THE FAVOURITE Doesn't Sit Right as Ladies Court Queen Anne's Delight with Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz

THE FAVOURITE first appears in the Merchant Ivory genre; lavish period piece set in England featuring characters from both the aristocracy and proletariate classes whose entanglements are tattered with disillusionment and tragic outcomes.  THE FAVOURITE is directed by Yorgos Lanthinos (b. Greece 1973) and won the Grand Jury Prize.  (I think the jury must have been out to lunch.)  Lanthinos has worked with 2 of his leading ladies in THE LOBSTER.  The film is set in England in the early 18th C towards the waning years of Queen Anne's reign.  The lavish scenes are inside & outside Kensington Palace.  The magnificence of the Palace's charms & lifestyle of the noble class is both splendid and unrefined.  The cinematography is enchanting; especially scenes lit by candlelight.  The Queen (British actress Olivia Colman) gives a remarkable portrait of an inept and pathetic ruler of England, Scotland & Ireland.  The Queen is royally handled by Lady Sarah Marlborough (British actress Rachel Weisz) who orders the Queen to make rulings concerning the country's governing, taxation & maintaining warfare with France. The Queen also leans towards bestowing rewards or punishments at Lady Sarah's beckoning.  Lady Abigails (a miscast Emma Stone) has had her station in life drastically diminished.  She is cousin to Lady Sarah.  Abigail seeks the favor of employment at Kensington in any manner through her familial connection. Abigail is put to work as a scullery maid where she is tormented but not unhinged.  Abigail proves a resourceful & vindictive enemy.  Soon the talons come out between Lady Abigail and Lady Sarah, a formidable opponent.  As both Abigail & Sarah maneuver to win the Queen's favor their battles & vendettas seem to pale the fighting between Britain & France.  The resplendent looking film is its own worst enemy despite the fine acting by Colman & Weisz.  The film recklessly tosses in an anachronistic dancing scene (soul train during the Queen's reign?).   The bawdiness to garner the Queen's good graces is grotesque.  The movie isn't a distinguished time piece.  It's a sinister & lewd farce and a disastrous drudgery to endure.  The ridiculous captions between scenes would've been better served by a jester holding signs.  Lady Marlborough tells the Queen there are limits to love and "love is not having to lie."  Never seeing THE FAVOURITE  means not having to say you're sorry (or forewarned.)

Quick Movie Picks You May Have Missed and Winning Binging Series

Now's the time to check out a few films that may have missed your radar (now available on video) as well as Netflix series worth your while:

Films of 2018

1.  The Rider - Montana rodeo riders portraying their lives with dignity & compassion

2.  Searching - Single dad uses the internet to find his missing daughter

3.  Hotel Artemis - Quirky apocalyptic crime thriller with Jodi Foster & Jeff Goldblum

4.  The Children's Act - Based on Ian McEwan's court room drama with Emma Thompson

5. The Wife - Jonathan Pyrce's performance is priceless, Glenn Close overacts but it works


Netflix Series of 2018

1.  The Haunting of Hill House - Not for the faint of heart, horror mixed with familial love

2.  Better Things - Brilliant comedy of a single mom raising 3 girls in LA

3.  The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel - Artistic direction is perfection as is this amazing show

4.  Grace & Frankie - Odd couple pairing of Lily Tomlin & Jane Fonda heartwarming & funny

5. The Kaminsky Method - Michael Douglas & Alan Arkin as an aging actor & talent agent duo

Melinda's Top Ten Cultural Selections Around the Big Apple since July

This past fall has brought so many wonderful events to my most beloved city that this list doesn't do justice to the cornucopia of choices.  I'd love to hear what you think should make the list.  This cultural extravaganza is in alphabetical order:



1.  Alvin Ailey's World Premier of Rennie Harris' Lazarus Act I and Act II

2.  American Son - On Broadway starring Kelly Washington who deserves a Tony nomination

3.  Ballet Hispanico and panel discussion at the 92ndY

4.  Delacroix Exhibit at the MET

5.  Giacometti - A major retrospective at the Guggenheim

6.  Hilma af Klint' Paintings and drawings at the Guggenheim

7.  My Fair Lady by Lerner & Loewe at Lincoln Center

8.   Paul Simon's Farewell concert at MSG

9,  The Girl from the North Country at the Public with all Bob Dylan's music

10.  Jack Whitten's sculptures "Odyssey" at the Met Breuer - many works never before shown

Melinda's Top Ten Movie Picks Since July for 2018

The following films are in alphabetical order by title:


1.  BlackKKlansmen directed by Spike Lee

2.  Eighth Grade directed by Bo Burnham - 13 year old teenage girl will melt your heart

3.  Juliet Naked - Stars Ethan Hawke, Chris O'Dowd and Rose Byrne -A quirky love story

4.  Leave No Trace - Ben Foster deserves the Oscar

5.  ROMA - Mexican director/screenwriter Alfonso Cuaron

6.  Shoplifters - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-edu

7.  The Green Book directed by Peter Farrelly - An etude overriding the Jim Crow South

9.  The Price of Everything - A documentary on art & the art market

10. Won't You Be My Neighbor - An inspiring documentary of Mr. Fred Rogers

Nothing Works in NETWORK on Broadway - Even Walter White Can't Save this Mess

One would hypothesize NETWORK, based on Paddy Chayefsky’s screenplay starring Bryan Cranston and directed by Ivo Van Hove would be a formula for success.  Unfortunately, this production has so many flawed elements the result is a disastrous debacle.  Chayefsky, the Acad. Award, Golden Globe and Tony winning playwright, screenwriter & director laid a solid  foundation with his scathing & groundbreaking screenplay.  Bryan Cranston, one of the most gifted and versatile actors working in film, TV and stage was not able to save this hodgepodge of a mess.  Frankly, I’m mad as hell.  This should have been a surefire hit.  I’ll place the blame on the indiscernible adaption by British screenwriter Lee Hall (“War Horse” and “Billy Elliot).  And his co-conspirator guilty of poor choices director Ivo Van Hove (“A View From the Bridge” and “The Crucible”.)  While the award winning film NETWORK was a tightly wound drama with a raging pulse, NETWORK at the Belasco is a major fiasco.  The stage is overburdened with too many fractious moving parts.  While center stage is the foreground for Howard Beale (Bryan Cranston) the control room, the audience on stage, the elevated platform and action off stage (especially Cranston sitting amongst the audience) are all at war over the integrity of the play.  The relevance of social media infiltrating our lives was prescient in the 1976 film but it is all but distilled to a disjointed melodrama and sophomoric philosophizing.  Cranston was heroic in his valiant efforts but was weighted down like wet cement. His character was misdirected to rapidly transform from having a mental breakdown to a competent TV personality.  The pre-gameshow antics prior to the Howard Beale show were idiotic. Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) as the overly ambitious & unsentimental Diana Christensen was incredulous and the bankable Tony Goldwyn as Max Schumacher was at odds with his character.  The salacious & detached sex scene between Diana & Max was a misfire.  Even more odious was the scene between Max and his wife when their marriage comes apart; so poignant in the film felt forced and unnecessary.  You don’t need to see NETWORK.  The play is in shambles.  Bryan Cranston doesn’t solve for all the troubles with this production but he is the sole surviving reason to put NETWORK on your radar.

"Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up" Written and Performed by Lucy Alibar at LCT3

Playwright, screenwriter & novelist Lucy Alibar (b Florida 1983) is wrote & performs in her one woman show at the Claire Tow Lincoln Center Theater. Alibar co-wrote the Acad. Award winning film "The Beasts of the Southern Wild" which received multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Screenplay.  Alibar appropriates her southern roots & family history.  Her father was a criminal defense attorney & her mother taught painting to inmates.  These facts are incorporated into "Throw Me on the Burnpile..."  Alibar gave a preamble to the audience for her "work in progress" asking us to please bear with her as she figures what form her story writing will take.  Alibar performs her own writing in her solo, one act play.  Alibar's storytelling is masterful.  The main character is a young girl referred to as "Boss" by her dad.  Dad is a criminal defense attorney that represents clients charged with murder.  Boss is an adolescent schoolgirl who is constantly  thwarted by teachers, classmates & neighbors alike.  She is told she is "stupid" by her teacher and bullied by classmate who use her as a punching bag. Her younger brother fits the description  of an overweight dimwit.  Neither parent is overly concerned about her brother.  He is given an egg to hold onto as a cryptic source of comfort.  The attention Boss gets is mainly from her father who tries valiantly to mentor her in valuable life lessons.  The weekly show & tell in the classroom is an opportunity to shine in front of the class or more often than not, receive dismal notice.  Boss is at a loss of how to fit in & is constantly dejected.  Her saving grace are the times she runs wild with her father through fields of feral cats while being given strategic lessons from him.  Alibar paints colorful characters that are cruel & pathetic.  The "burnpile" refers to a mounting pyre of boxes with the jetsam left to her father from prisoners executed.  Most of the items were purchased by Boss & her dad for the inmates at their requests.  The inmate on death row for whom her father is fighting for a stay of execution has asked for art supplies.  He continues to paint pictures and sends them to her family.  Her father has run out of appeals for his client.  The day of the execution garners a jubilant gathering around Denny's for the promised free fries.  Boss gains deep respect for her father as she understands his heroism & the high expectations he holds for her.  Together father & daughter ignite the burnpile that has accumulated emblazoning & emboldening Boss for a life to be well lived.  Alibar's writing is masterful.  She writes with melancholy & grace. Her acting doesn't give justice to her play.  There is brilliant material here to building upon for a screenplay or novel that would better capture the poignancy of this potent "work in progress."  

The Japanese Film "Shoplifters" Will Steal Your Heart - Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

"Shoplifters" is a film that has you going in one direction and then swiftly jolts ripping open your heart like a bandage being yanked off a scar.  The Japanese film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (b Japan 1962) is crafty filmmaking with impact that washes over you until you're completely immersed in this family drama.  It's about love and the love that forms a meaningful family.  The haphazard household appears to consist of a husband Osamu (Lily Frank "Like Father Like Son') and wife Noboyu (Sakura Ando), their beautiful older daughter Aki (Mayu Matsuoka), a rapscallion son Shota (Kairi Jyo) and an eccentric grandmother.  Shota has been mentored by Osamu in the art of prestidigitation a.k.a. shoplifting.  Osamu works construction but his mainstay for money comes from lifting loot to sell.  Osamu is a contemporary Fagin who mentors with a warped morality by proferring encouragement & kindness.  Everyone contributes to the family fund by both legit and nefarious means.  Aki works in a semi-pornographic peep house.  Grandma adds her pension & unquestioned yens to help pay rent on their squalid, cramped quarters.  On the way back to their apartment after a propitious shoplifting venture, Osamu & Shota spot a young waif (Miyu Sasaki) outside in the cold.  They feel sympathy for her & lure her home with some hot food & little enticement.  Noboyu argues this is kidnapping & they should return her where they found her.  Nonetheless, they feed her and discover multiple scars & burns on her body.  The family takes to this 5 year old who steals your heart & the film.  The acting by the cast is cunningly convincing.  The two young leads are exceptional.  The cinematography is crisp & captivating.  The family decide to keep the young girl.  They cut her hair & rename her Lin.  They're determined to keep her in their brood.  The film is duplicitious; nothing is as it would seem.  The veracity of tenderness, love & concern the formulated family of 6 demonstrates is apparent & unmistakable.  There are precious scenes that score big time.  Shota is tutoring Lin to shoplift when the elderly proprietor stops Shota.  He offers him treats for both in exchange for not showing his sister how to steal. The loving embraces Aki gives Lin are affecting. And, a day at the beach with the entire clan is a refreshing break from the everyday drudgery. It  provides surges of love that wash over the group & molds them together.  When the house of cards comes crashing down it stems from an inner turmoil & profound love.  The startling revelations of the true relationships & histories of the characters become detected.  This truly exquisite & soulful film is filled with hidden treasures that unlock the human heart.  

Andy Warhol-From A to B and Back Again at the Whitney - Back to Back Iconic Images - Ask WHY?

The Whitney is presenting an exhibition of Andy Warhol's (b 1928-1987) works that include many of his iconic portraits & images produced from the 1960s-1980s.  The first floor gallery contains floor to ceiling silkscreen portraits of famous artists, athletes, fashion designers, writers, musicians, socialites and rulers such as the Shah of Iran.  Many of these are easy & fun to identify such as Capote, Ali, Jagger, Halston and Basquiat,   But the vast majority of portraits in the room drew a blank (even given the names).  The inner circle social Warhol world of notoriety has lost luster from his lifetime.  Nonetheless, assembled together with their vivid colors and varying adornments including acrylic, diamond dust and urine makes an arresting visual affect.  The urine was only found on Basquiat's portrait, a peer & collaborative artist with whom Warhol had a fractious falling-out.  In the upstairs gallery you'll find 2 large paintings (1984 & 85)  done in collaboration represent more fully Basquiat's hand.  Perhaps the urine tossed on Basquiat's portrait is an affronting comment on Warhol's former friend.  There is a large painting across from these two works "Oxidation Painting" "(1978) that is a remarkable abstract work that utilizes gold metal pigment & urine.  Two gentlemen touring the galleries made the comment that Warahol's work is "too easily digested, it is what you see."  I partially agree but would point out that Warhol wanted us to look at mundane items with more intensity.  His iconic poppie images are replicated in numerous ways that make them appear basic and more elaborate.  The many silkscreens that show a repetitive image (such as Monroe, or fiscal bills) poses a hypnotic serendipitous coloration stemming from the silkscreening process.  I overheard a curator ask a group of young students why they thought Warhol painted colors over Mao Tse Tung's portrait.  A young student answered, "It makes him look like he's wearing make-up and it emasculate him."  Hmmm...   A curator asked another school group about the enlarged silkscreen of "The Last Supper" which was distorted and painted over with large black paint strokes.  "Maybe Warhol was expressing some ambivalent feelings toward his faith" replied a student.  Warhol became famous appropriating images.  In the early 80s Warhol chose to select images to work from such as the human skull.  The skull figure has been infamously appropriated in many ways by other artists such as Hirst.  It's too simple to dismiss Warhol's work as merely pop art or reproductions.  Warhol was first to shed a new light on everyday images.  Go see From A to B and Back Again and try listening while looking to comments from other patrons.  

Tom Stoppard's "The Hard Problem" Is Loquacious, Sagacious & Hard to Resolve at Lincoln Center

Tom Stoppard (b Czech Republic 1937) is amongst the most elite contemporary playwrights & screenwriters.  Stoppard's style is erudite and loquacious; non-stop dialogue that is profound & perplexing. He's received an Acad. Award ("Shakespeare in Love" and 4 Tonys "The Coast of Utopia").  "The Hard Problem" is Stoppard's most recent play.  This erudite play poses theological & ethical points of view without providing definitive resolutions for enigmatic ideologies.  The "hard problems" are multi-pronged and the list is long: the prisoner's dilemma, survivalist strategies, altruism v. self-interest, cost v. benefits, nature v. nurture, artificial intelligence v. consciousness and not least of all, does God exist and does prayer provide merit.  Consideration is also given to coincidence.  Does coincidence have credibility or is it artificially construed?  Hilary (Adelaide Clemens) is the central character.  Hilary believes in prayer or perhaps relies on it to bring her comfort & peace of mind for the daughter Catherine she gave up at birth for adoption.  We meet her as a grad student bantering with her tutor turned lover Spencer (Chris O'Shea) about philosophy.  Spencer a.k.a. Spike defines the "hard problem" as the prisoner's dilemma; a survivalist mentality over integrity where one prisoner will turn on the other to save themselves rather than place trust in their cohort.  Perhaps, this is the mainstay take away "save your own ass" is the most sagacious modus operandi.  Alas, there are plenty more conundrums Stoppard's esoteric writing presents.  After getting her degree, Hilary is hired by a hedge fund co. that also dabbles in neurological studies with the intent of gaining an edge in investing thru insider information.  The convoluted plot and frenzied staging are combative to cogent storytelling.  A lot of the plot does not compute but confounds the consciousness of what is being assessed.  The capacities of the human mind are inconceivable.  So too are many of the lofty queries Stoppard puts forth with rapid fire. Regardless, Stoppard's erudite writing does makes its way into the cerebellum some of the time with intrigue & clarity.  For example, the stock market is irrational and so too is love.  The juxtaposition of both is a calculated construct that resonates.  The leading coincidence of Hilary's daughter being adopted by the affluent,  ruthless owner of the highly successful company for whom she works, doesn't work.  Still, his compassion to Hilary for opening a doorway to his adoptive daughter makes him a surprising & affecting outlier. The overriding essence from "The Hard Problem" is a healthy pastiche of skepticism & faith.  

Peter Farrelly's "The Green Book" A Black Pianist and His White Driver Navigate through the Color Divide

Peter Farrelly the director/screenwriter who gave us "Something about Mary" and "Dumb and Dumber," comes the film "The Green Book" based on the events of Dr. Don Shirley's life, a black pianist prodigy while touring the Jim Crow south during the early 60s with his driver & protector Tony "Lip" Vallelonga,  a white bouncer.  This is not your silly slapstick comedy that Farrelly is well known for, nor is it a sermonizing film about the brutal & ridiculous racist regulations during the segregated south.  The main messaging came from Don "You never win with violence." The shift of the movie is geared in the burgeoning friendship between 2 very different men who come to respect, admire and empathize with the social constraints they both must cope.  At the start of the tour, Don admonishes Tony who chose to remain outside shooting craps with the other black drivers. "These men had no choice but you did."  Prof. Shirley chose to tour the Deep South to confront with dignity the absurdity & abhorrent treatment of blacks.  Tony harbors racial prejudice although he bullshits Don that working for a black wouldn't pose a problem because his biggest problem is earning money for his family.  The credible & entertaining film is co-written by Farrelly and Tony's son Nick Vallelonga.  The title The Green Book" is derived from "The Negro Motorist Green Book" which indicated establishments that permitted blacks to stay or dine.  The genres bridge a buddy road trip with social epiphanies of an expansive world that offers immense beauty and harsh realities.  The two outstanding leads Don (Acad. Award winner Mahershala Ali "Moonlight") and Tony (Viggo Mortenson "Lord of the Rings") continuously drive this movie with high energy and strong sentiments.  Stereotypes and generalizations are seen through several lenses and a rear view mirror. Tony's laughable disbelief that Tony had never heard "his people's" music (Franklin, Cooke & Lil Richie) or ever eaten fried chicken are disproportionately offset by the humiliations (separate bathrooms, lodgings & oppressive restrictions) Don endures on a daily basis.  Music is another major aspect in the film that's inspiring as it represents the indomitable human spirit. (Did anyone notice the Carnegie Hall billboard for Bob Dylan & Pete Seeger?)  The silent scene where black sharecroppers stopped and stare at Don in his finery driven by a white man and Don's registering of their disparity spoke volumes.  The injustice & degradation of Don as a black man is keenly felt as well as Tony's awakening righteous indignation.  Neither is Don blind or uncaring of Tony's limited education & world view.  The symbiotic relationship between these two strong characters is magnificent to behold as each curves compassionately in the direction of the other.

The Flea Theater Premiere of HYPE MAN a Break Beat Play with a Lot of Political Sway

"Hype Man" at the Flea Theater is a powerhouse 1 act, 3 character in your face breakbeat play.  The audience is seated on stage which heightens the drama, hip hop & political rage.   Breakbeat incorporates a broad style of dance oriented music utilizing electronic keyboards and synthesizers to lay a rhythmic base.  The beat maker, Peep One (Tay Bass) is the odd female out in the trio with two guys who've been friends from the hood since childhood. Peep One is adopted and of mixed race who doesn't permit that to define her place. She identifies & empathizes with multi-races.  She also acts as a peacemaker between Pinnacle (Matt Stango) and Verb (Shakur Tolliver).  Pinnacle is numero uno.  He's white & the front man/writer for the group.  Verb is black & constantly in action.  His job is to hype the crowd.   The overall energy is loud & proud.  Here's a breakbeat {At the risk of sounding racist I just got to say this, Shakur Tolliver sure looks like Don Cheadle.  His dark eyes shine.}  Verb has evolved from his halcyon days of drugs & partying.  The play asserts forcefully racism remains pervasive.  People of color are continuously being persecuted.  The trio are on the brink of making it big with a shot on the Tonight Show.  Verb & Pinnacle were waiting for Peep One to rehearse.  She comes in late & apologetic.  She was held up by a car chase on the freeway.  They get a notification on their phones the driver, a 17 year old black youth, Jerard, was fatally shot 18 times by cops.  Verb argues to use their spotlight to protest the killing.  Pinnacle & Peep One don't want to misuse their opportunity for political purposes.  At the end of the set Verb flashes his t-shirt "Justice for Jerard."  Verb has a professional parting of the ways with Pinnacle & Peep One but their ongoing barrage of "words creep in like second hand smoke."  Playwright Idris Goodwin has written a poetical protest set to music by Wendell Hanes about love, loyalties, joy & justice; none of which are promised.  Cultural appropriation is also addressed.  A recollection of a pool party the two were invited while in high school by a white girl from an affluent area that didn't end well was especially affecting.   Verb dons an "I am a Man" pin & opines officers get away with murder. "If they knew us, they wouldn't kill us.  They can't kill us all!"  "Hype Man" a break beat play beams light on the memes of racism in the past, present and probable future.  Get up offa that thing!  "Hype Man" is a must see at The Flea.  White, black we gotta have each other's back.  

NYC Knicks Clipped the Milwaukee Bucks in OT

 The Knicks shot down the Bucks in OT with a score of 136-134.   It felt as if Bucks were in charge of the game with Giannis Antetokounmpo (try saying that 3 times fast) leading the pack.  The Bucks had a 14 point lead during the 2 period and ended the half with the Bucks up by 5.  The Knicks stayed on the Bucks' tail edging them out 32-31 in the 3rd.  The 4th period had messy play on both ends and missed free throws by the Bucks with 2 seconds on the clock allowed the Knicks to hold the score tied heading to overtime.  Overtime play was an exciting back & forth battle.  The Knicks finally bagged the Bucks 136-134 again with missed free throws with seconds on the clock allowing the Knicks to hold onto their lead.  And at this game, I was finally able to hold onto a tossed T-shirt after the last game when the rude dude behind me nabbed it from my hands.

Alvin Ailey's World Premier of Rennie Harris' "Lazarus Act I and ACT II" a Miraculous Work of Driving Force

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater had its world premier of Rennie Harris' "Lazarus Act I and Act II."  Mr. Harris is Ailey's artist-in-residence for 2018-19.  At the request of Ailey's Artistic Dir. Mr. Robert Battle, Mr. Harris was asked to create a work commemorating Alvin Ailey's legacy for this year's 60th Anniversary celebration.   Lazarus is a term used in science & popular culture meaning the restoration to life.  Harris' ingenious & potent "Lazarus" in 2 acts is nothing short of miraculous.  Act I creates a nightmarish aesthetic that pays homage to African American history built on the barbarity of slavery, lynching and persecution.  The omnipotent Ailey dancers moved in long-drawn-out movements that suspended the natural order of time.  "Lazarus Act I" confronts us with unflinching & traumatic images of lynchings.  It was agonizing to watch slowly twirling corpses being carried down.  The pain of grieving mourners was visceral.  Towards the end of Act I dancers laid prone while arms flaggingly waved upwards.  A lone dancer trudged over their bodies gazing forward.  At intermission the audience was left stunned by the forthright depiction of the brutal legacy of slavery & oppression.  "Lazarus Act II" was a major turn about with vivacious energy & an effervescent vibe.  The dancers wore modern African inspired costumes.  The hip hop choreography, the dancers' incredulous movements & musicality was uplifting and life affirming. The brilliant music & sound by Darrin Ross formed the underlying backbone to Harris' composition.  Although the audience was moved to clapping & cheering in "Lazarus Act II" there was the looped refrain "I'm a black man in a white man's world."  It was the joy & beauty inherent in life in Act II accompanying the ruination of past generations poignantly portrayed in Act I that rendered tears of acknowledgement and tugged heartstrings.  To live in a society where racist rhetoric & brutality is normalized is intolerable.  This phenomenal collaborative creative work blends music, Harris' choreography, Ailey dancers and historic & social storytelling in a momentous tribute & plea for humanity.  The Pulitzer Prize awarded in drama, music and poetry should be bestowed on Mr. Harris & Mr. Battle for inspiring the best within ourselves and for uniting us in harmony.   At 60, the Ailey Dance Co. has continued to stand & flourish on Alvin's gargantuan shoulders. "Dance is for everybody.  I believe that dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people."  "I am trying to show the world that we are all human beings and that color is not important."  (AA)