The King and I 4.0****

I spent a couple of hours at the magnificent Durham Performing Arts Center Sunday night relishing  the terrific touring production of “The King and I’

Set in Bangkok in the 1860s, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a proper British schoolteacher, whom the proud impertinent King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, The King and I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as “Getting to Know You,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance,” “I Have Dreamed,” and “Something Wonderful .

Assembling an uncommonly strong cast for a touring production, Director Sher has kept his 2015 stage vision intact, right down to one of its kings, Jose Llana, who portrayed the title role for two stretches during the recent Broadway revival run. Llana's ties to the show run deep (and his love for this material shows).   .

In one of the greatest scores in Broadway history,  music so pure it doesn't need much more than a light operatic touch. It's refreshing just to sit back and enjoy a musical in which the performers aren't jockeying for notes as if they were contestants on American Idol.

Sorry to say that the production closed out at DPAC on Sunday night. But if you are elsewhere and have the chance, then go and glow in the mastery of a true Broadway classic.

Clark

IT COMEs AT NIGHT 1.0*** ( the red is also a symbol for stop.. don’t go)

   

   “IT COMES AT NIGHT”  Well “It” did not come during the night or during the day. In fact, “It” never showed up in this movie at all.. Maybe “It” was hiding out in the restroom ??    It was billed as a horror film and ended up being closer to a pseudo survival/physiological “thriller”, except there were absolutely no thrills. There were more thrills out in the movie parking lot than in this movie.. The story is about 2 families facing an unknown plague that threatens their physical, emotional and mental well-beings  with plenty of dread and paranoia caked on. The movie tries to employ all the ins and outs of a pseudo horror film  but leaves out the what’s, whys and how’s which is beyond frustrating and even  cops out in its final act. A major disappointment and grim bummer of a suspense thriller to say the least.

Even if you are a horror fan, do not waste your money on this one .( See instead the recent “GET OUT” ). This is one of the most misleading and boring films I have seen lately.  The only thing I really liked about the film was the score/sound design, which was layered with some  interesting sounds but  you never actually see or find out what comes at night, if there even is anything. Every time you think you’re going to get a glimpse of antagonist or bogeyman, the camera zooms in on the 17 yr. old son’s stupid face. This movie should have gone straight to Netflix. Film makers and producers have absolutely every right to waste there money making horrible films, just don't mislead consumers in an effort to recoup your losses.

Rated “R” for disturbing images, some violence and language ( most of that comes from the audience)

Clark

WONDER WOMAN   4.0***

Wonder Woman  met and exceeded my expectations .This is an awesome movie. Gal Gadot ( an Israeli actress) shines on screen as the Amazon Princess with an excellent supporting cast. The chemistry between her and co- lead Chris Pine is sparkling. You can very easily enjoy this film without having seen any of the previous DC films… it is truly a “stand alone” movie. Creators of the film benefit greatly by staying true to the source material that has fascinated readers/audiences since Diana Prince's debut as Wonder Woman in comics over 70 years ago.  Wonder Woman is done justice by an excellent script and the remarkable direction of  Director Patty Jenkins… yes a female Director of a sizzling action film.

The story focuses on Diana, Wonder Woman, a special creation of Zeus. She is not aware of her origins , but knows she must somehow help the human race survive and get better. There's, of course, a villain, the God Ares, that is as powerful as she is.  It's an interesting inclusion in this type of movie, but then again, we're given  a fascinating first act that takes us back to some exciting mythological background, with a film that treats the Amazon Women, and women in general as full human beings, valuing both their physical traits, their spiritual core, and their intelligence. Diana might be naive about a lot of what goes in the world outside her area, but she's strong, adaptable, and willing to learn without sacrificing her faith in what she believes in.

Wonder Woman surprised me on  many levels. Her character has  gone from a sidekick in Batman VS Superman to an awesome main lead in DC's first live action origin story of the superwoman hero. The adventure begins when Diana  rescues a young British spy, Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) from drowning when he crash-lands in the ocean off the shores of Diana's home Themyscira ( a remote cloud covered island home of the Amazon Women). When Diana hears  of the war ( WW I ) that is raging outside of the invisible Island, Diana travels with Steve into his world to put an end to it, with the belief that the man behind the destruction is Ares, the Greek God of War.

What I really liked about Wonder Woman, is how the director showed how child-like Diana reacts to the new world (London- World War 1 era). Speaking of her personality, Diana is very charming and beautiful ( Gal Gadot  is more so than Lynda Carter in my opinion) and has an noble character because she fights for the safety of innocents…. something gifted to her from her upbringing by her Amazon queen mother. I also liked how Wonder Woman comes to the realization that people can be evil on their own and that there is no one overpowering evil person or god.    

Gal Gadot is  gorgeous in the role and has an amazing screen presence, captivating us with her ability to look like a bigger than life figure while retaining enough warmth and heart to make her very human.  We get strong characterization that is rarely been seen in comic action films, and the writer and director keeps things moving so well that it's hard to believe it runs for  141 minutes. Make no mistake, there are a lot of well-done action sequences to go along with the other fine qualities of the movie..

RATED PG-13 for some violence and tense action. ( Both a kids and adult movie).

Clark