Vertical Horizon has produced outstanding music in the past. Their single, “Everything You Want,” reached #1 on Billboard charts in 2000, and the song was played on every radio station at least a few times a day for months.
Even before “Everything You Want” came out, albums such as “Running On Ice” showed founders’ Matt Scannell and Keith Kane’s raw talent as musicians and singer/songwriters, producing songs such as “The Man Who Would Be Santa,” “Heart in Hand,” and “On The Sea.”
If you haven’t heard of these songs, I heavily suggest you do so before listening to their new album, “Burning the Days,” released this past Tuesday. Otherwise, you might think the band was “good,” instead of “spectacular.” That said, “Burning the Days” is definitely an album worth listening to (and waiting for- there have been six years between this album and the last and probably least of their six albums, Go, released in 2003).
The album starts with “All is Said and Done.” The song starts with congo-like drums that are reminiscent of something Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins might mix into the song. The song is one that gets stuck in the listener’s head very easily, because like former hits “Everything You Want” and “You’re A God,” it’s just so darn catchy. Such is the case with most of the songs on this album, to the point that it almost becomes oppressive.
Almost any song on this album could be a radio-friendly single. However, the band has chosen to release track five, “Save Me From Myself” as the first single off of “Burning the Days.” A rarity in the music industry (even “Everything You Want” pales next to songs like “We Are” and “Shackled,” both from the same album), “Save Me From Myself” is probably the best song on the album. It is one of the songs where the listener can best hear the raw, alternative-rock style of the full band, boasting slightly less production, clear harmonies in the chorus, and a killer instrumental bridge that’s probably amazing live.
Other notable songs are “Welcome to the Bottom,” a somewhat-cynical song with a terrific guitar solo towards the end, and the softer, sweeter “Even Now,” written by Matt Scannell of VH and Neil Peart of Rush, who also plays drums on several tracks.
The album only suffers in two ways. First is the lack of presence of Keith Kane, cofounder of the band. When the band was mainly an acoustic duo, Kane and Scannell mainly split songwriting and lead singer/guitarist duties. As a result, earlier albums had a lot more variety within them. On “Burning the Days,” Scannell is the only songwriter and guitarist, and Kane is only credited as performing “harmony vocals,” many of which are difficult to tell whether they are sung by Kane or Scannell himself (who is also credited with harmony vocals). As such, the album suffers a bit without Keith Kane’s style balancing out Matt Scannell’s.
The other way the album suffers is that in places, it appears to be a little over-produced. The songs are sometimes just a bit too smooth. This is a band with tremendous musical talent, which can be heard, but it would be much easier to hear without the overproduction. Because of this, while older fans will be able to love and appreciate “Burning the Days,” new fans would be better off listening to “Everything You Want” or “Running On Ice,” (or better yet, hearing them live- they give a spectacular live show) before giving this new album a try. Grade: B+
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Brothers
The trailer for Brothers, released December 4th, would have the viewer believe that the film is an angry drama about jealousy between two brothers. The scenes in the trailer are dark, filled with screaming men (Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhal) and tense music. The actual film, however, is much more than the glorified soap opera that the trailers suggest.
In reality, Brothers is a film about war. It’s hard to tell if it’s an anti-war film, but it shows the horrors of warfare in ways that the average American (shown through Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhall, and child actors Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare) cannot comprehend. Tobey Maguire plays marine Captain Sam Cahill, a soldier presumed dead but actually taken captive in an Afghani military camp. What gives the film its title is the relationship between Sam and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhall), a rascal and implied rapist who is released from prison at the beginning of the movie and the relationship of both brothers to the Cahill family (most notably Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill).
Before continuing this review, be forewarned. Brothers is a brutal, brutal film. There is traditional war violence, but even more violent is the anguish. The film is so depressing that I had to play a round of Dance Dance Revolution in the theater lobby before I could stop crying and compose myself for long enough to write this review.
This is not, however, to suggest that the film isn’t worth seeing. Actually, the film itself is wonderful. Painful, but beautifully made and extremely well thought out. The film’s pacing is slow enough to allow for plot and character development (the best of which is often accomplished without any dialogue), but the film rarely if ever feels long or boring. The relationship between the two brothers is clearly marked, not so much through their interactions as through their interactions with the family members, and in a way that makes the audience members feel like they’ve discovered some bigger secret about symbolism and what every glance and line of dialogue means to the greater meaning.
What really makes this film wonderful, however, is the acting. The children are both adorable and poignant, with Bailee Madison giving an especially good performance as older sibling Isabelle (most notably in a scene at the dinner table where she confronts Sam about himself, Tommy, and Grace). Jake Gyllenhall goes from being a sullen drunk parolee to being a model of stability and fun in a very believable and likeable way. Natalie Portman is terrific as Grace, subtly portraying the emotional process of the grieving and subsequently healing widow of a man who isn’t actually dead.
All of these performances are great. But the one who absolutely deserves a Best Actor nomination is Tobey Maguire. Maguire reaches extreme emotional depths as Sam. His character’s development happens slowly, but extremely powerfully. It is impossible not to empathize with him, even as he unwillingly destroys a fellow soldier and willingly destroys his own house and family. If there was ever a poster performance for PTSD, it is Maguire as Sam.
For all of these reasons, everyone reading this review should go see Brothers. Just remember to bring tissues.
Grade: A-
In reality, Brothers is a film about war. It’s hard to tell if it’s an anti-war film, but it shows the horrors of warfare in ways that the average American (shown through Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhall, and child actors Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare) cannot comprehend. Tobey Maguire plays marine Captain Sam Cahill, a soldier presumed dead but actually taken captive in an Afghani military camp. What gives the film its title is the relationship between Sam and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhall), a rascal and implied rapist who is released from prison at the beginning of the movie and the relationship of both brothers to the Cahill family (most notably Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill).
Before continuing this review, be forewarned. Brothers is a brutal, brutal film. There is traditional war violence, but even more violent is the anguish. The film is so depressing that I had to play a round of Dance Dance Revolution in the theater lobby before I could stop crying and compose myself for long enough to write this review.
This is not, however, to suggest that the film isn’t worth seeing. Actually, the film itself is wonderful. Painful, but beautifully made and extremely well thought out. The film’s pacing is slow enough to allow for plot and character development (the best of which is often accomplished without any dialogue), but the film rarely if ever feels long or boring. The relationship between the two brothers is clearly marked, not so much through their interactions as through their interactions with the family members, and in a way that makes the audience members feel like they’ve discovered some bigger secret about symbolism and what every glance and line of dialogue means to the greater meaning.
What really makes this film wonderful, however, is the acting. The children are both adorable and poignant, with Bailee Madison giving an especially good performance as older sibling Isabelle (most notably in a scene at the dinner table where she confronts Sam about himself, Tommy, and Grace). Jake Gyllenhall goes from being a sullen drunk parolee to being a model of stability and fun in a very believable and likeable way. Natalie Portman is terrific as Grace, subtly portraying the emotional process of the grieving and subsequently healing widow of a man who isn’t actually dead.
All of these performances are great. But the one who absolutely deserves a Best Actor nomination is Tobey Maguire. Maguire reaches extreme emotional depths as Sam. His character’s development happens slowly, but extremely powerfully. It is impossible not to empathize with him, even as he unwillingly destroys a fellow soldier and willingly destroys his own house and family. If there was ever a poster performance for PTSD, it is Maguire as Sam.
For all of these reasons, everyone reading this review should go see Brothers. Just remember to bring tissues.
Grade: A-
Shutter Island
Shutter Island will make you think, as any good psychological thriller will do. Trouble is, it sometimes makes you think a little too much.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as federal marshall Teddy Daniels, who has been sent along with Mark Ruffallo to investigate a case of an escaped prisoner (or, as head doctor Ben Kingsley insists, patient) at the infamous Shutter Island asylum for the criminally insane.
In the first scene, we see Leonardo DiCaprio seasick and terrified of all the water around him as he travels by ferry to the island. It is clear that he is haunted by something- could it be his past life on the RMS Titanic?
No, it turns out that Daniels is haunted by his experience storming and liberating Dachau. And the death of his wife in a fire. Oh, and the fact that the man who killed his wife is somewhere in the asylum for murdering three children. What any of this has to do with water is beyond the viewer’s comprehension at the moment.
Visually, the film is the work of a master filmmaker. Martin Scorsese has created an appropriate gothic atmosphere for a 1950s prison/asylum, and the world of Shutter Island is bleak and terrifying with little or no hope of escape. The island itself boasts staggering cliffs and rocky shores, and if it wasn’t for the desolation of the situation (and the almost constant torrential downpour), it might actually make a neat vacation spot. Best of all are the dream sequences, most memorably one where DiCaprio speaks to his wife’s ghost (played by Michelle Williams) as ash falls from the ceiling, culminating in her collapsing into a pile of ash in his arms. The scene is reminiscent of a scene towards the end of 1408, but it still works. Composer Robbie Robertson’s score is a bit overly dramatic and heavy handed, so try your best to ignore it in favor of Scorsese’s visuals.
It’s unnecessary to talk about the acting. Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all as good as they usually are, but Shutter Island isn’t a particularly memorable film for any of them. They aren’t the problem.
No, the film’s main issues come with the plot. Before entering the theater, I asked a few viewers from an earlier showing their opinions of the movie. Every single one of them said it was confusing. I assumed they weren’t paying close enough attention, but even after going over the movie in my head for the past 22 hours, it’s still confusing.
While the final twists do make the viewer question reality, as they were designed to do, the path towards them is all over the place. There is absolutely nothing straightforward about this film.
Even though all of the little plot twists are somewhat necessary in the end (sort of), there are far more ways this film could be streamlined, and far too many subplots that make little sense and confuse the viewer. And even with every single foray into madness and incomprehensibility, the film still manages to be borderline predictable and anti climactic.
Fans of films like The Matrix, Seven, and Memento (or any M Night Shamylon movie, for that matter) might (I say might) enjoy Shutter Island’s mind boggling plot. Otherwise, get off of the island before it’s too late. Grade: B
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as federal marshall Teddy Daniels, who has been sent along with Mark Ruffallo to investigate a case of an escaped prisoner (or, as head doctor Ben Kingsley insists, patient) at the infamous Shutter Island asylum for the criminally insane.
In the first scene, we see Leonardo DiCaprio seasick and terrified of all the water around him as he travels by ferry to the island. It is clear that he is haunted by something- could it be his past life on the RMS Titanic?
No, it turns out that Daniels is haunted by his experience storming and liberating Dachau. And the death of his wife in a fire. Oh, and the fact that the man who killed his wife is somewhere in the asylum for murdering three children. What any of this has to do with water is beyond the viewer’s comprehension at the moment.
Visually, the film is the work of a master filmmaker. Martin Scorsese has created an appropriate gothic atmosphere for a 1950s prison/asylum, and the world of Shutter Island is bleak and terrifying with little or no hope of escape. The island itself boasts staggering cliffs and rocky shores, and if it wasn’t for the desolation of the situation (and the almost constant torrential downpour), it might actually make a neat vacation spot. Best of all are the dream sequences, most memorably one where DiCaprio speaks to his wife’s ghost (played by Michelle Williams) as ash falls from the ceiling, culminating in her collapsing into a pile of ash in his arms. The scene is reminiscent of a scene towards the end of 1408, but it still works. Composer Robbie Robertson’s score is a bit overly dramatic and heavy handed, so try your best to ignore it in favor of Scorsese’s visuals.
It’s unnecessary to talk about the acting. Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all as good as they usually are, but Shutter Island isn’t a particularly memorable film for any of them. They aren’t the problem.
No, the film’s main issues come with the plot. Before entering the theater, I asked a few viewers from an earlier showing their opinions of the movie. Every single one of them said it was confusing. I assumed they weren’t paying close enough attention, but even after going over the movie in my head for the past 22 hours, it’s still confusing.
While the final twists do make the viewer question reality, as they were designed to do, the path towards them is all over the place. There is absolutely nothing straightforward about this film.
Even though all of the little plot twists are somewhat necessary in the end (sort of), there are far more ways this film could be streamlined, and far too many subplots that make little sense and confuse the viewer. And even with every single foray into madness and incomprehensibility, the film still manages to be borderline predictable and anti climactic.
Fans of films like The Matrix, Seven, and Memento (or any M Night Shamylon movie, for that matter) might (I say might) enjoy Shutter Island’s mind boggling plot. Otherwise, get off of the island before it’s too late. Grade: B
Peter Gabriel: Scratch My Back
Peter Gabriel is one of the best musicians of our time. He was one of the founding members of Genesis in 1965 (a band that continues to exist and included and includes such names such as Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Tony Banks), and during his solo career, he nabbed 20 Grammy nominations (and 6 wins). His song, “In Your Eyes,” is one of the most frequently covered songs in the genre, and most recently, he was simultaneously nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar for his song “Down to Earth,” off of the WALL-E soundtrack.
Peter Gabriel also hasn’t released a new album in seven years. Until this past Tuesday, when he released “Scratch My Back,” an orchestral album of covers.
Wait. This is one of the greatest living songwriters out there. And his most recent album, his first album in almost an entire decade…is an album of COVERS??
To give Peter Gabriel credit, he did make these songs his own. Most of them bare very little resemblance to any of the originals. Unfortunately, this is not always a good thing.
“Scratch My Back” suffers from a similar issue that Celtic Woman’s latest album suffers from, in that every single song sounds exactly the same. They are all slow, heavily produced, and very pretty. But an entire album of this tone is not necessarily the greatest thing to come from a pop-rock star capable of creating incredibly upbeat, fun, and memorable tracks.
The album begins with a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Unlike Bowie’s engaging original, Peter Gabriel’s version is so slow that my father, who was listening to the album with me, suggested that “maybe [Peter Gabriel] has a vendetta against Valium, and this is his way of cornering the market.”
The next track is a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble.” I do have to give Peter Gabriel some credit here- he takes a fun dance-worthy song with incredibly serious lyrics and brings the serious back to the lyrics. It’s insightful, and an interesting interpretation. It’s just not particularly fun to listen to.
Luckily, the album does get a bit better with track three, a cover of Elbow’s “Mirrorball.” The song is still slow and heavy on the strings, but it’s a bit faster and definitely more melodic. Unfortunately, his cover of Bon Iver’s “Flume” is right back to being laborious and torturous to listen to.
The idea of doing an entire album of strings isn’t that horrible an idea. The album is certainly intriguing, and I applaud Peter Gabriel for giving it a try. It just isn’t his best work, and it certainly isn’t worth the seven-year wait. Better luck next time. Grade: B-
Peter Gabriel also hasn’t released a new album in seven years. Until this past Tuesday, when he released “Scratch My Back,” an orchestral album of covers.
Wait. This is one of the greatest living songwriters out there. And his most recent album, his first album in almost an entire decade…is an album of COVERS??
To give Peter Gabriel credit, he did make these songs his own. Most of them bare very little resemblance to any of the originals. Unfortunately, this is not always a good thing.
“Scratch My Back” suffers from a similar issue that Celtic Woman’s latest album suffers from, in that every single song sounds exactly the same. They are all slow, heavily produced, and very pretty. But an entire album of this tone is not necessarily the greatest thing to come from a pop-rock star capable of creating incredibly upbeat, fun, and memorable tracks.
The album begins with a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Unlike Bowie’s engaging original, Peter Gabriel’s version is so slow that my father, who was listening to the album with me, suggested that “maybe [Peter Gabriel] has a vendetta against Valium, and this is his way of cornering the market.”
The next track is a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble.” I do have to give Peter Gabriel some credit here- he takes a fun dance-worthy song with incredibly serious lyrics and brings the serious back to the lyrics. It’s insightful, and an interesting interpretation. It’s just not particularly fun to listen to.
Luckily, the album does get a bit better with track three, a cover of Elbow’s “Mirrorball.” The song is still slow and heavy on the strings, but it’s a bit faster and definitely more melodic. Unfortunately, his cover of Bon Iver’s “Flume” is right back to being laborious and torturous to listen to.
The idea of doing an entire album of strings isn’t that horrible an idea. The album is certainly intriguing, and I applaud Peter Gabriel for giving it a try. It just isn’t his best work, and it certainly isn’t worth the seven-year wait. Better luck next time. Grade: B-
Gamer
Who needs World of Warcraft?
“Gamer,” released Friday, September 4, takes the violence of video games and pushes it a step further, asking several questions that gamers tend to avoid.
What if…the people in video games were not animations, but real people?
What if…death row inmates could avoid death by participating in real life battles in a simulated world?
What if…we could take actors like Gerard Butler and Alison Lohman and pretend that they no longer have any talent?
The story follows two MMORPGs, their players, the world that watches them, and the characters that inhabit them. One game, “Society,” is basically “The Sims.” The other game, “Slayers,” is reminiscent of “Halo.” The catch? The characters in “Society” are actually human actors interested in making extra money; the characters in “Slayers” are death-row inmates choosing to prolong their lives by participating in 30 battles (for 30 lives, possibly a nod to Halo’s Konami code). Any inmates that can survive “Slayers” for thirty battles in a row are promised freedom. Unfortunately, both the characters in “Society” and in “Slayers” are limited by the skill level of the gamers controlling them and the short delay between the player and the fighter, called “the ping.” Within these constraints, slayer Kable (Gerard Butler) must rescue himself, his wife, and his daughter from the simulated universe in order to restore their lives in the real world.
“Gamer” fails in the ways that many action films fail. The battle scenes are predictable and tiresome. The acting is wooden and boring, giving little reason for the audience to care about the characters. The plot is filled with action clichés- the strong yet tormented hero leaving behind a broken family (complete with beautiful wife and cute young daughter), the vaguely humorous but effectively disposable side characters, the Matrix-style secret society bringing down the evil from behind funky hair and computer screens.
However, within the conventions of the run-of-the-mill modern action film, “Gamer” does pull through and earn a few extra bonus points and, if not 30 lives, then at least one or two. Visually, the movie works nicely, blending the cosmopolitan, media and technology-saturated world of the future with the war-like atmosphere of the prisons. The video-game sequences feel like video-game sequences, and it’s not a stretch to assume that the actors are actually tech-puppets of remote individuals. The plot itself is intriguing and does peak the audience’s interest (though personally, I would have preferred a few more winks towards other MMORPGs. Imagine the warden telling the prison inmates that today, they must dress up as elves and wizards and fight each other with lasers, all to appease the fantasies of the real-life gamers. Groans and eye-rolls all around, and cheering crowds of Lord of the Rings fans watching Slayers on flatscreens). Supervillain Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) would have worked better as a bumbling CEO rather than an evil mastermind, but he does bring the amusement whenever he’s on screen.
In the end, “Gamer” will appeal to the same audience it criticizes- actual gamers. People looking for a great work of cinema will be advised to switch theaters. Maybe they can make a game of passing the ticket ushers. After all, what are other people but non-player characters waiting to be bypassed?
Warning: Contains material that may not be suitable for children, including violence, profanity, and an incredibly random song-and-dance number ala “West Side Story.” Grade: C+
“Gamer,” released Friday, September 4, takes the violence of video games and pushes it a step further, asking several questions that gamers tend to avoid.
What if…the people in video games were not animations, but real people?
What if…death row inmates could avoid death by participating in real life battles in a simulated world?
What if…we could take actors like Gerard Butler and Alison Lohman and pretend that they no longer have any talent?
The story follows two MMORPGs, their players, the world that watches them, and the characters that inhabit them. One game, “Society,” is basically “The Sims.” The other game, “Slayers,” is reminiscent of “Halo.” The catch? The characters in “Society” are actually human actors interested in making extra money; the characters in “Slayers” are death-row inmates choosing to prolong their lives by participating in 30 battles (for 30 lives, possibly a nod to Halo’s Konami code). Any inmates that can survive “Slayers” for thirty battles in a row are promised freedom. Unfortunately, both the characters in “Society” and in “Slayers” are limited by the skill level of the gamers controlling them and the short delay between the player and the fighter, called “the ping.” Within these constraints, slayer Kable (Gerard Butler) must rescue himself, his wife, and his daughter from the simulated universe in order to restore their lives in the real world.
“Gamer” fails in the ways that many action films fail. The battle scenes are predictable and tiresome. The acting is wooden and boring, giving little reason for the audience to care about the characters. The plot is filled with action clichés- the strong yet tormented hero leaving behind a broken family (complete with beautiful wife and cute young daughter), the vaguely humorous but effectively disposable side characters, the Matrix-style secret society bringing down the evil from behind funky hair and computer screens.
However, within the conventions of the run-of-the-mill modern action film, “Gamer” does pull through and earn a few extra bonus points and, if not 30 lives, then at least one or two. Visually, the movie works nicely, blending the cosmopolitan, media and technology-saturated world of the future with the war-like atmosphere of the prisons. The video-game sequences feel like video-game sequences, and it’s not a stretch to assume that the actors are actually tech-puppets of remote individuals. The plot itself is intriguing and does peak the audience’s interest (though personally, I would have preferred a few more winks towards other MMORPGs. Imagine the warden telling the prison inmates that today, they must dress up as elves and wizards and fight each other with lasers, all to appease the fantasies of the real-life gamers. Groans and eye-rolls all around, and cheering crowds of Lord of the Rings fans watching Slayers on flatscreens). Supervillain Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) would have worked better as a bumbling CEO rather than an evil mastermind, but he does bring the amusement whenever he’s on screen.
In the end, “Gamer” will appeal to the same audience it criticizes- actual gamers. People looking for a great work of cinema will be advised to switch theaters. Maybe they can make a game of passing the ticket ushers. After all, what are other people but non-player characters waiting to be bypassed?
Warning: Contains material that may not be suitable for children, including violence, profanity, and an incredibly random song-and-dance number ala “West Side Story.” Grade: C+
Celtic Woman: Songs From The Heart
I love Celtic and Celtic-style music. Growing up with a father who loves fantasy, wishes he was Irish, and took me to every Renaissance fair in the tristate area at least once (and the NJ one every year since I was born) made it nearly impossible for me to dislike Celtic music. I saw Riverdance when I was thirteen, spent months geeking over the Loreena McKennitt concert I saw in Harrisburg three years ago, and have gone to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair for the sheer purpose of seeing the Tartan Terrors perform.
So when I first heard about Celtic Woman back in high school, I was both intrigued and skeptical. On one hand, there are never really that many Celtic, world, or new age style artists that get mainstream attention, so it was fun to hear a new one. On the other hand, how good could a group that literally calls themselves “Celtic Woman” be?
Thankfully, Celtic Woman is capable of putting out some really great music. The musicians are all talented; the vocalists can all really sing, and the fiddler can singlehandedly get the audience to give a standing ovation (and if she doesn’t, she should). They give a really great stage show, and some of their songs, including the instrumental “Butterfly” from their self-titled album, are the types of songs that can be heard over and over again without getting old. Gimmick or not, they really are a good group.
So why did they have to ruin all of that with “Songs from the Heart,” released January 26th?
To give credit where credit is due, there is still some good music on this album. The third track, “Nil Se’n La,” is very catchy. I almost forgot about it once I had made it further down the list, but if I could pretend that this was the only song on the album, it might even be worth listening to. It is the type of song that makes the listener want to get up and dance, as is the instrumental track seven, “The Coast of Galicia.” The last song on the album, a very abridged live version of the classic “Mo Ghile Mear,” also has this quality. Unfortunately, these are all of three songs on the fifteen-song album.
Every album has to have a ballad. That ballad can be slow and have powerful instrumental backing and try to make a statement about the world, family, the environment, what have you. Maybe this song is the last song on the album, or the second to last. It can be good, it can be bad, but it is distinct enough to be memorable. It is fine if an album has one of these songs. It is not ok to have the entire album be like this.
Celtic Woman’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” track two, would be lovely if they could make the harmonies the focus and take out the overproduction that screams “we’re trying to create a moment.” For that matter, why is Celtic Woman covering “Amazing Grace” to begin with? Or sweetening the hell out of already saccharine songs like “When You Believe,” “You’ll Be In My Heart,” and “O, America!”? In what universe are these songs even considered Celtic? What is going on, Celtic Woman?
“Songs from the Heart” is fine if you like every song to be in the same attempted-uplifting key, with very little substance or risk taking, and almost none of the fun that Celtic music and Celtic Woman is capable of having. Unfortunately, this Celtic music fan doesn’t. Grade: C-
So when I first heard about Celtic Woman back in high school, I was both intrigued and skeptical. On one hand, there are never really that many Celtic, world, or new age style artists that get mainstream attention, so it was fun to hear a new one. On the other hand, how good could a group that literally calls themselves “Celtic Woman” be?
Thankfully, Celtic Woman is capable of putting out some really great music. The musicians are all talented; the vocalists can all really sing, and the fiddler can singlehandedly get the audience to give a standing ovation (and if she doesn’t, she should). They give a really great stage show, and some of their songs, including the instrumental “Butterfly” from their self-titled album, are the types of songs that can be heard over and over again without getting old. Gimmick or not, they really are a good group.
So why did they have to ruin all of that with “Songs from the Heart,” released January 26th?
To give credit where credit is due, there is still some good music on this album. The third track, “Nil Se’n La,” is very catchy. I almost forgot about it once I had made it further down the list, but if I could pretend that this was the only song on the album, it might even be worth listening to. It is the type of song that makes the listener want to get up and dance, as is the instrumental track seven, “The Coast of Galicia.” The last song on the album, a very abridged live version of the classic “Mo Ghile Mear,” also has this quality. Unfortunately, these are all of three songs on the fifteen-song album.
Every album has to have a ballad. That ballad can be slow and have powerful instrumental backing and try to make a statement about the world, family, the environment, what have you. Maybe this song is the last song on the album, or the second to last. It can be good, it can be bad, but it is distinct enough to be memorable. It is fine if an album has one of these songs. It is not ok to have the entire album be like this.
Celtic Woman’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” track two, would be lovely if they could make the harmonies the focus and take out the overproduction that screams “we’re trying to create a moment.” For that matter, why is Celtic Woman covering “Amazing Grace” to begin with? Or sweetening the hell out of already saccharine songs like “When You Believe,” “You’ll Be In My Heart,” and “O, America!”? In what universe are these songs even considered Celtic? What is going on, Celtic Woman?
“Songs from the Heart” is fine if you like every song to be in the same attempted-uplifting key, with very little substance or risk taking, and almost none of the fun that Celtic music and Celtic Woman is capable of having. Unfortunately, this Celtic music fan doesn’t. Grade: C-
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Older Reviews- The Island
This film starts out as your typical science fiction opener, a calm scene with a vague idea what’s actually going on. The two main characters Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) find themselves in a secure facility after the end of the world. The facility is fairly standard futuristic technology, with the hologram screens, white walls and furniture, and creepy security guards. The facility is supposedly in existence to find and protect the survivors of a pathological apocalypse, as well as funnel the survivors off to the last “clean” place on earth, the Island.
There are only two ways to get to this mythical island, though only one of them is ever mentioned outright, and the other is seen in and assumed from the plot. One of the residents can either win the lottery, a random draw of a person to go to the island, or if a pregnant woman goes into labor, she is instantly sent to the island. Before you start thinking that the easy solution is to get pregnant, the inhabitants of this facility actually don’t know how babies are made. And now is where we see the Mr. Evil of the movie, Dr. Merrick. I’m sorry, but if they were going for a plot twist here, they should have made it less obvious. First, when the “kind” doctor looks as evil as Sean Connery does to Alex Trebek in celebrity jeopardy, you know something's not right. The entire setup is pretty obvious, so anyone who doesn’t see this coming is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Jordan wins the lottery, hip hip hurray! She’s told to pack her things and get ready for paradise. Meanwhile Lincoln follows a bug up the ventilation shaft to the evil laboratory of the facility… the medical wing. There, he sees a pregnant woman give birth, and witnesses the miracle of life, only to see her die of lethal injection a few seconds later. This sends him running to save the life of his good friend Jordan.
And now we can say, let the action begin! For those of you that go to a movie to see things blow up, this is where you wake up from your nap. For those of you that actually enjoy the plot, I hope you enjoyed the film up until now, because it’s about to go to hell in a hand basket… literally. The entire film now follows the classic action movie plotline, not even bothering to switch things up even a tiny bit. I’ll admit that as a 20 year old guy and pyro chem. major, I appreciate the occasional explosion and little bits of action here and there. However, Michael Bay takes it to a whole new level, turning a movie that could have had both a better than average plot and amazing action, to a film with more action than even I could stand. And keep in mind he fits the action into the last hour of the film, so by the end you’re a bit sick of it.
Now it’s time for some actual comments on the film. The movie starts out with an above average plot setting, and some fairly decent character development. However, once we get about forty-five minutes in, everything becomes chase scenes and things going boom. This is a film where there are many casualties near the end, and one of them is the plot. The plot line in the beginning holds so much potential that is eventually put to waste. My final advice on this movie is this. If you like lots of action and a little bit of plot, fast forward and you’ll like it. If you like plot, and some action, you’ll enjoy it. You won’t love it, and you might be disappointed to see such unfulfilled potential, but you’ll enjoy it.
Grade: B+ Despite my rant, it was a decent film, it just could have been so much better.
Reviewed by Thomas Jenkins
Grade: B+ Despite my rant, it was a decent film, it just could have been so much better.
Reviewed by Thomas Jenkins
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)