Though immersed in fantasy, “The Faculty for Good and Evil” will get misplaced in a nether realm someplace between Disney Channel fare like “Descendants” and extra epic theatricals like Harry Potter. The newest try and rewrite fairy tales thus squanders loads of big-name property, a well-liked guide sequence and Netflix’s loot on what performs like a remedial course in franchise constructing.
On paper director/co-writer Paul Feig (greatest identified for comedies earlier than his feminine “Ghostbusters” reboot) appears to be like like a considerably unorthodox option to adapt Soman Chainani’s young-adult novels, and what’s on display screen doesn’t dispel that impression.
Whereas the inherent attraction hinges on approaching fairy-tale conventions with a extra fashionable (and fairly properly telegraphed) sensibility, the lengthy slog to getting there on this near-2–and-1/2-hour film doesn’t flip over many new pages.
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Finest associates Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso), a dreamer, and her extra sensible and protecting pal Agatha (Sofia Wylie of Disney’s “Andi Mack” and “Excessive Faculty Musical: The Musical: The Collection”) get whisked away from their humble village to the enchanted college of the title, after a prologue (narrated by the seemingly all over the place Cate Blanchett) about two brothers who embodied the continuing battle – and quest for steadiness – between good and evil.
The magical academy trains aspiring princes and princesses (some with fairy-tale lineage) within the artwork of excellent, below the stewardship of Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington), which is having fun with a protracted win streak towards the evil youngsters, studying villainy from Professor Lesso Charlize Theron). Each function below the oversight of the headmaster (Laurence Fishburne), in a spot billed as “the place the true story behind each fairy story begins.”
Not solely do Sophie and Agatha wind up in opposing faculties, however they’re each satisfied they’ve been located within the mistaken place (one is tempted to quote “sorting-hat error,” however that’s a distinct franchise); furthermore, every is repeatedly advised that they possess a bigger future, the final word fantasy in these tales, nevertheless trite it would sound, and share an curiosity in one of many good-school princes (Jamie Flatters), who occurs to be son of King Arthur.
There’s loads of motion alongside the best way, in addition to extra wasted cameos, like Patti LuPone and Michelle Yeoh. The design is appropriately fairy-tale look, from the anthropomorphic wolf guards to the sweeping castles, which, once more, seemingly falls between big-budget film and cable-network authentic.
Principally, there’s a drained, by-the-numbers high quality to a lot of what transpires, even when the underlying classes search to develop on the acquainted notions of heroism and love. Neither is the movie as intelligent because it could possibly be in enjoying off its well-known topics, regardless of just a few nods in that course, like a quick snippet of the “Sleeping Magnificence” theme.
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Netflix is maybe to be forgiven for wanting a chunk of Disney and Warner Bros.’ motion on this fertile style, with desires of sequels dancing in its head. But for those who’re going to reach this late to the occasion, at the least carry one thing considerably new to it.
Granted, that’s not a simple project at this stage of the sport, however “The Faculty for Good and Evil” doesn’t move the take a look at.
“The Faculty for Good and Evil” premieres October 19 on Netflix.
“Very few friends travel through a lifetime with you”
Fourth film by Kathy Meng, following “Elite Match”, “Willow and Wu” is a film shot in NYC, which has won the award for Best Screenplay at 27th Brooklyn Film Festival.
The film begins with a rather intense scene, where Waley seems to be breaking up with a girl through a video call. The girl’s cries following the call cements the fact, while the next scene has her, Willow, in an obviously depressed state receiving a call from Mrs Wu, her boss, insisting that she comes to her house right away. It turns out that although she is her assistant, Willow has to help her husband this time. Mr Wu wants to be filmed on a script his wife wrote and wants Willow to handle the recording. With her not having prior experience and being quite anxious, things do not go exactly smoothly.
Moreover, the video seems to focus on the passing of his friend Bao and soon asks her to read the script, before he decides to shoot the whole thing outside, even asking her to put some make up on him. It turns out that he is also anxious, which is why he appears so demanding. Eventually, loss brings the two closer.
If you like Willow and Wu, check also this review
Kathy Meng follows the film-about-film meta trope in her short, in order to present her comments. Loss, and how difficult it can be for people to express it is the main one, but there is more. That people who appear being difficult or even unlikeable can actually have reasons for being that way is also commented upon, as much as how opening up can help overcome psychological issues. That both protagonists benefit from this last aspect adds to the particular remark. Lastly, one could say that Meng also comments on how acting works, and how directors can cooperate with the actors in order for the latter to perform they way they expect them to.
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Although there is a dramatic base here, Meng instead opts for a more happy-go-lucky approach, which works quite well in general, particularly during the finale in the park, which is surprisingly cheerful. Aolan Guo’s smile as Willow, who gives an overall excellent performance, will definitely stay on the mind of any viewer, as will Yves Yan’s actual performance in the end, as Wu. Overall the acting is on a high level here with the two protagonists’ chemistry also being of the highest level.
Sancheev Ravichandran captures both the interiors and the exteriors shots with realism, without any particular exaltation, with the close-ups working well. Remy LaFlamme’s editing results in a fast pace that allows the full story to be leisurely told in just 13 minutes.
“Willow and Wu” is a very appealing short that manages to tell a full story in rather economical and entertaining fashion. I think Meng is ready to transition to features, as I think she would be quite good in a family drama.
David Adjmi’s “Stereophonic” scored five Tony Awards including best play, and “The Outsiders” took home four trophies including an upset win for best musical as Broadway honored its finest on Sunday night.
Jonathan Groff won lead actor in a musical and co-star Daniel Radcliffe won featured actor for “Merrily We Roll Along,” which took home four awards total including best revival of a musical. Heading into the ceremony, the Alicia Keys musical “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Stereophonic” led with 13 nominations each, and a starry list of contenders included Eddie Redmayne for “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” Jessica Lange and Jim Parsons for “Mother Play,” Rachel McAdams for “Mary Jane,” Leslie Odom Jr. for “Purlie Victorious,” and Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll for “Appropriate.” The ceremony can now be streamed on demand; here’s how.
The complete winners list:
The company of “The Outsiders” performs during the 77th Tony Awards on Sunday.
(Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
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Best musical “Hell’s Kitchen” “Illinoise” WINNER — “The Outsiders” “Suffs” “Water for Elephants”
Best play “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” “Mary Jane” “Mother Play” “Prayer for the French Republic” WINNER — “Stereophonic”
Best revival of a musical “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” “Gutenberg! The Musical!” WINNER — “Merrily We Roll Along” “The Who’s Tommy”
Best revival of a play “An Enemy of the People” WINNER — “Appropriate” “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
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In the most moving speech of the night, Maleah Joi Moon accepts the Tony for lead actress in a musical for “Hell’s Kitchen.”
(Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
Lead actress in a musical Eden Espinosa, “Lempicka” WINNER — Maleah Joi Moon, “Hell’s Kitchen” Kelli O’Hara, “Days of Wine and Roses” Maryann Plunkett, “The Notebook” Gayle Rankin, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
An emotional Jonathan Groff accepts the award for lead actor in a musical for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
(Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
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Lead actor in a musical Brody Grant, “The Outsiders” WINNER — Jonathan Groff, “Merrily We Roll Along” Dorian Harewood, “The Notebook” Brian D’Arcy James, “Days of Wine and Roses” Eddie Redmayne, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Lead actress in a play Betsy Aidem, “Prayer for the French Republic” Jessica Lange, “Mother Play” Rachel McAdams, “Mary Jane” WINNER — Sarah Paulson, “Appropriate” Amy Ryan, “Doubt: A Parable”
Lead actor in a play William Jackson Harper, “Uncle Vanya” Leslie Odom Jr., “Purlie Victorious” Liev Schreiber, “Doubt: A Parable” WINNER — Jeremy Strong, “An Enemy of the People” Michael Stuhlbarg, “Patriots”
Features actress in a play Quincy Tyler Bernstine, “Doubt: A Parable” Juliana Canfield, “Stereophonic” Celia Keenan-Bolger, “Mother Play” Sarah Pidgeon, “Stereophonic” WINNER — Kara Young, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”
Featured actor in a play WINNER — Will Brill, “Stereophonic” Eli Gelb, “Stereophonic” Jim Parsons, “Mother Play” Tom Pecinka, “Stereophonic” Corey Stoll, “Appropriate”
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Theater veteran Kecia Lewis, winner for featured actress in a musical for “Hell’s Kitchen.”
(Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
Featured actress in a musical Shoshana Bean, “Hell’s Kitchen” Amber Iman, “Lempicka” Nikki M. James, “Suffs” Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, “Monty Python’s Spamalot” WINNER — Kecia Lewis, “Hell’s Kitchen” Lindsay Mendez, “Merrily We Roll Along” Bebe Neuwirth, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Daniel Radcliffe accepts the Tony Award for best actor in a featured role in a musical for “Merrily We Roll Along.”
(Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)
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Featured actor in a musical Roger Bart, “Back to the Future: The Musical” Joshua Boone, “The Outsiders” Brandon Victor Dixon, “Hell’s Kitchen” Sky Lakota-Lynch, “The Outsiders” WINNER — Daniel Radcliffe, “Merrily We Roll Along” Steven Skybell, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Direction of a play WINNER — Daniel Aukin, “Stereophonic” Anne Kauffman, “Mary Jane” Kenny Leon, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” Lila Neugebauer, “Appropriate” Whitney White, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding”
Direction of a musical Maria Friedman, “Merrily We Roll Along” Michael Greif, “Hell’s Kitchen” Leigh Silverman, “Suffs” Jessica Stone, “Water for Elephants” WINNER — Danya Taymor, “The Outsiders”
Book of a musical Kristoffer Diaz, “Hell’s Kitchen” Bekah Brunstetter, “The Notebook” Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, “The Outsiders” WINNER — Shaina Taub, “Suffs” Rick Elice, “Water for Elephants”
Orchestrations Timo Andres, “Illinoise” Will Butler and Justin Craig, “Stereophonic” Justin Levine, Matt Hinkley and Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), “The Outsiders” Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone, “Hell’s Kitchen” WINNER — Jonathan Tunick, “Merrily We Roll Along”
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Choreography Annie-B Parson, “Here Lies Love” Camille A. Brown, “Hell’s Kitchen” Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, “The Outsiders” WINNER — Justin Peck, “Illinoise” Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, “Water for Elephants”
Scenic design of a play dots, “Appropriate” dots, “An Enemy of the People” Derek McLane, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” David Zinn, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” WINNER — David Zinn, “Stereophonic”
Scenic design of a musical AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, “The Outsiders” Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, “Hell’s Kitchen” Takeshi Kata, “Water for Elephants” David Korins, “Here Lies Love” Riccardo Hernández and Peter Nigrini, “Lempicka” Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, “Back to the Future: The Musical” WINNER — Tom Scutt, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club”
Costume design of a play Dede Ayite, “Appropriate” WINNER — Dede Ayite, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” Enver Chakartash, “Stereophonic” Emilio Sosa, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” David Zinn, “An Enemy of the People”
Costume design of a musical Dede Ayite, “Hell’s Kitchen” WINNER — Linda Cho, “The Great Gatsby” David Israel Reynoso, “Water for Elephants” Tom Scutt, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” Paul Tazewell, “Suffs”
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Lighting design of a play Isabella Byrd, “An Enemy of the People” Amith Chandrashaker, “Prayer for the French Republic” Jiyoun Chang, “Stereophonic” WINNER — Jane Cox, “Appropriate” Natasha Katz, “Grey House”
Lighting design of a musical Brandon Stirling Baker, “Illinoise” Isabella Byrd, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” Natasha Katz, “Hell’s Kitchen” Bradley King and David Bengali, “Water for Elephants” WINNER — Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim, “The Outsiders”
Sound design of a play Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella, “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” Leah Gelpe, “Mary Jane” Tom Gibbons, “Grey House” Bray Poor and Will Pickens, “Appropriate” WINNER — Ryan Rumery, “Stereophonic”
Sound design of a musical M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, “Here Lies Love” Kai Harada, “Merrily We Roll Along” Nick Lidster for Autograph, “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” Gareth Owen, “Hell’s Kitchen” WINNER — Cody Spencer, “The Outsiders”
Original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theater
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“Days of Wine and Roses” Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel
“Here Lies Love” Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim Lyrics: David Byrne
“The Outsiders” Music & Lyrics: Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Justin Levine
Text to speech audio articles made possible by the Quest Grant at Yavapai College. Tuition free industry recognized certificates for your career.
Hit Man is a fairly standard script. It doesn’t waste your time. It gets straight to the point. And it is a hell of a lot of fun.
Release Date: 05/24/2024
Runtime: 115 minutes
Director: Richard Linklater
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
iMBD: 7.1/10
Where to Watch: Netflix
Mild-mannered professor of psychology and philosophy Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) lives at home with his plants, his birdfeeders, and his two cats Id and Ego
This sets up his character right away and tells the audience everything they need to know. He works part-time doing tech support for the local police, assisting on undercover ops to bust criminals trying to hire hitmen. But one day, the assigned agent is put on suspension at the last minute and Gary is chosen to take his place. Nervous, intellectual, science-obsessed Gary… their best option.
Whether he succeeds or fails will depend on if his anxiety gets the better of him. Walking into a diner to confront the criminal, everyone is on edge. But by the end, it’s clear that Gary is a natural.
The police department starts assigning him more jobs. As he gets into the act of convincing the targets that he is a lifelong criminal, he starts to take a liking to it—his psychology background and solo lifestyle affording him the flexibility to become anyone he needs to be to get them to let their guard down and make incriminating statements.
Then, one day, he meets a woman (Adria Arjona) attempting to escape from a dangerous husband
The lines between his real self and his undercover persona blur as he develops genuine feelings for her while also playing into her desires. This leads to a web of lies, confused identities, and criminal actions that stand apart from the usual tropes of the romantic comedy genre.
As expected, the truth does eventually come out, and in this one it does comes out in perhaps the most hilarious way possible. Discussing the specifics would spoil the story, but needless to say, the pressure builds over the course of the movie until an eventual release that circumvents the standards of the trope in a way that is absolutely delightful.
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Despite its dark themes, this movie approaches its subject matter in a light-hearted way that will leave the most morally-upright audience member smiling by the end
Ultimately, it’s a story about identity, the flexible nature of reality, and who we are when personality can be constructed. “Seize the identity you want for yourself” is the quote the movie ends on, and it couldn’t have found a better, more absurd narrative to build that statement on.
About our Admit One Author
Isaac Frankel is a freelance writer and content creator specializing in reviews and analysis of cinema, interactive media, and mythological storytelling. He was raised in Prescott, AZ, wrote his first non-fiction book in 2013 after graduating from Tribeca Flashpoint College with a degree in Game & Interactive Media Design, and currently produces content for the YouTube channel: Off Screen.
More of his work and current projects can be found at www.isaacafrankel.com.
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