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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Hamilton (2020) in Movies
Jul 5, 2020
Captures the power of being in "the room where it happens"
I'll just cut to the chase, the filmed version of the mega-hit stage musical HAMILTON (now streaming on Disney+) is terrific. If you are one of the few that have not seen this, check it out - you'll be glad you did.
I could go on and on about the Pulitzer-Prize winning show, the script, the music, the performances and/or the cross-cultural casting - all of which works to perfection, but what separates this film from the other hit Broadway shows that are converted to film is how well that the filmmakers were able to translate the power of being inside the theater during a live performance of this show.
Credit, of course, needs to go to the visionaries responsible for this show, creator/writer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and Director Thomas Kail. They realized pretty early on (when the show was becoming the phenomenon that it has become) that they wanted to preserve this event for future generations, so started making plans to film the show - in High Def - with an audience and without an audience (for close-ups). In June 2016, about a month before the original cast started leaving the show (and right after the show won 11 Tony Awards), they spent $10 million to capture the show - with live audiences on Sunday and Tuesday and then spent the rest of Sunday night and all day Monday doing close-ups and crane shots to augment the action.
The results are outstanding. The wide-shots show the breadth of the production - showing the strong, Tony Award winning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the unique, minimal and highly versatile set, the Tony Award winning costumes by Paul Tazewell and the Lighting Design that earned Howell Blinkley a Tony. All of these are showcased in this film - special note should be made about the Lighting that needed to be tweaked on the spot for the filming.
As for the close-ups, they showcase the wry smile and comedic delight that Tony winner Daveed Diggs shows in his roles as Lafayette/Jefferson, the power and sorrow of Tony Award winner Renee Elise Goldsberry - her spotlight number SATISFIED is as "perfect" a musical number as you will ever see. The powerful acting of Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr (who won the Tony as Best Actor over Lin-Manuel's performance as Hamilton) as well as terrific supporting turns by the likes of Anthony Ramos (Lawrence/Phillip), Chris Jackson (showing real leadership as George Washington) and Okieriete Onaodwoan as Hercules Mulligan (one of my absolute favorite characters in this show)./James Madison.
Special note should be made to Jonathan Groff's portrayal of King George III - it is, basically, a cameo role, but he is filmed with such tight close-ups (showing spittle rolling down has chin as he sings) that marvelously juxtaposes King George's real emotions with that of the words he is speaking.
But, of course, the real star is Lin-Manuel Miranda - the genius creative force behind Hamilton. Interestingly enough, I thought his performance was the weakest of the lead cast (don't get me wrong, he was still excellent - just not "as excellent" as some of the others). His true vision, of course, was to tell the story of "the people of that era" as told by "the people of our era".
That is the true genius of Hamilton.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars out of 10 (can I turn this up to 11)?
I could go on and on about the Pulitzer-Prize winning show, the script, the music, the performances and/or the cross-cultural casting - all of which works to perfection, but what separates this film from the other hit Broadway shows that are converted to film is how well that the filmmakers were able to translate the power of being inside the theater during a live performance of this show.
Credit, of course, needs to go to the visionaries responsible for this show, creator/writer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and Director Thomas Kail. They realized pretty early on (when the show was becoming the phenomenon that it has become) that they wanted to preserve this event for future generations, so started making plans to film the show - in High Def - with an audience and without an audience (for close-ups). In June 2016, about a month before the original cast started leaving the show (and right after the show won 11 Tony Awards), they spent $10 million to capture the show - with live audiences on Sunday and Tuesday and then spent the rest of Sunday night and all day Monday doing close-ups and crane shots to augment the action.
The results are outstanding. The wide-shots show the breadth of the production - showing the strong, Tony Award winning choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the unique, minimal and highly versatile set, the Tony Award winning costumes by Paul Tazewell and the Lighting Design that earned Howell Blinkley a Tony. All of these are showcased in this film - special note should be made about the Lighting that needed to be tweaked on the spot for the filming.
As for the close-ups, they showcase the wry smile and comedic delight that Tony winner Daveed Diggs shows in his roles as Lafayette/Jefferson, the power and sorrow of Tony Award winner Renee Elise Goldsberry - her spotlight number SATISFIED is as "perfect" a musical number as you will ever see. The powerful acting of Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr (who won the Tony as Best Actor over Lin-Manuel's performance as Hamilton) as well as terrific supporting turns by the likes of Anthony Ramos (Lawrence/Phillip), Chris Jackson (showing real leadership as George Washington) and Okieriete Onaodwoan as Hercules Mulligan (one of my absolute favorite characters in this show)./James Madison.
Special note should be made to Jonathan Groff's portrayal of King George III - it is, basically, a cameo role, but he is filmed with such tight close-ups (showing spittle rolling down has chin as he sings) that marvelously juxtaposes King George's real emotions with that of the words he is speaking.
But, of course, the real star is Lin-Manuel Miranda - the genius creative force behind Hamilton. Interestingly enough, I thought his performance was the weakest of the lead cast (don't get me wrong, he was still excellent - just not "as excellent" as some of the others). His true vision, of course, was to tell the story of "the people of that era" as told by "the people of our era".
That is the true genius of Hamilton.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars out of 10 (can I turn this up to 11)?
Erika (17788 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018 (Updated Dec 22, 2018)
A sequel no one asked for, but Disney was going to give it to us whether we wanted it or not...
Unnecessary is the main word I would use to describe this film. Mary Poppins (1964) is actually practically perfect in every way, like the lady herself; and anything to follow was going to pale in comparison. Maybe I would have been more tolerant if Christopher Robin hadn't had an extremely similar plot, but I was honestly just counting down the minutes until it was over.
The music was ok, I guess, sufficient. I just can't believe Emily Blunt in period pieces, she has a face that knows about text messaging (I am a huge Blunt fan, btw). I'm glad Disney decided to keep the whole, American doing the crappiest Cockney accent thing going. I get why they chose Lin-Manuel Miranda, he's very entertaining, and I know he did that Hamilton thing (zero interest in that). The only parts I loved him in was when he was just dancing, no singing with the bad accent. The lamplighter song was by far the best out of the lot.
In the end, I've seen this same movie several times. I'm really doubting whether I want to see Aladdin, and I'll never give Disney my money again for a remake/sequel to a classic film (aside from possibly Aladdin).
Honestly, I don't know who would actually love this film. Who was it even made for? I think the reason they want everyone to see it the first weekend is so it doesn't get around how just ok the film was.
The music was ok, I guess, sufficient. I just can't believe Emily Blunt in period pieces, she has a face that knows about text messaging (I am a huge Blunt fan, btw). I'm glad Disney decided to keep the whole, American doing the crappiest Cockney accent thing going. I get why they chose Lin-Manuel Miranda, he's very entertaining, and I know he did that Hamilton thing (zero interest in that). The only parts I loved him in was when he was just dancing, no singing with the bad accent. The lamplighter song was by far the best out of the lot.
In the end, I've seen this same movie several times. I'm really doubting whether I want to see Aladdin, and I'll never give Disney my money again for a remake/sequel to a classic film (aside from possibly Aladdin).
Honestly, I don't know who would actually love this film. Who was it even made for? I think the reason they want everyone to see it the first weekend is so it doesn't get around how just ok the film was.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated In the Heights (2021) in Movies
Jun 21, 2021
Music and lyrics are fantastic (1 more)
Choreography
Lin-Manuel Miranda's high octane musical hits the heights.
"In the Heights" follows the hopes and dreams of a group of ordinary but ambitious Latinx youngsters, living their lives as best they can in the poor neighbourhood of Washington Heights in New York. They all have their own 'El Sueñito' - a little dream - of what they want to achieve.
Positives:
- A "proper" musical, with a large percentage of high-octane song and dance numbers.
-As with "Hamilton", "In the Heights" features some truly clever rap-style lyrics - lyrics so clever that you gasp at the way in which they trip off the singer's tongue. At one point, Carla (Stephanie Beatriz) sings "My mom is Dominican-Cuban, My dad is from Chile and P. R., which means: I'm Chile-...Dominica-Rican! But I always say I'm from Queens!". Glorious stuff.
- The dancing is stupendous. The choreography team is led by Christopher Scott, and he joyfully brings back the large set piece dances that we used to see in movies of old. The Esther Williams style swimming routines even make a spectacular return in a glorious Lido sequence (although I could have personally done without the dislocating contortionist dancers here!).
- The four young people taking the leads are all extremely personable (as well as being very good looking). Anthony Ramos in particular shows real star quality, those mesmeric eyes holding your attention for every moment he's on screen. You get the feeling that Lin-Manuel Miranda (whose superfluous minor role could have usefully ended up on the cutting room floor) was itching to play the lead but was just "too old man"!
- It was also great to see a range of roles for older women as well, with the dramatic sequence with Olga Merediz, the neighbourhood saint and guardian Claudia, being a highpoint in the movie for me.
Negatives:
- When you step back and analyse it, the story is pretty slight. You are distracted from this by all the razzle-dazzle going on, but having a bit more meat on the bone would have been welcome. This is particularly the case, since....
- At 143 minutes, I have to say that the movie outstayed its welcome for me by about 20 or 30 minutes. If the movie had been tightened up a bit and shortened, it would I think have been much improved.
Summary Thoughts on "In the Heights": This is a musical for those people who say "They don't make musicals like that anymore". High octane and full of noise and colour, its a spectacular that doesn't disappoint. The quirkiness of "Crazy Rich Asians" (which Jon M. Chu also directed) is on full display in some of the sequences, which are cleverly filmed. It's a movie that had me periodically grinning, not just at the story or the songs but at the movie craft on show.
Is it a bit of an 'Emperor's New Clothes', given the shallowness of the story? Yes, perhaps. And does it laugh in the face of my 90-minute movie ideal? Definitely. But it's still well worth the price of your movie ticket..... and this IS a movie that demands to be watched on the BIG SCREEN to get the full effect.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/06/21/in-the-heights-lin-manuel-mirandas-high-octane-musical-hits-the-heights/. Thanks).
Positives:
- A "proper" musical, with a large percentage of high-octane song and dance numbers.
-As with "Hamilton", "In the Heights" features some truly clever rap-style lyrics - lyrics so clever that you gasp at the way in which they trip off the singer's tongue. At one point, Carla (Stephanie Beatriz) sings "My mom is Dominican-Cuban, My dad is from Chile and P. R., which means: I'm Chile-...Dominica-Rican! But I always say I'm from Queens!". Glorious stuff.
- The dancing is stupendous. The choreography team is led by Christopher Scott, and he joyfully brings back the large set piece dances that we used to see in movies of old. The Esther Williams style swimming routines even make a spectacular return in a glorious Lido sequence (although I could have personally done without the dislocating contortionist dancers here!).
- The four young people taking the leads are all extremely personable (as well as being very good looking). Anthony Ramos in particular shows real star quality, those mesmeric eyes holding your attention for every moment he's on screen. You get the feeling that Lin-Manuel Miranda (whose superfluous minor role could have usefully ended up on the cutting room floor) was itching to play the lead but was just "too old man"!
- It was also great to see a range of roles for older women as well, with the dramatic sequence with Olga Merediz, the neighbourhood saint and guardian Claudia, being a highpoint in the movie for me.
Negatives:
- When you step back and analyse it, the story is pretty slight. You are distracted from this by all the razzle-dazzle going on, but having a bit more meat on the bone would have been welcome. This is particularly the case, since....
- At 143 minutes, I have to say that the movie outstayed its welcome for me by about 20 or 30 minutes. If the movie had been tightened up a bit and shortened, it would I think have been much improved.
Summary Thoughts on "In the Heights": This is a musical for those people who say "They don't make musicals like that anymore". High octane and full of noise and colour, its a spectacular that doesn't disappoint. The quirkiness of "Crazy Rich Asians" (which Jon M. Chu also directed) is on full display in some of the sequences, which are cleverly filmed. It's a movie that had me periodically grinning, not just at the story or the songs but at the movie craft on show.
Is it a bit of an 'Emperor's New Clothes', given the shallowness of the story? Yes, perhaps. And does it laugh in the face of my 90-minute movie ideal? Definitely. But it's still well worth the price of your movie ticket..... and this IS a movie that demands to be watched on the BIG SCREEN to get the full effect.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies review here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/06/21/in-the-heights-lin-manuel-mirandas-high-octane-musical-hits-the-heights/. Thanks).
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Apr 8, 2019
Practically Adequate In Every Way
I wish there was a world where there was not the shadow of the previous, beloved, MARY POPPINS film existed so I could review MARY POPPINS RETURNS on it's own merits.
But...that's not the world that we live in...so most of this review is going to be - "insert name" is no "insert name".
For example...Emily Blunt is wonderful in the role, but she is no Julie Andrews (who was "practically perfect in every way").
Lin-Manuel Miranda is fine as Mary's sidekick, but he is no Dick Van Dyke (though the 2 share the same inability to affect a plausible English accent)
The musical numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are perfectly adequate for this film, but they are no Sherman Brothers tunes (no SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC... anywhere to be seen).
You get the point.
And that's the issue I had with this film - it tried to pay homage (not duplicate) the previous film but fell just short in every aspect because it was constantly reminding us of the previous film.
As for this film on it's own, it's practically adequate in every way. The performances are "fine". The musical numbers are "fine" the direction flows the film in a perfectly acceptable way and the plot of the film is okay. So if you have a children in the target age of this film, they'll enjoy it well enough.
It just isn't the first film and I, for one, will skip a rewatch of MARY POPPINS RETURNS and, instead, will pop in (for the umpteenth time) the original MARY POPPINS.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
But...that's not the world that we live in...so most of this review is going to be - "insert name" is no "insert name".
For example...Emily Blunt is wonderful in the role, but she is no Julie Andrews (who was "practically perfect in every way").
Lin-Manuel Miranda is fine as Mary's sidekick, but he is no Dick Van Dyke (though the 2 share the same inability to affect a plausible English accent)
The musical numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are perfectly adequate for this film, but they are no Sherman Brothers tunes (no SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC... anywhere to be seen).
You get the point.
And that's the issue I had with this film - it tried to pay homage (not duplicate) the previous film but fell just short in every aspect because it was constantly reminding us of the previous film.
As for this film on it's own, it's practically adequate in every way. The performances are "fine". The musical numbers are "fine" the direction flows the film in a perfectly acceptable way and the plot of the film is okay. So if you have a children in the target age of this film, they'll enjoy it well enough.
It just isn't the first film and I, for one, will skip a rewatch of MARY POPPINS RETURNS and, instead, will pop in (for the umpteenth time) the original MARY POPPINS.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Following up a beloved classic is never easy task but that is what Disney is attempting to do with “Mary Poppins Returns”. This time out Emily Blunt takes on the magical umbrella of the no-nonsense but whimsical Nanny made famous by the series of books by PL Travers and of course the beloved classic starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
When hardship strikes the Banks family; Mary returns to assist Michael and Jane as well is Michael’s young children in much the magical way that she helped Michael and Jane all those years ago.
Joining her is local lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who remembers Mary and Jane Banks from his childhood.
Shocked that Mary has returned after all these years and not looking a day older; Michael Michaels three younger children are with delay on a magical adventure that only Mary Poppins can provide. Along the way they will dabble in animated environments, meet all manner of quirky characters, and of course bring the house down with magical and show stopping musical numbers as they attempt to help Michael and Jane save their beloved family home from ruthless bankers.
The film captures much of the joy and magic that you remember from the characters and it is likely to evoke an emotional response from you throughout the film.
Blunt does an amazing job taking over the role and her singing and dancing is very impressive. Miranda while struggling much as Van Dyke did with the Cockney accent; throws himself into the various musical numbers with passion and energy that helps take the scenes to a new level.
As I was watching the film and enjoying it thoroughly; I thought to myself the only real quality it lacked where the show stopping tunes that made the original such an unforgettable event. The Sherman Brothers set an impossibly high standard to follow as the score for the original film is peppered with Disney mainstays that have endured the test of time. No sooner had I thought that to myself; than to amazing musical numbers lit up the second half of the film to the point where I found myself not only humming one of them after the screening, but singing parts of them for several weeks after.
“Mary Poppins Returns” is a magical and musical film that the entire family can enjoy and takes viewers back to the simpler and nostalgic times of old. Let us hope that there will be new adventures for Mary to grace the cinema screen in the not-too-distant future as her absence has been far too long and dearly missed.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/12/mary-poppins-returns/
When hardship strikes the Banks family; Mary returns to assist Michael and Jane as well is Michael’s young children in much the magical way that she helped Michael and Jane all those years ago.
Joining her is local lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who remembers Mary and Jane Banks from his childhood.
Shocked that Mary has returned after all these years and not looking a day older; Michael Michaels three younger children are with delay on a magical adventure that only Mary Poppins can provide. Along the way they will dabble in animated environments, meet all manner of quirky characters, and of course bring the house down with magical and show stopping musical numbers as they attempt to help Michael and Jane save their beloved family home from ruthless bankers.
The film captures much of the joy and magic that you remember from the characters and it is likely to evoke an emotional response from you throughout the film.
Blunt does an amazing job taking over the role and her singing and dancing is very impressive. Miranda while struggling much as Van Dyke did with the Cockney accent; throws himself into the various musical numbers with passion and energy that helps take the scenes to a new level.
As I was watching the film and enjoying it thoroughly; I thought to myself the only real quality it lacked where the show stopping tunes that made the original such an unforgettable event. The Sherman Brothers set an impossibly high standard to follow as the score for the original film is peppered with Disney mainstays that have endured the test of time. No sooner had I thought that to myself; than to amazing musical numbers lit up the second half of the film to the point where I found myself not only humming one of them after the screening, but singing parts of them for several weeks after.
“Mary Poppins Returns” is a magical and musical film that the entire family can enjoy and takes viewers back to the simpler and nostalgic times of old. Let us hope that there will be new adventures for Mary to grace the cinema screen in the not-too-distant future as her absence has been far too long and dearly missed.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/12/mary-poppins-returns/
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Hamilton: An American Musical Soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda in Music
Dec 31, 2018 (Updated Dec 31, 2018)
Possibly the greatest hip hop album ever written (1 more)
Definitely the greatest musical ever written
One Of The Greatest Things That I Have Ever Had The Pleasure Of Witnessing
Let me start this review by saying that I strongly dislike musical theatre. I have always found the concept of musicals dumb and pretty naff.
Back before Cracked.com dissolved, I was a loyal listener of their weekly podcast. Each week the host, Jack O'Brian would play songs throughout the podcast from an album that he had been listening to that week. During an episode that they dropped back in early 2016, Jack explained at the start of the episode that he had been to see a musical called Hamilton the previous weekend and he would be playing songs from that through the episode. I rolled my eyes, expecting to be bombarded with cheesy broadway show tunes and was unbelievably pleasantly surprised by what I heard.
Right away, these songs grabbed me, to the point that I actively seeked out the rest of the soundtrack to listen to the rest of the songs. The following summer, my girlfriend and I were planning a trip to NYC and I was dying to go and see Hamilton live, even though Lin-Manuel Miranda had moved away from the title role, as had a lot of the other OG cast, I still wanted to experience the soundtrack live. However, after seeing that the price of 2 tickets equated to an amount equal to a deposit for a house, we had to let the chance pass us by.
Last week, while on a trip down to London, we finally got to see the play live and it was most definitely worth the wait. Seeing the songs play out live only enhances the genius of Lin-Manuel's writing and the cast that we seen were absolutely stellar, (even though they were apparently mostly the understudy cast.)
Hamilton is one of the greatest things ever written and if you ever get the chance, I implore you to do everything that you can to see it live - and this is coming from someone who hates musical theatre.
Back before Cracked.com dissolved, I was a loyal listener of their weekly podcast. Each week the host, Jack O'Brian would play songs throughout the podcast from an album that he had been listening to that week. During an episode that they dropped back in early 2016, Jack explained at the start of the episode that he had been to see a musical called Hamilton the previous weekend and he would be playing songs from that through the episode. I rolled my eyes, expecting to be bombarded with cheesy broadway show tunes and was unbelievably pleasantly surprised by what I heard.
Right away, these songs grabbed me, to the point that I actively seeked out the rest of the soundtrack to listen to the rest of the songs. The following summer, my girlfriend and I were planning a trip to NYC and I was dying to go and see Hamilton live, even though Lin-Manuel Miranda had moved away from the title role, as had a lot of the other OG cast, I still wanted to experience the soundtrack live. However, after seeing that the price of 2 tickets equated to an amount equal to a deposit for a house, we had to let the chance pass us by.
Last week, while on a trip down to London, we finally got to see the play live and it was most definitely worth the wait. Seeing the songs play out live only enhances the genius of Lin-Manuel's writing and the cast that we seen were absolutely stellar, (even though they were apparently mostly the understudy cast.)
Hamilton is one of the greatest things ever written and if you ever get the chance, I implore you to do everything that you can to see it live - and this is coming from someone who hates musical theatre.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Moana (2016) in Movies
Mar 20, 2020
A delightful journey
In what is probably not a surprise to those of you that know me well, I keep a list of films that I have seen and a list of "top films I need to catch up with." (I know, that makes me a "film nerd" and I wear that badge proudly). In perusing the list, I saw that I had yet to see the 2016 Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Disney animated flick Moana, so thought I'd check it out.
And...I'm glad I did...for I was thoroughly entertained by the story, the characters, the visuals and the music. How is this film not mentioned in the same breath with FROZEN? It is terrific.
Set in the South Pacific, MOANA, the 56th Disney Animated film, tells the tale of...well...Moana...who works with the Demigod Maui to reverse a curse that he started.
Hawaii native Auli'l Cravalho was perfectly cast as the voice of Moana, she is the perfect blend of perky, smart and grounded with a singing voice that is strong and bold. But this film belongs to Dwayne Johnson as Maui. His demigod is brash, egotistical, and cocky...but there is a tenderness and vulnerability to his character that makes Maui lovable and not arrogant and annoying. This is a delicate balance to make and Johnson balances it perfectly. He has a natural charm and charisma that shines through his characterization. I couldn't think of anyone else that could have pulled this role off - oh...did I mention - he sings!
And that is another part of this film that I was surprised by. The music is first rate. As written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway's HAMILTON) and Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina, the songs are joyous, fun and drive the plot and the characterizations forward. AS does the direction by Ron Clements and John Musker. It is a fast paced film that doesn't really slow down for audiences to think too much about the plot or plot machinations...and that is a good thing.
Is it a perfect film? Well..no. I found the character of the Sea Creature Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement) and the accompanying song to be..."meh"...it was a bump in a fun road. And...the way the plot was resolved was not entirely satisfying for me.
But...these are nits...for MOANA is more focused on the journey - and the relationship between Maui and Moana - than the destination. And this journey is a delightful one to go on.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take this to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And...I'm glad I did...for I was thoroughly entertained by the story, the characters, the visuals and the music. How is this film not mentioned in the same breath with FROZEN? It is terrific.
Set in the South Pacific, MOANA, the 56th Disney Animated film, tells the tale of...well...Moana...who works with the Demigod Maui to reverse a curse that he started.
Hawaii native Auli'l Cravalho was perfectly cast as the voice of Moana, she is the perfect blend of perky, smart and grounded with a singing voice that is strong and bold. But this film belongs to Dwayne Johnson as Maui. His demigod is brash, egotistical, and cocky...but there is a tenderness and vulnerability to his character that makes Maui lovable and not arrogant and annoying. This is a delicate balance to make and Johnson balances it perfectly. He has a natural charm and charisma that shines through his characterization. I couldn't think of anyone else that could have pulled this role off - oh...did I mention - he sings!
And that is another part of this film that I was surprised by. The music is first rate. As written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway's HAMILTON) and Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina, the songs are joyous, fun and drive the plot and the characterizations forward. AS does the direction by Ron Clements and John Musker. It is a fast paced film that doesn't really slow down for audiences to think too much about the plot or plot machinations...and that is a good thing.
Is it a perfect film? Well..no. I found the character of the Sea Creature Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement) and the accompanying song to be..."meh"...it was a bump in a fun road. And...the way the plot was resolved was not entirely satisfying for me.
But...these are nits...for MOANA is more focused on the journey - and the relationship between Maui and Moana - than the destination. And this journey is a delightful one to go on.
Letter Grade: A
9 stars (out of 10) and you can take this to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Encanto (2021) in Movies
Dec 28, 2021
Fun Family Friendly Film with GREAT Music
The good thing about travelling by plane over the Holidays is that it is an opportunity to catch up on Movies that were missed. Such is the case with the Disney Animation Film ENCANTO - a film that “came and went” earlier this fall.
And…I’m glad I saw it, for ENCANTO is the family-friendly, fun and heart warming film that is perfect Holiday viewing for the entire family.
Set in the magical Columbian village of ENCANTO, this film tells the tale of a family that are all given magical powers to use to help their village survive and thrive…all, that is, except for Mirabel who becomes somewhat of an outcast with her family for not having a magical gift bestowed upon her.
At first glance, this Animated Musical might remind people of the PIXAR animated film COCO from a few years ago. But that is like saying THE LITTLE MERMAID reminds you of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or CINDERELLA reminds your of SLEEPING BEAUTY. While there are some striking similarities to COCO, ENCANTO is it’s own film and serves the story of the importance of family very, very well.
Stephanie Beatriz (TV’s BROOKLYN 99) is terrific as the voice of Mirabel, she has that headstrong, optimistic bent to her that many other Disney Princesses/Heroines (MOANA, Anna from FROZEN and Rapunzel in TANGLED are other examples of this). Mirabel is a solid addition to this group, she is a winning personality to spend time with.
The rest of the voices of the family fill the characters well, with the obvious standout being the great John Leguizamo (to tell you what character he voice is to spoil the film). Suffice it to say he is great.
The Direction by Jared Bush and Byron Howard (the Directors of another under-the-radar Disney Animated film, ZOOTOPIA) keep the events flowing and the many, many family members clear so as not to confuse the audience (this is no small feat), they know what they are doing and it shows. The only real mark I have against the movie is that the ending fell just a bit flat for me, but that is just a quibble in a really fine Animated movie.
And then…there is the music.
I did not realize that this film was a musical and was pleasantly tapping my toes on the airplane to the many musical numbers. I made the mental note to find out who wrote these fine tunes and was not too surprised to find out it was the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s HAMILTON). This musical genius has done it again.
ENCANTO is streaming on Disney+ so if you have this service and are looking for a fun, family-friendly way to pass a couple of hours, look no further than ENCANTO.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And…I’m glad I saw it, for ENCANTO is the family-friendly, fun and heart warming film that is perfect Holiday viewing for the entire family.
Set in the magical Columbian village of ENCANTO, this film tells the tale of a family that are all given magical powers to use to help their village survive and thrive…all, that is, except for Mirabel who becomes somewhat of an outcast with her family for not having a magical gift bestowed upon her.
At first glance, this Animated Musical might remind people of the PIXAR animated film COCO from a few years ago. But that is like saying THE LITTLE MERMAID reminds you of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or CINDERELLA reminds your of SLEEPING BEAUTY. While there are some striking similarities to COCO, ENCANTO is it’s own film and serves the story of the importance of family very, very well.
Stephanie Beatriz (TV’s BROOKLYN 99) is terrific as the voice of Mirabel, she has that headstrong, optimistic bent to her that many other Disney Princesses/Heroines (MOANA, Anna from FROZEN and Rapunzel in TANGLED are other examples of this). Mirabel is a solid addition to this group, she is a winning personality to spend time with.
The rest of the voices of the family fill the characters well, with the obvious standout being the great John Leguizamo (to tell you what character he voice is to spoil the film). Suffice it to say he is great.
The Direction by Jared Bush and Byron Howard (the Directors of another under-the-radar Disney Animated film, ZOOTOPIA) keep the events flowing and the many, many family members clear so as not to confuse the audience (this is no small feat), they know what they are doing and it shows. The only real mark I have against the movie is that the ending fell just a bit flat for me, but that is just a quibble in a really fine Animated movie.
And then…there is the music.
I did not realize that this film was a musical and was pleasantly tapping my toes on the airplane to the many musical numbers. I made the mental note to find out who wrote these fine tunes and was not too surprised to find out it was the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s HAMILTON). This musical genius has done it again.
ENCANTO is streaming on Disney+ so if you have this service and are looking for a fun, family-friendly way to pass a couple of hours, look no further than ENCANTO.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A valiant attempt to recreate a masterpiece.
How do you repaint a masterpiece: the Mona Lisa of children’s fantasy cinema? Some would say “You shouldn’t try”.
As I’ve said before, Mary Poppins was the first film I saw when it came out (or soon afterwards) at a very impressionable age…. I was said to have bawled my eyes out with “THE MAGIC NANNY IS GOING AWAY!!” as Julie Andrews floated off! So as my last cinema trip of 2018 I went to see this sequel, 54 years after the original, with a sense of dread. I’m relieved to say that although the film has its flaws it’s by no means the disaster I envisaged.
The plot
It’s a fairly lightweight story. Now all grown up, young Michael from the original film (Ben Whishaw) has his own family. His troubles though come not singly but in battalions since not only is he grieving a recent loss but he is also about to be evicted from 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Help is at hand in that his father, George Banks, had shares with the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. But despite their best efforts neither he, his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) nor their chirpy “strike a light” lamplighter friend Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) can find the all-important share certificates. With the deadline from bank manager Wilkins (Colin Firth) approaching, it’s fortuitous that Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) drops in to look after the Banks children – John (Nathanael Saleh), Anabel (Pixie Davies) and Georgie (Joel Dawson) – in her own inimitable fashion.
Songs that are more Meh-ry Poppins
I know musical taste is very personal. My biggest problem with the film though was that the songs by Marc Shaiman were, to me, on the lacklustre side. Only one jumped out and struck me: the jaunty vaudeville number “A Cover is not the Book”. Elsewhere they were – to me – unmemorable and nowhere near as catchy as those of “The Greatest Showman“. (What amplified this for me was having some of the classic Sherman-brothers themes woven into the soundtrack that just made me realise what I was missing!) Richard M Sherman – now 90 – was credited with “Music Consultant” but I wonder how much input he actually had?
The other flaws
Another issue I had with the film was that it just tried WAAYYY too hard to tick off the key attributes of the original:
‘Mary in the mirror’ – check
‘Bottomless carpet bag’ – check
‘Initial fun in the nursery’ – check
‘Quirky trip to a cartoon land’ – check
‘Dance on the ceiling with a quirky relative’ – check
‘Chirpy chimney sweeps’ – check (“Er… Mr Marshall… we couldn’t get chimney sweeps… will lamplighters do?” “Yeah, good enough”)
Another thing that struck me about the film – particularly as a film aimed at kids – is just how long it is. At 2 hours and 10 minutes it’s a bladder-testing experience for adults let alone younger children. (It’s worth noting that this is still 9 minutes shorter than the original, but back in the 60’s we had FAR fewer options to be stimulated by entertainment and our attention spans were – I think – much longer as a result!)
What it does get right
But with this whinging aside, the film does get a number of things spit-spot on.
Emily Blunt is near perfection as Poppins. (In the interests of balance my wife found her bizarrely clipped accent very grating, but I suspect P.L. Travers would have approved!). Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda also does a good job as Jack, although you wonder whether the ‘society of cockney actors’ must again be in a big grump about the casting! I found Emily Mortimer just delightful as the grown-up Jane, although Ben Whishaw‘s Michael didn’t particularly connect with me.
Almost unrecognisable was David Warner as the now wheelchair-bound Admiral Boom. His first mate is none other than Jim Norton of “Father Ted” Bishop Brennan fame (thanks to my daughter Jenn for pointing that one out)!
Also watch out (I’d largely missed it before I realised!) for a nice pavement cameo by Karen Dotrice, the original Jane, asking directions to number 19 Cherry Tree Lane.
What the film also gets right is to implement the old-school animation of the “Jolly Holidays” segment of the original. That’s a really smart move. Filmed at Shepperton Studios in London, this is once again a great advert for Britain’s film technicians. The London sets and the costumes (by the great Sandy Powell) are just superb.
Some cameo cherries on the cake
Finally, the aces in the hole are the two cameos near the end of the film. And they would have been lovely surprises as well since neither name appears in the opening credits. It’s therefore a CRYING SHAME that they chose to let the cat out of the bag in the trailer (BLOODY MARKETING EXECS!). In case you haven’t seen the trailer, I won’t spoil it for you here. But as a magical movie experience the first of those cameos moved me close to tears. He also delivers a hum-dinger of a plot twist that is a genuinely welcome crossover from the first film.
Final Thoughts
Rob Marshall directs, and with a pretty impossible task he delivers an end-product that, while it didn’t completely thrill me, did well not to trash my delicate hopes and dreams either. Having just listened to Kermode and Mayo’s review (and it seems that Mark Kermode places Poppins on a similar pedestal to me) the songs (and therefore the “Place Where Lost Things Go” song) just didn’t resonate with me in the same way, and so, unlike Kermode, I mentally never bridged the gap to safely enjoying it.
But what we all think is secondary. Because if some three or four year old out there gets a similarly lifelong love of the cinema by watching this, then that’s all that matters.
As I’ve said before, Mary Poppins was the first film I saw when it came out (or soon afterwards) at a very impressionable age…. I was said to have bawled my eyes out with “THE MAGIC NANNY IS GOING AWAY!!” as Julie Andrews floated off! So as my last cinema trip of 2018 I went to see this sequel, 54 years after the original, with a sense of dread. I’m relieved to say that although the film has its flaws it’s by no means the disaster I envisaged.
The plot
It’s a fairly lightweight story. Now all grown up, young Michael from the original film (Ben Whishaw) has his own family. His troubles though come not singly but in battalions since not only is he grieving a recent loss but he is also about to be evicted from 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Help is at hand in that his father, George Banks, had shares with the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. But despite their best efforts neither he, his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) nor their chirpy “strike a light” lamplighter friend Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) can find the all-important share certificates. With the deadline from bank manager Wilkins (Colin Firth) approaching, it’s fortuitous that Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) drops in to look after the Banks children – John (Nathanael Saleh), Anabel (Pixie Davies) and Georgie (Joel Dawson) – in her own inimitable fashion.
Songs that are more Meh-ry Poppins
I know musical taste is very personal. My biggest problem with the film though was that the songs by Marc Shaiman were, to me, on the lacklustre side. Only one jumped out and struck me: the jaunty vaudeville number “A Cover is not the Book”. Elsewhere they were – to me – unmemorable and nowhere near as catchy as those of “The Greatest Showman“. (What amplified this for me was having some of the classic Sherman-brothers themes woven into the soundtrack that just made me realise what I was missing!) Richard M Sherman – now 90 – was credited with “Music Consultant” but I wonder how much input he actually had?
The other flaws
Another issue I had with the film was that it just tried WAAYYY too hard to tick off the key attributes of the original:
‘Mary in the mirror’ – check
‘Bottomless carpet bag’ – check
‘Initial fun in the nursery’ – check
‘Quirky trip to a cartoon land’ – check
‘Dance on the ceiling with a quirky relative’ – check
‘Chirpy chimney sweeps’ – check (“Er… Mr Marshall… we couldn’t get chimney sweeps… will lamplighters do?” “Yeah, good enough”)
Another thing that struck me about the film – particularly as a film aimed at kids – is just how long it is. At 2 hours and 10 minutes it’s a bladder-testing experience for adults let alone younger children. (It’s worth noting that this is still 9 minutes shorter than the original, but back in the 60’s we had FAR fewer options to be stimulated by entertainment and our attention spans were – I think – much longer as a result!)
What it does get right
But with this whinging aside, the film does get a number of things spit-spot on.
Emily Blunt is near perfection as Poppins. (In the interests of balance my wife found her bizarrely clipped accent very grating, but I suspect P.L. Travers would have approved!). Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda also does a good job as Jack, although you wonder whether the ‘society of cockney actors’ must again be in a big grump about the casting! I found Emily Mortimer just delightful as the grown-up Jane, although Ben Whishaw‘s Michael didn’t particularly connect with me.
Almost unrecognisable was David Warner as the now wheelchair-bound Admiral Boom. His first mate is none other than Jim Norton of “Father Ted” Bishop Brennan fame (thanks to my daughter Jenn for pointing that one out)!
Also watch out (I’d largely missed it before I realised!) for a nice pavement cameo by Karen Dotrice, the original Jane, asking directions to number 19 Cherry Tree Lane.
What the film also gets right is to implement the old-school animation of the “Jolly Holidays” segment of the original. That’s a really smart move. Filmed at Shepperton Studios in London, this is once again a great advert for Britain’s film technicians. The London sets and the costumes (by the great Sandy Powell) are just superb.
Some cameo cherries on the cake
Finally, the aces in the hole are the two cameos near the end of the film. And they would have been lovely surprises as well since neither name appears in the opening credits. It’s therefore a CRYING SHAME that they chose to let the cat out of the bag in the trailer (BLOODY MARKETING EXECS!). In case you haven’t seen the trailer, I won’t spoil it for you here. But as a magical movie experience the first of those cameos moved me close to tears. He also delivers a hum-dinger of a plot twist that is a genuinely welcome crossover from the first film.
Final Thoughts
Rob Marshall directs, and with a pretty impossible task he delivers an end-product that, while it didn’t completely thrill me, did well not to trash my delicate hopes and dreams either. Having just listened to Kermode and Mayo’s review (and it seems that Mark Kermode places Poppins on a similar pedestal to me) the songs (and therefore the “Place Where Lost Things Go” song) just didn’t resonate with me in the same way, and so, unlike Kermode, I mentally never bridged the gap to safely enjoying it.
But what we all think is secondary. Because if some three or four year old out there gets a similarly lifelong love of the cinema by watching this, then that’s all that matters.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated In the Heights (2021) in Movies
Jul 18, 2021
I love me some musical action, so I'm not sure how I never knew this existed. Not to worry though, I was quickly reeducated.
Usnavi is saving up everything he can as he plans a future back in the Dominican Republic. Living at the centre of his neighbourhood, we join his story and the dramas of the community.
In The Heights dives into the stories in the hot spot of the community as a heatwave bears down on them. Families, friendships and business dealings, all come out of the woodwork as they try to cope with the heat... and it does all of that with some and dance thrown on top.
I know that Lin-Manuel Miranda is all the rage these days, but I don't enjoy the talky-singing that's a bit of a trademark. Here though, the jazzy beats and hip-swaying tunes really helped. Had I not been restricted by the fact I was in public and it's generally frowned upon to do it in the cinema, I would have been dancing. With that restriction though, it was dropped to toe-tapping and shimmying in my seat.
There's a lot of talent in the cast, though not all the singing was music to my ears. With so many cast members I'm not going to go into the individual performances because, while a handful of characters are bigger in the story, it's very much an ensemble piece. Together they have great chemistry, and those relationships shine because of it.
Choreography during the numbers is fantastic, and the use of space in and out of those moments worked well with the confined spaces. There's one scene in particular that was very inventive and (even though it gave me a vertigo wobble) it helped to make the song stand out from the others... though there's probably something in every song that I could pick out for the same reason.
Design of... everything... is great in In The Heights. There's not really a point where your eyes aren't darting about looking at the sets or following the performers. If there aren't awards in this film's future then I'd be surprised, it would have to be something epic that beat this.
I didn't have that previous connection with the theatre production, and I think that would definitely have helped matters. In the theatre setting the long runtime never feels like it's actually that long, you have the intermission and scenes are broken up by the nature of it being a live performance. 2 hours and 23 minutes isn't really that long in that context, and these days it's not even particularly long for a film. But as a film, I did feel its length. I'm also one of those people that goes to theatre productions and likes to see what peripheral characters are doing, and that's not something you can easily do in a film. I may listen to the soundtrack at some point, but I don't think I'm in any rush to rewatch In The Height even considering all the things I enjoyed about it.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/07/in-heights-movie-review.html
Usnavi is saving up everything he can as he plans a future back in the Dominican Republic. Living at the centre of his neighbourhood, we join his story and the dramas of the community.
In The Heights dives into the stories in the hot spot of the community as a heatwave bears down on them. Families, friendships and business dealings, all come out of the woodwork as they try to cope with the heat... and it does all of that with some and dance thrown on top.
I know that Lin-Manuel Miranda is all the rage these days, but I don't enjoy the talky-singing that's a bit of a trademark. Here though, the jazzy beats and hip-swaying tunes really helped. Had I not been restricted by the fact I was in public and it's generally frowned upon to do it in the cinema, I would have been dancing. With that restriction though, it was dropped to toe-tapping and shimmying in my seat.
There's a lot of talent in the cast, though not all the singing was music to my ears. With so many cast members I'm not going to go into the individual performances because, while a handful of characters are bigger in the story, it's very much an ensemble piece. Together they have great chemistry, and those relationships shine because of it.
Choreography during the numbers is fantastic, and the use of space in and out of those moments worked well with the confined spaces. There's one scene in particular that was very inventive and (even though it gave me a vertigo wobble) it helped to make the song stand out from the others... though there's probably something in every song that I could pick out for the same reason.
Design of... everything... is great in In The Heights. There's not really a point where your eyes aren't darting about looking at the sets or following the performers. If there aren't awards in this film's future then I'd be surprised, it would have to be something epic that beat this.
I didn't have that previous connection with the theatre production, and I think that would definitely have helped matters. In the theatre setting the long runtime never feels like it's actually that long, you have the intermission and scenes are broken up by the nature of it being a live performance. 2 hours and 23 minutes isn't really that long in that context, and these days it's not even particularly long for a film. But as a film, I did feel its length. I'm also one of those people that goes to theatre productions and likes to see what peripheral characters are doing, and that's not something you can easily do in a film. I may listen to the soundtrack at some point, but I don't think I'm in any rush to rewatch In The Height even considering all the things I enjoyed about it.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/07/in-heights-movie-review.html