Musings on "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)

This isn't exactly a review, but more of just me putting my thoughts and feelings about the movie down someplace.  Also, I will probably post stuff that could be considered spoilage.  Movie has been out for like a month now, so I figure if you're going to see it, you've had your shot, and if you haven't seen it and still care about spoilers, you can just not read this post until you're done, right?

I went to see Avengers: Infinity War again today.  Second time.  First time, I came out feeling like I'd been run over by a steamroller.  Just wrung out and hung up to dry.  So emotionally exhausted.  My best friend had the opposite reaction:  she came out feeling like she was ready to conquer the world.  This intrigued us.  It always fascinates us when we have opposite reactions to things, or similar reactions for opposite reasons.  So I'm sure we're going to ponder and discuss this for a long time.

Anyway, I spent lots of time thinking about the movie, listening to her reasons why she loves it, reading other people's thoughts, and generally wrapping my head around the story Marvel Studios unleashed on us here.  I have a deep desire to like the MCU movies, mostly because I've got these characters so tangled up in my heartstrings now.  And, for the most part, I do like the movies.  I don't love all of them, but I love a lot of them, and I enjoy just about all of them in some way.  Enough so that I own every single one of their movies so far.

I'm not sure I like this one, though.  I respect it.  I appreciate it.  But boy, howdy, it is a hard one for me to like.  Why?  Because it's filled with sadness.  I realized this afternoon that I need a healthy dose of happy in my MCU.  Which is why my favorites are The Avengers (2012), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Iron Man (2008), Spider-man: Homecoming (2017), Black Panther (2018), Thor (2011), and Ant-Man (2015).  I can watch those ones (especially The Avengers and Thor: Ragnarok) over and over and over.  And many of the others too.  That's why I own them on DVD -- so I can do just that.  Don't get me wrong -- I'm sure I'll buy this one and rewatch it multiple times.  Possibly not until after the next Avengers movie comes out, though. 

It's entirely possible that the next movie will make me reverse my feelings on this one.  Put together, they might form one glorious whole.  But right now?  Nope.  I'm not sitting here eating brownie mix straight out of the bowl because this movie made me happy, I'm doing that because I need to be consoled after it, and brownie mix is a good source of consolation.

Although I don't like this movie, I can appreciate it.  It's incredibly well-made.  The writing is breathtakingly good.  Tight, focused, single-purposed, and inspiring.  The acting is never less than excellent, and sometimes astonishing.  Robert Downey Jr. and Josh Brolin in particular really wowed me this second time through.  Alan Silvestri's score is so good that I'm thinking I'll buy the soundtrack, which is kind of rare for movies I don't actively like/enjoy. 

So right now, you're thinking to yourself, "But Hamlette... you love Hamlet.  That's sad."  True.  But it's a good sad.  And I'm trying to figure out how to define the difference.  Because I can fiercely love and even enjoy desperately sad stories like Hamlet and Logan (2017) and Rogue One (2016).  And I think the difference between them is that, the sad movies I love are sad because someone dies for a reason.  Hamlet and Logan and Cassian and Jyn and other tragic heroes I love -- they die to accomplish something.  And yeah, Heimdall and Loki do that too in this.  I mourn them, but in a good way. 

But everyone else?  Died because a homicidal monster snapped his fingers.  And that makes me angry.  And being angry about an MCU movie makes me sad.  So it's a TOTAL different kind of sadness.  And not at all the enjoyable kind.  And that's why I don't really like Infinity War very much.

"Murder on the Orient Express" (2017)

I missed out on seeing this in the theater, but I've seen it twice on DVD now.  The first time, I liked it okay.  The second time, I found it fascinating.  As generally happens to me, the first time I watch a movie, I'm just there to understand what's going on.  The second time through, I start to dig into things like the subtext and meanings and really notice nuances in the performances.

Although I already knew the basic plot of Murder on the Orient Express because I've read the Agatha Christie novel a couple times, I still spent my first viewing just following the story.  It's been years since I read the book, so I'm not sure how closely it followed that, but I did NOT remember several things, like (spoiler alert) how it involved a kidnapping much like the Lindbergh case (end spoilers) -- I'm going to have to re-read the book to see just how faulty my memory of it is.  One thing I did remember was the ending.  Which I feel they were faithful to here.

Let's all admit, though, that really we're watching this more for the all-star cast and the pretty costumes than the plot, shall we?  Because there have been other movie versions of this same story, most notably the 1974 film that also boasted an all-star cast.  And this is probably Christie's most-famous book, so people generally have a basic idea of what it's about.  In case you don't, here's my fairly non-spoiler-y rundown of the plot:

Famous detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has just finished solving a case in Jerusalem when he's urgently called to consult on another one.  He acquires a spot on the already-filled Orient Express train.  And once the train is underway, there's a murder.  And an avalanche that stops the train.  Because he's a famous detective, he gets asked to solve the murder, and of course one of the other quirky passengers must be the murderer because they're in the middle of nowhere.  It's a fun variation on the old "country house murder" scenario.

Branagh directed and produced the film as well as starring in it.  I happen to be very fond of him as a director because he knows how to tell a good story in a straightforward, non-frilly manner that pleases me.  While this story is necessarily more complicated than, say, Cinderella (2015) or Thor (2011), it's got a lot in common with the many Shakespearean films he's directed.  Certainly this star-studded cast is nothing compared to his Hamlet (1996), a story much more complex than this.  It's his ability to tell a convoluted story in a straight-forward way that makes me like his directing so much, and certainly that added to my enjoyment of Orient Express.  While the story has many tangled twists and turns, I was never confused.  None of the surprises felt jarring or unwarranted.  Everything made magnificent sense in the end, which of course is a tribute to Agatha Christie's original story, and to Michael Green's screenplay, but also to Branagh's clarity as a director, I think.

And Branagh's acting is no less adept.  At first, you want to dismiss his Poirot as a persnickety, obsessive caricature.  But as the film progresses, we see the wistful man behind the absurd mustache.  He holds sacred the memory of a girl he once loved, or perhaps I should say, the girl he still loves, but has lost.  He has little patience for greedy or grasping people, but much sympathy for those who are troubled or hurting.  He dispenses with pleasantries when they are no use, but is punctiliously polite otherwise.  And, over the course of the story, he grows and changes more than we usually see in the lead detective in a possible series.  He begins the story confident there is right and wrong and nothing else, but he ends it admitting that there are, indeed, gray areas in the world where it is difficult to make a perfectly right choice.  (Spoiler alert again)  Like Sherlock Holmes in certain canon cases, he chooses not to pass judgement or turn over culprits for punishment, since he is not a member of the police and feels doing so would be more harmful than just.  (End spoiler.)  By the end of the film, I felt strongly sympathetic toward this Poirot, and I'm very happy to see that there's a sequel planned!

The other stand-out performance here, I felt, was Michelle Pfeiffer as Caroline Hubbard.  I've seen her in a handful of other things, but the only one where I cared much for her at all was LadyHawke (1985), which she was quite compelling in.  She was actually a bit of a revelation here, as I'd never quite understood why everyone was gaga over her, aside from the fact that she's pretty.  But her acting here was superb -- alternately repellent and compelling, and with a fragile hardness underneath everything that, particularly on the second viewing, I found revelatory.

Everyone else was enjoyable.  Johnny Depp was obviously having a great deal of fun being intimidating and gauche.  Judi Dench could have used more screen time (but I love her, so I always want more), but she was a nice blend of frosty and pensive.  It was fun seeing Willem Dafoe again, as I've liked him so much ever since I first saw Clear and Present Danger (1994) as a teen.  He was also having a great deal of fun in his role as a pompous, bigoted Austrian professor.  And it was delightful to see Daisy Ridley in a period piece.  I hope she joins Lily James and Keira Knightley in doing lots and lots of them, because she suited it well.

It's always nice seeing frequent Branagh collaborator Derek Jacobi, though he had a small part with little to do.  Josh Gad was much more subdued than I'm used to seeing him, which was a pleasant change.  Penelope Cruz felt a little one-note, but I've honestly never really been a fan of hers.  The only other cast member I found particularly interesting was Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who was utterly charming in his short bits of screen time.  But everyone was well-suited to their roles, and I enjoyed the entire ensemble.

Is this movie family friendly?  Not entirely, as it does deal with a murder, obviously.  The murder itself is eventually shown in flashback in a not-terribly-gross-or-detailed way.  There's a prostitute in an early scene, though while her profession is mentioned, there's just some innuendo in the scene, nothing shown.  There are guns and cigarettes and alcohol.  There's a tragic backstory (Spoiler Alert!!) that involves a kidnapped and murdered child (End Spoiler Alert).  And there's quite a bit of bad language, though mostly the old-fashioned sort.  Older teens would be fine, but not tweens or younger.

I've Seen "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018)

But I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, so I can't actually talk about it in this post.  Sorry. 

Instead of a review or a reaction or my initial thoughts, here's a picture of me before the movie, being all annoyed with my phone because the camera kept switching to video instead of photo.

My Thor shirt is still all awesome, though, even if my phone was being dumb.

And this is a picture of the cool Avengers IMAX thing they had in the theater.

Seriously, that's all you're getting from me.

I mean it, I'm not spreading spoilage.  Lips are sealed.

Oh fine, here's a picture of my Thor-scented candle.  I swear that's not a spoiler.  There aren't any Thor-scented candles in the movie.  It's just something my brother and his wife gave me for Christmas a couple years ago.

If YOU have seen Avengers: Infinity War and want to discuss it in the comments, I'm all for that.  If you haven't seen it yet, prolly just avoid the comments here until you have.  Or be really smart and stay off the internet until you've seen it.  That would be best.  There are jerks out there who like to spoil stuff.

The Get to Know Me Tag: Writer's Edition

I snurched this from Mary Liz.  She snurched it from Savannah Grace, who created it.  Now you know.

Thank you for letting me borrow/steal this, Mary Liz :-)

(Yes, I'm doing a lot of tags here right now.  That is because my attention span has devolved into absolute trash, and any time I have to sit at the computer and manage to concentrate is devoted to revising Dancing and Doughnuts because revising a book while not concentrating on it is a terrible idea.  But it leaves little brain power for writing nifty movie reviews and such.  I blame the weirdo weather.  If Virginia can just pick a season, I will be able to settle down, I'm sure of it.)

The Rules

• link back to the person who created the tag 
• thank the person who tagged you 
• share the tag graphic 
• tag eleven bloggers 

Well, 3 outta 4 ain't bad, eh?


❈❈ VITAL STATS and APPEARANCE ❈❈

Name(s):  Real name:  Rachel Kovaciny.  Blogging name:  Hamlette.  Because.

Nicknames:  Hamlette.  Cutie.  Ray.  Mommy.   Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy.  WQ.

Birthday:  The same as William Shakespeare's.  Probably.  (We're sure about mine, but not his, if you're wondering.)

Hair color & length: Naturally brown, currently brown for the top 10 inches and then sorta red for the rest.  Long enough to sit on, so about 4 feet by now.

Braces/piercings/tattoos:  Had braces when I was a kid.  One hole in each ear.  No actual tattoos, but I like doing temporary ones sometimes.

(Litographs "tattoo" I had for going to see Hamlet this winter.)

Righty or lefty:  Righty mostly, but I can type with only my right or only my left hand, and I do some things better with my left.  I'm not actually ambidextrous, but my grandma was.

Ethnicity:  Half German, Half Dutch, and a little touched with snapping turtle.  (Fist bump if you get that allusion.)


❈❈ FIRSTS ❈❈

First novel written:  To Stand There and Die  (I was in my early 20s; it took me 3 years to finish.)

First novel completed:  To Stand There and Die  (No one must ever read it.  Total nonsense.)

Award for writing:  I won the Five Magic Spindles contest in 2016.

First publication:  I had a poem published in Highlights magazine when I was about 7.

Conference:  Never been to one, actually.  Not sure I'd like them.  Too many people.  I've been on some writing retreats, though.

Query/pitch:  (For Dancing and Doughnuts) In 1860s Kansas, a drifting ex-cavalryman tries to figure out who's been spiking the apple cider at a dance hall owned by a family with twelve daughters.


❈❈ FAVORITES ❈❈

Novel (that you wrote):  Dancing and Doughnuts -- which is not finished yet, but I adore it.

Genre:  Western and Mystery

Author:  Raymond Chandler

Writing music:  Bobby Darin and movie soundtracks

(This is Bobby Darin, in case you didn't know/guess.)

Time to write:  Morning, before my head gets gunked up by the day's needs

Writing snack/drink:  Something warm, like coffee or hot chocolate or tea

Movie:  The Man from Snowy River (1982)

Writing memory:  That time I went on a writing retreat in college and hid in the closet to write out a scene about someone hiding in a closet.

Childhood book:  The Black Stallion by Walter Farley


❈❈ CURRENTLY ❈❈

Reading: The Choir Immortal by Katie Schuermann and A Pioneer Woman's Memoir: Based on the Journal of Arabella Clemens Fulton

Writing:  The revision of Dancing and Doughnuts

Listening to:  The soundtracks for The Greatest Showman and The Commancheros

("From Now On" is my favorite song, but "The Other Side" is my favorite scene.)

Watching:  Nothing at the moment -- I'm typing on my computer.

Learning:  How to create a website because I need a better author website.


❈❈ FUTURE ❈❈

Want to be published:  Of course.

Indie or traditional:  I've published in both, actually.  I'm pursuing indie publication for my western fairy tale re-imaginings right now, but I'm open to traditional publication in the future.

Wildest goal:  Getting something I wrote made into a movie.


That's all, folks!  If you want to snurch this yourself, go right ahead :-)  I wasn't tagged with it, so I'm not tagging anyone myself.

The Little Women Blog Party Tag

Um... so you know how I kind of fell off the blogging wagon for a while there and just never got around to reading any blogs for like two months?

That was bad.

Especially because I missed out on the Little Women Blog Party hosted by Lavender Spring and A Ramble Through the Woods!  Ooooooooops.

Anyway, Abby P. said I could fill out the party tag even though I'm weeks late, so here goes :-)

(Yes, I'm loving being a bookstagrammer.)

1.  Is there anything from the book that you wish were in the movie?

More of Amy's growth and change would have been nice.

2.  If you could change one point of the plot, which would it be?

I wish there had been some way for Alcott to make it perfectly clear to every single reader that Jo and Laurie were an unsuitable match so that I wouldn't have to keep reading people "shipping" them. 

3.  In Chapter 13, the March sisters and Laurie talk about "Castles in the Air," basically their unrealistic but lovely hopes and dreams. What is your castle in the air?

To have a movie made of one of my stories some day.

4.  What would you most like to see in a new adaptation of Little Women, whether in book or film?

More of Aunt March!

5.  What is your favorite dress from the movie?

I'm assuming we're talking the 1994 movie here.  Probably Jo's red party dress.  I would wear it. 

From the 1978 version, I like this one:

6.  Which March sister(s) do you relate to the most?

Definitely Jo, as she's a tomboy and a writer.  So am I.

7.  Do you have a favorite film adaptation of Little Women?

I do love the 1994, as I kind of grew up with it -- it came out when I was 14.  But I really enjoy the 1978 one too.  I haven't seen the 1949 or 1933 versions yet, but I want to!

8.  What is your favorite quote from Little Women?(movie quotes count!)

I have two!

(I have a fridge magnet that says one of those, and a coffee mug that says the other.  These images are both from Pinterest, though, not my magnet or mug.)

9.  Do you have a favorite scene/chapter from Little Women?

Whether it's in the book or on the screen, Jo and Professor Bhaer finally coming to an understanding gets me every time.

10.  Aside from the March sisters, who is your favorite character from the story?

It's a toss-up between Professor Bhaer and Marmee. 

The Four Things Tag

Eva did this on Coffee, Classics, and Craziness and tagged anyone who enjoys rewatching movies.  I ADORE rewatching movies, as you undoubtedly know, so... I consider myself tagged and am filling this out accordingly (with some asides to narrow down the categories a bit).

Four Jobs I’ve Had

Face-painter
Waitress
Cashier
Columnist

Four Things I Don’t (like to) Eat

Boiled potatoes
Baked potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Stewed potatoes

(My reaction to 'taters.)

Four Places I’ve Lived (since I was an adult)

Minnesota
Wisconsin
Connecticut
Virginia

Four of my Favorite Foods

Chocolate
Peanut butter
Pears
Asparagus

(From Pinterest)

Four Movies I’ve Watched More Than Once (with my best friend)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Slow West (2015)
Hamlet (2011)


Four TV Shows I (am currently) Watch(ing)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Leverage
Castle
F Troop

Four Things I’m Looking Forward to This Year (2018)

Publishing my next book, Dancing and Doughnuts
Visiting the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum (I hope)
Seeing my best friend again (someway, somehow)
Cleaning up the giant mess that my bedroom has become


Four Things I Can’t Live Without (besides the obvious things like water and air and food)(and not counting people or God, cuz they're not things)

Books
Movies
Yarn
Cameras


Four Places I’ve Visited (over and over)

Colonial Williamsburg, VA
Mackinac Island, MI
Charleston, SC
The Wisconsin Dells, WI

(A pic I took in Colonial Williamsburg last year.)

Four Pet Peeves (or things that annoy me, anyway)

The number of people who don't differentiate between an opinion and a fact
Lots of Alan Ladd's movies aren't available on DVD
The phrase "try and" -- it's bad grammar and ought to be "try to"
The way the big toenail on my left foot just won't go back to normal after getting ripped off like 2 years ago


Four Things I Wish I Could Do

Fence (with swords, I mean, not put up fences)
Enjoy housecleaning
Eat as much bacon as I want
Decorate really pretty cakes

(From Pinterest)

Four Subjects I Studied at School College

English
History
Literature
Creative Writing


Four Things Near Me Right Now

My Wolverine coffee mug
The Sons of Katie Elder soundtrack on CD
A box of my daughters' nail polishes
My red camera, Francis

There, I finally finished this tag!  Yay!  I hereby tag anyone who loves bacon :-9

#MiddleEarthMarch 2018 Results

I didn't participate in every single prompt for #MiddleEarthMarch on Instagram, but I did the vast majority of them.  It was really fun!  I've loved photography since I was about seven, and got my first point-and-shoot camera when I was eight.  So I am totally loving Instagram and the ways it lets me get creative with my photography.

I made this collage of my #MiddleEarthMarch photos, and I hope you like it!

Do you like any of these shots particularly well?  I've got several favorites.  You can see them all much better individually on my Instagram feed, @RachelKovaciny :-)