Stuck On Repeat
"Backseat Lover" - Mayer Hawthorne
"Small Clone" - Mayer Hawthorne
"The Stars Are Ours" - Mayer Hawthorne
"Wine Glass Woman" - Mayer Hawthorne
Cinema
The Lone Ranger - I am tempted to simply defer to Marshall Fine's review of the film, since I really can't come up with lines better than "Monument Valley is, of course, also in Utah. Everything apparently is in Utah – except this movie, which is in denial." The Lone Ranger is an extremely flawed film, and yet I didn't feel like I had wasted my evening by going to see it. I knew what I was going into, set my expectations on low, and chuckled at all the absurdity as it came along, starting with the "Colby, Texas" title card superimposed over that unmistakable Utah landscape. There is plenty of silliness going on throughout, despite the fact that the film isn't actually very funny. The biggest shame is that Armie Hammer keeps getting stuck in these awful, under-written roles (see also: Mirror Mirror) that want him to be funny and then don't give him the chance to do so. Hammer is a handsome guy, and it is evident from The Social Network and J. Edgar that he has acting chops, so I am not sure why two big budget disasters have squandered his talent. Of course the film makes many other glaring missteps, namely Johnny Depp's entire performance, weird cannibalistic rabbits, and a massacre of Native Americans by the US Army (clearly a key component of any family blockbuster). Despite the fact that Lone Ranger has so much wrong with it, it does get one thing right: action sequences involving trains! The penultimate chase sequence, set to the classic William Tell Overture, is rather rousing and an absolute joy to watch. If only the rest of the film shared the same vim and vigor.
Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me - I had no idea that Memphis had such a cool, semi-subversive art scene going on in the 70s, but after seeing this fascinating documentary, I can't wait to learn more! I was pleasantly surprised that William Eggleston, one of my favorite American photographers, factored in to Big Star's story. The documentary does a commendable job of capturing the band and its personalities from many angles. Alex Chilton's charisma comes across especially strongly. Chilton's undeniable handsomeness reminded me a lot of a young Daryl Hall -- it blows my mind that he didn't become a rock star on a more main stream level. Both the music and the visuals contribute to a captivating story that is a must for any lover of music from the dynamic, transitional era of the late 60s and early 70s.
The Hunt - Both Mads Mikkelsen and the young girl who falsely accuses his character of heinous acts deserve major props for their performances in The Hunt. The story works very well as social commentary by bringing the antiquated act of a witch hunt into a contemporary context. The film is a fine warning about what can happen when political correctness, coupled with mild hysteria, overrules common sense.
The Way Way Back - This is a sweet film, though it would have been more too my liking if it had focused more on Water Wizz shenanigans and less on adults being jerks. I think The Way Way Back wants to be a bit of a throwback to 80s summer vacation films (it's wackier moments vaguely recall One Crazy Summer), but those films were great because they barely involved adults or didn't deign to take them seriously. The reason that the Water Wizz scenes are so great is that Sam Rockwell, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon don't take themselves seriously. While this doesn't make them good role models, it does make them very fun to watch. If this film had been centered on Rockwell's character, I would have been a happy camper. As much as I bemoan the sequelitis overtaking Hollywood, I wouldn't mind a Water Wizz-centric spinoff one little bit.
Only God Forgives - This is no Beyond The Black Rainbow, but it's still one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Too much Valhalla Rising, not enough Drive. Not even the visuals and music, neither of which were actually all that robust, could save this movie from its dour broodiness and unrelenting apathy. But, my gosh, if you have a hallway fetish, then this is the film for you!
Broken - This is a lovely, sincere coming-of-age film that nicely resurrects the conceit of the scrappy tomboy protagonist. In a lesser film, many of Broken's conceits would have come across as hokey or cliched. However, in the context of this film they are genuine and play on the naivete of the young protagonist, giving the viewer glimpses into her innate curiosity and sense of wonder. There are also some interesting parallels to The Hunt, in that both films examine the power that children can hold over adults. Broken served as a refreshing palette cleanser after the celluloid debacle of Only God Forgives, which I had seen the night before.
The Wolverine - No real surprise, but I saw this one twice in the span of week. Wolverine has been my favorite superhero for a while. Now that probably has something to do with the fact that Hugh Jackman portrays his current incarnation. It's not like I was really into any superheros as a kid, except Michael Keaton's Batman, because those movies were on TV all the time, they were awesome, and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman combined cats with The Fabulous Baker Boys, which is clearly a win . There was also my whole Dick Tracy thing, but that doesn't really count in the "superhero" category. Anyway, Wolverine has got lots of issues, and, aside from -- or perhaps because of -- being played by Hugh Jackman, is one of the most compelling, most human characters out there in comics land. The only other actor/character that makes me truly care about his fate is Chris Evans (also a talented actor outside the superhero genre) as Captain America. Interesting that both Wolverine and Cap were weaponized for military use, yet refuse to lose sight of who they are at their cores.
As soon as I saw a trailer for The Wolverine, I was extremely anxious and stressed about Logan's fate. He was going to be stripped of his powers! No! I couldn't take the thought of this character being vulnerable, even if he feels his responsibilities are sometimes to much to bear and he longs for normalcy. His mutation is implicit to his being, and things would just never be the same if he were to lose it. My build-up of anxiety, combined with Hugh's solid performance, kept me on the edge of my seat for much of the film. By toying with Logan's powers, the film is able to bring out even more layers in the character. One of my favorite moments is when Logan realizes he feels tired after a hard day of work; as this realization comes to him, a small flicker of satisfaction crosses his face. A lesser actor than Jackman would not have been able to infuse so much meaning into such a subtle moment. However, Jackman isn't the only one kicking ass in The Wolverine -- he has two very capable women by his side. Rila Fukushima as Yukio and Tao Okamoto as Mariko are both a pleasure to watch. Yukio is a spitfire who drew audible cheers from the audience at the screening I attended. There was an added energy anytime she was on screen. Mariko's character takes longer to open up, but once she does, it is clear that she too is not only an asset to Logan, but to the film as a whole. The Wolverine relies very little on greater X-Men mythology, making it perfect for both neophytes and long-time fans.
Blue Jasmine - Watching someone crash and burn isn't so much fun, and yet an irreversible downward spiral is at the center of Woody Allen's latest. Cate Blanchett's performance is absolutely heartbreaking -- even though she may be outwardly coarse, it is clear that clinging to the last shreds of an upper class existence is the only coping mechanism she has ... other than Xanax ... and vodka. Her lack of awareness, and self-absorption, in that Upper Crust fairy tale leaves her out of touch and unprepared for any other path in life, and one can't help feeling empathy toward this utterly lost woman. As with most of Woody's films, the supporting cast lends equally strong performances to round out and bring color to the protagonist's world.
The To Do List - I wasn't expecting too much from this movie, and that's about what I got. While the opening credits sequence and all the early 90s touches and fashions (Hypercolor!) are quite fun, Aubrey Plaza doesn't create a particularly likable character with her exceedingly dry performance. This results in a movie that made me long for the protagonist to get out of the way and let the rest of the highly likable, absolutely terrific supporting cast take over all of the action.
Book Shelf
The Best of Us, Sarah Pekkanen
I learned something from this book, and that thing is that 35 year-olds can have mid-life crises. Now, 35 is not actually that old, and it seems a little too soon for a whole group of friends and their spouses to be totally loosing their shit, but I guess if you have your first kid when you're 27, you might be at your wits end by 35. I don't know. But I do know that reading a book about people not that much older than me with whom I have absolutely nothing in common and with whom I could not connect at any level was completely off-putting. This is the kind of book whose story would be better as a chick-flick to ignore in the cinema and then guiltily Netflix on a weekend in January when there is nothing going on.
Whirlwind, James Clavell
This is by far my favorite Clavell book. It's suspenseful and frightening (in the same way that The Golden Compass was frightening when I was 12 - both books forced me to think about things that I had either never considered or had not considered in the context in which the stories present them. The only catch is that while Golden Compass is fantasy, Whirlwind is based on actual events. In related news, I really don't understand religious fanaticism) and exciting and it never lets up. I found it very easy to identify with the characters since they don't fully understand their situation or adversaries any more than Clavell allows the reader to do so. Most important of all, Clavell does a stellar job conveying the terror, uncertainty, and confusion that simultaneously overwhelm a revolutionary state, especially when that revolution is powered by fanaticism and seems completely devoid of reason, common sense, or any true leadership on the local level. From beginning to end, Whirlwind is a top notch historical and military thriller with a true sense of adventure.
Persuader, Lee Child
This book starts out weaker than many Reacher tales, and on a bit of a false note as well. However, by the second half of the book, it has fallen into a nice groove with Child delivering an intriguing, layered story -- allowing for not just one, but two climaxes. While the usual Reacher brawn and brains ratio is tipped a little too much to the former, Persuader still delivers a quick, satisfying thrill ride.
Post title from: "The Butterfly," from Meadowlands, by Louise Glück
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