'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' A Review

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children is a fantasy movie based on the young adult novel of the same name. Jake(Asa Butterfield) is a young teen friendless in Florida until he discovers that the fantastic stories his grandfather(Terence Stamp) have been telling him may be true. He sets off with his dad(Chris O'Dowd) to Wales to track down the children's home where his grandfather grew up. He discovers the stories are true and the home, positioned in a time loop repeating the same day in 1940, is populated by some peculiar children indeed.

Eva Green as the titular Miss Peregrine is electric, her considerable charisma and magnetism on full blast. Unfortunately she has hardly any screen time and the brief glimpses we get of her only put the already struggling lead Butterfield in harsher relief. Butterfield is awkward and gangly with all his teen insecurity on display, he is almost totally unbelievable because we can see him trying so hard. The peculiar children themselves are almost universally delightful, each with distinct looks and personalities, it makes you wish the plot wasn't so rushed so that they could actually have a chance to exist outside the "action" of the plot. O'Dowd's plays an incredibly confusing neglectful, immature, alcoholic(?) dad who not only doesn't fit in the story he doesn't seem real. The dynamic Kim Dickens as Jack's mom is stunningly underutilized appearing in, I believe, less then ten seconds of the film. Overall the cast are all good(some great) actors but either due to the lurching momentum of the script or muddled direction only half of them are actually successful in their roles. This is to say nothing of Sam Jackson's almost kabuki villain.

Visually the movie is imaginative and striking with vivid colors, imagery, and the characteristically Burtonesque touches of macabre. The story hurtles along so quickly we never get a chance to really care about whats happening or any of the characters its happening to. So much is cramed into the convoluted plot they forgot to stop and have some fun.

An uninspired adaptation with imaginative visuals and a brief but excellent performance by Eva Green.

Rent It.

I Saw You Leo

It's been ten years
since our Potbelly lunch
and eleven
since we shared a summer
as camp counselors
in northern Wisconsin
easily the worst of my life
but when I saw you
at the Second City
your name came back
with surprising alacrity
and I hope you understood
with my smile and
brief touch of your shoulder
that I saw you
and maintain some affection
for our brief connection
but I had no desire
to stop and reminisce
about those awful months
spent on that ugly lake front
surrounded by rich boys
and their perverse petulance.

Or perhaps
I did not want to be reminded of who I was then-
Sick, alone, and twenty-one.

Let Them Spin, We Will Win

This is a historic presidential election. The first woman major party nominee who is on track to be president, Hillary Clinton. Some of the singularity and importance of this has been lost due to Clinton's opponent, xenophobic sack of wet falafel Donald Trump, and the resulting exhausting negativity of both campaigns.

Last night was the first presidential debate and unequivocally Clinton won. Before the debate parallels were drawn to the 2000 election where Gore was wooden and scornful of Bush's lack of intellectualism which backfired. Clinton was prepared, poised, and calmly assertive. Paralells have been drawn to the 2008 election because of its historic nature. And leading up to that election it was a similarly "close race" with the subsequent Obama win. Through the lens of history this narrative of Trump "gaining ground" is suspect.

Not to say Clinton isn't flawed or that she will be any more progressive than the somewhat disappointing but steady tenure of Obama but there is only one outcome this election can and will take. The outcome of a Trump win is too bleak to even fathom and for those skeptical of Clinton John Oliver did an excellent piece on their respective scandals.

Certainly the state of the union is in need of massive reform and Clinton may not be able to deliver the kind of sweeping change the nation so desperately needs but things will get better. Slowly but surely. And perhaps pave the way for an honest-to-goodness progressive in the not too distant future.

Regardless of Trump's pandering, his provocative hate-speech, his appeal to the reptile in us all he will fail. His campaign will equivocate, rant, and pervert, its what they do. Let them spin, we will win. There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. A woman will hold the highest office in government. 45th president of the United States Hillary Clinton.

'The Magnificent Seven' A Review

The Magnificent Seven is a western, a remake of the 1960 film of the same name itself a remake of the Japanese original Seven Samurai. The film opens in 1879 on a small mining town Rose Creek which is under the increasingly tight and violent rule of Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). Searching for help Emma Cullen(Haley Bennett) encounters and persuades bounty hunter Sam Chisolm(Denzel Washington) to assist. Chisolm rounds up six rough and tumble warriors to stand up the robber baron and the inevitable confrontation ensues.

Washington's magnetism has not decreased with age, he is eminently watchable as always, especially refreshing with the glut of narratives with moral ambiguity, he is a hero plain and simple. The rest of the seven, although mostly underdeveloped, give playful performances with a couple nice flourishes. Notably Vincent D'Onofrio as the squeaking voiced barely sane religious mountain man and Byung-hun Lee and Ethan Hawk as Goodnight Robicheaux and Billy Rocks respectively who exhibit an understated romantic chemistry. The big misfire of the group is Chris Pratt as Joshua Faraday whose punching a bit above his weight. Without his normal levity to lean his typical charm isn't in full force and he fails to reach the sought after levels of menace and nihilistic bravado. Bennett does a good job, although not exactly showcased she fights and isn't a romantic interest, a success in and of itself even if her character lacks dimension(they all do).

The landscapes of the film are stunning, the gun play and horse work thrilling, there is only half a dozen CGI dynamite induced explosions which are slightly distracting but don't detract from the mostly evocative and transportive world the film builds with its production design and stunt work. The characters aren't as fully flushed out as you might like but the performances make up for most of those gaps and the script provides brief moments of illumination for the characters. flushing out the various perspectives with back story and inference with a surprising elegance. There are certainly over-the-top moments and periodic cliched moralizing but as a whole it works. In our current climate a film this straightforward is a rare pleasure.

Excellent action, great cast, and an unapologetic heroic yarn.

See It.

Snap Shot

I remember sitting outside my grandfather's hospital room.
As he lay dying.

Too afraid to be in the room for long
I hugged him and said "I love you"
and my father, perhaps, realizing
it was too much for a seven-year-old
or recognizing my wide-eyed panic
excused me into the hall.

I knew he was sick
and the illness grave
but I did not believe it possible that he could die,
did not think death itself was real
more a construct of fiction
displayed in Bambi and Princess Bride
not in life.
In fact I was convinced
of his recovery,
the vaulted figure of my grandfather
could not die
because I loved him.

And so I sat
alone and maybe bored
waiting for the trip to Baskin Robbins my father had promised.

The Necessity of Hope

Wrote this for Quenchers tonight.

Regardless of who you support this political season, regardless of your desired outcome, it is inarguable that it is toxic. Defined not by policy or ideals but baseness, negativity, and disdain. It calls to mind the 2008 election by comparison, which although certainly contentious, carried with it the promise of hope, the pledge of change. The idea that we could be better.

We live in a postmodern era. Culture and the arts predominantly defined by irony and detachment. Morality sacrificed for self reference. Heroism traded in for ambiguity. This movement is especially prevalent in this our Chicago comedy community. Not to say that it doesn’t have its place or isn’t entertaining. But absurdism, irony, breaking the fourth wall, anti-comedy, these things certainly have value but they, almost by definition, lack heart. They offer a safe reserve for the artist, a shield, from which to comment behind without risk. If everything is stupid, if you don’t put any real belief or idealism into your work, if you don’t put anything on the line, you can’t be judged. Can’t be ridiculed. Sincerity and faith, hope and optimism are dangerous because they can so easily be undermined. But in our world which is increasingly chaotic and cruel we are in need of these things more than ever. In need of inspiration to lift our spirits, hope of a brighter future to look toward. Faith that, perhaps, there is goodness in the world.

Here’s the thing despair is easy. Watch the news for ten minutes or spend $10 at the liquor store for rot gut and you can know futility. I’ve been to the darkness, I know what it is, there was a time I thought it wasn't worth it, conceded that the world at large was broken and my life as I knew it lost. Apathy is cheap. Misery cheaper still. If you’ll excuse the oft used metaphor. Falling down was easy. Getting back up took actual effort. There came a point where I made a decision. Enough. I clung to the small sliver of faith that I had that things would work out. I gathered all the shreds of hope I could muster that maybe I could have a better life. And over time I did. And it was not irony that helped me but hugs, companionship, and the liquid gold of sunrise on the lake.

Recently a friend was robbed at gunpoint. Irony, detachment, and moral grayness did not help them navigate the encounter or help them after. It was bravery that allowed them to endure and the love and support of friends that helped them get back on their feet. Another friend is seeking treatment for addiction and mental illness, absurdism does not help bolster their courage. The kindness and understanding of the ones they love does. Another relationship problems, another stress, another professional displacement, and another and another and another. We all have problems and face challenges on a daily basis. But we also have kisses, soft hands lovingly held, ice cream, unexpected gifts, and snorting laughter. The doctrine of our postmodern society does not fuel our perseverance, does not provide examples of grace, does not instill in us hope or offer the promise of joy, only persuades us from participation, only offers the safety of indifference. In the moment, perhaps, this is enough- escape. But in reality, in life, this is a recipe for dissatisfaction. Without emotional risk there is no reward.

When you hear words like hope, faith, love, truth, sincerity you may think them cliche or sickly sweet. It may call to mind Lifetime movies or family friendly entertainment. You may shy away from them as precarious or uncool. And I understand. But these ideas are not only what make life worth living but allow us to keep living it. In our world where terrorism, murder, and bigotry are on display every day it is the artist’s job not only to entertain but to move, not only to amuse but to inspire, not only to divert but to enliven. To remind us that while there is heartbreak there is also the glory of new life, of fears overcome, of first kisses, of ferris wheels, of warm embraces, of bedtime stories, of good conversation shared over hot coffee, of triumph.

Recently I was in the Target checkout line and the person behind the counter asked me my profession I replied “Insurance” they then told me they had recently had a fender bender and had some coverage questions. We talked for a couple minutes and I think I somewhat assuaged their claim related fears. We connected. And perhaps this interaction is mundane when compared to the striking majesty of nature or the symphony of true love but none the less there was a beauty to it. Two strangers for a moment sharing space and time.

I am uninterested in the absurd for its own sake, I am unaffected by witty remove, I am bored by non-sequiturs and quasi-surrealist presentation. I am unimpressed by deliberate and winking lack of commitment. I want to know what you think and need and believe. I want to know who you are. I want to know what thrills you what angers you what brings you joy. I want to know your pain because I will recognize it and together we can heal.

If you are called to irony stylistically I suppose I cannot fault you. But if you use it because its easy, to avoid judgement, as security, you are acting out of fear.

I believe things will work out. I believe, although flawed, most people are good. I believe that, given time, empathy is possible with almost anyone. I believe everyone deserves kindness and an attempt at understanding. I believe if we all made a concerted effort to treat each other with respect the world would improve faster than we could imagine. I believe my art should promote these beliefs.

We live in trying times. Tragedies and threats a daily occurrence. Now more than ever we must have hope. Cultivate it in ourselves and inspire it in others. Remember the joy of the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, the delight of friendship, the exhilaration of romance. We are the ones that shape tomorrow.

'Author: The JT Leroy Story' A Review

Author: The JT LeRoy Story is a documentary about the literary persona JT LeRoy created by author Laura Albert. Albert recounts her childhood, the creation of LeRoy by calling crisis hotlines, her eventual publication as LeRoy, the subsequent success, the perpetuation of the persona with Albert acting as cockney-accented manager Speedie and Albert's partner's half-sister Savannah as LeRoy, and the eventual reveal by the press. The majority of the film is narrated by Albert with archival footage and taped phone conversations interspersed.

The machinations and extent that Albert went to to create and maintain LeRoy are interesting as is the friendships LeRoy cultivated with celebrities but what becomes startlingly apparent over the course of the film is that Albert is seemingly unwell. There is a naked narcissism on display while Albert recounts the whole controversy, she clearly relishes it all and not only avoids any semblance of responsibility she acts as if no one involved has any. It seems clear she is living in a fantasy world populated by the various personas she created and the celebrities she interacted with. She makes frequent mention of "portals" which she never fully explains but seem to be gateways to fame. LeRoy passed through a portal when he met Bono. She discusses her problems with being overweight and only "felt like herself" after numerous surgeries. Not to say that body issues are superficial but the way she talks about it, with such a disconcerting fat-is-bad skinny-is-pretty attitude, comes across as totally lacking self-awareness.

As the story unfolds Albert seems to have no regard for the effect this deception she was the mastermind of had on people either as a writer or a friend. It's a protracted, indulgent, retelling of the controversy by its perpetrator who is an admitted and proven chronic fabricator thus everything she says is suspect. You'd probably get a clearer less biased version of the story by revisiting the 2006 New York Times article.

The JT LeRoy story certainly has fascinating elements- what is memoir/what is fiction, the separation of art and artist, and the possible motivation for a pretense on this scale- but nothing is ever fully discussed or explored. We spend the majority of the film listening to Albert and as time goes on you feel sad for her because of how many issues she's clearly grappling with(or avoiding), it feels almost invasive or exploitative.

A disconcerting look at an unstable author behind a minor literary scandal. A story more appropriate for a 40 minute podcast than a 110 minute feature film.

Don't See It.

'Snowden' A Review

Snowden is a biographical thriller about the life of former CIA analyst and subsequent whistleblower Edward Snowden. The film opens on Snowden(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in Hong Kong in 2013 meeting with Glenn Greenwall(Zachary Quinto) and Laura Poitras(Melissa Leo). They then begin to conduct the now famous interview which was reported in The Guardian and presented in the documentary Citizenfour. The film uses the Hong Kong hotel room as the constant as the life of Ed Snowden is spooled out. He flunks out of basic training, gets a girlfriend, joins the CIA, resigns the CIA, begins contracting with the NSA, then back with the CIA again until he decides to release information on the USA's covert, questionable. and near total surveillance of foreign and domestic individuals.

JGL as Snowden utilizes a very bizarre voice in an effort to evoke Snowden's flat speech pattern, this threatens to derail the film in the first ten minutes as it comes off as so over-the-top but eventually settles in to something resembling normalcy. For the most part JGL is servicable as Snowden but he comes across as almost totally neutral and reactive, reserved to the point that it seems he is in a constant un-changing state of low-level stress. Shailene Woodley tries very hard as Snowden's girlfriend Lindsay Mills and this misplaced earnestness paired with her unbelievable motivations and cliche dialogue make for one dissonant performance. The two don't have much chemistry to speak of, their ten year age difference doesn't help, and the romance and relationship they are forced to act out, such as it is, seems to belong to a different movie altogether. The supporting cast all fair much better with a delightful villainous and gravely turn by Rhys Ifans as a CIA higher up. But all the performances are all oddly stilted and presentational a disappointment with such a large talented cast.

Visually sufficient the one or two sequences with actual style(mostly scenes of hacking) are deflated by the extremely conventional and repeated trope of flashing a skyline with a city name and year. This device is used to help with continuity but it is so overused(within the film and without) it is exhausting. The score is so sappy and melodramatic it is distracting to the point of laughter. Whatever stylistic panache director Oliver Stone once had has waned with age.

Certainly the issues raised by Snowden's actions and subsequently portrayed in the film are important but the film seems to be more interested in instilling fear of big brother and deifying Snowden than actually delving into the complicated issue of privacy in our digital age.

Don't See It.

A Victory

A friend
achieved a life long dream
this week
and I'm filled
with only joy
to see
the drive
and struggle
of a decade
bear such
tasty fruit.

And of course
success will be
redefined
normalized
new dreams born
but for now
I share the triumph
of my friend
who has lept
the vaulted heights
and made it
to the promise land.

Thoughts On Portland

We've been back a couple days now and I've been able to process the vacation a bit. The most striking thing about the trip, and the Northwest in general, is its shear natural beauty. The ocean, mountains, rivers, forests, waterfalls, it all goes on and on. Both comforting and awe inspiring. The other big highlight was the food, we had a couple really exceptional meals, some of the best and freshest seafood I've ever had.

The city itself and surrounding area was surprisingly difficult to get around. There's only two major highways both of which don't really service much of the city. The signage is also incomplete and sporadic which necessitated us having to loop back a couple times. Kind of frustrating when on vacation. The people, although mostly warm, had a very unshakable attitude of Portland-superiority. Not in an aggressive way but there was a kind of low-level snobbery that was off putting. And unfortunately it was relatively straightforward not over-the-top like in Portlandia which would have been a bit more fun. Civic pride is one thing, this was something a little different.

Although not nearly as demanding as our trip last year to the Badlands it was still action packed. I find it hard balancing things on vacation. The impulse to see as much as possible, to soak it all in, while taking advantage of the time away from work to actually relax and recharge. Especially when I'm traveling I always feel the need to be out doing or seeing something. Nicole and I had a great time and we saw and did a lot of cool stuff but we didn't have a lot of time to just be together because there was always some place to go. It was hard to strike the right balance between doing stuff and just being there.

This is the third trip we've taken together and we've become relatively adept at traveling with each other. Things are typically smooth, we have fun, we communicate and stay connected, and compromise on the stuff we do. This trip wasn't as adventurous as our motorcycle trip last year or as fresh and new as our first trip together to Virginia the year before but it was fun if not exactly ideal. Could have used maybe one full day on a porch by the beach reading and drinking coffee. I love traveling with Nicole, it puts us in new sometimes amazing sometimes challenging situations and really allows us to flex our partnership and grow. I'm very grateful I have such an amazing person to share things with.

Sustenance

Though I am an avid
cooking competition watcher
I find it hard paying for a meal
in excess of twelve dollars
as food has never been a passion
and my palette never that discerning.
But sitting in the soon-to-close
farm-to-table Veritable Quandary
I sampled my girlfriends pan-fried trout
with crispy pancetta, white bean puree, and
What a bite. What a taste. What glory.

In my raptures I glanced at an adjacent table,
four aging socialites sipping
identical blood orange martinis
so accustomed to the craft
and thoughtfulness on display
it was blase for them, even banal
what injustice I thought.

Although it has been years
since I ingested an intoxicant
the cornucopic flavors
buzzed inside my mouth
and elicited warm
melodic shivers of delight
reminiscent of a drink or drug
with all the pleasure
sans the guilt and destruction.

For once I knew the vaulted heights the culinary arts could reach.

Distractions

Perhaps the future is bright
and this compulsive documenting
serves to strengthen memory
or evolve storytelling
but I fear the pervasive proving
of experience
serves to undermine
rather than enlighten.

The middle aged couple
in the Japanese garden
stopped incessantly for selfies
every path bend and fountain,
every coy pond and rock garden
needed their loud and leering faces
in front of them
immortalized in pixels.

But what of the quiet,
peace and tranquility.
That was lost.
Perhaps never to be found.

Beach Front

The drive from Milwaukie, where we are staying, out to the beach was incredible. Lots of hills, forest, and scenery. We stopped at Cannon Beach to walk around Haystack Rock and the beach a bit. We lucked out with another beautiful day.

We headed to Manzanita for a seafood lunch and stopped at this stunning over look. The ocean spread out for miles.

We spent most of the afternoon at Ecola State Park. A relatively secluded and serene little section of forest and beach. Being by the ocean there is such a rich sense of comfort and calm. The world in all its hugeness is right there in front of you.

Magazine cover photo.

We fly back tomorrow, its been an action packed, alternatively relaxing and exhausting visit. They have some beautiful country out here.

Gorge Hike

We got up reasonably early today to head out to the Columbia River Gorge to go hiking. Per the recommendation of some of my relatives we did the Eagle Creek Trail. A beautiful hike past a couple waterfalls to the Punchbowl which is a pond in a hollow with a waterfall on one end. The day was gorgeous and the hiking was just rigorous enough. Wonderful.

Winter weather had damaged a bridge so we had to ford the creek.

The Punchbowl.

After the hike we stopped by Multnomah Falls. Majestic but packed with tourists.

A little ways down the road we randomly pulled off at Rooster Rock State Park. Home of a basalt obelisk dubbed "cock rock" by Lewis & Clark and also home to one of two of Oregon's clothing optional beaches. There wasn't much to it and it was mostly abandoned(presumably everyone heads straight to the nude beach section) but it was very striking and surreal to walk along the river, quiet and alone relatively close to a major highway.

On the way back we got dinner in Portland and got ice cream at the justly lauded Salt & Straw. A fun and exhausting day.

Stumptown

Nicole and I are on vacation in Portland until Saturday. We took today to walk around the city and see the sights. We went to Blue Star Donuts for breakfast, then Powell's, then just walked around the city. We had lunch at this wonderful place Veritable Quandary and ended the day at the Japanese and Rose Gardens.

Port of Portland

Each city over a certain population
has pretension
and that is just
as pride can be a virtue when
plied with reason
but Rome fell
and London burned
and Chicago burned
and Alexandria was sacked
and New York sinks
O' Babylon...

Just something to keep in mind
when greeting tourists.

Deep Schwa 20th

Tonight was the 20th anniversary show for Deep Schwa the improv team I perform with at iO. The team started in 1996 and has been performing, almost, weekly since then. The past 17 years the team has held the 8 o'clock Sunday slot. Past teammates came in from all around the country to play and celebrate.

I started taking classes at iO in 2007 and my level one teacher at the time told our class to go see Deep Schwa. I did and I immediately fell in love. It was the hardest I had ever laughed. The team displayed an antagonistic playfulness, a facility for group work, and a knack for messing with each other and an infectiously delightful way. I became a super fan and rarely missed a Sunday show over the next four and a half years. I would periodically do lights for the team which was always a real treat for me to be able to part of the show in some small way. In 2012 I was asked to join the team and it was a dream come true. To be a part of this amazing team and, in my mind at least, improv history. Although the team roster has changed over the years, and improv itself has evolved, I think the integrity and spirit of the team has remained.

Since my time on the team a couple old team members have come back to play and it was always a real joy to play with those people I use to watch and be inspired by. Tonight the history of Schwa was on display and I was so happy and proud to be a part of this real cool and talented team. Some members I hadn't played with before and that was a real pleasure.

It was also the last show for Danny who is moving to LA. He's one of the greatest collaborators I've ever gotten to perform with. He has this kind of indescribable quality that makes him always compelling whenever he's on stage. He can roll with anything, you can put him in any situation, and he shines. He's versatile but always charming. Malleable but always dynamic. I've learned a lot from him and he will be sorely missed on Schwa.

The night felt really special. As far as I know no team has lasted as long as Schwa and none have progressed like we have, with members leaving and incorporating new ones. It was cool to see the three different era's of Schwa and the various improv styles and how they've evolved over time. Especially cool for me to see the second era of Schwa which was, essentially, the team I watched as a student which fueled my love of the art form.

I'm grateful to be part of such a unique, long-standing, and quality team. It's a joy and an honor to play with them each week. Long live Schwa.

'The Light Between Oceans' A Review

The Light Between Oceans is a period drama about a British WWI veteran, Tom(Michael Fassbender), who takes a job as a lighthouse keeper in Australia and falls in love with a local woman Isabel(Alicia Vikander). The two have a happy isolated life but after Isabel has two miscarriages a baby washes up in a boat with a dead man and the two begin to raise her as their own. Tom is wracked with guilt by the decision and the two have to contend with their choice after they discover the widow of the child in town.

The cast is filled with incredible actors and they all give serviceable performances but are prevented from soaring by the predictable melodramatic plotting. Weisz as Hannah the biological mother of the foundling especially suffers from illogical emotional hoops she is required to jump through. A real waste for such a dynamic talent. Vikander and Fassbender have magnetic chemistry and give such transportive turns(as they always do) it makes you wish the film was simply their lives at the lighthouse devoid of artificial action. The first third of the film is wonderful.

Visually the film is stunning, with rich landscapes and vivid imagery. The orchestral score evokes the period and the beauty of the alien coastal crags. But all the meticulous production fail to elevate the forced machinations of the narrative.

Adapted from a novel of the same name it seems too much attention was paid to maintaining the integrity of the story without creative license being taken with the transition to screen. The film reflects the sprawling nature of the novel and is worse for it. Character motivations which can be given depth in text are rushed and feel artificial and sometimes pointless.

Beautiful cinematography and amazing actors fail to bring to life the critically lauded melodrama.

Don't See It.

My Other Life

Not to degrade the caterpillar
but there was a time I was insectoid
segmented, many-legged, slinking
only valued for my arrested potential.
We shared the same voracious appetite
he for leaves and me- the brown stuff
and each ignoble in the pursuit of need
(although, granted, there were sporadic times of joy).
But then a change.
Hibernation then transformation.
Perhaps more apt a transfiguration.
Now I would never consider myself a butterfly
(more a moth)
But now I have a chance at grace
and can mark the road of honesty
to potential happiness,
and that man I was seems a stranger.
A different person all together.