Monday, December 23, 2013

Book: How Music Works - David Byrne

What a great read for anyone interested in the creative process, the music industry, or exploring what art is and how it affects us. A little bit biography, a lot music theory and thinking, this book by the Talking Heads front man David Byrne takes a universal look at music. 

With chapters focusing on different aspects of the medium - creation, recording, business, theory, nature, etc. - he touches on his own experience as well as a roundup of interesting findings and a survey of experts. Byrne takes an anything-goes approach, accepting that there are many different perspectives on every topic. He shares how he has done things and approached them in his own career, but tries to bring in many other points of view as well. The discussion on music in the natural world, for example, compiles some compelling evidence as to why the 12-note and 7-note scales may be biological fact rather than just a cultural development.


The aspiring professional musician might make use of his practical, realistic approach to making a living in the music business as he shares a forward-looking description of the options on how to make it work. A great read all the way through, or you can pick and choose the chapters that seems most intriguing. Give it all a chance, though, and keep a computer nearby so you can look up samples of the many works he mentions throughout.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Film: Gravity

Since its release last weekend I've seen Gravity described as the masterpiece of Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. It is. It's a visually astonishing film that cohesively uses all its elements - cinematography, sound, acting, plot, visual effects, etc. - to tell a beautiful, and gripping story. While at face value it's a thrilling portrayal of a perilous struggle for survival, Gravity offers a deeper exploration into how each of us deals with adversity in life.

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Gravity I was instantly enthralled and excited. A couple of things stood out to me. First, I was in the theater when I saw it so I got the full audiovisual experience and the film looked beautiful and thrilling. I was instantly gripped, even though I really had no idea what it was about - no more than astronauts in trouble in space. The second thing I noticed were the names attached to it. Alfonso Cuarón is an increasingly recognized director with only a few titles under his belt, but they are diverse and told with style and meaning (He directed the best Harry Potter film, Prisoner of Azkaban, among other things). Seeing something so different with his name on it is good reason to get excited. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are both great actors as well. Expectations were forming and I had a hunch this was going to be great. My ears were perked and I was paying close attention. I was dying to see it. That's what a good trailer does.

It met my expectations. Gravity's storytelling is efficient. Everything is tied to the ultimate purpose of the story and the characters. I just have to say thank you to Cuarón for doing that so well. Most great movies do it, but few big budget flicks are among them. It opens with three astronauts during a spacewalk. The shuttle Explorer is attached to the Hubble satellite and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is installing some hardware to assist in her research. It's her first time in space and Mission Control is getting readings indicating she's feeling a bit queasy. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), on the other hand, is a seasoned veteran astronaut and zooms around with confidence. A third member of the team is enjoying himself as well. He's a nice guy with a family and you know instantly he is not making it out of this alive. The voice of Mission Control (Ed Harris... yes, the guy that was the head of Mission Control in Apollo 13... if you were paying attention) lets them know a Russian satellite was destroyed and has created some debris but no need to worry. Oh wait... yes there is need to worry. They get hit by a field of high velocity space shrapnel. Ryan is flung into space completely detached from the shuttle and her team. She starts to panic. Matt tries to settle her down on the radio but she can barely breathe.

This is all in the trailer. From there it's a series of obstacles that must be overcome one by one, each promising a great likelihood of failure and death. This is where we really get to know these characters and learn from their different approaches at dealing with extreme adversity. Because that's what Gravity is all about. It's a beautiful and extensive series of metaphors on life and how to deal with the unwelcome and unexpected. The movie is enjoyable as it is without the reflection, but some pondering may deepen its emotional impact. Dr. Stone has some difficult things from her past and has shut out the rest of the world. This seems to make the silence of space appealing to her. Matt is more fun-loving but with a sure will to survive and an unbreakable calm. There's going to be some real anxiety as you watch and consider how you would react in the same situation. You tell yourself these people have been trained for this, but only a true acceptance of the reality of death and life can really allow you to make jokes and listen to twangy country music as you drift in space with your oxygen ticking below 5%.


The physical situation in which Ryan Stone finds herself is symbolic of her emotional relationship with life and the rest of the human race. Isolated. Silent. Hopeless. As you watch you may begin to wonder if it mirrors aspects of your own life. Not in a desperate depressing sort of way, but in that this mortal life we all wander through, the chance for disaster is upon us at any moment and once it strikes - whatever flavor adversity comes in - it's hard to imagine that most people wouldn't panic too. Maybe it would be easiest to just drift off. To let go. It's a lot of work to stay afloat. Ryan must make a decision that most of us are never confronted with: to hold on to or let go of gravity. By the end of the film we learn that rather than the shared bond between two masses, gravity is also the shared bond between each of us and the rest of the human race (perhaps even a higher power?). The choice we are faced with is to hold on and accept gravity - despite all the weight that comes with that choice - or to let go and drift away.

---

Sandra Bullock does a brilliant job. A little bit of research will tell you about the physical training she did for months to prepare for the role. What's more impressive about it too is how it's tied to her performance. The panic, the breathing, the distress, is all so authentic it hardly seems like acting but it's all rehearsed and practiced down to the rhythm and the depth of each gasp of air. Clooney is, of course, great. Cuarón likes long, moving shots which required precise sequences of motion from both actors. I think Bullock, though, is deserving of special attention for her role.

Maybe it would be easier to just drift away...
The cinematography was ground-breaking. Those long shots serve the story well as the unbroken motion from far back, to up-close, moving seamlessly from third-person perspective to first-person perspective inside the suit. You might not notice it, but that's quite alright. That style keeps you focused on the action while still giving you the full spectrum of what is happening without breaking the visual focus. The sound is right on, also flowing from one perspective to the next, while never creating a false environment by putting sound where it doesn't belong. Indeed, the most intense visual action is often made eerily serene as you witness the destruction happening in the silence of space. And the music, while not often present, hits the right notes at the right time, bringing the emotional journey all the way home in just the precise moments. Steven Price gets the top music credit and I think he's one to watch. Although he's worked on a number of impressive productions, he's relatively new to taking the lead.

But the full credit for this film's gravitas (get it) will fall on the shoulder's of Alfonso Cuarón. He fills or shares most of the top production credits as Director, Producer, Writer and Editor. The writing credit is shared with his son, Jonas. A quick perusal of Cuarón's (Alfonso, not Jonas) IMDb page reveals his two biggest aspirations in his youth were to become an astronaut and a filmmaker. This film seems like a culmination of his career thus far and a jumping-off point for the next phase. At a time when Hollywood seems all about creating soulless sequels pumped up to 3D to drive more revenue, the existence and box-office success of Gravity, a film whose soul purpose is to serve a beautiful story of redemption and building hope in life, dually builds a bit of hope in an industry that must not have it all wrong if it can put someone like Alfonso Cuarón at the helm of a production.

A note on 3D: As it was released Gravity became another one of those films that makes a lot of people that normally don't like 3D say, "This is a good argument for the validity of 3D." That caught my attention. I had the pleasure of seeing the film in IMAX 3D in a true, full-size IMAX theater. I'd recommend doing the same while its still in theaters. It was a really exciting, immersive experience.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Music: Blur 21

So you know that song you often hear at sporting events or on commercials with the vocals that scream "Woo hoo!"? It starts with some solo drums, a simple electric guitar riff, and then explodes with distortion, bass, and, of course, the famous Woo-Hoo's. Its a song we've all heard. It's called "Song 2". I'd like to introduce you to the group behind the song: Blur.

Hopefully you already know about Blur, but if not they are a pivotal British pop/alternative group whose most commercially-successful and popular era was the mid 90's. "Song 2" was just their accidental one-time US hit. They started in the very late 80's, became wildly famous in England in the 90's, and today, after a hiatus and reunion, play the occasional festival. Their frontman, Damon Albarn, is a prolific musician with a host of crossover collaborations under his belt, the most popular being Gorillaz, of "Clint Eastwood" fame. Blur's career started as a basic, white-collar pop-rock group with songs that parodied the banality of the routine, emotionless daily life. By the time their album Parklife (1994) hit they were the biggest thing in Britain (so I'm told). Quickly afterward they retreated inwardly as they struggled to deal with the unexpected fame they'd encountered. They didn't really sign-on to the "sex, drugs and rock n' roll thing." By 1997 they released the very raw Blur, from which sprung "Song 2." That album was a turning point artistically, and the music just got better with 13 (1999). Think Tank (2003) was their last full-length album and is their most polished and infinitely-listenable album. The recording of Think Tank was difficult for the band. Originally a foursome, they were a threesome by the time it was released. Since then they've gotten back to their full roster, headlined many big music festivals, and even released a song or two.

Blur is a great example of what I feel is a principle of great musicians that works against the current cycle of the popular music industry: musicians make better music as they mature. I might be wrong about that. I'd imagine its easier to market something that already has a following. But critically, a great artist often has a hard time living down their first great album. The crescendo career is a trademark of great artists that are dedicated to their craft - continually improving upon the serendipitous combination of raw enthusiasm and talent that led to their early successes. The pop culture industry focuses on youth and the excitement of a beautiful new face that puts a few young artists at the top of the charts. Even among more level-headed critics, many artists can never overcome their early successes despite the fact that their experience and perspective later in life affords them the opportunity to make better music. For notable filmmakers, actors, writers, and musicians, the key work that brings that initial success can never be replicated. Credit is rarely given for innovation as an artist's career progresses. After a first groundbreaking or critically-successful release, many artists become defined by those notable, early offerings. It is true that if it weren't for their earlier successes, many established artists' works would not receive as much attention - but that doesn't mean that we need to wrap those works as a noose around their neck. For Blur, the later stuff is the best.

Blur is (clockwise from top left) Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree, and Damon Albarn

Blur is not a perfect band with a perfect catalogue (Brit spelling). There are many flaws that, when looked at individually, can make them look rather amateur. The first few albums, honestly, are nothing special. But the same holds true for many great bands (i.e. Radiohead's Pablo Honey). Let's face it - pop, rock, and alternative music is usually very basic as far as the general instrumentation and format goes. They lack the structure and intelligent design of more serious genres like classical and jazz because they are often based more on intuition and superficial differences, at best, and market share, at worst. But we love it because it is easy to connect with the visceral experience of our daily lives. And it's got a beat or a hook that's hard to get out of your head. Blur was born out of Britpop and was most popular in the mid 90's when record sales really meant something. They had a bit of an overblown rivalry with Oasis and even beat them in sales at one point. Blur won the battle but lost the war as Oasis took over the US with Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova. But after that record, Blur moved into the best phase of their career musically. You could say the subject matter of the music doesn't change much through the years, but the way its told transforms from pure youthful energy to more subtle adult reflection.

And the sound is amazing. Blur, 13, and Think Thank show a band comfortable with experimenting in new sounds and song structures - less focused on making a great single and more excited about trying something unique. Some tracks from these albums are jams lifted directly from brainstorming sessions or variations on more abrasive sound effects and lyrical experiments. Think Thank learns from the previous two albums' experimentation with a cleaner and more polished delivery. They're definitely eclectic by nature. This is obvious from Parklife on. Each album has its mix of dramatic sweet-songs and high-tempo romps. Last year, 2012, marked the 21-year anniversary of their first album and so they released a career-comprehensive box set of 21 discs (18 CD's and 3 DVD's) which was a mouth-watering prospect for me - I admit: I really love box sets. It was an easy way for me to do a complete, chronological Blur retrospective. I listened to everything, start to finish. It was great to get the full picture and hear, in quick succession, the band's progression through the years. I know. I'm a total music nerd.

Blur 21

So I pulled out the top tracks from their studio albums for my top Blur playlist. I include just a few of the rarities/b-tracks that stand out, although I did find it interesting that for many of their early songs I enjoyed the rare, low-quality demo version much more than the album track. And if you do decide to tackle the list, don't forget to check out their latest 2-song single.

My Blur 21 top playlist:
Sing
Girls & Boys
End of a Century
To The End
Badhead
This Is A Low
Best Days
He Thought of Cars
The Universal
Yuko & Hiro
Bettlebum
Song 2
Country Sad Ballad Man
You're So Great
Strange News From Another Star
Tender
Caramel
I've Got No Distance Left To Run
Ambulance
Crazy Beat
Good Song
Gene By Gene
Battery In Your Leg

From the B-Sides:
All Your Life
Get Out of Cities
Bustin' + Dronin'
Black Book
Money Makes Me Crazy (Marrakech Mix)

2012 Release:
Under the Westway
The Puritan

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Music: My Daft Punk Playlist

The robots. That's how Daft Punk are known by their close friends and associates. How do you take on the persona of an android, putting on robotic head pieces and never appearing in public without them, and still become one of the most well-respected artists in a global genre, producing the most anticipated releases in the industry? Fanboys everywhere in forest trooper helmets might ask the same question. Part of it may be the natural mystique that follows all genuine artists that value their craft over their own craftiness and successfully keep their private life private. So basically Daft Punk are the Bill Watterson of electronic dance music - except before he retired and with shiny, opaque helmets. Maybe that doesn't fit as well as I thought. This French duo, active since the late 80's, represents the best electronic music has to offer, summarizing its strengths in an accessible, shiny package. They are the bionic ambassadors of EDM.

There is an entire world of electronic dance music (EDM to those who know) that is beyond my scope or knowledge. If you don't know anything about electronic music or have always thought you weren't interested, you should know that Daft Punk is EDM for rock lovers (see Digital Love). Daft Punk is not among the founding fathers of the genre, but they introduced it to a wider audience. LCD Soundsystem, for instance, is Daft Punk as an indie garage punk band. At first glance they are quite different. Yet if you like one, you'll find it easy to connect to the other - and that's not even mentioning James Murphy's incessant references to Daft Punk. I can understand the initial aversion to electronic music because the repetition seems thoughtless and boring. But when you consider that music is a condensed representation of time and motion, electronic music utilizes technology to grab moments or feelings, extend them, and change them subtly from one moment to next, attempting to prolong and manipulate what is normally fleeting. And that is why Daft Punk, a pair of self-proclaimed robots, came to the conclusion that the music they create is actually human after all.

Michael Gondry's bizarre yet entertaining video for "Around the World" (1997)

In honor of Daft Punk's upcoming new album Random Access Memories I have for your edification my ultimate Daft Punk playlist. Daft Punk was another one of those discoveries I made early in high school by perusing cdnow.com. Somehow I wound up listening to their first hit "Around the World" and my mind was instantly blown. I had heard electronic music before but always as a soundtrack to a movie or as background music. I'd never considered listening to it for its own sake. Daft Punk brought that genre to the front of my mind. I remember listening to the album on my discman on a band trip when an older kid asked for a listen. I handed him my headphones and he said quizzically, "It's just the same thing over and over again." I didn't really have a response for him because I couldn't explain why he didn't get it - but he didn't. I learned a lot about song structure, form, and details by listening to Daft Punk - there is a pattern and logic that can appeal to the intellectual listener, but of course there are plenty of Burnin' beats as well. Plus you can't help but love a band that takes on their early criticism as their name.

With all the excitement for the new album I've been devling even deeper into the whole Daft Punk world. I was epically rewarded by finding the anime companion movie to Daft Punk's second album, Discovery. Interstella 5555: The 5ecret 5tar 5ystem was an idea spawned during the recording sessions for Discovery that came to fruition in 2003 after a partnership between Daft Punk and French and Japanese filmmakers. I'd seen the music video for One More Time, the album's opening track, but that was years ago and never really thought about the fact that it starts a story but doesn't finish it. As I was revisiting old videos I realized they were all connected and then I found the full movie on vimeo. My face almost melted off I was so excited. It being a family friendly cartoon movie who's score was perhaps the greatest electronic album of all time I sat down with my 2 year old daughter and enjoyed 65 minutes of pure bliss. With no dialogue and only occasional sound effects, it is a visceral experience that follows the musical flow of the album. The fact that something can keep a toddler's full attention for over an hour is not always desirable, but with this it tells me that she takes after her dad with her impeccable taste. Established robot lovers will already know about this gem, but if you have not seen it, follow the vimeo link the first chance you get 65 continuous minutes to yourself and let it wash over you.


And now, my list. This is exhaustive rather than exclusive. The studio album tracks are really the most essential, but the live mashups add another level of awesome if you know the hits. And the fact that they scored TRON: Legacy - perhaps the most critically underrated sci-fi blockbuster of the last ten years - is just a perfect fit. Let me know if you agree or if I missed your favorite track.
  1. Daftendirekt - Homework
  2. Da Funk - Homework
  3. Around the World - Homework
  4. One More Time - Discovery
  5. Aerodynamic - Discovery
  6. Digital Love - Discovery
  7. Harder Better Faster Strong - Discovery
  8. Something About Us - Discovery
  9. Voyager - Discovery
  10. Short Circuit - Discovery
  11. Verdis Quo - Discovery
  12. Human After All - Human After All
  13. Robot Rock - Human After All
  14. Emotion - Human After All
  15. The Prime Time of Your Life - Human After All
  16. Robot Rock / Oh Yeah - Alive 2007
  17. Around The World / Harder Better Faster Stronger - Alive 2007
  18. Face to Face / Short Circuit - Alive 2007
  19. End of Line - TRON: Legacy OST
  20. Derezzed - TRON: Legacy OST

PS - Someday my wife Karen and I are going to do this awesome dance to Harder Better Faster Stronger in some public setting, although we'll be fully clothed.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Music: U2 - The Joshua Tree

If you know me at all you know that U2 runs deep for me. I'm an unabashed superfan. I love their music so much that I often don't talk about it for fear I'll come off overzealous and reveal that I'm really just an awkward, raving fan. The love is based in the music, but is supported by the whole story of U2 and who they are as a group. Together now for over 35 years, their membership has never changed since becoming U2. And while its difficult for me to make any claim at best-ness, U2's album The Joshua Tree is the most significant in the story of my devotion to the music of this gang of Irish fellows. And it is the greatest album of all time.

You might say my deeply abiding love for the music of U2 is almost a fluke, induced by a desire to be like cooler, older kids. But I submit that the circumstances that lead to my possession of this album display an innate inclination within myself to U2's music, a practically uncontrollable force. The first time I remember hearing U2 was thanks to MTV's airing of the 500 top music videos of all time (circa 1996). There was a small period where I was a latchkey kid and would come home after school in 5th grade, grab a bowl of cereal and pull up a stool  to the counter and watch TV in the kitchen until my parents came home. This was back when MTV actually played music. Somewhere in the top 100 "With or Without You" came up and I was mesmerized - something clicked. I faintly remembered the little white lettering on the bottom left of the screen identifying the artist, album and song.

The next encounter came during a church youth trip. I was maybe 12. As a caravan of cars we moved from east to west across Montana. Somehow I wound up in a car full of "cool older guys", 16-18 year olds. Why they allowed me join them I didn't know but I was ecstatic and glad to not be in my parent's maroon, boxy Ford Aerostar. I was in the middle in the back seat, too intimidated to do anything other than just sit and listen. They had their portable CD player hooked into the car system and their carefully-organized CD cases. At one point someone asked, "What do you guys want to listen to?" Someone else volunteered, "Let's listen to some U2. Put in The Joshua Tree." My ears perked slightly. I faintly remembered these names from that white text on the tv in my kitchen. Quickly my ears confirmed to me not only that this was the same U2 from the video, but that their music was amazing - this album was amazing. It's name was now ingrained in my long-term memory, even though I wasn't really sure what an album was.

This all came to a culmination when my parents decided to join one of those CD clubs that used to be popular like Columbia House and were offering each of us, their children, an opportunity to pick an album from among the 10 or 12 you get from signing up. Without hesitation I knew: U2's The Joshua Tree. The CD came, and even though I had to borrow my sister's discman and headphones to listen to it, I played it nonstop and, with only the passion that young boys have, I became an undying fan of U2. I'm sure that if I hadn't been watching MTV or hadn't ended up in that car I would've recognized the brilliance of U2's music but my introduction first through The Joshua Tree I find very fitting as it is the seminal work in defining their identity as musicians. They were young, but experienced after having completed four albums and breaking into the US music landscape. They were popular, but without quite yet needing to reflect fully on the monstrous status of celebrity within pop culture(see Achtung Baby through Pop).

Growing up in Eastern Montana I spent a lot of time on long car trips. Whenever on these cross-country journeys I would always pack my trusty discman and my thick  CD case - a very important expression of yourself was your cd collection. Frequently beginning early in the morning, I always knew The Joshua Tree would be my first pick for these trips. With the steady crescendo opening and the energy-inducing, rhythmically-arpeggiated guitar line from The Edge leading up to Bono's opening lines, the rising sun is the most appropriate visual accompaniment to album-opener "Where the Streets Have No Name". Next, the quickly familiar "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is only off-putting to those that flatly deny humanity and the mortal experience. The song is yearning for divinity. Then "With or Without You" hits with that alternating ringing track and Adam Clayton's simple, commanding baseline and your face gets serious as you try to adequately express how amazing and serious this music is making you feel without letting anyone else know, but then you let loose, inhibitions aside, as you reel with the exuding lift of the chorus and you feel you kind of know what he means when he says "you give yourself away." At this point my mother turn back towards me with a scolding look saying my music was too loud and everyone else did not want to listen to what I was listening to. No sound-canceling headphones back then.

The Joshua Tree introduced me to the concept of an album as a singular work - a whole piece of art with a structure and parts that are meant to go together. Sure most of the tracks can be enjoyed on their own, but they all share a similar aura that becomes clearer in a complete listen. Originally it was going to be titled "Two Americas", reflecting two conflicting ideas U2 had, and especially Bono, about this new land they'd gotten to know. One was the America as a frontier of hope, receiver of the down-trodden, and distiller of dreams. The other was America as the insistent war machine. Neither perspective was partisan or directly political and when viewed as a whole you get the feeling its told with love. "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Exit" are most reflective of the "other side" of America with heavy guitars and harsh lyrics.

Somewhere in the transition from "Two Americas" to "Joshua Tree," the American Southwest entered as another influence. It's heard most plainly through the pleading blue-collar village in "Red Hill Milling Town," the quick nymphal desert of "In God's Country," and the dirty bar-room blues of "Twist Through Your Wires." And although a place where the streets have no names may feel like a peaceful utopia, it just as easily invokes the desert. This region, along with the frequent religious references, reveal why the hopeful, outstretched arms of the joshua tree is a fitting symbol for the music.

Every track is golden but "Running To Stand Still" will be the favorite U2 song you've never heard if you don't know this album. There's a story behind some of the imagery in the song, but never mind, you don't need to know it. Starting and ending with the searching plucking that makes you think of a cowboy leaned back on the boardwalk picking at an acoustic guitar, you follow the rise of the piano and tumbling of the low-tom to the pounding peak, and then back down to the closing jailhouse harmonica. I guess all I'm doing is describing the actual music, but doesn't it sound like you just want to listen to it? Rounding out the track listing is the uplifting but painful "One Tree Hill" - written in honor of a friend of the band that passed away - and "Mothers of the Disappeared" - in honor of stolen children and their families in Latin America. Both tell the story of those left behind when the innocent are taken too soon. "Mothers" plays the important role of being the strong, solid closing track. The final song of an album is like the music playing over a movie's credits. It puts the final touch on the work, defining the last impression as something complete and meaningful. If you get up and walk out once the screen goes black you have cut short your experience. Don't make the mistake of cutting short any part of your experience with U2's The Joshua Tree.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Film: Howl's Moving Castle

Hayao Miyazaki’s groundbreaking animated films, like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, can be described as sweeping, fantastical, and heart-wrenchingly joyful. Equally epic, Miyazaki’s 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle, adapted from Diana Wynne Jones’ book of the same name, renders the viewer immobilized through the experience of a young girl on a journey of discovery. The film reaffirmed Miyazaki's role as the global ambassador of Japanese animation. He is a visionary man who understands that discovering an alternative side of life can be a revitalizing experience, and in that sense sends his audience right along with his characters.

The film begins in a world at war, with soldiers marching the streets of a vaguely European-feeling town and strange planes flying overhead. Young Sophie works in a hat shop and bumps into Howl, a known wizard and local heartthrob  She quickly falls into a world of magic and finds trouble when the Witch of the Waste binds her with a spell of old age. In her newly geriatric state she goes in search of Howl. His house, a walking, magic fortress serves as his headquarters and main point of departure for his war-related missions. Now known as Grandma Sophie, she enlists herself as his maid and finds a place among the other housemates: a young apprentice, a cute but paranormally complex and load-bearing fire demon, a silent scarecrow, and later, a humbled Witch of the Waste. While adjusting to her newly-aged body, Sophie's youthful heart deals with identity and love. Howl, a tenacious wizard full of defiance and destructive power, is caught in his own difficulties. Dealing with pacifism in wartime, he has become a political casualty of the raging conflict. The struggles crescendo and combine - as they are often wont to do - and the characters face difficult, life-changing choices. The whole things comes together in classic Miyazaki style.

Just your average mobile home

Is this starting to sound a little too "magical" for you? Maybe you think its just for kids? Well grow up and accept that some children's movies are even better for adults. This film was released on the tailwind of Miyazaki’s most globally recognized film, Spirited Away, which had just become the first anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animation. The two films, along with most of his movies, communicate many of the same themes. Howl, which set box office records in its own right, was highly influenced both by the previous success of Spirited Away - still the highest grossing Japanese film of all time - and by Miyazaki’s own reactions to the beginning of the Iraq War. He has been classified as a pacifist, feminist, and traditionalist - all perspectives that inform his characters and their struggles. But the moralistic view of his stories is more universal than partisan. In this film Howl's struggles are treated more as personal than political.


While there are lessons to be learned from Howl’s demons, Sophie’s character growth is equally poignant as she decides to optimistically accept the challenge of old age. Her quick transformation from young adult to elderly is one most youth would not accept lightly, and Miyazaki helps the viewer to reflect on age and identity as he explores how Sophie deals with instant maturity and physical limitation. She finds she's able to gradually shed the years by embracing life and its challenges rather than complaining about them. Love, energy, and wisdom come as she is forced to accept things she cannot change and address those she can. Life in Howl's mystical mobile home is lived a few steps away from normality. Time and space have no constancy. The resulting mobility, while exciting, has kept Howl and his housemates from facing reality. Sophie breathes some fresh air into the place as she takes responsibility and learns to value the moment and the relationships that surround her. 



If you've never seen a Miyazaki film before you might initially be resistant to the style of animation, the story, or the fantasy elements. If so, I urge you to let go and soak it all in. I prefer watching in Japanese with English subtitles. When coupled with the beautiful, melancholy score it completes the cultural journey and give you a truly foreign experience. If you just can't handle reading while watching, or you are enjoying it with kids, turn on the translation. John Lasseter - Miyazaki's championing superfan in the US - and his team at Disney went to significant lengths to make a quality English translation including revisiting the dialogue and recording voiceover work by critically acclaimed actors. Most notable is Christian Bale, who gives Howl's voice that dark, raspy Batman quality which we American's just seem to love.


This film is a gem during which I always sit in constant amazement. The beguiling blend of music, love, magic, and visuals creates an orchestral experience. Sometimes a film's ability to take you somewhere completely different is more valuable than the message it communicates. Howl's Moving Castle does both with ease. Walking away from the film you'll have a heightened sense of wonder at the richness of the world around you. Just as Miyazaki's characters rarely finish a film in the same form they began it, you'll be closer to internalizing the fact that life is always changing. And maybe you'll see the young person inside the next old face you see.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Film: Lincoln

I finally took the opportunity to see Steven Spielberg's epic historical drama Lincoln. And I'm so glad I did. It's a film deserving of the many accolades it's received. It gracefully guides us through President Abraham Lincoln's most far-reaching political victory: the passing of the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Equally remarkable, it connects us to the giant historical figure of Lincoln on a personal level. This movie is the realization of an effort by a truly great team of filmmakers, led by Spielberg, but brought to cohesive fruition by a team of producers, writers, cast, and crew that are as dedicated to telling a meaningful story as they are to making it universal. Its a masterclass of film for the industry and a lesson in subtle, dextrous storytelling for the rest of us. Plus it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

To be more specific on how the story is framed, the film deals primarily with the struggle to rally enough supporters to gain a 2/3 majority vote for the bill proposing the amendment in the US House of Representatives. While the Senate had more easily passed the bill earlier, and afterwards it would be ratified among the states, the film takes the stance that the battle in the House was the lynchpin to the process - not only because of the close voting numbers in that governing body, but because of how its passing fit within the political context of the war and the popular opinion across the county. That I can explain this to you is a testament to the clarity with which the story is told - and political dramas can be tough to follow. To be fair, I've read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals which was Spielberg's main source material for the film. But while true political dramas are more about delivering intrigue, the real summation of the story is an emotional catharsis realized when a set of circumstances and people find success in bringing to pass an historically groundbreaking and life-affirming event.

Spielberg opens with a war scene, set in a muddy riverbed, of hand-to-hand combat from a time before modern military training and hollywood action, where men clumsily, intimately face the reality of giving and receiving death. Awkward hands push faces, men wrestle and reel in the water, bayonets hit and miss their marks. It's a chilling context, necessary to remind us from the start that the ensuing story takes place in a land where Americans have engaged in and felt the effects of such combat for four long years. Politicians and citizens alike are anxious for this unnatural predicament - brother fighting brother - to come to an end. This is just the first of many evidences that this is Spielberg at his best. His quest for historical accuracy is another. Lincoln's study was carefully constructed to match the original down to the wallpaper. The ticking from Lincoln's actual watch was recorded. Spielberg is noted for having now famously come to set in a suit and addressing the lead cast members as Mr. President and Mrs. Lincoln.


Lincoln shows the career arc of a master craftsman for both Steven Spielberg and John Williams. Both gained meteoric success through their collaboration on Jaws (1974) and have been a famous working pair ever since. Their distinct style set the modern standard for high-quality, entertaining, thematic, blockbuster filmmaking and scoring. This film portrays the skill of aged and experienced craftsmen willing to risk taking their art to the next level. As a follower of both their bodies of work I feel Lincoln is a culmination of their skill, thoughtfully matured with a touch that is subtle, slight, refined, and exquisite in its deliberate application that is lastingly powerful. And yes, I did look up "subtle" on thesaurus.com. I've said it before and I'll probably repeat again that artists' best work comes later in their career when they remain dedicated and persistent in the pursuit of the art.

Here's a list of names of people associated with the film, all acclaimed participants in the filmmaking process: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Janusz Kaminski, John Williams, Ben Burt, Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, John Hawkes, David Strathairn, Tim Blake Nelson. Those are just the names that I recognize. More familiar cinephiles, studied hollywood experts, and industry insiders would recognize even more notable members of the cast and crew. I should also mention screenwriter Tony Kushner. His script delivers truthful dialogue that adroitly walks the line of accessibility and accuracy while never making us think we are listening to historical dialogue. I'm excited to see what his next project will be. Drawing from almost an infinite wealth of material on Lincoln, Kushner and Spielberg focus on a time and struggle that help us get to know Lincoln as a man, not just a figure.

Daniel Day Lewis is fully deserving of his recent Best Actor Oscar win for this performance (and he gave one of the most charming acceptance speeches for it). He captures Lincoln's spirit without basing his performance on our standard modern perception of the man (i.e. the voice, the walking gait). Historians will notice Sally Field is almost a full two decades beyond the age of her character but unless you are categorically unable to withstand such inaccuracies, you will be convinced by her portrayal of the tortured Mary Todd Lincoln. Even after reading all of Goodwin's book, it was only Sally Field's performance that opened me to empathize with her character. Tommy Lee Jones is perfectly cast as well. His normal crotchety and closed-in attitude - occasionally a liability for him in that he seems to always play the same character - is an asset here as he plays radical abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. In fact, it's his character that gives the summation of the film as he comments on the messy, imprecise, precarious process of getting a bill through the House. He calls it "The greatest measure of the Nineteenth Century. Passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in America."

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Book: Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
The greatest stories have a way of approaching life universally to the effect that after hearing them you feel that all of life's questions are answered. While still in the afterglow of reading such a book you might hear someone complain about something trivial and then think to yourself, "If only they read Anna Karenina their perspective would change and they would be content in life." You feel like you were let in on a little secret. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, is considered by many of the most well-respected authors since its writing to be the greatest novel ever written. It is one of those "universal" type of books. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, although improperly titled, is an extensively enjoyable and exhaustive exposition on finding happiness in life.

That's right, I don't like the title. I think its deceptive and misleading. Because the book is named after one of its key characters, a basic synopsis usually tells her story Anna Karenina and it is quite often summed up something like this: "An elegant lady of Russian society falls passionately in love with a young officer and faces the consequences of her affair." This is what I knew about the book before reading it and I was reluctant to pick it up because of that - stories all about affairs don't sound like much fun. Although on second thought maybe "tawdry love affair" was the exact message Tolstoy and his marketer wanted to put out to get people to pick up the book and hopefully discover it was something more. By now, though, the cat's out of the bag and the only people that read it are either assigned to do so or are working their way down a "Best Novels" list. The only reason I did read it is because I had occasion to read some of Tolstoy's shorter works and learned what an amazing storyteller he is.

Originally published in installments over many years in the 1870's, the story is split in eight parts. The early portions of the book do focus slightly more on Anna Karenina, wife of Count Alexei Karenin, and her beginning an affair and then relationship with Count Vronsky, an officer of the cavalry. Very quickly, though, as much attention is focused on Konstantin Levin, a scholarly farm owner and friend of Anna's brother, Stiva, and his reluctant but budding relationship with Stiva's young sister-in-law, Kitty. Like Anna, Levin undergoes a personal journey throughout the years covered in the book, but with a far different end. Levin is the purest manifestation of Tolstoy's own personal development on every subject discussed including marriage, politics, farming, and faith. By the last fifth of the book Tolstoy focuses almost completely on Levin, allowing the reader to see as he settles into his new life, now married with a child, and reflects on the changes that have happened to him throughout the story.

And so I think this book's title is the greatest misnomer of literary history. Rather than a serial of a passionate love affair, Anna Karenina is Tolstoy's epic treatise on romance, love, marriage, politics, sociology, and God. While much can be learned from Anna's story--and it is told with great skill and precision--her story line could be summed up as a cautionary tale by the end of the book. One of the most chilling passages comes when Anna acknowledges that her choices, and her unwillingness to change, are keeping her from the best part of herself:
"Only Anna was sad. She knew that now, from Dolly’s departure, no one again would stir up within her soul the feelings that had been roused by their conversation. It hurt her to stir up these feelings, but yet she knew that that was the best part of her soul, and that that part of her soul would quickly be smothered in the life she was leading." 
(Location 10405, Garnett translation, Kindle version)
I'm told he originally thought of the title Two Marriages but the plot changed so that wouldn't work. Either way, Levin is just as important of a character as he narrates us through the Tolstoy's main purposes. While at first he seems an anti-social party pooper, he later becomes more likable as he shows us the benefits of more conservative and contemplative decision-making. And by the end, we see the even greater affect of love as he learns the joy of living with trust, and ultimately faith.

The catalyst for the change we see in Levin is his relationship with the much younger Kitty. Though the age difference between the two is socially acceptable for the time period - the importance in emphasizing the gap comes into play as Levin falls in love and is stunned by what he can learn from a young, strong-hearted girl. He starts to reexamine aspects of his life he had written off as he begins to open up to her. Their relationship serves as a distinct counterpoint to that of Anna and Vronsky, not only in propriety but also in selflessness and charity. Near the end of the book, Levin--always engaging his thought in extensive lines of logic to arrive at and justify his frame of mind--begins to see that he intuitively knows the new lessons he's learned about life without having to build up an argument in his mind:
"He did not, as he had done at other times, recall the whole train of thought--that he did not need. He fell back at once into the feeling which had guided him, which was connected with those thoughts, and he found that feeling in his soul even stronger and more definite than before." (Location 13117, Garnett translation, Kindle version)
This final epiphany allows his internal nature to change his perspective on his external reality. He stopped resisting things that before seemed illogical to him but which he felt were true. He can continue to go on in life as before, doing what he did everyday, but with a satisfaction and purpose of goodness filling his soul rather than an uncertain reluctance. What he thinks and does every day, what subjects he contemplates, how he and Kitty express their love for one another and build trust, and how it differs from Anna and Vronsky, covers many aspects of life as you read the book. And the author gives nugget after nugget of wisdom as you do.

Tolstoy's style feels natural and flows through pages of inner-monologue much more easily than you would expect. Although the action and dialogue of the book is enjoyable, most of the defining wisdom of the book is explored and shared through the internal narrative. The application potential is so dense in this book that there'll be no shortage of moments where you'll want to highlight a passage to come back to later. Now all you have to do is resolve not to be frustrated that you can't pronounce any of the Russian names correctly and you'll be ready to go. Oh and make sure you set aside some time... about six months or so.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Book: Casino Royale

First Edition, 1953
At the Oscars this year they'll be celebrating 50 years of James Bond, one of the most successful film franchises of all time - certainly the longest running. Sean Connery immortalized Bond on film in Dr. No (1962) and one great actor after another has taken up the torch since. But 2013 actually marks 60 years since the incarnation of this iconic character in Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, the first of many spy thrillers following 007's exploits as an agent for the British Secret Service. Reading Casino for the first time, but with the knowledge and cultural memory of all the franchise has become since, is just as refreshing as it was to watch the film of the same name - the reboot starring Daniel Craig. The original James Bond story, this book epitomizes the best Bond has to offer as a straightforward, page-turning thriller with all the essentials and nothing more.

Although I'd seen and enjoyed the 2006 movie before starting the book, I wasn't sure what to expect. My understanding had been that while the basics of the main characters and premise had been set with Fleming's books, the films generally just took a name from a Bond novel, or at times even a line from a book, and then Hollywood threw on its own story. I was surprised to find that this book and movie, although created over 40 years apart, were right in line with each other, in everything from the characters and the plot to the tone and atmosphere. Each supporting character fills their role pleasingly: Vesper Lynd, Felix Leiter, Mathis, and Le Chiffre. Only M has a smaller role, Fleming not yet revealing that character's namesake and autobiographical relationship to Bond (mummy dearest). A part of this may be me putting my own expectations from on the film in the book, but I was not really expecting it to be so well written.

But it was. Fleming has a great command of language that, although not as subtle and transcendant as someone like Hemingway, mirrors that great writer in how he interprets and portrays a strong willed, passionate man with a quiet heart and a dry sense of humor. Don't get me wrong - Fleming is not making any really serious statements on the poignancy of the transient nature of life. He does show parallels between gambling, love, and espionage that teach James a lesson or two. But it's a thriller through and through. It's fundamental, it's elegant, and it drives you along by its style, not over-the-top melodrama.


Having at some point seen all the films, including the newest iteration Skyfall, I am well aware of what is expected from James Bond. The early chapters in the book quickly establish these symbols including the simple handgun, the vices, and the car - a Bentley. One of the greatest revelations of these comes when we learn that the famous drink is actually named for the first ever Bond girl. Over the years these things grew far beyond what they are in this book. And while all that can be fun, this novel and its corresponding film remind me how better it is when you strip it down to the characters and the story. No metal teeth. No remote control Aston Martin, and no spaceships.

Here are the things I like about both the book and the movie that, for me, make it the best of Bond:

Serious story and character
Low-tech
Juxtaposition of intuitive luck and careful calculation
Gritty & strong
Love is a dangerous risk

I really love that the two are so similar. Although the movie does improve on some things, the book establishes a Bond that is less focused on one-liners and conquests than he is on getting the job done. In fact, part of the charm of this Bond is learning that behind the sure-footed, arrogant front, he is able to question his entire lifestyle and contemplate giving it all up. But we know he can't and he knows it too. Despite the mistakes he makes along the way, by the end of the book he's learned why he's there and it is clear he has more to do. And if you're going to keep spying, you might as well keep the Bentley too.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Music: Ryan Adams - Gold

Gold (2001)
No, not Bryan Adams. I'm guessing that at least one of the people reading this might only have heard of Bryan Adams. If through this post I redirect just one person from Bryan Adams to Ryan Adams then the entire existence of this blog up til now is justified. I guess Bryan Adams isn't all that bad... I guess. But I've already dwelt too much on the subject. The focus is Ryan Adams. No "b." Ryan Adams is Top 5 material for me - that is, he is on my list of Top 5 Favorite Artists of All Time. This is a list in my head that fluctuates from time to time - but Ryan is always on it. Not at the top - that's U2 - but he's always there.

And Gold (2001) is my all-time favorite Ryan Adams album. No question. Well... Jacksonville City Nights (2005) might stand shoulder-to-shoulder. But my perspective is kind of unique because among hardcore Ryan Adams fans Gold doesn't usually jump to the top - for some its at the bottom of the heap. Not a surprise as it is his most commercially succesful album - hardcore fans of any group often see that as a negative (the "I liked it before it was popular" syndrome). But it was my first Ryan Adams experience and that usually means something. I can barely remember how I found him. Back when the most popular browser was Netscape I used to spend hours looking for new music on CDnow.com following their "You might also like these artists..." links and downloading song samples on limewire. I think that's how I found it. Dont worry, I always bought the album (if the music was good). I'm kind of traditional that way.

Whether or not it's your first Ryan Adams album or not doesn't matter. Gold is Adams' second studio album and his most eclectic - rich with a classic feeling mix of genre influences including rock, country, and blues. His record company seems to have had some difficulties labeling the album - it was nominated for both rock and country awards at the Grammy's. The video for "New York, New York" played on country music TV channels but most of the album doesn't fit the glossy pop makeover of modern country music - it has more in common with the stuff from a few decades before. I once saw his music as part of a "Renegade Country" endcap at Best Buy, partnered with the likes of Wilco and Brandi Carlile.

The music video for "New York, New York" - filmed just a few days before 9/11

When I say its his most eclectic album I say so knowing full well Adams full career span is prolifically diverse. Active for about 13 years now as a solo artist, he's released 13 full-fledged studio albums, four of which could be classified as double albums, with three releases coming in one year alone (2005's Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, and 29). Each has its own distinct style that stands alone from the others while still being Ryan Adams. One is completely shredder metal. But the rich vintage feel of Gold is probably his most feel-good album.

Although there are no weak points on Gold, Adams' finest stuff is the run from tracks 2-5, which covers everything from heartsick love songs ("Answering Bell", "La Cienega Just Smiled") to rip-roaring harmonica tunes ("Firecracker") to transcendent blues ("Rescue Blues"). Take "Firecracker" for instance. A quick-driving guitar riff, Hammond organs in the back, and a soaring bluesy harmonica whenever Ryan's not singing lyrics like this: "So when does the plane go down? / 'Cause I'm gonna ride it till it hits the ground / Then go out with a fight / 'Cause I just wanna be your baby tonight." It only gets better from there.

Ryan as the quintessential cab driver to the rescue

First these songs loosen you up. Then they excite you. Then they make you blissfully melancholy. And finally they leave you feeling kind of grateful. Some have said the best music, literature, film, art, etc., leaves you changed after you experience it. It invigorates you to the degree that you know its more than just entertainment. You're a different person after experience it. If you're not feeling that after the 9-minute blues journey story-song of "Nobody Girl" or the simple hard-rock driver that is "Enemy Fire" than maybe you just need to turn up the volume or put on some better headphones. I understand that maybe it won't have that effect on you. But maybe you'll get that lovin' feeling. Or maybe I'm just holding on too tightly to that teenage emotion.

Even Bono couldn't resist covering Ryan ("When The Stars Go Blue", track 7)

For the aficionados and Gold-lovers out there look for the deluxe version with an extra disc of songs - Adams originally meant it to be a double album. Seeing as how he's on my Top 5 it really was an obligation for me to get it once I found out about it. There are a couple gems on there. And if you made it this far and you're still wondering when I'm going to talk about "Summer of 69" then please hit the "blog self destruct" button now, as it is clear I have failed you.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Film [Sundance 2013]: Cutie and the Boxer

How old do they look to you?
I have come to a stage in life where I sometimes forget how old I am. My age used to be a such a big deal to me. I'm still fairly young, but when I was even younger, hitting certain ages meant all kinds of new privileges, responsibilities, or milestones. Now every year is just less of an excuse for my immature behavior and a step closer to when my daughter will start calling me old. I find that when I think about my age I have to stop a second and recheck my calculations. I'm pretty good at head math and remembering numbers but I find this one doesn't quite stick.

As I mentioned in my last post I had an opportunity to attend the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and see Cutie and the Boxer, a documentary film by Zachary Heinzerling about Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, an aging Japanese married couple - both artists - living in New York City. As I've reflected on the film one of the most prominent thoughts that surfaces is age.

Age is perhaps our most defining physical characteristic. Maybe even more than race. And just like race and ethnicity, the physical cues that point to age can be misleading. It's easy to judge someone based on how old we think they are. We look at someone and we can make a guess. But while age is a reflection of the experiences gained through years lived and seen outwardly through the physical body, it's just a number. The identity of the person inside the body is not bound to any notion others have about how old they are. At any age we can be misjudged because of how old we look. As we get older some people define themselves less by their age and focus more on the way they feel. Maybe that's why I can't remember my age that well. That or I'm just getting older. In Cutie and the Boxer we see first an older couple, and then throughout the film we see more of who they really are and how they see themselves.

Zachary Heinzerling's documentary Cutie and the Boxer is not a film primarily about age, although it invokes thoughts about aging. It's a film about the relationship between a husband and a wife and the sacrifices it takes to dedicate your life to someone else. Back when they first met, Ushio was already a prominent avant garde artist, having made an impact in Japan and rubbing shoulders with people like Andy Warhol in New York. He was most famous for his boxing paintings. To create these pieces of art Ushio dresses himself up very much like a boxer, including strapping on boxing gloves with sponges dipped in paint. He then energetically punches a large canvas as he moves from right to left. The experience of creating these paintings, which takes only a couple of minutes, epitomizes who Ushio is and how he sees himself as an artist. He appreciates characteristics like power, energy, spontaneity, and movement. Also famous for his motorcycle and dinosaur sculptures, he likes to name his exhibits with words like "Vroom!!" and "Roaarrr!"

Ushio and Noriko Shinohara

According to her own story, Noriko was a young and eager artist fresh off the boat. She met Ushio, over 20 years her senior, and quickly entwined her life with his, giving up her own aspirations as an artist in the process. Jump forward after a child and 39 years of marriage and we them first as any other couple, with their quirks and recurring arguments. It seems the family focus has been on Ushio's career. We quickly realize that Noriko set a precedence very early on in their relationship by making significant sacrifices in her lifestyle to accomodate Ushio and his needs. Now, after four decades together, she's undergoing a retrospective of her life and breaking out as the artist she always meant to be. Ushio's career seems to be gaining new momentum as well.

The film follows from there, laying out small but defining interactions between Ushio and Noriko over a two-year period. Beautifully filmed and beautifully portrayed, it splices in principal photography, archive footage covering multiple periods of their life, and the fantastical world of each of their art - especially the animation of Cutie's world. The animation is based on Noriko's comic about Cutie and the Bullie, her caricatured interpretation of herself and Ushio. Much of their history is told through a creative process bringing her drawings to life. These vignettes fill out how these two amazing people arrived to become who they are now, but all from her perspective. Although the film is about both of them, she outshines as the main character.

Creating Cutie

During the Q&A the director was asked why he decided to call the film Cutie and the Boxer when Noriko's comic named them Cutie and the Bullie. He answered that it just sounded better to him. I think the better answer - which he probably could've answered - is that it reflects the identity each of the characters would give themselves, even though neither is completely accurate. It's how they see their idealized selves. Noriko envisions herself as Cutie, the independent female artist able to overcome and tame her love-needy but headstrong husband. Ushio sees himself as the prize fighter and artistic genius of the family, his boxing paintings as a symbol of his power and art and therefore his dominance in their relationship. The reality of how each of these identities has manifested over the years is the result we see on the screen. Ushio surges ahead as the blind ambition in the family while Noriko quietly tweaks their trajectory, displaying the self awareness Ushio is incapable of conjuring.

Roarrr!!

It's true that at first glance the film can seem to portray Ushio as uncaring, prideful, and jealous. It's an example of one of those relationships where the woman, due to the man's negligence and denial, has to take over the practical functioning of the family. But Heinzerling also hinted at something that the movie subtly tells you as you watch: that Ushio is a good and dedicated man and that he and Noriko have come to an unspoken arrangement. Ushio has a vibrant and open personality and is honest, but his love is need-based. And, although she has struggled with it for their 40+ years together, Noriko is ok with that. She might even be willing to do it all again.

As a final note, the original score is a poignant, piano-based accompaniment that feels greater than itself. I couldn't help but compare it to music of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films (especially Spirited Away). Composed by Yasuaki Shimizu, it has a quiet introspective feel. (Check out Yasuaki's own saxophone interpretation of Bach's Cello Suite no. 1). Like in all the best movies, the score helps to drive home the emotional impact from the story on the screen. And it might even make you forget your age.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sundance Film Festival


There are a couple of things about me that make January a very special time of year: (1) I am a pretentious cinephile, and (2) I live in Utah. That's right! It means I have the opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival - an event that brings pretentious cinephiles from all over to the snowy slopes of Park City, UT, to watch independent films and make ourselves feel like we are smarter than everybody else. (spoiler alert: we're not). Robert Redford gave us all a place to gather and nerd out together.

I had the great joy of attending this year's Sundance festival - my review will be coming very soon. This was my second year attending. Both years I've only had the time and means to attend one film and so, obviously, I had to make my choice count. Last year my intuition told me to go see Beasts of the Southern Wild which took the festival by storm, winning the top awards. It was quickly picked up by a distributor, had a run through the rest of the year at the top festivals, made it into theaters across the country, and now is up for four oscars for Best Picture, Actress, Director, and Writing. I loved it. I had the opportunity to see the film at only its second public screening ever and enjoyed the Q&A with the cast and crew following the film. Most impressive was the performance of Quvenzhané Wallis, who plays the young girl, Hushpuppy, at the center of the film. She enjoys the distinction of the being the youngest person ever to be nominated as Best Actress. She's now nine years old and played the role at the age of five.


So naturally after that experience I'm sure you suspect I have prophetic abilities. That's not a responsibility I'm likely to accept - but I'll thank you for admitting merely that I have good taste. My pick for this year, the documentary Cutie and the Boxer, was awarded Best Direction in its category for the work of Zachary Heinzerling. (See my review here)


The interesting thing about Sundance is the number of films each year that make it to a wide release, either in theaters or through other avenues. Redbox, for example, usually has a number of independent films you can find that give you a better option than the usual offerings of the latest blockbusters, low quality action and horror flicks, and a string of straight to video releases. Some of the independent films I've spotted at Redboxes in my area over the past year include Another Earth, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sound of My Voice, and many others. You can find Beasts of the Southern Wild there right now. Do yourself a favor next time you head over to that crimson container and let your finger pass over The Expendables 2 and Step Up: Revolution and try on something a little more unique.

Brit Marling is a darling of Sundance. She seems to have a new movie to premiere every year.

As I reflect on the festival I can't help but think of my biggest Sundance regret. I am a humongous U2 fan - not that my actual person is large, I'm more regular-sized. I just really love U2 and their music. My favorite group made cinematic history when they premiered their 3D concert film U23D at the Sundance Festival back in 2008. I'd heard about the movie and knew it was going to be at Sundance. I just didn't make the connection that the premiere - which the entire band attended - was happening less than an hour from where I lived and that I could potentially go. Luckily I had the chance to see it in all its IMAX 3D glory on the night I proposed to my now lovely wife - and by "now lovely wife" I mean she is now my wife when before she was not. She's always been lovely.

I could've gone to a movie with Bono

Monday, January 7, 2013

Film: Bill Cunningham New York

I don't imagine people really associate me with fashion. I aspire to look respectable and thanks to my three fashionable sisters and my mother I have some vague instincts about fashion which seem to serve me well enough, but I couldn't articulate why. At age 83, Bill Cunningham, a street fashion photographer based in New York, has had a sense of fashion all his life. After watching the truly delightful documentary film about him, Bill Cunningham New York, what I really aspire to do, more than be fashionable, is to love life as much as Bill Cunningham loves it.

Although he has a sense of fashion, you wouldn't know it by looking at him. Usually he's seen on the streets of New York with a plain blue jacket he buys two or three at a time for $5 a piece, a pair of plain khaki-colored pants, and comfortable black shoes, with a camera hanging from his neck and a cheap bike in tow (he's had dozens stolen through the years while about his business). Bill Cunningham is known for capturing cutting edge fashion as caught by his camera's eye (he still uses film and won't switch to digital) on the streets of New York. He authors two weekly fashion columns for the New York Times. He's a legend in the New York fashion scene, and therefore across the world. Rather than wearing it himself, though, he's known for finding and displaying the trends on the street, never regarding the station of the wearer, and often focusing on the clothes completely, cutting out everything but the most interesting piece he finds. He loves the eccentric and the new. Indeed, he never judges others and seems to find the most uniquely dressed people in the city. And he has fun. All the time.


But I wouldn't be telling you all of this because of the clothes. The reason I get interested in Bill's view on clothes is because of the love he exudes for his job and the sheer dedication and focus he has on this one thing. Taking pictures is all he does all day, every day. And he scoffs at the idea of doing anything else. Bill Cunningham New York is by far my favorite documentary, and its because the way the filmmaker, Richard Press, highlights the joy of someone completely dedicated to his work - including its rewards and its costs - that you want to keep watching. Bill Cunningham is the type of guy who might say his work is never finished. He feels the immediacy of his routine and by watching him you might wish you could try on his shoes as he attacks life with energy and fervor. In part, this is because of the benefits you see from his dedication.


Through obsessively flinging himself into his work, which he enjoys without end, Bill has been able to successfully avail himself of those carnal desires that so many of us find so difficult to recuse ourselves of, either through excess or desire: wealth, food, and sex. He doesn't care about money. Decades ago when he sold his magazine, Details, he was hounded by the purchaser for weeks afterwards to cash his check from the sale. He says when you take money then you lose freedom. He laughs, "Money is what's cheap. Freedom's more expensive." Although he spends most nights taking pictures at high society functions and charity balls in New York, he never partakes of the free gourmet food. Never married, when asked if he has ever had a romantic relationship he replies, "It just would never occur to me to think of it." He bypasses these things with seeming effortlessness. It does seem, however, that in avoiding those desires he may also have missed out on a few of life's most rewarding experiences. Later, when he opens up, you wonder if he is thinking the same thing.

His home for decades was an apartment at Carnegie Hall filled to capacity with nothing but file cabinets documenting decades of photographs. He, along with the other artist residents, were forced to relocate.
Still, it is tempting to follow his format when you see all the things in life he avoids, crossing himself in everything else except for his work. He is a lean, mean, fashion-finding machine. But don't think his love for fashion is about fame or stature or acclaim. He's had opportunity for all those things and waved them aside without a second thought, just so he could get one more good shot. He's on speaking terms with the editor-in-chief of Vogue and international ambassadors, but seems to regard them the same as anyone else. We get an outside perspective on Bill from a cast of Bill's admirers, from industry experts to subjects of his photography; from neighbors to colleagues. You might say, if this were a different type of film, that it seems a bit one-sided, but the closest to negative feelings towards Bill I think anyone could have might be indifference.

Shail Upadhya, Diplomat from Nepal and a regular subject of Bill
One high point in the movie comes when, after much persuasion by friends and colleagues, he reluctantly accepts a lifetime achievement award in France. This a prestigious occasion. But he's in his same-old blue jacket accepting a medal from a worldwide leader in fashion during Fashion Week in Paris. True to form, in his acceptance speech he spouts pure gratitude and humility. He says its not about the celebrity or the spectacle. It's about the clothes. He says, "It's as true today as it ever was..." And then, in one of only two parts in the film where he really opens up on a deeper emotional level, his voice cracks as he says, "He who seeks beauty will find it." And in that moment you know he means it and truly seeks after it as much as you do for whatever it is that you find most true in life. And you really love him for it.


The other time is when he's asked about religion. A Catholic by upbringing, he still attends church every Sunday. He briefly mentions his family, saying they were simple and that although they didn't really understand his penchant for hats, they were good people. He still holds to what they taught him. His attendance at weekly mass is perhaps his only break from work in life besides sleeping. After getting choked up and hesitating for half a minute he says, "I think its a good thing." His responses to this question and others about his military service (he thinks its a duty and was proud to do it), love (he wouldn't have thought of it), and money (no need for it), all point to a practical man with traditional values that has a set of principles but would shy away from ever imposing those on others. He does what works for him. And after watching, you're a bit more dedicated in finding what works for yourself.