Monday Moments - Defy Gravity

 By this time, you might be saying, "I'm sick of the hype." 

BUT....Wicked, the movie,  is absolutely  tremendous  in my opinion.  And you must  see  it on the  big screen.  And  yes, it's over two  hours,  but the time flies by with all of the magical scenes filling your eyeballs.  

There's  plenty of homage (Easter eggs) to  the original 1939 movie Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland.

And there's also treats from the Broadway stage musical starring  Idina Menzel and Kristen  Chenoweth. 

But now, this movie is Part 1 and based  on  the book by Gregory Maguire. The movie truly gives a deep dive into the characters, the motivations, the real story and question of  "wicked".  Who  is truly behaving badly?  Do you see  parallels to today's world?  Oh yes.    

The voices soar, the harmonies are gorgeous, the dancing, choreography, sets are lush eye candy. 

The cast is perfect - Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Ariana Grande (Glinda), Jonathan Bailey  (Prince Fiyero) is extra charming, Michelle Yeoh  (Madame Mori), Jeff Goldblum (the Wizard), for  me a bonus Bowen Yang who lets his freak flag fly  (I say that as a compliment), and so many more. 

My friend and I sat stunned as the credits came up.  Defy Gravity rang in our ears.  So much to enthuse about.  We agreed we could easily see it again to  absorb more. I wore green. She wore pink. 

WICKED   WOW

Whatever Wednesday - A Haunting in Venice

 Kenneth Branagh is Hercule Poirot in the latest Agatha Christie film, A Haunting in Venice.  Alas, he's weary of solving murders, but is brought to an ancient castle in Venice on a stormy night (of course).  There is to be a seance. Tina Fey, an author, wants him to disprove the medium (Michelle Yeoh) who is going to talk to  the daughter who died in this home. There are of course a family of three, assorted help, a policeman, some new immigrants - all with tics, suspicious behavior, and demons. 

Thunder, lightning, and murder. I'm not  going  to say who or how many bodies prove dead. But doors are now locked and Poirot is questioning everyone. Shifty eyes. A scream.  Red herrings  galore. 

It's an entertaining film and richly produced. Branagh, as director, has a good eye for settings and pace.  It was a fun matinee to see with a friend and we were amused.  No doubt it will be streaming  soon and I recommend it if you are killing time. Cue a bolt  of lightning!

Movie Review - Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians met all expectations based on previews. Great cast, good story, some depth, and gorgeous backdrop. It’s a rich film to see on the big screen. Huge thumbs up.  It’s directed by Jon M. Chu adapted from Kevin Kwan’s novel. It’s a swoon worthy romance. Funny, poignant, and entertaining.  Constance Wu is Rachel Chu – Chinese American economics professor from Queens who grew up with a single mom. She’s achieved the American dream. Dating Nick Young (handsome Henry Golding) after a year, he wants her to join him in a trip to Singapore to meet the family. He’s a best man in a wedding. Should be a fun trip….

Turns out Nick comes from mega wealth – a Singapore dynasty. Rachel is the interloper – an American who has no clue. The film covers the visit. When Nick’s mother Eleanor (the fantastic Michelle Yeoh) meets Rachel,  the icy reception is hard to miss. But Nick is so in love, he’s sure that Rachel will charm his grandmother, mother, and family. Oh dear, that’s sweet but so naïve. There’s a lot more depth to the story – the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the backstabbing Singapore family, the welcoming family, Rachel’s old college friend (and true support), and the on-screen energy between Nick and Rachel.  This film works and you root and cringe as the story plays out. There is a lot more to the story – power, parentage, values, money, and love. Singapore looks gorgeous. The concept of really, really rich is brought to the screen. But money doesn’t always buy happiness or security as we see in some side stories.

The key is Nick and Rachel and they are really good together. Go see Crazy Rich Asians and root for them.  This is such a nice end to summer movie season – a film with culture, conflict, passion, and fun film making.  Aah…young love……..

Jon