"Crazy Heart" Review

Audience: NYT

Jeff Bridges—The Lifeblood of “Crazy Heart”

We go to the movies to get away from reality for a few hours of entertainment. Yet in films like “Crazy Heart,” the gritty, harshness of reality is thrown back in our faces (along with quality dramatic and musical entertainment.) Jeff Bridges plays the washed up country singer Bad Blake with unflinching honesty, revealing the repulsiveness of alcoholism and chain-smoking. Combined with a dash of his usual crowd-pleasing humor, Bridges makes a mediocre movie a masterpiece.

The film follows Blake on his post-success tour as he plays in bowling allies and bars. To capture the filth of Bad Blake’s lifestyle, the cinematography includes frequent close ups on Bridges at his worst moments: drinking bare-chested in a dirty hotel, smoking cigarettes in the glow of a television, and vomiting into the toilet in his underwear.

With all of Blake’s blatant vices, it’s a stretch that the attractive journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal) falls for him during an interview for a story. Playful banter between Bridges and Gyllenhaal eventually develops: “This is my serious look” Bridges jokes as Gyllenhaal’s interview takes an intimate turn. But however endearing the dialogue comes across, it doesn’t distract from the cringe worthy physical relationship. The age and body shape discrepancy between the two, not to mention Blake’s perpetual booze breath, makes for an awkward bodily chemistry.

Blake’s relationship with Craddock’s four year old son, Buddy, is more believable, in addition to being a predictable plot device. Blake’ irresponsible inattentiveness while drunk ultimately leads to the end of his relationship with Craddock. Still, the boy and Blake have entertaining interactions, such as Blake pushing Buddy on the swings with one crutch while recovering from a car accident.

A refreshing addition to the film’s dismal outlook are the musical numbers sung by Bridges himself and Colin Farrell as Blake’s old band mate turned country star. Both actors showcase their hidden musical talents while performing foot-tapping soft-sung tunes such as “Fallin’ &Flyin’” and “The Weary Kind,” which went on to win best original song at the Academy Awards.

The film’s rhythm slows towards the end as Blake sobers up. The ending is drawn out and contrived, rushing through the beautiful scenes where a clean Bad Blake strums out melancholy songs on his guitar, dappled in sunlight hitting the back porch.

As a whole “Crazy Heart” is not a memorable story, thin on plot and originality. Yet the richness Jeff Bridges brings to the main character makes the film an emotional ride. Towards the beginning of their relationship, Blake admits to Craddock, “I was never famous for charm.” Nonetheless Bridges plays the flaw riddled character with appropriate humor and feeling, bringing an outstanding realness and likability to the film. Bridges’ performance was appropriately rewarded with a best actor win at the Academy Awards.

A Different kind of artistic journalism....

I have always appreciated this site and I just wanted to share it with everyone. It is MSN's "The Week in Pictures" and it is a compilation of the world's best photo journalism from around the world. It is a fast and powerful way to get a glimpse of the world at the current moment.
Enjoy!

Link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/

Intersting tidbit on Kathryn Bigelow

Even though the Oscar talk is coming to a stand still, Kathryn Bigelow's opens more than just gossipy discussions. Being the first woman to win best director is a landmark of our times, and I like how this article titled "How Oscar found Ms. Right" covers the topic.

I was especially intriguied by the line: "No matter if they’re a source of loathing and laughter, the Oscars matter as a cultural flashpoint, perhaps now more than ever."

Here is the copy and pasted version of the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/movies/14dargis.html?ref=arts
and here is an attempt to make a clickable link:

Oscars Review: Oscar's Pursuit of Popularity

Audience: Small Alternative arts Magazine read by mostly college students

Oscar’s Pursuit of Popularity

Ten best picture nominations, including an animated film and an overcoming-the-odds football flick. Two hosts for double the laughs. And Miley Cyrus. The eighty-second Academy Awards presentation was unmistakably manufactured to attract a widespread audience. On March 7th, 2010 Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin clumsily hosted a night complete with an in memoriam montage of John Hughes’ movies, an ode to horror films and a presenter panel full of fresh young faces with egos to match the red carpet veterans.

Due to the Oscars’ catering to the masses, it was pleasantly surprising that “The Hurt Locker,” a gritty Iraq war film, came out on top with six Oscars, including best picture. “The Hurt Locker” significantly trumped James Cameron’s mega high-grossing visual show off “Avatar.” However “Avatar” earned its due respect by pulling in three image-related awards: visual effects, art direction and cinematography.

Kathryn Bigelow, Cameron’s ex-wife and his chief award competitor, reeled in best director for “The Hurt Locker,” making history as the first woman to win the award. Directly following her win Bigelow was whisked back on stage when Tom Hanks hurriedly announced the award for best picture. Like Bigelow said, twice, it was “the moment of a lifetime.”

Sandra Bullock, the type-cast leading lady of romantic comedies claimed the award for best leading actress for her performance in "The Blind Side." Although movie connoisseurs were surprised and offended that a down home actress in an inspirational football movie snagged the prize, Bullock’s win was as sincere and heart-warming as the girl-next-door character she usually plays.

In contrast, Jeff Bridges won best actor title with universal enthusiasm from critics and the general public alike for his performance in "Crazy Heart.” His excruciatingly realistic portrayal of a washed up country singer undoubtedly deserved the gold. With giddy shout outs during his acceptance speech and “man” at the end of every sentence, Bridges seemed under the influence of more than just the adrenalin of his win. Or maybe his sober personality naturally resembles the whiskey-laden Bad Blake character.

Similar to the harsh, flaw riddled character that won the gold for Bridges, Mo’Nique won best actress in a supporting role for her performance as an abusive mother in "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire." Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor for his Nazi character in "Inglourious Basterds." Both Waltz and Mo’Nique deserved the traditional Oscar praise for excelling as an unlikable character.

Unfortunately for the animated film enthusiasts and elementary children, “Up” only soared to win best animated feature film and best original music score, failing to follow through on its best picture nomination. It had as good a run as an animated film can have, but the Academy (fortunately) was unwilling to let the film go the distance against quality live action dramas.

And, on the topic of films full of hot air, “Up in the Air” failed to earn an award, despite all of its nominations and George Clooney’s charming good looks. At least the Academy itself does not play the popularity game.

Final Project Draft: Found Object Art

Audience: Progressive, local arts magazine

Found Object Art: A Portrait of Ourselves

Humans are first class innovators, producers and consumers: we live in a world of soft drinks and candy bars, tennis shoes and light bulbs, hair spray and cell phones. But along with these luxuries come the cans, wrappers, boxes, bottles, papers and millions of other junk that gets thrown away, or at best, recycled. Or, even better, gets turned into art.

Our trash and recyclables are so colorful, it’s no wonder it drew the eyes of burgeoning modern artists looking for cheap artistic mediums. However, these once thrifty projects have turned into a global trend, some projects taking on a grand scale that goes beyond settling for quick fix material.

Found art thrives on its universality because everyone can appreciate the ingenuity of reusing everyday objects. People who don’t know much about art can pick apart the materials the artist used and appreciate the innovation of the artist. Additionally, found art is the study of what humans throw away. It can be seen at first as a movement towards “going green” due to the current day trend towards being environmentally friendly. However, if an artist was simply striving to be in on the “green scene” he or she would probably design a “green” graphic T or hold an environmental fundraiser at a gallery opening.

Not to say that found artists are not trying to make a statement about consumerism and excess. Some are. Yet the way these artists make their statement is through the human behavior that affects the environment, rather than jumping on the bandwagon environmental trend, which tends to be a phenomenon of the upper class. Found art is more personable, more representational, speaking to the public through our own foibles. Thus found art can be seen as an anthropological study serving as a work of art.

The internet has changed the art world for the better in terms of publicity. Small town artists now have the chance to display their work in the biggest gallery on the planet—the virtual gallery. For found artists especially, the internet has provided a big break. Websites spread knowledge to people who wouldn’t know about the cutting edge art movements that usually start in large cities. Now such movements spread through the internet like wildfire, creating more recycle artists and more admirers of the trade.

One such website, Recyclart.org, allows artists to share their work online to gain publicity and possible buyers. The site has a clear environmental message, stating that, “The goal of Recyclart.org is to bring you good products that are made from re-cycling, re-using, up-cycling,etc. …we have to see things in a different way and learn how to RE-use, RE-cycle and RE-duce our materials and products consumption in order to decrease our footprint!”

Their contributors are not always as passionate about their environmental message. “Guixot de 8,” a group from a small town near Barcelona, Spain, uses recyclable materials to create toys and games. On their website they claim to travel around the world in a van filled with scrap iron that they convert into elaborate structures with movable parts once they stop in a town square. The group enjoys making the toys and having fun along the way, using scrap iron because it was a readily available, free material.

Another website promoter of recycle artists is Webdesignerdepot.com. They specialize in providing a space for advanced found object artists to show off their stuff. The founders say in their mission statement: “The artists featured here exclusively use recycled and/or trash to make pieces of contemporary art. These artists practice the art of “upcycling”, or literally turning everyday trash into creative treasures.” Again, the term “up-cycling” is used to put found objects above their usual status as junk.

One of the highlights of Webdesignerdepo.com is husband and wife team Tim Noble and Sue Webster. They collect discarded items on the streets of London to create heaps of ordinary trash, unremarkable until a light is shone on the pile to reveal an intricate
silhouette image, usually a depiction of the couple themselves.

Also featured is New Hampshire native and sustainably living artist Tim Gaudreau. In his self-explainably titled piece "Self Portrait as Revealed by Trash: 365 days of photographing everything I threw out" he photographed everything he threw out for a year and collaged the photos in an exhibition that filled multiple rooms of a California gallery. His art is more social commentary than aesthetic product since he actually discards the objects. On the other hand, for artist Jason Mercier a fascination with the discarded objects themselves led to his work in recycle art. He specializes in making mosaic portraits out of unique materials, most notably celebrity portraits out of the celebrity’s own discarded objects. (Check out jasonmercier.com and click on “gallery” to see for yourself!)

For South Korean born artist Jean Shin, found art is all about social commentary. Her biography on her website states: “…her arresting installations reflect the individuals’ personal lives as well as collective issues that we face as a society.” For example, her piece “Chance City” (2009) was comprised of $32,404 worth of discarded "Scratch & Win" losing lottery tickets arranged into a city-like structure similar to a house of cards. He piece “Chemical Balance III” (2009) used thousands of empty prescription pill containers arranged with lights in a chandelier-like fashion. Both pieces comment on the excess and sense of hopelessness in American society. However, when asked about the comment on consumerism that she tries to make through her works, Shin responded: “Maybe just that it exists. My work wouldn't exist if I felt negativity toward that.”

With a more hopeful look at humanity, Shin’s work titled “Celadon Remnants” (2008) is a mosaic made out of broken Korean ceramic and glass. It is located in the heart of a Korean-American community in New York City. Shin intends for it to “speak to the rich, yet fractured, cultural history of the Korean diaspora. The pottery remnants were imported from Icheon, Korea as part of a cultural exchange.”
On a similar note of community building through found art, Kalamazoo College senior

Jenneva Scholz is working on a mosaic for Ministry with Community, a local homeless support shelter. The mosaic will be comprised of unwanted works from ceramic classes and dishes from the Resource Exchange Program at the college and the Salvation Army. She says, “It's a community project, so the members of ministry are actually making the mosaic, and we are coordinating it happening.”

Through the large scale efforts of Jean Shin and the local efforts of Jenneva Scholz, found object art takes on more than a role of depicting wasteful human behavior and offering a message for environmental friendliness. It is a form of community bonding; making something new through everyday objects.

NYT Defense for Wednesday

Due to my fascination with visual art, I was drawn to Holland Cotter’s article from Friday, February 26th, “At a Biennial on a Budget, Tweaking and Provoking.”
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/arts/design/26biennial.html

I was further drawn into the piece by Cotter’s smooth, accessible writing style and his jolting opening phrase about a “pre-emptive effort at damage control.” Cotter’s use of the second and first person draws in the reader, making the art more accessible, rather than estranging someone who may disagree. The “But” comes at the beginning of the fifth paragraph: “But if the museum gets full points for truth in advertising, it can also claim credit for a solid and considered product.”

Cotter lets the art do the talking rather than burdening the piece with critique. He uses wonderful adjectives in the opening of the piece that tie into the title, such as “slight,” “Spartan,” and “hermetic.” I admire the way he related the works of art to each other to convey the overall feel of the exhibit.

Cotter’s authority comes in when he reveals his background research by describing the methods of artists, and from his own extensive art and criticism credentials. He won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for criticism and has served on the board of directors of the International Association of Art Critics.

Gallery Review: Graphic Art with a Mission

Graphic Art with a Mission

Bright blocks of color and bold text enveloped the towering white walls of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts at Western Michigan University. “The Graphic Imperative” displayed from January 14th through February 19th, 2010 consisted of one hundred twenty one posters spanning forty years of international sociopolitical themes including environmental, anti-war, human rights, literacy, and AIDS awareness.

The eye-catching giants, some six feet high, overwhelmed the spacious gallery. Curators Elizabeth Resnick and Chaz Maviyane-Davies from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and Frank Baseman of Philadelphia University stated the initial purpose of these posters is to “jar us to action through bold messages.” But when viewed as art, some remain just concepts and others shine for artistic prowess. The best posters do both.

Some messages sang out loud and clear: Julius Friedman’s “Illiteracy, we all pay the price” (1989) consists of a large black X on white with “This is the way 27 million Americans sign their name” underneath. The simple, stark work makes no room for multiple interpretations, yet eliminates graphic admiration in the process.

Likewise, Swiss artist Niklaus Trokler employed simplicity for “Dead Trees” (1992). The brown half circles representing tree stumps across a neon green background look like something designed in the Microsoft Paint program. But the stumps’ shocking red surfaces turn the scene violent, shouting environmental destruction with one glance.

Alternatively, some artists valued artistry over message. Two pieces from the Endangered Species poster series started by a 1975 student strike workshop at Massachusetts College of Art employ large caricatures of animals. “Endangered Giant Panda” (1982) and “Endangered Cuban Crocodile” (1985) seem like children’s story book illustrations, their friendly colors masking any sense of endangerment even with the word “endangered” on both pieces.

The artists that paired creative graphics with a powerful message elicited the largest emotional responses, some using similar methods for shock value. Two artists working thirty years apart represented inadvertent human destruction with interlocking biting figures. In “Hunger Crime” (1998) by Luba Lokova a series of personified drumsticks bite the bone of the adjacent one with vicious looks their eyes. In Tomi Urgerer’s “Black Power, White Power”(1967) two skeletal figures—identical except for their color— fit together like tessellations as they bite the foot of the other, symbolizing race relations in the late 1960s.

In another bold piece, “Lipstick” (1972), Cuban artist José Gómez Fresquet created in his words, a “jarring interplay between the realities of two women” using only four colors. The silhouette of a white woman outlined in black puckers her lips for lipstick, while a woman’s yellow face comes from the right hand darkness, blood dripping from her nose out of the same vibrant red as the lipstick.

These public service posters are usually seen first for their message and secondly, if at all, seen for design. By showing the posters in a gallery, “The Graphic Imperative” exhibition opened the door for appreciating the ingenuity behind effective message driven art.

Final Project Pitch

Eco Art

I am interested in found object art, specifically recycled art. The artists send the message of being environmentally friendly, whether it was their intention or not. With the growing global awareness of our deteriorating planet, and the trend of going “green”, it makes sense that people are turning useless waste into useful beauty. My thesis is that the artists who reinvent ordinary objects are at the forefront of today’s environmental movement. They can reach more people through visual expression than a scientific article full of data.

I am the person to write this because I am infatuated with taking objects and seeing them in a different light. It takes imagination, innovation and a beginner’s mind. It is like seeing through the eyes of a child, trying to re-invent something you have already come to know a certain way. I am also fascinated with the environmental impact that artists have in general.
Sources I plan on using include:

Interviews
Jean Shin, found object artist: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/QA-Jean-Shin.html
Saxton Freymann, food artist: http://www.teachingbooks.net/content/Freymann_trans.pdf

Websites
http://www.re-store.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=115
http://www.recyclart.org/
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/12/non-trashy-recycled-and-trash-art/

My larger statement about today’s culture is that recycled art is a beneficial trend because it makes a point about the harm of consumerism and waste while making something aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

Revised Kael Review

Audience: Young readers of an alternative independent arts magazine

Pauline Kael: All Critic, No Heart

There is no doubt that Pauline Kael, famed film critic of the fifties and sixties, loved movies. In fact, she loved them so much that, according to protégé Francis Davis in “Afterglow,” she “[asked] more of them than they could routinely deliver.” In that manner, her love for movies comes across as affectionate abuse, like squeezing a beloved puppy until it cannot breathe. Pauline Kael embodied a series of contradictions: love folded in hate; crass taste disguised as a personable tone; and a critical eye covering up a lack of sympathy.

In “Afterglow: A Last Conversation with Pauline Kael,” Kael says to Francis Davis, “I loved lowbrow taste, and that was hard to get across.” However, the vocabulary and vulgarity of her film reviews convey her lowbrow taste more than adequately. In Renata Adler’s “House Critic” Adler mercilessly points out many of Kael’s “ad personam physical images” such as “a new brand of pop manure” and “flatulent seriousness.” Alder also calls attention to Kael’s affinity for four basic film components typically associated with adolescent males: “frissons of horror,” “physical violence,” “sex scenes,” and “fantasies of invasion.” In “Afterglow” Kael stated that she wrote her reviews in “the language we really spoke.” However, Kael’s language compares to that of a cocky teenage boy with an extensive knowledge of film.

Kael’s appetite for the harshness in life appears in her praise of “My Left Foot” and “Klute.” For both films she makes note of the “toughness” of the characters and the directors’ straightforward take on the respective stories of a cerebral palsy victim and a call girl. It is understandable wanting a film to give its subject justice unburdened by sentimentality; however, Kael’s lack of sensitivity extends to almost anti-social proportions. In her review of “Funny Girl” Kael says that movies stars are “more intense and dazzling than people we ordinarily encounter in life, and far more charming than the extraordinary people we encounter” because “we don’t have to undergo the frenzy or the risks of being involved with them.” Is she being witty or inadvertently revealing herself? It’s hard to connect to a review, much less a reviewer, sporting statements of mild misanthropy.

Kael’s desire for un-involvement with people extended to un-involvement with movies. She never saw a film more than once—she admitted in “Afterglow” that she wanted to see Robert Altman’s Nashville another time, but would not allow herself to do so. Kael had the potential to be a film lover, but was too disciplined in her profession, and instead became a mere film expert.

In her review of “Hiroshima Mon Amour” Kael claims that actress Emmanuelle Riva “was exposing one of the worst faults of intelligent modern women: she was talking all her emotions out.” In turn, the opposite was true of Kael—her biggest fault was not feeling enough.

An Interesting Tidbit

I really enjoyed the article "A Twist on Getting Dressed: Try Doing it While Dangling" and the corresponding photos in the arts section of the Times on Monday. It is about a unique take on dance, using all possible space, including walls and the ceiling (sort of--it takes place in the imagination)

anyways, I recomend checking it out. you don't have to be a dance enthusiast to appreciate this work of movement.

link: (still don't know how to make it easier! so copy and paste it is) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/arts/dance/15brown.html?scp=1&sq=A%20Twist%20on%20Getting%20Dressed&st=cse

Pauline Kael: All Critic, No Heart

Audience: Current Readers of The New Yorker

Pauline Kael: All Critic, No Heart

There is no doubt that Pauline Kael, famed film critic of the fifties and sixties, loved movies. In fact, she loved them so much that, according to protégé Francis Davis in “Afterglow,” she “[asked] more of them than they could routinely deliver.” In that manner, her love for movies comes across more as affectionate abuse, like squeezing a beloved puppy until it cannot breathe. Love folded in hate; crass taste disguised as a personable tone; a critical eye covering up a lack of sympathy– Pauline Kael was a series of contradictions.

In “Afterglow,” Francis Davis’s interview with Pauline Kael, Kael says, “I loved lowbrow taste, and that was hard to get across.” However, in her reviews her vocabulary and taste in vulgarity convey her lowbrow taste more than adequately. In Renata Alder’s “House Critic” she mercilessly points out many of Kael’s “ad personam physical images” such as “a new brand of pop manure” and “flatulent seriousness.” Alder also calls attention to Kael’s affinity for four basic film components typically associated with adolescent males: “frissons of horror,” “physical violence,” “sex scenes,” and “fantasies of invasion.” Kael’s taste isn’t lowbrow; it’s nothing more than that of a cocky teenage boy with an extensive knowledge of film.

Kael’s appetite for the harshness in life is apparent in her praise of “My Left Foot” and “Klute.” For both films she makes note of the “toughness” of the characters and the directors’ straightforward take on the respective stories of a cerebral palsy victim and a call girl. It is understandable to want a film to give its subject justice unburdened by sentimentality; however Kael’s lack of sensitivity extends to almost anti-social proportions.

In her review of “Funny Girl” Kael says that movies stars are “more intense and dazzling than people we ordinarily encounter in life, and far more charming than the extraordinary people we encounter” because “we don’t have to undergo the frenzy or the risks of being involved with them.” Is she being witty or inadvertently revealing herself? Like Davis writes in “Afterglow,” it’s well known that Pauline Kael did not have her daughter with one of her three husbands, but rather as an arrangement with gay poet James Broughton. It seems that Kael went to great lengths to avoid “involvement” with people.

Kael’s un-involvement with people extended to movies. She never saw a film more than once, or rather, would not allow herself to do so—she admitted in “Afterglow” that she wanted to see Robert Altman’s Nashville another time. Kael had the potential to be a film lover, but was too disciplined in her profession, and instead became a mere film expert.

In her review of “Hiroshima Mon Amour” Kael claims that actress Emmanuelle Riva “was exposing one of the worst faults of intelligent modern women: she was talking all her emotions out.” In turn, it seems that the opposite was true of Kael—her biggest fault was not feeling enough.

Interesting combo of food and art

In today's dining section I was intrigued by this article about a restaurant that commissions artists to illustrate its menu covers. They have 65 covers so far from different artists. I thought it was a creative mixture of art and dining.


Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/dining/10art.html?scp=1&sq=Chanterelle%20Sells%20its%20Art%20a%20la%20carte&st=cse

p.s. how does everyone do that nifty thing where you can just click on text and it takes you to the website?

Professors Present Prose, Poems, and Personality: Review of English Department Reading

Audience: Kalamazoo College Community

Professors Present Prose, Poems, and Personality

Note: The writer of this article is an English Major and has been, will be, or currently is a student of the professors that were a part of the following reviewed event. Thus, a bias must be taken into account with regard to the writer’s pre-existing partiality to the affability of their personalities (and the knowledge that her work is regularly reviewed by them as well.)

Upon entering the newly refurbished Olmsted room in Mandelle Hall last Wednesday evening, students, staff and community members could feel the energy of anticipation for the annual English Department reading. It is a unique event in a college community when professors simultaneously display their talent and become vulnerable in front of their students. By showcasing a wide variety of topics, styles and genres, the English professors also revealed a bit of their own distinctive personalities.

Andy Mozina, fearless leader of the department, kicked off the event reading an excerpt from his short story “My Nonsexual Affair.” His detailed character descriptions and carefully crafted dialogue allowed the audience to commiserate with the awkward relationship depicted in the story. Mr. Mozina’s masterful character and relationship development through conversation is reminiscent of Jane Austen, whom he currently teaches in his English Sophomore Seminar.

Following Mr. Mozina was Beth Marzoni, resident writer for the fall and winter quarters. She read her poem “Rothcoe’s Drum” with dramatic emphasis in a way that made the audience want to hold their breath. Her sensory descriptions of lemon groves and ancient cities brought the listener along on an artistic and colorful journey.

Next, Marin Heinritz, head of the journalism department, read from her memoir about her mother’s bout with cancer. Her phrase “My mother has always been a runner” set up the story beautifully for tales from her mother’s past and their subsequent telling details of her personality. Ms. Heinritz’s strong reading voice allowed her personal subject matter to shine.

Gail Griffin, organizer of the event, followed on a similar serious note reading from her book about the murder-suicide that took place at the college about ten years ago. Her smooth, powerful voice paired with her personal recollection of interviewing the victim’s family made the audience go quiet in contemplation.

Switching to a more humorous tone, Glenn Deutsch read from his short story “The Monkey Version of My Father.” His comical dialogue, personable manner and spot-on scene description—such as a comparison to an Edward Hopper painting—made it seem like the reading was a private account between Mr. Deutsch and the audience.

Amy Rodgers, visiting Shakespeare professor, also read from a personable narrative, even more personal than most since it was a “process piece”—literally the journey she took to create a play on the son of Robert Frost. Her witty, honest style made her piece easily accessible and relatable to the listeners.

For a turn of pace, Babli Sinha read from her conference paper on media and the south Asian novel. Ms. Sinha clearly displayed intelligence and passion on her subject, along with skillful storytelling ability that surpassed her form’s proclivity towards the pedantic.

Next, writer in residence Di Seuss read her poem “It wasn’t a dream, I knew William Burroughs,” a cheeky response to a poem titled “I dreamed I knew William Burroughs,” and “Birthday Confession” from her collection of poems about dressing in drag. As an experienced performance poet she had perfect pacing, pausing for reactions and slowing her voice to accentuate the edgy subject matter and ripe details of her language.

To finalize the event, Amelia Katanski read her prose in a sweet voice that contrasted nicely with her unexpected graphic descriptions of slaughtered animals, and Bruce Mills read from his memoir “Archeology of Yearning” about his son’s autism. His deep, personal tone topped off the event with an appropriate sense of intimacy, which had been present all throughout the night.

All Sparkle and Song: A review of “Velvet Goldmine”

Audience: frequent reader of the New York Times
(Specifically someone who dabbles in viewing artistic movies)


All Sparkle and Song: A review of “Velvet Goldmine”

Don’t try to make sense of it, just enjoy the ride. “Velvet Goldmine,” titled after the song by David Bowie, and unofficially based on the pop icon’s life, follows the styles, relationships, and hair-dos throughout his career. With a spirited mix of Oscar Wilde quotes to spice up the dialogue, “Velvet Goldmine” is a disorienting conglomeration of late 70s music, glitter eye make-up, and bi-sexuality.

“Velvet Goldmine” is the journey of journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) as he investigates the life of former glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). As Mr. Bale interviews the rock star’s past friends and lovers, the viewer goes on a sensory psychedelic trip through time.

Artistic direction was the key to getting inside the mind of the mysterious, reckless rocker. After watching the film, a vision of hot pinks, turquoises and silver lingers behind the eyelids, similar to the impression after viewing fireworks. Additionally, a number of scenes were frightening, yet mesmerizing, such as Curt Wilde’s (Ewan McGregor) musical performance of shouting amidst flames, ending in a full frontal view of Mr. McGregor, leather pants about his ankles.

Each actor plays into the hyperbole of his character. Mr. Meyers is all showy and beautiful, as a star of glam rock should be. Mr. McGregor plays the perfect counterpart (and lover) of Meyers, as a wild out-of-his-mind rocker with no regard for social norms, society, or himself. Christian Bale plays a stoic journalist, yet the flashbacks to his outcast, sexually confused youth are heartrending enough to endear him to the audience. And Toni Collette plays a sufficient rejected rocker wife as Mandy Slade, besides her puzzling accent transitions from American to affected British. However, at times the characters seem like mere devices to showcase the film’s true intention: to be one giant fantasy music video.

In “Velvet Goldmine” the music is the focal point. The music slows down the action, essentially aiding the viewer in making sense of the chaotic film. Throughout the film clips of music videos are edited in with minimal transition, making the film itself seem like a music video. The songs themselves are not memorable, but the way they are enacted with decked out feather and glitter costumes, heavy eye make-up, and flared hair is unforgettable.

For the most part, “Velvet Goldmine” is a mixed bag of glam rock and gay culture. The Oscar Wilde references are a nice addition to the film’s sexual vision, although they get lost at times amongst the overpowering visuals. Even with the superfluous storylines following a mysterious green broach and the career of a little shown character by the name of Jack Fairy, the film makes sense because it is about rock stars, and their music. In a rock star’s world only the music makes sense.

References for review Context

www.1worldfilms.com/federico_fellini.htm

I liked the information that this site provided about Federico Fellini’s life as a film director in the 1960’s. It was essential to learn about Fellini since he wrote the original script and directed the original film, 8 ½, that Nine was based on, not to mention that the script was about his life. I like how this site puts his films into context with the other films produced in his time.

www.guardian.co.uk/film/1999/apr/22/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm.derekmalcolm

This site provided nice background information about Fellini’s movie 8 ½. It told about Fellini’s innovative techniques and how the audience didn’t know how to perceive such a chaotic, honest movie at first. Fellini didn’t cover up emotions or vices. It shows how much of an innovator Fellini was in his time. Even though I have not seen 8 ½, I could gather enough information from this article to be authoritative for my review.

Revised Review of Nine

Screen, Stage and Back to Screen:
Federico Fellini’s "8 ½" comes back as Rob Marshall’s "Nine"

According to Rob Marshall’s film adaptation of "Nine" an Italian man’s life is riddled with passion, depression and complicated relations with (multiple) women. Dazzling musical numbers are paired with dramatic relationships to make the film more of an artistic show than an emotional ride.

"Nine" begins as Italian superstar director Guido Contini (played by an endearing Daniel Day-Lewis) attempts to reignite his career. However, he delays his script-writing by fantasizing about his personal life and reminiscing about his past.

Ultimately, "Nine" is the story of a man and his women—the women who tempt him and guide him, his inspirations and downfalls. The women in Contini’s life include an all-star female cast of his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penélope Cruz), his muse (Nicole Kidman), his enthusiastic fan (Kate Hudson), his voice of reason (Judi Dench), his mother (Sophia Loren) and his childhood teacher on temptation (Fergie.)

The plethora of female sensations (each with an Oscar, or at least a nomination, under her belt) makes it hard to separate the actress from her off-screen identity. On the other hand, Daniel Day-Lewis plays into the distinct Italian charm of his character: a half smile with warm eyes, running fingers through his hair and restlessly smoking cigarette after cigarette. It’s hard to dislike a man who depends on a sharp-witted Judi Dench for advice and carries a deep affinity for the comforting, motherly, and still sexy Sophia Loren.

Despite, or due to, the many relationships throughout the film, there is no central love story. "Nine"’s previous success as a Broadway musical could get away with neglecting emotional connections, but in a film an audience expects some romance. (Especially after seeing most of the female cast as spectacular romantic leads in other films i.e. Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge.) Even though it is evident that Contini’s true love is his career, the limited screen time for each actress leaves one wanting more from their relationships with him.

Individually the emotive song and dance pieces were captivating, yet they lost their poignancy when interspersed with the real time scenes. The poor editing between the two types of scenes makes the viewer feel a little empty, unfulfilled, and not quite immersed in the film. It seems like a waste to hire professional dancers only to cut out the majority of their performances. Similarly, it’s a shame to cut out an actor’s expression for a view of Kate Hudson’s sparkling rear end. In the end, the editing needed to be as captivating as the two scenes that it melded together.

Perhaps the strange melding has to do with "Nine"'s original form, Otto e Mezzo (81/2), the innovative autobiographical work of the 1960’s Italian director Federico Fellini. In his time, the film’s smooth flow from fantasy to reality was a new concept which went on to influence other film makers. Now that Fellini’s technique has been played out over again and again, it’s difficult to appreciate the free-flowing mix of fantasy and reality in "Nine."

As for artistic direction, "Nine" shines for its ability to make every shot “like a postcard,” (as said by Kate Hudson’s character about Contini’s movies.) Each scene is colored to reflect a mood and evoke a feeling as well as a sense of place. The storyline in the present is portrayed in normal cinematic style, which contrasts nicely with the past blurry black and white of the past. The scenes in Contini’s imagination include impressive cabaret style musical numbers which are all glittery costumes and lively dancing (and appropriately dark when necessary.) The visual chaos of light, color and movement create an artistically pleasing representation of Contini’s mind.

Throughout its evolutions, from film to musical and back to film, Federico Fellini’s original story lost its ingenuity, yet managed to salvage some artistic impact. Due to its chaotic nature and reliance on musical numbers, "Nine" works best on today’s colorful stage and yesterday’s silver screen.

What does it mean to “Be Italian?”

Rob Marshall’s film Nine explores both the glamour and the gloom of an Italian man, his career and his women. Dazzling musical numbers are paired with dramatic relationships to make the film more of an artistic show than an emotional ride.
Nine begins as Italian superstar director Guido Contini (played by an endearing Daniel Day-Lewis), attempts to reignite his career. However, he delays his script-writing by fanaticizing about his personal life and reminiscing about his past.
Ultimately, Nine is the story of a man and his women—the women who tempt him and guide him, his inspirations and downfalls. The women in Contini’s life include an all-star female cast of Marion Cotillard (his wife), Penélope Cruz (his mistress), Nicole Kidman (his muse), Kate Hudson (his enthusiastic fan), Judi Dench (his voice of reason), Sophia Loren (his mother) and Fergie (his childhood teacher on temptation.)
It’s hard to dislike Daniel Day-Lewis, despite his character’s dishonesty and weakness for women other than his wife. He plays into the charm of his character: the handsome, romantic Italian man. The clincher for his likability is the helplessness revealed when he turns to his costume designer (Judi Dench) for reassurance and advice, not to mention his affinity for his deceased mother (Sophia Loren).
In spite of, or due to, the many relationships interacting throughout the film, there is no central love story. The limited screen time for each actress leaves you wanting more from some storylines, and perhaps less from others. Nicole Kidman’s tears paired with her decadent gown and jewelry is reminiscent of her emotive performance in Moulin Rouge. It was unsatisfying to only see her for one brief musical number as she lamented her complicated relationship with Contini. On the contrary, Marion Cotillard’s two musical performances, while entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, leave the viewer wanting for an emotional connection between her and her husband.
As for artistic direction, Nine shines for its ability to make every shot “like a postcard” (as said by Kate Hudson’s character says about Contini’s movies.) Each scene is colored to reflect a mood and evoke a feeling as well as a sense of place. The storyline in the present is portrayed in normal cinematic style, which contrasts nicely with the blurry black and white of the past. The scenes of Contini’s imagination include impressive cabaret style musical numbers, which are all glittery costumes and lively dancing (and appropriately dark when necessary.) The visual chaos of light, color, and movement create an artistically pleasing representation of Contini’s mind.
Due to its chaotic nature and reliance on musical numbers, Nine was certainly meant for the stage. Although the music was catchy and the dancing was rhythmic, the interspersed story snippets make the viewer feel a little empty, unfulfilled, and not quite immersed in the film. Overall, Nine does a fine job of showing Italian art, but falls short in fully feeling Italian romance.