Moonrise Kingdom

Expectations are a funny thing. 

I had put off seeing Moonrise Kingdom for a while, knowing that Wes Anderson was the director.  I'd seen two Wes Anderson films, so granted, the sample size wasn't all that big to provoke such a reaction.  The Royal Tenenbaums was a royal bore to me, and with such a great cast, I was really disappointed.  I enjoyed Rushmore, but its lead character Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) became so annoying by the end of the film that I had a sour taste in my mouth about the whole film.

Even as the previews were showing, I still had some apprehension- would I love Moonrise Kingdom, as so many people had, or would I want to bang my head against the soft recliner's seat back?

To give a brief synopsis, 12 year old Sam Shukusky has run away from the Khaki Scouts and Suzy Bishop (around the same age) has run away from home- they were pen pals and have run away to have an adventure.   Each of them has had some misbehavior in the past, some of it rather violent.  Edward Norton plays the scoutmaster, Bruce Willis a police captain, Bill Murray and Frances McDormand are Suzy's parents.

So, tremendous cast.  Been there before.  Question still remains- would I enjoy the film?

The answer is a loud, enthusiastic yes, and the characters are a big reason why.
 The characters are very real, very fleshed out.  Kara Heyward and Jared Gilmanre incredible as Suzy and Sam.  Both are kids with issues- Suzy has temper problems, and Sam is an orphan with a track record of misbehavior, but together they have such a bond.  Edward Norton plays the Scout Master as someone extremely enthusiastic to do the job, but not over the top.

And that's just it- none of the characters are over the top or cartoonish.  They're written and played just right, and because of that, the film really drew me in from the start and never let go. 

Movie- Chocolat (2000)

Chocolat

Director:  Lasse Hallstrom

Stars:  Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp

Chocolat takes place in a small town in France where people follow the rules.  They go to church every Sunday, they don't indulge during Lent, they follow the example of their mayor, Compte De Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who prides himself on discipline.  He goes so far in leading by example that he edits the sermons each week. 

Enter Vianne (Juliette Binoche)- she goes where the North Wind blows, and it's swept her into town, where she opens a chocolaterie (during Lent, no less), outraging the town and the Compte.  She encourages the townspeople to indulge and gets close to Armande (Judi Dench), who has been banned from seeing her grandson, as she is seen as a bad influence on him by her daughter.

Chocolat has something in common with one of last year's nominees, The Cider House Rules- the two films share the same director, Lasse Hallstrom.  The two films are similar in pace- both are plodding, deliberate films, and both involve characters seeking adventure.  Whereas Tobey Maguire's character in Cider House Rules sought to change only his life, however, Chocolat's protagonist seeks to change others, to stir things up for everyone.

I found Chocolat to be a bit exasperating in parts.  Juliette Binoche's character in particular comes off as obnoxious at times- she has a knowing smirk every time someone samples her chocolate.  Alfred Molina's glare gets a bit old as well, although near the ending he does have a funny scene.  Overall, I didn't hate Chocolat, but can't recommend it, either.

The Avengers

I had wanted to see The Avengers for quite some time, especially after hearing some glowing reviews.  It's not often I see a movie for pure fun or a thrill ride, and action films (especially comic book films) are not generally my thing.  There has to be more to a movie than things blowing up and great special effects.

There's definitely more in The Avengers, which rates as probably the best action movie I've ever seen (and I say probably because I may think of one later, but not likely).  There were so many ways this movie could have gone wrong- wooden action film dialogue, the curse of having so many stars together, but it stays beautifully on track the entire way.  The plot is kept relatively simple- there is a power source called the Tesseract, which falls into the hands of villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Avengers must get it back, as Loki is determined to rule mankind with it.

Seeing so many comic books heroes at the same time was striking to me, and as I heard in other reviews, each one really does get a chance to shine.  The Incredible Hulk in particular was a frightening presence, but he also had some of the film's funnier moments.

I highly recommend The Avengers as an extremely well made film- the action sequences and special effects had me on the edge of my seat, and lived up to the expectations of being a really fun ride.

Music- John Mayer- Battle Studies

Battle Studies is the 2009 release from John Mayer, and the mood throughout is, well, battle-weary.  From the opening track “Heartbreak Warfare”, these are the songs of an artist in personal turmoil.  It’s not a good CD to put into the car stereo for a long drive or a workout, as many of the songs have a forlorn, sorrowful vibe.  Battle Studies does perk up in the second half- “Assassin” is a standout track with a good groove in which Mayer describes himself as a taker of hearts, but one who met his match, and “Edge of Desire” is another I’d recommend.

Overall, I don’t recommend Battle Studies as much as Continuum- there’s nothing wrong with songs about a breakup or sorrow, but this just isn’t a very memorable set.

Music- John Mayer- Continuum

Continuum, the 2006 release by John Mayer, begins with "Waiting On The World To Change", which has never been one of my favorite songs.  The song is a justification of passivity and isn't very interesting, but it doesn't set the tone for the rest of the album.  There are several stellar tracks on Continuum (three of the first five, in fact), the first of which is "I Don't Trust Myself (Loving You)", which has a nice groove to it and excellent soft horns near the end.  I found the lyrics to the next song, "Belief", thought-provoking and the song itself to be a compelling listen due to the chorus and the guitar.  Other standout songs include the quieter "The Heart of Life" and "In Repair", which features a solid jam.  Overall, Continuum is highly recommended for finely honed and thoughtful song-writing, and solid guitar work.

New Poem- Haunt

I know
That
Different events
Moments that flash past in my waking life
Instances that I may not care to remember
Influence me and shape who I am today, right now, at this second
Snippets from childhood
Jumping from one sled to another on an
Icy hill
My one daredevil moment
Keeps me cautious
And is just one representation
Of how all my days add up to me

But

Do I have the reverse influence
And is there a ghost of me
Haunting the places I've been
Energy spilling
Out into places that were once but are no longer there
Or people I no longer know                                                                               

Music- The Fixx- Beautiful Friction

Phantom living............

Phantom living...........


This is PHANTOM LIVING!

The Fixx and I, we go way back.  They are as indelibly etched in the sounds of my childhood as Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry", the "Chess" soundtrack, and Pete Townshend song "Gonna Get You" (which may not be the title, but is to me).  These were all records my dad played when I was growing up, fond memories from the living room of the first place I truly remember living.  The Phantoms record was well worn, and I remember just the mood of that set of songs, sort of pondering and mysterious.

I've always loved the Fixx because they were great at setting a mood, and that began with their first release, "Shuttered Room", which included "Red Skies", sort of a hostile-takeover, danger-is-coming song.  As time went by, they still made some interesting albums.  2003's Want That Life had "You Don't Have To Prove Yourself", which was an uptempo, let's all get along shuffle, and Elemental before that had "Happy Landings", a touching song about recovery.

I wish I could say that Beautiful Friction was a masterpiece, that it took me back to their glory days or had a highlight song, but though I didn't dislike too many of the songs, it just didn't grab me as I hoped it would.  There are songs where the lyrics just aren't interesting, and songs where instead of letting a nice groove or instrumental go, singer Cy Curnin interjects inane words.  It's not all negative, though- now I might just find Phantoms to listen to  though it won't be the same since it's not on vinyl)