Cadillac Records

Muddy Waters has always figured prominently in my personal relationship with really good blues music. I first discovered the blues at the movies, watching Better off Dead (1985). John Cusack drove his ’69 Camaro RS around while listening to Mannish Boy from Hard Again, and that was pretty much it for me. That recording was from 1977 and marked the beginning of a comeback for this guitar god. But it took me no time at all to get hold of his earlier recordings – a prodigious and inspired collection of music that really featured his innovative and forceful instrumental style. He rewrote the rulebook on what a blues structure could consist of. And like John Lee Hooker (who never ‘played it strait’ ), Muddy had the personality, the charisma and the style to become a star at the fabled Chess Records in Chicago.

When I was first learning about the blues, listening to Johnnie Meister on WXPN Saturdays from 8-12 PM, Chess was synonymous with fundamental blues music. The music recorded there became the foundation for literally all rock that has followed since. Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Little Walter. Cadillac Records presumes to dramatize the life of some of these people as it tells the story of Chess Records.

As a fan of the music, it was extremely hard not to love this movie. There is such affection in the care and attention to detail with which the music is rendered. All the actors are singing their own parts, so the illusion - the world of the movie - is made that much more real. Also, the biopic is not of one person, but of the music itself, and the role of the label in influencing the music. No one character or actor has the entire responsibility of making this thing work. The risk is dispersed around the ensemble. That being said, Jeffrey Wright goes into another world as Muddy Waters. So much of the role involves singing that I’m sure it helped Wright tighten up his persona and characterization of Waters, because that shit is tight. Cigarette holder, silk ties and shirts, insane hair products and the do-rag - It’s a tremendous performance that doesn't waiver for a moment.

Wright had me in a trance, but he was very generous with the rest of the cast. There were scene stealing moments by Eamonn Walker, Beyonce and Mos Def. Adrian Brody never really got off the ground for me, but he does a nice job facilitating for the rest of the cast.

The plot is little more than the rags to riches, back to different rags sort. But the music is really the story. And the script provides several satisfying moments, as the characters encounter myriad joys and struggles away from and inside the recording studio. But we keep coming back to these stunning musical interludes and they are more than worth the price of admission on their own. The instruments are period-appropriate, and it seemed to me that all the pictures in history books and on album sleeves had magically come to life.

TRAILERS AS TORTURE

Can we talk about previews for a minute?  (I think I must have engaged in a similar rant during the previous lifetime of this blog, but hey - this stuff never gets old.)

OK, maybe one preview in particular:  REVOLUTIONARY ROAD.  It makes me want to kill myself.  I saw it again today for the umpteenth time, and it was like torture.  Can someone please explain to me why I need to see this move?  I mean, just the two minute trailer contains enough angst, moist eyes, screaming, stomping and smashing of dishes to last a lifetime.  Why do I need two HOURS of that shit??

I love Kate - always have.  And Leo almost made of a believer out of me with THE DEPARTED.  And this woman who was at Northwestern a year behind me seems to have a pretty big role, and I wish her all the best (nothin' but love.)  But SERIOUSLY:  the film looks excruciating.  And I had a pretty rough year, thanks very much, so can we lighten up already?

Oh - on a related note:  also got a second look today at the trailer for THE SOLOIST.  OK, I am a HUGE RDJ fan, and would almost see it just for him, but  - as Mike so rightly points out - ENOUGH ALREADY with that friggin' cello piece!!!!!!  There has to be at least ONE other cello piece out there they could have beat us over the head with.  Does it enrage me/us just because of its prominent place in the famous WEST WING Christmas/Yo-Yo Ma/Josh's PTSD episode?  I don't know.  But hearing it endlessly over the end of that preview gives ME PTSD!!!

Slumdog Millionaire.

It’s the last day of a long weekend. I went to a fantastic concert last night, despite the fact that I’ve had a nasty cold, complete with chills, sweats and aching muscles. So, my thinking was that today could be pure relaxation and recuperation. But Em has expressed a strong desire to bust out and go see another one of the Oscar contenders. She’s been cooped up over the long weekend writing an appellate brief, and my take on relationships is that, every once in a while, even in the best relationships, you gotta do something you don’t want to. Not that I didn’t want to see the movie, I just really didn’t want to go out.

After a brief and mildly grumpy ride to the theater, we got our corn and took our seats. Two hours later, even with my grumps, I can only marvel at how much I loved Slumdog.

To be sure, this is ‘Rocky’ to me. The underdog story is far older than that, but it’s my reference point for the genre. There isn’t a lot of character development, and it’s not a cerebrally demanding film (e.g. The Fountain, Syncdoche, etc.). All of Boyle’s old tricks are brought seamlessly into the action – herky jerky editing, vivid use of color (the laundry by the river), a strong musical impression, and tense plot development. But instead of a zombie movie, or a conventional thriller, these elements find their way into a stirring love story.

I think it’s a bit harder to really get to know the main characters when they’re each played by three different actors as the characters age over time. But with the desperate straits these people face, I didn’t miss that sense of connection. In particular, the connection was actually present for me with Jamal, as a result of his scenes with the two, adult, male, supporting characters. All of the performances in this film are on-the-money, but the portrayals of the detective (who tortures Jamal because it’s his job) and the game show host (who provides a different kind of torture) stand out. This is where we see Jamal grow from the child of the slum to the man about whom ‘it is written.’

I was in the perfect spot to hate this movie today, or at least be really annoyed by it, and I’m so glad that didn’t happen. I haven’t seen ‘Millions’, but Boyle seems to have a nice touch with the kinder. When you add that to the fact that he made this movie in a country he had never even visited before, this project was potentially fraught with peril. Boyle’s steady hand and some outstanding performances made this the soaring triumph that it so desperately wants to be.

HEY YOU GUYS!!!!

We're gonna turn it. We're gonna give you the power!




Bring back The Balcony - right now.

LITTLE DID HE KNOW

Maybe it was the whole idea of writer's block that has impelled me to post here after LO, these many months. But for whatever reason, even though I have seen plenty of films since my last post, something about STRANGER THAN FICTION has led me back here after a lengthy absence. I had been laboring under the impression that alot of folks (i.e. critics) weren't nuts for this picture. Perhaps that's true. But I really fell in love with it, quite unexpectedly. There are a lot of reasons this film captured my heart and imagination: the known -yet- still- totally- surprising cameo from Tom Hulce; the indeterminate, vaguely futuristic setting; the clever- without -drawing -attention -to -itself premise; Will Ferrell's subtle and serious and underplayed protagonist; Emma Thompson being just, well, simply gorgeous and brittle and heartbreaking. All of it. This film may have fallen under a lot of people's radar screens because it was thought of as "Charlie Kaufmann lite," but I'll tell you, I will take this film over Charlie's somewhat arrogantly self-indulgent, smarter-than-thou contrivances any day. This one's really a treasure. Please see it.

Shaken and stirred

Forgive the hokey title of this posting, but my God, have you seen CASINO ROYALE? Have you seen Daniel Craig?

Well, if you haven’t, rent it. He is so delicious, and as someone who has seen almost all of the Bond films multiple times, this was the best Bond ever. Really. No corny jokes (okay, maybe one), no dirty female character names, no weird gadgets. Just one dashing Bond who fights and chases and gets bloody and sweaty. Unthinkable in the old Bond films.

I have loved Daniel Craig since LAYER CAKE and he did a rather different turn in the unseen INFAMOUS. I also saw clips of ELIZABETH (with Cate B.) the other day and he was in that, too. Played a monk. So clearly he’s versatile.

And listen, even if you don’t dig these kinds of pictures, it may surprise you.

The Power of Suggestion – SPOILER ALERT

Ah, so much do I trust the recommendations of Emily and Mike that I plunged head first into BATTLESTAR this season and I must confess, I am in love. Totally and utterly.

Is it the dimly lit grey, brown, and steel interiors? Is it the rad outfits worn by the Cylons? (who knew space could be so sexy) Is it the rapid, cutting dialogue? No. It’s the characters! I love them all. I am a bit afraid I’m a tiny bit too much in love with Lucius, though, which is slightly troubling.

The finale was mesmerizing, and when I was recovering from the last twist, the next scene sent me spinning. The oh-my-god-I’m-a-cylon meeting, the Lucius not guilty verdict (did anyone think his lawyer looked like Dave Matthews?), Lee and Papa having it out, Madame President’s freaky dream, and the reappearance of Starbuck. I just hope her re-emergence is not some weird heaven thing or dream. Or else it'll feel a bit too much like CONTACT.

Whee! I’m just bummed we have to wait until 08 for new episodes…

Best Friends Forever (BFF)

Okay, apologies – I have been gone from this board for a looooooooooong time – but please know it wasn’t because I was living some kind of exotic life. Far from it.

Saw NOTES ON A SCANDAL a week or so ago with my movie viewing friend, Grace, starring the succulent Cate Blanchett and dazzling Judi Dench. Talk about the year of the woman – here are two great roles for two actresses to really strut their stuff. And not in some chewing-the-scenery-I’m-trying-to-win-an-award kind of way.

Judi is Barbara, the old, rumpled, mean, and rather strange history professor at a London school in a less than desirable neighborhood. Cate is Sheba (short for Bathsheba – hmmm) the bourgeois bohemian new art teacher who has decided to leave her housewifely duties behind and teach. Like an unsuspecting butterfly, Sheba falls into the web of Barbara, and what begins as a friendship turns into a scary, freakishly codependent relationship built on emotional blackmail.

I am not going to give away what makes Sheba give into Barbara’s SINGLE WHITE FEMALE ways, but trust me, you can’t turn away. What a great foundation! Lots of tension, lots of ambiguous morality, and lots of London. Who could ask for anything more?

Both women are excellent and portray characters that are sympathetic and dastardly at the same time. Only these two could elicit such a range of reaction from the viewer, I think. I can’t say I’m going to see this movie again and again, but I did enjoy the story and I love stories without tidy endings.

A BREAK FROM REALITY

 Maybe the war is distracting me...but until I tuned into a little bit of E! Live from the Red Carpet just now, I wasn't terribly interested in tonight's Globes.  But what the hell?  It's good trashy fun, right?  I'm not sure I even know who the nominees are, but I just saw VOLVER earlier today, which was heart-breaking and luscious, so I am rooting for Penelope to  win something (hope she was nominated.)  There are a few other films I need to chime in on when I get a second (CHILDREN OF MEN: see it now), but in the mean time, consider this your Golden Globes OPEN THREAD!  Hope y'all are out there and checking in with the Balcony (it's still going, I promise!)

THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED

 I just got my teeth kicked in courtesy of Martin Scorsese and his slew of gifted actors in THE DEPARTED.  This is breath-taking, thrilling filmmaking and story-telling, and the actors are all outrageous.  Leo DiCaprio has finally made a believer out of me, and can any of us really believe the resurgence of Alec Baldwin?  Let's also not forget the always-brilliant Ray Winstone (a Balcony favorite), and Mark Wahlberg, who really never gets the credit he deserves for being totally top-notch.  There are too many highlights to name here, but I think the scene with Leo and Jack in the restaurant is pretty much the narrative peak of the film, and it was a total pleasure to see the young lad holding his own against the force of nature that is Jack.

I didn't even mind the guns and blood:  the story is that good, the characters (especially Leo's Billy Costigan) that involving, that I just got sucked right in and never wanted out.  

It's a bit long, there are some unnecessary plot-twists, the women (woman, really) are pitifully under-written, but it's a bloody (and I do mean bloody) great film.

Marty, I have always loved you, if only for THE LAST WALTZ, but now you have shown me just what you are truly made of.  Thanks for a great ride.