Alinea

As an anniversary present Jose and Meigan got reservations at Alinea and were kind enough to invite Nicole and I along. Alinea is one of two three-star Michelin restaurants in Chicago, one of a dozen in the US. It specializes in molecular gastronomy and focuses on creating a complete dining experience on top of great food. I'm not a foodie and have rarely had any meals that could be called "fine dining" so this was a once in a lifetime type of experience for me.

When we got there we were quickly ushered upstairs to a relatively spacious room with only a handful of tables. The design of the room was such that it created a subtle atmosphere of privacy for each table, you could hear the murmur from other tables but not their conversations. All the staff were knowledgeable and kind, adaptable and fluid, we didn't have a specific server per say but there were a couple that stayed in our particular room, and they alternated with who presented each course.

The food was all challenging and mostly incredible. I say challenging because a couple of the courses featured bizarre preparations and pairing. The one that sticks out the most was a pea and lemon powder(freeze dried?) and a cold Parmesan soup that I would quite frankly describe as gross. This right after easily the best soup I've ever had. Later in the meal there was a pork belly with curry and mango which was transcendent and then later a gruyere, black truffle, and pumpernickel toast that was, odd. There was a cold clear nut gel as part of the first course and an edible helium balloon as part of the desert. A lot of delicious food but also a lot of thought provoking combinations, scents, sauces, and visual compositions. Truly unique.

The food itself was playful and absorbing but the real surprise, to me, was the service. After the first course they began setting the subsequent courses to favor our dominate hand. Maybe a right-handed person wouldn't have noticed as the world for the most part is skewed toward them but as a left-hander that small adjustment meant the world. I was stunned, not only that they had thought to do it but someone had been observing us during the first course and made a note of it. It was a huge surprise and made me feel very special and taken care of. The various servers also were relatively talkative with us, I think it was clear early on we were there to have a good time and laugh and also that we weren't terribly familiar with that kind of atmosphere, the servers responded in kind. I noticed with other tables they weren't necessarily as outgoing or causal, I can only assume they read the room and tailor their interactions to provide the best experience for the diners. Amazing they even try to do that doubly so given they are successful.

My taste isn't too complicated and I'm not really one for cucumbers that look like grapes or clear maraschino cherry glass, I think there were some courses that I didn't really get because they were too complex, but it will without a doubt stand as one of the best meals of my life. Incredible food, Magnificent service.

BBQ

Bodies comfortably lounging
drinking cool drinks in the warm sun-light
the sharp earthy smell of searing meats
and the sweeter stench of roasting veggies
hands smudged with salt, oil, and grease
wiped casually on jeans
lentil chips and lentil dips
and soft marshmallow cereal squares
the weather and the food are nice
but it is the companionship
that repels the work-week's avarice
small-talk accompanied by relaxed smiles
and comfortable silences underscored
by the soft tinkle of melting ice-cubes
I bask in the warm spring afternoon
but still more I laze in the fortifying cocoon of friends.

Solitude

Nicole's been out of town on vacation the past couple days and I've had a good amount of time to myself. Being by myself isn't something that's ever bothered me and in a lot of ways it's my default. Growing up I didn't have a lot of friends and spent a good amount of time by myself especially in the summers.

It makes me wonder is being alone something I naturally enjoyed or something I learned to enjoy. As far back as I can remember I loved fantasy books and movies, had a vivid imagination, was drawn to different worlds and magic and talking beasts and dragons and all the rest of it(what some would call escapism). Maybe because I thought the real world lonely or disappointing or mundane. Maybe because I didn't see a place for myself in it. Whatever the reason I spent a lot of time listening to books on tape, reading, playing video games, riding my bike, finding secret spots to call my own. And over time it became natural, became my preference. Earthsea and Narnia and Hyrule more mine than my neighborhood or school, imagined adventures more attractive than social encounters. Not to say I didn't have some friends(I had a few) or that my family wasn't loving(because they were). But on balance I spent a good amount of time alone and I came to like it that way. So much so in middle school my parents became worried and had a sit-down convo with me encouraging me to hang out with friends. Which eventually I did.

Middle school and high school I actually started to socialize and it was great, I became a part of a group of friends, something I never really had before. But I still spent time alone, still had an active imagination which I lived in. College was much the same as childhood, I struggled, was outside of various social groups and had few friends. I began going to movies by myself regularly, at first as just something to do, something to pass the time, eventually I came to love it. Over time I've been able to find more of a balance but I'm still probably more a loner than socially energetic.

Now I'm in a wonderful relationship, have a number of great friends, and overall have a pretty good life. But I still go to movies solo and read lots of fantasy books but I no longer fantasize about finding a portal to a magic kingdom to whisk me away forever. I like the quiet, I like the time to reflect, I like to simply be. Although I don't prefer my own company to others I enjoy it and value it. Some people find silence and solitude oppressive or daunting, which I understand and I won't get into the why of that, I imagine its part nature and part nurture as it was for me. But I don't find it so, I find it energizing and comforting. Like the company of an old and cherished friend.

So this weekend while my love was away, I listened to an audio book and washed the windows and let my mind wonder, content.

'Alien: Covenant' A Review

Alien: Covenant is the latest in the Alien franchise a sequel to the 2012 prequel Prometheus. The film opens on a scene between android David(Michael Fassbender) and his creator Mr. Weyland(Guy Pearce) discussing creation. Following that we see android Walter(Michael Fassbender) on the Covenant a colonization ship. After a neutrino burst damages the ship Daniels(Katherine Waterston) and the rest of the crew are awakened to make repairs. They then pick up a transmission from a near by habitable planet, significantly closer than their intended destination, which they then go to inspect.

Fassbender in his dual role is the bright spot in an otherwise tepid cast of characters, not for lack of talent but a flatness and impatience in the script. His characters are the only two given any room or time to develop. Waterston is serviceable but she is no Ripley not because she is incapable but because the film is so predictable it has no tension and things move so quickly we have no idea(nor care) much about any of the crew or their proposed mission.

All production elements are noteworthy but the doesn't live up to its potential because it essentially has two focuses, neither of which are fully explored, and is lesser for its middle-of-the-rode narrative and tone. After the critical backlash of Prometheus writer/director Ridley Scott re-conceived its sequel shoehorning in more classic horror elements and the creatures the series is known for although it is clear in this installment, as in the proceeding, that he is more interested in the philosophical questions about creation and the origin of Man. These are not totally excluded but the result is a disappointing mish-mash where neither is actually realized or given free reign. The film, essentially, lacks a clear identity. It is neither compelling horror nor though-provoking scifi.

Entertaining but weak for all the talent on display.

Rent It.

'A Quiet Passion' A Review

A Quiet Passion is a historical drama about the life of poet Emily Dickinson. The film opens on Emily(Emma Bell) in a school during a confrontation with a teacher on matters of religion. She is then taken home by her family and we are shown their intelligent, close, and unique dynamic. In an interesting portrait time-lapse scene the actors change. Emily(Cynthia Nixon) writes poetry, banters with her outspoken friend Miss Buffum(Catherine Bailey), discusses religion and gender with her family, and yearns for romantic companionship but steadfastly refuses to give up her limited personal and spiritual autonomy.

Nixon is incredibly striking and dynamic as the famous poet. Evoking not only her joy for poetry and her family but her uncompromising and radical views on gender and religion. Easily one of the best performances of the year and one of Nixon's best. The supporting cast are all engaging with great chemistry most notably Bailey as Buffum and Jennifer Ehle as Vinnie Emily's sister. For a period drama the cast does remarkably well creating fully flushed out and compelling characters despite the pervading cultural restraint. There is also an alacrity with the language that heightens the film rather than hamstrings it, allowing passion and poetry.

Picturesque but contained the cinematography mirrors and helps translate Emily's inner life. Comfortable but confining, sunlit but shadowed. The score is remarkably restrained, almost indiscernible, emotional moments are left mostly alone to patiently develop and show reality in real time more than something more presentational.

A fascinating and inspiring look into the life of America's greatest poets.

Don't Miss It.

A Thawing

There shouldn't be any surprise
as it happens every year
birds begin to wheel and cry
the fading of long winter's sneer

But the glory of warmth and sun
is startling in its vitality
hordes of lethargic people begin to run
shocked out of prolonged revery

Always it seems entrancing
this shift from chill to heat
all lives gradually enhancing
months constrained now replete

All things begin to open
mirroring the flower blossom
hearts, again, turn to hoping
not a thought for distant autumn

Kids

Went up to Madison today to spend time with my niece Maris. Last time I saw her was a couple months ago and its astonishing how much she's grown. She's so expressive and energetic and curious its really incredible. She was smiling a ton and so engaging. It was wondrous. And although that might seem hyperbolic or saccharine it is sincere. Perhaps anyone who has a close connection with a child realizes it but wow, a little human growing and evolving so quickly and joyously right before your eyes, there's nothing like it.

In the evening I hung out with Adam and his son Eli, his older son Ethan is getting to the age where he's a bit too cool and just wants to play video games so he was around but plugged in. Ah well. We had a nice visit, always great to see my oldest bud and spend some QT with the boys.

Maybe its just aging, maybe its the fact the over half the people I know have kids, are pregnant, or want kids but there's a lot of kids in my life currently and how fun and cool it is interacting with them and watching them grow is not something I ever expected but its an opportunity I relish and am grateful for.

Tired

Although not old
I'm aging
and burning the midnight oil
not as advisable
as once it was,
sitting at my desk
unpleasantly buzzing
dried eyes crusty
I look back
on the stamina of youth
when sleep was
virtually unncessary
each day rushing
into the next
with no account
for hours slept
bed times
or energy-
always there
now gone
taken for granted.

'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' A Review

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a fantasy film, a loose adaptation of the Arthurian legend. The film opens on King Uther Pendragon(Eric Bana) defending his people from evil wizard Morderd and while trying to get his wife and child to safety he and his wife are killed leaving their son and heir to float down the river. He is taken in by a brothel and through a quick but engaging montage grows up to be Arthur(Charlie Hunnam). After getting taken in by the city guard he is forced to attempt to pull the sword from the stone(and of course succeeds). Sword-in-hand Arthur is set on a path to overthrow his usurping uncle Vortigern(Jude Law).

Overall the cast is excellent, Hunnam is tough and funny, Law is liquid simpering evil, Djimon Hounsou and Aidan Gillen are good as the grizzled rebels. Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey billed simply as 'The Mage' is good although oddly underdeveloped as if additional scenes of her's were cut or the filmmakers were waiting on the sequel to dole out her backstory. They're all fun and match the tone of the film which is action first, humor second, emotion third. For what it is it works just fine.

Visually the film is pleasing but not terribly original, dark brooding fantasy CGI like a dozen other films but even so as a summer blockbuster is more than enough to please and entertain. There are a couple typical Guy Richie flourishes, a number of clipped montages, that are incredibly effective and give the adaption the freshness and fun its going for.

The film was almost immediately panned by critics and labeled a flop which is kind of mystifying to this reviewer. It begs the question- what was the expectation? From the directer/writer of the frenetic and funny Sherlock Holmes updates this is absolutely no surprise. The film is clearly going for something more contemporary and playful while providing some cool action- it succeeds period. Is it an amazing movie? No, of course not. Any movie title with a colon isn't. But to quote the man himself Roger Ebert "it's not what its about, its how its about it" and by this measure it succeeds.

Fast, funny, with some decent action.

See It.

'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' A Review

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is superhero movie, the sequel to the 2014 adaptation of the Marvel comic. The movie opens on the Guardians preparing to defend some batteries from a monster for the gold skinned and snobby Sovereign. After Rocket steals the batteries and the Sovereign give chase Ego(Kurt Russell) saves them and takes part of the team to his deserted planet also called Ego.

It is nice to revisit the solid ensemble established in the first installment however without the individual time taken to introduce each character they aren't really given much individual attention, operating more as a group without much of an identity save for snark. The main actors all do as good a job but there is no real stand out, they don't have as much to work with. Russell is compelling as always but is mostly underutilized. Karen Gillan as Nebula and Michael Rooker as Yondu are the bright spots, given more time and attention in this installment. Overall the humor and the charm is there but not enough heart.

The soundtrack is even better than the original with some incredible stand-out musical sequences, the visuals are lush and interesting but as the movie progresses they become a bit too much, over saturated. The movie doesn't quite strike a balance between humor and action it abruptly alternates scenes drastically changing tone and it doesn't quite work.

Absolutely entertaining but a little sloppy and rushed.

See It.

Mental Health Day

It's good to remember work is not all important.
The tediums and pressures found behind a desk
don't encompass a fraction of what life can offer
and our first responsibility is to ourselves
health and happiness before obligation
for if we are weak and sad and worn down
how can we be present
let alone excel?
So I called in sick.
When I wasn't sick.
And ate eggs and drank coffee on the couch.
Watched TV and read and ran errands.
And generally didn't think about much.
Just watched the world go by.

'David Lynch: The Art Life' A Review

David Lynch: The Art Life is a documentary about the early life and career of film directer/artist David Lynch. The film follows Lynch through childhood to attending art school and eventually his move to Los Angles and the making of his first feature Eraserhead. Extensive narration by Lunch is cut together with personal family footage, old photographs, and shots of Lynch painting.

The perpetually enigmatic Lynch doesn't lay himself bare in the film but is mostly open with sharing particular stories and moments that had a significant impact on him. With knowledge of his work it becomes clear these informative events are dissected and returned to in various scenes, characters, and themes in his work. Although he doesn't directly say this thing lead to this idea, he doesn't have to and you get the sense it doesn't work like that, at least not for him. Much of the film is spent showing Lynch painting and his discussion of visual art and only towards the end do we see how this interest transitioned to film. It is much easier to show and discuss visual art and it becomes are clearer way for Lynch to if not exactly discuss than depict his process.

A lot can be inferred about Lynch and how he works from the film but not a lot is explicitly said, not exactly a surprise. But time and again Lynch comes back to the idea of simply working, creating art is the work, and there is tremendous joy in that. That he has a unflinching need to make stuff. He sums it up at one point "the art life- drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, and paint".

Great for Lynch and movie fans, maybe not as accessible to those unfamiliar or uninterested in his work.

See It.

Argument Metaphor

I wrote a basic how-to previously about argument and recently someone mentioned the commission I was on that prompted that post and I've been thinking that both argument and creative ideas both start from the same place- essentially you got to have an angle.

An idea requires an angle, an in, a perspective. If you're sending up something how are you doing it, through tone, genre, context, character etc. Similarly for an argument you need an in, a place to begin, a starting place from which to apply pressure.

Imagine a wooden deck. Depending on its construction it is either tightly put together or sloppily constructed. This dictates just how difficult it will be to begin. Imagine a crowbar or hammer. That is the start of your argument, the beginning of your inspiration. You find a crack, crevice, or hole and start prying up those boards. You insert your tool and exert force, depending on how seamless the construction the more difficult it is to get started. But with time and patience even the smallest crack can be exploited, even the most solidly constructed piece can be broken down, taken apart.

It's just a matter of getting an appropriate way in, a solid start. Some ideas or arguments seem impossible to realize or break open but with even the smallest opportunity, the tiniest flaw, pressure and time will pay off. Once you figure out the way in the whole thing will blossom.

'Sleight' A Review

Sleight is a drama about a young street magician Bo(Jacob Latimore) who moonlights as a drug dealer to provide for his young sister after their mother passes. After meeting Holly(Seychelle Gabriel) Bo decides to cut his latest batch in order to make enough money to get out. He's discovered by his boss Angelo(Dulé Hill) who demands a high price for his betrayal.

The film is perfectly cast, fresh and interesting. Latimore does well in his first leading role, Hill clearly relishes the opportunity to play against type as the heavy, Gabriel as the love interest does well within the limited confines of the script. Also notable are Sasheer Zamata and Cameron Esposito in supporting roles which are both essentially dramatic, great to see the two of them play roles that aren't straight comedy.

The magic done by Bo is well done, the effects most clearly practical are compelling and it builds to a satisfyingly explosive climax. Visually the film is interesting with some nice flourishes, the score is decent if relatively undistinguished however the biggest problem is the script. Although built on a good idea and a great cast the plot is obvious and predictable, an amalgam of many other stories, with some scenes and dialogue confounding if not outright cringe worthy. Even so it displays an exciting potential and bodes well for writer/director JD Dillard's future work.

A rough script somewhat balanced by a strong concept and cast.

Rent It.

'Gifted' A Review

Gifted is a drama about a young math prodigy Mary(Mckenna Grace) being raised by her uncle Frank(Chris Evans) in a small town outside Tampa, FL. After home schooling her for years Frank puts Mary into public school as a 1st grader knowing that she's is intellectually way advanced by in hopes she can make friends and have a real childhood. Mary's intellect comes to the attention of the principal who contacts estranged grandmother Evelyn(Lindsay Duncan) who comes to Florida and quickly initiates a custody battle.

Evans is good as the decent everyman with gravitas, nice to see him in normal clothes. Grace is precocious and emotional and has great chemistry with Evans. There's potential for more depth in both of their performances, its clear they have more to give but unfortunately doesn't allow them to. The ensemble has some incredible talent, not only Duncan by Octavia Spencer and Jenny Slate among other less recognizable names and all are interesting but are limited but what they can do by the somewhat by-the-numbers inside-the-lines narrative.

The film has moments of comedy but is ultimately unflinchingly sincere and that is its greatest asset however there is a lot of missed opportunities at emotional and human complexity. A lot of the plot points are predictable, the story black-and-white bludgeoning us with what to think about the action as opposed to creating compelling enough material that leads us where they want to go. Some of the legal conflicts that propel a good portion of the plot are especially improbable, the grandmother and biological father never having seen the child making some kind of case for custody given they're only evidence seems to be "he's not rich". Although some of the court machinations drag the story is still compelling.

Affecting if somewhat blatant, unsubtle.

Rent It.

High Tension

Decisions can be difficult
when the right thing is muddled
it's hard to be critical
when emotion offer a rebuttal

But its best to ruminate
develop reasons, use logic
rather than wallow in malaise
waffle and remain neurotic

Ultimately we must decide
what is wrong and what is right
not with selfishness as a guide
but honesty an acolyte

Some things aren't as easy as
"call your mother on Mother's Day"