'Lo And Behold: Reveries Of The Connected World' A Review

Lo And Behold: Reveries Of The Connected World is a documentary about the internet, the latest offering from Werner Herzog. Through a series of interviews with internet pioneers and innovators as well as digital detractors Herzog investigates our current digital age, where it may go, and what it may cost.

From the founding of the internet in the 70's to tech mogul Elon Musk's plan to colonize Mars, from an off-the-grid radio tower in West Virginia to a recovery home for video game addiction both sides of the digital spectrum are covered. Perhaps not as engrossing as some of Herzog's previous works due to its sprawling subject matter it is still constructed with a tight framing mechanism, arresting visuals, and an eerie score which make for one hell of a compelling watch. Equal parts doom and hope Lo and Behold paints a complex picture of the effects, benefits, and collateral damage of technology. Bleak yet bemused.

Herzog isn't as present in the film as he is in some of his other documentaries but what remains is his ever vigorous curiosity. He may be somewhat detached and skeptical about much of the "positive" advancements of our digital age but he almost refrains entirely from judgement. He covers the subject almost as if its alien. At one point in response to a scientist discussing AI he says one of the only lines he has in the film "what about love?" which the scientist brushes off and Herzog lets go as if the scientist isn't worth the argument. What the film ultimately highlights is not how far we've come electronically but how universal and unshakable nature and interpersonal connection are.

A bizarre exploration of the digital world that affirms the real.

See It.

Wedding Day

Got up this morning and Nicole and I went for a walk in a forest preserve which was around the corner from the house we're staying in.

It was incredibly beautiful. Purple flowers as far as the eye could see.

I'm guessing our timing was pretty perfect with the blooming of whatever flowers these are. Really striking, they covered everything.

The wedding ceremony was brief and perfect. The sun was setting and the weather was surprisingly cooperative. My date, my love, my queen pictured above.

Jose, the groom, with the women of their improv team Big Spoon. The reception, all in all, was joyous. Casual, fun, great food, and a cookie table. Couldn't have asked for a better evening in which to celebrate or a better celebration for the newlyweds.

Lake Geneva

Nicole and I are up in Lake Geneva this weekend for Jose and Meigan's wedding. A beautiful town with lots of impressive vacation homes.

There is an odd, mildly off putting, sense of wealth and entitlement about the community. Big luxury boats and even bigger houses. But easily overlooked given the gorgeous weather and serene landscape.

I was here once as a kid. Went up with a friend to visit his family friend. It was winter. The town covered in snow, the lake frozen solid. Surreal to come back two decades later, the memory of my first visit foggy and obscure.

'The Nice Guys' A Review

The Nice Guys is an action comedy set in 1977 about the unlikely duo of private detective Holland March(Ryan Gosling) and enforcer-for-hire Jackson Healy(Russell Crowe) who team up to find a missing person involved in some conspiracy involving the porn and auto industries.

Gosling and Crowe have great chemistry, an easy fun back and forth. Crowe is more emotional and relatable than he has been in years, and despite his weight gain maintains his action-star fluidity. Gosling gives probably his funniest performance to date, balancing the darkness of alcoholism with over-the-top physical comedy. Angourie Rice as Marsh's daughter Holly balances out the two leads well by giving a grounded heartfelt performances with some age-appropriate petulance. The rest of the supporting cast gives fun turns with the sole exception of Kim Basinger who seems woefully out of place.

The plot, although certainly funny, is convoluted to the point of incomprehension. Perhaps that is the intention, it being more about the gags and the characters than the story, but even so the machinations of the mystery don't make sense and some key movements in the story are totally unbelievable. It doesn't necessarily detract from how entertaining the film is but it does bring the experience down a bit as a whole.

Funny with two compelling lead performances but a somewhat deficient narrative.

Rent It.

Hindsight Hour: Work 2

I'm happy to start releasing season 2 of this podcast. I've changed up the format to streamline it. It's shorter and I provide brief explanations before each scene or scene-couplet. Lot of great work done by all those involved. Give it a listen!

 A descent into the daily grind. Two sets of two scenes- the first couplet exploring layoffs, the second that lazy co-worker. Season 2 opens with a streamlined format to better dissect the theme and the capriciousness of inspiration.

Directed by Tim Joyce
Improvised by Damian Anaya, Mike Brunlieb, Sarah Cowdery, Laurel Krabacher, Rosie Moan, Steve Nelson, Jimmy Pennington, Meaghan Strickland and Andel Sudik

The Persistence Of Rage

Tech guy,
last week
I was incensed
during our cue to cue
by your backhanded way
of calling me
and my fellow cast mates
idiots
unreal in and of itself
doubly so given your
ineptitude, your pretension
and unconscious fatuousness.
The comment made me angry
but I vented frustration
through the inflection of my lines
I did not lash out or walk away
although my nerves were screaming
for retaliation.
I tried to keep my distance,
detach and let go,
only mildly successful
I stewed the remainder of the evening
unable to shake the desire for some just desserts.

Last night
reenergized and hopeful
determined to avoid you
the show went better than ever
and after
while mopping the stage
I smiled to myself, satisfied and contented
this feeling, fleeting
was soon disseminated
by you
Tech guy
who waddled onto the 1/10 of the stage
still left to clean
and like some
insufferable boarding school upperclassman
began to point down at the four by four square
of unmopped stage you were standing in
saying "There's a spot, there, there, there."
and oh the flood gates opened.
And hot rage, like liquid fire, almost drowned me.
My body began to hum and quiver like a boiler- pressure building.
But I leveraged my will and stood there waiting for you to move.
You did not. Only kept pointing out the same spots
as if you were a schoolmarm and I some witless child.
I barked out the only thing I could "I'm. Not. Done. Yet."
And thankfully
for your sake as well as mine
you finally walked away.

My temper, once a defining trait, I thought left behind
still plagues me from time to time.
And although not as vicious or volatile as it once was
it still lingers, requiring diligence and care.
For wrath is good for nothing save destruction,
an acidic conflagration of pride, aggression, and fear.

'The Lobster' A Review

The Lobster is an alternate-reality romantic-dark-comedy about a society in which people are mandated to be in relationships. If an individual is not part of a couple they are given 45 days to find a mate, if they do not they are turned into an animal of their choice. The film opens on David(Colin Farrell) being broken up with by his wife. Per the rules of the City he is quickly taken to the Hotel to spend his allotted time looking for a mate in company with other single people- participating in group activities, doing relationship workshops, and going on hunting trips. The hunting trips are into the forests around the City where single people called Loners live illegally.

Farrell gives an incredible performance- understated, almost blank, but still maintains a melancholic magnetism. Rachel Weisz as the narrator and Farrell's Loner love interest is, as always, compelling. The emotional journey she goes on, although filtered through the stilted acting style, serves as a map for the entire film, she serves as the heart(such as it is) while Farrell serves as the audience stand in. The rest of the ensemble is outstanding, wonderful turns by Ashley Jensen as Biscuit Woman(heartbreaking), Angeliki Papoulia as Heartless Woman(terrifying), and Léa Seydoux as Loner Leader(aloof, almost alien) to name a few. The entire casts performances are filtered through this straight-forward flat-affect, mostly devoid of emotion, completely absent of subtext, almost presentational, which is the style of writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos. And although certainly odd it is very effective and unique.

Beautiful and rich cinematography with excellently utilized sequences of slow motion. A classical sometimes eerie, sometimes absurd score. The film is utterly distinct and extremely potent. The tone is mercurial moving from broad comedy, to dark comedy, to tragedy, to almost grotesque horror, but manages to maintain its own inner harmony. There is a wild oscillation in melody but it is never discordant. At times hilarious, at times shockingly disturbing. A powerful allegory, a love story for the modern age.

Bleak but humorous, brutal but not without hope.

Don't Miss It.

Little Mysteries

A small bouquet of tulips taped next to the exit turnstile. Perhaps in memoriam. Perhaps a lovers secret message. Perhaps some anonymous kindness. Whatever its genesis, while exiting the train, I was struck by the image and it warmed my heart. A simple gesture, a small beauty.

Life can be a grind, full of worries and anxieties. Sometimes weighted down by obligation and responsibility. Stress can take us out of the moment and cast us into potential pitfalls where we wallow in what-ifs. But you can only be so prepared for adversity, only so ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

The reality is there is only this day, this hour, this moment. And in this moment the path is relatively clear, life relatively simple. The concerns of next year or next month or next week need only be addressed when they reach the present. Certainly there is some benefit to planning but there is a fine line between preparation and obsession, between caution and fear.

If we are able to exist in the present, devoid of past guilt or future expectation, we open ourselves up to a richness and quality of life that is not hamstrung by apprehension. We can find contentment not in some distant success or prospective opportunity but in the now. We can find happiness by relishing the countless small things in any given day we enjoy- a friendly hug, a good book, dappled sunshine, on and on. We can begin to develop awareness beyond the self, begin to notice the world's tiny miracles, its little mysteries. And perhaps, over time, we become a part of them.

'Dark Horse' A Review

Dark Horse is a documentary about thoroughbred racehorse Dream Alliance owned by a syndicate of working class Blackwood villagers. The film is composed of interviews, archival footage, and reenactments. It tells the story of waitress and cleaning woman Janet Vokes's dream to breed and own a race horse.

The film follows the relatively conventional formula of the inspirational sports drama but is made fresh by the colorful characters populating the syndicate as well as the relatively unknown(for the US at least) arena of horse racing. The story of Dream Alliance is compelling on multiple fronts. It's a classic underdog story in regards to Dream himself, humble unremarkable origins, becomes a legit contender. Then there is the story of the syndicate, a group of working class people in a former mining town, not necessarily in a position to waste income, who come together to pursue a dream which ultimately brings the community together and puts the town on the map. This is all in relation to the star of the film Janet Vokes who through determination and perseverance pursued an aspiration into reality.

In this day and age we rarely get stories without some level of self-consciousness or defensive irony. Rarely do we get a story of such unabashed inspiration, such honest sincerity, that is not only entertaining but shows the beauty of hope, the glory of dreams.

A shiver and tear inducing triumph of the human spirit.

Don't Miss It.

To My Partner On A Bad Day

I don't claim
to know love
its ins-and-outs
its infinite
permutations
but after years
of fruitless searching
I found a partner
who teaches me
what it means
to be a man,
to show up
every day,
to ask for help
and give it
when I can,
to act with kindness
and understanding
rather than
hostility
and detachment,
who shows me
the rightous path
although
there are still times
when I do not take it,
love is sex
which is vital
and delightful
but it is also
a steady pushing
a striving
a becoming
a transformation
for the first time
not alone.

'High-Rise' A Review

High-Rise is a thriller about a high-rise tower built by visionary architect Anthony Royal(Jeremy Irons) which quickly descends into anarchy and class warfare. The movie opens on Dr. Laing(Tom Hiddleston) in his ravaged condo spit-roasting a dog. It then flashes back three months then proceeds to show the high-rise's decline into violence and debauchery.

Whether a function of the script or deficiencies in performance no character in the movie is actually likable or compelling. Hiddleston give us the same weary eyes and detached smirk we've seen from him before with none of his usual depth. Irons is almost always watchable but struggles with a character arc that goes from muddled to incoherent. Although there are strong women in the cast, notably Sienna Miller and Elisabeth Moss, their characters are offensively transparent narrative and sexual props. Luke Evans as struggling unhinged documentary filmmaker at least has energy but his(along with everyone else's) motivations are non-existent or so illogical they are pointless.

The high-rise as economic allegory is an interesting idea but undeveloped and tepid in this adaptation from the 1975 novel. The first half of the movie is spent in set up which is then followed by a montage speeding through the how and why of the high-rise's societal disintegration. The rich live on top, the poor live on the bottom is evident early on but past that purpose, parallels, and any kind of commentary is lost. What the movie is truly about, what it highlights, frames, and scores with the most attention are the rampant substance abuse and base sexual hedonism of both classes. And considering none of the characters are ever developed nor are they particularly engaging all the flesh, booze, and blood on display is meaningless.

A pretentious hollow Caligula with illusions of satire. Closer to softcore porn than cinema.

Don't See It.

Return To Richmond

Matt and I have been friends since we met in classes at iO nine years ago. He moved to Richmond with his then girlfriend now wife Katie in 2009 and I've been out to visit almost every year since.

At this point the majority of our friendship has been spent in different cities with parallel but different creative journeys, although we may not be in constant contact or have lives that directly overlap there is an enduring connection and understanding that we never lose. Matt is a friend I deeply value not only for the durability(time and distance can take its toll) of our friendship but for its continued enrichment. It is incredibly gratifying to share in each others successes and set backs and experience each others gradual and ongoing transformation into adulthood. And the witnessing and participating in each others growth and development is a process that won't end.

Very grateful to have had the opportunity to visit my friend. Can't wait to go back.

Shenandoah

Spent the morning hiking around Shenandoah National Park. Spring is in full force and everything is lush and growing. We went up to the Black Rock Summit and spent a while just soaking in the mountains. There were a handful of folks hiking the AT and day-trippers but mostly the park felt secluded and serene. There was a palpable sense of tranquility and enduring strength.

James River Hike

Went for a hike along the James River with Matt. Beautiful day and rich greenery.

Success

perhaps fame and wealth
perhaps kids and a spouse
perhaps promotion and prestige
perhaps a house and two cars

but today, glorious today
birds chirp their songs of May
the coffee is rich and hot
and I'm happy with my lot

the delicate warmth compliments my short sleeve T
responsabity and care, for a time, far away
with no pressures but the self inflicted,
it is easy to forget admist the ceasless striving
the pleasure to be had in simply being
while the inertia of the world is always pulling
like the unseen and aggressive under toad
it is still possible to drift, quiet and content.

Graffiti 201

In Richmond for a couple days on vacation visiting my friend Matt. I love this city- great friends, food, and scenery.

"Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye." -Bill Hicks

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." -J. B. Priestley

"Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace." -Eugene O'Neill

"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business." -Tom Robbins

'Captain America: Civil War' A Review

Captain America: Civil War is the third Captain America(Chris Evans) movie, the latest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Probably more aptly titled Avengers 3 the movie primarily deals with the fallout from Avengers 2, the massive physical damage and civilian casualties perpetuated by the clash with Ultron and the resulting villain it produced. This tied with Cap's childhood-friend brainwashed-assassin Bucky aka The Winter Soldier(Sebastian Stan) coming out of hiding and being accused of a terrorist bombing. This causes Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr.) to hook up with the UN to issue the Sokovia Accords which regulates people with "enhanced abilities". Cap doesn't agree with this and the Avengers are split in two.

As time goes on the MCU movies have become increasingly convoluted and dependent on knowledge of previous installments for plot comprehension. This is not an asset. Sacrificing satisfying stand-alone story telling in an effort to tell some kind of uber superhero narrative is a clinic in diminishing returns. Each installment has devolved into the moving of chess pieces with little actually happening. This is especially apparent in this movie because our typically charismatic and compelling heroes played by Downey and Evans are forced to act absurdly. There is a prevalent lack of motivation for their characters and/or they behave in a way that goes against what has previously been established about them. There is a lot illogical going on and instead of providing compelling dialogue and emotion to serve the characters they are simply pitted against each other(with little reasonable explanation) in order to get to the titular battle.

The action itself is very cool and well done. The introduction of both Spiderman(Tom Holland) and Black Panther(Chadwick Boseman) are great however they seem shoehorned in to an already bloated movie in order to set up their individual franchises rather than any narrative or emotional purpose. There is a lot of flash but little substance. This is also apparent in the lack of stakes. Seemingly no hero will ever die and will also never be in a situation where they are out of commission for more than twenty minutes. These elements combine to underline the fact nothing is truly happening in regards to story. The MCU has become an exercise in treading water.

Fun to look at, crumbles under any kind of thought.

Don't See It.

'The Meddler' A Review

The Meddler is a dramedy about a recent widow who injects her self into her unwilling daughter's life because she is struggling with grief and endless free time. Marnie(Susan Sarandon) follows her daughter Lori(Rose Byrne) out to Los Angeles in the wake of her husband's death. With unresolved grief and a relatively empty retired life Marnie constantly pesters Lori who is grappling with writers block and romantic ennui. Marnie is forced to branch out when Lori leaves for New York on business, she begins volunteering at a local hospital, planning a wedding for one of Lori's friends, giving a ride to her Apple clerk to night school, and meets a retired motorcycle cop with whom a delicate romance begins to bloom.

Sarandon has depth, humor, and charm. Dynamic as she always is, its gratifying to see her in such a meaty role where she is never off screen. An opportunity she hasn't had in a while. Byrne is decent as the struggling daughter but fails to match the vitality of her co-star. The supporting cast are all serviceable with some great comedic moments but there is some noticeable discordance with various scenes, seemingly not a fault of the actors but rather per requirement of the script.

Although the film is semi-autobiographical from director/writer Lorene Scafaria there are various moments of unbelievability. For example Marnie's utter cluelessness with understanding anything regarding her daughter's personal or romantic life or Lori's incessant frustration with but inability to actually communicate with her mother. Sarandon carries these moments with grace and owns them whereas Byrne is less successful. Perhaps these interactions are based on reality but onscreen they are a bit distracting. Overall the faults are negligible, with enough cathartic moments, laughs, and ultimate transformation to satisfy.

A funny, feel good film that shines because of its magnetic lead.

See It.

When The Boss Is Stressed, Work Is

Like a thick and gritty soup
like a slowly suffocating gas chamber
like sitting in the principals office awaiting punishment for an unknown crime
like getting pulled over going 60 in a 30
like indigestion
like watching a sex scene with your parents on TV in middle school
like a hot stuffy, overcast foggy afternoon
like waking up in the middle of the night sweating because the A/C has broke
like riding the train with a stinking crazy person who is not doing anything but who could at any time do something totally insane
like reading The Marbeled Swarm
like those times as a child when you wanted something very badly and could not understand why you couldn't have it, so much so it would send you into a state of breathy delirium
like that feeling of illogical guilt after a night of heavy drinking

In an intimate office anxiety is infectious.
And with it comes an irrational sense of impending doom.

Bossman, go on your vacation already. I'm tired of your petulance.

'Keanu' A Review

Keanu is an action comedy about two cousins in search of their lost cat. The film opens on two black clad assassins shooting up a drug processing facility, the kitten of one of the criminals escapes the carnage and finds his way to Rell(Jordan Peele). Fresh off a break up Rell falls hard and fast for the kitten naming him Keanu. Rell's cousin Clarence(Keegan-Michael Key) is an up-tight family-focused man who consider's going to a movie with his cousin a night out. When Rell's apartment is broken into and Keanu stolen Rell and Clarence set out to get the kitty back whatever the cost.

Key and Peele smoothly transition their sit-com chemistry to effortless big screen magnetism. They convey the emotional honesty of their characters while periodically ramping up into into delightful absurdism. The two actors have a short hand and a rapport which you just want to watch, their's is clearly a joyful collaboration and you can't help but get caught up in that energy. There are some great supporting turns Will Forte as rinky-dink drug dealer Hulka, Method Man as pet-loving gangster Cheddar, an insane cameo by Anna Faris, Nia Long as Clarence's wife Hannah, and Tiffany Haddish as HI-C a gangster and Rell's love interest. Haddish gives a grounded performance with sharp edges and heart, a nice balance to some of the other broader turns. Both Long and Haddish are refreshingly age-appropriate.

There is a propulsiveness to both the low-key percussive comedy and the increasingly large action sequences. The story mines identity politics and the increasingly heightened(almost parody) violence for comedy and ultimately provides a satisfying transformation for its two leads. But it never sells out the story, the action, or the humor. The film plays all the notes, all without pretense or fakery. It would probably be a mistake to call a film like Keanu authentic given its somewhat ridiculous plot but even so there is an honesty and commitment throughout that make the big and small moments not only believable but incredibly fun.

Infectious and playful, thrilling and smart.

See It.

Tulip Haiku 2

A single tulip

pink amidst the varied white

stalwart and alone.