Madama Butterfly (2006) (Metropolitan Opera)

The Met has been performing this beautiful production of Puccini's popular Madama Butterfly since 2006. And thirteen years later, it is still incredible. The production by Anthony Minghella is more theatrical than it is operatic, in my opinion. By that I mean the staging is not grandiose like you expect opera to be. The set is rather bare, consisting mostly some screens, some chairs and a large mirror. There are a couple of dozen people that play actual pieces of the scenery, like a kindergarten play in which the trees are played by children. Here, they are dressed and veiled in black like the bunraku puppeteers and they carry lanterns, flowers and birds. It is beautiful and sufficient, don't get me wrong but it is not operatic. The scenery at the end of the first act is especially beautiful with the falling butterflies and stars and lit lanterns. The enormous mirror that makes up a slanted ceiling is a mystery for much of the show. The opening scene makes dramatic use of it, but the mirror is really there for 3 hours and 15 minutes to create the final striking image of the fallen Butterfly, red sash cutting diagonally across the floor and mirror to great effect. The colored lighting creates beautiful silhouettes, and the figures against the white screens, still as a portrait, are highly artistic.  The silhouettes at the final bows are gorgeous. I'm not sure if the puppets add much more than what a real kid might have brought, but it does make the production a little more Japanese (read: authentic?).

I love Puccini, but this is not my favorite score of his. It is not nearly as melodic as Tosca or Turandot. He still creates wonderful harmonies but the music meanders and infrequently resolves--is that the difference between showtunes and opera? It quotes the Star Spangled Banner and uses East Asian instruments to evoke Japanese music. None of the arias are particularly memorable. I remember Un Bel Di because it is a pivotal aria for Cio Cio San in her emotional development but I might not recognize it.

The story is a tragedy. It features an American in Japan singing in Italian. The naval lieutenant Pinkerton is sleeping his way around the world, as one does in the military. At the turn of the twentieth century, America has forced open Japan by gunboat at the port of Nagasaki. He rents a house, has a fetish, finds a wife and commits statutory rape (albeit in a beautiful scene)--young Butterfly is only 15 though apparently she looks as young as ten (because westerners can't tell age in Asians?). He intends for the marriage to be temporary but it's very real and permanent to Butterfly/Cio Cio San. And so naturally he returns to America and gets married to a white woman, leaving his wife and (unbeknownst to him) child, and leaving his problem to be solved by the State Department, like the consul wants to be bothered by immoral and callous military men. And then even the consul demurs to the poor housekeeper to break the news to Butterfly. In short, there are some questionable race and gender politics in this story that probably didn't even occur to playwright Belasco but in 2019 we are more enlightened. Consequently, some of the dialogue is funny and some of it a little cringey.  We can overlook it because Butterfly's love is genuine, though at 15-18 years old, what does she really know of love? If you can get past that, the tragedy is heart achingly beautiful.

Soft Power (Off-Broadway) (2018)

Soft Power is a musical within a play written by David Henry Hwang after a traumatic experience (or rather two related ones). He is actually a character in this semi-autobiographical piece. It is a satire, an inverted retelling of The King and I set in 2016 America, a strange and tumultuous land. Hillary Clinton plays the inverted would-be king, and Xing Xue is a Chinese expat who plays "I", the protagonist in a yellow savior love story (would love for Hillary to see this). It is so much funnier than I expected. And the music and choreography are actually pretty good. Hwang turns his anger into an intelligent story about Chinese and American culture. It is full of sharp observations about us. Some of the punch lines hurt a little considering we're still in the mess of 2016 but that only makes the themes more relevant.  I don't know how the production has changed since the middling reviews from its premiere in California but I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  The predominantly Asian cast is delightful.

Fleabag (2016-9)

Fleabag is the freshest breath of air in a television landscape rife with high quality programming. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is wicked clever. Her writing is witty. Her delivery is perfect. Her character is complex. Her frankness is refreshing. And breaking (and re-constructing) the fourth wall is a brilliant device used to great comedic effect. All the characters are great, but I particularly like Fleabag's sister Claire. Her character is hilarious and maybe kind of relatable.  I'm only sorry the series is so short, just six hours in all.  But a brilliant six hours it is.

Blue Planet II (2017)

Blue Planet II is an astonishing 7-part nature documentary series from the BBC. This has taken the nature documentary to new heights. The filmmakers have managed to capture things on camera that have never been seen before by mankind, things that humanity had no idea about.The camera quality is so sharp and beautiful. The camera is patient, and it pays off. David Attenborough's narration is wonderful. There is so much suspense watching the sea life move and act in ways I've never even thought of before. It's a magical series I highly recommend. 

Coriolanus (2019) (The Public Theater)

I was not familiar with Coriolanus. It is not one of Shakespeare's more often performed plays. One of his later tragedies, Coriolanus takes place in ancient Rome. It features a war hero on the verge of being named consul if he could just get over his contempt for the plebians that make up the majority of the city. And when the people finally reject him, he takes vengeance on the city. He's not the most sympathetic hero. He's actually extremely unsympathetic. Jonathan Cake plays Coriolanus with a very deep, almost Bane-like voice. It's hard to take him seriously because he screams so many of his lines. I feel like we never get an adequate explanation for why he has so much contempt for the regular people except for class hierarchy. It seems unfounded, too extreme. Maybe that played better in hierarchical Elizabethan England. And then, when the patricians blame the plebian tribunes for exiling Coriolanus and making him mad, I lost it. It's as if Coriolanus is put up on a Superman-like pedestal. Who is this guy that he can do no wrong in their eyes? Because he is so obviously wrong. The problem wasn't the exile. It was that they didn't execute him in Act I.

Let's just also put it out there that the Public spent up all its budget on the amazing production of Much Ado About Nothing earlier this summer. The costumes here looked like something out of The Walking Dead. They're dirty and torn. The set looks like a slum. And yes, the set moves, but it's not as expensive looking as the beautiful estate from Much Ado About Nothing. The soundtrack also pales in comparison. And it drizzled for about a half hour of the performance. They valiantly performed through it, but it would've been nice if we had stayed dry.

Salt Fat Acid Heat (2018)

Samin Nosrat's Netflix documentary based on her book of the same name is revelatory. It is part cooking show, part travel documentary. She boils down good cooking to four basic elements, each of which she explores in four different different episodes in four different locales. Nosrat is a student of the world. She shows off her Italian and Spanish skills. And she impresses with her knowledge of different food cultures. Nosrat is a character. She gets so excited about food, it is deeply moving to watch her eyes light up with joy and to see her eyes tear up at the beauty. Her laugh is infectious. And her food looks delicious. She is the fun, funny, down-to-Earth culinary-expert friend that everyone wants to have.

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Jim Jarmusch's latest is a zombie movie unlike any other. It's not a horror movie. It's a comedy, an unconventional one at that. It breaks the fourth wall. It has a huge cast of familiar Jarmusch faces in bit parts. The humor is kind of awkward, off kilter. Bill Murray and Adam Driver are perfect for the dry, slow-paced, often deadpan jokes. I'm starting to like Adam Driver more in his comedic work. There are a lot of seemingly irrelevant characters. Surely there is something Jarmusch is trying to say about the outcasts of Centerville, a small American town (village?) with a cast of lonely characters. I'm not quite sure what. The movie takes a wonky turn at the end. It wouldn't have been how I ended it, but I'm not entirely unsatisfied cause it's appropriately bonkers.

Suspiria (2018)

Suspiria is not really a remake of the 1977 giallo classic by Dario Argento. It merely starts from the same point. But it veers way far off. The new movie lacks all the hallmarks of the original: the eroticism, color and music. It does have the gore. Act six has a hell of a lot of blood. It's really gratuitous. I don't feel like the movie really earned the twist in the sixth act. Or maybe that's just me saying that I didn't like the twist.The film is in a mix of German and English. Recall that the original was in comically dubbed Italian. The mix of languages comes off as kind of frenetic. The best part of the movie is Tilda Swinton, who plays 3 parts, probably one too many. And the movie runs two and a half hours, which is way too long for a horror movie.

Booksmart (2019)

Booksmart is hilarious, endearing, heartwarming, and necessary. Following in the footsteps of The Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird and Eighth Grade, we now have the raucous teenage girl coming-of-age comedy we needed. Olivia Wilde shows remarkable artistry for a first-time director. The slick editing and bold musical choices scream style. The writing is smart and funny and relevant. And the actors nail every line. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are a revelation. Their buddy cop chemistry is palpable. Dever reminds me of a young Natalie Portman. And naturally, Feldstein reminds me of her brother Jonah Hill. This had me laughing out loud nonstop, probably the most enjoyable time I've had at the theater all year.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

X-Men deserves a better ending than this. X-Men was probably my favorite superhero series, but they remade it to death. It should have ended with Days of Future Past and Logan. Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix were wholly unnecessary. I had forgotten that Days of Future Past erased the old timeline. Much like the recent bookend of the MCU, the time travel rules are kind of murky. But in their attempt to erase the ill received ending of the original trilogy in The Last Stand, they recreated the same plot, except worse. A redo was not necessary. They get a little into the politics that always made X-Men interesting and relevant. The othering of mutants is a message that is still poignant today, but it takes a backseat to a largely irrelevant main plot. Who are these aliens and why is Jessica Chastain their leader?

The Third Murder (2017)

This is something of a departure for Koreeda. Though there are some family dynamics here (father-son, father-daughter), they are not the focus of the movie. In fact, the introduction of some of these familial relations seem rather irrelevant. Instead this is a legal thriller. The themes raise grand questions about justice. The answers aren't apparent. But Koreeda does a good job at mystifying the truth. While the movie doesn't pack the same emotional punch as his family dramas, his writing is still careful and deliberate. And the mise en scene is still striking. I'm a fan of reflections in the glass.

Nobody Knows (2004)

Koreeda is the master of the family-themed drama. This is perhaps the most tragic of his movies. Sadness is usually tempered by sweetness, but the tragedy in this one is really overwhelming. That these children manage to find happiness amidst their horrifying situation is heartbreaking. And the director just tugs and tugs and tugs until the ending which offers no resolution. The child actors, particularly Yuya Yagira, are phenomenal. He is a portrait of fortitude and survival throughout and then we are reminded that he is just a kid being deprived of his childhood and desires. And so he struggles to maintain the one thing he has: his siblings. As always, Koreeda's direction is delicate. His writing is careful and deliberate. His camerawork is beautiful. Nobody Knows is trademark Koreeda.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Rob Letterman took big risks that mostly paid off. I didn't know at first how to feel about the 3D Pokemon, rendered in CGI. But I quickly acclimated to all but Mr Mime. Mr Mime is freaky. But Pikachu is adorable. Ryan Reynolds will forever be known for his sublime voice work as Deadpool and Pikachu. I would have been on board if Pikachu decided to curse a bit. But even the voice was just enough to evoke the comedy of Deadpool. The story is mediocre but the nostalgia mixed with Ryan Reynolds makes for an enjoyable time.

Long Shot (2019)

I'm embarrassed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I thought it was really funny. It only brushes the surface of its political ambitions but it's just enough to be interesting. Seth Rogen's Fred has principles. Yes, who would've thought that Seth Rogen would be the moral compass? Charlize Theron is oddly good at this wacky comedy. She should be given more comedic roles. And the very best part of the movie is O'Shea Jackson Jr, who makes a great comedic sidekick.

Burning (2018)

Burning has that special quality of staying with you long after you leave the theater. This movie haunted me for a week. It's a slow burn as the title suggests. The tension builds and builds until finally it yearns for release in this psychological "thriller".  None of the questions are answered, but all the answers are implied. That intense atmosphere manifests on screen in silence, glances, colors, mise-en-scene and the contrast between flashy Gangnam and the North Korean countryside border. Is it possible to feel the milieu? Because it gave me goosebumps. Steven Yeun is so devilishly good in Korean, you easily forget that it is his first Korean role.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

It's the end of an era. The Big Bang Theory represented the last of the great sitcoms by Chuck Lorre. More than that, the end of the long-running reliable network sitcom. The best comedy is now on cable, premium or otherwise. The kind of good-natured, family friendly humor is now in short supply. Modern comedies take more risks that pay off handsomely. But Big Bang Theory was consistently good enough. And it translated quite well in international markets. Jim Parson's Sheldon has achieved icon status in our culture. That is quite the achievement. The finale gave our seven protagonists a fitting end. Way better than the Game of Thrones finale.

Veep (2012-19)

Veep was consistently one of the funniest shows on television. Armando Iannucci's sense of humor is so absurd it's hilarious. It was caustic political satire at its best. The cast was on its A game. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserved every Emmy win. And I think Tony Hale as bag man Gary was brilliant. Even the supporting guest stars were fully developed characters. Mina Hakkinen never failed to make me laugh. We'll miss this cast of misfits.

Game of Thrones (2011-19)

Game of Thrones was unlike anything we had ever seen on TV. The scale and grandeur of the production matched what we only ever saw on the big screen. When it really started to hit its stride a few seasons in, it achieved cinematic scope. The battle scenes rivaled the very greatest of Lord of the Rings. Game of Thrones changed the landscape of TV forever. It proved early on that it was not afraid to kill off its main characters. It would simply introduce new ones, sometimes too many to keep track of, sometimes too many to even feature in an episode or a whole season. 

I admit I could give or take the story. It plays out some intense political relations. But it's not easy to follow. It is highly convoluted. But then why did so many people watch it addictively? In the era of streaming and peak TV, this was truly the one must-see television show. Because everyone would be talking about it the next day at work. Even sooner than that, everyone would be spoiling it on Facebook. You can't really overestimate the phenomenon that was Game of Thrones. It made stars of composer Ramin Djawadi, Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, and Lena Heady.

The last season sort of spoiled it, but you can bet it will still come away with an armful of Emmys. The ending was incredibly lame in my opinion. But again, it wasn't about the story. It was the spectacle and we get 2 episodes of spectacle amid some otherwise calm episodes.

Aladdin (2019)

I'm actually really on board with the recent trend of remaking classic Disney animated films in live-action, but Aladdin is not very good. The story is kind of flimsy. There is new music made for this adaptation that does not gel with the original. Alan Menken from the original, and Pasek and Paul of La La Land fame, wrote cringy pop music. Some of the songs are actually not even long enough to qualify as songs, merely two or three sung lines. It is the exact criticism that people who don't like musicals have: the switch from singing to speaking is too abrupt. The acting is good but the singing is not quite hefty enough from the leads. It is nice to hear Will Smith singing again. He is actually quite good, even though I was skeptical of him at first. He adds some much needed humor and levity. The production, set, CGI and costumes are beautiful, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of the costumes. They seem too colorful and revealing for Arabian dress. Jasmine is modernized, given a voice and more agency. That was a nice touch, but the accompanying song is not good.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame is the serviceable capstone on a decade's worth of serviceable movies worth billions of dollars. There are millions of superfans all around the world. And this is for them. This movie is 100% fan service. One last hurrah for the old guard of Avengers. I'm unfortunately not one of those superfans. I think I missed a lot of the references to the older films. I think they didn't have as much of an emotional impact for me because I am not attached to the characters and I don't recall the details of the old movies. The explanation of time travel from The Hulk is brushed over really quickly and I didn't catch it. But I think there are some significant plot holes that I'm willing to overlook. The movie runs way too long. There are a lot of subplots they could have cut out that serve only to prolong the movie. And to top it off, I fell asleep during the climactic battle scene. We can blame jet lag, but also, I have a tendency to fall asleep during battles.

Much Ado About Nothing (The Public Theater) (2019)

This is the best and most modern Shakespeare I have ever seen. Kenny Leon's take on Much Ado About Nothing is fresh and lively. It is subliminally political; the first thing you see is a prominent "Stacey Abrams 2020" banner. It's not quite as on the nose as the Donald Trump Julius Caesar from a couple summers ago. But the undertones are there. We hear a beautiful rendition of What's Going On sung by Danielle Brooks. This community is in the contemporary resistance. Taking place in the near future with an all black cast, it is about community and black love.The music and choreography are simultaneously unexpected and perfect for this modern, unabashedly black show.

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

There were some things I liked: the color blind casting and the ravishing costumes. The movie is otherwise really boring. I fell asleep in the middle and when I woke up, I did not bother going back. I couldn't even tell quite how much I had missed.

The Namesake (2006)

I love the novel The Namesake. And while this movie is very beautiful, I don't think the adaptation does the novel justice. What it lacks is time. The joy of reading Jhumpa Lahiri is inhabiting the lives of her characters. You can't do that in a two hour movie that had to cut out all the character development, some of the most touching scenes from the novel. It doesn't even fully explain the traditional naming process that encounters a hitch when grandma dies. Such a sprawling story makes adaptation difficult. I know you can't expect a perfect 1:1 translation, but I think I loved the novel too much to be satisfied with anything less. Irrfan Khan and Tabu are precisely what I envisioned in my head. Kal Penn not so much, but he may never escape Harold and Kumar.

Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019)

Eh, it's too soon. It's really painful to watch because you know it's true. Benedict Cumberbatch basically plays Sherlock, which we already know he's good at and it irks me.

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Willem Dafoe is excellent as Vincent Van Gogh. His portrayal of a mentally unstable man is harrowing. It is accented by some crazy camerawork that is wildly distracting and made my head hurt. Maybe that was the intention. But it was very uncomfortable on the plane. The pacing of the movie is also not really conducive to watching it on a plane, but I quite liked it.

Ash Is Purest White (2018)

This is a modern Chinese movie if there ever was one. How many gangster movies feature a tough female protagonist? You see how fast and drastically China has changed in just 17 years.The passage of time is a major theme in the movie, simply told against the backdrop of a changing China. The grand scope doesn't always benefit the movie, but I get it.

Long Day's Journey Into Night (2018)

I wanted to like this more than I did. I've been reading about this movie since it premiered at Cannes last year, about its grand ambition and enthralling cinematography. Yes, that tracking shot is astonishing. Nearly an hour long (in 3D in the cinema though I saw it on a plane), the tracking shot features a trick billiards shot that threatens to derail the whole thing. Bi Gan deserves all the praise he gets. It is visually stunning. But he can work on his storytelling a little bit. Maybe it's my fault I couldn't follow it, but I'm going to blame it on him.

Unforgiven (1992)

I don't really like Westerns. The movie is fine. Clint Eastwood going back to his Western roots to win Best Picture is a good story. But it's really just not for me.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The Star Trek movies haven't aged so well. The special effects are really lame. Consider that by 1982, the world had already seen Star Wars while Star Trek was still using 60s-era VFX which I'm sure were really cool when Star Trek first premiered on TV. I quite like Star Trek otherwise, but I admit I fell asleep watching this one on the plane. The plot is much simpler than the sci-fi movies we're used to nowadays. Ricardo Montalban's Khan is devilishly good. I was surprised to see Kirstie Alley, who I did not realize had ever done Star Trek. Did Spock have to die? There have been so many incarnations of Spock that he doesn't really feel dead anyways, but I assume that packed a big punch at the time.

Blindspotting (2018)

This movie is a marvelous risk that pays off handsomely. Not anyone could pull off a spoken word/rap "musical" but it somehow works. I think Hamilton has primed us to be receptive to such a movie. It would not have played as well ten years ago. But it's so unique and catchy that you can't help smiling at the boldness. The dialogue is really fast and pointed. The themes (gentrification, police brutality, inequality) it deals with are heavy but poignantly tackled from a point of view rarely seen on screen and with comedy. Yeah, it's a buddy comedy under all that. 

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

Terry Gilliam's long anticipated project has finally seen the light of day. Despite getting off to a slow first act, the movie is wildly funny. It is over two hours, and that's a bit too long. It's the middle act, following Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on their misadventures. It features two raucous performances from Jonathan Pryce and Adam Driver, but it's kind of repetitive. The production value looks really expensive, and very Spanish. Reality blends with insanity in what I describe as magical realism/surrealism. It's certainly an unusual movie, but it's very entertaining and well worth a watch.

Gloria (2013)

This was an exercise in watching the same movie in a different language with different actors. For me, it was basically the same. Except they don't use the English-language version of Gloria. Paulina Garcia is great but I felt like the tone was different in Spanish. It wasn't as funny in Spanish, or maybe I didn't get the humor in Spanish. That's probably on me.

Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)

The martial arts scenes are well-choreographed fun, especially the glass of whiskey scene, and the fight atop the famed neon signs of Hong Kong. But the rest of Master Z is god awful. There is a combination of Mandarin and English; no Cantonese despite taking place in 1960s Hong Kong. It's near impossible to tell which Chinese people understand English and which white people understand Chinese. There are some half-hearted efforts to translate in the scene, but the biggest question remains...does Bautista's character understand Chinese? There are some unintentionally funny scenes amidst the bad dialogue. The movie is abnormally chaste for an action movie, there being only a slight tease of a romantic story line. And one note on the sound effects. Good sound effects usually have the quality of not particularly standing out because they sound natural. Just imagine how bad the sound effects have to be for me to notice. It's like they've never heard what gift wrap sounds like.

Kiss Me, Kate (2019) (Broadway)

In 2019, Cole Porter sounds real old-timey. The set is old-timey too but the set design really worked for me. The Taming of the Shrew is also commonly derided for being dated and out of touch. I wouldn't say that this production necessarily changes that. The all-female production of Taming of the Shrew that the Public Theater performed had more to say about our times than this second revival of Kiss Me, Kate does. "I Am Ashamed that People are So Simple" is renamed in this production from the original "I Am Ashamed that Women are So Simple". This single word change is a start, but it doesn't really address the misogyny of Taming of the Shrew, does it?

The best part of this production is the dancing. Corbin Bleu's three dance numbers: "Bianca", "Tom, Dick or Harry", and best of all "Too Darn Hot" are all electrifying. Too Darn Hot is astonishing. You'll notice that the best parts have nothing to do with the central plot of the show. The main plot is kind of uninteresting, but the subplots and the company numbers are a whole lot of well-executed fun. Corbin Bleu and Stephanie Styles will surely garner Tony nominations. Kelli O'Hara is just fine too, but it's not her best role. I wasn't crazy about Will Chase. I can't quite explain why. I think Steven Pasquale would have been a good choice.

Shazam! (2019)

Let's start off by stating the obvious, the dialogue is bad, really lame and cheesy. The question is whether this was intentional. I like to think the writers were fully aware and actually revel in the tonal awkwardness. That said, I don't think the trailer is a very good representation of what the movie actually is. There is no reference of the central conflict between superhero and villain in the trailer. The movie provides origin stories to both. We're sort of mislead into thinking the movie is about a kid with the power to turn into an adult, which is kind of lame. And that's certainly part of the gimmick. But there is a broader mythology that I was unfamiliar with. Points for casting. There were some genuine laughs. And points for the human part of the story. They could've just made an interesting story about a foster family, but it's a little more than that.

High Life (2018)

Claire Denis's first foray into sci-fi is titled High Life, probably because she was high on something when she wrote this incoherent mess. She just hopes that you don't ask any questions, especially why and how. How did he raise Willow in this spaceship? How did she learn to speak English? How does she know what a dog is? What is the point of Dr. Dibs's experiment? What if she succeeds...then what, they're on a one-way mission anyways. And who cares? It's not like she's breaking new ground, she's just being creepy. She truly does look like a witch; one whose English sounds weird for some reason, which is strange because Juliette Binoche speaks perfectly good English. And what if they succeed in the larger mission? Then what...how are they supposed to harness the energy of a black hole? What good does that do anyone on Earth? The premise just makes no sense. And the design is not your typical futuristic space ship. This is no Starship Enterprise. It is a bleak shoebox, dark, low tech, uninviting. Robert Pattinson has really proven himself to be quite the actor though. They're going to start casting him in daddy roles soon enough.

Amazing Grace (2018)

I wish I had seen this glorious movie under better circumstances; it has been a tiring week and I could not keep awake, but this is no indication of the quality of the movie. I am planning to see this again because this is by far the most powerful movie so far this year. Now that out of the way...

Amazing Grace is a legendary two-night concert documentary. Filmed in 1972 when Aretha was just 29 at the height of her singing prowess, Sydney Pollack famously messed up by forgetting the clapboard, leaving the audio un-syncable. With new technology forty years later, it was finally possible. And I'm so glad it has finally seen the light of day. Other than the big snafu, Pollack's verite style is a unique and intimate way to experience a concert.

I'm not a religious person. But I feel taken to church. Watching this movie was a transcendent, other worldly experience that can only be explained by the grace of god. From the first words out of her mouth, "Wholy Holy", I began to tear up. It is immediately evident how much gospel music means to Aretha and to James Cleveland (who is also hilarious) and the wonderful choir. It is loving, powerful, beautiful music. And in turn, you see what the church means to the audience, participating in the call-and-response interacting with Aretha and with God.  Amazing Grace was Aretha's tribute to the beautiful American institution that is the black church.

Private Life (2018)

Tamara Jenkins's Private Life is a touching, funny movie that is all too rare. It's about a middle-aged couple (a writer and a theater director) living in the Village desperately trying to have a child, by any means possible. Not only is the writing excellent and realistic, but the acting from Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn have never been better.

Merrily We Roll Along (Off-Broadway) (2019)

I didn't really like it while I was sitting in the Laura Pels Theater, but Merrily We Roll Along has grown on me as time has passed the more I think about it. The story is beautifully bittersweet. It makes you wonder what was going on in Sondheim's life at the height of his career that he wrote such a downer. He claims that Opening Doors was the only autobiographical song he ever wrote, but are we really to believe that a musical about composers isn't personal? Maybe he was longing for a collaborator. The music is very Sondheim and quite beautiful: Merrily We Roll Along, Opening Doors, Old Friends, Like It Was, Not a Day Goes By...but I hate the ending. Our Time is awfully cheesy.

This off-broadway production features just six actors in what appears to be a prop warehouse of a set. The small cast makes things a little confusing as all the actors play multiple roles, and sometimes you can't quite tell if they're playing the main character or a supporting character. The whole backwards structure can be a little difficult to follow but it is an innovative way to tell a story. If I had known from the beginning that that was how it was going to be, I might've paid closer attention to the opening scene, because by the time we got to the end I forgot what they had said.

High Flying Bird (2019)

Steven Soderbergh's latest experimentation with iPhone filmography is excellent fun. It makes you think anyone can make a movie, but he has a special vision. You don't realize it, but it's a heist movie disguised as a sports movie. It's a basketball movie that takes place during a lockout. And this is all about the politics of the game, the game on top of the game, if you will. The message is overt and searing, delivered with smart writing and great acting.

Dumbo (2019)

Tim Burton's singular vision is stunning. Disney has totally nailed the animation turned live-action visuals. The CGI is so good. They had some practice animating elephants in The Jungle Book, and live action Dumbo is adorable. His eyes are real. There is so much emotion in those eyes. And many shots are in the reflection of those eyes taking on Dumbo's perspective. The first scene in which Dumbo takes flight is breathtaking. And to think Dumbo doesn't fly in the original until the end. This new version adds an element of humanity. The kids are great. Danny Devito is a natural ringmaster. The movie plays a little like a superhero movie: Dumbo's origin story, if you will. The super power is obviously flight. Dumbo is given motivation to use his powers, and ultimately uses them to save the day. Maybe that's why it got mixed reviews... because it is a little formulaic in that superhero template that critics have tired of. But certainly didn't expect that from Dumbo. And I like Arcade Fire.

Still the Water (2014)

Naomi Kawase's self-proclaimed masterpiece is beautifully filmed. There are a number of breathtaking scenes. But the movie as a whole is not very coherent. The two kids are great. Though the child porn at the end was unsettling.

The Beach Bum (2019)

Matthew McConaughey in the role he was born to play: the stoner poet Moondog. Harmony Korine's latest is a hilarious stoner movie. Harmony Korine's distinctive style is pleasantly out of place for a stoner movie. Snoop Dogg and Jonah Hill (in a hilarious faux Southern accent that's so bad it's perfect) are obvious choices for the supporting cast. Isla Fisher, Zac Efron (with now infamously ridiculous tiger facial hair) and Martin Lawrence are inspired. There are some glaring pot holes, but honestly, who cares? This is a rollicking good time.

Rat Film (2018)

The documentary Rat Film is a mesmerizing tale of the city of Baltimore told through its relationship with rats. Baltimore is full of interesting characters. Johns Hopkins is, of course, at the center of the story. A professor at Hopkins devised a new rat poison when the war cut off supplies of traditional rat poison from the Mediterranean. But killing the rats is just treating the symptom. A different professor wanted to tackle the disease itself. Ecology fostered an environment that was favorable to rats. By improving the living conditions of Baltimoreans, they would reduce the rat population. But where are the rats today? They are in the poorest neighborhoods, unjustly kept poor by policy and practice. Theo Anthony stares unrelentingly at the cold truths of racism and inequality in the Greatest City in America.

Us (2019)

Jordan Peele's much-anticipated follow-up to Get Out is not as overtly political and is much scarier. Peele is an auteur. His horror is not made of cheap jump scares. It is comprised of clever camerawork, pans that create artificial jump scares that are all the more terrifying. I recognize that there is an allegory here, but it's not obvious. And it kills me that I didn't get it. I predicted the twist early on but I don't see the significance of the twist. The symbolism is lost on me. The actors are all phenomenal. Lupita Nyongo is beautiful but somehow horrifying at the same time. With a bigger budget, they spent good money on the perfect music. I know there are people who are going to second viewings to catch things they missed the first time, but I have no desire to ever see this excellent movie again.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

There are two really striking parts of this movie. First are the visuals. Never have I seen such real-looking animated clouds, grass, ocean, and sand. It is stunning. We get to appreciate the scenery with lots of wide shots with small swarms of dragons in a corner. The soundtrack is also fantastic. It is at once reminiscent of Mussorgsky and Debussy and Bernstein. In my head I could hear the music from West Side Story when Tony and Maria spot each other from across the gym. It would have been perfect for the courtship of Toothless and the Light Fury. I was sort of indifferent about the story. In fact, I kind of got some mixed messaging. I remember a message of tolerance. They lived in a world where the Vikings killed dragons. Hiccup taught them to live with the dragons in harmony. And in this movie, we are taught that you can't change peoples. They ultimately have to run from their problem. And in the end, they can't live together in harmony. The dragons must go off on their own. There is a message about letting go in there but in the wider context of the trilogy, it seems a little inconsistent.

The Aftermath (2019)

I'm usually a fan of romantic movies in which it doesn't work out. But the ending of this movie just really didn't work for me, spoiler alert. The movie is not nearly as tantalizing as it thinks it is. It has about enough content for the trailer, and that's about it. The daughter's subplot is neither interesting nor does it really add anything to the story. Keira Knightley is divine but her character is not likable. None of the characters are very likable for that matter. Points for the sound though...you hear the heartbeats? And points for costumes, those sweaters.

Gloria Bell (2018)

I am familiar with La Mujer Fantastica, which has a similar use of light and the same enchanting use of music. That was my favorite part. Gloria Bell is a remake of the Chilean film Gloria that I hear is exactly the same, frame for frame, song for song, same crew and all.  I haven't seen the original but I don't really understand why this was necessary except as a vehicle for Julianne Moore. She is excellent and quite funny in a role that is rare for an actress of her age but that's beside the point. Did the director feel compelled to remake his own film in English? Is he saying something about universality?  Was an American audience not willing to watch a more culturally specific movie? Are older white singles really into Earth, Wind and Fire?

Climax (2018)

I've seen over a thousand movies. I have never seen a movie as intense as Climax. This is the most deranged, not necessarily scary, movie I have ever seen. And yet, Gaspar Noe's latest is mesmerizing. It is provocative yet watchable It is Step Up in Hell. It is Suspiria on drugs. It is about a dance troupe that is about to go on tour. They have their final rehearsal (in which they totally kill it) and then celebrate. Long story short, someone spikes the sangria with LSD and the second half of the movie is one bad trip. The movie is extremely energetic. The movie is made up of some highly ambitious shots. Not only is there obviously the dance choreography, but the camera movement is also very choreographed. There are many long unbroken takes. I know there are some cuts but many you don't even notice. I just want to be able to talk to someone about this, but I can't in good faith recommend this movie to other people. I watched this by myself and it messed me up.

Captain Marvel (2019)

Marvel's first movie to feature a female hero is a trip back to the 90s. 90s nostalgia is apparently in right now following Bumblebee. The 90s music was a really nice touch--of course there is some Gwen Stefani. The use of music is actually reminiscent of a movie I think they were indeed trying to emulate: Top Gun. Our hero is an aspiring air force fighter pilot (they didn't let women fly back then). And the cat is named Goose, like the character from Top Gun.

Brie Larson is phenomenal. The movie fortunately does not fall into the trap of many an action movie. There is no love interest. I think it is telling that the first Marvel movie with a female hero does not focus on romance. The Bechdel test is passed in the beginning of the movie. And Samuel L Jackson's supporting part is a lot of fun. We're familiar with much of the Avengers lore, but this movie brings us back and fills in some of the gaps we didn't know existed. And Jackson is a great singer too.