4 stars out of 5
I will readily admit: I walked out of the theater thinking, “That was a good movie, even though I’m not totally sure what happened.” Now, a day later, I think I have a better grasp on it, or at least want to watch the movie again when it comes to streaming and pay closer attention to certain scenes. Or, if you one of you theater types wants to put on a production of Claudine Galea’s play Je Reviens de Loin on which this film is based, I will gladly attend a performance. In English, s’il vous plait.
Here are the basics: A woman in France sneaks out of her home early one morning, leaving behind her husband and two children. She hits the road. Back at the house, her family tries to figure out why she left, and begins to carry on without her. Ah, but there is more than one layer here. Not a multiverse per se, but a blurring of the lines between reality and imagination, and between past, present, and future.
The mom, Camille, is portrayed by Vicky Krieps, who was superb as the female lead in Phantom Thread. She is equally good or even better here, believably taking us wherever Camille’s journey goes: through freedom, love, fear, loss and loss of control, despair, grief, reinvention, and every stop in-between. When Krieps occasionally smiles she looks a bit like Julianne Moore and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Of course, a ton of credit must go to writer/director Mathieu Amalric, who we best know as an actor — especially from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Quantum of Solace, and who I’ve also seen in Munich, The Forbidden Room, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch, in which I think he played a French guy. But in France he’s actually written and directed a number of features and shorts. That experience shines through here in a story that could’ve been very disjointed, but instead Amalric gives it an artful flow, including some lovely camera and lighting work.
Music also plays a key role here, particularly in the daughter’s dutiful piano practice, which the film returns to again and again. In addition, Camille sings along to J.J. Cale’s “Cherry” in the car during her escape, and I think the Brian Jonestown Massacre sneaks in there somewhere too.
Would not be surprised to see Krieps, Amalric, or the film nominated as the year draws to a close. In the short term, maybe you want to check it out.
Movie Review: Hold Me Tight
Aquarium Playlist, 10/4/22
EPISODE #506: DARLING
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Brenton Wood — “Darlin’”
Freedy Johnston feat. Aimee Mann — “Darlin’”
Paul Kelly & the Messengers — “Darling It Hurts”
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas — “Darling, I Hum Our Song”
The Beatles — “Oh! Darling”
The Lovin’ Spoonful — “Darling Be Home Soon”
Math and Physics Club — “Darling, Please Come Home”
Maita — “Darling, Don’t Take Me When You’re Ready to Go”
Howlin’ Wolf — “Howlin’ for My Darling”
Bruce Springsteen — “Sherry Darling”
Beach Boys — ”Darlin’”
Carter Family — “Little Darling Pal of Mine”
Laura K — “Darlin’”
Cecil Gant — “It’s All Over Darlin’“
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: See How They Run
3 stars out of 5
I had 2 hours to kill and it had just started raining; this is perhaps the perfect movie for that scenario. What we have here is a comedic whodunnit in the not-so-grand tradition of Murder by Death and Knives Out. We’re in London, where Adrien Brody is intent on turning the stage production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap into a Hollywood movie. I was finding Brody’s character very annoying but then they tell us “the most annoying character in a whodunnit is murdered” and, voilà/whew, Brody is murdered. So now we have a real-life mystery within a staged mystery, poking fun at all the whodunnit tropes. It’s that kind of comedy.
Jaded detective Sam Rockwell (reliable as usual — wait, I guess that’s what “reliable” means) is paired with wide-eyed rookie cop Saoirse Ronan. I remain quite fond of Ms. Ronan who’s not first thought of as a comic actor, but let’s not forget I first saw her in Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, and she also had a small part in The French Dispatch. And let us also recall that Adrien Brody is part of Anderson’s recurring troupe. These facts are important because early on, it seems like director Tom George and writer Mark Chappell are trying their darnedest to make a Wes Anderson film, they try too hard, and it basically falls flat.
Ah, but the movie eventually finds its own voice, a likable enough mid-tempo comic groove. Ronan charms us as always, and I was also quite amused by Harris Dickerson as a young Richard Attenborough, who did indded star in the original West End production of The Mousetrap. (There is some loose basis in fact here, if you like that sort of thing.)
As is often the case with mysteries, even farcical ones, things get a bit convoluted toward the end, and the story gets a little away from the filmmakers. But that doesn’t take away too much from a movie that’s great for an airplane, or ducking in out of the rain, or your next bout of Covid.
Movie Review: Moonage Daydream
4.5 stars out of 5
The world didn’t necessarily need another David Bowie documentary. I mean, I’m a big fan, not a superfan or anything, and I’d already seen two different Bowie docs in the past several years. But director Brett Morgen, with full access to the Thin White Duke’s archives, delivers something very different, very accomplished, and very artful. And excuse me for being a little corny, but I left feeling like we’d been given one more gift from David Bowie.
I saw Moonage Daydream in IMAX, which I do think added another layer, wrapping the viewer in the sights and sounds. (I thank my friend Joe for the heads-up on a special Fandango/Record Store Day offer; total ticket cost, $8.59.)
The movie gives you just enough biography, and though it didn’t feel like it, remains mostly linear in its storytelling. But that’s not Morgen’s main drive here. He’s more interested in exploring identity — how Bowie thought of himself, and how he presented himself to the wider public. Bowie even seems to suffer from the “imposter syndrome” that often plagues the successful; maybe there was nothing behind all the clothes, hair, and makeup. He also seemed to identify (certainly lyrically) with gods and aliens — distant, strange, powerful. And of course was always impeccably dressed (even in his “casual Friday” Berlin period).
Morgen devotes a good chunk of screen time to the twin tentpoles of Bowie’s mainstream success: the Ziggy era and, a decade later, the Let’s Dance album/Serious Moonlight tour. In both instances, Bowie apparently craved and actively courted popularity, and then immediately recoiled from it, working on more challenging, less easily digestible projects. So again, that question: Who am I, really? The Artist or The Public Figure?
If I’m making this film sound like an intellectual exercise, don’t worry darling, it isn’t. There is so much incredible concert, interview, and news footage, that you can also just sit back and really bask in it. Be transported, and for 135 minutes, forget your own identity crisis.
Movie Review: Barbarian
4 stars out of 5
On September 10, 2001, my buddy Terry and I went to see the pretty decent horror flick Jeepers Creepers which starred Justin Long. (He’ll always be Ed’s Warren Cheswick to me.) A couple of things have happened personally and globally since back then, yet on September 13, 2021, I found myself seeing the very decent horror flick Barbarian co-starring Justin Long.
The lead actor is Georgina Campbell, but the true star here is writer/director Zach Creggers, who cut his teeth as a member of the Whitest Kids U’Know comedy troupe. I didn’t see his feature debut, 2009’s Miss March, but I’m intrigued that it only earned a score of 7 out of 100 on the review-aggregate site MetaCritic. He has clearly upped his game in the past 13 years. In Barbarian, Creggers takes reliable horror tropes and smartly shakes them up a bit. [No spoilers ahead.]
I don’t know if this is the first AirBnB horror, but I liked that modern touch: Tess (Campbell) shows up at the rental house but somebody else is already there. It’s seemingly nice guy Bill Scotchgard uh I mean Skarsgård. Bill and his bro Alexander are the actor sons of the great Stellan Skarsgård, but Bill is probably best known as PENNYWISE THE EVIL CLOWN!!!! So, as Keith here, is he actually a creep, and, uh, what’s going on in the basement?
Meanwhile, the character played by the aforementioned Justin Long is also dealing with current-day issues: He’s an actor who has just been #metoo’d and #canceled. On the brink of arrest, public shame, and bankruptcy, he flees L.A. to regroup back home in Michigan where he owns a few properties. Those include a certain overbooked AirBnB.
I am not going to say much more, except that this film is scary as shit, occasionally very funny, cleverly constructed, contains a milliliter of sweetness, it kept me guessing, and beyond the topics I’ve already mentioned, also exists in the worlds of police profiling, urban decay/renewal, women’s personal safety, and family dynamics. Basically, if you like this sort of movie, I think you’ll really enjoy Barbarian.
Aquarium Playlist, 9/13/22
EPISODE #504: QUEEN ELIZABETH II TRIBUTE
London Army Band & Choir — “God Save the Queen” [ALTERNATE THEME]
The Smiths — “The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty)”
Half Japanese — “Too Bad About Elizabeth”
Queen — “Killer Queen”
The Stone Roses — “Elizabeth My Dear”
The Beatles — “Her Majesty”
Chuck Berry — “Little Queenie”
Big Fish Ensemble — “Queen”
Perfume Genius — “Queen”
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians — “Veins of the Queen”
Suzanne Vega — “The Queen and the Soldier” [live]
Sex Pistols — God Save the Queen”
Art Brut — “Her Majesty”
The Good, The Bad & The Queen — “The Good, The Bad & The Queen”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 9/6/22
EPISODE #503: CREEPS ETC.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Ramones — “Cretin Hop”
The Fall — “C.R.E.E.P.”
Wyldlife — “Deadbeat”
The Misfits — “Rat Fink”
The Beatles — “I’m a Loser”
Beck — “Loser”
Radiohead — “Creep”
Bush Tetras — “Too Many Creeps”
Teenage Halloween — “Jerk”
The Muffs — “Stupid Jerk”
The B-52’s — “Deadbeat Club”
Brian Eno — “Dead Finks Don’t Talk”
Jesus & Mary Chain — “Lowlife”
Mudhoney — “You Stupid Asshole”
LCD Soundsystem — “North American Scum”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Movie Review: Funny Pages
4 stars out of 5
You have to hand it to Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates — they’ve churned out a couple of super-talented kids. Greta Kline has been a fave of mine for a while, via her band Frankie Cosmos. And now Owen Kline has written and directed a self-assured feature debut which is by turns funny, sad, disturbing, and offbeat. And very Jersey.
The Kline siblings impressively both seem devoted to all things indie. Greta began as a perfectly twee singer/songwriter and maintains that essence. Owen likely could’ve recruited some famous faces to round out his film, but he goes a steadfastly independent route. The most well-known name in the opening credits is Sean O’Hagan of the High Llamas who did the music, and if you’re a nerd like me you’ll recognize that Peter Bagge did the title design.
Our lead is Daniel Zolghadri as high school senior Robert. “He looks liked a young Wilmer Valderrama” are words I have never strung together before, but they apply here. Robert loves to draw underground-style comics. Inspired by a perhaps overly enthusiastic teacher, Robert decides he doesn’t need art school or even to finish high school. He’s ready to leave his comfortable home (Princeton) and pursue his gritty comic dreams (Trenton).
Zolghadri isn’t afraid to portray the character early on as a I-know-better-than-everybody-else jerk (not an uncommon high school trait), and his performance becomes more vulnerable and likable as things don’t go exactly as hoped.
And Kline isn’t afraid of populating his movie with, um, let’s say, “interesting” looking actors. Their hair alone should win an Independent Spirit Award. Roger’s suburban mom and dad are really the only conventially attractive people we see; his buddies and new Trenton pals might’ve come from a casting call for a show named Geeks and Geeks. Just one delightfully odd example is Michael Townsend Wright as Roger’s new landlord/roommate. Wright is an Uncle Floyd Show alum and (full disclosure) a pal of mine dating to our time together on an ultimately failed attempt to reboot Captain Kangaroo. (R.I.P. Pat Cashin) Wright is a rather dapper fellow but “Barry” certainly is not. He’s very, very sweaty and unkempt and weeeeeeiiiiiiird yet not unkind. And oh my his hair. Cheers for a tremendous, restrained performance by M.T. Wright!
I must also spotlight Matthew Maher as Roger’s very reluctant new friend/new mentor. Maher captures an extreme social awkwardness masked in unwarranted confidence. And there’s a little bit of humanity in there too.
Beyond the New Jersey settings (hooray for the Trenton Makes The World Takes sign) and the Vivino connection, we also hear WFMU’s Dave the Spazz show (very difficult to get on the car radio from central Jerz but I’ll let it slide) and Roger wears a Princeton Record Exchange t-shirt. Plus the film would fit easily in the Clerks Universe, with heaping tablespoons of American Splendor and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
If I have a gripe, it’s that the story seemed to want to play out a little bit further than Owen Kline was willing or able to do. But I’m sure his storytelling will improve and mature with another movie or two under his belt. For the time being, this is a very promising debut from a clearly well-raised young man.
Aquarium Playlist, 8/30/22
EPISODE #502: SOMEONE
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Clean — “Someone”
Elk City — “That Someone”
R.E.M. — “That Someone Is You”
James Brown — “Lost Someone” [live]
Courtney Marie Andrews — “It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault”
Colleen Green — “Someone Else”
The Just Joans — “Someone Else That You Like More Than Me”
The Cure — “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”
The Modern Lovers — “Someone I Care About”
The Only Ones — “Someone Who Cares”
The Beatles — “If I Needed Someone”
The Field Mice — “If You Need Someone”
LCD Soundsystem — “Someone Great”
Frank Sinatra — “Someone To Watch Over Me”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Jack Silbert, curator