Weekly Film Symposium #3: 1st Response

Rating: 2/5

That was a very well articulated post, unfortunately I am going to be a huge disppointment. Please remember that everything that I say in the post is excluding you. You explained your view's very well and I don't argue with them. So if I generalize, remember, I am not aiming those generalizations at you.

With that being said, this film for me was a complete failure. When people out in the movie world accuse people like us (self-admitted film snobs) of being pretentious this is the kind of movie they use to prove their point. For me, this movie is completely pretentious and it seems like the only reason it was made was for pretentious people to pat each other on the back. Sure the style is very unique and unconventional, I will give it that, but being unconventional doesn't automatically make your film good.

I must say that I was hugely disappointed because the premise and the style are both very intriguing. However, the plot is ridiculously dull and the style becomes very old after staring at nothing for long periods of time. Yes, I realize what the director was trying to accomplish, but for me, he wasn't even close. I do applaud him for being original, because we certainly don't have enough of that these days, but if I wanted to, I could go outside and stare at my neighbors house for two hours and get the same effect.

I also applaud the acting. Juliette Binoche was good like she always is, and Daniel Auteuil was also very solid. I understand that this movie is very technically sharp but that, to me, doesn't make a movie. For me, it's combining great technical work with an engaging and entertaining story. I, like you, watch and view film as art. But at the same time, I can't appreciate art when it's dull and offers me nothing. This film was insanely dull and uneventful for me and I found myself not caring about any of the characters. I understand the ambiguity and that's not where the film loses me. I love ambiguity, it's one of my favorite elements in film and I wish it was more prevelant in film. This film lost me when halfway through I thought to myself, " I don't care." And I didn't. I believe it's the film's job to make me care and it couldn't do that for me.

I don't mean to be insulting toward you at all, and if I have been in any way I sincerely apologize. But that's why I wanted to do this with you, because we are both film snobs (proudly) and we are both mature people with strong view points. And if I were to say any of this on an IMDB board, they would just throw the whole "You just didn't understand it" thing out there. And that bothers me. Because I did understand it, I just didn't like it.

Weekly Film Symposium #3: Cache

Cache - 2005 - written and directed by Michael Haneke

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

I chose this film because of the critical acclaim it had received (Sight & Sound's top film of 2006, nominated  for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, etc.).  While that may not be the best reason to choose a film, it was the reason behind this choice.

Cache is about a French couple, Georges and Anne Laurent (played by Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche), who begin receiving mysterious videotapes on their doorstep.  These tapes usually contain nothing but hours of a camera pointed at their front door, but the characters begin to feel more and more oppressed and paranoid about the nature of these tapes, fearing someone dangerous is stalking them and their son.  The police can do nothing until an actual attempt at violence is made so Georges takes it upon himself to resolve the situation.  Majid, the son of an Algerian couple who used to work for Georges' parents, becomes the prime suspect.  Gradually, a past conflict between Georges and Majid is brought to light, and Georges' suspicion of Majid ultimately leads to tragic consequences.

First off, Cache is a very interesting, if not entirely successful film.  It is very ambitious in terms of straying from traditional narrative forms, and it possesses a high degree of ambiguity, forcing the viewer to actively engage with the film or fall by the wayside and lose interest.  There are almost no explicit conclusions made in the film; nearly everything is left for the viewer to decide for his or herself.  Of course, this ambiguity can be disorienting, and even after the film had finished, I wasn't sure what had just happened.  In the case of this film, I wasn't put off by that ambiguity; it forced me to rethink things in order to better understand the film.

One of the most obvious ways the film differs from traditional cinema is in the cinematography.  Haneke, the director, makes some very interesting stylistic choices.  Because the film often incorporates the mysterious tapes the Laurents receive into the actual film itself, there are a good number of very long takes from a fixed camera.  I can see how this could become boring for viewers, but I experienced a certain tension.  The longer the shot lasted the more I expected something to happen.  As that expectation and tension grew when nothing happened, I began to understand, to a degree, what Georges and Anne must have felt.  Another thing I liked about the long takes is that a lot of dialogue takes place off screen during those takes.  There's a disconcerting juxtaposition as the dialogue takes place in the more immediate present, yet we're stuck looking at a mysterious recording of the past.  Most films place the viewer in a heightened state, where the camera helps direct the eye and sounds come through loud and clear, and the viewer is more present than is otherwise possible in real life.  Cache does away with the viewer's omniscience.  This makes for fascinating theoretical discussion, though perhaps not a terribly entertaining film.

Cache, French for "hidden," has a tremendous amount of significance as the title of the film.  I want to discuss a few of the significant aspects of the title in relation to the film.

• The most superficial and immediate aspect of the title's significance is the hidden camera filming the Laurents.  It provides the impetus for the story and the central conflict.
• The hidden past factors significantly into the film, primarily the childhood relationship between Georges and Majid.  Gradually that past returns to the present, but it is hidden for most of the film, coming out only in brief moments like Georges' disturbing dreams and the small portions of his past he shares with Anne.  Though apparently hidden, the past yields an incredible amount of influence on all involved, and it is the past that fuels Georges' unyielding conviction that Majid is responsible for the tapes.  Ultimately, the hidden tragedy of the past results in the tragedy of the present.
• While the hidden past is perhaps the most significant force behind the characters' behavior, there is much about the present that is also hidden.  What remains hidden in the present affects many things but perhaps more than anything the marital relationship between Georges and Anne.  The tapes terrify both of them and cause them to fear for the safety of their family, but neither is truly able to include the other in their suffering.  Their inability to come together in a time of crisis drives a wedge between them.  When Anne opens up to Georges and confronts him about keeping things from her, he fails to bridge the distance between them.  He appears cold and aloof, yet in another scene he breaks down alone in the kitchen and shows that he is not unfeeling and unaffected by everything.  Despite having someone to share his pain with, Georges chooses to keep both his knowledge of the past and his present feelings hidden, and he tries to resolve everything on his own rather than bring those hidden things to light.
• Another aspect of the hidden present regards Anne and her relationship with the family friend Pierre.  Anne's son, Pierrot, accuses her of having an affair with him.  This is never explicitly confirmed nor denied in the film, but one thing is for certain:  Anne cannot find any comfort or reassurance from Georges.  There is a startling lack of emotional and physical intimacy in their marriage.  There is very clearly a distance between the two of them, one that had surely existed for some time before the arrival of the tapes.  Did Anne turn elsewhere for the connection that was missing with her husband?  I cannot say either way.  
• Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the hidden present is Georges' and Anne's son Pierrot.  The final shot of the film shows Pierrot speaking to Majid's son.  We're not sure if it takes place in the past or in the present timeline of the film, and we're kept far enough away in the shot that there is no way to know what passed between the two of them.  Did Pierrot know Majid's son?  Did Majid's son tell Pierrot that Anne was having an affair?  This is one of the hidden things I wish were revealed.  Alas.

Overall, I found Cache to be an interesting film, both in terms of form and content.  I read some message board posts about how the entire film is allegorical about the relationship between the French and Algerian immigrants, but I'll let others talk about that elsewhere.  The film never really struck an emotional connection with me, but I still enjoyed it.  There are a couple scenes that were really amazing:  one incredibly effective and shocking scene of violence (I was taken aback by it, and the sound design, i.e. the gurgling, was gross and awesome at the same time) and an awesome shot of Majid's son and Georges in the elevator.  While I cannot recommend this film to everyone, especially not casual moviegoers, I will recommend it to anyone willing to watch an ambitious and nontraditional film.

Was this long enough to make up for my sloth in writing it?

Just a few things...

1. A couple days ago I found There Will Be Blood in the $5 movie bin at Wal-Mart.  I immediately figured that someone had misplaced it.  When I saw another copy of the film, I started to wonder.  I found one of those price scanner things and quickly scanned it.  Price:  $3.00.  I was shocked but decided to not question Wal-Mart's generosity.  I purchased the film.
2. Other $5 films I found at Borders:  12 Angry Men (such an incredible film) and Much Ado About Nothing (just for Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson's performances).
3. 500 Days of Summer passed the second viewing test.  The second viewing test - I just named it - is the test given to a film that I really enjoyed the first time I saw it to see if it holds up just as well or better upon a second viewing.  Some of my favorite films like Eternal Sunshine and Children of Men aced the second viewing test.  It is during the second viewing that the film undergoes the increased scrutiny that comes once the initial experience of discovering a film's plot, characters, and themes has passed.  In the case of 500 Days of Summer I was a little worried that the second viewing wouldn't be as good as the first.  I really liked it the first time, and the film had been on my mind ever since I saw it.  I couldn't shake myself of certain images or lines or even the songs on the soundtrack.  When I saw that it would be opening in Provo, I knew immediately that I would have to see it again.  I rounded up some friends and made it happen.  And I'm glad I did.  I have to say that my second viewing was just as good as the first, maybe even a little better.  I realize the film is not perfect and would probably change a few things, but I cannot help but love the characters.  Tom and Summer are such well-crafted characters, kudos to the writing but especially the acting, and I took advantage of the second viewing to try and really understand them and why they did what they did, said what they did, and felt what they did.  This allowed me to experience an even greater empathetic connection with them, more so than what I think is the more superficial "girl done me wrong" connection that really came across after the first viewing.  I really wish I had this film on DVD and could watch it again because I feel like there is still a lot to be gleaned from it.  Fantastic film.

Weekly Film Symposium #2: Third Response

Wow, I suck.  This is a very belated response, and I apologize for my slothfulness.  I have been meaning to compose this entry for some time, but only now am I actually getting around to it.  Since I posted my first response, I have been able to read the book and gleam a few insights from it.  That being said, I'll get on to my response.

Book vs. Film

I really enjoyed the book.  The movie created a strong desire to know more about the characters, especially Eli and her background, and the book helps fill in some of the back story.  The book also contains more of your conventional horror elements.  It has more dark scenes, more disturbing elements to the story than the film, and as such, is quite separate from the film.  What director Tomas Alfredson and novelist and screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist were able to do was extract the most important elements of the novel, primarily the relationship between Oskar and Eli,  and create a focused and artistic film that stands entirely on its own.  In fact, I would recommend that anyone interested in seeing the film and reading the novel go about it the same way I did:  backwards -- film first, novel second.  I feel the film achieves a greater artistic unity than the novel.  There is really nothing I would change about the film if I could somehow go back and alter it during production.

The Title

Personally, I love the title Let the Right One In.  It has thematic importance and alludes to vampire mythology and the requirement that vampires be invited into a room before they can enter.  Several times Eli asks Oskar if she can come in, and the scene where Oskar taunts her and forces her to show him what happens if she enters uninvited is pretty astounding.  The title factors significantly into the relationships of the film.  Both Oskar and Eli are very lonely, and both need to "let the right one in" to their lives, to move beyond their solitude and enter a better, healthier way of life.  There is a section in the novel that further explains the significance of the title.  It comes after Lacke, despondent upon learning of Jocke's fate, tells Virginia, the woman he loves, that he has no one now that Jocke is gone.  Virginia storms away, hurt and angry, and has a nasty surprise in store for her.  Before she receives that surprise, the novel gives us insight into her thoughts:

Let a person in and he hurts you.  There was a reason why she kept her relationships brief.  Don't let them in.  Once they're inside they have more potential to hurt you. Comfort yourself.  You can live with the anguish as long as it only involves yourself. As long as there is no hope.

While that explanation comes from Virginia, it's most applicable to the relationship of Oskar and Eli, which I will further analyze in the next section.

Oskar and Eli

I feel like posting a few more thoughts, some informed by the novel, about the story's central relationship.  The actors cast in the roles of Oskar and Eli were phenomenal, though I learned that they dubbed a less feminine voice over the actual actress who portrays Eli.  Apparently she sounded too much like a girl.  Anyway, one of the aspects of the story that has most intrigued me and remained in my thoughts is the co-dependence that develops between Oskar and Eli.

Oskar, more than anything, needs a friend in his life.  The movie portrays him as completely friendless; he is picked on by bullies at school and plays alone in the courtyard outside his apartment building after school.  Only the gym teacher shows Oskar a little sympathy, but that is not enough for a twelve year old child.  Because of his alienation from his classmates, Oskar develops unnatural and violent tendencies, and this only alienates him more.  He has a few nice moments with his parents -- I love the scene where he and his mom are brushing their teeth, and I was pretty moved by the joy he felt at times when he was visiting his father -- but those moments don't last.  Oskar's family is broken, and his parents cannot understand him.  He is in desperate need of someone, anyone to offer a sympathetic smile and an understanding heart.  Eli fills that void in his life, and for the first time in Oskar's life, he has a friend.  (The novel gives Oskar a few friends, but they are not around when he needs them and cannot be the type of genuine friend he needs in his life).  Oskar comes to depend on Eli's presence in his life.  An image from the film really drives that point home for me.  The morning after Eli leaves town in the taxi, Oskar looks out his bedroom window at the empty courtyard.  The shot is framed with the camera outside the window, looking in at Oskar.  He has clearly been crying for some time, the pain caused by Eli's absence being too much for him to bear.  

What strikes me, and this might just be me once again reading too much into things, is that Oskar looks like Eli when she needs blood.  He has a similar paleness and red, sunken eyes.  Like Eli needs blood to survive physically, Oskar needs Eli to survive emotionally.  He is dependent on her.

The film portrays Eli in a slightly different light than the book, and I think the differences are noteworthy, especially when looking at her relationship with Oskar and whether it is genuine and sincere or merely masterful manipulation to ensure her continued survival.  In the book, Eli is a clumsy and ineffectual killer.  She has a number of blunders and is clearly in need of a helper.  Enter Hakan and later Oskar.  In the film, however, she is portrayed as a better killer.  What sets the film portrayal apart is that Eli seeks assistance, not because she is a blundering vampire, but because she doesn't enjoy killing.  After Hakan messes up in the beginning of the film, Eli angrily asks, "Do I really have to take care of this myself?"  An ineffectual killer would act more frightened than angry in this situation, but the film shows Eli very angry in this scene. 

  

The film leads me to believe that Eli seeks Oskar's companionship out of a genuine need for friendship, not because she needs another assistant to fill Hakan's position.  The book clarifies the relationship between Eli and Hakan, and while I don't want to go into particulars, I will say that it is very, very different from the relationship between Eli and Oskar.  Though, like you pointed out, Justin, Oskar will very likely end up in Hakan's position later in life.  Another element of the story, this one from the novel, that leads me to view their relationship as genuine, especially on Eli's end, occurs as she is able to help Oskar literally see things from her perspective:

For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli's eyes.  And what he saw was...himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself.  Seen with love.

I love that passage and think it really clarifies a lot of the uncertainty regarding their relationship.  The film never gives such an explicit defense of the genuineness of their relationship, but I think it can be inferred from the way Oskar and Eli look at each Other.  Eli depends on Oskar's friendship more than she will depend on his assistance to acquire blood.  She is more than willing to leave in the dead of night and start over somewhere, and that willingness tells me that she is capable of living on her own and probably has at some point during her very long existence as a vampire.  She chooses Oskar's companionship, not to avoid killing for herself, but to have love and friendship in her life, for however long it might last.

Anyway, I have written more than enough for now, though I'm sure there is a near endless amount of things to talk about regarding this film.  It is definitely one of the best films of 2008, and I'm doing my best to share it with other people.  

(500) Days of Summer Initial Response

I just got back from watching a free promotional screening of (500) Days of Summer in Salt Lake City.  First off, how cool is it that I got to catch a promo screening a week and a half before the film officially opens in SLC?  I think it's pretty dang cool, and I'm grateful that I was able to make the screening.  Along with a lot of other people.  We got there half an hour before the scheduled 7:30 showtime, and the theater was nearly full.  We ended up sitting 4 rows from the front on the right side of the theater; the view wasn't optimal as I would normally prefer, but it wasn't detrimental to my enjoyment of the film or anything.  Quite frankly, I was surprised (and in a way pleased) by the early turnout.  

Alright, so I'll talk a little about the actual film.  I enjoyed the movie a lot.  I feel like it is one of the few romantic comedies that is honest and genuine.  It looks at both the good and the bad of the central relationship between Tom (played by the ever-awesome Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (played by my celeb crush, the stunning Zooey Deschanel).  I couldn't imagine this film with anyone else cast in the lead roles; Zooey and Joseph are perfect.  They have excellent on-screen chemistry and nothing feels amiss in their performances.  I don't feel like the film reaches the emotional catharsis of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it's unfair to expect that of any film.  

(500) Days of Summer reminds me of Eternal Sunshine in a couple ways.  Both look at relationships differently than most conventional films, they use nonlinear storytelling to portray the ups and downs of the relationship, and they are both quite creative in their visual approach.  Eternal Sunshine is hands down the better film, but it is one of my all-time favorites so it's not surprising I feel that way.  One of the reasons I feel Eternal Sunshine is better is that the female character, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet), is one of the best female characters in cinema.  She is complex and unique and never easily reduced to any one thing; she is simply Clementine.  In (500) Days of Summer the story is told completely from Tom's perspective, and because of that, Summer remains a mystery.  We're given little glimpse into why she is the way she is; as the viewer, we understand even less than Tom, even though Summer is still a mystery to him at all times.  I understand the filmmaker's intent in leaving Summer as an enigma, and I can accept that choice and how it impacts the film.  I think, however, that the choice to not really delve into her motivation limits the film and prevents it from being as poignant or affecting as it could otherwise have been.  Tom is a sympathetic character and Summer is intriguing and enchanting, but I could only ever relate to Tom, no matter how much I wanted to understand Summer.  That's not to say that I didn't like Summer because I did like her a lot; I just couldn't understand her in the end, and, like many females in real life, she just left me frustrated and confused.  And yet, one more shot of her blue eyes and all that confusion and frustration would vanish --- let's be serious, Zooey has amazing eyes, does she not?  I suppose that conflict of being simultaneously enraptured and frustrated by Summer is what the filmmakers intended to happen.

I really want to see this film again, and I hope it continues to perform really well in its limited release so that it can receive a wide release and play in some theater in Provo/Orem.  There are a lot of very funny moments in the film, and it has a really good soundtrack as well.  If you have any chance at all to see, I think it is definitely worth it.  

This was one of the best movies I've seen this summer.    

Weekly Film Symposium #2: Second Response.

Dude, I never even saw your response get posted. So sorry it took me so long to respond again. I hate it when that happens. Anyway...

I agree with you that I feel like the relationship between Eli and Oskar is completely genuine and sincere. I believe that it started out as manipulation by Eli but very quickly turned into something else. She said that the first thing she heard him say was "squeal like a pig," or something to that effect, and she had been observing him. I believe that she knew that he was perfect to be her next care taker. I believe in the context of the film, that was her intention but she quickly and genuinely fell in love with Oskar. I love their relationship, even though it is pretty messed up. However, I don't see it ending well for Oskar.

Jesse and I were talking about this movie and she mentioned that Oskar was just going to fall into the same role that her current care taker was in, and that broke my little heart a tiny bit. I don't know why I didn't think of their future at all, except for the fact that they were going to be happy together. Now, I truthfully believe that Oskar is just going to end up like the guy she has now. He will take care of her and kill for her and move her around, but he will grow up, and she won't. At some point he is goint to be a middle aged man and she will still be twelve. Does this turn their relationship from one of requited love to a father and daughter relationship? Then she is going to have to eventually find a new care taker, and that just sucks for everybody. Oskar will fade away and Eli will continue on. I guess she could make him a vampire as well, but we don't want Oskar to burst into flames like the other lady (how awesome was that?!) I am also very glad that he didn't go for the cheap thrills like american "horror" movies do. I truly can't say enough about the director and the choices he made. Not like he needs me to tell him that he did a great job but he really did. I am glad we watched this and both loved it.

Bands Listened to at Work Last Week:

I only worked three of the five work days last week so the list is going to be shorter than prior ones.

• Spoon (all albums in reverse chronological order, a bunch of B-sides as well)
• Bon Iver
• Rilo Kiley
• The Besnard Lakes
• Future of the Left
• Silverchair (a couple songs)
• Dark Was the Night 2-disc compilation
• Beulah
• Blonde Redhead

5 More Actors Who Need to Work More

1. Cillian Murphy

2. Guy Pearce

3. Viggo Mortensen

4. Kevin Spacey

5. Clint Eastwood (still the best bad-A in the world)

Edit: Ethan Hawke was totally meant to be on one of my lists. He was, in fact, one of the names that made me think of first creating that list. I recently watched both Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and Gattaca, and I thought he was very good in both. I read some personal quotes on IMDB, and he seems to have a good mind as well as acting chops. He should work more.

Weekly Film Symposium #2: Response

Let the Right One In

Rating:  4 1/2 stars

My immediate response:  wow.  This film has not left my mind since I finished watching it.  I cannot get certain images and scenes out of my head, and I marvel at the film's permanence.  I think this lingering quality, though it is sometimes undesired, is the mark of a great work of art.  I remember some of my favorite films lingering in a similar manner (Children of Men, Eternal Sunshine, etc.), and as I would recall those images and scenes, new meaning and significance would inevitably arise.

Such is the case with this film, I believe.

I absolutely agree with pretty much everything you wrote in your post, Justin.  I don't think there is anything I would change about this film.  The writing, cinematography, sound design, casting, directing, and acting all felt complete.  You wondered if all foreign films are always perfectly acted with nothing out of place, and it sure seems that way.  I'll briefly offer my two cents regarding that.  First, there is definitely a filtering process taking place with foreign films.  Only films receiving critical praise, usually at the major film festivals, or those with some commercial appeal will be picked up for distribution in the United States.  This means that when a foreign film does reach our shores, it is probably a good film.  Trivial or puff movies that would absolutely fail at the box-office aren't even considered for distribution.  Secondly, there is really only one national cinema, that of India, that rivals Hollywood in terms of moneymaking and the number of films produced -- India actually surpasses the number of films made in the United States.  In all other nations, it is much harder to produce a film with a significant international presence.  Therefore, instead of getting a Swedish Transformers or some other mind numbingly dumb waste of celluloid, we get superbly crafted works of art.  Granted, we lack exposure to the majority of foreign films, and they may have their own cinematic drivel that doesn't reach us, but I'd like to believe that the difficulty of producing film in these countries forces the poser filmmakers into other professions.  Thus, the people actually willing to put forth the effort to make a film are genuine artists.  At least that's my romanticized notion of things.

Anyway, back to Let the Right One In.  What a beautiful, chilling, poignant, and shocking film!  Like you said, the vampire element is really just on the side; it's not the central feature of the narrative, and that is one of its most distinguishing characteristics.  It's a film about two lonely twelve-year olds.  Oskar is scrawny and has a terrible haircut; he comes from a broken home and spends most of his time alone.  He's constantly bullied, has revenge fantasies, and is morbidly fascinated with murder and death.  Eli (pronounced 'el-lee' not 'e-lie') lives on the move and cannot stay too long in any one place; she wants friends, but the reality of her existence demands that she remain solitary.  For both of them, normal childhood is not an option.  They need each other, and, for better or worse, are exactly what the other needs.  They provide one another friendship and companionship, as well as protection and support.  I would like to think that their connection is genuine and sincere, but I can see where others might be suspicious of their relationship.  It is possible that Eli manipulates Oskar into becoming her new helper, like others before him.  She recognized in him the characteristics that would make him a good assistant and then manipulated him into loving her.  I see how you could interpret things that way, but my personal opinion leans toward the sweeter, genuine connection.  I don't know if you have read this, Justin, but according to the IMDB trivia, Oskar spells out P-U-S-S in morse code -- that means little kiss in Swedish -- when he and Eli are travelling on the train at the end of the film.  Just a sweet little moment.

I've got to agree with you on the use of the cinematography and sound; both are simply superb.  

I think I'll write about some of the film's more memorable moments before closing this initial response.

The meat and potatoes of the story is the relationship between Eli and Oskar, but there are some genuinely frightening and horrific moments in this film.  I love that the director never resorts to cheap make-you-jump scares.  Right before we see Eli kill Jocke in the tunnel under the road, the director subverts our expectations.  Eli calls out for Jocke to help her, and he begins walking toward her.  The whole time I was waiting for her to spring her attack, and the tension was quite high as the film had yet to show her attack anyone.  As he nears her, a loud truck speeds by on the road over the tunnel, and it is at that moment that a normal horror film would have sprung make-you-jump moment.  Instead, nothing happens.  The trucks goes by, and Jocke continues walking towards Eli.  By not resorting to the expected tactic, the director is able to create an even heightened sense of dread and tension.  It's really quite brilliant.

I found Virginia's subplot very interesting as it shows what happens to those who are bitten but not killed, and it also leads to two of the most startling images that have stuck with me.  How crazy is the scene where she gets attacked by the cats?  I found that pretty creepy and awesome.  Then in the hospital, rather than allow her transformation into a vampire to become complete, she asks the orderly to raise the blinds.  I was not expecting her to burst into flames; it was definitely a very stark and memorable moment.  This makes me wonder if Eli would always make certain to kill those she bit, like she did with Jocke.  It seems to me, since we already know that she doesn't like to kill people but does so to survive, that she is merciful to her victims by not putting them through the painful transformation that Virginia has to go through.  I wonder, not knowing much of Eli's back story yet, if she were bitten by a vampire at the age of twelve and went through that process herself.  Just some speculation.

I also really enjoyed the scene when Eli climbs into bed with Oskar.  She is still cautious and wary of revealing her true self to Oskar and won't let him look at her.  He lies on his side and she climbs in behind him.  This strikes me as a particularly intense scene.  Oskar not only makes himself vulnerable emotionally by asking Eli to go steady with him, but he is also, without knowing it, extremely vulnerable physically.  His neck is easily accessible, and should Eli feel the desire to bite him, it would be the easiest thing in the world.  I love the tension his dual-vulnerability creates in this scene.  Eli agrees to go steady, and Oskar peacefully slips into slumber.  The most lasting image of the scene takes place then as Eli lightly traces her fingertips from Oskar's shoulder down the length of his arm and ends by slipping her hand into his.  It's a shockingly sweet and tender moment that leads me to believe that the emotional connection they share is genuine.

The final moment I will discuss relates to the clip of the film you posted on your other blog and why I feel that the clip needed to run another few seconds to achieve the maximum emotional effect.  When Oskar is saved and he comes up out of the water, the camera focuses on his face.  After taking in a deep breath, he slowly opens his eyes.  The next shot is from his point-of-view, and we see Eli, Oskar's protector.  Rather than showing us all of Eli's face or even a shot of her whole body, we get a close-up on the upper half of her face, framed halfway up her nose to most of her forehead.

I believe this to be a very significant shot.  Every other time Oskar was near Eli when her vampire instincts came out, he was scared or disgusted by what he saw.  Even after he helps her defeat Lacke, he merely stands there as she, still covered in Lacke's blood, hugs him and thanks him.  I interpret Oskar's actions as indicative of his hesitance to truly accept Eli; he wants to but struggles to move into complete acceptance.  In the aforementioned POV shot, Oskar sees Eli's eyes (which are always very striking and, I think, different colors throughout the film) and nothing more.  He doesn't see her mouth, which would be covered with blood, or her hands or anything that would remind him of her vampire brutality.  No, he just sees her eyes.  This shot informs me that Oskar has completely accepted Eli for who she is.  The fact that she is a vampire that kills to survive and will brutally kill to protect him doesn't matter anymore.  He chooses not to see that, or at least to not get hung up on that.  This is the pivotal moment of the film's climax, and I love that the director chose to convey it subtly through his shot selection.  Then I love how Oskar smiles at Eli, and she, still framed in that close-up, returns the smile, and we can see she is smiling only in the slight movement of her cheeks.  Her reciprocal smile is what is missing from your clip.  It's a beautiful interchange, one of my favorites of the entire film, another example of how perfectly the film mixes the beautiful with the horrific. 

I've seen this film twice now, and I feel like we've only just scratched the surface of all there is worthy of discussion.  Great choice, my man.  Great choice, indeed.

Top 5 Actors Who Need to Work More So I Can Have More Amazing Performances to Watch

My list is very similar to yours.

1- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
2- Djimon Hounsou (just better work, come on dude)
3- Edward Norton
4- Daniel Day-Lewis
5- Cillian Murphy

Top 5 Actors Who Need to Work More So I Can Have More Amazing Performances to Watch

1.  Bill Murray

2.  Daniel Day Lewis

3.  Ryan Gosling

4.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt

5.  Edward Norton

Weekly Film Symposium #2

Lat Den Ratte Komma In
(Let The Right One In)



Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
My rating: 4.5/5

'Let the Right One In' is a swedish film about a 12 year old boy named Oskar. Oskar is picked on by the bullies at school and is neglected by his family. For all intents and purposes, Oskar is completely alone in his life, and as a result he has developed some pretty sociopathic tendencies. One night while Oskar is out he comes across his new neighbor, a twelve year old "girl" named Eli. Oskar and Eli quickly develop a friendship as they are both alone. But the one thing that sets Eli apart is that she just happens to be a vampire. Oskar and Eli help each other as they struggle to fit into everyday life.

First off, let me take a second to be twleve. How ugly is the kid that plays Oskar? Seriously, Those Swede's are not very attractive. Ok, now seriously. I thought this film was fantastic and tragically overlooked when it came to the oscars. Obviously it is because of the nature of the film, but one of these days those academy members are just going to have to get over their biases. I thought this film was superb in every aspect. This film perfectly supports my rant on my movie blog about how foreign films are more daring and more interesting. But let's take this one thing at a time.

I thought both Kare Hedebrant (Oskar) and Lina Leandersson (Eli) did great jobs, and both perfectly conveyed their characters and their struggles. I don't know if it's just me, but is it harder to see poor acting in foreign films? I have never seen a poor performance in a foreign film. Is it because they are talking in a different language, or is it because they are better actors....or is it because I haven't watched their popcorn blockbuster movies? Maybe I would be able to recognize it when I see it. Anyway, none of that is the point. Both of these two actors are fairly young and already seem to know what it takes to be a good actor. You act as much without words as you do with words, if not more so, and they both did that very well.

However, the thing that stood out to me the most was the directing. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Most foreign directors seem to be much more imaginitive, original, and stylistic than American directors. There were some things in this movie that were absolutely breath taking. When Eli kills the first guy under the bridge, and then breaks his neck, I thought that scene was incredible. Then the scene where the nurse goes outside and you can see Eli scaling the building in the background. That was also brilliant. My favorite scene in the movie though was the end scene in the pool, when that punk kid is holding Oskar under the water. That was so disturbingly beautiful I don't even know what to say about it. Completely original and mind blowing. I also loved his angles and how he used his space. Very smart directing on top of a very good story.

I loved how the movie made me care about a couple of creeps. See, I bet that sounded kind of harsh, but that proves to me that the movie did the same thing to you. When we see a child like that, we usually don't feel so much sympathy toward them. I mean, in school we also thought of these kids as "strange" or "weird" and tried to avoid them at all cost. The kid does have obvious issues but they are a result of his circumstances. Same with Eli. Yes, she killed people, but she did what she did only to survive. I felt such sympathy for both of these people because all they wanted was a friend, or somebody to love them. They wanted to belong somewhere and I love how they found that in each other. They didn't judge one another for their "downfalls," but the movie taught me that we really should not judge another person when we know nothing about them. Most people are just doing what they need to get by, and that was definitely the story with both of our main characters.

The sound was also something that strongly stood out. It was very well done and played a very important role in the overall effect of the film. You could very vividly hear her drinking blood, and when the dad slit that first boys throat, you could very vividly hear it draining into the tub thing. I also loved when they pick on Oskar outside after school. You can hear every single footstep crunch on the snow. It's effect was tremendous. I swore during some of the scenes I could even hear the snowflakes falling. I loved it. That also brings me to another point. The movie succeeded very well in setting the tone. You could seriously feel how cold it was in almost every scene. I have seen many movies that take place in winter, but both this movie and 'Frozen River' made you actually feel that cold. Very good filmmaking going on in Sweden.

I also love how this movie is considered a "vampire" movie, yet the fact that she is a vampire is just a side note. It's obviously important, but what's really important is the friendship and love that they find in each other. I love the fact that their is so much more to this story than just simply being a vampire tale. However, if we want to discuss it that way, the cover art for the movie has a quote from the Washington Examiner that says, "Best. Vampire Movie. Ever." And that is absolutely right. This is easily the best "vampire" movie I have ever seen and will ever be likely to see. Amongst all the violence and chaos, this movie is beautiful. I highly recommend this film. I have so much to say but I want to leave it open for discussion instead of just spewing it all out right now. So I will leave it at this. Oh, and how awesome is that title? I also heard that it is being remade as an American film, and this disappoints me greatly. First off, can we do nothing original? Secondly, American's don't know how to make "horror" movies, and we will destroy this one. Guaranteed.

Another Post Detailing the Bands I Listened to at Work

• The Orchids (six songs)
• Os Mutantes
• One for the Team
• Okkervil River
• The Olivia Tremor Control
• The Octopus Project
• Ozma (three songs)
• McLusky (many times)
• The Field (two songs)
• Dinosaur Jr.
• Future of the Left (many times)
• Spoon (new EP!)
• Love is All
• Magnetic Fields (multiple albums)
• White Rabbits
• Super Furry Animals
• Talking Heads
• The Love Language
• Phoenix (nearly three times)
• Wilco
• Bat for Lashes
• Styx (seven or eight songs)
• Flaming Lips (three songs)

Weekly Film Symposium #1: Third Response

There are a couple of things I wanted to touch on that you brought up, and that I missed in my initial response. First, I as well really thought about how far I would go to provide for the ones that I love. I realize that you don't want to get into a discussion of moral relativism, but I must say that as a husband, I would do almost anything to make sure that my wife had everything that she needs. The operative word there is almost. I agree that with you that people's actions can be justified by their situations and intentions, to a certain extent. As I said, I would do almost anything to provide for her and I would except the consequences for my actions. That is why I also loved the ending. She is willing to take her lumps because she knows what she did was illegal, but a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do. And I can't fault her for that. It's great to see and ending like this in a time and age where so few people are willing to take responsibility for their actions. I am also really glad that we both felt like the ending of the movie was hopeful, and that the worst of the storm had passed and that the dawn was coming.

I also wanted to mention that I loved the feeling that the film conveyed to me. It conveyed the feeling of hope and love amongst all the bad that was going on. Sure what she was doing was illegal, but it was for a better future for her family. The same went with Lily. I don't know, I started writing this paragraph and now I am really struggling to find my words. I think you may know what I mean though.

Also, I feel that the film perfectly captured the mood and desperation of the characters. Not only with the dialogue, but more importantly, without it. There is so much that is conveyed with the use of facial expressions, and demeanor. Melissa Leo definitely deserved her best actress nomination. Her performance was great. And back to the baby thing. I also feel that it was a little bit of luck and a little bit of, what I like to call, divine intervention. I like to think that that baby was protected by things greater than this world. But like you said, it's up to every viewer to decide, and I love when film does that. Also, when they were driving across the ice, could you just feel the bitter cold and the weight of that car on that ice? Everytime they drove across it I could feel the pressure that the car was putting on the ice. I found myself very tense and very worried about the inhabitants of the car, every single time. And once again, they did it without manipulation tactics. It was a risk they were taking, nothing more and nothing less. I loved the fact that I felt like I was out there with them. This was a great film and I would definitely watch it again. Did I already say that?

Bands I Listened to at Work Last Week

I can basically listen to music the entire time I am at work.  I don't utilize all of the forty hours I work each week listening to music, but I do listen to a lot of tunes.  Here are most of, if not all, the bands I listened to last week.

Bands with complete albums listened to:

• Future of the Left (most listened to band of the week)
• McLusky (a very close second)
• Les Savy Fav
• Detachment Kit
• Danananankroyd
• Braid
• Jimmy Eat World
• Grizzly Bear
• Franz Ferdinand
• Sunny Day Real Estate
• Antony and the Johnsons
• The National
• HUM
• White Rabbits

Bands with a few songs listened to:

• Faces on Film
• Fall Out Boy
• Drive Like Jehu
• Ingrid Michaelson
• Dear and the Headlights

I don't the know the specific number of times I listened to Future of the Left and McLusky, but I listened to them at least once a day at work and then again after work (while driving, disc golfing, etc.).  I'm assuming you haven't heard of them, Justin, as they're quite obscure, but I'll try to write about them sometime soon.

Weekly Film Symposium #1: Second Response

I've thought a bit about the larger implications Frozen River, what watching it has meant to me, what themes really impacted me, etc.  What most struck me was how the film portrayed the lengths desperate people will go and the price they will pay to provide for the ones they love, especially single mothers.  Melissa Leo's character did everything she could to provide for her children, even breaking the law.  Our first introduction to her character shows us great insight into her emotional struggles.  She sits in her car, the glove box opened and empty, and cries.  We later learn that her gambling addict husband has stolen the money she had hidden in the glove box to pay for the family's new double wide trailer, but even without knowing exactly why she cries, deep pain and anguish is visible in her face.  Again, Leo gave a fantastic performance.  Her character isn't the only person to act desperately.  Lily Littlewolf acts self-destructively because her mother-in-law, bitter because of the death of her son, takes her newborn son away from her.  She smuggles immigrants across the border then puts the money in Pringles cans and leaves them on her mother-in-law's doorstep, hoping in some small way to provide for the son she longs to nurture.  I feel so much empathy for these characters, good people beaten down by life, by the cold, and by circumstances they often can't control.

I agree with you, Justin, that the moment they learn there was a baby in the bag they left behind was intense and heartbreaking.  I assumed the worst and ached for the immigrant couple.  I wasn't sure how to view the baby's revival, whether to accept it as medical good luck like Ray or to see the hand of Providence in it like Lily.  I was browsing the film's IMDB message board and came across an interesting wikipedia link to something called brown fat.  Apparently mammals are born with a type of fat called brown fat, and this fat's primary purpose is to generate heat.  In fact, one of its primary functions is to generate heat even when body temperature is below the regular threshold.  This is vital for infants because of their inability to escape cold on their own.  It's possible then that the child could have survived the cold because of its brown fat, but there's no way to say.  I appreciate the film leaving this conclusion ambiguous; each viewer has to decide for themselves.  Personally, I see a little bit of both sides in the baby's survival, but that is just my personal opinion.

A question I've been thinking about since watching this film is:  how far would I go to provide for my family if I were in similar dire circumstances?  Would I break the law?  How much can you fault someone in that situation?  I realize that I will not likely, at least I hope, find myself in such dire necessity and inability to provide the basic needs for my future family, but I realize that life is unpredictable.  I am blessed to have resources to turn to in dark times (my family, the Church, etc.), but if I didn't have those fall backs, how would I behave?  I really can't say.  I think of my nephews and niece and how much I love them and would do anything to help them, and that is coming from an uncle.  I almost cannot fathom how much stronger I would feel as a father and husband.  I'm pretty certain that I would do almost anything for my family, without resorting to violence or other major violations of the law and/or other's rights.  I don't want to get into a discussion of moral relativism, but I really believe a person's circumstances and intentions determine the justness of their actions -- to an extent, of course.  Mostly I feel that people acting out of love for their families will receive mercy and understanding in the end, but I realize the law of the land cannot bend.  That's why I'm glad that Ray accepts her punishment at the end of the film.  I find the ending to be very optimistic and hopeful, like the worst of the storm has passed and better things are in store for both Ray and her sons, as well as Lily and her child.

This really is a fantastic film, and I'm glad we agreed to watch it.

Weekly Film Symposium #1: Response

Rating: 3.5/5

What really stood out to me in this film was the performance of Melissa Leo. I thought she was absolutely fantastic. Just like you Chris, I found myself watching a character, not somebody playing a character. She was so subtle and believable in her performance one possibly cannot say enough about it.

The writing and directing also deserve a giant kudos. The film was written with all believable characters, and realistically what people would do in a desperate situation. I didn't find myself doubting anybody's actions at any point. Although the film is subtle and moderately paced, it is far from boring. Although I don't feel like this is a film for everybody, I think anybody who wants to watch a good, moving, heartfelt drama should definitely pick this one up.

I also agree that the emotional scenes were done well, and were very effective without being overly dramatic or manipulative. The scenes that really stood out to me emotionally, were the one that Chris mentioned about the older brother putting the younger brother to bed on Christmas eve. The other one was when they realized that the bag they had left behind in the freezing cold contained a baby. That whole scene was impeccable. The look on Melissa Leo's face when she finds that out is stunning. She does so much acting in this movie without ever having to say a word. Anyway, back on track about the baby scene. That scene was very moving without having to use any manipulative tactics. My heart dropped when I found out that they had left the baby, and I felt an overwhelming sense of joy when they saved it. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would definitely watch it again.

Must see show!

I just read that Sunny Day Real Estate is going to reunite and tour this fall.  The original lineup is going to be playing a show in Salt Lake City in September.  I must be there.  

That is all.  I am excited.

Weekly Film Symposium #1: Frozen River

Justin texted me on Monday with a suggestion for a recurring feature for this blog.  We both feel like we haven't come anywhere near to doing enough for this blog, and we are sorry for squandering this blog's potential for so long.  His idea was for us to choose a film that we would both watch and then discuss on this blog.  We are both seeking intelligent film discussion, and sometimes it's hard to come by.  Almost everyone in my peer group approaches film as entertainment, and while I cannot fault anyone for thinking that way, I also cannot allow myself to see film as entertainment only.  Granted, film ought to be entertaining, but I believe it should also do much more.  In a post I wrote about the film Young@Heart, I put forth my views that film, like all art, ought to do certain things:

It creates connections between the viewers and the work's subject, connections that are intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. The work promotes increased understanding of others, their view points, personalities, life experiences, and the essence of their being. Viewers should feel their understanding has expanded to include the subject of the work of art, and they should feel a sort of rebirth, like they have changed and can no longer remain the way they were. Lastly, a great work of art will create true and genuine empathy, what some might call charity or love.

With that in mind, I am pleased to write the inaugural post of our weekly film symposium.  I suppose I ought to put a SPOILER ALERT into effect for this and all other weekly film symposium posts.  If you plan on watching any of the films we will be discussing, you may not want to read what we have to say until you've seen the film for yourself.  Because we will be discussing thematic issues and other substantial matters regarding these films, we are interested in others' opinions on these films, and we welcome any and all comments.    

Frozen River - 2008 - written and directed by Courtney Hunt.

My rating: 3 and 3/4 stars

Frozen River was an independent film released last year.  It garnered very positive reviews, reaching 88% overall on Rotten Tomatoes, and Melissa Leo received a Best Actress Oscar nomination.  The films deals with a woman, Ray Eddy, all but abandoned by her gambling addict husband, and her struggles to keep a roof over the head of her two children and food on the table.  She works part-time at a dollar store and is unable to persuade her manager to move her to full-time even though she is more punctual and dependable than the younger, more attractive woman working full-time.   Ray gets involved in smuggling illegal aliens across a frozen river on the Mohawk reservation on the New York - Canada border.  Needing money to pay for a new double-wide trailer and put presents under the Christmas tree, Ray decides to make a couple more smuggling runs with the Mohawk young woman, Lily Littlewolf.  Each trip becomes more dangerous and desperate than the last.

I was quite impressed with Courtney Hunt's writing and directorial debut.  I thought the film was quite subtle and mature.  It deals with a very sensitive issue (e.g. illegal immigration) in a way that is neither heavy handed nor didactic.  The film portrays realistic characters struggling to get by, and I was really struck by the portrayal of single mothers and the many difficulties they face.  The cinematography is unassuming but effective.  You can almost feel the incredible winter cold just by looking at the frozen landscape.  Mostly I was impressed with Melissa Leo's performance.  I can't think of another think I've seen her in, but IMDB shows a good body of work.  I think her performance and Oscar nomination for this film will probably earn her a few more leading roles.  In a way, her performance reminded me of Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone, not necessarily that they played similar characters, but they both really were their characters.  I didn't feel like I was watching a performance, and whenever that happens, I know that I am watching an excellent performance.

There were a lot of small moments that really caught my attention.  Ray putting on a smiling face for her youngest son, not wanting him to know just how dire their circumstances are.  The oldest son putting his brother to sleep on Christmas eve.  Just a lot of subtle moments that could have been overly sentimental or mishandled in some way.  Overall, I would recommend this film to viewers with the patience to watch a deliberately paced film with strong performances that leaves each viewer to draw their own conclusions regarding the characters and the choices they make.

That's all for my initial remarks regarding the film.

Music in the Dark

I watched Toy Story with some friends tonight.  After it ended (still such a fantastic film), we sat around and talked.  Then the time came for people to head home.  My roommates went upstairs to sleep, and I just stayed where I was, sitting on the couch in the dark with my MacBook on my lap, listening to Elliott Smith.

For some reason, I thought I should share this image with you, Justin.

The Letter A

I guess when you announce that you are going to do something (like create a new recurring feature for a blog), you should probably follow through.  Here I am to quell every one's fear that I might not follow-up with my previous announcement.

The letter A is a pretty good place to start this new feature highlighting my favorite albums by bands whose name starts with a particular letter of the alphabet.  Here we go:

The Arcade Fire - Funeral

When I returned from my two-year LDS mission to Brazil, one of the first things I did was hop online and search for end of year best-of lists, hoping to find the best albums released while I was otherwise occupied in the shortest amount of time possible.  Pitchfork, probably the biggest indie-music site right now, has always helped me find good music since I first discovered it way back in 1999.  At the top of Pitchfork's best albums of 2004 list was Funeral by The Arcade Fire.  It wasn't long before I found myself listening to the album.  I was struck immediately by the urgency in the music, both in the instruments but mostly in the vocals.  There was just such power in the music and in the lyrics.  Having not listened to very much music for the two previous years, hearing the Arcade Fire was like being struck by a bolt of lightning.

The entire album is amazing, as is the group's second album, Neon Bible.  If I were forced to pick my three favorite tracks, I would go with:  "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", "Wake Up", and "Crown of Love", with "Rebellion (Lies)" a very close fourth.  As powerful as I thought these songs were on the album, nothing could have prepared me for hearing them live.  I first saw the band play at the 2007 Coachella music festival, then a second time at Thanksgiving Point, Utah.  There are very few bands better than the Arcade Fire in a live setting.  Each member of the band, as many as ten people playing a diverse group of instruments, puts everything into every song.  There is an incredible amount of energy in their live show, and I was blown away both times I saw them.  There were so many fist-pumping, sing along at the top of your lungs moments.  Each performance would likely find itself in my top 10 shows if I were to make such a list someday.

I cannot recommend this band and both of their albums enough.

At the Drive-In - Vaya EP

Okay, so an EP isn't technically what we would consider an album, but I had to include this band, one of my favorite and first indie-bands I discovered as an adolescent.  This blog's title came from a misheard At the Drive-In lyric.  Here is another band overflowing with energy.  This seven song EP is probably the best place to start with this band.  It's more polished, in its songwriting and in its production, than the band's earlier work, and it's more consistent than Relationship of Command, the band's only release after this EP.  But every release is very good.  In fact, some of you may have heard the song "One-Armed Scissor" back in 2001-02 when it got a decent amount of play on MTV2 and the radio.

Anyway, this band rocks hard.  The lyrics are pretty obtuse, but it doesn't matter.  The dual guitars are loud and intricate, the rhythm section is very tight, and the spoken/sung/screamed vocals are fantastic.  My favorite tracks on the EP are:  "Rascuache", "Proxima Centauri", and "Ursa Minor."  But as I stated previously, this is a consistently great EP.  All of the songs are worth listening to.  (I am guessing that this will hold true with every album I ever write about because I'm choosing some of my all-time favorite albums, and I wouldn't like them that much if they had bad tracks on them).  Sadly, At the Drive-In broke up into two lesser bands which have yet to equal their earlier glory.  I'm hoping for an eventual reunion tour.

Autolux - Future Perfect

I wrote about this band previously when I gave them the "Get On With It" award so I won't go into too much detail about this band in this post.  Autolux is just a fantastic rock band.  Their sound is distinct.  They have some of the best sounding rock songs I've heard.  I just love the guitar tone, and the drums sound incredible.  Future Perfect is a superbly produced album.  Of course, the production would be meaningless if the songs weren't well-written.  Don't worry - they are very well-written.  My favorite tracks are:  "Angry Candy", "Subzero", and (it's tough to choose just three) "Here Comes Everybody."  I urge everyone to listen to the Autolux songs in my playlist on this page.

Albums by 'A' Bands Worth Mentioning:  Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock and Roll, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Code, Annie - Anniemal, Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs.

If anyone is interested in hearing these albums, leave a comment and let me know.  I'll find a way for you to hear them.

A-B-C, 1-2-3.

I'm back.  Though I haven't really been away; I've just been too lazy (sometimes busy) to write anything.  In my defense, I was always thinking about things I could write (best albums of 2009 so far, more movie musings, etc.) for this blog.

The other day I was reading Jake's blog and posting some comments.  By the way, it's pretty amusing to see the web of musical influence spreading outward.  Maybe it's just my egotism manifesting itself, but it gives me satisfaction when someone I know expands their musical tastes because of my own direct or, in this case, indirect efforts to share the music I love.  It's cool to see Jake writing about bands like Built to Spill, Cursive, the Decemberists, etc.  Bands we've been listening to since back in the day.

Anyway, I bring this up because I've decided to do something similar to what Jake is doing with his blog.  Where he highlights a band's entire discography, I am going to do something different.  I've decided to choose anywhere between 1-3 albums by my favorite bands that start with each letter of the alphabet.  For example, for the letter 'D' I could choose an album by the Dismemberment Plan, the Decemberists, and Death Cab for Cutie.  I'll go through the entire alphabet in however long it might take me.  It should be fun and, hopefully, interesting to read.  I need to come up with a catchy name for this, but I can't think of anything right now.  Lost is on, and I must focus all my energies on the infinite mystery of the show.

Adventureland

As you know we went and saw Adventureland this past week, and as I have previously stated, I liked it. However, I liked it in spite of many many things. These things I will tell you. Apparently I should have written this when it was more fresh in my mind. Oh well.

Jesse Eisenberg's character- Is anybody else getting sick of seeing this character in every movie that's about a teenage or young adult male. Seriously, I feel like this is the only character written these days. The pseudo-intellectual that is awkward around the ladies and is trying to come into his own. The whole time I was watching this movie I couldn't help but think that his character is every character and the only character played by Michael Cera, and that he would have been much better in the role. But aside from that, I hated him. I thought he was an arrogant, selfish, spoiled little baby. I mean the kid was whining about having to find a job. Are you freaking kidding me?! Oh mommy and daddy can't pay for your trip to Europe, you poor baby. He drove me nuts.

Kristen Stewart's character- Don't get me wrong, like you said, she actually did a good job in this movie. I still would not call her a good actress, but at least now I won't call her a bad one. Her character bothered me because I feel like that is the only young adult female character written these days. The super cool chick that starts to get close to some kid but has excess baggage so she distances herself. How many times have I seen this?

Stupid Frigo- Is this not the worst, most obnoxious character ever put into a movie? And not in a good way. I realize he was supposed to be retarded and annoying, but it wasn't that. I felt like the character was very poorly written and the movie would have been so much more effective, and so much more enjoyable without him. He added nothing, and detracted a lot from the movie.

The Lack of originality- I felt the entire movie was regurgitated characters and jokes. Like you said, it felt like Freaks and Geeks on summer vacation, yet it was done by somebody else so it didn't have the same charm or effect. I don't know, nothing in the movie felt original to me at all.

The Fact that I hated all of the characters- It's quite difficult to enjoy a movie when you hate everybody. James was a selfish, hypocritical schmuck, Em was a homewrecker, Mike was simply retarded, and Lisa P., well, just look at her. There was only one character that I actually liked, which brings me to my next point.

The best thing about the movie for me was Martin Starr. He is so funny. I swear everything he says is hysterical to me. I wished that he would have been the main character. This guy needs his own show somewhere. He is so interesting and also appears to have so much going on inside his head yet nothing all at the same time. I love him. In spite of all the things I didn't like, I still found myself somewhat intrigued. I liked it, but would only give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Sad Songs Make Me...Sad(?)

Sometimes I get in a mood where all I want to listen to is something that will hit me like a brick, and one of those moods hit me just minutes ago.  I'm not sure why it happens.  The obvious answer would likely be that it's a manifestation of longing and loneliness, the desire for some greater, authentic soul-to-soul connection that I lack.  I'm sure each and every failure, every squandered opportunity, every word that once burned within me yet remained unsaid contributes to this painful melancholy.  Why is it that we turn to sad music when we're struck with these moods?  There's almost some pleasure in feeling that sadness as much as we possibly can.  Maybe the connection we form with those sad songs eases our pain and tells us we're not alone, that someone else has felt these same feelings.  Though we lack the soul-to-soul connection with another physical human being, we form a similar, less powerful connection with that synthesis of words and music.

Right now I'm listening to "13 Months in 6 Minutes" by the Wrens, one of my favorite sad songs.  I recently read an interview with Charles Gessell, one of the band's guitarists/vocalists/songwriters, and he was asked if most of the songs and the people mentioned in the songs were real people.  He stated that most of them were based on real people, but the names were fictional.  He mentioned, however, that "13 Months in 6 Minutes" was absolutely autobiographical.  This makes the song hit me all the more.  It's not about some intense breakup; it's just a gradual drifting apart.  And there is such remorse and regret in Charles's lyrics.  He admits to messing up, to being a fool, and his inability to change the situation haunts him (and me).  The line "I'm a footnote at best / I envy who comes next" has always killed me.  

(I'm currently on my third time listening to the track).  

I know you understand what I'm saying, Justin, as we've talked about this song in the past.  It really goes along well with "I've Made Enough Friends" as sort of the antithesis or the aftermath of what that song expresses.  In fact, I'm going to play that flawless song right now.  As much as I love these songs, I hope to sleep off this melancholy.  The last thing I need is to be all mopey and forlorn to kick off a new week.

Here are the lyrics to "13 Months in 6 Minutes" for those unfamiliar with them:

not yet 21 - with introductions done - a first slow dance just ends.

I was at my best - we ignored the rest (my band and your friends).

But as better night became best day we left the party while last records played. 

What started as dessert back at your house ended on the couch…

hours at your mouth…sunday’s on our hands. We followed where it led. 

I followed you to bed. We started secret plans.

Forward 7 months: I’ve only seen you once…I never call on time. 

Trying to seem tough, I said one visit’s enough - enough to keep you mine (of course it wasn’t…)

We were done by june. You’d graduate and leave forlondon soon. 

Your layover at newark’s near my house. We met for dinner there…

just one hour to spare - your 20’s all mapped out. I’m in my driest drought 

feeling old and shot and how.

And this is what I thought: I seem to still be caught…

I’m a footnote at best…I envy who comes next…wish we could just make out. 

‘The hour’s almost up’, you said into your cup. And it makes no difference now, as I help lift your bags out, that I’m lost and out of rope while on my wrist you wrote your newest number down. 

I kind of said your name but you’d turned to your plane so I backed my car out. 

I knew we’d never write (somehow that seemed all right) but this counts as calling three years out.

And then the awesome coda at the end with the chord progression that I wish was stretched for another 6 minutes and that aching melody with the lyrics that are just too faint to comprehend.  This is a perfect song.

Winter Passing

Yesterday I rented 'Winter Passing' from my local Hollywood video. I am surprised at our selection sometimes. We have a great selection of independent and foreign movies. I love my store. Anyway, I watched it last night and it left me a little frustrated. Why? Because once again Will Ferrell proved that he can act if he really wants to. If the guy can just refrain from having to be the center of attention all the time he can do quality work. However, I think quality is pretty low on his priority list. Moron. Once again Ed Harris proved that he is a great actor with so much range. He was great in this, he played a good cowboy in appaloosa, played Jackson Pollack flawlessly, and many many other great roles. He can be good or bad it doesn't matter. He is terrific and I always love watching him. Good movie, thanks for the recommendation. I had never even heard of it before, and that's pretty rare for me. Not that I am all knowing but the people at work have called me a walking database. I liked that. It made me feel cool and totally nerdy. Zooey was also ridiculously cute and adorable as she tends to be. Even when she is supposed to be cracked out she still manages to be a cutie.

I don't know why my computer is not letting me leave comments. Stupid computer. I liked happenstance when i saw it and i really like the fact that you said that Audrey Tautou was the Audrey Hepburn of her generation. I like it because now I have said that, you have said that, and a girl that i used to work with said that. She has that same charm and likeability that the first Audrey had on top of their obvious talent. Audrey Tautou's performance in Amelie is one of my all time favorite female performances. I also really dig 'Batman Begins.' I really like Cillian Murphy and i wish he were in more movies. A couple of months ago at work a customer told me that i have the same exact profile as him. He said not so much from the front, but our profiles are identical. That made me feel pretty cool so i thought i would throw that in there.

Ooh and i just watched this fantastic documentary called 'Murder on a Sunday Morning.' I don't know if you have seen this or not but if you haven't you really should. Really well made and really interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, our stupid theater here in Cedar finally got The Reader and The Wrestler. It's about time. That made me so mad that it took so long and i had to find different ways of watching them.

Movie Musings - 09 March 2009

There seems to be a theme amongst a majority of the films I muse about in this entry:  they feature adorable actresses that I cannot resist.  The presence of those actresses usually guarantees a decent level of enjoyment when viewing their films, and that's not just because I find them beautiful.  I appreciate and admire their talent as well.  They just have an effortless way of winning me over.  Anyway, I know you understand my way of thinking, Justin.  I'm pretty sure we agree on these three actresses' high quality.  On we go!

How to Steal a Million (1966) - directed by William Wyler.

Date Viewed: 08 March 2009.  My Rating:  3 1/2 stars.

It's been a good time for movie watching lately.  I found myself invited to watch this film with a group of people Sunday afternoon so I accepted the invitation.  Unfortunately, losing an hour of sleep made it impossible for me to stay awake throughout the entire film.  There was a good portion of the middle-third of the film that I missed.  Nonetheless, what I saw was quite good, but that's pretty much a given with an Audrey Hepburn film.  If there is one woman in this world that I would travel back in time to marry, it would be Audrey Hepburn.  She is simply irresistibly adorable in her films, and, to make things even better, she was a fantastic person in real life.  She is her normal adorable self in this film, and it is a pretty good romantic comedy/heist film.  There is good chemistry between Audrey and Peter O'Toole, as well as many comedic moments.  Just a very fun movie overall.

Batman Begins (2005) - directed by Christopher Nolan.

Date Viewed:  08 March 2009.  My Rating:  4 stars.

I happened to watch this on TV Sunday night.  I was chilling with some homeboys, and we were hoping to find something to do around our apartment complex.  Nothing really turned up so we watched the movie as we waited futilely.  This is a very solid movie, and Christian Bale delivers a fantastic performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman.  As a character study, it succeeds admirably.  I actually wish The Dark Knight had spent a little more time delving into Bruce Wayne's psychology a little more.  While I don't think this movie was groundbreaking --- other than revitalizing the Batman series --- I like it a lot and can't really find many faults with it.  Bale has a very good supporting cast, and a director that seems to really care about the franchise.  I am excited, albeit somewhat reserved, to see how well the third Nolan-directed Batman will turn out. 

Happenstance (2000) - directed by Laurent Firode.

Date Viewed:  08 March 2009.  My Rating: 3 1/2 stars.

Well, another French movie.  This one features the adorable Audrey Tautou, and any film she is in will get at least an extra 1/2 star just for her presence.  She is basically our generation's Audrey Hepburn, and the two actresses share more than just a first name.  She is always so appealing and has such grace on screen.  Even when her characters might not seem like the most empathetic person, it's hard to think too poorly of them.  I always find myself enraptured with her characters.  I wonder how I'd react if she were to portray a truly reprehensible person onscreen.  Anyway, this movie was worth watching just to see how cute Ms. Tautou is when her character says, "Oui," within the first five minutes of the film.  I would pretty much do anything for a female capable of looking so beautiful, bashful, and innocent while saying, "Yes."  It's true.

The film itself is about how interconnected the lives of human beings truly are.  The film highlights how even the smallest decision someone makes can affect the lives of others around them.  It works better at times than it does at others, but it is an enjoyable little film.  My Audrey Tautou bias had me wanting to see her character onscreen more frequently, but the restrictions employed by the narrative required that the other characters get their fair share of screen time.  I understand why the writer and director chose to take the story one way, but some of the characters just seem unnecessary.  Certain plot developments just seem forced in order to continue the interconnected motif.  Still, the film is quite charming, and Audrey Tautou is as lovely as ever.

Winter Passing (2005) - directed by Adam Rapp.

Date Viewed: 09 March 2009.  My Rating: 4 stars.

This is an excellent independent film; it is very well-acted, subtle and moving.  And it features Zooey Deschanel in the lead performance, and she has many of the same qualities as Audrey Tautou described above.  Zooey is definitely one of my favorite actresses, and she doesn't disappoint in this film.  She plays Reese, the daughter of two intellectual novelist parents working as an actor in the New York.  The film picks up shortly after her mother's death.  Reese is somewhat estranged from her family, and when an editor offers her a large sum of money to publish her parents love letters, Reese is forced to confront some emotional issues as she returns to the family home in Michigan.  Ed Harris is excellent as her father, and Will Ferrell is pretty good in an offbeat, but low key role as a boarder in her home.

I really, really liked Zooey's performance in this film.  Her character is far from perfect and struggles to deal with some emotional issues throughout the film, but Zooey's portrayal is honest and poignant.  She is able to communicate so much without saying a word.  She really is extremely talented (and she can sing too!).  Perhaps the perfect woman...  Curse you, Ben Gibbard.  

Justin, I don't know if you'll find this in Hollywood Video, but it is available for online watching at Netflix until March 15th.

We Own the Night (2007) - directed by James Gray.

Date Viewed:  09 March 2009.  My Rating: 2 1/2 stars.

When I first heard the premise for the film and saw the trailer, I had high hopes for this film.  Then it was poorly received critically, and my desire to see the film basically disappeared.  I threw it on my Netflix queue and basically forgot about it.  I finally got around to streaming it online.  The acting is decent in the film, but that's expected with a cast like Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall.  The film tries so hard to be epic, but it never reaches the heights it aspires to.  And I kept getting distracted by the soundtrack.  They kept returning to this motif that sounded like a music box or child's lullaby or something; it just seemed really out of place for a film about the Russian mafia and New York officers of the law.  The film was barely entertaining, and I struggled to remain interested in any of the characters.  I don't see myself returning to this film any time soon, if ever.