Dazzling Wicked a bit of a slog
Judging from the reaction of the audience at the screening of Wicked I attended, fans of the musical sensation will likely be pleased by Universal’s $150 million adaptation. Every cent of the budget is on the screen, as it is one of the most visually dynamic films you’re likely to see this or any year. If nothing else, viewers will be dazzled by it. Each of the songs are enthusiastically rendered and imaginatively choregraphed, while the cast brings the necessary nuances to their characters. To be sure, it’s a top-notch production across the board.
It’s also a bit of a bore. Clocking in at two hours and 40 minutes, the film, which covers only the first act of the play, is a needlessly bloated affair, one that revels in excess at the expense of narrative expediency. Oz fanatics won’t mind this plodding, immersive experience, while those new to the musical will leave wondering what all the fuss is about.
The story begins where The Wizard of Oz ends, as news of the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West has spread across the land. Celebrations ensue, as Glinda (Ariana Grande) the Good Witch visits various hamlets to confirm the death. However, when a villager mentions the messenger was once friends with the recently deceased, Glinda recounts the history of their relationship.
Seems she and Elphaba (Cythia Erivo) met at Shiz University, the former there to become a sorceress, the later having no intention of staying, only there to watch over her sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), for the first few days. However, after displaying magical powers, she’s taken under Madame Morrible’s (Michelle Yeoh) wing, the instructor seeing great potential in the young woman. This breeds resentment in Glinda, which is exacerbated when they’re forced to become roommates.
What with her green skin, Elphaba has been ostracized her entire life, something that continues with Glinda and her cohorts. However, through some expedient screenwriting, the reluctant roomies suddenly become best friends, studying together with Morrible until an invitation from the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) arrives, summoning them to the Emerald City.
Meanwhile, a love interest is introduced in the form of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), while a relationship develops between Nessarose and Boq (Ethan Slater), a rather large munchkin. More disturbingly, a movement is afoot in which the intelligent, talking animals of the land – chief among them the goat, Professor Dillamond (Voice by Peter Dinklage) – are being rounded up for deportation, or worse.
It’s remarkable that with such a narrative-heavy script, the film moves so slowly. To be sure, every musical is too long by a song or two, but director Jon M. Chu slows things down further by needlessly elongating the musical numbers, each an elaborate production of their own, none of them flowing from one to the next. It’s as if we’re watching a series of mini-movies that occur too infrequently to provide a sense of cohesion, The spectacle soon turns into a slog, the Emerald City not glimpsed until after two hours has gone by.
Giving credit where it’s due, once the magical pair encounter the Wizard, the story takes a dark turn and is suddenly of interest. When Elphaba realizes he and Morrible want to use her power to control the citizens of Oz, her long-suppressed feelings of resentment come to the fore, her revolt against them giving the film a much-needed jolt of energy.
Unfortunately, it’s too little too late. To be sure, the third act in which we see the key elements of this origin story finally emerge – how Elphaba got her broom and hat and how the monkeys of Oz got their wings – is gripping. I’m assuming these are the first steps towards the story taking a darker tone, the Wizard’s smear campaign painting the misunderstood heroine as the enemy of the masses, in the offing. Hopefully, the more serious tone will make for a more engaging second part.
Yet, if it too takes on the turgid pace of part one, it too will be a long, dull haul. Obviously, making two features out of the play is a cash grab on Universal Pictures’ part, one fans of the musical probably won’t mind. However, in the end, it simply doesn’t serve the story well, no matter how visually dazzling it might be. In theaters.
Familiarity hobbles Gladiator 2
When a studio has a hit of the caliber of Gladiator on its hands, for good or ill, a sequel to it becomes, if not mandated, at least considered. Paramount Pictures has spent nearly a quarter of a century trying to find a narratively plausible way to make a follow-up to their Oscar-winning, half-billion-dollar grosser. Ideas were generated and discarded, the strangest being a scenario in which Russell Crowe’s Maximus is resurrected by the Greek gods to serve as their vengeful instrument, ultimately doomed to live as a warrior for eternity. (Penned by the musician Nick Cave, the script is available online.)
With all the effort put forth, it’s rather ironic that director Ridley Scott has essentially done nothing more than remake the original. Though there are some variations, for all intents and purposes, Gladiator II is a pale copy of its predecessor, a film that mirrors the Bread and Circuses approach of the Roman politics at its center. There’s bloodshed aplenty, epic set pieces to marvel at and gasp-inducing plot twists, yet all of this can’t obscure the “been there done that” feel the movie can’t shake.
Leading with his strong suit, Scott opens the film with a massive battle, as the Roman Army, led reluctantly by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades Numidia, circa 200 A.D. Among those defending the African stronghold is Lucius, (Paul Mescal), who sees his wife, Arishat (Yuval Gonen), fall in battle. This instills in him a sense of rage that will become valuable, as he is taken prisoner and sold to Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who has a troupe of gladiators he provides to the corrupt emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger) for their bloody Coliseum games.
Meanwhile, dissension is stirring, as Acacius and his wife, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), form a plan to dethrone the mad emperors. Yet, what they don’t bargain for is Macrinus’ own ambitions, as through a series of subtle maneuvers, he has put himself within arm’s reach of the throne.
It’s obvious David Scarpa realizes he’s covering well-trod narrative ground, as the battle sequences in the film are far too numerous, meant to distract the viewer from the threadbare plot. To Scott’s credit, they are spectacular, though they become more outlandish and downright silly by the end. Small hand-to-hand combat scenes evolve into a recreation of the massive naumachia events in which the Coliseum was flooded and naval battles were reenacted. They do what they’re meant to do, providing blood-soaked thrills that, while not original, are rendered with flair. And in an effort to outdo the tiger appearances in the first film, baboons, rhinos and sharks are thrown into the mix during various fights. Surprisingly, all of them looking a bit shabby, the CGI effects used to render them looking cheap, what with the film’s $200 million budget.
The strain to outdo the 2000 classic shows throughout, the violence a bit more graphic, the set pieces a bit too long and the script a bloated exercise that has trouble balancing its various plotlines. The more-is-more approach eventually takes its toll, tedium setting in as the film reaches the two-hour point. No amount of spectacle can gloss over the fact the movie is simply a very expensive retread.
Granted, Gladiator was hardly an exemplar of originality, liberally cribbing from Ben-Hur, Spartacus and others. Yet, the passage of time between 2000 and the heyday of the sword-and-sandal epics was enough to whet the audiences’ appetite for such fare. Equally important to its success was Crowe, whose movie star presence proved invaluable. The degree of subtle gravitas and humanity he brought to the film went a long way towards getting the viewer to invest in Maximus’ journey. As a result, it comes as no surprise that some of the most effective parts of the sequel are when the character is referenced.
Mescal, at this stage of his career, simply can’t hold us as Crowe did. To be sure, the actor has great potential, but it has yet to be honed in a way where he can demand and hold our attention. Of course, Washington knows the score, walking away with nearly every scene he’s in, not even bothering to attempt any sort of accent or to abandon his contemporary mien.
Gladiator 2 isn’t necessarily a bad movie; Scott and his crew’s ability to skillfully render an epic of this size can’t be ignored, while there’s no denying the film is a great deal of fun at times, albeit in the darkest sense. In the end, the sequel’s biggest sin is its familiarity, which confirms just how unnecessary it is. In theaters.
Ghosts from past haunt Lesson
Ghosts, both literal and figurative, permeate the Charles household. The specter of opportunities lost, potential wasted and promises unkept haunt siblings Boy Willie and Berniece, as does the long, oppressive shadow of slavery. Only two generations removed from this vile social institution, the brother and sister have struggled, as have so many of their peers, to lead a happy and productive life. Also haunting them are the spirits of their parents, the expectations and intentions they had for the siblings impacting their outlook for the future. In addition to all of this, an actual spirit may be in their home, becoming more powerful as dissension grows between them.
Part of his classic Pittsburgh Cycle, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson examines the legacy of the Charles family, both what has been imposed upon them as well as that which they embrace, and the paralyzing effect it can have. Directed by Malcom Washington, this adaptation features John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher and Michael Potts reprising their roles from the 2022 Broadway production. Each brings the necessary fire and pathos to this tale set in Pittsburgh of the 1930s, most of the action taking place in the living room of the Charles home.
Having driven from Mississippi to the Steel City with his friend Lymon (Fisher), Boy Willie (Washington) drops in on his sister, Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler), and their uncle Doaker (Jackson). He hopes to enlist their help in a grand plan he has to get ahead. A parcel of land owned by Sutter has gone up for sale. Seems the old man was pushed down his well and his family is eager to part with some of his property. This is significant to Willie because previous generations of the Charles family toiled as slaves on the land. He’s not blind to the irony of being able to purchase and profit from it himself, as it will also elevate his standing in the community. However, he must convince Berniece to sell an heirloom, the family piano, in order to raise enough money to do so.
He faces an uphill battle, as this is far more than an instrument. Bearing the likenesses of their ancestors carved into the panels and boards, the personal history it contains is priceless, and is something Berniece holds dear. While she feels she is honoring her family by keeping it, Willie thinks their father would want it to be sold if its purpose was to better their situation.
This debate rages throughout the play, each of the arguments regarding the piano’s fate, valid. Yet over the course of this weekend, a variety of exorcisms occur, both literally and figuratively. The siblings are forced to come to terms with painful incidents from their pasts that have plagued them, while the spirit of Sutter, seen by Berniece and her daughter, has to be purged from the home as well.
While the symbolism is obvious, it still proves effective in underscoring the long-term effects of trauma, both personal and societal. Washington’s approach is a bit heavy-handed at times, dramatic scenes too often taking on a manic quality that becomes distracting. Still, the fine cast keeps it all grounded, the combined efforts resulting in one of the best ensemble performances of the year. To be sure, they tap into the anger that suffuses Wilson’s work but it’s the healing and sense of hope Lesson contains that we are left with. While it is tempting to want to build on our past, failing to recognize the work and pain of those who’ve gone before us is a sin. Streaming on Netflix.
This article appears in Springfield grapples with increased crime.
