Saturday, September 22, 2007
Talk to Me
I had a chance to see Talk to Me last week. Like the last bio-pic I reviewed, this one was all about the acting. Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor, as 1960s Washington radio personalities Petey Green and Dewey Hughes, give phenomenal performances. Every Don Cheadle performance has become something of a revelation. Such variety. The film is good. There are too many sections that drag--the film feels very very long--but there are also moments of extraordinary impact. The section of the film that covers the assassination of Martin Luther King is as moving and important as anything that will be released this year.
Three Albums to Recommend
I've been rotating almost non-stop among three albums that I want to write about today. Starting off with the album that is, without a doubt, my favorite of the year, so far. The New Pornographers released Challengers last month, and it's great. A.C. Newman, the primary creative force behind The New P's, has assembled a series of tracks that engage the ear and the brain from its opening notes. Neko Case provides great vocal support. I loved Twin Cinema, the last drop from the band, but Challengers is more impressive. The lyrics employ wonderful turns of phrase and the music is intellectual and visceral.
Also, if you haven't checked out The New Pornographers and the Case of Neko, take a look. It's a little dated, but an interesting look at band relations.
Some critics have talked about Challengers as the soundtrack for the summer, and A.C. has talked about Brian Wilson as an influence. I find The New P's music to be a little too fabulous to think of them as my beach music. More Bowie than Brian.
So what was my soundtrack to the summer? Easy! Junior Senior has released the bounciest, can't-get-it-out-of-my-head album I've heard in a long time. I can't can't get the t-t-title out of my head--Hey Hey My My Yo Yo. Every song is rather infectious, but getting Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson to provide vocals on "Take My Time" is so totally cool that any missteps can be totally forgiven. (And by the way, the supplemental disc in the States, Say Hello Wave Goodbye is kind of a misstep.) Add to the guest lineup Le Tigre and The Velvelettes and you've got a roaring good time. This is very bright music. You'll need sunglasses. But, hey, isn't that what the soundtrack to the summer is all about.
And when it's time to mellow out after hours of driving rhythms, check out Goodbye from Ulrich Schnauss. It got into Schnauss after reading a review of A Strangely Isolated Place, and that disc remains one of my desert island discs. Schnauss is like a found-objects artist, only he's working with sounds. Whether it's samples or industrial sounds or vocals, Schnauss pieces together music that is so much more than the sum of its parts. His music is sweeping and evokes very visual imagery with it. Goodbye creates a beautiful landscape, one that's easy to get lost in.
Also, if you haven't checked out The New Pornographers and the Case of Neko, take a look. It's a little dated, but an interesting look at band relations.
Some critics have talked about Challengers as the soundtrack for the summer, and A.C. has talked about Brian Wilson as an influence. I find The New P's music to be a little too fabulous to think of them as my beach music. More Bowie than Brian.
So what was my soundtrack to the summer? Easy! Junior Senior has released the bounciest, can't-get-it-out-of-my-head album I've heard in a long time. I can't can't get the t-t-title out of my head--Hey Hey My My Yo Yo. Every song is rather infectious, but getting Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson to provide vocals on "Take My Time" is so totally cool that any missteps can be totally forgiven. (And by the way, the supplemental disc in the States, Say Hello Wave Goodbye is kind of a misstep.) Add to the guest lineup Le Tigre and The Velvelettes and you've got a roaring good time. This is very bright music. You'll need sunglasses. But, hey, isn't that what the soundtrack to the summer is all about.
And when it's time to mellow out after hours of driving rhythms, check out Goodbye from Ulrich Schnauss. It got into Schnauss after reading a review of A Strangely Isolated Place, and that disc remains one of my desert island discs. Schnauss is like a found-objects artist, only he's working with sounds. Whether it's samples or industrial sounds or vocals, Schnauss pieces together music that is so much more than the sum of its parts. His music is sweeping and evokes very visual imagery with it. Goodbye creates a beautiful landscape, one that's easy to get lost in.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Two that I Missed...Until Now
I'm sure you'll have to search pretty hard to find someone else who reviews and Snakes on a Plane and Little Children in the same review. I missed them both in their initial theatrical runs, but I had a chance to catch them both this weekend.
Snakes on a Plane is generally not my kind of film. The horror genre is the one that I avoid for many reasons. Mostly, though, they just don't interest me. The last horror film I saw was 28 Days Later (partially) and before that, Blair Witch Project. My need to participate in a cultural phenomenon supersedes my dislike of the genre, so I needed to see Snakes at some point. And now I have. Don't lose all respect for me, but...I didn't hate it.
To be sure, Snakes on a Plane is not a good movie. But it is a decent movie for those of us who don't particularly like horror films. It's totally far fetched, but it's easy to go along for the ride. The humor is more effective than the horror, and you have to give the creative team snaps for finding creative ways to expose naughty bits to the snakes on the plane. And the film wisely stays away from the horror-porn that is typical of the genre right now. Sure, Samuel Jackson and Julianna Margulies are slumming, but they also help elevate the film into something a little more interesting. And there were fleeting moments when I actually felt a little something for the characters.
If Snakes on a Plane is an internet-fueled curiosity, Little Children is the kind of film that pops up below the radar and stays with you a long. long time. Little Children tackles the issue of loneliness that comes from a troubled marriage. This happens in the context of a registered sex offender that moves into the neighborhood, where Patrick Wilson and Kate Winslet are the the primary caregivers of their 3-year-olds. Both have been largely unsuccessful in their own lives and are needier than what their partners are providing. Thus, they end up in a relationship of great intensity and satisfaction. Will they end up together? Can they?
The film is not without its problems, and the elements don't always end up in a clear whole. The acting does elevate the film. Wilson and Winslet give great performances, supported by equally strong performances from Jennifer Connelly and Jackie Earle Haley.
There's a lot to dwell on here. Since it was released theatrically, friends have been asking me whether I've seen it yet. Now I have. It makes sense that people want to talk about it. Part of the reason is that it raises issues that we all deal with and handles them in very compelling ways. Still, though, Little Children is not quite satisfying in that it gives us two lead characters who are largely aimless (he continues to take and fail the bar exam, she never finishes her dissertation) and fall into and maintain their relationship the same way.
Snakes on a Plane is generally not my kind of film. The horror genre is the one that I avoid for many reasons. Mostly, though, they just don't interest me. The last horror film I saw was 28 Days Later (partially) and before that, Blair Witch Project. My need to participate in a cultural phenomenon supersedes my dislike of the genre, so I needed to see Snakes at some point. And now I have. Don't lose all respect for me, but...I didn't hate it.
To be sure, Snakes on a Plane is not a good movie. But it is a decent movie for those of us who don't particularly like horror films. It's totally far fetched, but it's easy to go along for the ride. The humor is more effective than the horror, and you have to give the creative team snaps for finding creative ways to expose naughty bits to the snakes on the plane. And the film wisely stays away from the horror-porn that is typical of the genre right now. Sure, Samuel Jackson and Julianna Margulies are slumming, but they also help elevate the film into something a little more interesting. And there were fleeting moments when I actually felt a little something for the characters.
If Snakes on a Plane is an internet-fueled curiosity, Little Children is the kind of film that pops up below the radar and stays with you a long. long time. Little Children tackles the issue of loneliness that comes from a troubled marriage. This happens in the context of a registered sex offender that moves into the neighborhood, where Patrick Wilson and Kate Winslet are the the primary caregivers of their 3-year-olds. Both have been largely unsuccessful in their own lives and are needier than what their partners are providing. Thus, they end up in a relationship of great intensity and satisfaction. Will they end up together? Can they?
The film is not without its problems, and the elements don't always end up in a clear whole. The acting does elevate the film. Wilson and Winslet give great performances, supported by equally strong performances from Jennifer Connelly and Jackie Earle Haley.
There's a lot to dwell on here. Since it was released theatrically, friends have been asking me whether I've seen it yet. Now I have. It makes sense that people want to talk about it. Part of the reason is that it raises issues that we all deal with and handles them in very compelling ways. Still, though, Little Children is not quite satisfying in that it gives us two lead characters who are largely aimless (he continues to take and fail the bar exam, she never finishes her dissertation) and fall into and maintain their relationship the same way.
Monday, September 3, 2007
La Vie En Rose
Edith Piaf had moments of striking darkness and light. The bio-pic La Vie en Rose captures the tortured soul of Piaf. It takes risks that don't always pay off, but you always appreciate the risk-taking. Piaf is defiant and strong-willed, even as her frail body is wracked with pain. From the opening scenes, the film is a long march to "Non, je ne regrette rien,"
No one takes greater risks than Marion Cotillard, who gives an Oscar worthy performance as Piaf. She creates a character at once unlikable, lovable and genius. Piaf lived a hard life from her first days to her last. It's a complex portrait made all the more compelling by its physicality (or at times, lack thereof). Piaf was small and frail for most of her life. By the time she died at 47, her body was twisted from arthritis, a car crash and addictions. Cotillard brings all of this together in a performance the is never less than compelling, but is often more. She is at once harsh and vulnerable, steadfast and broken.
The film also takes risks by placing key events in Piaf's life out of chronological order. The film is not a straight biography in that it attempts to make connections among various events in Piaf's life by connecting them in the film. In fact, one major event in her life is not even foreshadowed until her last night and the last moments of the film. Does this work? Largely, yes. Piaf's life story is largely a mystery, so it works to bring things together in mysterious ways.
As film biographies go, Piaf's is one that is compelling and not well known, particularly in the U.S. La Vie En Rose is a worthy entry transported by an extraordinary performance.
No one takes greater risks than Marion Cotillard, who gives an Oscar worthy performance as Piaf. She creates a character at once unlikable, lovable and genius. Piaf lived a hard life from her first days to her last. It's a complex portrait made all the more compelling by its physicality (or at times, lack thereof). Piaf was small and frail for most of her life. By the time she died at 47, her body was twisted from arthritis, a car crash and addictions. Cotillard brings all of this together in a performance the is never less than compelling, but is often more. She is at once harsh and vulnerable, steadfast and broken.
The film also takes risks by placing key events in Piaf's life out of chronological order. The film is not a straight biography in that it attempts to make connections among various events in Piaf's life by connecting them in the film. In fact, one major event in her life is not even foreshadowed until her last night and the last moments of the film. Does this work? Largely, yes. Piaf's life story is largely a mystery, so it works to bring things together in mysterious ways.
As film biographies go, Piaf's is one that is compelling and not well known, particularly in the U.S. La Vie En Rose is a worthy entry transported by an extraordinary performance.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Boy Culture
The DVD release of Boy Culture has got me thinking about Q. Allen Brocka's work. I like it. While most of it is almost-direct-to-video gay niche filmmaking, there's a charm and guerrilla aspect that comes perhaps from (what feels like) 5-day shoots. Boy Culture tries to take that up a notch. It's a more serious film, with stronger production values and a greater focus.
X (Derek Magyar) is a hustler who's only able to have meaningless sex when he's compensated. Sex without money must be accompanied by love, and he struggles to commit. He's clearly in love (romantically) with his roommate Andrew (Darryl Stephens) and (paternally) with his other roommate Joey (Jonathan Trent).
Brocka pulls out a host of cliche's: X can only open up to one of his tricks, an older queen who only wants to talk--at least until X wants him for more than his money. X narrates the film with the patter of a film noir detective. X struggles with a gay culture in which sex is meaningless.
But along the journey, the film develops a point of view that makes the conclusion, not only satisfying, but inevitable and real. You feel for the characters. Their journeys, however cliche they might be, seem real, because they are so familiar.
Does Boy Culture work for a non-gay audience? I'm not so sure it will. It still screams niche, not universality but there are keen insights and the pathos might speak to a broader audience. For the gay crowd, definitely worth a look!
X (Derek Magyar) is a hustler who's only able to have meaningless sex when he's compensated. Sex without money must be accompanied by love, and he struggles to commit. He's clearly in love (romantically) with his roommate Andrew (Darryl Stephens) and (paternally) with his other roommate Joey (Jonathan Trent).
Brocka pulls out a host of cliche's: X can only open up to one of his tricks, an older queen who only wants to talk--at least until X wants him for more than his money. X narrates the film with the patter of a film noir detective. X struggles with a gay culture in which sex is meaningless.
But along the journey, the film develops a point of view that makes the conclusion, not only satisfying, but inevitable and real. You feel for the characters. Their journeys, however cliche they might be, seem real, because they are so familiar.
Does Boy Culture work for a non-gay audience? I'm not so sure it will. It still screams niche, not universality but there are keen insights and the pathos might speak to a broader audience. For the gay crowd, definitely worth a look!
Once
Once has been getting great reviews and is being held over for a gazillion weeks wherever it plays. I missed it when it came to Keene and had been contemplating a visit to Amherst where it's held over for 20 or so weeks. Now I've seen it and I can say without reservation...huh?
This is a slice of life meditation on the relationship of two people, "guy" and "girl," street musician and pianist immigrant, who meet and and negotiate a relationship as they write songs together. It is a sweet film, but unsuccessful for me on so many levels.
The characters are largely unappealing. Glen Hansard makes guy largely pathetic, a little stalkerish, amd rather unattractive. Markéta Irglová is more successful with girl, though she's shortchanged on the songs.
I've heard a number of people say that Once is how a film musical should be done. I was definitely in the minority here, but I found the music to be bland and uninteresting. Visually, the handheld effect was headache inducing.
Once screams to be taken seriously as art, as an art house film, and as a reinvention of the film musical. It fails on all accounts.
This is a slice of life meditation on the relationship of two people, "guy" and "girl," street musician and pianist immigrant, who meet and and negotiate a relationship as they write songs together. It is a sweet film, but unsuccessful for me on so many levels.
The characters are largely unappealing. Glen Hansard makes guy largely pathetic, a little stalkerish, amd rather unattractive. Markéta Irglová is more successful with girl, though she's shortchanged on the songs.
I've heard a number of people say that Once is how a film musical should be done. I was definitely in the minority here, but I found the music to be bland and uninteresting. Visually, the handheld effect was headache inducing.
Once screams to be taken seriously as art, as an art house film, and as a reinvention of the film musical. It fails on all accounts.
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