A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
If you happen to be in the Palatine area on Thursday, January 18th, feel free to stop by for a book launch celebration at Fremd High School, 1000 S Quentin, Palatine IL. 7 pm.
A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
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When I spend twelve bucks to see a movie, I root for the movie to be great. Which ain’t always easy, especially when there are factors that take me out of the movie, which range from people in the theater talking (which I will never understand, which defeats the goal of becoming immersed in the damn movie), to implausible plot turns or poor acting, usually the result of poor directing. Even then, I try to suppress my analytical side and let these intrusions pass. Determining whether a movie is great or not often doesn’t go much deeper than that: did the movie grip me from beginning to end? For the newest Star Wars installment, I was able to push aside any pressing concerns in my own life and immerse myself in the spectacle of sound and special effects, the former especially impressive. If there was any whispering around me, I didn’t hear it. The story this time is solid, the acting often remarkable. Mark Hamill has aged well. His weary eyes and gaunt face serve him well. Adrian Driver is mesmerizing as always. And while Carrie Fisher isn’t given much to do, her presence is haunting and resonant. So were there any "intrusions"? Well, a few. Not enough to spoil the movie—I did enjoy it quite a bit—but the enjoyment was briefly interrupted. 1. I wondered about fiery explosions in space. Perhaps this is possible, but it seems as if something would be altered out there, some muffling of sound. As is, the explosions in space seem pretty much how they might happen on earth. 2. Yoda. He may have been an effective character back in the seventies, but his voice and presence wear pretty thin here. And with all his powers, why hasn’t he mastered syntax by now? 3. One of the leaders of a ship keeps her escape plan secret, for no good reason other than to complicate the plot. I did a good job of suppressing this one--because I only vaguely recalled my objection until after the movie, when my daughter brought this up. You see, I was rooting so much that my analytical side was quashed in seconds. While I enjoyed the movie, I didn’t think about it much afterward. Maybe that’s another criteria for determining the worth of a movie: how long the story stays with you. Here’s an odd question. If the movie didn’t stay with me, how did I even realize that the movie had “left” me? Mainly because a few days ago I saw The Shape of Water, and I’m still thinking about it. This is a strange and wonderful movie, set in 1962 Baltimore. The only reason I can be that specific is I looked it up. I would have guessed the fifties, or at times the forties, given the luxurious sets and gorgeous lighting. In other words, the movie, while grounded in an American past, is timeless. It’s a fairytale, a social commentary on race and justice and otherness.
I refuse to offer any particulars about this movie. I hope you see it without a glimpse at a single preview. It is rich and engaging and troubling and joyful. You’ve seen many of the actors elsewhere, even if you can’t name them, and their storylines are fleshed out pretty well. Their characters have contour, shape. Throughout, you feel as if you’re in able hands with director Guillermo del Toro. Not a single intrusion here. |
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