Prisoner Pot Pie

I don't have kids. I don't know if I ever will have kids. So I can't speak for what a parent goes through when their child goes missing.

But I have a feeling the movie "Prisoners" handles the emotions accurately.

Hugh Jackman and Mari Bello play the Dovers, Terrence Howard and Voila Davis play the Birches, and both families come together for a Thanksgiving dinner one evening. They each have a six year old daughter, Anna and Joy, who ask to go back to Anna's house, ironically for a safety whistle that she blows when she's in trouble. When the police (including Jake Gyllenhaal) start the investigation, it instantly leads to the mysterious man in the RV, a man with an IQ of 10 (Paul Dano) who seems innocent on paper, but the worried parents suspect he knows more than he lets on. When this suspect is released due to no evidence, Hugh Jackman in particular is pissed off, and he decides to take matters into his own hands. Translation:

But while Jackman is pressing this young man for information, Gyllenhaal searches for other paths that could be leading him closer to the truth. With time running out for the two little girls, something's gotta give.

This was 2 hours and 26 minutes long. It was the perfect amount of time to portray the progression of emotions from all sides. I was on the edge of my seat, trying desperately to find a missing link that would reveal the true culprit, and yet, the true culprit was one I could never see coming. (NO SPOILERS FOR YOU!)

Of course, no such subject could be properly brought to the screen without the right writers and actors, as well as cinematography. Maria Bello, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard make you forget their names and believe their characters; every tear seems authentic, every outburst feels real. Paul Dano give you tortuously conflicted feelings as the guy who may or may not know something, but who is being treated like he knows something anyway. Jake Gyllenhall's portrayal of the progressively frustrated cop trying to complete the puzzle is just as believable. But for me, the standout performance was Hugh Jackman. His performance as the father who loses his sanity for the sake of finding his daughter is almost frightening. it reminds us that we all have the capability to do near-horrific things when pushed past their limits. The maniacal look in his eyes, the way his voice could rise in a second to a roar, the violence urges he succumbed to in the face of his worst fears being realized. In between his frightening actions, he displays his deep religious faith that wanes over the course of time ("our father who art in heaven," he repeats, to his son, against the wall, and on the floor in tears.)

These actors were armed with realistic dialogue, and a plot that twists and turns in just the right places (not a sensational thriller, but an honest one). Additionally, the symbolism of the constant cold and rainy weather, and given the location of the suburbs, somehow brings to the forefront just how such a situation (kidnapping) could rock a community as small as that. In one scene, the neighbors light candles and set them up outside the Dover's home, leaving stuffed animals and supportive notes with the candles, to lift the spirit as the days grow longer and more uncertain.


I don't have kids. I do't know if I ever will have kids.

But if I were a parent, and my kid was kidnapped...would I have done what these parents did?

I can't answer.

More reviews and discoveries soon, friends!

-CDM

A Spread of Valerie

My first thought in looking up Valerie June:

Where....has...she...been?

According to her, she's been putting out her albums on her own for the past few years until her most recent album, Pushing Against A Stone, her first album as a signed artist! 

Well-versed in guitar, banjo, and ukelele, this beautiful, lock-rocking woman was born and raised in Tennessee, after which she moved to Memphis and was influenced by the blues and grassroots music of the 1920's and 30's. Since 2006 she's been putting out music on her own, but it wasn't until recently when a chance meeting with Kevin Augunas led her to writing with--wait for it--Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys. 

The one on the guitar.

From that songwriting union, among other elements,like moving to Brooklyn, came Pushing Against A Stone.

THOSE LOCKS.

It's 12 tracks of what she calls "Organic Moonshine Roots Music," which I'm going to define as a mixture of that vintage blues, country soul music that the early 20th century was well known for. Yet it doesn't feel "dated," in that regard, but rather classic. I could play a song off the album on any given day and feel the true essence of autumn TODAY, as opposed to an Autumn in 1935. Valerie's voice is distinct, sharp and soft at the same time, filled with the emotion of a weathered soul--the kind of voice one would need when taking part in this kind of music.

Off the bat, I'll tell you two of my favorites are her two singles, "You Can't Be Told," and "Workin' Woman Blues." The former is a gritty anthem-styled single you could hear played at an outdoor party to rile up the crowd. The latter in particular works with Fela-style horns, bass and percussion, blending effortlessly with the bluesy guitar and Valerie's lamenting lyrics: "I ain't fit to be no mother, I ain't fit to be no wife, I've been working like a man y'all, I've been working all my life..."

Other songs I enjoy: "Somebody to love," a heart-wrenching ballad that showcases Valerie's ability to suck the air out of a room without even trying, "On My Way," upbeat and sweet with a country-style violin serving a duet with her voice, "The Hour," the kind of slow-dance song you need to hold your partner a little closer for, and "Shotgun," which....I can't even explain; I've never heard anything like it. 

Don't take my word for it; go check it out yourself. In my humble opinion, this woman is about to make her mark on the music world.

Workin' Woman Blues (on Soundcloud)

So yes. Please check this out. It's a Pumpkin Spice Latte for your ears. :)

-CDM

Zest of Zhang! (The Grandmaster Review)

Remember Ziyi Zhang?

Her.

My first time watching her onscreen was in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I was pretty young, so I couldn't' grasp all the deep messages the movie was trying to portray. What I could grasp was the fact that this young, innocent looking girl who was quietly sipping tea  one moment could then put on pants, pull out the Green Destiny Sword, and knock out any male competition who dared cross her. I remember watching Michelle Yeoh go through five different weapons to try and defeat Zhang'z character in that infamous scene between the two. I remember replaying every fight over and over again. Of course, I saw Zhang in other great movies, like House Of Flying Daggers and Memoirs Of A Geisha. But I never got to see her get into action in the theater. Until last week.

I wouldn't have even known about this movie if I wasn't casually checking for movies one lazy afternoon. "The Grandmaster," according to wikipedia, "is a Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man." (insert joke about Grandmaster Flash?) 

After being dubbed the Grandmaster by his predecessor, Ip Man has lived a charming life with his family, until the Japanese Invasion forces him to go to Hong Kong to support his family through teaching. Then circumstances force him to remain in Hong Kong, without his family, and navigate the rest of his life, teaching young students in the day, taking on challenges by other martial arts masters at night.  This was a man who taught BRUCE LEE. None of this I knew walking into the movie. I didn't even know the plot of the movie. 

But I saw Zhang's name and knew I would be going, whether it was good or not.

Well, it wasn't good. It was exquisite. 

As part of his final test, Ip Man battles different masters, including this one.

The plot itself was wonderful. Whether it was based on a true story or not, it was amazing. It was more than simply beautifully choreographed fighting. It wasn't solely an action-based movie, with a weak storyline. Like Crouching Tiger, it was a story with philosophical undertones, embedded even within the high kicks and sharp blows of the fight scenes. Every challenge brought to Ip Man, whether by the "barber" or the "Bagua" artist, or even the quick demonstration  of Wing Chun that Ip Man shows a skeptical colleague--they are all linked together by one thread: respect. Both opponents show a respect for their differences in craft; for the most part, the fights are not even fights as much as a friendly sparring. It magnified what I believe the movie was trying to convey--Martial Arts is an art first, not merely a kick-ass form of attack or a bloody means to an end. The beauty of watching it outdoes the bloodlust, at least for me. 

Of course, there's still the usual rush of watching two skilled master duke it out, and that's where Ziyi Zhang comes in. 

This scene....I have no words. But no spoiling!

Zhang plays the daughter of the former Grandmaster, Gong-Er, who challenges the new master, Ip Man, to a duel, as she feels the passed torch is a blow to the Gong Family Legacy. She is a master of the "64 Hands." The clash of two different arts results in two of THE most amazing fight scenes I have ever seen her in. The cinematography assists in creating a surreal and captivating scene as Ip Man and Gong-Er move as dancers do in a battle of wits and moves. It is their first and last duel.

64 Hands versus Wing Chun

But I can't spoil it for you. It's too elaborate and amazing to try and explain here. But I'll tell you this; a line that stuck out to me wasn't any of the usual one-liners you hear before a fight, or a line off a philosophical monologue given by the narrator himself; it was during a conversation between Gong-Er and Ip Man, ten years after their duel.

"Whoever says life has no regrets is fooling themselves. How boring life would be without regrets."

Yeah, if you have a chance to see this movie, I would highly recommend it. It is worth every dollar. 

More To Come On The Autumn Treats!

- CDM

Remembering Summer

This song has been on my radar all day because at 4:44, the Autumn Equinox will occur. Summer will truly be over.  I'll be candid and admit that I've been waiting for Autumn since the end of June. I'm not partial to extreme weather, on either side of the spectrum, and the heat waves that occurred this summer were inexcusable. That being said, the summer brought some music and films that I truly enjoyed, a few of which I'd like to quickly acknowledge:

- World War Z: 

A worldwide infection that infects people within seconds and turns them into monsters. Sounds familiar, and it is, but it's not simply a made for scares movie. The journey to finding the cause as well as methods for fighting against it was well executed, and I was on the due of my seat rooting for Brad Pitt to not die. 4/5

- Fruitvale Station: 

Based on the actual shooting of Oscar Grant, this is a movie that many felt was necessarily made, based on the recent events involving slain teenagers such as Trayvon Martin. Michael B. Jordan killed it as the young man in question, and the final 24 hours of his life. We watch him trying to do right by his girlfriend and daughter, we watch flashbacks of his time in jail we watch his close relationships with his mother, and we watch him, his girl, and his friends celebrate New Year's Eve. What happens on the train ride home from that celebration is etched into my memory permanently. It is a must-see for anyone. 5/5

- J Cole's "Crooked Smile":

Off his summer album, Born Sinner, this song in particular struck a chord with me in the best way. It's one of those songs where you stop to listen to the lyrics, the music almost secondary. DOn't get me wrong, though, the beat is dope too, which is imperative for a song with a message. TLC gives us the vocals, and J. Cole gives us the simple truth that we are all beautiful as we are, including him with his "crooked smile." 5/5

- Icona Pop "I Love It":

Oh yeah. Classic dance tune with the catchiest verse AND chorus. THe kind of beat that doesn't feel overbearing, yet just hard enough to keep you interested. And if you need a good exercise song? Oh yeah. 4/5

Before the month is over I'm going to give you some of the september treats we're already being blessed with, the ones that give me a good omen for the rest of the fall season!

-CDM

Tupac Shakur: A Father That Could Have Been

Today is father's day.

I'm spending the day with my family as we reminisce on the funniest things my father has ever done, while he laughs and denies half of it. We plan to see a movie, listen to his favorite music, and enjoy some pretty awesome chinese take out --his treat.

While I'm celebrating my father, and fathers all across the globe, I'm also thinking of a man who never had the chance to be a father.

You see, today is also Tupac Shakur's birthday. 

Known by his stage name 2Pac, he was born June 16th, 1971, in New york City. Raised by former Black Panther Afeni Shakur, he was moved constantly around the five boroughs, witnessing his mother's struggle with drug abuse. When the family moved to Baltimore, he went to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he cultivated his artistic craft. He joined the Digitial Underground in 1990, and one year later released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now, which many call his most overtly political work.

He would release three more albums in his lifetime (the rest posthumously), sparking controversy for his persona that straddled between two sides. There was the hardened activist, unashamed and unapologetic for his honesty, holding his finger to cops, b****s/hoes, and all those who disrespect him. Then there was the other side, the softer side, a man reaching out to single mothers and brothers struggling to survive a system that kept trying to rush them in great numbers. There was a ring and yang within him that spoke the same message in two different ways. I'd like to think that, given the amount of fans he had and the amount of success he reached, enough people knew to reconcile the different dimensions to this one man, as they would the dimensions to themselves. Tupac was, for better or worse, unabashedly human.

It is not possible to remember Tupac without remembering just how human he was, and therefore susceptible to hardship. He seemed to be involved in all kinds of negative controversy. There was Don Quayle, the president, pulling his album because he blamed it for the death of a state trooper by a kid who was listening to it before the crime was committed. There were the arrest charges that peppered his life from 92 to 94, the most serious being an accusation of sexual assault on a woman by him and his entourage, which he fervently denied being any part of till his dying day. 

There were also the shootings. Two in particular that changed everything.

The first was in 1994. Tupac was robbed, beaten, and shot by a group of men on his way to the Quad studios building, where Biggie happened to be at the time. It was this shooting that had sparked his rivalry with Biggie, whom he believed to be in knowledge of who the culprits were. After getting bailed out of jail by Suge Knight, he signed with Death Row records, bringing his beef with Biggie into his music with diss tracks. It was a rivalry between two rappers that was paired with a rivalry between their colleagues, Puffy and Suge Knight, which all spiraled into a rivalry between East Coast and West Coast rap, a rivalry that never should have been and never had to be.

Many people credit that rivalry as the cause of the '96 car shooting in Las Vegas that took Tupac's life. 

I don't know of the deeper details regarding who was responsible for what. That's not what I'm thinking of, here in the morning of Father's Day. I never knew the man personally, and I can only go off of what he left behind, in his interviews, his songs, and his actions. But I see the happier moments, the moments of black consciousness and compassion and humor, and I feel the loss. All the other issues aside, he was a young man with something meaningful to say to the world, and he did it with the power of the pen, and his voice lives on today for a reason--because it touches us to this day. I listen to him and I think of a brother with talent,skill, and heart whose life was cut short by unnecessary violence, brought on by the very internal animosity he spoke out against. It is eerie enough to think that at such a young age, he had been expecting it, penning a letter to his unborn son in a song released five years after his death.

Tupac Shakur would have been 42 years old today. He may have retired from music, he may have stayed. He may have been a mellower version of his younger version, or even more in your face. He may very well have been a father to the child he rapped to. But all chances to know for sure were cut off 17 years ago.

Today, I send my love to my father, the fathers alive, the fathers who have died, the single and married fathers, and the fathers who could have been.

 Happy Birthday, Tupac. Rest In Peace.

-CDM

Morning May Mix

As the weather gets warmer, the list of fitting songs gets longer.

I don't even have a proper introduction for these awesome songs and remixes that I'm come

ing across, so I'm not gonna try. Here they are.

- If (Kaytranada remix) by Janet Jackson

- Hot Jazzybelle by Kaytranada

- Seeds by Georgia Anne Muldrow

- Hello by Martin Solveig & Dragonette

- The Yo-Yo by Little Brother

- Sunday Morning by K-OS

- Nothing Like This by J Dilla

- Sunshine (remix) by Raul Midon (featuring Blaze and Louie Vega)

- Brrlak! by Zap Mama

- Anywhere You Go by Shawn Colvin

- They Don't Care About Us (Mikkas Bootleg Remix)

- Crown on The Ground by Sleigh Bells

- Only Love Can Break your Heart by Saint Etienne