A Sea of Ink

The free press is the fourth estate, equally important to the fabric of any democracy as a nation's legislature, executives, and judiciaries. Journalists protect the citizens by holding accountable those in power. Without journalism checking up on the actions and motives of the higher-ups, investigating and exposing covered-up wrongs and sinister plots, society would fall into chaos, deception, and become everything George Orwell feared. Without the dissemination of news, without the education of the people-- censorship and ignorance leads inevitably to oppression and blind loyalty. Just look back at Nazi Germany, look at the Soviet Union, and then look at today. To me, reporters represent what superheroes would look like in the real world, Robin Hoods in real life. To me, Clark Kent's vocation as a reporter represents no coincidence. This current trend of vilifying the press is scary. In fact, it feels apocalyptic. "Fake news" is not a pair of words to toss out...

I don't know what it is about Demy and Legrand, but their opening scenes always have me grinning like crazy (I always find myself saying, "wow, this is fun"). They know how to start off with a bang. The opening number of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort  (in English, The Young Girls of Rochefort) , bursts with sunny jazz happiness and choreography that made me want to dance along. So the performers (specifically the ensemble) might not be the best dancers, or the most synchronized--so what? To me, the choreography was more of an unbridled celebration of movement, of what dance should feel like, of freedom. It made me happy, and that's what musicals should do. I had more problems with the plot of this movie than I did with Demy's previous Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose, but the storyline was sloppily cliche and predictable to the point of being ridiculous. In the end, everything was suddenly and miraculously, all at o...

"I want to make people cry," said French New Wave director Jacques Demy, and so he made the film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964). Titled The Umbrellas of Cherbourg in English, this is the movie which inspired and heavily influenced Damien Chazelle's 2016 film La La Land. It is the story, told entirely in song, of teenage Geneviève who works in her mother's struggling umbrella boutique, and her garage mechanic boyfriend Guy, who is drafted into the French military to fight in the Algerian War. Teenage pregnancy, love triangles, betrayal, angst--seems like a typical, possibly meh plot line. Wrong. Right away, as the opening credits begin to roll across a scene, filmed from above, of walkers with brightly colored umbrellas, I know this is something special. Immediately, the viewer can tell he or she is in for a treat, that they are about to watch something beautiful--artistic--extraordinary. The first number begins to play--an instantly engaging jazz introductio...

A Very Secret Service, or, Au service de la France, is one little-known but brilliant offering currently available for streaming on Netflix. Paris, 1960: wide-eyed but excited André Merlaux is recruited to become a secret agent and thrown, with little to no instruction, into the fast-paced and often confusing world of "the service". In this satirical spy parody, full of dry but hilarious comedy, lovable, innocent Merlaux encounters a cast of amusing and unique characters, and stumbles into an unexpected plot much deeper and more sinister than he could have ever anticipated. Not only are the actors' performances excellent, but so are the well-written script and high-quality visual elements. With its fun and engaging plot, enriched by the historical backdrop of Cold War Paris, A Very Secret Service will have you both laughing out loud and perched on the edge of your seat, then waiting anxiously for more. There have appeared rumors that Season 2 could be coming to Ne...

The Greatest Showman was entertaining, but an excess of characters and events cost the film almost all depth in plot and characterization. Although the first few songs hinted at promise, most of the soundtrack (barring standouts “A Million Dreams” and “Never Enough”) is generally unimpressive and commonplace. Both the choreography (the highlight of the movie being the “A Million Dream” dance number between Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams) and the visual design are worthy of high praise, but the lackluster army of characters and lack of clarity in the passage of time turned what might have been a cinematic masterpiece into an unrealistic and often confusing storm of scenes. The writers would have been better served by isolating a smaller slice of Barnum’s history for recreation and making allowance for greater care and detail. The movie was dazzling but hollow, without real insight into the history it portrayed.

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role, has been around for more than a decade; however, the movie hit Netflix only recently.  This film received mixed reviews due to the unconventional way in which it told the French queen's history. As Dunst said, "It's kind of like a history of feelings, rather than a history of facts." Though the American faux-French accents are admittedly cringe-y at times (that of Rose Byrne, as the Duchesse de Polignac, especially), all cons are outweighed. Sacrificing historically accurate language and music, Coppola focused instead on the essence of who Marie Antoinette really was-- a teenager. The rock soundtrack, featuring tunes such as a remixed version of "I Want Candy," contributes to this point of view and gives the movie a youthful tone relatable to the teenaged target audience. A scene set at a masquerade ball includes the blasting electric guitar and drums of "Hong Kong G...

Happy World Ballet Day! For those of you unfamiliar with the annual event, World Ballet Day is a holiday which celebrates the love and sharing of dance with an all-day livestream including classes, rehearsals, and interviews from the world's top ballet companies-- the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and other, smaller companies like Ballet West! The dance community worldwide is unified in one joyous celebration, beyond all boundaries of language and country. Ballet is one thing that brings me great joy--dancing it, watching it, creating it...ballet is a key part of my personal culture. Had the stars not misaligned against me, I'd be enrolled in classes now. Unfortunately, I suppose I must have a different purpose in life--but that will not keep me from enjoying the art. In honor of this occasion, I'd like to share my favorite ballet class warmup trends, all of which I have seen worn by dancers...