"I dream of places far beyond"

Stuck On Repeat

"Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" -- Coldplay
"Smile" -- Jamiroquai
"Make It Better" -- The Knocks
"Next to You" -- Buckcherry
"Love in America" -- JTX
"Drunk on You" -- Luke Bryan

Cinema

I saw a TON of movies at the cinema this month. If you don't want to read all of the reviews, just know that Another Earth and Brighton Rock are two of the best films I've seen this year. Here is a list of all the films reviewed below:

Another Earth
Crazy, Stupid, Love. 
The Guard 
The Future 
Attack the Block
The Devil's Double
The Help
Senna
Fright Night
Our Idiot Brother
Brighton Rock
Colombiana
The Debt


Another Earth - This is Twilight Zone SciFi - the kind of SciFi that is just close enough to the reality we know to make it seem like it could almost be believable. It's certainly thought-provoking, and that is all that can be asked of the best SciFi. I really wasn't expecting to be as subtle and raw and beautiful and as well put together as it is. This film is one that I was able to let wash over and entrance me fully. I don't want to say too much about this film for fear of disrupting its quiet beauty, but it is a must-see for sure.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - Crazy and stupid? Yes. Love? Not so much. This movie goes along nicely for a while. Ryan Gosling has some nice moments, such as the great Brad Pitt in Ocean's Eleven-esque eating of pizza while wearing an extremely sharp suit. I will watch that. Plus, it leads into a makeover sequence, and makeover sequences are always fun (shopping!). Gosling and Emma Stone also have some nice chemistry - too bad the movie isn't actually about them, so the fresh air they bring to the film is lost in the mire of all the other characters. Basically, how it breaks down is that the first two acts of the movie are decent. Not great, but an okay attempt at trying to mix up the romcom genre. However, the last act just sinks everything. I would be worried about giving spoilers here, but really, I hope either you've already seen the film and regret doing so or you will save yourself the pain and keep two hours of your life to be used for more noble pursuits. I have never seen so many surprise connections between characters so poorly executed. The movie devolves into sitcom level farce, and then just when you think it is going to end, it has the audacity to keep going, and going and going. There are two or three points at which this movie could have ended, but it chooses instead to subject you to further ridiculousness. As one of my friends said: "soo unrealistic." People just don't act like that, do they? I know it's a movie, but c'mon, since it falls outside of the slapstick genre, isn't it supposed to be believable to some extent? Thank goodness for Ryan Gosling, his wardrobe, and Emma Stone, or this movie would have been seriously painful. At least it had some good music in it, though if my neighborhood bar was also a swank nightspot, I would want them to play less Kaskade, er make that Thievery Corporation (really? Thievery Corporation is sounding like Kaskade these days?).

The Guard - Somehow I was expecting more from this movie. In fact, I think I was expecting In Bruges, and it is certainly not up to that level at all. Sure, Brendan Gleeson gives a solid performance and is a pleasure to watch as always, but there is just something lacking in the film overall. Surprisingly, this film is written by Martin McDonagh's brother. He has a way to go to get to Martin's level. There was too much farce for its own sake and too much clever for the sake of being clever and not enough pointed, dark humor. Mark Strong especially was way too over the top (I really don't understand what has happened to him since Rocknrolla, in which he gave a deep, subtle performance - one of the best in that film), and the other bad guys weren't far behind him in that aspect. The Guard is one of those films that I left with no strong feelings in any direction, simply the acknowledgement that I had seen it.

The Future - This is also a film that I was conscious of seeing, but to which I did not have a strong emotional reaction. Couldn't quite tell you what the point of it is or much else about it other than that Hamish Linklater needs to be in more films. Like Crazy, Stupid, Love., this film had me questioning what relationships actually look like in the real world, because they seem to be getting quite absurd in films, or perhaps it is that when the mundane aspects of relationships are shown, the realism seems fake in the face of highly manufactured romcoms with all their absurd drama and affluent surroundings. In a way, this film reminds me of a David Foster Wallace story with all its existentialism, self-absorption,  and small absurdities. Among those absurdities, one particularly beautiful and powerful image will stick with me: that of Hamish Linklater on the beach at dawn willing the ocean into motion after being guided by the purest of full moons. Small moments like this throughout the film do carry a great deal of emotional weight, yet when all of these incidents are strung together as one film, they lose their power and instead get overtaken by the emotional selfishness of Miranda July's protagonist.

Attack the Block - This film is fun! I can definitely say I was entertained and able to enjoy getting away from the world for a little while, something that few films truly allow me to do these days. The level of gore was just right, the ending of the film was was especially clever and satisfying, and I was mesmerized by the design of the aliens and their glowing teeth. The character dynamics were rather good as well, and every actor got a chance to shine. A nice little treat as we near the end of summer.

The Devil's Double - All the reviews hit this one on the nose: the film is generally a mess, but Dominic Cooper's performance(s) makes it more than worth seeing. Cooper's performances are indeed outstanding - it is very easy to forget that the same actor is playing these two incredibly different men. His performance as Uday Hussein is especially mindblowing because that character is so very depraved. The ridiculousness going on with the story and the direction doesn't really matter in the end because Cooper, as the anchor of this film, makes everything around him seem secondary.

The Help - The Help reminded me a lot of Steel Magnolias, or at least what I can vaguely remember of that film, which I saw in the cinema upon its release. I was five at the time; I mainly remember its being sad. The Help sure jerks some tears toward the end, but then so did the book on which it is based. In fact, if you have read the book, The Help doesn't really give you anything new. It actually left out several of my favorite elements of the book, including most of the details pertaining to Celia Foote's and Stuart's stories. The film does an admirable job of bringing Kathryn Stockett's strong and courageous women to life and capturing the ups and downs they experience. Bryce Dallas Howard makes a perfectly hateful Hilly, so much so that she is almost unpleasant to watch. The fashions and production design convincingly capture a time and place that I was admittedly not around to experience first-hand, but my mother was, and from her stories, other films set in the 60s south that I have seen, and my own time below the Mason-Dixon, I imagine that The Help gets pretty darn close to the real thing. As always, the book is better, but if you see the movie first, you won't be doing yourself a great disservice because the two fit as snugly as [insert southern colloquialism here].

Senna - The slow start to this film had me worried that I had stumbled into another Le Mans. Auto racing can be a sexy sport (simply the fact that one of its most well known courses is in Monaco is enough to hook me), but when even Steve McQueen can't rescue me from a gaping pit of boredom, I start to question how far that sexiness can really go. However, once Senna gets over that initial awkward hump, it is a truly compelling film. This is one of the first films I have seen that has shown why Formula One racing is indeed a sport. The concentration, skill, and exertion (both mental and physical) needed to excel at racing are on full display here, especially during the 1991 Brazil Grand Prix. Senna also makes palpable the inherent danger of the sport, and in turn the passion that propels these men to embrace that risk. While I am still not sure that I will ever become a great fan of auto racing, I now understand why so many people are, and I have great respect for the drivers who continually push themselves to excel in such a grueling arena.

Fright Night - This film is very fun, and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had not just watched the original a couple of weeks ago. This is a rare remake that improves upon the original by bringing it into the present (though I couldn't help but think that Twilight references are going to seem dated very quickly) and adding new, improved plot points. Since I had just seen the remake, I was often sidetracked and confused by changes in the plot: I would expect one thing to happen, and then something rather different would occur. However, this is not a bad thing by any means. I would rather watch a twist on an already solid and watchable film that see a shot-by-shot, word-for-word remake of that film. As usual, I did not see the movie in 3D which made the many 3D-specific shots seem overly obvious and provided unwelcome disruption in the pacing of the story. David Tennant is fabulously campy as Peter Vincent (maybe I do really need to start watching Dr. Who), Colin Farrell could easily give Tom Cruise's Lestat a run for his money, and Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots (a perfect balance of smart and sweet) are welcome additions to any film. I fully expect Midori to see a huge sales bump (or not) thanks to this film - just one of many small details (including a great nod-to-the-original cameo) that surprises and delights throughout.

Our Idiot Brother - This movie was a must-see for me simply because of Paul Rudd, and the film does allow him to shine. There are certainly many funny and touching moments, but somehow the film often seemed contrived. Rudd can play nice, sweet characters, but he is best when his sweetness is mixed with a bit of snark (see: Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer, etc. Even Josh in Clueless is deliciously sarcastic). The most powerful moment in Our Idiot Brother is when Rudd's veneer cracks and he explodes with frustration and anger. For a character that has seemed so emotionally open, it is clear that there is a whole other layer of which even his family is not aware. This film is cute, but in trying to juggle so many characters, it seems that there are many side stories that could be told, but instead have had to be truncated or discarded to allow the focus to remain on Rudd's character. Sadly, I feel that this film is a bit of a throw-away late summer confection - entertaining enough in the moment, but not especially memorable.

Brighton Rock - This is the second best movie I saw in August (after Another Earth) and one of my top movies for the year so far. I am still on a quest to see the original Brighton Rock (thanks for nothing, Netflix), but I was quite pleased with the version I saw here. Graham Greene's books seem to consistantly make fine films (The Quiet American and The End of the Affair among them). Brighton Rock uses the same dreamy, muted palette found in Never Let Me Go while gorgeous cinematography whisks the viewer away to bygone days. Also top notch are the sound design and the music. This film is a truly immersive experience, and, as part of that, features violence that made me wince on several occasions. In today's cinema landscape in which over-the-top violence is de rigueur, it is a rare film that can break through the mindless blood-spatter and artfully choreographed fights of the Tarantinos and the Bessons of the world to present violence that seems utterly raw and real. Brighton Rock manages to be beautiful and bleak, truthful and tragic all at once - a balancing act that is hard to pull off with success. If you enjoy Brighton Rock, then I highly recommend reading Patrick Hamilton's Gorse Trilogy, the first book of which also takes place in Brighton and shares the same sinister undertones that snake their way insidiously through this film.

Colombiana - Mindless fun for the end of summer. Great to see a female lead engaging in some awesome spy-craft, careful planning, and quick thinking (towels! toothbrushes! just wait and see what dangers can await you in a well stocked bathroom). There were plenty of plot-holes and incongruous shots (IMDb "goofs" buffs should have a field day), but if you suspend your disbelief, you can go on a rather enjoyable ride and appreciate some pretty damn good fight choreography. This film was released with perfect timing - it is just what a late-August film should be: a final escape before the cooler weather brings us all back to reality.

The Debt -  A powerful thriller, well directed and edited, with plenty of subtle and surprising twists and turns. It may have helped that I didn't read any reviews of this film before going to see it, so all I knew of the plot was that which I had seen in the trailers. Sam Worthington's acting skills are still questionable, though he comes the closer here to displaying a range of human emotions than he has in anything else in which I've seen him. Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren, Ciarán Hinds (so powerful even though he is in the film for mere moments), and Jesper Christensen are all terrific. Cheers to the casting director for finding such good young-old pairs for all three of the main characters. I look forward to seeing more from Marton Csokas, who reminds me of a combination of the young versions of Kevin Spacey and Clive Owen. I love intelligent films, and like Munich before it, The Debt demonstrates that Mossad is the thinking man's intelligence agency; there is no flash, simply deliberateness, cunning, and an undying will to survive.

Netflix Queue

The Wire - Season 4
The Wire - Season 5
Layer Cake
Death Becomes Her
Mad Men - Season 4
A History of Violence
The Hunger
Total Recall 
One Crazy Summer 

Amature Gourmet

Mushroom barley soup
Key lime pie
Chocolate cake
Ricotta gnocchi
Ricotta & spinach lasagna
Coconut cupcakes

Book Shelf

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz

Wao is just as disappointing as I expected a recent Pulitzer winner to be. It is unclear to me how books like this and A Visit From the Goon Squad win such prestigious prizes; they don't seem that extraordinarily well written or special to me. In fact, it struck me that Diaz has written a Julia Alvarez novel, but one that is not as well written or as emotionally hefty as Alvarez would produce. The Dominican Republic was awful under Trujillo. We get it. Bad shit happened. At least Alvarez makes the atrocities seem deeply personal. Diaz, on the other hand, checks boxes and then tries to be special and clever by adding geek references, which actually add absolutely nothing to the story other than gimmickry and serve to obscure anything profound that may be lurking below the surface. Diaz references the Mirabal sisters, about whom Alvarez wrote an entire novel. All I could think about was how much more interesting that story was than the one I was currently reading.

The Broom of the System, David Foster Wallace

Finally, a David Foster Wallace book without footnotes! Let us all rejoice! This book was enjoyable to read and did not feel like work to do so, even though it certainly had my gears turning at all times. I am so glad I have taken a couple of philosophy classes, because otherwise I would not have been able to appreciate all the Sartre and Wittgenstein references going on within this story. As usual with Wallace, things did not end up as resolved as I would have liked, but the characters and their stories and frustrations were so entertaining that it didn't really matter much. This is a terrific existentialist novel that dives head-on into the absurd - it's hard not to love it.

Special Topics In Calamity Physics, Marisha Pessl

I love it when I am strolling down the street at dusk, and suddenly BAM! Two different ideas from two different compartments of my life come crashing together out of nowhere. In this case, it is the fact that the tragic climax of Calamity (book compartment) being revealed right up front perfectly syncs with a new study that says spoilers increase enjoyment (blog compartment). In this case, such a hypothesis is definitely true. Knowing that Hannah will kill herself from the outset turns what would otherwise just be another contemporary best-seller into a compelling mystery. However, that initial mystery gives way to one that quickly becomes absurd in a fashion reminiscent of Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. While it was fun to learn new "facts" along with the narrator, it quickly becomes a problem that she has no clue what is actually going on, thus making her unreliable. I really can't stand unreliable narrators; not being able to trust what I am reading puts me on edge. By the time I reached the end of the book, I had to go back and skim the introduction again to make sure I fully comprehended all the information available to me. While I greatly enjoyed the academic, scholarly, and irreverent notes of this story, the convoluted second half of the book left me wanting something a bit more grounded. However, this is an enjoyable summer read, and sometimes it is fun to read a book that takes one in unexpected directions.

Confessions of An Advertising Man, David Ogilvy

I started reading this the day after I started watching season four of Mad Men. What a great combo. It was especially good to read the book out loud in my head using Don Draper's voice, though I think Don, for all his foibles, might be a little more forward thinking than Ogilvy at times. Managing an advertising agency might not be "all beer and skittles," but comments like "Whenever two of our people get married, one of them must depart - preferably the female, to look after her baby" and instructions such as "as you read aloud [when giving a presentation] you should never depart from your printed text by a single word" seem just a wee bit out of date. However, like Mad Men, Ogilvy's book speaks to how little the advertising industry has changed over the past fifty (!!) years. For an industry that is supposed to be innovative and hunting for new ideas, this is a real shame. But we all know that the bottom line reigns supreme, and why fix something when you are too close to it to see that it is broken? Ogilvy himself instructs his readers, "If you are lucky enough to write a good advertisement, repeat it until it stops pulling." Unfortunately, he can't guarantee that those who came after him could recognize both good copy and when it stops pulling. No wonder some of the best work these days is coming from small shops located outside of the main markets; New York is too tied up in the glory days that are not only long past, but also had much less noise with which its work had to contend. I wonder if Ogilvy's advice would change drastically if he were giving it in the context of today's advertising landscape.

Wally Olins: The Brand Handbook, Wally Olins

This is a succinct introduction to branding written for those approaching the discipline from the perspective of a client. While it is not nearly as inspiring as Olin's On Brand, it still has some valuable insights and reminders for branding practitioners.

Maggie Cassidy, Jack Kerouac

This story is set during Kerouac's teen years in Lowell (MA), and thus does not have the sweeping vision of many of his other books set in New York and California. However, Kerouac's highly descriptive and poetic language does a beautiful job capturing life in Lowell in 1939 with transportative, vivid imagery.

Bounty of Love, Scotty Cade

Scotty has finally hit his stride here in book number four: fully fleshed out main characters (the villain is still a bit too sketchy), a page-turning plot, and a selection of great moments ranging from hot and heavy to tender and honest. Once again, it's great to have some familiar faces turn up from Scotty's other books - the more I get to know all of these guys, the more I love them. Great light reading to close out the summer.

Post title from: "August Day Song" -- Bebel Gilberto