up Up and AWAY!

“Up, the latest lovely fantasy from the artists at Disney’s Pixar animation, it's a truly fantastic adventure -- a lighter-than-air daydream about a cranky widower, a chubby boy and their amazing journey.” If I had give Up, a grade it would be an A+. At the beginning of the movie, I couldn’t really draw a parallel to the main character, Carl Fredricksen. His character embodies a 78-year-old grumpy man that seems to hate life; however, within five minutes I fell in love with him. The story line of Up is inventive and imaginative. It is based on the old man tying thousands of balloons to his home to escape eviction and the destruction of his house. In his house, he shared many cherished memories with his wife Ellie who had already passed. Since they both were young, they shared the same dream to escape to South America to live on top of a waterfall and he was determined to fulfill this dream. As he lifts off, he discovers a stow away, Russell, the wilderness explorer. They go on an adventure together and build a sentimental relationship. This is Pixar’s ninth movie. Their previous works consist of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Toy Story 3. All these movies are wonderfully made movies, just like Up. These movies are designed for all age groups, that aren’t distasteful, are entertaining, and leave a lasting impression making you want more. Throughout the movie Up, everyone of my emotions was touched. One moment, I wanted to reach for a tissue and then the next moment, I would be laughing. In addition, I ultimately fell in love with the characters including Carl, Dug, Kevin, and especially Russell. I feel like I loved this movie so much because it was filled with action and thrills mixed with comedy and suspense that is timeless.

Goodbye, Farewell

As we wait for the Simon Shaheen’s performance, we ventured through the new exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute. The exhibit focused on American art. As a I was walking through the rooms, a couple works jumped out at me. The first piece was “Bold Endeavor” by Jon Kunn. This work was done in 1998 using laminated, cut, and polished glass. This glass sculpture was in the middle of the room, which immediately caught my eye because the light illuminated every aspect of the work. The piece was pyramidal in shape with intricate etchings in the glass on the outside and even on the inside of the work. On the inside, the etchings were colorful from reds to blues. I thought to myself this work was innovative and definitely eye catching. The next piece was “Red Circle” by Dwinell Grant. Modern and abstract entered my mind when first viewing this piece. It was done in 1939 with oil on canvas. It is difficult to rationalize this piece because you have no idea what it is or what is trying to represent. Is it just supposed to represent a red circle as the title states? Or is it something more? As much as this work confused me, I admired the vibrant colors that it incorporated. The artist did a good job transitioning from one color to the next. After that, my eyes were fixed upon the painting, “Summer Afternoon” by Ray Parker in 1959. Splotches of oil with lively colors covered the canvas. The vision itself wouldn’t remind you of a summer afternoon, but the colors would. It took me back to a memory of a summer picnic with the checkered blanket, variety of food from watermelon, fruit, potato salad, sandwiches, to the ants of course. Last, “Adieu” was the last piece that caught my eye. “Adieu” in French means goodbye, farewell. This work was by far my favorite of the bunch with its bright pinks, dark greens, and ingenious symmetry by Julian Schnabel in 1996. I liked that this piece wasn’t uniform with the rest having its own unique qualities. In addition, I liked how the artist wasn’t afraid make it messy in appearance leaving a lasting impression on me. So that’s it, ADIEU!

Exceeding Expectations

5 Stars. Bravo! One cold and wet Thursday, one of our friends was performing for Thursday Night Live on Art Street. Due to the weather, the performances took place in Art Street Café, a cozy little area. As I walked in, it reminded me of a quaint downtown coffee shop with live performances. When I looked around, the place was PACKED leaving us to find a place to stand. Our friend, Mary Michael, wasn’t up yet, so we watched the ongoing performance. As soon as we knew it, it was her turn. She performed a total of six songs. From one song to the next, they flowed together seamlessly with similar beats, rhythms, and artistic genres. The first song was “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks. “I took my love and I took it down, I climbed a mountain and I turned around, And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills, 'Till Landslide brought me down.” This song sounded familiar to me, but she sang with great ease. Second, "Loneliness is just a crime, look each other in the eye, And say hello-o-o-o-o, and say hello-o-o-o-o." This song was “Say Hello” by Sufjan Stevens. It was sung as a duet with another guy accompanying Mary Michael. Their voices complemented each other’s; however, I feel like she outshined his voice with depth and projection. I’m a fan of Sufjan Stevens with many of his albums; I was able to draw more of a connection to this song just because it was more relevant to my life. Third up to bat was “Stormy Weather” by Billie Holiday. “Can’t go on, ev’ry thing I had is gone, Stormy Weather, Since my man and I ain’t together, Keeps rainin’ all the time.” Another older song, but I still enjoyed it. She sang three other songs, but I was drawn to a song by Ingrid Michaelson. Porcelain Fists. “Looked in the bathroom stall, Your back against the wall, Cold tiles beneath your knees, Your body broke your fall, Spitting into your own reflection gazing back, Inside your porcelain fists, your palms begin to crack.” I enjoyed these lyrics and ultimately the song the most because she sang with them with passion, similar to the sound of Michaelson’s voice. I had heard Mary Michael’s voice down the hall once or twice, but I never realized how good she was; therefore, exceeding my expectations. Overall, she did a fantastic job by performing with her own twist, really making it unique to her, but at the same time, in touch with the music created and sung by other artists.

Twisted. Knotted. Tousled. Braided.

According to International Film Journal, Tangled was “utterly charming, visually sumptuous and often witty, this new 3D musical rendition of the old fairy tale about Rapunzel and her endless mane of flaxen hair will delight youngsters and teens while holding the attention of the more hair-challenged among audiences." Tangled, a new Disney film is based on the original story of Rapunzel, but with a twist. Even know the film was somewhat predictable being a kid’s movie, I truly enjoyed it. The plot was dramatic and intriguing. The film dealt with your emotions. One moment you would feel ecstatic, one moment you would want to cry, one moment you would be wrapped up in suspense, and all back again. The plot consisted of the typical Rapunzel story; the twist is first seen with her rescuer, Flynn Rider. He was in place of prince charming; however, in this story he was a thief with good looks. He takes her on an adventure to the castle. Ultimately, Flynn Rider and Rapunzel fall in love. Who would’ve thought? Anyways ending in a happily ever after. Not only was it romantic, but a comedy as well where I got a few giggles out of it. Next, I liked the characterization of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. Who doesn’t love and pity Rapunzel? The writer and producer made her character very likable and round. She could sing, she was artistic; she was visually stunning with her golden hair, and her overall personality was a delight. Every little girl would strive to be like her. Her overall personality is adventurous and very innocent because she has been trapped in this hidden tower for 18 years of her life. The other character I liked was Flynn Rider, the thief. He represented kind of a bad boy and was handsome at the same time. At one point in the movie when he meets Rapunzel while being tied up, he tries to woe her with his “smolder”. His character adds humor to the film, which is refreshing. Next, the film was visually satisfying. I saw it in 3D and there were excellent special effects. For example, they mastered the movement of Rapunzel’s locks making her hair look realistic. Disney has come a long way from the movies I watched as a child. In conclusion, I would recommend this movie to all ages, even know it is directed to kids, it was overall a fun movie to watch.