L.A

by: Elliot Smith

This was how I started my Sunday!

And yes... I know I've said this many times before... but he's just one of my favorite artists ever. 

Great musician and lyricist!

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Since the day Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) was announced, I became eagerly excited to watch it. It had Tom Hanks - my favourite actor - and that alone was enough. But there was more...

Sandra Bullock, with her "market quote" bigger than ever, after her Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side (2009), was another major attraction. Here, we had two leads with the "golden statue" in their CV. 

Add to the mix a supporting cast with the likes of Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright and Max von Sydow, a veteran that seems to improve his brilliance in every film he takes part on.

We could just have leaved it at that, but this is just the cast...

Stephen Daldry, renown English director took helm of the project based in the best-selling book (with the same name as its movie adaptation) with Scott Rudin backing him up, with the producer role. Two men with great background in terms of cinema success, working together in what it seemed to be a moving and powerful film. The trailer also left that impression...

To my big surprise, it didn't took me long to realize it was going to be a struggle to go through little more than two hours. The reason: Thomas Horn.

I couldn't see eye to eye with the young actor, who the story revolved around (well, his character, but you get the idea). Everything seemed forced... his dialogues, his body language, his over-dramatic scenes and even his voice-over narrative. But if you exclude that, everything almost seemed good...

Enjoyed Tom Hanks in his little time on-screen, saw the qualities that made Miss Bullock an Academy award winning actress and Max von Sydow, the best performance of the film, justifying entirely his nomination for Best Secondary Actor.

So you may wonder... "How come you didn't enjoy the film, when the only thing you disliked was the kid's performance?". 

Well... If you take into consideration that 85% (if not more) of the action taken in the movie has Thomas Horn in the centre of attention, than it might make it clear to you. 

I'm probably being very harsh - after all, this is his début on-screen and he's still quite young - but I can't ignore or deny that his role was a total downer. I even wanted to think it was the character's fault and there was nothing any child actor could to, under any circumstances. 

That would be a lie!

There is some to blame on who wrote the script, however, there would be some salvage to Oskar Schell if the casting was different.

Having said this, I would still encourage you to see it as other people's perception is a lot different than mine. Thomas Horn got a lot of compliments over his performance and this feature was nominated for Best Motion Picture of The Year!

Be it as it may, this is my take on it! It's not great, but not bad. Having good moments and very average ones, it might worth your while, especially because of the efforts of the ever so brilliant, Mr. von Sydow.

Add some "Drama" to your life...

Absolutely amazing

Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap

Definetely want to see these movies...

Looper

Here

Elles

Shallow

by: Beach Fossils

Estoril Jazz 2012

ENUI MAG - Aiiii MIUDA

O meu artigo mais recente na Enui Mag sobre os MIUDA - aqui!

Plath Hearth

by: Braids

Destroyer - Kaputt (2011)

I got to hear the album Kaputt (2011) through a friend of mine, without having the slightest idea of what to expect. 

As I went from track to track, I felt more and more in tune with their music and by the end of it, I was impressed. I needed to share my experience in the blog and for that the research started to flow in order to provide a bit more details about the Canadian band, Destroyer. After scrolling very quickly through their wikipedia page, I was shocked to find out they have been together for the last 16 years and here I was thinking this was their début album. Felt like a fool... like I was missing out...

I'm yet to hear their other projects, but hopefully I'll find the same 80's groove with Summer flavour to it.
The beat made of a pacey bass and guitar, plus the addition horn instruments seem to bring back the heat from a time where Hawaiian shirts, Aviator Ray-ban's and the movie Top-Gun (1986) were trendy as hell. Not the best of descriptions, but serves the purpose.

Vintage Summer time...not something that I lived, but would wish to experience.
Kaputt allows me just that...

I Got You Babe

by: Sonny and Cher

Everyday

by: Carly Comando

Fly

by: Ludovico Einaudi

Had to make a solo post for this track...

Taken from the movie Intouchables

Intouchables (2011)

Intouchables (2011) is a French movie - based on true events -  written and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.

In both these fields (writing and directing), Olivier and Eric performed gracefully with great taste, not only aesthetically - with their fine direction - but also with the narrative which never seems to cross the border into cliche territory. Quite a task considering the nature of the script and how now a days film makers try hard to fabric tearjerkers.
You can say this feature almost fits that "genre", depending of one's sensibility... but being an over sensitive person myself, I can tell you that Intouchables while being able to move you, doesn't bring the saddest emotions from you. It offers a balance between comedy - in a smart and genuine way - with the finest of human nature, one where love, respect and compassion are big assets.

As the movie starts, the opening scene gives away a mysterious beginning with two men (Philipe and Driss) with a great piano track serving as soundtrack. Immediately I was drawn... not only because I was curious about the relationship between the two men in the car, but the music was gripping and very familiar. I remember watching various NBA Playoff commercials (ex: 1) with the same song. Soon after, this piano theme gives room to a more funky upbeat, September by Earth, Wind and Fire. 

Come to think about it, the French film is exactly that... a mix of the piano theme with September. While  intense and beautiful, it's also fun and cheerful. Having a lot of qualities that define and describe Intouchables, one that becomes obvious is the relationship between both main characters. In their individual aspects they are great, having a lot of depth and interest, but together they provide a brilliant chemistry, one that alone makes the movie worth it. It's beautiful to see such a comrade between two men, outside the typical male environment. A love between two man, resembling in many aspects the friendship between Andy Dufrane and Red (Shawshank Redemption) with the settings being completely different, but equal in terms of principal. For those who saw the "DVD extras" of Shawshank, the way most of the cast describes their relationship, can easily match what is seen on-screen with François Cluzet and Omar Sy (Philipe and Driss).

From start to finish, what you see - and hear (try and listen to this soundtrack with mix of classic and funk music) - is excellent, making justice to the hype created around this movie. One more successful European venture, reminding us that French cinema is alive and well!

Curtain Call

by: Simian Ghost

The Heinrich Maneuver

by: Interpol

The Young Friends

Another group with New Wave influences and a sound that immediately reminds me of an alternative version of The Drums... They go by the name of The Young Friends and the following tracks are taken from their album Hella (2010)

Shade and Honey

Years ago, when I started digging in on everything Christian Bale had or was working as an actor, I came across a movie called Laurel Canyon (2002). It had a cast of which I was very fond of, but again, the reason that lead me to watch it was the Welsh actor. 

After seeing it I became fan of other actors who were almost (if not entirely) anonymous to me. I'm talking about Kate Beckinsale and Alessandro Nivola, this last one performing one of my favorite moments of  Laurel Canyon.

Nivola portrays a rock star, trying to get his album done and for that, he isolates himself in a studio owned by his girlfriend, played by Frances McDormand (by the way, this is not the synopses, just one of the character's background).
During his music sessions, he plays a track that instantly came across as a sweet and heartfelt ballad.

I was hooked!
Those next weeks, the song was on loop and to this day, I still hear it from time to time. In fact, listening to it recently inspired me to share the the song, the movie and the story behind it.

While doing some research to write about it, I found out that the song Shade and Honey was taken out of the album Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain (2006) by Sparklehorse. I also found out that the lead singer wrote the song for Nivola to sing it in the film.

As for the film directed by Lisa Cholodenko (who also directed/wrote The Kids Are All Right), to simply put it, is an emotional drama of mixed emotions, twists and turns... It goes deep into messed up relationships, be it regarding love, lust, passion... or even between family and friends.

It wasn't a success, but it's definitely one of my favorite movies!

I could look in your face
For a thousand years
It’s like a civil war
Of pain and of cheer

But if you was a horse
I could help you with your chains
I could ride you through the fields
By your fiery mane

May your shade be sweet
And float upon the lakes
Where the sun will be
Made of honey

I'll cry gardens while you burn
'Cause no one here can save you
She’s returning to the Earth
But one day she’ll be silver

The stars are dying in my chest
Till I see you again
She was born with the wings of a hawk
Where she combs her hair with blood

May your shade be sweet
And float upon the lakes
Where the sun will be
Made of honey

May your shade be sweet
And float upon the lakes
Where the sun will be
Made of honey

May your shade be sweet
May your shade be sweet
And float upon the lakes...

May your shade be sweet

Carnage (2011)

Roman Polanski...

Spot on making Carnage (originally a play) into a movie! It worked really well! 

But truth be told... with a director and cast like this, It couldn't go wrong...

 All four of them are nothing short of amazing!

Jodie Foster / John C. Reilly

x

Kate Winslet / Christoph Waltz

Senna (2010)

Even though I was never a big Formula 1 fan, I can say it was present all my life! 

My Dad is an hardcore fan of the sport! He would - and still does - spend a lot of his weekends making sure not to miss any training, tests or other events related to the motor-racing sport, regardless of the time its being broadcast! 

When I was a child, I remember Ayrton Senna's name coming up too often, but I was ignorant to the fact that he held a place among my Father's heroes! 

I also remember my Dad being really sad with his passing! Can't really say I was aware of the situation though... Don't even know how to situate that day into a specific time! Don't recall the year or what I was doing... Just remember the tension in the air without fully understanding what it was all about!

Then... for every other F1 race that followed, came millions of comments unrelated with was going on the track! How Senna was this and that, how he was missed, how back in the day there was nothing more exciting then watching that generation of drivers slugging it out for a pole position! 

A lot of negative comments started to come as well. Mostly towards Benetton's driver - going on to becoming a Ferrari pilot - Michael Schumacher. 

Again, I was confused! Why would my Dad had such hatred towards a man who was conquering the motor-sport world, becoming probably the best driver til this day? I was then explained that in 1994, when Senna crashed, Schumacher celebrated his win in the San Marino Grand Prix... And my Father never forgave the German driver for that! He considered that celebrating act as a major contempt of Senna's legacy, but even more so, as a total lack of respect for the human being that was the Brazilian icon!

These were my recollection of memories and moments related to Senna and the times that came after his death!

Fast forward a few years later, I was still oblivious as I ever was to what came to F1! Much to my Father's disappointment, it was still one of his big passions that none of his children came to possess as their own!

It was only until my coming to the United Kingdom that I started getting involved. My line of work required that and fortunately enough, I had great access to footage, information and even some of the drivers themselves. Plus, having around in the office a man of great insight who would give away a lot of his knowledge on a day to day basis, it would be right to think there was no way I could end a day without learning anything!

That man goes by the name of Don Riddell and he is probably the main reason why I saw this documentary! When the movie was getting out, he made his best to follow the story while gathering what he could for the piece he was pulling together. 

After attending the screening for the feature made by the hand of director Asif Kapadia, Don made his best to put into words the feelings that emerged by watching it, but eventually ended up just saying to everyone in the room that we all needed to see Senna (2010). And not the international version which is 1h47minutes, but the actual extended version, almost reaching a total of three hours!

It took me a while, but finally I invested the time after getting my hands in the director's original cut, much to Don's will of me seeing a full and accurate portrait of a sporting legend!

Those three hours went flying by, such was the way I was completely sucked in to this whole other world, losing perception of space and time. The year was no longer 2012, but 1984... and I wasn't viewing a documentary, but instead a F1 spectator in the stands! And keep in mind, I am til' this day, not a big fan of F1 (although I just became increasingly more after watching Senna)!

Even for those you don't have any sort of interest for the sport, there is a human component of such magnitude, that easily draws the audience. Through testimonies of several people who were close to Ayrton (from a personal or professional perspective) you get to have a taste of the entire system and the people who run it. More importantly, you get to get acquainted with the fastest and most skilled racer, in a time where more than everything, it was the driver who made the difference rather than the car and its technology components!

Meanwhile, coming to the end of the movie, when you know just exactly how and when things are going to take place, you still can't fight the anxiety taking over your whole body when the San Marino GP is being shown. You almost want to turn away your eyes in order to not witness that deadly moment, one that left marks not only in the F1 community, but throughout the world!

Coming to the funeral scenes, I couldn't help myself to avoid shedding a few tears... and as I think about it now, I get emotional and instantly start to collect some of my favourite moments, being my favourite the scene where you see Ayrton calling his Dad after he just finished a race with massive injuries on his shoulders, saying: "don't touch me, just lean on me". One of the most endearing moments I ever witnessed. No script, no Hollywood producers, no acting... just one of the most plain, simple and genuine moments you will witness on-screen!

Having said all of this, I will conclude with the following:

People say there was no one like Ayrton Senna... This documentary indeed shows that! From all levels...

ENUI MAG - JP Simões

O meu último artigo na Enui Mag, desta, sobre o ilustre JP Simões... Aqui!

The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)

by: Greg Kihn Band

It's Tricky

by: Run DMC

Taking a look back in the day and now...

Open

by: Rhye

original video here
(not embedded on post due to age restriction)