Movie Monday: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

I hope everyone is having a happy New Year's Eve.  I'm visiting family and enjoying myself, although I didn't pack all the books I meant to, unfortunately.  There are a bunch of movies I want to see in theaters (The Hobbit and Django Unchained are at the top of the list), but I haven't had a chance to go yet.  Perhaps tonight or tomorrow?

That doesn't mean I haven't been watching any movies.  My dad and I love watching films distributed through the Criterion Collection together, so I gave him the perfect Christmas choice: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.  This 1983 film was directed by Nagisa Oshima, regarded as one of the best Japanese filmmakers of his generation.  It was a joint British-Japanese production, which is very fitting since the story is one of culture clash between British and Japanese soldiers in a WWII POW camp.

It's not your standard POW movie.  There is no escape, nor any real attempt at escape.  (There is one half-hearted, aborted attempt.)  There isn't a strong structure to the film.  The tension and interest lies in the relationships between the characters.

The eponymous Mr. Lawrence is played by Tom Conti, the only actual dramatic actor in the main cast - and even he was fairly inexperienced at the time of filming.  Lieutenant Colonel John Lawrence is a British officer who can speak Japanese, due to time spent in Japan, which puts him in an interesting position in the camp.  He's the one soldier with a real chance at understanding his captors.  His foil in the film is Sergeant Hara, played by Takeshi Kitano.  This was his first dramatic role, and audiences only knew him as a comedian.  But his comedic moments in the film highlight the monstrosity of Hara, who honestly can't understand any immorality in his actions.

But the biggest stunt casting in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was pitting two rock stars against each other.  David Bowie plays Major Jack Celliers and Ryuichi Sakamoto plays camp commandant Captain Yonoi.  Both are limited actors, but used very well.  Bowie has a presence that makes the captain's instant fascination with him understandable and Sakamoto's stiffness fits the reserved military man.

I liked Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, but it's an odd film.  It is extremely character driven, but the characters are often enigmatic.  (When in doubt, assume someone is motivated by guilt or shame.)  Yet, it works, and I think the film expresses the truth of what it sought to explore.  Although there is very little graphic violence onscreen, it is a brutal film.  The Japanese characters are obviously the villains, but there is sympathy for their point of view.  And even Celliers, the rebellious soldier who performs the greatest heroic act in the movie, has done bad things.

I recommend Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, but must warn you not to expect Bridge Over the River Kwai or The Great Escape when you start watching.

Review: Two Children's Books from Marshall Cavendish

Mary Had a Little Lamb
By Sarah Josepha Hale
Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
Available now from Marshall Cavendish (Amazon)
Review copy

The text of MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB is the poem written by Sarah Josepha Hale in the 1830s, which is slightly different than the children's song still popular today.  It's basically the same, but some lines might trip kids (and perhaps even their guardians up).  I know it took me a second to parse "And you each gentle animal in confidence may bind, and make them follow at your call, if you are always kind."

But my niece loves to sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb," so I think she'll enjoy this book.  Laura Huliska-Beith's illustrations are quite lively.  Her colors are bright but softly employed, and her cartoony style is appealing.  The illustrations add to the text, illuminating the meaning of each line.  This one is a good choice for children like my niece who love nursery rhymes.

The Golem's Latkes
By Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Aaron Jasinski
Available now from Marshall Cavendish (Amazon)
Review copy

Eric A. Kimmel combines tales of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel's Golem with The Sorcerer's Apprentice in THE GOLEM'S LATKES.  When Rabbi Juda goes to speak to Emperor Rudolf II, his housemaid Basha uses the golem to help complete her chores.  But when she goes to speak to a friend without telling the golem to stop making latkes, the town begins to fill up with potato pancakes!

Kimmel's story won't surprise anyone who has seen Fantasia, but Aaron Jasinski's illustrations make the text special.  His style uses light and perspective well to create dynamic, engaging images.  I thought the illustrations were quite lovely and suit the text well.

THE GOLEM'S LATKES is a simple but well done children's book.

Review: Super

Sequel to POWERLESS
By Matthew Cody
Available now from Knopf (Random House)
Review copy

I love superhero stories, and POWERLESS stood out from the pack to me because of it's brutal first chapter.  Michael's whole life is flying, until he wakes up without his powers or memories, never to fly again.  That's been the fate of the children of Noble's Green for centuries.  Many of them have a superpower, but they lose it and all memory of it on their thirteenth birthday.  Then Daniel Corrigan came to town and helped the Supers find and defeat the culprit.

But something has happened, and the Supers are again losing their powers.  Temporarily, but who knows when they'll be gone forever?  Meanwhile, Daniel is showing evidence of developing powers and the grandnephew of their nemesis the Shroud has come to town.  He's obviously the number one suspect, but Daniel's worried things aren't so simple.

In addition to having a fast and fun storyline, the morality of SUPER is not black and white.  Who deserves power?  Who can decide whether or not someone deserves power?  Daniel may want to help his friends, but some of the super-powered kids aren't as nice or altruistic.  If the local bully didn't have super strength, that would be a good thing.  But would it just stop there?

I liked that there isn't much romance, since the main characters are younger teens.  (They're maybe fourteen during SUPER.)  There are hints of crushes and a quick kiss, but nothing more.  There are a lot of friendships that cross gender lines, which is nice to see.  Molly, a flyer, is one of the toughest characters and always ready to defend her friends.  And Daniel is a good protagonist for the series, since he has no powers - just the ability to think things through and use his head.

I do recommend starting with POWERLESS, since SUPER deals with the fallout from the first book.  Both tell complete stories, however.  Each book has a definite end and can stand on its own if need be.  I'd be happy to read another Noble's Green novel, but SUPER does not require a sequel.  This series is a good choice for kids who love superheroes and are looking for a good read that isn't a graphic novel.

Movie Monday: The Sound of Music

I love when they broadcast The Sound of Music in December.  Many people have nostalgic memories of It's a Wonderful Life, but in my family it is all about The Sound of Music.

My sister and I originally loved it because of the songs.  And, when I was a kid, it was all about Liesl.  Forget the romance of Maria and Captain von Trapp, forget the Nazis: Liesl.  I think I just loved her dance in the gazebo with Rolf.  My love of that scene faded a little once I was old enough to understand the Nazi parts.  (I'd embed the scene but it appears it isn't on YouTube.)

This year I mostly missed it because I had other things to do (involving sick children and the world's nastiest diaper), but I did get to see the very ending.  It warms my heart to see the nuns vandalize the cars, year after year.

Do you watch The Sound of Music?  What's your favorite part?  Or what's your favorite bit of holiday programming that floods the airwaves?  (Hate it all?)

What It's Like to Make a Shortlist

The first half of the Cybils is almost over.  I am a panelist in the Graphic Novels division, and we decided on the finalists last night.  Five young adult and five middle grade/elementary titles, chosen from the 83 eligible nominees.  It was not an easy decision.  (Let's not even talk about the fact the other panelists now know what an opinionated witch I am.)

"Graphic Novels" is a bit of a misnomer.  We weren't limited to novels at all.  We read nonfiction, including memoirs, biographies, and histories.  We read anthologies of short stories and collected vignettes. The graphic novels ranged in genre from fantasy and science fiction to romantic comedy to war stories.  There was definitely something for everyone nominated, but would there be something for everyone on the short list?  And, well, one section covering elementary through middle grade is quite a lot.  We wanted our list to have something to interest first graders and eighth graders.

To make our job even harder, the bookish community nominated an incredible selection of books.  Some books were bright and bold, others were staggeringly beautiful.  I want to tear out some pages and hang them on my wall, if only that wouldn't ruin the books.  Many offered intriguing, unusual perspectives.  They did things you could only do in comics, the art and text inseparable.  Not all of the books were set in the US.  Characters were Hispanic, Asian, white, black, disabled, gay, skinny, pudgy, tall, short.  The books that stuck out like sore thumbs were the ones where everyone looked alike or there were no female characters.  We needed a shortlist that represent the best of everything the long list had to offer.  And believe me: the long list was not short on virtues.

Some of the books were easy to choose.  Others were more difficult.  Some books I loved aren't on the final list.  But that's true of every single one of the Graphic Novels panelists.  We had a wealth of strong contenders that battled to the finish.  I was afraid blood might be drawn in the chatroom as we fought for our favorites. 

And there were surprises!  One book I thought was a shoo-in didn't make it.  One book I found very affecting, but thought would be a hard sell, had several champions.  I wasn't the only one who wanted it on the list!

I do not envy the judges.  Our decision was difficult, but at least we had five slots in each category.  They will be faced with the heavyweights and asked to be decided on one.  (Two total.)  They too will have to compare romantic comedy to memoir to history to myth.  It's a battle of crisp, sweet apples against juicy, tangy oranges.

I highly recommend that when the Cybils end, you look beyond the winners.  Check out the shortlists in your favorite divisions.  I can guarantee for Graphic Novels that there are no lesser choices padding out an obvious winner.  All ten books are special.  And I'd even recommend checking out the nominees because there were many strong books that didn't make the cut.  Everyone of us wanted more spots so that we could showcase every book that deserved it. 

How do you make a shortlist?  You decide on the best of the best of the best and sadly say goodbye to the best of the best.