Away from the things of man

I was happily introduced to this little gem while spending the weekend with some fine folks in Ohio. So much style and meta-thematics in this existential goofball of a movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first film pairing Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (who plays three characters). Abe Vigoda and Nathan Lane cameo as south-pacific islanders. Nice.

Banksy film

Up to Philadelphia last night to catch the Banksy movie, focusing on the commercialization of guerilla street art, with cousin Lilly before it exited theaters. Fascinating documentary, ripe with life and farce. A little too much farce, in fact, to take it all at face value. I'm certain there is a large element of hoax imbedded in this film, even if I'm not certain to what extent, exactly.

One interviewee, a purported member of Banksy's inner circle, said it best:

"The joke's on.....
I'm not sure who the joke's on. I'm not sure there is a joke."

The cruelest month

A thousand spring rains stir
Dulled memories of desire
Slash and tear, tines through turf
Regeneration taunts deathless decay
It's April in Zombieland

Blowback

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in Charlie Wilson's War, a 2007 film based on the non-fiction book of same title. Charlie Wilson was a U.S. Congressman at the time of the Soviet incursion into Afghanistan. He played a pivitol role in securing funding for the CIA's covert backing of the mujahideen in their struggle against invading Russians.



The following review, found on the New York Times website, encapsulates some relevant thoughts (albeit, dated by its critique of the Bush administration and mention of 2008 presidential candidates):

Charlie Wilson's Zen Lesson
JANUARY 21, 2008

Two messages are appended to the end of "Charlie Wilson's War," the artful Hollywood film about a hedonistic Texas congressman who in the 1980s raised covert funding for the Afghan mujahideen from $5 million to $1 billion, thereby helping to drive the Red Army out of Afghanistan and precipitate the implosion of the Soviet Union. An explicit moral of the movie comes from the real-life Wilson, who lamented that America did the right thing in Afghanistan but messed up "the endgame." Today there can be little doubt that Washington's brusque loss of interest in the fate of Afghanistan after the Soviets' withdrawal was a calamitous error.

But it is the second, more philosophical message that ought to be at the center of current debate about America's role in the world. This lesson, which the Bush administration has learned all too slowly, teaches the need for humility in those who make America's moves on a global chessboard - a virtue that seems almost totally absent from the patriotic posturing of the presidential candidates.

Toward the end of "Charlie Wilson's War," a CIA officer played by the pitch-perfect Philip Seymour Hoffman cautions the Wilson character (played by Tom Hanks) not to be too sure they have done something glorious. To make the point, he tells the story of a Zen master who observes the people of his village celebrating a young boy's new horse as a wonderful gift. "We'll see," the Zen master says. When the boy falls off the horse and breaks a leg, everyone says the horse is a curse. "We'll see," says the master. Then war breaks out, the boy cannot be conscripted because of his injury, and everyone now says the horse was a fortunate gift. "We'll see," the master says again.

This is screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's way of warning against triumphalism. Yes, Afghan suffering at the hands of the Soviet invaders was atrocious, and the Soviets' defeat by Afghan mujahideen armed with U.S. Stinger missiles ought to have been a humanitarian liberation. But the fighting among Afghan warlords that ensued opened the way for the fanatical Taliban to take power, for Al Qaeda to set up terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, for the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and then for to the Bush administration's global war on terror, whose destabilizing effects are likely to extend far into the future.

In a similar vein, Bush should have foreseen that the invasion and occupation of Iraq could become a strategic gift to Iran; that his pledge to foster democracy in the Muslim world while backing Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan would make America look hypocritical; or that his reluctance to seek a UN Security Council resolution to halt Israel's bombing of Lebanon in the summer of 2006 would inflame anti-American feelings in the Arab world. These are the sorts of unintended consequences a Zen master would expect - and a president must try to anticipate.

The theme of cautioning humility when tampering with global affairs was a bit lost amongst Hollywood gloss intended to appeal to broad market. Another fascinating aspect of the story that was similarly underdeveloped, in my opinion, was the uncomfortable correlation between anti-communist fervor and other forms of fundamentalist zealotry. Julia Roberts' character is a Texas socialite who's whose ultra-right-wing motivations are "phrased religiously." American intelligence agents rejoice at the opportunity to kill communist Russians, echoing the murderous mandate of "death to infidels."

And speaking of marketability, I wonder if the producers of the movie would have considered keeping it on the shelf for an extra year if they knew President Obama would deliver his +30,000 troops speech on December 1st, strategic holiday timing for piggy-back promotion of a film about American involvement in Afghanistan. Anyway, Charlie Wilson's War stands up on a number of levels, and is a good juxtaposition to Osama.

For more on Afghanistan, please visit dc3.posterous.com. The author's comments there much more gravitas than my feeble cut-and-paste efforts at synthesis.

Brutality

Screenshot from the 2003 Afghan film Osama. The pictured character is a girl who lives with her war-widowed mother and grandmother in a remote village. Their town is controlled by the Taliban, who, in all their spiritual and material wisdom, have forbidden women to work or even be outdoors without male accompaniment. In order to avoid starving to death, the female family opts for androgyny. The young daughter dresses as a boy to go out and work for food, where she is conscripted into military training. Her new name: Osama, naturally.

It's not the tale of a plucky, resilient heroine who daringly flaunts repressive norms. Rather, this compact movie is a raw, bitter glimpse into the terror and desperation of living under crushing tyranny with no hope of improvement.

If you want the feeling of a punch to the gut, or seek additional fodder for detesting the Taliban, put this stunning film at the top of the queue.

Gran Torino

This is a great film. I finally watched it tonight, been almost a year since Gran Torino first hit theaters. I fail to recall seeing any movies that were actually released this year, so I'm going to stretch the rules and call Gran Torino the best of 2009 (especially since it was completely overlooked by the 2008 Academy Awards).

The movie is not about racism, or prejudice, or gangs. I don't think it was about redemption, or breaking old habits. It wasn't about the car. Ultimately, the story is about letting go.

Clint Eastwood plays an embattled, aging, widower veteran - still at war with the world and himself. He's crotchety and bitter, even as he protectively lashes out against injustice in a Detroit neighborhood burdened by crime and intimidation.

Resentment, guilt, pain, fear, desperation, helplessness, vengeful rage, and finally sacrifice. Eastwood's acting carries the film, the pace was a little slow, intentionally, I believe. The direction, cinematography, and editing were top quality - executed with craft and care.

A+

Helvetica

I'm no longer getting great value from my Netflix subscription. After initially burning through about fifty films, the DVD train has lost some steam. I have, however, been utilizing the streaming content they offer on the web. I'm currently in the third season of The Office (golden days for the now-hackneyed American series).

A few nights ago I had the pleasure of watching Helvetica, a film about the font.



Ostensibly a collection of interviews regarding this prevalent typeface, Helvetica contains keen allegorical insight to the aspirations and failures of modernism. This documentary is well conceived and executed, and the broader subtext will appeal to folks outside the realm of graphic design. Highly recommended, especially for Netflix users - watch it on your computer!

Apprehension [armistice]

Ok, I had concerns. Like Arrested Development: The Movie, I was beginning to wonder if this album was ever going to happen. The initial release date came and went, months passed, reports had MuteMath in discord - scrapping all progress, at the brink of collapse. They eked out a brief EP that didn't reveal much. Also, there's this personal psychological factor, apprehension about a mediocre second effort undermining or deflating my appreciation for the first album and the band's outlook (see: Sam's Town).



Fears allayed. Armistice packs a progressive punch - all that could be hoped for in the next MuteMath album. Well worth the worry and the wait; everything grows, contributes, high-engergy, full sound. Live should be awesome.

Ghost town

I watched this movie on a flight a few months ago. It was dreadfully cliché: Greg Kinnear is dead and Ricky Garvis Gervais (British Office creator) is the only one who can see or hear him. Et cetera.

. . . . .
Two nights ago the same terribly obvious plot was my nightmare; a sinking suspicion that no one could see or hear me. I wandered tentatively at first, careful to avoid confirming the fear. Having fully lapsed into that thoroughly unenjoyable state, I approached someone I used to know. All of my senses palpable, but I was invisible. Untouchable. Trapped.

Maximum duress, I awoke. What a curse! To be stranded in the realm of consciousness with no way of interacting, of being felt.


The desire to rearrange, expressed even in limited-flailing capacities, is purpose. The ability to communicate, to interact, is blessing. Reach out, optimize.

Seven rules

Last night I caught the second half of I'm Not There. First saw this flick about a year ago; admired the non-linear storytelling/fragmentation of Bob Dylan into several distinct personae. There's a nice interplay between the spliced narratives, the height of which occurs during this scene.


Seven simple rules for a life in hiding:

1. Never trust a cop in a raincoat.


2. Beware of enthusiasm and of love, each is temporary and quick to sway.


3. When asked if you care about the world's problems, look deep into the eyes of he who asks, he will not ask you again.


4. Never give your real name, and
5. if ever told to look at yourself, never look.


6. Never say or do anything the person standing in front of you cannot understand.
   And.....


7. Never create anything. It will be misinterpreted. It will chain you and follow you for the rest of your life. It will never change.

Special extradition

L E D ⋅ Z E P P E L I N
Both of those Physical Graffiti discs have been like medicine recently. The crackly fourth-press vinyl version in Grand Rapids was solid, too.

Harvey Keitel's character from Taxi Driver would fit right in this album cover, loitering on the stoop. Hey, Paul Schrader.

W I L C O
Less than a year ago I hoped that Wilco would come back to Delaware. Last Friday I purchased a ticket to see them play Frawley Stadium in July. This venue excites me, I think it's funny that real bands (like Night Ranger) play there.



*Three shows later Wilco appears at the Maine State Pier in Portland.....hmm..