11/28/14 The Wind Rises, nominated for Best Animated Feature, 2014
As I crossed The Wind Rises off of my list, I marked a milestone: I have watched and reviewed all of the 2014 nominees and winners except for The Square which has not been released through NetFlix or the library. It's possible it won't be either, so I am calling it a victory. I can only hope that the 2015 nominees fall of my list as quickly. Back to the movie: The Wind Rises is an animated feature by the Japanese director and artist Hayao Miyazaki (who also directed Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, among others). The movie is loosely based on the life of Jiro Horikoshi in the middle of the 20th century at the dawning of the age of the airplane. Horikoshi is obsessed by air flight and perfecting the flying machine, fighting the lack of technology in Japan at the time. In fact, his inspiration is an Italian engineer who appears to him in his dreams. Anything that has to do with re-telling Japan's military history (Horikoshi eventually designed the Japanese Zero used in World War II) is fraught with controversy, from those who want to deny events to those who want to embellish. Miyazaki uses his characters to occasionally criticize the Japanese government of the 1930s for being backwards, using oxen to haul airplanes out to the field, for buildings that are outdated. Miyazaki also introduces a love interest to Horikoshi, Nahoko Satomi, a young woman we meet early in the story, who captures Horikoshi's heart. The movie shows Jiro as he evolves from a young student, then an apprentice and into one of the lead engineers for Mitsubishi. Even though Jiro and his colleagues are designing planes for military use, that is only alluded to, dogfights and bombings are not shown or really discussed (although using the planes to bomb China, England, the US is referenced by Jiro's friend, Honjo). The animation is beautifully done, with wonderful colors and details; when I saw the preview (which was all I saw before the Oscars), I really thought this would win: a story of imagination and love, lovingly told. Who knew it was going to go up against the fan favorite Frozen? Unfortunately, The Wind Rises does not have anthemic song. The soundtrack sounded very European to me; I guess I would have expected something more traditionally Japanese, but it worked considering Jiro's reverence and respect for European engineers. Originally in Japanese, the version available to me was in English (although there was an option for Japanese) and it was voiced by some well-known actors. Joseph Gordon-Leavitt was Jiro; Emily Blunt voiced his fiancee, Nahoko; John Krasinski was Honjo, Jiro's best friend; and Martin Short played Kurokawa, Jiro's boss at Mitsubushi who is blustery and comical, made more so by his animated hair. Even though the movie is animated, I don't know if it would hold the attention of younger kids, perhaps teenagers might appreciate the animation and the historical take; the movie was rated PG-13, and I'm guessing it is because of the incredible amount of smoking, mainly by Jiro. A LOT of smoking. If you are looking for an out of the ordinary animated film, this is finally available on NetFlix and possibly your local library.
11/27/2014 Newsroom, second season
I finally got the second season of The Newsroom as it is in now in the third and final season. It was created by Aaron Sorkin who created one of my favorite series of all time West Wing. The Newsroom has the same kind of fast, witty banter; characters who speak a lot faster using bigger sentences than most normal people ever do. There is a core of characters with several who move in and out of the storyline. Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) is the anchor on the Atlantis Cable News primetime show; MacKenzie McHale (Mac) (Emily Mortimer) is the executive producer; Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) is the President of the News Division. The main plot line for the second season is told in flashback, which when it is done badly, is annoying; I liked it here, it was used well, and slowly revealed all the details you need, and a couple of red herrings along the way. I love the wit and the interplay, Olivia Munn's Sloane Sabbith is great: the lines roll off her tongue, she has great facial expressions and goes toe to to with McAvoy. Waterston just looks like he is having the time of his life; and he wears bow ties. Jane Fonda makes an appearance as the owner of the network (in case you didn't catch any irony, she used to be married to Ted Turner, founder of CNN), and she seems to be enjoying playing the role of the foul-mouthed, independent minded owner. I have really enjoyed the series and part of me is very sad that it is ending, but then I'm kind of glad they are quitting while they are ahead and while it is somewhat believable. I can't really divulge too much because there are little twists through all of the episodes. If you're looking for something to watch over the winter holiday, check out seasons one and two of The Newsroom.
11/29/2014 Fantasia, 1940 and Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert, 2014, Minnesota Orchestra, two special Oscars, 1940 National Film Registry
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| Orchestra Hall November 2014 |
We've all seen bits and pieces of Fantasia over the years, if we haven't seen the whole thing. I have seen the whole thing (on the big screen) and I just saw some excerpts over the weekend, with live accompaniment by the Minnesota Orchestra. At first I thought I was going to experience THE WHOLE THING with the orchestra, which might have been cool, but at over two hours, that would have been a long time for me. So, anyway, Fantasia didn't win any competitive Oscars, but Disney and conductor, Leopold Stokowski, were awarded special Oscars by the Academy and it is on the National Film Registry. I enjoy classical music, but I know a lot of people find it inaccessible, pretentious, boring or all three, and I think that pairing classics like "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky, "The Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky and works by Beethoven, Bach and others with funny or dramatic animation can bridge those gaps. There isn't really a story or plot for Fantasia, it's a collection of vignettes, usually featuring anthropomorphic animals, set to music, some well-known, some not well known. In the film, Leopold Stokowski leads the Philadelphia Orchestra (for most of the works) and for the Minnesota Orchestra performance, Sarah Hicks was the energetic and engaging leader. The Minnesota Orchestra Board should keep her for a long time; she's amazing. Disney does not disappoint in the animation, the colors, the characters (the dancing hippos will not be forgotten), the emotion (there are some very percussive moments as well as gentle interludes); sometimes the transitions don't work, and I don't know if I'm being clouded by the performance I just saw or if that is how the movie was as well. And maybe it doesn't matter if the transitions don't work. I think if you watch Fantasia with your kids, you can break it up into 20 minute sections (or however the music breaks out), but otherwise, they may get bored. It is a Disney classic, so you should probably watch it at least once.
