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. 

Night Visions- Imagine Dragons

The first exposure that I had to Imagine Dragons was during the NBA playoffs. Seemingly every commercial break, a spot would run with LeBron James practicing,  with "Radioactive" serving as his practice  music. There's an element of  struggle that makes it an ideal workout song, and combined with the many anthemic songs on Night Visions, it's no wonder that the Imagine Dragons have broken out in 2013.

Indeed, the theme of struggle carries on throughout Night Visions, giving the album a weary feel on many songs.  There are momentary detours from the struggle (such as the bouncy and slightly annoying "On Top Of The World" and "Amsterdam", which is probably the quiet gem of the entire set), but overall the grim mood is successfully set. 

Is there a lather-rinse-repeat quality to Night Visions?  Undoubtedly. Many of the songs follow the same pattern of catchy-hook intro/establishing lyrics/sweeping chorus, but it doesn't feel too repetitive, mostly because there is a lot layered into these songs that make them more repeatable. I did hear some echoes of other anthemic groups (U2, Coldplay, and Keane, to name a few), but I don't think there is a lot out there like the Imagine Dragons, and they are especially refreshing when compared to much of what else is on the radio now.  It'll be interesting to see how they branch out with their next release.

Captain Phillips

In Captain Phillips, Tom Hanks plays the title character, Captain Rich Phillips. Captain Phillips and his new crew on the Maersk Alabama embark on a mission around the horn of Africa to deliver food and supplies for the starving. We're also introduced to a band of Somali pirates who are looking to score a big payday by robbing a ship. The pirates set out on crude skiffs and spot the Alabama. As they approach, the crew begins to prepare for the worst, and Captain Phillips has a few tricks up his sleeve. The pirates board the Alabama, leaving the ship's fate in doubt.

Overall, Captain Phillips is a choppy ride, and I mean that in the best way. The camera work is very choppy throughout the film, which adds to the suspense and sense of chaos, especially when the pirates board the ship. This is Hanks' best performance in a long time, and his character's relationship with the pirates is an interesting one. I did feel the film grew just a little tedious in the middle. The last few minutes of the film definitely rewards the patience, however, and I do highly recommend the film.

Music Review- Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song (Amos Lee)

Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song is Amos Lee's fifth studio release, and although there are elements that I really enjoyed, overall the listening experience was a bit disappointing.

 

The good:  Amos Lee does depressed really well.  Tracks four through six are all mournful tunes, but with either such a well-set mood ("Indonesia,"), poignant lyrics ("Dresser Drawer"), or both ("Chill In The Air").  I'm not saying that Lee should only write sad songs, but the songs that surround these stellar songs make for a choppy listen.  "High Water" sounds like a Black Keys B-side, "Loretta" features some really cheesy lyrics, and "Plain View" is Lee's soapbox song, but the muddled vocals make it more annoying than profound.

 

 Lee also seems to be shooting for a country twang and a throwback sound on MoS, but a song like "Tricksters, Hucksters, and Scamps" doesn't sound natural for him.  "Stranger" is lively as well, but again doesn't sound entirely believable coming from Lee, although it does feature some nice guitar.   Luckily for Lee fans, there are three great songs here.  I'd recommend grabbing those three and skipping the rest.

 

 

The 17 (September 24)

The 17

Tuesday, September 24, 2013


Bus Stop (The Hollies): Nice, upbeat start to the playlist this week. Love story on a bus stop. It's one of two songs in my collection mentioning a bus stop (Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police being the other).
http://youtu.be/It75wQ0JypA



Cabaret (Louis Armstrong): I'm seeing many movies in the next couple of weeks at the Milwaukee Film Festival. The films are a great escape, which Armstrong encourages in this song.


Abacab (Genesis): I've started liking this song again, particularly the last few minutes.


Man (Neko Case): From her latest, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. Case is a singer that I can usually handle for a few songs, but her voice grates on me after a while. I like the rebellious tone in this one, though.

Introspection (MGMT): Another new song, this one from MGMT's self-titled latest. I listened to the entire CD, and there's very few catchy hooks, but this one reminded me of an early 70s song.

Kids (MGMT): This one has a very unique music video, and it's probably MGMT's second catchiest song (after "Electric Feel")

http://youtu.be/It75wQ0JypA



The Orchids (Califone): The only Califone song that I like, it's a song about appreciating what's around.

http://youtu.be/4e1jgqX0Y8g



Out of Touch (Hall And Oates): To the 80s! My favorite Hall & Oates song.

It's The End of The World As We Know It (REM): Speaking of singers I can only take in small doses, this is my favorite REM song.

My top 5 REM songs:

1. It's The End Of The World As We Know It

2. Drive

3. Bang And Blame

4. I Don't Sleep, I Dream

5. The One I Love

The Great Divide (The Mowglis): I think this might be the last time on the playlist for this song. I liked it the first couple times, but it's a little too shouty.

Fragments of Time (Daft Punk): There's just something about this song off Random Access Memories that I really love. It's kind of retro and chill.

Perfect World (Huey Lewis And The News): My favorite Huey Lewis song, and I like me some Huey Lewis.

http://youtu.be/7NltTUWU-y4


You Don't Know Me (The Polyphonic Spree): Unlike "The Great Divide", this one has grown on me.

Get Back (The Beatles): Time for some classics with some whoopin' Paul.

You've Got To HIde Your Love Away (The Beatles): Probably my favorite song from the movie Help!. It's a forlorn song from John, but a heartfelt one.

Ants Marching (Dave Matthews Band): I'm probably not going to any more Dave Matthews Band shows (I just haven't like what I've heard of them on live recordings since LeRoi Moore passed away and Tim Reynolds joined the live lineup), so it's a shame that I didn't get to hear this one in my four shows.

California Dreamin' (The Mamas And The Papas): When I put this playlist together, a little autumn chill was in the air. Man, did it change again. It won't be long before we're dreaming of the summer weather again.

The 17 (September 10)

The 17

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

 

Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes (Paul Simon):  I had this song from Graceland in my head after seeing a very interesting 25^th anniversary special.

 http://youtu.be/uf4YyXVoWeA

 

You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon): This was the first Paul Simon song I ever liked.  Couldn’t hear it enough as a kid, and glad it’s in my collection.

 http://youtu.be/uf4YyXVoWeA

 

Go Insane (Lindsey Buckingham):  This is from the Bass Performance Hall live CD.  It’s almost cheesy near the end, but still OK.

 

 

Mad World (Tears For Fears):  I hadn’t heard this in a while, but this may be one of my favorite TFF songs.

 http://youtu.be/3gFl2OXySs8

 

Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey (John Mayer):  Ah, Born and Raised.  Maybe whiskey, whiskey, whiskey can make me forget about Paradise Valley.

 http://youtu.be/zM1SWzYNzzM

 

Ghost Story (Sting):  This song and Big Lie, Small World are two underrated songs off Brand New Day.

 http://youtu.be/zM1SWzYNzzM

 

Golden Years (David Bowie):  My  favorite song right now.

http://youtu.be/HRD0ghlFSgk

 

 

 

She Blinded Me With Science (Thomas Dolby):  I never got into this song before, but I love everything about it right now.  SCIENCE! 

http://youtu.be/nMWGXt979yg

 

 

Some Days Are Diamonds (Amos Lee):  Love this cover of a John Denver song.

 

 

 

Ice Storming (Aloha):  A nice mood song, even if the mood is kind of bleak.

 http://youtu.be/V4TPPmKlA8M

 

Natural Blues (Moby):  Play is a great album, and this is my favorite song from it.

 

 

Linus And Lucy (David Benoit):  After a few more somber songs, time for a classic, and David Benoit’s version is solid.

 

 

I’m So Afraid (Fleetwood Mac):  Back to somber.  I had never heard the studio version of one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac live songs.

 http://youtu.be/nN5Wx9YR0oc

 

World Turning (Fleetwood Mac):  My dad’s favorite Fleetwood Mac song.

http://youtu.be/nN5Wx9YR0oc

 

 

Reggatta De Blanc (The Police): 

 

 

 

Bring On The Night (The Police):  Two solid Police songs

 

 

 

The Afterlife (Paul Simon):  Paul Simon’s version of the afterlife?  It starts like a visit to the DMV:  fill out a form first, and then wait in a line.

 

http://youtu.be/1y6j593KJHc (live on Jimmy Fallon)