“Muhammed Ali” (PBS)
I have only seen the first episode, but the thoroughness and artistry of Ken Burns’ documentaries is on display here, for sure. And what a fascinating subject he has chosen—what a gifted, outrageous, charismatic and just plain gorgeous (as he would be sure to tell anyone) character Ali was in his youth. His childhood in 1940s Louisville, his discovery of boxing, his fierce and relentless journey to be the boxing champ which he did achieve in the 1960s—all of this is meticulously brought to the screen through snapshots and home movies, contemporaneous articles and filmed interviews, discussions with relatives and friends, and the fine perspective by “New Yorker” editor and writer David Remnick. Also thoroughly documented are the various movements among that generation’s Black Americans and their attempts to deal with their role in society: either among or apart from the white America that had treated them so very badly. Ali was a divisive figure, and the fact that he was allowed to mouth off constantly without getting attacked, even murdered—a Black man who spoke his mind freely!—is a miracle. This first episode ends on triumph, but there are portents of the coming injustice, downfall and comeback ahead. I intend to watch them all.
This was the week I saw two Tony-winning musicals in their transformation to the screen. I had seen “Dear Evan Hansen” on stage, but I saw the movie version in an actual movie theater last week. It’s not awful at all, but it is flawed in rather important ways. I adored the musical on stage, and not just the fine songs and staging, but the fact that it wasn’t a huge spectacle but a small story about a teenager who is an outsider and a small lie that grows to have unexpected repercussions. In the end, it is a subtle condemnation of the negative power of social media and how it plays with people’s lives as though they were puppets. In this iteration, the bones of the musical are here and the original lead (Tony winner Ben Platt) recreates his role as Evan. It is said he is too old to play a 17-year-old, but I thought he pulled if off well enough. And yes, he’s a wonderful talent but the film focuses so fully on him (lots of close-ups, lots of songs) that the three roles of the older generation—his mom and another married couple, each with wonderful and touching solos in the stage show—are reduced to bit players, so the focus becomes skewed. Also, the filmmakers changed the ending to make Evan a little less flawed, which extended the running time and made it too long. Even so, the insights, humor and sensitivity evinced in the book and the songs do survive enough to make the movie worth seeing.
I also saw the filmed play of “Come from Away” (Apple+) which I had not seen on stage and I loved it! First of all, it just might restore your faith in humanity’s goodness as it is based on a real story and real characters, all of whom wind up acting with kindness and generosity toward strangers. The idea behind the musical is a fascinating one: On Sept. 11, 2001, when America was attacked by terrorists who had taken over passenger planes, all other flights had to be diverted away from our country in case of more incidents. One of the airports that received some diverted planes was in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, in Canada. The show tells the tale of planeloads of disgruntled and terrified passengers being set down in a thoroughly strange land, the town’s attempts to care for them all, logistically and emotionally, the relationships that developed, and the joys and sorrows that accumulated with each day’s news of developments in the U.S. Unlike “Dear Evan Hansen,” this musical was a film of the stage show and it’s done beautifully in front of a live audience. The entire cast plays different characters, the staging is clever, the songs superb and sung by amazingly talented singers/dancers/actors, too many to single out here. Do yourself a favor and tune in to this one; you’ll be so glad you did.