jaywensley2004

Ariana Grande is a delight; her GA-linda is the perfect depiction of a Mean Girl discovering her sincere heart. The opening scene erased any doubt I had about her acting; by the time the scene is finished I know she can portray the subtlety her character requires, having participated in the celebration while simultaneously making clear she is conflicted and sad.

And Cynthia Erivo? Oh my. For me she was a complete unknown, but she elevates Elphaba to the heights the character deserves. At the end of Part 1 she is not only Defying Gravity, she is defining it. She becomes a not-at-all-wicked witch who is smart, compassionate, potently determined to put things right, and can make my heart pound with her voice.

"Wicked" could have been a perfect movie musical, a 10-star delight, but for the fact that it occasionally gets lost in the scale and special effects. Clearly determined to give movie theater goers more than a stage production put-to-film, it goes crazy with "Harry Potter"-like set designs, special effects, and dance productions that overwhelm rather than enhance; especially since the large dance scenes aren't especially fun or energizing.

At the (half-way to the) end of the story, "Wicked" gives us a sense of a great story unfolding, and two singer-actresses worthy of the movie, but too much movie magic for it's own good.

Bonus: Idina Minzel.and Kristen Chenoweth (the stars of the original staging of "Wicked") do a wonderful star-turn in an appearance that came as a complete surprise for me.

For over 20 years, Pixar has been my favorite movie studio, consistently producing smart, fun and funny movies that are beautiful to look at. So many brilliant films, and the studio's "Brave" is a stunning accomplishment; gorgeous animation and possibly the most exhilarating moment in any film ever:

"Ah shall be compeetin' fur mah own hand in marridj!"

So when I say that "Inside Out" is my favorite Pixar movie, that evaluation comes from a place where the competition is ferocious.

A place like Riley's mind in "Inside Out 2". Because that is what this movie is about: Riley's emotions competing to be the reason she is the best Riley she can be. The hockey plot is a marvelous analogy for what is going on in the life of this 13-year old; a striving to be her best self, and the confusion caused by the myriad metrics by which she can judge herself: school; social standing; athletics, parental love; friendships; even cultural artifacts like music and tv shows influence Riley's sense of self-worth, and as dramatized so well in "Inside Out 2", insight is hard won and well-earned.

The sequel is itself a metaphor for Riley's struggle: "Inside Out 2" is competing against the original "Inside Out", and appropriately, every viewer will...well, no spoilers here, but the sequel deliberately leaves to the viewer the result of Riley's efforts.

I've waited nine years for "Inside Out 2". It was worth the wait.

Anyone familiar with the show "Three's Company" will recognize the infamous "misunderstanding" plot device that serves to set-up this movie: at least one character thinks they know more than they actually do, and they make crucial decisions based on a misunderstanding that the viewer will go crazy trying to figure out why no one clears up by saying the one sentence that would spare everyone so much pain.

In this case the two "romantic" leads think they understand what happened "the morning after," but they don't. On the tv show, much hilarity would ensue. In this movie, what follows is two people acting like infuriating dolts because they stubbornly refuse to admit to themselves--much less each other--that they are both wrong about what they think happened.

Add to this an entire cast of actors demonstrating a caliber of performance that would barely pass on a sketch comedy show (think "Saturday Night Live"), dialogue that sounds stilted and scripted, and you get a movie that has some funny moments (again, think "Saturday Night Live"), but falls flat as a romcom because the romantic couples have no chemistry (especially painful is watching a lesbian couple who are the definition of zipless, prepare to get married), and the supporting cast is chewing the scenery relentlessly.

On the plus side, Australia looks beautiful; as clean and lively as Disneyland. I am of the opinion that the Sydney Opera House is the one perfect building the human race has ever constructed, and the cinematographer does that monument to the beauty of geometry all the credit it deserves.

Too sad that it was not in a better cause.