1/19/15: The week's Top 3

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!

After going away from the blogosphere for a while, I'm back... Let's get to it.

Three things I'm excited about this week (in no particular order):

1. Let's give it up for Madonna. http://www.madonna.comYeah, I know it's already been a month since she released the first six tracks from her upcoming album "Rebel Heart", and yeah, I've always been a bit mad for Madge...regardless, I'm still totally digging these songs. "Living for Love" -- gospel-infused dance pop at its best -- and in my opinion her best single in a decade. It reminds me a little bit of "Like a Prayer" fused with "I Will Survive" and should pair nicely with her iconic classic when she tours this summer. "Devil Pray" -- continues on the pseudo-spiritual theme begun by "Living for Love." This is confessional Madonna with a message -- drugs will only get you so far. If you want true happiness and fulfillment, you've got to find it within yourself and turn your back on the Devil. The opening acoustics give way to a dark, somewhat menacing bass thump. Initially, this was my favorite track of the new set. "Ghosttown" -- a nice mid-tempo power ballad with a post-apocalyptic theme. One of her best ballads in years. "Unapologetic Bitch" -- currently my favorite track. I didn't know what to make of this reggae-tinged kiss-off at first but it's definitely grown on me after repeated listens and it contains one of my favorite lyrics in recent memory: "You know you never really knew how much you loved me 'til you lost me/Did you?/You know you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me/Well, fuck you." This pretty much sums up the theme of the song. Next up, "Illuminati", another track that improves over time. While Kanye West, who co-wrote and produced the song, commands us to "Bounce" in the background, Madonna gives us a lesson on The Illuminati, the cabal of high-powered celebrities, politicians, and personalities who supposedly run the world, at least according to Internet conspiracy theorists. This isn't really a song per se...in fact, I'm not really sure what it is. All I can really say about it is that it's weird, vaguely creepy, and would be great to dance to in a subterranean dance club at four in the morning. Oh, and the lyric "Everybody in this party's shining like illuminati" sticks with you longer than it has any right to. And finally, "Bitch, I'm Madonna" featuring Nicki Minaj: a schizophrenic 21st century party anthem that's got Miss Minaj written all over it. I can take it or leave but it is kind of fun. All in all, some of Madonna's best new material in years. It probably won't convert a new generation of listeners, but it proves for those of us who have followed her for most our lives (like me), it proves she's still a creative force to be reckoned with and bodes very well for the new album, due to hit March 9th.
2. "Boyhood." Gosh this film is good, unlike anything I think I've ever seen. Flawlessly acted and seamlessly written, directed, and edited, this is a little movie writ large over the span of twelve years. Part of its power is that because you literally watch each of these characters (and the actors playing them) age, you completely believe them. And while I knew, obviously, it was Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke playing the roles of the estranged parents, I totally believed them as the characters they were playing. This isn't a movie with big plot twists or exciting action sequences. Rather, it's a film comprised of life's moments, all of which we can relate to, all of which we have experienced -- whether you're a parent or not -- and some point in our lives. The film is universal in its theme and brilliant in its execution.
3. "Velvet." http://www.antena3.com/series/velvet/I recently discovered this gorgeous and shamelessly addictive Spanish dramatic series on Netflix where the first 16-episode season is now available for streaming. Set in a high fashion department store in Madrid in the 1950s, it plays like a Spanish version of "Downton Abbey" with its depictions of the comings and goings and interminglings of the 'downstairs' sales staff and the wealthy and glamorous 'upstairs' owners of the store and their customers. The production values are stunning -- and the huge cast, led by the beautiful Paula Echevarria as the faithful and hapless seamstress Ana, and the smoldering Miguel Angel Silvestre (probably the best-looking guy on TV right now...anywhere) as Alberto, heir to the "Galerias Velvet" throne, this is a feast for the eyes and the heart. While it glosses over the politics of Franco's Spain -- actually, at least in the first ten episodes I've streamed thus far, the sociopolitical conditions are non-existent -- it succeeds in sweeping you into the story and it never lets go. Only season one, which debuted in Spain in 2014,  is currently available on Netflix. Season Two is forthcoming and Season Three is currently airing in Spain. If you're looking for your next TV binge, "Velvet" is definitely binge-worthy.

Enjoy!

Album Review: Kyle Minogue -- "Kiss Me Once"

Hi everyone!

I've been a fan of Kylie Minogue since her "Loco-motion" days nearly thirty years ago. I've always kind of seen her as Madonna without the edge or the pretension. Kylie has evolved into an international pop star -- one of the top female recording artists in the world -- though she has never quite been able to make a successful go of it here in the U.S. With the exception of a darker edgier avant-garde phase in the early 90s, (her collaboration with Nick Cave comes to mind) Kylie's music is upbeat and sensuous without necessarily being all that sexy. She's kind of the ultimate tease. She excels at infectious danceable pop songs that get into your head ("Can't Get You Out of My Head") and stay there. Her voice is a bit breathy, a bit thin, but with undeniable range. Like Madonna, her live shows are spectacular but you never get the sense that Kylie is trying to do more than entertain. She's not afraid to have fun. And although I've been a lifelong fan of Madonna and think she's brilliant if not visionary at times, I've always thought that Madonna tries a bit too hard -- especially in sections of her recent MDNA tour -- to convince us that she's having fun.

And so we come to Kylie's latest studio album -- her 12th I believe: "Kiss Me Once". She's working with a new team and while many critics and fans have said this latest effort is a step in a new direction/new sound for Kylie, I don't discern much of a change. It's a fluffy pop confection that passes by in no time at all. There's no message or underlying theme, no dark hidden meaning. At first I wasn't overly enamored, but after repeat listenings, individual songs start to get into your head -- just like Kylie's songs tend to do -- and leave you feeling a little euphoric and a whole lot happy. I'll even venture to say that this is probably Kylie's best and most consistent album since 2000's "Light Years".

Track One: "Into the Blue". This is a barnstorming opener, probably the strongest track on the album, and one of my favorite Kylie singles. Unfortunately, because the song is so strong everything that comes after it leaves you a tad disappointed...at least initially. As I've said, this is an album that grows on you but "Into the Blue" is the album's stand-out track.

Track Two: "Million Miles". Catchy chorus and beat, will probably be a big hit in the clubs and should be the album's second single.

Track Three: "I Was Gonna Cancel". This Pharrell-produced track takes a bit of getting used to. It's kind of bouncy, kind of funky, about what you'd expect from Pharrell. Without being overtly disco, it brings to mind a little Donna Summer, Studio 54, disco balls, and roller-skates. I don't know why but that's what I think of when I listen to this song.

Track Four: "Sexy Love". After "Into the Blue", this is one of my favorite tracks. It's Kylie at her playful flirty best and I think the chorus samples from an 80s one-hit wonder because I'm sure I've hear it somewhere before. A lot of fun and will definitely stick in your head. More roller skates.

Track Five: "Sexercise". I wouldn't necessarily call this a misstep, but it's the only song on the album that I tend to skip when I listen to the album straight through. It's the most overtly sexual track on the album and it samples from a weird rhythm track she released last summer called "Skirt". Yeah, it's sinuous and mildly dirty but I feel it tries too hard to be sexy. It also doesn't really fit with what comes before or after it. And the name "Sexercise" just sounds a bit ridiculous especially when repeated over the course of three minutes.

Track Six: "Feels So Good". I love this track. It's a happy, breezy song with a synthesized bass that brings Giorgio Moroder to mind without being retro. The title accurately describes how you'll feel listening to it.

Track Seven: "If Only". This is another stand-out track: a ballad of sorts with a wistful synthesized edge that becomes epic about halfway through. I think Kylie's voice is at its best here: it soars above the percussion that gradually take front and center. It also features my favorite lyric of the entire album: "If I set you free and you actually came back to me." I'm a sentimentalist, but this song gives me goose bumps.

Track Eight: "Les Sex". Cheeky 1980s "Parisian" pop. This song is a lot of fun with some of the most ridiculous lyrics on the album: "Take two of these and meet me in the shadows/We'll be higher than stilettos". But it's undeniably catchy. Je t'aime.

Track Nine: "Kiss Me Once". The album's title track is another upbeat affair and (like this album) just gets better and better after repeated listenings.

Track Ten: "Beautiful". A duet with Enrique Iglesias. A rather subdued track with some nice harmonies between Kylie and Enrique and subtle usage of the vocoder. It's a pretty track, romantic, and less 'produced' than the rest of the album. But I feel that it never rises to the heights a duet between these two powerhouse pop artists should. It's a nice ballad but ultimately leaves you wanting more.

Track Eleven: "Fine". Kylie leaves us on an optimistic note: "You're gonna be fine...Turn your face into the sun" she sings over a dance floor whirl. It's not quite the barnstormer of the album's opener but it's a more than suitable ending to an album that is truly in love with love and doing nothing more than having fun.

Kylie deserves a bigger audience here in the U.S. and this album should bring her new converts. "Kiss Me Once" is the most consistently enjoyable new album of 2014 thus far.

Must-haves: "Into the Blue" "Feels So Good" "If Only" "Les Sex" and "Sexy Love"

My Top 10 Favorite Things of 2012

Hi everyone!

As the clock winds down to the final moments of 2012, I wanted to take a moment to share with you my top 10 favorite things of the year. With the exception of #1, these aren't in any particular order and encompass everything from movies and TV to art exhibitions, musical artists, books, theatre, and food.
So without further ado, here are my top 10 highlights of 2012:

1. Les Miserables: Tom Hooper's massive and massively entertaining long-awaited film of the international musical phenomena is hands-down my pick for Best Film of the Year. Not all of the voices were as big or strong as they might have been, but even the most cynical person cannot deny that this is epic and emotional filmmaking. What struck me most was the passionate commitment the entire cast visibly demonstrates for the material and that in itself was enough to move me to frequent tears. Worthy of particular praise are the performances by the supporting cast: Eddie Redmayne as the love-struck revolutionary Marius, in my opinion, steals the show. His rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is all the more wrenching for the quiet sincerity he brings to the song and his voice is absolutely beautiful; Samantha Barks is a perfect Eponine and while her big song "On My Own" doesn't feature the emotional histrionics of Anne Hathaway's much-lauded "I Dreamed a Dream," I found Ms. Barks lovely in her more understated but equally heartfelt turn; Amanda Seyfried is another major surprise as Cosette. While she doesn't have a powerhouse voice, she turns out to be perfectly cast, and more than succeeds in holding her own, particularly in the murderously high notes at the end of the great love trio between Cosette, Marius, and Eponine, "A Heart Full of Love". Ms. Seyfried is indeed a revelation in this role. While I don't think Hugh Jackman's voice is particularly strong (certainly not in comparison to Colm Wilkinson who originated the role of Jean Valjean and appears in the film as the Bishop) and rather reedy, he brings a quiet depth to the role that works. Russell Crowe is rather vocally stiff as Javert, but his acting can't be faulted. His steely determination is affecting. And Anne Hathaway? She'll win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her turn as the doomed Fantine and I admired the courage she brings to the role without necessarily loving her voice. The film is beautiful to watch and the final scene will soften the hardest of hearts. I'm already planning to see it again...and again...

2. George Bellows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City: a definitive exhibition of the works of the under-appreciated early 20th century American artist George Bellows. I was unfamiliar with his works aside from his vividly rendered boxing scenes that are presented here within the greater context of his artistic oeuvre. His landscapes are stunning. And while there is a certain derivative element to his painting--his influences are rather transparent--one cannot help but be swept up by the alternately sweeping and intimate power of his collective work. This exhibition, which will be traveling to the Royal Academy of Art in London in Spring 2013, is a gem and a major rediscovery of a great American artist.

3. Picasso in Black and White at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City: while I found this exhibition of Picasso's black and white paintings a little monotonous by its end, it was definitely a landmark event that beautifully showcased the evolution of an artist. And the Guggenheim, with its minimalist spiral-like gallery space, was the perfect setting.

4. Jake Gyllenhaal's New York theatre debut at the Laura Pels Theatre in the off-Broadway play "If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet". I've always been a fan of Mr. Gyllenhaal's film work, but he showed a greater nuance and depth to his acting in this overly ambitious and somewhat thematically jumbled play by young British playwright Nick Payne. As Terry, the ne'er-do-well but well-intentioned drifter brother of George, Brian F. O'Byrne's rigid and environmentally obsessed professor brother, Mr. Gyllenhaal succeeded in making his character likable, repulsive, and ultimately sympathetic. His scenes with Annie Funke in the role of Anna, his overweight and emotionally disturbed niece, were beautiful and what's more, he succeeded in commanding the stage in spite of an occasionally garbled Cockney accent and the rather abstract/symbolic destruction of the increasingly water-logged set, which was a wonder unto itself.

5. French Pop Music: 2012 was the year I discovered a host of chart-topping French and Quebecois pop musicians whose music collectively has become the current soundtrack of my life. Christophe Willem's 2012 release "Prismophonic" is one of my top choices for best album of the year: the electronic jams swirl, the beats are infectious, and high above the disco/trance/electronica (or very much a part of it), Mr. Willem's voice soars almost ethereally. You don't need to be able to speak or understand French to enjoy his music, just blast it into your earbuds while you're working out or getting ready for a night out, and you'll be in just the right mindset for clubbing. My favorites: "L'amour me gagne," "Jamais du," "Cool," and "Le temps qu'il reste." While you're at it, also check out M. Pokora, the chart-topping French/Polish pop idol whose music more than holds its own against the better-known (in the U.S.) tracks of Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. And if you're in the mood for a real balls-to-the-wall power ballad, check out Pokora's "Si Tu Pars" (If  You Leave) from his 2012 album "A la poursuite du bonheur".

6. Madonna's MDNA World Tour: netting the Material Girl more than $200 million in revenue, the MDNA tour proved to be the top-grossing concert of the year, not to mention one of the most elaborately staged, hyperkinetic, and jaw-dropping spectacles of the concert year. (I still don't know how those drum majors managed to remain perfectly suspended from the rafters!) I've seen all of Madonna's tours and this proved over and over again that at 54, Madonna is still the undisputed Queen of Pop. And while no one but me seems to have liked her 2012 album "MDNA," I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is the best pop album of the year. Much of the tour was based around her new material, most of which held its own against some of her better-known and better-loved earlier pop hits.  Okay, the bloody Tarentino-esque massacre that served as the context for her song "Gang Bang" was in poor taste especially in light of the spate of mass shootings here in the US this summer and fall, and I did find her slowed-down Marlene Dietrich rendering of "Like a Virgin" painfully overindulgent. But she more than made up for it with incredible reinventions of "Express Yourself," "Vogue," and "Like a Prayer" along with visually extraordinary performances of new material like "I'm Addicted," "I'm a Sinner," and "Girl Gone Wild." If you missed it live, the DVD/Blu-Ray is coming out soon.

7. The spectacle and grandeur of the Opening Ceremonies of 2012 London Summer Olympics: half of my heritage is British so I'm biased but the opening ceremonies and the Olympics as a whole were a testament to British pageantry and organization. Despite early naysayers, no one does it better. I was proud (and am proud) to be British.

8. "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" by celebrated Israeli and Arab chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, published by Ten Speed Press: a visually stunning and accessible celebration of Middle-Eastern cuisine.  I received this book for Christmas and cannot wait to try my hand at every recipe. A wonderful introductory guide to one of the world's most diverse and flavorful cuisines.

9. "Un Village Francais": a long-running French television drama centered around a small village in Vichy France during the Second World War, this series is in the middle of its run on TV5Monde, a premium channel on Comcast cable. I came into this series about halfway through, and was immediately hooked. Epic--yet intimate--in scale, it traces the lives of French villagers and members of the Resistance, police, Gestapo, and Jews all struggling to survive in Occupied France. This series is exquisitely acted and gorgeously produced and while it certainly has its moments of melodrama, it provides a powerfully distilled portrayal of what life must have been like during this infamous and difficult time in French (and world) history. It isn't available yet for streaming on Netflix and the first four seasons aren't available on U.S.-compatible DVDs, but given the acclaim the series continues to receive, it's a sure bet it'll be available for streaming within the next year or so. If it isn't, it should be.

10. "The Shahs of Sunset" on Bravo TV: my top guilty pleasure pick for 2012. This is a train wreck in every sense of the word and I'm almost embarrassed to include it among the loftier elements of this list, but no reality show (not even "The Real Housewives of Wherever) makes me laugh or cover my eyes/ears in horror as the Shahs do. The first season was good but now we're well into Season Two: Reza, GG, Asa, Mike, MJ, and new cast member Lily shamelessly demonstrate that more is indeed more but it's so indulgent and so ridiculously hilarious you can't help but watch. Where else will you see a self-proclaimed Persian Pop Princess (Asa) duke it out at a pool party with the always volatile--strike that, insane--GG over the fact that GG's boyfriend--now fiance--has a big nose? "I love Omid's nose," Asa defends herself at one point, "I'm totally into the Persian nose business." To which GG screams: "I'm going to toss you like a salad!" And then of course there's the "Persian Barbie" (no, strike that, 'entrepreneur') Lily who tells her make-up artist: "I love that you make me look like I've had a nose job." These people are obsessed with their noses--among other things--and I'm obsessed with this show. Diamond Water anyone? Don't ask...

So there you have it: for good or bad, these are the top 10 things that inspired me, intrigued me, entertained me, or just flat-out made me laugh in 2012. I'll follow up shortly with my list of my least favorite things of 2012. Stay tuned!

Ciao.

Album Review: Madonna's "MDNA" Is Sonic MDMA

Hi everyone!

It's been four years since Queen Madge's last album release--2008's "Hard Candy," an album I enjoyed at the time but one that hasn't aged overly well and one that certainly will never be remembered for being one of her best albums. Fast-forward to 2012. After much hype and speculation in the weeks since Madonna's epic Super Bowl performance last February, "MDNA" finally released today. Having listened to it now several times, I am very happy to report that the Queen of Pop is back. Indisputably so. Epically so. In fact, "MDNA" is easily her best album not only since 1997's "Ray of Light" but (I'm going out on a limb here) since 1989's "Like a Prayer." Yes, this is the Queen of Pop's best album in 22 years.

What made "Like a Prayer" stand out at the time of its original release was the fact that it was the first album Madonna released that could truly be called confessional. While the title song "Like a Prayer" (which will probably always be remembered as one of history's best pop songs) and other hits like "Express Yourself," "Cherish,""Oh Father," and "Keep It Together" solidified Madonna's dominance on the world's pop charts, the album's best moments were its quieter, more introspective tracks: "Til Death Do Us Part," "Promise to Try," and the slightly psychedelic Prince duet "Love Song." These songs dealt with pain: the pain of divorce (from Sean Penn) and the pain of losing her mother at such a young age. After the bubble gum pop of "Like a Virgin" and "True Blue," "Like a Prayer" gave the world a more sensitive side of Madonna that was often lost amidst her rise to superstardom, the controversy, and her turbulent short-lived marriage to Sean Penn.

In the years since 1989, Madonna has released a slew of albums--some iconic (1992's "Erotica" and 1997's "Ray of Light" leap to mind), some decent but not great (1994's "Bedtime Stories," 2000's "Music" and 2005's "Confessions on a Dance Floor) and others that could have been great but were too inconsistent to truly work (2003's "American Life" and 2008's "Hard Candy.")

"MDNA" is one of the iconic albums. Similar to "Like a Prayer," many of the tracks here again deal with the subject of divorce--this time from British director Guy Ritchie--loss, and spirituality. The album runs the gamut from revved-up dance-floor ecstasy (with tracks like "I'm Addicted," (a techno barn-burner) "Girl Gone Wild," "Some Girls" and a really f**cked up track called "Gang Bang" whose culminating moment comes when Madonna screams "Drive, Bitch, and while you're at it Die, Bitch over and over and over..." You just have to hear it ) to beautifully poignant confessional ballads ("Masterpiece," "Best Friend," "Falling Free," and "I F**ked Up") to tracks that fall somewhere between the two (the heartbreaking and wistful "Love Spent" comes immediately to mind, a song that makes me want to dance while crying my eyes out...go figure, but it works beautifully.)

Added to this already compelling but rather volatile mix is the up-tempo pop confection "Turn Up the Radio" which I've already dubbed my 2012 summer anthem, "I'm a Sinner" (which flips "Like a Prayer" on its ass while transporting us back to some LSD-laced late-1960s psychedelic magic bus ride), "I Don't Give A" which has Madonna flipping Guy Ritchie the bird while pseudo-rapping with Nicky Minaj only to end with an epic electrified choral bit that channels Queen, and "Superstar" a catchy little romp that goes nowhere but is still kind of fun. Even the more-or-less throwaway tracks "Beautiful Killer," "B-Day Song," and the album's first single "Gimme All Your Luvin'" have their appeal.

If you're already a Madonna fan, "MDNA" is the comeback album you've been waiting for. For those of you on the fence or indifferent, "MDNA" is the Madonna album you want in your collection. It's hypnotic, schizophrenic, and really quite extraordinary. I can't wait to see what she does with these tracks in her tour this summer.

Download: "Gang Bang," "I'm Addicted," "Turn Up the Radio," "Love Spent," and "I'm a Sinner."

Ciao.

The Ten Best Films of 2011

Hi everyone!

Okay, so here's my list from 1 to 10 of the Ten Best Films of 2011:

1. The Artist
I kept putting off going to see this for no other reason than the thought of sitting through a black-and-white silent movie just didn't appeal to me. But I knew that I'd regret not seeing it before the Oscars. So I bit the bullet and went to see it this morning. I'm so happy I did. Not to sound trite, but "The Artist" is one of those films that just makes you fall in love with going to the movies all over again. From the opening shot to the final tap dance sequence, this movie is a valentine for all people who care about movies. The two French lead actors, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo (both of whom are big stars in France), are a joy to behold and what's incredible about their performances is that somehow watching them act without audible dialogue is a testament to their skill as actors. Mr. Dujardin, in my opinion, gives the best performance of the year for an actor in a leading role. I'll be interested to see what the Academy says in a couple weeks.

2. A Separation
This Iranian film was my number one pick until I saw "The Artist." "A Separation" is a beautifully understated film about life, family, relationships, and religion in a country that many in the West have come to consider the world's greatest threat to peace. There are so many nuances and layers to the storytelling that it begs a second viewing. You find yourself throughout the film questioning the characters' motives and in so doing may even discover surprising things about yourself and about your perceptions of truth and justice.

3. Melancholia
Lars Von Trier's Cannes Film Festival Award Winner is unlike any film you'll see this year or any year, for that matter. Deeply disturbing yet not without it's moments of black humor, "Melancholia" tells the story of a manic depressive young bride, played with wit and genuine pathos by Kirsten Dunst; her severe and overprotective sister, played by Charlotte Rampling; and her sister's intense stargazing husband, a fine Kiefer Sutherland, who fearfully await the apocalypse. The ten-minute opening montage, set to Wagner's 'Liebestod' from "Tristan und Isolde" is a tour de force of foreshadowing that nearly stops the film in its tracks before it really gets going. This is one of those films that at times you may want to switch off but at the same time you feel strangely compelled to keep watching. The pay-off is spectacular. Of any film I saw in 2011, "Melancholia" is the one that--from an emotional standpoint--stays with you long after the final credits have rolled. It'll shake you up.

4. The Flowers of War
I said a few weeks ago this was my pick for the best film of 2011. That may have been a little premature yet from a purely cinematic perspective, it's still worthy of a top place on this list. Chinese film director Zhang Yimou paints an epic canvas with both broad and finely etched brush strokes, telling the story of a down-and-out American, played by Christian Bale, who finds himself in the unlikely position of protecting a group of young Chinese convent schoolgirls and a gang of local prostitutes from the brutality of the Japanese attack on Nanjing, otherwise known as the Rape of Nanking, in 1937. The violence of war is visceral but an unmistakable humanity shines through that is both stirring and devastating. This is epic filmmaking at its finest.

5. Shame
Michael Fassbender gives a brilliant and tortured performance as a young New York sex addict whose addiction comes at the price of terrible tragedy. While this is Mr. Fassbender's film, I found myself gravitating most to Carey Mulligan as his troubled younger sister, a nightclub singer who wants nothing more than the love and approval of her brother. Visually arresting and definitely not for the faint of heart, "Shame" packs an emotional wallop you don't see coming and leaves you gasping for breath as you leave the theater. In my opinion, both Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan were robbed of Oscar nominations for their performances here.

6. Circumstance
Another Iranian film though for political reasons, unlike "A Separation," this was filmed in Beirut. At the center of this film is an unconventional love triangle between two high school girls in Tehran and the troubled religiously conservative older brother of one of them. "Circumstance" shows a different, and perhaps more overtly critical side of Iran, set in the upper class neighborhoods of Tehran amid the backdrop of a Western subculture rife with clubs, fast cars, drugs, and alcohol. Stunningly photographed with richly understated performances by each of its three young lead actors, "Circumstance" serves as a worthy book-end to "A Separation" in that it brings life and humanity to a surprisingly sophisticated society we in the West struggle to understand.

7. Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen's latest is a lovely confection of a film and an endearing tribute to Paris both past and present. Owen Wilson does a wonderful job capturing the neurotic charm of a role that, in his younger days, would have been played by Woody Allen. The film makes you long to go back in time, re-read the works of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, spend an afternoon in the Louvre admiring Picasso, and finish the night drinking absinthe with the likes of Luis Bunuel and Toulouse-Latrec. From a purely nostalgic sensibility, "Midnight in Paris" is magic.

8. Tree of Life
Reclusive director Terrence Malik's film about life, global warming, and growing up in the 1950s, among other things, is unlike any other film I saw in 2011. I hated it at first but slowly as successive images arrested my attention, I found myself unable to look away from the screen. Brad Pitt gives, in my opinion, the best performance of his career here though admittedly it's difficult to rate because this isn't a film so much about acting or linear storytelling but more about impressions and memory. It is another film that warrants a second or third viewing--which I have yet to do--because there's deep complexity here that doesn't immediately jump out at you...at least I think there's complexity. In some respects, "Tree of Life" is a cinematic riddle, a puzzle that requires careful attention, a meditation on what it means to be alive. Again, not a film for everyone but worthy of consideration.

9. Delhi Belly
Shifting from the sublime to the ridiculous, the Hindi gross-out comedy "Delhi Belly" is, as I wrote in my review here a couple weeks ago, the most obnoxious and flat-out funniest film I saw all year. A Hin-glish cross of "The Hangover" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with a little "Shaft" thrown in at the end for no apparent reason, this film had me in stitches from the very first minute and didn't let up until the very end. Young Bollywood heart-throb Imran Khan (not the Pakistani cricket player) leads an ensemble cast through 90 action-packed minutes of diamond heists, diarrhea, shoot-em-up action sequences, more diarrhea, and an end credits musical number starring great Hindi actor, producer, and Imran's uncle, Aamir Khan, that wouldn't be out of place in "Cleopatra Jones." I loved it though I think I'll think twice about ordering Tandoori Chicken.

10. W.E.
Madonna's labor of love about the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson is by no means a perfect film. The narrative is a little muddied from time to time and the filmmaking itself suffers from occasional lapses into film school self-consciousness. Yet, despite its faults, "W.E." is an achingly gorgeous and romantic film that is very deserving of a place on this list. British actress Andrea Riseborough gives a captivating performance as Mrs. Simpson. You simply cannot take your eyes off of her when she's onscreen. It's a shame that Ms. Riseborough was overlooked by the Academy because I believe hers is one of the great screen performances of 2011. The film did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design and Madonna's song "Masterpiece" that plays over the end credits won the Golden Globe for Best Song last month. Having directed and co-written the screenplay, "W.E." shows that Madonna has the talent and the potential to be a true cinema auteur. As I said in my review a couple days ago, "W.E." is my pick for the most visually beautiful film of 2011.

Ciao.

Friday Movie Review: W.E.

Hi everyone!

Right off the bat I will say that Madonna's latest (and best) cinematic foray "W.E." is hands-down the most visually beautiful film of 2011. I'll take it one step further to say that "W.E." is, in my opinion, deserving of a spot in my top ten list of best films of 2011.

I'll admit, I'm biased. I've been an unabashed fan of Madonna since the 8th grade so I'm not necessarily known for being totally objective where she's concerned. And I'll be the first to say that "W.E." is not a perfect film. But where it succeeds, it succeeds tremendously. In fact, its successes far exceed its failures, despite what many professional critics have said.

In brief, the film tells two stories that are somewhat, though not always convincingly connected. The first is the story of the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, played with commanding panache by British actress Andrea Riseborough, and King Edward VIII, a suitably bland James D'arcy, who famously abdicated the British throne to marry Ms. Simpson in 1937. (Last year's Oscar winner "The King's Speech" told part of this story.) The second is set in 1998 in Manhattan and tells the story of unhappily married Wally, a somewhat opaque but always stylishly lit Abbie Cornish, who is obsessed with the history of Wallis and Edward for reasons that are never really explained, and spends much of her time wandering around Sotheby's during its auction of W.E. artifacts. She meets a mysterious Russian security guard named Yevgeni, an appealing Oscar Isaac, who happens to play piano and provides Wally comfort and solace away from the increasingly abusive treatment of her husband.  This actually all plays a lot better than it sounds, though from a plot perspective, the way Madonna weaves the two together isn't as seamless as one might hope. I wasn't entirely sure what the parallel was supposed to be between the historical Wallis and the fictional Wally, though this being Madonna I'm sure there was a definite subtext. I just couldn't figure it out.

What most impressed me was the attention to detail. This shouldn't come as a surprise because Madonna is well known for the meticulous way in which she approaches every one of her creative endeavors. From the exquisite detailing of the period costumes to the evocative lighting of interiors, the film is a visual feast. This doesn't always serve to the film's benefit, however. In fact, there were moments where I felt as though I was watching an extended high-end perfume commercial, as though Madonna the director were more interested in the beauty of the images she was presenting than the narrative content of some of the scenes. Especially in the early part of the film there seemed to be an over-reliance on quick camera cuts and close-ups that made for a rather ponderous and distracting viewing experience. As the film progressed though, things calmed down a bit and Madonna the director seemed to settle into a more comfortable and assured narrative pace.

"W.E." is clearly a labor of love for Madonna and despite its shortcomings that love is very much in evidence on the screen. It's clear both from the film and interviews that Madonna has given about the film that she strongly identifies with Wallis Simpson. She has said that Wallis is very misunderstood and much maligned in history and that she wanted to portray her as a woman who sacrificed everything to be with the man she loved. As captivating as Ms. Riseborough is as Wallis Simpson--the fact that she wasn't nominated for an Oscar is a shame--I never found her to be sympathetic. Determined, yes. Ambitious, yes. Witty, yes. But sympathetic? No. She claims at one point that she feels bad because she's ruined Edward's life, but she had to have known all along this would be the likely outcome and yet she still married him. She also claims to hate being the center of the media spotlight but I wasn't particularly convinced of this either.

Yet, despite all its flaws and its failure to convince me of its central message or thesis, "W.E." completely won me over. I'll even admit that once or twice a tear came to my eye. While Madonna has never succeeded much as an actress--though her Golden Globe-winning turn as Evita was pretty spectacular--as a screenwriter and director she's pretty damn savvy. This is intelligent high-caliber art house filmmaking. And I can't help but wonder, if this film had been written and directed by anyone other than Madonna, would it have received such a drubbing from the critics? Probably not.

I'll be coming out with my Top Ten Films of 2011 list on Sunday. "W.E." will be on it.

Oh, and be sure to sit through the closing credits for a chance to here Madonna's Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece." It, like the film, is a stunner. (It's also going to be featured on her upcoming studio album "M.D.N.A" next month.)

Ciao.