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. 

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.