Arrival - 2016

I've been thinking about this blog post for the past few days, completely unsure as to how to begin. Walking out of the cinema after seeing "Arrival" I was speechless. Driving home,  getting ready for bed - still speechless. So let's see if I can finally find some words.

Sci-fi is often thought of as cerebral and adventurous, albeit somewhat emotionally cold. "Arrival", however, is a deeply personal movie. It is incredibly intelligent and thrilling, but its story telling is so firmly grounded in Amy Adam's character that you feel every heartbeat each step of the way. You experience what's unfolding on screen through her eyes and it feels unbelievably real. And I have to say, Amy Adams is on top form delivering a breathtaking and authentic performance!

Here's the premise: one day 12 spaceships suddenly appear over various locations around the world. No national landmark explosions or alien invasion, just these giant orbs hanging impossibly in the air. They are occupied though, so each country with one of these ships in their back yard tries in their own way to communicate with the new arrivals. Amy Adam's character is a linguistics professor and is brought along to assist in the attempts at communication.

It's not a film about aliens. It's a film about human intimacy. It explores the constructs of how we interact with each other and the many factors involved in communication; factors such as language, distance, culture, stress, fear, political motivations, grief, media soundbites, physical environment... the list goes on.

It's fascinating stuff, particularly the notion of how our language/communication effects our cognitive experience of the world. But so much more than that, "Arrival" is absolutely beautiful and profound in it's observations about life, love and loss.

I haven't even mentioned the cinematography and the music - oh the music! I was gripped, moved, thrilled, moved so more and just utterly UTTERLY absorbed in the story. It was an indescribable experience that couldn't have been more welcome this week with all that's going on in the world.

I'm going to go see it again. How about you?

Me again...

So, it's been a few months. I could blame the lack of creative output down to sickness. We have had a LOT of sickness in this house, and it does take it's toll - especially on the energy levels.

But also, if I'm being honest, working for and resigning from Creative Northland has really killed my creative ambitions. I was able to take a good hard look at the ugly side of creative industries. I saw a lot of selfishness, irresponsibility, manipulation, posturing, laziness, spite and malicious behavior. Unfortunately, the sad truth about freedom and subjective expression is that our innate human darkness can fester unchecked.

My response? Get the hell out.

I don't like giving up or backing away from a fight, but I just couldn't deal with it. I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed about that. I've always thought of myself as someone who could stand for truth and goodness in the midst of the alternative. I just couldn't see anything other than lose-lose scenarios around me.

Now what?

I struggle to create in isolation. I still need to be apart of a creative community. I need others who, imperfect though we may be, are committed to promoting truth and beauty in our common human experience. I don't want to lose faith in an entire sector of society - especially when I count myself among them.

Hopefully there will be some more post of interest in this blog over the coming weeks.

Hard Candy - 2005

I have put off doing a post on this movie, because my sister Julie once told me "I'm tired of you raving about a movie and then saying 'but I don't think you'd like it'." I have to admit, I am attracted to difficult subjects and often find myself wanting to recommend a movie and then not being able to think of anyone who could stomach what I just watched.

But then I figured, what else are blogs for! =) So, I give you Hard Candy. A film about a 14 year old girl who takes it upon herself to bring "justice" (or revenge?) to a pedophile she finds online. It's an incredibly tense, but brilliantly executed game of cat and mouse. I know that this is said about practically every thriller, but I reckon Hitchcock would have loved to make this movie! It's claustrophobic, twisted, terrifying and breathlessly suspenseful without showing any real nudity or gore.

The script is so tight! Every word is there for a reason and so much is said between the lines. The direction is creative and fresh. Most of the movie takes place in one room but it feels like your watching a car chase at times.

There are basically only the two characters in this film: the girl played by Ellen Page and the predator played by Patrick Wilson. Both actors give stunning performances that left me speechless - the casting couldn't be more perfect! When this movie came out, a lot of attention was given to Ellen Page who became an instant star (much like Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone...another movie definitely worth mentioning, perhaps it'll get it's own post). But I thought Patrick Wilson's charming, calm, friendly, human portrayal of someone with a heinous vice was refreshingly real. It's so easy to label certain criminals as monsters because their actions are monstrous. But we are all real people and who struggle to keep the monster within at bay. Some people struggle more than others, and some people's failures leave more devastation than others.

The plot is simple but the themes are complex. All of us have a God-given desire for justice and mercy. Hard Candy really plays on that in a profound way. What should justice look like for a pedophile? At first you're cheering on this 14 year old girl for turning the tables on this guy, but then over time she starts to look more and more like a young, female Moriarty.

I think everyone is going to take away something different from this film. For me, I loved how it challenged my assumptions about justice and mercy; I loved how it tackled such a difficult subject with confidence and energy. But most of all, it reminded me that only God can bring true justice. Only God can redeem those hurt by evil. The tension of justice and mercy is only walked well by us through His leading.

Kemble in B minor

Alright, here is my first foray into the world of Garage Band (computer software). Pretty pleased with how it's sounding so far, but at the same time a part of me know I've only just scratched the surface here.

This is the first piece of music I wrote on my Kemble upright piano. I used an electric guitar in place of a saxophone and cello.

What do you think?

Kemble in B minor

The Shadow - 1994

I'd never heard of "The Shadow" before a friend of mine suggested I check it out (thanks Jordan!). 1994 was a massive year for movies: "The Lion King", "Pulp Fiction", "Forrest Gump", "The Mask", "Speed", "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Santa Clause" ...the list goes on. Some big names there to compete with but I'm still surprised I never heard of this movie until a week or two ago.

"The Shadow" stars Alec Baldwin (his second film of that year) along with a slew of familiar facing you'll have fun IMDBing later. The story takes place in a 1930's Dick Tracey version of New York City. It's a superhero tale of good against evil - a war that rages internally as well as externally. The Shadow himself is an anti-hero on a quest for redemption; a character that has the class of James Bond with the powers of a Jedi (what a winning combination!). 

On one hand I'm a little disappointed that, in the end, the movie really doesn't do a lot with its themes of darkness (shadow) vs light or the nature of redemption. I felt that the character of the Shadow was set up to have a lot more depth than what ultimately played out on screen. But at the same time a part of me was relieved it didn't take itself too seriously. 

The truth is, I had a great time watching this movie. I was never so pleased to have a bowl of popcorn on my lap! Part of what made the movie so much fun was its uncompromising and delightfully macabre B movie sensibility with full on A movie production values. For 1994 it is still a visual treat!

The secret messages, old cars, swanky night clubs and cool brain-battles thrilled me like a child and the dark sense of humour amused me like an adult.

Ultimately a 3 star movie but your popcorn will never taste so good.

The Act of Killing - 2013

It's hard to know where to begin with this documentary. It contains some of the most incredible human responses I've seen captured on camera.

If you clicked on the link attached to poster you'd see the following IMDB plot synopsis:

A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.

Doesn't sound like an easy watch, and it isn't. In 1965 there was a military coup in Indonesia which resulted in a massive anti-communist purge. During that year 1-2 million "communists" were tortured and killed. The military did a lot of their dirty work through a number of well known gangsters. These gangsters became national heroes for the service provided their country. I tell you what, even as I write this it is difficult to resist the temptation to put most of these words in ironic quotations: "gangsters", "heroes", "service", even "country".

As challenging a subject matter as this is, the documentary handles it with stunning bravery and elegance. The most fascinating thing for me was watching the different ways each gangster made their peace (or not) with the past. For any human being, to face reality of having done such atrocities once all the violence, power and political propaganda has faded is near impossible.

At first there is a real pride in the role they played in these killings. They are, after all, national heroes because of it. But as each one revisits their memories of the time and share stories with the camera crew there is a very visible war going on inside their heads. Some do an about-face and deny their involvement completely with some surprising lies. Some, even as they are hearing themselves tell these stories, start to try harder and harder to rationalise why the killings were good or even necessary. Some accept that what they did was terrible and leave it in the past. Some, sad to say, abandon all morals in order to maintain the believe they've done nothing wrong.

But the most compelling character in this documentary is a gangster named Anwar Congo who is fiercely committed to honesty and telling the whole story. He believes at the beginning that the truth will speak for itself. If what they did is as heroic as the government says it is, then they have nothing to hide. And while his story through the documentary is absolutely heart breaking, you champion him for keeping his heart open and allowing it to break. Again, I've never witnessed anything quite like this on film.

If you have any interest in human psychology, morality, history or film-making I urge you to check this phenomenal work!

A Little Ditty

I'm working on an ensemble piece and I plan to record using an electric guitar in place of a few of the instruments I can't play myself. I'd like to steer away from automated midi tracks as much as possible. Nothing wrong with using them (I done it myself for years), but for the next wee while I want to focus on generating sounds from real instruments - whether played by me or special guest performers.

All that to say, I'm waiting on an adapter in the mail to record the guitar tracks. So in the meantime, here is a little unrelated ditty. Enjoy.

Batman Returns - 1992

I read an IMDB article that ranked all of the Batman movies ever made and was surprised to see that Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" came just (barely) below "The Dark Knight" for first place. I have always loved the idea of Batman - a hero with an edge. As a little kid I used to run around with a Batman cape and fight crime. But my first introduction to Batman on the big screen was through Christopher Nolan's incredible trilogy. It never occurred to me that any previous cinematic incarnation might be on the same level.

So I decided I needed to check out "Batman Returns". And while I don't think it's on the same level with Nolan's trilogy in terms of character and story I have to say, a week on from watching the film, it has really stuck with me. This is thanks largely to the incredibly imaginative and immersive world Burton brings to life in his version of Gotham - the abandoned zoo being a particular highlight for me. What amazing set design!

Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer have a ball with their villainous roles of Penguin and Cat Woman. They throw themselves into these characters with enthusiasm and confidence. What you get are wildly entertaining performances that are just on the right side of silly.

Having been introduced to Michael Keaton for the first time last year in "Birdman", it was fun to finally see him playing the role that made him famous. He does a decent job and looks good in the suit. But, truth be told, there actually isn't a lot for him to do in this film.

The plot is simple and forgettable. The dialog is fine - again, just on the right side of cheesy.

All up, while this is not holistically masterful film-making, there is much to enjoy in "Batman Returns". I'd watch it again for the performances and for another chance to get lost in Tim Burton's lush, gothic, cartoony world.

The Setup

Why hello there! Welcome to my blog. I never thought I'd be the sort to write a blog as I generally don't feel my opinions are worth voicing on the internet nor did I feel I had time to devote to posting essays. But I changed my mind for two reasons...

1. Creating: I want to get serious about writing music again and I could use the motivation of putting new material on this blog.
2. Created: I get so excited about a good film (or even a bad one that affects me in some way) and it would be fun to have another outlet to voice this excitement other than dominating any given conversation with my long suffering friends and family - who's interest is genuine but still humanly limited.

So there you have it. I shall be posting bits and pieces of any given musical composition I have on the go as well as a few thoughts on any films (young and old) that strike me as I watch them.