New Apartment

It's been about a month since Nicole and I moved into our new place. I forgot how much work it is, beyond the packing and the physical moving of stuff from one place to another, but the finding a place for everything, the arranging, the hanging of pictures, the repeated trips to Target for the miscellaneous home decor, because of course no apartment is uniform in its amenities. But now, seemingly, its all done and we've had a chance to settle in.

After living in Chicago on and off for eleven years I've lived in seven different apartments and six different neighborhoods. You become accustomed to moving and settling in to a new niche of the city. As time has gone on I've found it more fun than stressful. The finding of the new place is always the most stressful, the minutia that comes after requires time and effort but it ultimately boils down to simple tasks which you can check off.

Our new place is nice and spacious, the only weird thing is we suspect there may be a ghost. Spooooooky. The reality is that that old and tired adage "home is where the heart is" is true. And perhaps, I admit, I'm getting older and am more prone to see the wisdom in cliche rather than the irony. Wherever Nicole and I live we're going to make work, were going to have each other and be surrounded by those things that we value and have meaning- books, photos, art work, Ms. Kitty. We're also in this city which we've lived in for an increasing percentage of our lives. A place we know and we're apart of. Wherever we go, there we'll be, and it'll be home.

'A Ghost Story' A Review

A Ghost Story is a pseudo-supernatural drama about a man who dies and lingers in the house he shared with his wife. C(Casey Affleck) and his wife M(Rooney Mara) share a small worn down home in a nameless suburb. C dies in a car accident outside of the house and returns from the morgue as a ghost that watches M as she deals with her grief and eventually moves out. The ghost of C stays with the house over the course of years and bears witness to the various inhabitants.

Mara puts in her same default performance we've seen from her numerous times. She is stoic, neutral, and reactive only. There is no doubt her looks are striking and that she has talent(The Social Network, Her) but it seems recently most directors use her as a cinematic model rather than an actual actor, which to be frank, is boring. Affleck is only actually seen for less then ten minutes and his time on screen is incredibly awkward, he does no acting to speak of just stumbles in frame and recites his lines, whenever he is called upon to be introspective(in this and in other films) he fails pretty badly. His talents fall more inline with bombast. The other cast members don't really have much to do save briefly glide in and out of scenes as the focus is more on the mood and tone. There is one notable monologue, which seemingly serves as the thesis of the film, delivered by William Oldham which is competently done but the content of which is insufferable collegiate existential gobbledygook.

The cinematography is sharp and interesting with a compelling score but unfortunately that's where the successes of the film begin and end. There are massive issues with the narrative and its pacing, starting relatively slow and then jumping years, decades, centuries(?) into the future and then back into the past. The film seems more concerned with doing these things rather than why they are being done and because of that the time machinations are virtually meaningless. This on top of the fact that the message of the film, bolstered by the aforementioned monologue, seems to be that nothing means anything, creation and ambition are futile, time is a prison, or some such other worthless ideas which every immature 19 year old convinced of their own non-existent intellectual prowess has after reading Notes From The Underground. The biggest problem is that writer/director David Lowery really wants to be a writer/director and he can't write. He has craft but, thus far, hasn't demonstrated any ability with narrative. Not to mention his repeated and inept cribbing of Terrence Malick which comes across as impotent rather than homage.

Derivative, clumsy, and juvenile. Worst of the year contender.

Don't See It.

Crockpot

sauerkraut
bratwurst
giardiniere

low heat
8 hours
to prepare

sour
earthy
tangy, sweet

minimal
effort
a glorious eat

'An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power' A Review

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power is a environmental documentary, a follow up to 2006's Oscar winning An Inconvenient Truth. Whereas the original was more directly education about the causes, conditions, and effects of climate change this film is more personal following Gore on his chosen vocation to enact real tangible change and depicts the actual effects global warming has had over the past decade- from melting glaciers to the frequent and tragic extreme weather events that the original film foretold. The film also shows us a little more about Gore the man, touching on his family, their history in politics, and his 2000 presidential bid and how it shaped him.

The Al Gore we saw in An Inconvenient Truth was much more personable and loose than the politician we had previously known and in this film we see him even clearer, the film is not only an update on the climate change crisis, the set backs and advancements, a much needed call to action given the political landscape, it is also a somewhat intimate portrayal of a man who championed a cause, who wars between hope and despair, an aging and battered knight of Mother Earth who straps on his armor(suit) every day and continues on despite the overwhelming opposition.

And for all the negative environmental effects that have occurred between the time of the original film and the present, and the projected disasters inevitably to come, the film does offer hope. Highlighting the Paris Agreement, the advancement in renewable energy technology and its implementation, and a town in Texas use of close to 100% renewable energy. But with the election of Trump which the film portrays but doesn't address directly, the call to action at the end of the film is its most important part. Gore gives a speech to a crowd which inspires and energizes and gives us a glimpse of the President we might have had. That scene in and of itself is worth the watch.

Necessary viewing in our current time of turmoil.

Don't Miss It.

'Girls Trip' A Review

Girls Trip is a comedy about four lifelong friends who have drifted apart that take a trip to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival. Ryan(Regina Hall) is a best-selling author and a celebrity power couple along with her husband Stewart(Mike Colter), she's asked to be the keynote speaker at the Essence Fest and takes the engagement as a good way to get her friends back together after five years without seeing each other. Sasha(Queen Latifah) a gossip blogger,. Lisa(Jada Pinkett Smith) single mother of two, and Dina(Tiffany Haddish) the lone adulthood holdout join Ryan in New Orleans and the four reconnect.

All four leads give great performances and the chemistry they share is magnetic. The film allows them, for the most part, to simply be friends together in a fun setting mostly devoid of distracting plot devices. We are invited in to this longstanding friendship and watch it reignite as their time apart melts away, its like spending time with some of your oldest friends with all the shared history, spontaneity, conflict and comfort that can afford. Hall bears the brunt of the narrative work as her character is the one around which much of the film's tension revolves, she plays the character with a veneer of confidence and ambition but ultimately with significant vulnerability with a great monologue towards the end. Latifah is compelling and effortless, as she always is although its great to see her in a role with some substantial screen time unlike some of her recent supporting credits. Pinkett Smith plays somewhat against type as the buttoned-up responsible mother of two which allows her(and us) to have a lot of fun as she gradually cuts loose. But the most delicious, the most ferocious, the most transcendent performance comes from Haddish who puts in an award winning turn as the aggressive, loyal, partying Peter Pan of the quartet. She broadcasts a contagious fun energy with heart and hilarity to spare. A break out turn.

There is tension in the film, problems to be solved both within the group and with each of them and those are all handled with balance that never sacrifices the group's kinship or the film's humor(which is prevalent and delightfully raunchy at times). Filming at the actual Essence Festival gives the film a kinetic atmosphere with the four leads watching actual concerts, navigating a crowded Bourbon St, and interacting with stars playing themselves. One of the greatest scenes is a dance off with a younger version of the group while the four are coming down of off Absinthe. The argument could be made that the film's third act diverges into sentiment but the reality is that it has a message, one that is potent and elevates and gives context and dimension to all the playfulness and camaraderie that has gone before it.

At times heartwarming, often uproarious, always captivating, the four excellent leads anchor the best comedy of the year.

Don't Miss It.

'Dunkirk' A Review

Dunkirk is a WWII film about the English and French evacuation of Dunkirk under the pressure of Nazi forces in 1940. The film is segmented into three interconnecting story lines titled 'The Mole' which follows British soldier Tommy's(Fionn Whitehead) attempts to escape the beach, 'The Sea' which follows Mr Dawson(Mark Rylance) a civilian mariner activated by British Navy to aid in the evacuation, and 'The Air' which follows Farrier(Tom Hardy) a Royal Air Force pilot. The three stories begin on alternate timelines and eventually converge.

Whitehead as the marginal lead is very good, reserved but present, which to be fair can be said of almost every performance in the film. Hardy is magnetic as he always is, regal and aloof but hinting at the weight of responsibility his position in the war lays on him. Rylance is so remote his performance doesn't really even register as one, it's comes across as simple recitation. Recently he's received significant praise but he is continually so distant he doesn't emote in any way, I would hesitate to call it acting at all. Other than Rylance's usual uncompelling lack of effort the cast is all interesting enough but that is more to do with how they are framed, the scenery in which they appear, and the score. Ultimately it doesn't seem as if they are asked to do much of anything.

Of course the cinematography is stunning. The aerial dog fights especially are breath taking. The score is incredible and potent. Nolan is an amazing filmmaker, one of the greatest if not the greatest of his generation, so the various production elements are, of course, immaculate. However. Watching the film you can't help but wonder why. Why this story, why now. And there doesn't seem to be much of an answer. The message, the point, seems to be a vague and half-hearted statement of solidarity and even drawing that conclusion is a bit of a stretch. With the resources at Nolan's disposal and given his filmography Dunkirk shows a startling lack of ambition. Nolan has craft to spare and this feels almost like an exercise. After the excellent and expansive Band Of Brothers continually mining WWII especially the aspects of it that focus on battle seems uninspired.

Visually captivating with a non-linear structure that holds the attention but fails to deliver anything beyond thrill.

Rent It.

Matthew

Who knew a toddler
could have such boundless energy
and thirst for play
legs constantly pumping
walking, climbing, crawling
arms continually thrumming
grasping, lifting, throwing
incessantly moving
unable to be still
like some small and endearing shark

Who knew speech and locomotion
could be so enthralling,
the kinesthetic evolution
of this little human
a true marvel
even his cries
of peese(please)
sheese(cheese)
posch(pouch)
and the timeless classics
Ma-Ma and Da-Da
inspire wonder.