Hope Springs

Hope Springs (2012)

Director:  David Frankel

Stars:  Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell

Rating:  PG-13

Plot:  Kay (Streep) and Arnold (Jones) have been married for 31 years.  Each morning, Jones is served the same breakfast, kisses his wife on the cheek, goes off to work, comes home, falls asleep in front of The Golf Channel, then retires to his room.  A frustrated Kay wants a real marriage, finds a couples specialist online, and books a trip to Hope Springs, Maine for a weeklong treatment.

Mr. Matt's take:  Hope Springs can be a painful film to watch- it's an intimate look at a marriage gone numb because of the lack of effort and communication, and putting it all back together involves a lot of effort and traveling through once-familiar but now-foreign territory brings old wounds to the surface.  The film does an excellent job of showing how Kay and Arnold wind up in Dr. Feld's hands, and Streep and Jones deliver gritty, realistic performances.  There is no magic cure for what ails Kay and Arnold, and their gains never come easily.  I highly recommend Hope Springs, as uncomfortable as it can be to watch.

Mr. Matt's Movie Awards

Here are the rest of my awards for 2012:

Best Special Effects:



The award goes to Chronicle, a film that progresses from silly and funny uses of special effects as its teenage characters harness (or attempt to harness) their special powers to a stunning ending sequence when one character's troubles lead to misuse of powers.

Runner Up:  The Avengers










Best Leading Pair:

This was a year that featured several films with great chemistry between leading characters.  The winner this year goes to Jared Gilman (Sam) and Kara Heyward (Suzy) of Moonrise Kingdom.  They both play troubled kids- Sam's an orphan who runs away from the scouts because he's been corresponding with Suzy, who has behavior issues.  They meet each other on a New England island and have an adventure, one that shows them mature beyond their years, yet still kids.

Runners Up: 
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
                   
Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

 

Worst Leading Pair:  Mark Wahlberg and Ted (Seth MacFarlane), Ted

More on this later....




Best Actor:  Denzel Washington, Flight

Washington's performance as alcoholic hero pilot Whip Whitaker was gripping from start to finish.  Whitaker begins the film doing drugs, drinking, and carousing mostly naked with one of the flight staff, then manages to land a defective plane, then spirals out of control under the influence.  He manages to land the plane, but it's often hard to watch him so out of control afterwards, denying that he has a problem and declining help as others try to stop his descent.



Best Actress:  Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook:

There's an undercurrent of suspense throughout this film, but SLP is a completely different experience after Pat (Bradley Cooper) is introduced to his friend's wife's sister Tiffany (Lawrence).  Tiffany has a bravado that allows her to stand up to just about anyone, yet an empathy and vulnerability that make her and Pat both compatible and combustible. 

Early in the film, Pat has an episode at the doctor's office when he hears Ma Cherie Amor.  The song sends him to a bad place, and there's a scene later where he hears it and starts to freak out and Tiffany guides him through it- it's such a tender scene and kind of unexpected at that point from such a supposedly tough character, but then again Silver Linings Playbook is full of such surprises.



Worst Film:  Ted

I realize that there are worse films out there than Ted, but it's the most obnoxious and least funny film that I saw all year.  Mark Wahlberg (John) and Ted are the worst on-screen pair of the year, as Ted brings out the absolute worst in John, which Lori (Mila Kunis) won't tolerate anymore.  Ted is basically a bad episode of Family Guy on screen, with Mila Kunis playing Lois instead of voicing Meg, and both Ted and John as Peter.  Just all around crude and obnoxious stuff.


Best Film:



This was so close for me and it's almost 1 and 1A because each film has a leading couple with such unique and great chemistry, so I'm going to have to go with Silver Linings Playbook over Moonrise Kingdom because the subplots in Silver Linings seem stronger and the supporting characters more entertaining.




 

Mr. Matt's Awards: Most Unusual Film, Most Disturbing Film

Most Unusual Film:  Holy Motors

Holy Motors is a French film that follows a day in the life of Monsieur Oscar, a gentleman who bounces from being a beggar to a motion capture actor to family man.  He changes appearance dramatically in between stops in a limousine.  Holy Motors is a very strange yet captivating film, one that needs multiple viewings in order to understand all that happens.  There's some graphic violence and nudity in the film, as well as an incredible musical interlude in the middle.


Most Disturbing Film: Compliance

Compliance was shown at the Milwaukee Film Festival, and during the film's introduction, the audience was told that there were numerous walkouts during showings at other festival screenings. Several audience members did the same in Milwaukee during Compliance, a film in which a prank caller gets a fast-food manager on the line to investigate an alleged theft by one of the restaurant employees.  The caller intimidates the manager into interrogating and searching the employee, and the manner in which the employee is treated during the investigation by a manager who doesn't ask any questions about the caller is stomach-turning, as is the frequency that these incidents happen.  Not recommended for the faint of heart, and there is nudity in the film. 

Mr. Matt's Awards: Worst Music Release, Worst Song

Reviewing music can be both a pleasure and a chore, depending upon the quality of a music release.  A couple of albums have been stellar, some good, some forgettable, and there were a couple that made me want my time back and made me wish my memory of them could be erased. The award for worst music release goes to:

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, The Lion The Beast The Beat

Full review:  http://thisnthatmatt.blogspot.com/2012/06/lion-beast-beat-grace-potter-and.html


Horrible, horrible lyrics and not a sincere moment during its running time makes this one stand out as most awful.

Runner Up:  Phillip Phillips, The World From The Side of The Moon

Full review:  http://thisnthatmatt.blogspot.com/2012/11/phillip-phillips-world-from-side-of-moon.html

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Worst Song:  "Turntable", Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

A song about hooking up using stereo equipment terminology. 

 

Mr. Matt's Awards: Best Music Release, Best Song

Best Music Release:  Bear Creek, Brandi Carlile
Best Song:  "100", Brandi Carlile

There's just a wide-open, free ranging sort of vibe that courses through Bear Creek, beginning with "Hard Way Home", which sounds more country than anything's done and more country than anything else on the album, but several memorable songs make Bear Creek the best thing that I reviewed in 2012.  "Save Part of Yourself" manages to be longing and fun, "Keep Your Heart Young manages to be old-fashioned, yet not affected, and "Rise Again" concludes the album on an uplifting note.  But the best song of 2012, in my opinion, is "100" (a live take is shown below).  It's another longing song from Carlile, who seems to be especially good at writing them, but with a pulsating beat to start and a cello solo to boot, it's an incredible listen.

Live from Bear Creek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPEfnXiQ0ts

Regular version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS6wXth2bEA

Runner Up, Best Music Release:

A fantastic release from Dave Matthews Band, Away From The World

Runner Up, Best Song: " The Riff", Dave Matthews Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbakG_HZgCc

Take This Waltz

Take This Waltz

Director: Sarah Polley

Stars:  Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Luke Kirby

Summary:  Margot (Michelle Williams) strikes up a relationship with new neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby).  Daniel seems to offer some much needed excitement for Margot, whose marriage to Lou (Seth Rogen) lacks spark.

Rated:  R (nudity, language)

Mr. Matt's Take: 

This was an exasperating film to watch, mostly because it wasn't all that believable.  Lou and Margot's marriage shows signs of being in trouble throughout the film, but since there's no backstory as to how they fell in love, it's hard to root for the two characters to stay together.  They don't really talk to each other, except in very forced and uncomfortable ways (such as the most extreme way one of them would kill the other), and Lou actually pours cold water every morning on Margot during her shower, which for some reason she either chooses not to believe or doesn't put two and two together.  So when Daniel (a rickshaw operator, by the way) shows up, it's hard to wish against Margot's happiness and isn't all that shocking when she gets closer and closer to Luke.  The only problem with that is Margot's character isn't very likable either (she's supposed to be a "free spirit", but that involves things like sticking her fingers into Lou's mouth while he's talking on the phone during an important conversation).  Just a warning as well- the film earns the R with a locker-room full of full frontal nudity, as well as some explicit scenes later in the movie.  I guess that warning would apply more if I could recommend this movie, but I really can't.

Coldplay- Live 2012

Slow It Down, Mr. Martin

Coldplay hit the road this year in support of their latest release Mylo Xyloto, and last week released Live 2012, which featured many of the MX songs and other favorites.  The release is not encouraging for anyone who wondered if they wanted to see a Coldplay show.

The main problem with the set is lead singer Chris Martin's performance.  Coldplay's live shows are spectacles; they're heavy on the visuals and very high energy, and the high energy is where Martin gets in trouble. " Viva La Vida" features really rough vocals, and it sounds like Martin is pogoing across the stage.  "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall", the set closer, is nearly unlistenable, as all the movement sends Martin off-key.  And Martin's delivery and choices on older songs like "Yellow" and "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" makes him seem distracted, as if he's more interested in the spectacle than the show.

It's not all bad news, though.  "Us Against The World", a beautiful song from Mylo Xyloto, is performed on guitar, and "Clocks" (a high energy song, but with Martin planted on the piano) is still a highlight of Coldplay sets.  The overall impression, though, is of a solid live band with a singer whose head is in the crowd.
 

Movie Review- Silver Linings Playbook

Director:  David O. Russell

Stars:  Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver.

Plot Outline:  Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is checked out of a mental institution by his mother (Jacki Weaver), unbeknownst to his father (Robert DeNiro). Diagnosed as bi-polar, Pat struggles to get his life back together in the belief that his estranged wife Nikki will take him back.  At a dinner with his friend Ronnie, he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), and there is an instant attraction, since Tiffany is a widow dealing with her husband's death and also has personality issues.

Review:  It's hard to know where to begin praising this film.  The ensemble in this movie is so strong- DeNiro is a bit nutty as a rabid Eagles fan and bookie who believes that individual people affect the outcome of the Eagles game, and he has a checkered past as well when it comes to Eagles games, having been banned for life for fighting at a game, and he just wants Pat to spend some time and watch games.  Weaver, as Pat's mother, is soft spoken but strong willed.  Cooper's performance is the best thing I've ever seen him in- there's a itchiness, an edginess he has as Pat that fills the movie with suspense, and the second Tiffany walks on screen the dynamic changes, as both of them struggle with their mouths and go too far in insulting each other, yet there's still an understanding of why that happens.  There are some beautiful scenes with the two, and because they're both so vulnerable, it's hard not to root for them.  Silver Linings Playbook is up there as one of the best films of the year so far.

Phillip Phillips- The World From The Side of The Moon

American Idol winner Philip Phillips released his first studio album this week.  It'll be interesting to see how many copies it sells, since Idol seems to be on the downswing (can anyone name the winner before Phillips?) and in renovation mode (the new judges Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban may overshadow the talent, never a good thing for a talent show).  

It's always a challenge for the new Idol to gain any momentum six months after their win, but the debut album is their chance to show a different side and their own creativity, since they're no longer performing a minute and a half of someone else's song. Phillips, when performing, also had moves like Matthews (Dave, that is), he had them moves like Matthews, so of interest also was if there would be any musical influence from Matthews, and apart from having saxophone and violin on some songs, there really isn't, apart from perhaps the cheesy side of Matthews' songwriting ("Get Up Get Down, "Drive Me"). 

The problem with The World is that there isn't anything distinctive- there's not a signature groove or a memorable lyric.  The best song is "Home", which has been out for months, but even that isn't distinctive because of Phillips, but because his most well-known song has close similarities to Mumford and Sons songs.  Phillips voice is also extremely grating after 14 songs, as it alternates between a growl and a more plaintive tone.  Hopefully, the next American Idol winner does better.


 

Music Review- Kylie Minogue- The Abbey Road Sessions

Kylie Minogue, The Abbey Road Sessions

 

Overview:  Kylie Minogue reworks 16 of her hits, including "Locomotion" (the song she might be best known for in the States) and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" with an orchestra.  Nick Cave duets with Minogue on "Where The Wild Roses Grow".
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My first thought when I saw this on the list of new releases is that I never thought I'd see the words "Abbey Road" (synonymous with The Beatles) and the name Kylie Minogue in the same sentence, let alone on the same album cover. So Kylie Minogue, best known for her dance hits, decides to give her songs the orchestral treatment.  It's an odd thought, an out-there kind of thought, but Minogue is very well known in Europe (in the States she's probably still best-known for "Locomotion"), so perhaps her devoted fans over there might go for a different side of Kylie.

The problem, though, is that the concept seldom works with this set of songs.  Several songs, like "All The Lovers" and "On a Night Like This", are bland and forgettable.  A song like "The Devil You Know", a more intimate tune about taking a lover back, is just not convincing with Minogue's thin voice.  And that's the major problem with "The Abbey Road Sessions"- Minogue's voice just isn't up to the task of conveying deep emotion.  A song like "Hand on My Heart" could be a country classic for a singer with more firepower.  

There are a couple of bright spots:  "Slow" sounds good reworked with a jazzy vibe, and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" is still fun with strings.  Overall, though, this is one to skip.



 

Skyfall

Skyfall

Director:  Sam Mendes

Stars:  Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes

Plot Outline:  At the outset of Skyfall, times are tough for the MI6 operation and James Bond himself.  Bond is hurt in a mission in Turkey, and the head of MI6, M, is being pressured to retire, as many feel she is too old for the job.  The MI6 office is bombed, and the attack is revealed to be the work of Raoul Silva, a former operative under M who seeks revenge for what he perceives as betrayal.

The Verdict:   Skyfall is a first-rate roller coaster from the title sequence on. It's an incredibly stylish film- the opening credits alone are stunning, and there is an action sequence near the top of a Turkish skyscraper that uses color and shadows very effectively.  Craig is superb as Bond, and there is great chemistry between Bond and M, which makes Bardem's presence as Silva even more ghoulish and unsettling.  Great action, performances, special effects and music make Skyfall very entertaining and a must-see in theaters. 

Flight

Flight

Director:  Robert Zemeckis

Star:  Denzel Washington

Plot Outline:  Whip Whitaker (Washington) spends the night before a flight getting drunk and using cocaine.  Said flight seems doomed to crash-land and kill everyone aboard due to equipment malfunctioning, but Whitaker manages to land the plane in a field.  This does result in six deaths, but Whitaker is hailed as a hero for averting further loss of life.  After the crash, Whitaker is grounded, so he returns to heavy alcohol consumption, jeopardizing efforts to save his reputation as details of his pre-flight carousing emerge.

Overall impression:  This is the best performance I've ever seen from Washington.  It is utterly maddening to see Washington play someone who spins so far out of control, having seen him be so in control in films such as Remember The Titans and Crimson Tide.  His character makes bad decision after bad decision, and his steadfast denial that he has a problem leads to some heartbreaking scenes.  Flight isn't a perfect film- I would have liked to have seen the film played entirely seriously, (especially late in the film with so much riding on the outcome), and the film uses some cliche movie songs ("Feelin Alright), but Washington's performance really does carry the day.

Quick Hits and A Miss

Time for some quick hits on some recent viewings and listenings:



Hit:  Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig's first James Bond film is also the film version of the first Bond novel, and it's a thrilling ride, from the extended action scene at the outset to the gritty end.  It's a pretty physically brutal debut for Craig, but the film provides some insight as to why Bond is the way he is (for example, why he doesn't get attached to women).  The DVD extras are a plus as well, including an interesting "making of" feature.

Hit:  The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

Five friends head out for a weekend of relaxation at the titular cabin and quickly realize that something's really not right.  Giving away very much of the plot would be a disservice, but the film gets more imaginative as it rolls on.  The combination of high suspense, gore, and monsters witha few twists and turns make Cabin a quality horror flick.

Miss: Traveler, Trey Anastasio



Anastasio, most known for his work with Phish, seems to be content in life (at least that's the feeling one gets from this set of songs), but his most recent effort bogs down due to awful lyrics and a cover of Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood" that isn't that different from the original.

Music Review- Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts

Not sure what I was expecting when I started listening to Little Broken Hearts, but a homicidal Norah Jones wasn't the first thing that came to mind.  Little Broken Hearts is an angry, um, broken-hearted album that never shifts out of melancholy.  A dreary listen, you might wonder?  Not particularly, although it's probably not the best for, say, the treadmill or a long-distance drive.  The songs are well-written and well-produced, and the second-to-last song, Miriam, has Norah grinning while she imagines offing her cheating lover's paramour.  Chilly, chilling stuff indeed.

Book Review- One Last Thing Before I Go/Jonathan Tropper

Author:  Jonathan Tropper

Title:  One Last Thing Before I Go

 

Plot Outline:       Drew Silver hasn’t gotten much right in his life for quite a long time.  He lives at the Versailles, an apartment complex for divorced men.  He’s also let down his daughter Casey on many occasions.  Life is continuing on this downward slope when Drew suddenly collapses.  The diagnosis is a tear in his aorta, which can be repaired with an operation.  Silver makes a radical decision not to have the operation, given how he’s lived his life over the past few years.  This decision means he will die soon, and the aftermath of the decision is much debated throughout.

Impression after reading:   Tropper is one of my go-to authors.  He does such a terrific job with flawed characters and making the reader realize that despite how disappointing these flaws can be, there’s so much still to love about the character.  Reading One Last Thing Before I Go reminded me of Jonathan Franzen.  Tropper’s style isn’t as dense as Franzen’s, but his tendency to give his characters surprising quirks or habits (such as Silver’s blurting out his internal monologues aloud) makes his novels so compelling, and One Last Thing Before I Go is no exception. 

Other recommended works by Tropper:  Everything Changes, This Is Where I Leave You

We Bought A Zoo

 

Movie:  We Bought A Zoo

Director:  Cameron Crowe 

 

Stars:  Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson

 

Plot Outline:  Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee, a widower struggling to start over.  He quits his job and looks for a place to restart.  The search for a new home turns up a place out in the country (nine miles away from Target, a fact that is repeated a few times throughout the film).  It's perfect, and Benjamin feels that it's ideal for his family, but comes with a catch:  there's a fully functioning zoo with staff that the new owner must take on.  Benjamin agrees, and complications ensue.

 

 

Overall impression:  The movie's pretty predictable as far as plot goes, and the dialogue is pretty bad in some spots. Benjamin's daughter Rosie is far too precious and says things too advanced for her age.  Son Dylan is well-played by Colin Ford, and the conflict between Dylan and Benjamin is the most compelling part of the film.  Scarlett Johansson plays a passionate zookeeper, and to me, it's her best role in some time.  The film is too predictable and too cute to be a must-see, but it's got some good parts.

Matt Cassel injury/Scoop Jackson's article

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8480146/fear-self-loathing-kansas-city

On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens played the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.  Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was hit hard in the fourth quarter and was on the ground for a while.  Normally, the fans are silent while a player suffering this type of injury is being treated, but the Chiefs fans, unhappy with Cassel's play, started cheering.  To me, this is reprehensible.  Yes, Matt Cassel is a struggling quarterback, but he's also a human being who suffered a serious injury. 

Scoop Jackson:  "Last season the Denver Broncos recognized the "climate" when they finally put Tim Tebow into the lineup. The Chiefs could have done something by taking the temperature of their own fan base quicker and making a move of their own. So, the Chiefs are as much to blame for putting their quarterback through a situation like this as the fans are for expressing their misdirected feelings in the way that they did."

So the Chiefs are to blame for their fans behaving like Neanderthals?  And teams now have to "take the temperature of their fan base" when making moves?  I don't buy the argument that because fans pay for their tickets, they have the right to behave any way they want.  Boo Matt Cassel after his fourth interception.  Just don't cheer when he goes down with an injury that threatens his livelihood and health. 

Mumford and Sons- Babel

I really got into Mumford and Sons back into 2010.  The soaring banjos, Marcus Mumford's roaring vocals, and the memorable harmonies put their debut release Sigh No More into heavy rotation on radio stations and led to them supersizing their concert venue in Milwaukee.  After a while, though, Sigh No More lay on the shelf.  After a while, the banjos got repetitive and even the chorus of "Little Lion Man" featuring the f-word got tired.

Would their second effort be more of the same, or would the band show some versatility?  On Babel, there is more of the same- there are the same soaring banjos and what I'd call Lord of The Rings lyrics (overly earnest, wordy, and melodramatic, but Babel showcases both a fiery Marcus (the title track) and a quieter side (the haunting sequence of "Ghosts That We Knew, romantic "Lover of The Light and the first part of "Lovers Eyes").  The radio single "I Will Wait" may be their finest work, catchy yet not annoying upon multiple listens.  Babel is a recommended listen, especially the middle part.

Ted

Seth MacFarlane is one talented guy.  He’s responsible for three shows on Fox (Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show), released a CD of standards and hosted the season opener on Saturday Night Live.  (This just in- he’s now hosting the Oscars.) He does an incredible amount of voices (Peter Griffin, Stewie, and Brian on FG, among others) and seems to be able to accomplish whatever strikes his fancy.

The only thing he can’t really accomplish, as evidenced by Family Guy and his movie Ted, is put together a believable plot.  In Ted, Mark Wahlberg plays John Bennett.  John, when he was a little tyke, got a teddy bear for Christmas, names his bear Teddy and made a wish that Teddy could talk.  The next morning, his wish came true, and John had his new best friend, his Thunder Buddy (turns out both John and Ted are afraid of Thunder). 

Fast forward to a 35-year old John, who now gets high with Ted, who seems to be a terrible influence on John.  John has been dating his girlfriend Lori (played by Mila Kunis) for four years and is clueless that she might want something more after all this time.  He tries to change it around (over and over, actually), but keeps making the wrong decisions.  He and MK kick Ted out, but John still hangs out with him nearly every day.

Ted pretty much plays like an episode of Family Guy.  Man screws up repeatedly, makes an effort to change.  Woman grows weary and gets mad.  Man changes and all is well.  Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis only seem to have a slight bit of chemistry together (actually, Wahlberg has more chemistry with Ted). 

Ted has a few funny moments, but grows increasingly tiresome and even painfully so near the end, so I wouldn’t recommend it even in a second run cinema or when it comes out on DVD. 

Starbuck- full review

David Wozniak, he's kind of a loser.  He owes a lot of money, is the worst meat-delivery driver around, and is not reliable to family or friends.  He is, however, prolific in one way.  In the past, he made 693 sperm donations to a fertility clinic over a two year span, and the 533 children that were created in this process would like to meet him.  David hires an attorney, er, uses a friend to make sure that doesn't happen, but curiosity gets the best of him and he begins reading the files of these children and starts to believe that he has to do something for them.

His ex-girlfriend Valerie reveals that she is pregnant and early on in the film wants nothing to do with him because of the aforementioned unreliability.  David decides to do a complete life makeover and start doing the right thing for everyone, so he builds relationships with his "children". 

I thought the film was excellent for a variety of reasons- the characters are not cartoons or there just for laughs- the laughs seem built around the characters, which creates an emotional tie to the personalities.  There were a few minor quibbles- there's a scene where the 533 (or most of the 533) children have a getaway and camp together, and most of them were very good-looking, and there's a couple scenes where David visits a physically disabled son that are jarring.

There's an American version currently in preproduction with Vince Vaughn listed as part of the cast- not sure if he's going to be the lead character or the attorney friend.  Vaughn seems more suited for the wisecracking sarcastic friend (since that's what he usually does), but it should be interesting to see what changes are made.


 

Book Review- 11/22/63 by Stephen King

I'm a sports fan.  Have been since I started watching baseball back growing up in the late 80s, and I think that sports fans are drawn to hypotheticals.  What if the ball hadn't gone through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series, leading to the Mets winning instead of the Red Sox?  What if Michael Jordan hadn't decided to have trouble with the curve in the mid-90s- how many titles might he and the Bulls have won? 

11/22/63 is all about the hypotheticals.  Jake Epping is a teacher in 2011, but has his world flip-turned upside down when Al Templeton, a man owning a diner comes to him with a discovery- inside his diner, there's a portal (and everytime I hear of a portal, I think of Super Mario 3 for some reason) that will transport someone back to September 9, 1958.  Templeton persuades Jake to go back in time to prevent president John F. Kennedy's assassination).  Jake decides to make a test run to see if he can prevent an adult-learning student's family from being murdered and the student from being injured.  After this test run, he agrees to go back to 1958 and try to save JFK.

11/22/63 is a first-rate page turner.  King's narration of both Jake Epping and alter ego George Amberson is riveting- it's observational (especially of differences between the two eras), witty, wry, and emotional.  It's a very long book (around 850 pages), but the journey is extremely worthwhile, and King's depiction of the 1950s and 60s and all the locales makes a reader feel like they're part of the action, a co-conspirator with Epping/Amberson. 

Time travel may seem silly to some, since it's physically impossible.  But for those who can put that aside and go along for the ride and see where time-travel might lead, it's definitely a must-read. 

Paranorman

Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts is under a curse- the curse of a witch, to be exact. 300 years ago, a little girl was declared to be a witch and executed and each year, someone must read from a certain book each year to keep the girl in her grave.  This task falls to Norman Babcock, a boy who has a gift that feels like a curse- he can see ghosts and connect with the dead.  He routinely speaks with his dead grandmother, puzzling his parents and sister and making him an outcast at school.

Being different can be a curse in school.  Any difference can make a child subject to taunting, teasing, and can make school (and home life) a miserable experience, and it's easy to put oneself in Norman's shoes throughout the film. He's ridiculed at school and by his sister and father at home, and really only has one friend that sticks by him throughout. 

Paranorman is a film probably best enjoyed by kids- there's a few grossout moments and the humor's more at the early teenage level, but does have some funny moments.  The stop-motion animation is well-done and the 3D is best in the closing scenes.  The voicework (by John Goodman, Jeff Garlin, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, and Leslie Mann, among others) is also excellent.  I'd recommend it for kids especially, but adults will have a good time as well.

Tears for Fears- Saturnine Martial and Lunatic

 

Recently, I listened to one of my favorite CDs growing up, Tears For Fears Saturnine Martial and Lunatic.  It's a collection of B-sides from the popular 80s band, and what made it unique then and now was that many of the tracks played with existing melodies or ideas from TFF songs- for example,  the opening track "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" has a woman rapping the lyrics to "Sowing The Seeds of Love".  "Pharaohs", a very laid back track, features some of the guitar work from Everybody Wants To Rule The World.  "Deja Vu and The Sins of Science" is noteworthy because of the lyrics but also the sounds effects, including what sounds like a van door closing (and, at one point, a cow mooing).  There's an alternate take of "Laid So Low" called "Tears Roll Down", and a cover of David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes.  Overall, it's an interesting listen and one of the better B-side collections I've heard.

Live album review- Genesis- Live Over Europe 2007

Genesis is another group that reminds me of childhood- I'd always loved the Invisible Touch album, and later I got into some of their early work.  There's a debate on which is better- the Peter Gabriel era or the Phil Collins era.  Personally, I think each has its strong points- Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is strong PG Genesis, while I like the Abacab and Genesis albums better than Invisible Touch during the Collins era.

Collins left Genesis in the mid-nineties, and in 2007 they reunited (interestingly, the same year as The Police, another one of my favorites).  They released Live Over Europe in late 2007, but I didn't get around to it until just recently.

LOE starts with a trio of faster paced, recognizable tunes, but the first few tracks also signal one of the release's major problems- many of the songs are at lower keys, as Phil Collins' voice isn't what it used to be.  The version of Turn It On Again that leads off could be described as a polite version- definitely not as hard-rocking as the studio or earlier live versions.  No Son of Mine suffers from the same treatment, although it works slightly better, and I did enjoy Land of Confusion,the band seemed tighter than the 90s live release The Way We Walk (TWWW).

Next came a section that really bogged down- In The Cage/Afterglow was enjoyable at first but stretched out too long and was plagued by cheesy synth. Hold on My Heart is one of the dullest songs in the Genesis catalog, but I did enjoy Collins' singing in this version.  Home By The Sea was almost note-for-note the same as TWWW.

One of my favorite Genesis songs, Follow You Follow Me, was next, but this was more a light-rock version, especially the ending.  Then came an excerpt of Firth of Fifth, which featured some solid drumming. 

By this point, I started to notice some patterns.  The more popular songs were getting safe treatment, enjoyable but not much different than either the studio or previously released live versions.  The earlier-era Genesis songs were long (sometimes painfully long) and often featured cheesy synthesizers.  So followed the pattern until the end, and the problem with this release is that it's hard to have a show with both early prog-rock Genesis and the more commercial songs, as it almost seems directionless after a while.   Some more upbeat songs would have helped- a Misunderstanding or That's All mixed in would have livened things up considerably.  Instead, the band goes for a dated-sounding Domino (almost identical to TWWW) and then closes out with stale versions of Invisible Touch and I Can't Dance. 

Book Review- True Believers by Kurt Andersen

 

Karen Hollander, now 65 years old, looks back on her life as she prepares to write a revealing book about herself and her friends and their activities in the 1960s.  One friend calls the book "a suicide package" as the secrets revealed have the potential to be very explosive.

That's about as deep as I'm going to go with the plot summary, as to reveal any more would be a disservice, and I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was that it nearly never went where I was expecting.  Andersen does an excellent job of revealing the secrets slowly as the book alternates between the present and the past, and also weaving history into the plot.  True Believers starts innocently enough, with Hollander and her friends hooked on Bond novels and carrying out their own imaginary (but yet not imaginary) missions between junior high and high school.  As they grow older, the turbulence of the Sixties draws them in and events unfold and are unveiled aptly by Andersen.

I highly, highly recommend True Believers, as it represents the best contemporary fiction I have read in quite a long time./

Wanderlust

Director:  David Wain

Stars:  Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux (future Mr. Aniston), Alan Alda

In Wanderlust, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston playPaul and Linda Gergenblatt struggling financially after Rudd's character loses his job and the two lose their high-priced New York apartment.   Without palatable alternatives, the Gergenblatts return to an "intentional community" (the folks there don't like it being called a commune.  After initially resisting the lifestyle, they begin to embrace the change of pace, no longer obsessed with technology (Zenith televisions and walkmen, according to the "leader" Seth).

Overall, Wanderlust is not a great movie, but has some solid laughs.  Rudd and Aniston are mostly reactory characters in the zaniness that dominates the movie.  The characters on the commune are mostly stereotypical hippies and most grow tiresome pretty quickly.  The "leader" (although the residents don't call him that) is written pretty well.  

I wouldn't recommend Wanderlust highly.  It has its flaws- the R rating is for graphic nudity (and really unnecessary graphic nudity at that ), and the conflict between Paul and Linda later in the movie doesn't feel altogether genuine.  But watching Wanderlust isn't a waste of time- it's not as crude or obnoxious as something like Hall Pass.

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)

Music- Carry Me Back- Old Crow Medicine Show

Carry Me Back is Old Crow Medicine Show's first release since 2008- reviews described them as old-fashioned country, which is definitely true on their latest (also my first exposure to the group).  Carry Me Back starts out with the fast and furious title track, and it sets the tone for much of the album  There are several other rollicking tracks, such as "Mississippi Saturday Night" and especially "Sewannee Mountain Catfight".  I recommend Carry Me Back- I did enjoy the first half more than the second, and there are a couple cliched songs like "Ain't It Enough" and "Ways of Man", but it's overall a good listen.

Jeff Who Lives At Home- Quick Hit

In Jeff Who Lives At Home Jason Segel plays Jeff, a 30-year old living at home and believing in signs.  Ed Helms plays Pat, who is one-half of a desperately unhappy, uncommunicative marriage (the dude buys a Porsche without asking his wife).  Susan Sarandon plays their mother, who doesn't appear to be too proud of them or happy in her own life.  It takes a while to get into or care about the characters, but ultimately is worth the patience. 

Zac Brown Band- Uncaged

You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band's previous release, was a pleasant surprise for me.  I was impressed by the range of styles- a little country, reggae, and some jamming thrown in for good measure, making it a solid collection of songs good for repeated listening.  Uncaged presents a different vibe- there's definitely more of a country flavor, although there are songs done on ZBB's consistent themes ("Jump Right In" and "The Island Song" are getaway songs that sound ideal for cruise line ads, and there are several heartfelt ballads such as "Goodbye In Your Eyes).  Uncaged isn't as memorable as YGWYG simply because it doesn't seem so, well, uncaged, as most of the songs are slow-to-midtempo, and unlike YGWYG, there isn't a single song in which ZBB really cuts loose.

Old Hat

Growing up, I felt like education was a hard time
Learning everything atat once, I never colored between the lines
Too much art when all I wanted was to read
Too much scientific information I didn't need

My report card said that I wasn't performing
Up to potential
Teacher chagrin at conferences was torrential

I was looking back on those days recently
Because education doesn't stop with school
Life lessons learned the hard way
Life experience begins to sort exceptions from rules

It's the learning about one's self, one's spirit, one's soul
What to accept, what to reject
When to gamble, when not to bet
When to give the benefit, when to shake your head
When to sit up and worry, when to go to bed

Each new situation brings new worries, yes
But for something to become old hat it has to be tried on and worn
Sometimes for the soul to grow it has to be torn

And although learning sometimes equals consternation
Every day is an education

2000 Best Picture Roundup........and the winner is....

A few weeks ago, I decided to embark on a project, a journey of sorts.  I've become more interested in movies over the past couple of years, and I wanted to see what makes a "great" film.  I also needed a focus, so I decided on watching all the Best Picture Nominees from the 2000 Oscar ceremony forward.  I truly wanted to see what the Academy thought were the standout films and decide for myself which ones were my favorites and why.

Having watched The Green Mile  yesterday, I have now watched the five Best Picture nominees from the 2000 ceremony.  These films took me from an orphanage in Maine (Cider House Rules) to suburban rage (American Beauty), from a struggle to expose the tobacco industry (The Insider) to a struggle to stop Cole Sear from seeing dead people (The Sixth Sense), and then, perhaps fittingly, to Death Row in The Green Mile.

So, without further delay, here's how the nominees ranked, in reverse order.

#5- The Cider House Rules


The journey began with this film about life within a Maine orphanage's walls and a young man's desire to get out and have his own adventures.  After having watched all the nominees, The Cider House Rules to me is just not in the same class with the others.  Although it does have one of my favorite actors in Michael Caine, the fact that he won Best Supporting Actor over Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) and Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) is astounding to me.  His performance, especially in comparison with the two just mentioned, was not all that memorable.  The Cider House Rules isn't a bad film, but it isn't consistently attention-grabbing or as memorable as the others.

#4- The Insider

  The Insider is a gripping film, very well paced, and features an excellent performance from Russell Crowe as a fired scientist determined to tell the truth about the tobacco industry and Al Pacino as a dogged journalist who wants to bring the story to light on 60 Minutes.  The second longest of the nominees at over two and a half hours long, it was the only one of the nominees I hadn't previously seen, so it was a good new film experience, as it moved briskly along with a lot of quick scenes and cuts, but overall, although it was very interesting to me (as I love a good movie about journalism), it comes up a bit short in intensity to the final three.

#3- American Beauty


I remember being lukewarm on this when I first saw it, but I was quite spellbound seeing it this time.  Kevin Spacey gives a commanding performance as Lester Burnham, a man who finds himself slowly dying on the inside.  It seems each character has something bubbling just beneath the surface- Lester's rage at living a safe life, his wife Carolyn's self-loathing and increasing distance from Lester, their daughter Jane's suffering from being between the two, and the neighbor kid's living in fear of his father.  From this point on, there's nothing really negative to say, just a gut feeling as to why these films rank the way they do....









                                                          #2- The Green Mile

When these films first came out, I probably would have ranked this one first.  I enjoyed The Green Mile as much this time.  Clocking in at over three hours long, each scene, each sequence seemed essential to the story.  There are some absolutely frightening scenes in this film set on death row in 1935, and I remember being haunted by them upon first viewing.  Michael Clarke Duncan gives a towering performance as tormented giant John Coffey.   I loved that there was a sense of dignity in a film about death row, and a stellar cast brings Stephen King's memorable characters to life.









And the winner is.......

                                                     The Sixth Sense

There was something that just stood out about this film for me, and I think it was the fact that The Sixth Sense uses various ways of grabbing and holding the viewer's attention.  As I mentioned in my review, it's a relatively quiet film.  Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment speak mostly just above a whisper, and the film seems almost old-fashioned in how still it is.   For all the rage in American Beauty and the chaos that unfolded in The Green Mile, The Sixth Sense had the scenes that hit me the hardest at the end.   This project is about really paying attention, and The Sixth Sense rewarded that and proved to be my Best Picture winner.









   

Zac Brown Band- You Get What You Give

"Oh, no no, I won't like that.  I've never liked that.  I'm not going to try it."

Such is the inner dialogue sometimes when a person eliminates the possibility of enjoying something based on past experience.  For me, this includes spicy foods, horror movies, and country music. 

Sometimes, however, I find that I need to challenge those thoughts, and listening to Zac Brown Band's You Get What You Give rewarded that thinking. 

You Get What You Give started out a little slow for me.  The first three tracks were about finding peace, being by the ocean with no worries, and being in no hurry, so I was feeling like I might be listening to Jimmy Buffett (especially since he guests on the second track.).   After the first few tracks, however, I appreciated ZBB's versatility, instrumentation and songwriting.  Upon multiple listens, I enjoyed the first few tracks even more and can listen to You Get What You Give straight through.  Definitely recommended- as is trying something new once in a while.  It's just a fun set of songs to listen to- there's some reggae, some country, and some jamming.

Tracks I especially enjoyed:  "Quiet Your Mind", "Cold Hearted", and "Who Knows" (an excellent ten-minute jam)