Music Spotlight

Jamestown Revival, "California"

I think their entire debut album Utah is excellent.  This is just a fun listen, and in particular I think the song "Home" might be one of my favorite album-closers.   Here's "California", the second track on Utah:

http://youtu.be/VidjX0j04og







Nickel Creek, "Destination"

I'm really looking forward to A Dotted Line (due out April 1).  I've always thought that Nickel Creek had such a distinct sound and was sad to see them break up several years ago.  I'm not a fan of Chris Thile by himself, but with Sara and Watkins, there's much more of a nice balance.

http://youtu.be/JawK7QcEGKU





Nickel Creek, "The Lighthouse's Tale"

This is a very haunting song from Nickel Creek

http://youtu.be/ARIr6S_0lAQ




Feist, "The Bad In Each Other"


Feist's music sometimes meanders too much for me, but she does have a knockout voice.  This one sounds like it would be the perfect concert opener, with the stomping intro and determined guitar.
From 2011's Metals


http://youtu.be/mV8BrMDtOjY


Feist, "Caught A Long Wind"

This song, also from Metals, is a little more gentle, but is still goosebump-inducing in parts.

http://youtu.be/Q1Ywmjn_1FU


RETRO PICK: 

Phil Collins, "We Fly So Close"

I wasn't a big fan of Both Sides, but this song is absolutely beautiful.  Incredibly melancholy, but like "In The Air Tonight", it's incredible for the mood that it sets.

http://youtu.be/Pzs8Cdrgzw0



And finally...


Yuna, "Falling"

This is my current favorite song.  I've listened to it dozens of times, but I always hear something new.  Her latest album Nocturnal has a jazzy, laid-back vibe, and her voice is accompanied by some just perfect choices instrumentation-wise.  It's a great workout song, great chill-out song, just an overall great song.

http://youtu.be/HGY2MBdv9Y0






 

Enough Said (and other movies)

Enough Said:

Out of the movies that I've seen over the last month and a half, the best by far was Enough Said.  It's the story of Albert and Eva, both of whom are previously divorced.  They meet at a party, hit it off, and begin seeing each other. 

Eva's a masseuse, and one of her clients is Marianne.  Marianne's a poet and a bit of a free spirit, and she and Eva strike up a friendship.  She doesn't have anything good to say about her ex, and Eva's all ears, but things become complicated when Eva figures out that Marianne is Albert's ex-wife.

I have to recommend Enough Said because I felt like it was a realistic romantic comedy.  Eva's a bit oblivious to certain realities (for example, that it might be hurtful to her daughter that Eva's getting really chummy with her daughter's best friend) and starts to see some of Albert's habits as flaws after hanging around with Marianne.  Gandolfini's Albert is very vulnerable.  It's obvious that his habits (however innocuous) annoyed Marianne to no end, and that they just weren't a match, but Eva seems to take her word as gospel and sees flaws that may not even really be flaws. 

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Other films I've recently seen:

The Spectacular Now

This is a solid teen-romance film, and an opposites-attract teen-romance film.  Miles Teller gives a very John Cusack like performance as Sutter, a high-schooler who carries around a flask and is very much about the present (to the detriment of any future he might have).  Sharlene Woodley (The Descendants and the upcoming Divergent movie) as Aimee is a very naïve and innocent girl who falls for Sutter, who continues his self-destructive behavior even after they start dating.  It's easy to dislike Sutter, but throughout there's a sense that there's a decent guy underneath all the trouble.  It's also easy to see why Sutter is the way he is after meeting his father (played by Kyle Chandler).  The struggle for Sutter to change and the suspense of not wanting to see Aimee get hurt makes this a compelling watch.

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Katy Perry:  Part Of Me

I didn't really feel like I learned too much from this documentary, other than that Perry's shows might be sensory overload.  Yes, touring is difficult, and yes, it takes a toll on one's personal life.  It wasn't a shocker that Katy was a bit of a ham as a kid. Altogether, this wasn't a terrible documentary, just not terribly enlightening.

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French Immersion (at UWM's Festival of Films in French)

Goofy film about life in Quebec at a French Immersion school for adults.  Said adults are not allowed to speak English in school or with their host families.  Culture shock leads to most of the humor.  The school is being investigated because of mismanagement, so the school's leadership tries to do everything they can to save it, and one of the new students has political aspirations but needs to hide for a little while.  It's a likable film without too much depth or intensity.

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Dans La Maison (In The House)

This was a second viewing of a film screened for Milwaukee Film Club members last year, and since I knew of the twists and turns this time, it wasn't nearly as entertaining. 

 

The film centers around the budding relationship between Germain, a literature teacher,and one of his students.  Early on, the teacher laments the disappointing quality of his students' work, as they seem incapable of even describing their weekend in an interesting manner.  Along comes Claude Garcia, who tells the story of the happenings in his friend's house as he begins tutoring him in math. 

Germain begins mentoring Claude, as he sees Claude's potential, but begins to offer his opinion on the plot and writing style. Claude, meanwhile, begins to linger in his friend's home and writing on life there.  Eventually, this becomes very complicated for both Germain and Claude and has consequences for both.

My second viewing felt a bit tedious, but I definitely recommend it, as it is a unique experience, both funny and suspenseful.

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The Lego Movie

After seeing the trailer for The Lego Movie, I couldn't wait to see it opening weekend.  Although it's aimed at kids, it looked like it would be able to be versatile enough to appeal to adults as well.

The plot is pretty simple. Lord Evil Business (Will Ferrell) has a weapon called the Kragle, and plans on using it to change the world as everyone knows it.  He's tired of people messing with his stuff, so he intends to stop that with the Kragle.  Lord Vetruvius (Morgan Freeman) says that there is a chosen one who will find the Piece of Resistance and be able to thwart Lord Business.  Emmett Brickowski winds up finding the piece.  The trouble is, there's nothing special about him.  He can't put two pieces together to save his life, which frustrates him and his friends.

The Lego Movie didn’t wow me the way I hoped it would.  It’s a good movie, not great, mostly because I wasn’t sure in watching it what it wanted to accomplish.  Was it a story about how an ordinary person could be special?  Was it supposed to be just a zany film featuring Legos?  For a brief second or two, I realized that this could just be one giant ad for Legos with some pleasant moments. 

That’s not to say that there weren’t parts I enjoyed.  There are some hilarious characters (Bad Cop, for instance, is one of Lord Evil Business’s henchmen, but he also has another side, like some Legos do).  I think Will Arnett as Lego Batman may be my favorite Batman ever, as he spoofs how dark Batman tends to be.  And Will Ferrell voices a great villain in Lord Business, playing a menace with good comic timing.

This movie’s for the kids, of course.  But I did read some glowing reviews saying how much adults will love it, so  I did have high expectations going in.  Though they weren’t totally met, I do recommend seeing The Lego Movie and I’m glad it’s out there.

Super Bowl Thoughts

Well, that got out of hand quickly, didn't it?  The first snap sails over Peyton Manning's head, the Seahawks do The Safety Dance, and Broncos fans/Seahawks haters get a little bit of a feeble, queasy feeling that this Super Bowl might be a let down.

It wasn't going to be an easy night for Mr. Manning.  The Broncos weren't used to this NFC West brand of football.  Many moons ago, they and the Seahawks were AFC Westers, back when the Seahawks weren't sporting much of a defense, much of an offense, much of anything, and the Broncs were led by a rambling, scrambling John Elway.  Nowadays, the Seahawks engage in twice (and sometimes thrice) yearly scrums with the only team that seems to keep it close, the 49ers. 

Think you're going to beat the Seahawks with a statue like Manning at QB?  The Seahawks were practically in his helmet.  Manning looked truly ill at ease.  This wasn't going to end in an orange blaze of glory, not tonight, not when the Legion of Boom was taking away everything.  The Broncos (like the Colts) rely on timing, quick passes, long drives.  They were used to little resistance.  They sure didn't get anyin the AFC playoffs.  Against the Pats, Manning might as well have been wearing a red jersey, because he wasn't touched at all.   The Seahawks made him squirm, stutter, and scowl all night.

The 'Hawks offense was nothing to sneeze at, either.  Under little pressure from the Broncos, Russell Wilson became comfortable and started throwing rainbows.  Percy Harvin reminded the world why he's so dangerous (when he can stay healthy) in more than one aspect of the game.  It was truly a clobbering in all phases of the game.

After Harvin broke the kick return to start the second half, it was all over but the commercials, and it was too bad they weren't better.  Any other night, the TV gets turned off after all hope is extinguished, but this is the Super Bowl and the commercials aren't supposed to be bathroom/kitchen break time, but there was little of note this year.  I did crack up at the Doberhuahua commercial, and the Seinfeld/Costanza/Newman reunion was nice to see, but otherwise, there was not much of note. Same goes for Bruno Mars, by the way.  Not that he wasn't entertaining, but I didn't feel there was anything I hadn't seen before.

Hopefully next year someone can stand up to Seattle, but for tonight, they're the champions, andoverwhelmingly so. 

January

It's been a while since I've last posted, and I've decided to make this a monthly blog, to do my watching and listening and report back on the end of the month on the great, awful, and everything in between.   Let's get started!


Best movies I saw in January:

I wanted to name a best film, but there were two so outstanding that I couldn't decide.

Co-winners:  Mud and Her

One is an Oscar contender, the other could have been in a weaker year.  One deals with the tall tales that children believe, the other with how real a relationship with an invisible entity can be.  They're both extremely entertaining and suspenseful, but in completely different ways.

Her is the Oscar nominee, of course, and throughout the film I was thinking how fine a line Spike Jonze walked in making this film.  I could imagine seeing this in the late 80s, Theodore Twombly (played subtly by Joaquin Phoenix) carrying a gigantic cell phone around (as the film is set in the "near future" and typing away in front of a green computer screen, cursor blinking.  It would have been played more broadly for more laughs (there are funny parts, but Her is not truly a comedy).

Or in today's world, Theodore could have been played by a smirking Steve Carell, whose friends mercilessly tease him about falling in love with his operating system (a very advanced digital assistant).  (And mind you, I'm a fan of Carell, but we're in a time where Adam Sandler comedies make kajillions of dollars.  Subtlety is not a money-making adjective).

But the film portrays the life cycle of a real relationship, and in this near future the relationship between a man and his digital assistant is not scorned (well, for the most part).  As Samantha's programming becomes more advanced, complications arise for both parties, and the resolution is heartbreaking.

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Mud, on the other hand, is not a love story, but about the difference between what teenagers believe they know and the actual truth.  Ellis and Neckbone are two teens without stable home lives (Neckbone is being raised by his uncle and his parents' marriage is falling apart.  The two venture out on their boat to an island and happen upon Mud (Matthew McConaghey), who tells them that he's trying to reunite with his love Juniper.

There's more to the story than that, including a murder, but the two friends choose to believe that love is the motive and keep on helping Mud.  Ellis in particular doesn't show much fear.  He operates on instinct, and a few times his impulses land him in precarious positions.

I liked how Mud illustrates that the line between young adult and adult can be very thin, especially when young adults unwittingly throw themselves into very adult situations.  McConaughey is excellent as the enigmatic Mud, and Tye Sheridan is memorable as Ellis. 

 
 
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Worst Film of The Month:

The Heat

2014 didn't start out well.  The Heat was the first movie I saw, and what a mess it is.  Melissa McCarthy's character is so obnoxious in the opening minutes that I nearly stopped watching.  It's a very shrill film.  McCarthy's character stays loud and obnoxious throughout, and Sandra Bullock plays a very tightly wound detective.  It's supposed to be sort of a odd-couple sort of thing, but neither character is anywhere near likeable. 

The film could have worked much better if both the defining characteristics of both main characters were toned down a bit.  McCarthy has shown that she can do oddball and endearing simultaneously.  Perhaps that'll happen in the sequel, but I won't be rushing out to the theater to see it.

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Others:

• I was disappointed in another Oscar contender.  David O. Russell's last film, Silver Linings Playbook, was my favorite film of 2012.  Every scene seemed to crackle, so many memorable sequences, and I was really looking forward to American Hustle, especially with the stellar cast it boasts.  I never felt connected to the story or the cast, however, so it just seemed kind of long and somewhat entertaining.  With all the big names, I think my favorite character was played by Louis CK, although Amy Adams has a couple of knockout moments.

• I admittedly didn't stay awake for all of The Queen of Versailles, but it's a strange documentary.  David and Jaqueline Siegel are planning on building the largest house in America.  David owns Westgate Resorts, a lucrative time-share business, and the Siegels live very large.  They both believe that they deserve to have the largest house, as they've worked for it.  Everything's all set for them to start building, but then the economy tanks, the business takes a hit, and suddenly life isn't so rosy.  Life after the downturn takes a toll on the Siegels, and the aftermath feels like reality-show finger-pointing.

 

2013 Movie Awards- The "I Just Don't Get It Award"

My first year-end movie award goes to the praise that Stories We Tell has been receiving from critics I follow. It's the second consecutive film by Sarah Polley that left me cold. Polley's last film Take This Waltz was about a marriage falling apart and a woman finding a spark from outside her marriage. I thought Michelle Williams' performance was pretty ridiculous, and there was no drama to me as to why the marriage was failing, especially given that her husband (played by Seth Rogen) was doing things like dumping cold water over her head each morning while she showered. There was no indication that there was ever a spark, so the film just didn't work for me.

In Stories We Tell, Polley portrays her own family's drama. It should be a very fascinating story, as Polley interviews family to find out the identity of her birth father. However, I felt nothing but distanced from the story, as certain decisions Polley made almost made it feel like Polley was making this film strictly for her family. She has a family member read the narration for the film live, and to me it would have been more fascinating to get more of her reaction about all this, as to me she feels more like a bystander.

Nebraska

In Alexander Payne's latest film Nebraska, Will Forte plays Daniel Grant.  Daniel is a very patient man, and he has to be.  His father Woodrow is an alcoholic who is pretty much oblivious to the world around him, and his mother doesn't have any filter and constantly badmouths Woodrow (and pretty much everyone else).

 

Woodrow receives a letter saying that he may have won a million dollars, which he takes to mean that he has won a million dollars.  He no longer drives, so he starts walking to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim his prize.  Daniel, realizing that his father is not going to stop trying to get there, offers to drive him to Lincoln.  This also offers both of them a respite from his mother's sharp tongue, so they set out for Lincoln.  They do make a stop to visit family, and when word gets out of Woodrow's supposed winnings, complications ensue with friends, family, and others in the town they visit.

 

Overall, I thought Nebraska was an outstanding film, one of the best I've seen all year.  Between Nebraska and The Descendants, Payne has shown a mastery of how to portray a family, warts and all.   In fact, the two films go together very well even though there is a stark contrast in the setting.  The Descendants takes place in Hawai'i, and the beauty of the island makes Hawai'i almost a character in itself.  Nebraska is shot in black and white, which de-emphasizes the scrubby settings and puts more emphasis on the characters.

 

Speaking of the characters, Bruce Dern plays the exasperating Woodrow as a man who can't get out of his own way and doesn't seem to want to.  Forte is mostly a reactionary character, as he has to deal with his exasperating, yet still intimidating father and crochety mother (not to mention all the other characters from their past.

 

Nebraska's not in wide release as of yet, but is definitely worth seeing, as I have a feeling one or more Academy Awards could be in the cards for such an excellent film.