Brooklyn Nine-Nine Shines

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Laura Moore

There’s nothing more fun to watch than a television show that grows into its promise and potential; churning out ever stronger episodes as the season progresses. Such is the case with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, one of the many new television shows that debuted last fall, and easily my favourite of the season so far. However, it took awhile for this show to earn that crown, because it wasn’t high on my list of new season prospects back in September, and the pilot did not do a very good job of forecasting the brilliant comedy that would later unfold. Instead, the show grew organically, growing into its characters and premise, and crafting episodes that just got better as they went along, proving that first impressions aren’t always correct.

Set in the fictional 99th precinct of the New York City Police Department, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a workplace comedy in line with The Office, and as such, it is populated with a wonderfully eclectic assortment of characters. Every episode has cases to be solved, and there is the occasional police chase, but at its heart, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a character driven show, with most of its comedy coming from the relationships between the characters and their oddball personalities. The cast is headed up by Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live and The Lonely Island fame and Andre Braugher from Homicide: Life on the Streets, but there isn’t a weak link to found among the supporting players, including Melissa Fumero’s wonderfully uptight and neurotic Detective Santiago, Stephanie Beatriz’s hilariously deadpan and prone to outbursts Detective Diaz, Terry Crews’ commanding yet soft-hearted Sergeant Jeffords, and Joe Lo Truglio’s food obsessed Detective Boyle. And then there’s Chelsea Peretti who steals every scene she’s in as Gina, the precinct’s civilian administrator who has a talent for avoiding work and is armed with lethal one liners.

Taken together, this cast is one of the most diverse casts on television, and not only do they all work incredibly well off of each other, but every character has become more and more defined throughout the season. Clearly the writers are having a ball with each character’s neurosis and eccentricities. Earlier this year Brooklyn Nine-Nine took home two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, which gives me hope that despite its lukewarm ratings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be back for a second season of hilarity, character quirks, and laugh out loud moments. In the meantime, I’ll be savouring the four remaining episodes of this season and keeping my fingers crossed.

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The Happy Hero

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Laura Moore

Yesterday I went and saw Frozen for the third time, and I’m not the less bit ashamed of that fact. My lack of shame is partly because I unabashedly love and adore all things Disney, but mostly it’s because Frozen is a fantastic movie that leaves me with a great big dopey grin on my face every time I see it. There are so many things to love about this film, including its positive portrayal of female friendship and sisterhood, its message of self-acceptance, and its spoof of the Disney princess motif. I’ve already written about “Let It Go”, the soaring empowerment anthem that over the past couple of months has become a pop culture zeitgeist unto its own, inspiring countless covers, spoofs, and parodies, but in re-watching Frozen yesterday, it dawned on me just why I find this film so delightfully refreshing. The answer is entirely due to a certain snowman with a heart of gold.

Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, is a magical snowman who introduces himself as a someone who likes warm hugs, and that is a perfectly fitting description for this wonderful character. Full of joy and almost deliriously happy to be alive, Olaf makes his way through the film with an expression of pure awe on his face, an unlimited supply of optimism, and an unwavering determination to help his friends. He finds the good in everyone and every situation, even when he is inadvertently impaled by an icicle, and he doesn’t think twice about risking his own life to save a friend. I wrote before that Olaf is one of the most joyously innocent and blissfully free from cynicism characters that I’ve ever seen in a movie, and I’ve come to realize that this is precisely why Frozen has resonated with me so deeply.

Today, the main currency in creating characters is the anti-hero; the conflicted and flawed protagonist who will ultimately save the day, but who has to wade through a mountain of baggage before they can do so. These characters are often fascinating to watch, but over time they have become more and more damaged, and as Hollywood continues to produce its never-ending series of dark and gritty reboots of once bright franchises, I’ve grown weary of all of the melancholy, sorrow, and misery. But then along came Olaf. A sincere, big-hearted, and uplifting character who is the complete antithesis of the current norm, and a most welcome change of pace. From now on, whenever I grow tired of the usual parade of cynics, pessimists, and angst-ridden anti-heroes, I’ll return to Olaf and his special brand of happiness. Something tells me there’s a lot more Frozen in my future.

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It’s Bobsled Time!

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Laura Moore

The Winter Olympics have been in full swing for over a week now, and so far we’ve witnessed the joy and euphoria of victors realizing a lifelong dream, the agony of defeat where mere hundredths of a second is the difference between the podium and going home empty handed, and the highly emotional reactions from the athletes as they battle for medals, personal bests, or redemption after past heartbreak. It’s like the world’s best sports movie on steroids and I couldn’t love it more. This year, there’s even the Jamacian bobsled team, back at the Olympics for the first time since 2002, and as I watched their two man team take their second run last night and come in dead last, a run that included the broken helmet visor of driver Winston Watts flapping in the wind, I was reminded of one of my favourite sports movies of all time: Cool Runnings.

Released in 1993, Cool Runnings is based on the story of Jamaica’s first foray into the Winter Olympics at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Known as the ultimate underdogs, the Jamaican bobsled team became very popular during their time in Calgary, and although the team did not complete the competition after crashing during one of their runs, their story was intriguing enough to inspire a film treatment. Starring the late John Candy as the Jamaican’s coach, and Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, Rawle D. Lewis, and Leon as the four man bobsled team, Cool Runnings is a fun and comically whimsical sports film that chronicles the challenges the team faced in trying to gain respect as Olympic competitors, and reminds viewers what the true Olympic spirit is all about. While the film’s plot does take many liberties with the actual story, the result is a wonderfully charming and inspirational film that has been a favourite of mine for over 20 years.

Tonight, the Jamaican two man team will compete in their remaining runs, and I for one will be watching and cheering them on. Just like in Calgary, it would appear that history is repeating itself in Sochi, with many reports claiming that the Jamaicans are enjoying rock star status among fellow athletes, spectators, and volunteers in Sochi. These reports just make me smile, because it’s nice to know that even in one of the most competitive sporting environments around, people can still be inspired by and celebrate the sheer determination to simply compete at the Olympic Games. As Cool Runnings says in what is possibly one of my favourite movie scenes ever, “It doesn’t matter if they come in first or fiftieth. Those guys have earned the right to represent their country. They’ve earned the right to march into that stadium and wave their nation’s flag…That’s what the Olympics are about.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

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Becoming A Watcher of the Sky

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Laura Moore

I was meant to see this film. A part of me wishes that I hadn’t, because then I would have been spared the two hours of tears, but the bigger, more important part of me knows that I was supposed to see this film. It spurred something deep within me, and as the credits rolled, I knew that I would never be the same. That’s the power of film, and it’s the reason why I love documentary films in particular. I’ll be forever grateful to the Sundance Film Festival for its unfailing support for documentary filmmaking, because their support is the reason I get to see films like Watchers of the Sky, by Edet Belzberg. Incredibly amazing films that have the potential to change the world.

Watchers of the Sky tells the story of Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the word “genocide”. Lemkin believed that by giving a name to the mass atrocities that have been committed against entire populations throughout history, then the law could use that term to hold people accountable for their actions. Lemkin believed in a world where international law could combat crimes against humanity, and he lobbied the United Nations to make genocide a punishable offence. Lemkin’s tireless work laid the foundation for the International Criminal Court, and his persistence brought considerable attention to the issue. Despite his relentless efforts and many recognitions, Lemkin’s story has been largely forgotten today, and at the time of his death from a heart attack in 1959, a mere seven people attended his funeral.

Lemkin’s story was interwoven throughout the film with the stories of four incredible campaigners in the struggle against genocide and the cycle of violence throughout the decades. These advocates include Benjamin Ferencz, a human rights lawyer who has lobbied for 60 years to make war-making a crime against humanity, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the first Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Emmanuel Uwurukundo, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide who now runs three of the largest refugee camps in Eastern Chad, and Samantha Power, a US Representative to the United Nations, and whose book A Problem From Hell inspired this film. All four are extraordinarily remarkable individuals who spend their lives advocating to outlaw genocide and hold those responsible accountable.

It is hard to watch this film and not feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the stories of those on screen and the history of genocide. From the past 100 years alone there is a long list of brutal crimes to account for, and it is easy to become complacent and wonder what sort of a difference just one person can make. However, despite being overwhelmed by emotion and the weight of history, Watchers of the Sky is also incredibly inspiring, because it offers hope that one person can in fact make quite the difference. As the website for this film states, a Watcher of the Sky is “An individual who recognizes the moral imperative of ending cycles of violence &/or works to improve the quality of life for forgotten populations.” Anyone and everyone can help put a stop to these crimes, because when they are committed, they destroy the very foundations of what makes us all human. I may not know exactly what I’m going to do just yet, but this film has moved within me something very powerful, and I cannot sit back in apathy any longer. I will join the cause, I will raise my voice, and I will become a Watcher of the Sky.

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Finding the Funny When Life Gets Messy

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Laura Moore

I’ve always appreciated the ability of people to laugh in the face of life’s absurdities. Life can throw you curveballs, and sometimes it can get you down, but while there are times to be sad, angry, or even outraged, I’ve often found that the best way to deal with the many challenges life can throw at you is to laugh. Perhaps that is why one of my favourite films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Obvious Child, a comedy written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, because it does precisely that; it deals with a challenging situation through laughter. I attended an early morning screening of this film earlier this week, and it quickly jumped to the top of my Sundance favourites list.

Obvious Child tells the story of Donna Stern, a New Yorker who works at a second hand bookstore by day, and as a stand up comedian by night. After being systematically dumped and then fired, Donna embarks on a series of coping mechanisms that culminates in a drunken one night stand, one which leads to what is quite possibly the worst Valentine’s Day ever. While the above description may not sound like a comedy, this film revels in finding the funny where you least expect it, and it manages to strike the perfect balance of humour and gravitas its subject matter deserves. The cast is across the board fantastic, but it is Jenny Slate as Donna who truly shines as a woman trying to deal with the hand she’s been dealt with a smile on her face. Slate’s performance is both hysterically funny and movingly authentic, and Donna’s friendship with Gaby Hoffman’s Nellie is one of the most genuine portrayals of female friendship I’ve seen onscreen in a long time.

Today, the 2014 Sundance Film Festival comes to a close, and as I reflect back on the many wonderful films I’ve seen in the past 10 days, it’s clear to me that this was a banner year for the festival. I loved each and every film that I saw for a myriad of reasons, and the quality of stories and filmmaking that I witnessed was incredible. But in picking my favourites, I keep coming back to that early morning screening of Obvious Child. I knew nothing about the film going in, but as I came out, my spirits were high and my cheeks ached from laughing, and I commend the filmmakers, cast, and crew for creating this wonderfully hilarious and poignant film that reminds us that when life gets messy, laughter truly is the best medicine.

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Worth Waking Up For

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Laura Moore

Last night I attended a midnight screening of the world premiere of Cooties, a comedy set in an elementary school that is in the midst of a zombie outbreak among the young students. It was subversive, hilarious, and thrilling, and it was one of those movies that had you laughing out loud one minute, and gasping in shock the next. In short, it was well worth the late night, but as I tucked myself into bed at nearly 3AM, I grimly set my alarm for a mere four hours later, as I had a ticket for an early screening this morning. I would be lying if I didn’t say that just four hours of sleep hurt, but I simply reminded myself that this is Sundance, and you have to experience everything you can. By 11AM this morning, a mere eight hours later, I was never so happy to be sleep deprived.

The film at the root of my sleep deprivation was I Origins, the second feature film from writer/director/editor Mike Cahill, and it is a film that is nearly impossible to describe. Part love story, part science fiction, part mystery, part travel odyssey, and part philosophical reflection on the ideological conflict between science and religion, I Origins is completely unlike anything I’ve ever seen on screen. I know I will still be thinking about this film months from now, and I’m pretty sure that I still won’t know how to describe it even then.

I Origins tells the story of scientist Ian Gray, a molecular biologist who is working to prove that the human eye can be scientifically traced back through evolution, and thereby negate the religious argument that the human eye’s design is proof of an intelligent creator. Through his life and work, his discoveries uncover more than he ever thought possible, and as the film examines the differences between religious faith and scientific fact, it posits the question: What would it take for you to renounce your beliefs, be they religious or scientific?

The cast is uniformly superb, led by actors Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, and Steven Yeun, but it is Michael Pitt as Ian Gray who anchors the film in a brilliant performance as a character of steely conviction, but one with just enough subtle cracks to allow him to embrace the wide eyed wonder of his discoveries. A steadfast believer in the absolute facts that science dictates, Ian is also an advocate for questioning, learning, and revision of those facts as new evidence presents itself, and when the laws of science fail him, the result is breathtaking.

During the Q&A after the film, an audience member declared that this was the best film she had ever seen, and I have to say, I’m hard pressed to disagree with her. I Origins is a stunning film that tells a complex, moving, and utterly unpredictable story; one which makes you think about the capacities of your beliefs and your convictions in their boundaries. Furthermore, this film offers up a haunting look at a possible future that is limitless but also unnerving, and reminds us all that for every scientific breakthrough, there are consequences lying in wait. All in all, this is a film that I will not soon forget, and I will be forever thankful that I didn’t ignore the alarm clock this morning.

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Back in the World of Sundance

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Laura Moore

Last year I attended the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and it was truly an amazing experience. After ten days, 13 films, and countless fascinating conversations, I emerged from my first major film festival experience inspired beyond words by the amazing movies I had seen, the dedication of the filmmakers I had met, and the many incredible performances I had witnessed. However, more than anything, I was inspired by the stories that were told in the films I attended. From button-pushing documentaries, to hilarious comedies, to poignant coming of age tales, the 13 films I saw each had something important to say about the worlds they were inhabiting and the people and characters present within them. Storytelling is powerful, no matter what the medium, and to see so many incredible stories in such a short period of time was nothing short of overwhelming.

Today marks the start of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and a whole new slate of stories to discover. Many of the films I saw last year went on to become critical darlings, box office success stories, and/or garner many awards and nominations, and this year’s line up of films looks just as promising. There are so many movies that I want to see and so many new talents to discover; I can’t wait to get started. My festival-going is starting off with a bang, as I have three films lined up for tomorrow from three wildly different genres, with many more to come. It’s going to be ten days of films, filmmakers, and film enthusiasts, and hopefully, many great stories that will stay with me for years to come.

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A Mother’s Painful Journey

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Laura Moore

In September of every year, summer season at the movies comes to a close, and attention turns to the award hopefuls that begin to dominate the release schedule. As the year comes to an end, a slew of movies rush to premiere in time for awards season, and many of these films go on to battle each other for that all important Oscar nomination and awards show glory. This year, I’ve made a concerted effort to see as many of these award bait films as I can, and while many of them have either dazzled or disappointed me, the best films have been the ones that have surprised me. One such film was Philomena, a movie that I saw on a whim after seeing the trailer at an earlier night out at the movies, and while I wasn’t expecting much because the trailer seemed to tell the whole story, it nevertheless looked like fun, and so I decided to give it a go.

Philomena tells the true story of an Irish woman named Philomena Lee, who enlists the help of journalist Martin Sixsmith to help find the child she gave birth to 50 years prior. As an unmarried teenage mother in the 1950s, Philomena was forced by the church to give up her child for adoption, but decades later, on the day of her child’s fiftieth birthday, she finally reveals her secret to her family, and sets out to find her son. Starring Judi Dench as Philomena and Steve Coogan as Martin, Philomena is a delightful dramedy, as Philomena’s cheery disposition proves to be the perfect counterpoint to Martin’s straightforward and pragmatic outlook on life, and their unique partnership is comically endearing. Dench and Coogan work wonderfully together, and although the film is humorous, the ache in Dench’s eyes is palpable as she conveys the heartbreak and pain this woman has carried for so long. At the halfway point I thought I knew exactly how the film would play out, and I was thrilled to be along for the ride.

But Philomena was not content to be just another feel good human interest story. At the halfway mark, a plot point threw all that I thought I knew about the story out the window, and proved the trailer to be cunningly deceptive. I was completely drawn into this story of motherly love, but it wasn’t until the closing moments of the film that I realized just how much I had fallen in love with this women. This realization came when Dench delivered a seemingly simple line that had the remarkable effect of prompting me to burst into tears. It is not often that I cry at the movies, but there I was, sitting in a darkened theatre with tears streaming down my face, all because deep down I was passionately rooting for this wronged woman.

Movies are supposed to stir emotion within you. They are supposed to make your heart soar and your soul ache, and when a film’s story is told right, that story will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. It’s now been nearly a month since I sat in that theatre, crying over Philomena’s story, and in that time I’ve seen much more flashier fare and numerous other Oscar hopefuls, but in thinking back to my favourite films of 2013, I always come back to the quietly powerful and devastatingly beautiful story of a mother searching for her child. I may not be an Oscar member, but Philomena certainly has my vote.

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White Christmas Heralds the Holidays

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Laura Moore

Every December there are certain movies and television specials that let us all know the holidays are upon us. Movies such as A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, The Santa Clause, Home Alone, Die Hard, and It’s A Wonderful Life tug at our heartstrings, while classic television specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and Frosty the Snowman bring the Christmas cheer along with a healthy dose of nostalgia. For as long as I can remember, this was the epitome of watching television in December. While there is a certain comfort to routine, there’s only so many times you can watch two bumbling thieves be mutilated by a small child, and every year, the repetition eventually drives me to abandon television altogether. That is, with one exception: White Christmas.

Released in 1954, White Christmas is a classic musical film starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, and I have been in love with this film since I was a small child. It was the only film my grandparents owned that I enjoyed watching as a kid, and for years, every family dinner would invariably end with me glued to the television watching White Christmas, regardless of whether or not it was actually Christmastime. At first, I was too young to even understand the plot; I was simply fascinated by the musical numbers, but as I grew older, I came to love this story of two army buddies who become famous entertainers, and then use their clout to help their former commanding officer when his business is in danger, all while falling in love with two beautiful sisters. The film boasts over a dozen spectacular musical sequences, incredible singing and dancing from its leading ladies, plenty of laughs courtesy of the hilarious Danny Kaye, and Bing Crosby’s gorgeous rendition of the classic song, “White Christmas”. It’s a film with enough heart to melt even the sourest of Grinches.

Every year White Christmas airs on television repeatedly, and every year it severely impacts my productivity, because if I happen to come across it, I have to sit and watch it through to the very end. Not that I’m complaining, because I don’t think I could ever tire of this classic film from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It is simply too special and too close to my heart to ever wear out its welcome.

To whomever is reading this, wherever you are in the world, I hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for reading my musings on art and culture; I promise much more to come in 2014, but for now, I hope you are enjoying time with family and friends and eating lots of great food. For me, the fireplace is on and the television beckons. A certain movie is about to start.

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Frozen’s Big Number

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Laura Moore

Last week I finally saw Disney’s new animated film, Frozen, and I was thrilled to discover a new Disney classic that I will undoubtedly be re-watching for years to come. Gorgeously animated with delightfully written characters, this film is beautiful, heartwarming, and unexpectedly hilarious. It manages to completely indulge in the entire Disney princess motif, while at the same time revelling in this motif’s absurdity and deconstructing the concept as a whole, because at its core, Frozen is a celebration of the power, strength, and complexity of sisterhood and the bonds of female friendship. A tall order for an animated family film, but Frozen achieves just that; all with a wink and a smile, and quite possibly one of the most joyously innocent and blissfully free from cynicism characters to ever grace the big screen. I dare anyone with a heart to not become immediately enamoured with Olaf the snowman.

Based on the fairy tale, The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen, Frozen tells the story of the relationship between two sisters: Elsa, the queen of Arendelle who has had to hide her magical powers her whole life, and Anna, her younger sister who doesn’t know about Elsa’s abilities and can’t understand why her sister has shut the world out. When Elsa’s powers are inadvertently revealed, she decides it’s time to stop hiding and let her powers run free. As this is a Disney film, Frozen is chock full of amazing songs, but none come close to “Let It Go”, the soaring anthem that Elsa belts out as she discovers the freedom of finally being able to be herself after so many years of hiding. It doesn’t hurt that Elsa is voiced by Idina Menzel, a Broadway veteran with one of the most powerful singing voices in show business today, and when that voice is combined with the music and lyrics of songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the result is nothing short of magical.

This song is by far my favourite moment in the film, because while Elsa sings about letting go of the past and embracing her abilities, she begins to test just exactly how far her powers can go; using her ability to freeze to create a magnificent fortress of ice in the mountains overlooking her kingdom. It’s an exhilarating sequence, made even more wondrous when you realize that you’re watching someone fully come into their own and finally believing in what makes them special and unique. Ultimately, “Let It Go” is a beautiful song that is a breathtaking and soaring celebration of one woman’s power, and I for one have been singing it non-stop the past few days. Seriously. My play count on iTunes is well over 50 and it hasn’t even been a week.

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