it pretty well), we saw it in 2D just because it was cheaper and it was the earlier showing (did not want to deal with the parking situation later in the day).
There are definitely a lot of high-flying moments that lend themselves well to 3D. Anytime we fly around with the dragons is an exhilarating experience. Loved it.
I had a jaw-dropping moment when we arrived in Dragon Paradise because everything was so vibrant and so beautifully rendered. Maybe not the same degree as "Avatar," but in the back of my mind, I thought how I'd love to live there.
Also in the back of my head, I had that little voice warning me how good things won't last forever. The movie does get dark in some places, especially when the new alpha dragon gets control over Toothless and temporarily sways his loyalty.
I don't know if it was my overall mindset or the balance of the script, but optimism always had a way of winning out. I felt a reassurance that everything would be okay in the end and I was not disappointed.
Grade: A
-I don't think I can say anything bad about this movie. In any aspect, it did really well and as a sequel, it did justice to the original and stood on its own really well. Not many sequels, live-action OR animated, can say that.
Code-name: Box #5
(as anyone at the Opera House knows, "box #5 is always to be left empty")
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Andrew Lloyd Webber & Joel Schumacher
Type: Musical, Romance, Drama
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber (Charles Hart- lyrics)
Cast:
Christine Daae- Emmy Rossum
Erik, The Phantom- Gerard Butler
Raoul- Patrick Wilson
Madam Giry- Miranda Richardson
Meg- Jennifer Ellison
Carlotta- Minnie Driver
Notable Nominations:
nomination-OSCAR- Best Art Direction
nomination-OSCAR- Best Cinematography
nomination-OSCAR- Best Original Song ("Learn to be Lonely"- ALW & CH)
nomination-Golden Globe- Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)- Emmy Rossum
nomination-Golden Globe- Best Picture (Comedy/Musical)
nomination-Golden Globe- Best Original Song ("Learn to be Lonely")
Write-up:
WARNING: I'm writing this entry assuming that the audience is familiar with the story, so if you don't want spoilers... well, you've been warned
We go WAY back...
This was my second-ever Broadway show. I saw it in the Fall of 2000 with my dad's family as we were celebrating my grandma's 70th birthday.
I vaguely knew the story because it was featured on the PBS show "Wishbone" (where I got to know a lot of old-timey literature as a kid, lol). I remember very little about it except for the first and last scenes... where Raoul was meeting Christine, talking about how he retrieved her scarf, and the finale where I thought the Phantom was going to kill Raoul... I knew that he'd survive, but I was thought maybe there were re-writes :-P
Either way, I was sobbing uncontrollably for 10 minutes afterwards. Everyone thought I was enamored by it. It probably was just as well, but I couldn't explain how it took me so long to recover.
Anyway...
Andrew Lloyd Webber, we own a CD of his greatest Broadway hits, as well as the soundtrack for "Cats"...
I love the animals themselves, but I hate the musical (especially that song "Memory"). They aired it on PBS and, yeah... I don't care to go into it. It turned me into about as much a basketcase as older Disney movies tend to.
I remember playing the two main songs from "Phantom" several times... great stuff, Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford.
In concert choir, we had the song "Masquerade" at one of our concerts and one of the theatrically gifted 2004 senior class, Janna Emig, sang "All I ask of you" before we came on to sing.
When they had the lyrics changed in this movie, I'll admit, they ticked me off :-P it was like an entirely different song I didn't know the words to.
It's fair to say I'd seen the movie loads of times on HBO before getting it for Christmas one year. We came full circle because my grandma was the one who got it for me.
...man, so many times late at night where I'd be watching it, good times.
A few words for the Cast
Big production movies like this one are often when I get acquainted with actors for the first time.
It's funny how Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were considered for this movie... actually in Anne's case, almost cast... yet, both didn't make it in and would wow everyone in their "Les Miz" portrayals (award-inspiring ones at that).
I believe I heard about this movie coming into production and Anne Hathaway was going to be Christine. Then I was disappointed when I heard she had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts.
It adds insult to injury, I think, that she was contractually obligated to do a second "Princess Diaries" film. Don't get me wrong, it was fun and it introduced me to Chris Pine, but I'm still disappointed with the ending... how she didn't outright pick someone to marry.
Emmy Rossum, I'd only seen in those "Fabric of our lives" ads for Cotton since this movie. Yes, she was in "The Day after Tomorrow" and the remake of "The Poseidon Adventure," but those aren't the types of movies I typically watch.
Patrick Wilson, I believe had a short-lived TV show that got cancelled, and I recently saw him in "Morning Glory"... the shorter haircut was very much appreciated.
Raoul with long-hair gives him a regal flair (his parents are powerful people, though I'm not quite sure of their official titles), but it was a turn-off for me personally.
To the point, all of the actors are amazing in this movie. Lots of great voices. Some roles, I cannot see without these particular actors.
Miranda Richardson as the mistress of the house, Madame Giry... as the woman the Opera Ghost readily contacts and with whom he has a distant history with, I cannot see anyone else playing her. She's strict while knowledgeable about the goings-on and tries her best to keep the peace.
Minnie Driver as the diva Carlotta... she's one of those "love to hate them" type of characters. She's so obnoxious, stick-up and vain, you just have to laugh at the ridiculousness associated with her. Into her first couple minutes of screen time, you see the help stuffing their ears with tissues to block out her voice.
Not that it's terrible, per se, it's just not as ascetically pleasing to the ear.
(Luckily for her, hers is the only voice that's dubbed over... Minnie Driver actually has a really nice voice, just listen to "Learn to be Lonely" in the credits)
Her part is rather small, but Meg has always kinda been one of my favorite supporting characters. She's Madame Giry's daughter and Christine's bestie. The two of them have great chemistry in the "Angel of Music" duet.
It bugs me that Jennifer Ellison really hasn't been in a lot of widely known movies since.
Last, but certainly not, least... Gerard Butler as the title character.
It's not his first role, but the first time I was introduced to his on-screen work. The man blows my mind with every inch of his performance. I dare say he should have at least been nominated! For something!
People can make cracks about Joel Schumacher all they want. How he ruined the "Batman" franchise started by Tim Burton with Robin and "bat nipples"..
I already went into "Batman Forever" and how much I enjoyed that installment of the series the most.
But I love what he did with the overall look at this movie.
Back to Gerard Butler for a second... my impression of The Phantom was that he was a monster who wanted nothing more than to possess Christine for all eternity.
Gerard Butler's performance gave this misunderstood character more of a human quality. Murders aside (and yes, I know how ridiculously irresponsible that sounds), I sometimes even PREFER him to Raoul in this interpretation.
If Raoul had shorter hair and was a little more attractive, maybe... he's just a little too goody-goody with very few complexities. In other words, a little dull.
While comparing this version to the original, just going by what I remember from listening to the few tracks we had, it's hard to argue with Sarah Brightman's voice. Her range is insane, few have the hope of matching it.
Then of course you have Michael Crawford, probably one of the most famous names in the history of Broadway (up there with Elaine Page from "Cats," no doubt *shudder* )... his voice is so poignantly recognizable, he embodies this role like nobody else has. But again, his incarnation is more supernatural and his voice alone gives you chills, feeling as if the character isn't human.
Art Direction and Cinematography
There must have been a lot of competition at the Oscars that year because this movie got no love at all from the awards venues. ["The Aviator" won the effects Oscars]
One thing you always notice about taking musical from the stage to the big screen is that everything is bigger. You see more of what's going on away from where the main action is. For example, you see a lot behind the stage, particularly when characters are moving from one set piece to the next. The scope of things is quite expansive.
My favorite touch is the use of snow. Granted, some of it does take place during the wintertime, but I love how two particular scenes look because of the snow.
Firstly, "All I ask of you" on the rooftop. With Christine draped in a red coat and snow gently falling, it has a fairytale quality to it. It leaves me in awe. As does The Phantom's soliloquy. I didn't recall it from the musical (but then again, I recall very little nowadays), so to me, it felt like a great add-in.
Secondly, the graveyard scene... snow on the ground as well as fog making it look more mysterious, but also adding to the impression of sadness.
Favorite Moments
Practically all of the songs are great... sometimes it's hard to really pick and choose.
But I'm not crazy about Carlotta's song before the opera "Il Muto".
In part because I don't understand anything she's saying, but also because I roll my eyes at the new owners of the Opera House kissing up to her.
Like, seriously? The crowd loved Christine when she sang "Think of me" the other night. Why would you bring back Carlotta? To flip off the Opera Ghost because he was telling them what to do?
Aside from that... "The Point of No Return" is one of those big production, awe-inspiring numbers. Not just the performances of The Phantom and Christine, but the imagery of it, as if they're lingering above the gates of hell. And then disappear into the "fire" pit when the chandelier comes down.
WOW... you gotta admit, that's always so impressive.
Final Remarks
Not much else to say... I love the big scale of this production, almost to death.
I'm not ashamed to admit that it's a tear-jerker for me. Sometimes it's the beauty of certain performances ("Think of me" and "Music of the night"). Sometimes it's in the details.
Rewatching the movie just the other night, I lost it during the Phantom's final moments, crying out in despair after he lets Christine and Raoul go. I think because I knew the ending was coming, but also because I hated to say good-bye to this amazing character.
What never fails to set me off is the final minutes of the movie.
Throughout, we see flash-forwards filmed in black & white, featuring an older Raoul and Meg. They share glances at the auction in the opening and she lets him win a musical box. Then in the end, he takes it to Christine's grave... I realize it's coming, but I get choked up when I see the rose wrapped in a black ribbon and their old engagement ring.
1854-1917, all things considered, Christine lived to a grand old age of 63 (pretty remarkable for that particular time, I think)... but it's sad to see Raoul having to carry on without her for the past couple years.
It's also very touching that, clearly, The Phantom hadn't forgotten her either.
Man, if he really was human, I wonder how old he would have been at that point.
And while on the age thing, I'm sure people out there who're familiar with the story would think it's kinda gross that he's romantically interested in her... when she's only 16.
Those people always have the option to NOT READ INTO IT.
One could go on forever and do the pros and cons between The Phantom and Raoul. Maybe it's just the fact The Phantom is more complex and vastly more mature (in other words, a man!) compared to Raoul, who appears boyish, even naïve.
For the record, I got the book and I muddled my way through it.
It wasn't just hard to read, but it was NOTHING like the movie. It came off to me as a ghost story, more spooky and creepy than being a romance and a love triangle.
To which I say, thank God for Andrew Lloyd Webber or else I wouldn't have found enjoyment in this age-old tale at all.
Finally...
it really sucks that Gerard Butler hasn't done anything THIS impressive since this movie. Like on this grand scale.
His past few movies weren't rated well, "P.S. I love You" was too melodramatic and he'd already died. "300" was good, but not something I'd watch repetitively.
Which leaves me with "The Bounty Hunter" (which was just horrible!) and "The Ugly Truth" where he's a chauvinist pig... I saw it recently and I don't even remember if he dropped the accent for this or not... I think he did... which is unfortunate, cuz I love that he has a heavy Scottish accent.
Again, here I go again with loving an actor who can also sing.
An Extra
When I was writing a sequel for one of my favorites, "Phantom" made its way in as the featured high school musical.
This is a short discussion about that
http://romantasyland.blogspot.com/2013/11/jonas-nina-take-on-phantom-of-opera.html
Code-name: Joanna
Type: Musical, Drama, Horror
Director: Tim Burton
Music (and lyrics): Stephen Sondheim
Notable Awards & Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Art Direction
nomination- OSCAR- Best Actor- Johnny Depp
nomination- OSCAR- Best Costume- Colleen Atwood
Golden Globe- Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)- Johnny Depp
Golden Globe- Best Picture (Comedy/Musical)
nomination- Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)- Helena Bonham Carter
nomination- Best Director- Tim Burton
nomination- Grammy- Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture
Cast:
Sweeny Todd- Johnny Depp
Mrs. Lovett- Helena Bonham Carter
Anthony- Jamie Campbell Bower
Joanna- Jayne Wisener
Toby- Edward Sanders
Judge Turpin- Alan Rickman
Beadle -Timothy Spall
Mr. Pirelli- Sacha Baron Cohen
Crazy Begger Woman- Laura Michelle Kelly
Write-Up:
Opening Remarks
Around this time last year, I was watching the movie (as I generally do around Halloween) and thought that I could NOT do this list without including it.
I don't know exactly when or how I was introduced to the killer combination of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. But this is probably my favorite collaboration.
The first time I saw it, it was during my college's weekly movie night. Every Thursday, they'd play movies just weeks away from coming out on DVD.
Everything about it blew me away.
First and foremost, I didn't know Johnny Depp could sing. Certainly not like THAT. I'm a bit of a sucker for actors who can also sing.
Second of all, I really hate horror movies. Blood, gore and all that. The story of "Sweeny Todd" and the overall look of Tim Burton's directing made that accessible to me. It was handled in such a way that I respected it. Whatever gross factor there was, it made sense in the context of the story.
I haven't seen any other version of this musical (and I'm not counting that episode of "The Office" where Andy was playing the role of Anthony :-P) and I'm not sure if I want to. Why shop around when I am so pleased with one specific interpretation? Especially when it comes to the title role.
Johnny Depp was great as Sweeny Todd because, while the man was teetering on the brink of madness, he made the character sympathetic and more of an anti-hero than a villain.
In my view (as well as Tim Burton's), Benjamin Barker was a good person that bad things have happened to and by going to the dark side, adopting the persona of "Sweeny Todd", he wants to exact revenge on humanity.
Two people in particular, though, are his key motivation.
The Story
Some spoilers a head...
The backstory is told in the opening number "There's no place like London", but this is the abridged version:
There was a barber [Benjamin Barker] and his wife [Lucy]. And she was beautiful.
There was another man [Judge Turpin] who saw that she was beautiful. A pious vulture of the law who... removed the barber from his plate.
In a way (I made this connection the first time I saw it and am just remembering now), this is another take on "The Count of Monte Cristo". A man in power had a man falsely imprisoned so he could steal away his lover.
15 years later, Sweeny Todd returns to London to pick up the pieces from the life that had been ripped away from him.
He goes to Mrs. Lovett's pie shop and after recognizing him, tells him what happened.
After failing to woo Lucy, the Judge invited her to a masquerade party where he raped her.
She poisoned herself with arsenic and the Judge took her (and Barker's) daughter Joanna, raising her as his ward.
Sweeny sets up shop above Mrs. Lovett's on Fleet Street. When they're in town, she "introduces" him to Pirelli, "king of barbers, barber of kings"... he's on grandstand with his assistant, Toby, promoting his miracle hair growth elixir.
Sweeny debunks him as a fraud, the elixir is nothing more of a concoction of piss & ink. Spotting the Beadle (who's under employment of the Judge) in the crowd, he stages a contest for which barber can do the quickest, smoothest shave.
Sweeny wins by a landslide. (But to be fair, if Pirelli didn't go into a long operatic solo in the middle of his song, he probably could have won).
Obviously impressed, the Beadle says he'll be by Fleet Street before the week is out.
There's also a subplot involving young sailor Anthony and Joanna, whom he falls madly in love with upon seeing her (and hearing her singing) through her bedroom window.
The judge, upon noticing him (Anthony singing about "Joanna" didn't exactly help matters), gives him explicit warning to stay away.... the "or else" goes without saying.
A number of circumstances come together and blow up in Sweeny Todd's face. In response, he and Mrs. Lovett get a devilish idea.
When a person (preferably, someone with no one to miss him) comes to him for a shave, Sweeny slits their throats and they end up as meat in Mrs. Lovett's pies.
The first victim is Mr. Pirelli, who recognized Sweeny Todd from "the old days" when he apprenticed at his shop and threatened to blackmail him.
This also results in Mrs. Lovett adopting Toby, further leading her to believe the three of them can live together as a family one day.
Also not to be taken for granted is a crazy old woman we see throughout the show.
Without giving too much away, let's just say the body count is substantial... though not to the extreme brought by Quentin Tarantino... and nearly all of the storylines find resolution.
The Highlights
Most of the highlights, I could easily list as song titles.
I was smitten with Jamie Campbell Bower (as well as his tenor voice... I'm a sucker for a good tenor) right away. Within the first bar, I knew "Joanna" would be my favorite track. At least the performance of it :-P
For the overall, I love "My Friends." Sweeny Todd rejoices at being reunited with his razors, which Mrs. Lovett had kept for him since his arrest. Johnny Depp said it was the first song he sang publicly... again, wow... if he made more of a habit of it, he would give RDJ a run for his money.
Say what you will about Helena Bonham Carter and how Tim Burton always seems to cast her (his actual wife) in his movies... personally, I find it fascinating that their characters always seem to be in the same situation (her character being in love with him and he never returns those feelings)... she really worked hard to make this role her own. Maybe not the strongest voice on set, but then again, it is a difficult part to play. She deserves a lot of credit.
Jayne Wisener (Joanna) and Ed Sanders (Toby) are newcomers. Jayne was in a production of "West Side Story" run by Musical Theater 4 Youth (which is a stepping stone for aspiring young performers) when she was spotted by a casting director.
Joanna has only one song, "Green Finch and Linnet Bird." My experience in high school concert choir tells me that that role demands the voice of a high soprano. (The correct term might be mezzo-soprano, but I'm not positive).
It's pretty cool that several of the cast members, I knew as characters from the "Harry Potter" series.
Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) is truly the villain here... one I find extremely repulsive. Never mind the fact he's a corrupt politician who thinks he's entitled to everything... the fact he wants to marry Joanna so that no other men will lay eyes on her, when she's only 15... EWWWWWW!!!
True to form, Wormtail (Timothy Spall) plays the toady of the villain, though with much less screen time.
With the exception of Charlie's mum in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory," Mrs. Lovett is one of the most normal characters Helena Bonham Carter has played. Quite a relief, considering how sadistic (sometimes even terrifying in a very unhinged way) Bellatrix Lestrange is.
This movie, most likely, is also the reason why she and Sacha Baron Cohen were cast alongside each other in "Les Miz".
I'd never seen, nor do I intend to see, "Borat," "Bruno" or any of Cohen's strange movies... I think the dude's too much of a weirdo. But you gotta give him props, he can sing pretty well.
One thing I particularly enjoy about it is when the sense of humor comes into play.
- Sweeny Todd complaining about the Beadle not coming by. "Before the week is out, that's what he said"... Mrs. Lovett responds "who said the week is out? it's only Tuesday"
- After Sweeny's exclamation in the song "Epiphany" where he's on his knees "I'm alive at last and I'm full of JOY!!!"... Mrs. Lovett disrupts the mood, saying "that's all very well, but what about him [referring to Mr. Pirelli's corpse]?"
- The entire number "By the Sea" is just laughable on Johnny Depp's facial expressions alone... plus the fact the scenes shown here are so bright and colorful, it just contradicts the look of the rest of the movie.
The art direction and Colleen Atwood's costuming are definitely worthy of note. You really do feel like you're in Victorian England, just by the way everything looks. The nerd in me has no choice but to rejoice 8-)
Overall, the only drawback this movie has is that it gets a little slow in the third act. After thinking about it for a bit, the same can be said about a lot of other movies.
But it all pays off rather well.
Actually, it felt like a well-played horror movie thriller... the first time I saw it, it felt like the greatest plot twist since "The Sixth Sense".
It is tragic and, for me, always a bit of a tearjerker. Both because it's a sad ending and also because I hated for the movie to end.
One last thing...
It's not often I take issue with the ending of a movie.... okay that's a total lie... it's happening more frequently since 2011.
The body count I could live with... but I didn't like the fact they never gave resolution to Anthony and Joanna's storyline. As planned previously, he leaves her at Sweeny's barber shop while he runs to get a getaway carriage for them. She witnesses one of his murders and almost ends up a victim until he's called away by other matters.
We're lead to assume that she and Anthony will run away together and live happily ever after... I just wish they'd thought to SHOW that in the movie :(
Jamie Campbell Bower, interestingly, goes on to assay roles in the "Harry Potter" (young Grindelwald) and "Twilight" (Caius of The Volturi) franchises... and, assuming they'll make any sequels, "The Mortal Instruments" (Jace Wayland).
It was pretty cool watching this the other day, seeing him and thinking about how great it'll be to see him play Jace... after reading the first three "Mortal Instruments" books.
Edit: They didn't do any sequels of the movie and recast it entirely for a new TV series. They took a lot of liberties, but I still enjoy it a lot. I just wish Jace still had a British accent because that's how it read to me in the books. I read him having an accent and Alec and Isabelle being American English. Damn them for wanting to be consistent just because they grew up together
[Quick Personal Note]
Before starting into this entry, I wanted to take a moment to greive the loss of Cory Monteith who, as a huge fan of the show, I knew as Finn Hudson from "Glee."
Cory was 31, but I felt the gravity of his loss the most among other recent "gone too soon" celebrities (Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston)... mainly because "Glee" is like my favorite soap opera. You actively follow the characters and all they go through, delight in their triumphs and support them even in the darkest of times.
It goes without saying he will be sorely missed by Gleeks everywhere.
...now back to business
...
Code-name: Marla
"How about Marla? What a hitter."
Director: Penny Marshall
Type: Baseball, Dramedy
NOTABLE NOMINATIONS
Golden Globe- Best Original Song- "This Used to be My Playground"- Madonna
Golden Globe- Best Lead Actress (Comedy/Musical)- Geena Davis
Grammy- Best Song for Motion Picture/TV- "Now & Forever"- Carole King
Cast:
Jimmy Dugan- Tom Hanks
Dottie Hinson- Geena Davis
Kit- Lori Petty
Talent Scout Ernie Capadino- Jon Lovitz
Mae- Madonna
Doris- Rosie O'Donnell
Marla- Megan Cavanagh
Betty Spaghetti- Tracy Reiner
Evelyn- Bitty Schram
Shirley Baker- Ann Cusack
Walter Harvey- Garry Marshall
Bob Hinson- Bill Pullman
[Write-up]
as always, be wary of spoilers
geesh... that's a lot of names to remember :-P
this is one of many movies growing up my mom nagged me about watching. as in
"You have to see [fill in the blank]. You'll love it."
Truth be told, 9 times out of 10, she's right. She's got great taste in movies.
(regarding the 1% of the time where our opinions differ... one of them was "The Family Man" with Nicholas Cage and the other was "The Wedding Date" with Debra Messing... I'd be open for checking into both at a later date, if only to see if I wasn't old enough to appreciate them or I just plain don't get them).
Regarding the nominated songs, as much as I love Madonna's music, I really didn't like her stuff in that period in the 90's... much like "Take a Bow," it's way too melancholy for my tastes.
But having songs like "Frozen" and "Beautiful Stranger" in that decade really helps take the edge off so I don't miss her 80's stuff quite as much.
In preparation for this entry, I rewatched the movie a couple weeks ago.
I found myself stunned that I never saw the first 10 minutes.
It's not a foreign concept by any means. Details that make movies from my past memorable to me usually happen after the first 10 minutes anyway and tend to taper off by the halfway point.
It depends on the picture obviously, but this was one of those movies where all my favorite quotes cropped up in the first hour or so.
I don't remember much about my first time seeing it other than being disappointed with the ending. Particularly, how the final baseball game turned out.
At its core, the movie is a tale of two sisters and their relationship over this period of time. In the vast scope of things, it's about the women's baseball league that formed in WWII when most of the ball players were serving in the war.
The majority of it takes place in the past during 1943.
What I didn't catch until this recent viewing was that Dottie didn't want to attend this reunion of the AAGPBL (all-american girls professional baseball league), but her kids and grandkids talked her into it. Supposedly she'd been in mourning for a period of times since her husband passed away.
I always came in at the scene where Jon Lovitz pays the girls a visit to recruit Dottie for the league. She has zero interest, but her younger sister Kit does. He decides to take her on as long as Dottie comes too. And there you have it.
...I'm not quite sure what in my DNA compels me dislike Jon Lovitz... maybe it's because he usually plays immoral or unpleasant characters... maybe I just need to find "The Critic" on YouTube to refresh my memory of something I enjoyed him in... man, that was a long time ago...
Aside from that, all of the actresses shine in their designated roles.
Of the two sisters, Kit is my favorite. There's just something that scrappy attitude and that desire to prove herself that compels me to follow her through all the trials and tribulations... wanting nothing more than for her to succeed.
Lori Petty, I'd only seen in one other role... and I didn't find out until years later that she was the trainer in "Free Willy." (another bit of childhood nostalgia there). Just love her.
Sometimes with the sisters, it seems like there's a lot of anti-chemistry going on. Only during this past time had I really picked up the depth of their rivalry.
Madonna and Rosie, on the other hand, had a great chemistry as tough-gal besties Mae and Doris. Great characters. Not surprisingly, considering who played her, Mae was into some risqué business before joining the league. Most priceless is the scene where the girls go into confession and the priest dropped his Bible numerous times because she told him "everything."
And who else would use dirty books to teach Shirley Baker how to read? :-P
Other notable cast choices were Tracy Reiner (aka daughter of the director) and Garry Marshall (aka brother of the director).
Although I have no confirmation of this, I wondered if Walter Harvey was a spoof on Hershey because Harvey chocolate bars were the main sponser of the league.
And my mom and I know Bitty Scrham (aka the receipent of the stand-out quote "There's no crying in baseball) as Sharona, assistant to Adrian Monk on the USA series "Monk."
Can I just say how mind-blowing it was to see Tom Hanks in this role this past time?
Who would have thought that a couple years after doing this role, he'd win TWO Oscars and officially join the A-list. Just WOW...
Jimmy Dugan is, by NO means, a nice guy. At least not for the first half of the movie :-P
he's a drunk, he's a tobacco chewer/spitter, he cusses, he yells and his attitude stinks to high heaven... he's a former ball player whose career ended after he shredded his knee and, as far as he's concerned, he got stuck with coaching a bunch of girls.
It goes without saying that his lines are some of the funniest in the entire movie.
My personal favorite: "I haven't got ball players. I got girls."
Just how he says "girls" has me in stitches.
Marla is one of my favorite characters simply because the humor used referring to her.
...starting AFTER we get passed Jon Lovitz almost turning her down because she's not the prettiest girl... physically, she could almost pass for a female version of Igor (ala "Young Frankenstein"), but the girl can HIT and when her personality comes out, look out :-P
again, Mae's doing... she snagged her future husband singing at a bar after Mae and some of the girls gave her a dress and "a lot of liquor"...
two classic moments: at the top, I quoted part of the newsreel they shot of the Rockford Peaches and the other girls' teams. But with Marla, the camera was panned WAY back and we see her wave.
then at the finishing school, the woman in charge giving advice on how to beautify the girls shuddered at the sight of her and said she needs "a lot of night games"
... a little cruel, yes, but I get a kick out of it every time.
Probably the only fault this movie has is that it runs a little too long and drags.
The friction between Dottie and Kit is hard to get through sometimes. It especially sucks when Dottie voices her thoughts on quitting the team and the manager resolve the situation by trading Kit instead, all because they don't want to lose their best player... real jerk move.
But after reviewing the movie a few times, I don't mind the ending quite as much as I used to. Kit deserved that moment of victory.
I also feel kinda bad about the scene where Betty gets the telegram about her husband's death. As if it's like "God forbid it happens to Dottie because she's one of the primary characters"... my new opinion on the scene kinda originates from another movie where a similar thing happened...
"What to Expect when you're Expecting"... by no means is it a great piece of film-making, but I couldn't help but feel that Anna Kendrick got stuck with the one-night-stand/miscarriage storyline because she's the least famous actress in this all-star cast. I'm sure there were other reasons, but I have my suspicions.
Despite the misgivings here and there, the heart of the picture keeps it from straying too far off course.
One scene I always dread going into is where Shirley Baker is going through the roster lists after try-outs and we're led to believe she got cut... because you feel so bad for her... then one of the other girls gives her a hand, intutition leading her to conclude she might not be able to read, and the huge weight is lifted off her shoulders as well as those of everyone watching when they find out she's a Peach along with the rest of the main cast.
Hey, it's the 40's... and it was definitely a good point to make about that period in time... cannot say enough how well they handed the emotional integrity of that scene.
The movie ends with the women YEARS later reuniting for the opening of their wing in the baseball hall-of-fame. We find out what happens to some of the other characters. Everyone made it except for Jimmy Dugan and Evelyn who passed away. But in her place is that chubby, bratty kid she took with her on road games.
To which I gotta ask: what kind of stupid name is Stilwell, anyway? Heck, I don't know how you can even call that a name. Seriously...
And Dottie and Kit see each other for the first time in a long time.
Kit is there with her entire family, which has me asking why Dottie's family couldn't come along too :-P
I guess you could say that Harvey was the best sponser for the league... because amidst all the things going on, this movie is a good one because you're always coming back for more of that warm and gooey center that appeals to us on a emotional evel as well as tickles our funnybone.
Location: Pocono Movieplex
ShowTime: 1:15pm
Duration: 157 minutes (+4 trailers)
Party: 2
The short version of this post is as follows:
"It was freaking amazing"... those exact words.
I previously remarked that "The Hobbit" was one of those movies where you had to mentally prepare for the commitment of giving nearly 3 hours of your time to watching a film.
"Les Mis" was the same thing, but with one difference:
ironically I bring up the Lord of the Rings prequel because it's a comment that had been used to describe the trilogy's finale.
The last 20 minutes was similar in that I kept expecting the ending to come at least 3-4 times until it finally did.
But at the same time, I kinda didn't want it to end. You spend a lot of time in this other world, really getting to know all of these characters and how they tick, etc, etc. You get engrossed to the point where breaking away is hard.
My mom and I were 2 of 9 people. The first two were a young couple around my age, which had me pondering if "Les Mis" was a good date movie. And part of me also wondered if it was going to be like that "Seinfeld" where Jerry and his girlfriend were making out for the duration of "Schindler's List." (As it turned out, they were cozy through most of the movie and he was probably a good shoulder to cry on if needed).
Another couple came in during one of the previews and there were three older ladies sitting at the back of the theater.
There were 4 previews:
I'd only seen a teaser of the "Oz" prequel and this is going back to maybe August when I saw "The Bourne Legacy." It was so visually stunning and intriguing (which witch is the bad witch?) that I've started to consider it as well.
"Epic," I saw the teaser trailer before the final Ice Age movie and it looked amazing then. The animation only gets more impressive.
I'd seen the movie poster on IMDB a number of times for the movie "Identity Theft" where Jason Bateman, oddly enough, has his identity stolen by Melissa McCarthy. Most likely the studios want to capitalize on her success with "Bridesmaids" and give her a starring role. With the one huge LOL moment in that trailer, I get the feeling it might do all right.
Finally, there was "Oblivion." When I first heard of it, I was asking myself how Tom Cruise had time to do all these movies (especially when I have enough trouble with my favorite actors starring in more than ONE movie each year... 2010 had me spoiled rotten, let's just say). It's one of those post-apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers with all the great special effects and CGI. There's no huge rush on that one, but I'll have to remind myself to get around to watching "Minority Report" because the spacecrafts were giving me major Blade Runner/Total Recall vibes.
Now onto the actual film.
The only version I saw of "Les Mis" was in 8th grade French Class... in French... and it may have been the version with Liam Neeson as Jean ValJean. My memory is so foggy that I remembered very little about the movie except for the four main characters and the fate of at least two of them.
(This is also part of the reason why I had no idea when the cut-off point would be).
It didn't take very long at all to say that all of the props the cast and crew received were very richly deserved. Coming off his Oscar win directing "The King's Speech," Tom Hooper did so well with this that I doubt anyone else could have managed quite as well. As with any musical being translated to the movie screen, it's amazing how grand a scale they use to bring that extra something to the material. But the grandeur of THIS, I'd never seen anything like that before. Colossal sets, doing incredible justice to a show already larger than life to a lot of people.
The actors singing everything live made it feel all the more genuine. At times, it felt like I left my body for a couple minutes because I was that absorbed. And all the voices were amazing. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, I expected to be amazing and of course, expectations were surpassed. Despite the comments in one reviews, Russell Crowe, I think, impressed me the most out of everybody. His stage presence as the complex and often conflicted Javert, about an hour into the film, I just had to sat back and say "WOW."
It comes with not knowing the play all that well, but a few questions sprang to mind that had me wanting to pause and find answers to.
It started when Fantine was thrown out of the factory. It was a mix between the reasoning behind it and also why she was victimized by the other women and singled out. Was it because she was the prettiest one there (wearing pink where everyone else wore drab colors)? Was it because she was the only one who wasn't a virgin? Was it because she had a daughter and rejected the foreman's advances? Some of it got lost in translation, obviously, but that bothered me. (Strangely, even more so than what came next for her).
There were examples everywhere about how things were at that time, like all of the things she did to get extra change in her pocket (how locks of hair and teeth were even worth a couple francs). A major example were the duo of Helen Bonham Carter & Sasha Baron Cohen, inn-keepers, but also pickpockets at every opportune moment. For sure, they were scene stealers and in the otherwise emotional and somber musical, Sasha Baron Cohen produced the only laughs (and always welcome, they were).
With all of the character development that happens throughout the story, it boggles my mind why this isn't one of those books we were assigned in school. We could have easily done an essay on whether Jean ValJean or Javert went through the most changes from the beginning of the story to the end. Personally, it's a hard decision at the moment.
Act I came and went. Jean Val Jean assumed another identity and the role of fatherhood to Fantine's daughter, Cosette.
Act II opens with the backdrop what seemed to be a 2nd French Revolution, led by the youth no less. (Funny enough, it was giving me major "Occupy Wall-Street" vibes).
This was also around the part of the film where I had no idea was what going to happen from this point on. Wasn't even aware that there was a love triangle in this movie.
Samantha Barks, as everyone who'd followed the production of the film knows, played Eponine in the stage show and she was every bit as professional as everyone else.
My friend Dave posted a couple of bits on his Facebook page, poking fun at the fact she's singing how she's in love with this guy, Marius and at the same time, he's singing about how beautiful Cosette is, despite the fact he'd only just seen her for the first time.
I had to ask myself. "Dude, you just saw her for the first time and hadn't even spoken to her yet. How can you be in love with her?"... apparently forgetting all about her storyline with Jean Val Jean.
Then again, they did the same thing in "Sweeney Todd" with Anthony and Johanna, but I didn't question it then.
Marius and Cosette spent a lot of time pining for each other, only sang in each other's company once and suddenly, it's a relationship. I didn't buy it for a while.
Eponine is a tragic character in a number of ways, but I don't think anything made me feel bad for her more than who her parents were (take a wild guess!).
Another confusing moment was when Javert passed himself as part of the resistance, I assume to be a fly on the wall, get inside information to inform his troops... he was found out quickly enough. Bring Jean Val Jean back into the mix (he's all but forgotten about in the 2nd act until he receives the note from Marius to Cosette) and more conflict ensues within Javert.
Not to give too much more away, Jean Val Jean escapes with a wounded Marius via the sewer line and they did not skimp on the graphics at all... really is as gross as it sounds. The revolution comes and goes. There's one happy ending in this entire show, but when it finally gets here, the finale was pretty spectacular.
From an aesthetic POV, take away the length, it's probably the best executed musical they'd done in a long time.
From a personal POV, it was amazing, but at the same time, I don't see myself watching this as many times as my other favorite musicals. If anything, it's a one-time-a-year thing.
Grade: A
