Tag: Movies

REVIEW: The Music of John Williams

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On Saturday, October 19, I attended the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) concert celebrating the music of John Williams. As expected, given the popularity of one of cinema’s greatest composers, the line at the Michigan Theatre was incredible—possibly the longest I’ve ever seen for an A2SO concert. The crowd was notably diverse, with attendees of all ages, and I even recognized friends who don’t typically attend orchestra performances.

Under the baton of guest conductor Damon Gupton, the program showcased some of John Williams’ most famous works. The first half, in program order, included “Superman March” from Superman, “The Shark Theme” from Jaws, the main themes from Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, “Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick, “Love Theme” from Superman, and the “Throne Room & End Title” from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

I loved seeing some musicians—and even some instruments—in costume on stage. Paired with the quick beat and lively brass in “Superman March,” it set high expectations from the start that this would be a fun and exciting concert. Damon Gupton’s theatrical side shone through as he conducted the iconic, suspenseful opening measures of “The Shark Theme.” With each new phrase in the music, he would glance apprehensively behind him, as if watching out for danger lurking—an amusing touch that drew laughter and reflected his background as an actor. 

The order in which the repertoire was performed made me feel as though I were watching a movie, with each piece shifting the tone and taking me in a new direction. After Jaws, the uplifting main theme from Jurassic Park brought excitement, followed by the somber theme from Schindler’s List, which featured a sorrowful violin solo by the concertmaster. “Devil’s Dance” then introduced a thrilling energy that transitioned seamlessly into the sweet melody of “Love Theme,” before the first half concluded with the universally recognizable soundtrack from Star Wars.

The orchestra also performed the Olympic Fanfare and Theme, “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan, “March” from 1941, “With Malice Toward None” from Lincoln, and finished the evening with “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. 

Since I haven’t seen the films Olympic Fanfare and Theme, “March,” and “With Malice Toward None” come from, I had never heard them before. This allowed me to fully absorb the emotions conveyed by the music, without the influence of imagery associated with the movies. The catchy rhythms and bright trumpets in Olympic Fanfare and Theme and “March” made it easy to visualize social festivities. Meanwhile, the strings in “With Malice Toward None” evoked a strong bittersweet feeling. 

On the other hand, I’ve already heard “Harry’s Wondrous World,” “Hymn to the Fallen,” and “Adventures on Earth” performed live by the Michigan Pops Orchestra (MPO), who also played the same versions of “The Shark Theme,” themes from Jurassic Park, and Star Wars from the first half of the concert. It was interesting to compare how the A2SO and MPO interpreted these musical scores. The MPO has a much larger string section, which allowed their strings to stand out more, while the winds shined more in the A2SO. Though each had a different dynamic, this experience only deepened my admiration for our school’s student orchestras, as I didn’t find them lacking in musical quality compared to a professional ensemble.

Overall, with its diverse selection of pieces, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra’s performance felt like watching a film without the visuals, beautifully celebrating the genius of John Williams.

Pictures are provided by A2SO

REVIEW: Spy x Family Code: White

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Spy x Family is one of my favorite anime, so I was super excited when I heard there’s a movie, especially since the end of the last season felt incomplete. Spy x Family is a comedy anime that follows the daily life of the Forger family. As the agency’s most talented spy, Loid Forger is tasked with Operation Strix: a high-risk mission that requires him to form a fake family to maintain world peace. He marries Yor Forger, unknowing that she’s a top-tier assassin, and adopts Anya Forger, a telepath.

In the new movie, Spy x Family Code: White, Loid is told by his superior that mission Operation Strix is to be transferred to a new agent, meaning that the Forger family is no longer needed. To stay in charge of Operation Strix, Loid must prove that he and his fake family are the most fitting for the role. The movie isn’t written by the author of Spy x Family, Tatsuya Endo; I didn’t know this beforehand, but it became obvious halfway through. While Loid and Yor didn’t seem any different, Anya’s shift in personality is what gave it away. I think the out-of-characterness was a tool to be more humorous but at some times it was too much. To be completely honest, it lacked the same charm the anime has in terms of storytelling and plot. The creators did a good job setting it up in the beginning, but in the homestretch, it became rushed and had some unexpected (not necessarily in a good way) twists.

It’s possible to watch the movie without having seen the anime, but it would help. I’d recommend watching the anime over watching the movie, which feels more like a fun addition rather than an essential story. I still had a lot of fun watching it though! 

REVIEW: Tales from the Realm of Pops

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This semester’s Michigan Pops Orchestra concert, Tales from the Realm of Pops, has been my favorite concert of the past six I’ve attended. The theme this semester was fairytale and fantasy, and the repertoire was full of my personal favorites that are both famous in the classical world and familiar with most audiences: from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet to The Legend of Zelda to Sleeping Beauty, the orchestra certainly took us on a magic carpet ride.

The first piece to capture my heart was Tchaikovsky’s notoriously hard Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, performed by this year’s High School Concerto Competition winner Minji Kim, a Junior studying at Skyline High School. The past three High School Concerto Competition winners have all been violinists, but she’s left the biggest impression on me so far. The first movement of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, the Allegretto, features intense lyrical runs up and down the violin, which Minji nailed each time. What impressed me the most were her double stops. Double stops mean two notes are being played at the same; this requires the bow to be completely evenly balanced on the strings while the fingers are to be a precise distance apart. It’s very easy to be out of tune when playing double stops, especially while shifting, but Minji made it sound incredibly easy with her crystal-clear tone and perfect intonation. This was my first time listening to this concerto live, and it couldn’t have been any better.

Right after came one of the unarguably best orchestral works to ever exist: Scheherazade, Op. 35 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Pops played the third movement, The Young Prince and the Young Princess. Just like the title suggests, it’s an incredibly romantic movement that passes the melody between the strings and winds, as if they were lovers conversing. The lyrical line evokes so many feelings, such as yearning and passion before turning into playful flirting when the tempo picks up. I highly recommend listening to all of Scheherazade. It’s truly a piece that shows music can weave a colorful story and brings out the violin’s full potential during the many concertmaster solos, which Katie Zhao did an amazing job of.

I’m so glad I got to attend this concert despite being busy with finals and the coming end of the semester. It whisked me away from my stress and worries and was the best refuge I could get. I’m now all the more excited to come back to another Michigan Pops concert next year, and I wonder if they’ll be able to top this semester’s amazing collection.

REVIEW: Saltburn

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The psychological thriller Saltburn seems to be social media’s new indie-film hyperfixation. The movie was brought to theaters in November of 2023, but the commotion surrounding the movie remains rampant. It was written and directed by Emerald Fennell, a skillful curator of dark comedy and playfully uncomfortable eroticism. The film’s controversial critical acclaim and its obsession with TikTok seemed enough of a reason to tune in. 

We are introduced to Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), an awkward and lonely young man attending Oxford College in 2006. He meets the luxurious Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and they hit it off as an unbalanced pair of friends in vastly separate social worlds. When Oliver mentions his father has passed, Felix empathetically invites him to spend the summer in his lavish family estate at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. 

Felix casually introduces his sumptuous summer home to Oliver, and an uncomfortable aura begins to sweep through the air. The story unfolds as Oliver is introduced to Felix’s highly affluent family: the lustrous Venetia (Alison Oliver), the disarmingly charming mother Elspeth (Rosamond Pike), cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), and patriarch Sir James (Richard E. Grant).

Saltburn tackles obsession, excess, and the extremes of human desire. Some moments force you to recoil in the embarrassment and repulsion of the scene. Although, the true uneasiness that plagued the film was rather from its lack of self-definition. There were moments where it felt like three different movies: a queer young adult romance, an erotic horror flick, or a gripping family drama. Somehow it dabbled in all three universes, but never quite decided on one.  

The plot may have been less original than the articulately manufactured design, but the details will not leave you uninspired. Fennell nearly fetishizes these aspects of the house in interviews—and for good reason! There are dozens of minute features within the set, lighting, and architecture of the house that drag you alongside the cynical plot. 

Keoghan and Pike’s praised performances offered up two Golden Globe nominations. The family ensembled well against Oliver’s perceived naivety, but I felt these characters existed to embody an emotion or a “vibe” from Fennell—often their intentions seemed indirect and underdeveloped.

This movie was a visually stunning (magnificent cinematography by Linus Sandgren) reminder of the early 2000s with a deeply unsettling undertone of the evil within us all. It’s now up to you to decide if Fennell hit the mark by conveying erotic class warfare in a beautifully constructed mansion. Saltburn is available for a limited time in select theaters, and on Amazon Prime streaming. 

Jacob Elordi (left) and Barry Keoghan.

 

131 minutes. Rated R for intense themes, language, and drug use. 

Photos thanks to Charlotte Sometimes and The Seasonless.

REVIEW: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

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I loved Dr. Seuss’s books growing up but never watched the movies, so to celebrate the end of the semester and the coming of Christmas, I watched The Grinch at the Michigan Theater on Sunday, December 10th. I haven’t watched any of the previous adaptations, but they seem pretty different. The first version, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, came out in 1966 as a cartoon that’s 30 minutes long. The second version, also titled How the Grinch Stole Christmas, came out in 2000 as a live-action that’s 1 hour and 55 minutes long. The most recent one is what played at the theater: the 2018 animation that’s 1 hour and 30 minutes long, which is simply titled The Grinch.

This version is essentially the Grinch’s origin story and the audience gets to learn who the Grinch is as a person rather than a thief. The best part is we get to see his relationship with his dog Max, who is youthful and energetic in the film but old and weary in the book. Another character they redesigned was Cindy-Lou Who, the little girl who catches the Grinch in the middle of his act. In the book, she was less than two and only on a page or so; in the movie, she’s much older and one of the main characters.

The animation was fun and very fitting for a children’s Christmas movie. The palette was bright and the characters were cute, even the Grinch. I enjoyed hearing the narrator’s lines and rhymes because they added more of the book elements too. His voice surprised me though because he sounded relatively young when I was expecting an old man reminiscent of Santa, which I wish they went with instead. Because I knew the plot beforehand, it felt like a very long movie and some parts were dragging on, but I enjoyed it overall and would rewatch it again once it’s closer to Christmas.

REVIEW: The Boy and the Heron

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Studio Ghibli has released multiple iconic works such as Princess Momonoke and Kiki’s Delivery Service, and they just dropped their newest film, The Boy and the Heron. Like Totoro, The Boy and the Heron is a semi-autobiographical fantasy story written by Hayao Miyazaki, one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli. The main character’s name is Mahito, whose mother died in a fire. After a couple of years and still mourning her passing, he and his father move from Tokyo to the countryside. There, he meets a suspicious heron, and as suggested by the title, the plot thickens.

In my opinion, quite a few of Studio Ghibli’s works are rather abstract and The Boy and the Heron is no exception. However, I do think this movie was easier to understand and had more reasons for all the fantasy involved than some other films like Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away (both are still my favorite Studio Ghibli movies though). When I watched the films as a child, I was fascinated by the world-building and unexpectedness of it all, but once I grew older and re-watched the films, I wanted more background information and explanation. I think this movie includes both elements well and thus reaches a large demographic. Furthermore, there are themes of life, death, family, and friendship that anyone can learn from. 

I was surprised that Studio Ghibli released a new movie. Honestly, I thought the last animation they ever made was Ponyo in 2008, but they’ve been releasing works until 2014 with When Marnie Was There, which I’ve never seen or heard about. I would watch this film multiple times, and it’s showing at the State Theatre until December 14th with screenings in both Japanese and English. I watched the Japanese Dub with English subtitles version, and I noticed that the Japanese title is very different from the English one. In Japanese, the title is 君たちはどう生きるか (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) and translates to ‘how do you live?’. I wish they hadn’t changed it, because I feel like the Japanese title has more meaning and inquisition to it. But now you guys know, so when you watch the film, keep in mind that the story is about more than just a boy and a heron.