Kolob Canyon Hike

Went to the Northern significantly less traveled part of the park today, Kolob Canyon, for our big hiking day. Made it pretty close to the Kolob Arch but had to turn back because we were losing daylight and the temp was dropping, did about 12 miles in all. Both of us were pretty burnt out by the end but it was gorgeous and felt great to push ourselves.

First Day In Zion

Nicole and I are spending the week in Zion National Park. Flew into Vegas yesterday and drove up towards the end of the afternoon. Today we hiked up most of the Angel's Landing trail then cut in towards the Zion interior for a couple miles. Really breathtaking. Went horseback riding(Nicole's first time) in the afternoon led by this aging grizzled cowboy Lance and took a guided tram tour at dusk with Zion enthusiast and retiree Jane. All in all an incredible day.

'JoJo Rabbit' A Review

JoJo Rabbit is a satirical dramedy set in Nazi Germany. The film follows a young zealous Hitler Youth JoJo(Roman Griffin Davis) during the waning days of WWII, he romps with his imaginary friend Hitler(Taika Waititi), and naively buys into the propaganda of his country. But after discovering his mother Rosie(Scarlett Johansson) is harboring a Jewish girl Elsa(Thomasin McKenzie) who he gradually befriends, his blind loyalty begins to breakdown.

Davis is an astonishing young actor able to be a child but also go through a complex and layered transformation through the course of the story. McKenzie is another supurb casting choice, conveying a startling edge but also a moving tenderness. Ultimately the story is framed around these two and they, justly, hold the bulk of the screentime but the supporting cast all have brief opportunities to light up the screen. Johansson particularly has an incredible scene with JoJo playing both herself and her absent husband. Waititi is always a pleasure to see on screen and is able to tread a bizarre and delicate line playing Hitler as the leads jolly almost foppish best friend. Sam Rockwell also has a nice supporting turn as a wounded German officer tasked with leading the HY and prepare for the inevitable arrival of American soldiers.

What's most thrilling about the film is it's wild and disparate tone, at times light and fun and others startling bleak, like Wes Anderson meets Herzog. And the way the film is shot and structured its as if we are perceving the world as JoJo does, from a child's perspective. It's a shockingly difficult thing to pull off and Waititi does effortlessly. The frequent pop soundtrack paired with grizzly war imagery all folds together to create this singular story, it works despite itself. And the actors are also performing these highwire acts of tone and emotion. It's irreverent and evocative and has heart to spare. Perhaps not for everyone but for those who can get on its frequency it's an inspiring heartbreaking adventure.

Don't Miss It.

A Meditation On Food

Cook as much as possible
don't deny yourself the service of restaurants
but cook when you can
endeavoring to do more
when considering what to cook
think about what you like
a solitary or contained item
and try to cook it
if its not successful
do not be discouraged
consider the faults of the dish
and make adjustments to alleviate those faults next time
if you repeat this process often enough
you will learn how to make a great dish that you enjoy
that knowledge you will never lose
and with that knowledge there is confidence
when inspiration is necessary
look to TV or restaurants
cook books can be too rigid
recipes too structured
from the nomads who first roasted meat
cooking has primarily functioned on intuition
and so
when selecting a dish to prepare
consider its component parts
imagine its construction
if necessary consult a recipe as a guide
to set parameters not prescriptions
execute
however successful, enjoy
because you have done this.

'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' A Review

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a fantasy movie, a follow up to 2014's Maleficent. Maleficent(Angelina Jolie) has given the governing of The Moors to her adopted daughter Aurora(Elle Fanning) but tensions with the surrounding human population remain high. When Prince Philip(Harris Dickinson) proposes to Aurora and she accepts it seems as if peace between the humans and faire is possible but Philip's mother Queen Ingrith(Michelle Pfeiffer) is intent on war.

Jolie brings her considerable presence to bear with more effective wryness in her return to the Disney villain come heroine although the material doesn't meet her performance. It's nice to see her as the past five years or so she's been doing work behind the camera or focusing on philanthropy and activism. She's an unequivocal moviestar and here's hoping we see her more often in the future. Something similar could be said of Pfeiffer who recently reemerged into the mainstream after 2017's Mother!. She doesn't quite chew the scenery but gives a deliciously evil performance that is incredibly pleasing if, as a result of the script, not quite dynamic. Against Pfeiffer and Jolie Fanning is simply outclassed and disappears in her paperthin approximation of a character. And ultimately the whole point of Maleficent is to tell her side of the story and the retcon of a retcon to make Aurora once again a lead misses the point.

Utilizing substantial CGI the visuals mostly err on the side of engaging with only a scene or two artificially rendered into lifelessness. The script is not as tight or clean as its predecessors and as such is bogged down by unnecessary plot convolutions with twists making so little sense as to be laughable.

An enjoyable if imperfect sequel to a significantly more trailblazing original.

Rent It.

'Parasite' A Review

Parasite is a satirical thriller about a poor family of four(The Kims) living in a garden apartment that infiltrates the staff of a wealthy family(The Parks) at first through a quasi-honest referral, then fraud, then sabotage. Once the Kims have replaced the entire staff they relax in their newfound ease. When the Parks for a camping trip however the Kims security is threatened with a shocking revelation.

The cast is adequate with Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung giving the performance with the most texture but for the most all the Parks and the Kims are playing thinly drawn caricatures rather than real people. Much is unclear about anyone's motivations and some transparently stupid choices are made not driven by character but the necessities of the plot. Even after the two hours and change run time it is unclear who any of these people actually are. And perhaps that's the point, they are ciphers, puppets, for this very particular, very tight narrative.

As is no surprise with writer/director Bong Joon-ho the film has a sharp magnetism and visual clarity. The belated twist and the chaotic third act are electric but what proceeds it implys and infers a socio-economic message that the story simply doesn't convey. Or perhaps it does convey it in such a straightforward deadening way with characters, both rich and poor, that are so thoroughly flat and uncompelling that the point is rendered ineffectual. There are some wonderful ideas in the film but the humanity of it's participants isn't particularly considered and as such whatever allegorical intent lies behind the story it doesn't really succeed. There's an inevitable comparison to last years more soulful and successful Shoplifters which Parasite simply doesn't measure up to.

Ambitious, interesting, immaculately crafted but ultimately short on that most necessary cinematic component- emotion.

See It.

To Icarus

Hey man
It's gotta suck
being the poster boy of pride
the harbinger of hubris
known not for your chill flight
but your gnarly fall
an example
all the greedy traders
preening actors
and power-mad politicians
know but ignore
yours is a lesson
we have yet to learn
sorry your death
taught us nothing
yet you are remembered still.