Stuck On Repeat
"Getaway" -- Dave Koz
"Shelter" -- The xx
"The World Is Yours" -- Glasvegas
"Changed the Way You Kiss Me" -- Example
"Awooga" -- Calvin Harris
"Falling" -- Hercules & Love Affair
"Tribulations" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Too Much Love" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Get Innocuous" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Us v Them" -- LCD Soundsystem
[Alternatively, insert entire Sound of Silver Album here]
"You Wanted A Hit" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Home" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Jump Into The Fire" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Shelter" -- The xx
"The World Is Yours" -- Glasvegas
"Changed the Way You Kiss Me" -- Example
"Awooga" -- Calvin Harris
"Falling" -- Hercules & Love Affair
"Tribulations" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Too Much Love" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Get Innocuous" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Us v Them" -- LCD Soundsystem
[Alternatively, insert entire Sound of Silver Album here]
"You Wanted A Hit" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Home" -- LCD Soundsystem
"Jump Into The Fire" -- LCD Soundsystem
Cinema
The Tempest - Despite some good turns from Russell Brand, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina, and David Sthratairn, this film just didn't do it for me. Helen Miren was blustery with not much to really do and Ben Whishaw Ariel became laughable in a very very bad way thanks to egregious and poorly executed CGI. Caliban was just annoying. The stripped down set pieces didn't help matters. While this film wasn't quite as bad as Kenneth Branaugh's musical interpretation of Love's Labours Lost, it makes the 1999 version of A Midsummer Night's Dream look like the Royal Shakespeare Company. I hate to say it, but Wishbone's version of The Tempest is much more entertaining.
The Adjustment Bureau - A fun trip of a film with some really great moments marred by pacing problems. Those great moments, like Matt Damon running like hell to get to Emily Blunt before her wedding, rescued the film from its boring, stiff, and slow bits. When characters's emotions are on the line (or when Matt Damon is punching someone), the film really sings. It is also heaven for New York location spotting. John Slattery is quite fun as well. I do have to say that when Damon is giving his campaign speeches he sounds more like a Kennedy than a guy from Red Hook. While this film could have been so much better than it is, it is still worthwhile to see on the big screen.
Take Me Home Tonight - Without the silly fashions and cocaine use, this film could have easily been set in the present as in 1988. I was definitely able to identify with the characters' struggles to figure out what they wanted to do in life that would make them happy. The window dressing and the soundtrack add a lot of fun to the movie, but at its heart it is more drama than comedy. Like the classic 80s movies that inspire it, this film's characters seem like real kids, albeit ones who get into just a little more trouble than one might normally find outside of celluloid. I have long been a fan of Topher Grace, and like most reviewers out there, I wonder why he is not a bigger star. This film, like Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, showcases Grace's sincere and endearing acting style, which is always a pleasure to watch.
Rango - Such a strange little movie. It's animated, but I feel like it's not really for kids. The critters aren't cute, the plot references cinema classics, and Rattlesnake Jake is on the scary side. That said, the animation is crisp and gorgeous and despite the ugliness of the critters, it's hard to tear your eyes away from the screen. The voice casting is excellent, especially my boy Timothy Olyphant as The Spirit of the West (an homage to my hero Clint). And while the story nods heavily to Chinatown, as well as other films, the references manage not to seem derivative. I enjoyed this film much more than I was expecting to, but it still doesn't quite fully click for me.
Kill The Irishman - This movie is solid - not great, but certainly good and worth two hours of your time. The story is interesting, engaging, and keeps you guessing about how and when exactly the titular Irishman will get killed. The actors -- a motley crew of Ray Stevenson (my favorite dude from Rome, whose range of emotion is a thing to behold), Val Kilmer (just because), Christopher Walken, Vincent D' Onofrio, and all of your usual mob-movie character actors -- turn in good, nuanced performances. Not a must in the cinema, but definitely worthy of a high spot on a Netflix queue.
Elektra Luxx - a huge waste of perfectly talented people who deserve a film that has the decency to care about itself. This movie had absolutely no point. It didn't know what story it was telling or have anyplace for the plot to go. What a shame that Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant, Vincent Kartheiser, Julianne Moore, and a bunch of other people wasted their time and talent on a project that didn't give nearly as much to them as they gave to it. Fine performances all dressed up with no place to go. Also, the timeline was the most confusing thing ever. I think some of the stuff was all supposed to be happening in one day? or maybe not? So unclear.
Limitless - gorgeous. And I'm not talking about Bradley Cooper and his frighteningly blue eyes (contacts and/or digital enhancement must have been in play here; people have blue eyes -- i.e. Josh Lucas whose eyes are as blue in person as on-screen -- but not NEON blue eyes). This film has gorgeous cinematography (love those tracking shots through New York!) and lighting design (love that NZT golden glow!). Bradley Cooper's character was a perfect fit for him -- he brought a depth and humanity to the character that we haven't seen much of in his previous roles; I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to carry this film just as well as the bespoke suits his character wore. There were a couple of moments where the audience was allowed to be ahead of Cooper's character, and that was a nice little touch to be able to know more than this guy who is supposed to be able to figure out anything. There were also several moments that were in the trailer and not in the movie. This is not usually a huge deal, but in these cases due to locations or clothing, you knew when certain moments seen in the trailer should be coming up, and it was a bit disconcerting when they didn't. This is a nice little accessible thriller for grown-ups that doesn't talk down to the audience. You can truly enjoy the film because you don't have to waste a lot of energy processing a bunch of double-speak.
The Lincoln Lawyer - this is another film made to be enjoyable for grown-ups. It's a legal thriller that throws back to the great Grisham movies of the 90s. The Firm came to mind a lot while I was watching this movie. Even if it is slicker than Lincoln Lawyer, there is a certain shared swagger and cleverness. Matthew McConaughey is actually pretty good in this film - his performance in the final courtroom cross-examination scene is a priceless doozy. It made me grin from ear to ear. Rayan Philipe gives a performance that he seems to have copped from an old episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16. I hate to say it, but I think Hayden Christensen could have done a much better job with the part. William H. Macy is reliably brilliant and doesn't get nearly enough screen time. All-in-all, a thoroughly entertaining film to which I wouldn't mind seeing some sequels.
The Adjustment Bureau - A fun trip of a film with some really great moments marred by pacing problems. Those great moments, like Matt Damon running like hell to get to Emily Blunt before her wedding, rescued the film from its boring, stiff, and slow bits. When characters's emotions are on the line (or when Matt Damon is punching someone), the film really sings. It is also heaven for New York location spotting. John Slattery is quite fun as well. I do have to say that when Damon is giving his campaign speeches he sounds more like a Kennedy than a guy from Red Hook. While this film could have been so much better than it is, it is still worthwhile to see on the big screen.
Take Me Home Tonight - Without the silly fashions and cocaine use, this film could have easily been set in the present as in 1988. I was definitely able to identify with the characters' struggles to figure out what they wanted to do in life that would make them happy. The window dressing and the soundtrack add a lot of fun to the movie, but at its heart it is more drama than comedy. Like the classic 80s movies that inspire it, this film's characters seem like real kids, albeit ones who get into just a little more trouble than one might normally find outside of celluloid. I have long been a fan of Topher Grace, and like most reviewers out there, I wonder why he is not a bigger star. This film, like Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, showcases Grace's sincere and endearing acting style, which is always a pleasure to watch.
Rango - Such a strange little movie. It's animated, but I feel like it's not really for kids. The critters aren't cute, the plot references cinema classics, and Rattlesnake Jake is on the scary side. That said, the animation is crisp and gorgeous and despite the ugliness of the critters, it's hard to tear your eyes away from the screen. The voice casting is excellent, especially my boy Timothy Olyphant as The Spirit of the West (an homage to my hero Clint). And while the story nods heavily to Chinatown, as well as other films, the references manage not to seem derivative. I enjoyed this film much more than I was expecting to, but it still doesn't quite fully click for me.
Kill The Irishman - This movie is solid - not great, but certainly good and worth two hours of your time. The story is interesting, engaging, and keeps you guessing about how and when exactly the titular Irishman will get killed. The actors -- a motley crew of Ray Stevenson (my favorite dude from Rome, whose range of emotion is a thing to behold), Val Kilmer (just because), Christopher Walken, Vincent D' Onofrio, and all of your usual mob-movie character actors -- turn in good, nuanced performances. Not a must in the cinema, but definitely worthy of a high spot on a Netflix queue.
Elektra Luxx - a huge waste of perfectly talented people who deserve a film that has the decency to care about itself. This movie had absolutely no point. It didn't know what story it was telling or have anyplace for the plot to go. What a shame that Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant, Vincent Kartheiser, Julianne Moore, and a bunch of other people wasted their time and talent on a project that didn't give nearly as much to them as they gave to it. Fine performances all dressed up with no place to go. Also, the timeline was the most confusing thing ever. I think some of the stuff was all supposed to be happening in one day? or maybe not? So unclear.
Limitless - gorgeous. And I'm not talking about Bradley Cooper and his frighteningly blue eyes (contacts and/or digital enhancement must have been in play here; people have blue eyes -- i.e. Josh Lucas whose eyes are as blue in person as on-screen -- but not NEON blue eyes). This film has gorgeous cinematography (love those tracking shots through New York!) and lighting design (love that NZT golden glow!). Bradley Cooper's character was a perfect fit for him -- he brought a depth and humanity to the character that we haven't seen much of in his previous roles; I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to carry this film just as well as the bespoke suits his character wore. There were a couple of moments where the audience was allowed to be ahead of Cooper's character, and that was a nice little touch to be able to know more than this guy who is supposed to be able to figure out anything. There were also several moments that were in the trailer and not in the movie. This is not usually a huge deal, but in these cases due to locations or clothing, you knew when certain moments seen in the trailer should be coming up, and it was a bit disconcerting when they didn't. This is a nice little accessible thriller for grown-ups that doesn't talk down to the audience. You can truly enjoy the film because you don't have to waste a lot of energy processing a bunch of double-speak.
The Lincoln Lawyer - this is another film made to be enjoyable for grown-ups. It's a legal thriller that throws back to the great Grisham movies of the 90s. The Firm came to mind a lot while I was watching this movie. Even if it is slicker than Lincoln Lawyer, there is a certain shared swagger and cleverness. Matthew McConaughey is actually pretty good in this film - his performance in the final courtroom cross-examination scene is a priceless doozy. It made me grin from ear to ear. Rayan Philipe gives a performance that he seems to have copped from an old episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16. I hate to say it, but I think Hayden Christensen could have done a much better job with the part. William H. Macy is reliably brilliant and doesn't get nearly enough screen time. All-in-all, a thoroughly entertaining film to which I wouldn't mind seeing some sequels.
Netflix Queue
The Great Buck Howard
Marie Antoinette
Quigley Down Under
Paper Man
Tigerland
Marie Antoinette
Quigley Down Under
Paper Man
Tigerland
Amature Gourmet
Carrot soup
Tortellini and spinach in chicken broth
Fried rice with chicken and broccoli
Tortellini and spinach in chicken broth
Fried rice with chicken and broccoli
Book Shelf
The Tourist, Olen Steinhaur
This is an engaging, if not extraordinary, spy thriller that goes down easy and isn't too confusing. The main character is easy to like and feel sympathetic towards. I enjoyed reading this book, but strangely I don't have much to say about it. It is perfect as an airport or beach read. You won't be sorry for picking it up, but it's not particularly memorable.
The Hare with Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal
This book was recommended to me by a colleague. I am not sure what happened, but apparently I didn't read the synopsis sent to me by him or the back cover of the book very closely, because the story wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be. I didn't anticipate that I would be reading a fascinating and affecting saga of a great and wealthy Jewish family surviving the 20th Century in Europe, particularly Paris and Vienna. It is too bad that my trip to Vienna occurred before this book was even written, because I think I would see the city in a different way having read the book and gaining context for the city from the Ephrussi family's life there. Perhaps I even unknowingly walked by the great building in which they lived. It is amazing to me that the story and existence of what was once a great and powerful family on level with the Rothchilds could have been lost if not brought to light here by one of their descendants. de Waal does a terrific job of bringing the terrors of being a Jew in WWII Vienna to life. My heart went out to his great-grandfather and that man's wife and children. The story of how the titular hare and its other netsuke companions survived the war and the Nazi occupation seems like a small miracle in light of what was going on not only in the city around them, but also within the very house which they were kept. it took a while for me to get into this book, but once WWI hit an then WWII, the Ephrussi family's story reveals itself as one that must be told and read. It makes me wonder how many other families with remarkable stories are out there, consigned to the past with no one aware of or able to tell their stories.
How Music Works, John Powell
This was a book that I read for work. It does a good job of making the technical elements of music accessible for non-musicians. However, there were many times that I wished my company's creative director were sitting next to me while I read so that I could actually hear and experience the examples being discussed in the book. Having an academic understanding of music is great, but in my business I need to be able to apply that understanding to real music that is not being carefully picked apart and explained, but rather reacted to on a more visceral level. That being said, this book does provide a good ground-work for developing a proper and universal music-related vocabulary.
Oblivion, David Foster Wallace
Self-indulgent, yet hypnotic (literally - this thing had me nodding off more often than I'd have liked). Despite its pretentious tendencies, this book is ultimately enjoyable. I find that Wallace's forays into dreams and imagined scenarios have incredible staying power, largely due to his incredibly detailed and vivid descriptions. I have such strong images in my head from many of these stories, and I have a feeling they will be with me for a long time. In this way, reading this book is similar to watching a horror movie, but without the horror, at least in a traditional sense. The Soul Is Not A Smithy remains particularly haunting - the concept of comic book panels is an extremely effective one for bringing a story-within-a-story to life (several of the stories are a bit Inception-esque, though much better than Inception). Another Pioneer and Oblivion (the short story) were other favorites in this collection. Having read one collection each of Wallace's fiction and non-fiction, I have to say I prefer the non-fiction, but both are satisfyingly challenging and thought provoking.
Post title from: "Waters of March" -- Antonio Carlos Jobim
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