Film

2 OZ BRECKENRIDGE BOURBON WHISKEY 3 DASHES ANGOSTURA AROMATIC BITTERS 1 TEASPOON RAW SUGAR 1 DEHYDRATED ORANGE WHEEL

Stir the ingredients over a large ice cube or ball to slow the melting and extend the fl avor.

Torch the orange wheel to release oils and smokiness. Place as garnish.

Savor responsibly.

THE PERFECT DIY COCKTAIL

Or if you prefer, join us at Artisan Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern for an elegant dinner, and see our mixologist in action.

615 EAST FRONT STREET, TRAVERSE CITY, MI. 49686 231 -947-3700 • DELAMAR.COM

National Writers Series WE’RE BACK AT THE CITY OPERA HOUSE!

and excited to welcome acclaimed Michigan author

ELLEN AIRGOOD

in conversation with guest host Susan Odgers “moving and brave.” — People

Set against the wide open beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Tin Camp Road is a wise, big hearted novel in which a young single mother and her ten-year-old daughter stand up to the trials of rural poverty.

• A Michigan Notable Book • UP Notable Book Award

Event Sponsors: Bubbling Babes Book Club;

Michigan Technological University

Literary Sponsor: Michigan Writers

THURSDAY, MARCH 24 • 7 PM

Not all robots are evil or a reflection of our technological fears. And not all movies set in the near-future have to represent a vision of either a dystopia or a utopia. That After Yang does not fall neatly into any of these above sci-fi tropes tells you a lot about what you can expect from this lovely and warm futuristic wonder. Korean American writer/director Kogonada, he of the beautiful gem of a film Columbus (IYKYK) and his cinephile video essays, is on the record as being heavily influenced by the work of revered Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu. His latest film is very much in the same vein of the great director’s meditative and acutely observed filmmaking that packs an emotional wallop, unexpectedly working its way into your very soul. While the film doesn’t use flashy methodology in bringing to life this touching tale adapted from the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein, it does open with one heck of a dazzling dance sequence as a family competes in a massive virtual dance competition. It is the best dance sequence in an android-themed film since Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina (again, IYKYK). Said family consists of loose-leaf tea shop owner Jake (Colin Farrell, at the height of his melancholy powers), working mom Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith), Chinese adopted daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjajazu), and “big brother” Yang (Justin H. Min). Yang isn’t really a member of the family. And he isn’t even really human. He’s a refurbished “technosapien” Jake got a deal on and was purchased to help Mika connect to her birth culture. Though there to basically deliver “Chinese fun facts,” Yang ends up fulfilling a more important role. So, one day when Yang malfunctions, Mika is not just upset—she’s practically despondent. Jake races to try and fix the out-of-warranty Yang, and after several failed attempts to revive him, Jake begins to realize just how much Yang was part of the fabric of the family. Jake then connects with a technology museum curator (Sarita Choudhury) who informs him she can access Yang’s core memories for Jake to view, and from these beautiful and poetic “clips” comes a very organic mystery: a reoccurring figure (Kogonada collaborator Hadley Lu Richardson) in the visions Jake does not recognize. Though Yang’s memories are fleeting, they are something to savor—a parable of memory, grief, and relationships. This is a film that whispers and never yells, like some sort of cinematic ASMR. And it is told with deliberate and delicate compositions: every shot, every design element, every frame, are all meticulous. In crafting this version of our near-future, Kogonada offers one where technology is not necessarily at odds with nature. It’s a future that, while austere and minimalist and far from perfect, is also warm and airy and beautifully complements the film’s tender and thoughtful exploration of what it means to be human. The story isn’t about figuring out what happened to Yang, or what or who Yang exactly is, but about discovering and trying to understand his interior life. And through that, Yang becomes a vessel for understanding ourselves and our humanity in an open and inviting way. This is a film on the more cerebral and intellectual side, yet not in an unapproachable, heady sci-fi way. Slow and sometimes meandering, this is the kind of film that might not ignite excitement in every viewer, but even if it loses you somewhere along the way, its emotional power will creep up and surprise you. Just as Jake chooses to toil with his bespoke tea leaves over faster, crystalized instant packets, the true depth of After Yang’s poignancy might not fully hit until well after you finished watching. And it is worth the wait. With a certain coziness at its core, After Yang manages to soothe spirits while also asking some of the biggest and most impossible to answer questions. And with so much noise in our society causing anxiety and unease, by going back to storytelling basics, it offers an astonishing balm for our modern tensions we didn’t know we needed.

AFTER YANG

the BATMAN

Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) sends a clear (bat) signal he’s going for something far grittier with this latest incarnation of the caped crusader. And not only is this film grungier than recent DCEU takes on the character (see also that Nirvana fueled soundtrack), it also isn’t that much of a superhero movie, instead leaning more into the realm of epic crime saga. Shaking up Batman’s (Robert Pattinson) regular routine of busting skulls after dark is the Halloween night murder of Gotham’s Mayor. Detective Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) brings Batman into the investigation as the killer left behind puzzles and clues for Batman, all in the name of uncovering the corruption at the heart of the city that may even involve the Wayne family. Topping out at around three hours, the story is complex, but not in an overstuffed or indulgent way. Even though at times it can drag, one of the best features is just how unhurried and unbothered this film is by doing anything other than telling the story it wants to tell. Liberated from the blockbuster formula, the action set pieces are restrained, used judiciously, and favor procedural elements over explosions. That is until the third act, when it seems studio pressures prevailed and the drama goes up a notch while the film’s sense of confidence crumbles.