Friday 20 January 2017

Auden and Cassandra

September 1, 1939
by W. H. Auden

Cassandra by Evelyn De Morgan (1898, London); Cassandra in front of the burning city of Troy

I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.

Accurate scholarship can
Unearth the whole offence
From Luther until now
That has driven a culture mad,
Find what occurred at Linz,
What huge imago made
A psychopathic god:
I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.

Exiled Thucydides knew
All that a speech can say
About Democracy,
And what dictators do,
The elderly rubbish they talk
To an apathetic grave;
Analysed all in his book,
The enlightenment driven away,
The habit-forming pain,
Mismanagement and grief:
We must suffer them all again.

Into this neutral air
Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective Man,
Each language pours its vain
Competitive excuse:
But who can live for long
In an euphoric dream;
Out of the mirror they stare,
Imperialism's face
And the international wrong.

Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.

The windiest militant trash
Important Persons shout
Is not so crude as our wish:
What mad Nijinsky wrote
About Diaghilev
Is true of the normal heart;
For the error bred in the bone
Of each woman and each man
Craves what it cannot have,
Not universal love
But to be loved alone.

From the conservative dark
Into the ethical life
The dense commuters come,
Repeating their morning vow;
'I will be true to the wife,
I'll concentrate more on my work,'
And helpless governors wake
To resume their compulsory game:
Who can release them now,
Who can reach the dead,
Who can speak for the dumb?

All I have is a voice
To undo the folded lie,
The romantic lie in the brain
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
And the lie of Authority
Whose buildings grope the sky:
There is no such thing as the State
And no one exists alone;
Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.

Defenseless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.

Monday 16 January 2017

Sherlock's Disappointing Final Problem

Review for the Sherlock
Episode: Series 4 Episode 3
Title: The Final Problem
year: 2017

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." - Oscar Wilde

[May contains spoiler for Sherlock Season 4]

Season 4 of Sherlock has come to a disappointing and hasty end. The Final Problem was a huge disappointment since I thought we would witness something spectacular to end a great season (or possibly the whole series). Rather than giving the characters a proper send off, this latest episode seemed to be full of aimless sound and fury. What was the point of the return of Moriarty? He was but a replaceable prop in the whole episode. The reveal about the truth of Redbeard didn't provide any more emotional context since we have already felt closer with the dog than anything or anyone else from Sherlock's childhood. The dog was already family; substituting it with an unknown child doesn't make it any more or less horrific.

There are some good moments here and there. Eurus was truly frightening; her intelligence, her ability to manipulate, and her indifference are all displayed in its full madness during the episode. And that's what makes it disappointing. A great multidimensional villain and a threat to both Holmes brother reduced to solving random puzzles to superficially amuse and distract the audience from a good plot. This renders the Moriarty appearance even more meaningless since Eurus, with her abilities, should be able to carry out whatever evil scheme all by herself. The resolution of her mental instability seemed quite hastily done and poorly executed. This was a waste of a great character.

It is hard to write a good ending that satisfy everyone. The premise was full of promises and possibilities and to see the ending any less than our expectation would be deemed disappointing. This was the case with Nolan's Dark Knight vs Dark Knight Rises and, more closer to home, Doctor Who's Heaven Sent vs Hell Bent. And I am one of the disappointing fans. And I am only disappointed because the previous episode was superb and I expected better. But despite how abrupt the beginning was, how confusing the middle was, or how badly it was resolved, I have to admit I like the somewhat happy ending: the interaction between Sherlock and Eurus through purely the sound of a violin, the chance of a recital for the Holmes family, the reaffirmation of Sherlock and John's friendship through Mary's voice over, and even the montage of future cases and Mrs Hudson and Molly. This just seemed like a prelude to the ultimate end.

I hope, selfishly, that this is not the end, partly because I know there are more great ideas that Moffat and Gatiss can come up with now that they are leaving Doctor Who but mainly because I simply want to be dazzled or even simply have a chance to be disappointed again by Sherlock and Friends.

Sunday 15 January 2017

Sherlock Sherrinford Eurus

Review for the TV Show, Sherlock
Episode: Series 4 Episode 2
Title: The Lying Detective
year: 2017



[May contains spoiler for Sherlock up to Season 4 Episode 2]

Ever since I blogged a few reviews and recommendation, I felt I have some responsibilities to the readers of my blog, all 2 of them and I am being generous here, to discern the nuance of a scene, to find plot holes, and to praise the good and criticize the bad. I was armed with this mindset when I turned on PBS (shout out to PBS and all the people who continue to support it so I can watch all those British dramas and Rick Steves meandering around with his backpack hanging nonchalantly off his one shoulder).

And I did begin with such a mindset. Kept asking questions and find things to criticize. What kind of accent does the therapist have? Is it good? Is Watson seeing a dead Mary who is whispering his own thoughts back to himself? Is this too much like interaction between the Doctor and the Moment in the Day of the Doctor? Wow is that Sherlock in that car? How James Bond of him? An Aston Martin. But by the time the title song played and Sherlock had that lovely talk and stroll with the woman claiming to be Faith Smith. It was over. I wasn't a critic anymore. Well, I was probably a lousy one to start with. I was a fanboy again giddy over the brilliance of Sherlock and the cinematic tricks and visual mastery. I was enamored with the night walking scene and have the incredible urge to stroll around London. And I lost completely objectiveness in this review. So be warned (my 2 readers, at least one of whom I hope to have had continued reading), the following review contains major spoilers and blatant fanboyism.

Thursday 5 January 2017

Doctor Who Christmas Special starring Goku

TV review for the Doctor Who Christmas Special
Title: The Return of Doctor Mysterio
year: 2016


[May contain spoilers for Doctor Who Season 9.]

It seems like ages since the last Doctor Who episode; well, it was exactly 12 months or 24 years ago if you were on Darillium.  And like last year's episode, which was set in outer space, or the year before that, which was set in the North Pole, or the year before that, which was set in Trenzalore, this year's special was also set outside of London.  In fact, there hasn't been a London Christmas since the 11th Doctor met old Clara in Victorian London.  I guess London is no longer the most dangerous place during Christmas (but don't visit Star City or Central City during May just yet).

Despite the stupid looking teaser with the cheesy superhero rescue scene, this was yet another good Doctor Who Christmas Special though it doesn't really involve much or any festive stuff. Say what you will about Moffat's era of Doctor Who (and a lot has been said especially since the departure of Rory and Amy) but this guy knows how to write a good and fun stand-alone Christmas episode. I have enjoyed all the Christmas episodes in his era (including the Sherlock special from last year) and this was no exception.  The Return of Doctor Mysterio is set in New York and packed with superhero references sprinkled with some belated Pokémon Go jokes. It was interesting to see the Doctor in an  superhero-themed episode since Doctor Who has always been a show about a superhero with its own supervillians, mythos, sidekicks, and moral codes.  I needed some adjustments and did some double-takes when the Doctor is juxtaposed against a traditional cinematic superhero in an explicit and true American superhero setting.

The bigger surprise, other than the fact that this special was actually pretty good, is that the main supporting character was played by Justin Chatwin, the actor who infamously portrayed Goku in the terrible Dragonball Evolution movie. That movie was so badly written, so badly cast, so badly acted, so badly directed that it not only flamed out all hopes of any future live action Dragonball films but also ruined the careers of any actor or actress that was in it. Emmy Rossum could have been remembered as the beautiful and talented film star with a heavenly voice but now, probably unfairly, she will forever be known to some as a failed Bulma. And Chow Yun Fat... I had to lobotomize any memory of him as Roshi in order to enjoy again his awesomeness in God of Gamblers. And Chatwin maybe the worse of them all!

Actually this is beside the point because I have come here not to bury Justin Chatwin but to praise him. And I say this without a hint of sarcasm. He was great in this episode as the superhero, Ghost, and his alter-ego, Grant. Sure he was campy at times but no more so than Christopher Reeves's Superman, he was raspy at times but no more so than Christian Bale's Batman, he was awkward at times but no more so than Tobey Maguire's Spiderman. He had the right mix of awkward charm and deliberate arrogance that makes a hero multidimensional. And Grant's devotion towards Lucy could have come off as tiresome and his "nice guy act" irritating if it weren't so naturally and innocently portrayed by Chatwin. He was just simply adorably "mild-mannered". In fact, I didn't even realize that he was Chatwin until I went on IMDb to find the person playing Grant. And needless to say, I was shocked. I was so shocked that this review for the Doctor Who Christmas Special had turned into a glowing review for Chatwin. I was so shocked that I could begin to see some of Goku's traits in Chatwin's Grant: the boyish innocence, the devotion to his kids, the playful relationship with his elders, and the cocky confidence once he turned Super Saiyan. I was so shocked that I could see and want to see Chatwin play an adult Goku. And there is no greater shock nor praise than that.

Okay but back to Doctor Who. Keep an open mind about this episode. It may seem like a pastiche of superhero cliches with a Futurama villain and it may well have been just that but it was enjoyable and fun nevertheless. Maybe it's due to no expectation or something since I don't know what to expect anymore when you can go from great episodes like Doctor springing a trap in "Heaven Sent" to the weak execution of Clara in the convoluted and disappointing "Hell Bent". That finale had so much potential. First, she should have died long ago in that Christmas episode; it would have been a great and emotional departure for her if we found her woke up as an old lady estranged from the Doctor weeping with some tears of joy and some of saudade as she completes her last adventure with him. Second, what is the point of her dying and not dying? And I am saying this as the rare fan who doesn't hate Clara. I didn't totally hate the last finale either but just wish it could have fulfilled some of its hype and promise. But I digress.

Anyways, back to this Christmas Special again.  Go watch it.  It is good (well, except for the part about the "24 years". It's not like the Tardis is a time machine or anything). This special is more enjoyable than some of the blockbuster superhero movies that came out this year. The new season won't start until April. Hope you don't get trapped on Darillium till then; unless, of course, you are seeing the famous singing towers with your significant other who is about to die.

Be Happy!

Wednesday 4 January 2017

Movie Recommendation: The Uchoten Hotel

Title: Uchoten Hotel [THE 有頂天ホテル] or Suite Dreams
Year: 2006
Director: Koki Mitani


Happy New Year! If you have sobered up but not quite ready to let go of the festive spirit, this movie may be the one for you. Set on a hectic New Year's Eve in a prestigious hotel in Japan, The Uchoten Hotel is said to reference and resemble the old 1932 classic, Grand Hotel.  Since I haven't had a chance to watch that film, I would liken this movie, with its weirdness and awkwardness and intricate ensemble plot, to films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, but less visually stunning, or a Love Actually, but with a better theme song and without all the cheesy romantic happily ever afters.

This may be the best film of the famous Japanese director, Koki Mitani, who, similar to Wes Anderson in many ways, is known for his unique style of quirky comedy and his stables of frequent and super famous collaborators. His films always have casts that rival NHK's Taiga dramas. 

And on this New Year's Eve, everyone is in this hotel: a prominent politician embroiled in a corruption and sex scandal and the media that's hounding him, a hotel maid pretending to be someone's mistress to relive her past glory days as the mistress of the aforementioned politician, a suicidal and eccentric folk-song megastar who is past his time, a hotel bellboy who is quitting his job and giving up his unfulfilled dream of being a megastar, an escort who slips in and out of the hotel seeking her next target, a guest of the honour who thinks he is being blackmailed by the aforementioned escort, and a most capable hotel manager who, besides dealing with all these characters and their shenanigans, has to impress both his boss to get a promotion and his estranged ex-wife who happens to be a guest in the hotel. Not crazy enough! How about a mystery subplot involving the hotel sleuth and a runaway duck. The whole thing is just wacky, cringing, and fun. But within this convoluted wackiness, you get to glimpse slices of life in the Japanese society: the unreasonable attentiveness of the service industry, the prevalence of suicide, the celebrity and media culture, the social norm and consequences of mistress-keeping and separation payment or escort and blackmails, and the length some people will go just to save face.  This movie explores every nook and cranny of the hotel and in the process shed a comedic light into some really dark corners of the modern Japanese culture.

Watch it and have a Happy New Year!