Pavarotti

On Saturday, I saw Pavarotti, a documentary about the life of the legendary tenor.

Some people have a presence. It’s an intangible x factor that only a select amount of individuals possess, but those who do are unforgettable—Luciano Pavarotti was one of them.

The story of the Italian opera great is told here in a linear way by director Ron Howard, who conducted over 50 interviews to arrive at the finished work. From his childhood in Italy to his profound success as perhaps the greatest tenor of all time, Pavarotti’s life is recounted in a beautiful narrative by the people who knew him best.

He was a family man, a mentor, a friend and a humanitarian. He was also a philanderer, a diva and a man plagued with self-doubt. I’m grateful Howard chose to show both sides. Sometimes when we get to know someone larger than life, it’s only their persona that’s noticed; here we get to explore the human for all of his flaws, and we’re better for it.

Aside from his technical talent, his charisma is remembered through scenes from his friendship with Princess Diana and hilarious stories told by Bono. Pavarotti seemed to love life—his women, his friends, his children, his colleagues, his fans, his food. This was reflected in the way he lived his life, to the fullest of course, and that made it all the more heartbreaking to reach the end of the film where the last months of his life, as he suffered from pancreatic cancer, are remembered.

Though not much of an opera fan, because of his undeniable popularity and yes, because of the U2 song “Miss Sarajevo,” I knew about Pavarotti before seeing the film, but never did I think I’d enjoy such an intimate look at him.

I only wish I’d seen him perform when I had the chance.

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The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years

Tonight I saw The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years, directed by Ron Howard.

Though I've probably seen every Beatles documentary in existence, I'm happy to report there are elements of this one that still feel fresh.

Director Ron Howard uses footage from familiar flashbacks such as the band's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show to illustrate their journey from 1963 to the time they quit touring in 1966, spliced in with talking head interviews (both from the era and present day). He captures the intensity and madness that was Beatlemania, but without dwelling on the drama.

At the heart of the phenomenon were four friends: John, Paul, George and Ringo. As Lennon once said, "We were just a band who made it very, very big—that's all." Big indeed. In the three years covered in the film, the band performed over 250 concerts, each one arguably growing in fan intensity.

Before it became suffocating (and downright dangerous after Lennon's famous "bigger than Jesus" remark), the thrill of touring—and the fame that came with it—was intoxicating for the group. They were young men who got to use their collective creative genius to conquer the world. With that came money, women, adoration and years of fun.

Considering how they all sued each other and fought publicly in their later years, we sometimes forget how close these boys were in the beginning. They were basically brothers, and thankfully by the time two of the four passed, they'd found their way back to one another.

At one point in the film, their musical gifts are compared to Mozart. Some may call that exposition apples to oranges, but a good case is made as to why it's a just parallel. Above all else, the contemplation reminds us that extraordinary talents like John, Paul, George and Ringo, only happen once in a lifetime.

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Angels & Demons

Last night I saw Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor.

When we begin this film, the follow-up to commercially successful-yet-critically hated Da Vinci Code, Professor Langdon (Hanks) is being summoned to Vatican City because four cardinals (who are in the running to become the next Pope) have been kidnapped by a group claiming to be the Illuminati, an angry sect of scientists that have revived an ancient anti-church secret society.

Langdon is sent to crack the code behind the letter they sent detailing what they're going to do (execute said cardinals AND blow up Vatican City with some stolen antimatter). But of course, the Vatican doesn't like his academic approaches to life and disdain for their church, so they deny him entry to their archives. Because he needs information in the archives to figure out the puzzle, he appeals to the Camerlengo in charge (McGregor) who appears to have a soft spot for Langdon and grants him access. Oh, and there's a pretty physicist that tags along because she knows how to A) translate Latin and B) change the battery on the contraption that's keeping the antimatter from blowing up the country.

To go any further in the plot would be to spoil, so I will just say this: yes, it is better than the prior film. The action carries the audience through the scenes much faster this time, and the clever one-liners are actually kept to a minimum. Hanks also has a less annoying haircut, which makes it easier to take his ever-serious lines, well... seriously. And the supporting players in McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard, who plays a stern Commander, are phenomenal in their roles. A major scene at the end has amazing special effects too.

On the minus side, the film is very bloody and the main "bad guy" is incredibly sexy, which makes it very difficult to believe he's all that bad.

But the tension is there, and the acting is solid, and it's nice to see so much of Italy in the many exterior scenes the movie holds.

Not a bad kickoff to the popcorn season of summer films.