Essential January '10

Essential viewing this January:
- Already a regular at award ceremonies across America, Jason Reitman's third feature Up In The Air is certainly worthy of the attention. On the surface a slick movie with plenty of pace, but there is more here than what you're first lead to believe. The story of a man who spends most of his days flying cross country, hired by corporations to fire expired employees may strike a bigger nerve stateside than here, but there is a raw emotion underneath that is unmistakeable. The mood and honest reality of human relationships makes this a truly engaging film with a wonderful performance from George Clooney, who seems to be growing comfortably into a modern Cary Grant - a genuine movie star.
- Something very different would be Cold Souls by french director Sophie Barthes. Paul Giamatti stars as, erm, Paul Giamatti in this wonderfully original and hilarious picture. Moving between New York and St. Petersburg there is a great flow and brilliant mix of absolute absurdity and heartwrenching emotion. The desire to be original and owning a fresh view on things makes Barthes' a unique filmmaker and certainly one to watch.
- Big Fan, the directorial debut of Robert Siegel, writer of last years brilliant The Wrestler, has earned nice reviews and an impressive debut it is. A surprising and moving performance by comedian Patton Oswalt, playing an obsessive football fan in New York. Rough and slightly brutal, it is an interesting look at how different the world can feel for someone on the outside rather than on the inside of a stadium. A minor gem and a wonderful surprise, Siegel could grow to become a solid voice in independent film.

Essential listening this January:
- Another film that should be mentioned this month is Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are, and one of the best things about it is its soundtrack. With music by Karen O, from Yeah Yeah Yeahs it is a delight that can be enjoyed just as much after the end credits have rolled by. A wonderful collection of tracks with almost childlike sounds, accompanied by her soft and beautiful voice. It brings across the same message and feeling that the film provides and simply makes you want to climb to the top of a tree and hum along to it. Lovely indeed.
- About a year ago I proclaimed that Vampire Weekend had created the finest album of 2008, so it is not only a joy but also a relief to say that their follow up Contra does not disappoint. Stylistic not much has changed from their self titled debut and the objective reamins the same; to create terrific and enjoyable pop songs. From the delicious first single Cousins to the very final title track this is a great album and it is comforting to know that they will probably find an even bigger audience this time around.
- Another soundtrack has caught my ear this month, before the film has even come out. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis provided the score for John Hillcoats previous film, the brilliant The Proposition and have come together once more, this time for The Road. The songs are craftly put together with strong instrumentals and cold atmospheric moods. Like any strong soundtrack should, it stands confident and strong on its own. It might require more than one listen, but it is disturbing and poetic enough to keep you tuned in.

"No Reward"

every time the phone rings hold your breath
a beat of the drum that no one can hear
could this be the last sacrifice
there is no reward in keeping quiet

cold feet from the long walk home
can't tell if it's night with the curtains closed
an open window makes you want to travel
arms will never hold in this hard weather

nothing you say can ever be private
if you're alone grab somebody and scream
cover me just through the worst part
i thought i heard a cry in the background

in this short time it has become
the most beautiful thing i've seen

Scorsese

Last week Martin Scorsese was presented with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is given for outstanding contribution to the entertainment field and is presented at the annual Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, CA. Previous recipients include Alfred Hitchcock, Warren Beatty, Anthony Hopkins and Steven Spielberg (which Scorsese actually presented) to name a few and it has been a while since there has been a more worthy recipient.
Since his first feature film Who’s That Knocking At My Door in 1967 up to his most recent Shutter Island (out later this year), Scorsese has been one of the most respected and successful filmmakers working in America. He is one of a few directors working today who still manage to create films as solid pieces of art while never losing an ounce of entertainment value. His catalogue of films is nothing less than astonishing featuring titles such as Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Age of Innocence, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York and The Departed, just to name a couple. And to this day, the release of a new Martin Scorsese picture is still an event in the circles of cinema lovers.
There is a brutal honesty in the work of Scorsese. Although his films are always highly entertaining and skillfully put together, they are not always easy to watch. Whether it be scenes between family, or a gruesome piece of violence, Scorsese never backs down. What needs to be said will be said and what needs to be done will be done. Having gone through the business of getting films made for decades now, Scorsese has seen both the beauty and brutality of the industry. He will tell you as much as anyone just starting out, that getting films made is certainly not easy. And most times, no matter what any director will tell you, sacrifices have to be made. However, Scorsese just might be the exception. Where others may have been forced to scrap or cancel scenes, this director was not going to let anything tamper with his art. A now infamous story from the set of Taxi Driver (1976) comes to mind. It is the middle of the night in downtown New York and the crew is getting ready to shoot a pivotal scene where Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle has an uneasy encounter with a customer in the backseat of his cab. Parked outside an apartment building they are going to have a conversation about what goes on behind those windows. It is crucial to Bickle’s view on the human race and the filth that he feels walks the streets of his city. But time is of the essence and the sun will soon be rising, so let’s get going. There is just one problem. The actor playing the customer is missing. Or rather, he never showed up. The crew wants to go home and the producers say they will just have to cut the whole scene from the film. But that is not an option for the director. This scene is key for the entire film he says, and he is not looking to make any compromises. Determined to his vision of what the film needs to be, Scorsese sees no other option than to slip on the actors costume and climb into the backseat of the taxi. Roll the cameras and the director is now speaking some of the most incredible dialogue in the entire film. If you didn’t know Scorsese you would not know that this wasn’t a professional actor, but a director who would not back down and settle for anything less than what was in the story. And looking at it now, it is one of the stand-out performances in a film that had more than its share of challenges and complications. Read Geoffrey Macnab's brilliant The Making of Taxi Driver to get an idea.
Another great example of Scorsese’s loyalty to story and performance can be found in Casino (1995). In a scene between husband and wife Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, he does something that would be considered “unthinkable” for any other filmmaker. He allows the audience to see a mistake.
The scene is very emotional and Stone is lying down on the bed crying with De Niro talking to her from behind. The camera is very close on the actors and the intensity is high. This is a difficult scene to get through, in particular for Stone so Scorsese wants to be intimate and make sure he catches everything. The scene plays out well and it is very powerful stuff. The actors are really into it and Scorsese is happy to get what he hoped for and more. But then suddenly, the camera bumps into the side of the bed, dropping down several inches, putting the actors out of frame, before recovering and getting back into shot. Any other director would immediately stop and yell out “Cut!” so loud the camera operator would without a doubt start soiling himself. But Scorsese lets it roll and refuses to go for another take when the scene is done. He got exactly what he wanted in that one. The actors where phenomenal and the emotion was real. That is what was important. There was no way Scorsese was going to sacrifice the genuine emotion of the story and his characters for a mere technical slip. That is another testament to the man’s pure desire for art and storytelling.

Martin Scorsese remains one of the finest filmmakers around and a true inspiration for any young director who wants to establish himself in the industry. With his unquestionable abilities as a filmmaker and his true intentions as an artist he is a force like no other working behind the camera.

Here is the montage that was shown at the Golden Globe ceremony, when receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award for his outstanding work. If this doesn’t get under your skin, you have to ask yourself if you really do like movies.

Great Video

Who says if you're a big band you need a million dollars to make a great music video?

Simply brilliant.