You can't stop the beat, and you wouldn't want to

The new musical adaptation of Hairspray is adorable! It's not as campy as John Waters' original, but it captures the energy the original Broadway cast brought to the stage, and its positive spirit is utterly infectious. Subtlety is not particularly present here, and characters fall squarely and comically into either the good or bad camp. The actors appear to embrace this one-dimensional approach, though, and really deliver. Nikki Blonsky, in her first major role, is excellent as Tracy. She has a great voice for the part and perfectly portrays Tracy's enthusiasm for life. And that girl can dance! Walking in to the theatre, I told my friend that I was a little sick of Christopher Walken doing comedy and was ready for him to be serious and creepy again. He's Christopher Walken, after all! That said, he was actually great as Wilbur. And John Travolta, despite so much latex that he looks a little like one of the Wayan brothers in White Chicks, actually embodies Edna quite well and imbues her with warmth and vulnerability. I spent more time adjusting to Travolta's Baltimore accent than I did to him playing a woman; can someone who has seen the movie and spent time in Baltimore please tell me if this is an accurate Baltimore accent? It sounded more than a little Dr. Evil to me. Self-referentially charming, the movie also features cameos by John Waters (as a flasher, no less!), Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake.

Most of the music will be familiar to anyone who has seen the Broadway version, and the added songs fit the style and scenes so well that they slide in seamlessly. I was impressed, too, that director Adam Shankman took advantage of his medium. No scenes are groundbreaking, and he doesn't reinvent cinematography. That said, this movie manages to avoid the trap of so many stage adaptations (like The Producers and Rent), where stage scenes are simply recreated in front of a camera.

The one misstep, really, is when the film attempts to be serious with its social commentary. The whole movie is about overcoming prejudices of all varieties, but when Tracy and Motormouth Maybelle lead an integration march, things slow down to the point of dragging. Throughout, the film's message is clear but wrapped in silliness and fun. This moment of solemnity feels out of place.

People who universally decry musicals and bitch and moan about the unrealistic nature of characters breaking out into song to express their emotions (which is so much less realistic than, say, Optimus Prime) won't necessarily be won over by Hairspray. Everyone else, though, will.

Harry Potter and The End of an Era

Ok, after a few days of living with the knowledge of how Harry Potter's saga ends, I think I'm finally ready to review it. Laura thinks it's silly that I've given people only four days to finish the book, but I think most of you are, in fact, done. Just in case, though: Beware, THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW. Please, please note that I'm not kidding. I can't figure out how to do the cool thing other people do where they hide part of their blog post, so I'm begging you: if you don't want to know what happens, please don't read this post.

Generally, I'm happy with the way it turned out. I don't actually think this is the best of the bunch (Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite, I think), but I was definitely satisfied. I do think the Harry/Hermione/Ron hiding in the forest section went on a bit too long. I wasn't bored, but I can imagine being antsy to get through this chunk upon subsequent readings. That said, Rowling introduced some very nice back story here that really fleshes out some of the characters. I was particularly impressed with Dumbledore's history, which made him more of a three-dimensional character than he's ever been before. Harry's recognition that his mentor isn't perfect is a very realistic step in his coming of age, and I love that Harry finally trusted Dumbledore completely. I also really liked Snape's back story. Harry's foray into the pensieve offered some of the best scenes in the book and Snape's history made his feelings toward Harry and his actions/attempt at redemption complex in a good way. And how great/creepy/moving was Snape wanting to look into Harry's eyes as he dies because (as we've been told at least once in each book), Harry has Lily's eyes. So good! And in both Snape and Voldemort's histories, there is a nice shade of gray to everything. Snape wasn't wholly evil and James wasn't a prince, for instance; finally, Harry seems to see these ambiguities, too.

There was a sense of inevitability about this final book that took some of the dramatic tension out of it for me. I remember being terrified through the entire Hall of Prophecies section of The Order of the Phoenix that Neville was going to bite it. Here the deaths didn't have as much dramatic tension as they could have and lacked emotional heft. Fred's death was covered in just a few lines and we didn't even see how Lupin and Tonks fell. I could make an argument that we were shown things as abruptly as the characters and had to move on just as quickly because of the ongoing fight, but it's a weak argument at best. I loved those characters, and it felt like they were cheated a little.

A few things I did like, though: For the first time, a house elf story didn't annoy me. I actually really enjoyed it when they started biting and stabbing the ankles of all the Death Eaters, and I liked that Dobby died a hero's death. And, I love, love, love that Neville got all bad ass while nobody was looking. I've grown to love him and am very pleased that he played an important role in the climax.

The showdown: we all knew this part was coming, and for the most part, I think it was well done. Though it was wildly over simplified, I did like that Harry's personal sacrifice for the whole wizarding world passes on the same protection that his mother's sacrifice gave him. Though it's silly in the sense that surely other people threw themselves into harm's way to save their loved ones during Voldemort's first reign, it makes good use of the story we've heard so many times about Lily's attempt to save Harry.

A few notes on the epilogue: normally this type of thing would drive me bonkers, but I kind of liked a little glimpse into the future here. It was nice to know that our three main heroes turn out ok and spend their lives as family. Part of what worked well about it, for me, is that Rowling didn't try to tie up every loose end. Though there was more I wanted to know (see below), I accept that she had limitations, and I'm glad she chose to update us on the characters we were with over the course of the seven books (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Draco). That said, here are a few things I wish she could have included:

What do Harry, Hermione, and Ron do with the rest of his life (besides starting families, that is)? Speculation has forever been that Harry either teach Defense Against the Dark Arts or become an Auror. We know none of them are at Hogwarts from this epilogue, and it's unclear whether there is a need for Aurors in this brave new Voldemort-free world. Do they go back to Hogwarts the next year to take their N.E.W.T.s? Is there some kind of wizarding GED? What do they do?

What happens to Luna? Does she take over the Quibbler? Go on fact finding missions to prove that all her father's theories are really true?

Fred and George were really two halves of a whole; what does George do without Fred? How does he cope without his twin? His loss is the greatest in the book (aside, perhaps, from baby Ted who we don't care about who lost his mom, dad, and grandfather in the course of a few hundred pages. Did it feel to anyone else like Lupin and Tonks were killed off just so Harry could become the godfather to an orphan?). I really mourn Fred's death, and I wasn't his identical twin, best friend, and business partner. I really wish we could know what George does.

All in all, I'm happy. It's very bittersweet, but I'm satisfied.

First vegan in The White House?

Did anyone else watch the CNN/You Tube debate last night? Though the format was, of course, novel, much of what the candidates said was politics as usual. They have their messages, and regardless of the questions asked, they find ways to hit their standard talking points. Also unsurprisingly, Hillary and Barack got more air time than anyone else. One of the things that is so frustrating about the media coverage of this very long campaign is that they focus only on the candidates who are already well known. That constant publicity, of course, only serves to reinforce their name recognition which translates into good numbers in the polls which equals more publicity. It's such a self-fulfilling prophecy. I hate to say it, but most Americans aren't seeking out the information needed to understand the distinctions between Chris Dodd's, Bill Richardson's, and Dennis Kucinich's platforms.

To that end, here is a bit about Kucinich, who impressed me last night. He'll never win. I know that, and I believe he knows it, too. But he seems to best represent where I want this country to go in many ways. Since CNN will certainly not get his stances out there, I'm doing my part (the fact that I have a grand total of seven readers does not discourage me!).

According to Wikipedia, Kucinich's platform for 2008 includes:

Creating a single-payer system of universal health care that provides full coverage for all Americans by passage of the United States National Health Insurance Act.

The immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq; replacing them with an international security force.

Guaranteed quality education for all; including free pre-kindergarten and college for all who want it.

Repealing the USA PATRIOT Act.

Fostering a world of international cooperation.

Abolishing the death penalty.

Environmental renewal and clean energy.

Preventing the privatization of social security.

Providing full social security benefits at age 65.

Creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace"

Protecting a woman's right to choose while decreasing the number of abortions performed in the U.S.

Ending the war on drugs.

Legalizing same-sex marriage.

Creating a balance between workers and corporations.

Restoring rural communities and family farms.

Strengthening gun control.

He's the only candidate who voted against the war and war funding at every turn. He's the only one who unequivocally supports gay marriage; he doesn't pussy foot around the issue and try to make some B.S. about civil unions sound like equality. He hates the patriot act. And he wants to impeach Dick Cheney! Again from Wikipedia: "He charges Cheney with manipulating the evidence of Iraq's weapons program, deceiving the nation about Iraq's connection to al-Qaeda, and threatening aggression against Iran in violation of the United Nations charter."

Ultimately, I know I'll have to throw my weight behind one of the big three, but for now I'm enjoying that someone in the race is actually saying what I'm thinking. And as a final note, did anyone else notice the lovefest between Hillary and John Edwards? Neither one wanted to disparage the other at all; maybe they're already laying the groundwork to be running mates?

Finished!

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows about an hour ago. No review yet for a few reasons: I want to digest it and really decide how I feel about how it all played out before committing anything to writing, and (more importantly, really) I'd hate to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't finished reading it yet. I would have been mad if I'd heard any spoilers, and I don't want to be responsible for doing that to someone else.

That said, if anyone else has already finished it, I'm definitely up for discussion, so please email me.

Saving the planet one joke at a time

One of the great things about living in New York is the ability to choose among many, many fun ways to spend an evening on a moment’s notice. I was invited to spend last night with some of my favorite former colleagues who are in town for a few days. Though I really wanted to catch up with them, I would have had to do it at an MH-sponsored cocktail party populated with many of my former nemeses. Even with my friends’ presence, it sounded like a mild form of torture, so I had to wriggle free.

Instead, Jen and I took advantage of this opportunity to see our favorite Daily Show correspondent, John Oliver, performing at Comix. It was actually a Greenpeace event, so we got to pat ourselves on the back for our philanthropy while also being entertained. I take public transportation or walk everywhere I go, and now this: I’m practically Al Gore’s right-hand woman in saving the planet. Fuck the fact that I love my air conditioner and leave my cell phone charger plugged in all the time, letting it do its vampiric energy sucking thing day in and day out.

We actually saw five comedians for the price of one (that math works because we were really there for J.O. and would have paid the twenty-five smackers just for him). One brought me right back to my Xanadu: On Broadway experience, not because he roller skated or channeled Electric Light Orchestra, but because the rest of the audience found him very, very funny, while Jen and I sat there trying to figure out what exactly was tickling everyone so much. In fairness, thanks to our suck-tastic waitress, the rest of the crowd was two drinks ahead of us at that point. John Oliver was definitely the highlight of the night, but one other comedian, Aziz Ansari, was actually just as funny in a very mock-the-hand-that-feeds-you sort of way. He riffed on the gift bag we all received at the event, Greenpeace itself, and MTV, which hosts his show, The Human Giant. I can’t remember the last time I watched MTV and won’t go searching for this show; if I happen to stumble across it while channel flipping, though, I’ll give it a try. And, of course, I’ll continue to love every time The Daily Show is smart enough to have John Oliver on instead of Jason Jones or Samantha Bee.

Harry Potter movie review: Redux

Ok, I’m feeling a little bad about my vitriolic review of Harry Potter this morning. I failed to say some of the things I really liked about the movie, which include some very good scenes between Harry and Sirius and the addition of a very well cast Luna Lovegood. I also thought Yates provided a nice sense of place with the early flying scene right past Parliament.

I also admit that having recently reread the book may have affected my opinion on the movie. I'm curious to hear how it works for people who have not read the book.

I also want to add another excellent Harry Potter title to the mix, courtesy of Laura:

Harry Potter and the Virgin Suicides

Harry Potter movie review--beware of spoilers

Rena and I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night—at 3D IMAX viewing, that is. The experience of seeing it not only larger than life, but practically wrapped around my head and larger than life...and in 3D no less...it made for a very fun viewing experience. That’s definitely for the best, too, because, I’m sad to report, the movie was a bit of a bust.

First the good: many of the characters are cast with such perfection that I cannot imagine anyone else playing them. Outstanding are both Alan Rickman and Jason Isaacs who imbue each line with such scorn/menace/hatred, etc. that even the most mundane of lines hit home. Love them. And I was pleased with Imelda Staunton’s take on Umbridge. I didn’t hate her as much as I hated her in the book, but I thought Staunton channeled her evil obsession with power and order well. Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman—all wonderful. The problem is that I didn’t get enough of any of them. Tom Felton, who I idiosyncratically LOVE as Draco Malfoy (no on else seems to think this kid is as absolutely perfect for this part as I do, but I stand by my appreciation of him) didn’t even get a single scene of his own! The one big exception to this fine cast is Michael Gambon. I loved the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore; he was another example of casting perfection in my eyes. So, it would have been hard for anyone to fill his shoes without a bit of resistance on my part. But Gambon plays Dumbledore and a mean old man, which is not who he is in the books at all. It’s an absolutely awful portrayal of an integral character and really disappoints me.

Casting issues aside, there were other problems with the movie. I know it must be hard to compress 800 or so pages into the length of a feature film, but it must be possible to do better than this. There was no sense of fun to this movie, no character development, and, most problematically, a seriously misguided sense of urgency; I felt no urgency about He Who Must Not Be Named coming back, but I did sense director David Yates’s determination to race through the necessary plot points. The intensity I want to feel in these movies has nothing to do with adaptation challenges and directorial pacing problems and everything to do with the story itself.

I think the actors all did a fine job, but something was seriously lost in this adaptation. Even when good scenes from the book were included, they were extracted from their context in such a way as to make no sense. Take the Weasley twins’ fun but ultimately useless fireworks display during the O.W.L.’s: in the book, their departure caused a much needed distraction. Here, they simply got sick of Umbridge and school and decided to go out with fanfare. So much of what takes place in the Department of Mysteries felt similarly disjointed. This should be the climax of the movie, but, like the rest of the film, it felt like we were just being taken through the paces. Even Sirius's death makes no sense! Why have that archway if Bellatrix is going to use the Avada Kadavra curse? It's not like we then see Luna comforting Harry as she did in the book, telling him they could hear the voices just beyond the veil, blah, blah, blah. It's like Yates knew he had to include certain things but couldn't make any of them actually fit together.

My dream is that Alfonso Cuarón (director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the best of the HP movies by far) will return for movies six and seven. Unfortunately, loser director David Yates has already been announced for the sixth movie. Still, a girl can dream.

And PS: What the fuck is up with this kid? Is he Yates’s son or something? Why did he get more screen time than Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, and Maggie Smith combined? He’s all over the D.A. scenes, and it’s annoying.


Despite my negative review of the movie, I remain very excited about this Friday’s book release. To keep up Harry Potter spirits everywhere, I encourage you all to play the Harry Potter book name game that Anne taught me oh-so-many years ago. As always, the title of the book starts with “Harry Potter and...” but the subtitle now has to be another book title. A few of my favorites:

Harry Potter and the Time Traveler’s Wife (for the new, Equus-lovin’, naked-Harry Potter fans who might like a little adultery with their magic)
Harry Potter and the 100 Years of Solitude
Harry Potter and the Year of Magical Thinking
Harry Potter and the Witches of Eastwick
Harry Potter and the Human Stain