On the Basis of Sex (2018)

On the Basis of Sex is a fine biopic with solid acting. It's a pretty ordinary telling of an extraordinary life. It focuses specifically on one case in Ruth Bader Ginsburg's illustrious career. The movie does not benefit from choosing to spotlight a tax case. Yes, obviously it is the case that "topples the whole system" but even she knew that there is nothing interesting about tax law. The courtroom scene, I presume, is dramatized. I'm not going back to the court transcripts, but I have to imagine that Ginsburg, the brilliant perfectionist she is, didn't botch her submission. Like many biopics, it ends with words on the screen detailing what happens next. It ends with a short sentence on her confirmation vote of 96-3. But that's of little significance. Ginsburg is a pioneer in the women's rights movement. Who cares what the confirmation vote was? It really detracts from the theme of the movie.

The Tempest (The Public Theater) (2015)

Shakespeare in the Park is one of New York's most treasured traditions.  Every summer, The Public Theater stages two free star-studded productions at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, a peaceful amphitheater amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.  The Belvedere Castle provides a majestic backdrop to the stage.  I won the virtual lottery this year, so I didn't have to wait in line early in the morning like last year when I saw Much Ado About Nothing, which in itself is a whole experience. Shakespeare is difficult; there is no doubt about that.  To a speaker of modern English, it is sometimes difficult to follow all of the dialogue in the play, especially in the scenes involving the shipwrecked crew.  But that is not to detract from the excellent acting and staging, which gives the audience plenty to go on. 

The first thing I noticed when I took my seat was the set.  It was quite minimal, with an ocean backdrop and a black spiral staircase to a second level.  It was nowhere near as impressive as the Italian estate created for last year's production.  The Tempest, taking place on a magical island, lends itself to an imaginative set, and so the audience is made to use its imagination.  What it lacks in scenery it makes up for with atmosphere.  A percussionist in the corner of the stage played a variety of instruments throughout the play creating an air of mysticism, a storm of sound, and a rhythm to which the actors recited their lines.  For me, the percussionist really brought the whole production together.  And of course, in an open-air theater, we are exposed to the elements.  As forecasted, and in accordance with my bad luck, it rained lightly for about ten minutes.  But the show went on.  I got a little wet, but it was nothing to complain about.  In fact, it enhanced the atmosphere of the play, for I genuinely felt like I was in the tempest.

Finally, I have to address the actors.  Sam Waterston is a Shakespeare in the Park veteran, returning to the role of Prospero after 41 years.  He has a commanding authority over Shakespeare's prose and it is a joy to watch him perform.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays the jester Trinculo.  Just as he has proven in Modern Family, he has great comedic timing.  Caliban and Ariel are two counterweights in the play, one a barbarous creature, the other a graceful spirit.  Both actors are superb in these roles (also helped along by the percussionist).

The Killing Fields (1984)

The Killing Fields is a term coined by Dith Pran to describe the mass grave sites in Cambodia that he trekked through in his escape from the Khmer Rouge regime.  Pran is played by Haing Ngor, a doctor, who is one of only two non-professional actors to win acting Oscars (the other is Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives).  This movie tells about the experience of journalists in Cambodia in the run-up-to and during the Khmer Rouge regime.  It details the deterioration of civilized life and the terrible labor camps that were part of the Year Zero policy.  What is most devastating is the persecution of educated people like Pran, and the subsequent necessity to hide their skills.  The movie is suspenseful, tear-jerking, and brutally stares war right in the face.