October Favorites

The King: While this Medieval king movie is not quite as good as Netflix's 2018 Medieval king movie, Outlaw King, it is still a high quality film featuring fine performances from a talented cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Pattinson, and Sean Harris. Like Outlaw King, The King features raw, visceral, well-executed, and skillfully filmed battle scenes. Its Shakespeare-inspired plot delivers a gut punch at the end of the film (at least for someone like me who has never read or seen the plays of the Henriad). Thimothée Chalamet's performance is marvelous. Chalamet is an actor who is able to convey wisdom far beyond his years – and able to hold his own with veteran actors Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris. The performances of these three men are the backbone of this film, giving their characters staying-power that has kept this movie fresh in my mind for several weeks.

Varina, Charles Frazier: Like all of Frazier's books, Varina is an atmospheric tale of a bygone era that feels fresh and alive in every sentence. In this case, Frazier brings to life the strong willed, opinionated Varina Davis (wife of Jefferson Davis) as she looks back over her life, particularly the fall of the Confederacy. This character's unique perspective on the Civil War is intriguing and thought-provoking. Though she was aligned with the wrong side of history, and is not always a likable character in this book, Frazier does humanize Varina and makes it possible to empathize with her. He presents her and judges her in the context of the values of her own time, rather than the values that could be imposed upon her in the modern era. At its core, Varina is a tale of resilience, adaptation, and a woman always doing what seems right and best in the moment, even if that perspective changes with hindsight.

"Over", Mayer Hawthorne: This track manages to sound like vintage Mayer and something totally new all at once. It combines Soul and Funk into one superbly moody track. I'm excited to see how this song fits into a (presumably) forthcoming album.

"Take Me to the Light", Francis & The Lights feat. Bon Iver & Kanye West: I usually avoid Kanye like the plague, but it's a great credit to Francis & The Lights that he can make a song featuring Kanye not only palatable, but also beautiful. This track feels and sounds like a natural extension of "Friends", this team's previous collaboration. Francis' and Bon Iver's falsetto vocals float ethereally over a minimalist beat layered with synths, with Kanye's vocals seamlessly blending into into this lush sonic landscape. A Francis & The Lights song is more than just music; it's a singular piece of art that transports the listener into new dimensions.

"Why Not?", Boys Noize and Francis & The Lights: Francis has been busy. This collaboration with Boys Noize (blast from the past! I seriously have not thought about Boys Noize for nearly 10 years) sounds like pure Francis, but with an an even more 80s, Tangerine Dream-esque twist to the underlying synths. Anything Francis is involved with is magic, pure and simple.