Movie review: 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is dark and depressing

Oscar Isaac and Cat in Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis/Photo by Alison Rosa ©2012 Long Strange Trip LLC

All right, already.

Yes, it's the Coen Brothers.

Yes, I loved Fargo and O Brother, Where Are Thou? but this?  This?

You gotta love folk music to enjoy Inside Llewyn Davis, and I am not a big fan.  The looooong songs to the finish were excruciating.  Pure agony.  This movie is for folk music fans and sadomasochists who like to stick themselves with pins, eat liver, and sleep on rocks.

I mean, did anything go right for him?  Anything?  Except the cat. 

What went right for him?  Oh,  There was the couple who welcomed him again into their home after he tore it apart.  This was real?

The sun didn't shine once.  I don't need this kind of down and out melodrama.  Life is melodramatic enough without having to endure more pain.

Girls just want to have fun and this ain't got any.

Actually, I know a guy who matches Davis in almost every respect, even looks, and he used to live in New York.  So negative and dark about everything.  Expects the worst of everybody and every circumstance, and you know what?  That's what he gets.  A vicious circle/cycle/whatever/ round and round he goes.  

Attitude is everything, baby.  He ain't got the right one.  Consider whom Davis "loved."  You would love something that spews this constant venom?  (Carrie Mulligan's performance was the best of the lot.) On your menu, self-inflicted wounds coming right up.

Actually, you may think your life is a lot better after witnessing this.

Llewyn Davis reminded me of all those fellows who hang out and play guitar on the streets of lower Broadway in Nashville.  At least, their attitude is right.  They think they have a future, and some of them do.



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Free stained glass windows concert at St. John's, Lafayette Square, Jan. 8

The Great Altar Window, the Last Supper, at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, given by Katherine B. Steele in honor of her mother, Annie E. Steele.  The left panel was given by the children of Julia McLane Lockwood in her memory, and the right panel, a gift from the wife and children of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes in his honor.

 

This Blog

The public is invited to attend a free noontime organ concert on Wednesday at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square featuring music improvised from some of the church's stained glass windows by the associate director of music at the Basilica of the National Shrine, Richard Fitzgerald.

He will play Allegro Maestoso from the King Window; Variations on Sine Nomine, the Hagner Window; Scherzo on Basque Carol, the McCants Window; Adagio - Meditation, the Great Altar Window; and the Finale, the Smith Window.

Richard Fitzgerald

 

Last October Dr. Fitzgerald won first place in the Annual Competition in Organ Improvisation. A composer, recitalist, and vocalist, he has taught organ improvisation at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore and has performed in concerts throughout the U.S.

The featured concert windows were designed and crafted in Chartres, France and installed at St. John's between 1883 and 1885.  They depict the life of Jesus, the Gospel of St. John, and the Apocalypse.  Seven modern windows were added to the church from 1933 to 1987.

According to notes provided by Richard Grimmett, the King Window was a gift of Mary Rhinelander and her husband, John Alsop King, the president of the New York Historical Society from 1887 until 1900 who helped direct the selection and installation of the Lorin windows from Chartres. 

The Hagner Window was given in honor of Peter Hagner, a founder and member of the first vestry at St. John's, and his wife, Frances Randall Hagner, by their family.

Marion J. McCants gave her family's window, the first modern style stained glass window at the church, around 1933 in memory of her mother, Tallulah Mounceaux McCants, who was devoted to the mission of St. John's Orphanage.

The Smith Window was given by the family to honor Rear Admiral Joseph Smith who helped develop the first ironclad vessel commissioned by the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, the USS Monitor, and who served as the St. John's senior warden for several years before he died in 1877.

St. John's hosts First Wednesday concerts every month from October through June. It is known to many Washington residents and visitors as the welcoming yellow church at Lafayette Square, the “Church of the Presidents.”  President James Madison, who served as president from 1809 to 1817, began a tradition for all presidents who have either been a member of or have attended services at St. John's.  A plaque at the rear of the church designates the Lincoln Pew where President Abraham Lincoln often sat when he stopped by St. John's during the Civil War.

 

St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

 

Other St. John's First Wednesday concerts, all starting at 12:10 p.m., are:

February 5: Soloists from St. John's Choir perform baroque music for Valentine's Day

March 12 (2nd Wednesday): Virtuoso Organist Dongho Lee performs Charles Ives's Variations on "America" and other works

April 2: The U.S. Air Force Strings conducted by 2nd Lt. Shanti Nolan, with Michael Lodico, organist, perform Francis Poulenc's Organ Concerto

May 7: Easter music for trumpet and organ with A. Scott Wood and Benjamin Hutto

June 4: Organist Alan Morrison

 

Who on January 8:  Richard Fitzgerald, organist and composer

What:  First Wednesday Concerts (the second Wednesday in January)

When: 12:10 p.m., January 8, 2014

Where: St. John’s, Lafayette Square, 1525 H Street, NW, at the corner of 16^th and H, Washington, D.C. 20005

How much: No charge

Duration: About 35 minutes

Wheelchair accessible

Metro stations: McPherson Square, Farragut North, or Farragut West

Food trucks: Located two blocks away at Farragut Square

For more information: Contact Michael Lodico at 202-270-6265, Michael.Lodico@stjohns-dc.org.
 

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Movie review: 'American Hustle' is one of the year's best

 

Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence in Columbia Pictures' American Hustle

So many good things have already been written and said about it and what more can I add except it's a really great film with so much comedy and fantastic music and excellent performances that you really must hustle and get to see it and find out what everyone's talking about.

I did not know Robert De Niro was going to be in the film, but his appearance was a nice surprise, and he is perfect for the part.  (I mean, who else would they get for the role?) 

Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale in American Hustle

That was Christian Bale?  The IMDB trivia site says he gained 40 pounds for the role.  Gulp!  He did.  With a little hustle, he reminded me physically of Marlon Brandon in the Godfather.

The movie is "loosely based"on the Abscam scandal of the 1970s and 1980s, and after reading the Wikipedia account, the film contains more truth than expected. 

I loved the way the injuries lasted and were not immediately wiped clean (?).  I loved the convincing few moments played by Patsy Meek, Richie's  mother.  Jennifer Lawrence was perfect as the jilted wife. (Someone's going to jilt her?)  

Hair design deserves kudos for making male hair more significant and attention grabbing than the women's which were basically the same (Amy Adams and Lawrence).
Consider how inauthentic Bradley Cooper (did you know he graduated from Georgetown with an honors degree in English?) would have been without the curls which the trivia site says were suggested by the wearer himself. 

Jeremy Renner's mane is several inches high.  (I wish I knew the name of the hairspray they used. They could sell that in the lobby and make more profit.) He had a 1950ish Elvis "come hither" look, leading me to wonder if the stylists got the decades mixed up.  He did handle a guitar. Wait... Elvis died in 1977.  Whatever.

The trivia site (is interesting) says some of the movie was improvised on the set and Amy Adams suggested the lesbian kiss (for Ben and Eric who crave that stuff).

It's the third film with De Niro, Lawrence, and Cooper together on screen, and their mix is great composition.  "You do it your way and I'll do it mine, and that's what life is all about."

Attention, Obscenity Police (like me):  The F-bomb plays a major role (the movie is rated R), however, it is not the gratuitous usage we heard in, say, Her. 

I really have no qualms about any portion. It was all thoroughly entertaining. You'll have fun. Now, go, go, go.

Herewith, Oscar nominations:

Best Picture

Best Director: David O. Russell

Best Actor: Christian Bale

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence


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Smithsonian photos to exit Jan. 5

James VanDerZee, GGG Photo Studio at Christmas, 1933, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Julia D. Strong Endowment and the Smithsonian, Institution Collections Acquisition Program

It's a great show for a family event over the holidays, and it's free.

What little or big child among us is not interested in pictures?

Tina Barney, Marina's Room, 1987, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, copyright 1987, Tina Barney, courtesy Janet Borden, Inc.

 

At the American Art Museum the Smithsonian presents a fascinating popular history of the U.S. in photographs, sure to fascinate even the least history-minded person in the bunch and as diverse as one could expect, with land, sky, city, and plenty of peoplescapes to intrigue.

Helen Levitt, New York, c. 1942, printed later, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, copyright 1981,  Helen Levitt

Joe Deal, Backyard, Diamond Bar, CA, from the Los Angeles Documentary Project, 1980, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Photography Museum of Los Angeles, copyright 1980, Joe Deal

 

To celebrate the 30th birthday of the Smithsonian's photo collection, guest curator, Merry Foresta, the museum's former curator of photography, studied 7,000 images in the collection, selecting 113 pieces for the show which are displayed in four sections: "American Characters," "Spiritual Frontier," "American Inhabited," and "Imagination at Work."

Robert Frank, Butte, Montana, 1956, printed 1973, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase

 

The name of the exhibition, A Democracy of Images, comes from Walt Whitman who believed the new picture-taking art form, which arrived in the U.S. in 1840, created possibilities for all Americans, Ms. Foresta said. He was right. More than the poet likely could have ever imagined, millions now take pictures using almost as many different kinds of equipment.

O. Winston Link, Living Room on the Tracks, Lithia, Virginia, Dec. 16. 1958, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Vladimir and Eileen Toumanoff, copyright O. Winston Link

 
At the exhibition's opening, Ms. Foresta briefly described the history of photography in the U.S. which early critics believed "was positioned to do miraculous things," and it did.  Ten years later people lined up to get their pictures made, so thrilled and amazed were they by the medium.

Jeremiah Gurney, Woman and Child, c. 1850, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Charles Isaacs Collection made possible in part by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment

The creators designed many of the works for framing, to be hung as pieces of art in the home.

Guests to the show will recognize familiar photographs and see some new ones.  Some of the photographers are familiar (Sally Mann, Annie Liebovitz, Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Ansel Adams) while others are not.  Some of the picture takers are anonymous like these from the San Francisco Police Department:

Unidentified photographers, San Francisco Police Department, c. 1942, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Richard A. Brodie and James F. Dicke II

A museum statement says the images "explore how photographs have been used to record and catalogue, to impart knowledge, to project social commentary, and as instruments of self-expression." 

 

It all ends Sunday, so rush is in order.

Robert Disraeli, Cold Day on Cherry Street, 1932, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Mr. and Mrs. G. Howland Chase, Mrs. James S. Harlan, Lucie Louise Fery, Berthe Girardet, and Mrs. George M. McClellan, copyright 1932, Robert Disraeli

 

For helping make the exhibition possible, the people of the United States are grateful to Saundra B. Lane, Lisa and John Pritzker, the Crown Equipment Exhibitions Endowment, the Margery and Edgar Masinter Exhibitions Fund, and the Bernie Stadium Endowment Fund. 

What: A Democracy of Images: Photographs from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

When: Now through Sunday, January 5, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. every day

Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F streets, N. W. , First Floor, West

How much: No charge

For more information: 202-633-1000

Metro station: Gallery Place-Chinatown or walk 10 minutes from Metro Center

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Dance at Dulles

Swing dancing at the Dulles Hilton/Patricia Leslie

It's been a while since I've been out to dance at Glen Echo, but dancing at the Dulles Hilton Friday night was a lot more fun, because…

It was a "pajama party" (literally), however and thank goodness, I didn't get the message and didn't show up in my night clothes, but had I gotten the message, I would not have shown up in my night clothes.  Egad.  The instructors wore full-length Superman and Batman p.js. with capes and danced in bunny slippers which are good for sliding around. Gotta Swing is the Friday night host. 

You know about dancing's benefits, right?  The physical, emotional, and mental exercise is terrific, and I've never been disappointed in the bands at either of these dance halls. 

Partner, not necessary/Patricia Leslie

Bad Influence played, and they were spot-on! Bluesy, jazzy and fast, just what I needed and like.  Sadly (yes, Virginia, there is a "sadly,") I missed the 30-minute lesson which precedes the dance. I always have a better time when I arrive in time for the lesson for the fellas get to know you a little bit.

Aurora Borealis came to swing dance, too, at the Dulles Hilton/Patricia Leslie

Anyway, why dancing at the Dulles Hilton is better:

1.  The ratio of men to women at the Hilton was smaller than Glen Echo's, according to my unscientific survey (4 to 5 at Dulles vs. 2.5 to 4 at Glen Echo, more or less) which means we women get to dance a lot more at the Hilton.

2.  For Northern Virginia residents, the Dulles Hilton is closer and does not require driving on the Beltway.  The Hilton has great directions, too, right here, including routes which bypass the pricey Dulles toll road.

3.  The Hilton's parking is closer to the entrance, better lighted, and more secure.

4.  The Hilton's dance floor is smaller, about half or less than Glen Echo's, and is divided up into three dance floors, making for a more intimate experience.

5.  The dancers seemed more serious about the purpose.

6.  Hilton participants seemed happier, smiled more, and, on the whole, were more relaxed (in their p.js.) and a lot older (generally speaking) than the Glen Echo crowd (or, at least, the last time I was there when a marriage proposal of sorts was extended). (On the other hand, the Hilton event was more like a club for most of the participants knew each other, and newcomers can feel like intruders unless you force yourself to engage.)

7.  The Hilton has a bar.

8.  The cost is about the same ($15) for both places.

But, the number one reason Dulles is better:

1.  The Hilton's ballroom is heated. (Does Glen Echo got heat now?)

But who needs heat anyway when you're dancing?  There's enough of it on the floor.  Several fans at the Hilton helped keep us cool, but we're all cool enough anyway, natch.

Stay tuned for a Glen Echo update.  Or, how do you think they compare?

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Who:  Click here for bands

What:  Swing dancing

When:  Friday nights from 9 - 12 p.m. with a class at 8:30 p.m.

Where:  The Dulles Hilton, 13869 Park Center Road, Herndon, VA 20171, ph. 703-478-2900

How much:  $15

For more information: debra@gottaswing. com, ph. 703-359-9882

Metro station:  One of these days


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Movie review: 'Her' is lifeless and flat

Joaquin Phoenix/Warner Brothers

Unless you're a geek freak and need vicarious and phone sex.

(Would that be all of us?  Never mind. 
 
Throw in the nude de rigueur females, please.  Done.
 
Where are the nude males?  Never mind.  They don't sell as well.)

Yawn.

I thought it would never end.   Cut a third, and the movie would be lots better. 

Speaking of thirds, the F-bomb makes up about a third of the script.

All right, all ready:  Call it an "arty film."  That still doesn't make it any better.  Yep, the critics adore it, but they are the critics' critics.  I am the people's critic, and folks, this one is pretty sad in more ways than one.

I'll bet you didn't know technology is taking over and supplanting human interaction, communication, and observation, and Her takes it to the extreme in a funny, original way:  Man falls in love with a voice on the computer which the critics say is possible Oscar material...a voice!  Not only are machines replacing humans, but this may be a first for Oscar:  no appearance necessary or need to worry about population growth.

Whatever, this does not warrant your dollars or time.  I wish I had read this before I wasted mine.  And this goes for a rental, too.

The only redeeming social qualifies she's got:

1. Originality (Spike Jonze is writer, director, producer) 

2. Joaquin Phoenix  (dreamy to look at, but even the 90 minutes devoted to shots of him in the bed don't make it worthwhile)

       

If this is supposed to be a comedy, most didn't know it in the screening I attended since the sporadic audience laughter came from males only.

What does that tell you?  Right.  It's not a chick flick, but a trick flick Joe show.  And the clothes prove it.  No dashes of flash, but (a costumer's prediction for the future) the guys all wear sansabelts and Hush Puppies.  Such turn-ons. (But what more do we need with Joaquin as the star?)  I can't wait.

You can find better sex on YouTube.

And that's all she wrote.  I am dropping off quickly:  Her sedatives work fast. 
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Movie review: 'Nebraska' is an instant classic

The sun doesn't shine too much in Nebraska. That's because it's set in black and white, and after a while, you don't notice, since the spoken, street, facial, and landscape lines carry you away.

Moviegoers, this is one heckuva film, one of the year's best, and pretty much aimed at an older crowd, those above 50, all of whom can identify with one or more of the characters and the mental wrestling which comes with age.  I don't guess that few, if any, millennials (I am already so sick of that word) will appreciate it too much, unless they are film aficionados, so they can stay at home and Facebook.

I loved Nebraska.  There is one scene outside a bar which I am certain was designed from the grave by Edward Hopper (1882-1967). 

Will Forte, left, and Bruce Dern in Nebraska

The number of spoken words might be the lowest heard in any movie in quite a while (Being There with Peter Sellers comes to mind), but what does it matter, except to make it more powerful?  The reverse of the predictable occurs (thank you!) in many scenes:

Now, is he going to die? 

Prove them all wrong.

Will someone take a fist to the bullies?
The mother and wife, June Squibb, is par excellence, and will certainly be nominated.  The role is a bit too extreme and stereotypical, but who can match her mouth? (I don't suppose it occurred to the writers to reverse the roles and make the female the central figure.)  Whatever, she will make you reel, gasp, and sometimes shriek with laughter.  You've likely seen the cemetery scene somewhere, and that's just one funny part.   

But the best performance has got to be Bruce Dern's, the old man in more ways than one, the resigned, the battered, the lifeless, yet showered by his son's attention, played by Will Forte, who is likely to be nominated, too.  Dern's mannerisms will remind you of every old man you've ever known or observed.  (Gooosssssh, he is 77.  I thought it was all makeup.)  I couldn't quite understand the reasoning for the existence of the older brother played by Bob Odenkirk, unless to provide physical support and counterbalance his brother.

At least one reviewer called the movie depressing, but it wasn't depressing to me in the least.  It's inspirational and provides hope that someone is listening, after all.  At the end, I wanted to stand up and shout:  Right on, bro'.  Let's give our time and love while we can.

Costuming by Wendy Chuck is perfect, and the music (Mark Orton) reminded me of the score for Lars and the Real Girl (2007), if anyone besides Carla and me saw that. 

Several days later and I am still thinking about Nebraska. That's a sign of a very good flick in my book which I hope you'll go quickly and see, because I have a feeling since it's a touch bit arty, it may not be around as long as Thor or the ones featuring blood and gore.

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Hawthorne, Nebraska, but the real one is purty different from Nebraska's Hawthorne.
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A few Oscar nominations:

Best Director:  Alexander Payne (of Sideways)

Best Actor:  Bruce Dern

Best Supporting Actress:  June Squibb

Best Supporting Actor:  Will Forte

Best Casting Director (new award this year): John Jackson

Best Costume Design:  Wendy Chuck

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