Movie Review- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

PLOT- Set in New York City during the 1920's, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is the story of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a young British wizard and former Hogwarts Student, who has a passion towards the conservation of magical creatures. Newt has traveled to America to bring a thunderbird, that he had rescued from animal traffickers in Egypt, back to its native habitat of Arizona. Newt has not traveled alone, in his magical briefcase, he has brought all of the animals under his care, and when he lands in New York, several manage to escape. The magical community in America, is very different from the UK; American wizards keep themselves hidden from the "no-mag" ( American term for Muggles) and there are strict rules prohibiting the magical and no-mag from interacting. The import of magical creatures is strictly forbidden. Newt quickly makes a few friends, both magical and no-mag, but will their help be enough to recapture all of his animals before he is caught? Beyond the American magic community, they will also have to contend with the "Second Salemers", an anti-magic protest group with violent tendencies, and the escape of a dark wizard named Grindelwald. Danger is lurking around every corner.

LIKE- First, I must confess that I did not read the book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I also didn't read many reviews, other than getting a general idea that this film had been well-received. I did read that this was JK Rowling's first time as a screen writer, which excited me. 

Maybe it's due to my enormous love of animals, but I was utterly delighted by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The creatures make the movie. They are creatively designed and have so much personality. My favorite was the Niffler, a devious, thieving critter that looks to be a cross between a duck-billed platypus and a hedgehog. The creatures are so good, that I forgot that they were all computer generated. Creating this world must have been so much fun. 

The story has many different tones that blend surprisingly well. It has comedic moments, and a sweetness, especially with regard to the love story between Newt's new friends, Jacob (Dan Fogler), a no-mag who dreams of opening a bakery, and Queenie (Alison Sudol), a glamorous wizard who can mind-read. It's has fantasy moments with a glimpse into the American wizard community and all of Newt's creatures. But it also has a very dark, sinister side, especially with regard to child abuse and the second-salem plot. JK Rowling does dark and disturbing very well. These moments in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, reminded me of one of her adult novels, The Casual Vacancy. It's upsetting and affecting. When we left the film, Dan and I discussed the appropriate age for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, both agreeing that we would not have felt comfortable taking the kids, who are currently seven and nine. We both felt that early teens and up, would be appropriate, due to the intense themes and violence. It is rated PG-13. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. I throughly enjoyed the film from start to finish. 

RECOMMEND- Yes! See it on the big screen, but there is zero need to see it in 3-D. We rarely splurge for 3-D, yet the showing that fit our schedule happened to be in 3-D, so we went for it. It's just not necessary at all to enjoy Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 3-D did not enhance my experience, if anything, it was mildly detracting. Also, know that although the film does make references to the Harry Potter series, it's not necessary to have seen it to understand, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Book Review- Noah Hawley's Before the Fall

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, for providing me with an advanced copy of Noah Hawley's novel, Before the Fall, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- A private plane en route from Martha's Vineyard to NYC, mysteriously crashes into the Atlantic. There are two survivors that managed to survive a night in the frigid ocean to swim ashore: a middle-aged painter and a four-year old boy, the son of a powerful business man who died in the crash. As details of the passenger manifest emerge, more questions than answers arise, putting both the dead and living under high-profile public scrutiny. 

LIKE- Hawley is a terrific writer. I adored his novel, The Punch, and he's the showrunner for one of the best series on television, FX's Fargo. Hawley can write the hell out of a story and Before the Fall is no exception. It's fantastic.

Structure and character development are strong. Hawley deftly moves the story back and forth through time, to give a context for each character who was involved in the plane crash. The character flashbacks don't always have a direct relation to the plot of the plane crash investigation, but they do serve to give us context for the characters actions...simply stated, "The Characters, Character." This is a large cast, but every character is vibrant and fully developed.

 I was so absorbed in the character development, that it wouldn't have even mattered if the mystery of the plane crash was never resolved. In case you're worried, the crash does have a resolution, but that mystery is secondary to the story of the character's lives. Before the Fall plays with themes of our snap judgement/ social media culture and the way that the media can  rip open a tragedy, reducing those involved to edited or ficticious versions of themselves, soundbites...this theme mixed with the detailed observations of the characters lives, makes a powerful statement. You might even feel a little guilty or shamed after reading. I did. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. 

RECOMMEND- Hawley is such a talent. Before the Fall is a must-read book of 2016. Everyone will be talking about it, and it has already been optioned for a film, with Hawley as the screenwriter. Can't wait.

Book Review- Molly Prentiss' Tuesday Nights in 1980

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Molly Prentiss' novel, Tuesday Nights in 1980, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- In her debut novel, Tuesday Nights in 1980, Molly Prentiss takes us to the vibrant art scene in New York city. Raul Engales is a young, talented painter and recent expat from Argentina, leaving behind a sister and nephew in an increasingly dangerous country. Raul meets Lucy Ollaison, a small town girl with a passion for art, who has moved to New York on a whim. James Bennett does not possess a physical talent for art, but his unique eye and perspectives have turned him into a respected art critic. In the span of one year, these characters will have their lives intersect in an unlikely way, altering their futures.

LIKE- Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a utterly surprising read. I don't want to risk spoilers, but know that it was impossible to predict the plot turns and overall story arc. Prentiss has created memorable characters that feel so much like real people. I kept forgetting that I was reading fiction, rather than a non-fiction account of the 80's art scene. To be fair, Prentiss does sprinkle the story with real people from the era. If you're knowledgable about art from that era, you'll get a kick out of the references. 

Besides creating a compelling story and rich characters, Prentiss is a stunning writer. She's the type of writer, where I really had to slow myself down to appreciate her gorgeous prose. New York City is a character, and she has a way of writing about the city that encompasses all that is wondrous, gritty, and beautiful. Besides the city, she has the art world providing great material for lush, and occasionally unusual descriptive prose. Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a visual feast. My imagination was working overtime to process it all. It's overwhelming in the best way possible.

DISLIKE- Nothing. 

RECOMMEND- Yes!!! Tuesday Nights in 1980 will be a book that everyone is talking about in 2016. Prentiss is a fantastic writer and I'm looking forward to her future works.