Category: Tom

On the surface, the newly-released film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” would seem to have nothing of interest for American audiences:

1. its about a middle-aged man at the top of his career being felled by a paralyzing stroke
2. its in French
3. Its subtitled
4. it’s based on a true story
5. It’s directed by a painter (?)

Twelve hours after seeing this film, I am still in awe. It was absolutely brilliant, and like no other film I have (perhaps) ever seen.

Your trusted narrator is far from an “American everyman” but I think many will find the beauty and imagination of this film to be stunning, as I did. Perhaps some of the current critical buzz will help it gain distribution that will allow more than film buffs to see it.

The short synopsis: Jean-Dominique Bauby, celebrity editor of Elle (FR) magazine, suffers a stroke at age 43; leaving him totally paralyzed,an exceeding rare occurrence called “Locked-In Syndrome”. Only his left eye is spared, so he must learn to live (and communicate) thru blinking. Continue reading “Le Scaphandre et le Papillon” →

Kelly and I had the opportunity to see a pre-screening of THE SAVAGES with our film club last night. There has been a lot of underlying buzz for this film,I am here to say that it may be justified. Some thoughts,

Is it really any coincidence that the two estranged Savage children are named after characters in Peter Pan? I think not. Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) are middle-aged and essentially alone, having apparently successfully dodged adulthood as well as any real intimacy with another individual.

They are thrust into having to deal with their father’s sudden dementia, and the emotional and financial challenges that come with that. The potential emotional fireworks that would be seen in a Lifetime Movie of the Week are quietly dispatched in favor of the sad, absurd, and funny moments in their efforts to deal with Dad (Phillip Bosco), as well as dealing together with the past. Both Hoffman and Linney are wonderful — underplaying so perfectly to bring out the crumpled, bittersweet truths of their lives and inter-dependent relationships. Continue reading “Savages” →

Last night I had the pleasure of attending an Image Film Club screening of the new Coen brother’s film “No Country for Old Men”. I highly recommend it,so for what its worth, here is a thumbnail review of my first thoughts after 12 hours of thinking about nothing else than this film,

In so many words, “creatively splattered blood within an intense triangle of characters and the study of good, not so good, and evil.” Suspenseful and uncompromising. The cinematography and art direction are amazing. Details reveal themselves in endless textures: the light over a motel at dusk, the internal glow of the highway sign tossing add hues across the parking lot. Extreme close-ups last forever, forcing you to examine not only the expression, but to trace the lines across the face and theorize where they came from and what they might mean.

The acting throughout added to the film’s excellence. Javier Bardem portrays the psychopathic killer with an intensity that grasps you tightly every time he is on screen (and even when he is not). Jones is perfect as the platitude-spouting sheriff, and Josh Brolin is totally believable as the blue collar “cowboy” who is the center of the film’s conflict. Even supporting roles are jewels to admire in their simplicity and tactile effect.

Set in Texas in the 80’s,a time frame that works because it takes you back to the place where phones had dials and were attached to walls and poles, where you had to wait for the operator to make a long distance call, and where mop-head haircuts and bell bottoms were still worn by a slice of rural America. Like Fargo, the particular phrasings of the west Texas setting make the dialog ring. “You can”t make up such a thing as that,” Sheriff Tommy Lee Jones” character declares, recalling a newspaper story of a bizarre crime in San Francisco. “I dare you to even try.” “It’s gittin” onto closing time, it is,” “You git on outa here, and don”t be thinkin” you can come back anytime soon.”

The Coens have found their way home in this incredibly memorable new film. Like Millers Crossing — and even Barton Fink — the brothers weave a simple story into a complex, thought provoking classic.

UNK T was IN DA HOUSE last nite (Sunday 3-25) @ a local club to see Public Enemy. Rolling Stone included PE on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. A seminal hip hop group for over 20 years, “their politically charged lyrics” take an “activist interest” in the concerns and needs of the African American community. They are known for “their aggressive artistic expression and behavior”, whose rhymes deplore violence, chauvinism, crime and reverse racist hate”. Even though D preaches about DA MAN enslaving the blacks, nobody apparently blamed me personally.

Public Enemy’s most “mainstream” exposure has been from writing for Spike Lee films such as “Do the Right Thing”, “He Got Game”, and “Malcolm X”. Chuck D, FlavorFlav (yep,the one an only), Professor Griff, and Terminator X took over the small venue’s stage about 11:30PM, after a series of SEVEN other acts has literally worn me down with their crotch-grabbing, baggy sweat clothes, heavy bling, mumbling into the microphone. (A highlight was the group AGO: all girl orchestra. who turned out to be hot female rappers. As Borat would say: “Aza nice!”). I really love hip hop, but in live shows, over-produced acts really stick out in their poor stagecraft, choreography, and screaming incomprehensible rhymes.
Continue reading “Unk T seen w/Public Enemy” →

Primus appeared at the Tabernacle in Atlanta last night, and good ‘ol Unk T made the scene.   I was first introduced to Primus when Andy was skateboarding in Southern CA (“92 or so) as their music was used on a lot of the homemade skating vids.   Les Claypool, lead singer and electronic bass player extraordinaire, organized the band in the late 80’s in CA.   Their music is difficult to define; Primus has been called everything from “thrash–funk meets Don Knotts, Jr.” to “alternative rock” to “the Freak Brothers set to music.”   Les Claypool himself once described their music as “psychedelic polka.” Primus is the only band with its own ID3v1 genre tag, as extended by Winamp. (For a sample, go to
Amazon for a taste.).   They are characterized by their irreverent approach to music.   The band’s catchphrase is “Primus sucks!” a tradition that dates back to their first album. To this day, at concerts, fans can be heard chanting “Primus Sucks!” until the band takes the stage.
Continue reading “PRIMUS SUCKS!” →