August Rush: Film Review

November 15, 2007


Where I’ve grown up, they try to keep me from hearing the music but when I’m alone it builds up inside me.

Once I got over the clichéd, unbelievable romantic encounter of cellist Lyla [Keri Russell] and rocker Lewis [Jonathan Rhys Myers]—the love-at-first-sight and then girl gets pregnant thing– I settled in with the complete fairytale of August Rush despite some ridiculous moments.

August Rush has all the elements one seeks in a fairytale: the princess [Lyla], the prince [Lewis], the evil guardsman [her father], the tower [her father’s protectiveness], lost love, lost dreams and the chance for reunion and redemption.

While performing in New York, Lyla hooks up with the lead singer in a band on the roof of a Manhattan apartment, during a party. Apparently, the evening is completely memorable and life changing for both parties. Lyla’s overprotective father keeps her from meeting her paramour the next day. Lewis quits his band. Lyla finds herself pregnant [no condoms in paradise]. All are haunted by the past. Lewis is obsessed with memories of Lyla and that one night so long ago. Lyla thought her baby died. She was so young her father made a choice regarding her musical career.

11 years later: everything’s magical.

The boy literally hears music in everything and is, quite predictably, a child prodigy like his mother. Meanwhile in Chicago, Lyla, as her friend ironically states, is a “music teacher who doesn’t play music anymore.” In San Francisco, Lewis works in finance and is no longer in a band. Lyla’s father confesses what he did. Lyla goes on a frantic search for her son.

Suddenly both parents want to play music again. Lyla picks up her cello; Lewis contacts his band, winning them over with his Lyla-influenced love song. Lyla decides to play a concert in Central Park, while Lewis and the band book a gig at Irving Plaza in Manhattan. And he happens to be getting ready for his concert debut. In Central Park. And we all know that New York is the ultimate destination for dreams to come true.

I believe in music the way some people believe in fairytales.

There are many Dickensian elements in August Rush. Shades of Oliver Twist. First, August [Freddie Highmore] has been languishing at a boy’s school for the unwanted. [There is nothing wrong with him and he would have been adopted as a baby or small infant, surely. But I let that go.] He runs away to Times Square amidst the symphony of musical city sounds. The cacophony of millions of people, clashes, grinding, and motors aplenty makes the music for him. After coming under the spells of an Artful Dodger –type [in the form of a cute street musician], August meets a Fagin-type known as Wizard [Robin Williams channeling Bono’s performance and look from this summer’s Across the Universe]. Wizard gets possessive, violent and sees cash in the boy. Wizard tricks August into thinking that no one else will treat him any better. But, August wises up and escapes to a church; sneaks around and plays the organ. Of course his talents cannot be kept hidden and he soon is at Julliard being properly taught.

Highmore [Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory] takes a soft spoken, serious approach which suits this type of film perfectly. The kid must be really centered, having appeared in so many fantastical films. He vacillates from dismal moments with pooled tears in his eyes to complete bright eyed excitement. Russell excels at the complete despair package: red-eyed crying, anguish and disgust. She also marvelously and expresses the yearning she has for what is lost [both physically and emotionally]. She needs to find her son and reclaim her music for her own well-being. It shows in every expression.

Russell is a superb talent as evidenced by her turn in this summer’s sweet, charming Waitress, in her small role in The Upside of Anger, as well as her lead role on television’s Felicity.

This film must have been cast for eyes—all piercing, emotive, beautiful eyes. Gentle, lovely Terrence Howard plays a caring child services representative.

August Rush has a dreamy, ethereal feel.

Director Kirsten Sheridan [daughter of acclaimed director Jim Sheridan] deftly creates this magical atmosphere which takes viewers on an improbable journey. The film connects a series of fortunate circumstances and chance encounters. August Rush is sweet and hopeful in its overtones; I fell for it– at least for one night.

<!–
document.write('TwitThis‘);
//–>

Comments Off | Film | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Amy Steele

Sammy’s House: Book Review

November 13, 2007

People might think that Vice-President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore lacks a sense of humor, but the same certainly cannot be said for his daughter Kristen. A Harvard University alumna and former editor of the renowned, male-dominated Harvard Lampoon [other notable alums include John Updike, Conan O’Brien and The Office ’s BJ Novak]; Gore went on to write for Futurama and Saturday Night Live. She and indie director David O. Russell [Flirting with Disaster] wrote a politically charged script called Nailed which should be out in 2008.

In the follow-up to Sammy’s Hill, Samantha “Sammy” Joyce has made it through the campaign and her boyfriend’s betrayal and now works as health care policy advisor to Vice-President Robert Gray. Sammy has been dating this great guy for two years and feels ready for that proposal. But is she really? She likes her apartment, small as it is and her roommate. She likes her life the way that it is and with the administration’s ear, Sammy’s poised for big things in this administration. Despite her neurotic moments, she’s smart, focused and loyal which is exactly what any elected official desires from staff members. Sammy’s seemingly stable relationship with Washington Post reporter Charlie and focus on her projects for the vice-president makes things a bit more serious [but Sammy still knows when to have some fun].

At a Rose Garden celebration, Sammy happens upon a little secret President Wye has been keeping—he’s drinking. Again. And not just here and there but at 10 a.m. before an event! The fact that the president’s father is dying of Alzheimer’s disease makes Sammy stay mum until things start to get too out of hand. She lets it slip to the Vice-President and then gets herself involved in a huge situation that might not be able to be kept hidden for long before the President’s detractors use it to take him out.

With intricate particulars about the White House, Gore makes the reader feel like an insider. Sammy is quirky as ever and the book has both quirky and funny moments. From a health care exploratory mission in India where Sammy rides a camel to going on a “date” to a State dinner with an arrogant A-list actor to obsessing that her boyfriend [who has relocated to the Post’s New York office], Sammy tries to keep from having a meltdown. She dotes on a fighting fish name Cal Ripkin Jr., makes frequent calls to her telemarketer friend Zelda [“a great listener”], has “second dinners” [aka late-night snacks that happen to be full meals] with her roommate and gets daily reminders of special occasions on her Blackberry, such as the day that George Eliot was revealed to be a woman—she gave her boyfriend a book on famous pseudonyms.

30-year-old Gore has a wicked sense of humor, sharp insight and keen observations to share through this lovable Hill staffer she created.

Readers will route for Sammy as she navigates her love life and cutthroat Washington where Sammy knows firsthand that the most innocuous event can be blown out of proportion.

Gore also makes her sophomore novel all the better by infusing detailed information about how the Executive and Legislative branches work. The twisting storyline along with Sammy’s little foibles and romantic mishaps with her boyfriend makes Sammy’s House a fantastic escape.

<!–
document.write('TwitThis‘);
//–>

Comments Off | Books | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Amy Steele

Control: Film Review

November 4, 2007

How can you turn the tragic story of influential singer/songwriter Ian Curtis into a showcase of a talented musician’s unfinished life?

Not an easy task for a music video director to do on his first feature film. Will Control be seen by masses of people? Director Anton Corbijn does an impressive job in telling the story of the lead singer of Joy Division, who committed suicide the night before his band’s first U.S. tour, at 23-years-old. Everyone knows that singers, writers and artists often are misfits; tortured souls who strive to fit in to society, carve out a niche of success and be happy in some way. In doing so, they live excessively, self-medicate and lean toward self-destructive behaviors.

The truth probably is that few people in the states know about Joy Division or the singer/songwriter who brought a new sound and era to the music scene in the UK—notably the Manchester music scene. This might keep people from seeing the film. That would be a shame as this is a moving, accurate biopic. Even I, a self-proclaimed anglophile and Britpop fan, never did that much research on a band that pre-dated my musical interests—I love the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” The three remaining Joy Division members regrouped for New Order, which had amazing success [one of my favorite 80s bands]. My gal pal Karen, a singer in the band The Freeways, suggested we see the film and told me to watch a performance by Curtis of “Transmission” that she finds spellbinding and has seen over and over again.

This darkly charismatic film shot in black and white proves to effectively draw in the viewers.

In the mid 70s, influenced by the Sex Pistols and David Bowie, Joy Division formed. Joy Division attracts power player Tony Wilson [depicted by Steve Coogan in Michael Winterbottom’s 24-Hour Party People]. Control focuses on the meteoric rise to fame of Curtis. Though married as teenagers, Curtis loves his wife but becomes conflicted by all the goodies being in a band brings. With the attention and choices and plans and possibilities available for Joy Division, he seemed to freak out a bit. He also suffered from epilepsy, a condition that the de-rigueur of a band [little sleep, partying, performing under bright lights] exhaust. The heart of the film is Samantha Morton [Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Longford] as the long-suffering wife. Her brilliant turn as his wife is heartbreaking and determined. A realistic portrayal of the dynamic enigma Curtis by Sam Riley makes Control a riveting tour-de-force. It’s all in the eyes: searing pain and bewilderment and loss of control. Control depicts the dead end Manchester scene quite well. As I’ve been told by The Charlatans UK and Damon Albarn [Blur and Gorillaz]: you either work in a factory or form a band. Ian Curtis, like Kurt Cobain, just couldn’t manage the pressures.

STEELE RECOMMENDATION: SEE IT IN THE THEATRE.

<!–
document.write('TwitThis‘);
//–>

Comments Off | Film | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Amy Steele

Gracie: DVD Review

November 1, 2007

In 1978, skinny blond me played youth soccer in Acton, Mass. on co-ed teams. Two girls per team. It was not easy. The boys didn’t want us there and even called my teammate and me dykes, as if they even knew what the word meant. Ten years later, as a sophomore at the University of Maine, I was part of the efforts to get the club team to be recognized with varsity status [there was a men's soccer team-- I learned a lot about Title IX as I investigated the money spent at UMaine mostly on the big four sports: football, hockey, basketball and baseball]. UMaine is Division I [not a level I could have played. When we got the go-ahead my sophomore year it was rewarding and exciting! I planned to transfer to Simmons College my junior year and ended up playing on that Division III team. Sports were very important to my self-esteem and sense of belonging throughout my years as a competitive equestrienne and soccer player.

I meant to see Gracie in the theaters because I knew I would relate to it but I never go around to it. Gracie's brother, a highly touted soccer star, dies and in her grief she makes the decision to take his place on the men's high school soccer team. Once she sets this goal and works toward it, she grows as an individual. Gracie [played with equal parts vulnerability and gusto by Carly Schroeder] needed this type of organized activity and it is important for her to showcase her competitive nature and to play soccer to clear her mind and body. Her parents are reluctant at first but then her father [a weathered looking Dermot Mulroney] spends the summer training her. It’s not earth-shattering and there could have been more character development so that when Gracie finally gets her turn on the men’s team it is much more powerful. It is still a solid, rewarding, inspirational film based on some of actress [and Harvard graduate] Elisabeth Shue’s own teen experiences. Brother Andrew Shue also acts in the film and Elisabeth’s husband Davis Guggenheim [An Inconvenient Truth] directs. Gracie works because the heroine possesses all the attributes one wants a teen to have: determination, heart and dedication.

<!–
document.write('TwitThis‘);
//–>

Comments Off | DVD | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Amy Steele

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,820 other followers