MOVIES:
Steven Spielberg once said “the only thing better than seeing movies is
reading about them.”
We agree. This month:
Up, Year One
and The Proposal.
DVD'S:
Rick Sayre reviews the latest film from Tom Tykwer, The
International.
MUSIC:
Juan Marcos Percy reviews Dave Matthews Band's new album,
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Rick Sayre reviews
Regina Spektor's Far and Markell Williams reviews
Vanessa Williams latest, The Real Thing.
BOOKS:
Things the Grandchildren Should Know
by Mark Oliver Everett.
FOCUS:
Rick Sayre's You Never Get What You Want.
SPOTLIGHT:
"Robbie
Coltrane is one of “those” actors. Everybody has seen
him in something. Anywhere on the planet earth someone has
seen a Harry Potter film or one of two James Bond movies
from the ‘90s, or one of the many pictures Coltrane has lent
his talents to in a supporting role. He is instantly
recognizable because he is larger than life, which is not my
way of commenting on his physical stature. Coltrane is a man
of tremendous personality! It is impossible to ignore.
Coltrane captures you with it and you willingly go along for
the ride."
‘If it’s Pixar it’s got to be good’—this used to be my favorite refrain
whenever the beloved animation studio released another gem at the movie
theaters but lately that phrase has turned into, ‘If it’s Pixar, it’s
guaranteed to make me cry.’ Wall-E was a real tearjerker for me
all-throughout, so when my boss told me that she cried more in Up
than she ever did in Wall-E, I was on red alert. Sure enough, the
first 20-or-so minutes of the film had me sobbing—sobbing—in my
chair. Maybe it was the characters eerie resemblance to Hepburn and
Tracy, their dynamic chemistry or the way that their entire relationship
was summed up poetically in a series of images…either way, to borrow a
once-popular catch-phrase, Up had me at ‘hello.’ The film is
funny and smart in exactly the way that you expect it to be, but like
Wall-E, it is also incredibly human and sincere. I don’t know how
the folks at Pixar spin their magic time and time again but I cannot
imagine what films would be like today without their intricate weaving.
Although Year One was directed by Harold Ramis, of
Ghostbusters and Analyze This-fame, Year One could
very well have been directed by Mel Brooks. It felt like a Mel Brooks’
A History of the World Part I and in fact, it pretty much was
exactly like that film as Year One is a historical satire that
begins with cavemen, and takes us all the way through the Biblical
stories of Cain and Abel and Sodom and Gomorrah. The movie is not a
hysterical comic riot—go see The Hangover for that—but it is
pretty funny with some particularly well-written gags and lines, as well
as some great cameos by David Cross, Paul Rudd and Oliver Platt. Jack
Black and Michael Cera are also terrific in it but then again, they’re
essentially doing what they always do…thankfully, what they always do
is enough to carry a 1 ½ long comedy.
The Proposal
is a formulaic romantic comedy in every sense of the word—every joke and
plot line can be seen from a mile away and there are no surprises to be
held within it. Having said that, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds know
better than most how to sell romantic comedies. Neither one is a
newcomer to the genre, unlike first time directors and writers Anne
Fletcher and Pete Chiarelli, respectively, and both make their roles in
The Proposal seem effortless to portray. Their well-honed comedic
timing is at play in this
first-they-loathe-each-other-then-they-love-each-other love story and
although everything about the film screams “Really? Again?
watching the two of them together onscreen is incredibly entertaining.
Not quite entertaining enough to make me not wish I hadn’t paid
$13 to see it in the movie theaters, but who am I kidding, definitely
entertaining enough that I’ll watch it at least 10 times when it airs on
HBO or Showtime later this year.
Wow,
where to start with how disappointing this movie is? Coming from a
director like Tom Tykwer, who has never failed to keep me interested,
and actors Clive Owen (who, admittedly does make some questionable
choices) and Naomi Watts, I would have expected this movie to be a
pretty decent thriller. Instead it's a very sleek-looking mash-up of set
pieces that's filled to exploding point with every cliché line of
dialogue you can think of. At the point where Owen actually says "Don't
you die!" I threw up my hands and gave up. I will say that it's visually
full of style, but that's to be expected from a Tom Tykwer film.
Unfortunately, I also expect to be engaged and intrigued when I see
Tykwer's name on my screen. A big false step, one that I hope I'll be
able to forget with his future projects—especially his adaptation of
Dave Eggers’ amazing book, What Is the What.
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey
and the GrooGrux King
The new DMB album
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is a beautiful musical tribute
to the late saxophonist LeRoi Moore. He was one of the founding members
of the DMB that died tragically from complications stemming from
injuries he received in an ATV accident on his farm near
Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi “GrooGrux” Moore was a central
figure in the arrangement and performance of the songs. He brought a
melodic foundation to the music and energy of the band. His
contributions both as a member and motivator will be missed.
Big Whiskey and
the GrooGrux King
is the seventh album from the DMB and the first studio album since
2005's Stand Up. I have to admit that at first I was a bit
disappointed with this release, mostly because Stand Up was such
an amazing album. But after a couple of weeks of digesting the work I
feel that it’s starting to grow on me. This album reunites guitar
extraordinaire Tim Reynolds with the DMB, and you can distinctively hear
the edginess he adds to the songs. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
is produced by Bob Cavallo (the Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Alanis
Morissette, My Chemical Romance) and was recorded entirely in the city
of New Orleans. In comparison to their previous works however I feel
that this album is not as well produced and has an unfinished quality to
it. It’s almost as if they left it unfinished as a tribute to LeRoi. But
it could also be the gap left by the departure of keyboardist Butch
Taylor, who had toured with the band since 2001.
In
recent interviews the band has made it clear that with this album they
were trying to capture the magic and spontaneity of their first albums.
(Of course if this is what they wanted in the first place then they
should have just reunited with legendary producer Steve Lillywhite.) I
still don’t understand why they should be looking back but I know that
after all was said and done this was LeRoi’s album. He
is the GrooGrux King and we as fans will never truly understand
how much of an impact he had on the music and on the lives of the
remaining members. My favorite tracks so far include: “Funny the way it
is,” “Lying in the hands of God,” “Why I am,” “Dive in,” “Spaceman,”
“Seven,” “Time Bomb,” “Baby Blue” and “You & Me.”
I’ve
often found myself listening to different songs by singer/songwriter
Regina Spektor and thinking, Wow, I really should try and listen to more
of her stuff. I never get around to it, other than playing “Fidelity”
from her Begin to Hope album on repeat play. Therefore, I can’t
quite explain what it was on the day her new album Far was
released that inspired me to buy it bright and early at the beginning of
my day. It was the correct decision. From the opening notes of “The
calculation” the album had me charmed. Listening to the next track,
“Eet” made me swoon. By the time I got to the sixth track, the single
“Laughing with,” I was absolutely in love with Far. And this is
before I even got to the breathtaking “Human of the year” and the
toe-tapping goodness of “Dance anthem of the 80’s”!
The next
day I went out and bought the rest of Spektor’s albums AND the special
edition of Far, which includes a DVD with four music videos. Upon
listening to her previous work for a bit, I can understand that some
fans may be disappointed as Far is a little more produced than
the older discs, but at the core, musically and lyrically, Spektor is
still stretching boundaries and making music like no one else around.
I’m happy that my strange Tuesday morning whim has led me down this
wonderfully musical new path.
Singer,
songwriter, and actress Vanessa Williams has been out of the music scene
for a little while. Her last album Endless Love, a collection of
her favorite love songs from the 70’s, was released in 2005. Since that
time, Williams has had quite a busy schedule between films,
performances, special engagements, and playing the villainess everyone
loves to hate – Wilhelmina Slater – on ABC’s hit show “Ugly Betty.” In
the midst of her busy schedule, she made time to record her latest album
The Real Thing.
On The Real
Thing, Williams delivers sultry, passionate readings of remakes and
original compositions. This heartfelt collection of 11 songs
incorporates Latin rhythms with pop, R&B, and jazz. Williams, along with
the production help of Babyface, Keith Thomas, Rex Rideout and Rob
Mathes, has created a smooth set of songs that showcase a much softer
side of her artistry.
The Real Thing
features Williams inspired covers of Bill Withers’ “Hello Like Before,”
Sergio Mendes “The Real Thing” (penned by Stevie Wonder), Bebel
Gilberto’s “Close To You,” Javier Colon’s “October Sky” (on which he
duets), and the jazz standard “Lazy Afternoon.” Two highlights are
Babyface originals that are destined to be classics, “Lovin’ You” and
“Just Friends.” On the dreamy “I Fell In,” Williams re-teams with
songwriter Phil Galdston (of “Save The Best For Last” fame). And
Williams lets her jazz roots shine on “Come On Strong.” Aside from
Babyface originals, the songs steeped in Latin rhythms, such as bossa
nova, samba, and salsa, are also standouts (“The Real Thing,” “Hello
Like Before,” “Close To You,” and “If There Were No Song”).
Vocally, Williams
is known to deliver the goods (especially on ballads). And this album is
no exception. Williams’ voice is as rich, silky, and impassioned as
ever. Her phrasing and interpretive skills shine on the sensuous
“Breathless,” the brassy “Lovin’ You,” and the torch song “If There Were
No Song.”
If there are any
downfalls to this album – one may be that it’s too smooth, too soft. The
album lacks the excitement, sass, and spontaneity of some of Williams’
older material (songs like “The Right Stuff,” “Running Back To You,”
“Betcha Never,” and “Who Were You Thinkin’ About?” to name a few). So
those who aren’t into smooth, romantic tunes may want to look elsewhere.
The Real Thing
is a pleasing, consistent effort. It’s not her best work but it’s a good
addition to her varied music catalog. The album is very successful in
showcasing Williams’ softer side. The breezy rhythms and her beautiful
vocal performance shine here. After hearing Williams’ romantic side on
The Real Thing, there is hope for the livelier, sassier side on
her next effort.
Things the Grandchildren Should Know
by Mark Oliver Everett
Mark
Oliver Everett grew up in Virginia, with his father, a brilliant
scientist, his mother and his sister Elizabeth. One morning he awoke to
find his father suddenly dead. Years later, his sister would commit
suicide (after several failed attempts) and then his mother would lose
her life to cancer. All of this left Mark Oliver Everett the last
remaining member of his family.
As
insanely depressing as all of this is, the book Everett has written
about his life, Things the Grandchildren Should Know, manages to
be uplifting and inspiring, and not at all in a cheesy or
overly-sentimental way. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who is a fan of
Everett aka E aka the-pop-music-genius-behind-the-band-The-Eels. The
music he writes is often so autobiographical and raw that you may wonder
why he even needed to write this book. However, I for one am glad that
he did.
Much like
his music, E manages to pepper sadness with humor and wit. Aside from
his family’s story, he writes about his experience moving from Virginia
to Hollywood with the dream of becoming a recording artist. It’s a long
and strange road, but for someone who has had more than his share of
pain and sorrow, Everett perseveres. In fact, he manages to inspire the
reader. Not only did reading this book give me hope that whatever dark
days I go through, things will be okay, it also gave me a stronger
appreciation for the music I’ve been a fan of for years. If you’re an
Eels fan, this is a must have. If you’re not, read this and give the
band another try.
You’re walking down the hallway when he comes round the
corner. Don’t look down, you think. Besides, if you look down what will
you see? Chubby Sophie. You’ve eaten too much pizza this week. Again.
What was it that the publisher said? After dating you for a couple of
weeks, when he mentioned going to the gym twice in one conversation and
said “I hope you didn’t order pizza again last weekend. Because, after
all, it is the fastest way to gain 90 pounds.” What happened then? The
next time you visited him at his apartment on the Upper East Side and he
didn’t even pretend at sitting on his couch, watching the movie you had
chosen. Straight to the bedroom. And all you could think of, as you
stood naked in front of him, his hands on your goose-pimpled skin, his
lips traveling up your thigh, was “How can he stand to touch me when he
thinks I’m such a cow?” But after a few weeks, it fizzled out anyway. He
stopped calling and you found that you didn’t mind. When your mother
asks after him, you shrug it off, saying, “I never heard from him. It’s
okay, though,” and hang up, wondering if the years of being secluded,
growing up in isolation, Fat, Ginger Sophie, led you to the point where
being alone is better. You wonder if the only time you’re really
yourself is when you’re alone in your flat or chatting up distant,
faceless online friends.
Here, in this hallway, the writer is walking toward you, his
long hair tucked behind his ear, his baseball cap on backward, a patchy
beard making him take your breath away even more than usual. You know
that he doesn’t see you. At least not the way you wish he would. But
then hasn’t it always been that way? All through school, throughout your
embarrassingly brief tour of university, you’ve always wanted the ones
who are oblivious to your existence. In fact, it seemed that no one even
saw you. Not until you came to America, until you made the glorious
discovery that what was considered “fat” back in London was just a bit
overweight in the States. (Outside of Los Angeles and vile Miami.) They
started to see you then, at least a bit. Never the ones you’d have
chosen, but you still gave them a chance, thinking, “Beggars can’t be
choosers.” Why? Because even now, the rare few who want you are never
the ones you’d want. But this one, tall and shy, charmingly awkward; the
one who writes secretly in his cubicle (poetry? A novel? Angry political
tirades?), who nods your way whenever you pass him smoking on the steps
outside the building, of course he’s the one that you’d want. Stupid
girl. Look up. Don’t hide behind your hair.
Your flaming red hair, the hair that the musician loved so
much he could never stop talking about it, never got over your red hair
or your freckled nose. He held your hand in the elevator and said you
were beautiful. “Beautiful.” No one had ever told you that before, not
for 34 years, and there, in an elevator, with his hand holding yours
despite the inevitably sweaty palms that are your life-long curse (one
of), this married musician was assuring you that you are beautiful. Of
course, you know that you aren’t, but it was lovely to hear and he was
certainly the most handsome man to ever be interested in you. Only there
was nothing to talk about except for music, “What sort of music did you
listen to in England? I love that band, you too?” And not only that, but
also the wife, the wife who owned the flat in the fashionable part of
Brooklyn, who paid the bills so that he could concentrate on his music,
who had been his wife for more than a decade. And “he loved her, but he
wasn’t in love with her anymore.” Still, is this who you are? Well?
Don’t you deserve someone of your own at long last? Only, what if no one
ever calls you beautiful again? What if no one else ever sees what the
musician saw in you? A woman your age. Beggars and choosers, sweetie.
Do you want the writer because you know it’s impossible? (And
it is impossible, you silly girl. Just because he is a living, breathing
checklist of all the things you’d ask for in a man—tall, brown eyes,
artist, drug-free, refreshingly not arrogant—a rarity in this bloody
city—does not mean, contrary to what you may wish to believe, that he
was created and sent to Earth just for you.) Is it because you know that
being alone is better, so focusing on someone so beautiful, so
unattainable, is another, safer, way of being alone? You can watch him
from a distance, swoon over his talent, his kindness, his beauty,
appreciate all of the coffee station gossip about his literary
ambitions, his eight admirable years of sobriety, and yes, his romantic
adventures. He will never see you and therefore, never be able to break
your heart. You will break your own simply by believing that the one who
was meant for you was the one you could never have.
And he passes you in the hallway, on his way in to work. And
you say, “Hey.”
What do you say
about an actor that interests you, that moves you, that makes you want
to see more of their work? What do you say about an actor that has a
quick wit and an unconventional charm? What makes them so likeable? Is
it their memorable comedic performances, their lovable familiar gigantic
characters, or their brilliant performance in a classic television
series? Or is it simply the fact that there is something quite cool
about a Scottish actor born Anthony Robert McMillan who chooses to name
himself professionally after jazz legend John Coltrane.
Robbie Coltrane is
one of “those” actors. Everybody has seen him in something. Anywhere on
the planet earth someone has seen a Harry Potter film or one of two
James Bond movies from the ‘90s, or one of the many pictures Coltrane
has lent his talents to in a supporting role. He is instantly
recognizable because he is larger than life, which is not my way of
commenting on his physical stature. Coltrane is a man of tremendous
personality! It is impossible to ignore. Coltrane captures you with it
and you willingly go along for the ride.
Coltrane began in
stand-up comedy, perfecting his dry sense of humor and direct delivery.
He worked successfully in comedy throughout the 1980s on shows like “The
Comic Strip Presents” and “Alfresco.” He made his film debut in 1980
with Death Watch and went on to play smaller parts in movies such
as Flash Gordon (1980), Krull (1983) and European
Vacation (1985).
The following year
Coltrane would have a featured role in Neil Jordan’s Mona Lisa.
As Bob Hoskins’ friend and only true confidante, Coltrane plays Thomas,
a sweet-hearted man who lives on the docks and is always ready to offer
Hoskins a cup of tea and lend him an ear.
In 1989 Coltrane
played the role of the ever elusive, melancholy jokester Falstaff in
Kenneth Branagh’s extraordinary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s
Henry V. Though Falstaff’s role in the picture is somewhat brief,
Coltrane adds a marvelous touch to the character. It’s Coltrane’s
irresistible charm and humor that bring Falstaff to life. As Falstaff
lies dead, we see a vision from the past; a night of drinking and
joking, where Falstaff entertains his friends. In a wonderfully acted
moment, Falstaff reacts to Henry’s inevitable denial of his friend when
he shall become king. Coltrane’s expression is beautifully stated, where
merriment gives way to self-conscious uncertainty and then to
embarrassment followed by sadness. The following year Coltrane
co-starred alongside Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle in Jonathan Lynn’s
popular farce Nuns on the Run.
1993 saw Coltrane
debut one of his most successful and well-known roles as Dr. Edward
Fitzgerald in the acclaimed Granada Television series “Cracker.” Dr.
Fitzgerald, more commonly known as “Fitz”, was an unconventional and
fascinating character. An alcoholic addicted to gambling, Fitz had a
tendency to take things to excess. Anytime we saw Fitz in a car, he was
always a passenger. In the final episode a character asked Fitz’s wife
Judith (played by the wonderful Barbara Flynn) why he never drives.
Judith replied, “Because he’s always pissed.” Early in the series Fitz
attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. The meeting concludes with Fitz
having coaxed the other addicts into betting on a game of cards.
The series is
filled with these sorts of things that simply would not work on a
conventional show. And Coltrane is at the center of all of it. We aren’t
supposed to like Fitz, but we just can’t help it. He says terribly
inappropriate things. The life he leads with his family is an absolute
mess and the actions he takes often make things worse. He has an
absolutely brilliant mind, but is bad at life. Yet for every arrogant
statement uttered, for every harmful phrase, we love him. That’s because
Robbie Coltrane’s embodiment of Fitz is just too charming to dislike.
But Fitz is also
quite remarkably human, possessing flaws we can both understand and
relate to. Part of the brilliance of Coltrane’s performance is in the
way he embraces these attributes and makes them an interesting facet of
a complicated man.
In 1995 Coltrane
joined the long list of actors who have participated in the James Bond
franchise when he played Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in GoldenEye.
Coltrane brought a wonderful sense of humor to the character along with
his usual sharp wit. The brief appearance was so well-received that he
reprised the role in The World Is Not Enough (1999). In 1999 he
also played a supporting role alongside Robin Wright Penn in the romance
Message in a Bottle. In 2001, Coltrane co-starred with Johnny
Depp in the Hughes Brothers’ thriller From Hell. He plays
Sergeant Peter Godley, a man of poetic words who shares touching
chemistry with Depp’s Inspector Abberline, watching over him almost like
a protective brother.
That same year
Coltrane debuted in the role that most would recognize him for now,
Rubeus Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. As
lovable giant Hagrid, Coltrane gets the opportunity to show a sweeter
side. Hagrid is what one might call a gentle giant. Yet he is capable of
ferocity if he feels that Harry Potter, headmaster Dumbledore, or any of
Harry’s Hogwarts pals are in danger. Coltrane is perfect for the part
because he is able to play both sides of the Hagrid character with ease
and confidence. He has since reprised the role in five sequels,
including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opening in
theaters this month.
Over the past
eight years Coltrane has had parts in various Hollywood movies such as
Van Helsing and Ocean’s Twelve (both in 2004), and in 2006
he stepped into the role of Fitz once again, nearly ten years after the
series had ended, in Cracker: A New Terror. It is listed as “The
Final Episode,” but in “Cracker: Behind the Scenes” Coltrane says,
“Never say never. If there’s a good idea and Jimmy [Mcgovern – the
show’s creator] writes it, I’d do more.”
Most recently
Coltrane was featured in the clever indie comedy The Brothers Bloom.
Playing The Curator, Coltrane is involved in a scheme planned by two
sibling con men to relieve a bored, rich, eccentric woman of some of her
millions. Coltrane is one of many colorful characters in the film and he
jumps right into the part. Speaking in a faux Belgian accent (and
personally, for me, invoking memories of Orson Welles in F for Fake)
Coltrane layers The Curator with hilarious mystery.
To watch Robbie
Coltrane on screen is to watch an intelligent, talented actor who is
well versed in both comedy and drama. That’s why he makes you laugh in
films like The Brothers Bloom and Nuns on the Run. For the
same reasons you admire him as Rubeus Hagrid or Sir John Falstaff. The
reason you can’t hate Fitz, because he pulls you in and it’s too hard
not to feel love… or as the saxophonist from whom the actor takes his
namesake might say, a love supreme.
