Incredibles 2

It’s been fourteen years since we first met Pixar’s family of superheroes, yet their story picks up from the moment the first film ended. It opens with the Parr family springing into action to stop The Underminer, while they juggle babysitting Jack Jack, and it ensures us that this film will be full of fun, family focused, fast paced action.

However, the day does does not end well for the Parrs, as superheroes are still illegal. The agent who has been helping them stay undercover for years can only offer them two weeks in a motel before they’re on their own. So when a wealthy, nostalgic benefactor hoping to make supers legal again offers Elastigirl a job, complete with a swanky high tech house for the family, the Parrs take it. Soon a new villain rises, targeting Elastigirl and could jeopardize the plan to legalize supers.

While Helen (Elastigirl voice by Holly Hunter) is off doing superhero work, Bob (Mr. Incredible voiced by Craig T. Nelson)  is holding down the fort taking care of the kids. His challenges add some engaging comedy to this family movie. In his first day he has to deal with his Violet’s first date, Dash’s math homework and a baby who won’t stay in his crib on top of being envious of his wife’s work. It only gets worse as Bob discovers Jack-Jack’s powers.

One of the funniest scenes shows Jack-Jack fighting his first enemy: a raccoon in the yard. Many of his powers are revealed as Jack-Jack moves through the glass door, morphs into his monster-baby form, bursts into flames throwing lawn chairs and splits into multiple clones, chasing off the hilariously bewildered raccoon. And when Bob finds him, the excitement about his baby’s new powers is soon met with the insurmountable task of keeping him safe. Thankfully, Edna is willing to help, in her own fabulous way.

This is a rare superhero movie that is family friendly and still satisfies all ages. I loved the way Elastigirl was allowed to shine on her own, as well as a few new female supers. My kid enjoyed the Jack-Jack scenes. And while my husband enjoyed it, he of course found flaws in how similar the plots of both the original and this sequel are, but I won’t spill any spoilers on that. And honestly, I didn’t mind, the stories themselves are unique enough.

One thing I want to warn viewers about is the fact that the film uses a visual effect similar to a strobe light in multiple parts of the film. For those sensitive to such visuals, beware or wait to watch the film at home. It was pretty intense in a dark, crowded theater.

Through all the action and excitement, the heart of the film is the story of the Parr family. While their powers are super, their problems are wonderfully relatable for many modern families. The combination of stress and support between Bob and Helen when they switch household roles is something many families understand and the results are engaging and entertaining for all ages. And as always, these supers are stronger together. Everyone can leave this film seeing the supers within their own home.

“Done properly, parenting is a heroic act… done properly.”

Broadcast News

Today, our news shows can be comprised of stories that aren’t news at all, depending on the events of the day.  Just look at the Today show.  The local news usually gets the big stories out first.  A crash on the highway, a building on fire, a robbery, then a segment about the local YouTube star or someones pet raccoon.  This trend in news becoming cheap entertainment, rather than facts on important events, is exactly what the serious reporters in Broadcast News had feared.

We first meet your three main characters as young teens.  Jane is obsessively writing at her typewriter and freaks out at her father when interrupted.  Aaron is the fifteen year old valedictorian high school graduate who just keeps getting beat up for being smart.  And Tom is the good looking boy who tries hard, but just isn’t good at school.  “What can you do with yourself if all you can do is look good?”  They all end up working together in a television news program and form a love triangle.

From their teenage introductions, we understand where each of them will end up.  Jane (Holly Hunter) is the workaholic writer and producer who loves it when everything is in her control.  Aaron (Albert Brooks) is the dedicated, educated corespondent who doesn’t have the looks to hold the world’s attention on TV.  And Tom (William Hurt) just keeps moving up the ladder because he is handsome and a voice that can sell the news.  Tom knows he’s unqualified for his job, sometimes he doesn’t even understand the news he’s reading.  He openly admits these faults, but still runs stories that aren’t real news and gets promoted, leaving Jane and Aaron perplexed and unhappy.  And when the station has to cut the budget, it’s surprising who gets the ax and who is promoted.

On a personal level, Tom is a good guy, and wants to do better at his job, so he tries to learn from Jane and Aaron.  The more Jane and Tom work together, the closer they become.  But Aaron has always had feelings for Jane, yet the two are just very good friends.  As the film progresses, Jane is pulled more and more between the two men and the stress of her job.

The most memorable scene from this film has to be when Aaron gets the chance to anchor the Saturday evening news.  After gaining some confidence using some tips from Tom on how to look good and sounds good, there is one thing Aaron didn’t see coming.  Sweat.  Once the camera goes live, he begins sweating in huge thick drips from his curly haired head.  What’s more hilarious is that every moment the camera is cut away from Aaron, a swarm of people run in to dab his head and have to run off before the camera is back on Aaron.  With all the mayhem, someone bumps into the big hanging map behind the desk, and it’s swinging in the background on live TV.  The whole scene is perfectly hilarious, one of the best moments in the entire film.

You may find Broadcast News under the romantic comedy genera, but it doesn’t feel like one.  It is a surprisingly intelligent film full of witty dialogue and complex characters.  The performances from all three leads are wonderful and worthy of their Oscar nominations, even though Albert Brooks was nominated under supporting actor.  There’s even Jack Nicholson who has a small role as the station’s head anchor who won’t reduce his salary, where in the film he requested not to be paid for the role.  This is the last film James L. Brooks made before The Simpsons started up and it feels like a smart springboard straight into his animated franchise.  At the least, this film was some fuel behind the character, Kent Brockman.

“A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!”

The Piano

Ada (Holly Hunter) is a mute from Scotland in the 1850’s.  Her father has arranged for her to marry Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neil), a wealthy man in New Zealand.  After the long journey, she, her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and her piano wait on the rainy beach for Stewart.  It’s a long hike through muddy forest back to Stewart’s home, so the piano is left behind, against Flora voicing her mother’s protest.  Later, when Stewart sells the piano to a local laborer, George Baines (Harvey Keitel), Ada is heartbroken and rightfully angry, but can do nothing.  Baines makes a deal with Ada to earn the piano back by teaching him to play.  That’s what he wants people to think anyway.  He really wants Ada to play, for him, for herself.  It isn’t long before their “lessons” turn into a passionate affair.

I find it fascinating to think about the relationships a mute woman can have.  Her main portal to express herself to the world is by playing the piano.  Ada and her daughter Flora communicate through sign language and many times Flora is speaking for her mother.  With Baines, a connection stems from listening to Ada play the piano, from there it turns sexual and intimate.  Then there is Stewart, the man Ada is supposed to have a relationship with, but he does not know how to listen to anyone, much less Ada.  She attempts to be intimate with Stewart, she is opening herself, but Stewart and his proper ways shut himself down.

There are more barriers present than the simple subject of being mute.  Stewart and his acquaintances are supposed to be higher class and try to maintain their stuffy, proper upbringing in the mud and rain of the New Zealand forest.  Meanwhile, we see the native people more relaxed about everything, from children’s odd games of embracing trees to sexual jokes.  As I understand it, that’s how Baines is freely able to become intimate with Ada and Stewart literally clinches his butt at one touch.

Writer and director Jane Campion tells this story with a subtle tone that I don’t think any male director could articulate like she does.  The relationships between Ada, Baines and Stewart could have been interpreted completely different from a male perspective.  Except possibly Flora, no characters have any ill motives and any wrong-doing was in passion.  The character of Baines is especially well crafted, one false move and he could have easily fallen from the one man who can understand Ada to just that creepy guy who walks around the piano naked for far too long.

Hunter and Paquin both won Oscars for their roles as mother and daughter.  For Hunter, she didn’t say a word (except in a distant voice-over), but instead her face, her actions the passion she can bring to the screen won the award.  On the other hand, young Paquin pulled off an amazingly beautiful Scottish accent for Flora and depicted a confused girl whose foolish cunning unknowingly causes tragedy wonderfully.

The Piano is a quietly haunting film full of sexual nature and other thought provoking themes.  I don’t imagine many men really enjoying this film, I doubt my husband would have made it past Keitel strolling nude around the piano.  However, I found it stirring, thoughtful, beautiful and well worth the watch.

“The strange thing is, I don’t think myself silent. That is because of my piano.”