The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Arts Wednesday, January 3, 2018 — 5A There’s a moment in “The Last Jedi” when all the sound drops out and complete silence descends. For a few seconds, there is nothing. No music, no white noise, no dialogue. All falls away, and for a franchise that has always been easily recognizable for its iconic sound design and legendary score, it’s a strange moment, yet an undeniably brilliant one. “The Last Jedi” functions in much the same way. Much of what has historically characterized “Star Wars” on a superficial level is deconstructed and subverted here even as director Rian Johnson (“Looper”) takes special care to celebrate the most important things — namely the focus on battles between good and evil and the sense of hope in the face of insurmountable odds. The film he crafts is a bold, dark and occasionally weird entry in the “Star Wars” saga, one that stands as the best and most necessary chapter since “The Empire Strikes Back.” This isn’t to say that “The Last Jedi” is perfect. While several sequences serve to further character arcs, they often feel disconnected from the central plot, and a certain scene stands out as particularly ill-advised, brought to life by a special effect that — in an otherwise visually gorgeous film — is comparatively subpar. But couched in a story otherwise exceptionally told, these flaws do little to detract from the rest of the film. The film picks up moments after the end of J.J. Abrams’s “The Force Awakens,” as the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher, “Catastrophe”), must flee their base in the aftermath of their victory at Starkiller Base in the previous film. As the First Order doggedly pursues them through space, Rey (Daisy Ridley, “Murder on the Orient Express”) arrives at the site of the first Jedi temple to receive instruction from living legend Luke Skywalker (a never-better Mark Hamill, “Brigsby Bear”), only to find that he is not the man the galaxy remembers. This base story, for what it is, is fine if occasionally slow- moving. What sets it apart is the thematic work Johnson does with both his script and direction as he uses this plot to explore ideas of acknowledging the past and using it to grow while still letting go of what is not necessary for that growth. In essence, “The Last Jedi” is a story about the tricky relationship between the past and the future, history and legacy. The meta-narrative for a certain space opera entering its fourth decade of existence should be obvious. Because in order to stay relevant, in order to mean as much to future generations as it did to me and the innumerable die-hards who have come before me, “Star Wars” needed to change. It would have been easy to rehash the same plotlines and archetypes ad infinitum — “The Force Awakens” did so and wound up being a pretty great movie, all things considered — but eventually, it would grow stale. Someone needed to break the mold, and “The Last Jedi” is Johnson doing so in bold fashion. It would be easy to leave it at that, to act as if the boldness is enough to qualify “The Last Jedi” as a great movie, but it isn’t. Boldness alone is novelty; it must be grounded in the characters and the story. This is what makes “The Last Jedi” something truly special. It isn’t that it takes everything we think “Star Wars” can do and takes a hard left turn into new territory. It’s the way Johnson grounds those creative decisions in the characters, old and new, bringing them to more interesting, thought-provoking and emotionally intense places with each scene. It’s the way the actors bring those characters to life in some of the best performances in franchise history and the characters, in turn, embody the themes — redemption, bravery and hope above all — that have always defined “Star Wars” and will continue to define it even as it enters this new chapter. JEREMIAH VANDERHELM Daily Arts Writer The latest installment boldly revitalizes a canonical saga ‘Last Jedi’ is necessary, brilliant new ‘Star Wars’ “The Last Jedi” State Theatre, Quality 16, Rave Cinemas Ann Arbor 20+ IMAX Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The film he crafts is a bold, dark and occasionally weird entry in the ‘Star Wars’ saga Someone needed to break the mold, and “The Last Jedi” is Johnson doing so in bold fashion I don’t even know how to begin writing about “Human Flow” by Ai Weiwei (“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”), because it is a piece that is so much bigger than us. It requires us to recognize our privilege in viewing such a crisis without it being a part of our own human experience. The documentary, which was shot in 23 countries, presents both a brutal, visceral and at times strikingly gorgeous display of the current global crisis in which 65 million people have been displaced from their homes. Weiwei, known more for his controversial reputation in the art world, has participated in documentary cinema before, though never to this extent. As a visual artist, he treats his documentary like a canvas, splattering it with color and layers of impressive drone shots and handheld iPhone footage. He allows us to feel like we’re right there with the migrants and refugees — one or the individual body out of thousands, huddled into masses on a rugged terrain that has no remorse for its occupants. These migrants, tied down to no land to anchor them, are considered to be the most pervasive status of citizenship, as they are stripped of all the rights and liberties that make them human beings. “Human Flow” reveals the global crisis that plagues every country, but mainly Europe today — the crisis of people fleeing their homes for asylum and passing through or being trapped in borders. The piece criticizes borders in general, as they are inherently arbitrary in their nature. With the aid of globalization, the world has reaped many benefits, namely the prospect of wealth and jobs, but its consequences are severe. Globalization exacerbates the global inequalities, and through this process, the large, connected world we know is beginning to shrink. This means that different cultures are going to have to learn to coexist in order for humanity to persist. Like the title, the flow of bodies in search of refuge and a new life are at risk of hunger, disease, death and above all, the loss of a chance for a better life. Weiwei’s visual approach is guided by the natural landscape across these countries; the way the sky meets the unforgiving, arid and sun-scorched Middle Eastern deserts. The image of Mexican children playing on a beach with an iron fence running through it with the States on the other side is a painful reminder of palpable but still unattainable freedom. The sea connects these countries as a visual motif, but also as a juxtaposition of the free-flowing, wide open waters that touch country borders but cannot be shared equally by all. We see the sea that transports Eritreans to southern Italy for political asylum, the same sea that a group of friends in Gaza who turn to the Mediterranean for their only chance at tranquility in a war zone, the same sea that runs up to Tel Aviv just one hour north, the same sea and sun that caress their bronzed tourists is the same sea that traps others just down the coast. If anything, the documentary reminds those of us who are fortunate enough to be citizens in a country — to feel like we belong somewhere and that we are protected — about how connected we truly are and how we choose to neglect this fact simply because we don’t see malnourished children in refugee camps daily, which the news likes to conveniently overlook, too. Europe and America were lands that were thought to provide promise and solace to immigrants, but Weiwei reminds us that the current xenophobia and segregation between these groups is not something we can ignore any longer. “Human Flow” doesn’t let us forget that, no matter what, we all share the same sun and no group deserves its warmth over others. It doesn’t let us forget that we need to stop forgetting about this crisis before it’s too late. SOPHIA WHITE Daily Arts Writer New documentary from Chinese artist tackles global crisis Weiwei’s ‘Human Flow’ is stunning and harrowing “Human Flow” State Theatre NFP Marketing & Distribution WALT DISNEY PICUTRES NFP MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION FILM REVIEW FILM REVIEW “Human Flow” reveals the global crisis that plagues every country If anything, the documentary reminds us who are fortunate enough to be citizens in a country – to feel like we belong somewhere WANT TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION THIS YEAR? 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