In the spirit of High Fidelity and the main character's obsession with Top 5 lists, I have decided to compile some lists of films by category. Five is a good limit, because it makes you choose your favorites, and sometimes there aren't that many on the subject. Look for the lists to appear at various times throughout the year...
I'll begin with birthdays, because today is mine.
TOP 5 FILMS ABOUT BIRTHDAYS
1. Sixteen Candles
2. 13 Going on 30
3. Logan's Run
4. To Gillian on her 37th Birthday
5. The Great Gatsby
The theme here seems to be "forgetting birthdays", because they seem to all have to do with characters forgetting about someone's birthday.
Contribute your list! (Remember, only five!)
May 20, 2011
High Fidelity
Director: Stephen Frears
Length: 113 min.
Released: 2000
High Fidelity is a trip down memory lane for those nostalgic about lost love, record collections, and the freedom of not working a desk job.
John Cusack seems to fall into characters unsure whether to stay put or run away. His character in High Fidelity views life in terms of music, and supports his massive record collection by running an independent record store. His two employees are played by Jack Black and Todd Louiso. Black plays his snobbish character with so much enthusiasm you accept him as being simply eccentric, but it's Louiso's understated charm which gets him the girlfriend and the great one-liners.
The film introduced many people to Nick Hornby, the English author who wrote the book on which the film is based. Cusack, originally from Chicago, moved the story from London suburbs to more familiar ground outside Chicago. Some of the English musical references have been changed for an American audience, but relationship troubles are universal, and the rest of the story is intact. Hornby's own appreciation for music and his characters use music as their form of communication, examines life from a musical perspective, and his characters use music to interact with other people in their lives. The soundtrack is a sampling of rock and indie bands both old and new, the type of selection you would expect to hear playing in an independent record shop. Mirroring the plot, these songs of frustration, confusion and attempts at love express the characters' emotions better than they can.
As in many Cusack films, his sister Joan and Lili Taylor coax him through his relationship foibles, along with the past women in his life, played by such actresses as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisa Bonet (best-known for her role on The Cosby Show). Tim Robbins makes an appearance as an egocentric in a different type of role for him.
High Fidelity should be viewed as a time capsule of sorts, as it captures an earlier moment in time. Less and less people physically go to small independent music stores to buy their music, few buy actual records, many don't the sound quality difference, and the new generation doesn't know them at all. But in high contrast to the proliferation of cheap digital media, people are still interested in vinyl, and they continue to have their popularity, albeit cultish. And isn't that some sort of success anyway?
Length: 113 min.
Released: 2000
High Fidelity is a trip down memory lane for those nostalgic about lost love, record collections, and the freedom of not working a desk job.
John Cusack seems to fall into characters unsure whether to stay put or run away. His character in High Fidelity views life in terms of music, and supports his massive record collection by running an independent record store. His two employees are played by Jack Black and Todd Louiso. Black plays his snobbish character with so much enthusiasm you accept him as being simply eccentric, but it's Louiso's understated charm which gets him the girlfriend and the great one-liners.
The film introduced many people to Nick Hornby, the English author who wrote the book on which the film is based. Cusack, originally from Chicago, moved the story from London suburbs to more familiar ground outside Chicago. Some of the English musical references have been changed for an American audience, but relationship troubles are universal, and the rest of the story is intact. Hornby's own appreciation for music and his characters use music as their form of communication, examines life from a musical perspective, and his characters use music to interact with other people in their lives. The soundtrack is a sampling of rock and indie bands both old and new, the type of selection you would expect to hear playing in an independent record shop. Mirroring the plot, these songs of frustration, confusion and attempts at love express the characters' emotions better than they can.
As in many Cusack films, his sister Joan and Lili Taylor coax him through his relationship foibles, along with the past women in his life, played by such actresses as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lisa Bonet (best-known for her role on The Cosby Show). Tim Robbins makes an appearance as an egocentric in a different type of role for him.
High Fidelity should be viewed as a time capsule of sorts, as it captures an earlier moment in time. Less and less people physically go to small independent music stores to buy their music, few buy actual records, many don't the sound quality difference, and the new generation doesn't know them at all. But in high contrast to the proliferation of cheap digital media, people are still interested in vinyl, and they continue to have their popularity, albeit cultish. And isn't that some sort of success anyway?
May 18, 2011
Everything is Illuminated
Director: Liev Schreiber
Length: 106 min.
Released: 2005
Everything is Illuminated takes place in Ukraine, one of the former Eastern Bloc countries now poor, but independent. When the Soviet Union fell apart, Ukrainians threw off the heavy cloak of communism in order to embrace capitalism, and many of its citizens try to make money however possible. One such way is to guide Americans making nostalgic trips back to the mother country to see how previous generations lived.
The film was adapted from the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. Foer studied philosphy and traveled to Ukraine to learn more about his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. The subject for his college thesis later became his first novel, Everything is Illuminated. The actor Liev Schreiber wrote the screen adaptation and directed the film. (Although Schreiber is American, he is of mixed Central-European heritage, and his maternal grandfather was from Ukraine, just like Foer.)
Foer is played by Elijah Wood, who goes to Ukraine to unveil a mystery about his grandfather. His collecting habits and quirks provide interesting encounters with the people he meets along his journey.
One of the most memorable characters is Alex (played by Eugene Hutz, frontman of the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello), Foer's driver on his odyssey across the Ukrainian countryside. Alex is part of the new generation embracing Western culture.
Everything is Illuminated does not demand pity or anger for what has happened in the past. It is the story of one man's connection to his own family history. The film becomes more and more surrealistic, as past events appear in dream-like sequences mix with present-day.
The score by Paul Cantelon is an excellent introduction to Eastern European music, and holds its own beyond the film. It is especially interesting the way the theme is played many ways: with different instrumentation and different feels. Independent films don't always produce a soundtrack, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it at my local library. (To hear samples of the soundtrack, click here.)
An interesting sidenote about this film: PBS aired a documentary a few years ago about a young Iraqi man who received an internship from Liev Schreiber to work on Everything is Illuminated. The documentary takes its own path, but gives an interesting perspective of the themes from Schreiber's film in a different context. The documentary is called Operation Filmmaker and is done by Nina Davenport (who also made Parallel Lines).
Length: 106 min.
Released: 2005
The film was adapted from the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. Foer studied philosphy and traveled to Ukraine to learn more about his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. The subject for his college thesis later became his first novel, Everything is Illuminated. The actor Liev Schreiber wrote the screen adaptation and directed the film. (Although Schreiber is American, he is of mixed Central-European heritage, and his maternal grandfather was from Ukraine, just like Foer.)
Foer is played by Elijah Wood, who goes to Ukraine to unveil a mystery about his grandfather. His collecting habits and quirks provide interesting encounters with the people he meets along his journey.
One of the most memorable characters is Alex (played by Eugene Hutz, frontman of the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello), Foer's driver on his odyssey across the Ukrainian countryside. Alex is part of the new generation embracing Western culture.
Everything is Illuminated does not demand pity or anger for what has happened in the past. It is the story of one man's connection to his own family history. The film becomes more and more surrealistic, as past events appear in dream-like sequences mix with present-day.
The score by Paul Cantelon is an excellent introduction to Eastern European music, and holds its own beyond the film. It is especially interesting the way the theme is played many ways: with different instrumentation and different feels. Independent films don't always produce a soundtrack, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it at my local library. (To hear samples of the soundtrack, click here.)
An interesting sidenote about this film: PBS aired a documentary a few years ago about a young Iraqi man who received an internship from Liev Schreiber to work on Everything is Illuminated. The documentary takes its own path, but gives an interesting perspective of the themes from Schreiber's film in a different context. The documentary is called Operation Filmmaker and is done by Nina Davenport (who also made Parallel Lines).
May 16, 2011
The Triplets of Belleville
Original Title: Les Triplettes de Belleville
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Length: 80 min.
Released: 2003
Sylvain Chomet has a unique eye. His animation studio created a dynamic film both charming and critical of modern society at the same time. Characters drawn with exaggerated features highlight their movements and personalities. Chomet succeeds in telling a story with a full range of human emotions through two-dimensional characters, almost entirely without dialogue.
The film's main story line centers around a grandmother, her grandson, and their dog. Chomet, a devoted fan of bicycling, chose to make an homage to old-school bike racing. His main character, named Champion, is drawn to resemble the famous French racer Jacques Anquetil, and he participates in the Tour de France. He is kidnapped by the Mafia (drawn as large black blocks), who have their own uses for bike racers, and taken to Belleville. His grandmother and dog set off on an adventure to rescue him.
A set of three singing sisters make up the title of the film and are a sort of Greek chorus. Music used in the film evokes jazz and swing, and was immensely popular (and nominated for an Academy Award). Caricatures of popular musicians in France can be seen in several scenes.
Chomet has tried to make the film not set in any specific country, but it begins in France, and then crosses the Atlantic to Belleville, clearly a large North American city. The film was produced as a collaboration between several countries (Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada), and Chomet seems to give them all a potential role in the film.
The Triplets of Belleville is charming, even in its sharp lines and sharp criticisms. Bruno (the dog) has some of the best scenes, and the grandmother is everything a maternal figure should be. Chomet has moved animated films beyond the realm of children's entertainment, and has made a work unique in genre and technique. The film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, but it lost to Finding Nemo. (Tough competition: it's hardly fair to expect an innovative film to beat out a Disney/Pixar one).
Film Info
Director: Sylvain Chomet
Length: 80 min.
Released: 2003
Sylvain Chomet has a unique eye. His animation studio created a dynamic film both charming and critical of modern society at the same time. Characters drawn with exaggerated features highlight their movements and personalities. Chomet succeeds in telling a story with a full range of human emotions through two-dimensional characters, almost entirely without dialogue.
The film's main story line centers around a grandmother, her grandson, and their dog. Chomet, a devoted fan of bicycling, chose to make an homage to old-school bike racing. His main character, named Champion, is drawn to resemble the famous French racer Jacques Anquetil, and he participates in the Tour de France. He is kidnapped by the Mafia (drawn as large black blocks), who have their own uses for bike racers, and taken to Belleville. His grandmother and dog set off on an adventure to rescue him.
A set of three singing sisters make up the title of the film and are a sort of Greek chorus. Music used in the film evokes jazz and swing, and was immensely popular (and nominated for an Academy Award). Caricatures of popular musicians in France can be seen in several scenes.
Chomet has tried to make the film not set in any specific country, but it begins in France, and then crosses the Atlantic to Belleville, clearly a large North American city. The film was produced as a collaboration between several countries (Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada), and Chomet seems to give them all a potential role in the film.
The Triplets of Belleville is charming, even in its sharp lines and sharp criticisms. Bruno (the dog) has some of the best scenes, and the grandmother is everything a maternal figure should be. Chomet has moved animated films beyond the realm of children's entertainment, and has made a work unique in genre and technique. The film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, but it lost to Finding Nemo. (Tough competition: it's hardly fair to expect an innovative film to beat out a Disney/Pixar one).
Film Info
Meek's Cutoff
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Length: 104 min.
Released: 2010
Length: 104 min.
Released: 2010
Pioneers on the Oregon Trail traversed thousands of miles on foot, dreaming of a better life out West. They often hired men with knowledge of the frontier to serve as guides and for protection. These outdoor enthusiasts, mountain men, and outlaws had abandoned genteel society in order to be free and independent. Their adventurous and thrill-seeking spirits contrasted with families, where the presence of women and children brought morals and social structures to new territories.
Meek's Cutoff tells the story of a small group on the Oregon Trail in 1845. Their guide, Stephen Meek, leads the three-wagon train across dry, hot and sparse Eastern Oregon, telling them tales of his adventures in the Wild West. His optimism and wilderness experience convince him and the others that water and the fertile Willamette Valley is within easy reach. At that time, early in the westward movement, it was hard even for a guide to know the valley of their dreams lay hundreds of miles further west, and the Columbia River several hundred miles north.
An encounter with an indian causes the group to question their leader and their own inner fears. Relations between native tribes and whites were often based on experiences and stories of murder and raids on both sides. Fear dictated behavior, and few people were aware of the diversity of tribes across North America. Travel in stressful situations brings out true personalities, and misunderstandings and stereotypes led to a confrontation without resolution for the Meek party. The film becomes a study in social nature and foreshadows changes in the American West.
An encounter with an indian causes the group to question their leader and their own inner fears. Relations between native tribes and whites were often based on experiences and stories of murder and raids on both sides. Fear dictated behavior, and few people were aware of the diversity of tribes across North America. Travel in stressful situations brings out true personalities, and misunderstandings and stereotypes led to a confrontation without resolution for the Meek party. The film becomes a study in social nature and foreshadows changes in the American West.
Panoramic scenic shots held for a long time are reminiscent of such David Lean films as Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia. A pastel color scheme complements the characters with the world around them: beautiful, but desolate. There are only a handful of characters, but each is memorable and plays an important role in this microcosm of society. One of the more unique aspects of the film is its square frame, designed to represent the view from inside a woman's bonnet. This is not a restrictive gimmick, but a thoughtful depiction of a confined viewpoint. There are feminist overtones to the film, written by Jon Raymond and directed by Kelly Reichardt, whose previous films also explore themes of social behavior, two of which are also set in Oregon.
The film is carefully detailed, and moves at a pace that brings you back to a different time. Setting up camp, eating dinner in the dark, waking before dawn, walking all day and setting up a new camp clearly demonstrate the monotony of life on the trail. It's a road movie told not with the enthusiasm of a journey's beginning, but with the hardened disillusion of being lost so near the destination. Music used in the film is simplistic but evocative, typical of recent films set in the West. Sound effects are natural and part of the scenery: a squeaky wagon wheel, birds hovering overhead, fabric rustling in the wind. The ending leaves you wanting to know more about these people and their story.
The Oregon Trail is frequently romanticized, but Meek's Cutoff depicts the reality of the journey so many people took. Travel has become so simplified over the centuries, it's good to be reminded how difficult it used to be, when so much was up to chance. The vast migration west may have been imperialistic, but we must still give the people who did it credit for their strength, courage and perseverance.
Official Website
May 5, 2011
The Singing Revolution
Director: James Tusty, Maureen Castle Tusty
Length: 94 min.
Released: 2007
Most people haven't even heard of Estonia, and if they have they don't know much about it. The small country (population: 1.34 million) is one of the Baltic States, along with Latvia and Lithuania, and is the northernmost of the three. Just across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden and Finland, and to the east, Russia.
Like many countries in central and eastern Europe, Estonia was occupied first by the Nazis and later by the Soviets. There was a brief period between World War I and II when they were fully independent. In 1989, the Estonians began a peaceful revolution against their aggressors along with the Lithuanians and Latvians, which successfully freed them from occupation and led to the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991.
Music has always been important in Estonia. Pre-occupation, community music groups and festivals flourished. Then, for decades, they were required to sing propagandist songs. Finally, gathering at the summer music festival, a few people began to sing Estonian songs. These demonstrations of national pride rallied all Estonians, and led to a complete revolution. The story is amazing, and surprising in its success in the modern trigger-happy world.
Estonia is now one of the most prosperous countries from the Eastern Bloc. It has been a member of the European Union since 2004 (with the euro), and places a strong emphasis on democracy, freedom and education. Tallinn, the capital and largest city, has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2011. If you are interested in visiting Estonia or want to learn more about upcoming musical events and festivals, visit the country's website:
Official website for the film
May 4, 2011
Paper Clips
Director: Elliot Berlin
Length: 82 min.
Released: 2004
Comprehending the scale of huge numbers is difficult for anyone. When students at Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee were told during a unit on the Holocaust that six million people perished, students had trouble visualizing that quantity. They were shown pictures of shoes piled up, representing lives lost. Someone suggested gathering six million objects to best understand what six million of anything looks like, and the classes decided to use paper clips. A small object, ordinary, but symbolic
They embarked on their project, seemingly simple. Students brought in paper clips, and teachers turned aspects of it into academic tasks. Waves of students over several years participated in "The Holocaust Project", as the boxes piled up and filled rooms at the school. People sent paper clips in the mail with letters attached telling their personal stories. Their paper clips represented real people, and the project was a chance to honor them.
This documentary takes you to the heart of Whitwell: its teachers, its students, its residents. Rural Tennessee doesn't get much national coverage, but Whitwell became familiar to many from its request for paper clips. It's great to see a project bring students and the community together to learn history.
When the six million paper clips were all present and accounted for, the need arose for a fitting memorial to store them. (The final count was actually 11 million, which included children.) The solution was a boxcar which had actually transported prisoners to camps, abandoned and for sale in Germany. Funds were donated, journalists came, and a documentary was made. The boxcar was carefully transported to sit permanently in Whitwell. The Children's Holocaust Memorial is now a museum, and Whitwell students lead tours to students from Tennessee and other states. What a powerful way to make learning real.
Length: 82 min.
Released: 2004
Comprehending the scale of huge numbers is difficult for anyone. When students at Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee were told during a unit on the Holocaust that six million people perished, students had trouble visualizing that quantity. They were shown pictures of shoes piled up, representing lives lost. Someone suggested gathering six million objects to best understand what six million of anything looks like, and the classes decided to use paper clips. A small object, ordinary, but symbolic
They embarked on their project, seemingly simple. Students brought in paper clips, and teachers turned aspects of it into academic tasks. Waves of students over several years participated in "The Holocaust Project", as the boxes piled up and filled rooms at the school. People sent paper clips in the mail with letters attached telling their personal stories. Their paper clips represented real people, and the project was a chance to honor them.
This documentary takes you to the heart of Whitwell: its teachers, its students, its residents. Rural Tennessee doesn't get much national coverage, but Whitwell became familiar to many from its request for paper clips. It's great to see a project bring students and the community together to learn history.
When the six million paper clips were all present and accounted for, the need arose for a fitting memorial to store them. (The final count was actually 11 million, which included children.) The solution was a boxcar which had actually transported prisoners to camps, abandoned and for sale in Germany. Funds were donated, journalists came, and a documentary was made. The boxcar was carefully transported to sit permanently in Whitwell. The Children's Holocaust Memorial is now a museum, and Whitwell students lead tours to students from Tennessee and other states. What a powerful way to make learning real.
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Parallel Lines
Director: Nina Davenport
Length: 98 minutes
Released: 2004
Released: 2004
Nina Davenport, a New Yorker displaced to California for work, finds herself homesick and deeply saddened on September 11, 2001. Several months later, when it is time to return to New York, she decides not to fly, but instead to drive. As she’s a filmmaker, she decides to document the journey with her videocamera strapped to various parts of her rental car.
Her adventure takes her across the southern United States during the three-week window she has before she must be in New York. Her inquisitive nature makes her stop anyone she comes across to ask questions and opinions. Her lack of enthusiasm to get home encourages her to follow small roads and intriguing signs, which leads to an 8000-mile journey. The initial premise is to document reactions to the terrorist attacks, but she discovers that New York is a distant place from small town America, and everyone has a story of hardship and sacrifice.
Davenport uses post-production voice-over to tell her story and narrate her emotions and concerns. Her camera becomes her fellow passenger, strapped onto the seat beside her, on the dashboard and even on the roof of her car (which causes a problem in Washington, D.C., in the new, post-9/11 world of heightened security).
One of Davenport’s major concerns throughout the film is the new view from her apartment window in New York, now void of the twin towers. Through listening to other people’s stories, she begins the process towards acceptance. When she does arrive back home, she carries with her an invisible support group.
Not everyone has Davenport’s persistence, but we are all rewarded because of her efforts. The film is thoroughly captivating: you feel part of the journey. You know neither you nor Davenport will ever likely see the people she met again, which makes the encounters all the more bittersweet and profound. The people presented in the film may not have an emotional attachment to New York, but they represent what it means to be American, which is what Davenport realized was the true story she wanted to tell and needed to hear herself.
The film was shown at a range of festivals throughout the world.
(Click here for the complete list.)
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May 2, 2011
Elizabethtown
Director: Cameron Crowe
Length: 123 min.
Released: 2005
Released: 2005
It doesn't get much better than Cameron Crowe. With his latest creation, Elizabethtown, everything's there: comedy, drama, a road trip, family values and feuds, satire, and music. Unfortunately, the box office didn't reflect this total package, but when has that ever happened to Crowe? The public, it appears, has yet to appreciate his prowess. His love of music means there's a perfect song for every moment of the film. Luckily for us (few) fans, he decided to produce a truly memorable two volume soundtrack, despite the film's lackluster success. Tom Petty has a prominent place, as he always does in Crowe films, as well as Crowe's wife, Nancy Wilson, who provides several of the themes.
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| Soundtrack, Vol. 1 |
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| Soundtrack, Vol. II |
Elizabethtown is another Cameron Crowe masterpiece that perfectly captures small-town America and the difficulties of family. A must-see for anyone.
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