tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35191543632254178912024-03-13T08:32:47.854-07:00Oh CinemaA Movie & TV blogNoah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.comBlogger398125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-26628509208717758862024-02-25T05:11:00.000-08:002024-02-25T05:11:40.418-08:00My Top Ten Films of 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVgBgyJuIbCRv1PmcMRb4rTffy_TvE3Mi89OqRdrLl0OIwDZWzY01hJIiNt6rrywNVzS92r0ZSjXqr09H0o-NxxwmPKs-F_pXUm4fPnMupzar7bg7MJW5I3Y7gPYAQu4TkjLcwgy8yJat9zvaKYFfqPF7tZ9ZsErGeN6OpMefNH7cT1dI5zM-Gz3jJuuY/s942/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-2023-billboard-1-1548.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="942" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVgBgyJuIbCRv1PmcMRb4rTffy_TvE3Mi89OqRdrLl0OIwDZWzY01hJIiNt6rrywNVzS92r0ZSjXqr09H0o-NxxwmPKs-F_pXUm4fPnMupzar7bg7MJW5I3Y7gPYAQu4TkjLcwgy8yJat9zvaKYFfqPF7tZ9ZsErGeN6OpMefNH7cT1dI5zM-Gz3jJuuY/w400-h265/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-2023-billboard-1-1548.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This list was hard. Possibly the
hardest I've yet made.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>There have been some great years for
movies since I started this blog, years where multiple movies came
out that became instant all-time favorites of mine. We've seen some
great triumphs, none more satisfying than my beloved EEAAO sweeping
last year's Academy Awards. And I certainly did not see MORE movies
this year than I used to; my „new film intake“ continues to
remain relatively low compared to when I tried to make it a point to
see one new film every week (ah! youth).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Dakota Johnson was right; the film
industry is an utter hellscape in so many ways right now. The major
studios and their soulless billionaire owners with more wealth than
God seem determined to be as cruel, as narrow-minded, as creatively
bankrupt as possible, because that's what post-war Western capitalism
rewards. This year saw possibly the biggest and most important strike
in my lifetime, and it will certainly not be the last. Problems
aplenty in the special effects and animation industries abound,
#MeToo ended with less than a whimper, the superhero genre finally
started to show cracks, and the cultural Black Death that is
live-action adaptations of animated classics remains unsated.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>And yet. The movies I was able to see
this year were SO good, and there were SO many of them, that nearly
every single film I am about to name, even the honorable mentions,
could top other people's lists (and many of them did!!). That this
happened in spite of all our troubles was something of a light in the
darkness for me; there are still so many unbelievably talented people
in every branch of this business, still doing their best to churn art
better, more representative, and more worthwhile than ever before,
and some are still pulling it off, in spite of it all.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>There was almost no wrong way for me
to order these, so of course, that made it all the more
stress-inducing to try and do so. So I won't be able to offer much in
the way of justifications as to why certain films are higher than
others. In the end, all I had was my gut. And here's what my bundle
of organs had to say about this year at the movies.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b> <i>The
Holdovers</i>, <i>John Wick 4</i>, <i>Guardians of the Galaxy 3</i>,
<i>Suzume</i>, <i>Poupelle of Chimney Town</i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">10. <i>A Haunting in Venice</i>
(Kenneth Branagh)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I absolutely, unabashedly love this
series. They are old-school campy in the best way possible. This one,
however, is the first that I would call a straight-up great movie.
Not having read the book, I understanding that his adaption changes a
lot to allow for a setting and style that is far more explicitly
horror-oriented than the first two films, which were mostly fairly
direct whodunnits. The result is the best of both worlds, just enough
horror to keep the thrills coming, while still having a compelling
and believable mystery with multiple twists and turns right up to the
end, with just enough left open to provide discussion fodder
afterwards. I hope Branagh keeps making these til he dies.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">9. <i>Killers of the Flower Moon</i>
(Martin Scorsese)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Out of the year's major big-name
releases, I would rank this as the most ambitious. A massively long
and exhaustive adaptation of a little-known book detailing one of the
most horrific crimes ever committed against a Native American tribe
(and yes, that IS saying something), with a focus on authentic
cultural representation and language, plus one of the most open
fourth wall breaks Scorsese has ever attempted, there are so many
ways this could have not worked, or come off as insensitive. And
there are fair criticisms to be made that even if this is the „best
version“ of a White man making a movie about Native Americans, it
still falls short. I myself did find the length a bit too trying at
times, and in the crucial final section- where the evil of it all is
finally coming to light- I very much wished for less time with the
White criminals and more time with Mollie, seeing her trying to
process the depths of her husband's betrayal.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Nonetheless, I do feel that there is
value in having a trio of the most influential figures in American
cinema take this story, put in the effort to empower the community it
impacted, and to bring awareness of it to an audience that would
otherwise have never bothered to learn of the Osage Terror. It does
mean something when Lily Gladstone becomes the first Native American
to win another major award and gives another speech viewed by
millions. Controversial and debatable the film will remain, but the
fact that it will have an impact at all is still enough for me to
rank it as one of the year's most important works.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">8. <i>Godzilla Minus One</i>
(Takashi Yamazaki)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I can enjoy a good monster flick, but
it's never been „my thing“, and the current effort by American
studios to revive the genre have left me relatively cold, so that
made it an extra special treat to get this quasi-remake of the
original that hit in all the right places. The action set pieces
maximize every cent of the small budget and leave a greater impact
that most recent Marvel movies, but its the humanistic core- a
Miyazaki-esque call to live, no matter what- that makes it something
truly special. Alongside the OG, this is the Gojira flick everyone
should see at least once.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">7. <i>Past Lives</i> (Celine Song)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>A majestic, slow-burn story of how
each decision we make- or that others make for us- shape our futures
just a little bit more, how our identities can be torn between
worlds, and how we can suddenly realize that whole potential paths we
once considered are now closed off forever. It is a bittersweet sort
of beauty, the way we fall in and out of each other's lives, and it's
captured so effectively in the way the three leads interact with each
other. Beautiful and poignant, this is the sort of experience that
leaves a pregnant silence in its wake.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">6. <i>Barbie</i> (Greta Gerwig)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>With the passage of time, and some
distance from all my <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2023/08/barbenheimer-aftermath.html">Barbenheimer</a> <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2023/08/barbenheimer-power-and-patriarchy.html">bloviating</a> from last summer,<i> Barbie</i> has ultimately fallen a bit further down the
ladder in my mind's eye, while the artistry of <i>Oppenheimer</i>
continues to rise. However, this is not meant as a knock on the film
itself. This is absolutely the best and most boundary-pushing version
of a corporate-approved movie-as-commercial we could have gotten. It
will undoubtedly create a whole new bandwagon for toy companies to
<a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/daniel-kaluuya-barney-movie-not-odd-mattel-ceo-1235742127/">try and jump on</a>, but I feel safe predicting that this was the
lightning strike we will never see happen again.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Plus, there is a sad irony at play
right now in just how desperate the awards circuit is to show us why
super on-the-nose lessons like Ferrera's „Feminism 101“ monologue
are still necessary. Yeah, maybe the film's feminism is a touch
White, and bringing in Will Ferrell way too easily distracts from
Mattel's real-world (and genuine piece of shit) CEO. But if „serious“
industry figures are willing to reward the literal joke song over a
wonderful Billie Eilish number, or somehow decide that the female
director of the most dominant box-office film of the year doesn't
merit a Best Director nomination, then it really does start to feel
like Ryan Gosling in the only man on Earth who got the actual point
of it all.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. <i>Perfect Days</i> (Wim Wenders)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Why does this film work so well? A
good 90% of it is literally just following a toilet cleaner in Tokyo
making his rounds, eating his lunch, tending his plants. That
SHOULDN'T work as a beautiful celebration of the small joys that make
up daily life, or as a paean to simplicity over shallow materialism,
or offer subtle commentary on the trauma of unmet familial
expectations, or as a powerful meditation on how to exist in the Now.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>But it does. It works, presenting an
old man's singular and somewhat strange version of nirvana, while
still allowing us to glimpse some of the cracks in his soul and
leaving it to us to guess whether he is truly happy or not. This is a
prime example of the unmatched power of cinema to take literally
anything, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, and make it a
metaphor for life itself.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2024/01/movie-review-boy-and-heronhow-do-you.html">The Boy and the Heron</a></i>
(Hayao Miyazaki)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Damnit, he's still got it. No one can
mesh together resigned pessimism with determined optimism like Hayao
Miyazaki, and I don't know if anyone after him ever will. His latest
(I won't say „final“ because WHO KNOWS) combines a fairly direct
treatment of childhood trauma in its first half with a fantasy
coming-of-age arc in its second part, transitioning seemlessly from
one to the other. The fact that Miyazaki permitted himself to hand
over the rudder more than usual shows. There is a lot more variety in
the animation styles on display than in his earlier works, which very
much works in the film's favor. There may be no Studio Ghibli after
Miyazaki. But for now, he's still here, and he remains one of
humanity's most essential artists.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. <i>Oppenheimer </i>(Christopher
Nolan)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>There's not much left at this point
for me to gush over when it comes to <i>Oppenheimer</i>. I get why
some don't like the movie as an experience, or feel too uncomfortable
with the subject matter. But like with <i>Dunkirk</i>, there are a
lot of ways Nolan is quietly undermining the shallow „Great Men
doing Great Things and Making History“ spin that this sort of movie
would usually entail. This is not blind hagiography; the film is VERY
critical, openly so, about pretty much everyone on screen (except for
David Krumholtz, who is a treasure and I love him). A lot of the
power the film holds for me, particularly its masterful final
sequence, is how 1-1 the fears of uncontrollable nuclear holocaust
can be switched over to climate change. I have been plagued for years
with the persistant fear I am trappen in a world on fire, and nothing
has been able to capture that emotion via pictures and music like
this did.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"> And now.....</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Yes! It's a TIE for the #1 spot. I
told you this year was hard, so I decided to go easy on myself for
once.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. <i>Spider-Man: Across the
Spider-Verse</i> (Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K.
Thompson)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I have gone on record multiple times
saying that <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2019/01/review-spider-man-into-spider-verse.html">Enter The Spider-Verse</a></i> is about as perfect
a rendition of the classic hero origin story that can be made by
human hands. Well, the bastards came back and topped it. Better
character development, better dramatic beats, better music, better
jokes, phenomenal expansion of this particular multiverse, greater
stakes, and a true gut punch of a final twist. If the first movie was
the best possible case study of the origin story, this is the best
possible case study of the follow-up. Not a single beat is missed.
Like its predecessor, this film is a genuine miracle.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Now, given the MASSIVE cliffhangers
this film ends on, unlike the standalone first movie, whether or not
this one holds up long-term will depend on how well the final
installment ties it all together. Plus, the stories coming out of
production have been less than nice, and I am very much hoping that
they do NOT push to bring the film out in less than a year as
currently planned. I adore this series and want the finale to do it
justice. If I have to wait a decade for that to happen, I am young
and strong and patient and I will do it.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. <i>My Small Land</i> (Emma
Kawawada)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I had to. I just had to. The film that
hit me, personally, right in the soloplex of my soul and left me a
blubbering mess for a solid three-quarters of an hour. There is a
reason refugees are regularly mentioned in ancient secular or
spiritual texts as the sort of group where how they are treated says
worlds about the values of a given society. And most of the time,
what it says about us is horrifying.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>My Small Land</i>, based on
real-life stories of Kurdish refugees in Tokyo and partially inspired
by a documentary, encapsulates so much of the unique travails and
pressures that fall on the young when society refuses to lift
themselves up. There is a unique psychological burden when children
are forced to bear the weight of cold shoulders and closed doors, and
the young amateur Kawawada-san found for the lead role manifests this
perfectly in one of the year's standout performances. Life will go
on- it MUST go on- but films like these force us to once again look
in a mirror and ask ourselves how much longer we will continue to do
such terrible harm to each other.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;">-Noah
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-1936760447448793132024-02-13T01:44:00.000-08:002024-02-13T01:44:44.221-08:00My Top Film Scores of 2023<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Another
year, another round, and we are back to recount the best in music and
film of 2023!</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ultimately,
I saw even fewer new movies this year than I used to, but somehow,
the average quality of what I did manage to see seemed especially
high. Despite the strike and all the failures and struggles and just
plain idiocy infecting the film industry, it was still a damn good
year at the movies, with a bevy of masterpieces that featured some of
the best film music I've ever heard. This year's lists are especially
meaningful to me, so let's start it off right with the best in film
music!</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>7.
John Wick 4 (Tyler Bates & John Richard)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/phhUFZ12zxg" width="320" youtube-src-id="phhUFZ12zxg"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
<i>John Wick</i> franchise, one of the best original IPs to come out
of the past decade, came to a fittingly grand conclusion before a
hilariously empty Sacre Coeur. While I will need to revisit the
series once more to decide where each of the films hold up
individually in my mind, the score for this final chapter was easily
the best of the series to date. I know there are spinoffs and future
installments planned, but much like <i>Endgame</i>, this was the
organic spiritual end the franchise needed, and I will leave it at
that.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>6.
Suzume (Radwimps & Kazuma Jinnouchi)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_3mN3z3NVqc" width="320" youtube-src-id="_3mN3z3NVqc"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Your
Name</i> remains the peak of both Makoto Shinkai and Radwimps' film
work, but <i>Suzume</i> is the closest they've managed to come to
achieving that sort of emotional height, easily surpassing their
interim film, <i>Weathering With You</i>. A great set of music for an
excellent adventure-fantasy story about time, loss, and the beauty of
first love.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>5.
Godzilla Minus One (Naoki Sato)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qkIJidLfHjk" width="320" youtube-src-id="qkIJidLfHjk"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>So
few of us saw this one coming, a powerful, creative, and gripping
re-emergence of the Godzilla franchise from the doldrums of its
American adaptations. Even better, it brought a smashing and raucous
score along with it, the perfect accompaniment to a damn-near perfect
film. The film didn't miss a beat, and neither did the music. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>4.
Past Lives (Christopher Bear & Daniel Rossen)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l30JsiF_6Fc" width="320" youtube-src-id="l30JsiF_6Fc"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
production of the music for this deceptively powerful Korean-American
drama mirrored the story of the film as well, with distance playing a
key role in forming the musical themes of the film and how they
interact over the course of an amazing story about how time and
chances taken or missed shape the curvature of our selves. This is
one of the year's best listens even when divorced from the film it
was made for.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>3.
The Boy and the Heron (Joe Hisaishi)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/McbAapn1HX8" width="320" youtube-src-id="McbAapn1HX8"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>While
his work on the latest Miyazaki might not be as instantly iconic as
the top, top tier of his discography, Hisaishi's score for <i>The Boy
and the Heron</i> nonetheless builds itself up in a way that I found
quite powerful and affecting. The main piano theme is simple and
effective, and even the "big" moments from the orchestra
are not as grand-sounding or bombastic as some of Hisaishi's previous
highlights. All that is to the film's benefit; both it and the music
are works that thrive on just being themselves and denying the
expectations or overhype that would otherwise threaten to sink a new
work by old masters like these.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Daniel Pemberton)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSiu5xr78Rc" width="320" youtube-src-id="hSiu5xr78Rc"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
first <i>Spider-Verse</i> movie was, to put it bluntly, perfect, as
was Pemberton's soundtrack. And this year they came back and did it
again, better than before. I will gush more about the film in my next
post. As far as the music is concerned, there are so many wonderful
moments where original themes are brought back and re-worked into the
new score, while still making room for new additions. Gwen's theme is
a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIl_VaWGyGE&list=OLAK5uy_nciDYVjuDwvq7nqDH5Rc8JLF58G81skwQ&index=2">fucking banger</a>, and Miguel O'Hara gets the year's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgD_TxzjniU&list=OLAK5uy_nciDYVjuDwvq7nqDH5Rc8JLF58G81skwQ&index=4">single best musical motif</a> for a villain. And the main musical theme for the
broader and seemingly limitless Spider-Verse the movies are building
out gets the same treatment as the franchise as a whole, made bigger,
bolder, better, more exciting. I adore this franchise, and I am
praying, PRAYING, that the creators get the message and let the foot
off the gas enough for the creative teams building these wonderful
creations to have the proper time and energy to give Miles' story the
sendoff it deserves.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>1.
Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göransson)</b></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pswx6OQp1Ks" width="320" youtube-src-id="Pswx6OQp1Ks"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Göransson
is That Dude, there's just no denying it. As fantastic as his work
with Ryan Coogler has been- <i>Black Panther</i> remains the single
greatest original soundtrack to come out of the entire MCU- he finds
a whole other level in Nolan's latest, and arguably, greatest, film
to date. The very idea of using the musical motifs themselves,
especially the violin theme for Oppenheimer, and breaking them down-
making them more violent, clashing, dissonant- as a way to mirror the
chaos and unpredictability of the quantum world the rise of the
atomic age centers around is an absolutely brilliant concept. Simple
to conceive, perhaps, but unimaginably tricky to pull off in
practice, and he does here. My personal favorite track is „Destroyer
of Worlds“, laid over the haunting visuals of the final scene where
a world is imagined to collapse into fire and ash, as a pulse of
music builds in its frantic energy. The track is a major reason why
this was, for my money, the single greatest concluding scene in any
film of 2023.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Noah
</span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-16197213179693004182024-01-13T10:54:00.000-08:002024-01-13T10:54:30.923-08:00Movie Review: The Boy and the Heron/How Do You Live<p><b>The Boy and the Heron (2023):</b>
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. <b>Starring:</b> Soma
Santoki, Masaki Suda, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Shohei Hino, Ko
Shibasaki, and Takuya Kimura. <b>Running Time:</b> 124 minutes.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b>Rating:</b> 4/4
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDseDBwqfLhd3E8qS1f0tZDEFz0xewkhJD4sq84LrA8qo4pC_PRQ5GRo6G55ptgjTjsSUaFLzSCOCYGL3FgnXeLVYIA5uxMzXt9bTsh5N8QGAF-EcYoL9qLchEaprWUK1umhb0nwNsIPGvHiL9TNIpC6HIRiUdYOOORIZ-NZsslU3fyo2-tHR7xphJu4oC/s1920/130354_1367826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDseDBwqfLhd3E8qS1f0tZDEFz0xewkhJD4sq84LrA8qo4pC_PRQ5GRo6G55ptgjTjsSUaFLzSCOCYGL3FgnXeLVYIA5uxMzXt9bTsh5N8QGAF-EcYoL9qLchEaprWUK1umhb0nwNsIPGvHiL9TNIpC6HIRiUdYOOORIZ-NZsslU3fyo2-tHR7xphJu4oC/w400-h216/130354_1367826.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> <span style="font-size: large;"> It
would be all too easy to simply list the elements in </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Boy and the Heron</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that mirror parts of other, earler Miyazaki films. Elements abound
that will immediately bring careful Miyazaki curators to recall
scenes and motifs from </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Porco
Rosso</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-kaze-tachinu-wind-rises.html">The Wind Rises</a></span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">, </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Spirited
Away</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Princess
Mononoke</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
There are fluffy and adorable spirit-like creatures, many a bulbous
nose, a magical building that seems to hold special properties, a
fantasy world adjacent to the "real one" that must be
accounted for, and of course a gentle, lilting piano theme by Joe
Hisaishi.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But
it would be both crass and inaccurate to simply do a surface-level
read of the movie as just a rehash of an old man's favorite toys, a
placeholder work from someone past his prime and out of ideas. Like
Martin Scorsese,- an aging demigod who also treated last year's
audiences to something new and boundary-pushing- Miyazaki may be old,
and he won't live forever, but he remains one of the absolutely
essential artists in the world of cinema.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Elements
of Miyazaki's own life and personality have made their way into his
films before, most notably in <i>Porco Rosso</i> and <i>The Wind
Rises</i>, but he freely admitted that this might be the most
"autobiographical" film he's yet made. We start with
tragedy, as a young boy named Mahito loses his mother in a terrible
fire. It is not clear if this particular fire was the cause of Allied
bombing, but this is very much set in World War II, and his father is
a wealthy and successful man thanks to his business making parts for
fighter planes. As such, he is able to still afford a lifestyle most
Japanese can't access anymore, and to protect his son he moves them
out into the country. This is in line with Miyazaki's own childhood,
where his father's profited from war and his mother passed while he
was still a child.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It
is immediately apparent that Mahito is deeply traumatized by the
death of his mother. There is much in the varied animation of the
film to recommend it, but the opening sequences where the world and
people shimmer and shift as if in a haze as the fire burns and Mahito
tries to rush through the chaos is an instant standout, something
that has never been seen in any previous Ghibli film. Images of fire
and burning plague him, especially when he sleeps.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>As
if it wasn't bad enough to be a hurt boy who misses his mother, we
learn (more or less along with him) that his aunt, his mother's
sister, is to be his father's new bride, and that she is already
expecting. Mahito maintains the sort of strict, polite discipline
expected of boys in wartime Japan, but there is a distance he
projects towards the woman "replacing" his dead mother, a
stiffness and coldness in his movements that all too clearly betray
the turbulent emotions inside. And this is all established and told
masterfully in the film's first half, nearly creating a film on its
own, BEFORE the doors to another world are opened and the film kicks
into a higher gear.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ghibli
aficianados know that <i>The Boy and the Heron</i> is not a direct
translation of the film's original title. The Japanese title, after a
book that loosely inspired the film's story, is <i>How Do You Live</i>,
a title that is a) far more metal, and b) far less misleading that
the alternate European one. One would assume by such a title that
said boy and said heron would be more or less co-equal characters, or
that their relationship would somehow be central to the plot.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
is not the case. The heron- and while I will not spoil it, there are
aspects of this heron that are decidedly not what anyone associates
with birds- is very much the starting point for Mahito to be
introduced to the alternate dimension/fantasy world where the second
half of the movie takes place. Mahito's interactions with the bird
are at first antagonistic, but it is soon apparent that this is
neither the villain, nor even a primary player in the bigger story
that unfolds. After the middle section, the heron is really just
another character along for the ride. A strange one, one that helps
Mahito adjust to the weird, unknown rules and workings of the
quasi-wonderland he enters, but in key moments he doesn't seem to
know much more than we do about what's going on.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It
is particularly when in the fantasy world that many of the common
elements I listed above appear, inevitably drawing comparisons to
Miyazaki's other works. But again, this is not a rehash of old, used
things. Miyazaki has, as he always somehow manages to do, brought
something quite new into existance, the sort of tale that most
wouldn't think possible in animated form. It is a story of grief, of
trauma, and of the complex ways people seek to grapple with both, be
they child or adult. Mahito's aunt/new mother is, at first glance,
little more than a plot device to jumpstart the second half- Mahito
is not compelled to enter the fantasy world until she disappears and
he feels obligated on his father's behalf to find her. However, this
view would also be far too shallow, and misses the small,
easily-passed-over ways the film shows us how her own pain over the
war, losing her sister, and the rejection she feels from her
nephew/son-in-law afflict her just as much Mahito's grief affects
him.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
original title really is the more appropriate one, by the end. The
biggest thematic similarity this has to Miyazaki's other greatest
works is a striving to understand how an individual- small,
breakable, easily overwhelmed- can find the strength, the courage,
the fortitude, to continue even in the face of the greatest pain and
adversity. How, indeed, does one live? The answer to this question
has, I think, changed at least a little bit for Miyazaki himself over
the years, and it will as always been interpreted differently by
audiences. But one common thread that has never waivered is that
answers and solutions that seem easy, that claim to have a simple
answer that wipes away all the dirt and grime and contradiction of
humanity, are mere illusions. Being able to live requires, above all
else, a willingness to tackle all of what existing entails, both the
good and the bad and the in-between. I am reminded of the words of
Sheriff Bell in the beginning of <i>No Country For Old Men</i>; "A
man has to put his soul at hazard....and say ok. I'll be part of this
world."</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Word
is that Miyazaki is already working on yet another movie. There is no
way of knowing how much time he has left, and whether or not this is
it as far as the big screen goes. If it is, then this is even more
powerful a way to end his body of work than <i>The Wind Rises</i>
was, which may for some viewers be a bit too heady and ethereal. <i>The
Boy and the Heron</i> is certainly more immediately accessible, and
while it may not bowl one over like <i>Princess Mononoke</i> or
<i>Spirited Away</i>, the depth and feeling on display is as great
and grand as it ever was. Joe Hisaishi, the absolutely essential
special sauce to any Miyazaki dish, remains in fine form as well,
with a more understated and less dominating work that nonetheless
conveys the right power a given scene needs.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
may be it for the Grand Master, or it may not be. Either way, I am
immeasurably grateful that, unlike in <i>The Boy and the Heron</i>,
we don't have to choose forever between fantasy and reality. When our
world is too much- and right now, it is a lot to bear- the worlds of
Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are right there, ready to hold us, comfort
us, and let us rest for just a moment before striving back out into
battle.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Noah
Franc</span></span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-16590096605093459952023-12-27T06:06:00.000-08:002023-12-27T06:06:21.180-08:00Getting A Life: History in Film<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtO_rfNcuHoK_PNPPPoSBlYHu7_aqX39HY-n24sEeGTVZ37jtWmWQqJnwkFro7kWla2Ec03bL6XiOH0p80yFZJaog09Ew0ok2jcTE1YjkrGeJ_OrYuV1qP26BNEGS02MEO4LzhwWxE-kY7ZIk4M5X0mEBc_1u3XyYr0FWLoJGYpHuSRmLZ_LXzJ7e2Ml1/s640/napoleon_434788465-640x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtO_rfNcuHoK_PNPPPoSBlYHu7_aqX39HY-n24sEeGTVZ37jtWmWQqJnwkFro7kWla2Ec03bL6XiOH0p80yFZJaog09Ew0ok2jcTE1YjkrGeJ_OrYuV1qP26BNEGS02MEO4LzhwWxE-kY7ZIk4M5X0mEBc_1u3XyYr0FWLoJGYpHuSRmLZ_LXzJ7e2Ml1/w400-h225/napoleon_434788465-640x360.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Mike Duncan recently noted in an
article for The Nation that director Ridley Scott could hardly have
picked a more fundamentally important and exciting historical person
and period for his latest film than Napoleon and the entire
generation of wars he started and fought that bear his name. In this,
as in so much else, he is Quite Right. An argument can be made-
indeed, many have and continue to make it- that the entire epoch from
the beginnings of the French Revolution up to the Congress of Vienna,
which (more or less) brought this first revolutionary era in Europe
to an end, is one of the most consequential in all of human history.
The scope of its influence is indeed global, since it directly
affected the subsequent expansion of European colonial empires and
indirectly laid the groundwork for both World Wars.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>But leaving that legacy- staggering as
it is- aside, it's also a time period absolutely stuffed with some of
the most fascinating, talented, idiotic, brilliant, egotistical,
inspiring, debauched, funny, and tragic figures ever produced by the
human race. You don't even need to make much- or indeed anything- up,
because the scripts pretty much write themselves. I happen to have
just finished re-reading Adam Zamoyski's <i>Rites of Peace</i>, the
seminal text on the Congress of Vienna, and I must say; if that event
alone were to be turned into something like a miniseries with
near-zero deviation from the known historical record, the unending
litany of intrigue, double-crossing, espionage, psychological
warfare, and obscenely ostentatious displays of wealth and excess-
not to mention the many, many, MANY orgies- would leave most viewers
convinced it couldn't possibly be real.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>I'm losing the thread. Let's return to
Napoleon, though I did want to bring up the vividness of him and his
time for a reason; though fudging and fictionalizing in history-based
movies is par for the course, Napoleon and his generation are some of
the few subjects where the reality is already so fantastic and
dramatic, it must be asked- why waste your time thinking something
up?
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>And that's our cue to turn to Ridley
Scott. SIR Ridley Scott, for those who insist. Scott went on- and
this is an understatement- a bit of a bender during the press tour
for the film, flippantly dismissing historical criticisms of the film
and the general science of history along with them. Top remarks
included saying „no one could really know“ what happened during
of the most documented and written-about periods in human history,
that maybe the first (very self-serving) works about the Napoleonic
era were „the most correct,“ and, most delicious of all, saying
historians just need to „get a life.“
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Being one of these lifeless scuds
myself, I feel compelled- as both a great lover of film and someone
with an actual History degree- to jump and point out that most
cinephiles (and, frankly, most historians, aside from the most
tiresome ones) really don't deserve Scott's ire. Most of us are
perfectly happy to suspend disbelief and accept fudging of historical
records and personalities in a film, biopic, miniseries, play, what
have you.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>There is a silent „if“ at the end
of that sentence, and that „if“ is that the fudgings must be in
the service of the greater good of telling a strong, meaningful,
compelling narrative. Or if the positives at least outweigh the
negatives. This is easier said than done.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Hell, just look at my all-time
personal favorite movie, <i>Amadeus</i>. As history? TERRIBLE. We
have no evidence Salieri and Mozart knew each other as more than
passing acquaintances, much less that he was the „Dark Man“ who
commissioned the Requiem. But the story it tells is such a powerful
meditation on human frailty in the face of greed, lust, ambition, and
hatred, it's impossible to care about nitpicking the history.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Or take <i>The Social Network</i>,
which I very happily put in my <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-top-25-movies-of-2010s.html">2010 Top Ten list</a> not too long
ago, and which is also a personal favorite. A faithful biopic of Mark
Zuckerberg, that is not, not the least because we literally do not
know what was said in the depositions; those documents are under lock
and key and will remain so for some time, so for all we know
Zuckerberg, Saverin, and the Winklevosses just spent those hours
trading fart jokes before cutting each other a few checks and calling
it a day. But in the end, that doesn't matter, because <i>The Social
Network</i> remains probably the best and most prophetic film we've
yet gotten about our current digital age, and it STILL might have
been too nice, all things considered.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Hell, even Ridley Scott himself has a
great entry in this particular subgenre; his Director's Cut of
<i>Kingdom of Heaven</i> is also pretty rough on the „history“
part of the Holy Land in between Crusades, but the acting is
fantastic, the set pieces are astounding, it moves at a great pace,
and it has an awful lot to say about the hollowness of religious
pageantry and bluster in the absence of having the heart to care for
real, genuine people. Saladin's reaction to Orlando Blook threatening
to raze Jerusalem to the ground- „I wonder if it would not be
better if you did“- was haunting even BEFORE the current round of
ethnic cleansing defiling that place as I type these words.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>And, when looking at the main
surface-level liberties Scott takes in <i>Napoleon</i>, there is lots
there that could be the core of the same sort of
history-but-not-really-history film that uses a time period as mere
window dressing to gaze into the abyss of the human coul.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Napoleon as a Trumpian Man-Baby who
only trips to the top because others are desperate to find a
strongman to fall in line behind? Not the real Napoleon, no, but that
is absolutely a take you can make a great flick out of.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Centering the film around Napoleon's
fascinating relationship with Josephine? GREAT idea. Again, it's
absolutely not true that Napoleon's political decisions were all
based around Josephine's vagina and her many affairs, but since SO
much of human history revolves around people being weird about sex,
there is plenty of meat to pick on that bone(r).
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>I'm so sorry. 2023 is almost over, I swear, we'll make it together. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Even a movie that was just all camp-
Pheonix is making quite a few Decisions with his performance here and
I can't say I disapprove- would be a great break from the
self-suffering seriousness these types of films usually drown
themselves in.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>The problem here is......well, this
movie ain't it, Chief. Scott, you took a swing, but you really out to
sit down for this one. All of the individual scenes or images or set
pieces that work here- and there are a few, especially the sequence
of Napoleon pouting around an empty, cold, and abandoned Moscow- are
too scattered, and even as Scott is botching the history left and
right, he's moving forward so fast that there is simply no way to get
a hold of the passage of time and how one scene leads to another as
Nalopeon rises and falls, then does it all again. Why does anything
happen in this movie? Well.....it happens, dunnit?
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>That's the real failing of this film,
in the end. It doesn't just fail to justify the bad history, it fails
to justify itself, period, and so leaves little to no impact in the
brain.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>At least, that's my take. Granted,
there's a not-insignificant chance that this movie, by default,
becomes The Napoleon Movie for quite a few viewers. Aside from a
well-regarded silent epic from 1927- which, of course, is neither
widely known nor available- there appears to have never been a
significant French production on the life and times of, and I do feel
secure saying this, the single most famous Frenchman who ever
Frenched.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Yes, I too hear the comments that
„ACTUALLY HE WAS CORSICAN“ approaching. We shall shunt those into
the „But didja know Hitler was AUSTRIAN“ box. That's just not how
historical memory works, folks.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>And it's not like France only just
discovered the joy of 8mm lenses; the French filmmaking industry is
(massive understatement incoming) fairly well-known and popular.
There is no way to convince me that the talent, money, and interest
in mining this particular well doesn't exist.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Which is another way of saying that if
this movie DOES leave a legacy of being THE cinematic portrayol of
Napoleon, it's kinda the fault of the French that they let Scott get
there first.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>However, I think those worries are
overblown. At the end of the day, I can't feel myself able to get too
worried about the potential of <i>Napoleon</i> to ruin historical
cognizance because, well, it just isn't good enough. Effective
historical revision needs to have something the mind can hold onto to
stick, and there just isn't enough of that here.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>So I suppose, in the end, this has
been a great deal of sound and fury about nothing. At least Scott is
doing his level best to keep the world interesting.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">-Noah
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-28757594953324573602023-11-17T08:09:00.000-08:002023-11-17T08:09:38.569-08:00Hidden Lives<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQZCQ0bhg7WL15Y8xZaHGxjt1p_sYefuGxkSSHUyTGDlNlhB5Vq4lt7xyyh7b_12KYjxmuG4z0f5rNi2Hjbv_ER0OZQEuEYOX1hko1sIJ2-aDOnJjrAa1UwcG_gA32HSh1mWk2Y4RcEKduZqOiEU4jfDwt0rU3TsuweLcecx0yw_K06AEN_33_rHUnMlu/s1920/Killers_of_the_Flower_Moon.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQZCQ0bhg7WL15Y8xZaHGxjt1p_sYefuGxkSSHUyTGDlNlhB5Vq4lt7xyyh7b_12KYjxmuG4z0f5rNi2Hjbv_ER0OZQEuEYOX1hko1sIJ2-aDOnJjrAa1UwcG_gA32HSh1mWk2Y4RcEKduZqOiEU4jfDwt0rU3TsuweLcecx0yw_K06AEN_33_rHUnMlu/w400-h225/Killers_of_the_Flower_Moon.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span><br /></span><p></p><p><span> </span><span> </span>Franz Jägerstätter was a farmer from
the Austrian village of St. Radegund. Though happily married and
content to live the simple country life, he felt called by his own
moral compass to refuse military service under Hitler's Third Reich.
This simple act was seen as such a threat to the Nazi regime that he
and many other conscientious objectors were arrested, tried,
convicted, and sentenced to death for their „crimes.“ Franz
Jägerstätter was executed by guillotine in August, 1943. He was
only 36 years old.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Franz's story was eventually adapted
into a major, acclaimed film in 2019 (called <i>A Hidden Life</i>),
directed by Terrence Malick, one of the most influential directors of
the late 20<sup>th</sup> and early 21<sup>st</sup> century. Many,
myself included, consider the film to be a deep and underappreciated
masterpiece.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Mollie Kyle was born in 1886. By
virtue of timing and her Osage heritage, she shared in the immense
oil wealth her people had recently obtained. Tragically, this very
wealth made her a prime target for one of the most insidious crimes
committed against American Indigenous peoples in US history. After
suffering the devastating loss of her entire family and the terrible
betrayal of her own partner, she died in 1951 at the age of 50, a
life considerably shortened by grief and illness.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This Autumn, in the year 2023,
Mollie's story was brought to film by a team headed by Martin
Scorcese, Leonadro DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro, three of the most
famous figures of American cinema. The movie, <i>Killers of the
Flower Moon</i>, is already considered a serious awards contender,
with Lily Gladstone, an actress of Blackfeet heritage who portrays
Mollie, standing a decent chance to be the first Indigenous person to
win an Oscar for acting.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>How does this happen? What about these
two hidden lives endured long enough to be immortalized (in a sense)
in film by some of the finest artists of our time?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I can't help but see resonant
parallels between Mollie Kyle and Franz Jägerstätter. Theirs truly
were small lives, relatively normal and powerless (Mollie's wealth
notwithstanding). Had they had better timing and lived in
unremarkable times and places, I see no reason why their lives could
not have been longer, healthier, hopefully happier, and perhaps just
as unremarkable and unremembered. And I would not sitting here,
thinking about them, writing this article.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But they didn't live in unremarkable
times, did they? Franz, the sort of quietly pious person whose lives
fill centuries upon centuries of Central European history, just
happened to be there at the height of the Nazi's power, in the middle
of the greatest death machine the continent ever witnessed. Mollie
had the misfortune of being not just a woman and indigenous, but
wealthy, at the very tail end of centuries of active genocide
committed by the United States against all Indigenous peoples within
its borders, effectively painting three massive targets on her back
from birth. Neither of them chose or likely even wanted to live in
times and places of horrid suffering. Both would have likely
preferred to just exist as they were and let the rest of the world
be. Yet the rest of world insisted that such a fate would be denied
them.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There is, of course, one clear
difference that must be highlighted- Franz Jägerstätter chose his
fate in a much more active way than Mollie did. Part of what has made
his story so controversial (both in real life and in discussing the
film adaptation) is that being a conscienscious objector is very much
a choice. It is a deliberate act to NOT conform to the status quo. So
we must be careful and not try to make a perfect 1-1 comparison of a
Native American woman in Oklahoma and a White, Christian man in
Central Europe. That said- and I don't want to get lost in the weeds
on this- I do believe that, even though his was a much more active
choice, the very fact that he faced that choice- that refusing
military service in his case went beyond facing just a fine, or a
stint in jail- is itself a condemnation of the situation he was in.
No one should ever have to even contemplate that sort of option for
simply not wanting to fight in a war.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And we return to my question. How did
these two stories survive, and what meaning can we draw from them? In
both cases, so many in similar situations who faced tragedies just as
grave or made choices just as important, truly have disappeared in
the sands of time and will never have their stories told. As is
repeated in various forms over and over again in the film, it was
easier to be convicted for killing a dog in America than for killing
Indigenous peoples (and in many places, it still is). The cost of
centuries of genocide will never be truly measurable. How many
Mollies suffered similiar or worse fates whose names are lost
forever?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The fact that we know so much about
Mollie herself is, in many ways, a mere product of good timing. Her
family's ordeals just happened to be one of the final straws that
prompted action from the federal government, where at least some
facts and some perpetrators were able to be identified, arrested, and
sentenced. Mollie was able to see a tiny (and, granted, inadequate)
measure of justice, and- at least initially- escaped the horrific,
slow poisoning her tormentors had planned for her. As a result, her
family's part of the Reign of Terror is the one we know the most
about for certain, while so much else- even hard numbers of how many
victims it claimed- is unknowable.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Perhaps that makes it all the more
precious that we at least can know her and her family, to a limited
extent. She tried to hold onto to the disappearing traditions of her
people, in spite of the fact that she was one of the generations
forced to Christianize and attend English schools. She was by all
acounts an incredibly loving mother; her children- and this is a
detail I wish had been included in the movie- recalled that one son
suffered ear aches, so she would often blow gently on them until he
fell asleep. I find such small things infinitely precious, especially
in the face of those who would stamp out genuine love for the sake of
power and money.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Franz is threatened even more
explicitly with oblivion; he is repeatedly told, by friends, family,
townspeople, judges, soldiers, even Church figures, variations of
„This won't matter,“ „you can't change anything,“ „no one
will remember you,“ „no one will care.“ and so on and so forth.
Many have been told such things when they tried to go against the
grain. And certainly, in many individual cases, an act of resistance
does not provoke immediate change, and the person is indeed ground up
by the wheels of time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But that did not happen to Franz. We
do remember, and we even have a movie now to help us in the
remembering. He didn't end the war or directly change Nazi politics
with his sacrifice, but- when taken together with all the other acts
of resistance documented and memorialized- it has made something of a
difference. He didn't know this at the time, of course. He wasn't
playing some 5-dimensional chess game in his head to win post-mortem
fame; he just felt compelled to do what was right. Just as Mollie
surely did not see, wish, or expect her story to be tragic and
gripping enough to merit a major movie; she simply wanted to survive
and love and enjoy her family.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It is true that so much of our world
is built on the toiling of the hidden lives we never have a chance to
recall or honor. We will never know just how many people we owe the
debt of our lives to. Yet sometimes, fragments survive. Single
stories can function as a stand-in for the others we will never know.
Films, just as much as books, plays, and music, provide some of the
best avenues to help these stories endure, to provide us with
flickers of light in dark times. As such, I am deeply grateful for
the existance of <i>A Hidden Life</i> and <i>Killers of the Flower
Moon</i>, of the craft and care on display in each. Ifind it deeply
powerful, and even not a little hopeful, to consider the stories of
Franz Jägerstätter and Mollie Kyle, to be grateful that their fames
will not be so easily forgotten. Provided, that is, that we all keep
at the work of remembering, which is its own herculean task at times.
But we must try, at least.
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-Noah </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYf20OZHB_NzaX2mNhrgzXeBwKm5Ba1lwjQrINL9OjDDzn8xczdVKJC8y_N9ltvY8kK2OKMC58Gf1PT119UgY6GG5qGnwIw_I9wPrzEfj_fSAQaIdtbzYw1p0Gx5B-OqXYS2ZM2BdIAkDGanm3yu_iepN4XajfE3gr-SfXTcrkiEhFuB49I336dYePU93/s1422/a-hidden-life-review.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1422" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYf20OZHB_NzaX2mNhrgzXeBwKm5Ba1lwjQrINL9OjDDzn8xczdVKJC8y_N9ltvY8kK2OKMC58Gf1PT119UgY6GG5qGnwIw_I9wPrzEfj_fSAQaIdtbzYw1p0Gx5B-OqXYS2ZM2BdIAkDGanm3yu_iepN4XajfE3gr-SfXTcrkiEhFuB49I336dYePU93/w400-h225/a-hidden-life-review.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-66855010394155922582023-09-21T01:17:00.003-07:002023-09-21T01:17:49.274-07:00Barbenheimer Redux: A Way, Way Too Early Look at Next Year's Oscars<p><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">**as
of this writing, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are active and
ongoing. The rich and wealthy only win when the rest of let ourselves
be tricked into fighting with each other over unimportant
minutia. The rich and powerful hold all the cards and are never to be
trusted. Ever.**</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>**If
art matters to you, do what you can to show support, and consider
donating to the <a href="https://entertainmentcommunity.org/">Entertainment Community Fund</a>**</i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>It's
been two months and I am still in the grip of Barbenheimer fever,
so....what the hell. I think it's time for a way, WAY too early
prediction round for next year's Oscars.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Now
of course, all sorts of caveats apply. The strikes remain ongoing and
with numerous film releases shifted already, there is no guarantee
that a) the Oscars happen at all, and b) they will happen in a
recognizable format, or that there will be artificial limits on what
films are considered. Also, it's September.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But
I still want to do this, mostly because I already see a
not-insignificant chance that we could see a Barbenheimer redux come
awards season, with <i>Barbie</i> and <i>Oppenheimer </i>duking it
out across the awards circuit for most of the major hardware.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>For
reasons wholly unique to me, this thought hits my nostalgia buttons
just right by taking me back to the 2010 Oscars. I don't know why,
but that year the Oscars resonated with me in a way they never had
before. It was an absolutely banner year at the movies, as well as a
groundbreaking one (it was the first time the Academy went over five
films for Best Picture). Major nominees included <i>Inglorious
Basterds</i>, <i>Up</i>, <i>Up In The Air</i>, <i>A Serious Man</i>,
and <i>District 9</i>. The animated category was headlined by <i>Up</i>,
but also nominated were <i>Coraline</i>, <i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i>,
and the deeply, profoundly underappreciated <i>Secret of Kells</i>.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>But
of course, the headliners- and, in the end, the biggest winners- were
James Cameron's box office behemoth <i>Avatar</i> against the
low-budget, politically-topical, arthouse war drama <i>The Hurt
Locker</i>, directed by none other than Kathryn Bigelow, Cameron's
ex. My then-best-friend came over to watch the ceremony and were each
in opposite corners. He was all-in on <i>Avatar</i>, I was pulling
for <i>The Hurt Locker</i>. Meaning I was especially pleased when <i>The
Hurt Locker</i> ended up with the most awards, 6 to <i>Avatar</i>'s
4, included the top two, Best Picture and Best Director, the very
first time a woman won that particular award. It was one hell of a
night.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Obviously,
the comparison is not 1-1. While <i>Barbie</i> has utterly cornered
the market for crowd-pleasing blockbusters by unassailably attaining
the top spot as the year's highest grossing film, <i>Oppenheimer</i>
is very much NOT a small, arthouse drama ala <i>Hurt Locker</i>.
Nolan goes neither small, nor low-budget. Also, Greta Gerwig and
Christopher Nolan are not exes (as far as we know).</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Nonetheless,
I had a lot of fun thinking up potential category showdowns, and in
the midst of the strikes it's worthwhile to remind us how fun movies
and award races can be. So let's do this, for the hell of the thing.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>To
set the parameters, I will seperate this into two main section;
technical awards first, then the heavies (Acting Awards, Screenplay,
Best Picture). I am basing this off the award categories as
officially named in last year's Oscars, so if the Academy switches
anything around between now and then, it's on them.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b>The
Technical Stuff-</b></u></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Visual Effects:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I
am not sure if Nolan's physical re-creation of the Trinity test would
fall more into the realm of visual effects or production design, but
I will consider it the former for my purposes, and if the Academy
sees things the same way I could actually see <i>Oppenheimer</i>
taking this one home. However, I think the film deserves an edge here
for more than just that (admittedly very central) particular scene.
There is a lot more going on visually in the movie than you usually
get from a scientist-oriented biopic, from the flashes of imitated
atomic effects to much more subtle touches, like the overlay of drops
of water on a table of maps. It all works, both big and small, so I
would not feel too unsafe calling this one.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I
don't see <i>Barbie</i> being a threat or even a potential nominee
here. That film's strengths in the visuals department center around
its production design, which, speaking of....</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Production Design:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Honestly,
<i>Barbie</i>'s to lose. Barbieland is one of the best, funnest, and
most interesting places I saw created by a movie this year. The
attention to detail is astounding and the design alone achieves
fantastic amounts of world-building without ever needing to waste
dialogue on it. I definitely think <i>Oppenheimer</i> will be
nominated- the re-creation of the 30's and 40's settings are perfect-
but it won't win.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Costume Design/Best Makeup and Hairstyling:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Every
year there's basically That One Film that seems designed to waltz
away with either of these awards. It almost feels too easy to say
<i>Barbie</i> feels like That Film in either category, even though it
currently does. So far there's not a particularly prosthetics-heavy
competitor ala <i>The Whale</i> that I see as major competition, and
the costumes are QUITE literally front-and-center for much of the
movie (plus, they're part of the film's fun).</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>My
call? <i>Barbie</i> gets nominated in both, <i>Oppenheimer</i> likely
gets a nom for Costume, but I see <i>Barbie</i> taking at least one,
possibly both.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Film Editing:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I
honestly don't see <i>Barbie</i> competing here. <i>Oppenheimer</i>
absolutely will. Nolan doesn't perhaps play quite as much with time
here as he usually does, but the cuts between timelines and branches
of the narrative are central to how the tension of the film builds,
especially as it regards Oppenheimer's (often very contradictory)
inner turmoil as he ages and his legacy becomes tied more and more to
the bomb. I think <i>Oppenheimer </i>walks away with this one, which,
traditionally, instantly makes it the heavy favorite for Best Picture
(but we'll get to that).</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Sound:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Oppenheimer</i>
all the way and it won't even be close.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Cinematography:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>It
might be safe to assume Oppenheimer will be a favorite here, but I
feel less certain calling it now then in other categories. Another
film, perhaps one helmed by a beloved veteran, could get this as a
consolation. <i>Flowers of the Killer Moon</i> has Rodrigo Prieto
working the lenses, and he's yet to win. Robert Yeoman will likely
get a nom for Asteroid City. I see <i>Oppenheimer</i> being a
competitor here, but I'm hedging my bets and won't call it yet.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Original Song:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Barbie</i>
features a song by Billie Eilish, so.....yeah, I think this one's
pretty straightforward.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Original Score:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Ludwig
Göransson will win for <i>Oppenheimer</i>. Or we riot.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Going
into this I assumed (especially with <i>Dune</i> out of the picture)
that these categories would be overwhelmingly <i>Oppenheimer</i>'s to
lose, but as you can see I now don't think it'll be that lopsided.
<i>Oppenheimer</i> is more heavily favored, but between Production,
Song, Makeup, and Costumes, I think <i>Barbie </i>has plenty of room
to gather up gold.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Now
we move on to The Heavies, and here's where it starts to get
interesting.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>The
Heavies-</b></u></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Screenplay
(Original and Adapted):</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Unless
the Academy gets funny here, I see these two getting nominated
seperately and being the heavy favorite in their respective
categories. <i>Oppenheimer</i> clearly lands in the Adapted corner
and I suspect it's biggest competition will be <i>Killers of the
Flower Moon</i>. <i>Flower Moon</i> is not out yet, but it got rave
reviews from the festival circuit, so while I see <i>Oppenheimer </i>as
the favorite as of now, that could very well change.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Barbie
</i>SHOULD be nominated for Original- it would be fucking absurd to
put it in Adapted- but the Academy has pulled weirder shit before.
For now, though, I assume <i>Barbie</i> WILL be nominated for
Original and I see it as the heavy favorite.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>The
Acting Categories-</b></u></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Here
we might see some of the most intriguing competition of the night,
depending on how the nominations play out, so let's go bit by bit,
starting with the Actress categories.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Supporting Actress:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>The
only possibility for even a nom for <i>Oppenheimer</i> in either
Actress category is Emily Blunt's Kitty in Supporting. Frankly, Blunt
has had better performances and better characters- writing woman
anything remains a deservedly critiqued weak spot of Nolan's- but she
does make the most of what she's given and her confrontation with
Jason Clarke fucks, so she definitely could swing a nomination, but I
highly doubt she will win even if she does.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>So,
does <i>Barbie</i> have a shot? If anyone from <i>Barbie</i> gets a
nod in Supporting, America Ferrera would make the most sense. She
truly sells The Monologue and that is the sort of thing tailor-made
for Oscar clipping. It's too early to say if she's a favorite to win,
but I think a nom would be more than deserved, especially since I'm
not terribly confident the Academy will otherwise manage to nominate
a large number of non-White performers in these categories.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Actress:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Margot
Robbie will absolutely be nominated. It would be her third time on
the roster and, especially after being snubbed for <i>Babylon</i>,
might be seen by many to be „due.“ BUT....again, haven't seen it
yet, but the positive buzz around <i>Flower Moon</i> has very much
included its female lead, Lily Gladstone. To date, there has been
only one American-Indigenous person nominated for a female acting
role (Yalitza Aparicio for Roma), and no Indigenous person from any
continent has ever won in any acting category. Gladstone will almost
certainly be nominated, so if I'm being honest, I will likely be
rooting for Gladstone no matter what. Margot Robbie is a star's star
and she'll be fine.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Supporting Actor:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Michael
Cera as Allen, done and dusted.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Just
kidding.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Naw
but seriously. Robert Downey Jr. will be nominated, and he will win.
He doesn't chew the scenery in <i>Oppenheimer</i> so much as imbibe
it into his being and then project it outward through a
blood-chilling sneer. He's been nominated twice before, but it's been
an age since the last one and his career trajectory has been nothing
short of remarkable. He's as due as it gets.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Robert
De Niro will get a legacy nomination for <i>Flower Moon</i>. Ryan
Gosling will in all likelihood be nominated for his turn as Ken, the
only question is whether it's for Lead or Supporting. Ken really,
really should only be considered a Supporting role, hence me putting
this blurb here, but I can see the Academy going either way.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Actor:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>He
might be as rock-solid a lock as Downey but....from where I'm
standing, Murphy is almost as secure here as his co-star, even if he
ends up in competition with Gosling. Leo will definitely get a
nomination for <i>Flower Moon</i>, but like with De Niro, given that
he's won already, it will be a legacy nomination.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Alright.
Now for the Biggest of the Biggies.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Best
Director:</b></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Gerwig
and Nolan will both be nominated. This is an absolute certainty.
Scorcese will almost certainly be nominated as well, but, again,
it'll be a legacy nod. Wes Anderson might get nominated, might not.
Doesn't matter. This will come down to Greta and Chris.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>It
took ages, until he made a straight WWII flick, for Nolan to finally
get a directing nomination. It would certainly track if he were to
then finally win via making his second WWII-centered film. Greta was
nominated straightaway for <i>Lady Bird</i>, but then passed over for
<i>Little Women</i>. There have still been only 7 nominations total
for women in this category and exactly two wins, both within the past
13 years, still absolutely not enough. Both would, under wholly
neutral circumstances, be equally deserving.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>Under
earlier circumstances, Nolan would have absolutely been the favorite.
However, I think Gerwig has the edge here. <i>Barbie</i> stands far
and away atop the box office pile and she has bragging rights for the
foreseeable future for shattering all sorts of records for profits of
female-helmed films. That alone could make <i>Barbie</i> a watershed
in finally breaking much of the film industry out of the "Women
Things Don't Sell" thinking that is still depressingly dominant.
There will be plenty making the argument that Barbie/Barbenheimer
"saved cinemas," and <i>Barbie</i> was by far the more
crowd-pleasing of the two, so making Gerwig just the third-ever woman
to win Best Director would certainly be a fitting, final crowning
moment. It would definitely be about as obviously „feel-good“ as
these things get.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Plus,
while it is certainly possible that either <i>Oppenheimer</i> or
<i>Barbie</i> could sweep Directing and Picture in tandem, this is
one of those years where the tiny (and of course, ineffably accurate)
voices in my head say the awards will split. And, not to tip my hand
too much, but I think "Barbie, Best Picture Winner" is
still a step too far for too many Academy voters. Hence, Gerwig will
take this one as a none-too-shabby consolation prize.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best
Picture: </b></span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>I
already admitted it, but here it is in plain English; I very much
think that, like Directing, this one comes down to <i>Barbie</i> vs.
<i>Oppenheimer</i>, and I currently think <i>Oppenheimer</i> is more
likely to land The Big One. Nolan is certainly due to win AN Oscar,
but while he has been snubbed plenty in the Directing category, my
predictions here would have him taking home two seperate awards, one
for Screenplay, the other here, as one of the film's three producers.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>There
are a couple reasons why I think it has the edge. On the more
superficial level, it's a WWII-centered feature featuring a lot of
Big Men saying Big Things, which is all you need to hook what remains
of the decrepate, White-as-paste old guard still alive and puttering
around the Academy back rooms. This, plus the fact that it has a more
„serious“ subject matter concerning atomic weapons and scientific
development that doubles as current political commentary, which is
always a major plus for all Academy demographics. Comedies have
always fared poorly when it comes to the Oscars, and <i>Barbie</i> is
far more a comedy than it is anything else, so I think this WILL hold
it back, or at least hold it behind <i>Oppenheimer</i>, in the ranked
voting.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>Plus,
for all the love I have for the production in <i>Barbie</i> and how
much fun it has with its settings, there is an argument to be made
that <i>Oppenheimer</i> is more interesting, compelling, and
groundbreaking as a <i>cinematic </i>experience, that feels like a
<i>Movie</i>. To be fair, those are some pretty loaded phrases that
mean widely different things to different people. But I must admit
that, after multiple viewings of both films, I find myself revisiting
<i>Oppenheimer</i> the most, dissecting decisions regarding editing,
shot composition, counter-intuitive sound design, the tiny folds of
repetition and self-reference built into every nook and cranny of the
screenplay. That's a level of continual analysis I just don't feel
the need to apply to <i>Barbie</i>.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>My
initial takeaway was that both movies were very nearly equal, but by
now, <i>Oppenheimer</i> now holds a clear, if small, lead in my
estimation. But to be clear, this is not me saying that it would be
bad if <i>Barbie</i> won. Either film winning Best Picture- and I do
think it will be one of the two- would be absolutely wonderful, each
one groundbreaking in its own way and worth celebrating. But if I had
a vote, I would place <i>Oppenheimer</i> above <i>Barbie</i>, and I
currently suspect enough Academy voters will ultimately do the same. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>And,
well, there it is! To round out the fun, here's the tally of
nominations and wins I have these two pegged for, as of this writing:</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Oppenheimer:
13 Nominations, 8 Wins</b> (Visual Effects, Editing, Sound Design,
Score, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actor, Supporting Actor, Picture)</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Barbie:
10 Nominations, 6 Wins</b> (Production Design, Costumes, Makeup,
Original Song, Original Screenplay, Director) </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span>We'll
all meet back here come Spring next year to celebrate how perfectly
right and on the money every single one of these predictions ended up
being. ;) </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Noah
Franc </span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-21439814806184759372023-08-22T13:54:00.003-07:002023-08-22T13:54:35.514-07:00Barbenheimer: Power and Patriarchy<p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">**as
of this writing, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are active and
ongoing. The rich and wealthy only win when the rest of let ourselves
be tricked into arguing with each other over unimportant minutia.
They hold all the cards and are never to be trusted. Ever.**</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>**If
art matters to you, do what you can to show support, and consider
donating to the <a href="https://entertainmentcommunity.org/">Entertainment Community Fund</a>**</i></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>I meant it when I said that <i>Barbie</i>
and <i>Oppenheimer</i> might just be masterpieces. And as amazing as
that is, it's even weird that my quips about them being „the
perfect double feature“ ended up being not too<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
far off the mark. I know that, on a purely surface level, that idea
seems nuts. </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oppenheimer</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is an old-school, </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">grande</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
historical procedural set in the mid-20</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
century that deals with quantum physics, the devastation of war, and
fears of the literal annihilation of the entire planet, with a somber
tone and sound design to match. </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Barbie</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
literally sprays glitter at the camera, has a production design
decked out in the most deliberately plastic sets you can imagine, and
is snappy and fun and filled with wink-wink-nudge-nudge metahumor.
While Oppenheimer obsesses over igniting the atmosphere, Barbie is
(at least at first) only concerned with her feet. And cellulite.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But
once I'd left my first screenings and starting scratching at the
surface just a little bit, it struck me that both films are, at their
core, remarkably astute and challenging examinations of power, power
structures, and their inherently corrupting influences on both
societies and the individuals within them. And also, of course,
patriarchy.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
patriarchy part is certainly more explicit in </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Barbie</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
We are presented at the start with an alternative Barbieverse where
gender roles are entirely flipped; women (not ALL of whom are named
Barbie) hold exclusive access to power and prestige and define the
society they exist within, whereas the men (not ALL named Ken) are
conditioned to define themselves solely around what attention they
receive from their assigned Barbie. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling
might be the central narrative Barbie-Ken pair, but there's a bright
and varied supporting cast around them to accentuate the established
matriarchy.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Much
of this is conveyed through phenomenal production design, easily the
year's best to date. Barbieland is a masterful use of taking a
mishmash of pop culture IP and shaping it into a clear and coherent
design that very much feels like a place that could exist. The extra
effort to have things just "happen," to have characters
move the way dolls do when being picked up and put down, are
wonderful to watch, especially in the first act. It is "unreal"
in its effect, but in a self-consistent way that allows your brain to
buy in, which is what any fantasy film needs to do. It's no wonder
the movie hurries so fast to get back there after its
real-world-centered second act.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
screenplay is also aces, packed to the gills with sharp, observative
humor than goes well beyond the most obvious, self-referential,
„Mattel makes the rules“ jokes everyone knew was coming. The
beginning montage features an extended clapback at the heinous
<i>Citizens United</i> ruling, an early real-world scene provides a
fantastic backdoor dig at genital-obsessed transphobia, we get
insanely clever use of „Closer to Fine,“ and there's even a dig
at the Snydercut weirdos we were all forced to think about from a few
years back. All stuff I was absolutely not expecting to get out of a
<i>Barbie</i> film, but I am pumped it's there.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
central force, though, is the divergent arcs of Robbie's Barbie and
Gosling's Ken, a humorous take on a reverse Innocence Lost/Power
Gained dynamic. Ken's first exposure to patriarchy- and to the notion
he could actually REVERSE the disempowerment he's felt without being
able to name it- is literally treated like a drug or virus, entering
an untouched, unprotected system with no defenses to hold it back.
This is the direct, textual explanation for how Ken is able to
corrupt all of Barbieland with his newfound (and exceedingly
piecemeal) knowledge. It's the pink-and-pastel version revealing how
marginalization of a group can all too easily reproduce itself within
the marginalized group and directed onward towards others. Ken's
response to a realization of his previous disempowerment almost
instinctually is.....to re-create that same imbalanced power dynamic,
but just in reverse.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>However,
it's also far more nuanced and complex than the simple „man-hating
feminism“ critiques that the film was always going to have tossed
in its direction. Yes, Ken reacts from a place of pain, and instead
of rectifying the genuine mistreatment of the Kens merely replaces
one wrong with a worse one. But as the film clearly understands, this
dynamic, which repeats itself with depressing frequency in our own
world, usually (though not always!) comes from an unconscious part of
ourselves; we (usually) don't actively seek to do harm, but when we
react out of ignorance or instinct, we often do anyway.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
film is not able to offer a wholly satisyfing, in-world solution to
this; the Barbies retake control, but aren't yet willing to
contemplate full-scale Ken-quality, while a man remains in control of
the real-world company. The focus, in the end, is on a more radically
individual self-realization as a key to freeing oneself from toxic
dynamics. Messy, complicated, often achy, but necessary.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
lack of a more radical in-world shakeup is one reason why some argue
that Gerwig was, in the end, unable to make something deeper or
meaningful than „just a toy commercial.“ And there were
absolutely certain limitations baked into the project from the start,
let's be perfectly clear about that; this film was greenlit by Mattel
in the hopes that it will push products, full stop. That always
mattered more to them then gifting the world a great artistic
achievement. They are literally already marketing their new „Weird
Barbie“ doll, which explicitly misses the point of what made Weird
Barbie „Weird Barbie“ within the text of their own film. Corpos
will always corpo.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
film has OODLES of queer subtext (and sometimes just text), but some
have found both that and the film's brand of feminism too white, or
that the focus on the Ken/Barbie duality pushes out trans and
non-binary persons. This is a topic I, as a cishet White man, am
particularly unsuited to tackle. But I think it does bear mentioning
that the wonderful critic Emily St. James, herself a trans women,
wrote openly about her mixed feelings about the film's gender duality
while also lauding the fact that a trans actress (Hari Neff) plays
one of the main Barbies. Could the film have tackled gender
differently? She though yes, perhaps, BUT she also said that the
final sequence of Barbie deciding to become human reminded her of
coming out as trans, and made her cry in the theater to boot.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
she's not the only one to have that deep, visceral reaction, beyond
any standard critic of the film. Both that ending scene and America
Ferrera's earlier monologue about the burdens of just „being
female“ have touched a lot of viewers, including my own wife, who
found herself completely overwhelmed by it during our first
screening. And from what I'm seeing, a LOT of people- cishet women,
queer women, trans peoples, non-binary peoples, and even plenty of
men- have reacted to the film in similar ways. I genuinely don't
think the film would have been the smash success it is without that
reaction. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Taking
that all together, I feel that, even though I am sympatico with some
of the criticisms and do have a few structural nitpicks of my own
with the film's narrative, it's clear to me that Gerwig brought us
the absolute best Barbie film we could have possible received and
still had the official go from Mattel.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>My
personal obsession with Barbenheimer, however, has come to revolve
around the dual figures of Ken and Oppenheimer, prime examples of the
corruding influence of patriarchy and toxic masculinity. In some key
moments, their characters function as near-identical twins of each
other.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Yes,
I am about to compare Ken and Robert Oppenheimer. No, I am not high.
Bear with me.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>As
I've already said, both these movies are grappling with the nature of
power in extremely similar ways. Sure, the specifics are different;
reverse-patriarchy in a fictional plastic world and the WWII/Cold War
dynamic driving arms development aren't the sort of 1-1 comp you'd be
permitted to write your Masters thesis over. But, at least in the
cases of these two films, the primary male character is defined
almost entirely by an endless and contradictory internal struggle;
both desire power, recognition, and admiration, but once faced with
the prospect of actually <i>having </i>what they said they wanted,
they find themselves unable to cope. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ken
is, of course, more over-the-top; every possible emotion is turned up
to 11, as he huffs and puffs and bluffs across the Mattel multiverse.
He reacts like a kid dropped into Christmas Land when he first
discovers patriarchy and male privilege, then reacts in an equally
over-the-top manner when his own shortcomings are made plain. He
didn't know what the time was when asked- if he can even tell time-
so he acquired three watches. He feels Barbie failed him, failed to
appreciate him, so he takes over her house, tosses out her vintage
Barbie outfits, and brainwashes an entire mini-state. Still not
satisfied? Might as well choreograph a massive song-and-dance number
about blond fragility that involves all the Kens.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Oppenheimer</i>
plays a much more subtle game, but the same signs are there. Cilian
Murphy's portayal of the title figure is a masterpiece of subtle,
almost reptilian acting. There are a thousand ways his character and
reactions to events can be interpreted. He is a true cipher,
seemingly able to switch gears almost on a whim in a given situation
to try and elicit the reaction he wants. The real money question,
though, is which parts of him we see are genuine, which calculated,
and which ones the unconscious reactions of an overactive,
preoccupied mind. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>After
two viewings- and I reserve the right to revisit this as time goes
on- I think the shifts in his character reflect the same deep
ambivalence to power that plagues our Ken. Unlike Ken, Oppenheimer is
VERY smart, driven, ambitious, and very much enabled by patriarchy.
His personal ego is a constant reference point throughout the film;
he isn't even hired yet by General Groves before he sits him down and
starts explaining how the entire US military apparatus has been going
about the Manhattan Project all wrong. Which is certainly A Tactic.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Indeed,
the fact that all his genuis and professional reputation ends up
devoted to the creation of the ultimate WOMD makes it all the more
fascinating that the film's opening sequence- a whirlwind tour of
young Oppenheimer's education and encounters with prominent
physicists in Europe- follows the vein of a <i>Theory of
Everything</i>/<i>Beautiful Mind</i> biopic. This even though-
whatever important research he may have done as a student-
Oppenheimer's legacy does not reside in any particular atomic theory
or technical breakthrough or crucial scientific discovery he himself
pioneered. His legacy is the bomb, but even there, his achievement
was not the literal bomb itself, but rather his overhead management
and coordination of the vast, logistical and bureaucratic maze that
allowed its construction to happen. It almost feels like a
bait-and-switch. The atomic bomb is very much not the sort of „purely
good scientific discovery“ that this kind of scientist-centered
biopic tends to focus on.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Oppenheimer
succeeds in nearly everything- for a time- and attains status, fame,
prestige, and certainly some authority. And he knows it, too; in
another scene, he quite directly claims to be a 20th-century prophet.
However, like Ken, whenever he IS in a position of power and
authority, part of him seems to lose itself in the process. A
seemingly endless stream of contradictions appear in his words and
actions. Early on, we experience Oppenheimer as not just a precocious
scientist, but also a philosophical and intellectual idealist. One
line of his- „We embrace the revolution in physics, why can't we
embrace it everywhere else“- is about as perfect a screenwriting
distillation of character motivation as it gets. But time and again,
those ideals get tossed to the side, previous associations broken off
or offered as sacrificial lambs to shady government bureaucrats, once
they become an impediment to his rise. His spontaneous decision to
just lie to Pash (a scene that positivels <i>crackles</i> with
malicious energy) is a case in point. As is his decision- seemingly
on the spot- to just abandon a union drive that he had every right to
pursue and had pulled loads of his students into.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>His
deepest ambivalence, and even guilt bordering on masochism, is
towards the primary product of the authority and status he gains; the
bomb. In one scene, he says that humanity will HAVE to use it,
because otherwise they will never truly fear it. Later comes his
insistence is that „the scientists“ (him included) have simply
made the bomb, and carry no weight over when and how it will be used,
a sort of „washing of the hands.“ Then he's literally in the room
as its usage is being decided and he later claims to have „blood on
his hands“ as a result, even though he likely never had enough
actual clout to stop the bombing even if he wanted to. Which of these
reactions are genuine? Which are ones he's offering as justification
to others, or even to himself?</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
defends himself anew from at least some associative guilt during the
crucial securty clearance hearing in the later part of the timeline,
where he is challenged over his opposition to the H-bomb program and
gets defensive about the reservations many had about the bomb's
usage. Yet, when we go further back and see the moments where he was
offered chances to object- signing or presenting petitions, going to
the media, working government contacts, etc.- he hesitates. He tries,
haltingly, in the room with both the Secretary of War and President
Truman himself, to present a case for a more conservative, globalist
approach than the purely nationalistic arms races that ended up
happening. But even then, where he's literally <i>in the room where
it happens</i>, he seems unable (or unwilling) to argue what HE
thinks, to say „Mr. President, I believe this course is best
because...“ It's always „Some scientists feel,“ „some in the
community argue,“ „there are those,“ and so on.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Like
Ken, he's the dog that somehow caught a car and then didn't know what
should come next. He hides it better, of course, and in doing so is
able to retain something of that mythical air he wanted; he's
confronted several times with questions about what he, Robert
Oppenheimer, personally believes, and he always manages to never
really answer the question. He always seemed to want to be The Man of
Hour, which he literally is for a time. But the panopticon of horrors
opened up on the way there leave him with doubt, despair,
uncertainty, the feeling that perhaps he doesn't really belong, never
did, and never will, and maybe he really did guarantee the world will
end in flame.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now,
on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, there's Lewis Strauss,
portrayed with phenomal charisma by Robert Downey Jr. His performance
is every bit the work of art that Murphy's is, and it WILL net him
the Supporting Actor Oscar. This iteration of Strauss is just as
ambitious and egotistical and driven as his counterpart. But while
Oppenheimer starts to blink once he finds himself standing in the
light, Strauss knows exactly where he wants to go and refuses to
contemplate anything getting in his way. Yes, he makes that speech
about how real power is in the shadows, but he's fooling nobody; he
wants the sun every bit as much as Oppenheimer does.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Strauss
has known struggles Oppenheimer never encountered- we have no reason
to doubt that his humble beginnings and lack of formal education have
made it a fight for him to ascend the halls of power- and that gives
him a lot more bite. He, too, is driven by fear and doubt, but it is
of an entirely different nature to Oppenheimer's. Strauss NEVER
doubts that he deserves to make it, that he BELONGS in the upper
echelons of power (A CABINET POST!). What he fears is everyone around
him not accepting that, of conspiring to deny him what is rightfully
his. So he connives, he schemes, he lies, he very adamently insists
on the (debatably) less-Jewish pronunciation of his last name. And he
seemingly never doubts that Oppenheimer and his „cult“ are out to
get him.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
paranoid conviction is turned back on him at the very end, in one of
my favorite moments in the film. An early scene where Albert
Einstein, after speaking with Oppenheimer, seems to ignore Strauss is
revealed to have become something of a slow-burning obsession within
his mind. For Strauss, it's a catalyst for believing that Oppenheimer
turned the whole scientific community against him, thus denying him
the Cabinet post (A CABINET POST!).</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
then, right before his aide opens the door to the reporters waiting
outside, he suddenly drops the line that, maybe, they hadn't talked
about him at all. Maybe, in his words, they were focused on something
„more important.“ He then opens the door and the flashes of
cameras instantly fill the screen. There is then a cut to Strauss'
face and he clearly flinches, just for a moment.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now,
the most immediate (and, possible, more correct) interpretation of
this is that Strauss is reacting to the flashes of light. But maybe-
just maybe- he's flinching at a much deeper cut, at being confronted
so directly with the notion that Lewis Strauss just might not be that
important to occupy the minds of the Oppenheimers and Einsteins of
the world. It's a testament to the power of Downey's acting and to
the quality of the film around him that I can find such fascinating
interpretations of a single shot, yet where it's still open enough
that I can't be too sure.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Both
Oppenheimer and Strauss are shaped by the world of pre-WWII
geopolitics and the milieu of scientific discovery they grew up in.
They are both attracted to the power, both implicit and practical,
that comes with associating with the most terrible weapons humanity
has ever created. And though this particular movie would NEVER have
said it openly, their lives are very much defined and shaped by
patriarchy, by the forms of masculinity that defined what it meant to
be a man of consequence- and that time, it was ONLY men allowed- in
mid-20<sup>th</sup> century America. They are under the same shadow
that plagues Ken, and come to....well, not <i>equally</i> destructive
ends. Let's be fair here. But the trajectory is the same.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Perhaps,
in the end, </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oppenheimer</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is making the case that it never really mattered what Oppenheimer,
Strauss, or any other individual thought about the course of the war
and the development of atomic weapons. There is a visceral power to
the first two acts of </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oppenheimer</span></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
leading up to and including the Trinity Test, which very much can be
said to be one of the most consequential moments in world history.
The combination of the editing, Göransson's dynamic score, and the
pathos in the performances makes the blood pump, offering a sense of
physical propulsion as centuries of scientific discovery in various
fields all rapidly converge on a single point of creation that opens
up an entirely new world. It is understandable that so many,
including characters in the film, lament the development of the bomb
as a horrific cheapening of pure discovery (not to mention the
real-world harm inflicted on people both in Japan and living near Los
Alamos). Yet it may very well have been inevitable. Oppenheimer was-
perhaps- merely a pawn of greater forces, the last figure needed to
put the right pieces together.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
these forces roll onward. Nuclear war is still a threat, yes, but
when I contemplate that final image of a fire rolling across the
Earth, I begin to think on climate change, and the continued refusal
of humanity (as of this writing) to finally commit to a sane course
of action, to turn away from catastrophe.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
all the while, the Oppenheimers find themselves trapped in horrors of
their own design, and the Kens find themselves disempowered and
trapped in unrealities, but with neither able to quite grasp what
brought them there. And even more disconcerting, there is no
guarantee they can find their way out, find a place that is healthier
for them and for the world they inhabit. Though, if we're being
honest, Ken might actually have a decent shot. Oppenheimer, I'm not
so sure.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It's
because of such deep subtleties and expansive possible
interpretations that can be read into both films that has been
watching and re-watching them such enriching experiences. I thought
Barbenheimer would be fun, but not this challenging, this enriching,
this enlightening. It's for moments like these that I stick around
and keep on going to the movies.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">-Noah
Franc </span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-78013774688153839602023-08-17T07:28:00.001-07:002023-08-17T07:28:32.125-07:00Barbenheimer: The Aftermath<p><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">**as
of this writing, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are active and
ongoing. The rich and wealthy only win when the rest of let ourselves
be tricked into fighting with each other over unimportant minutia.
The rich and powerful hold all the cards and are never to be trusted.
Ever.**</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>**If
art matters to you, do what you can to show support, and consider
donating to the <a href="https://entertainmentcommunity.org/">Entertainment Community Fund</a>**</i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>It
started as just a funny, almost throwaway, "Haha, how weird are
we" idea.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>When
I mentioned to my old Cinema Joes co-hosts that my wife and I would
be in New York City late July, we figured we should make sure to meet
up and see a movie. As it happened, we would be there just for the
week of the 21st.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>"Hey,"
said Alex, "That's Opening Day for Barbie AND Oppenheimer. Why
not....see both?"</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>I
figured nothing on Earth would be more hilariously incongruent that
Greta Gerwig's Super Feminism spin on glitzy, plastic, pastel Barbie
and the latest iteration of Nolan And His Serious Men Do Serious
Things. I almost immediately starting joking about this being the
„most perfect double feature since <i>Grave of the Fireflies</i>
and <i>My Neighbor Totoro</i>.“</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>After
awhile, though, I started to notice that we were not the only ones
who'd stumbled onto this idea. Indeed, not only did the idea of a
Barbie/Oppenheimer double-feature seem to be something a lot- a LOT-
of people were seriously planning on doing, the jokes and memes and
<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/de/shop/barbenheimer+posters">fake posters</a> became such a viral hit that the inevitable mash-up
name was soon coined.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>And
thus, Barbenheimer was born.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>Well,
Opening Day has come and gone- ours even including a pop-in by Greta
Gerwig herself, for a healthy extra dose of unreality- and
Barbenheimer is no dud. Indeed, it has proven itself a massive,
potentially groundbreaking, social and cultural Moment on a scale I'm
still struggling to wrap my head around. Both movies smashed opening
weekend expectations and are still going strong. <i>Barbie</i> in
particularly is steamrolling one record after another. As of this
writing, it's already landed Gerwig the honors of biggest opening
weekend ever for a female-helmed film, as well as the first-ever
billion-dollar film directed solely by a woman, and I feel safe
predicting it will end up the year's highest-grossing film.
<i>Oppenheimer</i> won't reach quite the same highs- a 3-hour Nolan
biopic was never going to hit the billion-dollar club- but it has
kept pace in exceeding every prediction made and its success is just
as inequivocable.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>Barbenheimer
is, indisputably, The Movie Moment of 2023.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>Best
part of all? The cherry on top? Both movies...happen to be good!
Like, really good. Fucking amazing actually. Like, "If we didn't
already have <i>Spider-Verse </i>out these would already top my
Year's List" good. "I've already seen both films a second
time and might just go a third time" good. (I'll stop now)</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>Beyond
the memes and the staggering box office totals, it's the near-equal
quality of both films that still has me in awe of the Barbenheimer
phenomenon. It's rare enough for two movies to simultaneously capture
audiences like this; I honestly can't remember an equivalent moment
like this within my lifetime. It's even rarer for both those movies
to not only be good, but "best of the year" good, maybe
even "masterpieces for their respective genres" good.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>We've
had years where two or three separate films hit that <i>Zeitgeist</i>
soft spot and proved real game changers, but never something like
this, with two such films releasing on the same day and- rather
competing for box office oxygen- somehow lifting each other up
through some strange cinematic symbiosis. The release of the first
Harry Potter and LOTR movies in 2001- with 9/11 still fresh in
everyone's minds- <i>might</i> be the closest comparison from my
lifetime, as it broke down the invisible walls that had previously
kept fantasy out of the mainstream and arguably defined the template
for franchise filmmaking that later made the Superhero Boom possible.
But even that is but a faint comparison; the movies were not released
at the same time, were never box office competitors, the internet
(such as it was) was a whole different planet from today, etc. Plus,
while the LOTR trilogy still stands as a masterpiece of filmmaking
craft, the Harry Potter movies.....don't, and, well....let's leave it
at that.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> <span> </span>Now,
I have also seen the articles and posts about some staggeringly
strange and/or awful behavior from certain moviegoers that might have
let the Barbenheimer juices <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/08/05/barbenheimer-bad-movie-behavior/">get to their head</a>. Or, as some have
argued, perhaps in a „Post-COVID + Streaming World“, too many
have just forgotten how to behave in a theater. Possibly true,
possibly not, but I don't get the sense this is dimming the moment.
There are always idiots about, and when huge numbers of people gather
for something like this, there are bound to be a few more idiots too.
</span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>There
is also cynicism about the films. Some say <i>Barbie</i>, no matter
how good, can't overcome the fact that it was (very explicitly)
envisioned by Mattel to be a spectacularly expensive toy commercial.
<i>Oppenheimer</i> has been criticized as being far too apologetic
about, or uninterested in, the costs of both Los Alamos (infringement
on Native American rights, lack of radiation protection for workers
and other locals) and the atomic attacks on Japan. Plus, any Nolan
film is subject to (not wholly undeserved) scrutiny over how the
story treats women.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>Some
of these critiques are fairer that others- and some fall into the
„tell me you didn't watch the movie without saying you didn't watch
the movie“ barrel- but for space's sake let's hold off the meatier
thematic discussion for another post. What I'm trying to get at here
is that even if one movie or the other falls short for certain
viewers, and even if some people really have forgotten how to behave,
there seems to be nothing quite able to dim the supernova of the
moment.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>And
from where I'm standing, with all the worry and stress over the
future of filmmaking and storytelling, the complications AI bring to
the picture, all the absolute bullshit the wealthy powerbrokers of
the industry are trying to pull in the face of historic strikes.....I
think it's kind of beautiful and something of a fucking miracle for
us to have this moment to enjoy, where two seemingly different
(though, as I will later argue, not <i>that</i> different)
masterpieces of the craft of filmmaking are here to remind us just
how special movies can be, and how- box office records aside- much as
the wealthy want to, you really can't put a price on that.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span> </span>So
let's enjoy it, everyone. I wasn't kidding when I said I was
seriously contemplating a third go-around. Our world needs to be
fought for, but we can't keep up the strength for it if we don't
treat ourselves when we get a chance like this.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Noah
Franc </span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-65499395008398260262023-02-23T12:52:00.002-08:002023-02-23T12:52:41.660-08:00My Top Ten Films of 2022<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>It's that time of the year
again....the dead early months of a new year where we have nothing
better to do than look at the previous year that's over and gone!
Yay!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But really folks, 2022 was actually a
very, very stacked year. There was absolutely minimal daylight
between the films in the upper half of this list, any of my honorable
mentions are justified being on other Top Ten lists, and there are
STILL numerous, highly-regarded, awards-nominated films that I
haven't had the chance to get to yet. This is a year that could very
well end up looking a whole lot different for me in a few years once
I'm caught up. But for now, this is the ranking of my current
favorites.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Honorable Mentions: <i>Turning Red</i>,
<i>The Northman</i>, <i>Sunday Runoff</i>, <i>The House</i>, <i>Three
Thousand Years of Longing</i></span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>10. <i>Avatar: The Way of Water
</i>(James Cameron)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I'm just gonna say it up front; this
is here exclusively thanks to the massive, „Whale Hunters Can Get
Borked,“ <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-most-cathartic-action-scenes-of-2023.html">action-smorgasborg of a finale</a>. Sure, the 3-D is once
again jaw-dropping, the world-building effective and immersive, and
in spite of all its narrative simplicity and occasional shortcomings,
these characters do work in the context of the film. That's all well
and good. But none of that raises the film above its constituent
elements. Certainly, none of those factors have made me think twice
about wanting to see the film again.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But that finale? Absolute chef's kiss
of a sendoff and one of the single greatest big-screen experiences of
recent years. And for that alone, this film has earned my admiration
and praise. It is a wonder and delight to experience, enjoyable in
the most cathartic way possible. I'm sorry I doubted you, James.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">9. <i>Belle</i> (Mamoru Hosoda)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Hosoda always manages to make
something interesting and memorable. Though if I'm being nitpicky,
his early films still hold more weight for me. And it IS rather
unsettling how the middle portions of this film ape <i>Beauty and the
Beast</i> wholesale. Also Hosoda retains an optimism about humanity
in the digital age that is, let's say, something of a stretch
post-2016.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>NONETHELESS. When he wants to hit you
right in the Feels, he always manages it. I don't know if the
narrative direction of the film succeeds to the same extent that,
say, <i>Summer Wars </i>does, but when it goes for broke and the main
character overcomes all her shyness and trauma to lead the masses in
a gentle, melodic song....damn if it doesn't hit the perfect sweet
spot. Plus, as with all his films, his work is absolutely gorgious to
look at.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">8. <i>Glass Onion: A Knives Out
Mystery</i> (Rian Johnson)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>All aboard the Benoit Blanc Train,
CHOO-CHOOOOOO!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I love how Rian Johnson has managed to
create a whole new character-driven whodunnit franchise, based on
absolutely no previous IP, almost on the fly. Sure, the social
commentary of the films is a bit on the nose, but honestly, most of
humanity has spent the past decade proving they will ONLY listen if
you hit them square on the nose (and even then it's iffy if the
message is retained). Craig has truly found his element as a weirdo,
gay, middle-aged Kentuckian with a penchant for ruining people's
mystery games, but what puts both this film and its predecessor over
the top is that each one pairs him up with a woman of color with the
mettle and will to tackle injustice. I could watch a million of these
and never get bored.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Also, in the light of the, let's say,
<i>unique</i> way the ending plays out, I motion to formally replace
the phrase Tchekov's Gun with Johnson's Mona Lisa in the greater
cultural lexicon. I will elaborate no further; those who have seen
the film will understand why.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>7. <i>Nope</i> (Jordan Peele)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I find it absolutely fascinating how
increasingly cerebral and dense Peele gets with each new entry in the
latest „Horror as Social Comedy“ (also known as „Horror“)
phase of his career. Each one adds on new layers of commentary on the
nature of racial and social inequalities, the nature of filmmaking
and where it intersects with business, how movements for justice can
be so quickly turned on their heads, and so much more. <i>Get Out</i>
remains the most „accessible“ of the three to date, but you can
spend hours dissecting all of them and still leave plenty of stones
unturned.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Nope</i> is on a whole other plane
of existance though, a riveting and fantastically shot
monster-mystery about the capacity of humanity to fool itself into
thinking it can control what is so clearly beyond its understanding.
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer are the perfect leading duo, two
siblings with a believable, lived-in dynamic that allows us to infer
much and to understand why they decide to react to the situation the
way they do.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. <i>The Woman King</i> (Gina
Prince-Bythewood)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This is the film on the list that felt
most like a throw-back to old-school Hollywood scale in the best way
possible. A story that sprawls through space and time, this chronicle
of a real-world, all-female military unit and one girl's journey of
self-realization via its ranks, this has some of the best music,
action, and ensemble work of anything that came out this year. There
are more narrative nitpicks I could make with this film compared to
others on this list, but in the moment, when the spectacle is playing
out in front of you, there was nothing that could keep me from
feeling invested in how it all would play out. And that- being able
to rise above any possible tears in the fabric- is the stuff classics
are made of.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Also, I....I may be desperately in
love with Lashana Lynch. I could not take my eyes off her for one
second in every scene she was in. Does my dear Saoirse Ronan have
cause for jealousy???</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. <i>The Batman</i> (Matt Reeves)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I expected it to be awhile yet until
another <i>Batman</i> iteration would be able to stand alongside
Nolan's modern classics, but, amazingly, Matt Reeves pulled it off,
the bastard. All the classic elements of what we all inevitably
associate with Batman are here- though Pattinson's take on Bruce
Wayne is a touch more gothic than most- but it never feels tired or
repetitive. Each character and story aspect is able to feel different
in just enough ways for this to work as its own mystery thriller that
builds and builds over a runtime that, while long, never feels
overdrawn. Paul Dano and his utterly terrifying smile is absolutely
perfect for this new, alt-right-flavored version of the Riddler, and
I think it's clear to all of us that Colin Farrell was nominated for
the wrong film. I had the sudden urge to rewatch this one two weeks
ago, and it was a very good decision.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>4. <i>Prey</i> (Dan Trachtenberg)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Fucking hell, man. I have long since
internalized the lesson that all new <i>Predator</i> and/or <i>Alien</i>
films are to be avoided like the Goddamn plague. And I was all set to
ignore <i>Prey</i> forever....but then the hype train started up, I
was made aware that it centered a Native American woman and featured
a legit Native cast, and in spite of myself I took out a flyer....</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>….and the result was one of the best
films I saw all year and one of the best pure action films this side
of <i>John Wick</i>. Like its both its heroine and the titular
Predator, this movie is a lean, mean, fighting machine, with great
music, perfect setup, a great camraderie between its mains, and
effective and brutal fight scenes that cover quite a lot of ground in
terms of variety. This should absolutely be the movie that puts Amber
Midthunder on the map and makes her a fucking star.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And that's all there is to say. A
<i>Predator</i> film has cracked my Top Five. Fucking hell.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. </b><i><b>Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever</b></i><b> (Ryan Coogler)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I haven't found the emotional courage
to rewatch this one yet, because I know it might break something in
me. This movie should either not have existed at all, or been a
disaster. There were certainly enough reasons for either to end up
being the case, and even though I picked Coogler as my favorite
director of the 2010's....I confess, I was worried.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Somehow, they pulled off a miracle,
and made a movie that works as a great sequel to a modern classic,
while ALSO being an emotional sendoff and tribute to a good man taken
from the world far too soon. Every part of the film, from the design
to the music to the characterizations, is an evolution from the
first, not just the retreads most sequels tend to fall victim to.
There is real emotional pain in seeing the two singular places on
Earth untouched by colonialism come very, very close to destroying
each other via the same feaux-Darwinist, dog-must-eat-dog principles,
and only just managing to pull themselves back from the brink. It's
an amazing accomplishment that defies ranking or direct comparison to
other comic book movies, MCU or otherwise.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. <i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i>
(Martin McDonagh)</b>/</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ah. <i>There's</i> my McDonagh. I was
one of the few people on Earth willing to go to the mat to defend
<i>Three Billboards</i>, though like with my <i>Hobbit</i> defenses,
that effort has not aged well. This, though, <i>this</i> is what made
McDonagh one of the best playwrights of the 21<sup>st</sup> century,
what underwrote the masterpiece that is his debut film <i>In Bruges</i>;
pure, undiluted Irish self-loathing and an endless capacity for
self-sabatoge.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The whole gang is back. Not just
McDonagh, but also Farrell and Gleeson as another duo trapped by
their own flavors of patheticness. Even Carter Burwell is back with
another fantastic score, <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2023/02/my-top-film-scores-of-2022.html">one of the year's best</a>. However, what I
think really elevates the material and grounds it, keeping it from
sinking <b>too</b> far down the sinkhole of its own nihilism, is the
presence of Kerry Condon. As Siobhán, Pádraic's sister and most
likely the only person on the whole island with anything close to
intelligence and a moral compass, she gives the perspective of the
„eyes unclouded“ that this sort of story always needs. She was
the one character I wanted to make it through okay, and thank God she
did. Not much else does, though, which is just the way things go in
McDonagh's version of the green country.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1. <i>Everything, Everything, All At
Once</i> (The Daniels)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Sometimes, picking out my number one
out of a pool of equally-worthy competitors is an agonizing blood
sport. Sometimes, it's astonishingly easy. EEAAO was the easiest pick
I've had for my #1 since at least <i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i>, with
nothing ever really coming close to knocking it off its perch. This
is everything I want in a movie, the reason I keep going to cinemas
and don't just sit back and take whatever the streaming services
permit me to enjoy. It literally does try to encompass EVERYTHING;
comedy, drama, fantasy, action, random references to media I grew up
with, awesome music, challening philosophical or theological content,
at least a little mystery at the start, and by the end the feeling
that I have experience a grand journey of the sorts that is only
possible via great storytelling.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Thankfully- and this too is worth
appreciating- much like <i>Parasite</i> a few years back, this is an
instant classic that IS getting its due now, when it's out and fresh,
and there is no need to wait a generation before people finally catch
on to its brilliance. It profited well in theaters and has been one
of the biggest awards contenders of the season. As it absolutely
should, because this is a masterpiece that everyone- and I do mean
everyone, everywhere, all the time- has to see and experience at
least once.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>-Noah
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-14398421838251495592023-02-16T13:04:00.001-08:002023-02-16T13:04:37.180-08:00My Top Film Scores of 2022<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>We've already started off the yearly
listicle tradition with a bit of fun LINK, and now it's time for the
first of my two mainstays. Truly great film music always holds a
special place in my heart, since its effects are doubly reinforced by
having images and scenes to accompany them in my memory. The
following were, for my money, the most standout original scores (and
some songs!) to be part of films from 2022.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">8. <i>The Banshees of Inisherin</i>-
Carter Burwell</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k8b3ZurEN1Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="k8b3ZurEN1Y"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I don't know yet if Burwell's latest
will have the same iconic impact that his first collaboration with
McDonagh for In Bruges had. Even if not, this is still a fitting
accompaniment to one of the year's best movies, its sounds sitting
perfectly within the clefts of empty Irish countryside.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">7. <i>The Northman</i>- Robert
Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-SzcuM_iNjI" width="320" youtube-src-id="-SzcuM_iNjI"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Carolan and Gainsborough went above
and beyond to research traditional Icelandic and Viking instruments
and musical styles, and their efforts pay off handsomely. Though the
film may not reach the same heights of Eggers' last two works, the
passion underlying it is clear and it was a real experience to watch.
The ravishing and discordant sounds of the score, plus the guttering
sounds of human voices in many of the tracks, put you in just the
right frame of mind to experience the chaos of revenge and violence
that follows.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">6. <i>Belle</i>- songs and score
by Kaho Nakamura, Ryo Narita, Shota Sometani, Tina Tamashiro, Lilas
Ikuta, Koji Yakusho, and Takeru Satoh</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-6w_opp7Doo" width="320" youtube-src-id="-6w_opp7Doo"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Belle</i> is already more or less
the third Internet Movie that Hosoda has made to date, and while I
would consider <i>Summer Wars</i> to be a superior version of this
kind of film, this one is still one of the year's best. And a big
part of that is the music, particularly the songs, which are
beautiful and varied, but also catchy, staying in the mind long after
viewing. The opening track is still my favorite, though the final
melody with the crowd singing along does hit the feels in just the
right way.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. <i>The Woman King</i>- Terence
Blanchard</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dCacl9pLcc4" width="320" youtube-src-id="dCacl9pLcc4"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>The Woman King</i> felt like the
ultimate throwback to the grand, longform historical dramas of Old
Hollywood, and Blanchard's score falls into the same category. True,
it definitely has far more authentic African elements than any
previous iteration of American cinema was capable of, but it still
has that larger-than-life feeling that manages to lift you up on its
shoulders while the drama of the characters plays out in front of
you.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. <i>Prey</i>- Sarah Shachner</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yWaUJv6w2RM" width="320" youtube-src-id="yWaUJv6w2RM"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Prey</i> was easily the year's
biggest surprise for me- everything else on these lists were films
that I went into with at least a reasonable expectation that I would
like them. But the 500<sup>th</sup> Predator sequel? Did not see that
one hitting me between the eyes like a laser-guided arrow. Not only
was the action tight, the drama compelling, and the lead actress
utterly badass, the score by Shachner was pretty damn good too, with
the pulse-pounding end credits theme being the perfect final
punctuation.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">3. <i>The Batman</i>- Michael
Giacchino</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cwcinb2OxUo" width="320" youtube-src-id="Cwcinb2OxUo"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Giacchino is one of the modern-day
greats, so there is no surprise in seeing him here. What I
particularly appreciate about his work here is how, while it is very
much in a similar style to Hans Zimmer's iconic work in Nolan's
trilogy (which, I think, is very much ripe for revisitation), it is
quite clearly its own beast. Most superhero movies from the last 20
years have something like this sound; very driving, with big chord
progression to punctuate the action, but most of them don't stick the
way this one does. It's an instant classic. But again, this is
Giacchino, so that should surprise no one.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2. <i>Everything, Everywhere, All
At Once</i>- Son Lux</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N2QSvYwrEaI" width="320" youtube-src-id="N2QSvYwrEaI"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Son Lux found exactly the right mix of
the familiar and the unsettling, perfectly mirroring the chaotic,
literally-anything-can-happen tone of this masterpiece of a film. The
cleverest bit, for me, is how it repeatedly works in the „Suite
Bergamasque,“ one of Debussy's iconic piano pieces. At first, the
theme is kept mostly straight, but is then more broken up and
piecemeal the more it comes back, mirroring the mental state of a
mother and daughter struggling across eternities and dimensions to
come to some acceptance and understanding of the universe they both
feel trapped in. Definitely the most groundbreaking work to come out
of 2022.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. <i>Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever</i>- Ludwig Göransson</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pSOUJNyBDug" width="320" youtube-src-id="pSOUJNyBDug"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Like the film itself, Göransson
achieves what should be impossible; he doesn't recreate the magic of
his original (and still iconic) score for the first Black Panther,
but rather evolves and builds upon it, reforming and revisiting
certain themes that evoke the first score, but never quite mirror
them. New elements are introduced to reflect the introduction of the
Talokans, a Mesoamerican version of Wakanda that imagines another
possible reality free from the taint of colonialism. The most
powerful moments for me are the altered theme that plays when Shuri
appears as the new Black Panther, a dark driving force in the music
reflecting how her own rage and lack of closure dominates her initial
reasons to embrace the mantle, until she is finally able to defy the
darkness and rise above it.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Up next, the official Top Ten Films
List!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>-Noah
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-37008905908026145552023-02-15T03:46:00.004-08:002023-04-24T02:19:01.976-07:00The Most Cathartic Action Scenes of 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbmL2pEb6CFJ3yhOvN-xB1F38qWZEaEVZ-P62YPObCO7Y2jmMgkOMaT9OOHxfEtWxrfbhsdqYDGG1fs2IZJrT9RagYlvEHUVre1Mzp79CRTo-6mT026MRntVuTsD51fFf27Qr6mEj3fisOBdm-7Sxh9qV3i_o3jrfi_S3ABpHGKMbNH8mf4L8BqmweQ/s1997/IMG_4224.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1997" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbmL2pEb6CFJ3yhOvN-xB1F38qWZEaEVZ-P62YPObCO7Y2jmMgkOMaT9OOHxfEtWxrfbhsdqYDGG1fs2IZJrT9RagYlvEHUVre1Mzp79CRTo-6mT026MRntVuTsD51fFf27Qr6mEj3fisOBdm-7Sxh9qV3i_o3jrfi_S3ABpHGKMbNH8mf4L8BqmweQ/w400-h166/IMG_4224.webp" width="400" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Some of you may recall that, all the
way back in 2017, we ended up having a year so jam-packed with
excellent, ground-breaking action scenes that I felt compelled to do
an extra special <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-top-10-action-scenes-of-2017.html">Top Ten list</a> just to honor them properly.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There have, of course, been other
great action movies to come around since then, but no year has ever
been able to follow 2017 in terms of sheer quantity. That reminds a
very special year as far as that is concerned.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>HOWEVER. Upon revisiting 2022 in
preparation for my latest Best Film and Best Score lists (coming
soon!), it occured to me that there was enough material on hand to
offer a unique variation on this theme.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>You see, while the sheer volume of
top-tier action may not have been as high as in 2017, a small
sub-group of movies from the past year- cutting across genres,
subject matter, and budget levels- served us some memorable sequences
where some of the absolute worst examples humanity has to offer got
their commupance in gloriously cathartic fashion. Since we remain
stuck in the timeline where most of the worst people on Earth are
still walking free and unencumbered with anything approaching shame
or reproach, it was a relief to have the big screen give us at least
a few moments of terrible assholes getting exactly what they deserve,
right when they deserve it.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And so, let's take a few minutes to
reflect with gratitude on the Top 7 Most Cathartic Action Scenes of
2023. Because life is hard and we deserve it.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>7. Pinocchio- Right
In Il Duce's Face</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Okay okay, no, this is not an action
scene, but stick with me. We're having fun here.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Del Toro's astoundingly creative
re-telling of the classic tale- and yes, it was the ONLY Pinocchio
film to come out this year, now that you mention is- goes hard as
mofo in so many ways it would take us a while post to unpack them
all. But if I had to pick one personal favorite thing, it's when Il
Duce himself pops into frame, only to get the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L90smU0SOcQ">Führer's Face</a> treatment from a mutant tree-boy.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>All things considered, he takes it
pretty well.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>6. Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever- Talokans wreck an entire CIA ops vessel</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>We all see movies on this channel, so
we all know the deal when a secretive vessel filled with Americans,
mostly ex-military, suddenly turns up. Baaaad shit, that's the deal.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But in a twist that cleverly
establishes the threat that the Talokans present- not an easy feat in
an extended cinematic universe that has already seen almost every bad
guy power imaginable- before they can even START to think about all
the sinful violations of nature their uncovered stash of vibranium
would permit, strange voices come out of nowhere and just...ends
them. No warning, no buildup, no sense that the primary POV
characters here ever truly grasp what is going on. It's like an
old-timey horror story about sea monsters sprung to life, and from
that moment on, it is not possible to overestimate Namor.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>5. The Batman-
Batman goes apeshit on right-wing terrorists</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I, too, wish that before January 6 had
gotten really bad, Catwoman and I had been able to jump in with a
load of high-tech gear and spend an hour beating the living pulp out
of a bunch of chickenshit, wannabe terrorists seeking to murder duly
elected public officials. We all do!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Sadly, I didn't get to do that. But at
least Batman was able to get pretty close! There's a lot to love
about the latest Pattinson romp, and I am very much going to return
to this well multiple times before these lists are over. But for now,
I pour one out to the thrill I fell seeing the glass dome over the
tape-heads cave in and their body language revealing that they were
just now realizing they'd hopped onto the wrong train.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>4. Nope- Trespassing
Motorist go WHEEEEE</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I have had <i>Nope</i> bouncing around
my head for months now and I still don't feel any closer to having a
full grasp of the film in my head. It's that deep and complex.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There is, however, one moment during
the absolute banger of a finale that requires no depth whatsoever to
understand, because even a child could grasp how fucking funny it is;
when the asshat TMZ-motorist, channeling his inner Jake Gyllenhaal,
drives right smack into the invisible wall of the creature's
anti....electrics....force-field....thing, and the result is just
about what you's expect. I am <b>slightly</b> disappointed that Peele
didn't punctuate the glorious shot that follows with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUL5w91dzbo">Goofy Yell</a>. But only slightly, because I could at least let it play in my
head.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>3. The Woman King-
Burn that Slave Compound to the Motherfucking Ground</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Is it historically accurate? No,
sadly, it is not. But there were few moments in 2022 as deeply and
profoundly satisfying as seeing a host of top-of-the-line female
warriors go absolutely nuts burning an entire slave complex to the
ground in revenge for them daring to cross them and take one of their
own. This movie was a capital C, capital E, Cinematic Experience from
start to finish, and this climax was the proverbial icing with
chocolate sauce on top.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>2. Prey- In Which
the Predator offers a Considered Critique of Colonialism</b></u></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It is a must that any self-respecting
<i>Predator</i> movie feature at least one group of non-main
characters, in way over their heads and not truly knowing it, who
exist merely to get their asses literally shaved off and handed to
them by our favorite, insane-tech-wielding, alien seriel killers. And
if you are going to set your movie in the Great Plains and feature
Native American characters, who better to pick for this fine duty
than a group of White trappers who see no difference between hunting
bison and kidnapping/murdering other human beings. Wanna go one step
beyond? Make 'em French.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Seriously though, this is part and
parcel of why this movie is one of the year's best. <i>Prey</i> is so
good at establishing the dynamics between Naru and her tribe and
making you very aware of the dangers she faces, that when the
literally-scene-chewing lead trapper and his gang of bison-murderers
appears you suddenly find yourself in a middle section of the film
where you can't fucking <i>wait</i> for the Predator to appear and
sharpen his blades on French cuisine before the final showdown
happens. And when he does appear, it does not disappoint. Ever bit of
gear, every gadget we've come to know and love, all make an
appearance and each is used multiple ways for some of the most
creative kills this side of the <i>John Wick</i> franchise.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>1. Avatar: The Way
of Water- Who Whales the Whalers?</b></u></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The crowning jewel of 2022. This was not just the
year's most purely cathartic moment, this was, hands-down, the best
action sequence of the year <i>period</i>. Masterfully crafted and
paced, it includes every form of action imaginable- involving every
creature, weapon, gadget, and body part available- and yet, it never
loses sight of a single character or part of the battlefield for too
long. THIS is Cameron at his absolute best, and the best showcase for
why he is still one of the greatest filmmakers alive. I don't love
everything he does or every decision he makes, but it's sequences
like these that make the interminable waiting between his projects
worth it, because when he finally deems something ready to be seen,
it really is ready.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now, I don't want to get into a pissing contest over
which group of real-world supervillians are ACTUALLY „the worst,“
but...yeah, poachers are The Worst. Plus, Cameron goes the full,
painful distance in establishing precisely how much suffering and
trauma is needed to kill just a single tulkun (and is based partially
on actual whaling practices), so when our boy's new best friend
lunges out of the water and arcs over the ship at just the right
moment....yeah, I <i>may</i> have shouted in pure, exhilerated joy in
the middle of a crowded theater. The many minutes that followed were
an extended sequence me of whispering and/our shouting,
„Yes....YES....nice...NICE! Daddy LIKE!!!“</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I doubted. I was convinced Avatar's time had come and
gone and this film would flop, wouldn't be worth the wait, wouldn't
be worth the hype or even good at all, wouldn't be able to top the
genuinely revolutionary experience that watching the original was.
And to be fair, the movie as a whole has its issues and is far from
perfect. But this whole final climax? It's as perfect as it gets.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And now that we are good and positively motivated,
let's all go out and make a billionaire cry. Because when a rich
person feels sad, an angels gets their wings.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>-Noah </span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-90288293989399469512023-02-04T07:11:00.001-08:002023-02-09T03:10:02.255-08:00One Last Time<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMejwK3YuMdyB8RavS0KVtGnNKE13ZocFP84k2zYQtY-hynOIlZXNU2RyXpdD2SY__CSLjjc08eO6LcoU5FXzX3UPNNMp195tPKBfnynZ7HpO6g9dwQ4g1-NlZJwblxvA0_2OVKi3LFmUFinpO_vHxxNUvTPFo0gy9NCUh74UgwneM_-a08Mbz2VmEQ/s4032/Scorecards%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMejwK3YuMdyB8RavS0KVtGnNKE13ZocFP84k2zYQtY-hynOIlZXNU2RyXpdD2SY__CSLjjc08eO6LcoU5FXzX3UPNNMp195tPKBfnynZ7HpO6g9dwQ4g1-NlZJwblxvA0_2OVKi3LFmUFinpO_vHxxNUvTPFo0gy9NCUh74UgwneM_-a08Mbz2VmEQ/w400-h225/Scorecards%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The pages in this picture are the sort
of scraps most people wouldn't think of as particularly valuable. At
least, not valuable enough to go through the effort of having them
laminated for preservation's sake. Then again, I've never really
trucked with most people.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>These are, as you can see, three
classic, scratched-on-with-pencil baseball scorecards. No, they are
not from a particular World Series. They are not from any games that
involved a record-breaking HR or K, a 300<sup>th</sup> win, a
no-hitter, triple-play, walk-off grand slam, or anything of that
sort. It's more personal than that. These are my scorecards from the
very last three games played by the Braves in Turner Field, the
original stadium I knew as a child and where my lifelong
obsession/addiction/neurological deficiency concerning baseball was
born.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span>I hadn't been able to see a game there
since 2000, the year my family swapped out a Georgian zip code for
one in New Jersey, right smack dab in hostile Yankee territory. I'd
always intended a return pilgrimage, but through high school,
college, relocating to Germany, and getting settled into a new
career, the right time had never really come around.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>As soon as the team announced the
plans for a new stadium, however, I knew I couldn't wait around
anymore. A hard deadline- the end of the 2016 season- had been set. I
arranged with my parents that my combined Christmas and birthday
gifts for that year would be a big Atlanta trip to see the very last
baseball series before Turned Field would be converted to a football
stadium and the team would relocate to SunTrust (now Truist) part in
Cobb County (ironically, right near where I'd grown up).
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>That last series took place over the
final three days of September, the 28<sup>th</sup> to the 30<sup>th</sup>,
closing out the 2016 season, Atlanta Braves versus the Detroit
Tigers. It's quite a remarkable thing, looking back now at the
strange pocket dimension that year now seems to exist in. 2016 was a
year of a great many endings. Which, in retrospect, was fitting. For
those of us who lived through it, it was the year where „everyone
died.“ It seemed, at times, like every week a new icon- musicians,
athletes, actors, artists, historical icons, old and ailing or young
and victim of a freak accident, you name it- left us, in most cases
quite suddenly. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Genn Frey,
Elie Wiesel, Kieth Emerson, and Carrie Fisher were the ones that hit
me the most, but that doesn't even begin to scratch the top of the
tip of the iceberg. It got so bad that for years afterwards, the
sight of a new famous person trending on Twitter produced an instant,
terrifying dread in the gut.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It was the year I got fired for the
first (and so far, only) time in my life. It was the year Jon
Stewart, easily the most politically influential figure for many in
my generation, handed off the reigns of The Daily Show. And- because
we can't afford to forget it- yes, it was also the year of Brexit,
the end of the Obama administration and the waking nightmare that was
the Worst Presidential Election.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>But that last part was still in the
future when we landed in the Atlanta airport late September. For
myself, my Dad, and an accompanying friend, for the next few days
there would just be baseball games, hopefully good ones. Lucky for
us, they were, and the scorecards tell the stories.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>We had gone to at least several games
a year when I was a kid. My parents had had the connections to be
invited to sing the national anthem at both the previous stadium,
Fulton County, as well as Turner Field itself the year it opened. The
stadium had originally been built for the 1996 Summer Olympics and
then converted for baseball purposes immediately afterward. Though
there were exceptions, we usually had seats somewhere in the right
field bleachers, with the lettering of the right fielder always very
clear to me, especially after I started wearing glasses.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>That was in the midst of the glory
days of Bobby Cox, where the Braves ruled the East exclusively.
Sadly, by 2016, the Braves were in the midst of a pretty brutal down
period; the years of 2014 to 2017 are, to date, the only consecutive
years of my lifetime where the Braves suffered repeated losing
seasons, though 2016 was the only one of those years where they ended
up with the indignity of a last-place finish. Having been born
literally months before Bobby Cox took the helm and the franchise
began its record 14-year streak, I fully accept that I am quite
spoiled as a fan. That never makes losing any easier, though, and the
sad truth is that I had been too young to experience the lone World
Series title from that run, all the way back in 1995. The first
playoffs I remember following in real time were in 1997, which ended
for the Braves in fairly humiliating fashion, and since then I had
exclusively known playoff heartbreak. I still longed to experience
that moment every fan waits for; when their team wins the absolute
final game of the year and has unassailable bragging rights atop the
pile for exactly 12 months.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>To get there, new management under
John Coppolella had begun a significant teardown and rebuild of the
entire team the year before. The crew that, starting in 2010, I had
hoped would be The Ones to restore the team's luster- Freddie
Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, the Upton Brothers, Mike
Minor, Evan Gattis, Andrelton Simmons- had not proven up to the task,
much to my disappointment. With the sole exception of Freddie
Freeman, everyone else was slowly traded off for prospects and draft
picks. This was something that a lot of teams were doing at the time,
drastically cutting payroll while restocking the farm system, though
its promises of success remain....well, let's say disputed.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>At any rate, by the end of 2016 only
the first glimmers of fruit from the Atlanta rebuild were starting to
show. Specifically, at this point, all eyes were on Dansby Swanson.
The 1st-Round draft pick by the Diamondbacks a year earlier, he had
been acquired the previous winter in a blockbuster trade where the
Braves sent Shelby Miller (himself acquired the offseason prior for
Jason Heyward) to Arizona in exchange for Swanson, Aaron Blair, and
Ender Inciarte. Even at the time it was considered an absolute steal
for the Braves, even more so once Swanson got his August call-up.
He'd made an electric first impression by the time the Tigers were in
town, ending up with a .302/.361/.442 slash line and over 1 bWAR in
just over one month of baseball. He was, at this point, considered
the face of Atlanta's future, alongside Freddie Freeman, and was
being actively marketed as such.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The coaching staff was in flux as
well; Cox's successor, Fredi Gonzalez, had been let go after a dismal
first month of the year, and Brian Snitker- lifelong Braves
franchiser and at that point the AAA manager- was up in what was
still officially only an interim capacity. None of us had much of an
opinion on Snitker at that point. I certainly didn't. He wouldn't
really endear himself fully to most Braves fans until the following
summer, when he went absolutely nuts defending Ronald Acuna during
The Urena Incident. But that's a story for another time.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>While the Braves were ultimately not
playing for anything more than their own pride- there was no chance
to rise out of 5<sup>th</sup> place- they would at least have the
opportunity to play the spoiler, since the Tigers came to town still
holding a mathematical shot at the Wild Card. A long shot, to be
sure, but if they swept the Braves and either the Orioles or Blue
Jays faceplanted, they would nab a Wild Card spot, so there were
actual stakes in the air as we filed in for the first game. At my
request, our seats for the first game were in my old stomping grounds
in right field.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVWROeC-INwqa9gS9hcxX3Mp5sPMyxrYgifF1J9ggpyOV1KjS6EaBo465HoYP1EEUFpuP46i3Sbz_mt6w48OSc-VD-cQkVzuHQFNtOCGw9_EWtAUFNsh6-pdocVjwPJtN5R-O00dizSQWBfSZuIv7XfCoWEOgl_eM07eQz5s88_IfqzMGx5NsaQnbEg/s4032/Scorecards%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVWROeC-INwqa9gS9hcxX3Mp5sPMyxrYgifF1J9ggpyOV1KjS6EaBo465HoYP1EEUFpuP46i3Sbz_mt6w48OSc-VD-cQkVzuHQFNtOCGw9_EWtAUFNsh6-pdocVjwPJtN5R-O00dizSQWBfSZuIv7XfCoWEOgl_eM07eQz5s88_IfqzMGx5NsaQnbEg/w225-h400/Scorecards%202.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>A look at the scorecard for the game
provides a picture of the main lineups for both teams, which only
changed minimally over the coming days. Daniel Norris started for
Detroit, while Matt Wisler took the mound for Atlanta. Like Swanson,
Wisler was a product of the rebuild, gotten from the Padres for Craig
Kimbrel and the Melvin „The Lesser“ Upton, though unlike Swanson
he would prove to have no staying power.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Miguel Cabrera was, as he had been for
years prior, the beating heart of the Tigers lineup. Just a year
removed from his 4<sup>th</sup> batting title, he was still one of
the most dangerous and feared hitters in the game, though 2016 ended
up being his last truly great year; he topped 30 HR, 100 RBI, a .300
AVG and .500 SLG for the last time, and would later receive his 7<sup>th</sup>
and final Silver Slugger award. You'll also notice a few other names
that are still kicking around the big leagues, like James McCann, JD
Martinez, Nick „Long Line Drive To Left“ Castellanos, and Jose
Iglesias, as well as a personal favorite of mine, Justin Upton. He,
along with his brother, had been another of the core Braves traded
away as part of the teardown, also heading to San Diego for the 2015
season, only to be shifted over to Detroit a year later. And so it
was that he was also a part of the closure of Turner Field, albeit on
the opposing team.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The Braves countered with Freddie
Freeman and Matt Kemp at the center of their batting order. Freddie
was already the steady veteran for Atlanta and the clear, spiritual
successor to Chipper Jones, though he was still yet to get more
mainstream recognized for his greatness- his Gold Glove, MVP award,
Silver Sluggers, and the majority of his All-Star selections were
still in the future at this point- but we already knew what we had in
him. Swanson was, of course, set to start all 3 games, as was his
trade partner, Ender Inciarte.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Ender has, unfortunately, not been
remembered well by Braves fans, which I must admit I have a hard time
understanding. He never hit for power, but he is the most recent
Brave to have a 200-hit season, and 2016 marked the first of 3
straight Gold Gloves he won for his work in CF. He filled in a
crucial position for these years and provided the coverage needed to
get to the new outfield the team currently has, so he will always
have positive marks in my book.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Less forgotten, though for my money
still underappreciated, was Nick Markakis, at this point in his 2<sup>nd</sup>
year with the team. Brought over from Baltimore to replace Heyward in
right field, Markakis would go on to be one of the most important
clubhouse leaders alongside Freddie Freeman. He not only bridged the
divide between the rebuild and success, he made it over to the other
side, serving as a veteran presence for the first three Division
Titles and playoff trips starting in 2018 and up through his
retirement after the 2020 season. For me, he will remain as important
a part of the team from these years as anyone.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Unfortunately, there was not much
positive to say after the conclusion of the first game; the Tigers
jumped on Wisler early and the Braves never really put up a fight.
The 6-1 romping was highlighted by a Cabrera power show, as he hit
his final two homers of the season within the first 3 innings to more
or less put the game on ice. It IS of interest to note the appearance
of the name d'Arnaud for Atlanta as a pinch hitter late in the
evening; this is NOT the Travis d'Arnaud who would end up catching
every inning of the '21 World Series run, but rather his older
brother, Chase. Travis, 3 years younger, was indeed in the bigs by
this time, but was still suffering from that unfortunate medical
condition known as PFTM (Playing For The Mets). His time would come.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Something that I had apparently
forgotten completely until I sat down and combed through these for
the first time in years; I actually saw K-Rod himself close out this
game. Like Cabrera, Francisco Rodriguez was in the last of his truly
great years, though it had already been awhile since he had shattered
the single-season saves record with 62 in his 2008 campaign with the
Angels. He came in for the final inning and- what else- struck out
the side. It wasn't a save, since the lead was too big for that, but
it was the final inning he pitched that year, and he would retire
shortly after the 2017 season began.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>There was, then, still playoff hopes
in the air for Detroit when Game 2 began the following evening. It
was Breast Cancer Awareness Day, so while the foam tomahawks handed
out the night before had been the classic red, this time they were
pink. This being noted; it would perhaps behoove me to now address
the question of the Atlanta name and its still-ongoing tradition of
The Chop. Yes, I grew up on it and very, VERY stubbornly clung to it
as a young adult, convinced that stopping would guarantee even worse
disaster than what I had already experienced as a fan. And I was
still doing it in 2016, and chopped and chanted along with the crowd
during the games. I clung to all the old excuses; it was just sports,
it was something from my childhood, it's not <i>that</i> offensive,
etc., etc.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It would take another 3 years before I
could finally find the mental strength to admit what, really, I
always knew. The name „Braves“ itself might be a bit sketchy on
its own, but there's no denying that The Chop is stereotypically
racist, ESPECIALLY since multiple actual tribes living in Georgia
have said so and asked for it to stop, up to and including Native
American major league players. I still have those two foam relics
from the games for memory's sake, but I have stopped using them and
very vocally support the team stopping it as well.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The name is, for me, a touch stickier.
However, as hard as it is to detach myself from the Braves name, I
think here, too, change would be for the better. And though the usual
suspects would bitch and moan no matter what, in the end, the real
fans would come around. I don't have any excuse or justification for
why it took me so long, nor for the fact that I did it one final time
in a large crowd, that holds water. It is what it is, and all I can
do is try to be better now.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbndQZm-8aaHn7FZx_YFNVmQAuSxJSE0PvwYUNTWaBZeJHj-kpwy5GpxHzLTt6ISDofKnri6o4a-yAiNM-GcUvC_Tg6FCxSlETT_MCWLZix_0zOhAGiUjQJjhn9kg9Sfb68Y9zahReWrZy4-HsyAQ0BcBgjmDkppsOg2ueCYzLm6qygjJMAJ2_XBTlg/s4032/Scorecards%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbndQZm-8aaHn7FZx_YFNVmQAuSxJSE0PvwYUNTWaBZeJHj-kpwy5GpxHzLTt6ISDofKnri6o4a-yAiNM-GcUvC_Tg6FCxSlETT_MCWLZix_0zOhAGiUjQJjhn9kg9Sfb68Y9zahReWrZy4-HsyAQ0BcBgjmDkppsOg2ueCYzLm6qygjJMAJ2_XBTlg/w225-h400/Scorecards%203.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>This, too, was all in the future at
that point. On that day, all that counted was the game. For this one,
we were seated a few rows into the left field side of the outfield.
This would usually be prime real estate for foul balls, but on this
particular day we would end up having no luck. This second matchup
featured Aaron Blair as the Braves' starter, the last of the Arizona
trio that Atlanta had stolen the year before. The rest of the Atlanta
lineup shook up similar to the night before, though Jace Peterson got
the start here at second base, with Swanson moving from 7<sup>th</sup>
to 8<sup>th</sup> in the batting order. Peterson is another player
mostly forgotten as time has passed, but I always saw him as an
absolute killer with the bases loaded and an effective and clutch
utility guy. He didn't shine much in this series, but he is another
one of those faces I will always remember fondly.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-WjMrm2VSids_PQmjKnQxkiFVxrD6Q-Dpih0KcL7VGZH5LgXyuFjmjz6pFUBP5C40VHwWnDnE93l80SjgCYgCiB2TUaR_d44Cp0aUDg-RYk7Es9HxCR9Ivk0uTasYwYGWjzAF67oeVqEarKapJ1IEAtbM2FID8kUSgf-0nNkpH2pmgNcminyyd5SGQ/s4032/Scorecards%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-WjMrm2VSids_PQmjKnQxkiFVxrD6Q-Dpih0KcL7VGZH5LgXyuFjmjz6pFUBP5C40VHwWnDnE93l80SjgCYgCiB2TUaR_d44Cp0aUDg-RYk7Es9HxCR9Ivk0uTasYwYGWjzAF67oeVqEarKapJ1IEAtbM2FID8kUSgf-0nNkpH2pmgNcminyyd5SGQ/s320/Scorecards%204.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The Tigers countered with Jordan
Zimmerman, someone I knew well as a longtime member of the Nationals
up through 2015. Otherwise the Tigers lineup also remained mostly the
same, with one notable exception; Jarrod Saltalamacchia, at that time
proud owner of Baseball's Longest Last Name, started as catcher. He,
like Justin Upton, was another former Brave, though his path back to
his starting point had been much longer and more winding; he had just
a brief stint in the bigs with Atlanta back in 2007 before being
flipped to Texas in the ill-fated Mark Teixiera trade. Since then
he'd bounced from Texas, to Boston (and was part of the 2013 Dream
Team), to Florida, to Arizona, before landing with Detroit that year.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>This game was a much closer and more
exciting affair than that from the night before. The Braves had a
strong all-around offensive showing; home runs by Freddie and Kakes
were the primary blows, but five different players in total came
around to score. This included Dansby, who had two hits and reached
base three times, following him reaching base twice the night before.
Aaron Blair proved more effective than Wisler the night before,
limiting Detroit to just two runs in six innings plus. I should note,
though, that that last one- a Justin Upton home run to start the 7<sup>th</sup>,
which is what chased Blair- would end up being the final home run in
Turner Field, since the ball would end up not leaving the park at all
in the final game.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The crucial moment for both sides came
in the 8<sup>th</sup> inning; the Braves had a
solid-but-not-invulnerable 5-2 lead heading into the top, when the
Tigers managed to start things off with a double, followed by a pair
of walks. Just like that, the bases were loaded, no outs, and <b>gulp</b>
Cabrera himself coming up to bat. A utility reliever, Mauricio
Cabrera, had gotten the Braves into this mess, so Snit pulled him for
another utility player, Chaz Roe, to get them out.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>After what seemed like an eternity,
Roe managed the impossible and got Cabrera to strike out swinging. We
cheered like mad, but of course with the bases loaded the chance that
the game could flip completely was still too high for comfort,
especially since Martinez, the next man up, was not that much less
dangerous a hitter.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Roe did about as well as he could; he
got the ball on the ground, a sharp grounder to the left side.
Swanson took it from there. With a dive, he caught in on the dirt,
got to his knees, and made the quick first throw to second to start
the inning-ending- and game-saving- double play. The Tigers made some
trouble the next inning against Jim Johnson, scoring one more run,
but in the end he managed to close things down. The game was over,
the Braves had won, and with that defeat, Detroit had been
mathematically eliminated from contention for the Wild Card.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Chaz Roe had been a late-season
addition from Baltimore; that 8th inning was just the 20<sup>th</sup>
he pitched for Atlanta all year. The very next year he appeared in
only 3 games before being cut. He ended up being picked up by, and
sticking with, Tampa Bay through 2021, but has not appeared in a
major league game since. He currently has just an 11-8 record and
3.89 ERA in 217+ innings for his entire MLB career, for a grand total of 1.2 bWAR. Maybe not
much to brag about, comparatively speaking. But for that one crucial
inning, he was our Superman.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The final game the following afternoon
was bookended by festivities connected to the closing of the stadium.
We had prime seats up behind home plate and slightly to the left,
offering a near-perfect panorama of the entire complex. In a creative
pre-game ceremony, an all-time roster of the best players at each
position from the Turner Field years was called out to take up their
positions one last time before the first pitch, and it was quite a
trip down memory lane; Brian Jordan, Gary Sheffield, and Andruw Jones
manned the outfield. Adam Laroche came in for first, Marcus Giles for
second, Rafael Furcal at short, and, obviously, Chipper Jones at
third, with Javy Lopez catching. And of course, John Smoltz, Tom
Glavine, and Greg Maddux came out as a trio to throw out first
pitches. Bobby Cox was there as well, and Hank Aaron, still with us
then, was of course present throughout. It was the perfect start to
the day.
</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGJZ_7e9PhTeOT0dnrnIw_6fyfoaNxB6kKmDXYGAlxlpBik8XF4to0LVu4TfAi_5H-DNidlDlOTNFkYR0hEYU_GrTEX9ybFQGgygyjzN0wkoGbuEA_jwwQgmzer2vWy6_fd-o44LDAHmvLONqGBuFrE3NXlDV8vMdvXiLo72lkweDDYk5N2X4r8y2Ug/s4032/Scorecards%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGJZ_7e9PhTeOT0dnrnIw_6fyfoaNxB6kKmDXYGAlxlpBik8XF4to0LVu4TfAi_5H-DNidlDlOTNFkYR0hEYU_GrTEX9ybFQGgygyjzN0wkoGbuEA_jwwQgmzer2vWy6_fd-o44LDAHmvLONqGBuFrE3NXlDV8vMdvXiLo72lkweDDYk5N2X4r8y2Ug/s320/Scorecards%206.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSrvtqipuX7MIH_N-i20v5Yh0o32Tkuatpg0sGc4YYGUJEmZguB7SFPbHiECIX3d1QS57VD3jGxm8GmS9cNpCMAw-dW-jroe6wGn6EIHFMIEQvr2kBAWy6mCrceNPGAGqaRZPsEeF8FWOUc_KvuePh_BA_IZdh_aJMjFTORgnImZchKrC-FT_2Bmujw/s4032/Scorecards%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSrvtqipuX7MIH_N-i20v5Yh0o32Tkuatpg0sGc4YYGUJEmZguB7SFPbHiECIX3d1QS57VD3jGxm8GmS9cNpCMAw-dW-jroe6wGn6EIHFMIEQvr2kBAWy6mCrceNPGAGqaRZPsEeF8FWOUc_KvuePh_BA_IZdh_aJMjFTORgnImZchKrC-FT_2Bmujw/s320/Scorecards%205.jpg" width="180" /></a></div></div><p></p></blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>As far as the lineups were concerned,
both teams ran out carbon copies of their rosters from the first
game, except that Swanson was once again 8<sup>th</sup> and Peterson
stayed at second. The primary difference, of course, was the pitching
matchups. Justin Verlander, by then already a legend and surefire
Hall of Famer, started for Detroit. And opposing him on the Atlanta
side, my personal favorite Braves pitcher from the 2010's, Julio
Teheran.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>I can't say what, exactly, drew me to
Teheran back when he was still just a top prospect in the late
2000's. All I know is that at some point I landed a Bowman Chrome
prospect card from him at a show and thought, „This guy looks cool.
I'm rooting for him!“
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> W</span>hile his career never went as far
as I'd hoped, he fulfilled the role of durable starter, year in and
year out, better than I think anyone ever fully realized. Prior to
2016 he'd had back-to-back years of topping 200 innings pitched,
something that has only gotten rarer ever since then. Seven straight
seasons of 30+ starts, a pair of All Star selections, tied the record
for Opening Day starts; his was honorable service.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>And today, on this most special of
days, he stood toe-to-toe with one of the defining pitchers of his
generation. This was a classic pitcher's duel; both went seven
innings, with Teheran striking out 12 and Verlander 8, and only a
single old-school run made the difference. The Braves struck right
away in the 1<sup>st</sup> with a pair of singles, followed by a sac
fly by Freddie. And that was it. Once Teheran was done, Ramirez and
Johnson pitched a scoreless inning apiece to secure the victory. It
stayed tense to the end; exactly like the night before, Detroit
managed to get a runner to second with no one out in the 8<sup>th</sup>.
And also exactly like before, following a strike out (this time of
pinch-hitter Victor Martinez), the rally was killed by another
Swanson-led double play; a sharp liner by Kinsler went straight into
Swanson's glove, and with the runner having hesitated just a second
too long, Dansby had just enough time to flip the ball back to double
him up.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The last out, ironically, was Justin
Upton, who went down swinging to end the season. So it is that Upton,
though no longer with the Braves, claimed the strange, dual legacy of
having both the final home run AND final strikeout at Turner Field.
Cue the music and everyone was jumping and chanting as the players
came out to celebrate.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>The most meaningful was still to come;
as a podium was set up for a row of speeches, which we would end up
listening to on the radio on the way to dinner, Hank Aaron was once
more brought out onto the field to help remove home plate, which was
then transported over to still-unfinished SunTrust to be installed at
home. A true passing of the torch from one stadium to another, guided
by one of the greatest people to ever pick up a bat.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>And so the series, the season, and the
20-year-reign of Turner Field came to an end. We had some time left
in the city before we flew back and returned to our daily lives. 2016
continued to be an otherwise awful year that portended still worse to
come. I continued to adjust to my new line of work, which ended up
being exactly the career change I had needed. In less positive news,
my longstanding friendship with the person who joined my Dad and I
fell apart a short while later for rather horrific reasons, which I
will not put into print here. This was the last time I saw and spent
any time with this person, but I have never seen any reason to let
what came later color the memories. They are not worth that.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>As far as the players and teams were
concerned, this was the last season that Detroit was relevant as a
playoff team. Cabrera began a significant decline the very next year;
though his incredible counting stats have continued to grow and he is
now putting the final touches on his legacy, he has ultimately been
only exactly average at best, and in some years worse than average,
as a daily player. Verlander has so far managed to avoid such a fate.
A year later he was no longer with Detroit, having been traded to
Houston in time to contribute to their drought-breaking (and, we
would learn later, ethically questionable) World Series title in
2017. He has since won two more Cy Youngs, passed the 3,000 K mark,
and stands a chance to be the first pitcher since Randy Johnson to
reach 300 wins (knock on wood). He will sail into Cooperstown when
his time comes, as will Cabrera.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Speaking of the Hall of Fame,
actually, it was in this very offseason of my writing this that
Francisco Rodriguez hit the writer's ballot. As one of the all-time
saves leaders, he does have a not-insignificant argument for entry,
but he only just barely stayed on the ballot with about 10% of the
vote. It remains to be seen what sort of chance he has to build on
that. Justin Upton moved on to the Angels, and was very up and down
before finally being cut last year. As of now he has not retired, but
neither has anyone been willing to take out a flyer on him. His
playing days are quite likely over.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>For Atlanta, things would get worse
before they would get better. Over the coming offseason, the
franchise would get slammed by a massive scandal involving illegal
signing practices in Latin America that would land Coppolella on the
MLB banned list and leave the Braves severely restricted in the
international draft for years to come.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It was a nightmare for us fans, an
absolute humilitation right when we were hoping the team was close to
returning to more positive relevance. The direct result of all this-
Coppolella banned and his cohort, John Hart, resigned in disgrace-
was the hiring of Alex Anthropoulos (AA) to refill the General
Manager role. Brain Snitker was retained for at least another year to
ensure at least some continuity. In time, we would come to appreciate
this as two of the best things to happen to the franchise in years.
Snitker proved able to manage and encourage a positive clubhouse
culture that would be crucial in the team not letting the draft
scandal affect on-field play.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Thankfully, the team moved things forward rapidly. Dansby was joined as a future
face of the franchise the very next year by Ozzie Albies and Ronald
Acuna Jr., and shortly thereafter Austin Riley, Max Fried, and others
came up and shone too. AA runs one of the tightest ships in baseball
and is able to operate with almost frightening secrecy, pulling off
signings and trades that few, if anyone, saw coming. And, a few bad
decisions aside (*cough* Ozuna <b>cough</b>), his moves have tended
to work out incredibly well.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>There have been ups and downs. Acuna
has had a rough time of it staying healthy and Dansby went through
several years' worth of growing pains at least partially connected to
the expectations we were heaping on him back in 2016. Despite that,
the rebuild very quickly started to work better than we dared hope at
the time. Just two years later, the Braves stormed out ahead of
middling competition and reclaimed 1<sup>st</sup> place in the East.
And they have held it since, with their current streak of titles at
five and counting.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Even better was to come. 2018 and
2019, partially thanks to terrible luck, continued the old trend of
the Braves making the playoffs only to be immediately bounced by a
lesser team. 2020, ironically the short and very strange „pandemic
season,“ was when that uniquely Atlantean curse was broken, with
the Braves advancing all the way to the NLCS and forcing the
powerhouse Dodgers to go a full 7 games to beat them and win the
pennant.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It would not be for another year
before the next step would finally come to fruition. Though many
teams have jumped on the much-derided „tanking“ bandwagon-
crashing the professional roster into the ground and cutting costs in
favor of collecting draft picks- the Braves are thus far only the 3<sup>rd</sup>
team to fully tank, following the 2016 Cubs and 2017 Astros, and end
up with what, in theory, is the whole point of putting the fans
through that sort of pain; a World Series title.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Yes, 2021 was finally the year my
5-year-old inner child was sated, and the hopes that I still carried
with me during that final series at Turner Field were made manifest.
Despite an absolutely morbid first half of the season, and the loss of
cornerstone players like Acuna to injury, the remaining core- plus a
trio of midseason trade aquisitions (Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, and
Jorge Soler) who turned into minor demigods once the playoffs
started- came together like never before. First, they reclaimed the
division from Mets and Phillies teams that had been floundering as
much as the Braves had. They easily dispatched the Brewers despite
not having a fully healthy pitching staff, and then got their revenge
over the Dodgers for the year before to claim their first pennant
since 1999.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Facing them in the World Series was
the Houston Astros, baseball's current Evil Empire. Technically,
Justin Verlander was still on their roster, but he was out from Tommy
John at the time, so there was no fateful rematch to be had there.
Nonetheless, and despite it not exactly being a series for the
history books, the Braves did what they had to, including overcoming
even more freak injuries to key players, to capture their first World
Series since 1995 and only the 4<sup>th</sup> in the team's 150+ year
history. Soler, Freeman, and Swanson all hit titanic home runs that
put the final game away early and quite decisively. Fittingly, it was
those last two, the only two holdovers left from the 2016 roster,
that sealed the deal; a groundball in the bottom of the 9<sup>th</sup>
was hit out to short with a runner on. Swanson fielded it with ease,
and after taking a moment to decide which base to target, fired a
shot to Freeman at first. The ball hit Freddie's glove, his arms shot
up into the air, and he burst out into a smile that could ignite a
star. Dansby was so overcome that, for a moment, he could barely keep
his hat in his hands. Despite all doubts, despite all comers, the
Braves were top of the pile at last.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>As pure and as beautiful as the moment
was, of course, nothing ever truly lasts. Freddie Freeman had been
the one major player to remain as an achor for both the team and the fans throughout the entire
rebuild. His first career home run, off future Hall of Famer Roy
Halladay all the way back in 2010, had me immediately smitten. The
years that followed had me hoping, praying, expecting, that he would
follow in Chipper's footsteps and remain a Brave for life. But that
contract was in its final year in 2021 and what little word that got
out about extension talks hadn't been encouraging. It didn't
overshadow the moment, but the worry did start to creep back once the
dust had settled and the champagne spray dried.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It took a bit for things to clear up,
especially since that winter saw the first lockdown in the sport
since 1994. But in the end, after the lockout ended, the worst did
indeed come to pass; Freddie didn't just leave, he signed with the
fucking <i>Dodgers</i>. There was some very muddy drama around this,
around how close he actually may have been to staying with Atlanta
and some questions over whether or not his agent fucked up big-time
in his talks with AA. Honestly, at this point, I don't care about
what the truth may be, since no explanation can change the hard fact
that, immediately after reaching the heights he had stayed on to see,
Freddie was gone.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>It didn't feel real. It still doesn't.
But baseball, and life, and time itself stop for no one. And,
incredibly, the Braves would not just recover, they would go on to
win a whole 12 more games in 2022 than they did the year before.
True, they were unable to repeat as WS champs, but they outlasted the
Mets in a fantastic Division race to keep their new streak of
dominance alive.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>Much of this resilience was thanks to
the leadership of Dansby Swanson, who had overcome the pressures and
struggles that followed 2016 to become the leader and perennial
winner we always knew he could be. And yet...he, too, was only under
contract for one more year. And once again, despite all the positive
things going right for Atlanta, despite an incredible amount of
talent locked down for literally a decade at exceedingly
team-friendly cost, we were once again confronted with the specter of
an otherwise good year ending with another pillar leaving.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>And once again....the worries were
wholly founded. Before the New Year, and before I sat down to begin
this winding exercise of my memories, Dansby Swanson departed as well, signing with
the Chicago Cubs.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>And so it is, over 6 years after I
attended that last series at Turned Field, when Swanson's star was
just beginning to rise and Freeman's was on the cusp of being better
appreciated by the sport, five years before those two would combine
to make the final out of a long-awaited, triumphal championship
run...both are gone. I will watch the clip of that final out for the
rest of my life. There will always be a slight tinge of sadness in
those moments, regrets that, though so many other players stuck
around, it was precisely those two that ended up leaving in short
order.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span>But flags, as they say, fly forever.
And some memories never fade.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjvEiXQOnfjYz1UXaZs8VAWoMEeatfmE_hJL98ieMcBrNbhjVI3sOUtLjhyWk_boZiQAW8FtzvmzsoTiGilz46d-9GBkpThLRQXDn8Si9GF8YTyJudxVj9mqs22dnLoQnnqj7wOELjOvPf_-6KPZQMIUWvLymZQRrklW_yu2aOwPW4IeCdvz6g7teOQ/s4032/Scorecards%207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjvEiXQOnfjYz1UXaZs8VAWoMEeatfmE_hJL98ieMcBrNbhjVI3sOUtLjhyWk_boZiQAW8FtzvmzsoTiGilz46d-9GBkpThLRQXDn8Si9GF8YTyJudxVj9mqs22dnLoQnnqj7wOELjOvPf_-6KPZQMIUWvLymZQRrklW_yu2aOwPW4IeCdvz6g7teOQ/w400-h225/Scorecards%207.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-89125807573079808442022-11-05T10:04:00.002-07:002022-11-06T07:35:35.829-08:00Adapting Tolkien: Reflections on The Rings of Power<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93FsOxcTdU43pwTkftbbYb6iGPb-wv9fE5kmaAutlXhrRGQmmS6CUgBe1bkTFU49OrpJUVQ_mjM5qR6y3yFSp3ixuUNbk_0GoFtcW8Kz4KRO5_LZawbAUv2UhLAz26Qu9jtC9zZD6G5Y40agNY8HHC4U9mB2N9_nSiyqyYggk3r3GPn_AMZQIm-NThw/s1200/The-Rings-of-Power-Galadriel-Comet-Featured.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93FsOxcTdU43pwTkftbbYb6iGPb-wv9fE5kmaAutlXhrRGQmmS6CUgBe1bkTFU49OrpJUVQ_mjM5qR6y3yFSp3ixuUNbk_0GoFtcW8Kz4KRO5_LZawbAUv2UhLAz26Qu9jtC9zZD6G5Y40agNY8HHC4U9mB2N9_nSiyqyYggk3r3GPn_AMZQIm-NThw/w400-h225/The-Rings-of-Power-Galadriel-Comet-Featured.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i>**this post contains spoilers for
pretty much all of TROP**</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A small group of travelers traverse a
series of starkly beautiful landscapes, blissfully empty of other
peoples. One of them sings a sweetly meditative plainsong tune that
reflects on the demands of the road and the hope of what may come
next. And in one of the final images, one of the persons is seen
staring at a night sky full of stars, his eyes filled with questions,
questions without answers, regarding who and what he is.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This sequence, the opening of Episode
5 of The Rings of Power, is easily the most magical and memorable
moment in the entire show to date. It was the one part (other than
perhaps the opening prologue) that convinced me I was seeing people
lose themselves in the majesty and granduer of Middle Earth. If only
we'd gotten more.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Let's maybe get one thing straight at
the beginning; this post is not be a beat-down of TROP. At the end of
the day, Season 1 of Rings is...fine! It's fine, and in many spots,
genuinely excellent. Much of the cast brings their A game (though not
all....we'll get there), and the decision to play up Sauron's role in
the fall of Numenor as a reactionary demagogue is very much A Choice.
The production design, music, and attention to detail is far too good
for the show to not be at least moderately entertaining. And by the
end, we did get a first round of Rings, though they were inexplicably
shot in such a way that made them look like an ad on daytime TV. It's
just.....so very weighed down by its own ambitions, and while it's a
perfectly serviceable fanfic for Tolkein die-hards, I can't see too
many not already well within the fold buying in.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This is due to a lot of factors, but I
think the biggest bigbear is how the story is split up. Specifically,
that it's split up into way too many pieces. We have one storyline
with Galadriel and her obvious PTSD issues, Elrond seeking out Durin
and the dwarves, a Woodland elf on human-guard-duty (which involves
his lady love interest and her son), plus another with the Harfoots,
who are obviously proto-hobbits, because of course. There is <i>some</i>
meshing of the characters and storylines by the end, but not
completely, and with only a few exceptions there are really no
significant character moments that cross the narrative streams, so to
speak.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And really, it's all a touch too much.
Especially since these are nearly all characters either from the more
obscure lore (Gil-galad, Celebrimbor, Durin IV) or wholly original
inventions, meaning not even diehard Tolkienites have any prior
knowledge of or attachment to them. These broad narrative decisions-
which feels like putting four seperate carts in front of a single
horse, then asking the horse to move all four at once- is especially
frustrating because of just how blank the canvas is they had to paint
on. While LOTR and The Hobbit tell the stories that matter most to
the Third Age, and The Silmarillion and its adjacent stories cover
the First Age very, very thoroughly, the Second Age is left almost
entirely open. It has the most room to play around in while still
being true enough to canon to satisfy purists, so there was no reason
to bite off so much right from the start.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Really, its the exact inverse of how
LOTR is structured. There, we first meet the hobbits plus Gandalf,
then expand to the whole fellowship, and then have an entire
movie/book just devoted to them as a group and their dynamics. That,
in turn, creates the interest and investment in each one that carries
the story onwards after the fellowship is broken and we have two
books/movies covering multiple, separated narratives. This is, for my
money, the master key that makes LOTR such an enduring and compelling
story, even for those who aren't otherwise fantasy fans; the
emotional core between the central characters is masterfully
established and explored <i>before</i> they split up and things get
more complicated, making the ultimate return and resolution of it all
even more worth the experience.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Here, we have a whole lot of stuff
going on in different parts of Middle Earth right from the start and
only hints as to how it may tie together in the end. Being the nerd I
am who has read everything published under the Tolkien name, I had
enough in my memory to fill in certain gaps, catch and appreciate
some references, and make some educated guesses as to where things
were going. And yet even I found myself struggling at times
to....well, to care. Which is kind of fatal for a show like this!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I think the solution here would have
been pretty simple, really- instead of 4+ narratives, just focus in
on two- Galadriel and Elrond. They are the only two major figures in
the show who are a) canon and b) are already in popular consciousness
thanks to LOTR, so having them as the focus, at least at first,
allows casual viewers to get accustomed to the different actors,
different settings, different place names, etc. And then, once a few
new characters are better established, you have more leeway to expand
the story's focus going forward. Though I must admit, if there is a
serious weakness in the Elvish part of the story....I'm sorry, but
whether its him or the direction he got, Benjamin Walker ain't it for
Gil-galad. I mean, this is GIL-FUCKITY-GALAD. The legendary last King
of the Elves who personally led the final assasult on Mount Doom, who
could only be killed by Sauron himself. And for the entire season
his, tone, look, mannerisms, everything, suggest less „Immortal
Lord of Light who will Fuck You Up“ and more „Moderately Bored
Middle Manager at Wal-Mart.“</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But let's be merciful and leave that
be. Returning to Elrond and Galadriel, I actually think that, given
the legacy of Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, Morfydd Clark and
Robert Aramayo really do hold their own, managing to find younger,
less hardened and more adventurous sides of the characters that I
think we absolutely needed. Clark has one of the best moments in the
entire show when, confronted by Halbrand, she admits how scarred and
traumatized she is by saying that she „literally cannot stop“
hunting orcs, seeking prey, looking for war and battle. It allows a
more nuanced take on a person who otherwise is just sort of
background decoration in the Middle Eart universe. It also lends
tremendous thematic weight to her decided to finally forego her
blade- in a way, giving up fighting itself- to aid in the created of
the Three. I hope this signals a turn from Galadriel, Warrier-Queen
to a Galadriel who will now seek to become the Lady of the Wood who
fights by protecting life, helping things grow, and providing shelter
from the world rather than rushing off to spend more blood.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Plus, and this is a big personal
argument for me, Elrond's storyline (so far) is very dwarf-centered
and is the best chance we've yet had to really have more dwarf
cultures, nations, and peoples front and center in a Middle Earth
story. The dwarves are easily still the most underseen and
underserved of all Middle Earth races. This is a long-running,
structural problem with Middle Earth storytelling that goes all the
way back to the source. Even <i>The Silmarillion</i>, as exhaustive
as it is, has long stretches where the children of Durin are not
mentioned beyond „Something something <i>Daaark Looord</i>,
something something Elves! Oh and the dwarves are kicking around
doing.....things....now back to the Elves!“ The first chance to
break this mold was obviously with the <i>Hobbit</i> trilogy (since
even in the original book, the dwarves are basically just
rope-a-dozen stock characters), and that....didn't end well. So we
still have lots of ground to make up here.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>What makes this an especially easy
call for me is that the show has already offered us a GREAT
foundation for more fantasy drama in the vaults of Khazad-dum. The
personality strife between Durin and his father is some great,
family-politics stuff. Plus, Owain Arthur and Sophia Nomvete have
INSANE chemistry together and <span style="font-style: normal;">I
would sit down to watch an 80's style sitcom of their home life </span><i>right
now please and thank you</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. I
mean, okay, I don't know if we needed a detailed, pseudo-scientific
explanation for how mithril was created. And the effect of the dwarf
scenes was marred somewhat by its concluding reveal that a...falling
leaf? Was what awakened the Balrog that Gandalf fights?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Actually,
that bit dovetails nicely into my biggest gripe with the show; its
insistence on stuffing easter eggs and trapdoor origin stories for
the people, places, and things from LOTR into every nook and cranny.
This is the same trap the Hobbit fell into, and we complained then,
but here we are; Tolkein adaptations are still unable to fully free
themselves from the shadow that Jackson still casts over the entire
franchise. From the leaf, to that fucking surprise origin story for
Mount Doom (because The People demanded it, I guess), to the Harfoot
storyline being way too cute by half in </span><i>really making sure</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
we know it's Gandalf that fell into their midst, every one of those
they shoved in just kept reminding me that, oh yeah, the LOTR movies
still exist, I should go rewatch them!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Additionally, speaking of the
Harfoots- and this is a purely personal gripe on my part- we've had
enough hobbits/hobbit-adjacents. I know, I know, the Harfoot cast is
all great, Markella Kavanagh is an absolute treasure and I love her,
so believe me, it hurts me more to write this than it hurts you to
read it. But we're good for hobbits. Really. They've had SIX movies
to shine, we've done right by them. So maybe let's do something else?
Like...more dwarves?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This has gone off quite a bit in so
many directions....really, very much like the show. I am not sorry I
took the time to watch it and I will most definitely give a second
season a shot. But I think we may have already missed a chance to
really bring something genuinely new to Tolkein adaptations. Which I
think is a bit of a shame, really.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">-Noah
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-33686693344635213682022-08-30T05:06:00.003-07:002022-08-30T05:06:34.858-07:00The Top Five Sweetest and/or Funniest Moments in Street Dance of China, Season 4<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>With the more serious business out of
the way, I wanted to return to the SDC well one more time, this time
to immortalize the funniest and most heartwarming parts of Season 4.
The entire vibe of the show makes for a lot of laughter and a lot of
genuinely sweet emotion; the competitive-yet-friendly dynamics
between nearly all the contestants is nothing short of inspiring,
which is why the eliminations in the show are uniquely painful, for
both the captains and the viewers. For this last look-back, I wanted
to highlight five moments from Season 4 that stood out above all the
rest in representing what is so amazing and good about the show.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Honorable Mention</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>:
</b></span><span style="text-decoration: none;">Pretty</span> much
every interaction between Henry and Hang Geng. There are far too
many to rank.</span></p>
<ol start="5">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Xiao Ji forgets the challenge
music</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>As I said last time, pretty much
everyone expected Xiao Ji to do <i>something</i> hilarious during the
qualification challenges. And, while Jr. Taco might have taken the
prize for pulling out the season's biggest comedic highlight, Xiao
Ji- who for most of the episode sat rather quietly on the side- was
also worth the wait. First he stood up to challenge. Then insisted
he actually didn't intend to challenge, he just desperately needed to
pee. Then he said maybe he would, but he had kind of already
forgotten the music. Then, no, could he just leave, because he
really, reeeeaaaaally needed to pee. Then....ok, fine, he'll do the
challenge, but he DEFINITELY already forgot the music and has to just
wing it.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Wing it he did....but hit it so hard
that everyone ended up on the floor and the judges had no choice but
to advance him. And for the rest of the season, no one (not even
Xiao Ji!), was entirely convinced that he actually did forget the
music, or if he ever really had to pee.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(skip to 55:05 in the video)</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h3wcZkmbB1w" width="320" youtube-src-id="h3wcZkmbB1w"></iframe></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<ol start="4">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Disco Dance „Youth“
Announcement</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Han Geng, the „old man“ of the
captain team (I term I use very, very lightly) is a class act, a
chipper, supportive dude who never fails to look like he's having,
just, the best time. His best moment was definitely when he pulled
Ma Xiaoling aside to do a deliberately terrible English translation
of his overly sappy, poetic tribute to disco as an introduction to
his team's dance. Burn the young, indeed.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Skip to 57:45 in the video)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CywBeB-u53Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="CywBeB-u53Y"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<ol start="3">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Yibo's gift to Yang Kai</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>In one of the more outlandish parts of
the season, the captains tried to „attract“ the top dancers to
their team by offering them gifts, leaving it up to the dancers to
decide which to accept. This was often cute, but also raised a host
of confounding questions (HOW did they know which gifts to get for
whom and when to have them prepared, was there an army of assistants
racing around China to get these things, how much social media
stalking went into finding out personal interests, just how much
MONEY did these cost, <i>et cetera</i>, <i>et cetera</i>). There was
one gift, though, that was simple, straightforward, and beautiful;
Wang Yibo, who one season before had led Yang Kai to ultimate
victory, gifted Yang Kai a beautiful, framed picture of them hugging
after the finale, with golden confetti raining down on them. Yang
Kai's reaction says all there is to say.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(skip to 45:13 in the video)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kbw-odTwOjk" width="320" youtube-src-id="kbw-odTwOjk"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<ol start="2">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Jr. Taco's Qualification
Challenge</span></b></p>
</li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ok, I've talked about the dance itself
before- and the dance itself isn't exactly <i>funny</i>, per say,
except maybe for how Jr. Taco tries and fails to figure out the
wheelchair at the start- but what makes this whole scene so
unbelievably side-splitting is the editing and added-in sound
effects. While everyone is trying to process what they just saw, Jr.
Taco reveals that he'd tried to hint to the DJ to give him a
cue....but instead the guy just laughed at him the entire time along
with everyone else. I can't begin to imagine how much fun the
editors had putting this part together, nor how they manage to stay
conscious the entire time.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(skip to 1:21:45 in the video)</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8tJuhFq4tzM" width="320" youtube-src-id="8tJuhFq4tzM"></iframe></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Acky-San starts a spontaneous
on-stage dance party with everyone (EVERYONE!)</b></span></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The 7-To-Smoke had just ended and the
final selections had been made, with all the guest dancers from the
fusion rounds milling about and those who failed to make the cut
saying their final goodbyes. Then, suddenly, Acky-San- who had spent
the entire season proving himself the OG to end all OG's- yelled out
for the DJ to start playing and announced a spontaneous, final battle
for all the poppers. </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And I mean....that was a) so cool, b)
so sweet, c) incredibly inspiring, d) loads of fun, and e) did I
mention how GODDAMN ADORABLY SWEET THAT WAS???? That would have been
enough to be the highlight of the entire season. And the moment
seemed to reach its natural conclusion with MT Pop, dissolving in
tears of pure joy, and all the poppers coming together for a big
group hug....</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>…...and then the captains got up,
said, „DJ....play the song again!“ And then hopped up on stage
for their own round of thank-you dances to Acky-San. Then everyone
jumped forward, starting doing the Fresno, and we get a perfect
overhead look at the stage, a shot of pure adrenaline seeing dozens
and dozens of dancers moving as one to celebrate the art they devote
their lives to. For the moment, there are no eliminations. No
competing. Nothing to win or lose. Just the sheer joy of dance, all
together, for just a moment.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It's for these moments that we create
art. It's for moments like these that we are alive. There's nothing
else to say.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(skip to 1:18:45 in the video)</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rx6n4jJTt2Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="Rx6n4jJTt2Q"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-37942705146772238292022-08-25T03:40:00.013-07:002022-08-26T01:05:03.012-07:00The Top Ten Dances of Street Dance of China, Season 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtWqK8gFPtxAEnLx-e-na-7QR1XrirntwlC246r31liFIBR4xM6g8ZzHnHZSjQPFW_w-3uAVcWsUjPI23nV5gMNBpnVO0NdN8FIZcJCaOyifPvAaGXDSMsHmVqBr4qp9v7sDhkkv61L6gnZgSbNWCvr6nXXAorcZcGwZ5iPCa2YlW8R9MdUDadv450Q/s730/street-dance-of-china-s4-730x500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="730" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtWqK8gFPtxAEnLx-e-na-7QR1XrirntwlC246r31liFIBR4xM6g8ZzHnHZSjQPFW_w-3uAVcWsUjPI23nV5gMNBpnVO0NdN8FIZcJCaOyifPvAaGXDSMsHmVqBr4qp9v7sDhkkv61L6gnZgSbNWCvr6nXXAorcZcGwZ5iPCa2YlW8R9MdUDadv450Q/w400-h274/street-dance-of-china-s4-730x500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It's been a long wait, but finally,
FINALLY, Street Dance of China (SDC)- the best and most incessantly
watchable competition show ever made- is back for a fifth season. For
technical and logistical reasons, my wife and I will not be able to
<i>immediately</i> jump into experiencing what is sure to be another
wonderful 5 million hours of popping, locking, and freestyling
content. So to bide the time, let's take this chance to glance back
at last year's season and celebrate its best moments.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Granted, Season 4 was not at quite the
same level of wall-to-wall perfection as Season 3, which I will
probably revisit over and over again until I die. There was
definitely a different feel and a few growing pains as the show
started to go bigger and more international, though I think the
effort was absolutely for the best. And the dancing, of course,
remained absolutely spot-on. Though I can't highlight EVERY dance I
liked- because dear Lord, would that take time I do not have- I
figure I'd start with a countdown of my Top Ten Dances from the
season.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>If you don't see dances you especially
liked here, bear in mind that I had to kill many a darling and leave
a LOT on the cutting-room floor. So just add your favorites in the
comments below!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>For the links, where possible and/or
necessary I will timestamp the episode itself, since only those have
the subtitles available to get the full experience.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Honorable Mentions:</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Team Henry vs. Team Yibo Challenge
(Episode 5)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bp3MqEgjc6M" width="320" youtube-src-id="bp3MqEgjc6M"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ye Ying's Qualification Dance (Episode
3)
</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zn1N4svJEzE" width="320" youtube-src-id="Zn1N4svJEzE"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Poppin' C's Qualification Dance
(Episode 3)
</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHwRTH1WGZo" width="320" youtube-src-id="FHwRTH1WGZo"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Toy Story Dance (Episode 9)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1YEweWCl-ow" width="320" youtube-src-id="1YEweWCl-ow"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Disco Dance (Episode 9)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WueWqtpSMvc" width="320" youtube-src-id="WueWqtpSMvc"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ye Ying + Hilty & Bosch: The
Lupin/Conan Dance (Episode 9)</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XvRP2Kx5Jok" width="320" youtube-src-id="XvRP2Kx5Jok"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Boris vs. Zyko
(Episode 1 )</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XdyeKsMHxpM" width="320" youtube-src-id="XdyeKsMHxpM"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And now, THE BIG TEN!</span></p>
<ol start="10">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Xiao Ji + Xiao Jie vs. Tao Tao
+ Cici (Episode 10)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Okay, this needs a bit of background;
Tao Tao and Cici are possible the handsomest, most saccharinly
adorable couple in the world, and their „Wedding Dance“ in Season
3 was a storm of brilliant, creative pathos that became a viral hit
and is still probably what they are most known for. Tao Tao is a
masterful choreographer, so anytime the two of them are doing
something you know every movement will be fine-tuned to perfection,
and their opening to this 2-on-2 challenge in Episode 10 was no
exception.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Except, as far as winning the round
was concerned, they stood no chance, as they were up against the
combined might of the Xiaos, SDC's two reigning goofball kings. I
don't know whose idea it was, but they decided to splice in the
Wedding music and do a spectacular parody of Tao Tao's dancing style.
Easily one of the season's best combinations of great dancing with
great comendy (though not THE best- we'll get there).
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w89KUNOeUdY" width="320" youtube-src-id="w89KUNOeUdY"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<ol start="9">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ye Ying + Yang Kai Fusion Dance
(Episode 11)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>My
wife and I were actually wondering for awhile if anyone in SDC would
ever pick a German song to dance to. No matter who and when, the one
thing we were sure of was that it would be Rammstein, because that's
just one of those things non-Germans automatically go to when asked
„Pick some German music, NOT BEETHOVEN.“ Lo and behold...</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>In
all seriousness though, the fusion dance parts of each SDC season are
always especially fascinating, allowing the contestant to really flex
their abilities by breaking out of the specific styles they are
usually known for. This one, featuring two of the three past
winners, easily took the cake, telling a compact and gripping story
about crooks trying to one-up each other. The
Rammstein-crossed-with-Alien bit was just the icing on top. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WEnVP9rRzpY" width="320" youtube-src-id="WEnVP9rRzpY"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<ol start="8">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Three + Rochka: Rush Hour
(Episode 10)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>The
forever friendship that defined the season (Sorry, Henry/Han Geng).
Rochka and Mr. Three instantly solidified themselves as a) two of the
best new dancers to join the show and b) just the most adorable human
beings to grace God's good Earth. And then they had to go and become
soulmates to boot. Honestly, I could fill this with just spots of
the two of them and would feel entirely at peace (don't worry, I
won't....but I could if I wanted to). </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span> </span><span> </span>They will appear here again, but as a first pick I went with this
fantastic Rush-Hour-esque parody, set to a remix of Old Town Road and
will an absolute chef's kiss of a final punchline.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NunTnaONAoA" width="320" youtube-src-id="NunTnaONAoA"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<ol start="7">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">AC vs. Ibuki (Episode 1)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>It
was only part of the preliminary rounds, and thus technically „didn't
matter,“ but given the deep friendship/feaux-rivalry between these
two, anytime Ibuki and AC face off is going to be packed with emotion
and power. Everyone watching gets so into this one (even Yibo!),
which makes it all the more fun to watch. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_jrz6mfLaug" width="320" youtube-src-id="_jrz6mfLaug"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<ol start="6">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Jr. Taco's Qualification
Challenge (Episode 3)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>With
Xiao Ji and his magical feet back in the game, I think everyone
expected him to be the first to pull something so mind-boggling out
of thin air that it would make the whole season just </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">stop</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
for a moment. And he certainly gave it his best shot (see my next
listicle). Alas, Jr. Taco beat him to the punch; this was instantly
both one of the best dances of the season, and also one of the
funniest things to ever almost kill me. My wife and I have now
rewatched this clip so many times with so many people we don't even
need the subtitles anymore. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Having not yet
seen either of the first two seasons of SDC, Jr. Taco was a wholly
new face to me (though I later realized he did cameo in Season 3).
And given the sort of phenomenal physicality required for street
dancing (hell, ANY dancing), I admit I couldn't help but look at the
guy and be curious as to what kind of style he would bring. Well,
with this challenge upset, which instantly catapulted him into the
next round, he showed both me and the world that you do. Not. Ever.
Fuck. With Jr. Taco.
</span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> Just a note- I tried to place starting the clip for this one with the original dance that Jr. Taco was challenging, since the buildup allows the impact to make more sense. </span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8tJuhFq4tzM" width="320" youtube-src-id="8tJuhFq4tzM"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<ol start="5">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Yang Kai vs. Bouboo Elimination
Dance-Off (Episode 12)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There's really not much I can say
about this one. Last year's winner facing off against one of the top
dancers in the world, two absolute masters of their craft going
all-in for the elimination round, and even as you can tell their
bodies are breaking they just keep at it. Also, the ending is SO
adorable and remains the one and only excusable use of Justin Bieber.
These two made Bieber relevant- THAT's how powerful they are.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yc7V3uz7mI8" width="320" youtube-src-id="yc7V3uz7mI8"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<ol start="4">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Ma Xiaolong + Zyko, „Teacher
and Student“ (Episode 6)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span><span> </span>Full
disclosure; my wife and I are kinda Xiaolong-sceptic. Not that he
isn't a great dancer or master choreographer; literally everyone on
this show can do things with the human form I can't even dream of.
Just...his various „Sinoseries“ works, each one centering a
different aspect of Chinese culture, were, while fascinating, never
as interesting or awe-inspiring to us as they seemed to be to the
judges. This could be the cultural distance having an effect, but
there tended to be an ebulience of praise for most of his pieces even
in cases where, in my eyes, the competing performances were even
better. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span> </span><span> </span>There was one, however, that was so good that even I can't deny
it's power, and that was this collaboration with Zyko that tells the
story of a music teacher and his student, with their back-and-forths
symbolizing the instruction of the teacher, the holding back of the
student when they aren't ready, then finally the letting go when the
pupil is set to replace the master. It's a note-perfect (literally!)
fusion of sound and movement about one of the most eternal and
universal stories there is.
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span> </span><span> </span>Sadly, both Zyko and Ma were forced to bow out of the competition
early, each due to extentuating circumstances, but this dance alone
anchored itself as one of the defining works of the season.
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xTitVOttxC8" width="320" youtube-src-id="xTitVOttxC8"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<ol start="3">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rochka + Mr. Three vs. Nelson +
Bouboo (Episode 6)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This two-v-two
faceoff after the initial team formation perfectly encapsulates just
how fantastically Rochka and Mr. Three are able to fuse their styles
and personalities together. It is easily my single favorite bit of
dancing of the two of them together, and is my favorite
pre-choreographed set in the entire season (the top two spots, as you
shall see, went to battles). Nelson is a world-class dancer and
Bouboo is, well, Bouboo, but against the Perfect Couple, they had
absolutely no chance. Even the judges realized this right away
(Yibo's face during the battle is simultaneously hilarious and
heart-breaking), once the openings moves made clear what the score
was. I'll be watching and rewatching this til I die.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_fKksT2U3mI" width="320" youtube-src-id="_fKksT2U3mI"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<ol start="2">
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Acky-San vs. Mr. Three
Elimination Dance-Off (Episode 12)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Seeing Mr. Three, who (sorry, but I'm
going to repeat this again), is one of the sweetest dudes in the
world, facing off against one of popping's Grand Masters, Acky-San,
in the season finale was the sort of treat one doesn't get too often
in this life. Popping is definitely my kind of street dance, so each
round of this is just pure awesome, even if my dear Three didn't make
it further.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_qfH0Nwj5pw" width="320" youtube-src-id="_qfH0Nwj5pw"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Semi-Final Elimination,
7-to-Smoke (Episode 11)</span></b></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>No competition for the #1 spot; the
7-to-Smoke that concluded the Semi-Finals, the final chance for the
remaining contestants to gain a chance at finale glory, was the
longest and had the most gripping, intense, and varied sequences of
dancing in the entire season. Each of the nine remaining contestants
laid everything out, every bit of their power and talent and
creativity, and the results are simply spectacular.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>What made it all the more compelling
was that no one dancer dominated; unlike the Semi-Final 7-to-Smoke in
the previous season- which basically consisted of Bouboo <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2luCDZM8Ck">seizing the room by the throat and refusing to let go</a>- the defender was
constantly changing hands. After the first go-around, it was pretty
clear no one dancer would qualify outright, so it became a gritty
endurance test to scratch out one point at a time; no one was ever
more than 2 points above anyone else and the fluctation made just
watching it incredibly tense.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And yet, despite the intensity,
everyone was still having so much damn fun. And that, for me,
encapsulates what makes SDC so special and rewatchable. These are
ambitious and intense people, but at all times the most important
thing for everyone is to just be happy and have fun, content that
they get to literally spend their lives dancing. It's so different
from the (at times artificially-induced) petty drama stoked up in
just about every other reality competition show I've ever seen, or at least within Western ones. Even when someone suffers a
heartbreaking seatback, within minutes everyone is back to „It's
okay everyone, let's just daaaaance...“
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It's that mindset that, I think, the
whole world needs more of in these dark times.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rx6n4jJTt2Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="Rx6n4jJTt2Q"></iframe></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rock on, SDC. Rock on.
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-44811230528548355982022-07-20T02:55:00.000-07:002022-07-20T02:55:15.472-07:00 The Untamed and the Neverending Cycle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1yyM09mLs-TrOQOE2rfG2S1SESsQqvovVN3Ye9tjpoBJX7BKB-a8iMW70BKHN5RAV_QutMn1nMxiPzE_qw7yIfBTo3NFpvpFLRBle60XOC76AkhSIIe0RbwKvcfDFZ9KdYAG__dCVoLJw7aK21UN2pAul34NLObScMe4WRw-_sN0Yp2J18l7mYSFyw/s1103/3fe51f6c3532fa481f1df89fb9e2af04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1103" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1yyM09mLs-TrOQOE2rfG2S1SESsQqvovVN3Ye9tjpoBJX7BKB-a8iMW70BKHN5RAV_QutMn1nMxiPzE_qw7yIfBTo3NFpvpFLRBle60XOC76AkhSIIe0RbwKvcfDFZ9KdYAG__dCVoLJw7aK21UN2pAul34NLObScMe4WRw-_sN0Yp2J18l7mYSFyw/w400-h217/3fe51f6c3532fa481f1df89fb9e2af04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">**This will contain significant
spoilers for the plot of The Untamed**</span></i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>For the past few months, my wife and I
have been undertaking a slow-burn rewatch of <i>The Untamed</i>, the
2019 Chinese live-action adaptation of the novel series <i>Mo Dao Zu
Shi</i>, or <i>The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation</i>. Part
<i>danmei</i>, part <i>wuxia</i>, part original fantasy, this bona
fide, global smash hit has broken open the gates that usually
restricted access to/interest in its, let's say, rather specific
aesthetic and thematic milieus. The freewheeling style of its
storytelling encompasses multiple decades and skips back and forth
constantly, weaving together incredibly rich tales of love, betrayal,
retributive and social justice, war, social inequalities, animal
phobias, and a whole lot more. Plus it's gay as all hell;
approximately 61.74% of its runtime consists of scenes of impossibly
beautiful Chinese men staring silently at each other with unbearable
longing. And really, gay romance is the story's core; at its heart,
this is a love story between Lan Zhan and his once-dead (maybe), but
now resurrected (kinda) flame, Wei Wuxian, whom- it is repeatedly
implied- was done in by the other clans for turning to this
universe's version of the Dark Side.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>At any rate, after my wife had pulled
me into the show halfway through her first viewing, we agreed to
start over together so I could the full- or rather, <i>untamed </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(I'm
so sorry)</span>- experience. Also so I could finalize the rules for
the <a href="https://twitter.com/NoahFranc/status/1495509835617652745">Official Untamed Drinking Game</a>. The show is (as of this
writing) available in its entirety on Netflix, so at least until the
company <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jul/19/netflix-slump-earnings-call-second-quarter-2022">crumbles into dust</a>, access remains a non-issue. Which
is itself a sign of how far we've come; when I was a kid, this sort
of thing could only have been viewed via horrid, fan-made VHS dubs
that could only be assembled piecemeal via seedy roadside movie
stores. Less interaction with strangers makes just about everything
better!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>But I digress (again). Really, even
for someone with zero past experience with <i>wuxia</i>, or any
fantasy genre, this is the kind of grand storytelling anyone can have
fun with. And in these bleak times, brief moments of joyous
distraction are all the more important. As I've delved deeper into
the plot of the show, though, one particularly impressive narrative
throughline has stood out to me; the show is a masterclass in
depicting the „Nothing ends, nothing ever ends“ mode of
storytelling. That is to say, it's entire plot revolves around how
justified ends (the defeat of a Bad Dude doing Bad Things) can
all-too-easily empower or offer fig-leaf cover to Other Bad Dudes
doing Even Worse Things.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>I'm not even talking so much about the
motivations and arcs of specific characters (though that does play a
role), but rather what we see about the broader power structures and
inequalities within the <i>Untamed</i> universe. The politics of
this alternate reality centers around various dynastic clans that
rule their own various towns and feifdoms more or less in loose
concert with each other. Warring States Feudalism with Flying Magic
Swords, if you will. The first section of the story centers around
how one particular clan, the Wen, has jumped the gun and gone all-in
on Mystical Fascism, seeking specific magical items to aid its desire
to, what else, TAKE OVER THE WOOOOOORLD!!!!!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Classically, this is the sort of plot
that would provide the beginning, middle and end of the whole
shebang, the logical endpoint being the defeat of the Wen by a
coalition of both willing and hesitant allies meant to restore order
and balance to the Force, I mean the Four Nations, I mean Middle
Earth, I mean....you get the idea.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>But here? Child, that literally isn't
even the half of it; in the show (I'm going off that, since I haven't
read the books yet), Wen „Pig Iron Hitler“ Ruohan bites it in
Episode 23.....out of a 50-episode runtime. Now, the very first few
episodes of the show start 16 years after this happened, showing us
Wei Wuxian's return and dropping all sorts of hints about what a Bad
Guy he was. So, we know from the start that the fall of the Wen
isn't The End and that other shit is about to go down, but the
implications as to the exact nature of said Shit that the show keeps
winking at up to this point end up being a whole barrel of pickled
red herrings packed with dwarves. In short, by the halfway point you
are abruptly informed that this is not the story you thought you were
watching. No, „The Untamed“ is playing a much deeper game than I
initially thought. And the exact nature of that game is revealed
through exactly how the socio-political fallout from the Wen's defeat
and Wei Wuxian's fall from grace play out.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Here it must be noted that, while the
various clans are at least theoretically no more or less legitimate
than others, a couple enjoy „first among equals“ status. The Wen
were one, but the biggest, wealthiest, and grandest was and is the
Jin, whose decadence, massive palaces, glittery pure-white getup, and
literal armies of servants scream „Op-U-Lence, but the Bratty
Kind.“ It's ultimately their involvement and bankrolling of the
Sunshot Campaign that helps bring together enough arms and resources
to topple the Wen. Which, again, was definitely the right thing to
do, because the Volcano-Uruk-Hai Wen Rouhan was tossing about were
all sorts of yikes.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>BUUUUUT, once the battles are won and
the dust has settled, the Jin's leader, already established to be
both a) an incessant womanizer and b) a wholly absent father to every
child of his except „The Heir,“ starts soaking in as much Hero
Prestige as he can, and both he and a bunch of other Jin start
tossing around Big Dick energy that is, let's say, questionably
deserved. That would be grating enough, but of course it doesn't
stop there. After all, nothing ever ends.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>No, the real kicker comes when it's
revealed that the Jin are not just pursuing and punishing (killing)
the formal soldiers and agents of the Wen clan itself, but all of the
subordinate clans they had had under their thumb, <i>even those who
took no part in their crimes</i>. There's no way to sugercoat it; it
is an attempt at literal genocide, even including concentration camps
and killing fields <i>rolled into one</i>. This is mostly
exemplified through the travails of the Qishan Wen, led by Wen Qing
and her brother, Wen „Puppy Dog“ Ning. Wen Qing herself very
much was involved in the early schemes of Wen Rouhan, but it is made
explicitly clear almost from the beginning that this was effectively
under duress; her clan's subservience to the Wen was longstanding and
nothing she could alter without Wen Rouhan literally wiping her
people out. Not that she tries to pull the „just following orders“
excuse; she admits up front that, yeah, she did some shit and she's
earned just punishment. Just let her brother and the rest of her
people, who she literally shielded from the worst, in peace.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>This, of course, is a No Can Do from
the Jin powers that be. Pulling out all the old classics- all Wen
are the same, the only good Wen is a dead Wen, a Wen a day, blah blah
blah- they either directly agitate for mass murder or go to extreme
lengths to shield the worst of their actions from the other clans.
Which, let's be real, that's always a tell- anytime you feel the need
to hide under pain of death what you're really doing...you're due for
a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWvpvlT9pJU">„Are We The Baddies“</a> moment.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>At any rate, this is obviously some
bad shyte and you can't help but wonder if getting rid of the Wen
only paved over some deeper, more profound sicknesses in this world;
even after some of the worst stuff comes out, there is a whole row of
lesser clan leaders whose entire characterization is „Lick any
floor a Jin trods upon.“ And it's here where the most important
thematic turn of the story comes. After several dozen episodes
building up the question of what, exactly, happened to Wei Wuxian, we
finally find out why a whole generation was raised to believe that he
was literally the Devil. The answer is.....he tried to stop the
genocide.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Seriously. That's it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Now, granted, he did dabble in
forbidden magic to help defeat the Wen, but at the end of the day
that didn't get him much worse than some grumpy side-eye from the
other clans. No, what really got the monocles a-popping and the
headbands a-dropping was when he basically stood up and said-</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">WEI WUXIAN: Guys, seriously, mass
murder's a no-no. If the Geneva Convention existed in this world,
you'd be trampling all over it. Also the Jin are robe-pissing
crybabies and I will never stop giving them wedgies.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RANDOM CLAN LEADER #1: Who's Geneva??</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RANDOM CLAN LEADER #2: The fuck's a
convention????</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">JOHN CLEESE: E'S A WITCH, BUUURN
'IM!!!!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>So, yeah...in the end, the
„super-duper bad thing“ Wei Wuxian did was....rock the boat by
standing up to say the status quo was not ok. And, in the end,
enough (though not all!) of those in power were far too spooked to
try and re-examine the systems they were part of. Better to
(literally!) shoot the messenger and pretend there never was a
message in the first place.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>I find this especially brilliant
because this so perfectly mirrors the dynamics of our own world. Put
aside the flying swords, the wavy glowing hand-magic, the numerous
sorts of ghosts and spirits and possessions that happen; at the end
of the day, the Untamed universe is just like ours. Those in power
will, occasionally, sanction the removal of bad actors. But anything
that threatens to truly alter or upend the system will provoke a deep
instinct of self-preservation, no matter how misplaced.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>In fact, Wei Wuxian's brother, Jiang
Cheng, perfectly encapsulates how these pressures can be especially
potent for people who are at heart decent and, all else being equal,
would stand right beside Wei Wuxian and fight for what's right. For
Jiang Cheng, though, all is NOT equal- his parents and nearly all of
his clan were horrifically massacred by the Wen, so he is still
struggling with his grief and trauma over that. However, the very
fact of that massacre makes him Clan leader by default following the
Wen's defeat, so he is immediately drawn into the greater power
structure by other clan leaders and feels the very, very powerful
(and entirely justifiable) pull to rebuild his clan, reclaim its
status, and in doing so avenge his parents' death. Oh, and his sister
is a) under a longstanding betrothal to the heir of the Jin, and b)
actually happens to love the prick for some reason, so if for no
other reason than that, he has a very direct and personal reason to
keep things at least peaceful between the Jiang and the Jin.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>So when his brother starts upending
stones and making „good trouble,“ even though a part of him
clearly knows something is up and he <i>tries</i> to split the
difference....in the end, he does have to choose. And when things
get so crazy that their sister is tragically killed, it's not that
hard to understand why he decides to stick with the powers that be,
at least for that point in time. It's easy to dunk on Jiang Cheng,
and he is absolutely a complete dunderhead A LOT of the time. But
even then, the show allows you to fully understand all the powerful
interests, both from within and from others, that bear down on him.
I get him. And I feel bad for him.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>This whole conflict makes up Act Two
of the show, a meaty and complicated soup where even the nicest and
most upright characters have to make some really hard, messy choices
that have no easy, satisfactory answer. Where, at the end, even if
you try your hardest and have the best of intentions, there sometimes
just isn't a way out. Compared to the less-morally-gray opening and
closing parts, this is where, for me at least, the narrative is at
its most engaging and engrossing. The Wen arc is a great opener, and
seeing how the many threads are tied together at the end is immensely
rewarding, but it's right in this weird, uncomfortable, and morally
<i>hard </i>in-between bit that <i>The Untamed </i>really earns its
keep as some of the best storytelling I've experienced over the past
two years.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Will this land for everyone? No, most
certainly not. <i>Wuxia</i> shows are very much centered around
massive amounts of camp, and that's something I know huge chunks of
the West still aren't ready for. For, oh child, is <i>The Untamed</i>
FILLED with camp. But nonetheless, the show is still making the
rounds and the fanbase is only growing. My wife is certainly doing
all she can to spread this particular gospel. And like any gospel,
even when bits and pieces might not work the same for everyone, there
are always some crucial grains of Truth to be gleaned that we all
need to hear from time to time. Like, for example, the importance of
not letting one kind of evil overshadow or excuse another. Power
will always have ulterior motives, so even if it is being bent to an
important end, constant vigilance and moral awareness are virtues
that everyone must actively cultivate throughout their lives. Only
when we can do that can we be truly secure from the ghosts of the
past.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-81422931011093222892022-05-04T09:24:00.003-07:002022-05-04T09:24:58.385-07:00Commentary on Proposed Decision Overturning Roe v Wade<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i> **the following is a guest post of a good friend and former college classmate/theatermate of mine. He and I are furious and angry about the recently-revealed decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade and are in the process of planning what next steps are necessary**</i></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /><span> </span><span> </span>In my first semester of law school, I
recall a professor telling our class that the law was not like the
social sciences, and that, "when you win, you're right."
That perspective currently guides my approach to the practice of law
and quite a bit more. That perspective was right when I first learned
it six years ago; it is still right, even as it seems likely the
Supreme Court will overturn <i>Roe</i>.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>There are two ways to approach the
proposed decision in <i>Dobbs</i> if you disagree with it. First, you
could accept despair, throw your hands in the air, and wonder where
everything went wrong. You can point fingers at every single person,
place, thing, concept, or group that you believe failed to protect a
most fundamental right. You can even blame yourself for not doing
enough. You can stew in that self-loathing for so very long, because
the water is always warm.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Second, you can decide that you need to
win so badly that you re-evaluate why you are wrong. You accept the
fundamental truth that, “when you win, you’re right.” You
recognize you are wrong, because wrongness stems from losing. You can
then recalibrate; what does it take to win? That question has
objective answers; many people would rather keep losing because it is
comfortable and familiar. To those who sneer at voting "blue no
matter who"; stow it. What does moral purity get us aside from
encroaching fascism? Do you talk to people outside your political
bubble? Do you try to meet people where they are, and do the hard
work to convince them that what you're offering is good? Do you learn
what people actually want and learn how to give it to them? Have you
considered that participating in a broken system might be better than
abandoning it, because the effect of abandoning the system is the
same as abandoning the people in it? Do you start worker
cooperatives, or start a business so that you and yours can control
your fate? Have you and your friends gone out to the woods to
practice training exercises and solidarity like militias do, or gone
into urban environments to build networks and spread your message?
Have you tempered your messaging to be less inflammatory? You can do
big things while speaking quietly.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>To those who blame the left in this
country for this situation and think that there is some virtue in
reflexive moderation; you run the country whenever the Democrats win.
Your track record is not great. Have you considered that all of your
condemnations of Republicans' procedural abuses are fundamentally
misplaced, as the Republicans are showing you how to succeed in
today’s environment? Have you considered their behavior might be
inspirational, because they are willing to do whatever it takes to
accomplish their objectives? Have you considered that unflinching
loyalty to decorum and tradition is a hindrance to providing for the
welfare of the public? Have you considered that your high-minded
principles are asymmetric to adversaries who seem intent on eroding
our democracy? Unfortunately, your governments have not shown the
ability to protect democracy nor address the needs of the public.
Half measures cannot solve whole problems.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Everything written above also applies
to me. I know I have not done enough to fight fascism here or abroad.
I had every opportunity to do so, and I took too few of them. We all
have been contributors to this reality, and for far longer than many
of us are willing to admit. Collectively, we have gotten so used to
failure, so used to losing, that we have learned despair. Despair
will not help us now, just as it has not helped anyone else at any
other time.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Instead, let us learn something more
valuable. Let us learn how to win. Once we learn how to win, we can
win. Once we win, we get to say what's right. When we get to say
what’s right, it becomes easier to win again. The reason why "when
you win, you're right" is inspirational is because it recognizes
the necessity of something else separate and apart from right and
wrong. Goodness is not rightness, nor badness wrongness. Neither
goodness nor badness themselves determine our ability to win;
however, they can have an impact on right and wrong. We should all
fight to make what is good, right; however, to do that, we have to
win. Winning is the precondition to make what is good, right. Let us
learn how to win, before the lesson becomes much more costly.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />Aaron M. Harmaty is an attorney who
practices law in the State of New Jersey.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Death to Fascism. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-37098852396982143902022-04-21T04:20:00.000-07:002022-04-21T04:20:24.918-07:00Decade Look-Back: Ranking My OWN Top Ten Picks!<p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>Well, well, well. I'm not sure what I
expected to happen when I first started this small, very basic, and
quite poorly-named site as a dumping ground for my efforts to turn
into a film critic. But it's been a solid decade now, and here I
still am, though both the content and amount of it have undergone
significant changes in recent years.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Regardless, one thing that has
remained a mainstay are my listicles, especially my yearly Top Tens.
And with a decade now behind me, I have a whole 10 of them to look
back and reflect on. So, I figured, what better way to celebrate a
decade of my musings that to go the extra mile and rank...myself!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Yep. We're doing this. I am going to
go back and take MYSELF to task for all my #1 picks so far. Which
did I get wrong? Which don't hold up under the harsh lens of
hindsight? Did I ever miss the mark entirely? LET'S FIGURE IT OUT
TOGETHER!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Just so the ground rules are clear in
advance, I will consider this list from two angles. First, I will
try to recapture what led to me picking each film that I did in a
given year to see if, even then, my pick was justified. Second, I
will consider if another film I saw that year would, in hindsight,
have been a better pick, especially if one has ended up aging better
in the intervening years. What I will NOT do is engage in an
alternative timeline where I somehow saw every film on time, because
that was just never in the cards for me (and still isn't). Meaning,
any movies from a given year I had no access to then and only saw
much later won't figure into this, since they would not have been
able to make my lists to begin with. No sense in making things more
complicated than necessary. That's what my crippling self-doubt is
for!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The rankings will be like a normal Top
Ten list, meaning a lower pick like 9 or 10 means my pick was worse,
with #1 obviously representing my best pick.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I think this'll be fun.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 10: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-top-10-and-1-worst-films-of-2012.html">2012</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: Lincoln</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: Cloud Atlas</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Figures. At the very bottom for my
„Worst Best“ pick, we gotta wind it all the way back to the early
months of this site, when I was but another young, fresh-faced,
Roger-Ebert-Wannabe. As opposed to what I am now; a weary, aged, and
beaten-down Roger-Ebert-Wannabe.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>See, with this being the first Top Ten
list I'd ever done, I felt a lot of wholly self-inflicted pressure to
ape all the „real“ critics I followed. And since many of them
had <i>Lincoln</i> somewhere on their Best Of lists and nearly all of
them roundly ignored <i><span style="text-decoration: none;">Cloud
Atlas</span></i>, that meant pulling the lever for so-called
„prestige.“</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now, let me be clear- this is not a
knock on <i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lincoln</span></i>. It
was and is a great film, definitely in the upper half of Spielberg's
filmography, and Daniel Day-Lewis deserved all the awards. But was
it the best film of that year? It is even MY favorite from that
year? No and no. And the sad thing is, this isn't just hindsight- I
knew that at the time. Even when I first did the list, a very clear
voice in my head kept saying, „C'mon...you know <i>Cloud Atlas</i>
is the real fave.“ But I chose to shunt that voice away and go
with the safe „conventional“ choice, just like the Academy so
often does. So yeah, this is all on me- I shoulda stuck to my guns,
and this remains the one case where I very clearly made the mistake
of not doing that.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 9: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-top-ten-films-of-2020.html">2020</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: Hamilton</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: Corpus Christi</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ok, so this will be the most
complicated one here to explain to anyone reading this in the far
future where the COVID pandemic and the GOP are but fading memories.
For those of us who were there, no explanation is needed, but to sum
up; 2020 sucked. Like, generational, emotionally scarring suckage.
All the years of dealing with a Fascist, death cult of an
administration, building into a global pandemic where said
administration made every conscious effort to hinder relief and cause
as much death and suffering as possible, was something so beyond
sense and morality that it was literally traumatizing to those of us
who had to bear witness.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And as a result, I felt truly broken
for most of the year. As if my entire being had gone into
lizard-brain survival mode and shut off all capacity for emotion or
feeling just to preserve whatever shred of sanity I had left. I
spent the entire first half of 2020 feeling like I should feel
something, but instead feeling nothing. You feel me?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And then Disney dropped the live
recording of the original, Broadway cast of Hamilton, and when I
watched it, I cried. I cried and cried and cried. I remembered who
I was, what I valued, that I am not just a film bluff but a
motherfucking THEATER NERD, and that there remained beauty and power
in the human spirit that would outlive the fuckery. Hamilton has its
flaws, certainly, but it was exactly what I needed at that moment in
time to get me through the rest of the single worst year I had
experienced to date. And there was simply no getting around that.
So no, I do not, and will never, regret picking this as my „Film of
the Year“ when all was said and done.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>BUUUUUUUT.....yeah, no, a Broadway
stage recording, no matter how expertly done, is not filmmaking.
Hamilton is NOT a movie, and if it had dropped in any other year, or
had 2020 been anything approaching „normal,“ I would not have
spent even one second contemplating bending myself into so many
pretzels to put it on my Year End list. So let's assume there exists
a mythical alternate dimension where 2020 was slightly less shitty
and Hamilton hits streaming in, say, December of 2019. Under such
magical circumstances, <i>Corpus Christi</i> would have waltzed away
with the top spot (although I could have made an argument for <i>Totally
Under Control</i>).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 8: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-top-10-movies-of-2013.html">2013</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: Asura</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: Inside Llewyn Davis</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Unlike the year before, by the time I
came around to doing my 2013 list I had shed myself of the desire to
be „conventional“ with my writing. Nonetheless, picking my
number one came down to the wire, with my top two films just about
dead even in my brain. In the end, I went with this oddball,
independent Japanese animated film about a rapid,
partially-cannibalistic child in feudal times for the very specific
reason that I found it's ending incredibly emotionally resonant. I
still feel that way and absolutely think <i>Asura</i> is a criminally
underappreciated gem.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>However, while my reasoning at the
time made sense to me and I can still get why I felt that way, as the
years have gone by <i>Asura</i> has more or less stayed put, while
<i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i> has vaulted ahead of it in leaps and
bounds. There's just no denying the Coen Brothers when they are in
top form. Not only has this long since established itself as my
favorite of 2013, it even landed within the Top Ten on my <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-top-25-movies-of-2010s.html">Films of the Decade</a> list from two years back. This is an all-time
classic, and if I were to redo this list today, it would easily top
the cake.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 7: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2017/02/my-top-ten-films-of-2016.html">2016</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: 13<sup>th</sup></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: Swiss Army Man OR Silence</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>My reasoning behind this pick, which
came in the wake of the 2016 election and all the darkness that
descended with it, was as follows; <i>13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup>, the
first documentary by Queen Ava DuVernay, long may she reign, featured
the single greatest sequence in all of film from that year. Said
scene was a supercut of one of the more odious pieces of audio from a
GOP rally, where Trump openly called for violence against his
opponents and reminisced about „the good old days,“ where uppity
Blacks were treated much differently, set to a montage of
black-and-white footage from Civil Rights protests where we see, in
violent detail, precisely what Trump meant by „the good old days.“
It remains one of the most on-point and powerful pieces of
documentary filmmaking I've ever encountered, and the entire film
deserves to be considered a modern classic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>However, while I think this was the
right choice to make at the time and don't regret it, a single scene,
no matter how good, doesn't necessarily make a film the greatest of a
particular year. Plus, I think there is a slippery slope to picking
number ones based on how topical a film is, because on that criteria
alone, my lists would consist of documentaries and nothing else.
While I do find outlets for that sort of thing- see my <a href="http://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/12/films-for-trump-years-part-20-social.html">Films for the Trump Years</a> collection- I want my Top Tens to be a little bit
more fun and interesting, because we all need some escapism from time
to time.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Plus, when you get right down to it,
<i>13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup> just isn't my favorite film from that
year anymore; my number two pick, <i>Swiss Army Man</i>, quickly
supplanted it the more I contemplated its batshit brilliance. If you
had asked me maybe a year or two later to redo the list, I would have
switched the places for these two.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>However, now that even more time has
gone by, another contender has entered the chat; the least-discussed
Scorsese film from the 2010's, an adaptation of a Japanese novel
about the trials and pains of spiritual and existential uncertainty,
set in feudal Japan. With a subject matter and approach that strikes
deep at my own personal background and current mindset regarding
religion and faith, <i>Silence</i> quietly (heh-heh) snuck up on me
until, when putting together my Decade List in 2020, I found myself
comfortably slotting it into my Top Ten, way ahead of<i> Swiss Army
Man</i>. If I were to revisit this year now, these two would be dead
ringers for the top spots, and I'm honestly not sure which would end
up on top.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Sorry, my Queen. I beseech thee for
thy royal pardon.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 6: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2018/02/my-top-ten-films-of-2017.html">2017</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: Get Out</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: A Silent Voice OR The Last Jedi OR Thor Ragnarok</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This might be the year that got
scrambled the most for me in the subsequent years, with lots of
movies shuffling around in my head. <i>Get Out</i> is a masterpiece,
was one of the year's best films, and was criminally under-rewarded
at that year's Oscars. However, like with <i>13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup>,
I was once again being more topical with this pick than anything
else. As great as the film is, the very things that make it great
are also the reasons why the film is such a hard watch that I may
never be able to sit through it start to finish again.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But what else could have taken its
place? <i>A Silent Voice</i>, <i>Star Wars TLJ</i>, and <i>Thor
Ragnarok</i> all cracked the top 15 in my Decade List, so any of them
would have been solid picks. Plus, I haven't done a full rewatch of
<i>Lady Bird</i> yet and that is exactly the sort of film that might
hit me way harder the second time around. It's tough to say, but at
the time the most likely alternative pick would probably have been <i>A
Silent Voice</i>, which would have meant a full half of my first ten
#1 picks would have been animated works. I guess I'm nothing if not
consistent (Narrator: He isn't).</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>Number
5: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-top-ten-films-of-2019.html">2019</a></b></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What
I Picked: Jupiter's Moon</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What
I Should Have Picked: Jupiter's Moon....but maybe Parasite? Portrait
of a Lady on Fire? The Lighthouse?? Little Women???</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Jesus Tapdancing Christ, 2019 was
stacked. This honestly might have been, to date, the heaviest out of
all the years I've been reviewing movies. There was practically zero
breathing room between my top 3 at the time I made the list, and <i>The
Lighthouse</i> and <i>Little Women</i> are no slouches either. I
mostly stuck with <i>Jupiter's Moon</i> because it had the most I
could relate to on a personal level, but looking back now, I could
probably redo the exact order of my Top 5 a dozen different ways and
still not feel satisfied. Which, granted, is about the best problem
I could have as a film critic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And this isn't even including <i>The
Last Black Man in San Francisco</i>, a heart-shattering masterpiece
that never got widely released in Europe and STILL isn't available
for streaming. It took an inexcusable TWO YEARS before I had the
chance to see it and it immediately had me rethinking both this Top
Ten and my Decade list. If this had made the mix on time, I truly do
not know which movie would get the top spot.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 4: <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2022/02/my-top-ten-films-of-2021.html">2021</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: The
Mitchells vs. The Machines</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: The Mitchells vs. The Machines....but maybe (one day)
something else?</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I'm
ranking this one a bit lower more out of a wariness of recency bias
than anything else. It's only been a few months and, my initial
surprise aside, nothing has yet led me to doubt this pick. That
said, again, it's only been two months and there is still LOTS of
stuff from last year I haven't had access to/time to watch yet, so
there is still plenty of room for something that <b>could </b>have
made my list to crop up. I suppose this is the one where I have to
just shrug and stick a pin in it for now...</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>...but
it WILL take a lot to supplant it, because <i>Mitchells</i> was legit
great and there are STILL too many people sleeping on.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Number 1 (THREE-WAY
TIE): <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-top-10-films-of-2014.html">2014</a>/<a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2016/01/my-top-10-films-of-2015.html">2015</a>/<a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-top-ten-films-of-2018.html">2018</a></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Picked: The Tale
of Princess Kaguya/Mad Max: Fury Road/Spider-Man: Into the
Spider-Verse</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>What I Should Have
Picked: The Same. These picks were perfect and always will be.</b></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
now we get to the golden ones. These picks were all perfect then and
they're perfect now; not only have these remained my unchallenged
favorites from their respective years, they were all a virtual dead
heat for the top 3 spots in my Decade list. They remain among the
best films I've ever seen and are all-time personal favorites.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Princess
Kaguya</i> ended up being the swan song of Isao Takahata, and what a
note to go out on. From its eternal themes of struggling with
societal restrictions, to its wholly unique animation style, to one
of the best (and most underappreciated) Joe Hisaishi scores, to its
devastingly emotional final moments, this remains one of the most
profound experiences I have ever had in a movie theater.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>George
Miller's return to the franchise that helped to establish his career,
usually the sort of thing that so, so often ends in creative
catastrophe (looking at you, Ridley Scott), was instead an absolute
baller that took the world by storm. Not only did it make bank and
waltz out of the Academy Awards with the most trophies, it provided
an endless ream of meme and gif material to feed the internet
forever. Oh, and it also allowed Charlize Theron to immortalize one
of the greatest original characters of all time.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
finally, in a world long overrun with comic book and superhero
adaptations, practically drowning in studios aping each other to
death, <i>Into the Spider-Verse</i> managed to outshine them all with
one of the most engaging, memorable, and groundbreaking animation
films to ever come out of an American studio, outshining nearly all
the competitors to not only cement its status as (arguably) the best
Spider-Man movie and one of the best comic book movies ever made, but
an all-time great movie, period. I could watch Miles fall upwards
into the New York City skyline forever.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Here's
to the next 10 years.
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">-Noah
Franc </span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-71371088740160075552022-02-21T12:25:00.000-08:002022-02-21T12:25:36.379-08:00My Top Ten Films of 2021<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span>With my first-in-awhile <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2022/02/my-top-five-film-scores-of-2021.html">Best Soundtrack</a> now finished, it's time for the big one! For,
officially, the 10</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: large;"> time on this site, we are about to go
through my Top Ten favorite films of the previous year.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Usual rules and disclaimers apply.
While there were at least more occasions this year where I could
enjoy a movie in theater, the shifts forced on the industry by COVID
mean that things are still very fluid, so most of the movies I ended
up seeing were either only availabe via streaming, or were quickly
enough made available to allow me to see them. On the whole, I found
it a pretty solid year, though the composition of this list remained
a mystery to me right up until the end. And with that, away we go!
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Honorable Mentions: <i>Encanto</i>,
<i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-suicide-squad.html">The Suicide Squad</a></i>, <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/06/nippon-review-ushiku.html">Ushiku</a></i>, <span lang="de-DE"><i>Tick,
tick….Boom!</i></span><span lang="de-DE">, </span><span lang="de-DE"><i>In
The Heights</i></span><span lang="de-DE">, </span><span lang="de-DE"><i>The
Matrix Resurrections</i></span></b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="de-DE">10. </span><span lang="en-US"><i>Passing</i></span><span lang="en-US">
(Rebecca Hall) </span></b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/trwq3CNCMkU" width="320" youtube-src-id="trwq3CNCMkU"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Passing</i>
bills itself at first as a subtle, black-and-white arthouse
commentary on race and the nature of identity in a discriminatory
world, but at its most intense moments it veers straight into
unremitting horror. Scenes of relatively innocuous, content,
upper-middle-class life will be undercut with moments of raw, primal
danger and the genuine fear that anything and everything terrible
could happen at any moment. Which, of course, is the point, since
that is the lived experience of so many minority and marginalized
peoples all across America. And the strain that comes with that
awareness, and whether avoidance or brutal confrontation is the best
survival strategy, is precisely the sort of no-win scenario that can
lead some like Ruth Negga's Clare to abandon their roots entirely in
search of a place of real safety, even if it ultimately leaves them
utterly adrift.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Countering
Ruth is Tessa Thompson as Irene, as compelling and radiant as ever in
a role that might seem at first to hold something of a moral high
ground. As the film moves forward though, and as we get to see more
of her husband, a quietly brilliant performance by André Holland,
her insecurities start to shine through as well, as well as the
creeping notion that the stability in her own life she takes such
pride in might only be so much window dressing.</span></p><p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">9. <span lang="de-DE"><i>West
Side Story</i></span><span lang="de-DE"> (Steven Spielberg)</span></span></b></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A5GJLwWiYSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="A5GJLwWiYSg"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I
grew up watching my parents' used, two-tape VHS set of the original,
iconic 1961 <i>West Side Story</i> film adaptation, and Officer
Krupke was one of the first stage roles I ever got to play, so if
there was anyone under the sun with two opposable thumbs and a
virulent scepticism of any attempt at a remake, it was <b>*pokes
chest </b>this guy.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>In
retrospect, I guess if anyone was to prove me entirely wrong, it
would have been the return of Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner,
because not only does their remake hold its own against the original,
it also mostly succeeds (with one egregious exception) in adjusting
the source material in some desperately necessary spots. This is
most noticeable in the expanded focus on bringing us into the world
of the Sharks and allowing us to understand and appreciate the family
dynamic between Maria, Bernardo, and Anita. As much as the original
will always hold a special place in my heart, its exceedingly White
focus was and remains its biggest flaw, so to see a big-name,
mainstream American production like this include whole scenes in
Spanish with nary a subtitle was hugely important.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>An
additional feather in the film's cap is the astonishing success of
the cast, in particular Mike Faist and Ariana DeBose, in providing
performances that never feel overshadowed by their predecessors.
Trying to redo legendary performances like Russ Tamblyn's Riff or
Rita Moreno's Anita is the sort of task that sinks many a movie and
acting career, but like their forebears, Faist and DeBose are bona
fide stars. Did this movie need to happen? A year ago I've have
said “HELL no,” but now? Yes, we very much needed this.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>8. <i>The French
Dispatch</i> (Wes Anderson) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TcPk2p0Zaw4" width="320" youtube-src-id="TcPk2p0Zaw4"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I
don't know guys, there's just something in how absolutely controlled
and minutely crafted every single frame of Anderson's films are that
grabs me every time. While I get the critiques that this movie, at
least on the whole, doesn't reach the sort of profound emotional
depths of, say, <i>Moonrise Kingdom</i> or <i>The Royal Tenenbaums</i>,
there's more going on here than I think most viewers gave it credit
for. The cast is, as always, ridiculously stacked, but somehow it
never feels overstuffed; each person gets what, in the end, feels
like just the right number of moments for us to construct an entire
lost world out of their persons and relationships to each other.
It's definitely a tight balancing act and the fact that the movie
exists at all is a testament to the incredible prowess of Wes
Anderson and his collaborators.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>7. <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/06/nippon-reviews-along-sea.html">Along the Sea</a></i>
(Akio Fujimoto) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qU2xaRBeFiU" width="320" youtube-src-id="qU2xaRBeFiU"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There
is an incredible power in how quiet and downplayed Fujimoto is able
to be in his filming style and in the performances he gets out of his
cast, while still delivering heavy emotional blows as he tackles
oft-ignored issues around living as illegal immigrants in Japan.
Both this and his previous film, <i>Passage of Life</i>, are absolute
masterpieces in this regard, capable of being so very minimal, while
still bring across a sense of genuine danger that its characters can
experience at any time, from any direction. In both cases there just
are not any easy answers to be had, no possible refuge that is
forever. Just very, very hard choices and a final scene that remains
utterly haunting even though I have only seen each film once. He may
be one of the most criminally underappreciated filmmakers in Japan
today.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>6. <span lang="de-DE"><i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-green-knight.html">The Green Knight</a></i></span><span lang="de-DE"> (David Lowery) </span></b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sS6ksY8xWCY" width="320" youtube-src-id="sS6ksY8xWCY"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>There's
not much at this point I can add to my thoughts on this film that I
didn't touch on in my review. Dev Patel gives us, in my
opinion, his finest performance to date in the best King Arthur
adaptation we've gotten in awhile. Working as a slow-burn
deconstruction of the nature of myth, and how and why we twist or
alter the facts when conveying stories, we are pulled into a place of
utter desperation when forced to confront the cold, hard facts of
human mortality. Perhaps there is no belt that could truly prevent
us from dying, but if there were, who among us can honestly say they
would not be sorely tempted to take it?
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>5. <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/09/review-dune.html">Dune</a></i> (Denis
Villeneuve) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8g18jFHCLXk" width="320" youtube-src-id="8g18jFHCLXk"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
was the EVENT movie of the year, the love letter to the experience of
the big screen that last year's <i>Tenet</i> wanted so very, very
hard to be. I went in with zero prior experience of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(franchise)"><i>Dune</i>
extended universe</a>, but I am now all on board with Villeneuve's
vision and very much hope he at least gets to continue this franchise
up through <i>Dune Messiah </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(casual
moviegoers will </span><i>fliiiiiiip...</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Hans
Zimmer returns in force and a powerhouse cast on par with </span><i>West
Side Story</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> or </span><i>The
French Dispatch</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, plus one of the
year's most immersive and fascinating production designs, carries us
into the world that, now that I'm in the know, is so obviously one of
the birth-mothers of </span><i>Star Wars</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
I definitely get why this was considered “unfilmable” for so
long, but now that it's finally here, it feels like this is exactly
what a best-case adaption would look like. There is a grandeur to
the desert, especially the sheer size of the great worms, that
hearkens back to the earliest days of adventure epics like </span><i>Lawrence
of Arabia</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. This is so very much
a modern film produced out of our era of IP-adaptations, but there is
so much in it that is timeless that I do believe it will hold up
better than most. </span>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>4. <span lang="de-DE"><i>Licorice
Pizza</i></span><span lang="de-DE"> (Paul Thomas Anderson) </span></b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ofnXPwUPENo" width="320" youtube-src-id="ofnXPwUPENo"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I
dunno, man. I don't know how PTA does it. A barebones summary of
what passes for “plot” in most of his movies would generally
provoke a reaction somewhere along the lines of “....naw dude,
that'll never work.” Yet here we are. Heaven help me, the film
about a girl in her mid-twenties falling for a minor (an absurdly
over-confident minor, but still) against the backdrop of the 70's oil
embargo....is one of the best movies of the year and I can't stop
thinking about it.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Why
is that? There's no one thing I can put my finger on. I am not of
the time nor place to have the sort of drenching nostalgia PTA has
for SoCal circa the Nixon/Ford/Carter administrations, but damn if
the shots aren't so tactile they make me feel like I could reach out
through the screen and touch everything. I very much AM an
old-school rock person, so the music drops were right up my alley.
Plus, a few hilariously on-point pieces of stunt casting aside
(Bradley Cooper CAN act! Hey ho!), I especially dig it when an
established director eschews mainstream leads and brings in amateur
or unknown talents, people who actually look and talk and act like us
grubby, non-celebrity peasants. And to top it all off, he even
manages to work in a faux-action scene with an out-of-gas moving
truck that the kids have to somehow have to move down a VERY steep
road without killing anyone. It comes out of left field, it's the
highlight of the entire movie, and it's frankly better than most of
the money sequences in the year's ACTUAL action movies.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rock
on, Anderson. Rock on.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. <i>Spencer</i>
(Pablo Larrain) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ORvPh_gdD_M" width="320" youtube-src-id="ORvPh_gdD_M"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
year's best Horror film, and yes, there is no other lable more
fitting for the tight, extremely claustrophic and hauntingly
psychological dive into a single Christmas experienced by Kirsten
Stewart's Princess Di. Stewart has spent a decade now refuting
everyone, including a younger, more arrogant me, who wanted to write
her off for her association with <i>Twilight</i>, and this time she
just might get to roll that choo-choo into Oscar Station. Or rather,
she better (<i>glares sternly at the Academy</i>). Beyond her
performance are a wealth of small moments between her and the staff
she is surrounded with and, quite often, deliberately controlled by,
touching on relationships that might, in other circumstances have
been able to provide her with more direct support, but instead can
only cheer her on silently.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2. <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-bo-burnhams-inside.html">Bo Burnham: Inside</a></i> (Bo Burnham) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hio87bsTopM" width="320" youtube-src-id="Hio87bsTopM"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Bo
Burnham should have just titled this <i>Noah's Deepest Fears and
Anxieties; A Netflix Special</i>, because that's basically what it
is. As such, this was my frontrunner for most of the year for the
top spot on this list. Buuuut....at the end of the day, even in a
COVID world, having a Netflix comedy special here is stretching my
(admittedly liberal) definition of a “movie” to its absolute
limit. And given that I have already played incredibly fast and
loose with my own rules once before (see <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/06/nippon-reviews-along-sea.html">Hamilton</a></i>),
I couldn't bring myself to invite the same angst into this site
again.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Neverless!
This is still the most deeply personal thing I saw all year, and
incredibly powerful time capsule of the early-COVID mileau and a
cutting deconstruction of the cynical toxicity of current internet
celebrity. The songs are nearly all gangbusters and the visual
displays a lone person with a few lighting rigs is able to conjure up
is nothing short of astounding to experience. It's a hard watch, but
an absolutely necessary one.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1. <i><a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2021/07/review-mitchells-vs-machines.html">The Mitchells vs. The Machines</a></i> (Michael Rianda) </b>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ak5dFt8Ar0" width="320" youtube-src-id="_ak5dFt8Ar0"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>You
know, this might be the most surprised I've ended up being at my own
#1 pick. And yes, this is coming from the man who has declared an
animated film to be his Film of the Year no less than three times.
Obviously, given the background of the people involved in this movie,
it was pretty much guaranteed to land in my Top 5 no matter what.
But #1? It never really consciously occurred to me as possible until
I finally sat down to sort titles.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
yet, at the end of the day, this just fits. It feels right. This
funny and warm and odd film about a robot apocalypse that reminds a
divided family just how much they need each other hit every note I
could have ever wanted it do and more. Is it the BEST movie, with
the tightest screenplay and most interesting, original story? Most
definitely not. I have my nitpicks about the rather unoriginal story
concept and the fairly empty treatment of the movie's “villain;”
there was absolutely some narrative potential left on the cutting
room floor. But at the end of the day, that's immaterial. As the
film's central family reminds us, sometimes the messiest things are
what touch us the most, what move us to remember why we love
ourselves, our families, our friends. And especially in these dark
times, that's important stuff.</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Also,
it's concluding beat-drop of Hoppipolla hits SO HARD it's almost
shameful and I still haven't forgiven them.
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">-Noah
Franc
</span></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-90381929806417091192022-02-08T04:53:00.000-08:002022-02-08T04:53:02.208-08:00My Top (Five) Film Scores of 2021<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span>Well. We've all been having a bit of a time, haven't we?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span> </span>And in spite of it, movies are still being and stories are still being told. And hey, after the garbage fire that was 2020, 2021 turned out to be a pretty great year at the movies! Before getting to THE list, though (and it's coming soon), let's do something that I just didn't have the energy to do in 2020. Yes, it's finally time to get back to talking about music. Specifically, the best in film scores and/or soundtracks.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<span> </span>Since 2021 featured an unusually high number of film adaptations of musicals, I am focusing for the purposes of this list on only music or songs written specifically for a 2021 film. Meaning, films like <i>In The Heights</i> or the new <i>West Side Story</i> or <i>Tick, Tick...Boom!</i> were not considered, though those were all excellent.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<span> </span>Welcome back!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<b>Honorable Mentions:</b> <i>Luca</i> (Dan Romer), <i>Encanto</i> (score by Germain Franco, songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda), <i>Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings</i> (Joel P. West)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<u><b>5. <i>The Green Knight</i> (Daniel Hart)</b></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qlok1Xhm43Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="Qlok1Xhm43Y"></iframe></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><br /><b><br /> </b></u>
<i><span> </span>The Green Knight</i> just might take home the trophy of Oddest Film of 2021, as it grasps hold of the inherent weirdness in much Arthurian legend with both hands and refuses to let go. Daniel Hart's score, committed to sounding (as far as we know) like what Arthur and his knights might have had played for them at the Round Table, perfectly enhances the bleak and dreary atmosphere the camera drenches itself in. It brings us perfectly into place, and then, like the cinematography, keeps us bound in a state of perpetual anxiety over what will happen next.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<u><b>4. <i>The Matrix Resurrections</i> (Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer)</b></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t_7St124GP8" width="320" youtube-src-id="t_7St124GP8"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span> </span>Don Davis' iconic work in the original <i>Matrix</i> trilogy remains, in my view, criminally underappreciated. As such, though there were many aspects of Resurrections that did an incredible job of expanding on the best of the original films, I took particular pleasure in seeing the themes and motifs from Davis' scores reworked into this reboot that most certainly didn't need to happen, but at the very least more than earned its keep.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<u><b>3. <i>Spencer</i> (Jonny Greenwood)</b></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HXMNBxb96Hs" width="320" youtube-src-id="HXMNBxb96Hs"></iframe></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><br /><b><br /> </b></u>
<span> </span>Given how singularly effective pretty much every film score Greenwood produces ends up being, it staggered me to learn that it took until <i>Phantom Thread</i> for him to get an actual Oscar nomination. Well, between his work in this movie and <i>The Power of the Dog</i>, he should definitely get his second nod within the next week of this writing. <i>Spencer</i> feels like someone took the saucy royal drama of <i>The Crown</i> and filtered it through several funhouse mirrors to produce an effect of pure psychological horror, and the relentlessly off-kilter sound of Greenwood's music hits all the right extra notes (pun intended).</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<u><b>2. <i>Bo Burnham: Inside</i> (Bo Burnham)</b></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7K1KIsHp-P4" width="320" youtube-src-id="7K1KIsHp-P4"></iframe></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><br /><b><br /> </b></u>
<span> </span>This time capsule into what it felt like being an internet-oriented millenial in the first year of the pandemic is half sketch-comedy, half musical, and the songs are almost all solid bangers. The first few skew more light-hearted- „Content“ is the perfect opener, and songs about being a problematic YouTuber or the frustrations of helping family members get the hang of new things like Zoom Calls get plenty of laughs. But as the film progresses the songs turn darker, meaner, more hopeless. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU">„Welcome to the Internet“</a> is, of course, an instant classic, and as someone who himself turned 30 right as the pandemic was breaking in Europe and the US, uh, yeah, you better believe <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcyyOSJ4GUY">„30“</a> hit me like a none-socially-distanced freight train.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<span> </span>When you get down to real talk, though,. I think the hardest truths are to be found in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rx_p3NW7gQ">„All Eyes On Me,“</a> which functions both musically and visually as a descent into the Dantean Hell that is modern internet celebrity and the toxicity of most of its fandoms, something I have had to grapple with on a <a href="http://francnoir.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-critic-camera-and-wall.html">very personal level</a> over the past 4 years. It's a state of being that, for the moment, seems pretty devoid of hope, where the only place left to go is even further down.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<u><b>1. <i>Dune</i> (Hans Zimmer)</b></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uTmBeR32GRA" width="320" youtube-src-id="uTmBeR32GRA"></iframe></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><br /><b><br /> </b></u>
<span> </span>Ah, Hans. I've missed you. Even during the fallow period following <i>Inception</i> and the <i>Dark Knight</i> Trilogy, when people seemed ready to lay every over-used trend in modern film music at your feet, you kept chugging along, while I stayed on board the choo-choo.<br />
And even still, though you were still producing great stuff (like the <i>Interstellar</i> score, which far outstrips the movie itself), I couldn't help but feel that ít had been awhile since we'd gotten a really great, instantly classic original work from you. Lo and behold, not only did Denise and his crew do the unthinkable and actually make a great <i>Dune</i> movie, you were there as well with what is easily your best stuff in years.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<span> </span>Welcome back, my friend. Welcome back.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
-Noah Franc </span> </p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-24665197107625296142022-01-27T11:07:00.001-08:002022-01-27T11:07:43.198-08:00Star Wars, Episode IX: Duel of the Fates: Chapter Fifteen- The Epilogue<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">**for previous chapters, please refer to the <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/04/star-wars-episode-ix-duel-of-fates.html">Table of Contents</a>**</span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
red-and-orange morning on a forested corner of Onderon. Finn rose
silently, stretching himself towards the ceiling as he stood up so as
to wake up just a bit quicker. Rose would be calling soon and it
wouldn't do to be late. He glanced outside for a moment, pondering
the gentle light of the morning and letting the Force-feel of the
planet flow around and through him, drawing it consciously into his
mind in small waves. It was the first exercise he'd learned from
Rey. Hard to think it had already been a year since they'd started.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Outside
was the semicircle of stone-and-thatch houses that he and Rey had so
recently finished, about half of them already occupied by the first
new students he and Rey had spent the past two weeks picking from
across the galaxy, beings of all sizes and types and each with some
noticeable level of Force awareness. Today was the first day that
Rey would start their basic training.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But
first, time for an update on the other goings-on in the galaxy from
his girlfriend.<br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> Finn
sat down at the small worktable in his own room and activated the
comm tablet he had set into the opposite wall. After a short moment,
the holographic receiver activated, bringing up a 3D image of Rose,
speaking (he assumed) from her own room back on Coruscant. He knew
his own upper body would now be visible on her end.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
smiled. "Hey!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
smiled back. "Hey, you! Listen, this is perfect timing, Poe
wrote me just a few minutes ago. He says he has something big and he
wants us to hear it first."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
started to suspect what it must be- Poe and Lando had been hopping
around half the galaxy leading the hunt for Hux and his remaining
ships ever since they'd resurfanced in the Outer Rim- but kept his
excitement firmly in check in case he was hoping for too much.
"Let's here it then!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
nodded and her shoulder moved with a gesture. Her figure moved
slightly to the side and Poe's head, helmeted and clearly inside his
cockpit, rose into view alongside her.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Poe
smiled, "Aw man, is it good to see your faces again."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn's
smile broadened, "You too. You and Lando alright?"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"That's
why I'm calling! I actually don't have much time, you can probably
tell I'm in transit, so I gotta be quick, but get this; Hux is
surrendering!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
felt his jaw drop at the same time as Rose's. For a split second,
neither of them could speak.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
came to first, "Holy shit, that's incredible! Finally! Does
Leia know?"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Poe
nodded, "Lando's in communique with her right now. We managed
to hole them up groundside on Gamorr about a week ago. Enough
reinforcements came in that we outnumber them at least 3 to one. Hux
tried to play staredown with us for about a week, but once we brought
in a few Mon Cal ships that started bombing their perimeter he came
around. Or at least the rest of his officers did. He commed Lando
directly an hour ago and offered to discuss terms. We're heading to
the rendezvous spot now."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
was now more awake than he'd felt in awhile. <i>Finally</i>, he
thought, <i>it all finally ends</i>. "That's....I can hardly
believe it."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I
feel ya buddy. But it's real. And once we wrap up here I plan to
take a good, long vacation on your end. Gotta run for now though,
I'll send you guys another message as soon as I can!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
with that, Poe tapped himself out of the call.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
and Rose barely had a moment to turn and look at each other excitedly
before Finn sensed Rey approaching rapídly, followed by a quick
knock on his door.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Hang
on," he said to Rose before he rose up to let her in.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I'm
so sorry, I forgot Rose was calling today!" Rey said
breathlessly. "Am I too late???"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
grinned, letting his jubilation carry over into the Force. "No!
You just missed Poe, but we've got the best news for you. C'mon!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
followed him back to the table where Rose was still waiting.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Rey!
How are you?"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Nervous.
First day of training. What's the big news Finn mentioned?"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Once
more Finn and Rose exchanged glances; "Hux is surrendering! Poe
just told us, he and Lando are handling negotiations now!"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey's
face brightened as much as Finn's must have when he heard that.
"Stars! You mean....it's really over??"</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
nodded eagerly. "Yep. And the timing couldn't be better. Just
yesterday Leia and I helped finalize an election schedule for all the
Core Worlds to send delegates for a full-time Senate. Within a few
standard months the transition government can finally start handing
over formal duties. Some delegations have dragged their feet, but I
think the First Order finally being off the board entirely could be
the kick they need."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn's
mood brightened even further. Things were falling into place. <i>He</i>
had found his place.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
continued, "I gotta run myself, Leia and I have another day full
of meetings, but I second Poe; once everything is settled we're
heading your way to properly celebrate."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
smiled radiantly. "I can't wait."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I'll
call again in a few days. And hey, Rey- good luck today."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>With
that, Rose ended the call.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
sun outside had fully risen over the horizon, and the first founds of
the other students gathering in the clearing were already filtering
in. Rey and Finn looked at each other.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Wow."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Yeah.
Wow."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
glanced towards the door, towards her first opportunity to train
people who were basically strangers. Finn, she'd known, and that had
made her feel a bit more at ease. This, though, felt like it would
be a lot harder.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Hey."
Finn's voice cut through her reflections. She turned back to him.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"You're
gonna be great. If you can teach this idiot," and with that, he
jabbed his thumb towards himself, "you can teach anybody."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222;"> Rey
had to laugh in spite of herself.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"And
you aren't alone this time. I'm here. No matter what." As he
spoke, he clapped his hand on Rey's shoulder, giving it a reassurings
squeeze.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
nervousness still twisted around in her, but as always, Finn found
just the right way to ease her worries. "Thanks Finn."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
turned back towards the door and took a deep breath. "Alright.
Let's get to it then."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Stepping
outside, her eyes moved over the figures assembled before her, eight
in all. Two humans, a Bith, a Wookie, a Mon Cal, a Twi'Lek, even two
Zabraks who had contacted her of their own accord...after Finn, her
first real students. The new chance she'd been planning for, for a
new Jedi order. And as of today, they had a genuine peace to fight
for and protect.<br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> Yes.
As Leia had said almost a whole year ago; it was time for something
new.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"So,"
she began, hoping the evenness in her voice didn't betray her nerves,
"For starters, thank you. Thank you for being here, and
trusting me to help you find your ways in the Force. We'll start
today with a simple meditation."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>With
that, they each sat down slowly, forming a rough circle in the
clearning. The slight chill of night was already warming away in the
morning sun. </span><span style="color: #222222;">When
everyone seemed settled, Rey continued, "Now, follow my lead,
and focus first on your breathing. Let the Force flow gently flow
with each inhale and exhale....and try to picture yourself between
both the Light and the Dark sides of the Force. Imagine your body,
yourself, being the balance between the two."</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /> </span><span style="color: #222222;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"And
when that image is fixed in your mind...breathe. Just breathe."
</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">The
End</span></span></div>
Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-57625694714862958262021-12-02T08:08:00.000-08:002021-12-02T08:08:03.837-08:00Star Wars, Episode IX: Duel of the Fates: Chapter Fourteen- The Pieces<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">**for
previous chapters, please refer to the <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/04/star-wars-episode-ix-duel-of-fates.html">Table of Contents</a>**</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
deluge surrounded him. Flashing lights and intermingling comm
transmissions, most of them simply the last gasps of despair from the
commanders of ships that were falling in rapid succession like
dominos, overwhelmed Hux's senses. It was as if the very air in the
command center was restricting itself around him, taunting him,
mocking him. He'd been so close to victory over both the Rebellion
and Kylo Ren that he'd practically <i>tasted</i> it, but now...now,
it was all ash. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>As
another fiery orange explosion ripped across the viewport before him,
Hux felt a tap on his right shoulder. He turned around to see
Lieutenant Shenjo, his aid, promoted just before the battle, holding
a datapad in shaking hands. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Sir,"
his hands notwithstanding, the voice was smooth and steady. Hux had
promoted him for a reason, after all. "Latest reports in; the
<i>Palpatine Reborn</i>, <i>Star Crusher</i>, and <i>Order's Fist</i>
were able to fend off the Wookies and Mon Cals and are moving into
formation near B-Station IV. <i>Thrawn's Gambit</i> is also still in
communication, but they could not confirm they will reach us." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Hux
had sent an order not that long ago- though it felt like eternity-
for every surviving capital ship to draw together around one of the
only remaining Battle Satellites around Coruscant, so as to provide a
more comprehensive defense of the rest of the fleet. He'd had no
chance thus far to determine how much hardware they had left. He'd
expected it to be bad, but after waking up that morning with a fleet
of several dozen Star Destroyers and Dreadnaughts at his
fingertips....to hear only 4 names read off made him feel for a
moment as if the ship's gravity wells had briefly shut down. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
almost managed to keep his voice as even as his aide's when he
responded, "Understood. And the rest?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Lieutenant
Shenjo motioned, almost apologetically, to the orgy of destruction
spread out beyond their eyes. "Either already lost, sir, or so
damaged that they can't maneuver to us without being eliminated
completely. I believe General Dartly is trying to rally survivors on
the other side of the planet, but..."</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
didn't need to finish the thought. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Still
feeling a rising nausea- perhaps the gravity wells <i>had</i> been
damaged and no one wanted to tell him- Hux surveyed the fight before
him again. An inkling appeared in his thoughts, a feeling more
certain than any he'd felt before- if he'd had any sort of capacity
in that regard, he may have thought it a premonition from the Force
itself- that this was it. Kylo Ren was not coming back. Ever. And
the First Order had thoroughly and completely lost Coruscant. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
only option remaining was to somehow, someway, survive this
catastrophe. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>His
mouth still feeling as if it were filled with ash, he gave the worst
order he'd ever had to utter in his entire career. "Signal full
retreat. All forces that can escape planetside are to do so, the rest
are to go underground." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Even
now, Lieutenant Shenjo responded as if he'd just been told the
weather. "Understood. Destination?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Hux
thought briefly. "Galvon 6 is our closest base. All survivors
are to regroup there. What's left of High Command will decide
further steps then." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
lieutenant snapped briefly upwards in salute, then crisply moved
forward, forwarding the orders in a crisp, matter-of-fact tone. Hux,
however, did not hear him. The sounds once again faded into a
muddled wall of indistinct noise. Only one conscious thought was
left to him in his utter misery:</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Damn
you, Kylo Ren. Damn you to Hell.</i> </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">***</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
odd, lightsaber-esque ax Finn had picked up sure was coming in handy.
He and Rose had been able to reconnect with Jannah and, with her
using a few delayed grenades, they'd already taken out a second
Knight, with Jannah and Rose combining their efforts to maneuver him
into a position for Finn to cut him down from behind. Now, a third-
this one with some sort of strange cannon welded to his shoulder in
lieu of a right arm- was staring him down, firing again and again.
Yet, with the Force swirling around him, a clarity he'd never before
felt in his life, it was all too easy to bat away each blast, the
strength and quality of the blade absorbing the kinetic shock, so
that only a momentary warmth of the plasma as it passed by ever
reached Finn.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He'd
just started to weave his way towards this next opponent when a
strange ripple seemed to pass through the very air around him,
stopping him in his tracks. He immediately knew it wasn't just him;
the Knight that had been so focused on him suddenly stumbled back as
if struck, then glanced up into the sky. This was something in the
Force. Even with his mask and heavy clothing, Finn could feel the
shock radiating off the enemy. Then, even more inexplicably to Finn,
the Knight simply turned and vanished into the tumult behind him. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Too
caught off guard by this to try and pursue, Finn turned to see Rose
emerging from the debris she'd been using as cover to support him.
She was also clearly at a total loss. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Did
he just..." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Yeah.
There was something....in the Force, I think..." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>At
this, Rose's voice turned sharp. "What?? Was it Rey?? Is she
ok?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
shook his head, still trying to make sense of the shifting sensations
within him, "I don't..."</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>But
that thought was promplty interrupted by Jannah's voice, cutting in
on the transmittors they'd been using to coordinate. "Finn!
Rose! We did it! The First Order is in full retreat!" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>They
briefly glanced at each other in shock before looking up across the
plaza, still smoking from its pockmarked blast craters. Through the
shifting clouds of smoke and steam, they saw ships marked as First
Order rising back up from the gloom, in some cases in such an
apparent hurry that figures still clung to hatches and doors only
half-closed. One by one, each one attempted to turn to a vector to
flee into space, but there were quite a few that were rapidly too
shot up by groundfire- or, in a few cases, by assorted atmospheric
ships that Jannah's people had been able to capture on the fly during
the battle- to escape. These collapsed back groundwards, usually in
pieces and all in flames. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Jannah's
voice broke through the moment, "We caught a bit of the last
transmission from the First Order. Hux has called for a complete
retreat."</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finn
could feel immediately this was true, but he still hardly dared allow
himself to believe it. Everything had been so stacked against them
and so much had gone wrong. Rey was still missing. But it was real.
They'd done it. <i>They'd won</i>. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span> </span><span> </span>Rose, her voice thick with emotion, was the first to collect herself
despite the welling tears in her eyes. "Jannah, meet us at the
entrance to the Temple. Bring a ship with solid comm gear. We have
friends fighting up there and we need to contact them asap." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Jannah's
voice was also shockingly husky as she responded. "You got it.
On my way." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Their
comms fell silent. Rose and Finn finally looked at each other, their
eyes burning. Finn felt the largest smile of his life break out
across his face. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Without
a word, they rushed into each others arms, squeezing tightly as if to
keep the whole galaxy at bay, a beacon of love and light that had,
for the moment, banished all darkness from the world. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">***</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
fireball that ripped sideways across the curve of Coruscant's surface
as the <i>Fist of Vader</i> was torn in two was a thing of marvelous
beauty. Poe tucked that image away into the back of his mind,
knowing he would revisit it again and again til the day he died. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
pleasant reverie ended when his comm crackled back to life and he
heard the voice that, other than perhaps that of Rey, Finn, or Rose,
he had been the most desperate to hear. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Still
alive, flyboy?" It was Leia, clearly exhausted, but with the
same strength and confidence he'd always admired her for. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Leia!
General! Thank the Force! Are you ok, what happened?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
chuckled, still sounding weary, and, now that Poe thought about it, a
little sad. "It's...a bit much to explain, but that can wait.
For now, I want you, Lando, and the others to return to the ship.
It's time for a new gameplan." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Ay-yay."
<i>Indeed it is</i>, Poe thought, as he steered back towards the
center of the rebel fleet, <i>time for something new</i>. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>They
sat around a command table in a room at a short remove from the main
bridge. A Mon Cal commander, having transferred over as a liason
after the battle had started, was finishing a summation of both
casualties and estimates of how many First Order ships were believed
to have escaped, using his webbed fingers to move projected images
across a display screen. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"In
total," he concluded, "I estimate that we've seen at least
30 or 35% of Rebel- or, I should say, Allied- ships lost or damaged
beyond repair and at least that in personnel lost, though these
numbers will almost certainly grow over the next few days as we
regroup and take stock." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
paused for a moment, allowing all a moment fo reverential silence for
those who had died today before continuing. "On a more positive
note, the First Order has definitely lost significantly more manpower
and, of course, control of Coruscant itself. For all the fighting
strength they had on hand, we caught them at just the right moment
and they could never consolidate; four Star Destroyers were able to
make it to hyperstace, in some cases with scattered smaller craft
alongside them, but at least 20 of their capital ships are wholly
destroyed or disabled and any survivors captured. I estimate
casualities in both ships and crew to be least 60%, though again,
that is likely an underestimate." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Poe
looked at the faces around him, mostly seeing relief or happiness
that the battle was won, but always tempered by at least a little
grief over how hard this victory had come. After another moment of
digestive silence, Leia finally spoke. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"So,
that's where are now. The question is- what next? Do we pursue the
First Order right away, or start with pacifying Coruscant?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
powerfully built man with graying hair, the flamboyant color of his
uniform identifiying him immediately as a commander from Kuat, was
the first to speak. "I say pursue. We have assumed too often
that the First Order had been set back only to see them rise again,
stronger than before. Now is our chance to wipe them out for good."
</span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"With
what ships?" This response came from a small, but powerfully
dignified woman Poe knew had led the Corellian units in the fighting.
"Our system sent everything they had available on short notice.
I want to finish the First Order as much as anyone but rushing in
with our noses still bloody could just as easily lead to disaster.
We don't even know yet how many of our surviving ships are even able
to still fly, let alone fight." Here she glanced at the Mon Cal
to confirm her suspicions. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
immediately nodded, blinking his large eyes as he did so. "I'm
afraid I must concur. Our forces are as spread out as the First
Order was. Even at breakneck speed, we are looking at at least a
week just to assess the damage from this day, much less effect
repairs." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
took all this in silently, then glanced at Lando, who didn't even
need a verbal prompt to offer his thoughts. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Well,"
he began after a moment's reflection, "you know me, Princess;
I'm always ready for a good gamble if the prize is right. But..."
and here his usual sardonic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth,
"...I also know from experience how much you can lose when you
go up against the wrong odds." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>At
this, Leia's mouth curved into an amused smile as well. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"So
I say we stay and regroup first. No use beating the First Order now
if Coruscant is left to chaos." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
nodded definitively. "Then that's what we'll do. Let's
consolidate our ships in the space over the government district and
select a mixed group of forces and personnel to take the reigns
planetside. I suspect there's more than enough work there waiting
for us." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Everyone
sitting or standing in the room quickly started to jump up and move
to their respective stations or ships. Po, however, needed to know
something urgently before he could think about anything else. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"General Leia," he rushed up to her, noting that she was a bit slower in
rising from her chair than she used to be. He had to brush that
concern aside for the moment, though. "Have you heard anything
from Finn? Or Rose, or Rey?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>At
this, the weariness that had endlessly creased Leia's brow lifted
entirely. "As a matter of fact, yes. Just before our little
meeting here started I got a transmitted message that they are at the
Jedi Temple and that they're ok. It seems they found us a whole
bunch of friends on the ground ready to help us out." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Po
nearly fell to his knees as he felt the built-up worry and tension of
the past few hours leave his body in a rush. For the first time in
his life, he began to see the possibility of real peace ahead. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"General,"
he said, straightening himself again. "Permission to be part of
the landing party headed for the Temple." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia's
smile broadened. "Permission granted, flyboy. Now get out of
here." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Po
didn't need to be told twice. He turned and rushed back to the
hanger bay where he'd left his ship, Lando and Chewie close behind
him.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">***</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
remained crouched on the ground, her hands on the dirty and shredded
garments left behind when Kylo- Ben- had vanished. Her left hand
trembled slightly, but within she just felt...numb. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I...I
thought...even now, maybe I could still save him.." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
shimmer in the corner of her eye finally made her turn away from the
macabre sight, and she saw the figure of Anakin standing to her left.
When he spoke, his voice was firm, but still soft with compassion. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"There
is no forcing anything on a Jedi, or a Sith. Ben didn't want to be
saved. Chose not to." He leaned forward, close to Rey. "This
is not on your shoulders, young Rey, and you can't afford to be
weighed down by unearned guilt and shame." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>To
her right, Anakin's voice was joined by that of Yoda. "A new
world to help create, you now have." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Finally,
Rey felt the numbness start to slip away. Grief, yes, and sadness
were still there. But also the serene peace that comes with
accepting that some things simply are, and must be. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Slowly,
wincing slightly at the aches and pains throughout her body from the
fighting, she brought herself to her feet, her lightsaber held
loosely at her right side. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
turned around, where the Jedi Masters had once again formed a
semi-circle before her. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Thank
you. All of you. I won't forget this. And I promise you, the Jedi
will go on." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Gentle
smiles, followed by another chuckle from Yoda. "So important,
the Jedi are not. The work to bring peace, justice, safety to all,
hm....these are what make life worth living." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now
even the sadness was being pushed aside from a swelling happiness
within Rey, the sort of purpose she'd always wanted for her life, and
now finally had. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Somehow,
without knowing how she knew, she sensed that it was finally time for
her to return to Coruscant. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
looked again at the wizened faces before her. "Will....will I
ever see any of you again?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It
was Luke who answered, "Not like this, no. But, like the Force,
we will be with you. Always." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Thank
you," Rey whispered, feeling a wind pick up around her, knowing
that was the final goodbye. The wind turned into a rushing light, as
both the Jedi and the Mortis itself faded away from her, and she
found herself momentarily suspended in a blank, white space, entirely
alone.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">***</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
and Finn were helping to organize aid stations to gather all the
wounded, regardless of uniform, that still filled the plaza in front
of the Jedi Temple. The usual cries and sights and smells of death
and injury surrounded them, tempering the joy inside them somewhat, a
sobering realization that there was bitter work to be done now to
rebuild. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
ship touched down on one of the few spaces available, carrying a few
limited medical supplies local residents had collected on the fly.
Finn agreed to help unload, while Rose went to seek out Jannah again
to see if she needed anything. Her path took her across the front
steps leading up into the frontal atrium of the Temple and she paused
a moment to gaze up at it, taking a moment to let everything that had
happened this long, long day simply wash over her. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
was about to turn back around to continue to the other side when a
sudden flicker of motion drew her attention, a figure that suddenly
started to emerge from the shadows within. Her spine stiffened and
her mind sharpened in focus, suddenly filled with worry that one of
the Knights, or something just as sinister, had taken refuge there
and was about to try and wreck some sort of vengeance just as they'd
began to relax. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Her
worry dissipated almost instantly into sheer joy when the figure
resolved itself into Rey. Clearly bruised and battered, but whole
and alive. In that moment nothing else mattered. "REY!"
She cried out in relief, dashing up the steps two at a time to grab
her in a hug so fierce and desperate they both nearly went tumbling
back down towards the plaza. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>For
a moment, neither could speak. Finally, Rose pushed Rey back to
arm's length. "WHAT happened?? Where were you, where did you
GO???? We were so worried!!!" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
winced, a mixture of both physical pain and emotional embarassment at
the worry she knew her strange trip to the Mortis must have caused.
"It's....a really long story, but I promise, I'll tell you all
everything." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
then glanced over Rose's shoulders and only then seemed to take in
the enormity of the battle wreckage spread before her. "What
happened to you guys here? Where's Finn?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rose
didn't miss a beat. "Long story. I promise, you'll hear it all
too. But...Rey, <i>we won</i>." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
had already sensed this after her battle with Ben, but hearing such
news from a best friend always gave it far greater meaning. "I
know. I...." her voice faltered only slightly, "I stopped
Kylo Ren." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Figured
it was something like that." Rose's eyes then lit up as she
realized she had the chance to break the day's biggest surprise to
Rey. "Hey, speaking of which- come with me." Forgetting
all about her original goal of finding Jannah, Rose grabbed Rey's
hand and pulled her down the steps as fast as they could managed-
with the adrenaline wearing off, Rose started to feel as beaten up as
Rey looked- and back towards the landing zone where Finn was still
sifting through crates with other volunteers. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Before
either of them spoke, Finn's shoulders straightened and he wipped
around, his face bursting into the biggest grin at what he saw. "Oh
my God, REY!" The bear hug that followed was only slightly more
painful than Rose's, but no less welcome. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>It
was only after Finn had also pulled back that it hit Rey like a Star
Destroyer ramming a Golan Battle Station. Not only could she sense
<i>him</i> through the Force, she could feel <i>him</i> sensing <i>her</i>!
</span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Finn...you..."
she couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Yeah...I
know..." he looked like he could barely breath from excitement.
"I think it was your disappearance, and the Temple....something
I'd felt for a long time, but couldn't understand, and now...."
his thoughts overwhelmed his mouth and he once again lapsed into
silence. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
paused, took a deep breath, then stood taller and prouder than Rey
had ever seen. "Rey...I'd like to be your first student.
I'd.....I want to become a Jedi. I think I'm meant to." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Tears
began to slowly trickle down Rey's face. "Yes. I think so
too." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
moment was then interrupted when Jannah suddenly appeared from behind
Finn, holding a comm device in her hand. "Hey! We just got a
message from an Allied ship. They need a slightly larger space to
land, but they've got a lot more and a lot better supplies than
what's here!" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
short while later, the cruiser Rey recognized as coming from Leia's
flagship had touched down, with crew quickly exiting the craft to
start organizing. The best part, though, was seeing the person
disembark she'd sensed as soon as the ship had breached the
atmosphere. She, Finn, and Rose raced forward as one and grabbed Poe
in a fierce group hug, one that he reciprocated with equal fervor. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I
knew. I <i>knew</i> you'd all do it." His voice cracked with
pride. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>After
a moment more, they pulled away from each other. Poe glanced at each
up and down, then smirked; "you all look like hell." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>That
was enough to break the tension, and for awhile, as the rush of
post-battle recovery spun around them, they simply laughed and
laughed and laughed. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Evening.
The sun setting over the skyline of Coruscant, brilliant red and
orange and purple light reflecting in waves off the concrete, glass,
and transparisteel of the many towers and turrents that had survived
the day's fighting intact. Typically, the onset of night would mean
no reduction in the light and noice and bustle of the galaxy's
largest metropolis. Tonight, though, it was all more muted than
anyone living could remember, even more than the day the Empire had
first fallen. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
reflected on all this, on the years gone by and the friends, foes,
and family lost along the way, as she gazed out of the room she'd
been provided near the Senate building. Once more, she'd arrived on
the cusp of a victorious army, with the means and mandate to recreate
a galactic government. Last time, she'd lost one family, but had
been lucky enough to find, and later grow, another. This time, she
was all that remained; husband, brother, and son, all lost to the
darkness of war. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"All
gone..." she murmured to herself, her eyes still taking in the
city before her. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"You
know that's not entirely true," a gentle voice behind her said.
Her face slowly slid into a smile as she turned around to see the
faint form of Luke on the other side of the room. He, too, was
smiling, his face filled with a peace she'd not seen in him for
years. "The ones we love are always with us." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Ah-hah,"
she responded, "which of the ancient texts did you pull that one
from?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Luke
put on a mock show of injured pride; "Careful there. You should
know better than to tease a Jedi Master." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>She
returned the joking sarcasm, "And you should know better than to
pick a fight with your own sister." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
smile returned, "Fair enough." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
pause before he spoke again, "Thank you. For helping Rey in the
Mortis." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
felt her expression grow heavier with the memory. "It wasn't
just Rey. I suppose...I wanted to see Ben once more. Even if I knew
there was no saving him. I really have forgiven him." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Luke's
expression grew more somber as well. "I'd always somehow hoped
that, maybe, he would one day forgive me. I don't suppose he ever
did." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Now
Leia's tone turned admonishing, "Oh come now. Enough of that."
</span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Her
thoughts returning to what was to come, Leia, turned back towards the
window. "I just wish I had a clear picture of what comes next.
We had one chance already and failed. What needs to change this
time? So that no one has to pay this sort of price again?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Out
of the corner of her eye, Luke moved up alongside her, taking in the
last vestiges of color slowly slipping over the horizon. "Rey
asked me the same thing in the Mortis. I don't have any more of an
answer than you do. But she's not only strong, she's wise. Well
beyond her years. The other Masters and I watched as she searched on
her own through the Force. And after she overcame her own darkness
against Ben...I do believe that if anyone can find a new path for the
Jedi, she can." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
nodded, heartened by this. "And she's got good friends around
her. Like we had."</span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Yeah...I
think they're more than ready." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
didn't say anything else, only nodded. For longer than she could
track, she and Luke simply stood their, silently, side by side,
watching the last rays of light fade and night finally come to this
corner of Coruscant. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>The
next morning, Rey entered Leia's room, glad to have the chance to
speak with her alone before everyone would arrive for the planning
session. They hadn't had a chance to speak one-on-one since the
events in the Mortis. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Walking
through the door, she first say C3PO, a tray with assorted used
dishes held stiffly in his arms. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Oh!
Master Rey! Good morning!" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Morning,
Threepio. Is Leia already up?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Yes.
She waits for you in the living room. May I offer you anything?"
</span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Nothing,
but thanks." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Threepio
shuffled off towards the kitchen and Rey continued to the next room,
where Leia was standing by the window. Rey walked over the join her,
and before either said anything, they gave each other a tight,
comforting hug. </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Leia,
I....I'm so sorry....your family..." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Rey,"
her voice, even though it was tinged with sorrow, was still so warm
and welcoming, "it's okay. Really." She pushed Rey back
to arm's length, her hands on her shoulders. "Ben made his
choices. There's no changing that. I meant what I said in the
Mortis. He was, is, and will always be my son. But this is bigger
than any one family. We have another chance for peace, and we need
to make the most of it." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
fought back a short wave of tears and nodded. "Leia...how did
you reach the Mortis yourself? How did you find me?" </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
was contemplative for a moment before answering. She lowered herself
down onto a chair, motioning for Rey to do the same. "You know,
I don't think I'll ever fully understand it myself. Just...a
feeling, quite sudden, that you needed me. And I just...followed the
feeling. And then you were there. You and Ben." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
yearned to ask more, but held back, not wanting to add any more pain
to what Leia must already be suffering through. Instead, she simply
took Leia's hands in hers. "Well....thank you. You were
exactly the person I needed." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia's
smile returned, more radiant than ever. "Of course, my dear.
Anytime." </span></span>
</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> She
stood up then, her manner turning official as she moved towards the
door, summoning Threepio as she went, "And now, I think you and
I are running late. We've got a lot of things to figure out."
</span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-10877739307801130902021-11-12T23:49:00.000-08:002021-11-12T23:49:00.263-08:00Review: Ammonite<p><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ammonite
(2020): </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Written and directed by Francis Lee. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Starring: </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Kate
Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, and Fiona Shaw. </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Running
Time:</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> 120 minutes.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Rating:</b>
3/4 </span>
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXQyt3wEUN4/YY9tvtY2PqI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/yb1mQ8QlE3gqWZ46pRU9_bY01XbZL6lzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Ammonite.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="640" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXQyt3wEUN4/YY9tvtY2PqI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/yb1mQ8QlE3gqWZ46pRU9_bY01XbZL6lzgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h228/Ammonite.webp" width="400" /></a></div>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>A
woman, alone, is on her hands and knees, feverishly scrubbing a
wooden floor. Until, that is a sharp, male voice cuts across the
screen, telling her to "Move!" Feet shuffle over the beams
she'd just finished polishing, Serious Men about Serious Work. They
are carrying a table of fossils, marked as having been discovered by
Mary Anning. One of them glances briefly at the note with her name on
it, snorts, then replaces it with one displaying his name instead.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>So
begins <i>Ammonite</i>, a movie for whom the word "subtlety"
does not exist. I don't intend this as a critique, merely an
observation of a film that I quite admire, even though its reception
upon initial release was rather lukewarm given the pedigree of talent
involved. Ostensibly based on rumors of a sexual relationship that
may or may not have actually happened, <i>Ammonite</i> is centered
around Kate Winslet as Mary Anning, a legendary and hugely
influential fossil collector, and her friend Charlotte, played by my
eternal heartthrob, Saoirse Ronan.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> <span> </span></span>It
is certainly more than past time for more people to get wind of
Anning's remarkable life, as she remains (and I know the competition
here is fierce) one of the more underappreciated women in history.
And though the movie is certainly heavily fictional- it is unknown
whether Anning had a sexual relationship with anyone, man, woman, or
otherwise- but Winslet very much captures the spirit of her subject,
bringing across her strength, intelligence, and dogged refusal to
conform to the world around her, even as her name was repeatedly
quashed by the men in her field.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ronan's
Charlotte, the wife of an admirer of Anning's who pops up only
briefly at the film's start, is more or less forced on Anning after
he leaves her in the seaside town alone to let her "recover"
from what was either a miscarriage or death of their child. Feeling
pushed into a caring role she feels unsuited for, Anning soon opens
up more and more to her guest, while Charlotte quickly learns to
appreciate the uniqueness of Anning in a time and place otherwise
obsessed with social status.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I
knew about the romance that builds out of this going into the film,
and though my expectation of an English repeat of <i><a href="http://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-top-ten-films-of-2019.html">Portrait de la jeune fille en feu</a></i> proved somewhat off the mark, this is
still a tender story about two souls finding something deep and
meaningful between them. Ronan and Winslet are both able to convey
worlds with just their glances. This allows them to carry a film that
is otherwise a little thin around them, which not much else there,
aside from hints at a past relationship of Anning's that still haunts
her and a surprisingly deep moment involving Anning's mother.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Seeded
throughout is imagery and dialogue reflecting the themes of male
dominance over women and the erasure of their presence and work, as
well as ideas of loneliness and isolation. The early scenes with
Charlotte are filled with moments like this; Charlotte, lying in bed,
stares balefully at a moth trapped in a glad, suffocating to death.
Or soon afterwards, when she is forced in the midst of grief to wade
into the ocean, buffetted and torn by waves she neither wanted to
experience nor is able to stop. It's simple, it's straightforward,
but it remains effective even in the moments where the strings are
obvious.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>I
do feel that their is a positivity in the film's existence that goes
even beyond the end product itself. Both Ronan and Winslet have been
very open about how empowering and enjoyable they found the
experience, especially since they were given free reign to map out
the movie's central sex scene. Dealing with sexuality in a positive
and constructive way for all, male and female, is still something
sorely lacking in mainstream cinema, and I would very much hope that
this movie can act as a harbinger of things to come. Ronan went so
far as to say that she even felt a little angry that it took this
long for her to have an experience like this that did not feel
demeaning or exploitative in some way. Sadly, this is not surprising,
but it does highlight how unacceptable that part of current
filmmaking should be in an ideal world.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Conveying
so many ways that relationships form, only to be strained and
threatened with breaking by the world around us, is the central
pillar of <i>Ammonite</i>, a sweet and heartfelt and committed story
of two souls with strength they themselves don't realize they
possess. It came and went last year without much ablomb- which, given
the circumstances, is understandable- but I think anyone and everyone
should see it when given the chance.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Noah
</span></span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-36602057156641809782021-11-10T03:11:00.000-08:002021-11-10T03:11:05.444-08:00Review: Eternals<p><b>Eternals (2021):</b> Written by Chloe Zhao, Patrick
Burleigh, and Ryan and Kaz Firpo, directed by Chloe Zhao. <b>Starring:</b> Gemma Chan, Richard Madden,
Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Koeghan,
Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. <b>Running Time:</b> 157 minutes. Based on the Marvel comics series originally
concieved by Jack Kirby. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rating: </b>3/4<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fiH4JT2bWYA/YYuoHPEujsI/AAAAAAAAFQY/PSg7f8uqoWY_AQ4dPomLdBpvGxpZn_KfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/lauren-ridloff-makkari-eternals.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fiH4JT2bWYA/YYuoHPEujsI/AAAAAAAAFQY/PSg7f8uqoWY_AQ4dPomLdBpvGxpZn_KfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/lauren-ridloff-makkari-eternals.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fresh of
her historic success at the Oscars, Chloe Zhao is now the latest rising-star
auteur to be given a chance to provide the now firmly-entrenched Marvel
Cinematic Universe with, at the very least, a fresh coat of aesthetic paint.
True, there is still world-building for future films that must be tended to,
more so in this case than in many others, and that does hold Eternals back from
reaching the same singular heights that, say, <i><a href="http://francnoir.blogspot.com/2018/02/review-black-panther.html">Black Panther</a></i> or <i><a href="http://francnoir.blogspot.com/2017/11/review-thor-ragnarok.html">Thor: Ragnarok</a> </i>achieve. Nonetheless, this is still a film filled with
breathtaking and beautiful moments, plus a whole lot of genuinely
groundbreaking representation for big superhero movies that was still
relatively lacking in the MCU to date. Taken together, this was certainly one
of the more unique and unforgettable Marvel experiences, whatever its
flaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The central
concept of the film is that there is a group of immortal superbeings, called
Eternals, on a grand mission from Celestials, who seem to be more or less the
Gods in this universe, responsible for creating stars, galaxies, and even life
itself. Their main job is to protect intelligent life (meaning, in this case,
humans) from dark powers called Deviants that instinctively hunt out
intelligent life forms and slaughter them, but to do so in a way that minimally
interferes with the development of the protected species. Yes, it's basically
the Prime Directive, but for Space Angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The leader
of the group assigned to Earth is Ajak, a motherly Salma Hayak, who spends less
of her time fighting and more tending to the needs and wounds (both physical
and emotional) of the very colorful and motley crew under her. Indeed, the very
specific abilities of each person don't always appear to obviously lend
themselves to fighting anything, much less Space Demons, but they ways in which
they work in tandem during many of the early action scenes is truly fascinating
to watch, and one of the ways in which this film is able to differentiate
itself from its predecessors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However, in
the present day we learn that the team split up many centuries ago, pretty much
explicitly over disagreements over how far and how literally to take their
non-interference orders. This is, of course, the explanation for the audience
POV-character (Kit Harington as a potential love interest for Gemma Chan's
Sersi, who is more or less the movie's main protagonist) as to why the Eternals
have not popped up before to stop Thanos, or, well, any other atrocity humanity
has cooked up for itself over the millenia. Now, though, a series of mysterious
circumstances linked to the reappearance of Deviants convinces Sersi that the
Eternals need to regroup and figure out what's going on. Her primary companions
in this are the childlike Sprite (Lia McHugh) and her past love interest,
Ikarus (Richard Madden), whose flying and laser abilities seem to make him the
strongest Eternal, at least physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Until the
major story developments and plot twists start coming, the story is told more
or less through a mix of flashbacks to many, many different past ages and
places and the present. There is a suddenness to many of these transitions and
you often are left guessing for a moment or two if you're in the past or
present, but I found this to be rather fitting; a repeated theme is how time
and memory weigh on the Eternals, and the sheer endlessness of their existance
can make it harder and harder for them to keep up with the thread of their
lives and their mission. In the case of Thena, Angelie Jolie's characters, this
is explicitly tied into her having a form of PTSD-esque, Eternal-specific
mental illness that eventually cripples her incredible fighting abilities. More
than a few MCU movies have attempted to grapple with the psychological aspects
that must inevitably follow from having such incredible powers, but this is one
of only a handful of examples where it feels real and genuine, and not just
tacked on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are
lots of other ways in which this film is actively not just breaking ground, but
shattering it. Lauren Ridloff steals every scene she's in as Makkari, the
first-ever deaf superhero who is already sparking increased interest in
<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/eternals-sign-language-deaf-superhero-lauren-ridloff-b1954107.html">learning sign language</a>. Plus, her incredible superspeed powers make for
some of the most arresting visual moments in the major fight scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is the first-ever explicit sex scene in
a Marvel movie (basic missionary only, but hey, baby steps), as well as the
most direct homosexual relationship to date, though doesn't get the same focus
as the heterosexual ones. Throw in Don Lee and Kumail Nanjiani as,
respectively, the first Korean and South Asian superheros in the MCU, and there
is a lot packed in here that is worth lauding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>However,
that has clearly not been enough to outweigh the film's noticeable flaws in the
eyes of both critics and general audiences, and this is not without reason. The
movie is juggling so many balls while trying to tell, as Zhao put it, "a love
story across time and space," that a lot of threads inevitably end up
underused or seemingly dropped entirely. Barry Koeghan's Druig has a truly
frightening power of mind control, and at one point he apparently created
something of a secretive cult deep in the Amazon as a rejection of human
development, but the very dicey implications of that are never picked up on.
For a time, an especially advanced and intelligent Deviant is built up as the
narrative "Big Bad" with an understandable grudge with the Eternals,
only to become so inconsequential by the end that I had almost forgotten about
him when he suddenly dropped into the film's climax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For my
money, though, these shortcomings aren't enough to sink the film. Sure, taken
as a whole, I would probably rank this somewhere within the mid-tier of the
MCU, but this is far more memorable and interesting an effort than most of the
other movies at that level. It takes some big swings, and in many ways the
conclusion this builds to is very much nothing we've gotten from a superhero
movie before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are
still a lot of open questions in terms of where the MCU can develop from here
and whether or not audiences can stay committed now that so much of the
original cast has moved on, but I'm still here for the ride. Eternals will not
be everyone's cup of tea, but this is a movie worth taking the time to digest
on your own before shooting out any hot takes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-Noah Franc<o:p></o:p></p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3519154363225417891.post-26391167375561028342021-10-05T12:39:00.001-07:002021-10-05T12:39:55.341-07:00Star Wars, Episode IX: Duel of the Fates: Chapter 13- The Final Trial, Part 2<p>**for previous chapters, please refer to the <a href="https://francnoir.blogspot.com/2020/04/star-wars-episode-ix-duel-of-fates.html">Table of Contents</a>**</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>With
time in this place being so ephemeral, Rey could not have said how
long they'd been fighting. With both ground and weather shifting all
around them, often seemingly at random, both had had to resort to
every fighting and physical skill they'd mastered just to keep even.
As the Mortis continued to shift in faster and faster cycles around
them, from day to night to day and back again to night, Rey and
Sidereas struck and parried, attacked and defended. Rey could no
longer see or sense the old Masters, but Sidereas' attacks were too
intense, too rapid, for her to dwell on her sense of utter isolation.
Her twin blades whirled around her like wavering shields, her arms
jerking back and forth to hold back any strike Sidereas attempted.
However, his own guardrail blades allowed him extra time to react to
every effort she made to pass his defenses, and every attempt forced
her to retreat once again, least one of his energy blades find flesh.
</span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>For
all the increased rage and power she'd sensed in Ben as soon as he'd
appeared, their blows had, at first, carried equal strength between
them. Slowly, though, she could feel her strength ebbing. Force
nexus or no, she couldn't remember the last time she'd ate, or slept,
or had a moment of peace to simply close her eyes and breathe.
Everything had gone by so fast, and she realized she was now
approaching her limit. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Almost
as if the Mortis itself was reacting to her detiorating mental state,
a rip appeared beneath them, fissuring up beneath Rey's left foot.
She finished a deflection of another attack in time to shift her feet
beneath her to avoid falling, but this was just one things too many.
She simply couldn't react quickly enough to the lightsaber and her
opponent and the very land around them; this time, she couldn't turn
her body quickly enough to avoid the impact of a hard kick following
Sidereas' lightsaber sweep that felt as hard and sharp as a metal
blade. The breath was forced out of her lungs and she felt herself
crumble backwards, landing hard on her side against a rocky
outcropping rising up out of the ground that she'd apparently been
backing into. All at once, her body felt as if it were made of
stone, and it was all she could to remain standing upright and keep
her saber lit in her hand. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Immediately,
the Force around her was filled with a sense of menacing triumph.
Grimacing, drawing on the Force to pull air into her lungs, Rey
looked at the shadow before her. The figure that was once Ben Solo
raise its glowing blade in a salute, and its angry voice spoke; "Now,
finally, it all ends." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Before
he could approach, though, before Rey could even try to summon the
strength to go on, the world was once more brought to a halt by the
sound of something Rey would never have expected here. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia's
voice, calm yet filled with strength, filled the air around them. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Ben.
My son." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Sidereas
seemed to be as caught off guard as Rey. Pausing for a moment, he
turned to the side, and both he and Rey say Leia, standing before
them with the gentlest of smiles on her face. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey,
gasping through the pain that still ached in her stomach, tried to
find something to say. "Leia, you....are you....how...."</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Was
she dead? Or was she alive and physically there, like her and Ben?
She appeared more solid than the Masters had, but there was still
something faint about her appearance, though Rey was still not sure
that couldn't just be her exhaustion. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Sidereas
merely contemplating her for a moment in silence before speaking,
turning more of his body away from Rey and towards this new figure. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"First
Father, then you. Are you also a phantom? Or are you here so I can
kill you too?" </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia's
voice remained soft, but the pain in her eyes was all too apparent.
"Ben, please. Just leave all this. You are still my child and
I've already forgiven you. Just leave it, and let's be a family
again." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
felt her heart break at hearing this, but Sidereas merely snorted
with contempt. "I guess I can say it as often as I want, none
of you sentimental idiots will ever get it. Alright then." With
this, he settled back into a fighting stance, "If you are real,
then this is just another test. I can kill you too, and finally be
at peace." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Leia
merely looked at him another moment before responding. "If
that's what you truly want, Ben, then I won't fight you." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Though
the rocky ground underneath her didn't move this time, Rey felt as if
all matter around her had been blasted away, leaving her trapped
inside a cold, deathly void. <i>No</i>. <i>Leia, no</i>. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Her
vision began to blur with tears, but she could still identify the
shadow-that-was-Ben as it began to move towards Leia. And this
sight, somehow, lit a fire that banished all the pain, all the
exhaustion, all the worry, that Rey had felt pulling her down. <i>No</i>.
<i>Absolutely not</i>. She wasn't about to lose another teacher.
Another friend. Her <i>family</i>. Not this time. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
felt her body move like lightning through the air, flipping up and
over Sidereas just as he began a horizontal swing that would have cut
Leia apart at the waist. Instead, Rey's downward-facing first blade
halted him in his tracks, her fury and determination to end this now
making the Force around them seem to glow with renewed purpose. Her
strength returning, Rey was now defining the terms of the fight,
striking and parrying and attacking again and again, forcing Sidereas
back on his heels. Using the same tactic she'd fallen prey to, she
rapidly followed one attack with a spinning side kick that avoided
the guards and connected with Sidereas' knuckles. With an audible
crunch and a repressed grunt of pained surprise, Sidereas' lightsaber
deactivated as it was sent spinning away. Now, it was the wannabe
Sith Lord backed against a rocky outcropping, Rey standing above him
with her blade poised for another strike. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Now,
now, do it now.</i> Rey could feel the Force burn within and around
her. Her thoughts and motions slowed, as if she had sunk into deep
water. <i>Strike him down, bring balance, bring peace, end it.</i>
Her vision blurred around the edges, a swirling gray around the
still-solid image before her. <i>He's hurt me, he's hurt us, he
killed Han, he killed Luke, he'll kill Leia.</i> She had been alone,
so alone, for so many years, until she found Poe and Finn and Han and
Leia and Luke, and this man had tried to hard to <i>take it all away,
and now I can end all this and save the Jedi, save the galaxy...</i></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i><span> </span><span> </span>Rey.</i>
Leia's voice, again, still so gentle and loving and calm. Somehow,
just hearing her name like that silenced her thoughts, pulled her out
of the tunnel she hadn't realized she was burrowing into, brought her
back to herself. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey,
her saber still lit and poised above her her, looked with new eyes at
the person before her, and Ben, at Sidereas, at the Supreme Leader of
the First Order. And she knew, with a finality that she found oddly
comforting, that she could not be the one to strike down Ben Solo.
Her lightsaber deactivated as if of its own accord. Her arms fell to
her sides. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>For
a split moment, after Rey's blades faded away, Sideareas stood
completely still, hardly daring believe that he was still alive. But
he was, no matter how, and that meant he still could- would- triumph.
A stray thought of his, searching through the Force, located the
feel of his lightsaber, lying a dozen meters away where it had
stopped rolling. Keeping his injured hand behind his back as if to
protect it, he twitched a finger. In his mind, he felt his blade
slowly rise into the air and begin to slowly circle around behind
Rey, far out of her line of sight. Now, to just keep her attention
on him long enough. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
thought she'd been tired before, but now it was as if the weight of
the entire universe had settled into every fibre of her being. She
fought the tendrils of unconsciousness that began to grasp at the
edges of her thoughts, working to speak, to try once more to see if
Ben was still there. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"...I'm
sorry, Ben," every word was a struggle, "I'm sorry it came
to this. But I can't be the one to kill you." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Somehow,
even now, the look of hatred and determination remained, and the
voice was as dismissive and contempt-filled as ever. "Because
you're weak. Like my uncle and my parents. That's why the Jedi were
destroyed. That's why you'll fail." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
could only slowly shake her head at this. How could he not
<i>understand</i>? </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"I
can't kill you Ben...." and here her voice became sadder than
she'd ever thought possible, "...you've destroyed yourself
already." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>His
opponent's words mere chatter in his ears, Sidereas continued to
twist his finger ever so slowly, until he could feel that his unlit
saber was in place, aimed directly at Rey's back. It trembled in
midair, almost as if it was anticipating his strike, his victory, as
much as he was. Rey still seemed no closer to resuming the attack,
but he'd felt her rage earlier and knew that could change at any
time. <i>Now</i>. Now was his chance. He made the smallest of
motions with his index finger, and his blade picked up speed,
pressure building on the activation plate. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>This
time, there was no voice. No actual warning. Rey could barely think
at this point, could barely stand. It had all been too much, and she
was only one person, barely a Jedi. All she could feel was a nudge,
deep within herself- or, perhaps, from the Force- to just....let it
go. To take this weight off her own shoulders. To accept her own
limitations, her own weaknesses, that no amount of Jedi training
would ever perfect or magic away. Rey couldn't save Ben, or the
universe, all on her own, because no one person could bear that sort
of power. No one person could ever encompass the whole galaxy. The
Sith kept trying, and they kept breaking themselves in the process.
If Rey wanted to be different, to actually change something, she
would first have to learn to <i>let go</i>. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
she did. Rey took a breath, the deepest she'd taken in what felt
like ages, and felt the weight dissipate in her shoulders and legs.
Suddenly filled with a profound peace and only semi-conscious of her
own body, Rey felt herself crumble to her knees...</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>......the
instant his blade was at bullet-speed, the whirring <i>snap-hiss</i>
of its three-pronged activation casting the deepening shadows around
them in a red hue. Sidereas had no time to react. No time to move
or even make a sound. There was only the split-second realization,
as Rey collapsed before him, leaving his own body in the direct path
of the fire-red lightsaber he'd deliberately thrown with all his
telekinetic strength. Even as it tore through his chest, burying
itself to the hilt in his lung, he stood, so entirely in shock that
at first he didn't even register any pain. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
hadn't heard the unmistakable sound until she was on her knees,
having just barely thrown her arms out to stop her falling completely
onto the bare ground. Once it registered, and her nostrils filled
with the stench of burning flesh, she snapped her head up to see
Sidereas standing there, still stone-solid as if frozen, his blade
buried in his chest and protruding like some hellish fin from his
back, with the front part of his robe beginning to smoke from the
proximity of the lightguards. Her senses fully returning to her, she
jumped up and grabbed the hilt, immediately deactivating the blade
and tossing it aside. Only then did it appear to register in
Sidereas' eyes what had happened. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Oh..."
came out in a small voice, and he then began to crumple backwards.
Rey instinctively used the Force to slow his body, settling him
gently on his back. The waves of light and weather around them began
to shift more slowly now, almost sluggish, as if the Mortis itself
was exhausted from the battle that it had born witness to. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"Ben...Ben..."
Rey's brain kept telling her to face facts, that there was no way he
could possibly survive this with no medic or gear of any sort on
hand, but her heart still refused to believe it. "Ben, you'll
be ok. Please. Say something." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>He
saw her lips moving, but couldn't hear anything. He could barely
feel the ground beneath him, nor could he smell or taste the air.
Only his eyes remained active, it seemed, as he saw Rey's face
contort with emotion as she continued to try to speak with him. He
could feel himself fading. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Suddenly,
it wasn't just Rey before him. All the apparitions from before, all
the old, dead Jedi, Luke foremost among them, were once again there.
And, curiously, when Luke Skywalker spoke, he heard him loud and
clear. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"It's
over, Ben," he said, his voice both resigned and regretful at
the same time. "But you can still join us. Reach out to us,
and we can still draw you in to the light." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>For
a moment, Sidereas didn't respond. He saw, as if viewing a holovid,
the moments from his life flash by that had led him here. Led him to
his failure. To his death. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>And
he knew it had all meant....nothing. He was now...had always
been....would always be....nothing. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>His
eyes focused one last time on the face of Luke Skywalker, and he
spoke. "Now. Now it's dead and buried." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Ben
Solo fell into darkness, forever. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>Rey
had barely had a moment to try and register what Ben had just said
when his body began to fade into nothingness, his clothes and gear
simply falling limp and empty to the ground below, like some stragen
apparition. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span> </span><span> </span>"No...NO!
BEN!" she cried out, but it was too late. Even within the
Force, she felt it as certain as anything. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span> </span><span> </span>Ben
Solo- Kylo Ren- Darth Sidereas- was gone forever. </span></span></span>
</p>Noah Franchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03309062974385154932noreply@blogger.com0