waltz with bashir

i wasn't so sure about this animated film
not a huge fan of a style usually reserved for family films
but the subject of this film is all but family oriented
it concerns a massacre that took place in lebanon early 80's
in this case from the point of view of israeli soldiers
the director set out to interview some soldiers involved
but their request for anonymity meant animation was an option
the film opens with a quite unsettling pack of dogs
so immediately i'm thinking this is symbolic of the soldiers
but in fact it turns out to be a dream sequence
that of one of the soldiers featured in the film
he's having a beer with an old comrade in arms
and tells the story of the dream and it's significance
a direct connection to an event in the lebanon war
this jars the memory of his now unsettled companion
who then sets off on a journey of discovery
he tracks down other soldiers to seek more information
including a visit to holland where one has retreated
there's constant flashbacks to the war in question
so as the film progresses the gaps are filled in
it takes a bit of effort to get past the animation
close the eyes and the voices are no doubt genuine
unfortunately the need to read subtitles makes this a folly
it is quite a dialogue-rich film so concentration is needed
especially for one as me with little knowledge of the events
i kept thinking this was such a unique film experience
a very serious subject using a quite whimsical technique
not your average serious knitted-brow documentary
a constant mental alarm going off as to the subject
an equally constant wonder at the effectiveness of the animation
and then in the final scenes of the film - the killer blow
a cut to some archival footage of the actual massacre
i don't recall ever being so moved by such footage
full marks to the director/producer/animator
a superb telling of the story in question
and then a jolting return to a sad reality
had me glued to the seat as the credits rolled
another very satisfying and unique cinema experience

marilyn crispall trio

a special night at the sound lounge tonight
another touring jazz musician doing the club thing
a one-off show following on from some opera house shows
anticipation running high for me for one major reason
she records on the eclectic german ecm label
home to some of the best jazz musicians in the world
she herself apparantly regarded as a supreme 'free' pianist
first impressions are she is almost dwarfed by the new yamaha c7
on this tour she has employed 2 of the best locals
double-bass supremo lloyd swanton centre stage and anchor
simon barker stage right and in charge of drums and percussion
my luck held tonight with scoring a great seat
another lone fan had got there early enough
a spare seat available directly in front of mr barker
i had no real expectation of what would happen sonically
though i had been advised that she has mellowed
her days of avant-gardiness now tempered by melody
in the first long rambling piece improvisation ruled
there were 3 consummate musicians belting it out big time
simon barker totally dominating proceedings with his noise-making
demanding attention as he assumed his usual posture
eyes closed, head lifted, hands and arms splaying his equipment
creating an array of noises far beyond beat and rhythm
every piece of every piece of equipment tapped or bashed
tom-toms, brushes, sticks, hands, fingers all interchanged
just an extraordinary percussive performance
which meant it was easy to forget the other musicians
lloyd swanton faultless as usual and also indulging
mostly seen to similarly operate with closed eyes
and the star of the show over there on piano
mostly adding in some fairly dischordant sounds
melody almost totally absent from her contribution
and only occassionally dropping back to a gentle solo sound
the first tune must have been close to 30 minutes
no back-announcement so no idea of its origin or name
then the same with the second and final tune of the set
more noise-making of a confident and appealing nature
a quick thanks from marilyn crispall and time to breath
discussions with my nearby audience members confirming my thoughts
simon barker inadvertently stealing the show from the star
most likely assisted by our front of stage position
the musicians seemed well pleased with the first set
and continued on a more-of-the-same approach in the second set
a few more shorter tunes given an airing this time
but still annoyingly no talk of meaning or origin
which ultimately lead me to think maybe there were none
certainly no sheet music on stage and no long-time association
so in this case tonight it was assumed to be pure improvisation
... not that there is anything wrong with that
in the right hands it can be quite exhilerating
tonight at many times it was as good as it gets
however my overall impression was of overload
probably one long tune too many for me
though happy to join in with wild applause
a standing ovation for some of the audience
(we need to encourage visitors to come back)
the trick being to bring or buy the best
i hope it was all worthwhile for the local lads
for it was them that made her star shine on this night

the visitor

another cold night in this big city
so another trek through largely empty streets
past multiple restaurants in a trendy part of town
and to the art-house multiplex cinema visited last night
you the living lodged in my head and demanding attention
read all sorts of rave reviews about this superb film
then it popped up in the trailers to this evening's viewing
so that also forcing hope of a similar cinema experience
the visitor is a bored (and boring) university professor
his wife has died, his son is abroad, he seems to have no friends
so a visit to new york to attend a conference is undertaken
he owns an apartment there which is being illegally occupied
so mr-straight-white-guy confronts his opposites
zainab is a sengalese woman working at the markets
her live-in boyfriend tarek is a syrian djembe player
both young, happy, carefree, together
professor vale (walter) is drawn to tarek's music
initially watching him perform at clubs or on the street
and then taking a few lessons from him and joining in
but the post 9/11 xenophobia in new york spoils the fun
tarek is arrested for no apparant reason other than his looks
which finds walter leaping to the aid of his 2 new friends
he engages a lawyer and makes visits to the detention centre
in the meantime tarek's mother turns up unexpectedly
and it turns out that tarek and zainab are illegal immigrants
so an interesting and believable scenario is set up
the film is ostensibly about walters re-birth
a changed man now awakened to a different world
and his willingness to trust his intuition
that injustices should be railed against
different cultures and music have a place
and that love is an emotion not to be suppressed
his gradual awakening is handled quite gently
making it and the story all the more believable
it's not a knockout must-see truly enlightening film
but it has a good heart and tells a good story
funny how it's easy to stigmatise american films
this one however avoids all the unreal stuff
tells things as they are in today's world
with the emphasis on the goodness of people
despite all that is imposed upon them
not a bad little film at all really

you the living

a cold night in the current city of domicile
so it seemed almost appropriate to head off to sweden
i had read a couple of quite brief reviews of this film
coming down to love-it-or-loathe-it art-house cinema
the film opens in a sparsely furnished room
a unkempt elderly man sleeping in daylight
abruptly aroused by the noise of a passing train
then telling us of a dream he has had of bombers
cut to a outdoor scene of a woman in despair
telling her partner of her unhappiness with her life
no-one understands her and wants to escape somehow
her partners reaction indicating this is a regular occurence
and so the scenes are set for those which follow
many more equally mundane slices of common life
not a lot of dialogue and even less complexity
mostly a fixed camera used to frame each scene
but each one with some common element with others
some characters appear in more than one scene
there's a young woman in love with her musical hero
members of the local brass band are seen rehearsing
the music of the brass band providing a common element
similarly the bleakness of the city is well conveyed
there is no sunshine and mostly subdued pastel colours
several times it is made clear a dream sequence is underway
with an almost identical method of filming used
so at times it feels like the entire film is a dream
such are the almost absurd situations that are included
there's not a smile to be seen or laugh to be heard
as various people tell their stories of despair
with such deadpan delivery it becomes comedic
i was laughing or smiling throughout this film
a guilty pleasure as sad, simple lives are presented
but done with such impressive yet simplistic style
a great feel for consistency as each scene is presented
lines, shapes, angles, props (or not), colouring all common
but each scene a separate chapter in this story of life
no sledgehammers used but many and various issues covered
e.g. racism, ageing, obsession, commitment, mental-health
there's no happy ending and no resolutions offered
but a very clever ending with a relevant dream sequence
the bombers seen flying over the city we have been in
and a deep feeling of angst hoping they don't deliver
indicating a real attachment to the characters
this film could easily endure repeat viewings
so simple but visually with so much to offer
puts me squarely in the love-it category

jindabyne

the film not the place in this case
another one that slipped by me on original release
so with the dvd in hand home-viewing is next best
laura linney and gabriel byrne are the stars
international stars in this otherwise australian film
i'm not sure why they had to import these actors
the plot does not need irish and american characters
so presumably a marketing ploy for international appeal
maybe films are now so globalised it doesn't matter
or possibly more realistically that's the way of the world
people of all nationalities all over the place
living their lives, reacting, interacting, etc
the film opens with the telling of a murder
a lone woman in a car on a lonely stretch of road
followed then confronted by the local loner come creep
we then are in jindabyne mixing it with the locals
stewart kane (byrne) runs the local garage
his partner claire (linney) is busy raising their son tom
it's a close-knit community where everyone knows everything
stewart and his 3 buddies are heading off fishing
a long drive and hike into kusciosko national park
they stumble across the body of the murdered woman
but delay reporting the find until after their weekend
which is where things really start coming undone
there's a bad reaction all round to their action
the implication being their fun has taken precedence
suggestions that the victim's gender has influenced them
more so that the victim was from the local aboriginal community
which adds a very interesting spiritual twist to the tale
as traditional aboriginal beliefs are introduced to the mix
stewart and claire's relationship sours quite dramatically
many other friendships and allegiances are also tested
religion, sexuality, familiies, race relations all explored
so quite a lot going on in this quite simple tale
the director also wants to show off the geography
many beautiful shots of gorges, rivers, lakes, etc
which basically makes up for a busy 90 minutes
though in the end i think it is quite successful
but i couldn't help also thinking it side-stepped a bit
especially in scenes of confrontation with the aboriginals
where the overseas stars represented the white man
australian actors kept effectively side of stage
couldn't help thinking how powerful that could have been
especially in this year of the apology
but this was made 2 years ago
still - worth a look

evil urges

my morning jacket is an american rock band known for their reverb-heavy sound

their eclectic mix of country rock, indie rock, funk, psychedelic and southern rock styles

...and enthusiastic and energetic live shows

this is the opening paragraph of the band's wiki entry

i've been aware of them for some time but hadn't paid much attention

however their brand-spanking new album is in my possession

and curiousity has got the better of me - so here we go...

evil urges

yup - it's a rock band for sure - big drum sound and straight-up guitar

some interesting electronica in the mix sounding like um?

falsetto voice comes in also sounding familiar - but who?

synth-orchestration also used as the tune builds to something

then a sudden change of key, tempo and a rock-out - not too bad

touch me i'm going to scream part 1

this is going to get annoying - another tune sounding like ?

moog noises, 60's kind of harmonies pointing to influences

snare drum up-front in this quite fast-paced singalong

one striking thing is that there are a lot of channels at use

all sorts of instruments and noise-makers at use - working well

highly suspicious

there's that falsetto voice again - michael jackson-ish

and here we have a heavy-rock dirge type riff dominant

a bunch of fellows repeating the song title over and over and...

electric guitar histronics thrown in the mix just for good measure

quite a catchy tune but also quite annoying - bit of a throwaway really

i'm amazed

nice intro - giving a sense of a singalong tune about to start up

and true enough - off he goes - he's amazed you see

damn - it's another case of a significant soundalike

west coast rock, vocals, harmonies, guitar/bass/drums

it's a rock song with guitar solos and a riff and a chorus

thank you too!

ouch - now we're in 70's soft-rock territory

it's the big ballad complete with strings, electric piano, etc

now sounding so much like a band from way back it's really annoying

this one would be really cringe-worthy except it's quite a tribute

i'm going to wake up in the middle of the night and know who to

sec walkin

country-rock is now the reference - pedal-steel guitar in there

70's production values all over this one also

complete with the call and response female backup vocals

it's so close to a complete piss-take it's almost laughable

but it's not - they mean it - and actually get away with it

two halves

and the theme continues - the 70's rule - alright?

i'm certain there is one famous band that they idolise

actually cheap trick wouldn't be far off the mark - yup that's it

which is quite ironic really considering they were proud plagarists

so the favour has well and truely been returned in spades

librarian

lovely - solo voice and acoustic guitar lead in here

and a very pleasant voice it is too - very clear on the ear

karen of the carpenters singing in the rain - another lovely victim of the mirror

so confirming their decade of choice on this slow build tune

very strong actually - great production and a memorable tune

look at you

uh-oh - must be the middle of the album - ish

not sure what was intended with this one - original or clone?

it's slow, monotonous, and basically a bit of a waste of space

the musicians seem to be going through the (slow) motions

can be totally summed up in one word - filler

aluminium park

resuming cheap trick personnas on this fast and furious tune

another rocker complete with screeching guitars and real piano

which just confirms that the 70's must be making a comeback

or maybe they just like the style of music of that era

my feeling is that this one has been done to death previously

remnants

part 2 of the rock-out segment of the album

sounds just the same to these ears out of touch with that style

sorry guys but this just isn't very original at all

and the producer also shows a distinct lack of originality

enough already - rock is ok - in (smaller) doses

smokin' from shootin'

do you, do you, do you see my smokin' guns - they're smokin' from shootin'

and a bunch of other lyrics as equally silly and trite

do you, do you, do you live your life on the run - runnin' from nothin'

so it's another big shot at a big meaningful ballad

they're now taking themselves seriously enough to be annoying

touch me i'm going to scream part 2

moog sounds, electronica noodling working quite well as an intro

beat picks up and it's quite a head-nodding tune that cranks in

spacey production allows for various instruments to be used

and lots of borrowed techniques - even jean michel jarre gets a nod

in the end it's totally consistent with the 70's sound of all before

summary - a collection of tunes with reference to all things 70's including the likes of cheap trick that with modern recording techniques makes for a very strong and enjoyable album

bringing on back the good times

oh dear - mr-i'm-not-into-nostalgia does a back-flip
youtube strikes again - just an amazing resource
you name it - it finds it - anything and everything
now being the music-nut i am that's what i go looking for
mostly clips of favourite artists and others recommended
also an endless supply of amateur videos using recorded music
this one particularly caught my attention aurally and visually
the tune - well - it resonates with me big-time
i think probably the first song that ever impressed me
got lodged in my head very early on and has stuck there
before this one i hadn't heard much else too exciting
roger miller, the seekers, nat king cole, etc, etc, etc
pretty bland, safe, gentle, inoffensive, nice music
of course this one could now be described thus
but back then (60's) it was like a blast of fresh air
a personal awakening to a world of musical opportunities
apart from all that i think it's just a great piece of music
it surprises me some boy band hasn't made it a huge hit
vocally, lyrically, musically it hits all the marks for me
then to see a viusal presentation such as this clip is v cool
someone has put some thought into showing it in context
with a walk down memory lane of an a-z of album covers
watching them pass by a gentle reminder of a special time
the world of music exploding with genuine originality
ah - those were the days (my friend)
and i'm not even into nostalgia
really - but this is great
the love affair...

disgrace

another book by author j m coetzee now read
this one apparantly given the booker prize in 1999
i saw it raved about on a recent book review show
and so when offered a loan of it i had to take it on
david lurie is a poetry lecturer at a south african university
leads a fairly dull life but for his libido problem
the first part of the book demonstrating this thoroughly
no woman is off limits particularly his young students
who are drawn to his intellect and persuasive manner
but in a classic case of one too far he oversteps the mark
his latest conquest informs her parents who in turn react
leading him to be being sacked and well, disgraced
no sympathy from me as i just don't like him at all
the prude in me says middle-aged blokes should act their age
and not go round luring ('scuse the pun) after much younger women
he also has a less than average relationship with his ex-wives
presumably as they have been caught up in his activities
part one of the book takes us up to the point of his ejection
then in part two he retreats to his daughter's country property
possibly as a reaction against her father she leads a simple life
has a now-absent woman lover and looks after neglected dogs
she eeks out an existence in a poor part of rural south africa
so mr lurie finds himself in a quite hostile environment
but seems to find relief in his absence from the spotlight
he takes to writing an opera portaying the life of lord byron
and in typical coetzee style art-imitates-life-imitates-art
so on the surface this book tells an interesting story
but dig a bit deeper and there's more going on
dogs become quite central to the theme of the story
lurie befriends in his usual style a lady at the local veterinary
then finds himself routinely involved in culling the dog population
those ones now neglected, rejected, isolated and un-loved
so it's not hard to see the parallel of a dog's life to now his own
the hardship of life in rural south africa is also well described
seems violence is never too far away and comes into the story
i'm not entirely sure what the author was trying to tell us
there's nothing too endearing about any of the characters
and life on the outside of society is seen as bleak
but maybe that is the point of the story
disgrace - not a good place to be?

teental (north india)

time now to go back to an old blog exercise
for the sake of completeness if nothing else
songlines (world music) magazine being the inspiration
they published a very interesting article a number of issues back
documenting what they considered to be 50 rhythms of the world
so with the amazing resources of youtube i have gone one step further
for each rhythm i have found an appopriate clip and blogged it
i got up to 45 of 50 ages ago and then lost the plot
but spring is sprung and spring-cleaning is in order
so this project needs to be dusted off and finished
heres what the magazine had to say about teental

teental (north india) - it means a 16-beat cycle - that's 4/4
but there's nothing square about the flying fingers, ingenious cross-rhythms,
competitive exchanges and frantic build-ups
that feature in this most popular of north indian structures
all classical music operates within cycles of various lengths
which are easiest to follow in percussion
the tabla being the dominant instrument
performers often recite their compositions
in rapid bursts of syllables before playing them
traditionally the bowed sarangi accompanies a solo recital

songlines recommends memorable tabla duet by ustad alla rakha and zakir hussain
esne notes womadelaide visitors from a few years ago

the following clip in a short space of time demonstrates the above
furious finger work being the most dominant feature
also the use of the sarangi as accompaniment
my feeling is that this rhythm is best experienced live
late night, outdoors, warm air, altered consciousness stuff
sprawled out on the grass and taken away by this music
fond memories of the last act on many womad days
(46 of 50)

michael clayton

missed this one when it was on the big screen recently
it seemed interesting enough in the trailer
but you know - george clooney - too mainstream
lately america has been well in my field of vision
things are cranking up with the presidential race
so try as i may it's hard to ignore the u s completely
tonight the dvd of the film ended up in my possession
lights out, laptop fired up, big breath and.....action
which starts totally unannounced with no opening credits
m c has a money and gambling problem and is playing poker
is down in his luck and not fussy about playing partners
though paradoxically drives a late model mercedes benz
he's an attorney come problem-solver for a large legal firm
goes where he is needed at any point in time to move things along
the opening scenes see him driving out of town on such a mission
town being the unmistakable and here grimy city of new york
on the way back a bomb mysteriously explodes in his car
at a moment when he has gone off to take in some nature
we're then in flashback mode to 4 days earlier to explain all this
his firm has been working for years on a large class action case
a chemical company is being sued billions for negligence
michael's old friend and co-worker has gone into meltdown
so he is assigned to pick him up and get him through the case
but all it not as it seems which makes things very interesting
tilda swinton impressively plays the chief counsel of the chemical company
way out of her depth it is suggested as she makes some bad calls
including the use of hitmen to take out people causing her grief
the cynic in me had me thinking nah - not likely - it's just a film
but at the same time there's a lot of realism to this scenario
as there's enough diversion from the main plot to back it up
quite a few scenes depict the main characters in their private lives
cleverly used to further explain people's motives and actions
michael clayton himself has a young son who gets involved
in a quite subtle way that ultimately has major consequences
the 4 days of flashback pass and we are back where we started
the opening scenes roll again but now we know what's going on
particularly why michael's car explodes and more so why he is not in it
his decision to engage with nature (horses) now a very moving scene
and from that point on the film moves quite rapidly
all the pieces have fallen into place and he acts accordingly
leading to a powerful and believable conclusion
the final scene sees michael clayton in the back of a taxi
now in a zone where he can finally dwell on events
the camera fixed on his face as the credits are rolled
2 or 3 minutes as his face displays appropriate emotions
making the point that george clooney is a fine actor
as i am snapped back to reality after an absorbing film
even in this case tonight on the little screen