After all these years, I still love listening to Angela Bofill. Ms. Bofill hit it big in 1978, signed to Clive Davis' Arista records where she introduced the "smooth soul" sound. But in the span of her musical career, one cannot pigeonhole her music in just one genre - she also gave wondeful R & B, Jazz, and Afro-Cuban music. Part Cuban and part Puerto Rican, she was one of my favorite singers growing up, and to this day, not a lot touch me musically as deeply as she does. Her album, "Experience" is meant to celebrate her artistry, it's a companion peace to her 2010 show where she came back on stage after suffering two strokes in 2006 and 2007. It's a great collection, with a mix of her hits, like "Break It To Me Gently," and Under The Moon And Over The Sky" to lesser known gems like the wonderful "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore," and "Love In Slow Motion," an underrated jewel from her last studio album from 2006 of the same title. Jazz and R & B purists hold her to high esteem, and she has a cult following that is very vocal. I love the whole album, a treat from beginning to end, and you even get a glimpse of how electric she is singing live, on "Follow Your Road," which is from a small club date from 2004. And anything with her "You Should Know By Now" is magic by itself.
I really don't do well with sports movies because I am not a sports fan. I don't follow them, barely understand them, and they don't interest me. I am just not into them, simply put. But I wanted to see Brad Pitt's performance in "Moneyball" since he has been lauded in the role. He is handsome in this movie, and there is still that sparkle in his eyes that will melt your heart. I wish I could say that I loved the movie, but again, I go back to the fact that the subject matter did not really interest me. It took me a while to keep up with the plot, and when I did, I was like, "Meh." And while Jonah Hill was competent, I do not get the high accolades he is getting, and can think of other actors more deserving of his Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy. And I spent a lot of time thinking where I have seen the young actress playing Pitt's daughter here, then I realized she is also Jon hamm's daughter in "Mad Men." That was the extent of my attention span for this movie.
Joseph Gordon Leavitt is so good in 50/50 that I am sad for him that he wasn't recognized by The Academy. And "50/50" is a different kind of cancer movie, which is more bittersweet than bitter. I think this is because of the sparkly writing, and the great chemistry between Leavitt and Seth Rogan, who plays his best friend in this movie. (If The Academy wanted to give a Supporting nod to a sidekick role, they should have given it to Rogan instead of Jonah Hill) Still, as "uplifting" as this movie is, it is still kind of depressing - cancer and all. And Anna Kendrick - she seems to be playing the same roles with each of her movies.
Tell me the truth. Did Adele Parks really write "Happy Families," because it sure doesn't seem like her other novels. I have not read everything she has written, but the ones I have read always had sophisticated characters and here the protagonist is a ... suburban housewife. You can sense that she is out of her elements because the characters all seem bland: cardboards, plastic. And, dare I say it, dumb. There is a "misunderstanding" plot point that is too stupid to be believed, and the feel-good happy ever after rang false. I really don't mind predictable, if it is a sweet journey getting there, but this is just too sweet in the wrong sense of the word.
BC- 8
I love Joan Rivers. I have been a fan of hers for as long as I can remember, and I remember watching her on The Tonight Show when she used to sub for Johnny Carson every Monday. I even followed her when she herself had her own late night talk show on Fox, and somewhere in my boxes I have a VHS tape of her first night hosting that show. However, I never saw the first season of her reality show, "Joan Knows Best" when it premiered early this year (I think I was in the middle of moving) so when Season 2 started last night, I made a point of DVRing it (Wow. I cannot believe I just used DVR as a verb) and i just saw it and I have thoughts about it. Thoughts! First of all I don't think this is a reality show at all, but I would classify it more as a sitcom. Huge parts of it are obviously scripted, and it's well done in that regards. Joan is great as a doting grandmother, and it is a full three dimensional character, and we see all sides of her. On one hand, she is a sweet grandmother, and even takes her grandson's friend under her wings, as he is an aspiring stand up comedian. It is nice to see Joan be a mentor for someone, as it gives her a human side. Yet there is the "annoying" Joan, too. This is a woman who wants to get her 734th plastic surgery (I wonder if that was a joke, but I have read that it wasn't) and I don't think she is coming off as sympathetic because it is obviously a play of addiction for her. The show, as an hour of entertainment, can be a bit much, and I wonder if it wold be more suited for half an hour. Melissa is loathsome - she comes off to me as humorless and condescending. I have pressed the "Season Pass" on my DVR and I still wonder if I would tune in next week.
No no no, my nose is not deceiving me. I am not wearing Thierry Mugler Angel, I am wearing Laurence Dumont Les Senteurs Gourmandes VANILLE CHOCOLAT, and I really do like it a lot. It's a cheap thrill - it's a little more than twenty bucks for 100 ml - and if you think Angel is a bit too loud and bombastic for you, then this is a good alternative. The chocolate note is front and center, but it is not overly sweet - there's a coco vibe that is kind of earthy and dirty. As a matter of fact, the vanilla is almost non-existent for me, because it is pretty linear and it goes straight to that patchouli chocolate right away. It's not the most original thing in the world, but I think it's better than those too-common fruity floral pink pepper concoctions that are a dime a dozen nowadays. And during the wintertime, it's comforting enough to envelope you. I am a lot less of a gourmand fan nowadays when it comes to perfume, but I will wear this one easily.
Everyone I know, and whose taste I trust, has been raving about "Remembrance Of Things I Forgot," Bob Smith's novel. So I was super excited to start reading it. The premise was interesting enough: a Middle-aged gay man travels back to 1986 and tries to change history. His main goal was to stop George W Bush from becoming president, because his boyfriend of the future becomes a Log Cabin Republican, and it has strained their relationship. Hilarious enough, and the novel starts out very well, presenting a narrator who is witty and erudite. And then he travels back in time, and then...I start to lose interest in the novel. I try very hard to "understand" and "sympathize" but I found the narrator too shallow and maybe I was looking - and expecting - a different kind of novel than the one I was reading. I know that if I had travel back in time I would visit my old life quite differently than what he did. For example, he talks about friends who have died from AIDS but he never contacts them. Then he tries to interact with the younger version of himself, and even tries to cruise that person, which I thought was over all very creepy. And I just didn't understand the energy spent in dealing with Cheney and Bush then, when I would have gone to places I have missed and people I have lost. I guess I was looking at things in a more romanticized angle, and this book leaned more in the whimsical, science fiction kind of story. Smith writes well, and there were several jokes and one-liners that landed, but all in all, I was just not into the book. I wanted to love it but just barely liked it. And I kind of hate myself for that.
BC-7
Maybe it's the traveler in me, but he first thought I had after seeing "The Descendants" was how beautiful Hawaii was, and I need to rectify the fact that I have not been there in almost 32 years, and truly, I don't even remember much from my very brief visit there. The place is such a prominent presence in the film that you could consider it as George Clooney's co-star. And this is definitely Clooney's movie - he is on almost every frame of it, and he carries its emotional core. He has been lauded for his performance here, and has won awards for it, including the Golden Globe, and I would have to agree it is a great performance all in all. But, I must say, that it took me a while to warm up to his performance. There was something about it that rang untrue in the beginning, and I just couldn't believe it. Actually, I didn't like most of the characters in the movie, including his children. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but on the day that they unplug their mother's life support machine, the whole family goes to the beach. Maybe it's just me, but in a situation like that, i would not leave my mother's side. Yes, I know that the trip is a pivotal plot point for something else, but that is just one of the reasons why the character weren't endearing. I had loved Alexander Payne's previous movies, like "Sideways," and "Election," so maybe it's a personal taste thing that is making me just liking this film instead of loving it. It's just a little too much of "rich white people" problems which may be a reaction as I look around and see the current economic climate. I wanna go to Hawaii....
I guess I am still on my "instrumentals" kick because, on a Saturday night, I found myself listening to Kenny Burrell's "Tenderly." This is just-released live album, from two intimate shows in California last year. It's a retrospective show, and there are spoken introductions on some of the numbers. And what a great crowd, they do not start clapping until he has played the very last note, so you can sense the energy of the whole night. He gives the impression that the song selections are random, going where the crowd takes him, and it's exhilaratingly good. I love his "Ellingtonia Medley," where he says he will start out with "Azure," and "I don't know where I will end."(He ends with "Come Sunday.) He reminisces playing in the studio with Lady Day, and her tribute to her with a trio of songs: "No More," "Don't Explain," and "But Beautiful." And the romantic, melancholy arrangements of "Why Did I Choose You," "My Foolish Heart," and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" are just that and achingly so. Imagine yourself in a smoky jazz club in the Village, with a glass of Scotch, watching a guitar master in action, because that's what this record feels like, a moment caught in time, so quintessentially something that can no longer be replicated.
Coming-Of-Age stories always interest me. Perhaps because in everything I read, I always try to find a lesson learned, may it be a life lesson, an information learned, sometimes even a food recipe, or a food or music reference. Justin Torres' "We The Animals" made me reflect a lot. It is a story of a dysfunctional family that could either be yours or mine, but not really. It is Mr. Torres' first novel, and as first novelists tend to do, the writing is very stylized. Here the story is initially told in third person plural, with the "we" being three boys of mixed heritage. Their father is Puerto Rican, their mother is white, and their father beats their mother. He disappears, has affairs, comes back, and she takes him back. She tries to escape, she tries to take her kids away, she eventually comes back. I was lost in their world instantly, and up to a certain point I was wondering why this book was filed under "gay fiction"on Amazon. The last third of the book switches narrators, it now becomes the youngest kid, but the tone of the novel stays the same. I kind of wish the latter part was more explored, since I thought it was just as interesting. I know some people have written the abrupt change threw them off, but I kind of knew it was there all along. Maybe nothing surprises me anymore. This is the kind of book I liked a lot, but I don't know if I can bear to read again.
BC-6
In drag queen lingo, "kai-kai" means a love affair between two drag queens, and as much as I celebrate love in all its forms and colors, I have yet to feel comfortable about that pairing - and yes, I freely admit it is a personal prejudice. (And I am working on getting rid of that prejudice) Maybe that was the reason why it took me a long time to sample Kai, the scent which was developed by Gaye Straza Rappaport, who owns an ultra chic Malibu boutique. Kai has been favored by a long list of cleberities: Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Naomi Watts, Nicole KidmanReese Witherspoon, Debra Messing, Miley Cyrus, Tommy Lee are just a couple of names who are fans of this. Apparently, the scent was created to capture the scent of a Hawaiian vacation. the notes: a bunch of white flowers, but essentially, it's a gardenia scent. Well, I love it. I wore it on a cold-ish winter day and maybe because I have that Hawaiian Tropical vision in my head, but I did feel like I was transformed at some cottage by a beach. The last time I was in Hawaii was 31 years ago, and I don't remember much, so this is making me crave a Hawaiian vacation (One of these days...) Now this is making me want to try other Gardenia perfumes. Kai is light and musky, and is pretty uncomplicated. It is also linear. If you are looking for depth in your perfume, this won't satisfy you. But it is fun and easy to wear, akin to watching a cute romantic comedy, or reading a chick lit novel. We need that once in a while...
Finally, a jewel from the ruins. I got "Tales From My Hard Drive" free from Amazon a while back, and the other day I just chose it randomly to read. I wanted something light and mindless. And truth be told, I didn't have high hopes for it because my experience with free Kindle books hasn't been the best. And it did start out kind of cliche-ish. A woman catches her husband cheating and moves cross country to start a new life. Blah blah, I've seen this before. I was ready to walk the familiar. Then she gets prodded to do internet dating, a concept that is new to this 40+ year old woman. (Yay for the 40-somethings, by the way) I thought this was going to be just a novel with a cavalcade of internet horror dating scenes - and it is - but I found it was much more than that. Megan Karasch is an effective writer, first of all. She has funny tales in there, but underneath it all she has a flair for "the sensitive." There are wry observations of life and love that got me thinking, interspersed with situational comedy. You find yourself laughing and then realize there was much more to it, and you find yourself being touched. And the cartoonish chick-lit cover is a too pandering choice for this much more adult story, but I guess they have to try to sell some copies through that. This was an unexpectedly good (and free!) read.
BC-5
Book Review: Tales From My Hard Drive, Meg Karasch
"Smash" is smashing. While some people have compared it to "Glee," this show is more adult, more promising, and more Broadway-centric. Written by Theresa Rybeck and directed by John Mayer (both represented on Broadway right now by "Seminar," and "On A Clear Day" respectively) the creators of this series clearly love The Great White Way, and it shows. The concept of the series is that for every season, the audience gets to how a show on Broadway gets created, from the artistic side to the commercial side, including casting, staging, and promoting it. Debra Messing and Christian Borle play the creative team, and Anjelica Houston plays the producer, and for the first year, they are mounting a show based on Marilyn Monroe - "Marilyn, The Musical," as it were. Marc Shaiman does the original music, and the songs range from good to great, but maybe that is part of the process. Things go fast on the pilot, and by the end of the episode we get a director is brilliant but may be difficult to work with, and they have a big decision to make - whether to give the role of Marilyn to a brilliant neophyte (Katherine McPhee) or the Broadway veteran (Megan Hilty) Characters aren't fully fleshed out yet so we cannot determine who the heros and heroines yet (and who the villains are) but it sure looks like the audience will have a ball finding out. I am excited for the series, and I thought the acting is universally great. I love Debra Messing, and even in the little she was given to do in the pilot, Anjelica Houston commands presence. And Katherine McPhee is a revelation. I have always had a soft spot for her as a singer, and she has only gotten better, and as an actress, she may well surprise everyone. I cannot wait till this airs weekly, and I hope it smashes into people's livings rooms. Thank you, NBC for bringing a little slice of Broadway to network television.
Television Review: "Smash" NBC
I have go to admit, even I was skeptical about the whole concept of "The Artist." A silent movie in this day and age? I thought to myself, will I even understand the plot? But seconds into the movie, I even forgot that it was silent, because it was not *completely* silent of course, there was the grand score of Ludovic Bource, who borrows a lot from Bernard Hermann's score of Vertigo. The score perfectly envelopes each scene, and the effect is that it is that your senses are more highlighted. The whole movie is a celebration of classic filmmaking, and you feel the love. Jean Dujardin (who is much deserving of his Golden Globe from last evening) shines as George Valentin, a silent film superstar who refuses to cross-over to talkies. He and Berenice Bejo, as Peppy Miller, "meet cute." She is a fan of his, she gets pushed in a mob while asking for an autograph. There is bit of both "A Star Is Born" and "Sunset Boulevard" in the plot, and of course "Singing In The Rain." I even sense a lot of "French" in it, it's unique and kinda weird in the most vivacious way. The film doesn't take it's being a silent film too seriously, there is a wink in there, and the audience is in on all the jokes. It is old-fashioned without seeing dated, as a matter of fact somethign about it feels very contemporary, and as I had stateds, it has such infectious joy that it makes me want to take tap-dance lessons. The characters are quite memorable that they stay with you. As I was watching Berenice Bejo on the E! Red Carpet being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest, I even almost thought that he was interviewing Peppy Miller! "The Artost" is my favorite movie of 2011, and in my opinion, lacks the heavy hand of "the Tree OF Life," the other front-runner.
After a day that was kind of busy, I wanted to listen to something that would soothe me, so I put on Dominick Farinacci's "Dawn Of Goodbye," expecting a smooth and soothing record featuring trumpet interpretations of the Great American Standards. I had not heard of Mr. Farinacci at all, but someone recommended his record to me, so I checked it out and was glad to discover him. He is young, 28 years old, but plays like an old pro. I am more a jazz vocal person enthusiast so I like instrumentalists who have lyrical takes on how they play. For example, one of my favorite pianists is Bill Charlap, who when he plays the piano sounds like a singer interpreting lyrics. I am not going to lie and say that Mr. Farinacci is on the same level, but he has a good start. One listen to his "I Concentrate On You" and you can tell that he has a lot of respect for Cole Porter's lyrics. And on "Lover Man," you can sense the sensitivity in his arrangements. He got a little too frenetic for me on "It's Alright With Me," and perhaps I need to listen more to his originals ("Dom's Blues") to fully grasp them. Right now it's close to midnight, and his "Willow Weep For Me" is playing, and I close my eyes and am imagining myself in a smoky boite. Another round of scotch on the rocks, please.
Diva Catfights and Gospel Music, do they go hand in hand? In "Joyful Noise," they do, and the musical is a lot of fun. If I put my cranky critic curmudgeon cap on, I could find a whole lot of things wrong with the film. The whole story is kind of stale (the let's-put-on-the-show routine is as old as Judy and Mickey) and the plot is too predictable. But let's not dwell on those, for this Glee- goes Gospel movie is a lot of fun. Queen Latifah (who also executive produces this film) lights up the screen whenever she is on, and add Dolly Parton's bling and you have got a rousing movie musical that is rarely seen nowadays. Technically, maybe this shouldn't be called a movie musical, since it's more a fim with songs as the songs do not forward the plot, but the musical numbers are all entertaining and energetic that the afternoon crowd I saw it with started clapping in beat with the songs. Clearly, director Todd Graff knows how to please the crowd. When Queen L and Dolly P square off, the jokes may be middling, but these gals sell 'em lik ethere's no tomorrow, and you just cannot help but laugh. I could watch these two bicker and banter for hours. Graff devotes equal time to he love story between Keke Palmer and Jeremy Jordan. I praised Mr. Jordan when I saw him on Broadway on "Bonnie and Clyde" and he is just as good here, proving he is a legitimate triple threat, and he has great screen presence to boot. The film may seem overly long because of the musical numbers, but it's all worth it, especially the finale. And the songs are great. Sure there seems to be karaoke renditions on some of them ("Man In The Mirror," for once) but both Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton get solo dramatic musical arias: Ms. Latifah's soulful "Fix Me Jesus," and Ms. Parton's self-penned "To The Moon And Back," which made me cry. I actually would love the soundtrack to this film, especially the songs Parton wrote. In the end, I was grinning from ear to ear as I exited the theater, and I thought this movie fitting to be seen on the weekend celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King. Joyful, joyful, I adored it!
