Double feature: "The Wedding and the High Wire Act" and "Watch... and Listen"
At Image, a balancing act.
At Christianity Today, a look at three films about music.
Film Forum: Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York"
Reviews for Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York are piling up at GreenCine Daily.
I'll post other memorable responses here soon. I'm seeing the film on Thursday, and, if all goes as planned, interviewing Kaufman on Friday. If you have any questions for him, let me know.
Here's Alissa Wilkinson's review at Christianity Today Movies, an admirable summation of a very complex film. Well done, Alissa!
Make no mistake: Synecdoche starts out plausibly enough, but by the end it has completely (and purposefully) veered off into fairy-tale territory. At this point in his career, writer/director Charlie Kaufman could be called the founder, or at least the patriarch, of a cinematic brand of naturalistic surrealism. This is his directorial debut, but he's best known for writing brain-benders Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, and Being John Malkovich. Kaufman has a unique voice in today's cinema. He can take a twisted premise that only occasionally dovetails with the real world and still somehow strike a chord in the audience's consciousness.
...
At its core, Synecdoche, New York is a brilliant, gut-wrenching plunge into the painful work of facing the decisions we make and choosing to either continue onward, or live in regret. It's a powerful reminder that the choices we make each day matter — not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us. Those looking for some light entertainment to go along with their popcorn will likely come away frustrated, but those who are willing to take the plunge will find plenty to chew on for a long time.
Amen!
I just saw the film, and I'm overwhelmed. It's a profound, and profoundly disturbing, piece of work, depicting one man's desperate and relentless search for meaning and consolation in a world where fulfillment can only be found through art and human relationship. Sadly, God is not a part of this man's perspective.
I spoke with Kaufman last night at a public Q&A, and this morning in a small round-table interview. I'll be writing that up for you soon.
In the meantime, here's another article by Liz Ohanesian in the LA Weekly, which explores Kaufman's first experience as a director.
A Compelling and Personal Account of Italy's Great Flood
In The Washington Post, Michael Dirda discusses Dark Water: Flood and Redemption in the City of Masterpieces, a thrilling new account of Italy's 1966 flood. Check it out, and add this to your autumn reading list. It's on mine.
Full disclosure: I enjoyed a dinnertime conversation with Robert Clark and Image editor Greg Wolfe last week, and we discussed writing, faith, and favorite films. I was happy to discover that I'm not alone in rating Paul Thomas Anderson as my favorite living American filmmaker. Clark does too. I'd love to see what Anderson would do taking on an adaptation of one of Clark's books...
Image: Ricky Gervais, a Bad Word, the Pacific Ocean, and More.
A few highlights from the last week of Good Letters, the Image blog...Read more
The Curator's Annie Frisbie on "Cyndere's Midnight"
It's been a bumpy day.
I just sat down at my computer with very little enthusiasm at all about writing.
And then, I discovered someone had sent me a link to the newest batch of articles at The Curator.
And the new articles... one in particular... cheered me up immensely.
Thanks to Alissa Wilkinson for continuing to develop a magnificent periodical on art and culture.
And thanks to Annie Frisbie for... well, golly sakes... making me feel like a million bucks.
Reader mailstrom, 10/16: Through a Screen Darkly; Prince Caspian; Lakeview Terrace; Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Welcome to Reader Mailstrom, a chronicle of stand-outs from the daily maelstrom of Looking Closer email.
-
Beauty... Open to the Public!
Tomorrow, you are invited to visit Seattle Pacific University for a day of free lectures, open to the public, on the subject of BEAUTY.
You can attend any that you like. Here's the program:
Read more