Category: Arts

REVIEW: Decision to Leave

copelano 3 Comments

 

Park Chan-wook’s latest project is a masterclass in Hitchcockian suspense, weaving strands of  psychological thriller and seductive romance into a fully realized cinematic experience.

Park Chan-wook’s newest theatrical release, Decision to Leave, marks the end of his six year directorial hiatus, following his critically acclaimed film, The Handmaiden, an examination of colonial trauma under the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. With this recent outing, Park Chan-wook trades in his narrative lens for a more contemporary study of immigration policies; particularly, in regard to 21st century illegal immigration to South Korea. This is exemplified by the female protagonist, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei), an illegal Chinese immigrant who is suspected of murdering her husband in the opening half of the film. I found her character to be reminiscent of Kim Novak’s portrayal of Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, Vertigo. Wei commands the screen, her emotions simmering behind her invasive eyes. 

However, we primarily follow the character of Det. Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il), who leads the main investigation into the murder of Song Seo-rae’s husband. Hae-il plays him with a conservative fortitude, which is made all the more apparent with the comedic relief of his police sidekicks Yeon-su (Kim Shin-Young) and Soo-wan (Go Kyung-pyo). I found Kyung-pyo, in particular, to be a screen stealer; his comedic timing was never a second off. I can’t say much beyond this point, but their relationship mutates and evolves in ways I found truly unexpected; as well as the chemistry between Wei and Hae-il.

Park Chan-wook’s cinematography is also a revelation, using rapid successions of shots to create feelings of suspense and uneasiness, which culminates in sweeping tracking shots of fight scenes within the streets and rooftops of Busan. Not to mention an extremely visceral action scene involving a chain mail glove, which I have just learned is utilized in real life by the South Korean police force; a consequence of the outlawing of firearms within the country. Regardless, if you’re a cinephile or an admirer of South Korean culture, Decision to Leave is worth all the critical acclaim that it has garnered this award season. 

Now playing at The State Theatre. 

 

 

PREVIEW: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

What: a play produced by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, based on the critically acclaimed novel by Mark Haddon

When: 

  • Thursday, January 12, 7:30pm
  • Friday, January 13, 8:00pm
  • Saturday, January 14, 8:00pm
  • Sunday, January 15, 2:00pm

Where: Arthur Miller Theater (map)

Tickets: $15 for students, $24 for adults, $22 for seniors, available online at this link.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time tells the story of Chris, a teenager who seeks to solve the mystery of the murder of a neighborhood dog, and along the way embarks upon a journey of discovery, love and acceptance. The play was adapted from the book written by Mark Haddon in 2003. Interestingly, was the book was originally released simultaneously in adult and children’s editions, making me curious which iteration the stage play leans towards. Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, the organization bringing us this production, is a community theatre group which provides opportunities for community members to see quality plays as well as get involved in all aspects of production. I recommend checking out this cool collaborative archive (linked here) between A2CT and the Ann Arbor Public Library to learn a little more about their history and relationships with the community. The site provides both a history of the organization and vintage photos and materials from productions since the group formed in 1929. I’m excited to be a part of A2CT’s audience for the first time, and hope you’ll consider picking up tickets to this weekend’s show!

REVIEW: Lily Talmers at The Ark

bellaaa 1 Comment

Classic folk music venue, The Ark, welcomed Lily Talmers and friends to the stage this past Sunday for a performance that was all I expected it to be and more. Their Midwest tour had three earlier shows in Michigan before landing here in Ann Arbor, and will continue on with six more shows, eventually ending in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Opener John Cushing started the night off beautifully, gathering the larger band, including Talmers, on stage in just his second song. Not only was this a group of talented musicians, but also clearly a group of friends who loved and supported one another. Together, the band cultivated a space of comfort and familiarity that the audience easily leaned into.

Talmers and Cushing brought along with them from Brooklyn Aidan Scrimgeour on the keys and Aiden Cafferty on bass. With them joined Ann Arbor’s David Ward (drums), Ben Green (trumpet), and string quartet of Lauren Pulcipher (violin), Julia Knowles (Cello), Courtney Lubin (violin), and Madeline Warner (viola). The group was in constant conversation with each other and the audience, both in words and in the music they played. Talmers’s voice floated through the space in that haunting and clear tone that we know and love about her, making sure to give space and credit where it was due to each one of her bandmates. Her family, old classmates, students, and some people who she had never met had come together to cultivate this space; it is not an overstatement to say each person felt essential to the experience. 

As someone who loves Talmers’s music, I had to bring something physical home with me — a double CD with her latest two albums: Hope is the Whore I Go To and My Mortal Wound. I feel so fortunate to have seen this group live; as much as I love listening to her music on Spotify, there is something so grand about seeing Talmers and the full band of strings and horns all in the same space. Each instrument seem to transform the music in a new way. The simplicity of just Talmers and her guitar felt extremely vulnerable and delicate; as more instruments joined, there was a soothing strength in the culmination of sound.

It would be a mistake not to go listen to Talmers if given the chance — her kindness, passion, and love is as breathtaking as her music. I also highly recommend going to see a show at The Ark — it is an intimate space here in Ann Arbor and completely non-profit. Words do not do either justice so, please please please, go immerse yourself in this experience in any way you can.

Picture of Lily Talmers

PREVIEW: Lily Talmers at The Ark

bellaaa Leave a comment

University of Michigan Alumnus Lily Talmers is coming to local music venue, The Ark, on January 8th at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available for purchase on The Ark’s website for $20 each. The Ark never fails to host the most intimate and beautiful performances, and so I am beyond excited to return for this show in particular. Talmers will be joined by trombonist, singer, and composer John Cushing and others on this tour. 

Talmers just released her second full length album, “Hope is the Whore I Go To”, on July 29th of this year and it has been an absolute joy to listen to. It was followed up by “My Mortal Wound,” what Talmers has described on her Instagram page as an “inseparable” piece to the former album. The music is both haunting and healing, creating a unique atmosphere worth diving headfirst into. If you haven’t already, go listen to this music; better yet, go see her perform live at The Ark. I have no doubt it will be an experience you won’t regret having.

REVIEW: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Ruth Leave a comment

At last! The long awaited return of Avatar has arrived.

I’ve always been excited to view any project produced by James Cameron and Avatar holds a very special place in my heart. I have to say that it might just be my favorite James Cameron film on account of the lengths taken to create the world of Pandora. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual effects technology in the film industry has made leaps and bounds over the years. Part of Avatar’s original 2009 success was due to the use of revolutionary CGI methods so I was excited to see how far the technology had come in the last 13 years. I was also looking forward to seeing how the film would explore Pandora further, especially since the film was centered around the moon’s oceans.

The film did not disappoint!

As Darryn King describes in his New York Times article: “How ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Solved the Problem of Computer-Generated H2O” (article link included below), James Cameron developed the next leap forward in visual effects technology; creating a way to capture the performance of an actor underneath the waves. Cameron accomplished this by simulating an ocean environment through a 90000 gallon tank, outfitted to produce waves and currents just like a mini ocean.  The effort to create these visual effects paid off. The imagery of the film is stunning. Watching the performance of the actors as they spin amongst glowing minnows and frolic amongst the coral is just beautiful. The Na’vi have been brought to life in a whole new light!

The story line is complex and entertaining. I wasn’t sure how the sequel could do anything other than copy the same premise of its predecessor (humans trying to destroy Pandora and the Na’vi defending it). In some respects, the sequel does follow the same premise. Humans have returned, but they’ve grown far more fearsome, using new scientific methods to create the perfect soldiers. This new danger is the storm that spurs  Jake Sully and his family to seek shelter with the Na’vi clan called the Metkayina; a semi aquatic group that inhabits the remote island villages of Pandora.

The attention to detail of the Metkayina clan is beautiful. As they are semi aquatic, they have wider forearms and tails in order to help them cut through the water with ease. The aquamarine sheen of their skin matches the ocean water perfectly and their eyes have an inner lid to protect them from the water. Jake Sully and his family have to learn to adapt to this semi aquatic lifestyle, protect themselves from their new enemies, and navigate the inner struggles of family. It’s a compelling story that’s reminiscent of it’s predecessor in all the right ways.

 

If you haven’t seen it already, I would highly recommend it!

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/16/movies/avatar-2-fx-cgi-.html

REVIEW: The Muppet Christmas Carol

Sappy Leave a comment

I hope everybody is having a wonderful break and a happy holiday season! This past Sunday, December 18th, the Michigan Theater was overflowing with Christmas joy. Although the showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol began at 1:30 pm, at 12:30 there was already a line at the door! The theater had planned a variety of surprise events, such as free hot chocolate from Sweetwaters, a free piggy bank, Santa Claus, and carolers that performed both outside and inside on stage. It was so much fun to see how excited everybody was, and the workers even dressed up with Christmas headbands and sweatshirts. It’s lovely to see how hard the community has worked together to put on this event!

For those curious about the movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol reminded me a bit of The Grinch, since both involve a protagonist that’s initially unwilling to celebrate Christmas before coming around. I didn’t know that the movie was based on A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens until Gonzo poses as the author himself; alongside Gonzo (in the film ‘Charles’) is Rizzo, and these two muppets act as the narrator for the film. Although I didn’t read the book, they made a powerful comedic duo that added a voice unique to the film.

Since most of the audience was children, parents, and the elderly, I was shocked by how different the viewing experience was; the laughter was a lot more boisterous and there were a lot more questions and comments; in addition to the muffled voices of the muppets, it was hard for me to hear the lines in the movie, so without subtitles, I struggled to understand the plot at times.

Something that impressed me was how well the directors incorporated both muppets and humans into the film. I knew the film was old, but the interactions between the muppets and humans were natural. It didn’t occur to me how old the film was until I saw the visual effects, though; it’s been thirty years since it was released!

To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the film as much as I hoped. Although it’s a children’s movie, I wish there was more background information given, and the character and plot development seemed rushed: the loud audience definitely made the event less enjoyable as well. Still, I can see how this film would be adored by muppet fans and those who watched it when it released or while growing up.

Merry Christmas everybody and have a happy new year!