Winter Break in quarantine wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. With eighteen college applications to complete (more my fault than the circumstances), I spent most of my time on my computer writing and proofreading. It felt a lot like school. But, the one thing that reminded me that I was able to take a break was consuming media. The power of art should not be taken for granted; it takes you out of your tedious tasks and reminds you that you are alive. You have the power to create and connect to thousands of stories and creators, especially when it feels like the world is closing in on you. Here are some of the things that I enjoyed watching the most during the break.
One of my favorites to watch was Soul. The film was fantastic, but from upstairs in my house I could hear the sounds of my sister watching the events of a coup attempt unfold in front of her. I got through the film, turned on MSNBC, and shared in her utter disbelief. But, that's a story for another time. Soul is a film unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The film follows Joe, a middle school band teacher who has always wanted to be a jazz musician. Once he gets the chance, it seemingly gets taken away from him. It is heart wrenching and beautiful, telling us that a goal shouldn’t define our entire life, and neither should our biggest passions. Every part of life is beautiful, but you just have to learn to appreciate and enjoy it. I feel like Pixar is growing up with me, as I grow up, the films have been becoming more mature and tackling larger and larger themes. Soul, in particular, is about what makes up our personality, and death.
Before we live, it is explained that there is a land of “New Souls”, a place that makes up human personality. Throughout the parts of the film in this landscape, we see larger beings structuring people’s personalities: pushing them into “insecure” or “egotistical” traits, being mentored by Sigmund Freud, seeing a football. Once a personality is fully formed, the new soul receives an “Earth Pass” and is allowed to go to earth. It attempts to explain not only that each person has a unique personality, but how it is formed. The main character (spoiler alert?) literally dies in the first ten minutes and is left to wander around the land of new souls after escaping the Great Beyond.
Unlike Coco, another Pixar film that tackles a similar concept, we do not see death. We don’t see what happens to the souls after they enter the Great Beyond, but all we know is that Joe is trying to escape it. This illustrates two human truths: humans are afraid of the unknown, and humans are afraid of death. Soul presents this and tells us that it is one in the same. I do not think that the film wanted to instill certain ideas or concepts about what happens after we die, because the film suggests that it does not matter. We must enjoy our lives because no matter how many things we accomplish, we are still valued and essential to the world. The film extensively explains existential concepts, but where the film shines it’s most is its music and humor. I think that it was a genius move to begin the film with orchestrations from a school band. The flatness and sharpness of the painfully played notes perfectly illustrate how Joe believes his life to be. He is disappointed in it, but he has yet to see how much his life and his efforts to inspire his students really do matter. The film is breathtaking and tear-inducing, and I would recommend that everyone watch it, especially if they believe their life efforts are futile or worthless. Soul is currently on Disney +.
Did I think I would spend my winter break enjoying a fan-written musical of a beloved Pixar film? If I am being honest: probably. But, it still amazes me that a joke made in August led to a full-fledged (online) musical with Tony winners as performers and professional production. For those unaware, there is currently a very unique musical available online. This is the Ratatouille Tik Tok Musical, with creators on an app coming together with costumes, songs, choreography, and everything else that makes up a proper performance. There is nothing that theater kids cannot do with their creativity, especially when there is nothing there to fulfill it.
I could describe the wonderful history of the show, which was produced in only a few months-- the talent brought together, and the unexpected attention it gained from legitimate companies like Playbill, Today Tix, and Tik Tok itself. But, I’ll try to put away my amazement for this show so that can give it a proper review. First of all, it has no right to be as good as it is. It is honestly one of the best things to come out of quarantine, a coming together of people from all over the internet. Even the people who worked on the show themselves were amazed by it, with many joking that “Gen Z wrote an entire musical while you were in quarantine”. TodayTix decided to produce this musical as a fundraiser for the Actors Fund, which has already raised one million dollars from the show. The actors include up-and-coming Broadway stars, such as Andrew Barth Feldman and Ashley Park. The cast also includes some Broadway and musical legends, including Wayne Brady, Adam Lambert, Andre de Shields, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Testa, and Titus Burgess as the fated rat himself. The performance is truly delightful, with each actor recording from their own homes with DIY costumes and accompanied by an all-female orchestra. It is unlike anything I have ever seen, which is somewhat of a given when you are watching a professional production from a joke on the internet. The music is campy, aware of the ridiculousness, yet each person is very serious about the project of absurdity. A comedic show can’t be good if people don’t play it seriously, which is exactly what the actors have nailed down. It is especially true with Wayne Brady. For his limited screen time, he was one of the only actors who went full out with his rat costume. The songs are easily where the show shines the most, written mostly by amateurs with a love for musical theater. I personally don’t know anyone who wrote the songs, or creatively contributed to the project, but by the end, I had such a feeling of pride. Proof to the world that creativity and theater are not going anywhere, even if it is different. Making theater in the purest form: homemade, ridiculous, and over the top.
While superhero movies aren’t usually my taste, Wonder Woman 1984 is a pretty solid film. It’s no masterpiece, but what blockbuster is? This film follows Diana (Wonder Woman) and a discovery of a dream stone, something that makes whatever wish a person asks for come true. The film also follows Max Lord, the apparent villain, who could be written off as an average corrupted businessman, but ends up being the most sympathetic and interesting character. There is also Barbra, who is the classic nerd (who works at a museum and is ostracized for not walking in heels?) but once she takes off those glasses, wow! She is beautiful now! Even with all of this, the superhero film was actually unique for the sole fact that it made me think. I see superhero films and blockbusters as pure escapism or solely for entertainment, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, this film gave the viewer something to think about once the film screen turned to black. If we could have anything, what would we wish for, and why would we wish for it? It’s seemingly a vague enough question, but with the underlying reality of COVID-19, we have been wanting to make grand wishes for ourselves. Everyone wants more, and everyone wants something they can’t have.
While I was watching one of the many fight scenes, I was truly invested, but more in the villains than the heroes themselves. I also appreciate how flawed each of the characters were, especially Wonder Woman. What always makes me upset about these superhero movies is that I can’t see anyone as full-fledged characters (for the most time, because there are too many of them), I can only see them as action figures. They are at times, reduced to their powers and their outfit. There is also solid directing, cinematography, and acting, but the editing seemed somewhat off. I appreciated the change in pace from the normal superhero movies, which allowed for unique scenes and sections, but it also caused the formulaic film to be a little off on formula. Okay, some of the plot points didn’t make sense, too. Sure, much of it was riddled with cliches or unnecessarily convoluted concepts, but did I feel empowered by the end? Yeah! Subpar superhero films can be directed by women and be about them too! Wonder Woman 1984 is available on HBO Max.