The status is witty because here are a few of my random FAVORITE THINGS. I know, I know. I'm here all week. This are pieces of music, film, etc, that I truly do recommend and that deserve your attention because they truly are FANTASTIC. I'll do this every once in a while to call attention to great art and all that good stuff.
Michael Jackson: Live In Bucharest.
Those hankering to see a full-out MJ concert afterThis Is It need look no further than this DVD. The lights and effects are as groundbreaking as one would expect, but, not surprisingly, the real show is the man himself. He was the best dancer of our time, going through move after fluid move with such dexterity and speed that the cameras have to strain to keep up. To see him damn near burn a hole in the screen during "Smooth Criminal", to get chills listening to his quivering falsetto on "Human Nature", to watch him hold the audience in the palm of his hand as he does his immortal "Billie Jean" solo is to be reminded that, for 50 years, we lived in the presence of one of our planet's last great geniuses.
An Education-
My parents generation left us young'uns Star Wars, Chinatown, Michael Jackson, the James Bond series. With more and more assembly-line CGI-fests hitting screens, I fear that when our children kneel before the Altar of Pop Culture to partake in the art of OUR time, we'll have nothing to offer them but...Paul Blart; Mall Cop. But, occasionally, a movie comes along that gives me hope. An Education belongs in that category. Set in Beatles-era Britain, it's the tale of the relationship between studious schoolgirl Jenny (Carey Mulligan), and David (Peter Sarsgard), a wealthy Jewish man twice her age. I didn't specify what kind of relationship, and neither does the movie. That's what makes it so fascinating. The relationship touches on a father-daughter bond, occasionally appears platonic, and flirts, sometimes disturbingly, with romance. These are two people who feel a deep, inseparable bond between them, but aren't quite sure what kind of bond it is. As they two repeatedly hit the town with David's pals (Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike, both superb), this strange relationship lends the film a fascinating mystique; we learn to love them both, but regard them with a sort of suspicion, too. Things progress in this way for a while, until we learn that one of the two parties has an ulterior motive and a devastating secret. It's not a particularly surprising one-that would be too cheap for this film. Instead, what stuns is the characters reaction to this great reveal-the choices they make shake you. This is a delicate emotional tightrope walk of a story, requiring the best actors to bring it to life. That they do-Mulligan makes Jenny one of those movie characters that lives in your head long after the lights come up. Sarsgaard brings complexity to a role that could've wrecked the film if played badly. Emma Thompson and Olivia Williams do impactful work in small roles as schoolteachers. Cara Seymour underplays effectively as Jenny's mother. Alfred Molina plays her father, and, if there is any justice in the world, here is this year's Oscar winner for supporting actor. He steals some of the films best scenes with his comedic timing, and in the final moments, he surprises us by tugging at our hearts. The script is a witty wonder, the soundtrack evocative, Lone Scherfig's direction impeccable. I'll admit, I have issues with the ending. Whatever. I'll let it slide since this one's an instant classic.
The Stranger-Billy Joel
There are a few perfect albums out there. Thriller. When The Pawn Hits The King. Acoustic Soul. The Stranger is another one of 'em. Every song on Billy Joel's 9-song opus is hummable, relatable, intelligent, and groundbreaking. Joel's mellowed out, sometimes even sold out to the Man in recent years. This was his golden hour. From the moment I heard the opener, "Movin' Out", I was blown away. That badass intro, the pulsing beat, the way Joel drags the word "attack" across four glorious syllables-this was something special. "Vienna" is the best melancholy tune pop's ever given us. "Scenes from An Italian Restauraunt" is an 8-minute master stroke that seems to pull back the curtain and reveal an entire lifetime. "Just The Way You Are" will be the slow dance at my wedding, and my bride will take it and like it. "Only the Good Die Young" is the definition of Cool-not "cool", Cool, genuine Cool. "Get It Right The First Time", featuring the catchiest bass line since "Billie Jean", is a toe-tapping, feel-good free-for-fall. Each song here does what every good pop album should do-take human experiences, set them to a great melody, and inflate them to theatrical proportions. Those needing a reminder of what a great song sounds like should pick this up for 9 reminders.
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