From top to bottom: The Loners; The Sand Traveler; The Provider; The Pastoralist; The Harvester; The Players; The Reader; The Wanderer; The Ambassadors; The Caretaker
http://polixenipapapetrou.net/
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
BEAUTY: Photography--Polixeni Papapetrou
Polixeni Papapetrou is an Australian photo-based artist who stages evocative scenes with costumed models. Part fairy tale, part mythology, they play like lost pages from The Brothers Grimm or unknown fables by Aesop. The pictures below are from her "Dreamkeepers" series created this year. I am such a sucker for images of human bodies with animal heads...
From top to bottom: The Loners; The Sand Traveler; The Provider; The Pastoralist; The Harvester; The Players; The Reader; The Wanderer; The Ambassadors; The Caretaker
http://polixenipapapetrou.net/
From top to bottom: The Loners; The Sand Traveler; The Provider; The Pastoralist; The Harvester; The Players; The Reader; The Wanderer; The Ambassadors; The Caretaker
http://polixenipapapetrou.net/
Monday, August 22, 2011
BEAUTY: Interiors--Ceilings
In interior design, ceilings are an oft-overlooked element. But all it takes is a tiny bit of imagination to come up with a show-stopping ceiling treatment. I have a client now who has an uplit tray ceiling that is just begging to be gold leafed!
Above: I am not at all a fan of cutsie-wootsie nurseries, and especially gender-specific nurseries. But this bee motif for a baby's room is clever, whimsical, and charming without being clichéd or imposing gender stereotypes on a human soul that is unformed and full of possibility.
Above: This vaulted ceiling is uplit to emphasize the gold leaf squares.
Above: A jaw-droppingly gorgeous ceiling treatment (the addition of molding and a contrasting pattern give the impression of an inset tray ceiling) with what appears to be a very special sun burst trim kit for a recessed can light.
Above: I am not at all a fan of cutsie-wootsie nurseries, and especially gender-specific nurseries. But this bee motif for a baby's room is clever, whimsical, and charming without being clichéd or imposing gender stereotypes on a human soul that is unformed and full of possibility.
Above: This vaulted ceiling is uplit to emphasize the gold leaf squares.
Above: A jaw-droppingly gorgeous ceiling treatment (the addition of molding and a contrasting pattern give the impression of an inset tray ceiling) with what appears to be a very special sun burst trim kit for a recessed can light.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Just watched...
...John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt" starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.
Adapted from his 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning [2005] play of the same name, playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote the script for this film adaptation as well as directing it himself. What director would know the material and intention better than the playwright and screenwriter?
In New York in 1964, Sister Aloysius, a bitter, rigid nun accuses Father Flynn, her parish priest, of having had sexual contact with a student at a Catholic school. The catch: she has absolutely no proof, just circumstantial evidence and hearsay that she has stitched together into an inflammatory narrative. Like a pit bull, Sister Aloysius’ jaws lock onto Father Flynn’s leg and she vows not to let go until she brings him down.
What follows is a fascinating and tense journey through innuendo, possibility, gossip, assumption, and accusation. Sister James, a younger nun under Sister Aloysius’ wing, doubts that Flynn is guilty. Aloysius doubts that Flynn is telling the truth when he proclaims his innocence. Flynn doubts he can survive Aloysius’ vicious personal attack. Did he actually sexually abuse a young man? He denies it, but he does not act like an innocent man. His facial expressions, his body language, point to something deeper. He may not have molested the boy, but that doesn’t mean that the thought did not cross his mind. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a gorgeous, layered and complex performance brimming with subtext. Of course Streep is her usual masterful self, expertly inhabiting a soul other than her own. Amy Adams is sweet, and Viola Davis measures out a stunning performance in a single scene.
Much like the Coen Borthers’ film “A Serious Man” which I just saw and reviewed a few posts down, “Doubt” is about living without answers or in this case, proof. There is no proof that Father Flynn did anything untoward and barring an actual witness, it is likely that there will be no proof. But Aloysius is not bothered by a lack of answers—until the end of the film. It catches up to her, and one assumes it eats at her like a cancer. We, the viewers are not given any answers either. Perhaps an answer is not needed in this particular story. Shanley hopes to leave us in a state of doubt which is a state of flux, a state that can give birth to change.
And much like the Coen Brothers’ film “A Serious Man,” the religious component to this story is more than just a setting, it is part of its machinations. Whereas our hero in “A Serious Man” yearns for guidance but only gets unhelpful religious parables and stories, Sister Aloysius has taken the parables and stories of her religion as reality, cocooning herself in an illusion. Like I said in my review for “A Serious Man,” religion is only good for a few things like a sense of community and some pretty thoughts. When relied upon for immediate, practical, real-world issues, religion is seen for the empty, man-made, controlling cult it is. Aloysius is a dangerous zealot, convinced of her supreme knowledge. And this is the inherent menace in religion: absolute faith naturally gives birth to zealotry, and zealotry gives birth to righteousness, intolerance, and a vicious conviction that the religious way is the only way.
Sister Aloysius is not happy in her heart, and I can only think of the ancient French motto (which happens to appear on the shield of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom), “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” which loosely translated means, “Evil be to him who thinks evil thoughts,” or more aptly, "Shame on you for seeing something bad where there wasn't." If you come from a tradition full of guilt, a tradition that teaches that sin is everywhere, and a tradition that elevates punishment as a core principle, then your sickness will be to see guilt and sin everywhere, even where it is not, even when there is no such thing as sin, and to mete out punishment since everyone is guilty.
Honi soit qui mal y pense. Evil thoughts and assumptions are their own punishment. Ask Sister Aloysius.
Recommend? Yes.
Adapted from his 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning [2005] play of the same name, playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote the script for this film adaptation as well as directing it himself. What director would know the material and intention better than the playwright and screenwriter?
In New York in 1964, Sister Aloysius, a bitter, rigid nun accuses Father Flynn, her parish priest, of having had sexual contact with a student at a Catholic school. The catch: she has absolutely no proof, just circumstantial evidence and hearsay that she has stitched together into an inflammatory narrative. Like a pit bull, Sister Aloysius’ jaws lock onto Father Flynn’s leg and she vows not to let go until she brings him down.
What follows is a fascinating and tense journey through innuendo, possibility, gossip, assumption, and accusation. Sister James, a younger nun under Sister Aloysius’ wing, doubts that Flynn is guilty. Aloysius doubts that Flynn is telling the truth when he proclaims his innocence. Flynn doubts he can survive Aloysius’ vicious personal attack. Did he actually sexually abuse a young man? He denies it, but he does not act like an innocent man. His facial expressions, his body language, point to something deeper. He may not have molested the boy, but that doesn’t mean that the thought did not cross his mind. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a gorgeous, layered and complex performance brimming with subtext. Of course Streep is her usual masterful self, expertly inhabiting a soul other than her own. Amy Adams is sweet, and Viola Davis measures out a stunning performance in a single scene.
Much like the Coen Borthers’ film “A Serious Man” which I just saw and reviewed a few posts down, “Doubt” is about living without answers or in this case, proof. There is no proof that Father Flynn did anything untoward and barring an actual witness, it is likely that there will be no proof. But Aloysius is not bothered by a lack of answers—until the end of the film. It catches up to her, and one assumes it eats at her like a cancer. We, the viewers are not given any answers either. Perhaps an answer is not needed in this particular story. Shanley hopes to leave us in a state of doubt which is a state of flux, a state that can give birth to change.
And much like the Coen Brothers’ film “A Serious Man,” the religious component to this story is more than just a setting, it is part of its machinations. Whereas our hero in “A Serious Man” yearns for guidance but only gets unhelpful religious parables and stories, Sister Aloysius has taken the parables and stories of her religion as reality, cocooning herself in an illusion. Like I said in my review for “A Serious Man,” religion is only good for a few things like a sense of community and some pretty thoughts. When relied upon for immediate, practical, real-world issues, religion is seen for the empty, man-made, controlling cult it is. Aloysius is a dangerous zealot, convinced of her supreme knowledge. And this is the inherent menace in religion: absolute faith naturally gives birth to zealotry, and zealotry gives birth to righteousness, intolerance, and a vicious conviction that the religious way is the only way.
Sister Aloysius is not happy in her heart, and I can only think of the ancient French motto (which happens to appear on the shield of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom), “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” which loosely translated means, “Evil be to him who thinks evil thoughts,” or more aptly, "Shame on you for seeing something bad where there wasn't." If you come from a tradition full of guilt, a tradition that teaches that sin is everywhere, and a tradition that elevates punishment as a core principle, then your sickness will be to see guilt and sin everywhere, even where it is not, even when there is no such thing as sin, and to mete out punishment since everyone is guilty.
Honi soit qui mal y pense. Evil thoughts and assumptions are their own punishment. Ask Sister Aloysius.
Recommend? Yes.
On Poetry
“A poem should not mean/ But be.”
--Archibald MacLeish
“As naturally as the oak bears an acorn, and the vine a gourd, a man bears a poem, either spoken or done.”
--Thoreau
“The poem is the point at which our strength gave out.”
--Richard Rosen
“Poetry is going to last because what remains of a culture are those things left by the artists.”
--Ellyn Maybe
“A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses.”
--Jean Cocteau
“The Poet doesn’t invent. He listens.”
--Jean Cocteau
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
--Simonides
“Poetry is language under pressure.”
--Ken Weisner
--Archibald MacLeish
“As naturally as the oak bears an acorn, and the vine a gourd, a man bears a poem, either spoken or done.”
--Thoreau
“The poem is the point at which our strength gave out.”
--Richard Rosen
“Poetry is going to last because what remains of a culture are those things left by the artists.”
--Ellyn Maybe
“A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses.”
--Jean Cocteau
“The Poet doesn’t invent. He listens.”
--Jean Cocteau
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
--Simonides
“Poetry is language under pressure.”
--Ken Weisner
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Masterpeices of Pop: "Family Affair"
In a survey of Masterpieces of Pop, there are several masterpieces to examine when one looks at the phenomenon of Sly and the Family Stone and their remarkable catalog. Headed by Sly Stone (née Sylvester Stewart), this important, groundbreaking group helped to create the genres of soul, funk and psychedelic music from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. Sly and the Family Stone were the first successful American musical group to feature a truly integrated [black and white], multi-gender line-up which included many of Sly’s actual family members and friends. The pioneering sound they created was magical and captured the zeitgeist of the nation, and indeed the world at that time. One can cite so many Sly and the Family Stone songs as potential masterpieces such as “Dance To The Music,” “Life,” “Fun,” “Sing A Simple Song,” “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” but none of these quite match the brilliance of a deceptively simple tune called “Family Affair.”
Whereas the other potential masterpieces are bright, cheery, energetic songs pulsing with optimism and the noise of life, “Family Affair” is a somber, gritty moment. The band was known for a certain style of rock-soul-funk that was and is still is highly influential (legendary bass player Larry Graham actually invented the now-common slap method of playing the bass guitar), but due to many shifting factors in the band—drug use, personality clashes (most likely resulting from the aforementioned drug use)—and the changing landscape of American culture, the sound became darker, reflecting Sly's paranoid haze and the disillusionment many young people were feeling after they realized the 60s didn’t change much and things were not going to get a whole lot better. Race riots, the Black Panthers, the escalating Vietnam War, the massacre at Kent State…“Family Affair” was born out of this milieu.
A large part of what makes this song a Masterpiece of Pop is its brevity. Coming in at just over three short minutes, the song is composed of a sparse musical arrangement featuring Bobby Womack on guitar, Billy Preston on the Rhodes piano, and Sly Stone on bass. Vocals are shared between Sly (who sing-speaks the lyrics in an off-rhythm, deliberately off-key, strung out, blues-y way) and his sister Rose. Notice that there is no drummer. Greg Errico, the percussionist for Sly and the Family Stone, left the group in early 1971 because of Sly’s increasingly unpredictable behavior. So for “Family Affair,” Sly programmed a drum machine, making the song the very first number-one hit to feature a programmed rhythm track. There is also a wonderful and highly ambient, atmospheric filtered sound to the instruments and vocals. Apparently during recording, Sly became obsessed with re-recording and overdubbing the material which leaves one to wonder whether or not this low-fi tape hiss was an inadvertent side-effect of the process or a deliberate artistic statement.
The song may be short, but like any good poet, Sly managed to pack a lot of meaning into such a small space. There is some speculation about Sly’s inspiration for the song, with one theory positing his increasingly troubled relationships with his own family members in the band as the impetus. Lyrically, the song—in only two verses—deals with two different family situations, whether related by blood or by marriage. But true to this restless, deep new sound, the lyrics are not really about the solidity of family but about the difficulties, doubts, and confusion that can arise in family relationships, testing the strength of the bonds of love. This tight song has no upbeat message, no real resolution, no bright spot to look forward to. Like any good piece of art, no matter what form it may take, we are given information and it is up to us to make something of it. We are left with the situation to deal with, both in the song and, considering the meaning of the lyrics, in our own lives as well. We are left with uncertainty.
The song was released on the band’s fifth album, “There’s A Riot Goin’ On.” “Family Affair” peaked at number one for three weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. It is ranked #138 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the "500 Greatest [Pop] Songs of All Time."
“It's a family affair, it's a family affair
It's a family affair, it's a family affair
One child grows up to be
Somebody that just loves to learn
And another child grows up to be
Somebody you'd just love to burn
Mom loves the both of them
You see it's in the blood
Both kids are good to Mom
Blood's thicker than mud
It's a family affair, it's a family affair
What of it?
Newlywed a year ago
But you're still checking each other out
Nobody wants to blow
Nobody wants to be left out
You can't leave, 'cause your heart is there
But sure you can't stay, 'cause you been somewhere else
You can't cry, 'cause you'll look broke down
But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down
It's a family affair
It's a family affair”
Synchronistically, Sly Stone has released a brand new album just today, August 16, 2011. Visit his website for details.
http://www.slystonemusic.com/
This is the sixth installment of my original, ongoing "Masterpieces of Pop" series. You can read the other essays here:
Masterpieces of Pop: "Ode To Billie Joe"
Masterpieces of Pop: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
Masterpieces of Pop: "I Only Have Eyes For You"
Masterpieces of Pop: "I'm Not In Love"
Masterpieces of Pop: "Warm Leatherette" and "Cars"
Whereas the other potential masterpieces are bright, cheery, energetic songs pulsing with optimism and the noise of life, “Family Affair” is a somber, gritty moment. The band was known for a certain style of rock-soul-funk that was and is still is highly influential (legendary bass player Larry Graham actually invented the now-common slap method of playing the bass guitar), but due to many shifting factors in the band—drug use, personality clashes (most likely resulting from the aforementioned drug use)—and the changing landscape of American culture, the sound became darker, reflecting Sly's paranoid haze and the disillusionment many young people were feeling after they realized the 60s didn’t change much and things were not going to get a whole lot better. Race riots, the Black Panthers, the escalating Vietnam War, the massacre at Kent State…“Family Affair” was born out of this milieu.
A large part of what makes this song a Masterpiece of Pop is its brevity. Coming in at just over three short minutes, the song is composed of a sparse musical arrangement featuring Bobby Womack on guitar, Billy Preston on the Rhodes piano, and Sly Stone on bass. Vocals are shared between Sly (who sing-speaks the lyrics in an off-rhythm, deliberately off-key, strung out, blues-y way) and his sister Rose. Notice that there is no drummer. Greg Errico, the percussionist for Sly and the Family Stone, left the group in early 1971 because of Sly’s increasingly unpredictable behavior. So for “Family Affair,” Sly programmed a drum machine, making the song the very first number-one hit to feature a programmed rhythm track. There is also a wonderful and highly ambient, atmospheric filtered sound to the instruments and vocals. Apparently during recording, Sly became obsessed with re-recording and overdubbing the material which leaves one to wonder whether or not this low-fi tape hiss was an inadvertent side-effect of the process or a deliberate artistic statement.
The song may be short, but like any good poet, Sly managed to pack a lot of meaning into such a small space. There is some speculation about Sly’s inspiration for the song, with one theory positing his increasingly troubled relationships with his own family members in the band as the impetus. Lyrically, the song—in only two verses—deals with two different family situations, whether related by blood or by marriage. But true to this restless, deep new sound, the lyrics are not really about the solidity of family but about the difficulties, doubts, and confusion that can arise in family relationships, testing the strength of the bonds of love. This tight song has no upbeat message, no real resolution, no bright spot to look forward to. Like any good piece of art, no matter what form it may take, we are given information and it is up to us to make something of it. We are left with the situation to deal with, both in the song and, considering the meaning of the lyrics, in our own lives as well. We are left with uncertainty.
The song was released on the band’s fifth album, “There’s A Riot Goin’ On.” “Family Affair” peaked at number one for three weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. It is ranked #138 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the "500 Greatest [Pop] Songs of All Time."
“It's a family affair, it's a family affair
It's a family affair, it's a family affair
One child grows up to be
Somebody that just loves to learn
And another child grows up to be
Somebody you'd just love to burn
Mom loves the both of them
You see it's in the blood
Both kids are good to Mom
Blood's thicker than mud
It's a family affair, it's a family affair
What of it?
Newlywed a year ago
But you're still checking each other out
Nobody wants to blow
Nobody wants to be left out
You can't leave, 'cause your heart is there
But sure you can't stay, 'cause you been somewhere else
You can't cry, 'cause you'll look broke down
But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down
It's a family affair
It's a family affair”
Synchronistically, Sly Stone has released a brand new album just today, August 16, 2011. Visit his website for details.
http://www.slystonemusic.com/
This is the sixth installment of my original, ongoing "Masterpieces of Pop" series. You can read the other essays here:
Masterpieces of Pop: "Ode To Billie Joe"
Masterpieces of Pop: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
Masterpieces of Pop: "I Only Have Eyes For You"
Masterpieces of Pop: "I'm Not In Love"
Masterpieces of Pop: "Warm Leatherette" and "Cars"
Monday, August 15, 2011
Just watched...
...The Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man."
This 2009 Coen Brothers release is an amazing, overlooked gem of a film. Joel and Ethan Coen have made some classic films in their careers, solidifying themselves as purveyors of a certain kind of bleak narrative, rooted in existentialism but laced with black humor. And “A Serious Man” ranks among the best in their established genre.
The film opens with a tiny parable that seems like it comes straight out of Jewish folklore—but in truth, it was written by the Coens for the film since they could not find anything suitable in actual Jewish folklore. In a European shtetl in the early part of the 20th century, a couple are visited by a neighbor who may or may not be a dybbuck (a sort of Jewish zombie). The wife insists that the neighbor recently died of typhus, but the husband sees the proof of the living man right in front of him. Eventually the wife, with quite a sense of sang-froid, plunges an ice pick into the chest of the neighbor who laughs, and wanders off bleeding into the night. The wife feels that she has proved her point, but the husband is devastated, predicting that they will be punished for killing the neighbor.
What could that short introduction possibly have to do with the rest of the film that takes place in St. Louis Park, Minnesota (where, not coincidentally, the Coens grew up) in the late 1960s? Although the Coen Brothers have stated that there is no thematic through line, there is definitely a sense that links the prelude with the rest of the film. And that sense is the sense of the unknown.
In a general way, “A Serious Man” is a film about not having answers, and beyond that, it is about the fact that there is no possibility of getting answers. In this film, we follow Larry Gopnick, a physics professor and put-upon everyman. The Coens like to use the everyman device to illustrate a world that does not makes sense. The poor everyman becomes confused and paralyzed in the face of ever-increasing insanity (watch “Barton Fink”) and bizarre twists of fate (watch “Burn After Reading”). In 2000, the Coens made a brilliant film called “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” which was based on Homer’s ODYYSEY, so with that in mind, it makes sense that, given the motif of the everyman, “A Serious Man” is loosely based on The Book of Job. Our hero, Larry Gopnick, suffers one unraveling string, one indignity, one calamitous misunderstanding after another. Larry is blindsided—he doesn’t see any of this coming at him, and indeed, there’s no way anyone could. Out of nowhere, metaphorical bowling balls are dropped on his foot at every turn. As his life spins more and more out of control, he reaches out for help, for answers about what he should do and how he should respond to these mounting, insufferable situations. He goes to speak to two different rabbis, hoping to glean some practical advice about a course of action but all he gets is rambling, smiling nonsense about parking lots and dental molds. (Later in the film, a third rabbi even quotes a Jefferson Airplane song.) But he is still at a loss as to what to do in the face of so many dilemmas. Larry has no answers, we have no answers, and the film even ends before it really ends, clipped off moments before the ultimate disaster hits.
So if this film is generally about not having answers, it is specifically about the uselessness of religion as a source of answers. Poor Larry practically begs, “What does HaShem [Jewish name for God] want from me? What does HaShem want me to do?” But no one can tell him. Religion is good at certain things—a sense of community, pretty inspiring thoughts—but when one needs real world, actual advice, parables and stories and metaphors are not going to cut it. We don’t know what to do or how to do it. We do not have answers. No one does. Is the old neighbor a dybbuck? Who knows? What is going to happen to Larry and his family? Who knows? All you can do is make decisions for yourself based on what you have in front of you at that moment. Larry is paralyzed and unable to make any kind of decision. Life steamrolls over him. But if he were able to say “No” or “Stop,” some of his problems would be either gone or mitigated. Really, the film is about taking control and responsibility for your own life instead of waiting for something else (religion) or someone else (a rabbi) to do that for you. The film arrives at this place in a fairly dark, murky, and complicated way.
Now that we have that out of the way, I will say that the production values are outstanding as well. Of course the direction is amazing and paced perfectly, every actor is spot on with what he or she has been given to do, and the art direction is excellent and captured the feel of 1967 in every little detail of homes, clothing, and cars. There is a certain kind of clarity to the photography, a sense of hyper-reality that adds to the unsettling nature of the story. The film is thoroughly realized and so totally itself, that it is easy to simply take it for granted and assume that we are watching a slice of life. But this slice has been carefully and expertly planned, created, and executed. It exists in its own complete world. Take a peek into it and you'll see parts of our world there as well…
Recommend? Yes.
http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/a_serious_man/
This 2009 Coen Brothers release is an amazing, overlooked gem of a film. Joel and Ethan Coen have made some classic films in their careers, solidifying themselves as purveyors of a certain kind of bleak narrative, rooted in existentialism but laced with black humor. And “A Serious Man” ranks among the best in their established genre.
The film opens with a tiny parable that seems like it comes straight out of Jewish folklore—but in truth, it was written by the Coens for the film since they could not find anything suitable in actual Jewish folklore. In a European shtetl in the early part of the 20th century, a couple are visited by a neighbor who may or may not be a dybbuck (a sort of Jewish zombie). The wife insists that the neighbor recently died of typhus, but the husband sees the proof of the living man right in front of him. Eventually the wife, with quite a sense of sang-froid, plunges an ice pick into the chest of the neighbor who laughs, and wanders off bleeding into the night. The wife feels that she has proved her point, but the husband is devastated, predicting that they will be punished for killing the neighbor.
What could that short introduction possibly have to do with the rest of the film that takes place in St. Louis Park, Minnesota (where, not coincidentally, the Coens grew up) in the late 1960s? Although the Coen Brothers have stated that there is no thematic through line, there is definitely a sense that links the prelude with the rest of the film. And that sense is the sense of the unknown.
In a general way, “A Serious Man” is a film about not having answers, and beyond that, it is about the fact that there is no possibility of getting answers. In this film, we follow Larry Gopnick, a physics professor and put-upon everyman. The Coens like to use the everyman device to illustrate a world that does not makes sense. The poor everyman becomes confused and paralyzed in the face of ever-increasing insanity (watch “Barton Fink”) and bizarre twists of fate (watch “Burn After Reading”). In 2000, the Coens made a brilliant film called “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” which was based on Homer’s ODYYSEY, so with that in mind, it makes sense that, given the motif of the everyman, “A Serious Man” is loosely based on The Book of Job. Our hero, Larry Gopnick, suffers one unraveling string, one indignity, one calamitous misunderstanding after another. Larry is blindsided—he doesn’t see any of this coming at him, and indeed, there’s no way anyone could. Out of nowhere, metaphorical bowling balls are dropped on his foot at every turn. As his life spins more and more out of control, he reaches out for help, for answers about what he should do and how he should respond to these mounting, insufferable situations. He goes to speak to two different rabbis, hoping to glean some practical advice about a course of action but all he gets is rambling, smiling nonsense about parking lots and dental molds. (Later in the film, a third rabbi even quotes a Jefferson Airplane song.) But he is still at a loss as to what to do in the face of so many dilemmas. Larry has no answers, we have no answers, and the film even ends before it really ends, clipped off moments before the ultimate disaster hits.
So if this film is generally about not having answers, it is specifically about the uselessness of religion as a source of answers. Poor Larry practically begs, “What does HaShem [Jewish name for God] want from me? What does HaShem want me to do?” But no one can tell him. Religion is good at certain things—a sense of community, pretty inspiring thoughts—but when one needs real world, actual advice, parables and stories and metaphors are not going to cut it. We don’t know what to do or how to do it. We do not have answers. No one does. Is the old neighbor a dybbuck? Who knows? What is going to happen to Larry and his family? Who knows? All you can do is make decisions for yourself based on what you have in front of you at that moment. Larry is paralyzed and unable to make any kind of decision. Life steamrolls over him. But if he were able to say “No” or “Stop,” some of his problems would be either gone or mitigated. Really, the film is about taking control and responsibility for your own life instead of waiting for something else (religion) or someone else (a rabbi) to do that for you. The film arrives at this place in a fairly dark, murky, and complicated way.
Now that we have that out of the way, I will say that the production values are outstanding as well. Of course the direction is amazing and paced perfectly, every actor is spot on with what he or she has been given to do, and the art direction is excellent and captured the feel of 1967 in every little detail of homes, clothing, and cars. There is a certain kind of clarity to the photography, a sense of hyper-reality that adds to the unsettling nature of the story. The film is thoroughly realized and so totally itself, that it is easy to simply take it for granted and assume that we are watching a slice of life. But this slice has been carefully and expertly planned, created, and executed. It exists in its own complete world. Take a peek into it and you'll see parts of our world there as well…
Recommend? Yes.
http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/a_serious_man/
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Currently listening to...
..."Flawless (Go To The City)" by George Michael. The music always gets me grooving, but I especially love this video that was filmed, amazingly, all in one continuous four-minute take. The concept is actually very moving and inspiring, seeing all the people and lives who have moved through a single space. Maybe it is because I am halfway through Brian Greene's latest book THE HIDDEN REALITY: PARALLEL UNIVERSES AND THE DEEP LAWS OF THE COSMOS, but watching them all in this overlapped sense of time--where all time is simultaneous--suggests ideas of quantum physics and multiple universes. And of course there is a metaphysical aspect in that beautiful, uplifting moment, when, for one instant, all these people who do not know--and never will know--each other, are in sync and connected through space and time by their sense of self, and by their sheer life force. Lovely...
The lyrics remind me of the crucial "It Gets Better Project" started by the visionary Dan Savage. To any young gay men or women, or to anyone who is bullied and oppressed by small minds, get out and go somewhere where you will be welcomed, appreciated, and nurtured. Sadly, sometimes that place is not where your home or family is, especially if they are abusive and destructive to your soul. Protect yourself first. The world needs you. We need you.
"'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Like no other)
Flawless, absolutely flawless
'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Take me, make me)
'Cause you're beautiful (maybe tonight, they'll see you tonight)
And it's no good waiting by the window
It's no good waiting for the sun
Please believe me, the things you dream of
They don't fall in laps of no-one
And it's no good . . . Waiting, waiting
And it's no good . . . Waiting
You've got to go to the city
Always the same
Always the same dreams yeah yeah
Always the same (yes you're movin' up)
Well you've got to think of something
'Cause your job pays you nothing
But you've got the things God gave you
So the music may yet be your saviour
Got to be a way, some way
Got to be some way to make your way to the light (All the girls say)
Got to be some way, today, today, maybe tonight, maybe tonight
And it's always the same . . .
Always the same dreams yeah yeah
Always the same (yes you're movin' up)
You're beautiful, you are, and you know it
You're wasted here, you're a star
In this small town of hand-me-downs who don't even know it
Sometimes they’re beating you down
Sometimes they’re eating you up
Sometimes you think that your head's going to blow
It doesn't get better . . .
Don't you know, you've got to go to the city
You've got to reach the other side of the glass
I think you'll make it in the city baby
I think you know that you are more than just
A fu**ed up piece of ass
You've got to go to the city
You've got to go to the city,
They're going to find you there
'Cause you're beautiful
'Cause you're beautiful
Do you want a saviour, saviour
Say that you do,
You know you're wasted here, wasted here
And there ain't no miracles happening any time soon ..."
http://www.georgemichael.com/
The lyrics remind me of the crucial "It Gets Better Project" started by the visionary Dan Savage. To any young gay men or women, or to anyone who is bullied and oppressed by small minds, get out and go somewhere where you will be welcomed, appreciated, and nurtured. Sadly, sometimes that place is not where your home or family is, especially if they are abusive and destructive to your soul. Protect yourself first. The world needs you. We need you.
"'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Like no other)
Flawless, absolutely flawless
'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Take me, make me)
'Cause you're beautiful (maybe tonight, they'll see you tonight)
And it's no good waiting by the window
It's no good waiting for the sun
Please believe me, the things you dream of
They don't fall in laps of no-one
And it's no good . . . Waiting, waiting
And it's no good . . . Waiting
You've got to go to the city
Always the same
Always the same dreams yeah yeah
Always the same (yes you're movin' up)
Well you've got to think of something
'Cause your job pays you nothing
But you've got the things God gave you
So the music may yet be your saviour
Got to be a way, some way
Got to be some way to make your way to the light (All the girls say)
Got to be some way, today, today, maybe tonight, maybe tonight
And it's always the same . . .
Always the same dreams yeah yeah
Always the same (yes you're movin' up)
You're beautiful, you are, and you know it
You're wasted here, you're a star
In this small town of hand-me-downs who don't even know it
Sometimes they’re beating you down
Sometimes they’re eating you up
Sometimes you think that your head's going to blow
It doesn't get better . . .
Don't you know, you've got to go to the city
You've got to reach the other side of the glass
I think you'll make it in the city baby
I think you know that you are more than just
A fu**ed up piece of ass
You've got to go to the city
You've got to go to the city,
They're going to find you there
'Cause you're beautiful
'Cause you're beautiful
Do you want a saviour, saviour
Say that you do,
You know you're wasted here, wasted here
And there ain't no miracles happening any time soon ..."
http://www.georgemichael.com/
"2 Fresh 2 Die"
"2 Fresh 2 Die, la révolte de la chair" is a dazzling dance, photo and fashion collaboration between photographer Cyrille Weiner, dancer and choreographer Christophe Haleb (along with dancers from his La Zouze dance/ performance troupe), and fashion and clothing stylist Victor Bulle of the fashion collective Andrea Crews.
There are more breathtaking images, including some spectacular nudes, at Weiner's site linked below.
http://cyrilleweiner.com/download/2fresh2die/index.html
There are more breathtaking images, including some spectacular nudes, at Weiner's site linked below.
http://cyrilleweiner.com/download/2fresh2die/index.html
Breakfast Around The World
Can you guess the countries?
Top to bottom: British, French, international, Russian, Swedish, American
Photos by Oliver Schwarzwald
http://www.oliverschwarzwald.de/
Top to bottom: British, French, international, Russian, Swedish, American
Photos by Oliver Schwarzwald
http://www.oliverschwarzwald.de/
Saturday, August 13, 2011
BEAUTY: Art--Judith G. Klausner
Judith G. Klausner creates these lovely cameos out of a very unusual material.
She carves Oreo cookies--both chocolate and golden--into classical portrait cameos.
She also does some amazing work in other materials such as cereal, insects, and teeth and nail clippings. Visit her website at the link below.
http://jgklausner.com/
She carves Oreo cookies--both chocolate and golden--into classical portrait cameos.
She also does some amazing work in other materials such as cereal, insects, and teeth and nail clippings. Visit her website at the link below.
http://jgklausner.com/
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