"12 YEARS A SLAVE" (2013) Review
I first learned about Solomon Northup many years ago, when I came across a television adaptation of his story in my local video story. One glance at the video case for "HALF-SLAVE, HALF-FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" made me assume that this movie was basically a fictional tale. But when I read the movie's description on the back of the case, I discovered that I had stumbled across an adaption about a historical figure.
Intrigued by the idea of a free black man in antebellum America being kidnapped into slavery, I rented "HALF-SLAVE, HALF-FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY", which starred Avery Brooks, and enjoyed it very much. In fact, I fell in love with Gordon Park's adaption so much that I tried to buy a video copy of the movie. But I could not find it. Many years passed before I was able to purchase a DVD copy. And despite the passage of time, I still remained impressed by the movie. However, I had no idea that someone in the film industry would be interested in Northup's tale again. So, I was very surprised to learn of a new adaptation with Brad Pitt as one of the film's producer and Briton Steve McQueen as another producer and the film's director.
Based upon Northup's 1853 memoirs of the same title, "12 YEARS A SLAVE" told the story of a New York-born African-American named Solomon Northup, who found himself kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Northup was a 33 year-old carpenter and violinist living in Saratoga Springs, New York with his wife and children. After Mrs. Northup leaves Saratoga Springs with their children for a job that would last for several weeks, Northup is approached by two men, who offered him a brief, high-paying job as a musician with their traveling circus. Without bothering to inform Northup traveled with the strangers as far as south as Washington, D.C. Not long after his arrival in the capital, Northup found himself drugged and later, bound in the cell of a slave pen. When Northup tried to claim he was a free man, he was beaten and warned never again to mention his free status again.
Eventually, Northup and a group of other slaves were conveyed to the slave marts of New Orleans, Louisiana and given the identity of a Georgia-born slave named "Platt". There, a slave dealer named Theophilus Freeman sells him to a plantation owner/minister named William Ford. The latter's kindness seemed to be offset by his unwillingness to acknowledge the sorrow another slave named Eliza over her separation from her children. When Northup has a violent clash with one of Ford's white employees, a carpenter named John Tibeats, the planter is forced to sell the Northerner to another planter named Edwin Epps. Unfortunately for Northup, Epps proves to be a brutal and hard man. Even worse, Epps becomes sexually interested in a female slave named Patsey. She eventually becomes a victim of Epps' sexual abuse and Mrs. Epps' jealousy. And Epps becomes aware of Patsey's friendship with Northup.
"TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE" has gained a great deal of critical acclaim since its release. It is already considered a front-runner for the Academy Awards. Many critics and film goers consider it the truest portrait of American slavery ever shown in a Hollywood film. I have to admit that both director Steve McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley have created a powerful film. Both did an excellent job of translating the basic gist of Solomon Northup's experiences to the screen. And both did an excellent job re-creating a major aspect of American slavery. I was especially impressed by certain scenes that featured the emotional and physical trauma that Northup experienced during his twelve years as a Southern slave.
For me, one of the most powerful scenes featured Northup's initial experiences at the Washington D.C. slave pen, where one of the owners resorted to physical abuse to coerce him into acknowledging his new identity as "Platt". Other powerful scenes include the slave mart sequence in New Orleans, where fellow slave Eliza had to endure the loss of her children through sale. I found the revelation of Eliza's mixed blood daughter being sold to a New Orleans bordello rather troubling and heartbreaking. Northup's encounter with Tibeats struck me fascinating . . . in a dark way. But the film's most powerful scene - at least for me - proved to be the harsh whipping that Patsey endured for leaving the plantation to borrow soap from a neighboring plantation. Some people complained that particular scene bordered on "torture porn". I disagree. I found it brutal and frank.
I have to give kudos to the movie's visual re-creation of the country's Antebellum Period. As in any well made movie, this was achieved by a group of talented people. Adam Stockhausen's production designs impressed me a great deal, especially in scenes featuring Saratoga Springs of the 1840s, the Washington D.C. sequences, the New Orleans slave marts and of course, the three plantations where Northup worked during his twelve years in Louisiana. In fact, the entire movie was filmed in Louisiana, including the Saratoga Springs and Washington D.C. sequences. And Sean Bobbitt's photography perfectly captured the lush beauty and color of the state. Trust the movie's producers and McQueen to hire long time costume designer, Patricia Norris, to design the film's costumes. She did an excellent job in re-creating the fashions worn during the period between 1841 and 1852-53.
Most importantly, the movie benefited from a talented cast that included Garrett Dillahunt as a white field hand who betrays Northup's attempt to contact friends in New York; Paul Giamatti as the New Orleans slave dealer Theophilus Freeman; Michael K. Williams as fellow slave Robert, who tried to protect Eliza from a lustful sailor during the voyage to Louisiana; Alfre Woodward as Mistress Shaw, the black common-law wife of a local planter; and Bryan Blatt as Judge Turner, a sugar planter to whom Northup was loaned out. More impressive performances came from Paul Dano as the young carpenter John Tibeats, who resented Northup's talent as a carpenter; Sarah Poulson, who portrayed Edwin Epp's cold wife and jealous wife; and Adepero Oduye, who was effectively emotional as the slave mother Eliza, who lost her children at Freeman's slave mart. Benedict Cumberbatch gave a complex portrayal of Northup's first owner, the somewhat kindly William Ford. However, I must point out that the written portryal of the character may have been erroneous, considering Northup's opinion of the man. Northup never judged Ford as a hypocrite, but only a a good man who was negatively influenced by the slave society. But the two best performances, in my opinion, came from Lupita Nyong'o and especially Chiwetel Ejiofor. Nyong'o gave a beautiful performance as the abused slave woman Patsey, whose endurance of Epps' lust and Mrs. Epps' wrath takes her to a breaking point of suicidal desire. Chiwetel Ejiofor, whom I have been aware for the past decade, gave the definitive performance of his career - so far - as the New Yorker Solomon Northup, who finds himself trapped in the nightmarish situation of American slavery. Ejiofor did an excellent job of conveying Northup's emotional roller coaster experiences of disbelief, fear, desperation and gradual despair.
But is "12 YEARS A SLAVE" perfect? No. Trust me, it has its flaws. Many have commented on the film's historical accuracy in regard to American slavery and Northup's twelve years in Louisiana. First of all, both McQueen and Ridley took historical liberty with some of Northup's slavery experience for the sake of drama. If I must be honest, that does not bother me. The 1984 movie with Avery Brooks did the same. I dare anyone to find a historical movie that is completely accurate about its topic. But what did bother me was some of the inaccuracies featured in the movie's portrayal of antebellum America.
One scene featured Northup eating in a Washington D.C. hotel dining room with his two kidnapper. A black man eating in the dining room of a fashionable Washington D.C. hotel in 1841? Were McQueen and Ridley kidding? The first integrated Washington D.C. hotel opened in 1871, thirty years later. Even more ludicrous was a scene featuring a drugged and ill Northup inside one of the hotel's room near white patrons. Because he was black, Northup was forced to sleep in a room in the back of the hotel. The death of the slave Robert at the hands of a sailor bent on raping Eliza struck me as ludicrous. One, it never happened. And two, there is no way some mere sailor - regardless of his color - could casually kill a slave owned by another. Especially a slave headed for the slave marts. He would find himself in serious financial trouble. Even Tibeats was warned by Ford's overseer about the financial danger he would face upon killing Northup. I can only assume that Epps was a very hands on planter, because I was surprised by the numerous scenes featuring him supervising the field slaves. And I have never heard of this before. And I am still shaking my head at the scene featuring Northup's visit to the Shaw plantation, where he found a loaned out Patsey having refreshments with the plantation mistress, Harriet Shaw. Black or white, I simply find it difficult to surmise a plantation mistress having refreshments with a slave - owned or loaned out. Speaking of Patsey's social visit to the Shaw plantation, could someone explain why she and Mistress Shaw are eating a dessert that had been created in France, during the late 19th century? Check out the image below:
The image features the two women eating macarons. Now I realize that macarons had existed even before the 1840s. But the macarons featured in the image above (with a sweet paste creating a sandwich with two cookies) first made their debut, thanks to a pair of Parisian bakers, in the late 19th century, decades after the movie's setting. This was a very sloppy move either on the part of Stockhausen or the movie's set decorator, Alice Baker.
And if I must be frank, I had a problem with some of the movie's dialogue. I realize that McQueen and Ridley were attempting to recapture the dialogue of 19th century America. But there were times I felt they had failed spectacularly. Some of it brought back painful memories of the stilted dialogue from the 2003 Civil War movie,"GODS AND GENERALS". The words coming out of the actors' mouths struck me as part dialogue, part speeches. The only thing missing was a speech from a Shakespearean play.
Not only did I have a problem with the dialogue, but also some of the performances. Even those performances I had earlier praised nearly got off tracked by the movie's more questionable dialogue. But I was not impressed by two particular performances. One came from Brad Pitt, who portrayed a Canadian carpenter hired by Epps to build a gazebo. To be fair, my main problems with Pitt's performance was the dialogue that sounded like a speech . . . and his accent. Do Canadians actually sound like that? In fact, I find it difficult to pinpoint what kind of accent he actually used. The performance that I really found troubling was Michael Fassbender's portrayal of the brutal Edwin Epps. Mind you, he had his moments of subtle acting that really impressed me - especially in scenes featuring Epps' clashes with his wife or the more subtle attempts of intimidation of Northup. Those moments reminded me why I had been a fan of the actor for years. But Fassbender's Epps mainly came off as a one-dimensional villain with very little subtlety or complexity. Consider the image below in which Fassbender is trying to convey Epps' casual brutality:
For me, it seemed as if the actor is trying just a little too hard. And I suspect that McQueen's direction is to blame for this. I blame both McQueen and Ridley for their failure to reveal Epps' insecurities, which were not only apparent in Northup's memoirs, but also in the 1984 movie. Speaking of McQueen, there were times when I found his direction heavy-handed. This was especially apparent in most of Fassbender's scenes and in sequences in which some of the other characters' dialogue spiraled into speeches. And then there was Hans Zimmer's score. I have been a fan of Zimmer for nearly two decades. But I have to say that I did not particularly care for his work in"12 YEARS A SLAVE". His use of horns in the score struck me as somewhat over-the-top.
Do I feel that "12 YEARS A SLAVE" deserves its acclaim? Well . . . yes. Despite its flaws, it is a very good movie that did not whitewash Solomon Northup's brutal experiences as a slave. And it also featured some exceptional performances, especially from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o. But I also feel that some of the acclaim that the movie has garnered, may have been undeserved. As good as it was, I found it hard to accept that "12 YEARS A SLAVE" was the best movie about American slavery ever made.
"THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" (1984) Book Review
Several years ago, I once posted a list of my top ten favorite historical fiction novels of all time. Susan Howatch's 1984 novel, "THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE"made the list. In fact, I would go as far to say that it would have also made the list of my top favorite novels . . . period. I love it that much.
Back in the 1970s, Howatch wrote several family sagas in which the main characters were based upon members from a certain group from Britain's Royal Family known as House of Plantagenet, which ruled the country between 1154 and 1485. The characters from 1971's "PENMARRIC" were based upon the Plantagenet line that began with King Henry II and ended with King John. 1974's"CASHELMARA" featured characters based the line that began with Edward I and ended with his grandson, Edward III. "THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" also featured a character based upon Edward III, but he turned out to be a supporting one. The novel's main characters were based on his children, two of his grandsons and a great-grandson, starting with Edward, the Black Prince and ending with Henry V."THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" followed the fortunes of the Godwins, an Anglo-Welsh upper-class family that lived on an estate called Oxmoon, located near Gower in South Wales. The novel is divided into six major chapters, narrated by the following:
*Robert Godwin - oldest son in the family and a successful barrister who becomes a Member of Parliament
*Ginevra "Ginette" Godwin - Robert's wife, distant cousin and childhood obsession, who was previously married to an Irishman named Conor Kinsella
*John Godwin - third son in the family and a diplomat with the Foreign Office
*Christopher "Kester" Godwin - Robert and Ginerva's second son, who becomes master of Oxmoon upon his grandfather's death
*Henry "Harry" Godwin - John's oldest living son and Kester's rival
*Henry "Hal" Godwin - Harry's oldest son and a musician
"THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" spanned at least fifty to sixty years - from 1913 to the late 1960s or early 1970s, covering at least four generations and two world wars. Although the novel is told from the point of view of six major characters, it also featured other never-to-be-forgotten characters from the Godwin family. The ones that really come to mind are Robert and John's complicated parents - the emotionally unstable Bobby and his very disciplined wife Margaret; Declan Kinsella, Ginette's oldest son from her first marriage; Bronwen Morgan, John's mistress and third wife; Robert and John's youngest brother, the somewhat coarse and unimaginative Thomas Godwin; and Harry's first wife, the sexy and not-so-bright Belinda "Bella" Stourham Godwin, who becomes obsessed with conceiving a girl after an aborted teenage pregnancy.
What I found amazing about "THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" is that it more or less continued the de Salis family saga from "CASHELMARA", but with different characters. A family scandal involving Bobby's mother and a sheep farmer named Owen Bryn-Davies ends up having a major impact upon the Godwin family. Both Bobby and Margaret spend most of their married lives trying to overcome the past with an ideal family life, living up to the twin creeds - "doing the done thing" and"drawing the line". Unfortunately, Bobby's ability to project an ideal image also leads him to become an emotional time bomb, with a penchant for womanizing. This penchant also leads to another family scandal - one that not only has an impact on Robert and Ginette's relationship, but also on the question of Oxmoon's true master, which culminates into an ugly rivalry between cousins Kester and Harry.
It is a skill to Ms. Howatch's talents that I found the novel's first two chapters fascinating. She did an excellent job in creating the novel's setting and characters, and delving into the fascinating, yet problematic marriage between Robert and Ginette. But the chapters featuring John, Kester and Harry's narrations prove to be the novel's highlights. Howatch allows the readers to see how Bobby and Margaret's efforts to maintain an ideal family fractured John's personality - almost transforming him into some kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde. The ironic thing is that his "Hyde" persona proved to be a lot more beneficial for him. But John's fractured personality, along with his twisted efforts to live up to his parents' (actually, I should say his mother's) creeds of "doing the done thing" and "drawing the line"seemed to have a negative impact on both his son Harry and nephew Kester.
The last chapter, which featured Hal's narration, proved to be less fascinating than the previous chapters. This particular chapter featured a murder mystery within the family and Hal's efforts to revive the family fortunes. Mind you, this story line did not strike me as compelling as the previous chapters, but I had no problems with it. But I did have a problem with two aspects of the novel. One, Howatch had an annoying habit of labeling certain characters via their nationalities. Celtics - especially the Welsh and the Irish - seemed to be described as emotional or almost fey. And the English are described as emotionally stunted, yet rational and clear-minded. I found this penchant rather infantile for a first-rate novelist like Howatch. Nor did I care for some the dialogue she had Bronwen's mouth. It almost seemed as if Howatch tried to transform John's Welsh mistress (later third wife) as some kind of Celtic mystic. And I really found it annoying. It is a miracle that Bronwen managed to remain one of my favorite characters.
Although I can honestly say that "THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" is not perfect, I can also state that it is also one of my favorite novels of all time. In fact, I became so fascinated with it after my last reading that I found myself re-reading some of of the passages over and over again, until I realized that I need to put it down. It really is one of the best family sagas I have ever read . . . period. And I am amazed that there has been no television adaptation of this novel. A movie adaptation would be out of the question. The time constraints on the latter would make an adaptation out of the question. But as a television adaptation . . . "THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE" could prove to be as exceptional as the novel itself.
"THOR: THE DARK WORLD" (2013) Review
As I had stated in my review of "IRON MAN 3", I had assumed that the release of the 2012 blockbuster, "THE AVENGERS" would signal the end of Marvel's multi-film saga about the group of comic book heroes and their government allies, S.H.I.E.L.D. Not only did "IRON MAN 3" prove me wrong, but also the recent television series, "AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D." and the second movie about the God of Thunder, "THOR: THE DARK WORLD".
Like the 2011 movie, "THOR", this latest film begins thousands of years ago. Back in day (or year); Bor, the father of Odin, clash with the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim and their leader Malekith, who seeks to destroy the universe using a weapon known as the Aether. After conquering Malekith's forces, Bor hides the Aether within a stone column. He was also unaware that Malekith, his lieutenant Algrim, and a handful of Dark Elves have managed to escape by going into suspended animation.
Many years later, Thor and his fellow Asgardians (which include his friends Lady Sif, Fandral and Volstagg) help their comrade Hogun repel marauders on the latter's homeworld, Vanaheim. It proves to be the last battle in a war to pacify the Nine Realms, which had fallen into chaos following the destruction of the Bifröst. And in London, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster is led by her intern Darcy Lewis and the latter's intern, Ian, to an abandoned factory where objects have begun to disobey the laws of physics by disappearing into thin air. Jane is teleported to another world, where she is infected by the Aether. Both the Asgardians and Jane's former mentor, Dr. Erik Selvig learn on separate occasions that the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, is imminent. While the event approaches, portals (one of which Jane had fallen into) linking the worlds appear at random. Heimdall alerts Thor of Jane's recent disappearance, leading the latter to search for her on Earth. When she inadvertently releases an unearthly force upon a group of London policemen, Thor takes her to Asgard. Unfortunately, the Asgardian healers do not know how to treat her. Odin, recognizing the Aether, warns Jane's infection will kill her given enough time, and that the Aether's return heralds a catastrophic prophecy. Unbeknownst to Odin, the re-emergence of the Aether also ends the Dark Elves' suspended animation and revives their determination to use the substance to darken the universe.
"THOR: THE DARK WORLD" has proven to be a major box office, since its release nearly a month ago. This is not surprising, considering the enormous success of Marvel's Avenger saga. "IRON MAN 3", set six months after the events of the 2012 film, also proved to be a big hit. Some people have claimed that the first film about Thor was superior. As much as I had enjoyed "THOR", I cannot say that I would agree. It reeked just a bit too much of a superhero origin tale. Personally, I found the plot for "THOR: THE DARK WORLD" more satisfying.
Mind you, this second God of Thunder movie did not strike me as perfect. It had a few flaws. Although I applaud director Alan Taylor and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau's expansion of the Asgard setting beyond the royal palace and the Bifröst, the latter's photography for that particular setting seemed to lack Haris Zambarloukos' dazzling and colorful photography from the 2011 film. Instead, there seemed to be a slightly dull cast to Morgenthau's photography of Asgard. Thor's friends did not particularly project that same screen chemistry that I found so enjoyable in the first film. Aside from one major scene in which Thor plotted Jane's escape from Asgard, they rarely had any scenes together. And Tadanobu Asano's Hogun had even less scenes. I wonder if this was due to the actor's major role in the upcoming movie, "47 RONIN".
Aside from these nitpicks, I enjoyed "THOR: THE DARK WORLD" very much. As I had earlier stated, I found it more enjoyable than the first film. Thanks to the screenplay written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the movie provided a stronger narrative, beyond a simple origin tale. The three screenwriters explored the consequences of past events from both "THOR" and "THE AVENGERS" - Loki's actions in both movies; Thor's original destruction of the Bifröst, which led to chaos in the Nine Realms and his long separation from Jane Foster, the latter's inability to move on, and the impact upon Erik Selvig from being possessed by Loki. However, the movie also explored how a past event in the Asgardians' history - their conflict with the Dark Elves - managed to once again, have a negative impact upon Earth. For a movie that was juggling a good number of subplots, along with a major plot, I thought the writers and director Alan Taylor did a first-rate job in balancing it all in the end.
Taylor has limited experience as a movie director, but he has a long history as a television direction. Despite his longer experience with television, I must admit that I found myself more than pleased with his direction of"THOR: THE DARK WORLD". And I was also very impressed. I was especially impressed by his handling of certain action scenes, like the Dark Elves' invasion of Asgard, the fight scene between Queen Frigga and Malekith, the escape from Asgard, and Thor and Loki's confrontation against Malekith and the Dark Elves. But the one action scene that really impressed me turned out to be Thor and Jane's attempt to prevent Malekith's use of the Aether against Earth and the rest of the universe. This scene not only benefited from Taylor's direction, but also Dan Lebental and Wyatt Smith's editing. The movie's action sequences were nicely balanced by some of its dramatic and comedic scenes. I especially enjoyed Thor and Loki's quarrel over the latter's past actions, Thor's reunion with Jane, and Darcy and Ian's attempt to free Erik from a mental institution. One particular scene featured a quarrel between Thor and Odin over how to deal with the threat of the Dark Elves. It strongly reminded me of the two men's quarrel over the Frost Giants in the first film . . . but with an ironic twist. Instead of Odin being the mature and reasonable one, this time it is Thor.
My only complaint about the movie's performances has to do with Tadanobu Asano. Due to his limited appearance in the film, he never really had a chance to give a memorable performance. I hope to see more of him in the next film. Both Jamie Alexander and Ray Stevenson gave competent performances as Thor's two other friends - Lady Sif and Volstagg. Instead of Josh Dallas, this movie featured Zachary Levi in the role of Thor's fourth friend, Fandral. Levi had been originally cast in the role for the 2011 film. But due to his commitments to NBC's "CHUCK", Dallas got the role. But the latter's commitment to ABC's "ONCE UPON A TIME" forced Marvel and Disney to give the role back to Levi. Aside from the initial shock of seeing him in a blond wig, I must admit that Levi made a very dashing Fandral. I was very happy to see Kat Dennings reprise her role of Jane's intern, Darcy Lewis. She was as funny as ever. She also had an extra straight man in the form of Jonathan Howard, who portrayed "her" intern, Ian Boothby. The movie also featured a very funny cameo by Chris Evans, who portrayed Loki disguised as Steve Rogers/Captain America.
Christopher Eccleston may not have made the most witty villain from the Marvel canon, but I found his portrayal of Malekith very scary . . . in an unrelenting way. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje struck me as equally impressive as Malekith's lieutenant, Algrim. It was a pity that I could barely make him out in his new appearance as the Kurse. Renee Russo's role as Queen Frigga was expanded in this second film and I am so thankful that it was. Not only did she have a marvelous dramatic scene with Tom Hiddleston's Loki, but watching her sword fight against Eccleston's Malekith reminded me of her role in the "LETHAL WEAPON" films. Idris Elba repeated his masterful portrayal of Asgard's gatekeeper, Heimdall. I especially enjoyed him in two scenes - Heimdall's efforts to prevent the Dark Elves' attack and his discussion with Thor about helping Jane leave Asgard against Odin's will. More importantly, audiences get to see him in even more scenes. Stellan Skarsgård was very hilarious in his portrayal of Dr. Erik Selvig in this film. I realize that one should not laugh at the idea of someone suffering from a mental trauma, but I could not help it. I do not think I have ever seen Skarsgård so entertaining in a Marvel film. Anthony Hopkins did a marvelous job in conveying Odin's increasing fragile rule over Asgard and control of his emotions. This was especially apparent in the scene featuring Odin and Thor's disagreement over the Dark Elves.
For the first time in a Marvel film, Tom Hiddleston's Loki is not portrayed as an out-and-out villain, but a more morally complex character, thanks to his relationships with Asgard's royal family - especially Thor and Frigga. Hiddleston was as playful and witty as ever. And I especially enjoyed his interactions with Chris Hemsworth. In fact, I can say the same about Natalie Portman's portrayal of Thor's love, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster. Personally, I found her funnier and her chemistry with Hemsworth a lot stronger in this second film. And I was especially happy to see her take a more active role in helping Thor defeat the main villain. As for Chris Hemsworth, he continued to roll as the God of Thunder, Thor. He did a marvelous job in developing his character into more complex waters, especially in regard to his relationships with Jane, Loki and Odin. And one of my favorite scenes in the movie featured Thor's silent reaction to his discovery that Jane had a date with another man. I hope that one day, people will truly appreciate what a first-rate actor he is.
"THOR: THE DARK WORLD" had a few flaws. What movie does not? But thanks to Alan Taylor's direction, an excellent cast led by a talented Chris Hemsworth and a very complex script written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, it not only turned to be very entertaining, but also better than the previous film. At least for me.
"TORN DUTIES"
Part Four
Barbara stared at the quartet, following their return from the Carnahan Hotel. "So, you didn't find her?"
"Nope," Bruce replied. "She had checked out of the hotel, a few hours earlier?"
Harry frowned. "Why? You think that she found out that Cirhan was on her trail?"
The daemon shook his head. "How? I haven't been in contact with her, since my arrival in San Francisco."
"What if someone else is after her?" Phoebe suggested. Everyone stared at her. "Piper, Paige and I had caught this demon, this afternoon. According to him, this Mira Novak had double-crossed his boss. Whoever he might be."
Cirhan replied, "Loxias."
Phoebe stared at him. "Who?"
"He's a daemon with the Khorne Order," Cirhan explained. "He mainly deals with antiquities . . . and hotels. It's only natural that he would want the Haldane Sword."
Bruce murmured, "The Khorne Order, again."
Cirhan stared at him. "Excuse me?"
"It's nothing. Except . . ." Bruce paused. "Well, we've all had dealings with them, before."
Phoebe continued, "So, this Loxias might be after Ms. Novak? Maybe he got her and the sword."
Scott shook his head. "She checked out. Which meant that she must have realized that this Loxias being was on her trail. And that piece of paper that Cirhan found indicated that she may have checked into some local Holiday Inn."
"Which one?" Barbara asked.
"I haven't the foggiest. I guess I'll have to check around, some more."
Piper asked, "What about this Loxias demon? Maybe we should go after him."
Harry stared at her. "Why? If Scott believes that this Ms. Novak still has the sword, what's the point?"
"He's a demon," Piper stated. Then she shot an embarrassed glance at Cirhan. "And evil," she finished lamely.
Phoebe spoke up. "What about Ms. Novak? If we do get the sword back, what happens to her?"
Cirhan said matter-of-factly, "I'll turn her over to Ulmund. And he'll probably have her sentenced to the Stygian Abyss. It's a prison."
"I know," Phoebe replied pointedly. "I just don't understand how a demon - even a . . . good one - has the right to dictate what happens to a human."
To everyone's surprise, Harry spoke up. "If she's Ulmund's apprentice, then he has every right to dictate what happens to her."
Both Phoebe and Piper glared at him. "What do you mean?" the latter demanded.
Cirhan added, "Mira had signed a contract of apprenticeship with Ulmund. If she hadn't stolen the sword, she would have completed the terms of her contract, later this year. But since she did steal the sword, she violated the contract. And she has to pay for her actions."
"But she's a human," Phoebe insisted.
Coolly Cirhan replied, "And she's also a powerful wizard. What is your point?"
Sensing a serious quarrel on the horizon, Barbara spoke up. "Look, it's getting late. Why don't we all meet back here, tomorrow afternoon? It'll be Saturday. Hopefully, Scott will find out where this Mira person is by then."
The hostility between the two older Halliwells and Cirhan ebbed. Bruce glanced upward and heaved a silent sigh. Harry's mouth formed an amused smile. As for Paige . . . Barbara noticed that the younger woman seemed determined to keep her gaze fixed upon her sisters. Hmmm. Oh well.
"What about two o'clock, tomorrow afternoon?" Scott suggested. "Here?" Everyone agreed.
Within another twenty minutes the visitors had left. Much to Barbara's relief.
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"Chris!" Phoebe's voice cried out for the Elder the moment she and her sisters entered the manor.
Paige sighed. "Pheebs, what are you . . .?"
But the middle Charmed One bellowed their whitelighter's name again. "Chris! Get down here! Now!"
Leo descended the staircase, carrying Wyatt. "What's going on?" he demanded.
The sisters stared at him. "What are you doing here?" Piper shot back. "Chris was supposed to look after Wyatt, this evening."
"He was called up there." Leo lifted his eyes, indicating "up there" as the Whitelighters Realm. "What's going on? Have you found the sword?"
Phoebe barked, "No, we haven't! Nor have we found the person who had stolen it in the first place."
Confusion swirled in Leo's blue eyes. "Stolen? Wha . . .?"
With a sigh, Piper explained the circumstances surrounding the theft of the Haldane Sword. "Now that we know who the real owner is," she shot a dark look at Leo, "we're helping this Cirhan to recover it."
"You're working with a demon?" Leo demanded in outraged tones.
Paige retorted, "You and the other Elders didn't bother to tell Chris or us that it belonged to a member of the Gimle Order!"
"Guys, you can't do this! You can't turn the sword over to this . . . Cirhan, or whatever his name!" Leo exclaimed. Wyatt began to cry.
"We don't have a choice. The sword doesn't belong to the Elders." Paige paused to flop down on the sofa. "In fact, you shouldn't have assigned us to find this damn sword in the first place."
Phoebe growled, "I don't care who gets the damn sword! All I intend is to make sure that Cirhan doesn't turn this Mira woman over to the Gimle Order." She whirled upon the Elder. "According to Harry, they can do whatever they want to her because of some contract. Is this true?"
Leo's eyes grew wide. "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about."
A sigh left Paige's mouth. "It's too bad that Cole and Livy aren't here. They could probably tell us about this contract."
"Well, contract or not, I think we should make sure that this Novak person doesn't end up in Cirhan's hands," Phoebe insisted. She watched her older sister lift a wailing Wyatt out of Leo's hands. "And who knows? Maybe the Elders will get their sword." She started toward the staircase.
Paige mumbled under breath, "I doubt it."
-------------
"Where is she?"
Lemsa nearly wilted under Loxias' stare. "Uh . . ."
"Where is she, Lemsa?" Loxias' eyes bored into the female demon's. "You had traced her to the Carnahan. But I don't see her or the sword with you. What happened?"
A sigh escaped out of Lemsa's mouth before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry, Loxias, but she . . ."
The handsome-looking daemon pressed his mouth into a tight line. "She got away?" His voice oozed with menace.
Lemsa's stomach nearly became twisted into a knot. "Both Tar and Thom had her by the arms. In order to prevent her from using her electrokinesis. Only . . . she . . ." The demoness took a deep breath. "It seems that she has a new way of channeling her power. Via touch."
A long, tense moment passed, while Lemsa anticipated Loxias' next move. She felt certain that death awaited her any moment. She released a gust of breath, when Loxias finally responded.
"I see. Apparently, none of us had foreseen Miss Novak channeling her electrokinesis power in such an . . . original manner." He pierced Lemsa with a pair of aquamarine eyes, hard as polished stones. "I'm giving you one last chance to acquire that sword and kill Miss Novak. You fail me again . . ." He left the threat unspoken. But Lemsa understood. Perfectly.
An obsequious smile curved her lips. "You have my word, Loxias," she pledged. "I won't fail the next time."
"And I'll have your head if you do." The older demon seared her with one last glare before he dismissed her from his office.
-------------
The following afternoon saw Bruce and Harry McNeill, Cirhan and the Halliwells inside the former's Blue Room, pouring through every telephone book in the house. Harry heaved a sigh. "I'm looking through an old telephone book. I don't think that we'll ever find the elusive Miss Novak. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she has already sold the sword to her new client."
"I rather doubt it," Cirhan replied. "Ulmund would have known if someone other than him has used the sword. He would have felt the disconnection. The sword is like his ka. Or his sigil." He glanced at the Halliwells. "Like your Book of Shadows."
Piper frowned. "How do you know that?"
With a sigh, Bruce explained, "Everyone knows about the Book of Shadows, Piper. That's why so many have been trying to steal it for so many years."
"Yeah, like Dad's sword, Bruce's scythe, Mom's ruby amulet and Olivia's staff," Harry added. "Along with my signet ring."
Paige stared at Harry. "Are you saying that each of you own a . . . sigil that's considered valuable?"
"Valuable and very powerful." Harry paused. "There have been at least three attempts to steal mom's amulet and four attempts on Dad's sword." He turned to his older brother. "And someone has tried to steal Bruce's scythe at least twice." With a slight chuckle, he added, "Fortunately . . . at least for me - no one has bothered to steal my ring."
Bruce added, "Some daemon once tried to steal Barbara's wand."
"Barbara?" Shock lit up Paige's eyes. "Her wand?"
"Very valuable." Bruce nodded at Cirhan. "And I believe that you have a valuable wand, yourself. It once belonged to a daemon sorcerer named Feanor."
Cirhan nodded. "He was my ancestor. I don't use it, unless I really have to."
At that moment, Davies appeared in the doorway. "Miss Barbara has returned, sir. And Inspector Yi is with her." He stepped aside and allowed Barbara and Scott to enter the room.
From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Paige squirm with discomfort at the sight of his sister-in-law. "I had ran into Scott on my way here," Barbara announced. She glanced at the stack of telephone books on the coffee table. "No luck?"
Bruce sighed. "None, whatsoever. There is no one by the name of Mia Newman staying at any of the Holiday Inns in within this city."
A smug smile curved Scott's lips. "That's because she's no longer using that name. I just found out that someone named Maura Norscott of Boston had checked into the Holiday Inn at Union Square. Room 3012."
"Maura Norscott?" Phoebe said with a frown.
Cirhan replied, "Another one of Mira's aliases."
The middle Charmed One shook her head in disbelief. "She's a human, not a demon. Why would she need so many aliases? What is she? A spy in real life?"
"She's one of three apprentices to a very powerful and important daemon wizard," Cirhan coolly replied. "Which naturally makes her a target for any magical threat."
Scott said, "And she's also from Providence, Rhode Island." The others stared at him. "I had her background checked out. Mira Novak is a homeopathic practioner, who was born in late February 1977. Her mom is a homeopathic practitioner and her dad is a medical doctor."
"And they're both magic practitioners," Cirhan added. "Mira's father had studied under Ulmund."
Piper looked confused. "Are you saying that both she and her father had apprenticed themselves to a demon?"
"Ulmund is considered to be one of the oldest and finest practitioners of esoteric magic and alchemy in many dimensions," Cirhan declared with sheer earnest. "Anyone interested in becoming a wizard would give an eye just to become his apprentice. And he doesn't just accept anyone. As for Mira . . . I suppose that he had accepted her, because her father had been one of his students."
Barbara sat on the sofa, next to Harry. "Before we go after Ms. Novak, what else can you tell us about her?"
Releasing a gust of breath, Cirhan continued, "Well . . . she's a powerful magic practitioner. And she has one psychic ability as far as I know - electrokinesis."
The last bit of information seemed to worry Phoebe. "You mean energy balls?"
"According to Ulmund, she had recently mastered that use of her power. But she can channel her electrokinesis in other ways."
Bruce said, "I'm not surprised that it took her so long to master energy balls. It took Mom quite a while to master them, herself."
With an impatient shake of his head, Cirhan snapped, "Look, I believe I have told you as much about Mira as I possibly could. I feel that we should go after her and the sword, now."
Phoebe stood up and eyed the daemon warily. "I'm going with you to the hotel."
Paige sighed. "So am I." Harry also volunteered.
"I'll wait here," Scott volunteered. "I've been on my feet all morning and afternoon, trying to find your Ms. Novak."
Barbara added, "I'm staying here."
"And me." Everyone stared at Piper, whose eyes widened in innocence. "What? This isn't exactly a job for the Power of Three."
A distressed-looking Phoebe replied, "Yeah, but I think it's best if we were all . . . you know . . . there." She shot another wary glance at Cirhan.
But Piper refused to take her sister's hint. "Why?"
"Oh for God's sake!" an obviously exasperated Paige huffed. "Piper doesn't have to go."
Cirhan, who seemed to be deliberately ignoring Phoebe, nodded. "Good. Then I suggest we leave now." He marched toward the drawing-room's exit, with the two younger Halliwells, Bruce and Harry at his heels.
-------------
The four humans and the daemon materialized in the middle of an empty hotel corridor. "Here we are," Cirhan announced. "The Holiday Inn. Third floor." He glanced around. "Hmmmm, very nice. Clean."
An annoyed Phoebe retorted, "Hey! Did you have to do that?"
Cirhan frowned. "I'm sorry. Do what?"
"Teleport us like that . . . without asking or warning."
A confused expression still stamped on his face, Cirhan said, "I simply gave us all a lot of time, instead of . . ."
"Paige could have orbed us," Phoebe growled. "Well, at least the two of us."
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Who cares, Phoebe? We're all here and I suggest we see about getting our hands on that sword."
"Five people against one for a sword seems a bit extreme to me," Harry added. "Don't you think?"
Annoyance flashed in Bruce's gray-blue eyes. "Then why did you join us?"
"And miss out on the fun?" Harry glanced at the door. "Anyone know a way to get inside?"
Phoebe declared, "Paige and I can orb in . . ." Before she could finish, Cirhan produced a key card and swiped the lock. He pushed the door forward and invited the others inside the room. Phoebe glared at the daemon, as she strode inside. "Never mind," she muttered.
Harry glanced around and noticed that the hotel room happened to be empty. The same could be said for the bathroom. "Looks like she's not here," he declared. He and his companions - including the no longer feuding Phoebe and Cirhan - began to search the room for the sword. Harry dropped to his knees and looked under the bed. After he stood back up, his eyes caught sight of a small writing pad on the nightstand. He picked it up and noticed that someone had left a slight writing impression on the pad.
"That doesn't exactly look like a sword to me," Paige commented from behind his shoulder.
Harry replied, "But it might be a clue. It looks as if she may have written some note or message before leaving."
"I know a spell that might . . ."
Interrupting, Harry added, "I know an easier way." He placed the writing pad on a nearby desk. Using a pen, he lightly scratched over the top sheet and revealed the imprints left behind from the previous sheet. "Eaton something," he read. "South San Francisco." He looked up and frowned. "Aren't there a lot of warehouses in that area?" Then he continued reading. "Oria M. Nine-thirty pm."
"What exactly did you find?" Cirhan asked.
Paige replied, "Looks like Harry has found out where that Novak woman might be, tonight."
"Eaton something," Harry repeated. "In South San Francisco. Might be a warehouse. There are a lot of them in that area. And she's meeting someone named Oria M."
Bruce frowned. "Oria?" His eyes assumed a faraway light. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
Phoebe, who now sat on the bed, said, "How do we know that message was genuine? I mean, there's no sign of the sword in this room. Or that Miss Novak was here."
Paige sighed. "Phoebe . . ."
"According to your friend, Inspector Yi, a Miss Maura Norscott had checked into this room, yesterday evening," Cirhan retorted, looking obviously exasperated. "And that happens to be one of Mira's aliases. Now, I've made this obviously clear, Miss Halliwell. Which leads me to wonder why you have such difficulty believing this."
Phoebe opened her mouth to retort, when Paige grabbed the former's arm. "Hey, I'm sold that this Miss Norscott is the same Mira Novak that we're looking for. Right Pheebs?" She gave Phoebe's arm a tight squeeze.
The middle Charmed One glared at her younger sister. "Yeah," she replied through gritted teeth. "Right."
Obviously, some kind of conflict seemed to be brewing between Phoebe and Cirhan, Harry surmised. And the conflict's source seemed to stem from the Charmed One's dislike or distrust of the daemon. Where this hostility came, Harry had no idea.
----------------
Davies entered the Blue Room, carrying a tray with three glasses of iced tea. He offered a glass to both Piper and Scott, before offering the last one to Barbara. "Is there anything else you need, Miss Barbara?" he asked.
The blond witch smiled. "That's all, Davies. Thanks. Bruce and the others should be back within a few minutes or so." "If we want anything else, I'll let you know." Davies nodded and started toward the door.
Scott stood up. "Before I drink this, I need to make a visit to the restroom. I'll be right back." He followed Davies out of the room.
Now alone, Barbara and Piper began to sip their drinks. Then the Charmed One broke the silence between them. "Uh, Barbara, I . . .um, I do want to talk about something" She inhaled sharply. "It's about Paige."
Dread filled Barbara, as she regarded the other woman. "What about her?"
"It's about her paycheck . . ." Piper continued.
Oh God, Barbara thought. She should have known. "Look Piper, I'm sorry about what happened between Paige and me . . ."
"Is it really necessary to dock her paycheck like that?" the other woman finally blurted out. "I realize that Paige had been late in getting back from lunch, but you have to understand that it was for an important reason."
Barbara let out a gust of breath. "If you're talking about our present search for the Haldane sword, I'm afraid that I'll have to disagree."
"I would think that you'd understand, considering that you're a fellow . . ."
Before Piper could finish, Bruce, Harry, the other Halliwells and Cirhan entered the Blue Room. Much to her relief. "Hey guys!" she greeted, ignoring Piper. "How did it go?"
"We didn't find the sword or Ms. Novak, if that's what you mean," Bruce wearily replied. He sat down on the sofa, next to Barbara. "But Harry found something."
Barbara glanced at Harry. "Oh?"
"A piece of paper," the redhead added. "Next to the hotel bed. We think that Ms. Novak has scheduled a meeting with a potential customer. At some warehouse in South San Francisco. Eaton's."
"That sounds familiar," Barbara said with a frown. "Eaton's happens to be a herbal supplier for my store. And they happen to have a warehouse in South San Francisco."
Piper rolled her eyes in contempt. "Oh God! Another warehouse? Why do all of these demonic types have to end up in some warehouse?" Barbara noticed the glare that Cirhan shot at the Charmed One. Whose face turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry, I meant the evil variety."
Barbara asked Harry, "What was the name of the person whom Mira or whatever-her-name is supposed to meet?"
"Oria M," Harry answered.
The name touched upon an old memory for Barbara. A memory that went back to her college years at Stanford. She recalled a statuesque auburn-haired woman with turquoise eyes. Barbara turned to her husband. "Bruce, did Olivia ever tell you about a woman we once met named Oria?"
"The name had sounded familiar to me." Bruce frowned. "Only I can't remember why . . ."
Paige suggested that they call Olivia. "She and Cole are in Orlando, right? Or are they still on that cruise ship?"
"Orlando," Bruce promptly replied. "They're supposed to be celebrating the New Year at Disney World."
Paige continued, "Then why don't we call . . ."
Barbara interrupted. "Don't bother. I can tell you all you need to know about Oria M. And her name is Oria Mundi, by the way. She's a wizard of Anglo-Italian descent. Although she was born in England, she was living here in San Francisco, when Olivia, Cecile and I had a run-in with her nearly thirteen years ago. While we were in college. Apparently, she was trying to get her hands on this book or grimoire. I forgot, exactly. Anyway, Olivia ended up banishing her to this place called the Barakus Wasteland."
"Wasteland?" Phoebe cried out. "Is that where Cole had ended up after we had va . . .?" Her face turned slightly pink, as she broke off.
Cirhan spoke up. "No. The Barakus Wasteland is a supernatural prison for those who aren't daemonic. All other magical beings and practitioners are imprisoned there."
"But apparently this Oria wizard had managed to escape," Paige surmised. "And I thought that no one escapes from the . . . well, whatever you call it."
Sighing, Bruce explained, "You're referring to the Stygian Abyss. Barbara said that Olivia had sent Oria Mundi to the Barakus Wasteland. And a few beings have been known to escape from there."
"Why didn't Olivia simply vanquish this Oria person?" Phoebe demanded. "You know, kill her."
It took all of Barbara's efforts not to roll her eyes at Phoebe's question. After all, the Charmed One had no idea of what really happened. "We had managed to get the drop on Miss Mundi and knock her unconscious. And since we couldn't turn her over to the police, Olivia came up with the idea to send her to the Barakus Wasteland. Besides, if we had simply vanquished her, we would have ended up committing murder."
Bruce spoke up. "Personally, I don't really care what happened thirteen years ago. All that matters are that Cirhan gets our hands on that sword. And hopefully, it'll happen tonight. So . . . any ideas?"
The room fell silent. Barbara's gaze swept the room. When it settled upon her husband, she asked, "What time are they supposed to meet? Oria and Mira?"
"Eleven-thirty, tonight."
Cirhan pulled out a pocket watch and glanced at it. "That's at least four or five hours from now. So, I suggest that we all meet at this Eaton Warehouse in . . . oh, four hours. Or three-and-a-half."
"All of us?" Piper exclaimed. "Because I figured that . . ."
Harry nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, to me. Just in case either woman show up with some help." He paused. "Hell, I would."
Bruce smiled. "Then the matter is settled."
At that moment, Scott strolled into the room. He seemed slightly taken aback at the sight of the newcomers. Then he frowned. "Did I just miss something?"
----------------
Lemsa burst into the Corianna Hotel's premiere penthouse suite. She found her chestnut-haired mentor eating dinner at a table that overlooked the city. "Lexias," she announced breathlessly. "I've just received news from one of the Order's members. From Norica. She had learned from a wizard that Oria Mundi has made a deal for a very valuable object. Possibly the Haldane Sword. And that the transaction will take place at some warehouse in South San Francisco."
The demonic hotelier placed his knife and fork on his plate and glanced up. "Norica gave you this information?"
"Apparently, this wizard, who's part of Oria's coven, was one of her . . . customers." Lemsa expressed discomfort at the last word. The demoness Norica happened to be a high-priced prostitute within the supernatural community.
Oria Mundi? The revelation of Mira Novak's new customer shocked Lexias. He had heard much about the notorious wizard. "You mean to say that Oria Mundi is here in San Francisco? I last heard that some witch had entrapped her inside the Barakus Wasteland."
Lemsa shrugged. "According to Norica, Oria had escaped."
"What's the name of this warehouse that Oria and Ms. Novak are supposed to meet at?"
After a brief hesitation, Lemsa replied nervously, "Um, Norica didn't have that information. But she does know where Oria's minion lives." She paused. "He's a regular customer."
A heavy sigh left Loxias' mouth. "Fine. Then I suggest that you return to Norica and ask for his address." He glared at the demoness and added pointedly, "As soon as possible."
"Of course, Loxias." Lemsa nodded quickly and left the suite.
Loxias heaved another sigh. Then he stared at the food on his plate, before shoving the latter away from him. Thanks to Lemsa's news, he no longer possessed an appetite.
END OF PART FOUR
