Trifecta of Movie Reviews

In November I mentioned that I would be spending the tail end of 2009 at the movies. Tons of purportedly great flicks coming out in time for Awards Season. Eek! And out of all the movies that are on that list from November, I have seen all that have been released here in Vancity, except for one - Nine. I just ran out of days! 2 others – The Messengers and The Lovely Bones have yet to open here. Not sure if The Messengers will and the buzz about The Lovely Bones is not good, with many saying that Jackson completely f*cked up the book - which worries me. No time to review them all extensively….. so here is the last three in mini-review.

Sherlock Holmes

I am not privy to the background or history of Sherlock Holmes. What I know is this: there is a pipe and a sidekick called Dr. Watson and a villain called Moriarity and solving of the crimes. I concur with most of the reviews of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. This film is pretty much about the bromance between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law.

The plot was silly and pretty much irrelevant. Something about an evil Lord who practices black magic and is part of some evil society that wants to take over the world….. insert image of nefarious villain twirling his black moustache at any point …….. kinda lame and as I said…. Irrelevant.

It is the banter. The relationship between these two is what makes this film enjoyable. And the marvelous Irish music for each of the fight scenes. I also liked Rachel McAdams in her role. She did a great job as Holmes’ conniving former girlfriend who has a checkered past and questionable motives. Much like the entire plot, she seemed a little irrelevant to the story, which some have noted, but I am a huge fan of McAdams, so I didn’t really mind.

Overall, Sherlock Holmes was fun. Silly fun, with very very cute boys fighting and solving crimes. And, to quote the great Kevin Smith, Homes and Watson and their enduring relationship as heterosexual life partners.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Heath Ledgers last film. His second collaboration with friend Terry Gilliam. Ledger tragically passed away during filming. 3 of his friends – Johnny Depp, Jude Law & Colin Farrell – stepped in to complete the movie. It is not your typical movie. It is a visual feast for the senses and Ledger was impressive.

So Dr Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) made a deal with the Devil (the perfectly cast Tom Waits) to ensure his immortality – his daughter (model Lily Cole) on her 16th birthday. Along the way they encounter a mysterious stranger (Heath Ledger) who may or may not be able to help Parnassus outwit the Devil. The “Imaginarium” is a world full of wonderful colours, lush landscapes and bizarre visions – all of which are personal to each person who enters through the mirror in Parnassus’ traveling sideshow.

Yes, the story was a little out there. Definitely a case of suspending your belief in what is real and what is not. Which I enjoyed immensely. It was wild and wacky and the inclusion of Depp, Law and Farrell honestly seemed as if that is how the film was supposed to be. Casting Tom Wait’s as the Devil was a piece of inspired casting. He was creepy and smarmy and fantastic.

Filmed in Vancouver, I loved recognizing some of the sites of the city I love so much – the stunning Orpheum Theatre, the spectacular Marine Building and the gorgeous Vancouver Public Library (superlative overload anyone??). I liked this movie a lot. It probably won’t be seen by that many people, but it should be. Go see it! Great film.

The Young Victoria

Oh Michael Buble…. You silly silly boy. Did you see her light up the screen? Have you witnessed the accolades that have been heaped on this performance? Did you see what you completely f*cked up? I know that she is better off with her fiancé – the charming and adorable John Krasinski. I said as much a few days ago on the Twitter that scientists should be working to clone Krasinski, cause right now he is pretty much my ideal man. Funny, cute, and not a cheating douchebag.

The point of this little tirade against the Canadian Crooner Michael Buble is that I saw The Young Victoria starring the luminous Emily Blunt. A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert. I don’t know much - or anything - about Queen Victoria or her life. I am pretty sure that they took considerable artistic licence when they were developing this story for the screen. But no matter.

I liked this film. Blunt was stunning, albeit a little hard to swallow as a 17 year old. She is a great actress and a pleasure to watch on the screen. The costumes and set design were magnificent. A tiny little bit of me wishes I had been born back then. Then I remember the whole right to vote, have an opinion, earn as much as men thing. Ha! The Young Victoria is a good film about a Queen I knew very little about. I am expecting Blunt’s name to be called when they announce the Oscar Nominations soon.

I will get around to seeing Nine. I hope. Believe it or not, I am a little movied out! But the Golden Globes are in a few weeks, so I gotta see what I can now right?

XO

2009 - My Musical Discoveries

As someone who rarely, if ever, listens to the radio expanding my musical horizons to new bands and acts can sometimes be a little tricky. I rely on friends, TV shows that thankfully actively promote their tunage, Soundtracks and word of mouth. Such as discovering Laura Marling late in 2008 when an actor I liked mentioned them.

While I couldn't even conceive of listing my favourite songs or even artists of 2009.... I will leave that to many many others who I am sure are doing an admirable job. My favourite songs of 2009 include songs that have been around for many many years. While I love discovering new musical loves, I tend to go back to what I have known and loved. It's the reliability, you see. However, that is not to say that i have not become enamoured of a few new artists this year. Instead, to keep things interesting (for me as well as you fair reader), I am mixing it up a little.

Below are 5 artists that I discovered this year. To be clear - they are generally not new artists in 2009. Some have been around for years and years. And I am shocked, amazed and frankly a little embarrassed that I was not a fan before now. These are simply acts that came onto my musical radar during the course of the year.

1. Metric Metric Metric.

Okay, so it is just Metric. Hands down my favourite new discovery of the year. I ended up seeing them three times this year. Loved each and every show. Metric is a Canadian indie rock band that have been around since the early-nineties. They have an eclectic sound that for me is firmly anchored by the talent and charisma of their front woman - the amazing Emily Haines. I have already admitted to having quite the girl crush on this chick. Her dance moves kill me. Her clothes, her vibe. I hate using words others use regularly but it is her steeze that gets me. She is beyond cool without trying and an amazingly talented performer. An awesome mix of rock, pop, synthesised Beats - Metric has it all. They totally remind me of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (who I also saw this year a couple of times). Their latest album - Fantasies - is amazing and fantastic on so many levels. I am trying to think of one song that encapsulates their amazingness and can't.


2. Cold War Kids.

This indie rock band from California has been around since 2004. I distinctly recall when I first heard of Cold War Kids. I have a friend who has pretty awesome taste in music and he posted something about them on Facebook. He once told me to buy Dashboard Confessional's - The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most - with a guarantee that if I did not like them he would give me my money back. I think he was also the one that started my DMB love. So I have trust for his musical recommendations.

While they have in no way reinvented the wheel when it comes to a musical style or sound, I love Nathan Willett's voice. They are another band I got to see live this year - Bumbershoot, in Seattle - fantastic. I could and have listened to Hang Me Out To Dry on repeat for hours. So good.




3. Alexi Murdoch

An admission before I go on. I saw Alexi Murdoch in concert late last year. He was opening for Alanis Morrissette and was actually the person that informed me that Obama had won the presidency. While I really enjoyed his set, I didn't know his name and promptly forgot about him. Until I saw the movie - Away We Go. Murdoch was the soundtrack to that film. After I got out of seeing it I immediately went and bought the soundtrack.

His voice is haunting, deep, soulful and amazing. Simple songs, simple tunes. Exactly how I like my musicians - full of angst and talent. Just beautiful.



4. Lady Gaga

Oh Lady Gaga. What a long strange journey we have had this year. At the start of the year, I found you pretty much annoying. Then I came to appreciate the substance, but hate the show. All the crap - the costumes and antics - that is what I disliked. Thankfully - happily - I was able to look past this by the time I saw her in early December. Ninth Row Centre Bitches. And holy mother of Xenu - was it an amazing show. Best show of the Year? I don't know. But it was pretty fricking phenomenal.

Gaga - she of the unfortunate stage name and wacky persona - is undeniably talented. She can sing. And not just sing, she can sing well. She can play the piano. She writes her own music. Yea, it's pop music, but so what? Talent is talent. Although I would still prefer the substance over the styling, I am a convert and am proud to call myself a monster.



5. Miike Snow

This electropop outfit from Swedon were co headlining with Jack Penate at a show at the most ill named venue in Vancity - The Venue. Lame name for a .... um.... venue, right? Gah. Anyways, I have been a fan of Jack Penate for a few years - he toured with the magnificent Adele so I checked him out and.....love. Anways, teeny little show. 2 acts. Convinced someone to come with me. Fricking awesome.

Different from what I typically listen to. I am more of a boy/girl with a guitar/piano kind of music lover. But this was cool and has now opened me up to a whole new type of music.... which I guess is a good thing right? Live they were a trip, coming out in masks that they kept on for half the show. They are coming back in April - bigger venue. I will be there!



Okay, so that is five acts that I am happy to have discovered in 2009. As I just subscribed to Rolling Stone - Happy early Birthday to me! - I am sure my catalogue of muscial boy/girlfriends will increase even more in 2010. I know I know. I am quite the musical slut. I am fine with that. Who did you discover musically in 2009? Who made your panties drop?

XO

A Single Man - A Review

The latest edition of Entertainment Weekly arrived in my mail box today. It has 25 movies you must see before the Oscars on March 7th 2010. To date I have seen 18 of them. Not too shabby. Also note that 4 of the flicks I have yet to see have not been released in Vancity (or I missed them when they were here), 2 others I will be seeing over the weekend, and one – Julie & Julia – I am planning on renting shortly. Yesterday I saw Tom Ford’s stunning directorial debut – A Single Man. Yes, that Tom Ford. The fashion designer who single handedly brought Gucci back from the brink of bankruptcy during the 1990’s.

Stunning is most definitely the watchword for this film. Visually= stunning. Performances = stunning. Music = stunning. It was lush and beautiful and meticulous. Loved it.

A Single Man is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, it is the story of a British college professor (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner (Matthew Goode). The story is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life. Produced by Tom Ford through his Los Angeles based production company, Fade to Black, in association with Chris Weitz and Andrew Miano of Depth of Field, and Robert Salerno of Artina Films. The screenplay is written by Tom Ford and David Scearce. --© Weinsteins

Colin Firth as George is truly magnificent as a man drowning in his grief. His long time partner – Jim – who we only see through flashbacks - was killed in a car crash less than a year ago. George had never been given an opportunity to grieve for his love of 16 years. In a sad example of how gay relationships were treated by many in the 1960’s, George was only informed of the accident when one of Jim’s relatives secretly called him. Not only was he not able to go to the funeral, as it was “family” only, Jim’s parents apparently decided to keep their dead son’s pets. Nice right.

8 months later, George has decided to put his affairs in order and take matters into his own hands. He has planned it all so perfectly, and is intending on leaving everything in meticulous order. But a number of chance meetings throughout the course of the day make him reconsider this decision.

First and foremost is his encounter with one of his young students – a blonde haired, blue eyed, perfectly sun kissed student – played with salty goodness by Nicholas Hoult. Sigh. Did George see pieces of himself in the young Jimmy? There were a number of similarities between these men who are at differing stages of their lives. But Jimmy was open with who he was whereas George’s life remained cloaked in secrecy.

Julianne Moore, as Charley – George’s sometime lover and best friend is luminous. As always she is spectacular. She is one of my favourite working actresses. She is always amazing in everything she does. Moore is willing to do whatever it takes to deliver an authentic, real performance. I love her so much. And her hair and make up in this film. Oh la. So fricking amazing. I did not particularly care for her dress, but I suppose that it suited the times.

Everything is beautiful in this film. There is none of the ugliness of LA. All the people are perfectly dressed, impeccably coiffed and beautifully manicured. I suspect that Tom Ford overlooked every frame of film. There was meticulous detail in every aspect of this movie, everything seemed perfectly calculated and considered.

I was intrigued by the use of light and colour. Firth seems to be lit in grey’s and ash tones, that wash him out completely. Other characters, particularly Jimmy, appear to be permanently lit by the sun’s warm glow. Every frame Hoult was in was golden and bright and beautiful. And in George’s last encounter with his new young friend, he too seems to be enveloped in a warm golden light. Yes, I may be over thinking, but that was how it came across to me.

I also absolutely loved the score by Abel Korzeniowski - flawless and haunting. A number of the scenes were without words – perhaps this is why the music resonated so strongly with me. In addition, the scenes where he is quietly observing his neighbours and their seemingly perfect life seem surreal. Slowed down and brightly lit with a distinct dream like quality. It is as if he is watching a movie.

Tom Ford’s A Single Man is a beautiful, stylized, carefully detailed and immaculately shot movie. Firth’s performance is phenomenal. The film is anchored magnificently by Firth’s masterful portrayal as a man who is lost in his grief. Firth will be nominated for an Oscar for this role. Not sure if he will win, but for me, at this stage in the game, from the roles I have seen, his is the performance to beat.

XO

Invictus - A review

Australians can typically be divided down party lines. Rugby or Aussie Rules. I am an Aussie Rules girl – go Blues! - which means that the Rugby World Cup has never even blipped on my radar. So the whole story surrounding the 1995 World Cup which is chronicled in the film Invictus, yea. I didn’t really follow that. To be honest, I had no clue that one silly game of rugby was capable of uniting a whole country that was on the brink of extreme civil unrest. Or do you think maybe the film exaggerated just a little? In Hollyweird? Never. Pfft.

Invictus tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match. --© Warner Bros.

In spite of the accents – shudder - I have this thing about Afrikaans accents. I pretty much cringe every time I hear an Afrikaans accent, it is not a racism thing. Blame that guy in Lethal Weapon 2.. “Diplomatic Immunity…..” Okay, in spite of that, I really enjoyed this film. And the fact that I enjoyed a movie that is about sports definitely says something. Sport movies typically don’t really do it for me.

Director Clint Eastwood was able to elicit outstanding performances from his cast. It pretty much revolved around Freeman and Damon and as always they both delivered. Morgan Freeman was quietly dignified in his portrayal of Nelson Mandela. His performance rings true and never feels forced. Damon delivered yet another solid performance and mastered the difficult accent so well that he seemed like a local. I enjoy Matt Damon more and more in each film I see him in. He is showing that he can do so much more than the Bourne movies. Not that I am not a fan of the Bourne Movies. I can’t wait for the rumoured 4th film in the franchise.

More interesting than the sports…cause …. Sports = yawn…..I found Eastwood’s demonstration of Mandela’s leadership of his fledgling administration fascinating. I had never really given much thought to how difficult the transition for both Mandela and his staff would have been. I especially liked how Eastwood used the security team to demonstrate the initial animosity and gradual thawing of the tension between the “pre” and “post” Mandela staff.

Invictus was a heart-felt and uplifting movie and was full of many many cliches. The rugby team sucks. But after a few inspirational speeches and some jogging as a team along the streets of South Africa, the players that everyone was convinced had no chance in heck…. Oh I don’t want to spoil it for you. And this is why I don’t enjoy Sports movies. Because nice guys rarely finish last.

Don’t get me wrong, the film had me on the verge of tears quite a few times. But I have a ton of real life crap going on, so at this stage in the game, pretty much anything will make me shed a few tears at the moment.

Some parts were cloying in their sweetness. Such as the team running through the streets together…. And the little black boy listening to the game alongside the gruff white men, edging closer and closer to their car’s radio…. I won’t say what happens by the end of the game. I will let you draw your own conclusions.

I did enjoy this movie. A lot. Worth seeing? Definitely. But, compared to some of the other films floating around at the moment, it is kind of getting lost in the shuffle for me. So many great movies, a good movie gets forgotten pretty quickly. I think this is what will happen with Invictus when this seasons Awards hardware is handed out.

XO

Avatar did not Suck.

I have a secret to confess. Actually I have two. I will start with the one you will likely find rather shocking. I have never seen the movie Titanic. This is a conscious decision on my part. I will admit - I have seen bits and pieces of it when it has been on TV, but I have never watched it from start to finish. My justification for this pretty ridiculous, but I am confident in my decision to never see this movie. You see, in case you have been living under a rock since 1997 and were not aware - James Cameron’s Titanic is the “highest grossing movie of all time.” This is what irritates me. Yes, Titanic has made more money than any other movie ever made. And for some reason I find this irritating. If you take into account the difference in price of films over the years, the highest grossing movie of all time is actually 1939’s Gone With The Wind. More people paid to see Gone With The Wind than Titanic. But people never ever mention that when discussing movies. And this is the petty, slightly insane and completely ridiculous reason why I will never sit down and watch Titanic from start to finish. Seriously. For reals.

But today, I ventured out and saw James Cameron’s latest movie Avatar – in 3D. And let me just say, that it was pretty fricking cool. This is a phenomenal movie – visually spectacular, with effects and technology that I really do not have words for. The story itself is a little ho-hum, but the ride is totally worth it. According to a number of professional reviewer type people, our movie going world will now be divided in two – “Before Avatar” and “After Avatar”. This film has apparently changed the way we will watch movies.

“A paraplegic ex-marine finds a new life on the distant planet of Pandora, only to find himself battling humankind alongside the planet's indigenous Na'vi race in this ambitious digital 3D sci-fi epic from Academy Award-winning Titanic director James Cameron. The film, which marks Cameron's first dramatic feature since 1997's Titanic, follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a war veteran who gets called to the depths of space to pick up the job of his slain twin brother for the scientific arm of a megacorporation looking to mine the planet of Pandora for a valued ore. Unfortunately the biggest deposit of the prized substance lies underneath the home of the Na'vi, a ten-foot-tall, blue-skinned native tribe who have been at war with the security arm of the company, lead by Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Because of the planet's hostile atmosphere, humans have genetically grown half-alien/half-human bodies which they can jack their consciousnesses into and explore the world in. Since Jake's brother already had an incredibly expensive Avatar grown for him, he's able to connect with it using the same DNA code and experience first-hand the joys of Pandora while giving the scientific team, led by Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) and Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore), some well-needed protection against the planet's more hostile forces.

On a chance meeting after getting separated from his team, Jake's Avatar is rescued by Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a Na'vi princess, who brings him into her tribe in order to give the humans a second chance at relating to this new environment. When word gets out of his increasing time with the alien species, Quaritch enlists Jake to do some reconnaissance for the company, as they'd like to persuade the tribe to move their home before taking more drastic measures to harness the treasure hidden below. Yet as Jake becomes one with the tribe and begins to understand the secrets of Pandora, his conscience is torn between his new adopted world and the wheelchair-bound one awaiting him when the psychic connection to his Avatar is broken. Soon battle lines are drawn and Jake needs to decide which side he will fight on when the time comes. The film was shot on the proprietary FUSION digital 3D cameras developed by Cameron in collaboration with Vince Pace, and offers a groundbreaking mix of live-action dramatic performances and computer-generated effects. The revolutionary motion-capture system created for the film allows the facial expressions of actors to be captured as a virtual camera system enables them to see what their computer-generated counterparts will be seeing in the film, and Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning Weta Digital visual-effects house supervises Avatar's complex special effects. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

I don’t understand the whole technology side of things. I just know that the world that Cameron created for this movie is beyond words. It is full of bright vivid colours, fantastical foliage and terrifyingly real creatures. Spectacular mountains, stunning waterfalls, vast forests. You become totally and completely immersed in this world that Cameron created.

I was especially entranced by the night scenes. Every step taken by the characters lit up the ground. Even when they were running through the trees after dark, their steps would light up the ground beneath them. So pretty. There were crazy dog like creatures that scared the crap out of me, flying dragon like creatures that were a multitude of colours and trees that the Na’vi connected to and communicated with. Hell, Cameron even had someone create an entire language that was phonetically easy for the cast to learn, but was unlike any language that exists anywhere in the world.

The story itself is pretty pedestrian and if it weren’t for the amazing effects, the film would be pretty mundane. A few things that specifically irritated me about the plot: the first two thirds of the movie are spent basically explaining how the earth is an amazing creature and everything and everyone is connected to the earth. Then Cameron proceeds to blow the shit out of it. The land the Na’vi are so desperately trying to save – the reason they battle the human interlopers - is pretty much decimated by the end of the film. Yes, they prevailed over the evil humans, but what do they have left? And in 2154, you would think technology would have advanced enough that manual wheelchairs would be totally obsolete.

Thankfully however, this film is not really about the plot – or lack there of. It is about the experience. And the experience is mind blowing. Will it take over from Titanic as the highest grossing movie ever made? I don’t know. But if it does, maybe I will give up my insane vendetta and see Titanic. Maybe.

Oh, and my other secret of the day. One that I am planning on remedying sooner rather than later. I have never seen the Shawshank Redemption. I just never got around to it. I know. I know. It is amazing and fantastic and life changing. Which I why I keep the fact I have never seen it a secret. Don’t tell anyone. Okay.

XO

The Monster Ball - Show me your Teeth!!

If you know me, you know my musical tastes. I am in musical heaven if there is a somewhat cute boy with a guitar. He writes his own material, and seeing him in concert involves him and his guitar. That is my musical orgasm. It has worked for me over the years and I am generally left satisfied. I have always been more interested in the substance of an artist, more than the show.

This is why Lady Gaga leaves me torn. While I have appreciation for her substance as an artist, the show and hype surrounding her has always kind of irritated me. The costumes, the hint of a penis (which I am pretty sure she encouraged), her close friendship with the douchy Perez Hilton… all of that has left me cold. Especially when I know she is talented – she writes her own songs, plays the piano and wonder of wonders, sings live. I have heard her sing acoustically – she has a great voice. But the package….. there was the rub.

Over the past few months however, I have found myself more and more intrigued by this New York pop phenom. To see her in concert, or not to see her in concert? I am more of a folk music kind of gal, but Gaga I was now wiling to make an exception for. When my friend Nicole left me a message telling me we had ninth row seats to her concert at the Queen Elizabeth theatre, I did a happy dance in the middle of Filene’s Basement on the Upper West Side of New York.

Last night, I experienced the Monster Ball. From start to finish, through about 6 costume changes, Lady Gaga kept us totally and completely energized and entertained. She was so captivating that it wasn’t until about half way through the show that I realized the amazing abs of her dancers. Holy abs and impressive packages in their tight spandex. Hello salty goodness. We danced our asses off.

Loved the whole thing. Especially when it was just her and the piano. Only a song and half. But that made it worth the $90. Ninth row center. Short chicks in front of me. The perfect setting on my crappy camera found very quickly. She didn’t play the one song I always skip (Brown Eyes – such cheese).

From the first song to the final encore she was fricking awesome. She danced, she sang live and it was good. All good. So fricking good. To see her in a relatively intimate venue was fantastic. Next time it will be GM place and it will not be the same. The staging was relatively simple, lots of screens to give coverage during costume changes. Mainly it was just Gaga and the dancers.

One of the best shows I have seen all year. And I have been to a ton. She definitely made me wanna Just Dance!

XO

Rock and Folk at the Commodore

There is a scene in Season 3 of Buffy when Oz and Willow are at the Bronze, sitting on a couch, completely lost in each other. He caresses her face and kisses her gently when Buffy comes up an interrupts them. It is a simple little scene…signifying how Buffy is alone and always will be…..burden of being the Slayer blah blah blah……really isn’t super important. It is one of my favourite Willow-Oz scenes simply because they are so lost in each other and the rest of the world has fallen away. Sigh. The kind of love I was had before it got all f*cked up……anyways…moving on. The point to this was not to fall into a pit of despair about how love sucks balls. The point (and do you not love how I can relate anything and everything to Buffy?) was to illustrate appropriate forms of PDA.

On Monday night, at the Commodore Ballroom, there was this couple that had no concept of this. They spent the entire 30 minutes before the opening act and most of the actual opening act of the show sucking each other’s face off in a booth. And it was not in a Willow-Oz, I wish I were her; they are so clearly in love kind of way. It was just gross. It was as if they were thirteen years old, drunk for the first time, having no f*cking clue what they are doing. It was nauseating.

Then during the show they were right in my sight line, standing on the dance floor, arms wrapped around each other for the entire set. It was more than that. I can’t really describe it, but it seemed as if they believed their lives depended on their being no more than 2 inches apart, complete with 60% of their bodies touching. Ugh. Sickening and nauseating.

Now onto the important things. The show. I would like to say it was a sold out crowd, but in honesty, it was only about a third full. Very strange as I thought that the headliner was pretty well known. Brett Dennen with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals as the opener. F*cking wicked. A last minute addition to the fall concert series that is my life. I had seen Brett before, a few years ago with Missy Higgins and Mason Jennings. He was good. Very good. Never seen Grace Potter. Can’t recall when I first heard of them.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals are f*cking amazing. Seriously so good. 6 of them on stage, all in red and black, clearly loving what they do and totally vibing off of each other. In all honesty, this band from Vermont should more well known than they are. Grace’s voice is phenomenal, and she can wail. They reminded me of Janis Joplin with a side of Jefferson Airplane. And their cover of Somebody to Love/White Rabbit was fantastic. They played my favourite song – Apologies – which is slow and soulful. But it was their last song that solidified the amazingness. By the end of the song they were all surrounding the drum kit, playing a different part of the kit. So f*cking good.

Next up was Brett Dennen. Also great. But a completely different vibe from Grace Potter. Where GP were all wild and soulful and totally blew the roof off of the Commodore, Brett is a lot more mellow, cute and endearing to the crowd. He has a very unique look and sound. He looks kinda like Carrot Top, before all the unfortunate surgeries, or Chucky. And sounds somewhat similar to Tracy Chapman. He scats, he shakes his ass, his band is dope. He played all the songs I know and love. Super chill, strangely skinny, very entertaining. An odd duck. But his tunes are catchy and inoffensive, and he is another that should be better known than he currently is.

Short reviews of live shows now seem to be the norm for me. I rarely have the time to write masses on each and every song that is played. Eek! Hope no-one is too concerned about it. I was also camera shy so no pictures or video. Saving it up for Lady Gaga (review and twelve million pics coming later tonite hopefully)

Lemme know if you are heartbroken by this ;)

XO

PS: Screen cap of Buffy courtesy of the amazing peeps at Screencap Paradise

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Review

I ticked another one of the movies on my must see before the New Year list this afternoon. While hundreds of thousands of Vancouverites lined the streets for the Rogers Santa Claus parade, I resisted the urge to leak the news to all the kids I passed that Santa was a big old fake and made my way to The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (daughter of Arthur Miller and wife of the incomparable Daniel Day Lewis), this is the story of a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) leads a charmed existence. She is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (Alan Arkin) thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. In truth, looks are deceiving, and this picture-perfect woman has seen more than her fair share of turmoil in her youth. Embarking on a bittersweet journey of self-discovery, accompanied by a new, strange and soulful acquaintance (Keanu Reeves), Pippa must now confront both her volatile past and the hidden resentment of her seemingly perfect life in order to find her true sense of self.

Alternating between flashbacks that delve into Pippa’s past and her present quiet meltdown, this is a beautifully shot film. I loved the seamless way they flitted between the past and the present and was intrigued by the way the colour palettes in the past and present were also very distinct.

With a supporting cast that includes Maria Bello, Blake Lively, Monica Belluci, Julianne Moore and Winona Ryder, I really really enjoyed this film. It was funny and sad and witty, a beautifully shot movie. Robin Wright Penn has not carried a film in a long time, instead playing supporting roles in a number of movies. In Pippa Lee she shows that she is worthy of lead roles and should be considered a force to be reckoned with amongst other actors of her age group.

Alan Arkin and Keanu Reeves as husband and savior respectively are also solid. I must say that Alan Arkin’s wig during the flashback sequences was ridiculous and so very very bad, and seeing him lying next to the very very nekkid Blake Lively (as the young Pippa Lee) was very very icky considering he is 50 years older than Lively. I was frankly a little bit surprised to find myself somewhat attracted to Keanu Reeves, something that hasn’t really happened before. Apparently, when he shaves and showers he knows how to bring the quiver. Who knew?

Moore and Ryder revelled in their relatively minor roles, in particular I was glad to see Winona back on the scene as a character that delivered some of the best laughs in the film. Maria Bello and Blake Lively were very good, Bello’s performance as Pippa’s drug addicted mother makes me remember why I enjoy seeing her on the screen. Lively – best known from Gossip Girl – showed that she has a career ahead of her once her turn on the CW’s hit show comes to its inevitable end. The range she showed and the depths of emotion that she was able to reach honestly surprised me a little.

Again, this was not a perfect movie. I found Pippa’s children and her relationship with them kind of redundant. They didn’t add anything to the film that we didn’t see in her interactions with the other characters. The grand trauma in Pippa and her husbands life, that apparently seemed to hang over their marriage and define their relationship was simply mentioned in passing two-thirds of the way through the film over as an addendum to everything else that had happened in Pippa’s life.

But these are minor plot points that can be overlooked for a film such as this. I found this funny, warm, uplifting and smart. Held together by impressive performances – in particular that of Robin Wright (I think she has ditched the Penn) – this was one of my fave movies of the year thus far. And considering I see pretty much every movie, that is saying a lot!

Go see The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. You will not regret it!

XO