Here We Are (The Shed) (2023)

Here We Are is Stephen Sondheim's final unfinished work. It is a long gestating adaptation of Luis Bunuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (they can't eat) and The Exterminating Angel (they can't leave), a combination of two brilliant surrealist fantasies.  I think Sondheim knew he wasn't going to finish it. You can see it in Act II. There are scenes that clearly left room for a song. There's a little bit of under-scoring. But Act II is virtually a straight play. And supposedly the cop out is that the nature of The Exterminating Angel doesn't call for music because they're trapped in a room, but I don't really buy that excuse. He just didn't finish it and they left it that way. Act II though has a phenomenal set. And I actually quite like the simpler set in Act I too with the banquette/signs that descend from the ceiling to form makeshift restaurants, along with the cool virtual grass on the sides of the stage.

I don't remember such an explicit eat-the-rich bent to the movie, but it works here and I think makes it relevant and modern. The music in Act I is extremely Sondheim. The wordplay, rhythm, and music are all reminiscent of his classics. I think my favorite was the patter song sung by a fantastic Denis O'Hare at the first restaurant. I didn't know his name but I recognized him from The Good Wife/Fight, though not until I saw him up close. Before the play actually starts, O'Hare and Tracie Bennette in their maid and butler outfits tidy the immaculate stage walls and mirrors. The other standout for me was David Hyde Pierce who essentially plays Niles form Frasier and has just the type of one-liners. It's a star-studded cast of theater vets paying homage to the legend. 

Aside, in a rather quiet moment of Act II there was a loud disruptive noise coming from what I can only guess was the HVAC system. I thought maybe it was part of the show at first, as the actors briefly paused but the show went cause they're professionals. Though the sound went on for quite a while.
 

Mr. Robot (2015-9)

Mr Robot was a little inconsistent in the middle two seasons, but the final season delivered a highly satisfying ending. Even when the story line got a bit too confusing, the show could still drop a powerful, cathartic, euphoric episode. It started out as an avant garde show about hacktivism, a thematically relevant topic for our times. But the show became much more than that. At its heart it was an introspective character study of a troubled man dealing with mental illness. It delivered twists abound, even at the end when you thought this was it. The music supervisor nailed it every episode. The cinematography created the most stylish stills on cable. Sam Esmail's extraordinary vision was brought to life by a brilliant Rami Malek, one of the only Middle Eastern leading men on TV. Some notable episiodes:

• eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko when Elliot contemplates suicide
• eps3.4_runtime-error.r00 is the single shot episode
• 407 Proxy Authentication Required is the 5 acts theatrical drama

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

It's fine. I liked it just fine. It's breezy fun but the plot is sort of thin. Paul Rudd's character is under house arrest due to external conflicts from Avengers: Civil War. The mid-credits scene alludes to the Avengers too. But the central conflict within the film has three sides, Ant-Man vs the ghost vs a common black market dealer. The dealer's presence in the film is seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of thing. The ghost is a sympathetic villain. But by the time we get to the resolution of the plot, we see that the antagonism between them was moot. Paul Rudd is fun though.

I, Tonya (2017)

Who would have thought they could make a movie sympathetic to Tonya Harding? She had a rough life. The odds were stacked against her. The world of ice skating was against her. The country, the world was against her. The movie tells her side of the story mockumentary-style. It features talking head interviews. This tragic story is actually quite funny. It's so ridiculous that it's funny. Maybe it wasn't her fault after all.

Ant-Man (2015)

Paul Rudd stars in this Marvel flick, which was actually quite funny. It is more traditional humor, unlike the riskier Deadpool. Quite frankly, I think Ant-Man works better. Michael Pena is hilarious as Rudd's sidekick. And Paul Rudd, as a comedian, is naturally funny and charming whereas sometimes you feel like Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool tries too hard. What is really great about this movie is that Ant-Man is human. He is not "super" like some other Marvel heroes. And as a human, he has human problems, family problems, mundane problems. This human element grounds the film in reality. The powers come from science, which though it is unrealistic, is hypothetically believable. It does not take itself too seriously, while not being a total joke like Deadpool. 

Spy (2015)

Melissa McCarthy is in fine form in her latest film after a string of subpar films. Her performance reminds us why she is an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee.  She is self deprecating and fully adept at physical comedy.  A spoof on the classic 007-type spy movies, Spy is raucously funny. The audience is constantly reminded that McCarthy does not look like your stereotypical secret agent, and in actuality that is to her benefit as an undercover spy.  McCarthy's performance is only one in a movie full of excellent performances.  Jason Statham turns up his intensity factor to play a satirical version of himself.  British comedian Miranda Hart is hilarious as is Rose Byrne, who puts on a pretentious British accent to play a villain. This is a solid, worthwhile comedy.

Chef (2014)

It's delectable. This is simply a faultless feel-good comedy.  You can't go wrong with a movie about food!  Rachel Ray is always talking about a future in which there exists the smell-evision.  This film left me also wanting taste-evision.  Not only does it look like it tastes good, but the food genuinely looks good. Points for plating.

Jon Favreau leads a star studded cast.  I particularly enjoyed the supporting cast, especially John Leguizamo. Along with the Latin jazz soundtrack and Miami setting, he adds to the fun, Latin atmosphere of the film.

This is a very modern film.  Food trucks are the latest craze and the movie also highlights the power of social media.  Because of this, the film feels fresh even though the idea is not so original (man loses job, reinvents himself).