Real Topeka People

I don’t view George Lucas as ‘the Antichrist’, or think that he ‘raped my childhood’, but I can agree with a lot of the sentiment in the trailer for this upcoming documentary. Particularly the evident disappointment in the voice of the subject who reveals Lucas’ ‘pile of scripts’ that he really wanted to make but never did. It’s crazy to make him into a deity for what was 15 years of well-made popcorn films (a period spanning ‘American Graffiti’ to ‘The Last Crusade’), but it’s also clear that his output in recent years has been devoid of the ingenuity and obvious love for storytelling that marked his early works. Perhaps one day he will return to those ‘passion projects’. With his power and wealth, there really seems to be no excuse for him to do so, but fear.

And sure, I’m not accusing him of defiling my childhood but I would like my $15 and two hours back after last years ‘Crystal Skull’ travesty (I’m laying most of the blame on Lucas, not Spielberg, as he was apparently the brains behind the imbecilic plot). This ‘trailer’ is pretty much how I remember the film (spoiler warning):

I still contend that ‘vine swinging with the monkeys’ sequence was the worst part of that film, but this ‘trailer’ reminds me that it has stiff competition.

Again I’m way late to the party on these guys, but I’m falling in love with The Hold Steady from Brooklyn, U.S.A.

This is ‘Chips Ahoy!’ (horrible song name) from their ‘Boys And Girls In America’ album. It gives you a taste of what The Hold Steady is about; catchy riffs, singalong choruses, bombastic sonics. Lead singer Craig Finn’s voice is a little abrasive, but not without charm. To me they’re like a dirtier, rockier Counting Crows with vocal grit and a dash of Springsteen’s Americana.

Next mission is to check out their latest album ‘Stay Positive’.

John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Doubt’ is definitely an actor’s film, which should come as no surprise to those who have made note of it’s four acting nominations in this years Oscars. I use the term ‘actor’s film’ in both a complimentary and slightly perjorative way. The film’s relatively thin plot means its success relies upon the talent of its minimal cast, but its also an opportunity to showcase the suspense that can be generated by a simple study of human behaviour.

At the film’s heart is the conflict beween a suspicion of paedophilia and a declaration of innocence; more specifically, the accusations of the icy Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep, and the rebuttal of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s genial priest, Father Flynn. Caught in the middle of this battle is the naive Sister James, a young teacher played by Amy Adams whose shifting allegiances mirror the audience.

Set in the Bronx in 1964, ‘Doubt’ still feels contemporary and relevant. Flynn and Aloysius are such polar opposites that their clash feels greater than the dark allegations at its root; it is also a conflict beween conservatism and liberalism, between caution and trust, between optimism and pessimism.

Adapted from his play, Shanley attempts to open the film up from its theatrical roots with some excellent cinematography by Roger Deakins, but the film still feels hemmed in by the limitations of its inspiration. The central cast are all excellent, as is the Oscar nominated Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller, the mother of the young boy whose special attention from Flynn has aroused Aloysius’ distrust. It’s fascinating to see how the nature’s of the characters tilts your perception of the accusation; it’s easy to see Streep’s cold and passive aggressive Sister Aloysius as paranoid and difficult to see any impropriety in Hoffman’s gentle, nurturing teaching. But still the doubt remains…

It’s a brooding film, yet disquieting in a thoughtful way. I don’t believe it is in the same class as the other films nominated for Best Picture this year, mainly due to the limited scope of its story, but it is a showcase of some brilliant acting and a few quietly devastating character moments. It won’t lose any of it’s effect on DVD either. Definitely worth viewing.

Ahhhhh Wilco. When do you ever not bring a smile to my face?

This track, from their amazing ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ album, is just a perfect love song in my opinion. I can totally dig Jeff Tweedy’s wish that communicating love was as simple as taking someone’s hand, not the dizzying brain swirl of trying to put it in to words.

Wow. Performance piece or pure discomfort and apathy? Publicity stunt or reluctant fulfilment of contractual obligation?

Whatever side of the coin you land on (and I’d love to hear opinions), Joaquin Phoenix’s Letterman appearance will certainly go down as one of the most memorable. The vitriol directed at him by Letterman and the crowd was definitely not staged in my opinion.

Phoenix has been riding a wave of publicity since his announcement that ‘Two Lovers’, the film he was ‘promoting’ on Letterman, would be his last as an actor. Back in January he announced he was giving up film to focus on music, more specifically a hip-hop album that Sean Combs was producing. Casey Affleck then announced his debut film as director would be a ‘documentary’ of this process.

The skeptical reaction to Phoenix’s shambolic publicity appearances in the last few weeks is that Affleck and Phoenix are crafting a subversive Andy-Kauffman-meets-Borat style mockumentary and this is all fodder for the cameras.

My personal opinion is that Joaquin has probably had enough of the movie business ‘game’ and wanted something different creatively. Affleck could probably see the appealing drama and conflict inherent in this move, particularly the inevitable media backlash, and saw that it would provide some interesting material for a documentary. I don’t think Phoenix is making a calculated attempt to create comedy out of his new persona; I think he is simply holding up a mirror to show how we treat celebrities who no longer fit into the mold we have built for them. He’s clearly frustrated and angered by the Letterman audience, who it should be said are acting like cretins. His ‘what are they on?’ line had me nodding in sympathy. Dave was no doubt pissed, but isn’t Phoenix simply pointing out the fallacy of many of these talk show ‘interviews’; with no intention to ’sell’ something, his presence is superfluous.

Then again, this could all turn out to be an elaborate prank and I just got punk’d. But I somehow don’t think so….

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, been inundated with real work and in the little down time remaining been hard at work on a little project that should see the light of day next week. So expect a few catch-up posts today.

First up, here’s the first teaser trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s bombastic World War II actioner, ‘Inglourious Basterds’:

It’s not due for U.S. release until August, so I expect we will see more in the next few months. Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere called the script “pure popcorn, pure shit-kickin’ Quentin, pure movie poontang.”

Eli Roth, director of ‘Cabin Fever’ and ‘Hostel’ and pal of QT is acting in this one (he’s the weaselly guy with the evil smirk, the one swinging the baseball bat) and I will be interested to see what he brings to the other side of the camera.

My favourite track from John Mayer’s underrated ‘Heavier Things’ album, played live and acoustic for ‘Stripped’:

Really great songwriting, lyrically and melodically. I love that line “by the time I recognize this moment, this moment will be gone”. The perfect summary for how we sometimes forget to appreciate experience whilst we are living it (a feeling also perfectly captured in his earlier song ‘3×5′). And the arrangement of this version is gorgeous.

Farewell to veteran actor James Whitmore, who passed away in his Malibu home on Friday. Whitmore’s brief yet unforgettable performance as institutionalised inmate Brooks Hatlen in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ is one that haunted and moved me. To see a man so beaten down his inability to catch up with a world that “went and got itself into a big damn hurry” always brings me to tears. Perhaps my favourite sequence in one of all time favourite films.

Whitmore was fantastic in a recurring role on the TV show ‘The Practice’. Twice nominated for an Academy Award, he was also know for his outspoken and impassioned political views.

Farewell Mr. Whitmore. Rest In Peace.

For my money, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are the most consistently entertaining comedians working in film today, so it’s no wonder their second team-up in the hilarious ‘Step Brothers’ is such a success. Expanding on the comedic chemistry they first generated in ‘Talladega Nights’, director Adam McKay has a particular talent for making an ordinary moment or scene inexplicably funny with his use of non-sequiturs and the improvisational humour of his leads. The ‘Line-O-Rama’ special feature on the recently released DVD is a perfect example of how McKay works, taking a dozen or so different moments in the film and showing the frequently hilarious improvised riffing of the cast.

‘Step Brothers’ tells the story of Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), two chronically unemployed men in their late thirties who still live with their respective single parents, played with warmth and gentle comedic flair by Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins. When the parents get married and move in together, Brennan and Dale become reluctant ‘brothers’. That they are so similar is not immediately evident to Brennan and Dale, and their early relationship is a comically brutal battle for ascendency. Both Ferrell and Reilly play Will and Dale as sixteen year old boys trapped in forty year olds bodies, complete with the requisite adolescent posturing and immature aspirations (Brennan wants to be a singer but can’t sing in public, Dale makes beats that never leave his bedroom).

It’s only after Dale is confronted by some pre-pubescent bullies and Brennan is punished for coming to his defence (in a funny but wince-inducing scene involving white dog excrement) that a real friendship and alliance develops between the two, leading them to form a plan for their future careers that involves starting a company called ‘Prestige Worldwide’ (it’s never quite clear what this ‘company’ intends to do). With their parents cutting them off after a music video shoot on Dale’s father’s boat leads to disaster, it’s up to the brothers to try and fend for themselves in a world that doesn’t offer much for two teenagers in men’s bodies.

Sure the humour is juvenile and at times nonsensical, but it is almost always laugh-out-loud funny. One very memorable scene involves Brennan and Dale dressed as a Nazi and KKK member, attempting to dissuade new homeowners from buying their parent’s house. Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn both bring a lot to the table comedically as Brennan’s successful but slimy younger brother and his adulterous, easily aroused wife. Scott in particular feels like he’s channelling an evil Tom Cruise, with his too-big grin and relentless swagger.

Producer Judd Apatow and Director McKay are comedy home run hitters and ‘Step Brothers’ continues this hot streak.

Canada’s Jill Barber, a lovely and talented songstress who we had the pleasure of watching perform at the Basement late last year - ‘Hard Line’ is off her country-vibed album, ‘For All Time’.

She is just amazing live, with a soulful voice older than her years and an instant magnetism - here’s a link to a live clip from their recent Australian tour.