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Mandy Moore

Midway: Battle-Ready, Willing and Able

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Set in the heart of WWII, Midway tells the dramatic story of the US soldiers and pilots who fought during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Having remained ‘officially’ neutral in the war, the US found themselves drawn into the conflict after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in December 1941 at the hands of the Japanese. Over the next few months, they engaged in a military chess match as both superpowers attempted to outmaneuver one another, culminating in the epic Battle of Midway.

Directed by Roland Emmerich (The Patriot), Midway is a bold and sweeping film that attempts to walk the line between historical drama and action blockbuster. Known for such epic films as Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, Emmerich understands the nature of spectacle, which he puts to good use onscreen here. With every screaming bullet and fiery explosion, Emmerich seats the viewer in the centre of one of WWII’s most iconic battles. As a result, the sweeping nature of the action and its ‘rag-tag’ group of characters who come together to win the day fits well into Emmerich’s repertoire. (Ironically, however, it’s interesting to note that the historical aspect of this particular film makes Midwaysomewhat of a departure for him as well, given that his filmography consists almost entirely of science fiction epics.)

Unfortunately, where Midway loses its way is in the area of character development. Like many of Emmerich’s other films, Midway’s heavy reliance on stunning battle sequences often leaves its characters somewhat one dimensional in the middle of complex circumstances. As a result of the film’s emphasis on action, heroic historical characters like Lieutenant Commander McClusky (Luke Evans), cocky war hero Dick Best (Ed Skrein), and Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) aren’t given the time to explore their true feelings and motivations in the midst of the most difficult of times. None of this is particularly surprising, given Emmerich’s back catalogue. After all, for Emmerich, the greatest drama lies in the victories and losses as opposed to the inner battles of his characters. However, it does keep Midway from truly landing as a truly compelling historical drama. (Although, it is worth noting that one of the most surprising aspects of the cast is its lack of ethnic and gender diversity. While the film is set in the 1940s and the film’s heroes were actually Caucasian males, the script gives little opportunity to anyone else to speak their voice, an important aspect that is usually a staple of Emmerich films.)

However, the film’s penchant for spectacle does powerfully emphasize the nature of sacrifice. For Emmerich, the greatest demonstration of valor comes when people are willing to give their lives in the service and protection of others and Midway demonstrates this truth well. For these characters, war is neither driven by a quest for glory nor individual medals but by doing what is required in order to keep their families safe. In some ways, Midway exemplifies the power of sacrifice best in its smaller moments. For example, one brief scene where a young girl is rescued by her mother as Pearl Harbour is destroyed speaks to the more personal implications of war. In another, as Best informs his troops that, ‘even though they’ve been through hell, they have to get back out there’, the audience recognizes the sheer exhaustion that is required of military troops when they are thrown into the field. Brief moments such as these speak to the true sacrifice of life at war when families are directly impacted or men and women are called upon to give more than they have to offer in service to a call greater than themselves. In this regard, Midway wears its heart on its sleeve by demonstrating Emmerich’s admiration for those who have committed their lives to the mission.

Even so, as the end credits roll, Midway leaves the audience with somewhat of a mixed bag of emotions. While the film’s spectacle is thrilling and often gorgeous to see, frequently one-dimensional writing for its characters and a surprising lack of diversity hold the film back from true greatness. While it’s easily Emmerich’s most entertaining film in years, Midwayis still missing enough depth to truly land the plane.

Midway brings history to life in theatres on Friday, May 8th, 2019.

La La Land – Hollywood Plays Itself

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Hollywood has played itself in films frequently. It is the land of glamor and dreams. But it can be very hard on those who dream of making it. It is filled with nostalgia and with visions of new art. How do you tell that story yet again in a way that is both conventional and fresh? Do those two ideas seem to clash? Not in La La Land, a musical that both pays homage to the history of movies and tells age old stories (like boy-meets-girl) in such a way that it seems like we’ve never seen it like this before, even when we know we have.

The story itself is simple. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) meet somewhat un-cutely in a traffic jam. He lays on his horn when she doesn’t move; she flips him off. But soon their paths cross again—with less than romantic results. Eventually they come to discover the fit they are together and love blooms. But of course, love can also fade.

Sebastian is a jazz pianist whose life mission is to make people love jazz. Mia is an aspiring actress currently working at a coffee shop on one of the studio lots. Both have a strong sense of the past. Sebastian’s most cherished possession is a piano stool once sat on by Hoagy Carmichael. When Mia leaves work she loves to look across the backlot street at the window that Bogart and Bergman looked out of in Casablanca. These two struggling artists who look back to the greatness of the past also seek to make something that will be great and new for today.

All of this is set in the form of a classic musical. There are extensive production numbers that bring to mind such films as West Side Story. There are songs that define the relationship and other songs that speak of the dreams Sebastian and Mia have.

Writer/Director Damien Chazelle also made use of jazz in his previous film, Whiplash. In this film jazz is not just the music that Sebastian plays and often plays through various scenes; it also serves as a metaphor for the tension not only of the story, but also of the movie industry. When Sebastian explains jazz to Mia he notes that it is made up of conflict and compromise. That is true of the relationship in the story as well—and with all relationships. Later when Sebastian discusses jazz with a friend (John Legend), the friend points out that Sebastian is trying to hold on to something of the past—something that was revolutionary when it happened. Where is the revolution in Sebastian’s music? That very much reflects the tension that pervades Hollywood—the desire to make what has been successful before or to do something entirely new.

This is very much a Hollywood/Los Angeles story. (Although that doesn’t mean others will not enjoy the story and film.) But it is the L.A. of nostalgia. From the opening production number on a freeway interchange (one I’ve driven on often) to the frequent trips to Griffith Park and the iconic observatory to a studio backlot, all of this is the L.A. we’ve seen in films before. That is entirely fitting since the film is about that very nostalgic understanding of Hollywood. But while it looks back to the Hollywood we remember and uses conventions that we know, it also seeks to move into something new—which means things may not work out the way we have come to expect. It also reminds us that nostalgia can be painful as well as comforting.

A word needs to be said about the artistry of the film itself. I sometimes worry when I care more for the way the film was made than I do about the story itself. This film has several intricate production numbers that really are astounding—not just in the choreography (by Mandy Moore), but in the camera work that captures it. For example, the opening production number with people dancing on the roofs of cars stuck in a traffic jam is a long shot that shifts angles without cuts. I get a headache thinking of the logistics.

In keeping with the nostalgic nature of the film, the production design evokes not just the sense we expect from a Hollywood musical, but it also sets moods in more subtle ways. When I left the theater I thought the technical aspects of the film outweighed the storytelling. But as I’ve had time for it to marinate in my mind, I’ve come to appreciate the storytelling for its subtle celebration of dreams, even as it faces the reality that those dreams may have hard edges.

Photo credit: Dale Robinette, courtesy of Lionsgate.