Just watched...

...Disney's adaptation of the Sondheim musical "Into The Woods."

I am not a big fan of musicals. At all. I hope I never, ever hear any song from "The Music Man" or "The Sound of Music" again as long as I live, and I swear, if I ever have to sit through another production of "Oliver," someone is going to have to pay, and pay dearly. BUT, my one caveat is the work of Stephen Sondheim. His work far outshines and surpasses anything that a musical was or aspired to be previously to his "Sweeney Todd," "Sunday In The Park With George" (which won a mere PULITZER for gods' sake), and "Into The Woods."

Like so many of his works, "Into The Woods" uses a subject as a jumping off point for issues much deeper than those seen on the surface. The stage version of "Into The Woods" takes act one to tell--or re-tell in a wry fashion--fairy tales from our common cultural storehouse (although he did invent one, the story of the childless baker and his wife, and threw it into the mix). Act two is what happens after the end of the tale(s) as we know it. Much like Anne Sexton's book of re-examined and sequel-filled poems of fairy tales, TRANSFORMATIONS, act two of the show portrays the characters from the tales in a not-so-happily-ever-after situation. I mean, who would want to just marry the prince and be done with it? Wouldn't there be some kind of longing, some kind of yearning for something...something...authentic, genuine...something more personal, more alive? And what about what you sacrificed to attain your dream?

But on a deeper level, the show is about truth, perception, childhood, innocence, and above all, the lies that we tell children and the repercussions those lies can have ("Careful the things you say, children will listen"). And thankfully, Disney did not water down this sense of "Into The Woods." How could they? The songs are integral and the ultimate meaning cannot be changed without coming outright and changing the entire story itself. Meryl Streep, who can do no wrong, is just lovely as The Witch, bringing not only the proper spookiness but also a necessary poignant sadness to the role. Emily Blunt and English comedian James Corden are wonderful as The Baker and His Wife, Lilla Crawford kicks ass as Little Red Riding Hood (what a voice!), and Johnny Depp is adequate in the small role as The Wolf. Oh, and it turns out that Chris Pine is not only gorgeous but can also do comedy and sing. Alrighty then. Unfortunately, and this could just be me, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella was a tad underwhelming, and I can't put my finger on it. I perceive a certain kind of petulant, contemporary Valley Girl-ness in her and it was not suited to the role.

The visuals are fine, art direction spot on, and the music is largely in tact--a few songs are truncated and another few make their appearance as background music while characters basically talk quickly through whatever was in the song...and I understand these decisions in the interest of time.

Recommend? Oh yes, and I don't think you have to be a fan of musicals or Sondheim to enjoy it. But it helps.

http://movies.disney.com/into-the-woods/

Just watched...

...John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt" starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.


Adapted from his 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning [2005] play of the same name, playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote the script for this film adaptation as well as directing it himself. What director would know the material and intention better than the playwright and screenwriter?

In New York in 1964, Sister Aloysius, a bitter, rigid nun accuses Father Flynn, her parish priest, of having had sexual contact with a student at a Catholic school. The catch: she has absolutely no proof, just circumstantial evidence and hearsay that she has stitched together into an inflammatory narrative. Like a pit bull, Sister Aloysius’ jaws lock onto Father Flynn’s leg and she vows not to let go until she brings him down.

What follows is a fascinating and tense journey through innuendo, possibility, gossip, assumption, and accusation. Sister James, a younger nun under Sister Aloysius’ wing, doubts that Flynn is guilty. Aloysius doubts that Flynn is telling the truth when he proclaims his innocence. Flynn doubts he can survive Aloysius’ vicious personal attack. Did he actually sexually abuse a young man? He denies it, but he does not act like an innocent man. His facial expressions, his body language, point to something deeper. He may not have molested the boy, but that doesn’t mean that the thought did not cross his mind. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a gorgeous, layered and complex performance brimming with subtext. Of course Streep is her usual masterful self, expertly inhabiting a soul other than her own. Amy Adams is sweet, and Viola Davis measures out a stunning performance in a single scene.

Much like the Coen Borthers’ film “A Serious Man” which I just saw and reviewed a few posts down, “Doubt” is about living without answers or in this case, proof. There is no proof that Father Flynn did anything untoward and barring an actual witness, it is likely that there will be no proof. But Aloysius is not bothered by a lack of answers—until the end of the film. It catches up to her, and one assumes it eats at her like a cancer. We, the viewers are not given any answers either. Perhaps an answer is not needed in this particular story. Shanley hopes to leave us in a state of doubt which is a state of flux, a state that can give birth to change.

And much like the Coen Brothers’ film “A Serious Man,” the religious component to this story is more than just a setting, it is part of its machinations. Whereas our hero in “A Serious Man” yearns for guidance but only gets unhelpful religious parables and stories, Sister Aloysius has taken the parables and stories of her religion as reality, cocooning herself in an illusion. Like I said in my review for “A Serious Man,” religion is only good for a few things like a sense of community and some pretty thoughts. When relied upon for immediate, practical, real-world issues, religion is seen for the empty, man-made, controlling cult it is. Aloysius is a dangerous zealot, convinced of her supreme knowledge. And this is the inherent menace in religion: absolute faith naturally gives birth to zealotry, and zealotry gives birth to righteousness, intolerance, and a vicious conviction that the religious way is the only way.

Sister Aloysius is not happy in her heart, and I can only think of the ancient French motto (which happens to appear on the shield of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom), “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” which loosely translated means, “Evil be to him who thinks evil thoughts,” or more aptly, "Shame on you for seeing something bad where there wasn't." If you come from a tradition full of guilt, a tradition that teaches that sin is everywhere, and a tradition that elevates punishment as a core principle, then your sickness will be to see guilt and sin everywhere, even where it is not, even when there is no such thing as sin, and to mete out punishment since everyone is guilty.

Honi soit qui mal y pense. Evil thoughts and assumptions are their own punishment. Ask Sister Aloysius.

Recommend? Yes.

Just watched...

..."Fantastic Mr. Fox" directed by Wes Anderson.

I love the films of Wes Anderson: "The Royal Tennenbaums," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," and "The Darjeeling Limited." They are quirky, sweet, touching and honest. So it was a tremendous pleasure to see his filmed version of this classic children's story by the wickedly subversive Roald Dahl, author of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

The story, which children will enjoy but which was not neccessarily made with children in mind, is sweet and kooky. But what made it truly memorable was the fact that it was made in such an "old-fashioned" way: in stop-motion and NOT CGI. It is such a beautifullly hand-crafted look, lovingly rendered--so warm, real, rich and full of life. It reminds me of the kind of holiday specials I grew up watching on television, where puppeteers painstakingly moved models with an inner armature one frame at a time. When you watch Mr. Fox move, you can see the fur move on his face and the fabric of his jacket crinkle as he turns. It's a lovely effect, and a nice, welcome respite from the often too-slick blur of CGI.

And the film boasts a stellar voice-over cast: George Clooney as Mr. Fox, and Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox, along with Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, and Owen Wilson. Several of these actors are familiar faces from other Anderson films.

The lovely thing about "children's films" is that the story moves right along, from one thrilling event to another. The running time for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is listed at 87 minutes, but it felt less than half that... it whizzed by.
See the trailers for yourself at the official website:
http://www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com/
The "making-of" featurettes are fascinating as well!

Recommend? If you like delightful, charming, hand-crafted animation, by all means!