Brick ****

Written and directed by: Rian Johnson

Starring: Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Nora Zehetner, Lukas Haas, Emilie dc Ravin

Sometimes a film comes out of the blue and reminds you just how fun it is to go to the movies. Brick is one of those films. Somehow, everything about it fits and I sit here grateful for its existence.

Why such strong feelings about a film or more importantly this film in particular?  Because it’s bold and I like that. Very rarely do I find a film that I like everything about and when I do, I get excited because it reminds me that talent always prevails over mediocrity and this film has its fair share of talent.

The whole concept of Brick is kind of a hard sell. The basic premise of the movie is that it is a film-noir set against the backdrop of high school. (Huh? Yeah, I said high school.) Stay with me.

The film centers around Brendon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an outsider and our resident sleuth, who takes it upon himself to find out the truth surrounding a rather disturbing (and confusing) phone call he receives from his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin). The film begins with this phone call and from there we follow Brendon on his mission to figure out what exactly has brought Emily into the circumstances she is now in. These circumstances force Brendon to involve himself with a slew of characters that he really can’t trust and, as he later finds out, probably shouldn’t trust each other.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is just flawless. He embodies the character of Brendon with the perfect balance of intelligence, wit and masculinity. Put simply, he’s a badass. Gordon-Levitt pulls it off with such ease that you are slightly taken aback and left to wonder, “what will he do next?”

Let’s not forget about first time writer-director Rian Johnson. I can definitely see why he won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at Sundance. He handles the camera like an old pro.  He translates every emotion he wants us to feel visually and it works, every time. Oh, and his dialogue isn’t too shabby, either.  Johnson uses language that we would see in an old detective novel and he makes it work in a modern day medium.  Once you get used to the vocabulary, it’s fun, fast, furious and simply fantastic.

It’s hard to describe this movie to someone who has never heard of it and not be met with a skeptical look. I understand why it would warrant that reaction but I urge you not to let that stop you. Be a supporter of good, healthy talent. I promise you won’t regret it.

- Gilliane Lataillade, Resident Advocate

Danielson: A Family Movie or Make a Joyful Noise HERE ***1/2

Directed by: JL Aronson

Starring: The Danielson Famille (with a very special appearance by Sufjan Stevens)

It takes a lot of courage to be a true individual these days, to stand up for what you believe—especially when what you believe in is looked down upon by a vast majority of your peers.

I went in to Danielson: A Family Movie or Make a Joyful Noise HERE, a documentary by JL Aronson that centers around musician Daniel Smith, his music, his Christian faith and his band, which is literally comprised of his brothers and sisters (and the occasional guest star, Sufjan Stevens, thrown in for good measure), not knowing much about Smith or his family history. The film chronicles the Famille’s early beginnings, playing at church services, and also tells the story behind their start as a band: Daniel Smith had a thesis to write and the Danielson Famille became his thesis.

The documentary shows the Famille as they travel across the world, spreading their unique music and gospel into places where they are, often more than not, well received, but also shows the realities that marriage, college and jobs bring to each Smith brother and sister as the years progress. What makes the documentary work, and ultimately extremely compelling, however, is Daniel Smith, the head of the Danielson Famille. Always sincere and honest, seemingly unafraid of the perceptions or judgments of the crowds that come to see him in concert, Smith is both a good person and a good musician, without a hint of pretense or egotistical noise.

I saw Danielson: A Family Movie at this year’s New York Underground Film Festival—the film was preceded by shorts that featured, among other things, cat’s licking dildos—and the audience was a melting pot of New York’s finest punks, rebels, hipsters and goths. Despite what the red state/blue state mentality might have you believe, everyone really seemed to love the film, and I get the sense, after listening to Daniel Smith’s music and message, that that is exactly the crowd of followers he intended to lead all along.

- Lily Percy, Editor

SLITHER

Written and directed by: James Gunn

Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker.

Teenage slasher flicks may dominate at the box office, but even the most sinister villain pales in comparison to the bloodsucking, pustular creations on the B-movie circuit.  Crawling, oozing – yes, sometimes slithering – through their dubious plotlines, monster movies are a testament to what makes these bilious anti-heroes really lovable – that no matter who you are or how bad you’ve got it, you don’t really have it bad until the worms attack.

Slither, the latest film by director James Gunn, is everything a great horror movie should be – slimy, outrageous and packed with self-mockery. The movie opens with the arrival of an alien species, literally crashing to earth on the outskirts of the sleepy town of Wheelsy. For the most part, the event goes unnoticed—there are square dances to attend and town meetings to be held, and it’s not until one of the locals (an upstanding citizen named Grant Grant) is actually bitten that things start to go awry. Dogs start vanishing.  Pustules form.

While Grant (Michael Rooker) is suitably grotesque as the host body, it’s his wife, Starla (played by Elizabeth Banks), who really carries the picture.  As an earnest young bride resolved to save her marriage, Starla’s determination makes for moments of queasy levity (“For better of worse,” she says at one point, steeling herself to kiss her freshly deteriorating spouse.)  Nathan Fillion (of “Firefly” fame) is also excellent as Sheriff Bill Pardy. He’s gained the requisite paunch but lost none of his charm; as a childhood sweetheart who secretly pines for Ms. Grant, he spends most of the movie trying – and failing - to dazzle Starla with his manly competence, all while ducking the frequent globs of alien bile launched by her wormy husband.

For horror buffs, Slither will be an instant classic, paying homage to everything from George Romero to Gunn’s own Tromeo and Juliet.  For the rest of us, it provides a glimpse of how the other side lives – gory, extravagant, and not a little bit thrilled at the opportunity to lurch upon an unsuspecting audience.  Take your date – or take your mother – and tell her it’s an old-fashioned slasher flick.  It’s a romance, after all—and isn’t love what really matters in the end?

- Katie Gradowski, The Smartest Girl in the Room.

DVD'S:

Mean Creek ****

Written and directed by: Jacob Aaron Estes

Starring: Rory Culkin, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Ryan Kelley, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder

I am not sure how to describe the emotional depths this movie takes you through. I don’t want to resort to cliché and call it “a coming-of-age” story or a film about “teens” but it is.  And it’s done in one of the most intelligent ways that I have seen so far.

Mean Creek is a story that revolves around a group of kids, Sam (Rory Culkin), Rocky (Trevor Morgan), Marty (Scott Mechlowicz), Clyde (Ryan Kelley) and Millie (Carly Schroeder), who decide to play a practical joke on George (Josh Peck), a bully who has recently been tormenting Sam. The joke ends up going very, very wrong and the kids are left to deal with the consequences. My digital cable guide summarizes it as, “A shy teenager sets out to get revenge on the bully that torments him but events quickly spin out of control.”

There is a fleeting satisfaction that comes with revenge, especially well-deserved revenge. It’s always appealing, but we have to force ourselves to let it go otherwise we give in to the temptation. It’s always easier to give in to something then it is to fight against it. But what happens when you give in?

The idea of revenge is not necessarily the main theme of the movie. In fact, it’s more of a catalyst to the emotional journey and eventual transition of these characters. They represent the transition between childhood and adulthood and how sometimes it can come more quickly than we expect.

The chemistry between the cast help personify their on-screen characters. Marty, Clyde, Rocky, Millie, Sam and George, they could be the kids we all went to school with or lived next door to our whole life only to discover that we didn’t know them all that well at all.

Jacob Aaron Estes wrote and directed this movie and I find myself curious as to what his own experience was like as a child. He captures the heart of growing up by using something we have all been familiar with in some way, the existence of a bully.  We’ve all known that kid (maybe some of us have been that kid) who everybody loves to hate. The one who you wish would one day get what they deserve, whatever it is. What would we do if we had the chance to get back at someone who has hurt us? Would we take it?

Mean Creek makes us question how we would react if we were put in the same situation that the characters go through. It is also a story about acceptance: the things we as human beings can convince ourselves to do and the idea of whether or not we choose to accept them; it’s a constant struggle.  A struggle where I can only hope the end results turn out as good as this film: hauntingly poignant and ultimately honest.              

- Gilliane Lataillade, Resident Advocate

9 to 5: Sisters are doing it for themselves.

When 9 to 5 was made in 1980, the term “sexual harassment” didn’t even exist. It’s an interesting point, one that is brought up by Jane Fonda on the audio commentary for the film’s new “Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot” edition. The film itself is a fun take on “the revenge on the boss fantasy” in which Dabney Coleman’s sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot finds himself up against three women who have been mistreated long enough. Lily Tomlin’s Violet is sick of being passed by for promotion. Dolly Parton’s Doralee is plum fed up with being leered at. Fonda’s Judy is tired of being called stupid. After three entertaining fantasies (Tomlin’s is particularly hysterical), circumstances find our heroines one-upping the boss and improving things greatly.

The special treats on the DVD include a “Nine @ 25” documentary, a tribute to the late writer/director Colin Higgins (who also wrote a little film called Harold and Maude), and an incredibly lame karaoke video for Parton’s hit theme song. The gag reel is a must, especially as it features the comedic genius of Tomlin and lovable Parton. The audio commentary is hit and miss. The three stars are joined by producer Bruce Gilbert and there are definitely interesting tidbits (the script was written after Parton & Tomlin had been chosen, tailoring their characters to the actors; Fonda, who also produced the film, suggested casting Dolly after hearing Parton’s song “Two Doors Down” on her car radio) but far too much time is spent in silence as they get caught up in the film. However, Parton is always fun and it is really clear that they all had a lot of fun making the film. What a way to make a living, indeed.

- Rick Sayre, Pop-Culture Critic

BOOKS:

Sarah Dunant - The Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan

Sarah Dunant certainly has range. She has written a series of mystery books featuring the character Hannah Wolfe, a couple of psychological thrillers, Mapping the Edge and Transgressions, and then there are The Birth of Venus and her newest novel, In the Company of the Courtesan.

Following mysteries and dark suspense novels with two historical novels about Italy during the Renaissance is interesting; the fact that she excels in each genre is a lovely surprise. The novels take place in two generations, one in Florence and the other in Venice. Both feature women who are, as much as they can possibly be in the context of the times, as strong and compelling characters as those featured in Dunant’s contemporary-themed novels.

Alessandra Cecchi, the heroine of The Birth of Venus, is a young woman with a talent for painting in a place and time when that is an unacceptable occupation for a woman. But in a world that is changing every day, Alessandra seeks a freedom that is not easily found. Fiammetta, the courtesan of In the Company of the Courtesan is equally as strong and smart, forced to use every bit of courage she has to crawl up from the ground after arriving in Venice with her partner, a dwarf named Bucino. Both novels are overflowing with rich prose, sumptuous surprises, dizzying intrigue and delicious romance. I found myself relishing every moment and longing for them to continue even as I read the last page. Beautiful novels.

- Rick Sayre, Pop-Culture Critic

MUSIC:

The Little Willies

On their self-titled debut, The Little Willies aren’t shy to share with listeners the carefree times relished outside of individual studio work. As an eclectic, honky-tonk spirited roots jam-band, their combined talents and character fuse together to travel back to the best of the past while they treasure present tense. The influences are many, the product loose, joyful and inspired.

Graced by the angelic, versatile gems of Norah Jones on vocals and piano, Richard Julian (guitar, vocals), Jim Campilongo (electric guitar), Lee Alexander (bass) and Dan Rieser (drums), the band effortlessly round out and color the collective with their respective magic.

Julian reaches through with his honest speaking song, a rough history written on the back of a hand, the scrawled shorthand of a good friend. Campilongo excels at his craft, keeping things fresh and rolling forward with personality and precision. Alexander steadies the band on bass generously, simple, solid and true. Rieser brings the many dynamics together under one name, fluid in his hands and perfect in the group’s imperfection. Trust throughout their spontaneous flow of contributions forms the group’s strength, bringing distinction to covers of classics and unlocking their timeless beauty.

The integrity of the Little Willies is founded in their shared musical appreciation. Although beginning their musical journeys across the map in California, Massachusetts, Texas and Delaware, respectively, each member grew up listening to the songs of Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson. The record is carried with this love and kinship, as nine of thirteen tracks take on originals of these central soul shapers.

Gentle in its surrender and raw in its search, Julian and Jones delicately swing back and forth on Van Zandt’s, “No Place to Fall.” Kristofferson’s “Best of All Possible Worlds” pulls together a tale as it swaggers and stumbles bar-spun, while Nelson’s “I Gotta Get Drunk” has Jones and Campilongo playfully pushing each other towards a little more. “Love Me” has legendary writing/production team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller bringing out a particularly bluesy Jones for reckless travel with her country stir.

The easiest tracks to fall in love with are those written by the band members themselves. On “Easy as the Rain,” Julian and Campilongo collaborate on a ballad that tenderly turns pages of a relationship standing the test of time, pressed with the film of ease and hardship. Jones takes time to croon to life meaning in a familiarly empty line, “It’s Not You It’s Me,” and then joins Alexander and Julian in cheekily recounting a famous vision on a late-night drive through Texas in “Lou Reed.”

Especially noteworthy is bassist, songwriter and producer Alexander’s “Roll On.” His work on Jones’ follow-up album, Feels Like Home, is full in its beauty and this song follows suit. With its bare feet and cards in view, he shares the light that pulls him through the breaks, fittingly spun by Jones:

Another restless day/Looking for a sign/Another wasted afternoon/Maybe even though/The thought is on my mind/Don't mean that I won't see it soon/It ain't if for now and then/Always help me find my way again

So won't you roll on/Sweet baby, roll on/Roll on/Sweet baby, roll on/Keep on rolling/Sweet baby, roll on/Lead the way again

The Little Willies infectiously fold listeners into a well-woven, comfortable fabric, keeping them warm longer than night intends. Awash in evening glow, the musicians encourage a saunter on the stove of life where recipes work best only when improvised.

- Jehan Mondal, Music Critic Extraordinaire

Ani DiFranco - Carnegie Hall 4.6.02

It’s hard not to have an immense amount of respect for singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco. She’s been making a career for herself for the last 16 years on her own terms, releasing her albums on the label she created, Righteous Babe Records. She has an immense following, seems to be constantly touring, and oh yeah, she’s one of the most bold and outspoken artists around today.

With the exception of her last studio album, Knuckle Down, I’ve had trouble really getting into her recent albums. They’ve seemed unfocused and possibly a little self-indulgent. However, when she plays those same songs live? Gold. There is something powerful about Ani DiFranco playing live, especially solo. There is an intense energy; causing songs I may have shrugged off on an album to become something surprising and alive.

Her live recording of the show she played at Carnegie Hall on April 6, 2002 is all of this and more. Mixing the old (“Gratitude” and “Out of Range”) and the new, doing it all on her own (can anyone play the hell out of a guitar the way DiFranco can?). Ani simply takes your breath away. Also breathtaking? Her recitation of “Self Evident,” a poem she wrote in response to 9/11. It’s an incredible piece on its own, but spoken only months after the attacks to a crowd of New Yorkers it is absolutely riveting. Carnegie Hall 4.6.02 is an excellent live album and much like her other live discs, Living in Clip and So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter, it’s a necessary addition for fans.

Artist link: http://www.righteousbabe.com

- Rick Sayre, Pop-Culture Critic

The Magic Numbers

Short-listed for the Mercury Prize, the self-titled debut of The Magic Numbers is a wildly romantic album. And like so many romances, there is plenty of heartbreak involved.

Comprised of two pairs of brothers & sisters, The Magic Numbers may bring up comparisons to the Mamas and the Papas or Fleetwood Mac, and that’s just fine. The harmonies throughout the album definitely have some Mamas and Papas vibes about them. Songs like the jangly guitar filled “Long Legs” will possibly summon up the image of a summer day in the 60s, like these Brits have definitely been California dreaming. Equally good, or maybe even better, are melancholy tracks such as “Hymn for Her” or “Love’s a Game,” the standout song in my opinion.

What I love most about the group is the way that they can make a potentially sad song like “Love Me Like You” into an uplifting piece of music that ought to have you jumping out of your chair, dancing and singing along. In short, it’s addictive, I love it, and you should give it a try as soon as possible.

Artist link: http://themagicnumbers.net

- Rick Sayre, Pop-Culture Critic

SPOTLIGHT:

David Morse

There are certain qualities that great actors share. Some of these qualities are sincerity, compassion, thoughtfulness and the ability to play the complexity and subtext of a scene and character. Great actors can also have as powerful an effect on you with silence as they would with action. David Morse is such an actor.

            To the general audience, his name may not be automatically recognizable. He is not really what one might call a “movie star.” He does not get much publicity. You are not likely to see him covered by the tabloids or celebrity gossip shows. But if you are at the local cinema and a theatrical trailer for an upcoming movie features him, you are bound to hear someone in the audience say, “Oh, he’s really good. I like him.”

            David Morse was born October 11, 1953 in Hamilton, Massachusetts. He caught one of his first big breaks in the early 1980s playing the role of Dr. Jack Morrison on the popular medical drama “St. Elsewhere.” After a decade that featured a variety of work in television episodes and movies of the week, Morse was deservedly recognized for his performance in Sean Penn’s directorial debut The Indian Runner. With Police Officer Joe Roberts, Morse established a trademark in his acting and his characters: A man’s man, who knows his responsibilities, has great integrity, and a compassion and sensitivity to be envied. The kind of man who would make Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart proud.

            In The Indian Runner, Morse is a simple, well-respected man who works on the local police force, lives a good life and does right by his wife and children. The same cannot be said for his brother, played by Viggo Mortensen. The two brothers are, mostly, polar opposites. Mortensen plays a man, driven to his own violence and social destruction. Morse knows his brother is nothing but trouble, but his compassion will not let him turn his back. He continues to make attempts to save his sibling, but his terrible epiphany is that a man can only save himself. What results is so heart breaking, it is poetically painful to watch. And Morse’s grief stricken honesty makes it all the more powerful.

            One of the finest hours ever shown on network television came in the third season of the brilliant NBC police drama, “Homicide: Life on the Street.” In a late season episode, Morse plays the cousin of series regular Kyle Secor’s Tim Bayliss. In the show, Morse shoots and kills a teenager he mistakes for a high, potentially dangerous intruder harassing his family. After the shooting, he is investigated by Bayliss’ partner, Frank Pembleton (played by the incomparable Andre Braugher). As the investigation goes on, there are questions as to whether Morse accidentally shot the young man during a struggle, or if it was racially motivated. What is wonderful about Morse’s performance is how he uses subtlety as his greatest ally. On the surface, he plays the character as an everyday husband and father protecting his family. You feel for him, believing he is a good guy in a tough, unfortunate situation. However, Morse is extremely clever at peeling off the layers. First he drops a few clues to raise your eyebrows a little, and when he finally reaches the other end of his character arc, he has blown you away with an extraordinarily honest performance. Even with the character’s genuine flaws, Morse still makes you sympathize with the man.

            In 1999, Morse brought another character of wonderful complexity to the screen. In Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile, he plays Brutus Howell, the muscle of the guard staff at a Depression era Mississippi death row prison. It is one of his great, understated performances. Though the picture has plenty of characters for you to feel very strongly about, it is Morse’s character that is one of the more fascinating. Again he plays with contradictions and subtext. Here is the big, muscular guard whose nickname is “Brutal,” but in many ways he is the heart of the group. When Michael Clarke Duncan’s John Coffey, a falsely convicted killer who is about to be executed, tells the guards that he can feel the hatred of the observers, it is Morse who comforts Coffey by saying, “Well, feel how we feel, then. We don’t hate you. Can you feel that?” When another prisoner worries about what will happen to his pet mouse after he is executed, Morse creates a story to assure the convict that the mouse will be taken care of, thereby easing the inmate’s mind. The so-called muscle of the group also seems to be the sweetest and most caring, far more humane than brutal.

            In 2002, David Morse began a two-year run in the lead role of the television series “Hack.” Playing Mike Olshansky, a disgraced former Philadelphia cop turned cab driver, Morse brought his knack for creating multi-dimensional characters to the weekly hour drama. A ‘Good Samaritan’ of sorts, Olshansky used his police instincts and knowledge to do some good as a citizen, all the while trying to put together the pieces of a life that has fallen apart on him. Though the show only lasted a couple of seasons, David Morse provided a memorable character with his exceptional performance.

            Morse has another terrific quality in his acting, which is the ability to explode. Brando, Pacino and Denzel Washington are quite possibly the greatest we have ever had when it comes to emotionally exploding in simple, literal terms. Yet I would be remiss not to point out that David Morse has developed a kind of mastery in this particular area, which puts him at their level. He knows precisely how to build it up so that you know the anger and rage is coming, and somehow he is still able to startle you. In the recently released 16 Blocks, Morse plays a devilishly intelligent, corrupt character whose hostility and frustration are kept so well beneath the surface, that once it finally erupts, you find out just how frightening a person he is. In the process, Morse’s performance steals the movie.

            Truly great actors can be made up of so many different qualities; most of the time, it is a variety of combinations of these qualities. But if you are looking for a magnificent actor who has sincerity, compassion, thoughtfulness and the ability to play the complexity and subtext of a scene and character, you need look no further than Mr. Morse.

- David Sayre, independent filmmaker/essayist

Selected David Morse Filmography:

  "St. Elsewhere" (1982)

"The Indian Runner" (1991)    

      "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1995)

Twelve Monkeys (1995)

The Crossing Guard (1995)

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1997)

"Murder Live" (1997)

Contact (1997)

The Negotiator (1998)

The Green Mile (1999)

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

"Hack" (2002)

     16 Blocks (2006)      

Down in the Valley (2006)