I saw the movie Bridesmaids a couple weeks ago, and it was pretty funny. I love watching Kristen Wiig on SNL, so I was excited to see this film where she was both star and co-writer. It seems that the film has been successful at the box office so far, and I hope it continues grossing some more money as it has recently crossed the $160 million mark, which does qualify it as a hit, but I think they deserve a little more.
Kristen Wiig really carries this movie as a down-on-her-luck single woman whose best friend (Maya Rudolph) is getting married, and while she is picked to be the Maid of Honor, she doesn't fit in with her friend's more affluent social circle, and she is especially upstaged by Helen, played with bitchy aplomb by Rose Bryne. Helen is a perfectionist who takes over the wedding plans and has the resources to accommodate her expensive tastes and ideas. Since she doesn't know the bride as well, she steals Kristen's ideas and fulfills them on a much larger scale. The supporting cast is very strong, with funny performances from Melissa McCarthy (who is full of surprises), Jon Hamm, and Ellie Kemper. Wendi McClendon-Covey is also very funny as Maya's droll older cousin. The movie isn't incredibly raunchy for an R-rated movie as would be expected, the rating seems to be more for the language than for any visuals, although the movie opens with a sex scene.
The trailers and promotional material seem to include scenes that are not in the actual movie. I hope the DVD will include extended or deleted scenes. This really is a comedy about friendships and relationships and I hope Kristen Wiig gets to star in more movies as a result, instead of being just a featured player in Judd Apatow projects, as she has the talent to carry a whole film.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
I have been a huge fan of Harry Potter since I was in 8th grade, which is when I started reading the first three books and saw the first movie soon afterwards. I have been hooked into the magical fantasy world dreamed up by J.K. Rowling since then. You can tell it's a fantasy world for two reasons: They have wands, and good triumphs over evil. Because of this, I was of course very excited for the movie. I am proud to say that I was not disappointed. I had wished that the last few books had each been split into two movies, which had been discussed as a possibility for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so I am glad that this book was split into two so that all the action could be retained and the film was not rushed. This was the first movie that I thought really did justice to its source material instead of being a rapidly moving, "greatest scenes" version of the book. I was impressed that 75% of the movie actually took place at Hogwarts with an elongated battle sequence, as if the filmmakers were making up for the omission of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
It has been great to see Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up because they have embodied the characters well and have such a great chemistry with each other. Hermione and Harry especially have developed a great brother-sister relationship. I look forward to seeing them in other flims, and it would be great to see them in a non-Harry Potter film together.
I have always felt that the teachers and adults in the film series have always been given short shrift, and this film was no exception, but the balance was evened out a little bit. Alan Rickman gave a great performance as Severus Snape, showing a different and much more human side to the character that gave him another dimension. Seeing Maggie Smith on screen is always wonderful as well, especially in a leadership role. Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid doesn't show up until the end of the film, but he's always a welcome presence. Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, and Jim Broadbent make brief appearances as well, all of whom should have had more scenes in the last few films given their character's roles in the books. Only Ralph Fiennes gets significant screen time. Helena Bonham Carter also has a few scenes as his main lackey. The problem is that there are so many wonderful characters that it's hard to showcase them all correctly in the 2 1/2 hour spans of each film, so characters often make brief or background appearances.
The actual battle is quite physical and all-consuming, at times a bit tough to follow. There are a few changes from the book as well. The final image of the aftermath is the main three characters standing on a bridge looking back at the building that has been the centerpiece of their lives for the last seven years. The movie then concludes with an Epilogue taking place 19 years later that is a complete shift in tone, showing the next generation of Hogwarts students, the progeny of our main characters, who have been aged to be in their late thirties, although still played by the same actors. Rupert Grint's transformation makes him look a bit like Mark Williams, who plays Arthur Weasley. The final image of this scene, and the whole saga, is a closeup of our three heroes as adults. I hope that the film and book series doesn't go out of style and will remain popular with future generations of readers and moviegoers, because this universe is too vibrant to fade away.
It has been great to see Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up because they have embodied the characters well and have such a great chemistry with each other. Hermione and Harry especially have developed a great brother-sister relationship. I look forward to seeing them in other flims, and it would be great to see them in a non-Harry Potter film together.
I have always felt that the teachers and adults in the film series have always been given short shrift, and this film was no exception, but the balance was evened out a little bit. Alan Rickman gave a great performance as Severus Snape, showing a different and much more human side to the character that gave him another dimension. Seeing Maggie Smith on screen is always wonderful as well, especially in a leadership role. Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid doesn't show up until the end of the film, but he's always a welcome presence. Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, and Jim Broadbent make brief appearances as well, all of whom should have had more scenes in the last few films given their character's roles in the books. Only Ralph Fiennes gets significant screen time. Helena Bonham Carter also has a few scenes as his main lackey. The problem is that there are so many wonderful characters that it's hard to showcase them all correctly in the 2 1/2 hour spans of each film, so characters often make brief or background appearances.
The actual battle is quite physical and all-consuming, at times a bit tough to follow. There are a few changes from the book as well. The final image of the aftermath is the main three characters standing on a bridge looking back at the building that has been the centerpiece of their lives for the last seven years. The movie then concludes with an Epilogue taking place 19 years later that is a complete shift in tone, showing the next generation of Hogwarts students, the progeny of our main characters, who have been aged to be in their late thirties, although still played by the same actors. Rupert Grint's transformation makes him look a bit like Mark Williams, who plays Arthur Weasley. The final image of this scene, and the whole saga, is a closeup of our three heroes as adults. I hope that the film and book series doesn't go out of style and will remain popular with future generations of readers and moviegoers, because this universe is too vibrant to fade away.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Angels in America- Part 1: Millennium Approaches and Part 2: Perestroika
I am working through my backlog of reviews, so I might as well start at the beginning with the oldest and then move towards the more recent ones. Back in February, I had the chance to see the second cast of the off-Broadway revival of Angels in America at Signature Theatre Company perform both parts of Tony Kushner's epic play. I had previously seen the first cast perform Part II back in December, and that review can be found on this blog for comparison. I think Part II is my favorite part, as I feel that Part I is mostly the exposition to set up the events which actually occur in the second part, beginning with the entrance of the angel at the end of Part I.
Thankfully, some of the cast members from the first cast were still there, namely Frank Wood as Roy Cohn, Bill Heck as Joe Pitt, and Billy Porter as Belize. Frank Wood's portrayal of Mr. Cohn is quite a wonder to behold, as he plays the real-life lawyer as a slimy, unlikable self-hating Jewish man who spends most of this play attempting to carry out underhanded deals to keep himself afloat as he faces a potential disbarment hearing. He is in denial that he has contracted HIV from unprotected sex with men on business trips because of the stigma that comes with being labed homosexual. He is afraid of losing his position of political influence in Reagan-era America. As the plays progress, his symptoms worsen and he is eventually committed to a hospital where he lies slowly dying with his tongue hanging out and an odd orange complexion.
Billy Porter is still marvelous as Belize, the homosexual black nurse who tends to Roy Cohn and also helps his friend Prior Walter cope with the same disease. He often provides a voice of reason and hope to the other characters, the opposite of Louis. Adam Driver inhabits Louis with a nervous energy but gives a very solid believable performance as a gay man struggling with his life situation, and his personal and religious identity. His partner has contracted HIV and he doesn't know how to deal with it, so he leaves and begins dating the Mormon and newly gay Joe Pitt. Mr. Driver does a good job at conveying the neurotic qualities in this complex character struggling with his emotions. Bill Heck provides a grounded center as Joe, struggling with his homosexual feelings, his career choices offered to him by Roy Cohn, and his marriage to the pill-popping and agoraphobic Harper Pitt.
Out of the new cast members, I was most excited to see Michael Urie take on Prior Walter since I enjoyed seeing him as Marc St. James on Ugly Betty over the past few years. Some of his vocal inflections and character mannerisms were the same, which made it feel like I was watching the same character at times. I did enjoy his performance though, as it felt fairly realistic.
Sofia Jean Gomez did a wonderful job in her roles as a hospital nurse the titular angel descended from on high to speak to the would-be prophet Prior. Keira Keeley also did a great job as Harper Pitt, inheriting the role from the immensely talented Zoe Kazan. She communicated the anxiety and insecurity of a wife who is losing her husband but not fully in control of her own life decisions until the end of the play. Lynne McCollough did not leave a lasting impression as Joe's mother Hannah Pitt as well as the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to see both parts of the play together with the same cast in a short timeframe. Some scenes were edited, presumably for time, but the staging in the small Peter Norton Space worked very well, as the audience was close to the action and the projections and set changes really set the stage in terms of locations. I was amazed at how much was achieved simply by rotating a set piece, and the appearance of the angel was well-conceived. I look forward to seeing more productions produced by Signature Theatre Company in the coming years, although I have not seen their production of The Illusion yet as I have been unable to get a ticket. Next season will be devoted to Athol Fugard, and since I am not familiar with most of his work, I look forward to those productions.
Thankfully, some of the cast members from the first cast were still there, namely Frank Wood as Roy Cohn, Bill Heck as Joe Pitt, and Billy Porter as Belize. Frank Wood's portrayal of Mr. Cohn is quite a wonder to behold, as he plays the real-life lawyer as a slimy, unlikable self-hating Jewish man who spends most of this play attempting to carry out underhanded deals to keep himself afloat as he faces a potential disbarment hearing. He is in denial that he has contracted HIV from unprotected sex with men on business trips because of the stigma that comes with being labed homosexual. He is afraid of losing his position of political influence in Reagan-era America. As the plays progress, his symptoms worsen and he is eventually committed to a hospital where he lies slowly dying with his tongue hanging out and an odd orange complexion.
Billy Porter is still marvelous as Belize, the homosexual black nurse who tends to Roy Cohn and also helps his friend Prior Walter cope with the same disease. He often provides a voice of reason and hope to the other characters, the opposite of Louis. Adam Driver inhabits Louis with a nervous energy but gives a very solid believable performance as a gay man struggling with his life situation, and his personal and religious identity. His partner has contracted HIV and he doesn't know how to deal with it, so he leaves and begins dating the Mormon and newly gay Joe Pitt. Mr. Driver does a good job at conveying the neurotic qualities in this complex character struggling with his emotions. Bill Heck provides a grounded center as Joe, struggling with his homosexual feelings, his career choices offered to him by Roy Cohn, and his marriage to the pill-popping and agoraphobic Harper Pitt.
Out of the new cast members, I was most excited to see Michael Urie take on Prior Walter since I enjoyed seeing him as Marc St. James on Ugly Betty over the past few years. Some of his vocal inflections and character mannerisms were the same, which made it feel like I was watching the same character at times. I did enjoy his performance though, as it felt fairly realistic.
Sofia Jean Gomez did a wonderful job in her roles as a hospital nurse the titular angel descended from on high to speak to the would-be prophet Prior. Keira Keeley also did a great job as Harper Pitt, inheriting the role from the immensely talented Zoe Kazan. She communicated the anxiety and insecurity of a wife who is losing her husband but not fully in control of her own life decisions until the end of the play. Lynne McCollough did not leave a lasting impression as Joe's mother Hannah Pitt as well as the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to see both parts of the play together with the same cast in a short timeframe. Some scenes were edited, presumably for time, but the staging in the small Peter Norton Space worked very well, as the audience was close to the action and the projections and set changes really set the stage in terms of locations. I was amazed at how much was achieved simply by rotating a set piece, and the appearance of the angel was well-conceived. I look forward to seeing more productions produced by Signature Theatre Company in the coming years, although I have not seen their production of The Illusion yet as I have been unable to get a ticket. Next season will be devoted to Athol Fugard, and since I am not familiar with most of his work, I look forward to those productions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)