It's an early 80s festival tonight (except for Allison, the baby of the group), as the wannabes offer songs from the year they were born. It is a painfully mediocre night of bizarre arrangements and uninteresting performances.
Danny, "Stand By Me" -- That slow opening verse is horrible, and completely disconnected from the up-tempo stuff that follows. And beyond the awful arrangement (which is most certainly not "the Mickey Gilley version," Gilley having been part of the early 80s "urban cowboy" movement), Danny's not in good voice tonight; he sounds pinched and strained. It's one of Danny's worst performances.
(And on that whole Mickey Gilley thing, I don't care if there was a cover version, this is not a song from 1980, and Danny ought not have been allowed to cheat the theme so blatantly.)
Kris, "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" -- Another very odd arrangement, all jazzy drums and brass that don't suit the song at all. Given that, I suppose there's nothing horribly wrong with the performance -- no glaring sour notes or anything -- but I didn't find it very interesting or effective.
Lil, "What's Love Got to Do With It" -- The verse and the bridge are quite nice, understated and relatively subtle. But then we plow into those choruses, and it's all Great Big Sledgehammer Notes (a couple of which are badly out of tune). Lil desperately needs to find a way to turn on the power without turning off the humanity.
Anoop, "True Colors" -- Finally, an arrangement that works reasonably well. But poor Anoop is so busy making soulful goo-goo eyes at us that he's forgetting to sing; his pitch is wobbly, his enunciation is sloppy, and oy, that awful falsetto note at the end! (What is it with the male contestants wanting to show off their weak falsetto registers this year?)
Scott, "The Search Is Over" -- It was bad enough when Scott was doing polite, tepid performances of polite, tepid music, but this? It's not as if Survivor is Led Zeppelin or anything, but the song does demand some edge; we just got more polite and tepid. And his pitch is terrible throughout; I winced when he went into the final chorus, where those high notes were disastrous. Please send him home, America.
Allison, "I Can't Make You Love Me" -- Talk about dumb luck, that the perfect Allison song just happens to come from her birth year. I'm particularly impressed by how smoothly she transitions from her lower register to her upper, and that she doesn't overuse the upper register; other singers we've heard would have insisted on belting an entire chorus.
Matt, "Part Time Lover" -- Well, that was a mess. The goopy slow intro, the odd little interjections of falsetto, the jazz riffs at the end, the unpleasantly nasal tone of Matt's voice throughout -- nothing about that worked. About all I can say for it is that it was minimally better than Scott.
Adam, "Mad World" -- He's gasping frantically for breath between phrases, and his strangled chipmunk upper register is painfully unattractive. And the attack on that final note is wildly out of tune, though he does eventually wrangle the note into place. Even without the technical problems, it's not a very memorable song or performance.
For the night: Allison, Lil, Kris, Anoop, Danny, Adam, Matt, Scott.
For the season: Allison, Kris, Anoop, Danny, Lil, Matt, Adam, Scott.
Deserving the trip home: Scott.
April 07, 2009
April 05, 2009
MOVIES: Duplicity (Tony Gilroy, 2009)
I am a sucker for movies about double-crosses, con games, and back-stabbing who-do-you-trust mind games, so Duplicity was right up my alley. It's certainly not the best movie of its type, but it's a breezy bit of entertainment.
Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as Ray and Claire, former government spies (she's ex-CIA; he's ex-MI6) who decide to team up and pull a con of their own in order to make enough money to retire together; their primary obstacle is that despite their love, neither of them can quite get past their professional paranoia to completely trust the other.
The nature of the con is the weakest part of the movie; Ray and Claire get themselves hired by the corporate security departments of competing conglomerates, figuring that they can somehow steal the hot new product which the companies are fighting to bring to market. The scam never really does make sense, and the moment at the end when it's revealed that Character X has really been pulling the strings all along is particularly implausible here. (That's always the hardest part of the story to get past the audience, because the pieces never quite fall into place as neatly as they would have had to.)
The movie's other significant problem is that Julia Roberts is slightly miscast. The thing that makes her such a huge movie star is her rare combination of glamour and accessibility; despite the looks and the charisma, we somehow feel that we know her. We trust Julia Roberts, which makes her not quite the right choice for a movie where no one trusts anyone. It's not a movie-killing flaw, because what Duplicity is mostly about is the fun of watching two glamorous movie stars toss off snappy banter against a series of fabulous international backdrops, and on that level, Roberts is more than adequate. But if you imagine the role played by someone whose sexuality has an edge of danger, a hint of menace (which Owen does bring to his role) -- say, Catherine Zeta-Jones -- you get an idea of how the movie could have been just that much sharper and crisper.
Still, the movie's strengths outweigh its small flaws. Gilroy's writing is clever; there's a nice bit where the same passage of dialogue recurs at least four or five times, and we figure out more about what's really happening each time we hear it. The supporting cast is very good; RIck Worthy and Kathleen Chalfant make strong impressions as members of Owen's corporate security team, Carrie Preston gives a charming, amusing performance as a corporate travel agent who gets caught up in Owen's scheming, and there's typically solid work from Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson as the dueling corporate bosses. The international locations look marvelous (Robert Elswit is the cinematographer), and James Newton Howard contributes a score with a lively retro feel.
Granted, I'm predisposed to like this kind of story, and those who aren't fans of such things may enjoy the movie less than I did, but I thought it was a smooth-moving, slick diversion.
Clive Owen and Julia Roberts star as Ray and Claire, former government spies (she's ex-CIA; he's ex-MI6) who decide to team up and pull a con of their own in order to make enough money to retire together; their primary obstacle is that despite their love, neither of them can quite get past their professional paranoia to completely trust the other.
The nature of the con is the weakest part of the movie; Ray and Claire get themselves hired by the corporate security departments of competing conglomerates, figuring that they can somehow steal the hot new product which the companies are fighting to bring to market. The scam never really does make sense, and the moment at the end when it's revealed that Character X has really been pulling the strings all along is particularly implausible here. (That's always the hardest part of the story to get past the audience, because the pieces never quite fall into place as neatly as they would have had to.)
The movie's other significant problem is that Julia Roberts is slightly miscast. The thing that makes her such a huge movie star is her rare combination of glamour and accessibility; despite the looks and the charisma, we somehow feel that we know her. We trust Julia Roberts, which makes her not quite the right choice for a movie where no one trusts anyone. It's not a movie-killing flaw, because what Duplicity is mostly about is the fun of watching two glamorous movie stars toss off snappy banter against a series of fabulous international backdrops, and on that level, Roberts is more than adequate. But if you imagine the role played by someone whose sexuality has an edge of danger, a hint of menace (which Owen does bring to his role) -- say, Catherine Zeta-Jones -- you get an idea of how the movie could have been just that much sharper and crisper.
Still, the movie's strengths outweigh its small flaws. Gilroy's writing is clever; there's a nice bit where the same passage of dialogue recurs at least four or five times, and we figure out more about what's really happening each time we hear it. The supporting cast is very good; RIck Worthy and Kathleen Chalfant make strong impressions as members of Owen's corporate security team, Carrie Preston gives a charming, amusing performance as a corporate travel agent who gets caught up in Owen's scheming, and there's typically solid work from Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson as the dueling corporate bosses. The international locations look marvelous (Robert Elswit is the cinematographer), and James Newton Howard contributes a score with a lively retro feel.
Granted, I'm predisposed to like this kind of story, and those who aren't fans of such things may enjoy the movie less than I did, but I thought it was a smooth-moving, slick diversion.
Labels:
Movies
March 31, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: top iTunes downloads
Theme? We don't need no stinkin' theme; it's iTunes downloads night, which means an odd hodgepodge of songs from the wannabes.
The rundown:
Anoop, "Caught Up" -- There something strange going on in the sound mix, because Anoop's enunciation has never been this incomprehensible, and tonight every word is vanishing. The performance certainly has energy, and I don't hear any glaring wrong notes or technical flaws, but he can't do much to make a dull song interesting.
Megan, "Turn Your Lights Down" -- Her phrasing actually sort of makes sense here, and there are some surprisingly pleasant moments. But as always, she's pushing too hard, trying to get a bigger sound than her voice can really produce, and all she's getting for her effort is a wide, wobbly vibrato. If she'd relax and accept the limitations of her voice, she'd sound a lot better.
Danny, "What Hurts the Most" -- Very nicely done. Smart song choice that plays well to his style and vocal strengths. It's a relatively restrained performance for Danny, with no obvious technical problems, and while I'm not getting goosebumps or anything, it's a solid piece of work.
Allison, "Don't Speak" -- Yeah, there are a few minor pitch problems in the chorus, but there's passion and commitment to her performances that almost no one else is giving us this year. She's got the confidence of a singer twice her age, and she's the one I look forward to hearing each week. (Whoever put her in that dress, though, should be shot.)
Scott, "Just the Way You Are" -- The tempo is ever so slightly too slow, giving the whole thing the feel of an uphill hike through molasses. Aside from that, it is exactly the performance you'd expect when you hear the words "Scott" and "Billy Joel" -- serviceable, polite, and boring.
Matt, "You Found Me" -- Trying to be a rocker gives his voice an unpleasant harshness, and the beginning is too low for him; he's having trouble keeping the bottom notes in tune. Not his best effort, and I fear he's likely to wind up at the bottom of the pack again.
Lil, "I Surrender" -- Now that's more like it. Yes, it's still that giant voice, but there's subtlety and restraint in the mix, too, in a way that reminds me vaguely of Shirley Bassey. What's still lacking, I think, is a strong emotional connection to the material; there is something a touch robotic about the performance. (The bit with the kids after the performance is a shameless bit of "please keep her" on the part of the producers.)
Adam, "Play That Funky Music" -- I can't stand his voice, especially in the upper register with which he's so pleased; it's a harsh shriek that grates on my ears. As for this week's persona, Adam 5.0 is no more real or sincere than Adams 1.0 through 4.0 were; he continues to be a hammy actor playing the roles of various bad pop singers. I know we're stuck with him for weeks, and I dread every minute.
Kris, "Ain't No Sunshine" -- Oh, hell, yeah. I had a big dumb goofy smile on my face all the way through that. (Well, I could have done without the gratuitous falsetto note at the very end.) Fabulous performance, by far the best of the night.
For the night: Kris, Danny, Allison, Lil, Anoop, Matt, Megan, Scott, Adam.
For the season: Kris, Danny, Allison, Anoop, Lil, Matt, Adam, Megan, Scott.
Deserving to go home: Since Adam clearly won't be leaving, I'll settle for either Scott or Megan.
The rundown:
Anoop, "Caught Up" -- There something strange going on in the sound mix, because Anoop's enunciation has never been this incomprehensible, and tonight every word is vanishing. The performance certainly has energy, and I don't hear any glaring wrong notes or technical flaws, but he can't do much to make a dull song interesting.
Megan, "Turn Your Lights Down" -- Her phrasing actually sort of makes sense here, and there are some surprisingly pleasant moments. But as always, she's pushing too hard, trying to get a bigger sound than her voice can really produce, and all she's getting for her effort is a wide, wobbly vibrato. If she'd relax and accept the limitations of her voice, she'd sound a lot better.
Danny, "What Hurts the Most" -- Very nicely done. Smart song choice that plays well to his style and vocal strengths. It's a relatively restrained performance for Danny, with no obvious technical problems, and while I'm not getting goosebumps or anything, it's a solid piece of work.
Allison, "Don't Speak" -- Yeah, there are a few minor pitch problems in the chorus, but there's passion and commitment to her performances that almost no one else is giving us this year. She's got the confidence of a singer twice her age, and she's the one I look forward to hearing each week. (Whoever put her in that dress, though, should be shot.)
Scott, "Just the Way You Are" -- The tempo is ever so slightly too slow, giving the whole thing the feel of an uphill hike through molasses. Aside from that, it is exactly the performance you'd expect when you hear the words "Scott" and "Billy Joel" -- serviceable, polite, and boring.
Matt, "You Found Me" -- Trying to be a rocker gives his voice an unpleasant harshness, and the beginning is too low for him; he's having trouble keeping the bottom notes in tune. Not his best effort, and I fear he's likely to wind up at the bottom of the pack again.
Lil, "I Surrender" -- Now that's more like it. Yes, it's still that giant voice, but there's subtlety and restraint in the mix, too, in a way that reminds me vaguely of Shirley Bassey. What's still lacking, I think, is a strong emotional connection to the material; there is something a touch robotic about the performance. (The bit with the kids after the performance is a shameless bit of "please keep her" on the part of the producers.)
Adam, "Play That Funky Music" -- I can't stand his voice, especially in the upper register with which he's so pleased; it's a harsh shriek that grates on my ears. As for this week's persona, Adam 5.0 is no more real or sincere than Adams 1.0 through 4.0 were; he continues to be a hammy actor playing the roles of various bad pop singers. I know we're stuck with him for weeks, and I dread every minute.
Kris, "Ain't No Sunshine" -- Oh, hell, yeah. I had a big dumb goofy smile on my face all the way through that. (Well, I could have done without the gratuitous falsetto note at the very end.) Fabulous performance, by far the best of the night.
For the night: Kris, Danny, Allison, Lil, Anoop, Matt, Megan, Scott, Adam.
For the season: Kris, Danny, Allison, Anoop, Lil, Matt, Adam, Megan, Scott.
Deserving to go home: Since Adam clearly won't be leaving, I'll settle for either Scott or Megan.
March 26, 2009
BOOKS: The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness (2008)
Oddly enough, more post-apocalyptic young adult fiction, and an interesting back-to-back read with the Collins.
As this one begins, Todd is just days away from his 13th birthday, on which he will, by Prentisstown tradition, become a man. He will be the youngest, and the last, man in Prentisstown, as all of the women were killed shortly after his birth.
Prentisstown has not had a happy history; it is, as Todd has been taught, the last surviving human colony on New World, and the handful of men who survived the war with the planet's alien inhabitants lead a difficult existence. That existence is made even harder by the Noise, one of the side effects of the alien bioweapons. The Noise makes the thoughts of all men in Prentisstown audible to one another; privacy is a thing of the past. (Even some of the larger animals can now speak, and generate Noise of their own.)
But the history of Prentisstown is not exactly as Todd has learned it, as he discovers when he finds a mysterious silent spot in the Noise outside town, and his foster fathers immediately pack him up and tell him to leave town, running as fast as he can. It is, of course, awfully hard to run away from people who can hear your every thought.
Ness isn't always successful at laying out the true history of New World and Prentisstown; it's hard to create a world plagued by the Noise and simultaneously allow the entire town to somehow have kept these secrets from Todd for all of these years. But the chase is an exciting one, and in the town's preacher, Aaron, Ness gives us a top-notch villain.
Like Collins' Hunger Games, this is Book One of a larger whole; unlike Collins, Ness ends his Book One mid-stream, with none of his major plotlines resolved in any significant way. I always find that annoying; I want there to be some sense of completion or resolution when I get to the end of a book.
As this one begins, Todd is just days away from his 13th birthday, on which he will, by Prentisstown tradition, become a man. He will be the youngest, and the last, man in Prentisstown, as all of the women were killed shortly after his birth.
Prentisstown has not had a happy history; it is, as Todd has been taught, the last surviving human colony on New World, and the handful of men who survived the war with the planet's alien inhabitants lead a difficult existence. That existence is made even harder by the Noise, one of the side effects of the alien bioweapons. The Noise makes the thoughts of all men in Prentisstown audible to one another; privacy is a thing of the past. (Even some of the larger animals can now speak, and generate Noise of their own.)
But the history of Prentisstown is not exactly as Todd has learned it, as he discovers when he finds a mysterious silent spot in the Noise outside town, and his foster fathers immediately pack him up and tell him to leave town, running as fast as he can. It is, of course, awfully hard to run away from people who can hear your every thought.
Ness isn't always successful at laying out the true history of New World and Prentisstown; it's hard to create a world plagued by the Noise and simultaneously allow the entire town to somehow have kept these secrets from Todd for all of these years. But the chase is an exciting one, and in the town's preacher, Aaron, Ness gives us a top-notch villain.
Like Collins' Hunger Games, this is Book One of a larger whole; unlike Collins, Ness ends his Book One mid-stream, with none of his major plotlines resolved in any significant way. I always find that annoying; I want there to be some sense of completion or resolution when I get to the end of a book.
Labels:
Books
March 25, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: Motown night
Guided by Smokey Robinson, who may be the most uncritical mentor in Idol history, the wannabes offer a mostly listless evening of Motown greats, picking up only at the very end with a couple of fine turns from Danny and Allison.
The rundown:
Matt, "Let's Get It On" -- This song needs to ooze testosterone, and Matt's just not up to it; he's a nice boy playing at being a sexy man. (The prim sweater and tie don't help.) And on Matt's performances in general: His falsetto is not as interesting or impressive as he thinks it is.
Kris, "How Sweet It Is" -- I still want his enunciation to be cleaner, but I like the laid-back vibe, and with the exception of that awful last note, I love that he doesn't oversing or push too hard. Not an earthshattering performance, but very pleasant.
Scott, "You Can't Hurry Love" -- Even after he picks up the tempo, Scott's performance is unrelentingly polite and tepid and dull; the occasional outburst from the horn section and the hard-working backup singers are the only things that give it any life at all.
Megan, "For Once in My Life" -- Her pitch is still a mess, and she has the oddest, choppiest sense of phrasing. But I disagree with the judges and think this was a good choice for her -- the song's always been halfway to cabaret anyway -- and while I can't say I liked it, I hated it less than anything else she's done.
Anoop, "Ooo Baby Baby" -- The melody on those short verses is deceptively angular, and Anoop's not entirely sure of it; the falsetto stuff in the choruses is pretty, but in a bland way that I'm not going to remember when the show's over.
Michael, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" -- Utterly lacking in desperation, and without that, he might as well be singing "Frere Jacques." And he needs to wipe that damn smile off his face; it is not the appropriate facial expression for every song.
Lil, "Heatwave" -- When you have a big voice, one of the challenges you face is that of moderation. Lil fails that challenge here, bludgeoning us through the entire performance. It's not so much a song as it is an assault. (And while it has nothing to do with her singing, I must sadly note that not every woman can pull off a shimmy dress.)
Adam, "Tracks of My Tears" -- When ninety percent of the song is in falsetto (and a pinched, harsh falsetto at that), then you've pitched the song too high. It's the prettiest singing he's done, by a long shot, but Adam still feels more like a bad cabaret act than like a pop singer. The judges' praise is excessive to the point of absurdity.
Danny, "Get Ready" -- Finally, some oomph, some passion, some energy comes through. He still looks a bit awkward on stage, especially when dancing with the backup singers, but the singing is fine, and more interesting than anything else we've heard tonight.
Allison, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" -- I think Allison has a stronger sense of who she is as a singer than any of the other contestants; she's making smart song choices each week. Her enunciation is a bit sloppy tonight, but notice how (in contrast to Lil, for instance) the big note at the end is big without being oppressively so, or feeling forced. Good, solid performance.
For the night: Danny, Allison, Kris, Anoop, Lil, Matt, Adam, Megan, Michael, Scott.
For the season: Anoop, Danny, Allison, Kris, Lil, Matt, Michael, Adam, Megan, Scott.
Deserving to go home: Scott or Megan.
The rundown:
Matt, "Let's Get It On" -- This song needs to ooze testosterone, and Matt's just not up to it; he's a nice boy playing at being a sexy man. (The prim sweater and tie don't help.) And on Matt's performances in general: His falsetto is not as interesting or impressive as he thinks it is.
Kris, "How Sweet It Is" -- I still want his enunciation to be cleaner, but I like the laid-back vibe, and with the exception of that awful last note, I love that he doesn't oversing or push too hard. Not an earthshattering performance, but very pleasant.
Scott, "You Can't Hurry Love" -- Even after he picks up the tempo, Scott's performance is unrelentingly polite and tepid and dull; the occasional outburst from the horn section and the hard-working backup singers are the only things that give it any life at all.
Megan, "For Once in My Life" -- Her pitch is still a mess, and she has the oddest, choppiest sense of phrasing. But I disagree with the judges and think this was a good choice for her -- the song's always been halfway to cabaret anyway -- and while I can't say I liked it, I hated it less than anything else she's done.
Anoop, "Ooo Baby Baby" -- The melody on those short verses is deceptively angular, and Anoop's not entirely sure of it; the falsetto stuff in the choruses is pretty, but in a bland way that I'm not going to remember when the show's over.
Michael, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" -- Utterly lacking in desperation, and without that, he might as well be singing "Frere Jacques." And he needs to wipe that damn smile off his face; it is not the appropriate facial expression for every song.
Lil, "Heatwave" -- When you have a big voice, one of the challenges you face is that of moderation. Lil fails that challenge here, bludgeoning us through the entire performance. It's not so much a song as it is an assault. (And while it has nothing to do with her singing, I must sadly note that not every woman can pull off a shimmy dress.)
Adam, "Tracks of My Tears" -- When ninety percent of the song is in falsetto (and a pinched, harsh falsetto at that), then you've pitched the song too high. It's the prettiest singing he's done, by a long shot, but Adam still feels more like a bad cabaret act than like a pop singer. The judges' praise is excessive to the point of absurdity.
Danny, "Get Ready" -- Finally, some oomph, some passion, some energy comes through. He still looks a bit awkward on stage, especially when dancing with the backup singers, but the singing is fine, and more interesting than anything else we've heard tonight.
Allison, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" -- I think Allison has a stronger sense of who she is as a singer than any of the other contestants; she's making smart song choices each week. Her enunciation is a bit sloppy tonight, but notice how (in contrast to Lil, for instance) the big note at the end is big without being oppressively so, or feeling forced. Good, solid performance.
For the night: Danny, Allison, Kris, Anoop, Lil, Matt, Adam, Megan, Michael, Scott.
For the season: Anoop, Danny, Allison, Kris, Lil, Matt, Michael, Adam, Megan, Scott.
Deserving to go home: Scott or Megan.
BOOKS: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (2008)
Post-apocalyptic young adult fiction.
In what appears to be a sadly degraded eastern United States, the capitol city of Panem holds a tight grip on the residents of the twelve districts. One of the principal tools is the Hunger Games, a bread-and-circuses event in which each district is forced to send two "tributes" -- one boy and girl in their teens -- to participate in a days-long fight to the death. The winning tribute and his or her district will be showered with extra food and glory for the next year.
No one from District 12 -- one of the poorer districts, corresponding roughly to present-day Appalachia -- has won the Games in years, and 16-year-old Katniss doesn't think much of her chances. But she's got experience living off the wild, and stronger survival skills than even she realizes.
I liked the first half of the novel the best; Collins does a very nice job of setting up the world in which the Hunger Games take place, and of depicting the elaborate preparation that the tributes go through before the Games begin. The story flattened out a bit for me once the Games actually began, and especially once Collins threw in a deus ex machina rule change that drastically changes the story from one of survival skills to one of emotional conniving. (Her brief attempt to undo her own deus for a cheap emotional thrill is an even worse mistake.)
Still, Katniss is a well-developed character, and the story is entertaining. The Hunger Games is Book One of a larger story, but Collins doesn't leave us completely dangling at book's end; there are plot lines and character developments waiting to be developed and resolved in the next volume, but the principal storyline of this volume does come to a satisfying end.
In what appears to be a sadly degraded eastern United States, the capitol city of Panem holds a tight grip on the residents of the twelve districts. One of the principal tools is the Hunger Games, a bread-and-circuses event in which each district is forced to send two "tributes" -- one boy and girl in their teens -- to participate in a days-long fight to the death. The winning tribute and his or her district will be showered with extra food and glory for the next year.
No one from District 12 -- one of the poorer districts, corresponding roughly to present-day Appalachia -- has won the Games in years, and 16-year-old Katniss doesn't think much of her chances. But she's got experience living off the wild, and stronger survival skills than even she realizes.
I liked the first half of the novel the best; Collins does a very nice job of setting up the world in which the Hunger Games take place, and of depicting the elaborate preparation that the tributes go through before the Games begin. The story flattened out a bit for me once the Games actually began, and especially once Collins threw in a deus ex machina rule change that drastically changes the story from one of survival skills to one of emotional conniving. (Her brief attempt to undo her own deus for a cheap emotional thrill is an even worse mistake.)
Still, Katniss is a well-developed character, and the story is entertaining. The Hunger Games is Book One of a larger story, but Collins doesn't leave us completely dangling at book's end; there are plot lines and character developments waiting to be developed and resolved in the next volume, but the principal storyline of this volume does come to a satisfying end.
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Books
March 24, 2009
BOOKS: Spider Season, John Morgan Wilson (2008)
The eighth volume in the Benjamin Justice mystery series, and not a place for beginners to dive in, though probably essential reading for fans of the series.
If you think of a book series as one long book, and each volume as a new chapter in that mega-book, then Spider Season is that chapter that consists of nothing but exposition. There are lots of new characters introduced and new plotlines set up, all of which will surely play out in interesting ways in future volumes, but none of which amount to much in this volume. It's a meandering, digressive installment in which not a lot happens.
As Spider Season opens, Justice has just published a memoir detailing the scandal which forced him to leave journalism in disgrace (he faked parts of a story that won him the Pulitzer), and the memoir seems to be bringing all of the crazies from his past out of the woodwork. There's a former journalistic rival who's determined to find something in the memoir that she can use to destroy him for good; an old college acquiantance who's convinced that his relationship with Justice was far more meaningful than it actually was; the return of a beau who never quite became a romantic interest, but would very much like to; and a mysterious young man who begins stalking Justice (and if you can't figure out his relationship in about ten seconds, well, you don't read enough mystery novels).
There is a death, and it's one that will greatly sadden long-time readers of the series, but even that is handled in about as unexciting a way as could be imagined. Spider Season is a frustrating book. All of these characters and dangling plot threads will surely give Wilson lots to work with in the next two or three installments in the series; I just couldn't help wishing he'd found something to do with all that material in this book.
If you think of a book series as one long book, and each volume as a new chapter in that mega-book, then Spider Season is that chapter that consists of nothing but exposition. There are lots of new characters introduced and new plotlines set up, all of which will surely play out in interesting ways in future volumes, but none of which amount to much in this volume. It's a meandering, digressive installment in which not a lot happens.
As Spider Season opens, Justice has just published a memoir detailing the scandal which forced him to leave journalism in disgrace (he faked parts of a story that won him the Pulitzer), and the memoir seems to be bringing all of the crazies from his past out of the woodwork. There's a former journalistic rival who's determined to find something in the memoir that she can use to destroy him for good; an old college acquiantance who's convinced that his relationship with Justice was far more meaningful than it actually was; the return of a beau who never quite became a romantic interest, but would very much like to; and a mysterious young man who begins stalking Justice (and if you can't figure out his relationship in about ten seconds, well, you don't read enough mystery novels).
There is a death, and it's one that will greatly sadden long-time readers of the series, but even that is handled in about as unexciting a way as could be imagined. Spider Season is a frustrating book. All of these characters and dangling plot threads will surely give Wilson lots to work with in the next two or three installments in the series; I just couldn't help wishing he'd found something to do with all that material in this book.
Labels:
Books
March 17, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: Grand Ole Opry night
Country night can be an unpredictable evening on Idol, when underdogs rise and favorites fail in spectacular fashion. This year, though, the favorites generally shine.
Michael, "Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up" -- To his credit, Michael doesn't seem to have flubbed any of the pattery lyrics; unfortunately, only about half of them were comprehensible. He seems comfortable with country, though, and aside from the mumbling, this was a competent performance. Likely to leave him safely in the middle of the pack.
Allison, "Blame It On Your Heart" -- Very nice. Smart to choose a song that can take some rock edge and some punching up, and she's solidly connected to the song and to the audience. She's a lot of fun to watch, and I'm starting to think she's going to go very deep in this competition.
Kris, "To Make You Feel My Love" -- A small technical quibble: When he drops suddenly from high notes to low ("...made your mind up yet..."), all the power disappears from his voice. But that is a quibble, and this is quite pretty. There's not quite the emotional power behind it that a great singer would give, but it's a solid job.
Lil, "Independence Day" -- Well, she's not a natural country singer, and there is a tentative "just sing the notes" quality to it, especially in the verse. But every word can be understood -- crucial in a story song like this -- and damn, when that voice sails into the money notes in the chorus, you get carried away on those pipes.
Adam, "Ring of Fire" -- It's one of the great Idol debates: Are theme nights about asking the singers to demonstrate range, or are they about how cleverly the singers can shoehorn song X into their own style? I lean toward the former, so I hated this passionately. There was something oddly hypnotic about it, I suppose, but it had nothing to do with the Grand Ole Opry.
Scott, "Wild Angels" -- Exactly what I've come to expect from a Scott performance -- perfectly pleasant (except for the falsetto notes, which are out of tune), perfectly inoffensive, and perfectly dull. Surely he can't coast on the blind thing for too many more weeks.
Alexis, "Jolene" -- Pitch problems throughout, and where was that "soft side" Alexis wanted to show us? This was hard and brittle, and she was pushing so hard that I found it intensely grating. Not a pleasant performance at all.
Danny, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" -- The song is sentimental maudlin religious malarkey; songs like this are why some people hate country music. Can't fault the performance, though, which is powerful and controlled. It's the best of the night so far.
Anoop, "Always On My Mind" -- My first goosebump moment of the season. Absolutely lovely, with the sort of emotional intensity that we haven't seen much of tonight. I would buy that record.
Megan, "Walkin' After Midnight" -- It's the best I've liked her so far, but her syllables are oddly detached from one another -- there's not much flow or grace to her musical lines -- and her vowel sounds are somehow hyper-enunciated in a way that I find distracting.
Matt, "So Small" -- I liked the quiet understatement of the first half much more than the overblown melodrama of the second half, and I do wish that Idol men didn't feel compelled to end every song with a dramatic falsetto note. Pleasant enough, but not especially memorable.
For the night: Anoop, Danny, Allison, Kris, Lil, Matt, Michael, Scott, Megan, Adam, Alexis.
For the season: Anoop, Allison, Lil, Danny, Kris, Matt, Michael, Alexis, Scott, Adam, Megan.
Deserving to go home: Alexis or Megan.
Michael, "Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up" -- To his credit, Michael doesn't seem to have flubbed any of the pattery lyrics; unfortunately, only about half of them were comprehensible. He seems comfortable with country, though, and aside from the mumbling, this was a competent performance. Likely to leave him safely in the middle of the pack.
Allison, "Blame It On Your Heart" -- Very nice. Smart to choose a song that can take some rock edge and some punching up, and she's solidly connected to the song and to the audience. She's a lot of fun to watch, and I'm starting to think she's going to go very deep in this competition.
Kris, "To Make You Feel My Love" -- A small technical quibble: When he drops suddenly from high notes to low ("...made your mind up yet..."), all the power disappears from his voice. But that is a quibble, and this is quite pretty. There's not quite the emotional power behind it that a great singer would give, but it's a solid job.
Lil, "Independence Day" -- Well, she's not a natural country singer, and there is a tentative "just sing the notes" quality to it, especially in the verse. But every word can be understood -- crucial in a story song like this -- and damn, when that voice sails into the money notes in the chorus, you get carried away on those pipes.
Adam, "Ring of Fire" -- It's one of the great Idol debates: Are theme nights about asking the singers to demonstrate range, or are they about how cleverly the singers can shoehorn song X into their own style? I lean toward the former, so I hated this passionately. There was something oddly hypnotic about it, I suppose, but it had nothing to do with the Grand Ole Opry.
Scott, "Wild Angels" -- Exactly what I've come to expect from a Scott performance -- perfectly pleasant (except for the falsetto notes, which are out of tune), perfectly inoffensive, and perfectly dull. Surely he can't coast on the blind thing for too many more weeks.
Alexis, "Jolene" -- Pitch problems throughout, and where was that "soft side" Alexis wanted to show us? This was hard and brittle, and she was pushing so hard that I found it intensely grating. Not a pleasant performance at all.
Danny, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" -- The song is sentimental maudlin religious malarkey; songs like this are why some people hate country music. Can't fault the performance, though, which is powerful and controlled. It's the best of the night so far.
Anoop, "Always On My Mind" -- My first goosebump moment of the season. Absolutely lovely, with the sort of emotional intensity that we haven't seen much of tonight. I would buy that record.
Megan, "Walkin' After Midnight" -- It's the best I've liked her so far, but her syllables are oddly detached from one another -- there's not much flow or grace to her musical lines -- and her vowel sounds are somehow hyper-enunciated in a way that I find distracting.
Matt, "So Small" -- I liked the quiet understatement of the first half much more than the overblown melodrama of the second half, and I do wish that Idol men didn't feel compelled to end every song with a dramatic falsetto note. Pleasant enough, but not especially memorable.
For the night: Anoop, Danny, Allison, Kris, Lil, Matt, Michael, Scott, Megan, Adam, Alexis.
For the season: Anoop, Allison, Lil, Danny, Kris, Matt, Michael, Alexis, Scott, Adam, Megan.
Deserving to go home: Alexis or Megan.
March 11, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: Michael Jackson night
It's Michael Jackson night, and for the most part, we get reasonably good performances. There aren't any revelatory moments, perhaps, but it's an entertaining night.
Lil, "The Way You Make Me Feel" -- She's got great pipes, but this song doesn't need to be shouted all the way through. A little understatement, a little slinkiness, maybe a little seduction would be nice. Good start to the night, though.
Scott, "Keep the Faith" -- His falsetto notes are consistently out of tune, and his singing style is too tidy and polite for even so mild a piece of R&B as this. I've only heard him twice, but he's already locking down a spot in my brain as Mr. Nice -- nice guy, nice voice, nice performance. And nice isn't going to win this thing.
Danny, "P.Y.T." -- Forced, over the top, and working far too hard for far too little reward. Unpleasantly frantic. There's a good voice there, but this didn't show it off well at all. (The judges, on the other hand, are wildly generous with their praise.)
Michael, "You Are Not Alone" -- His vowels occasionally get a little pinched and nasal, but there's nothing terribly wrong with the performance. There's nothing terribly exciting about it, either, and I fear that Michael's lack of star quality and charisma will doom him rather quickly.
Jasmine, "I'll Be There" -- I have much the same complaint I had with Lil: Just because you can belt every note doesn't mean you should belt every note. That aside, though, it's a pretty performance, and she's got a sweet, appealing presence on stage.
Kris, "Remember the Time" -- The song is duller than dishwater, and Kris can't bring much to it; his dismal enunciation doesn't help. But there's energy to it, and he's not pushing too hard; it's an easy, comfortable sound. I'd be worrying, though, that it's not going to be memorable enough to get votes.
Allison, "Give In to Me" -- Claiming her niche as the blues-rock chick right off the bat with a solid performance. She's very confident on stage, and (unlike, for instance, Jasmine) she projects a maturity beyond her years. One of the strongest so far.
Anoop, "Beat It" -- A few minor pitch problems, but he certainly knows how to work a stage, and it's not a bad performance. Doesn't have the tense, paranoid quality or the aggression of the original -- a touch bland emotionally -- but it'll certainly get him through to next week.
Jorge, "Never Can Say Goodbye" -- Bland and instantly forgettable. I wonder (as does Kara) whether learning a new song each week in his second language will keep him from solidly connecting to the material. (He was much better in earlier rounds, when he could choose songs that he already knew well.)
Megan, "Rockin' Robin" -- There are one or two brief moments near the end when Megan's voice lightens up a bit and you realize what a charming job she might have done with this song. But instead she bellows and blusters through it as if it were a condemned building and she were a wrecking ball. A disaster.
Adam, "Black or White" -- Way too over the top and theatrical for me. He's not a rock star; he's an actor playing the role of a rock star (and playing it far too broadly).
Matt, "Human Nature" -- One of the few singers tonight who doesn't feel the need to overpower the song; it's a laid-back relaxed performance that is mostly effective, though the falsetto riffs in the middle did go on a bit too long.
Alexis, "Dirty Diana" -- I'm not fond of her voice, but it was certainly a passionate and committed performance with no glaring flaws. In the top half for the night, and she shouldn't have any trouble surviving to next week.
For the night: Lil, Allison, Matt, Anoop, Alexis, Jasmine, Michael, Kris, Jorge, Danny, Scott, Adam, Megan.
Should go home: Megan and Adam, but the judges' love will keep Adam around for a long time.
Lil, "The Way You Make Me Feel" -- She's got great pipes, but this song doesn't need to be shouted all the way through. A little understatement, a little slinkiness, maybe a little seduction would be nice. Good start to the night, though.
Scott, "Keep the Faith" -- His falsetto notes are consistently out of tune, and his singing style is too tidy and polite for even so mild a piece of R&B as this. I've only heard him twice, but he's already locking down a spot in my brain as Mr. Nice -- nice guy, nice voice, nice performance. And nice isn't going to win this thing.
Danny, "P.Y.T." -- Forced, over the top, and working far too hard for far too little reward. Unpleasantly frantic. There's a good voice there, but this didn't show it off well at all. (The judges, on the other hand, are wildly generous with their praise.)
Michael, "You Are Not Alone" -- His vowels occasionally get a little pinched and nasal, but there's nothing terribly wrong with the performance. There's nothing terribly exciting about it, either, and I fear that Michael's lack of star quality and charisma will doom him rather quickly.
Jasmine, "I'll Be There" -- I have much the same complaint I had with Lil: Just because you can belt every note doesn't mean you should belt every note. That aside, though, it's a pretty performance, and she's got a sweet, appealing presence on stage.
Kris, "Remember the Time" -- The song is duller than dishwater, and Kris can't bring much to it; his dismal enunciation doesn't help. But there's energy to it, and he's not pushing too hard; it's an easy, comfortable sound. I'd be worrying, though, that it's not going to be memorable enough to get votes.
Allison, "Give In to Me" -- Claiming her niche as the blues-rock chick right off the bat with a solid performance. She's very confident on stage, and (unlike, for instance, Jasmine) she projects a maturity beyond her years. One of the strongest so far.
Anoop, "Beat It" -- A few minor pitch problems, but he certainly knows how to work a stage, and it's not a bad performance. Doesn't have the tense, paranoid quality or the aggression of the original -- a touch bland emotionally -- but it'll certainly get him through to next week.
Jorge, "Never Can Say Goodbye" -- Bland and instantly forgettable. I wonder (as does Kara) whether learning a new song each week in his second language will keep him from solidly connecting to the material. (He was much better in earlier rounds, when he could choose songs that he already knew well.)
Megan, "Rockin' Robin" -- There are one or two brief moments near the end when Megan's voice lightens up a bit and you realize what a charming job she might have done with this song. But instead she bellows and blusters through it as if it were a condemned building and she were a wrecking ball. A disaster.
Adam, "Black or White" -- Way too over the top and theatrical for me. He's not a rock star; he's an actor playing the role of a rock star (and playing it far too broadly).
Matt, "Human Nature" -- One of the few singers tonight who doesn't feel the need to overpower the song; it's a laid-back relaxed performance that is mostly effective, though the falsetto riffs in the middle did go on a bit too long.
Alexis, "Dirty Diana" -- I'm not fond of her voice, but it was certainly a passionate and committed performance with no glaring flaws. In the top half for the night, and she shouldn't have any trouble surviving to next week.
For the night: Lil, Allison, Matt, Anoop, Alexis, Jasmine, Michael, Kris, Jorge, Danny, Scott, Adam, Megan.
Should go home: Megan and Adam, but the judges' love will keep Adam around for a long time.
March 05, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: Wild Card night
Wild Card Night, and the pattern of the semi-finals holds: The men are a lot better overall than the women, and most of the singers don't rise to the occasion.
Jesse, "Tell Me Something Good" -- well, that was unattractive. Mushmouthed enunciation, harsh and grating vocals, and a bad drag queen's notion of sultry -- there really isn't much good to be said.
Matt, "Who's Loving You" -- a vast improvement over his semi-final performance; the bluesy thing really does work for him. I still find his voice a bit on the thin and whiny side, but that might just be me.
Megan, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" -- pitched too low, and the bottom notes disappear entirely; the high note at the end is badly off pitch. Also not a good sign that I spent the entire performance thinking how much better Katharine McPhee did it during her season on the show.
Von, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" -- when he can cut loose and belt, he sounds terrific, but the quieter moments at the beginning are all air, with no power behind them at all. He also seems somewhat stiff and over-rehearsed. Still, an improvement over his first performance.
Jasmine, "Reflection" -- lord, listen to how hard that girl is working. Everything is pushed so hard that it becomes oppressive; the quiet moments at the end, on the other hand, are very pretty. Overall, it's better than the other women so far, and it might be enough to get her through.
Ricky, "Superstition" -- he has a bad habit of letting notes die out without giving them their final consonants ("very superstitiou..."), but that's the biggest flaw. Good, solid performance, which isn't a surprise, given that he probably should have gotten through the first time around anyway.
Tatiana, "Saving All My Love for You" -- goodness, we just might have to put the Queen of Drama into the finals. A few pitch problems here and there, but she's got nice power, better low notes than the other women, and the performance is relatively restrained and tasteful.
Anoop, "My Prerogative" -- Fabulous. Well-sung, lots of fun, and he knows how to work a stage. Best of the night by a long shot.
(Hitting pause on the DVR to make my picks before the judges make theirs)
Deserving of the three spots: Anoop, Ricky, and Jasmine; but I think it's unlikely that the judges will pick more than one guy, given the already existing gender imbalance, so put Tatiana in for Ricky.
Jesse, "Tell Me Something Good" -- well, that was unattractive. Mushmouthed enunciation, harsh and grating vocals, and a bad drag queen's notion of sultry -- there really isn't much good to be said.
Matt, "Who's Loving You" -- a vast improvement over his semi-final performance; the bluesy thing really does work for him. I still find his voice a bit on the thin and whiny side, but that might just be me.
Megan, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" -- pitched too low, and the bottom notes disappear entirely; the high note at the end is badly off pitch. Also not a good sign that I spent the entire performance thinking how much better Katharine McPhee did it during her season on the show.
Von, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" -- when he can cut loose and belt, he sounds terrific, but the quieter moments at the beginning are all air, with no power behind them at all. He also seems somewhat stiff and over-rehearsed. Still, an improvement over his first performance.
Jasmine, "Reflection" -- lord, listen to how hard that girl is working. Everything is pushed so hard that it becomes oppressive; the quiet moments at the end, on the other hand, are very pretty. Overall, it's better than the other women so far, and it might be enough to get her through.
Ricky, "Superstition" -- he has a bad habit of letting notes die out without giving them their final consonants ("very superstitiou..."), but that's the biggest flaw. Good, solid performance, which isn't a surprise, given that he probably should have gotten through the first time around anyway.
Tatiana, "Saving All My Love for You" -- goodness, we just might have to put the Queen of Drama into the finals. A few pitch problems here and there, but she's got nice power, better low notes than the other women, and the performance is relatively restrained and tasteful.
Anoop, "My Prerogative" -- Fabulous. Well-sung, lots of fun, and he knows how to work a stage. Best of the night by a long shot.
(Hitting pause on the DVR to make my picks before the judges make theirs)
Deserving of the three spots: Anoop, Ricky, and Jasmine; but I think it's unlikely that the judges will pick more than one guy, given the already existing gender imbalance, so put Tatiana in for Ricky.
March 03, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: semi-finals, week 3
The semi-finals come to a close, and the night stands in for the three weeks as a whole; there aren't many disgraceful or embarassing performances, but there are also relatively few moments of genuine excitment. It's been a sluggish three weeks that don't leave me heading into the season with great anticipation.
Von, "You're All I Need to Get By" -- very pleasant -- a touch shouty, perhaps -- though the judges are more dazzled than I am. I'd never realized before just how much the original depends on arrangement and production.
Taylor, "If I Ain't Got You" -- the opening is pitched far too low for her; between that and her obvious nerves, she's having to gasp for breath far too often. Her voice is pretty enough, but there's nothing distinctive or interesting about it.
Alex, "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" -- oh, dear. When he just sings, he's adequate, a competent semifinal-level singer. But then he puts on that growl, which doesn't feel natural at all, and he becomes a silly little boy playing at being a grown man. (You see the same thing, I think, in his oh-so-theatrical treatment of the mike stand.) It's a mess.
Arianna, "The Winner Takes It All" -- an odd song choice for a 17-year-old to begin with, and she's treating it with such melodic and rhythmic flexibility that it almost feels less like interpretation and more like she doesn't know how the song goes. An ambitious failure.
Ju'Not, "Hey There Delilah" -- quite nice. I like the mellow quality of his voice, and there are just enough hints of real power lurking there that I don't fear he'll be nothing but mellow (as was, for instance, Jason Castro). I wonder, though, whether a performance this low-key will get the votes.
Kristen, "Give Me One Reason" -- not the flashiest song choice (though those high notes at the end are a nice touch, and well done), but it's a fun performance. More than anyone else so far, she seems to be enjoying herself, and it comes across. A fine job. (The judges, I think, are a bit harsh.)
Nathaniel, "I Would Do Anything for Love" -- pitch problems throughout, with the opening being particularly iffy. The song needs a bigger voice than he can give it, and let's face it, it calls for a certain machismo that Nathaniel simply doesn't have. He's not going to get to the finals with that.
Felicia, "No One" -- there's a heaviness to her voice that I don't like, and not much personality or emotion comes though. Dull and forgettable. (The judges are wildly generous.)
Scott, "Mandolin Rain" -- A nice voice, and one wth a distinctive enough sound that he stands out from tonight's pack a bit. The performance isn't really exciting, but it's very good, which may be enough on a bland night.
Kendall, "This One's for the Girls" -- lots of pitch problems, and those high notes in head voice don't work at all. Charming personality, and very likable on stage, but not a contender for the finals.
Jorge, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- now that I liked. Terrific control, range, and power. It's the first time this season I've had the sense of someone who might deliver an exciting performance during the year.
Lil, "Be Without You" -- the song leaves me a bit cold, but I like her voice, and she's got tons of personality. By far the best of the women tonight, and she should easily get through to the finals.
Deserving the three spots in the Top 12: Jorge, Ju'Not, Lil.
Deserving a second chance on Wild Card Night: Scott, Kristen
Von, "You're All I Need to Get By" -- very pleasant -- a touch shouty, perhaps -- though the judges are more dazzled than I am. I'd never realized before just how much the original depends on arrangement and production.
Taylor, "If I Ain't Got You" -- the opening is pitched far too low for her; between that and her obvious nerves, she's having to gasp for breath far too often. Her voice is pretty enough, but there's nothing distinctive or interesting about it.
Alex, "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" -- oh, dear. When he just sings, he's adequate, a competent semifinal-level singer. But then he puts on that growl, which doesn't feel natural at all, and he becomes a silly little boy playing at being a grown man. (You see the same thing, I think, in his oh-so-theatrical treatment of the mike stand.) It's a mess.
Arianna, "The Winner Takes It All" -- an odd song choice for a 17-year-old to begin with, and she's treating it with such melodic and rhythmic flexibility that it almost feels less like interpretation and more like she doesn't know how the song goes. An ambitious failure.
Ju'Not, "Hey There Delilah" -- quite nice. I like the mellow quality of his voice, and there are just enough hints of real power lurking there that I don't fear he'll be nothing but mellow (as was, for instance, Jason Castro). I wonder, though, whether a performance this low-key will get the votes.
Kristen, "Give Me One Reason" -- not the flashiest song choice (though those high notes at the end are a nice touch, and well done), but it's a fun performance. More than anyone else so far, she seems to be enjoying herself, and it comes across. A fine job. (The judges, I think, are a bit harsh.)
Nathaniel, "I Would Do Anything for Love" -- pitch problems throughout, with the opening being particularly iffy. The song needs a bigger voice than he can give it, and let's face it, it calls for a certain machismo that Nathaniel simply doesn't have. He's not going to get to the finals with that.
Felicia, "No One" -- there's a heaviness to her voice that I don't like, and not much personality or emotion comes though. Dull and forgettable. (The judges are wildly generous.)
Scott, "Mandolin Rain" -- A nice voice, and one wth a distinctive enough sound that he stands out from tonight's pack a bit. The performance isn't really exciting, but it's very good, which may be enough on a bland night.
Kendall, "This One's for the Girls" -- lots of pitch problems, and those high notes in head voice don't work at all. Charming personality, and very likable on stage, but not a contender for the finals.
Jorge, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- now that I liked. Terrific control, range, and power. It's the first time this season I've had the sense of someone who might deliver an exciting performance during the year.
Lil, "Be Without You" -- the song leaves me a bit cold, but I like her voice, and she's got tons of personality. By far the best of the women tonight, and she should easily get through to the finals.
Deserving the three spots in the Top 12: Jorge, Ju'Not, Lil.
Deserving a second chance on Wild Card Night: Scott, Kristen
February 26, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: semi-finals, week 2
A day late due to being ill last night, and our second batch of wannabes aren't offering much to make me feel better. It's a night in which no one seems to be shooting any higher than "meh," and most of them are failing to reach that level.
The rundown:
Jasmine, "Love Song" -- Well, the last note was pretty. The rest was a collection of pitch problems and wretched enunciation; if I hadn't known the song was called "Love Song," I'm not sure I'd have understood any of what she was saying. Lovely girl, and not without charisma, but this isn't a performance to move her on.
Matt G, "Viva la Vida" -- The core of the sound disappears when he sings quietly, and everything gets very breathy. His falsetto isn't pretty to hear (or to see, for that matter; it scrunches up his face even worse than his usual squint). And as the judges note, it's an odd song choice for the his voice.
Jeanine, "This Love" -- Odd song choices seem to be a theme so far; she gives the chorus a slight smoothness that could be very effective elsewhere, but here only serves to flatten the song and rob of its punch. And she's working awfully hard for the mediocre results she's getting.
Nick, "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" -- You know, at least it took a few weeks before Sanjaya started milking his own ineptness for votes; this guy is an insincere buffoon going in. "Norman" certainly doesn't deserve to be kept around, and his presence is an insult to all of the contestants who were cut without getting this far. The biggest shame of it all is that I think Nick might actually be able to sing.
Allison, "Alone" -- Finally, someone chooses the right song. She's not going to make anyone forget Ann Wilson, but it's a fairly good performance, and she goes from quiet to belt with relative grace and ease. She's rough around the edges, but when the night is going this badly, this might get her through to the finals.
Kris, "Man in the Mirror" -- Pleasant, in a bland karaoke kinda way. There's nothing glaringly wrong with it, and there are occasional hints that he's capable of something better. He looks awkward as hell, though, leaping about the stage and pumping his fist, and needs to tone that stuff way down. (The judges are far kinder to him than he deserves.)
Megan, "Put Your Records On" -- I hear a lot of Corinne Bailey Rae in the performance, and I'm not sure whether that's because Megan's imitating her or because the song is so quirky in its rhythms and melodies that there's no other way to approach it. She's got a pretty voice, though like Kris, she will need a lot of work on stage presence; watching those arms churning at her side is a little scary.
Matt B, "If You Could Only See" -- Working a little bit of the Chris Daughtry vibe, to moderately good effect. He doesn't ever deliver the real rock belt that the song seems to be building to, and that lack of power will likely hurt him in the long run if he survives.
Jesse, "Bette Davis Eyes" -- Maybe it's just bad eye makeup, but she looks terribly pained when she sings. It's a harmless, competent performance, but it never becomes anything more than that.
Kai, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" -- There's far too much vibrato in the money note at the end, but otherwise this isn't bad. The biggest problem is just that the original is such a classic that nearly anyone who does it can't help but instantly pale in comparison.
Mishavonna, "Drops of Jupiter" -- Hate the song, which is the sort of pretentious twaddle that stoned 19-year-olds think is really deep. As for the performance, it's yet another in the evening's long parade of minimally competent, adequate, unexciting songs.
Adam, "Satisfaction" -- Well, those years in musical theater have paid off; he certainly knows how to command a stage. Yes, he is, as the taped intro had suggested, a bit too big and theatrical, but it's a solid performance, and he should easily go through to the finals.
Deserving the top three spots: Adam, Allison, Megan.
Deserving of a second chance on Wild Card Night: If I'm feeling generous, Mishavonna, Matt B, and Kai, but only if I'm feeling generous.
The rundown:
Jasmine, "Love Song" -- Well, the last note was pretty. The rest was a collection of pitch problems and wretched enunciation; if I hadn't known the song was called "Love Song," I'm not sure I'd have understood any of what she was saying. Lovely girl, and not without charisma, but this isn't a performance to move her on.
Matt G, "Viva la Vida" -- The core of the sound disappears when he sings quietly, and everything gets very breathy. His falsetto isn't pretty to hear (or to see, for that matter; it scrunches up his face even worse than his usual squint). And as the judges note, it's an odd song choice for the his voice.
Jeanine, "This Love" -- Odd song choices seem to be a theme so far; she gives the chorus a slight smoothness that could be very effective elsewhere, but here only serves to flatten the song and rob of its punch. And she's working awfully hard for the mediocre results she's getting.
Nick, "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" -- You know, at least it took a few weeks before Sanjaya started milking his own ineptness for votes; this guy is an insincere buffoon going in. "Norman" certainly doesn't deserve to be kept around, and his presence is an insult to all of the contestants who were cut without getting this far. The biggest shame of it all is that I think Nick might actually be able to sing.
Allison, "Alone" -- Finally, someone chooses the right song. She's not going to make anyone forget Ann Wilson, but it's a fairly good performance, and she goes from quiet to belt with relative grace and ease. She's rough around the edges, but when the night is going this badly, this might get her through to the finals.
Kris, "Man in the Mirror" -- Pleasant, in a bland karaoke kinda way. There's nothing glaringly wrong with it, and there are occasional hints that he's capable of something better. He looks awkward as hell, though, leaping about the stage and pumping his fist, and needs to tone that stuff way down. (The judges are far kinder to him than he deserves.)
Megan, "Put Your Records On" -- I hear a lot of Corinne Bailey Rae in the performance, and I'm not sure whether that's because Megan's imitating her or because the song is so quirky in its rhythms and melodies that there's no other way to approach it. She's got a pretty voice, though like Kris, she will need a lot of work on stage presence; watching those arms churning at her side is a little scary.
Matt B, "If You Could Only See" -- Working a little bit of the Chris Daughtry vibe, to moderately good effect. He doesn't ever deliver the real rock belt that the song seems to be building to, and that lack of power will likely hurt him in the long run if he survives.
Jesse, "Bette Davis Eyes" -- Maybe it's just bad eye makeup, but she looks terribly pained when she sings. It's a harmless, competent performance, but it never becomes anything more than that.
Kai, "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" -- There's far too much vibrato in the money note at the end, but otherwise this isn't bad. The biggest problem is just that the original is such a classic that nearly anyone who does it can't help but instantly pale in comparison.
Mishavonna, "Drops of Jupiter" -- Hate the song, which is the sort of pretentious twaddle that stoned 19-year-olds think is really deep. As for the performance, it's yet another in the evening's long parade of minimally competent, adequate, unexciting songs.
Adam, "Satisfaction" -- Well, those years in musical theater have paid off; he certainly knows how to command a stage. Yes, he is, as the taped intro had suggested, a bit too big and theatrical, but it's a solid performance, and he should easily go through to the finals.
Deserving the top three spots: Adam, Allison, Megan.
Deserving of a second chance on Wild Card Night: If I'm feeling generous, Mishavonna, Matt B, and Kai, but only if I'm feeling generous.
February 22, 2009
MOVIES: Oscar catch-up
Yes, I've been a very bad blogger, and haven't kept up with posting about all of the movies I've seen this month. So, before, the Oscars show begins, a quick catch-up post about some of the nominees.
I didn't care for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I admired the technical accomplishments immensely, but was rarely emotionally engaged by the movie. Two exceptions: the scenes with Pitt and Tilda Swinton in that Russian hotel kitchen, and the meditation on coincidence leading up to Daisy's accident. And that shot of Pitt on the sailboat is the most stunning and iconic image of male beauty I've ever seen.
I was struck by the fact that the movie only allows Benjamin and Daisy to be happily united as a couple for that brief period when both are physically young and beautiful. As long as Benjamin still looks old, one or the other offers an excuse to keep them apart; once Daisy ages into her mid-40s, Benjamin's gone like a shot (and given a conveniently altruistic-sounding excuse for his departure).
I enjoyed The Reader much more, and I hadn't expected to. My cynicism meter was on high alert going on -- Winslet and Fiennes in a Holocaust movie produced by Harvey Weinstein? This was so obviously an Important Oscar Movie that it couldn't possibly be any good. But the movie works, largely on the strength of fine performances from Winslet and David Kross (who was sadly neglected during awards season). And the makeup -- good old-fashioned makeup -- that's used to age Winslet's character 30 years is far more convincing than all of the high-tech digital wizardry that's inflicted on Brad Pitt in Button.
And thanks to iTunes, I've seen 9 of the 10 nominated short films. The live-action shorts aren't a particularly strong field, but I did very much like "The Pig," which finds an interesting frame for its story of religious values in conflict. I'd bet on "Toyland" to win, though; it's set in WWII-era Germany, and "Toyland" is the answer of a young single mother to her son when he asks where all of his Jewish friends are disappearing to.
The animated films I've seen ("La Maison en Petits Cubes" isn't available for online viewing anywhere that I can find) are a very strong field. Even the slightest of the group, "Oktapodi," is an amusing bit of CGI about octopuses in love. "This Way Up" is the very British story of one coffin's difficult journey to a funeral; "Presto" is the rabbit-vs-magician short that played in theaters with WALL-E.
Best of the field, though, is "Lavatory/Lovestory," in which a men's room attendant finds her humdrum life interrupted by the unexpected possibility of romance. The animation is very simple -- black and white pencil drawings (with occasional well-timed bursts of color) that reminded of children's author Syd Hoff -- but extraordinarily communicative.
I didn't care for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I admired the technical accomplishments immensely, but was rarely emotionally engaged by the movie. Two exceptions: the scenes with Pitt and Tilda Swinton in that Russian hotel kitchen, and the meditation on coincidence leading up to Daisy's accident. And that shot of Pitt on the sailboat is the most stunning and iconic image of male beauty I've ever seen.
I was struck by the fact that the movie only allows Benjamin and Daisy to be happily united as a couple for that brief period when both are physically young and beautiful. As long as Benjamin still looks old, one or the other offers an excuse to keep them apart; once Daisy ages into her mid-40s, Benjamin's gone like a shot (and given a conveniently altruistic-sounding excuse for his departure).
I enjoyed The Reader much more, and I hadn't expected to. My cynicism meter was on high alert going on -- Winslet and Fiennes in a Holocaust movie produced by Harvey Weinstein? This was so obviously an Important Oscar Movie that it couldn't possibly be any good. But the movie works, largely on the strength of fine performances from Winslet and David Kross (who was sadly neglected during awards season). And the makeup -- good old-fashioned makeup -- that's used to age Winslet's character 30 years is far more convincing than all of the high-tech digital wizardry that's inflicted on Brad Pitt in Button.
And thanks to iTunes, I've seen 9 of the 10 nominated short films. The live-action shorts aren't a particularly strong field, but I did very much like "The Pig," which finds an interesting frame for its story of religious values in conflict. I'd bet on "Toyland" to win, though; it's set in WWII-era Germany, and "Toyland" is the answer of a young single mother to her son when he asks where all of his Jewish friends are disappearing to.
The animated films I've seen ("La Maison en Petits Cubes" isn't available for online viewing anywhere that I can find) are a very strong field. Even the slightest of the group, "Oktapodi," is an amusing bit of CGI about octopuses in love. "This Way Up" is the very British story of one coffin's difficult journey to a funeral; "Presto" is the rabbit-vs-magician short that played in theaters with WALL-E.
Best of the field, though, is "Lavatory/Lovestory," in which a men's room attendant finds her humdrum life interrupted by the unexpected possibility of romance. The animation is very simple -- black and white pencil drawings (with occasional well-timed bursts of color) that reminded of children's author Syd Hoff -- but extraordinarily communicative.
Labels:
Movies
February 17, 2009
MUSIC: American Idol 09: semi-finals, week 1
And at least, the season begins in earnest after the pointless cruelty of the audition shows and the pointless time-wasting of Hollywood Week.
On the whole, I'm not happy with the new semi-final format (which is actually the old semi-final format, used during the first few years of the show). It allows mediocre singers to slip into the finals with one unusually strong performance, where the previous format required singers to put together three good weeks to make the final 12. To be sure, the previous format allowed good singers to get cut based on one unusually weak performance, but that will still happen here, and any singer who can't get through a three-week semi-final without cracking probably doesn't deserve to be a finalist anyway.
The new format also takes away our chance to become familiar with the contestants over the three-week period; by the time the finals had begun, we had heard three full performances from each finalist, and (if the singers were smart) there was a good chance we'd heard them in a range of styles. Now, we'll head into the finals having heard each singer once -- maybe twice, for those who get in via Wild Card Night -- and it'll have been a month since we heard the singers who make it to the finals tonight.
Finally, 36 semifinalists is too many. We've never had 24 semifinalists who were good enough to make the finals, so why do we need to increase the number? This new format would work just as well with three weeks of 8 as with three weeks of 12. (Ah, but then, the competition show would only be one hour long instead of two, and we can't ask Fox to give up three hours of Idol airtime.)
There is one plus: We have at least the potential to get away from the rigid gender balance that was required of the final 12 under the previous format. If eight or nine of the best twelve singers are of the same gender, then that's what we should get, rather than the artificial 6-6 requirement. I'm sure that the judges will be under some pressure to even out the genders with their Wild Card choices (the judges, not the public, will choose the three winners from Wild Card night), but at least we aren't locked in to the 6 boys/6 girls thing.
So, the rundown for the night:
Jackie, "A Little Less Conversation" -- It's an interesting bluesy version of the song, especially at the beginning, but she gets shoutier as she progresses and doesn't quite have the voice to pull off the Joplin shtick. And the brief kittenish interlude in the bridge doesn't work at all. The judges are right, though, when they comment on well she controls the stage.
Ricky, "A Song for You" -- Too much melisma (an unusual comment for a male contestant), and his voice is too thick and throaty for my taste. Still, his intonation is superb and his range impressive, with some very nice falsetto work at the end. A very good performance.
Alexis, "Never Loved a Man" -- Let's face it, looks matter. And if you're a tiny pale-skinned blonde girl, you're going to have a hard time being taken seriously as an R&B belter unless you're amazingly good. This was amazingly good. She's got power without shrieking or loss of control; the voice is solid at high or low volume.
Brent, "Hick Town" -- Idol is primarily a show about pop and rock music. A country singer can survive on this show, but he's got to be better than this (and he's got to choose more interesting material, especially in this format where you get only one chance to make an impression). You can hear performances like this from every bar band in Texas on a Friday night. Bye, bye, Brent.
Stevie, "You Belong With Me" -- She's right that the song's youthful energy suits her, but her pitch is never quite in place and she loses power entirely in her lower register, getting very breathy. She also chooses to breathe in odd places, mid-phrase, sometimes even mid-word.
Anoop, "Angel of Mine" -- Pitch problems throughout, and his high notes don't impress the way Ricky's did, sounding slightly pinched. It might be good enough to at least get him through to Wild Card Night, though. The adorable factor will certainly help; I could just melt in those eyes. (I am, however, already sick to death of the "Anoop Dogg" nickname.)
Casey, "Every Little Thing He Does" -- It's not as if The Police are Iron Maiden or anything, but this song does need a bit more of a rock edge than she can bring; it's like the Muzak version. It's harmless and pleasant enough, though her voice does get unpleasantly harsh when she tries to hit the big, long, belty notes.
Michael, "I Don't Wanna Be" -- One shot to impress, and this is the song he picks? It doesn't offer any opportunity for a singer to really shine. It's a dull song, and the performance isn't much better; Michael's utter lack of charisma isn't helping.
Ann Marie, "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" -- A few small pitch problems, but a spectacular voice, and she finds a way to sell the song without trying to sound like an Aretha clone. One of the better performances of the night, and I am surprised at how negative the judges' comments are.
Stephen, "Rock With You" -- A very dutiful, restrained performance, with none of the joy or abandon the song needs. And the big long high note that's meant to impress us wobbles all over the place. This isn't going to get him to the finals.
Tatiana, "Saving All My Love For You" -- Not horrible, though she has a tendency to push awfully hard, and the lyrics are mostly lost in mush (and no, I don't think that's just her accent). Maybe she slips through to Wild Card Night, but I doubt it.
Danny, "Hero" -- Best of the night, by a long shot. Simon's right that the other judges are going a bit overboard, but only Alexis has come close to this level of performance tonight.
Deserving of the top three spots: Danny, Alexis, Ricky.
Deserving of a second chance on Wild Card Night: Anoop, Ann Marie.
On the whole, I'm not happy with the new semi-final format (which is actually the old semi-final format, used during the first few years of the show). It allows mediocre singers to slip into the finals with one unusually strong performance, where the previous format required singers to put together three good weeks to make the final 12. To be sure, the previous format allowed good singers to get cut based on one unusually weak performance, but that will still happen here, and any singer who can't get through a three-week semi-final without cracking probably doesn't deserve to be a finalist anyway.
The new format also takes away our chance to become familiar with the contestants over the three-week period; by the time the finals had begun, we had heard three full performances from each finalist, and (if the singers were smart) there was a good chance we'd heard them in a range of styles. Now, we'll head into the finals having heard each singer once -- maybe twice, for those who get in via Wild Card Night -- and it'll have been a month since we heard the singers who make it to the finals tonight.
Finally, 36 semifinalists is too many. We've never had 24 semifinalists who were good enough to make the finals, so why do we need to increase the number? This new format would work just as well with three weeks of 8 as with three weeks of 12. (Ah, but then, the competition show would only be one hour long instead of two, and we can't ask Fox to give up three hours of Idol airtime.)
There is one plus: We have at least the potential to get away from the rigid gender balance that was required of the final 12 under the previous format. If eight or nine of the best twelve singers are of the same gender, then that's what we should get, rather than the artificial 6-6 requirement. I'm sure that the judges will be under some pressure to even out the genders with their Wild Card choices (the judges, not the public, will choose the three winners from Wild Card night), but at least we aren't locked in to the 6 boys/6 girls thing.
So, the rundown for the night:
Jackie, "A Little Less Conversation" -- It's an interesting bluesy version of the song, especially at the beginning, but she gets shoutier as she progresses and doesn't quite have the voice to pull off the Joplin shtick. And the brief kittenish interlude in the bridge doesn't work at all. The judges are right, though, when they comment on well she controls the stage.
Ricky, "A Song for You" -- Too much melisma (an unusual comment for a male contestant), and his voice is too thick and throaty for my taste. Still, his intonation is superb and his range impressive, with some very nice falsetto work at the end. A very good performance.
Alexis, "Never Loved a Man" -- Let's face it, looks matter. And if you're a tiny pale-skinned blonde girl, you're going to have a hard time being taken seriously as an R&B belter unless you're amazingly good. This was amazingly good. She's got power without shrieking or loss of control; the voice is solid at high or low volume.
Brent, "Hick Town" -- Idol is primarily a show about pop and rock music. A country singer can survive on this show, but he's got to be better than this (and he's got to choose more interesting material, especially in this format where you get only one chance to make an impression). You can hear performances like this from every bar band in Texas on a Friday night. Bye, bye, Brent.
Stevie, "You Belong With Me" -- She's right that the song's youthful energy suits her, but her pitch is never quite in place and she loses power entirely in her lower register, getting very breathy. She also chooses to breathe in odd places, mid-phrase, sometimes even mid-word.
Anoop, "Angel of Mine" -- Pitch problems throughout, and his high notes don't impress the way Ricky's did, sounding slightly pinched. It might be good enough to at least get him through to Wild Card Night, though. The adorable factor will certainly help; I could just melt in those eyes. (I am, however, already sick to death of the "Anoop Dogg" nickname.)
Casey, "Every Little Thing He Does" -- It's not as if The Police are Iron Maiden or anything, but this song does need a bit more of a rock edge than she can bring; it's like the Muzak version. It's harmless and pleasant enough, though her voice does get unpleasantly harsh when she tries to hit the big, long, belty notes.
Michael, "I Don't Wanna Be" -- One shot to impress, and this is the song he picks? It doesn't offer any opportunity for a singer to really shine. It's a dull song, and the performance isn't much better; Michael's utter lack of charisma isn't helping.
Ann Marie, "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" -- A few small pitch problems, but a spectacular voice, and she finds a way to sell the song without trying to sound like an Aretha clone. One of the better performances of the night, and I am surprised at how negative the judges' comments are.
Stephen, "Rock With You" -- A very dutiful, restrained performance, with none of the joy or abandon the song needs. And the big long high note that's meant to impress us wobbles all over the place. This isn't going to get him to the finals.
Tatiana, "Saving All My Love For You" -- Not horrible, though she has a tendency to push awfully hard, and the lyrics are mostly lost in mush (and no, I don't think that's just her accent). Maybe she slips through to Wild Card Night, but I doubt it.
Danny, "Hero" -- Best of the night, by a long shot. Simon's right that the other judges are going a bit overboard, but only Alexis has come close to this level of performance tonight.
Deserving of the top three spots: Danny, Alexis, Ricky.
Deserving of a second chance on Wild Card Night: Anoop, Ann Marie.
February 08, 2009
TV: RuPaul's Drag Race (Logo, Mon 10)
Yet another Project Runway knockoff, and something of a mixed bag.
RuPaul is our host, and he's on a quest to find "America's next drag superstar." Nine contestants arrive, and they are greeted by RuPaul (in drag) on a video monitor, where he is being filmed in the softest focus we've seen on TV in years. After the welcome message is finished, RuPaul, now out of drag in a natty suit, walks in to present the first challenge. (That's right; RuPaul has cast himself as both Tim and Heidi.)
It's a tough one, too, considering the amount of time and money that top drag artists put into their outfits. They are provided with an assortment of ghastly thrift store rejects and told to assemble a fabulous outfit. "And because we know how important the right accessories can be," RuPaul tells the contestants, "we went to the dollar store and bought a whole bunch of crap."
That sort of irreverence is one of the show's strengths, and RuPaul is entertaining as the host/mentor/judge (he's back in drag, and back out of focus, in his role as judge). And yes, I do mean THE judge. Though there is a judging panel who join him in commenting on the challenge results -- Project Runway's Santino Rice is a regular judge, and legendary costume designer Bob Mackie is the guest judge for the first show -- they get no say in the final judgment. "I have consulted with our judges, my lawyer, and my housekeeper," says RuPaul, "but the final decision is mine alone."
The final runway segment in which we see how successfully the contestants have met the challenge is by far the show's greatest weakness; the production values plummet, with the room being far too brightly lit and the editing far too frantic for us to get a good luck at the outfits. But the contestants are a fine mix of personalities and styles; there's the chic elegance of Bebe Zahara Benet, the highly stylized punk/Goth look of Nina Flowers, and the creepy Bette Davis features of Tammie Brown.
Will you enjoy the show? It's certainly an uneven mess, but in its best moments it manages to simultaneously parody and pay loving homage to the Runway genre, and the personalities of RuPaul and his contestants are enough to keep me watching.
RuPaul is our host, and he's on a quest to find "America's next drag superstar." Nine contestants arrive, and they are greeted by RuPaul (in drag) on a video monitor, where he is being filmed in the softest focus we've seen on TV in years. After the welcome message is finished, RuPaul, now out of drag in a natty suit, walks in to present the first challenge. (That's right; RuPaul has cast himself as both Tim and Heidi.)
It's a tough one, too, considering the amount of time and money that top drag artists put into their outfits. They are provided with an assortment of ghastly thrift store rejects and told to assemble a fabulous outfit. "And because we know how important the right accessories can be," RuPaul tells the contestants, "we went to the dollar store and bought a whole bunch of crap."
That sort of irreverence is one of the show's strengths, and RuPaul is entertaining as the host/mentor/judge (he's back in drag, and back out of focus, in his role as judge). And yes, I do mean THE judge. Though there is a judging panel who join him in commenting on the challenge results -- Project Runway's Santino Rice is a regular judge, and legendary costume designer Bob Mackie is the guest judge for the first show -- they get no say in the final judgment. "I have consulted with our judges, my lawyer, and my housekeeper," says RuPaul, "but the final decision is mine alone."
The final runway segment in which we see how successfully the contestants have met the challenge is by far the show's greatest weakness; the production values plummet, with the room being far too brightly lit and the editing far too frantic for us to get a good luck at the outfits. But the contestants are a fine mix of personalities and styles; there's the chic elegance of Bebe Zahara Benet, the highly stylized punk/Goth look of Nina Flowers, and the creepy Bette Davis features of Tammie Brown.
Will you enjoy the show? It's certainly an uneven mess, but in its best moments it manages to simultaneously parody and pay loving homage to the Runway genre, and the personalities of RuPaul and his contestants are enough to keep me watching.
Labels:
TV
January 26, 2009
BOOKS: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson (2005/US 2008)
It's an odd crime thriller that keeps its two principal detectives from meeting for 250 pages, an even odder one that simply interrupts the action for two months while one of those detectives serves a short prison sentence. But they do things differently in Sweden, it seems, and the constant awareness that we're dealing with a culture that's subtly different from America's is one of the things I liked about this book.
Our protagonists are Mikael Blomkvist, a 40-ish financial journalist who's just been convicted of libeling a prominent businessman (thus that prison sentence), and Lisbeth Salander, a 20-ish genuis hacker with a serious lack of social skills. Due to his libel conviction, Mikael is forced to take an extended leave of absence from the magazine where he works, and is offered an investigative job by the elderly Henrik Vanger, whose family has long been a power in Swedish industry.
Some 40 years ago, Henrik's niece, Harriet, disappeared from a family reunion and was never seen again. Her disappearance is a variation of sorts on classic locked-room mysteries, as there's only one road onto the family's island, and it was completely blocked by a major traffic accident at the time. Henrik has been obsessed with the case ever since, and hopes that Mikael's investigative skills will turn up evidence that he's somehow overlooked.
Mikael eventually hires Lisbeth as his assistant; it takes quite a while, though, for Larsson to work her into the main plot, which is a bit of a drawback, because she's the book's most interesting character. Once they're teamed up, though, Mikael and Lisbeth are a fine pair, and their relationship develops in ways I hadn't expected.
The mystery is a fine one, with a variety of loathsome suspects in the Vanger family, and a satisfying solution. I was a bit distracted by the Swedish names; there are eight or nine suspects to keep track of, and I kept thinking that I'd be remembering them better if they were named Bob and Susan and Frank instead of Gottfried and Anita and Harald.
Larsson finished three novels in this series, but died of a heart attack at a relatively young age before the first was published. The three books have been best-sellers throughout Europe; the second (The Girl Who Played With Fire) will be published in the US this summer. It's reportedly even better than the first, and I'm looking forward to it very much.
Our protagonists are Mikael Blomkvist, a 40-ish financial journalist who's just been convicted of libeling a prominent businessman (thus that prison sentence), and Lisbeth Salander, a 20-ish genuis hacker with a serious lack of social skills. Due to his libel conviction, Mikael is forced to take an extended leave of absence from the magazine where he works, and is offered an investigative job by the elderly Henrik Vanger, whose family has long been a power in Swedish industry.
Some 40 years ago, Henrik's niece, Harriet, disappeared from a family reunion and was never seen again. Her disappearance is a variation of sorts on classic locked-room mysteries, as there's only one road onto the family's island, and it was completely blocked by a major traffic accident at the time. Henrik has been obsessed with the case ever since, and hopes that Mikael's investigative skills will turn up evidence that he's somehow overlooked.
Mikael eventually hires Lisbeth as his assistant; it takes quite a while, though, for Larsson to work her into the main plot, which is a bit of a drawback, because she's the book's most interesting character. Once they're teamed up, though, Mikael and Lisbeth are a fine pair, and their relationship develops in ways I hadn't expected.
The mystery is a fine one, with a variety of loathsome suspects in the Vanger family, and a satisfying solution. I was a bit distracted by the Swedish names; there are eight or nine suspects to keep track of, and I kept thinking that I'd be remembering them better if they were named Bob and Susan and Frank instead of Gottfried and Anita and Harald.
Larsson finished three novels in this series, but died of a heart attack at a relatively young age before the first was published. The three books have been best-sellers throughout Europe; the second (The Girl Who Played With Fire) will be published in the US this summer. It's reportedly even better than the first, and I'm looking forward to it very much.
Labels:
Books
January 21, 2009
MOVIES: On the eve of the nominations
The astute long-time reader will have noticed that I haven't done a "best of" list this year. I saw far fewer movies this year, mostly due to some chronic medical problems. Nothing life threatening, just annoying stuff that left me on too many weekends feeling too tired to go out and see movies. And when you see only one or two movies a month instead of five or six, you tend to see the Big Movies and only the Big Movies.
And that means that any Best Of list I could come up with would be made up pretty much of the usual suspects -- Milk, The Visitor, Man on Wire and so on -- and in that case, what's the point? The fun of a good Best Of list is the unexpected surprises, the movies and performances that don't pop up on anyone else's lists. And this year, even the long shots that I'm really hoping to see on tomorrow's nomination list are the same long shots that everyone else is hoping for (Richard Jenkins, Melissa Leo, Rosemarie DeWitt). My one no-chance-in-hell long shot, a nomination that would make me giddy with joy but won't happen, would be a Best Actor nomination for Colin Farrell, who was so unexpectedly marvelous in In Bruges.
So, in lieu of a formal list, a few thoughts on the year:
Expected nominees whose absence would please me: Sally Hawkins and Meryl Streep in Best Actress; supporting nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dev Patel, and Kate Winslet, not because any are undeserving (though c'mon, Dev Patel? Really?) but because all are clearly leads; The Dark Knight in Best Picture.
Let's talk about that last one. There's really only one interesting thing about the movie, and that's Heath Ledger's performance. And as good a performance as it is -- it will win Best Supporting Actor, and probably deserves to -- it is itself widely overrated; it's a good piece of acting, but it's not the master class the Oscar punditry has declared it to be. The hype and the over praise, of course, were unavoidable from the moment of Ledger's death; that tragedy led us to over hype the performance, and that hype led us to wildly over hype the movie, which really isn't all that interesting. It's certainly not worthy of a Best Picture nomination.
Would there have been any surprises on my hypothetical Best Of list for 2008? Well, one, I suppose: I seem to have missed posting anything on it at the time, but I really liked Speed Racer and couldn't figure out what all the complaints were about. Of course it was loud and garish and frenetic; it was a freakin' cartoon, beautifully translated into live action. The effects were astounding; the cast was uniformly fine, capturing the cartoon tone in just the right style. (I particularly liked Matthew Fox, absurdly square-jawed and stalwart as Racer X, and Roger Allam, perfectly hissable as the Evil Villainous Tycoon.) Not a perfect movie, to be sure -- no movie with an adorable urchin and his pet monkey could be -- but destined, I think, to be the Tron of its generation. In twenty years, it'll be recognized as a misunderstood delight, and it won't even take that long for the influence of its effects wizardry to be felt.
And that means that any Best Of list I could come up with would be made up pretty much of the usual suspects -- Milk, The Visitor, Man on Wire and so on -- and in that case, what's the point? The fun of a good Best Of list is the unexpected surprises, the movies and performances that don't pop up on anyone else's lists. And this year, even the long shots that I'm really hoping to see on tomorrow's nomination list are the same long shots that everyone else is hoping for (Richard Jenkins, Melissa Leo, Rosemarie DeWitt). My one no-chance-in-hell long shot, a nomination that would make me giddy with joy but won't happen, would be a Best Actor nomination for Colin Farrell, who was so unexpectedly marvelous in In Bruges.
So, in lieu of a formal list, a few thoughts on the year:
Expected nominees whose absence would please me: Sally Hawkins and Meryl Streep in Best Actress; supporting nominations for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dev Patel, and Kate Winslet, not because any are undeserving (though c'mon, Dev Patel? Really?) but because all are clearly leads; The Dark Knight in Best Picture.
Let's talk about that last one. There's really only one interesting thing about the movie, and that's Heath Ledger's performance. And as good a performance as it is -- it will win Best Supporting Actor, and probably deserves to -- it is itself widely overrated; it's a good piece of acting, but it's not the master class the Oscar punditry has declared it to be. The hype and the over praise, of course, were unavoidable from the moment of Ledger's death; that tragedy led us to over hype the performance, and that hype led us to wildly over hype the movie, which really isn't all that interesting. It's certainly not worthy of a Best Picture nomination.
Would there have been any surprises on my hypothetical Best Of list for 2008? Well, one, I suppose: I seem to have missed posting anything on it at the time, but I really liked Speed Racer and couldn't figure out what all the complaints were about. Of course it was loud and garish and frenetic; it was a freakin' cartoon, beautifully translated into live action. The effects were astounding; the cast was uniformly fine, capturing the cartoon tone in just the right style. (I particularly liked Matthew Fox, absurdly square-jawed and stalwart as Racer X, and Roger Allam, perfectly hissable as the Evil Villainous Tycoon.) Not a perfect movie, to be sure -- no movie with an adorable urchin and his pet monkey could be -- but destined, I think, to be the Tron of its generation. In twenty years, it'll be recognized as a misunderstood delight, and it won't even take that long for the influence of its effects wizardry to be felt.
Labels:
Movies
January 11, 2009
MOVIES: Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen, 2008)
I'm so used to the standard Woody Allen movie soundtrack -- old jazz standards, crackly opera recordings, and so on -- that it came as quite a shock to see "score by Philip Glass" during the opening credits. It's the first time in at least 20 years that Allen has used an original score (in fact, I'm not sure he ever has before; any Woody experts out there?). Glass's score is highly effective; his short phrases never repeat in quite the same way, helping greatly to keep the audience on edge.
And the score isn't the only oddity here; Cassandra's Dream feels less like an Allen movie than any other I can remember. Entirely gone are his usual loping rhythms; dialogue here is terse, with no extraneous banter. It's a bit annoying at first, in fact, as characters rush on and off screen for just long enough to deliver some key bit of exposition. But once you adjust to the movie's pacing, there's an interesting story being told.
Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell star as brothers who are in desperate need of money (McGregor for an investment he wants to make; Farrell to pay off gambling debts), and expect their dear old Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) to dig them out as he has done so many times before. But this time, Uncle Howard wants a rather hefty favor in return, and the brothers find their moral and ethical limits put to the test.
Allen has dealt with similar themes before, in better movies like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point. But the performances are good, especially from Farrell (an interesting companion to his work in In Bruges, another character struggling with his conscience) and Wilkinson, darkly funny as a man willing to do anything to save himself -- well, willing to have someone else do anything to save him, at any rate.
And the score isn't the only oddity here; Cassandra's Dream feels less like an Allen movie than any other I can remember. Entirely gone are his usual loping rhythms; dialogue here is terse, with no extraneous banter. It's a bit annoying at first, in fact, as characters rush on and off screen for just long enough to deliver some key bit of exposition. But once you adjust to the movie's pacing, there's an interesting story being told.
Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell star as brothers who are in desperate need of money (McGregor for an investment he wants to make; Farrell to pay off gambling debts), and expect their dear old Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) to dig them out as he has done so many times before. But this time, Uncle Howard wants a rather hefty favor in return, and the brothers find their moral and ethical limits put to the test.
Allen has dealt with similar themes before, in better movies like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point. But the performances are good, especially from Farrell (an interesting companion to his work in In Bruges, another character struggling with his conscience) and Wilkinson, darkly funny as a man willing to do anything to save himself -- well, willing to have someone else do anything to save him, at any rate.
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January 10, 2009
MOVIES: The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
Finally overcoming his tendency to indulge in excessive artsy-fartsiness, Aronofsky makes his best movie yet by simply telling a simple story.
The story is that of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), who was one of the best professional wrestlers 20 years ago. Today, he clings to his wrestling career, fighting second-rate opponents on third-rate bills in fourth-rate towns. And that career is all he has to cling to; he's estranged from his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and the closest thing he has to a romantic relationship is the occasional bit of mild flirtation with local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei).
There's really only one big plot point in The Wrestler -- Randy has a heart attack -- and for the rest of the movie, we watch as Randy tries to cope with the ways in which that changes his life. How does a middle-aged man deal with life when the only career he's ever known, the only thing he's ever been good at, is taken away from him?
Rourke is almost always on screen in this movie, and all the good things you've heard about his perfromance are true. It's a performance utterly lacking in vanity; Rourke's own battered face and body -- he spent several years as a boxer during his exile from Hollywood -- are constantly on display.
The rest of the movie is not up to Rourke's level. Tomei does a solid job, creating a full character from the leftover heart-of-gold scraps that Aronofsky has given her, but the movie is none too subtle in pounding home the parallels between the aging Randy and the aging Cassidy (Tomei is still a lovely woman, but as strippers go, she is a bit long in the tooth), or the notion that her strip club is the equivalent of his wrestling ring. The Stephanie storyline is even worse, with lots of wounded "you were never there for me" nonsense, and the standard formulas about Randy buying wildly inappropriate gifts and so on.
And if you're sensitive about movie violence, you should be warned that the wrestling scenes here are absolutely brutal; I found them extraordinarily hard to sit through. Yes, it's important to show us just how Randy has become so battered and damaged, but the point could have been made in half the time with scenes far less intense; these scenes are less about telling the audience something it needs to know than they are about brutalizing the audience, and they are enough to keep me from simply recommending The Wrestler. Yes, Rourke's performance is superb, but I'm not sure any performance is good enough to make it worth being assaulted by unnecessary violence for the first half-hour of the movie.
The story is that of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), who was one of the best professional wrestlers 20 years ago. Today, he clings to his wrestling career, fighting second-rate opponents on third-rate bills in fourth-rate towns. And that career is all he has to cling to; he's estranged from his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and the closest thing he has to a romantic relationship is the occasional bit of mild flirtation with local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei).
There's really only one big plot point in The Wrestler -- Randy has a heart attack -- and for the rest of the movie, we watch as Randy tries to cope with the ways in which that changes his life. How does a middle-aged man deal with life when the only career he's ever known, the only thing he's ever been good at, is taken away from him?
Rourke is almost always on screen in this movie, and all the good things you've heard about his perfromance are true. It's a performance utterly lacking in vanity; Rourke's own battered face and body -- he spent several years as a boxer during his exile from Hollywood -- are constantly on display.
The rest of the movie is not up to Rourke's level. Tomei does a solid job, creating a full character from the leftover heart-of-gold scraps that Aronofsky has given her, but the movie is none too subtle in pounding home the parallels between the aging Randy and the aging Cassidy (Tomei is still a lovely woman, but as strippers go, she is a bit long in the tooth), or the notion that her strip club is the equivalent of his wrestling ring. The Stephanie storyline is even worse, with lots of wounded "you were never there for me" nonsense, and the standard formulas about Randy buying wildly inappropriate gifts and so on.
And if you're sensitive about movie violence, you should be warned that the wrestling scenes here are absolutely brutal; I found them extraordinarily hard to sit through. Yes, it's important to show us just how Randy has become so battered and damaged, but the point could have been made in half the time with scenes far less intense; these scenes are less about telling the audience something it needs to know than they are about brutalizing the audience, and they are enough to keep me from simply recommending The Wrestler. Yes, Rourke's performance is superb, but I'm not sure any performance is good enough to make it worth being assaulted by unnecessary violence for the first half-hour of the movie.
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Movies
January 07, 2009
MOVIES: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008)
This is about as good as a late Woody Allen film gets, which is to say there are some amusing moments, you can watch it without cringing (mostly), and it's not going to make anyone forget how much better Allen's early movies were.
This one takes place in several Spanish cities, but mostly Barcelona, where Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) are spending their summer with some of Cristina's relatives. They meet a local painter, the grandly egotistical Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), whose idea of a suave introduction is to invite the two women to join him for a weekend of good food, good wine, and lots of hot three-way sex. Cristina is charmed and agrees to join Juan Antonio; Vicky, who is engaged to a very nice (albeit rather bland) man, is appalled by Juan Antonio's arrogance, but tags along to try and keep Cristina from doing anything too foolish.
Before the weekend is over, of course, Vicky finds herself struggling with her own attraction to Juan Antonio. And because a romantic triangle isn't quite complicated enough, along comes Juan Antonio's ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), a passionate, suicidal, somewhat deranged woman who's never really stopped loving her husband.
Bardem and Cruz are saddled with cliched roles here -- the Latin lover and the Spanish spitfire -- to which they bring as much life and dimension as anyone probably could, but the characters aren't well enough written for either of them to do much. (On a personal note, I confess that I have always been somewhat perplexed by the alleged sex appeal of Javier Bardem. Fine actor, to be sure, and immensely charismatic, but sexy? Really?)
The movie's most interesting performance comes from Rebecca Hall as Vicky, who struggles against her attraction to Juan Antonio, not only to avoid cheating on her fiance, but to keep from hurting Cristina.
It is particularly pleasant to note that this movie does not have an obvious Woody surrogate, saddled with delivering all of his/her dialogue in Allen's distinctive rhythms. It's an Allen screenplay, of course, so those rhythms aren't entirely absent (they're most noticable in the restaurant scene where Vicki and Cristina first meet Juan Antonio), but we're not clubbed over the head with a bad Woody impression as we were by, for instance, Kenneth Branagh in Celebrity.
A minor diversion, perfectly harmless, but likely to fade from memory in a matter of hours.
This one takes place in several Spanish cities, but mostly Barcelona, where Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) are spending their summer with some of Cristina's relatives. They meet a local painter, the grandly egotistical Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), whose idea of a suave introduction is to invite the two women to join him for a weekend of good food, good wine, and lots of hot three-way sex. Cristina is charmed and agrees to join Juan Antonio; Vicky, who is engaged to a very nice (albeit rather bland) man, is appalled by Juan Antonio's arrogance, but tags along to try and keep Cristina from doing anything too foolish.
Before the weekend is over, of course, Vicky finds herself struggling with her own attraction to Juan Antonio. And because a romantic triangle isn't quite complicated enough, along comes Juan Antonio's ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), a passionate, suicidal, somewhat deranged woman who's never really stopped loving her husband.
Bardem and Cruz are saddled with cliched roles here -- the Latin lover and the Spanish spitfire -- to which they bring as much life and dimension as anyone probably could, but the characters aren't well enough written for either of them to do much. (On a personal note, I confess that I have always been somewhat perplexed by the alleged sex appeal of Javier Bardem. Fine actor, to be sure, and immensely charismatic, but sexy? Really?)
The movie's most interesting performance comes from Rebecca Hall as Vicky, who struggles against her attraction to Juan Antonio, not only to avoid cheating on her fiance, but to keep from hurting Cristina.
It is particularly pleasant to note that this movie does not have an obvious Woody surrogate, saddled with delivering all of his/her dialogue in Allen's distinctive rhythms. It's an Allen screenplay, of course, so those rhythms aren't entirely absent (they're most noticable in the restaurant scene where Vicki and Cristina first meet Juan Antonio), but we're not clubbed over the head with a bad Woody impression as we were by, for instance, Kenneth Branagh in Celebrity.
A minor diversion, perfectly harmless, but likely to fade from memory in a matter of hours.
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