Before Sunset

06.27.10

Before Sunset

(2004)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy

"You can never replace anyone because everyone is made up of such beautiful specific details." - Celine

For some strange reason {or too many reasons to concisely wrap up with a neat little bow} ] Richard Linklater entrances and violently plucks at the strings of my heart and imagination like no other director or filmmaker I've ever been witness too. Before Sunset is a beautiful film that is extremely definitive in his career, the characters played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy play a consistently important role through three of his films: in Before Sunrise (the prequel to Before Sunset) and also in a short in Waking Life (my favorite film). You feel as if you've been granted the power of invisibility and have stumbled across one of the most interesting, life changing conversations going on in the world at that moment in time. But the beauty of Linklater is that he can create that sense of awe and simultaneously cultivate the thought in the viewers mind that it is just a fleeting moment that could be being had by someone else. The culminating moments of peoples lives; "Life is more than the sum of it's parts kiddo" you can almost hear him whispering.

"Memories are wonderful things, if you don't have to deal with the past."

Bananaz

6.25.10
Bananaz
(2008)
Starring: The Creators of the Gorillaz

Bananaz is a documentary about the cartoon band the Gorillaz. 2-D, Noodle, Russel, and Murdoc are animated characters birthed from the creative insanity of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The goal of the Gorillaz was to annihilate the boring mantra of British pop bands and invade the world with a new concept of a faceless band. This film does nothing better than showcase the utterly off-the-wall personalities of the two creators. Bananaz is a rather haphazard splicing together of the many different scenes and issues that ultimately bring about the well known reputation of the band today. Almost irritating at some points are the childish tendencies of Albarn and Hewlett, but ultimately a very informative and entertaining documentation of the band and it's cartoon antics.

Stay

06.10.10
Stay
(2005)
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling

"Do you know the Tristan Rêveur quote about bad art? It's "bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art 'cause it documents human failure." - Henry Letham

Twisted and gnarled like a tangled barbed-wire fence, Stay pricks at the emotions while the viewer is trying to unfurl the complicated web of events that make up the stories of Sam Foster and Henry Letham. Henry Letham (ryan gosling) is the unlikely psychology patient of Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) who shows up and threatens that he will kill himself within three days of their impromptu pshych evaluation. The rest is the intertwining of strange events that begin to piece together as the story leads on. Stay never leaves the viewer with a concrete answer, but allows the story to live on in the imaginations of the viewers- a powerful narrative expression that leaves a lasting impression.


Sam Foster: What's this?
Henry Letham: I burned myself.
Sam Foster: You burned yourself? Why?
Henry Letham: Practicing for hell.

Taking Woodstock

6.09.10
Taking Woodstock
(2009)
Starring: Liev Schrieber, Emile Hirsch, Dmitri Martin



"Everyone with their little perspective. Perspective shuts out the universe, it keeps the love out" - Carol

Fringe Vests, Interpretive Dancing, "Brownies", Acid, Psychedelic Painted Vans, Free Love, and Peace; Just a couple things that embody the true spirit of the festival of Woodstock. Taking Woodstock is a film that sought to cover a different aspect of the festival that isn't normally captured in the documentary style films, it wanted to bring to light the action behind the event. All the beautiful, behind the scenes, human interactions and drama that enabled the concert that would change the face of music for the rest of time. Taking Woodstock, although a bit hodge-podge in it's plot construction, was quite enjoyable. The special features on the dvd were extremely enlightening and ALL of the historical research that went into the film deserves beyond respect. Anyone who appreciates history and the essence of the 1960's music scene will be thoroughly entertained.

The real michael lang
(Ang Lee did such a phenomenal job casting Jonathan Groff for Michael Lang )