Harmony

When I am distressed
I must ask
what is wrong with me
because most often
irritants, inconveniences,
CTA congestions
are outside my control
and my agitation
only serves to exacerbate
my ability to cope
when balanced, when attuned
to the manifold kalidscopic
thrumming pulse
of the tapestried collective consciousnesses
that make up this painful and glorious Now
of which I am a small but vital part,
when I can find my place in the large and rushing melody
that hurtles our life-stuffed Earth into the vitality of space/time
I can reside in an impervious tranquility
in the knowledge, perhaps faith, that the outside is in good hands
and only the inside
is up to me.

Considering What's Owed

I saw an old friend
at a wedding
she just had her second kid
and I'm engaged
we caught up
reminisced a bit
and it was good.

It made me think
how strange
time can be
and that saying
"time heals all wounds"
may not be true
but there's truth in it.

Eight years ago
this friend
hosted my intervention
at her apartment
and only now
do I realize
I never considered the effect on her.

There must
have been a cost
in time and stress and energy
weathered patience
and tested credulity
perhaps there remains a debt
for what was taken but never fully given back.

'Hustlers' A Review

Hustlers is a crime drama about a struggling stripper Dorothy aka Destiny(Constance Wu) who is taken under the wing of the more worldly Ramona(Jennifer Lopez). The two become friends and work the system but over time their angle goes from above board to criminal. An interview with Destiny in 2014 with reporter Elizabeth(Julia Styles) is used as a framing devise to flash back to 2007 when the Destiny and Ramona meet then their subsequent financial problems in the wake of the housing crisis which results in their illegal activities.

Wu puts in a good performance as the financially hamstrung lead just trying to make ends meat and provides some much needed emotional dimension however the script leaves something to be desired as far as character depth and back story. Lopez is utterly electric and outshines Wu a bit even though she is in the presumptive supporting role. It's Lopez's best performance, and most dynamic role for that matter, since Out Of Sight and she takes full advantage bringing all of her moviestar charm and undeniable charisma to the screen. Her introduction scene, an extended pole dancing routine, is one of the best scenes of the year. The two have great chemistry and this tale of working-class working-girl camaraderie works perfectly for the first half of the film. The other glorious stand out is Cardi B as fellow stripper Diamond but she is woefully underutilized and only appears on screen for a couple minutes. When the film changes in tone the actors don't falter but the script does.

The soundtrack is pitch perfect, the cinematography not particularly flashy but effective in making you feel as if you are apart of the group at the film's center and although by nature there are bodies on display there is little to no leering or exploitation of the setting. The film is mostly successful but stumbles in the second half of the film when the women engage in overtly criminal acts and the morality, machinations, and economics of the crimes aren't particularly investigated. The script attempts to maintain it's feel-good female-friendship tone and focus glossing over the disturbing lengths the titular hustlers eventually go to. Overall this is forgivable and, bolstered by Wu and Lopez's performances, remains engaging if not totally successful.

Fun, ambitious, if not altogether tonally consistent. Worth it for Lopez alone.

See It.

'Tigers Are Not Afraid' A Review

Tigers Are Not Afraid is a crime drama with elements of magical realism. Set in a nameless Mexican city devastated by the drug war the film follows a young girl Estrella(Paola Lara) whose mother disappears. She then joins an orphan gang lead by Shine(Juan Ramón López) and the group tries to survive the harsh conditions of the city and roving cartel enforcers who seem to kidnap and kill indiscriminately.

The subject matter is exceptionally grave but not clearly set or developed and the psychological horror elements aren't particularly effective and undermine the effectiveness of the real life situations the film is attempting to convey. This incongruity makes it near impossible for the very young cast to find its footing, establish a coherent tone, or to portray characters with much depth. There are some successful moments with the young crew- moments of humor and camaraderie- but those are breezed by quickly and dashed with incredibly violent deaths which are in turn breezed by in favor of sequences of ineffective horror which, through context, seem only to be in Estrella's mind.

Certainly ambitious with important subject matter however neither the gritty drama or vengeful ghost ideas are cultivated with any real dimension and they are certainly not married. What's left is a film that doesn't particularly make sense, not only as a viewer but as to it's intention. We are not left with a real sense of the ongoing conflict or it's cost, what we are left with is the occasional and graphic visuals of the violent deaths of children that, unfortunately, don't carry the weight they should because time has not been taken to set up the circumstances or the characters.

Don't See It.

Motorcyclists

Beneath the scruff
beyond the danger
there is an iron fellowship
a shorthand, a secret sign
a common kindness
for those who traverse the road
on metal steeds
with open hearts
at thrilling speed
bound by the need for brazen deeds.

'Brittany Runs A Marathon' A Review

Brittany Runs A Marathon is a dramedy about Brittany(Jillian Bell) a twenty-something New Yorker struggling with her identity and ambitions. The film opens on Brittany waking up in the afternoon out of it and then late for work at the box office a small theater, that night she parties with her friends and acquiesces to a compromising situation. The next day she goes to a doctor to attempt to get an adderall prescription but instead is warned about her BMI. She begins running, makes new friends, changes jobs, and slowly takes control of her circumstances with the express goal of running the NYC marathon.

After years of consistently wonderful supporting characters Bell is finally given a lead role which she sinks her teeth into, conveying some incredible, at times heartbreaking, pathos without sacrificing a degree of her humor. In fact her comedic ability serves to bolster the emotional vulnerability of the character. The supporting cast is all wonderful but it is Brittany and her journey which, justly, take center stage. Michaela Watkins as Catherine Brittany's running friend is always a treat to see and the two have great chemistry, see this years Sword of Trust, and Lil Rel Howery as Demetrius Brittany's brother-in-law and defacto stepdad is also a delight. The real standout both in performance and screen time is Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jern Brittany's man-child love interest who is introduced as a vapid douche but quickly gains some compelling dimension.

Shot in a not-always-successful hand-held on-the-go style Brittany Runs A Marathon looks more like gritty mumblecore than feel-good dramedy, but it works. It brings us into Brittany's world which isn't always totally comfortable and confronts the audience with challenging situations which it's humor belies. The narrative isn't perfect, not a surprise for a freshman effort from writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo, but it's flaws either add to it or are ultimately forgivable given the authenticity and honesty, the humor and the intensity which are achieved.

More drama than comedy, a poignant look at a person finding their path.

See It.

Ancestors

I am not alone
for behind me are a chain of ghosts
that stretch back
and back and back
fathers and mothers
brothers and daughters
before time was counted
I do not find their weight oppressive
because I do not carry them
like some crushing burden
but stand upon their backs
their blood and sweat
given freely
that I could put down the plow
wash the earth from my hands
and look up towards the sky.