Happy Birthday, Kristen Wiig!

Never heard of her? Well, hopefully, you will soon. I first found out about her when a fellow IMDb poster kindly linked me to some of her sketches in Saturday Night Live. (Thanks Zed!) She's been in a few (rather crappy) films and has some projects lined-up, but she's not very well-known. However, after seeing many of her performances in SNL, I can assure you that's she's one of the funniest ladies I've ever seen and a hell of a (comedic) actress. She's extremely talented, and I wish she could make it big in Hollywood; she sure as hell deserves it over many of the people who did make it. Still not convinced? Check out some of her videos at Kristen Wiig Fan under the media section and you'll just have to agree with me. For a start, I would recommend seeing her Penelope sketches; probably the best character she created. Trust me! You won't be disappointed.

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1325419/

Fansite: http://kristenwiigfan.com/

Happy Birthday, Joan Allen!

Well, I haven't seen some of her more acclaimed performances (like Nixon (1995) for which she received a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination; or The Contender (2000), for which she was nominated again in the Best Actress category) but I still think of her as one of my favourite performers. She always manages to shine in the littlest of roles: performances like in The Crucible (1996), where she played Elizabeth Proctor, wife of Daniel Day-Lewis, have her in a refreshingly understated, completely natural and quietly touching performance amidst a plethora of over-the-top theatrics.

Then it was her glorious turn in Ang Lee's The Ice Storm (1997) which earned her a lot of praise but little actual recognition and for which many believe she should have gotten an Oscar nomination as well. She was brilliant, as always, in a multi-layered and completely devastating performance as a woman on verge of a breakdown, displaying heartbreaking fragility through her eyes and overbearing desperation through her body language. 

Now we're on to what's one of my favourite performances of all time. Joan Allen plays Betty Parker in the gorgeous (and criminally underrated) film Pleasantville (1998) with such humanity and warmth that I think it's virtually impossible for anyone not to feel touched by her story. She is so natural here, so luminous, so full of life! This is a masterclass in acting, everyone! Seeing this woman subtly and slowly evolve from a repressed housewife to an independent, free-spirited, sexually liberated woman is one of the best lessons in character development you'll ever be likely to witness. Just thinking about it makes me cry.

7 years later she played a completely different character in the 2005 indie film The Upside of Anger. Had the film got a decent release date and some awards push, Joan Allen would have been a shoo in for Best Actress at the Oscars, or at least at the Golden Globes. As it is, though, she was wrongly overlooked for one of her best performances. This character is nothing like Betty Parker, though. She rides a roller coaster of emotions and is incredibly compelling to watch. It's fascinating to see this often supporting lady dominate the screen with such powerful stage presence. As a neurotic and completely on edge middle-age woman she is often touching and relatable but she's also scarily spot-on in her representation of an angry mom (who doesn't see their own mom in her?) and she's even surprisingly hilarious at times. Really, this performance has it all and it's truly a shame that she was so ignored by the awards circuit.

So as you see, I haven't seen much from her, but she's certainly made an impression. The rest I've seen with her was The Bourne Series (2004; 2007), in which she was incredible but had very little to do, and in her tiny role in The Notebook (2004), in which she was absolutely fantastic. Seriously, I went from actively disliking her character as the conflicted yet thoroughly annoying mother to being absolutely devastated by that very same woman in the glorious scene in which she tells her young daughter about her youth love and the decisions she had to make. Only Joan Allen can deliver such an incredibly convincing performance in such little screen time, giving as a well-rounded character out of a nothing role.

I simply cannot wait to see the rest of her filmography (especially those two for which she was nominated that I haven't seen), but I cannot say the same about her newest release Death Race! Seriously, what was she thinking? Fortunately, her two other up-coming films look more promising, if a little sappy.

I leave you with this (very short) but great clip from The Upside of Anger: Joan Allen bitch-slapping! 

Top 3 Most Played Songs of the Week

Sorry for the delay, again, but I usually find myself starting this thing on Sunday nights and only being able to cover three songs, so I have to finish it on Mondays. However, I'm going to start posting only 3 songs per week so as to ensure a regular (and Sunday-ish) update!

1. The Rolling Stones - Jigsaw Puzzle

 

Album: Beggars Banquet (1968)

Not a hit, not a single, in fact, it has never been performed live, as far as I know, but one of the strongest, definitely most underrated Rolling Stones songs. It's a long song, but it doesn't have the same "epic" quality as the other (very) long song from the same album, "Sympathy for the Devil". Amazing guitar sound and beautiful, soft and wonderfully soothing vocals by Mick Jagger. I'm not really sure what it's about but it's such a relaxing song and the chorus, although it implies having to wait for something to happen, is strangely reassuring and quite uplifting. Shame that it isn't more well-known.

2. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Red Light

 

Album: Kaleidoscope (1980)

This is the period when John McGeoch (guitar) and Budgie (drums) joined the band and the band's sound took a new direction. It was in this album when Siouxsie started experimenting with electronic sounds and this is perhaps one of the best exponents of those experimentations. Oddly enough, the rhythm of the song is basically set by the sound of a camera clicking. Siouxsie's vocals are dark and creepy as she sings about voyeurism and (porno) photoshoots. Eerily atmospheric and one of the album's strongest highlights.

3. Blondie - Kung Fu Girls

Album: Blondie (1976)

From their debut (and quite fantastic) album, this is one of the best representations of the original Blondie sound. Their punk roots are at full display here, but also their New Wave-ish sound and their old-fashioned Pop references. Destri's organ is rocking and Debbie Harry was at her prime here delivering edgy, strong, powerful vocals. The lyrics are kind of silly, but they are hilarious and full of attitude, much like everything Debbie Harry produces..., or used to produce, anyway.

Happy (belated) Birthday Alfred Hitchcock!

Yesterday was the 109th anniversary of the birth of one of my favourite directors! I thought it was fitting to write a little something related to the unbeatable master of suspense that was Alfred Hitchcock. So I'm going to do a Top 5 countdown of my favourite Hitchcock films:

5. Rebecca (1940)

Joan Fontaine, in a breathtaking performance, plays a young, naive woman who meets and then marries a rich widower, Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) and they both set to start their new life in his enormous mansion. However, the memory of the first Mrs. de Winter (Rebecca) still lingers in the mind of Maxim and the house's servants, particularly in Mrs. Danvers, played by Judith Anderson in one of the best performances of all time. The atmosphere Hitchcock creates in this film is astonishing, as Rebecca's presence is felt all throughout the film without her ever appearing on screen. Mrs. Danvers plays a key role in this too and the obvious attachment and creepy fascination she had for her former mistress is both disturbing and suggestive, and she acts as a cruel reminder of the (gigantic) shoes Fontaine's character so desperately wants and needs to fill. Every image reeks of doom and gloom in a striking black and white cinematography and Hitchcock's narrative is suspenseful and eerily compelling.

4. Rope (1948)

One of the most thoroughly entertaining films I've ever seen. The premise is already quite fascinating: two young men murder a fellow classmate (just because they feel he was "inferior" to them) and then throw him a party in order to challenge the perfection of their crime. It is so amusing to watch the party guests chat about the usual Hitchcockian topics (the perfect murder, for example!) and wonder where the celebrated man could be, while his actual body is right there in the very same room they are all in. The film feels a lot like a play, all in one setting and with no "noticeable" cuts (Hitchcock wanted to shoot the whole thing in one take but didn't have the technology to pull it off; nevertheless he did his best to hide those cuts) but the camerawork is mind-blowing. The performers are all a joy to watch, the standouts being John Dall as the charismatic killer and James Stewart as the two boy's teacher who becomes increasingly suspicious as the evening wears on.

3. The Birds (1963)

The basic plot is: Melanie Daniels, a spoiled socialite (Tippi Hedren in a delightful and criminally underrated performance), "chases" hunky bachelor Mitch Brenner (played by Rod Taylor) when suddenly, a seagull attacks her in what's to be the first but definitely not the last bird attack in Bodega Bay. It's never explained why the birds attack, but that just makes the whole thing even more terrifying. The idea that nature can turn against us like that is something that's been haunting me since I first saw the film. But anyway, this is only the immediate, superficial layer of the film. It's interesting how people are still being fooled by the B-horror appearance of the film and think that it was only meant to work on a literal level when it’s actually an extremely complex and richly layered film and probably Hitchcock's most purely cinematically brilliant film. This time the usually fundamental Hitchcock score is replaced by the groundbreaking use of sound, which, together with the cinematography and editing, combine to create as tense and creepy an atmosphere as I've hardly seen before. Add to that the ahead-of-its time visual effects; the birds look dated today, no doubt, but were primary reference to films such as Jaws and Alien. The sense of dread Hitchcock creates is astonishing. The film works as a metaphor for many different things (left open to interpretation), and if one is familiar enough with Hitchcock's most recurrent themes (sexual repression, family, Oedipal conflict, etc.) one might be able to guess exactly what he had in mind when he made this film.

2. Vertigo (1958)

James Stewart, playing against type, is a retired cop who is hired by an old friend to follow his wife, a beautiful Kim Novak in a challenging role. She is evidently distressed, and Stewart's character Scottie believes she's under some kind of spell. However, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the distant, cold and more importantly, blonde woman as the film moves along and that’s as far as I will go as plot is concerned. The most interest aspect about this film is the parallelisms between Stewart’s character and Hitchcock himself. In fact, this (sexual) obsession mirrors no other than Hitchcock’s own freaky fascination with blondes (most notably Grace Kelly). This is far and away Hitchcock's most personal film and probably his ultimate masterpiece. It's spellbinding from start to end relying less on dialogues and more on Bernard Herrmann’s magnus opus of a score and Stewart and Novak's astonishing performances. Vertigo is without a doubt Hitchcock's best directional achievement, the deliberate slow pace and the lavish visuals create an irresistible and incredibly unforgettable dream-like ambience which draws you in and never lets go.

1. Rear Window (1954)

Much like Rope this film is set all in one place: L. B. Jeffries's (James Stewart) claustrophobic apartment, but again, much like Rope this film is incredibly compelling and never loses steam. Jefferies is a photographer who needs to spend some time on a wheel chair recovering from an accident but the regular visits of his beautiful girlfriend (Grace Kelly) and his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter in a hilarious performance) fail to keep him entertained enough, so he starts peeping out of his window and "spying" on his neighbours. The plot thickens when he thinks he's seen one of them committing a murder. James Stewart as the voyeur and pseudo-psychologist is as great as he's ever been, but he's not the only one who is completely mesmerized by what he sees. Indeed, Hitchcock expertly lures the audience into these voyeuristic habits and one quickly finds oneself guessing and drawing conclusions out of what we can see through Jeff's window. Everything about this brilliant film is perfection: the clever script, the stellar cast and Hitch's masterful direction, but it’s its fascinating study of these psychological aspects of the human mind that makes Rear Window stand out as one of the best films of all time. 

Top 5 Most Played Songs of the Week

1. Dusty Springfield – I Only Want to Be with You

 

I recently got a compilation album with her greatest hits and I fell in love with her powerful voice and her catchy, beautiful songs. This was her first solo single (1963) after having been with The Springfields for a while and one of the first hits of the British Invasion in the US. It’s strange to think this is usually labeled as Pop, putting it in the same category as most of the appalling Pop outings nowadays, when this is so enthrallingly soulful and honest. Beautiful song and what a voice Dusty had!

2. Joao Gilberto and Caetano Veloso - Garota de Ipanema

 

Music by the wonderful Tom Jobim and written by the hand of a poet (Vinicius de Moraes), this is one of the all-time classics and one of the primary exponents of Bossa Nova. The authors attributed the song’s composition to Helô Pinto, a striking woman they watched pass by as they sat in a now famous bar, which was fittingly renamed “A Garota de Ipanema” after the song’s success. This song has such an intangible sadness, and yet it is so gorgeous: a simple, understated arrangement with beautifully dreamy lyrics.

3. Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry on their Own

Album: Back to Black (2006)

My favourite track on this incredible album and her second most successful single (after the unstoppable “Rehab”). This song combines Amy’s unique, jazzy, soulful voice singing melancholy lyrics and the upbeat, cherry music from Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. The lyrics speak to me about a woman in a sexual relationship who unwisely falls in love with the man, who quite obviously is not interested in having a serious relationship with her. Amy's lyrics reflect her uncertainty, seeming at times hopeful and at other times defeated. It just sounds honest and incredibly humane, as everything Amy produces. 

4. Billy Joel – My Life

Album: 52nd Street (1978)

Peaking at #3 in Billboard’s Hot 100, this song is a single from one of Joel’s best albums and it’s a fine representation of the quality present in the album. It’s just perfect for those moments when someone is pestering you with advice and telling you how to live your life, when you would just rather be left alone. Contagious beat, great vocals (I love the little growls) and fantastic lyrics, as always.

5. Siouxsie – Into a Swan



Album: MantaRay (2007)

First single out of Siouxsie’s first solo album, after years fronting the bands Siouxsie and the Banshees and later The Creatures. Magnificent beat, I loved it instantly, and every time I listen to it my body just wants to dance. It actually reminded me a lot of Goldfrapp, and interestingly enough, I recently discovered that one of Goldfrapp’s producers worked in this album. Just like the lyrics constantly repeat, “Into a Swan” feels so much like the unstoppable force Siouxsie describes and I can totally identify with those kinds of strong feelings and the passion with which Siouxsie sings them. And I just love it when she goes: “do-do-do-do”…!

Recent Viewings

In Bruges (2008)

One of the most acclaimed films this year and many even say it's the best one so far, so I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I didn't think it was very good. I guess it's a very personal thing but I did not enjoy the humour in the slightest and I was only amused by the "You're a fucking inanimate object!" line. Too dark for my taste and I didn't think the director handled the screenplay very well. The tone was all over the place and I seriously started wondering if this was supposed to be a comedy at all. I believe the material would have worked (better) in the hands of a more skillful director, but alas, some "writers" insist on shooting their own screenplays. Fiennes was fantastic, far and away the best part of the film: he was consistently funny and was convincing enough in his dramatic scenes. Brendan Gleeson is a tough one..., he was very good as a dramatic actor but I think he made his character way too sympathetic, to the detriment of the film. As for Farrell, I think he showed FANTASTIC promise and was absolutely mind-blowing in his dramatic scenes but he didn't sell the comedy. However, this was more the director's fault and than his (or Gleeson's, for that matter). I can appreciate dark humour when done well (Coen brothers, for example) but this was too uneven: the cuts from "funny" moments to the depressing ones were too quick and ruined the flow of the film. I also couldn't tell if the film was going for realism, but if it was, then it failed miserably. However, I should point out the strongest point of the film for me: Bruges was photographed beautifully and I really liked the strong presence it had during the film (sure, it was set there, but it still felt much more like a character than a setting).

Personal rating: 5/10

School of Rock (2003)

What a wonderfully endearing film! I rewatched this one a couple of days ago only to fall even more in love with it and with the wonderful Jack Black, whom actually makes my lineup for Best Actor in 2003. First thing one needs to do to enjoy this film, is not to take it seriously, it’s not supposed to be realistic, we are not supposed to believe that something like this would happen in real life, but it’s a wonderful story, with a rocking soundtrack and a wonderful cast. The kids are incredibly natural (and really quite talented), Joan Cusack is her usual funny self but it’s Jack Black the one who sells this film. He’s incredibly charismatic, hilarious, has fantastic chemistry with the kids and more importantly, he’s thoroughly believable. His passion for music is extremely convincing and his general enthusiasm wonderfully contagious. Linklater casts a spell on the audience, making us fall in love with the characters and deeply care for them (I even shed a few tears here and there) while we enjoy the music. It’s one of the best feel-good movies I’ve ever seen and when it ends, it never fails to leave me in an elated, just plain happy mood. 

Personal rating: 8/10

Dazed and Confused (1993)

This portal to another era feels more like a documentary than a fictional film. Indeed, the camerawork, general look of the film and the understated, natural performances greatly enhance the realism Linklater was trying to convey. Aided by a rocking soundtrack, Linklater’s camera flows through the lives of a bunch of teenagers and kids and the ways they spend the last day of school. The characters are all ages (mostly in their teens) and all types (nerds, footballers, cheerleaders, potheads, the incoming freshman and the graduated seniors). It is a very well-constructed screenplay, full of humour and believable characters. But what’s most interesting to watch, at least it was to me, is the huge group of who had just started acting and went on to bigger things in the future: Adam Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey (one of the best of the cast, no doubt), Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck (I almost didn’t recognize him; he was perfect) and Parker Posey. This is not usually my kind of film, but I thought it was very well-made and one of the best of its kind. Indeed, this is a very enjoyable film and one of the best teen comedies out there. 

Personal rating: 7/10

Top 5 Most Played Songs of the Week

I decided to start a new series on my Blog which will basically consist of posting my Top 5 favourite or most played songs of the week every Sunday. I'm definitely not the best music savvy out there but I thought this would be interesting and that it could perhaps inspire the readers (if there are any) to check out the artists, songs or albums I'll be mentioning here. Needless to say, comments, suggestions, recommendations and whatnot are more than welcome.

1. The White Stripes - Ball and Biscuit

Album: Elephant (2003).

This song has a fantastic bluesy sound to it and it's the best example of modern (old school) Rock 'n' Roll that I've ever heard. The lyrics could be about sex or they might simply be a group of words that sounded good together (with a few facts thrown in here and there - Jack is the seventh son-). According to Jack, "ball and biscuit" is a kind of vintage microphone, but regardless of the lyrics, this song is all about Jack's guitar solos: raw, highly-distortioned and apparently improvised in studio; and the best part is that they are always different when he plays it live. YouTube it; you won't be disappointed! The only thing that it's not perfect about the song is Meg White's drumming. Trust me, I am definitely not a hater and I think her drumming is incredibly effective in most of their songs, but they're a bit boring in this one.

2. Blondie - The Hardest Part

Album:  Eat to the Beat (1979).

This song was released as a single in the US in 1980 reaching #84 in Billboard's Hot 100. Commercially appealing but still maintaining the Blondie/Debbie Harry edge, this song is incredibly catchy and has one rocking bridge. Again, the lyrics can be interpreted as sexual and Debbie sings them with incredible attitude and smashing sex appeal. Fantastic drumming by Clem Burke and awesome guitar playing by Chris Stein, who co-wrote this song with Debbie. Such a great, ahead-of-its time video too!

3. Goldfrapp - Strict Machine

Album: Black Cherry (2003).

Another song from a 2003 album, although this one is almost an antithesis to Ball and Biscuit. While the latter has substandard production values and a minimalistic approach, simply relaying on the power of Jack's guitar and vocals to make it work, Strict Machine is a psychedelic elcetronic-dance song, highly stylised and carefully crafted. It was released as a single and it was successful in both the US and the UK. Alison Golfrapp claimed this song was about lab rats being connected to electrodes that were attached to the pleasure centres in their brains, which "told them" to love and enjoy what the scientist made them do. However, I think there's another level to this song and that is about the nature of BDSM relationships. Whatever the meaning of the song might be, I cannot help but dance when I listen to its fantastic bass line and Alison's entrancing vocals.

4. The Smiths - Still Ill

Album: The Smiths (1984).

Much like every song written by Morrissey, the lyrics are meaningful and absolutely essential to the song's effectiveness: full of witty references to historical or political issues but always keeping a primary theme. Because there are so many layers to his songs, it is pointless to "state" what this song is about, but one should rather attempt to describe what it means to oneself. To me, they are talking about depression, especially after a romantic disappointment. Whatever he is saying though, the lyrics are painfully sad and depressing and contrast ironically with the upbeat, cheery Johnny Marr riffs. 

5. The Cranberries - Dreams

Album: Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993).

What a gorgeous song! The lyrics are simple and yet strangely relatable. Because they are rather vague and universal, anyone can apply their own meaning to them. I personally think they are about love and falling in love, but sometimes I feel they are more about life in general and one suddenly waking up and seeing everything in a different light. Such is the nature of Dolores O'Riordan's innocent, hopeful lyrics and together with Noel Hogan, they created the most beautiful melody to go with it. Interestingly enough, Faye Wong did a wonderful cover of this song in Mandarin, which features in one of my favourite films: Chunking Express.