The King and I (Broadway) (2015)

This is a phenomenal revival of Rodger and Hammerstein's beloved play. Let me start with the costumes. They are gorgeous--both the colorful Siamese garb and Anna's enormous dresses. The costumes along with the set transport the audience to another world. The stage goes very deep back and the center portion of the stage moves out above the pit for full view of the audience. The large green curtain is very regal in between murals of the Siamese statues. The play opens with Anna arriving to Siam via a large ship. It is gigantic and the angles are diagonal to give the ship perspective as it moves out of profile into the audience. It is an epic start to a play of epic proportions. This includes a grand Buddha statue, large shear curtains, and tall moving columns. And of course, the immense cast.

The company does not have too many singing roles, just two numbers. But they present a choreographic challenge in giving everyone something to do on stage. Much of their time is spent kowtowing to the king to simplify this. The size of the company provides lots of roles for Asian actors, which is very welcome in musical theater. This is an important show for providing visibility to Asian actors--I noticed a lot of Filipino, Japanese and Korean names in the Playbill.  However, that is not to overlook the low-key racism present in the play's depiction of the Siamese. The accents are quite exaggerated (Ken Watanabe is a little difficult to understand, but I chalked it off to character and he is always very excitable but he's a stressed out king). And the depiction of their worship of Buddha may or may not be accurate for 1800s Siam, but it seemed a little extreme. But the cast breathes new life into this somewhat outdated play.

The young children are adorable and hilarious. The company puts on a dazzling play within a play, a mesmerizing balletic version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." And Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang has a lovely pure voice. The individual performers were really allowed to shine as most of the songs are relatively simple solos, and a couple of duets. Only two numbers involved the whole company. This especially let Kelli O'Hara bask in the spotlight. She is incredible. She has the most brilliant voice and in the non-singing scenes she is also a first-rate actress. I adore her renditions of "Hello, Young Lovers" and "Shall We Dance".

An Andalusian Dog (Un Chien Andalou) (1929)

I loved The Exterminating Angel so much that I wanted to watch this classic short film as well. Professor Roberto Buso-Garcia started his lecture on The Exterminating Angel with the iconic opening scene from Un Chien Andalou. Then he put up the lights and yelled "OH SHIT," putting into words the gasps that escaped from all our mouths simultaneously. "THE CLOUD CUTS THE MOON!" he exclaimed partly sarcastically but also seriously. Of course the shock came from cutting the eye, but the juxtaposition of the two images is such brilliant film technique.

The film doesn't have too much discernible plot, but the scenes have common elements that you recall. It is surreal. And you don't ask why, you just accept that it doesn't matter why. Film is a really wonderful medium for surreal art. I really appreciate Brunuel's and Salvador Dali's wild imaginations.

The Exterminating Angel (El ángel exterminador) (1962)

I thought this movie was incredible. I did not know what to expect, but I discovered a masterful and intriguing surrrealist artist. Brunuel builds anticipation and suspense so skillfully, by dropping in mysteries and refusing to address them for several scenes. Everything is done purposefully, and every bit of dialogue either recalls a previous scene or foreshadows. And the ending is left quite intentionally open to interpretation. I'm not even sure what to think and I still loved it. I looked for symbolism in things that may have none, but it keeps the audience wondering, constantly on alert. I thought it was just pure brilliance.

I first assumed it was a haunted house, playing tricks with the viewer before turning its tricks on the characters. But it soon becomes apparent that there is more to it. The psychological entrapment is so well executed. The idea is so simple and yet so complex. A party that is trapped in a room, except they're not physically trapped. What does it even mean? We as the viewer pick up on hints as to what is going on, and wonder why the characters have not made the same observations. And when finally one does, he pulls back and changes the topic, satiating our curiosity just the minimum amount. And then to the ultimate question he does not answer, leaving you forever wondering--and there is no answer and that is surrealism. 

Kuhle Wampe or Who Own's the World? (1932)

It would be an understatement to say that I did not enjoy this movie. The characters are featureless, the acting is bad, and the plot is nonexistent. Look, I get it. Brecht's distancing effect is supposed to allow he viewer to think clearly without distractions, to just let the thoughts simmer. But I think it also alienates the viewer making the film inaccessible. This call to action to join the Communist movement will fall on deaf ears if you don't give us a reason to want to watch your movie.

A play in four acts, each act is loosely related though they are virtually inconsequential. The opening montage in the first act is well done but that is about the only good thing I have to say. Even the music was strange. It did not really go with any of the scenes. It is un-watchable propaganda. 

The Oscars 2016

I don't know if I'll ever come close to my personal best of 23/24 at the 2014 ceremony, especially when there are so many tight races with no obvious front runner. With the PGA, DGA and SAG unable to come to a consensus, best picture is anyone's game. This year's awards have been wrought with controversy over a second consecutive year of all-white acting nominees. The Academy even responded this year by changing the rules for voter eligibility to try to diminish the voting power of the largely old, white, retired male filmmakers. The Academy had to do something when Spike Lee, an honoree this year for lifetime achievement, said he would not attend. Will the Academy's reforms work? Not right away. It is certainly a start. It will not fix the industry wide problem--that is a lack of substantive roles for minority actors. Tackling that issue is another one entirely. Personally, I was predicting a Best Picture nomination for Straight Outta Compton and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Idris Elba from Beasts of No Nation, but it was not meant to be. Chris Rock is set to host and I trust him to break the tension in the room and actively tackle the issue with comedy.

Best Picture Likelihood of Winning
1. The Revenant
2. The Big Short
3. Spotlight
4. Room
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
6. The Martian
7. Bridge of Spies
8. Brooklyn

Best Picture Personal Ranking
1. The Big Short
2. Brooklyn
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. The Martian
5. Room
6. Spotlight
7. The Revenant
8. Bridge of Spies

Personal Top 10 of 2015
1. Steve Jobs
2. Inside Out
3. Ex Machina
4. The Big Short
5. Brooklyn
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
7. The Martian
8. Room
9. Love & Mercy
10. Spotlight

Best Director
Will Win/Should Win: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Honorable Mention: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Actress
Will Win: Brie Larson, Room
Should Win: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Best Actor
Will Win/Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Honorable Mention: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Should Win: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Should Win: Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Spotlight
Should Win: Inside Out

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win/Should Win: The Big Short
Honorable Mention: Brooklyn

Best Cinematography
Will Win/Should Win: The Revenant

Best Costume Design
Will Win/Should Win: Carol

Best Film Editing
Will Win/Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Will Win/Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Production Design
Will Win/Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Score
Will Win: The Hateful Eight
Should Win: Carol

Best Song
Will Win/Should Win: Til It Happens to You, The Hunting Ground

Best Sound Editing
Will Win/Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Sound Mixing
Will Win/Should Win: The Revenant

Best Visual Effects
Will Win/Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Honorable Mention: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Animated Feature
Will Win/Should Win: Inside Out

Best Documentary
Will Win: Amy
Should Win: The Look of Silence

Best Foreign Film
Will Win: Son of Saul, Hungary

Best Animated Short
Will Win: Sanjay's Super Team

Best Live Action Short

Will Win: Stutterer

Best Documentary Short
Will Win: Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah

Update: 16/24 is worse than the 18/24 I got last year. Spotlight, which was the presumed front-runner for many months until the Golden Globes, won Best Picture. Guess I should've had a little faith. Mark Ryland beat Sylvester Stallone with a wonderfully nuanced performance. Quite frankly, he was better than Stallone anyways. Hollywood isn't as nostalgic as I thought it was. Best Visual Effects went to Ex Machina, which was a pleasant surprise. In a night when Mad Max was winning all of the below-the-line awards, it was nice to see the small indie take one. I missed on the Sound Mixing Category but the clip that they played for The Revenant was the one that I wrote about on my blog pointing out the sound mixing (some affirmation is always nice)! And Sam Smith stole Lady Gaga and Dianne Warren's Oscar. He was kind of pitchy and as far as Bond songs go, his was not even that good. And I still think that they should either perform all 5 songs, or none at all. Where's the respect for Manta Ray and Simple Song #3? That is an unfair bias. And as always, I love Chris Rock. I thought he was hilarious, relevant, and really hit the nail on the head on the race issue.

The Crowd (1928)

King Vidor was a master of melodrama. I really enjoyed this movie. Despite its silence, or perhaps due to its silence, it conveys so much raw emotion. The facial expressions and gestures are very exaggerated. The action is incredibly regular. The movie depicts normal life. It does not require a villain because life itself is tough enough. We overcome obstacles that are mundane, but we rarely see them on film. And it is not even so much that it was realistic, but that it was real. It is genuine. It is as if Vidor recorded an actual married couple without a script, and captured real life.

I also took notice of the music. It is two hours long, and the music is continuous in a silent movie. The music does not resolve when you think it will because it just has to keep going for two hours. It is actually pretty incredible. Professor Jelavich told us that when the movie was shown in theaters back in 1928, the music would have been played live and it would have been improvised. We did not even hear the same music. Every viewing would have hypothetically been different.

Warner Brothers has been sitting on this movie for many years. And we are waiting for Warner Bros. to re-release this movie in decent quality. All we had was a DVD version of the VHS release from back when people still used VHS. They have the print...they just have to share it.

Ivan's Childhood (1962)

It would be an understatement to say that I didn't understand this movie. I was not sure what was going on for most of the movie. There is a scene featuring Masha that inexplicably adds nothing to the plot--plus it's kind of creepy.  Not to mention that the movie is super slow. That being said, there is a pretty powerful anti-war message. War steals childhood and innocence away from the young. It is unapologetic. There is an amazing shot of Ivan framed by sharp, broken timber beams. In class, Professor Moss showed us a video of a compilation of shots from The Revenant that are seemingly modeled after Tarkovsky's movies. And for the record, I said the same thing before she showed us that video. I saw that shot of the flowing river and immediately thought of The Revenant.