20,000 Days on Earth documentary review: how to make art and live life
An unclassifably weird hybrid of documentary, fiction, and stream-of-consciousness meditation on the creative life, according to Renaissance man Nick Cave.
music
Step Up 5: All In (aka Step Up All In) movie review: dance fever
A series of amazing music videos featuring astonishingly athletic dancers expressing crazy-hot modern choreography strung together by a flimsy narrative. Kinda like old-school Hollywood musicals were.
Begin Again movie review: up tempo
A hugely satisfying ode to entrepreneurial creativity, and a glorious love letter to New York City and the art it inspires. I love this movie so much.
Jersey Boys movie review: it’s not only rock ’n’ roll…
Director Clint Eastwood’s discomfort with his own material is enormous and obvious. Does he just not get pop music, or is he actively disdainful and suspicious of it?
The Punk Singer documentary review: rage against the misogyny
A fantastic introduction to original riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna and her groundbreaking work in music, feminism, and all-around kickass awesomeness.
Only Lovers Left Alive movie review: full-blooded
I want to crawl inside this movie and curl up in its lap and stay there forever. This movie is so languid and so uncoerced. I want to keep it a secret and let everyone know about it at the same time.
Frank movie review: the heart of artness
A bitter dramedy of creative desperation that has something sneakily marvelous to say about what it takes — and what it doesn’t — to be an artist.
Jesus People review: Christian pop takes the softest of smacks
This too gentle mockumentary barely even takes aim at its easiest potential targets, but the appealing cast is game and manages a few cogent hits.
Grand Piano review: not enough notes
Builds up a good momentum of suspense only to throw it away on a rushed, unsatisfying ending, rendering all its preposterousness suddenly unforgivable.
The Broken Circle Breakdown review: a mournful tune
Electric sexiness and very modern motifs overlie a wonderfully old-fashioned melodrama… a highly gratifying one, if you enjoy a good ol’ weep.
