Classics: A Review of Swing Kids By Lauren Ennis

Adolescence is a turbulent time in which we learn who we are and who we want to be. It is a confusing period in which we rebel against authority and feel a desperate need to be heard. Imagine how much more difficult and desperate that time is when the mere act of questioning authority is forbidden and rebellion is illegal. 1993's Swing Kids aptly explores that very subject. The film relates a coming of age story set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany in which each of its three protagonists are forced to decide not only who they want to be, but also what kind of world they want to live in. An equally adept ode to adolescence and tribute to the power of resistance Swing Kids will leave you singing its praises.

Dressed up like a million dollar trooper trying hard to look like Gary Cooper

The story begins in 1939 Hamburg as high school friends Peter, Thomas, and Arvid struggle to navigate adolescence in the midst of an authoritarian regime. The boys find release from their restricted lives in the city's underground clubs where they listen to banned American music. The trio's friendship is put to the test when Peter and Thomas are forced to join the local Hitler Youth program after they are caught stealing a radio. As time passes Thomas becomes enamored with the program and the brutal ideology that it promotes. Peter, meanwhile, is forced to come to terms with his mother's relationship of convenience with a local gestapo officer while Arvid finds himself increasingly alienated from both of his friends. When he learns the true depths of the horror gripping his country Peter is forced to choose a side and learns who his true friends really are.

While numerous films have addressed the horrors of Nazi Germany Swing Kids stands out for its exploration of the adolescent experience under authoritarianism.  Through its focus upon the struggles and conflicts that Thomas, Peter, and Arvid face the film highlights the ways in which totalitarian regimes crush youthful hopes and passions. Over the course of the film the trio are forced to sacrifice their shared love of swing, their friendships, and finally their individuality. In its depiction of the ways in which each of the characters lives are fundamentally changed by the Nazi regime the film sheds light upon  the devastating impact of totalitarian regimes both past and present. As a result, the film  brings history alive in a way that kids and teens can relate to while highlighting the damage that authoritarian governments continue to inflict today. Even as it offers an unflinching look at one of the darkest chapters in history the film also acts as a testament to the resilience of youth and the power of the human spirit. In its depiction of the characters' small acts of rebellion the film shows the ways in which ordinary people can resist against oppression. In this way the film reminds viewers of all ages of the vital importance of maintaining your values even in the face of persecution and the ways in which all of us can work towards a better tomorrow. For a historical drama that the whole family will love put on your dancing shoes with Peter, Thomas, and Arvid in Swing Kids.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

The film transports viewers to the dark days of the Third Reich thanks to the brilliant work of its cast. Barbara Hershey aptly portrays Frau Mueller's conflicted efforts to protect her children from the oppression surrounding them. Kenneth Branagh infuses SS office Knopp with sinister sleaze. Frank Whaley steals each scene in which he appears as valiant rebel with a cause Arvid. Christian Bale depicts Thomas' transformation from snarky swing kid to conforming Hitler Youth with a realism that foreshadows his later success. Robert Sean Leonard is the film's beating heart as everyman Peter and captures Peter's coming of age with a depth, maturity, and raw emotion that belies his young years.

At once a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a haunting reminder of its many failings Swing Kids is far more than your average family film. The script's blend of realism and raw emotion vividly brings one of history's darkest chapters to life. The stellar work of the cast transports viewers from Hamburg's swinging dancehalls to the brutal reality of everyday life in Nazi Germany. Swing into action with Arvid, Thomas, and Peter in Swing Kids.

Rebels with a cause

Classics: A Review of The Secret of NIMH By Lauren Ennis

Each year we devote one day to honoring the women who set us on our first steps of life's journey; our mothers. For better or for worse our mothers shape who we are and inspire who we ultimately become. Given the importance of mothers in their children's lives its bizarre how few family films focus upon mothers. This trend is so prevalent that family entertainment juggernaut Disney has jokingly become synonymous with dead or missing mothers. One film that defied this odd standard to spectacular effect is 1982's cult classic The Secret of NIMH. While it is better known today for being the first animated film to challenge Disney's dominance, The Secret of NIMH offers one of cinema's most compelling portraits of the struggles, sacrifices, and transformative power of motherhood. This mother's day join Mrs. Brisby on an unforgettable adventure to learn The Secret of NIMH. 

This one's for all of the moms out there...

The story begins with widowed field mouse Mrs. Brisby struggling to provide for her four children. The family's already fragile existence is thrown into upheaval when they learn that a nearby farmer plans to plow the field that they are living in. While her neighbors urge her to move her family to safety one of her children, Timothy, is ill with pneumonia and cannot be moved. At the advice of her wise neighbor, Mr. Ages, she seeks out the Great Owl who directs her to a colony of hyper intelligent rats living under the farmer's rose bush. She then sets out on an epic quest to save her family and discover the great and terrible secret of NIMH.

While The Secret of NIMH showcases such animated adventure staples as evil villains, magic, and comic sidekicks the film's choice of heroine sets it apart. Mrs. Brisby is not royalty and does not possess special powers. She is not saving the world or exploring unknown lands. She is merely a mother doing the best that she can to provide for and protect her children. As a result, she is perhaps the most unlikely of animated heroines; an all too relatable everywoman. It is for this reason that she is truly a heroine for our times. While most cinematic heroes are notable for their fearlessness, Mrs. Brisby begins the movie as outright timid. What makes her truly heroic is that she does not allow this fear to hold her back when her children are endangered as she routinely risks her own safety to ensure her children's. In this way, she offers an inspiring example of what we can accomplish when we face our fears. Her single-minded determination to protect her children also personifies the bravery and self-sacrifice that sets good mothers apart. As a result, she highlights the importance of maternal role models in a genre in which mothers are sorely lacking. This mother's day give your mother a call and let her in on The Secret of NIMH.

The film brings Robert C. O'Brien's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH to brilliant life thanks to its dazzling animation and exemplary vocal performances. When Don Bluth left Disney to start his own studio he did so with the goal of reviving classic animation, and his debut feature does just that. The expressiveness of the characters, the scope of the settings, and the thrilling action sequences stand leave this reviewer longing for a return to 2D animation. The voice actors' perfectly suit their characters with Elizabeth Hartman lending the best performance of her career since 1965's A Patch of Blue. Bluth favorite Dom DeLuise lends his signature comedic skill in his uproarious turn as lovelorn crow Jeremy. Peter Strauss' charm and relatability ensure that gallant rat Justin makes for a surprisingly noble hero. Paul Shenar is a villain worthy of Vincent Price as the coup plotting rat Jenner. Together, the cast create a memorable world of heroes and villains to rival even the most celebrated of fairy tales.

At once a thrilling adventure and a heartfelt ode to motherhood it's no secret why The Secret of NIMH continues to delight the young and young at heart. The script vividly brings O'Brien's story to the screen while imbuing it with Don Bluth's signature flair. The animation is nothing short of breathtaking as it transports viewers from the pastoral beauty of an open field, to the horrors of NIMH's labs, to the dark beauty of the rats' colony. The voice performances bring each of the characters to vibrant life and ensure that viewers will root for the film's furry heroes every step of the way. For the mother of all animated adventures follow Mrs. Brisby to find The Secret of NIMH.

Classics: A Review of Perry Mason By Lauren Ennis

From 1957 to 1966 one name was synonymous with integrity, ingenuity, and the rule of law; Perry Mason. The classic series followed the brilliant defense attorney as he tackled one convoluted case after another, always managing to reach a winning verdict before the end of the hour. In 2020's HBO adaptation Mason could not be more different from his beloved predecessor, and is all the better for it. This noirish reboot follows its reluctant hero on a twisting journey through the gritty streets of Depression era L.A. that is guaranteed to leave viewers guessing until its final reveal. At once an apt tribute to the early television classic and a refreshingly original standalone piece Perry Mason is guilty of being one of the most entertaining legal dramas to ever grace the small screen.

The story begins in 1932 as Matthew and Emily Dodson race to pay the ransom for their kidnapped infant son, Charlie. The couple gladly pay the ransom only to make the devastating realization that Charlie was killed during the course of the kidnapping. Police suspicions quickly fall on the Dodsons, prompting Matthew's father,  powerful industrialist Herman Baggerly to intervene on their behalf. Meanwhile, Perry Mason is working as a private investigator for his mentor, attorney E. B. White. White's firm agrees to take on the Dodson case as a favor to Baggerly, setting its staff on a collision course with the LAPD, the rising Evangelist movement, and the political establishment. White, Mason, and their secretary, Della, soon find themselves put to the ultimate test as the case leads them down a trail of murder, corruption, and coverups that is just the stuff film noir is made of. 

In this modern retelling the squeaky clean attorney of old is all but abandoned in favor of a morally murky and all too human hero for our times. The series wisely moves the action from the original's post-war setting to the early 1930's. Even as it moves the story back in time the altered setting actually makes the series feel more modern as it uses the backdrop of the Great Depression to explore such timely themes as economic uncertainty, racial and gender tensions, the impending threat of war and institutional corruption. This change also allows the script to act as an origin story in its exploration of Mason's humble beginnings as a struggling private investigator coping with trauma from World War I. In this way, Mason is transformed from a near genius in the style of Sherlock Holmes to an everyman who viewers will find themselves relating to and rooting for. Similarly, the series invests each member of the supporting cast with backstories and conflicts that ensures that they are fully realized characters rather than the stock types and plot devices that characters were reduced to in the original hourly series. The series also aptly utilizes the aesthetic of classic noir to to highlight the morally grey subject matter while placing the plot firmly within the context of the early thirties. In this way the series serves as an accurate historical drama while offering an atmospheric crime story that will appeal to the jaded taste of modern viewers. For a drama that delivers style and substance in equal measure take a stroll down the dark alleys of 1930's L. A. with Perry Mason.

The series brings the gritty streets of Depression-era Los Angeles to life thanks to the brilliant work of its cast. Gayle Rankin perfectly blends the contradictory small town naivete and disillusioned world weariness that define Emily Dodson. Nate Corddry aptly conveys Matthew's devastation at the loss of his son and betrayal of his wife. Andrew Howard is nothing short of chilling in his ruthless portrayal of corrupt cop Joe Ennis. Eric Lange depicts Ennis' equally compromised partner, Gene Holcomb, with subtle menace and cold calculation.  Veronica Falcon infuses pilot turned speakeasy owner Lupe with shrewdness, humor, and a sizzling sensuality worth of Marlene Dietrich. Tatiana Manslany is mesmerizing as magnetic preacher Sister Alice McKeegan. Chris Chalk aptly portrays the inner conflict of honest police officer Paul Drake in his depiction of Drake's efforts to maneuver the corruption surrounding him. Juliet Rylance infuses Mason's secretary turned attorney Della Street with wit, warmth, and charm in a performance that rival's Barbara Hale's iconic turn in the original series. Even in the midst of a superior supporting cast the series belongs to Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason. In Rhys hands' the too good to be true attorney of the original series is transformed into an all too human everyman struggling to hold onto his principles in an increasingly unprincipled world.

At once an inspired tribute to both its predecessor and classic noir and a refreshingly original mystery Perry Mason aptly raises the standard of modern television. The script expertly balances the grit and atmosphere of classic noir with a modern sensibility to create a viewing experience that is nothing short of gripping. The expert performances of the cast transport viewers to the dust ridden streets of 1930's Los Angeles and the darkest corners of the human soul. The verdict is in Perry Mason is one of the most riveting dramas to appear on the small screen.