Tuesday night, the historic Palais Royale hosted the opening night gala of the third annual X Avant Festival in Toronto with a truly unique collaboration: "Hymn to the Universe," performed by the Sun Ra Arkestra with the dance troupe Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie.
Having not experienced an interpretive dance performance since high school, I reserved a degree of skepticism towards the idea of accompanying free space jazz with dance. However, the dances were choreographed more as movement pieces, which were more theatrical in nature.
Not having a comprehensive knowledge of the Sun Ra catalog became an afterthought as well. The three sections to the performance showcased a wide variety of jazz forms, with more traditional pieces (like the opener, Duke Ellington's "Black and Tan Fantasy") flawlessly offsetting the more freakout Sun Ra compositions (like the chaotic "Sea of Sounds," off Space is the Place), with the set punctuated with new pieces by Arkestra leader Marshall Allen.
The clear highlight of the night was drawn from the Sun Ra piece"We Travel the Spaceways," a sly piece of bebop performed penultimately with the dancers inviting the crowd to the dancefloor to
The romanticism of Sun Ra's mythology is a truly transcendant power; believing so heartily in his otherworldlieness lead him to create truly alien music, with an incredibly positive attitude towards the possibilities of sound. Hearing this celebration of music coalesce with the Compagnie's contortions, I felt the ideas shouldn't work, but the power of believing is above non-believers. And believing is always more fun.
Night 2 took things to the underground, literally and figuratively. Toronto acts Ghostlight and Heavy Water contributed to Brave Neu! Worlds: A Tribute to Klaus Dinger. Dinger was the drummer for the krautrock band Neu!, and the pioneer of the "motorik" beat. This beat has been a significant influence on various forms of alternative music since its inceptive. Named after the "driving" feel of the beat, it is a relentless pulsation that carries the weight of free form improvisation on top of it. Neu!'s overall sound wasn't as wild as some of their fellow krauts; their vibe was more like Kraftwerk with live instrumentation. However, the unwavering sound they created
Heavy Water's ambient sounds and visuals, comprised of samples of Dinger's work, lulled the audience trance before the expanded Ghostlight collective took to the stage. Featuring upwards of fourteen members at peak, the performance consisted of a two-hour improvisation built around the motorik beat (propelled by a dual drum setup), with several guitars and basses creating a noise frenzy that stayed true to Neu!'s ever-present feeling of hope and constructivism. With performers freely leaving and returning onstage through the night, the sound never stopped, though beats were sometimes traded for guitar loops during the more freeform sections. The beat would always return for a new movement, pushing the musicians to create something new and unique under this strict framework. Feeling overwhelmed after 90 minutes of these movements, I left early, but not disheartened. I didn't want to know how it ended, and it left me excited with the possibilities for the rest of the festival.
Neu! - Neu! (1972): http://www.mediafire.com/?nnyljytgjhq
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Jacques Demy Retrospective
http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5835&Itemid=2
Collection of films shows director’s unique style
The latest director to receive a retrospective at Cinematheque Ontario is Jacques Demy. Previously revived by the Cinematheque with Cinema of Joy, Bitter/Sweet: The Films of Jacques Demy is a comprehensive collection of Demy’s features and shorts as well as films that closely examine Demy’s work as he progressed.
Although the French director was part of the New Wave movement, which emerged out of France during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Demy’s films take on more of a stylized whimsy than his contemporaries. Noted for starting the career of Catherine Deneuve, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a musical where every line is sung. The film’s Eastmancolor fantasy belies a romantic tragedy that unravels by the film’s end. This fantastical style, intertwined with Demy’s penchant for an underlying darkness, represents the bittersweet nature referenced in the title of the presentation.
Demy’s wife and fellow French New Wave director Agnes Varda also contributed her series of films chronicling Demy’s life and work. Jacquot de Nantes A.K.A. Jacquot presents dramatized episodes from Demy’s life interspersed with footage from his films, creating a subversive mixed-media portrait of an artist; Les Demoiselles Ont Eu 25 Ans is Varda’s documentary about Demy’s Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, assembled in a similar fashion; and The World of Jacques Demy includes interviews with Demy’s closest friends and associates along with clips from his work and life.
Collection of films shows director’s unique style
The latest director to receive a retrospective at Cinematheque Ontario is Jacques Demy. Previously revived by the Cinematheque with Cinema of Joy, Bitter/Sweet: The Films of Jacques Demy is a comprehensive collection of Demy’s features and shorts as well as films that closely examine Demy’s work as he progressed.
Although the French director was part of the New Wave movement, which emerged out of France during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Demy’s films take on more of a stylized whimsy than his contemporaries. Noted for starting the career of Catherine Deneuve, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a musical where every line is sung. The film’s Eastmancolor fantasy belies a romantic tragedy that unravels by the film’s end. This fantastical style, intertwined with Demy’s penchant for an underlying darkness, represents the bittersweet nature referenced in the title of the presentation.
Demy’s wife and fellow French New Wave director Agnes Varda also contributed her series of films chronicling Demy’s life and work. Jacquot de Nantes A.K.A. Jacquot presents dramatized episodes from Demy’s life interspersed with footage from his films, creating a subversive mixed-media portrait of an artist; Les Demoiselles Ont Eu 25 Ans is Varda’s documentary about Demy’s Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, assembled in a similar fashion; and The World of Jacques Demy includes interviews with Demy’s closest friends and associates along with clips from his work and life.
TIFF 2007 Coverage
http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3752&Itemid=2
A Chinese spy. Cowboys and drug deals. The Russian mafia. Teenage pregnancy. Lou Reed in Berlin. Bob Dylan. A man caught in a windshield. Explore asylum on LSD. Teenage prostitutes.
“Remember when we were once that young?” asked a bearded critic to his friend.
I realized early on that I would not be able to pass off as a professional “critic” during my first time at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). I only hoped that my new shoes and faux-leather bag would help me to at least blend in with the established crowd of journalists.
I was immediately swept up by the hype surrounding the major directors presenting films at the festival. New films from the Coen brothers, David Cronenberg, Ang Lee and others were all must-sees, as evidenced by the blockbuster lines careening around every corner.
Lust, Caution
Lust, Caution, Ang Lee’s first Mandarin-language film since 2000’s landmark Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is set in Shanghai and revolves around a Chinese spy who becomes entangled with a Japanese collaborator during the Second World War. Most of the action is displayed through the subtle development of the relationship between Wang (Tang Wei), the naïve but determined spy, and Yee (Tony Leung), the supposed traitor. The slow, methodical pace of the film may turn off viewers expecting a straight thriller, although scenes of graphic sex and one instance of shocking violence punctuate the film. The layers of the subtly masochistic relationship continue to unravel in the viewer’s head long after the film has finished.
Juno
The longest lineup I faced was for Juno, Jason Reitman’s comedy about a pregnant teen starring Canadians Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Like an indie melding of Knocked Up and Superbad, Juno revolves around expecting parents Juno MacGuff (Page) and Paulie Bleeker (Cera), who has perfected the role of awkward teenaged male. Similar to the Judd Apatow titles mentioned, many of the jokes rely heavily on pop-culture references, so do not expect this one to be a classic. However, the sweet, accessible nature of the characters made it an audience hit at the festival.
No Country for old Men
The glossy big pictures continued with No Country for Old Men, with Tommy Lee Jones providing star power. Offering one of the first films of the festival to garner almost unanimously positive reviews, Joel and Ethan Coen return to the same crime thriller styling that garnered them their first major praise with Blood Simple. Set at the Texas-Mexico border in 1980, the film centers around Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a cowboy who stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong: several dead bodies, a truck full of drugs and $2 million in cash. Fleeing with the money, he is pursued by a mysterious assassin (Javier Bardem). Incredibly tense yet punctuated with humour and tied together with an intelligent meditation on themes of honour and aging, the film surpasses the success for they achieved with Fargo.
Eastern promises
David Cronenberg continues his distressing descent into what could possibly be considered convention with Eastern Promises. The story revolves around the Russian mafia in London, with Viggo Mortensen in the leading role and Naomi Watts playing a midwife named Anna.
While the bone-crunching brutality of A History of Violence is repeated here, Cronenberg gives in to a ham-fisted plot that includes a baby in peril. Anna’s quest to find the lost baby drives the story, but the tricky dynamics between the two families make for a more compelling viewing. You know you have entered uncharted territory when it starts to seem like David Cronenberg has become too conventional.
After screening both No Country for Old Men and Eastern Promises, press conferences were held for each film. Feeling primitive with my notebook in the midst of digital recorders and cameras, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat throughout the Eastern Promises conference, rewording my question to David Cronenberg repeatedly in my head until time ran out.
Luckily, I was able to compose myself in time to ask a pseudo-intellectual question to the Coen brothers during the No Country for Old Men conference. Inquiring about the barren landscape of the film and how it relates to similar landscapes in their other films, I was given a concise and informative answer: “Well, umm, well, the book is set there...”
Very dramatic. Another journalist received a similar answer so I resolved to not feel bad.
Stuck
It felt strange attending the press screenings for Midnight Madness films at non-threatening afternoon hours, but the strange films alone created their own mood once the reels started rolling. Stuck, a film about a man caught in a windshield, is absolutely painful, and that is a compliment. One of the most squirm-worthy movies in recent memory, Stuart Gordon stages a tale of a homeless man (Stephen Rea) who gets caught in the windshield of a car when a young woman (Mena Suvari) runs into him. The woman then leaves the car in her garage, waiting for the man to die so she can avoid legal consequences. Uncomfortable to the point of hilarity, the premise alone will warrant the film a deserved cult status.
A l’interieur
Infinitely more bloody and stark-minded, the French thriller Á l’intérieur uses the woman-in-peril setup to tense effect. Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury nick the claustrophobic sadism of 2005’s High Tension but to a more logical result.
Bloodthirsty audiences will be satisfied by the tale of a pregnant widow terrorized by a mysterious stranger bent on retrieving the woman’s baby by any means necessary.
The Devil’s Chair
Almost as bloody but haphazardly twisting itself into an offensive mess, Adam Mason’s The Devil’s Chair starts off with a promising, if traditional premise: a young man and his girlfriend horse around in an abandoned mental asylum while on LSD. The girl ends up dead; the man ends up institutionalized. A psychiatrist brings the man back to the asylum for studying and shenanigans happen again. However, from there, the film turns increasingly ludicrous. Throwing nonsensical twists at the audience and soaking them in needless gore and sadism, Mason creates a wholly unsatisfying and condescending picture that cannot in good conscience be recommended to anyone seeking substance in a film beyond dismembered bodies.
Sukiyaki Western Django
Surprisingly violent Japanese director Takashi Miike had one of the least aggressive films of Midnight Madness, but also one of the best received. A simultaneous tribute to Japanese samurai films and Italian spaghetti westerns, Sukiyaki Western Django has Miike blending elements from both subgenres and not caring where the pieces fall, as long it is stylish in the right places. Sukiyaki Western Django is an honourable tribute and a ridiculously original creation.
I'm Not There
A different kind of difficult challenge permeates I’m Not There. Todd Haynes has created a brilliant and maddening biography of iconic musician Bob Dylan. In the film, Dylan is played by several actors who play him at different times of his life, as well as depict works influenced by him. Cate Blanchett is the most striking Dylan impersonator, perfectly embodying his twitchy mannerisms as Jude Quinn. Less successful are the more far-reaching branches: Heath Ledger as a Hollywood actor who portrays Jack Rollins in a film and whose music provides the backdrop to the changes faced by the actor as the film shifts into the 1970s; and Richard Gere’s pleasantly understated performance as Billy the Kid in hiding should have been saved for another movie. However, these stopgaps are forgivable for Haynes, as his sprawling vision is overstuffed with treasures for both Dylan fanatics and newcomers. Those without the acquired taste for his music may want to give this a pass, since they will not be able to revel in the celebratory nature of the film and its scenarios.
The Tracey Fragments
Bruce McDonald’s The Tracey Fragments paints a much bleaker picture than the optimistic Juno. Told almost entirely in split-screen, sometimes with as many as six or seven shots in the frame, it is the not entirely coherent story of a depressed teenager searching for her little brother whom she hypnotized into thinking that he was a dog. McDonald’s hyperactive rock-‘n’-roll aesthetic works well enough to keep the film entertaining, but it ends abruptly. The score, by Toronto rock band Broken Social Scene, helps to tie the narrative together.
Joy Division
There were several films being screened at the festival that revolved around musical artists who I greatly respect and enjoy. Joy Division is one of these bands, and they were showcased in two different films at the festival, Control and Joy Division.
Despite dying at the age of 23, the music Ian Curtis created with the band Joy Division has influenced every branch of alternative rock music. Yet, even after seeing Anton Corbijn’s Control, one does not gain any insight into how their music really came to be. Exquisitely shot but essentially vacant of any deeper revelations, Corbijn does not pose any easy answers for why Curtis supposedly committed suicide, but also unfortunately neglects to offer any interesting questions to keep the film from slipping into clichés. Sam Riley is an incredible doppelganger for singer Ian Curtis and the rest of the cast is proficiently rounded out, but they are hobbled by the weak script.
Those looking for actual insight into the band should flock to Grant Gee’s documentary instead of the popcorn simplifications of Control. Simply titled Joy Division, Gee (known for the 1998 Radiohead documentary Meeting People is Easy) gives the music the appropriate context, framing the story of the band around the cultural changes that affected their hometown of Manchester, and on how they were able to carve a distinct sound from their surroundings. Candid interviews and smooth, rhythmic editing set to the band’s timeless music (including unnerving live footage) make this a must-see for anyone interested in modern rock music.
Similarly miserable musical taste led me to Lou Reed’s Berlin. Initially maligned upon its release, Lou Reed’s tortured opus Berlin has since been hailed as a masterpiece. However, because of its initial commercial and critical failure, it had never been performed live. Director Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls) staged the art direction for the shows and filmed the concert. There is not much context to be found in the film; it is really not much more than the filming of a proficiently-staged and impeccably-recorded show. The beautiful, but slow, plodding songs will not necessarily win over newcomers, but the film is nevertheless a celebration of difficult and challenging albums.
By the end of the week, the mood had become more solemn in the press lounge. Industry types could be seen muttering profanities to their computer screens and festival deadlines were taking the place of the celebratory nature that dominated the previous weekend. As I neared the end of the festival, the films began to seem less consequential. David Ross’ The Babysitters is a valiant attempt to sweeten a story of teenage prostitutes, but there is simply no way to make the subject matter feel any less creepy. My stint at the festival ended with director Sidney Lumet introducing William Wyler’s 1947 classic The Best Years of Our Lives. It felt like a fitting end to the festival; a classic, intimate drama introduced by an acclaimed American director (an Oscar-winner, Lumet has directed 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon and other acclaimed dramas). The film was already reviewed long ago, so I could rest easy.
When I emerged from the theatre, I was caught in the first rain pour I had encountered in my eight days in Toronto. Running to the subway, I knew I would be back again another day.
A Chinese spy. Cowboys and drug deals. The Russian mafia. Teenage pregnancy. Lou Reed in Berlin. Bob Dylan. A man caught in a windshield. Explore asylum on LSD. Teenage prostitutes.
“Remember when we were once that young?” asked a bearded critic to his friend.
I realized early on that I would not be able to pass off as a professional “critic” during my first time at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). I only hoped that my new shoes and faux-leather bag would help me to at least blend in with the established crowd of journalists.
I was immediately swept up by the hype surrounding the major directors presenting films at the festival. New films from the Coen brothers, David Cronenberg, Ang Lee and others were all must-sees, as evidenced by the blockbuster lines careening around every corner.
Lust, Caution
Juno
No Country for old Men
Eastern promises
While the bone-crunching brutality of A History of Violence is repeated here, Cronenberg gives in to a ham-fisted plot that includes a baby in peril. Anna’s quest to find the lost baby drives the story, but the tricky dynamics between the two families make for a more compelling viewing. You know you have entered uncharted territory when it starts to seem like David Cronenberg has become too conventional.
After screening both No Country for Old Men and Eastern Promises, press conferences were held for each film. Feeling primitive with my notebook in the midst of digital recorders and cameras, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat throughout the Eastern Promises conference, rewording my question to David Cronenberg repeatedly in my head until time ran out.
Luckily, I was able to compose myself in time to ask a pseudo-intellectual question to the Coen brothers during the No Country for Old Men conference. Inquiring about the barren landscape of the film and how it relates to similar landscapes in their other films, I was given a concise and informative answer: “Well, umm, well, the book is set there...”
Very dramatic. Another journalist received a similar answer so I resolved to not feel bad.
Stuck
A l’interieur
Bloodthirsty audiences will be satisfied by the tale of a pregnant widow terrorized by a mysterious stranger bent on retrieving the woman’s baby by any means necessary.
The Devil’s Chair
Sukiyaki Western Django
I'm Not There
The Tracey Fragments
Joy Division
Despite dying at the age of 23, the music Ian Curtis created with the band Joy Division has influenced every branch of alternative rock music. Yet, even after seeing Anton Corbijn’s Control, one does not gain any insight into how their music really came to be. Exquisitely shot but essentially vacant of any deeper revelations, Corbijn does not pose any easy answers for why Curtis supposedly committed suicide, but also unfortunately neglects to offer any interesting questions to keep the film from slipping into clichés. Sam Riley is an incredible doppelganger for singer Ian Curtis and the rest of the cast is proficiently rounded out, but they are hobbled by the weak script.
Those looking for actual insight into the band should flock to Grant Gee’s documentary instead of the popcorn simplifications of Control. Simply titled Joy Division, Gee (known for the 1998 Radiohead documentary Meeting People is Easy) gives the music the appropriate context, framing the story of the band around the cultural changes that affected their hometown of Manchester, and on how they were able to carve a distinct sound from their surroundings. Candid interviews and smooth, rhythmic editing set to the band’s timeless music (including unnerving live footage) make this a must-see for anyone interested in modern rock music.
Similarly miserable musical taste led me to Lou Reed’s Berlin. Initially maligned upon its release, Lou Reed’s tortured opus Berlin has since been hailed as a masterpiece. However, because of its initial commercial and critical failure, it had never been performed live. Director Julian Schnabel (Before Night Falls) staged the art direction for the shows and filmed the concert. There is not much context to be found in the film; it is really not much more than the filming of a proficiently-staged and impeccably-recorded show. The beautiful, but slow, plodding songs will not necessarily win over newcomers, but the film is nevertheless a celebration of difficult and challenging albums.
By the end of the week, the mood had become more solemn in the press lounge. Industry types could be seen muttering profanities to their computer screens and festival deadlines were taking the place of the celebratory nature that dominated the previous weekend. As I neared the end of the festival, the films began to seem less consequential. David Ross’ The Babysitters is a valiant attempt to sweeten a story of teenage prostitutes, but there is simply no way to make the subject matter feel any less creepy. My stint at the festival ended with director Sidney Lumet introducing William Wyler’s 1947 classic The Best Years of Our Lives. It felt like a fitting end to the festival; a classic, intimate drama introduced by an acclaimed American director (an Oscar-winner, Lumet has directed 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon and other acclaimed dramas). The film was already reviewed long ago, so I could rest easy.
When I emerged from the theatre, I was caught in the first rain pour I had encountered in my eight days in Toronto. Running to the subway, I knew I would be back again another day.
TIFF 2007 Preview
http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3624&Itemid=2
This year's TIFF includes more Canadian contributions than ever
The end of summer yields glee for Toronto moviegoers, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is quickly approaching. Starting on Sept. 6 and running until Sept. 15, the 32nd annual festival boasts a total of 349 films being screened this year. Out of these, 95 are Canadian productions or co-productions, making the festival the largest showcase of Canadian filmmaking amidst international film festivals. Films from 55 countries are represented this year, with 85 percent of the films being international or North American premieres.
Keeping with the theme of being progressively Canadian, the festival was named one of Canada's top 100 employers by Maclean's magazine earlier this year. TIFF was the only arts group to be included on the list.
The festival has also gained notice for its continual use of volunteers for various tasks surrounding the festival, from taking tickets at screenings to greeting international guests as they arrive at the airport.
But despite the spotlight shone on the festival's organization, its essence remains to bring together great films and film aficionados.
Screenings at this year's festival are abundant as per usual, but some of the year's most anticipated films will be shown for the first time on Toronto screens.
Peter Greenaway's Nightwatching is a biopic about the legendary Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It is Greenaway's first feature film in eight years, being screened as a special presentation.
Listed in the fare is David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises - the director's first film since his highly acclaimed A History of Violence. The film revolves around a Russian gangster (History's Viggo Mortensen) who becomes entangled with a midwife (Naomi Watts) with the potential to bring down his organization.
Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of the Anthony Shaffer play, Sleuth, features the duality of Michael Caine and Jude Law. The screenplay is by playwright Harold Pinter, making the film a combination of formidable British talents.
Special presentations include Jonathan Demme's Man From Plains, which focuses on Jimmy Carter's post-presidential voyages as he toured for his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.
Another film with a political conscience is Ted Braun's documentary Darfur Now, that deals with the Darfur genocide through the eyes of six passionate activists.
On the musical spectrum, Lou Reed's Berlin, directed by Julian Schnabel, focuses on the performance of Reed's 1973 album Berlin in its entirety. It was filmed in 2006 and produced by famed Canadian producer Bob Ezrin.
The festival's official website, www.tiff07.ca, is your best resource at keeping up with the latest announcements and information. It also features schedules, ticket information and film and director profiles. Tickets are on sale now, but beware that: many of the films may be sold out already so you will likely have to wait until they make it to the good old-fashioned silver screen.
This year's TIFF includes more Canadian contributions than ever
The end of summer yields glee for Toronto moviegoers, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is quickly approaching. Starting on Sept. 6 and running until Sept. 15, the 32nd annual festival boasts a total of 349 films being screened this year. Out of these, 95 are Canadian productions or co-productions, making the festival the largest showcase of Canadian filmmaking amidst international film festivals. Films from 55 countries are represented this year, with 85 percent of the films being international or North American premieres.
Keeping with the theme of being progressively Canadian, the festival was named one of Canada's top 100 employers by Maclean's magazine earlier this year. TIFF was the only arts group to be included on the list.
The festival has also gained notice for its continual use of volunteers for various tasks surrounding the festival, from taking tickets at screenings to greeting international guests as they arrive at the airport.
But despite the spotlight shone on the festival's organization, its essence remains to bring together great films and film aficionados.
Screenings at this year's festival are abundant as per usual, but some of the year's most anticipated films will be shown for the first time on Toronto screens.
Peter Greenaway's Nightwatching is a biopic about the legendary Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It is Greenaway's first feature film in eight years, being screened as a special presentation.
Listed in the fare is David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises - the director's first film since his highly acclaimed A History of Violence. The film revolves around a Russian gangster (History's Viggo Mortensen) who becomes entangled with a midwife (Naomi Watts) with the potential to bring down his organization.
Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of the Anthony Shaffer play, Sleuth, features the duality of Michael Caine and Jude Law. The screenplay is by playwright Harold Pinter, making the film a combination of formidable British talents.
Special presentations include Jonathan Demme's Man From Plains, which focuses on Jimmy Carter's post-presidential voyages as he toured for his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.
Another film with a political conscience is Ted Braun's documentary Darfur Now, that deals with the Darfur genocide through the eyes of six passionate activists.
On the musical spectrum, Lou Reed's Berlin, directed by Julian Schnabel, focuses on the performance of Reed's 1973 album Berlin in its entirety. It was filmed in 2006 and produced by famed Canadian producer Bob Ezrin.
The festival's official website, www.tiff07.ca, is your best resource at keeping up with the latest announcements and information. It also features schedules, ticket information and film and director profiles. Tickets are on sale now, but beware that: many of the films may be sold out already so you will likely have to wait until they make it to the good old-fashioned silver screen.
"The New World" review
http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1287&Itemid=2
Eternally-delayed director Terrence Malick makes his first foray into 21st century filmmaking with The New World, telling the story of English settlers in 1607 and John Smith's (Colin Farrell) forbidden love with the native Pocahontas (newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher). For those unfamiliar with the story outside of the 1995 Disney musical adaptation, Malick (who also wrote the film) gives an equal footing of empathy to both the Native Americans and the English in the storytelling points of view, which is refreshing. It starts with the English landing in Virginia, and then progresses over their mutually distrustful relationship with the native Powhatans, and the romances Pocahontas encounters with both Smith and John Rolfe (played by Christian Bale, who will be forever haunted by the smirk he perfected in American Psycho).
Malick's penchant for relying on dramatic images and orchestral swells in place of dialogue is in full effect here. In fact, much of the film is relatively dialogue-free, which gives the viewer a sensory feeling of thoughtfulness, but this technique starts to backfire later on as the two hour-plus story begins to grow tiresome. Thankfully, the film was cut down from a proposed two and a half hours.
If you found his 1998 film The Thin Red Line too pretentious and puffed up, steer clear of The New World. Or at least see it in a theatre, so that the beautiful cinematography can be truly appreciated (which helps to compensate for the flaws that plague the film).
Without a strong script to back him up, Farrell coasts on giving "deep" looks to the camera and once again, fails to live up to the intense promise he showed in 2000's Tigerland. Fifteen-year-old Kilcher fares better in her first major role; she has a beatific presence that is effortlessly winning, and though she has difficulty with some of the more emotionally complex scenes, she shows a high degree of potential for the future.
Unfortunately, Kilcher is left to carry the last third of the film, which is considerably weaker than the relatively promising first two. The secondary love story that develops with Rolfe isn't as engaging, possibly because we already saw Pocahontas fall in love roughly an hour earlier. With the emphasis placed on emotional banality, one even starts longing for the action scenes reminiscent of The Last of the Mohicans from earlier in the film, complete with Mohicans actor Wes Studi in a supporting role.
Overall, The New World isn't nearly as bad as Farrell's other epic historical adventure, the abominable Alexander. However, Malick's prosaic storytelling style is what both elegantly distinguishes the film and makes it a bore by the end.
Eternally-delayed director Terrence Malick makes his first foray into 21st century filmmaking with The New World, telling the story of English settlers in 1607 and John Smith's (Colin Farrell) forbidden love with the native Pocahontas (newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher). For those unfamiliar with the story outside of the 1995 Disney musical adaptation, Malick (who also wrote the film) gives an equal footing of empathy to both the Native Americans and the English in the storytelling points of view, which is refreshing. It starts with the English landing in Virginia, and then progresses over their mutually distrustful relationship with the native Powhatans, and the romances Pocahontas encounters with both Smith and John Rolfe (played by Christian Bale, who will be forever haunted by the smirk he perfected in American Psycho).
Malick's penchant for relying on dramatic images and orchestral swells in place of dialogue is in full effect here. In fact, much of the film is relatively dialogue-free, which gives the viewer a sensory feeling of thoughtfulness, but this technique starts to backfire later on as the two hour-plus story begins to grow tiresome. Thankfully, the film was cut down from a proposed two and a half hours.
If you found his 1998 film The Thin Red Line too pretentious and puffed up, steer clear of The New World. Or at least see it in a theatre, so that the beautiful cinematography can be truly appreciated (which helps to compensate for the flaws that plague the film).
Without a strong script to back him up, Farrell coasts on giving "deep" looks to the camera and once again, fails to live up to the intense promise he showed in 2000's Tigerland. Fifteen-year-old Kilcher fares better in her first major role; she has a beatific presence that is effortlessly winning, and though she has difficulty with some of the more emotionally complex scenes, she shows a high degree of potential for the future.
Unfortunately, Kilcher is left to carry the last third of the film, which is considerably weaker than the relatively promising first two. The secondary love story that develops with Rolfe isn't as engaging, possibly because we already saw Pocahontas fall in love roughly an hour earlier. With the emphasis placed on emotional banality, one even starts longing for the action scenes reminiscent of The Last of the Mohicans from earlier in the film, complete with Mohicans actor Wes Studi in a supporting role.
Overall, The New World isn't nearly as bad as Farrell's other epic historical adventure, the abominable Alexander. However, Malick's prosaic storytelling style is what both elegantly distinguishes the film and makes it a bore by the end.
Friday, September 26, 2008
'loudQUIETloud' review
November 22, 2006: http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2596&Itemid=2
For all my love of rock history, I surprise myself when I realize that I have never really investigated the Pixies beyond the major hits ("Cactus" and "Wave of Mutilation"). So, when the opportunity to review their first-ever DVD LoudQUIETloud: A film about the Pixies, I decided that this would be my proper entry point.
From this perspective, the film works.
It is a documentary about the grunge originators' reunion tour in 2004, with live footage from the various dates interspersed throughout. It is not a retrospective history of the band since only a little bit of information is provided about the band. Rather, directors Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin paint a picture of a highly influential band with middle-aged members who are still plagued by demons.
There are some moments reminiscent to Spinal Tap, such as drummer David Lovering's career as a magician prior to the reunion, but more tender focus is given to bassist Kim Deal's struggle to remain sober while on tour after years of alcohol abuse.
I did wish that the directors were less stingy with the concert footage, as spellbinding performances of songs like "Where Is My Mind?" and "Here Comes Your Man" are cut short to make way for more interviews. As a relative newcomer, this left me with the desire to run out and buy their albums, but I can imagine longtime fans getting irritated with the tactic.
That said, the footage of the band on tour is more interesting and revealing, with surprisingly candid insight into the group's continually troubled dynamic with each other and within themselves (accentuated by an original score by Daniel Lanois that attempts to elevate the film above the standard "concert film").
Deal's struggle with sobriety is a major focal point as she brings her sister (and Breeders bandmate) Kelley on the tour to keep her from drinking. By contrast, Lovering develops an addiction to tranquilizers while on tour and faces scrutiny from frontman Black Francis and lead guitarist Joey Santiago, both of whom became family men after the Pixies broke up.
The film leaves the viewer with a warm impression of the band that appears to consist of the most down-to-earth musicians to ever spawn a subgenre of such rebelliousness. A quote from Kurt Cobain precedes the film who notes that he was trying to rip off the Pixies when he was writing the seminal "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
There isn't a lot at stake in the film since the group reunited mostly for financial reasons and showed little sign of wanting to record new material.
"We don't talk very much. Not because we don't like each other, but because it's just the kind of people we are," said Francis as he summed up the band.
The film leaves the viewer with an honest depiction of a band and its implosive nature that still results in explosive music.
For all my love of rock history, I surprise myself when I realize that I have never really investigated the Pixies beyond the major hits ("Cactus" and "Wave of Mutilation"). So, when the opportunity to review their first-ever DVD LoudQUIETloud: A film about the Pixies, I decided that this would be my proper entry point.
From this perspective, the film works.
It is a documentary about the grunge originators' reunion tour in 2004, with live footage from the various dates interspersed throughout. It is not a retrospective history of the band since only a little bit of information is provided about the band. Rather, directors Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin paint a picture of a highly influential band with middle-aged members who are still plagued by demons.
There are some moments reminiscent to Spinal Tap, such as drummer David Lovering's career as a magician prior to the reunion, but more tender focus is given to bassist Kim Deal's struggle to remain sober while on tour after years of alcohol abuse.
I did wish that the directors were less stingy with the concert footage, as spellbinding performances of songs like "Where Is My Mind?" and "Here Comes Your Man" are cut short to make way for more interviews. As a relative newcomer, this left me with the desire to run out and buy their albums, but I can imagine longtime fans getting irritated with the tactic.
That said, the footage of the band on tour is more interesting and revealing, with surprisingly candid insight into the group's continually troubled dynamic with each other and within themselves (accentuated by an original score by Daniel Lanois that attempts to elevate the film above the standard "concert film").
Deal's struggle with sobriety is a major focal point as she brings her sister (and Breeders bandmate) Kelley on the tour to keep her from drinking. By contrast, Lovering develops an addiction to tranquilizers while on tour and faces scrutiny from frontman Black Francis and lead guitarist Joey Santiago, both of whom became family men after the Pixies broke up.
The film leaves the viewer with a warm impression of the band that appears to consist of the most down-to-earth musicians to ever spawn a subgenre of such rebelliousness. A quote from Kurt Cobain precedes the film who notes that he was trying to rip off the Pixies when he was writing the seminal "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
There isn't a lot at stake in the film since the group reunited mostly for financial reasons and showed little sign of wanting to record new material.
"We don't talk very much. Not because we don't like each other, but because it's just the kind of people we are," said Francis as he summed up the band.
The film leaves the viewer with an honest depiction of a band and its implosive nature that still results in explosive music.
Friendly Rich interview
Nov. 6, 2006: http://excal.on.ca/cms2//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2450&Itemid=2
Not many musicians would come to a fan's house for lunch with his mother and her boyfriend for an after meal interview. But as Friendly Rich put it, "I like to put myself into uncomfortable situations."
This situation highlights only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the composer and frontman of the Toronto-based cavalcade of sound, The Lollipop People.
"Yeah, I even went to a Conservative party dinner once and ate with a bunch of Conservatives and faked that I gave a damn about their platform just to practice the art of, ( . . . ) I don't know, being with strangers and mixing," he reminisced.
Discussing his music after a healthy serving of perogies, Friendly Rich's affable demeanor befits his name. Rich is the alter-ego of Richard Marsella. Composer by trade, Marsella incorporates influences as disparate as The Residents (avant-garde music and visual arts group), Italian pop and classical music, into a theatrical amalgamation that comes together in his latest CD with his band, the ten-piece Lollipop People, titled The Friendly Rich Show. The album is a soundtrack to Marsella's variety-vaudeville show of the same name, for which he composed all the music, along with puppet shows, crank calls, Eucharists, fish jumping through hoops and a general plethora of the absurd, the divine and the uncomfortable.
Marsella has been releasing music since 1994 on his label, the Pumpkin Pie Corp., but it's only recently that his sound has started to become more refined.
"The six - or seven, I can't remember - releases that I did before were just me naked in my parents' basement, on my own, so I would be playing all the instruments. So it was very un-listenable," Marsella said.
Since then, he has recently completed a master's degree in music at the University of Toronto, which culminated in the release of We Need a New F-Word this year, the first proper full-length album from The Lollipop People, produced by former Blue Rodeo member Bob Wiseman.
Despite the success of The Lollipop People, Marsella's website states his main areas of study as "musical construction and parade pedagogy." The latter refers to the Parade of Noises that Marsella has organized for the last four years in which several hundred elementary school students march in a parade while playing instruments they made themselves. Marsella believes that this helps to creatively engage children in music without the experience being limited to strict musical theory.
"The thing I do in the schools is not teaching kids the recorder; it's breaking your recorder in half or lighting it on fire - that's how we approach it. So it's rebellion; it's kind of teaching the benefits of anarchy to people."
On top of all this, Marsella curates the Brampton Indie Arts Festival, an event that he created in 2000 and has featured acts as diverse as The Most Serene Republic. The festival is the brainchild of former York University student Istvan Kantor and showcases experimental films and art exhibits.
"It's making a four-day composition, putting one interesting act behind another, behind another. We try to make it really different, like there will be an experimental film, followed by a weird dance piece, and we try to make it multidisciplinary," Marsella explained.
This works in tandem with his career as a musical educator, which makes his friendly alter ego seem a bit of a double life.
"It's been a challenge career-wise because I do a lot of work in the schools, and I don't necessarily want my work with The Lollipop People to be compromised. We want to be able to have naked 70-year-olds go on stage and inflate their balls. But at the same time, if a parent of a grade four (child) that I work with sees that, then you're in doo-doo." The naked old man mentioned is Naked Marvin, one of the many recurring acts that makes The Friendly Rich Show such a disturbingly fun time.
The Lollipop People just released their latest batch of musical misanthropy and had their celebratory show at the Music Gallery on Oct. 28. From there, they will be performing every Saturday at the Cameron House (408 Queen St. W.) as a preview for the next album, set to be recorded in December.
"The last recording I did, we had performed the material a bunch of times live, and I loved the outcome of what happened after you work with something in front of people and allow the musicians time to experiment with it."
Not many musicians would come to a fan's house for lunch with his mother and her boyfriend for an after meal interview. But as Friendly Rich put it, "I like to put myself into uncomfortable situations."
This situation highlights only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the composer and frontman of the Toronto-based cavalcade of sound, The Lollipop People.
"Yeah, I even went to a Conservative party dinner once and ate with a bunch of Conservatives and faked that I gave a damn about their platform just to practice the art of, ( . . . ) I don't know, being with strangers and mixing," he reminisced.
Discussing his music after a healthy serving of perogies, Friendly Rich's affable demeanor befits his name. Rich is the alter-ego of Richard Marsella. Composer by trade, Marsella incorporates influences as disparate as The Residents (avant-garde music and visual arts group), Italian pop and classical music, into a theatrical amalgamation that comes together in his latest CD with his band, the ten-piece Lollipop People, titled The Friendly Rich Show. The album is a soundtrack to Marsella's variety-vaudeville show of the same name, for which he composed all the music, along with puppet shows, crank calls, Eucharists, fish jumping through hoops and a general plethora of the absurd, the divine and the uncomfortable.
Marsella has been releasing music since 1994 on his label, the Pumpkin Pie Corp., but it's only recently that his sound has started to become more refined.
"The six - or seven, I can't remember - releases that I did before were just me naked in my parents' basement, on my own, so I would be playing all the instruments. So it was very un-listenable," Marsella said.
Since then, he has recently completed a master's degree in music at the University of Toronto, which culminated in the release of We Need a New F-Word this year, the first proper full-length album from The Lollipop People, produced by former Blue Rodeo member Bob Wiseman.
Despite the success of The Lollipop People, Marsella's website states his main areas of study as "musical construction and parade pedagogy." The latter refers to the Parade of Noises that Marsella has organized for the last four years in which several hundred elementary school students march in a parade while playing instruments they made themselves. Marsella believes that this helps to creatively engage children in music without the experience being limited to strict musical theory.
"The thing I do in the schools is not teaching kids the recorder; it's breaking your recorder in half or lighting it on fire - that's how we approach it. So it's rebellion; it's kind of teaching the benefits of anarchy to people."
On top of all this, Marsella curates the Brampton Indie Arts Festival, an event that he created in 2000 and has featured acts as diverse as The Most Serene Republic. The festival is the brainchild of former York University student Istvan Kantor and showcases experimental films and art exhibits.
"It's making a four-day composition, putting one interesting act behind another, behind another. We try to make it really different, like there will be an experimental film, followed by a weird dance piece, and we try to make it multidisciplinary," Marsella explained.
This works in tandem with his career as a musical educator, which makes his friendly alter ego seem a bit of a double life.
"It's been a challenge career-wise because I do a lot of work in the schools, and I don't necessarily want my work with The Lollipop People to be compromised. We want to be able to have naked 70-year-olds go on stage and inflate their balls. But at the same time, if a parent of a grade four (child) that I work with sees that, then you're in doo-doo." The naked old man mentioned is Naked Marvin, one of the many recurring acts that makes The Friendly Rich Show such a disturbingly fun time.
The Lollipop People just released their latest batch of musical misanthropy and had their celebratory show at the Music Gallery on Oct. 28. From there, they will be performing every Saturday at the Cameron House (408 Queen St. W.) as a preview for the next album, set to be recorded in December.
"The last recording I did, we had performed the material a bunch of times live, and I loved the outcome of what happened after you work with something in front of people and allow the musicians time to experiment with it."
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