Essential August '11

Essential viewing this August:
After The Station Agent (2003) and The Visitor (this writers third favorite film of 2008) director Thomas McCarthy was looking likely to become one of Americas finest independent filmmakers. With his third outing Win Win it is safe to say he has fulfilled that promise. Perhaps not as emotionally strong as The Visitor, but this time around McCarthy showcases a firm take on comedy as well as drama. Even though it may lie a bit heavier on the drama side, particularly towards the end, this is wonderfully clever stuff. With the always reliable Paul Giamatti as the struggling lawyer and wrestling coach who finds reason to believe in both jobs, for better or worse, when Alex Shaffer’s Kyle comes into his life. Shaffer is a minor revelation in this, and with fine support from Bobby Cannavale, Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor this is one of the strongest, not to say, coolest casts of the year so far. A deliciously quirky and moving film which also firmly establishes Giamatti as the go-to-guy for hopeless, yet hilarious characters.

Despite winning the International Critics Award at last years Toronto Film Festival, Beautiful Boy still didn’t manage to reach a large audience during its limited theatrical run. The sensitive subject matter obviously ensured this would not be a massive hit, but it still deserves more attention than it has received so far. Michael Sheen and Maria Bello are the married couple on the verge of divorce, when they learn that their son was responsible for a school shooting, before taking his own life. It is difficult to watch and at times it feels a bit too forced in its message, but more than anything this is powerful and impressive filmmaking. Sheen and Bello are both terrific and fearless in their performances, while director Shawn Ku, in his first theatrical feature, offers a nice shift in both balance and tone throughout the film. A truly brave piece of work that will strike hard and leave a mark on every viewer.

After the success of his first feature Reprise (2006) it is almost surprising it took so long for director Joachim Trier to return with his sophomore effort. And despite five years has passed Trier has not strayed too far away from his original ideas. The themes from his debut can also be found in this months Oslo, 31. August as we follow Anders through his first day out on his own after ten months of drug rehab. Doings his rounds, seeing old friends and family, he struggles to find his feet on the streets he has walked his whole life. The leading role is played by Anders Danielsen Lie (who also starred in Reprise) and he turns in a strong performance, even though audience members who remember his first collaboration with Trier will struggle not to see a few too many similarities between the two. The most impressive part of this film though is Trier’s sense of dialogue (he penned the script with writing partner Eskil Vogt and it is loosely suggested by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle’s 1931 novel Leu Feu Follet) and Anders’ heart-to-heart conversations with his close friend Thomas is both funny and deeply moving. This is a very strong follow up from Trier, let’s just hope he moves even further for his next one, and that we don’t have to wait another six years.

Essential listening this August:
The most anticipated collaboration in music history? If you’ve read ANY American music magazine this year, you must certainly be convinced that Watch The Throne is just that. Well, Kanye West and Jay-Z do give it their all, no question about it. There is, surprisingly, no sign of anyone’s ego getting in the way of producing a cracking record. Another pleasant surprise is the amount of variation they both bring. Fans of either artist will easily recognize their favorites work, but this is still a solid album that turns out to be exactly what it was meant to be, a massive collaboration. The duo mix both style and genre with a pleasant ease and each track feels strong enough to stand its own ground, not always the case with either two performers solo work. It is not the masterpiece many were expecting, but in all fairness with the hype surrounding it, they never really stood a chance of that. But this is still a smashing album that will earn Jay and Kanye more praise and money that they never needed in the first place. I guess you can’t have it all.

The reliable deliveryman of, in his own words, brutal blues Bjørn Berge returns this month with Blackwood, his tenth studio album. An impressive record considering his debut Blues Hit Me only arrived in 1998. For fans this is easily recognizable and one could be tempted to say it offers little new to the guitarist's strong catalogue, but the quality of his playing and songs are simply too hard to ignore. Berge lets it rip from start to finish and has become one of the most reliable Norwegian deliverers of solid albums, regardless of genre. His voice can still shatter every window on the block and the sound of his guitars never gets old, it simply gets better by the year.

The Rip Tide is the fourth album from Beirut, and even though some claim it to be the most accessible one yet, there is plenty of familiar stuff in here. Afraid to stray too far away from the indie label, Zach Condon is sure to include enough noise within the albums nine tracks to make it a challenging, but mostly, enjoyable listen. A Candle’s Fire might be Beirut’s strongest opening track so far, and the soft and tender Goshen reminds you of Condon’s slightly rustic lovely voice. A wonderful album that will fit in perfectly on anyone’s iPod as they walk in the steadily approaching dark of autumn.

"Desolation"

did you get what you came for
in a place where no one ever comes
if this anger is correctable
there is quiet to be found

the desolation of a first born
frozen grounds in early june
vague misery on every corner
broken hearts stacked outside the door

if there is purpose for the storm
one last chance to get it right
a falling soul from clear blue skies
there was no other way to fly

Photograph # 15

"the last boat"
/TRAVEL/