Ahsoka Season 1

Ahsoka, Season 1 (Dave Filoni, 2023)

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Rating: DSQ=11, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=4, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Star Wars Universe, Epic

Wow. I had high expectations for Ahsoka, mostly because I am such a fan of Rebels and Clone Wars. I knew going in that this was probably going to be Rebels season 5, and that was perfectly OK with me. I was right and not disappointed in the least.

Ahsoka starts slow, but that pace works well for me. I like the reminder that Ahsoka is much older than when we last saw her (chronologically speaking) and much wiser. She is meditative and deliberative. While the show is named for her, Ahsoka is only one of many main characters in the show. In some ways, this a show about reunion: reunion of family, friends, master and Padawan. It's a reunion of ideals and shared purpose. And what a delightful reunion it is. Since I don't want to spoil anything, I'll just say that certain characters and moments of the show had me grinning from ear to ear. This is the show for Star Wars nerds, for sure.

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Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Biopic, World War II, Physics, Philosophical

Breathtaking, absorbing, poignant, philosophical, full of conflict. Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan's masterpiece and this story is one of the most well-crafted and important to be told in quite a while. It doesn't hurt that Cillian Murphy portrays the conflicted, complicated, and brilliant physicist astonishingly well (plus he's my favorite actor) and is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast. 

This story wrestles with disturbing US political history, with the tragic and haunting consequences of knowledge and invention, war and death -- serious and real topics. Nolan manages to make a film that is active and fierce while still being somber and dialogue-driven. He shows us Oppenheimer in "reality" as others see him and as he interacts with people, scientists, politicians. But we also see into his troubled and stirring mind, his reality. Nothing shows this more clearly than the climactic scene of Trinity when we see a lifetime of research and work and possibility explode in a fiery cloud of death in the dark desert. We watch as Oppenheimer watches, just his breathing and complete awe. It is beautiful filmmaking.

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The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson, 2021)

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Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Newspaper, Writing, 1960s, Art, Politics, Crime

I had somehow missed Wes Anderson's 2021 film, who knows why, but I finally watched it after seeing the newest piece Asteroid City. The French Dispatch is a collection of vignettes (another film that has stories within stories) but all of them are quirky and funny and overly-dramatic. There are some fantastic performances from Timothee Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, and Lea Seydoux (and many others). While I liked the film and truly enjoyed the concepts and aesthetic, as always, this one wasn't as captivating for me as some of the others. I'm not sure why, perhaps because it was three independent stories... nevertheless, it is beautiful filmmaking and worth watching!

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (James Mangold, 2023)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Indiana Jones, Adventure, 1960s, Archaeology, History, Time Travel

The last Indiana Jones film? Well, if it is this is a lovely way to finish the saga. I went in expecting nothing special and was pleasantly surprised by the action, concepts, and the nostalgia. I wasn't thrilled with the main female character--Phoebe Waller-Bridge performed well, I just didn't like the character. I was also hoping for more Marion and Sallah but what we got was very appreciated. There are some interesting ideas in this story and the setting works. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant (he's so good at being evil) and I was fully immersed in the action and adventure. A great escape.

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