Lackawanna Blues at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

 

Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s solo piece “Lackawanna Blues” is a love letter to the woman who raised him and the interesting characters he came across while living in Nanny’s boarding house.

I had the absolute privilege of meeting Santiago-Hudson during my summer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and apart from being genuinely talented he is also a humble, giving man who is incredibly kind. It’s easy to see why after learning about Rachel Crosby aka “Nanny” and the kind of person she was.

As a young child, Santiago-Hudson would be left alone by his mother in the room they lived in at Nanny’s boarding house. After finding him one day, Nanny takes on the responsibility of raising him. 

Nanny was the kindest woman. She helped not only her boarders, but anyone in the community who needed it. Whether it was with cash, food, advice or anything else Nanny was there to provide. That isn’t to say she wasn’t tough or strict when she needed to be because she was. 

She also wasn’t afraid to take those people in that other folks would turn a blind eye to. No one messed with Nanny and everyone respected her so much that they tried making decisions they knew wouldn’t disappoint her.

We see how much Santiago-Hudson loved her. The whole play itself demonstrates it, but we get a beautiful moment with a 10-year-old Santiago-Hudson telling Nanny he hopes he dies first because he doesn’t want to live in a world without her.

“Lackawanna Blues” also shows us snippets of some of the more interesting characters Santiago-Hudson met growing up. 

There’s Lemuel Taylor a man with one leg and a tongue that constantly flicked in and out of his mouth that he and Nanny went to pick up from the mental hospital. There’s Numb Finger Pete who lost his fingers to frost bite after drunkenly falling asleep in the snow. Lemuel Taylor and Numb Finger Pete get into a fight at the boarding house and it was a sight to see.

Accompanying Santiago-Hudson’s stories is Junior Mack on guitar. The guitar enhances the stories and also assists Santiago-Hudson during the blues breaks between stories.

It’s fascinating to see Santiago-Hudson perform. The set is minimal with the facade of the boarding house behind the performers and a table and a few chairs. That’s all Santiago-Hudson needs. His performance is engaging and he’s clearly enjoying every moment of being on stage reliving these moments.

Nanny continues to live on through this story. I can’t think of anything better for her.

Nomad land (2020)

 

 Nomad land is a beautiful film. It’s simple, but admittedly the book hit me more with the realities and difficulties many faced after the recession of 2008.

The film chooses to focus on loss and the bereavement that comes with it. Some losses are greater than others, but the smaller losses don’t hurt any less. 

Frances McDormand stars as Fern. Fern was a resident of Empire, Nevada until the entire city shut down. Her husband passed away before it shut down, so with seemingly no other option, she converts a van into her new living space. In it she travels all over the country, he temporary living situations determined by the seasonal jobs available.

A staple of Chloe Zhao is hiring people not trained as actors and with the exception of Frances McDormand and a few others, she does the same here. We meet some of the same nomads introduced in the book written by Jessica Bruder. These nomads give us a peek into the life of a nomad. These people have a tight knit community with each other, but they say goodbye to each other often depending on the jobs they take. 

Zhao takes her time with each frame in the film. Each moment is savored and nothing is rushed. We are able to take in everything from the emotions being portrayed to the landscapes in the background.

Frances McDormand is fantastic as usual. She’s vulnerable, but able to put up her shield at a moment’s notice. 

This film isn’t for everyone. There’s no action. There’s nothing exciting happening in the frame. It’s life. From the mundane to the simple pleasures that bring us joy, it’s meant to reflect real people. We’re meant to see ourselves even if we can’t directly relate to the characters’ experience. 

The Good Lie (2014)

 

“The Good Lie” is inspired by the true story of the Lost Boys of South Sudan. When a civil war breaks out in Sudan, a group of refugee children start their difficult journey to Kenya as they seek refuge at the Kakuma Refugee Camp. It is an engaging and harrowing journey as we see these children face loss and many trials before reaching their destination.

After they reach the camp, the film fast forwards thirteen years when this now grown group of refugees are accepted as asylum seekers in the United States. This is when the story starts to get stereotypical as they navigate all the modern wonders the United States has to offer. The first half is definitely stronger than the last half, but all the actors provide wonderful performances.

Pass Over at the August Wilson Theatre

 On Saturday, I had the honor of watching Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s play “Pass Over” currently playing on Broadway at the August Wilson theatre. The play has clear influences of theater of the absurd and I found it an effective way to send a message.

The set is quite sparse. It involves a street lamp, a trash can and other various items, but a surprise is revealed at the end making it a stunning finish.

The play consists of three characters. Our protagonists Moses (Jon Michael Hill) and Kitch (Namir Smallwood) live on this street corner and they find ways to pass the time. Their lives are unexpectedly thrown for a loop when a stranger (Gabriel Ebert) stumbles into the street corner. At first it seems that everything will be okay, but happy moods turn sour quickly.

All three actors are outstanding. They all handle the absurdity with ease making it look natural. 

The play is directed by Danya Taymor. She finds a way to heighten each of the moods to the extreme so that a clear shift is apparent any time it changes. 

The lighting is subtle. You really have to look in order to notice that the street light has changed color. Lighting and sound come together most effectively to create a tense mood whenever Moses and Kitch sense danger.

If you have a chance to see this production, I say take it! It was a wonderful show to mark my personal return to Broadway in more than a year. The show is timely, but filled with fun, quirky moments.

The show is currently in previews and will only run until October 10. 

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

 

This was actually a disappointing sequel. Gal Gadot reprises her role as the titular character. She continues to do a good job with it, but the film itself was a let down. Kristen Wiig plays one of the villains Cheetah, and her motivation to turn evil seemed to come out of nowhere especially since the “loss of her humanity” compared to some of the other things doesn’t seem as high stakes. Pedro Pascal plays our other villain Maxwell Lord and while he’s fun to watch, the character itself is someone motivated by power and greed which Is not unique in any way. Chris Pine reprises his role as Steve Trevor and the plot line involving him is awkward at best. The movie passed the time, but overall was okay. The main message it was trying to send out could have been executed better.

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

 

Raya and the Last Dragon has a simple enough plot. Kumandra was once one kingdom, but is now split in five due to people’s lust for power. Raya seeks out the last dragon to reunite everyone and make it whole again. Not an original story by any means, but it tells the story effectively all while bringing fun characters into the mix.

The film is visually stunning. It’s gorgeous. The food looks delicious. It’s worth a watch for that reason alone.

The story opens with Raya telling us the history of Kumandra. 500 years before the start of the film, humans and dragons coexisted and teamed up to fight the Druun. The Druun are black clouds of smoke that turn humans and dragons into stone. They nearly overpowered all living things in Kumandra until Sisu created the dragon gem. This gem defeated the Druun and revived the humans from their stone forms, but did not revive the dragons. The gem remained in what is now known as Heart, Kumandra split after Fang, Talon, Spine and Tail grew resentful of Heart’s possession of the gem.

Chief Benja (Daniel DAE Kim) of Heart believes that the four kingdoms can reunite into Kumandra once again. He invites the chiefs and their people to Heart in an effort to bring peace. Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) befriends Naamani (Gemma Chan) the daughter of Fang’s chief. To solidify the friendship, Raya shows Naamani the location of the dragon gem. Naamani betrays Raya and reveals the location to everyone else. While fighting for the gem, the different kingdoms break it releasing the Druun. Each of the chiefs take a piece and run. Before being turned to stone Chief Benja gives the remaining piece to Raya. Fast forward six years and Raya is in search of Sisu.

Raya finds Sisu (Awkwafina) and together they set out to collect all the pieces. Sisu is a lot of fun. She’s funny and still believes in the good of the people. She’s the perfect counterpart to the cynical Raya.

From here the story gets repetitive. Raya and Sisu travel to each kingdom and get the missing piece all the while adding to their team. They are joined by someone from Talon, Tail and Spine and with each new team member Sisu tries to prove Raya wrong. Sisu believes in trusting someone and giving them a chance and no matter how many times she’s proven wrong Raya refuses to let anyone in on her plan.

It’s a classic Disney formula. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that as it’s tried and true, but there’s also nothing that makes it stand out from the rest. It’s good, solid entertainment. As mentioned the animation is beautiful and the voice acting is phenomenal. 

It’s worth checking out. It has a good message and overall has great qualities to it. 

Mudbound (2017)

 

The film takes place in Mississippi right after World War II where a Black family and a white family adjust to their new neighbors. The Black family works on the white family’s farm and racial tensions arise. Each family has a loved one that fought in the war and when they both return and form a friendship, tragedy ensues.  All acting performances are great. 

Fruitvale Station (2013)

 

The film opens with the actual footage of Oscar Grant being shot in the back by cops and ends with a glimpse at Oscar’s real daughter Tatiana four years after losing her father. This was Ryan Coogler’s first feature film and it is done wonderfully. Michael B. Jordan is a fantastic choice for Grant, as he flows seamlessly from a man eager to fight for his future, to one torn by the difficult choices he has to make. What I appreciated is that Oscar Grant is shown as a three dimensional person as it would have been so easy to focus solely on his positive qualities. We see Grant in jail, fighting with his girlfriend and fighting to get back a job he lost due to his irresponsibility. Of course, we also see him as a doting father, loving son and overall friendly guy who wants more than anything to turn his life around. In Grant’s final hours, he chose to take the BART into San Francisco so he wouldn’t drink and drive after ringing in the New Year. Octavia Spencer as Grant’s mom is also incredible and her utter heart break at the end of the film is hard to watch. 

American Son (2019)

 

Based off of the Broadway play of the same name, the film follows Kendra (Kerry Washington) and her estranged husband Scott (Steven Pasquale) as they reunite at a police station while they search for their missing son. While they wait for answers, tensions rise as they rehash issues from their marriage and race.

American Son came to Broadway in 2018 before being adapted into a Netflix film. Kerry Washington and Steven Pasquale reprise their roles for the film as do Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee. 

I never got to see this while it was on Broadway so I have nothing to compare it to. In terms of the film itself, the source material doesn’t work in this particular medium. There seemed to be little to no changes made when adapting it from a play into a film. This hinders it in this case as the action is stuck in one place for the whole film. 

The action taking place in one area works for theatre, but in film, there has to be a way to keep the audience engaged. There are opportunities for close ups we don’t get when watching something live, different camera angles, a variety of techniques to emphasize the mood of the circumstances and none of that was used.

It’s tricky, because filmed stage productions work and this might have benefited from that instead of taking the stage script as is and calling it the film adaptation.

Again, I never saw the Broadway production so this could just be a script issue overall. It’s a shame because I was looking forward to watching it.

American Son is a play. There have been successful plays turned into films. In order for a play to become a film, things need to change. 

Broadway plays as a whole need to become more accessible for the masses. I think this is a step in the right direction in making that happen, but this is also not the way to do it.

Sorry, went off on a tangent there, but I’m so frustrated by this. Kerry Washington is great and has the best performance of anyone in the cast.

American Son is streaming on Netflix.

13th (2016)

 In her documentary 13th, Ava Duvernay states that the 13th amendment never truly abolished slavery.

This isn’t a new argument, but by bringing it into a visual medium, it truly brings the argument to the forefront.

The film Birth of a Nation was used to continue vilifying Black people after the civil war. This vilification has continued over the years as Black people make up the majority of those incarcerated.

Throughout the film, the use of the word criminal is emphasized. It’s astounding how casually that word is thrown around, regardless of the severity of the crime.

The argument that slavery was never truly abolished becomes more clear as the film goes on. The most obvious example being the use of cheap prison labor. Inmates are made to work for little pay.

The war on drugs especially brought forth an unequal amount of Black men being incarcerated. They were incarcerated at much higher numbers than their white counterparts. The film brings forth politicians from both sides of the spectrum as well as a variety of different experts.

The documentary is a must see. It makes its arguments in a clear and concise manner.

Cruella (2021)

 

Like most people, I love a good villain.

Villains are fun. They get the best songs, the best lines and they’re deliciously evil. I don’t rule for the villains personally, but I love when they give the heroes a challenge.

Cruella is definitely not a villain I would root for she does kill innocent puppies after all, but she’s so iconic. She’s also so deranged and over the top fun.

Emma Stone plays Cruella in Cruella which is meant to serve as her origin story.

It’s fun, but not great. It can also be way shorter than it is. 

Cruella was born Estella. As a young girl she was constantly getting into trouble, until ultimately she’s kicked out of her school causing her and her mom to move to London.

Not surprisingly Cruella ends up an orphan in a manner not meant to be funny, but honestly is. While on the streets she meets two other orphans Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry) and the three team up becoming petty thieves.

Cruella does what she must to survive, but her dream is to become a fashion designer and become as great as The Baroness (Emma Thompson).

In an unexpected turn of events, Estella is hired by the Baroness and thus begins her journey of going from Estella to Cruella.

The film is packed with long voice overs and way too long fashion montages and I wish the focus had been on just Cruella. 

The film shows the evil Cruella we all know and love while also trying to prove that she’s not all bad. This is my main issue with the live action villain films we’ve gotten so far. 

These films try to redeem these villains so much that they almost get rid of what makes these villains so fun. I don’t need to see that Cruella might be a good person underneath that tough exterior. I want to know how she became evil.

Thompson and Stone are both great, though. The Baroness is very one dimensional though.

Stone seems to be having an absolute blast in the role. She’s over the top, but quite nuanced and understated when she has to be.

The dogs are absolute scene stealers. The best character in the whole film is the one eyed chihuahua, Wink.

The costumes and the soundtrack also stand out for being absolutely phenomenal.

The film is entertaining. As it gets to the end though, it feels like it’ll never come to an end.

Cruella was better than I expected it to be, but a Cruella origin story it is not.

3/5 stars ✨ 

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

 

A Quiet Place Part II is a great sequel. The first scene is tense and the tension continues through the rest of the film. It doesn’t necessarily add anything new to the world we were introduced to in the first film, but honestly it doesn’t have to. Cillian Murphy becomes part of the main cast and he’s great. The original cast also continues to be great. 

The film opens on the day the earth was invaded. John Krasinski briefly reprises his role as he and the rest of his family try to survive that initial day. The camera switches perspectives frequently making you feel as if you’re there in real time. While you know the family survives at least that day, it isn’t any less tense watching them and the rest of the town trying to make it out alive.

What’s also effective is that the day in question starts like any other day. There’s something in China that killed millions of people, but in this small New York town, everyone is gathered for a youth baseball game. Suddenly a fire ball appears in the sky and it all goes down hill from there.

It’s an effective way to feel uneasy right from the start and that feeling never quite goes away. It at least answers the question of when and how they arrived. 

After the opening, the film begins immediately where the first one left off. Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her children Regan (Millicent Simmons), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and the newborn baby leave the their home in search of help. Heading in the direction of the nearest fire signal, they find the warehouse where their old friend Emmett (Murphy) resides. Emmett is reluctant to help, but eventually gives in. 

This film is plot wise almost exactly as the first. This time though, Regan splits from her family and she and Emmett head toward a radio signal that will hopefully provide them with a way to fight the aliens. Evelyn, Marcus and the baby stay behind in the warehouse and must try to survive until the other two return. Both teams experience their own perils and the filmmakers do a fantastic job making you feel as though no one is safe.

There are major plot holes, but everything else is so well crafted that it almost doesn’t matter. There are also other complaints that will hopefully be fixed in part III because with that ending, it’s Mose definitely coming.

ADÚ (2020)

 Adu gives us a different glimpse into the global refugee crises.

Adu is an original Netflix film from Spain. The main story is that of a little boy as he journeys from Africa to Spain to be with his father. 

The scene of the film takes place in Melilla. African immigrants are trying desperately to jump the barbed wire fence into Spain. One is caught in the barbed wire. When he finally frees himself from the barbs, he is hit on the head by one of the border agents and he falls to his death. This causes the rest of the refugees to become angry and retaliate. 

From there we travel to Cameroon and are introduced to Adu (Moustapha Oumarou) and his older sister Alika (Zayiddiya Dissou). She is teaching him to ride a bike until they encounter poachers and see them hacking off a dead elephant's tusks. 

Gonzalo works on the reservation where the elephant was killed and is informed that the reservation will be shutting down. Meanwhile his daughter is sent to live with him in order to overcome her drug addictions. 

The poachers arrive at Adu and Alika's home to kill them for what they saw, but the children manage to escape while their mother does not. They travel to their aunt's house who arranges for a human trafficker to help them reunite with their father in Spain. The smuggler takes them as far as the airport and proceeds to tell the children to sneak into the plane themselves using the wheel wells. The children sneak into a plane bound for Senegal and as the wheel well is not temperature controlled little Alika doesn't make it. It's one of many haunting images in the film.

While in the custody of the Senegalese immigration, Adu meets a Massar. The two escape and Massar (Adam Nourou) begins caring for Adu and the two begin their own journey to Spain.

While all this is happening, Gonzalo and his daughter head to Morocco where Gonzalo has another home and has his daughter take drug tests every day.

The border guards we met at the beginning of the film go to trial for the death of the refugee, but are cleared of any wrongdoing. Masser and Adu reach the border, and knowing his health is deteriorating, Massar in a desperate attempt, ties himself and Adu to rubber flotation devices and begins to swim across the sea to Spain. 

Adu does a wonderful job of showcasing the juxtaposition between the refugees and the privileges of those denying them entrance into the country. This story takes place in a different part of the world, but there is no difference in treatment for refugees all over the world. 

The acting is phenomenal especially from Oumarou and Nourou who both transition seamlessly from children having fun and children facing some of the most difficult hardships imaginable. The film is beautifully shot and the it doesn't shy away from the realities refugees often experience while seeking a better life for themselves. The portrayals of the refugees is realistic, but they are not portrayed as poor victims.

Any time scenes are located at the border we get glimpses of the ways refugees are often treated as they crowd together trying to make it across before the border closes while others would rather risk their life at sea or jumping the fence. 

There is no simple solution for the refugee crisis, but the most important thing to remember is that they are people. Seeing them as less than for seeking a better life is horrendous. When we start seeing them as people and not as law breakers, progress can begin to happen. I always have difficulty putting what I'm feeling into words, but I want people to have to stop resorting to extremes in order to live and the only way to do that is through change. 

The Father (2020)

 

Anthony Hopkins stars in The Father as Antony, a man suffering from Alzheimer’s. He is confused by many different aspects of his life. His daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman) visits him every day trying to find the best arrangements for him. Antony can be cruel especially to his doting daughter.

Antony remembers things or maybe he doesn’t as the film weaves different memories together in a way that makes it unclear what actually happened and what has been jumbled. The passage of time is unclear. Antony is convinced there is nothing wrong with him. Hopkins masterfully shows Antony’s confusion though and his attempts at playing everything off as if it’s okay. 

Florian Zeller wrote the play the film is based on as well as the adaptation. He directed the film as well and this works in his favor as every nuance is as he intended on the page. The film a faithful adaptation. It’s almost scene for scene exactly as it is in the play with minor changes of course. In the play, the set slowly becomes more and more bare, but in the film Zeller uses the film medium to put us in a labyrinth of sorts. Antony’s flat changes and there are a lot of shots of the hallways and doors and the audience never truly knows what the flat looks like. It adds to our confusion helping us understand what Antony sees.

Olivia Coleman and Anthony Hopkins are superb and I can see why Hopkins nabbed the Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role. Coleman is getting more and more recognition which is definitely deserved. You can see the pain in her eyes anytime she is berated by her father. She holds her own against Hopkins. I can’t say enough good things about her.

There are moments in which different actors play the same characters. Hopkins effortlessly shows the confusion as he tries to piece together who these people are. He switches seamlessly from cruel to charming. When he meets his new caregiver played by Imogen Poots, he charms her until he suddenly turns on her without warning. 

It is the final scene in the movie that truly shows Hopkins’ ability. He has lost everything. It breaks your heart in the worst way. This last scene killed me. We all know Hopkins is one of the greatest actors of our time, but this performance adds a whole new layer of respect for his abilities. 

Athlete A (2020)

 

This was a tough documentary to watch. It covers the USA Gymnastics Team scandal and how the people in charge enabled the sexual abuse of so many young gymnasts. Victims, their families and the journalists who brought the abuse to light all tell their story in an engaging and infuriating manner. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Stream it now on Netflix. 4 stars ✨

Dark Skies (2013)

 

Upon watching this film I learned that certain species of aliens are called greys which is apparently a real term and the premise of this film is that they’ve always been among us.

There are those who believe strongly in the existence of aliens, yet most horror films focus on ghosts or possessions. Needless to say making a horror film where the source of the scares comes from aliens is an interesting premise. I’m not saying that an alien horror film has never been done before, but because it’s not done often, there are a lot of interesting and refreshing ways to bring in the scares.

Unfortunately this film doesn’t quite succeed in doing that. The film is set in an unremarkable suburb of the US and only one family is tormented by the extraterrestrial visitors.

The family is struggling despite initial appearances. Daniel (Josh Hamilton) is between jobs and seems to be the only one aware how behind they are on their mortgage payment, Lacy (Keri Russel) is a realtor who is struggling to sell an outdated house, and older son Jesse (Dakota Goyo) has started to hang out with an older, troublesome boy.

Things only start to get worse when younger son Sammy (Kaden Rockett) starts to experience unexplained phenomena. The family will find a mess in the middle of the night, he’ll black out and start doing things without realizing he’s doing them. The alarms in the house will go off with no signs of break ins and dogs will bark while all this is happening.

Little by little the rest of the family starts experiencing things, too. Lacy also blacks out and doesn’t remember what happened during a six hour block of time. Daniel has found a strange rash behind his ear and three different flocks of birds crash into their house at the same time.

The film thankfully doesn’t rely completely on jump scares. The director tries to build tension and suspense, but ultimately the true scares come from the few jump scares. The initial glimpses of the aliens are creepy. As a horror film though it’s just not scary. The performances from the entire family are great though.

The actors do truly make you believe they are experiencing the things they are. The teen characters are horribly written though and it’s clear the writer thinks that that’s how real teenagers talk. The film has an interesting premise, but ultimately falls flat. It did pass the time, though so in terms of mindless entertainment it does its job. 

Goldie (2019)

 

“Goldie” stars Slick Woods as the titular character who is trying to make her dreams come true while trying to keep her youngster sisters safe. It’s a heartbreaking film full of hard truths and the disillusionment that can come with your dreams. The film is full of bright colors that perfectly contrast the darker tones of New York City. 

Goldie is an eighteen year old who dreams of dancing in a music video. She lives in a shelter with her mom Carol (Marsha Stephanie Blake), her two younger sisters (Jazmyn C Dorsey and Alanna Renee Tyler-Tompkins) and her mom’s boyfriend (Danny Hoch). Goldie likes to think she is ready to face the world, but like most teens she isn’t. Goldie is fierce and strong and loves her sisters deeply.

Her life isn’t ideal, but things get worse when her mom is arrested for selling drugs and she and her sisters take to the streets before child services can take them. Goldie begins searching for ways to make money while looking for places she and her sisters can stay. The money is to be spent on a yellow fur coat for the music video of an artist named Tiny (A$AP Ferg) which is going to be her big break. You frequently see Goldie in her full music video attire in glamorous flashes throughout the film.

The fur coat is expensive and Goldie begins selling her mother’s prescription pills in order to raise the cash she needs to buy it. Along the way Goldie turns to her former teacher Janet (Edwina Findley Dickerson), her former coworker Eli (George Sample III), her father Richard (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and her on/off boyfriend José (Jose Rodriguez) for help. Most of them tell her to seek child services, but determined to keep her sisters by her side she refuses most of the help offered to her especially since the music video will allow her to start a new life with them.

Everything from the technical aspects to the performances are done beautifully. Slick Woods is great balancing Goldie’s naïveté with strength. Goldie doesn’t have a solid plan to move her and her sisters forward, but you want her to succeed despite it all. She’s tough and not someone to be messed with, but there’s a charm and vulnerability to Goldie making her memorable.

A Whisker Away (2020)

 

This was an odd film to say the least. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. The plot revolves around a young girl who gains the ability to turn into a cat. She then proceeds to use that power to grow closer to her crush. It is a coming of age story and while the characters’ ages can partly explain their behavior there were some things I couldn’t get behind.

Miyo (Mirai Shida) is an odd girl given the nickname Muge by her classmates. She doesn’t have many friends and is more of an outsider. She has an obnoxiously huge crush on Hinode (Natsuki Hanae). She greets him each morning by bumping butts with him. He ignores her, but any word muttered in her direction causes her to swoon.

As I said, obnoxious to the point of it being unhealthy. Her home life is not much better off. The film begins in flashbacks that happen fast almost confusingly. Her father has recently remarried and the mom who abandoned her now wants a relationship with her. It’s understandingly a lot for a middle school girl to deal with.

It turns out that Miyo meets a mask seller who sells her a cat mask. When she puts on the mask, she turns into a cat allowing her to visit Hinode any time he wants. Hinode adopts Miyo and calls her Taro. He relies on this cat to get him through the difficulties he’s facing at home.

It’s kind of awkward to see a cat deriving so much pleasure from the human boy giving her so much love and attention. That’s my main problem with the film: Miyo has an unhealthy obsession with Hinode and it’s hard to root for them to end up together. It’s a shame because seeing Miyo and Hinode deal with their respective home lives is much more interesting and had they relied on each other to cope without the use of cat transformation, I wouldn’t feel so mixed about the film.

As things get more and more difficult, Miyo loses her human face causing her to eventually become a cat permanently. Unable to turn back into a human after the mask seller takes her face with him, Miyo sees first hand how much her classmates and family care for her.

The animation is unsurprisingly beautiful. Miyo as Taro the cat is just about the cutest little thing. The film culminates in a trip to cat island so that Miyo can try and regain her face.

The message of the film (ignoring the unhealthy obsession) is a good one. It’s a good reminder that no matter how bad things get, you are surrounded by people who love you. Running away from your problems can be tempting, but facing them head on is always the best solution.

An Evening with Beverly Luff Lin (2018)

 

Underdogs (2013)

 

“Underdogs” is a cute Argentinian animated film directed by Juan Jose Campanella. The film is full of silly humor and was actually an enjoyable watch.

“Underdogs” opens with apes at the beginning of time discovering soccer. It’s a silly moment that doesn’t tie into the rest of the film, but it’s all in good fun.

The animation is actually quite good with the colors being rich and gorgeous and the plot itself is nothing original. After the cold opening we are introduced to Jake and his family with Jake telling his son a story to try and motivate him to stay on the soccer team. As a young man, Jake had to face his bully and huge soccer star Ace in order to save his town. Ace has recently bought the town and is planning to build the biggest arena and shopping center. Jake doesn’t stand a chance, but his foosball players come to life giving him a glimmer of hope.

The foosball players themselves are the best animated things found in the film. They are full of personality and voiced by some great actors including Eugenio Derbez and John Leguizamo.

The film is silly, but genuinely funny filled with over the top moments. Ace adds to the laughs with his obnoxious personality and glimpse into is egotistical home. All around it’s good fun.

With the funny moments, bright and colorful animation it’s worth a watch especially for the little ones.

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

 

Da 5 Bloods is streaming on Netflix.

Da 5 Bloods brings an interesting perspective of the Vietnam war as it is remembered and told from the point of view of four Black Vietnam war veterans. It is directed by Spike Lee so of course the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement occurring at the same time are used to tie into current political events. 

Da 5 Bloods are Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and Eddie (Norm Lewis). They reunite for the first time since the war in Ho Chi Minh to bring home the remains of the fifth blood Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman) and the treasure that is buried close to him.

There are glimpses into how the Vietnamese are still affected by the war years later, but the main focus are the veterans. There could have been more commentary about this, but at least it’s not a glorification of the events. 

Da 5 Bloods is masterful. The main story line is the most interesting and engaging as it is and I think would have worked fine without the need to bring Jean Reno in to up the ante.

The lead performance by Delroy Lindo is incredible. He is not a character that is easy to like and yet you understand exactly what has brought him to this place from guilt he has never worked past to the frustration of fighting for a country that still hasn’t treated him as an equal. The film opens and closes with speeches from the Civil Rights Movements and news footage and photos are interwoven throughout the film tying past struggles to present struggles. 

Lee uses these struggles to also show how it can affect familial relationships. We see one paternal relationship through Otis. He meets up with a Vietnamese woman named Tiên (Lê Y Lan) whom he had a relationship with during the war and realizes he fathered a daughter with her named Michon (Sandy Hmong Pham) and she has grown up facing unspeakable racism in her home country.

The father/son relationship that is the focus of the film though is that between Paul and his son David (Jonathan Majors) who shows up unexpectedly to Vietnam wanting a share of the treasure for himself.

Marvin Gaye serves as the soundtrack for the film as we follow the Bloods into the Vietnamese jungle in their search. The film occasionally flashes back to the Vietnam war and the experiences the Bloods face whether they are bonding with each other or seeing the horrors of war as they fight for their lives.

What I loved about the flashbacks is that the same actors play their character tying in the recurring theme of the past affecting the present. Paul’s PTSD is difficult to watch and eventually it leads him down a heartbreaking spiral that leads him to break off from his son and his friends hurting most of them in the process. The ending isn’t a happy one, but it’s not entirely sad either.

The Fight (2020)

 

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