The conclusion of my Gleeful series comes with the big final category: group numbers. If you've watched just one episode of Glee, even just the back half of one, you know how each episode ends: with a big song to tell us all what we've learned. If that sounds biting, it's not meant to be: group numbers are commonly known as the best the show has to offer. We all love the solos, the duets, even some of the guest performances, but the group numbers are Glee's life's blood.
Not to say each one is good (God, "One" really was awful, wasn't it?), but when they're good, they're phenomenal. But beyond each group performance is a truly standout performer, and as an added bonus, I'll select my standout performer on each of the following ten tracks. (Sometimes they're more obvious than others.)
Honorable Mentions
"Gives You Hell" - Originally by the All-American Rejects
Rachel's kiss-off to Finn using the first syllable of the week's theme, "Hello," starts off at too high a pitch, but when the group comes in, it becomes a rollicking, fun number that calls to mind the original without sounding too familiar. It's a realistic number for a high school glee club to perform on the spot. Points for that. Standout performer: Lea Michele (though those first few notes are a little painful).
"Run Joey Run" - Originally by David Geddes
Who didn't have the echoing chorus of "Run, Joey, run, Joey, run" rattling around their heads for hours after this performance? It's one of the worst songs ever, and Rachel rehabs its reputation, showing us that anything once thought bad can be made good again. Also: that video is priceless. Standout performer: Mark Salling, for setting up the story and hilariously overacting in the video.
"Like A Virgin" - Originally by Madonna
The Madonna episode does not sit well with me upon further reflection. But nothing could kill my love for the clever spin on this risqué Madonna standard. It's sung in three parts by three different couples, and the staging was amazing. Though it was all a dream sequence, it still remains memorable. Standout performer: Naya Rivera, who gets her first solo lines and uses her siren-esque tone to entrance listeners.
"My Life Would Suck Without You" - Originally by Kelly Clarkson
Okay, it can skew a little Kidz Boppy. But don't tell me you don't remember that mash-up of dance sequences. Don't tell me it wasn't in your head for the next few days as you lamented the coming months without Glee. And don't tell me it wasn't a perfect final performance. I just wish they'd done it in competition over that horrifyingly cliché Rolling Stones number. Standout performer: Michele, though she couldn't outsing Clarkson (but who can?).
"It's My Life / Confessions, Pt. II" - Originally by Bon Jovi / Usher
The original mash-up, the boys' Bon Jovi / Usher mix was considered a tie to the girls' Katrina and the Waves / Beyoncé combination, but truly, the boys ran away with it. A perfect blend of "live in the moment" and "the consequences of living," it was a perfect song for the boys' vocal strengths, and remains memorable for starting the mash-up trend. Standout performer: Kevin McHale, showing how his voice can be great.
The Top Five
5. "Imagine" - Originally by John Lennon
Okay, the song alone would have made it to the top three. It was the horrendous "let's improve the deaf kids' song" attitude that the performance had that really ruined this. The song itself was beautifully performed, a standout from what is still Glee's weakest episode to date. Standout performer: Amber Riley, restraining herself wonderfully.
4. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Originally by Bonnie Tyler
Tyler's one and only big hit has an amazing redemptive quality. Be it through performances on American Idol or literal videos surfacing on YouTube (haven't seen it yet? GO), the song, once considered a bit of a joke power ballad, finds a way of always being contemporary. This version is no different. What a fresh take on a somewhat musty song. Standout performer: Michele, because we truly believe that every now and then she falls apart.
3. "Bad Romance" - Originally by, duh, Lady Gaga
SO. MUCH. FUN. Elaborately costumed and staged, with the solos spread well between the women (and, er, Kurt), it was also welcome that Rachel didn't get a solo: more room for the superb Riley, Agron, and especially my standout performer: Rivera! She nails the French lyrics, and she sings the last portion of the song better than even Gaga does.
2. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Originally by Journey
Blasphemy! Sure, this is where Glee got its start, and it is truly an amazing performance. It's fun, joyous, and, well, Gleeful. But it's still not their best. They came so close to perfection so early, but there was one performance that topped it... (Standout performer: Michele, already!)
1. "Somebody to Love" - Originally by Queen
The solos were spread. The bombast was fully present. The harmonies were glorious. And the show hit its stride. I still wish we could have seen their reprise at Sectionals, because this song has never been done better, not even by the original band. This song is what Glee is all about, and for her powerhouse ending, the standout performer is Riley.
If I had to rank the No. 1 performances against each other, it would probably fall:
4. "Poker Face"
3. "Endless Love"
2. "Don't Rain On My Parade"
1. "Somebody to Love"
But they're all phenomenal. (And they all have Michele in them. Just throwing that out there, Rachel haters.)
Hope you guys enjoyed the Gleeful series. Next up is two new series of posts: one on 30 Rock and one on favorite songs. After that, we'll be in Emmy season, along with which I'll continue posting about Top Chef and Mad Men as they return.
Any questions about this post? Thoughts? Take them to the comments!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Gleeful Part Three: Hello Solo
Boy, am I glad I waited until tonight to write this one, because it contains an entry from one character I would never have thought to consider. Let's just say that I am officially pumped for Quinn's version of "To Sir, With Love" next week, because tonight, on "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," girlfriend brought it.
Quickly, to define a "solo" in the context of Glee: Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowicz audibly back Lea Michele on Rihanna's "Take A Bow," yet it's considered a solo. However, "I Say A Little Prayer" is considered an ensemble performance despite the fact that Dianna Agron is clearly the lead vocal. Why? In the first, Michele is undoubtedly the anchor, while in the second, Agron is not nearly as central, and in fact, the performance is pretty equally split among Agron and her supporting vocalists (Naya Rivera and Heather Morris). Get the difference? Hope so, because here we go!
Honorable Mentions
"Bust Your Windows" - Amber Riley
Riley cast Mercedes as a scorned woman who, quite appropriately, busts the windows of Kurt's car. It could've easily come off as a joke and shown the Achilles' Heel of Glee, but it was done in a powerful styling that beats Jazmine Sullivan's original.
"Dancing With Myself" - Kevin McHale
Okay, time to voice an unpopular opinion. Honestly, a lot of people would put this in their top three favorite solos, not just an honorable mention. I'll admit that I sing along to this Billy Joel cover, but it's nothing that special. Honestly, it's just amazing a male could turn in a solid solo. Finn's only had a few and they've all been beyond mediocre. Puck lacks vocal strength. Kurt's a little too fond of his castrato. Artie at least had this, but McHale's voice is too nasal and can even be grating. (I won't even get into how infuriating his characterization is.) Still, it's a cool interpretation of an older song, and it fits amazingly well with the plotline, so it gets a mention.
"On My Own" - Lea Michele
No one does a ballad like Rachel. Just moments into the pilot, we get a too-small slice of this Les Miserables number, and, as always, Michele brings the house down. Her voice really is the best on this show, despite others' insistence to the contrary. She may not have the same passion (we'll debate that point in, oh, five songs down), but technically, it's on another plane.
"Rose's Turn" - Chris Colfer
If only this was a minute longer, I would rank it top two easy. The power and passion behind it is amazing. Colfer has never performed with more ferocity. The lyrical changes are a little cutesy, and as mentioned, it's way too short, but nonetheless, it is one of the best male vocals of the season in any category.
The Top Five
Not only are these my top five performances from the solo category, a lot of them are my favorites of the entire season. Glee is often best when showcasing one performer's talent.
5. "Don't Stand So Close To Me / Young Girl" - Matthew Morrison
The performance that so infamously caused Rachel to completely miss the point, it's a genius mash-up, making both songs so much better. I love when Morrison stretches beyond white boy rap (hello, "Ice Ice Baby" and "Bust A Move") to real vocal riches (this, "One Less Bell To Answer / A House Is Not A Home"). Both fun and meaningful to the plot, this is the best main cast adult vocal of the season.
4. "Home" - Kristin Chenoweth
I say "main cast" on the last performance because very little has a chance of holding a candle to this incredibly theatrical, powerhouse rendition of The Wiz's "Home," in and of itself a bit of a fun callback to Chenoweth's involvement in another Wizard of Oz-brand production, Wicked. Capping off a musically devastating episode ("One Less Bell / A House," "A House Is Not A Home," "Beautiful"), this vocal brought it all home. What power from such a tiny package.
3. "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" - Dianna Agron
Hey, champions of Mercedes and Kurt who argue that no one else has passion behind their vocals: you wanna see real passion? Check out this performance by a very pregnant and very angry Quinn. It may not be pitch-perfect: the screams are a little off, for example. But it's a raw, emotional, believable performance from a character and an actress whom I had no faith in before. I was beyond impressed.
2. "And I Am Telling You" - Amber Riley
"Do I even have to tell you what song?" was how Mercedes started this performance, acknowledging the cliché of having the big black girl do the song Jennifers Holliday and Hudson made so famous in Dreamgirls. Wanna know what's not cliché? How Riley takes both former Effie Whites to town and puts them both on notice that this is how this song is sung. It's pure power in both vocal and delivery, and as emotional as any performance I've ever heard, Glee or not. Worthy of a standing ovation every time.
1. "Don't Rain On My Parade" - Lea Michele
Rachel idolizes Barbra Streisand. Rachel has been working on this performance since she was three. Before Rachel even descended the aisle at Sectionals to the tune of the big band, we should have known exactly how bombastic this performance was going to be. And yet we were stunned. So much passion, so much love for the theater, so much absolute power is packed into this performance it sends chills up the spine each time. Michele is truly our great star for this generation, and this performance proves it. Rachel is the star of glee club, and Michele is the star of Glee.
Comments? You know where to put them.
...No, not there. That's inappropriate. I meant the comments section. Obviously. Sheesh, mind outta the gutter...
Quickly, to define a "solo" in the context of Glee: Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowicz audibly back Lea Michele on Rihanna's "Take A Bow," yet it's considered a solo. However, "I Say A Little Prayer" is considered an ensemble performance despite the fact that Dianna Agron is clearly the lead vocal. Why? In the first, Michele is undoubtedly the anchor, while in the second, Agron is not nearly as central, and in fact, the performance is pretty equally split among Agron and her supporting vocalists (Naya Rivera and Heather Morris). Get the difference? Hope so, because here we go!
Honorable Mentions
"Bust Your Windows" - Amber Riley
Riley cast Mercedes as a scorned woman who, quite appropriately, busts the windows of Kurt's car. It could've easily come off as a joke and shown the Achilles' Heel of Glee, but it was done in a powerful styling that beats Jazmine Sullivan's original.
"Dancing With Myself" - Kevin McHale
Okay, time to voice an unpopular opinion. Honestly, a lot of people would put this in their top three favorite solos, not just an honorable mention. I'll admit that I sing along to this Billy Joel cover, but it's nothing that special. Honestly, it's just amazing a male could turn in a solid solo. Finn's only had a few and they've all been beyond mediocre. Puck lacks vocal strength. Kurt's a little too fond of his castrato. Artie at least had this, but McHale's voice is too nasal and can even be grating. (I won't even get into how infuriating his characterization is.) Still, it's a cool interpretation of an older song, and it fits amazingly well with the plotline, so it gets a mention.
"On My Own" - Lea Michele
No one does a ballad like Rachel. Just moments into the pilot, we get a too-small slice of this Les Miserables number, and, as always, Michele brings the house down. Her voice really is the best on this show, despite others' insistence to the contrary. She may not have the same passion (we'll debate that point in, oh, five songs down), but technically, it's on another plane.
"Rose's Turn" - Chris Colfer
If only this was a minute longer, I would rank it top two easy. The power and passion behind it is amazing. Colfer has never performed with more ferocity. The lyrical changes are a little cutesy, and as mentioned, it's way too short, but nonetheless, it is one of the best male vocals of the season in any category.
The Top Five
Not only are these my top five performances from the solo category, a lot of them are my favorites of the entire season. Glee is often best when showcasing one performer's talent.
5. "Don't Stand So Close To Me / Young Girl" - Matthew Morrison
The performance that so infamously caused Rachel to completely miss the point, it's a genius mash-up, making both songs so much better. I love when Morrison stretches beyond white boy rap (hello, "Ice Ice Baby" and "Bust A Move") to real vocal riches (this, "One Less Bell To Answer / A House Is Not A Home"). Both fun and meaningful to the plot, this is the best main cast adult vocal of the season.
4. "Home" - Kristin Chenoweth
I say "main cast" on the last performance because very little has a chance of holding a candle to this incredibly theatrical, powerhouse rendition of The Wiz's "Home," in and of itself a bit of a fun callback to Chenoweth's involvement in another Wizard of Oz-brand production, Wicked. Capping off a musically devastating episode ("One Less Bell / A House," "A House Is Not A Home," "Beautiful"), this vocal brought it all home. What power from such a tiny package.
3. "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" - Dianna Agron
Hey, champions of Mercedes and Kurt who argue that no one else has passion behind their vocals: you wanna see real passion? Check out this performance by a very pregnant and very angry Quinn. It may not be pitch-perfect: the screams are a little off, for example. But it's a raw, emotional, believable performance from a character and an actress whom I had no faith in before. I was beyond impressed.
2. "And I Am Telling You" - Amber Riley
"Do I even have to tell you what song?" was how Mercedes started this performance, acknowledging the cliché of having the big black girl do the song Jennifers Holliday and Hudson made so famous in Dreamgirls. Wanna know what's not cliché? How Riley takes both former Effie Whites to town and puts them both on notice that this is how this song is sung. It's pure power in both vocal and delivery, and as emotional as any performance I've ever heard, Glee or not. Worthy of a standing ovation every time.
1. "Don't Rain On My Parade" - Lea Michele
Rachel idolizes Barbra Streisand. Rachel has been working on this performance since she was three. Before Rachel even descended the aisle at Sectionals to the tune of the big band, we should have known exactly how bombastic this performance was going to be. And yet we were stunned. So much passion, so much love for the theater, so much absolute power is packed into this performance it sends chills up the spine each time. Michele is truly our great star for this generation, and this performance proves it. Rachel is the star of glee club, and Michele is the star of Glee.
Comments? You know where to put them.
...No, not there. That's inappropriate. I meant the comments section. Obviously. Sheesh, mind outta the gutter...
The Class of 2010 in Oz
This was a speech meant to be given sometime during the graduation festivities this year. Sadly, it got cut, as there was no proper time to give it. Still, I'm very proud of this speech, and I feel its one everyone in our class and beyond should hear. Enjoy, and feel free to leave any comments.
Graduation is, of course, a time of joy and congratulations. It is a time when we can all take a breath of relief knowing that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives. We are all continuing on to exciting new ventures; some of us moving on to different cities, some to different states, and, for a few of us, on to a different continent.
While we are all both excited and a bit nervous about these different worlds we have to explore, graduation is also a time of reflection on four years past and the last chance we have as a class to come together. In these past four years, we have grown together as a unique family known as the Class of 2010, and today, the feeling is bittersweet as that family breaks apart.
But like many classes that have come before us, the Class of 2010 will remain remarkable for years to come, and while challenges ahead may worry and sometimes scare us, the inherent qualities present in every person in this class will allow us to rise to those challenges and make our mark on the world.
When thinking about what makes our class special, I thought of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The inspiration for classic musicals like The Wizard of Oz and, more recently, The Wiz and Wicked, Oz is a tale of one girl, Dorothy Gale, and her attempts to find her way back home after being thrown into a mysterious land with no friends or allies besides her little dog, Toto. Throughout her journey, she meets new friends all seeking the titular wizard of Oz in hopes of finding something they lack. What Dorothy’s companions lack is exactly what our class has in droves.
Dorothy’s first companion, the Scarecrow, desperately seeks a brain. The St. Michael’s Class of 2010 is intelligent, well-versed, and full of wit. Walking down the senior hallway this year, the average person might be shocked at the high caliber of conversations happening between friends. No matter what the topic of choice, this was not a class that relied on the kind of dialogue you’d see in another high school. From world issues to independent music to football season statistics, the Class of 2010 knew what we were talking about and were nothing if not eloquent and loquacious in our speech, a signal of our greater acumen. However, this class also avoided becoming hypercompetitive and intelligent to the point of arrogance. It is a group both elevated and moderate in brainpower, and those are important qualities rarely seen together.
Another of Dorothy’s companions was the Cowardly Lion, who desperately wanted to find his courage. From our student athletes to actors, you would find no shortage of bravery in each person of this class. If there was a risk to be found, like applying to a college you had only an outside chance of getting into, or taking an advanced class that would require more work but might yield greater rewards, this class took the chance boldly and with great bravado. Going the safe route was something never seen in this group, because anything less than our best wasn’t acceptable. The courage of this class is and should forever be seen as nothing short of astounding.
Diehard Wizard of Oz fans might have noticed that I skipped Dorothy’s second companion, the Tin Man. I did so because what he sought from the Wizard is what is most important to this class: heart. Our class has heart in every sense of the word. Filled with love for one another that we explored on retreats, especially on Kairos, the members of this class have a mutual respect and admiration for one another that is rarely seen among high school students. Filled with hope for the future, our hearts never deflated in the face of greater challenges. The Class of 2010’s heart is its best quality, because whenever we weren’t the best in other areas, we still held on to our faith, determination, and love for one another.
This class will be remembered for so many reasons, but it is with both excitement and sadness that we now graduate and part from one another. We leave behind families and friends, as well as memories of a high school experience that will hold special significance for everyone throughout their lives. But to the families, who fear losing their beloved children to college and worry about their futures, take solace in knowing that each student in this class has the courage, the brains, and the heart of Dorothy’s traveling companions. And don’t forget the ending of the story: even after all that traveling and all those adventures, Dorothy ultimately knew that there was simply no place like home.
I just want to thank each and every one of the members of the Class of 2010 for being the greatest class anyone could hope to be a part of. I'll miss everybody when I'm in Los Angeles next year.
Graduation is, of course, a time of joy and congratulations. It is a time when we can all take a breath of relief knowing that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives. We are all continuing on to exciting new ventures; some of us moving on to different cities, some to different states, and, for a few of us, on to a different continent.
While we are all both excited and a bit nervous about these different worlds we have to explore, graduation is also a time of reflection on four years past and the last chance we have as a class to come together. In these past four years, we have grown together as a unique family known as the Class of 2010, and today, the feeling is bittersweet as that family breaks apart.
But like many classes that have come before us, the Class of 2010 will remain remarkable for years to come, and while challenges ahead may worry and sometimes scare us, the inherent qualities present in every person in this class will allow us to rise to those challenges and make our mark on the world.
When thinking about what makes our class special, I thought of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The inspiration for classic musicals like The Wizard of Oz and, more recently, The Wiz and Wicked, Oz is a tale of one girl, Dorothy Gale, and her attempts to find her way back home after being thrown into a mysterious land with no friends or allies besides her little dog, Toto. Throughout her journey, she meets new friends all seeking the titular wizard of Oz in hopes of finding something they lack. What Dorothy’s companions lack is exactly what our class has in droves.
Dorothy’s first companion, the Scarecrow, desperately seeks a brain. The St. Michael’s Class of 2010 is intelligent, well-versed, and full of wit. Walking down the senior hallway this year, the average person might be shocked at the high caliber of conversations happening between friends. No matter what the topic of choice, this was not a class that relied on the kind of dialogue you’d see in another high school. From world issues to independent music to football season statistics, the Class of 2010 knew what we were talking about and were nothing if not eloquent and loquacious in our speech, a signal of our greater acumen. However, this class also avoided becoming hypercompetitive and intelligent to the point of arrogance. It is a group both elevated and moderate in brainpower, and those are important qualities rarely seen together.
Another of Dorothy’s companions was the Cowardly Lion, who desperately wanted to find his courage. From our student athletes to actors, you would find no shortage of bravery in each person of this class. If there was a risk to be found, like applying to a college you had only an outside chance of getting into, or taking an advanced class that would require more work but might yield greater rewards, this class took the chance boldly and with great bravado. Going the safe route was something never seen in this group, because anything less than our best wasn’t acceptable. The courage of this class is and should forever be seen as nothing short of astounding.
Diehard Wizard of Oz fans might have noticed that I skipped Dorothy’s second companion, the Tin Man. I did so because what he sought from the Wizard is what is most important to this class: heart. Our class has heart in every sense of the word. Filled with love for one another that we explored on retreats, especially on Kairos, the members of this class have a mutual respect and admiration for one another that is rarely seen among high school students. Filled with hope for the future, our hearts never deflated in the face of greater challenges. The Class of 2010’s heart is its best quality, because whenever we weren’t the best in other areas, we still held on to our faith, determination, and love for one another.
This class will be remembered for so many reasons, but it is with both excitement and sadness that we now graduate and part from one another. We leave behind families and friends, as well as memories of a high school experience that will hold special significance for everyone throughout their lives. But to the families, who fear losing their beloved children to college and worry about their futures, take solace in knowing that each student in this class has the courage, the brains, and the heart of Dorothy’s traveling companions. And don’t forget the ending of the story: even after all that traveling and all those adventures, Dorothy ultimately knew that there was simply no place like home.
I just want to thank each and every one of the members of the Class of 2010 for being the greatest class anyone could hope to be a part of. I'll miss everybody when I'm in Los Angeles next year.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Gleeful Part Two: Guest by Request
Fans' feelings on guest stars in Glee are bitterly divided: some love them and feel they add something special to the show, while others want the show to focus on its principal cast. I'm of two minds: when the show uses a guest star really well (Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris), Glee is never better. When it uses a celebrity for a quick cameo (Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John), it can be a really fun parody of the celebrity's public persona.
But then certain guest stars get woefully misused, Victor Garber and Molly Shannon principal among them. Shannon's been particularly misused, being introduced as a major character but only popping up very infrequently since for completely unsubstantive material.
As poorly executed as those guest roles are, the ones that trouble me more are those of Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel, two key figures of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Both stars are incredibly talented musically, with Groff's duet of Hello with star Lea Michele being a highlight of the back nine episodes of this season. Menzel's performances in particular, as you'll notice below, are superb. But the characterizations of both Groff's Jesse St. James and Menzel's Shelby Corcoran are disturbingly off-base. I'll do my best to keep this brief, as this post is really about the music, but this is something that's been bothering me.
First: Groff's Jesse. A rather infamous article written in Newsweek magazine, by an author so revilingly stupid I won't give him the pleasure of reprinting his name, posited the theory that gay actors who are out cannot convincingly play straight characters on television, in film, or on the stage. Groff was one of the actors singled out for this article. The theory has been roundly criticized as "completely idiotic" from anyone with a brain and a basic knowledge of Neil Patrick Harris' performance on How I Met Your Mother.
However, as much as it disgusts me to agree with anything this disgusting writer wrote, since his theory was so grossly misinformed and formed from a place of great hate, I must agree that Groff does an awful job on Glee. Now, this has absolutely nothing to do with his sexuality. He could do it with farm animals and he would still be awful as Jesse St. James.
Groff comes from a world of theater, where everything is meant to be overplayed. For some of the actors, this works to their advantage. (Michele, for example, knows how to imbue that spirit into Rachel Berry, whose life is made to be overacted.) Groff, however, comes off as nothing but a caricature, a poor role written as nothing but a stimulus to advance the plot. I don't believe that Rachel would fall for Jesse, nor that he would be able to convince any of the other characters that he wasn't plotting something underhanded. He reeks of drama, and he has only one setting: attempting to be hot. (He's not.) Again, this has nothing to do with his sexuality: he just isn't acting well IN THIS ROLE.
His character exists for one reason only: to get Rachel to realize her birth mother is his glee club director, Shelby Corcoran. Menzel plays Corcoran fairly convincingly at first, and she does the best she can with the material, but hoo boy. Shelby might be one of the worst-written characters in television history. Basically, she establishes contact with her daughter, then ditches her because it turns out not to be right after singing "Poker Face" in a stripped down, cabaret style.
...what?!
I wish both characters, while musically gifted, were better formed in personality and purpose. But I digress. The music's the thing, and without further ado, I present to you the best guest performances from this season of Glee.
(Of course, Chenoweth and Groff aren't in this set, because they're featured in the duets and solos sections.)
Honorable Mentions
"Funny Girl" - Idina Menzel
This is a great song choice for so many reasons. First, it's good for the plot, because it recalls when Rachel, Shelby's daughter, chose another Barbra Streisand tune, "Don't Rain on My Parade," for sectionals. Second, Menzel sings the shit out of it. Third, it shows how theatrical one can be without being overly dramatic...a lesson promptly whacked by "Bad Romance," fun as it was. So points off for being irrelevant to the week's lesson, but still a high point of the back nine episodes.
"I Dreamed a Dream" - Idina Menzel & Lea Michele
This could easily have made it as high as No. 1 had "Poker Face" not come along and shown viewers what Menzel and Michele were really capable of. However, it's still a brilliantly reimagined duet, with the lines "And still I dream she'll come to me/That we will live the years together" not referring to a lost lover, but to a mother from a daughter desperately seeking that relationship. Beautifully sung, if a little inappropriate at moments for the storyline.
Top Three
3. "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John & Jane Lynch
Think Lynch faked her way through "Vogue" and still can't sing? Take a listen to the utterly contemporary, fun, revived "Physical" and realize that she has talent to match a legend like Newton-John. Is the vocal Auto-Tuned? Sure. They all are these days. But it's still a great performance, and one that is infinitely listenable.
2. "Dream On" - Neil Patrick Harris & Matthew Morrison
American Idol contestant Danny Gokey will happily tell you exactly how difficult to execute the scream at the end of "Dream On" truly is. But not only do Harris and Morrison do it well, they knock it out of the park. In fact, this whole duet is a home run. It's powerfully sung, almost a competitition for the two singers (which concomitantly works for the plot, as all songs should in this show but usually don't). It's a pleasure to listen to on repeat, something that doesn't happen much these days.
1. "Poker Face" - Idina Menzel & Lea Michele
GAH. Oh, sorry, that's not English. Or any language. But it is the instantaneous reaction when listening to Michele and Menzel belt this usually fast-paced, dirty ditty from Lady Gaga. They slow it down and make it a show number, even moreso than Gaga herself does in acoustic performances. The implications, er, aren't great (the song's originally about bisexuality...and this is a mother and daughter...), but neither are the implications of "Endless Love," my favorite duet of the show. Sometimes, for Glee, you've gotta suspend disbelief for what is truly amazing.
Sorry that part of this turned into a venting session, and it should not be taken as a statement of dislike for the show in any fashion. There's just no such thing as a perfect show, and since, unlike with the awful pregnancy plotlines last fall, no one is pointing out exactly how disappointing this Jesse/Shelby plotline really is, I thought I would.
And just in case anyone had any further confusion, I think the article written in Newsweek was absolute slime with absolutely no basis in fact. The author, a self-professed gay man, needs to take some time to realize exactly how stupid he sounds. But as is so often the case, upon hearing criticism born from a place of hatred, respondents choose to canonize the criticized: namely, Groff. Sadly, while Groff may be undeserving of the writer's criticism because of his sexuality, he is deserving of criticism because of his acting.
But then certain guest stars get woefully misused, Victor Garber and Molly Shannon principal among them. Shannon's been particularly misused, being introduced as a major character but only popping up very infrequently since for completely unsubstantive material.
As poorly executed as those guest roles are, the ones that trouble me more are those of Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel, two key figures of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. Both stars are incredibly talented musically, with Groff's duet of Hello with star Lea Michele being a highlight of the back nine episodes of this season. Menzel's performances in particular, as you'll notice below, are superb. But the characterizations of both Groff's Jesse St. James and Menzel's Shelby Corcoran are disturbingly off-base. I'll do my best to keep this brief, as this post is really about the music, but this is something that's been bothering me.
First: Groff's Jesse. A rather infamous article written in Newsweek magazine, by an author so revilingly stupid I won't give him the pleasure of reprinting his name, posited the theory that gay actors who are out cannot convincingly play straight characters on television, in film, or on the stage. Groff was one of the actors singled out for this article. The theory has been roundly criticized as "completely idiotic" from anyone with a brain and a basic knowledge of Neil Patrick Harris' performance on How I Met Your Mother.
However, as much as it disgusts me to agree with anything this disgusting writer wrote, since his theory was so grossly misinformed and formed from a place of great hate, I must agree that Groff does an awful job on Glee. Now, this has absolutely nothing to do with his sexuality. He could do it with farm animals and he would still be awful as Jesse St. James.
Groff comes from a world of theater, where everything is meant to be overplayed. For some of the actors, this works to their advantage. (Michele, for example, knows how to imbue that spirit into Rachel Berry, whose life is made to be overacted.) Groff, however, comes off as nothing but a caricature, a poor role written as nothing but a stimulus to advance the plot. I don't believe that Rachel would fall for Jesse, nor that he would be able to convince any of the other characters that he wasn't plotting something underhanded. He reeks of drama, and he has only one setting: attempting to be hot. (He's not.) Again, this has nothing to do with his sexuality: he just isn't acting well IN THIS ROLE.
His character exists for one reason only: to get Rachel to realize her birth mother is his glee club director, Shelby Corcoran. Menzel plays Corcoran fairly convincingly at first, and she does the best she can with the material, but hoo boy. Shelby might be one of the worst-written characters in television history. Basically, she establishes contact with her daughter, then ditches her because it turns out not to be right after singing "Poker Face" in a stripped down, cabaret style.
...what?!
I wish both characters, while musically gifted, were better formed in personality and purpose. But I digress. The music's the thing, and without further ado, I present to you the best guest performances from this season of Glee.
(Of course, Chenoweth and Groff aren't in this set, because they're featured in the duets and solos sections.)
Honorable Mentions
"Funny Girl" - Idina Menzel
This is a great song choice for so many reasons. First, it's good for the plot, because it recalls when Rachel, Shelby's daughter, chose another Barbra Streisand tune, "Don't Rain on My Parade," for sectionals. Second, Menzel sings the shit out of it. Third, it shows how theatrical one can be without being overly dramatic...a lesson promptly whacked by "Bad Romance," fun as it was. So points off for being irrelevant to the week's lesson, but still a high point of the back nine episodes.
"I Dreamed a Dream" - Idina Menzel & Lea Michele
This could easily have made it as high as No. 1 had "Poker Face" not come along and shown viewers what Menzel and Michele were really capable of. However, it's still a brilliantly reimagined duet, with the lines "And still I dream she'll come to me/That we will live the years together" not referring to a lost lover, but to a mother from a daughter desperately seeking that relationship. Beautifully sung, if a little inappropriate at moments for the storyline.
Top Three
3. "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John & Jane Lynch
Think Lynch faked her way through "Vogue" and still can't sing? Take a listen to the utterly contemporary, fun, revived "Physical" and realize that she has talent to match a legend like Newton-John. Is the vocal Auto-Tuned? Sure. They all are these days. But it's still a great performance, and one that is infinitely listenable.
2. "Dream On" - Neil Patrick Harris & Matthew Morrison
American Idol contestant Danny Gokey will happily tell you exactly how difficult to execute the scream at the end of "Dream On" truly is. But not only do Harris and Morrison do it well, they knock it out of the park. In fact, this whole duet is a home run. It's powerfully sung, almost a competitition for the two singers (which concomitantly works for the plot, as all songs should in this show but usually don't). It's a pleasure to listen to on repeat, something that doesn't happen much these days.
1. "Poker Face" - Idina Menzel & Lea Michele
GAH. Oh, sorry, that's not English. Or any language. But it is the instantaneous reaction when listening to Michele and Menzel belt this usually fast-paced, dirty ditty from Lady Gaga. They slow it down and make it a show number, even moreso than Gaga herself does in acoustic performances. The implications, er, aren't great (the song's originally about bisexuality...and this is a mother and daughter...), but neither are the implications of "Endless Love," my favorite duet of the show. Sometimes, for Glee, you've gotta suspend disbelief for what is truly amazing.
Sorry that part of this turned into a venting session, and it should not be taken as a statement of dislike for the show in any fashion. There's just no such thing as a perfect show, and since, unlike with the awful pregnancy plotlines last fall, no one is pointing out exactly how disappointing this Jesse/Shelby plotline really is, I thought I would.
And just in case anyone had any further confusion, I think the article written in Newsweek was absolute slime with absolutely no basis in fact. The author, a self-professed gay man, needs to take some time to realize exactly how stupid he sounds. But as is so often the case, upon hearing criticism born from a place of hatred, respondents choose to canonize the criticized: namely, Groff. Sadly, while Groff may be undeserving of the writer's criticism because of his sexuality, he is deserving of criticism because of his acting.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Gleeful Part One: Let's Duet
As my second-favorite new show comes to an end in the next two weeks (sorry, but The Good Wife occupies the top rung), I thought paying tribute to the first season of the cultural phenomenon Glee. Through a series of four posts, I'll discuss my favorite performances from the cast in four categories: favorite guest performances, favorite solos, favorite group performances, and today's entry, best duets.
Glee amazes me with its ability to elevate songs to a different level simply because of how it's staged and performed. The greatest example of this, for me, is "Dream On" from two weeks ago, performed by Matthew Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris. Done as a showdown song, with the two Broadway veterans attempting to out scream each other on that legendary final Steven Tyler note, it hit a new level of awesome that seems to only be reachable in Glee World.
But you won't find that performance on this list. (I wouldn't be reaching to say you'll see it on the guest performances list, though...) What follows are my favorite duets from this season.
(NOTE: While I won't count Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, or Olivia Newton-John's duets in this category, I will count Kristin Chenoweth and Jonathan Groff simply because their characters are much more intertwined into the storyline of the show. Also: Chenoweth accounts for three of the best duets. Sue me.)
Honorable Mentions
"Defying Gravity" - Lea Michele & Chris Colfer
While not truly a duet, it was recorded as one, and a damn good one too. There's always been a lot of debate about whether Michele's technically perfect portion was better or worse than Colfer's impassioned performance, but I'm just fine enjoying both on this track, thanks.
"4 Minutes" - Chris Colfer & Amber Riley
Madonna's most recent hit is, let's be honest, an awful song. It sounded like a desperate woman trying to get her youth back. So you'd figure this duet would be similarly desperate. Hardly, actually: it's Colfer's best performance on the show, and Riley absolutely tears it up!
"Maybe This Time" - Kristin Chenoweth & Lea Michele
There aren't words in the human language to describe Chenoweth's performance here. Michele holds her own, sure, but Chenoweth rips this song to shreds. If it were a solo, it would be in my top three. Unfortunately, the mixing between the two singers isn't great, so it falls short of my top three duets. It's still a powerhouse vocal, though.
"Hello" - Lea Michele & Jonathan Groff
I at first thought this nothing but a pale imitation of another duet on the show (that just happens to be my No. 1 duet...), but when I bought the most recent soundtrack, I learned to love this Lionel Richie duet. It works great, and the second chorus in particular is ridiculously good. It literally just missed the top three.
The Top Three
3. "The Boy is Mine" - Amber Riley & Naya Rivera
Brandy and Monica couldn't have done it better. Rivera is quickly becoming one of the strongest vocalists on the show, and I'm sure next season when she and Heather Morris (dimwitted Brittany) get promoted to series regulars, she'll get even more moments to shine. This duet was brilliantly done, with Riley showing off exactly why everyone loves her: her powerhouse voice just can't be denied.
2. "One Less Bell to Answer / A House is Not a Home" - Kristin Chenoweth & Matthew Morrison
One of the show's signature mashups, these Burt Bacharach tunes first put together by Barbra Streisand are the perfect match for Chenoweth and Morrison. So much of it is beautifully sung, but for me, it's the interlude of "House" that Chenoweth nails and the final slow burn note that hits an amazingly high pitch that really make the song one of Glee's best.
1. "Endless Love" - Lea Michele & Matthew Morrison
Yeah, the whole thing has unfortunate implications. And it's a cheesy song, sure. But damn if Michele and Morrison don't absolutely tear it apart. It's better than any other version of this song ever, and it's a testament to this show and the singers that it holds up incredibly well on repeat listenings. Truly a masterpiece.
Glee amazes me with its ability to elevate songs to a different level simply because of how it's staged and performed. The greatest example of this, for me, is "Dream On" from two weeks ago, performed by Matthew Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris. Done as a showdown song, with the two Broadway veterans attempting to out scream each other on that legendary final Steven Tyler note, it hit a new level of awesome that seems to only be reachable in Glee World.
But you won't find that performance on this list. (I wouldn't be reaching to say you'll see it on the guest performances list, though...) What follows are my favorite duets from this season.
(NOTE: While I won't count Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, or Olivia Newton-John's duets in this category, I will count Kristin Chenoweth and Jonathan Groff simply because their characters are much more intertwined into the storyline of the show. Also: Chenoweth accounts for three of the best duets. Sue me.)
Honorable Mentions
"Defying Gravity" - Lea Michele & Chris Colfer
While not truly a duet, it was recorded as one, and a damn good one too. There's always been a lot of debate about whether Michele's technically perfect portion was better or worse than Colfer's impassioned performance, but I'm just fine enjoying both on this track, thanks.
"4 Minutes" - Chris Colfer & Amber Riley
Madonna's most recent hit is, let's be honest, an awful song. It sounded like a desperate woman trying to get her youth back. So you'd figure this duet would be similarly desperate. Hardly, actually: it's Colfer's best performance on the show, and Riley absolutely tears it up!
"Maybe This Time" - Kristin Chenoweth & Lea Michele
There aren't words in the human language to describe Chenoweth's performance here. Michele holds her own, sure, but Chenoweth rips this song to shreds. If it were a solo, it would be in my top three. Unfortunately, the mixing between the two singers isn't great, so it falls short of my top three duets. It's still a powerhouse vocal, though.
"Hello" - Lea Michele & Jonathan Groff
I at first thought this nothing but a pale imitation of another duet on the show (that just happens to be my No. 1 duet...), but when I bought the most recent soundtrack, I learned to love this Lionel Richie duet. It works great, and the second chorus in particular is ridiculously good. It literally just missed the top three.
The Top Three
3. "The Boy is Mine" - Amber Riley & Naya Rivera
Brandy and Monica couldn't have done it better. Rivera is quickly becoming one of the strongest vocalists on the show, and I'm sure next season when she and Heather Morris (dimwitted Brittany) get promoted to series regulars, she'll get even more moments to shine. This duet was brilliantly done, with Riley showing off exactly why everyone loves her: her powerhouse voice just can't be denied.
2. "One Less Bell to Answer / A House is Not a Home" - Kristin Chenoweth & Matthew Morrison
One of the show's signature mashups, these Burt Bacharach tunes first put together by Barbra Streisand are the perfect match for Chenoweth and Morrison. So much of it is beautifully sung, but for me, it's the interlude of "House" that Chenoweth nails and the final slow burn note that hits an amazingly high pitch that really make the song one of Glee's best.
1. "Endless Love" - Lea Michele & Matthew Morrison
Yeah, the whole thing has unfortunate implications. And it's a cheesy song, sure. But damn if Michele and Morrison don't absolutely tear it apart. It's better than any other version of this song ever, and it's a testament to this show and the singers that it holds up incredibly well on repeat listenings. Truly a masterpiece.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tired of Oscar? Try Emmy! Now Available in Gold.
It's getting closer to summer, which means one thing to those of us who are insanely awards-minded: the Emmys. Honoring every niche in the world of television, the brutal reality of it is that only certain categories are worth caring about. What follows is my dream Emmy ballot.
REALITY
Get the useless genre out of the way first, I guess. There are three categories here.
Best Reality Competition Series
What once used to be among my favorite categories is now an annoyance to me. I'd love to see Top Chef win, but it will inevitably go to The Amazing Race... American Idol and Project Runway, perennial nominees, had terrible seasons. So I guess my dream ballot consists of one winner: Chef.
Best Reality Series, Non-Competition
Is it too much to ask that the inane, trashy/fantastic Real Housewives of Atlanta be nominated here? It's campy, fun, and insanely watercooler chattable, which is everything a good reality show should be. That's about all this category has to offer, sadly.
Best Reality Competition Host
This, to me, belongs to either Heidi Klum of Project Runway or Padma Lakshmi and the fantastic Tom Collichio of Top Chef. Since the former wasn't exactly on her game this past season, give it to the two judges of my favorite reality competition.
COMEDY
It's not my favorite set of categories, but anything's better than that reality shlock. There are seven categories here.
Best Comedy Series
Glee and 30 Rock are tops on the air right now, and one should win. I'd also love to see nominations for Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and Community. I would love to see the increasingly unfunny The Office get snubbed, but that won't happen.
Best Lead Comedy Actor
Well, the category belongs to Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock, but I would love to see Joel McHale nominated for Community. Nominated, not win. Let's not get crazy.
Best Lead Comedy Actress
Tina Fey, of course, would get one of my nominations (now there's a shock). Lea Michele would too, for Glee, and I'd even give one to Cougar Town's Courtney Cox. (No Modern Family nominations here or in Lead Actor can be attributed by the cast's idiotic decision to go entirely supporting. Sweet, but truly idiotic.)
Best Supporting Comedy Actor
Jack McBrayer is routinely fantastic on 30 Rock, and it's time we properly recognized him. However, I'd say all challengers will have a tough time with Chris Colfer, Glee's resident powerhouse young actor, if he can get nominated for such an unconventional role. If he gets nominated, though, and submits this week's Lady Gaga-centric episode as one of his entries, he's won. Eric Stonestreet and Danny Pudi are both great scene-stealers on their respective comedies, and are far more likely to be nominated. (Pray that Entourage's Jeremy Piven gets passed over...)
Best Supporting Comedy Actress
Jane Lynch is Glee's greatest star, and gives a weekly clinic on what comedy truly is. Yvette Nicole Brown and Allison Brie of Community are both cute and do great work. Katrina Bowden is truly GENIUS as Cerie Xerox, useless assistant, on 30 Rock, but the more likely nomination (and the more deserving one) from that show is for Jane Krakowski, who has turned Jenna Maroney from an utterly intolerable moron into an absolute riot. And Sofia Vergara has officially ousted 30 Rock's Salma Hayek as my favorite hilariously Hispanic actress. (That's not racism, by the way: they really used their ethnicities to create brilliant comedy.)
Best Guest Comedy Actor
Michael Sheen as recurring Liz Lemon love interest Wesley Snipes (really) on 30 Rock was brilliantly pesky. Neil Patrick Harris was a lot of fun as Bryan Ryan on Glee's best episode, and his duet on "Dream On" with series star Matthew Morrison was amazing. But this belongs to Glee's most unlikely star: former Yes, Dear star Mike O'Malley. On a musical dramedy, O'Malley brings the drama, providing the most brutally honest and realistic portrayal of Burt Hummel, a supportive father of a gay teenager in television history. He should, will, and absolutely deserves to win the Emmy here. He could enter four different episodes and still win. He's genius every time he's on the show. It never feels cliché or dishonest. It feels true.
Best Guest Comedy Actress
Elizabeth Banks is brilliant as Jack Donaghy's newest girlfriend (and baby mama!) on 30 Rock. Heather Morris and Naya Rivera are the perfect cheerleaders on Glee, and Morris in particular turned into the most quotable characters on television (sometimes even moreso than Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester!). Kristin Chenoweth was such a joy to watch during both of her appearances on Glee that it's hard to see her getting snubbed here. Not only was her performance comedically gifted, hearing her "Maybe This Time," "Home," or "Alone" shows how her musical talent truly elevates her performance.
DRAMA
Ah, the real stuff. Not because drama is better than comedy, but because there's more quality drama on television than comedy these days. There are also seven categories here.
Best Drama Series
Mad Men should have a very difficult time this year fending off the newbie, The Good Wife, and the (likely, sadly) departing veteran Damages. All three shows had absolutely amazing seasons, with Wife's acting and writing being a breath of fresh air for the procedural genre. In fact, I'm not sure if I wouldn't give my win to Wife, too, but then I consider the last three episodes of Men this season, each of which packed more wallop than most shows get in throughout their entire series runs. Finally, Damages finally reclaimed its Season 1 glory, and in the best way. I just think that series (?) finale was insufficient, sadly.
Best Lead Drama Actor
Bryan Cranston, last year's winner, certainly does great work on Breaking Bad, but I want to see either Mad Men's Jon Hamm win after his beautiful work this season that finally proved to me that he can go so far beyond the stiff-upper-lip affect he had for the first two seasons (seriously, that episode when Betty confronted him, and he broke down? Absolute brilliance), or the extremely overdue Hugh Laurie, who shined in a down season for House, especially in its two-hour season premiere.
Best Lead Drama Actress
Julianna Marguiles redefined the procedural's protagonist with an amazing portrayal of wronged wife Alicia Florrick. This was a woman for the 21st century: one who didn't allow herself the time to pout over her husband's infidelity, instead doing what she needed to for her kids. The performance is one for the ages, as is the show. That's not to say Kyra Sedgwick isn't still overdue for her Emmy for The Closer, or that Glenn Close doesn't deserve a third for her absolutely amoral alter ego Patty Hewes on Damages. Should a nod go to January Jones? I'm not a big fan of her personally, but her performances in this season of Mad Men were nothing short of incredible. The work gets the nomination, not the person.
Best Supporting Drama Actor
Vincent Kartheiser and John Slattery are both equally deserving for their work on Mad Men, as are Martin Short and Campbell Scott for Damages, though Short would be my winner. In the "underappreciated" division, J.K. Simmons of The Closer and Robert Sean Leonard of House definitely qualify.
Best Supporting Drama Actress
I fell in love with a fictional character this season: tough-as-nails The Good Wife investigator Kalinda Sharma, played with such fire and enigma by Archie Panjabi. It's hard for me to consider anyone else for the win but Elisabeth Moss, so inspiring and revolutionary as Mad Men's Peggy Olson, but I then look not too far and see Joan Holloway Harris herself, Christina Hendricks, and wonder why that redheaded bombshell hasn't been nominated yet. Another egregious oversight: never nominating the brilliant Lisa Edelstein, who, thanks to a Cuddy-centric episode this season of House, should finally get her recognition. Two lawyers also in need of recognition: Rose Byrne, who more than holds her own against no less than Glenn Close on Damages and so often comes out of the battle as the victor, and the sometimes over-the-top Christine Baranski, who actually brought a beautiful subtlety to Diane Lockhart that I wound up loving as much as I loved Baranski by the end of the season.
Best Guest Drama Actor
Ted Danson is always brilliant in Damages, and even though he was less astounding this year, he was still Emmy-worthy. If he doesn't see a nomination, it'll be a crime. Even more of a crime would be ignoring the brilliant Alan Cumming as The Good Wife's political mastermind. His scene with a scheming 16-year old girl alone would be enough to win it for him. Also from that brilliant program is Mr. Big himself, Chris Noth, who acted brilliantly while both scheming and repenting all season as bad husband Peter Florrick. The Good Wife also had Gary Cole as ballistics expert McVeigh, a truly brilliant counterpart for Diane Lockhart. Finally, Jared Harris as British ax-man Lane Pryce was beyond incredible on Mad Men, and this season simply wouldn't have worked without him.
Best Guest Drama Actress
Lily Tomlin in Damages was a brilliant puppetmistress. And Mary McDonnell's performance in The Closer was nothing short of deliciously evil, especially when spouting vicious, self-centered bile like "My investigation must come first!" Both of them deserve nods, but the win should go to young Kiernan Shipka, a wünderkind on Mad Men at such a young age. (Also from Men: Allison Brie, also a dream nominee for me for Community!) I would also love to see Martha Plimpton nominated for her brilliant two-episode stint on The Good Wife as opposing counsel. She was just pitch-perfect.
So those are some of my favorites for the Emmys this season. Who are yours? Let me know in the comments section!
(Also: if anyone is wondering where my hatred for the reality categories came from, let's just say that Crystal Bowersox didn't win American Idol tonight, and I'm not taking it well. Stupid paint salesman...)
REALITY
Get the useless genre out of the way first, I guess. There are three categories here.
Best Reality Competition Series
What once used to be among my favorite categories is now an annoyance to me. I'd love to see Top Chef win, but it will inevitably go to The Amazing Race... American Idol and Project Runway, perennial nominees, had terrible seasons. So I guess my dream ballot consists of one winner: Chef.
Best Reality Series, Non-Competition
Is it too much to ask that the inane, trashy/fantastic Real Housewives of Atlanta be nominated here? It's campy, fun, and insanely watercooler chattable, which is everything a good reality show should be. That's about all this category has to offer, sadly.
Best Reality Competition Host
This, to me, belongs to either Heidi Klum of Project Runway or Padma Lakshmi and the fantastic Tom Collichio of Top Chef. Since the former wasn't exactly on her game this past season, give it to the two judges of my favorite reality competition.
COMEDY
It's not my favorite set of categories, but anything's better than that reality shlock. There are seven categories here.
Best Comedy Series
Glee and 30 Rock are tops on the air right now, and one should win. I'd also love to see nominations for Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and Community. I would love to see the increasingly unfunny The Office get snubbed, but that won't happen.
Best Lead Comedy Actor
Well, the category belongs to Alec Baldwin of 30 Rock, but I would love to see Joel McHale nominated for Community. Nominated, not win. Let's not get crazy.
Best Lead Comedy Actress
Tina Fey, of course, would get one of my nominations (now there's a shock). Lea Michele would too, for Glee, and I'd even give one to Cougar Town's Courtney Cox. (No Modern Family nominations here or in Lead Actor can be attributed by the cast's idiotic decision to go entirely supporting. Sweet, but truly idiotic.)
Best Supporting Comedy Actor
Jack McBrayer is routinely fantastic on 30 Rock, and it's time we properly recognized him. However, I'd say all challengers will have a tough time with Chris Colfer, Glee's resident powerhouse young actor, if he can get nominated for such an unconventional role. If he gets nominated, though, and submits this week's Lady Gaga-centric episode as one of his entries, he's won. Eric Stonestreet and Danny Pudi are both great scene-stealers on their respective comedies, and are far more likely to be nominated. (Pray that Entourage's Jeremy Piven gets passed over...)
Best Supporting Comedy Actress
Jane Lynch is Glee's greatest star, and gives a weekly clinic on what comedy truly is. Yvette Nicole Brown and Allison Brie of Community are both cute and do great work. Katrina Bowden is truly GENIUS as Cerie Xerox, useless assistant, on 30 Rock, but the more likely nomination (and the more deserving one) from that show is for Jane Krakowski, who has turned Jenna Maroney from an utterly intolerable moron into an absolute riot. And Sofia Vergara has officially ousted 30 Rock's Salma Hayek as my favorite hilariously Hispanic actress. (That's not racism, by the way: they really used their ethnicities to create brilliant comedy.)
Best Guest Comedy Actor
Michael Sheen as recurring Liz Lemon love interest Wesley Snipes (really) on 30 Rock was brilliantly pesky. Neil Patrick Harris was a lot of fun as Bryan Ryan on Glee's best episode, and his duet on "Dream On" with series star Matthew Morrison was amazing. But this belongs to Glee's most unlikely star: former Yes, Dear star Mike O'Malley. On a musical dramedy, O'Malley brings the drama, providing the most brutally honest and realistic portrayal of Burt Hummel, a supportive father of a gay teenager in television history. He should, will, and absolutely deserves to win the Emmy here. He could enter four different episodes and still win. He's genius every time he's on the show. It never feels cliché or dishonest. It feels true.
Best Guest Comedy Actress
Elizabeth Banks is brilliant as Jack Donaghy's newest girlfriend (and baby mama!) on 30 Rock. Heather Morris and Naya Rivera are the perfect cheerleaders on Glee, and Morris in particular turned into the most quotable characters on television (sometimes even moreso than Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester!). Kristin Chenoweth was such a joy to watch during both of her appearances on Glee that it's hard to see her getting snubbed here. Not only was her performance comedically gifted, hearing her "Maybe This Time," "Home," or "Alone" shows how her musical talent truly elevates her performance.
DRAMA
Ah, the real stuff. Not because drama is better than comedy, but because there's more quality drama on television than comedy these days. There are also seven categories here.
Best Drama Series
Mad Men should have a very difficult time this year fending off the newbie, The Good Wife, and the (likely, sadly) departing veteran Damages. All three shows had absolutely amazing seasons, with Wife's acting and writing being a breath of fresh air for the procedural genre. In fact, I'm not sure if I wouldn't give my win to Wife, too, but then I consider the last three episodes of Men this season, each of which packed more wallop than most shows get in throughout their entire series runs. Finally, Damages finally reclaimed its Season 1 glory, and in the best way. I just think that series (?) finale was insufficient, sadly.
Best Lead Drama Actor
Bryan Cranston, last year's winner, certainly does great work on Breaking Bad, but I want to see either Mad Men's Jon Hamm win after his beautiful work this season that finally proved to me that he can go so far beyond the stiff-upper-lip affect he had for the first two seasons (seriously, that episode when Betty confronted him, and he broke down? Absolute brilliance), or the extremely overdue Hugh Laurie, who shined in a down season for House, especially in its two-hour season premiere.
Best Lead Drama Actress
Julianna Marguiles redefined the procedural's protagonist with an amazing portrayal of wronged wife Alicia Florrick. This was a woman for the 21st century: one who didn't allow herself the time to pout over her husband's infidelity, instead doing what she needed to for her kids. The performance is one for the ages, as is the show. That's not to say Kyra Sedgwick isn't still overdue for her Emmy for The Closer, or that Glenn Close doesn't deserve a third for her absolutely amoral alter ego Patty Hewes on Damages. Should a nod go to January Jones? I'm not a big fan of her personally, but her performances in this season of Mad Men were nothing short of incredible. The work gets the nomination, not the person.
Best Supporting Drama Actor
Vincent Kartheiser and John Slattery are both equally deserving for their work on Mad Men, as are Martin Short and Campbell Scott for Damages, though Short would be my winner. In the "underappreciated" division, J.K. Simmons of The Closer and Robert Sean Leonard of House definitely qualify.
Best Supporting Drama Actress
I fell in love with a fictional character this season: tough-as-nails The Good Wife investigator Kalinda Sharma, played with such fire and enigma by Archie Panjabi. It's hard for me to consider anyone else for the win but Elisabeth Moss, so inspiring and revolutionary as Mad Men's Peggy Olson, but I then look not too far and see Joan Holloway Harris herself, Christina Hendricks, and wonder why that redheaded bombshell hasn't been nominated yet. Another egregious oversight: never nominating the brilliant Lisa Edelstein, who, thanks to a Cuddy-centric episode this season of House, should finally get her recognition. Two lawyers also in need of recognition: Rose Byrne, who more than holds her own against no less than Glenn Close on Damages and so often comes out of the battle as the victor, and the sometimes over-the-top Christine Baranski, who actually brought a beautiful subtlety to Diane Lockhart that I wound up loving as much as I loved Baranski by the end of the season.
Best Guest Drama Actor
Ted Danson is always brilliant in Damages, and even though he was less astounding this year, he was still Emmy-worthy. If he doesn't see a nomination, it'll be a crime. Even more of a crime would be ignoring the brilliant Alan Cumming as The Good Wife's political mastermind. His scene with a scheming 16-year old girl alone would be enough to win it for him. Also from that brilliant program is Mr. Big himself, Chris Noth, who acted brilliantly while both scheming and repenting all season as bad husband Peter Florrick. The Good Wife also had Gary Cole as ballistics expert McVeigh, a truly brilliant counterpart for Diane Lockhart. Finally, Jared Harris as British ax-man Lane Pryce was beyond incredible on Mad Men, and this season simply wouldn't have worked without him.
Best Guest Drama Actress
Lily Tomlin in Damages was a brilliant puppetmistress. And Mary McDonnell's performance in The Closer was nothing short of deliciously evil, especially when spouting vicious, self-centered bile like "My investigation must come first!" Both of them deserve nods, but the win should go to young Kiernan Shipka, a wünderkind on Mad Men at such a young age. (Also from Men: Allison Brie, also a dream nominee for me for Community!) I would also love to see Martha Plimpton nominated for her brilliant two-episode stint on The Good Wife as opposing counsel. She was just pitch-perfect.
So those are some of my favorites for the Emmys this season. Who are yours? Let me know in the comments section!
(Also: if anyone is wondering where my hatred for the reality categories came from, let's just say that Crystal Bowersox didn't win American Idol tonight, and I'm not taking it well. Stupid paint salesman...)
Who? Who Killed Samantha?
After an AP exam-induced break from blogging, I'm back to lament a great show shoved off the air by its network simply because the network couldn't figure out where to put it: Samantha Who?, the Christina Applegate-anchored sitcom about a pretty blonde amnesiac trying to reform her image post-car accident.
Applegate was winningly charming as Samantha Newly, the centerpiece of a warm, fun ensemble that included The Nines' Melissa McCarthy as former and new (it's complicated) best friend Dena, Crash's Latina cop Jennifer Esposito as the absolutely killer scene-stealing drunkard Andrea (that's Ahn-drea, not Ann-drea), 24's former First Lady Jean Smart, Vicky Cristina Barcelona blank slate Kevin Dunn, deadpan doorman Tim Russ, and 7th Heaven's eldest son Barry Watson. Each of them is infinitely better here than in any of their other projects, with Smart (deservedly) winning an Emmy for her role as Samantha's mother.
The acting ensemble was fantastic, but it was the writing, which could always have lapsed into goofy and overly-broad but always stayed smart and insanely funny, that really made this show great. It had more pacing than either Glee or 30 Rock has, and remained similarly funny, if not as over-the-top as those two programs. Not only that, but it knew the strengths of each of its players and played to those strengths, something Rock didn't really understand until halfway through its second season (and that Glee still doesn't understand, or else it wouldn't have Mr. Schuester rap...).
Why I'm bashing so hard on those two shows, despite them being two of my favorite shows on the air, is because in both of their cases, they were allowed the time to grow and gain an audience despite poor initial ratings. Samantha had great ratings behind Dancing With The Stars, yet was tossed from time slot to time slot until ABC eventually had enough of an excuse to cancel it. Of course, with shows like Modern Family, it sure seemed like they made the right decision, but if you think about it, how was Scrubs' awful last season or the dreadfully rated Better Off Ted more worthy of pickup than this gem?
For all the networks that are excited about their new fall lineups (which, I'll admit, actually look very good), they should remember that sometimes, a show takes a while to get off the ground. When they come across the instant hit that Samantha was, they shouldn't take it for granted.
Applegate was winningly charming as Samantha Newly, the centerpiece of a warm, fun ensemble that included The Nines' Melissa McCarthy as former and new (it's complicated) best friend Dena, Crash's Latina cop Jennifer Esposito as the absolutely killer scene-stealing drunkard Andrea (that's Ahn-drea, not Ann-drea), 24's former First Lady Jean Smart, Vicky Cristina Barcelona blank slate Kevin Dunn, deadpan doorman Tim Russ, and 7th Heaven's eldest son Barry Watson. Each of them is infinitely better here than in any of their other projects, with Smart (deservedly) winning an Emmy for her role as Samantha's mother.
The acting ensemble was fantastic, but it was the writing, which could always have lapsed into goofy and overly-broad but always stayed smart and insanely funny, that really made this show great. It had more pacing than either Glee or 30 Rock has, and remained similarly funny, if not as over-the-top as those two programs. Not only that, but it knew the strengths of each of its players and played to those strengths, something Rock didn't really understand until halfway through its second season (and that Glee still doesn't understand, or else it wouldn't have Mr. Schuester rap...).
Why I'm bashing so hard on those two shows, despite them being two of my favorite shows on the air, is because in both of their cases, they were allowed the time to grow and gain an audience despite poor initial ratings. Samantha had great ratings behind Dancing With The Stars, yet was tossed from time slot to time slot until ABC eventually had enough of an excuse to cancel it. Of course, with shows like Modern Family, it sure seemed like they made the right decision, but if you think about it, how was Scrubs' awful last season or the dreadfully rated Better Off Ted more worthy of pickup than this gem?
For all the networks that are excited about their new fall lineups (which, I'll admit, actually look very good), they should remember that sometimes, a show takes a while to get off the ground. When they come across the instant hit that Samantha was, they shouldn't take it for granted.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Look for The Nines
Let me preface this post by saying this: you are about to hear me at my most fanboyish.
Some time last year, I stumbled upon a review in an old issue of Entertainment Weekly for a movie called The Nines. I had never heard of the movie, but it starred Ryan Reynolds (my favorite actor) and Melissa McCarthy of Samantha Who? (Spoiler Alert: expect a Samantha post sometime in the near future), so I decided to pick it up.
If you've read my old Favorite Films blog post (check it out here: ), you'll know that I'm a fan of The Nines, but that small description isn't enough to describe all the nuances and metaphysics of this truly amazing film.
I'll say this first, though: despite all the gushing that is forthcoming, The Nines isn't a perfect film. There are small failures, but they're all forgivable, because they're all byproducts of the film's ambition.
Now, onto the gushing. (SPOILER ALERT! If you've never seen it but wanna remain surprised, don't read this.) That ambition is why this film is so phenomenal. Director John August takes the most risks and chances within one 90-minute film I've ever seen. Utilizing a miniscule cast of three each in three different roles (Reynolds is the star, with McCarthy and the fantastic Hope Davis of In Treatment's second season supporting him), plus the much better than her sister Elle Fanning in a small part that might actually be the most mystifing of them all.
The conceit is this: what if there were beings with god-like powers that, in effect, could control the universe while simultaneously coexisting in it? Reynolds' character, known as 'G,' is one of these. He's a Nine, a name derived from his place of power. As McCarthy's first character, Margaret, explains it, if a true god is a ten on a one to ten scale, G is a nine. Davis also plays a Nine, presumably named 'S' (since, like Reynolds' character names all start with G, hers all start with S), hellbent on removing him from the worlds he has created and returning to a nonhuman existence. 'M,' McCarthy's character, is a human (a Seven; koalas are Eights, naturally) who exhibits Nine-like behaviors and is, in part, a personification of G's desire to stay in his created worlds.
The story takes place in three parts and three different universes. The first and second universes are actually somehow linked, while the third universe is actually a "real life" version of the television show prominently featured in the second universe.
(If you didn't notice earlier, SPOILER ALERT. It's about to get really spoilery.)
The first universe sees G's first alter ego, Gary, a popular television actor whose wife leaves him, get placed under house arrest after unintentionally burning down his own house while drunk. There's a certain level of eerieness to the whole affair, with notes that Gary didn't write but are somehow in his own handwriting showing up, barking coming from nowhere, and the protagonist seeing shadows of someone who looks suspiciously like himself.
He meets the next door neighbor, Sarah (Davis), who openly flirts with him and even gets him to break his order to be alone in the house, which leads to a ridiculous but awesome rendition of Peggy Lee's late '60s fatalistic tune "Is That All There Is?" as she seduces him. However, things don't end well, which leads Gary to go on a drunken escapade and run-in with Fanning's Noelle character, a mute who seemingly only talks in sign language, leads him to becoming roommates with Margaret, his PR handler.
Over time, after several references to the number nine, Gary grows suspicious of Margaret and almost takes Sarah's offer of help. Ultimately, Margaret explains to Gary what he is: a Nine, a semiultimate being with the power to "create a world on a whim." He learns that he is not one being, but several existing at the same time. In a fit of disbelief, he breaks his house arrest barrier and accidentally destroys the universe. (Which should make anyone on house arrest think twice about breaking it. I'm looking at you, Martha Stewart circa 2005.)
The second part, perhaps the best part, depicts Gavin (Reynolds again), a television writer, working on a pilot for a show called Knowing, something of a Lost-esque show. He casts Melissa McCarthy (played by, er, Melissa McCarthy) as the lead, which goes sour when she tests poorly. The studio executive, Susan (Davis), appears to be helping Gavin, but eventually, it is revealed that she has been trying to separate he and Melissa, just as Sarah was trying to separate Gary and Margaret.
It should be noted that this part also has a musical performance from McCarthy, singing the old Oliver! number "As Long As He Needs Me." Strangely enough, though The Nines isn't a musical, its two musical performances are highlights of the film. However, less should be said about this one than "Is That All There Is?" because McCarthy, really through no fault of her own, doesn't put in the emotion she should into this performance. August made a bad choice here: though McCarthy actually has a lovely voice and the song is a classic, it just doesn't fit the scene very well.
After a hostile showdown with Susan in a hotel lobby that even has a callback to "Is That All There Is?" Gavin storms out and begins to yell at the cameras following him around for a reality show based on the drama around making the pilot. However, as a woman we find to be more than familiar (she was in the first part as well) tells him, there are no cameras. He's been imagining them. Suddenly, sevens begin hovering above everyone around him, with a nine hovering above him. It is this that leads to the "game" being quit by an unknown gamer, which leads into the third universe.
In the final part, Gabriel (you guessed it, Reynolds) and his wife, Mary (McCarthy, naturally) are stranded with their daughter, Noelle, in the middle of the forest after their Prius' starter dies. (Environmentalism is fun, kiddies, until you're left stranded because your hybrid dies.) Mary stays with their mute daughter, Noelle (yes, the same Noelle from the other two parts), while Gabriel searches for help and runs into Sierra, Davis' final characterization and S' final incarnation.
This part is actually the pilot that was being filmed in the second part, which should throw the audience for even more psychological and metaphysical loops. How was G acting as Gabriel in the pilot while still being Gavin the writer? You could also ask how Gavin and Gary coexisted in the same house without ever seeing each other beyond a small shadow, after all. G's existence in all universes while none of the universes exist at once is only one of the huge obstacles facing anyone who wants to fully understand this wonderfully frustrating (or frustratingly wonderful?) film.
S stages an intervention for G, spiking his water with GHB and attempting to get him to return to being a Nine and leave the human existence behind. After 90 versions of the universe and 4,000 years playing human, S makes his peace with M and decides to return to Nine-dom. He breaks the green yarn bracelet we saw G making in the first scene, and the universe melts away.
As a parting gift for M, G leaves her in the best of all possible worlds, with Noelle as her (non-mute) daughter, her real-life husband, Ben Falcone, who appeared in part two, married to her, and living in Gavin/Gabriel's home.
It's a movie you can't watch only once and will keep you guessing every time. One of my greatest questions, however, is this: who is the "good" guy and who is the "bad" guy? Obviously, M and S are supposed to be one or the other. Since 'G' would seem to signify God, you would have to imagine that 'M' and 'S' stand for similar titles. Would 'S' be Satan? Her behaviors would certainly lend themselves to being a dark figure, but as we find out at the end, she's actually trying to help G, not harm him. Would the 'S' be for Seraphim, then? And does that make M the evil one? Is her keeping G in his created universe an act of malice? Or is 'M' supposed to stand for Madonna? Or Mary? It's all so frustrating it can make your head spin.
I can't seem to talk about the film without talking in circles, so I'm really just going to stick to what I know best: the acting, the writing, and then a special note about Davis' musical performance.
The acting is equally matched, with Reynolds doing some of his best work. McCarthy brings a charm to every part she plays, but in the first part especially, she absolutely shines. Used to playing opposite quirky women (Lauren Graham's Lorelai Gilmore, Christina Applegate's Samantha Newly), McCarthy is a formidable opponent for Davis, standing by her man no matter what incarnation he's currently in. And Davis is a wonder in her three roles, bringing a power and ferocity to each that is almost undeniable.
The writing is very good. Amazingly so, actually, considering the difficult task of continually teasing the audience without revealing too much. It does leave several unanswered questions, and it feels somewhat as though August didn't check the parts against each other to make sure everything was explained. But that's just a byproduct of his ambition, as mentioned earlier, so it's forgivable.
A quick thought about "Is That All There Is?" There's no doubt the song is fatalistic (horrifyingly so), with lyrics like "I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire. I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames. And when it was over, I said to myself, 'Is that all there is to a fire? Is that all there is?'" So why does Sarah sing it to Gary? I think it's supposed to reflect her inhumanity and his as well. For them, there are no wonders in this world. They create the wonders. That boredom is what causes Gary to keep resetting and restarting the worlds. That's my best guess, anyway. It's an incredibly intriguing performance.
If you've gotten to this point in the blog post, chances are either A) you've seen The Nines, or B) you just had the entire movie spoiled for you. Don't let either situation stop you from watching it again. It's a fantastic movie that will keep you continually guessing until the end and long afterwards. In a world where copycat movies like "The Losers," "The A-Team," and "The Expendables," all of which are, um, the exact same film, dreck like "Killers," and endless sequels like the upcoming fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" can be made and everyone goes to see them, no questions asked, it's sad to see a movie like The Nines get ignored.
Some time last year, I stumbled upon a review in an old issue of Entertainment Weekly for a movie called The Nines. I had never heard of the movie, but it starred Ryan Reynolds (my favorite actor) and Melissa McCarthy of Samantha Who? (Spoiler Alert: expect a Samantha post sometime in the near future), so I decided to pick it up.
If you've read my old Favorite Films blog post (check it out here: ), you'll know that I'm a fan of The Nines, but that small description isn't enough to describe all the nuances and metaphysics of this truly amazing film.
I'll say this first, though: despite all the gushing that is forthcoming, The Nines isn't a perfect film. There are small failures, but they're all forgivable, because they're all byproducts of the film's ambition.
Now, onto the gushing. (SPOILER ALERT! If you've never seen it but wanna remain surprised, don't read this.) That ambition is why this film is so phenomenal. Director John August takes the most risks and chances within one 90-minute film I've ever seen. Utilizing a miniscule cast of three each in three different roles (Reynolds is the star, with McCarthy and the fantastic Hope Davis of In Treatment's second season supporting him), plus the much better than her sister Elle Fanning in a small part that might actually be the most mystifing of them all.
The conceit is this: what if there were beings with god-like powers that, in effect, could control the universe while simultaneously coexisting in it? Reynolds' character, known as 'G,' is one of these. He's a Nine, a name derived from his place of power. As McCarthy's first character, Margaret, explains it, if a true god is a ten on a one to ten scale, G is a nine. Davis also plays a Nine, presumably named 'S' (since, like Reynolds' character names all start with G, hers all start with S), hellbent on removing him from the worlds he has created and returning to a nonhuman existence. 'M,' McCarthy's character, is a human (a Seven; koalas are Eights, naturally) who exhibits Nine-like behaviors and is, in part, a personification of G's desire to stay in his created worlds.
The story takes place in three parts and three different universes. The first and second universes are actually somehow linked, while the third universe is actually a "real life" version of the television show prominently featured in the second universe.
(If you didn't notice earlier, SPOILER ALERT. It's about to get really spoilery.)
The first universe sees G's first alter ego, Gary, a popular television actor whose wife leaves him, get placed under house arrest after unintentionally burning down his own house while drunk. There's a certain level of eerieness to the whole affair, with notes that Gary didn't write but are somehow in his own handwriting showing up, barking coming from nowhere, and the protagonist seeing shadows of someone who looks suspiciously like himself.
He meets the next door neighbor, Sarah (Davis), who openly flirts with him and even gets him to break his order to be alone in the house, which leads to a ridiculous but awesome rendition of Peggy Lee's late '60s fatalistic tune "Is That All There Is?" as she seduces him. However, things don't end well, which leads Gary to go on a drunken escapade and run-in with Fanning's Noelle character, a mute who seemingly only talks in sign language, leads him to becoming roommates with Margaret, his PR handler.
Over time, after several references to the number nine, Gary grows suspicious of Margaret and almost takes Sarah's offer of help. Ultimately, Margaret explains to Gary what he is: a Nine, a semiultimate being with the power to "create a world on a whim." He learns that he is not one being, but several existing at the same time. In a fit of disbelief, he breaks his house arrest barrier and accidentally destroys the universe. (Which should make anyone on house arrest think twice about breaking it. I'm looking at you, Martha Stewart circa 2005.)
The second part, perhaps the best part, depicts Gavin (Reynolds again), a television writer, working on a pilot for a show called Knowing, something of a Lost-esque show. He casts Melissa McCarthy (played by, er, Melissa McCarthy) as the lead, which goes sour when she tests poorly. The studio executive, Susan (Davis), appears to be helping Gavin, but eventually, it is revealed that she has been trying to separate he and Melissa, just as Sarah was trying to separate Gary and Margaret.
It should be noted that this part also has a musical performance from McCarthy, singing the old Oliver! number "As Long As He Needs Me." Strangely enough, though The Nines isn't a musical, its two musical performances are highlights of the film. However, less should be said about this one than "Is That All There Is?" because McCarthy, really through no fault of her own, doesn't put in the emotion she should into this performance. August made a bad choice here: though McCarthy actually has a lovely voice and the song is a classic, it just doesn't fit the scene very well.
After a hostile showdown with Susan in a hotel lobby that even has a callback to "Is That All There Is?" Gavin storms out and begins to yell at the cameras following him around for a reality show based on the drama around making the pilot. However, as a woman we find to be more than familiar (she was in the first part as well) tells him, there are no cameras. He's been imagining them. Suddenly, sevens begin hovering above everyone around him, with a nine hovering above him. It is this that leads to the "game" being quit by an unknown gamer, which leads into the third universe.
In the final part, Gabriel (you guessed it, Reynolds) and his wife, Mary (McCarthy, naturally) are stranded with their daughter, Noelle, in the middle of the forest after their Prius' starter dies. (Environmentalism is fun, kiddies, until you're left stranded because your hybrid dies.) Mary stays with their mute daughter, Noelle (yes, the same Noelle from the other two parts), while Gabriel searches for help and runs into Sierra, Davis' final characterization and S' final incarnation.
This part is actually the pilot that was being filmed in the second part, which should throw the audience for even more psychological and metaphysical loops. How was G acting as Gabriel in the pilot while still being Gavin the writer? You could also ask how Gavin and Gary coexisted in the same house without ever seeing each other beyond a small shadow, after all. G's existence in all universes while none of the universes exist at once is only one of the huge obstacles facing anyone who wants to fully understand this wonderfully frustrating (or frustratingly wonderful?) film.
S stages an intervention for G, spiking his water with GHB and attempting to get him to return to being a Nine and leave the human existence behind. After 90 versions of the universe and 4,000 years playing human, S makes his peace with M and decides to return to Nine-dom. He breaks the green yarn bracelet we saw G making in the first scene, and the universe melts away.
As a parting gift for M, G leaves her in the best of all possible worlds, with Noelle as her (non-mute) daughter, her real-life husband, Ben Falcone, who appeared in part two, married to her, and living in Gavin/Gabriel's home.
It's a movie you can't watch only once and will keep you guessing every time. One of my greatest questions, however, is this: who is the "good" guy and who is the "bad" guy? Obviously, M and S are supposed to be one or the other. Since 'G' would seem to signify God, you would have to imagine that 'M' and 'S' stand for similar titles. Would 'S' be Satan? Her behaviors would certainly lend themselves to being a dark figure, but as we find out at the end, she's actually trying to help G, not harm him. Would the 'S' be for Seraphim, then? And does that make M the evil one? Is her keeping G in his created universe an act of malice? Or is 'M' supposed to stand for Madonna? Or Mary? It's all so frustrating it can make your head spin.
I can't seem to talk about the film without talking in circles, so I'm really just going to stick to what I know best: the acting, the writing, and then a special note about Davis' musical performance.
The acting is equally matched, with Reynolds doing some of his best work. McCarthy brings a charm to every part she plays, but in the first part especially, she absolutely shines. Used to playing opposite quirky women (Lauren Graham's Lorelai Gilmore, Christina Applegate's Samantha Newly), McCarthy is a formidable opponent for Davis, standing by her man no matter what incarnation he's currently in. And Davis is a wonder in her three roles, bringing a power and ferocity to each that is almost undeniable.
The writing is very good. Amazingly so, actually, considering the difficult task of continually teasing the audience without revealing too much. It does leave several unanswered questions, and it feels somewhat as though August didn't check the parts against each other to make sure everything was explained. But that's just a byproduct of his ambition, as mentioned earlier, so it's forgivable.
A quick thought about "Is That All There Is?" There's no doubt the song is fatalistic (horrifyingly so), with lyrics like "I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire. I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames. And when it was over, I said to myself, 'Is that all there is to a fire? Is that all there is?'" So why does Sarah sing it to Gary? I think it's supposed to reflect her inhumanity and his as well. For them, there are no wonders in this world. They create the wonders. That boredom is what causes Gary to keep resetting and restarting the worlds. That's my best guess, anyway. It's an incredibly intriguing performance.
If you've gotten to this point in the blog post, chances are either A) you've seen The Nines, or B) you just had the entire movie spoiled for you. Don't let either situation stop you from watching it again. It's a fantastic movie that will keep you continually guessing until the end and long afterwards. In a world where copycat movies like "The Losers," "The A-Team," and "The Expendables," all of which are, um, the exact same film, dreck like "Killers," and endless sequels like the upcoming fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" can be made and everyone goes to see them, no questions asked, it's sad to see a movie like The Nines get ignored.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Long As They Can See The Light
UPDATE: I took out one particular comment out, specifically calling Austin American-Statesman reporter Dale Roe an idiot. Honestly, anyone who has the time to come to a lowly little blog like mine and comment (and compliment my writing, to boot) is no idiot in my book!
In all honesty, I apologize for that comment and to anyone who was offended. I consider myself to be good-spirited while blogging, and should not have jumped to conclusions. (But seriously, I have a Statesman reporter commenting on this tiny blog of mine! That's awesome!)
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I felt this season of American Idol was in serious jeopardy after beyond-underwhelming semifinals shows and few standout talents beyond frontrunners Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus.
What a difference a few weeks makes.
This week's episode of Idol, in which the Top 9 performed the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, was one of the highest rated ever according to absolutely must-read Idol site WhatNottoSing.com. Coming in at an average 59.7 point score, the Lennon/McCartney episode is ranked No. 8 in the database of every Idol episode. It also came far ahead of either Lennon/McCartney episode in season 7, and the first of those is considered among the top Idol episodes ever with some critics (though the numbers indicate that those critics' memories aren't quite accurate).
This week, contestants Casey James, Tim Urban, and Katie Stevens all had their highest-rated performances in the live shows, with the former, James, the clear favorite of the episode and the latter, Stevens, having a moment similar to season 7 third-place finisher Syesha Mercado's performance of "Yesterday," another Lennon/McCartney song. Stevens' powerful, pitch-perfect vocal on "Let It Be" was my personal favorite of the night, even if the numbers don't agree (she would have come in 3rd as far as WNTS.com's ratings are concerned, behind James and Bowersox, but in front of Magnus).
Even contestants who hit lows didn't come close to their lowest. Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Michael Lynche, and Aaron Kelly were more "average" than "terrible," and Lynche's performance, plus his phenomenal reprise of his signature "This Woman's Work" on Wednesday, saved him from elimination thanks to the one-time-use Judges' Save.
In fact, each week of Idol season 9 has actually signaled a trend upwards since the first week of semifinals, save the Billboard #1's week, which was very, very, very low (average WNTS rating: 41, ouch). However, with the theme changing from "Teen Idols" about halfway through the week, it seems as though that particular disaster was an exception, not the rule. (Though I will forever treasure that week for giving me Garcia's tragic performance of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" in which he helpfully pointed at his ear on the word "heard" so as to let the audience at home know which bodily orifice deals with his sense of hearing. Thanks, Andrew, for that anatomy lesson.)
But I truly think this season is on its way up, and while it won't be the highest-rated season ever, it will be one of the most enjoyable. A few notes for each contestant, as well as the judges, Ryan Seacrest, and the show on the whole, on making it even more enjoyable, follow.
The Frontrunner: Crystal Bowersox
Bowersox no longer needs to prove to anyone how good she is. She's delivered nothing but stellar performances for seven straight weeks, her lowest coming in at a 78 (higher than most contestants' highest performances!) and her highest for a sexy, sultry version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's (you read that right: sexy CCR) "Long As I Can See The Light." Personally, my favorite Bowersox was "Midnight Train to Georgia" on piano, as opposed to her trusty guitar.
What Bowersox must do now is something so completely out of the box that everyone steps back and says "Hey!" It need not even be a particularly good performance, though something tells me that everything she sings turns to gold. "Mad World" showed us last season how dramatically restrained Adam Lambert could be--something like an acoustic "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" or knocking something current out of the park, something like when Nathaniel Rogers did "Disturbia" during last season's Hollywood week. But more performances that are technically good but not showstopping, and we could see a Melinda Doolittle-style backlash brewing for Bowersox.
Signature Tune: "Long As I Can See The Light"
Weak Point: "Come Together*"
*Not from a statistical standpoint: that'd be "Hand In My Pocket." But it wasn't the most original performance, and something of a half-baked one.
The Wild Card: Siobhan Magnus
Name the most iconic performance this season. How many of you said "Paint It Black*," by none other than Magnus? Not surprising, considering her interpretation so veered off of the original Rolling Stones recording and became something iconic all its own. Her vocal may not have been steady the whole time, but it was powerful, dramatic, interesting, and, yes, showstopping. And her high note, first introduced to us on "Think," was beautifully done.
However, Magnus needs to make sure she always picks the right song. True, she's done it almost every time. But the two times she didn't, with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," it really hurt her. Making standards all kinds of brilliant works for her, and this week's "Across the Universe" was no exception. And the emotion she showed in talking about her sisters was a huge humanizer, making her relatable for the audience. Trust me, that's half the battle.
Signature Tune: "Paint It Black"
Weak Point: "Through the Fire"
*"Paint It, Black" is the actual title of "Paint It Black," but the Rolling Stones have made it clear that the comma was unintentional and added by their record label. So I won't use it.
The Unsure Rocker: Lee DeWyze
I get a little frustrated when talking about DeWyze, because I feel that this guy has so much potential but doesn't realize it. All of his performances have been lacking in confidence, even though some of them have been pretty good. R&B week's "Treat Her Like a Lady" was amazing, actually.
So when he finally gains some confidence, what does he do? Have a bagpipe player come out during "Hey Jude," all the while acting like a cocky asshole. He was back to his worrywart self on results night, facing being in the Bottom 3, but it was a major turnoff. He needs to learn to moderate himself.
Signature Tune: "Treat Her Like a Lady"
Weak Point: "Hey Jude"
The Consistent One: Casey James
I want to like James. I really do. I can appreciate how well he sang (technically) on this week's "Jealous Guy," or how good he was the first week out on "Heaven" when everyone else was still struggling. I also like that he's been ridiculously consistent all season, always scoring in the same small range.
But James needs to learn that he needs all the performances to be "Jealous Guys." Actually, they need to be better. He needs to convince the audience that he has a personality behind his chiseled chest, long blond hair, and electric guitar skills. Not only that, but he needs to prove that he could be a contemporary artist today. I just don't think that's the case right now.
Signature Tune: "Jealous Guy"
Weak Point: "I Don't Want to Be"
The Saved: Michael Lynche
I will be the first to say I was rooting (quite hard actually) for the judges to save Lynche this past week. I think that there are so many more that deserve to go home before him, and I applaud that he took a real risk with "Eleanor Rigby" this week, even if it wasn't technically a brilliant performance. And his "This Woman's Work" is up there next to Maxwell's famous cover of the Kate Bush song.
What Lynche really needs to work on is not letting his "lovable" personality grate on people. For some reason, despite really strong performances like "Work" and India.Arie's "Ready for Love," Lynche just isn't connecting with the audience enough to bolster his ratings above a relatively low 79. And he was technically eliminated this week; thank goodness for the Judges' Save. Something isn't working with Lynche, so I hope he figures out what he needs to change to really turn it on. Because it needs to happen fast. Like, this week. Remember, two are going home this week.
Signature Tune: "This Woman's Work"
Weak Point: "This Love"
The Starlet in the Making: Katie Stevens
Stevens has never been my favorite, but this week, she won me over hard. Her "Let It Be" was beautiful, she had a couple of great personality moments, and she proved that she does indeed belong in this crop.
But she needs to step it up if she wants to keep that momentum going. She needs more moments like "Be" every week, and she needs to prove that she is just as good as the two other women in the Top 9. Which she isn't, of course, but she just needs to fake it.
And Katie, sweetheart? Don't cover a Kelly Clarkson song if you don't have the vocal chops for it. In fact, just don't cover a Clarkson. She's the standard-bearer for Idol, and all others should stay the hell away from her impressive catalog.
Signature Tune: "Let It Be"
Weak Point: "Breakaway"
The Ragamuffins: Andrew Garcia, Tim Urban, Aaron Kelly
With nine left, only six really deserve to be there. These are the three that don't. They all have ratings that fall below or at 40 on WNTS.com, and none have had a very impressive moment (I don't count proper identification of body parts as a "moment," Garcia). In fact, Garcia and Kelly have mostly skated by on the judges' sometimes superfluous praise of mediocre performances. Urban has skated by because he's the singing equivalent of that puppy you found on the side of the road when you were four and your mommy wouldn't let you keep. He's what you want, but also what you can't have. (That's because he probably has rabies, kids.)
If any of these three want to survive past this week (always a possibility that two of them will, but at least one will be caught up in the double elimination), they need to get better. Fast. Do something different, like gender-swapping a song, or going way outside their comfort zone. But none of these three can win. And I'm sick of bloggers perpetuating VoteForTheWorst.com's theory that Urban can win the competition. He can't. It didn't happen with Sanjaya Malakar, it didn't happen with Kristy Lee Cook, and it didn't happen with John Stevens. He won't win. It won't happen. Don't get nuts. It may not go to Bowersox or Magnus, but then it'll go to DeWyze or James. Urban has absolutely no shot at the title, and neither does Garcia. Nor Kelly.
The show on the whole needs to keep the themes relevant, and pick themes where the songs will actually get cleared (Teen Idols to Billboard #1s was a bit of a disaster, after all). The judges are doing all right, considering their usual incompetence. After all, Ellen DeGeneres isn't Heidi Klum, Kara DioGuardi isn't Nina Garcia, Simon Cowell isn't Michael Kors, and Randy Jackson isn't that rotating guest judge no one listens to. (Oh, wait, yes, he is.) But Simon needs to wake up, Ellen needs to learn to balance the funny and the constructive (something she seems to be learning every week), Kara needs to stick to her actually incredibly intelligent critiques and stop flirting with Simon, and Randy...needs to hush.
Same for Ryan Seacrest. I don't know of one person that actually likes him, to be frank. He's a placeholder, albeit a better than average one, but his showdowns with Simon this season have been ridiculous. He needs to leave himself out of the proceedings.
I'm actually excited to see where Idol goes from here. If you've stopped watching because you think it's gotten unwatchable, tune back in. You might be pleasantly surprised.
In all honesty, I apologize for that comment and to anyone who was offended. I consider myself to be good-spirited while blogging, and should not have jumped to conclusions. (But seriously, I have a Statesman reporter commenting on this tiny blog of mine! That's awesome!)
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I felt this season of American Idol was in serious jeopardy after beyond-underwhelming semifinals shows and few standout talents beyond frontrunners Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus.
What a difference a few weeks makes.
This week's episode of Idol, in which the Top 9 performed the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, was one of the highest rated ever according to absolutely must-read Idol site WhatNottoSing.com. Coming in at an average 59.7 point score, the Lennon/McCartney episode is ranked No. 8 in the database of every Idol episode. It also came far ahead of either Lennon/McCartney episode in season 7, and the first of those is considered among the top Idol episodes ever with some critics (though the numbers indicate that those critics' memories aren't quite accurate).
This week, contestants Casey James, Tim Urban, and Katie Stevens all had their highest-rated performances in the live shows, with the former, James, the clear favorite of the episode and the latter, Stevens, having a moment similar to season 7 third-place finisher Syesha Mercado's performance of "Yesterday," another Lennon/McCartney song. Stevens' powerful, pitch-perfect vocal on "Let It Be" was my personal favorite of the night, even if the numbers don't agree (she would have come in 3rd as far as WNTS.com's ratings are concerned, behind James and Bowersox, but in front of Magnus).
Even contestants who hit lows didn't come close to their lowest. Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Michael Lynche, and Aaron Kelly were more "average" than "terrible," and Lynche's performance, plus his phenomenal reprise of his signature "This Woman's Work" on Wednesday, saved him from elimination thanks to the one-time-use Judges' Save.
In fact, each week of Idol season 9 has actually signaled a trend upwards since the first week of semifinals, save the Billboard #1's week, which was very, very, very low (average WNTS rating: 41, ouch). However, with the theme changing from "Teen Idols" about halfway through the week, it seems as though that particular disaster was an exception, not the rule. (Though I will forever treasure that week for giving me Garcia's tragic performance of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" in which he helpfully pointed at his ear on the word "heard" so as to let the audience at home know which bodily orifice deals with his sense of hearing. Thanks, Andrew, for that anatomy lesson.)
But I truly think this season is on its way up, and while it won't be the highest-rated season ever, it will be one of the most enjoyable. A few notes for each contestant, as well as the judges, Ryan Seacrest, and the show on the whole, on making it even more enjoyable, follow.
The Frontrunner: Crystal Bowersox
Bowersox no longer needs to prove to anyone how good she is. She's delivered nothing but stellar performances for seven straight weeks, her lowest coming in at a 78 (higher than most contestants' highest performances!) and her highest for a sexy, sultry version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's (you read that right: sexy CCR) "Long As I Can See The Light." Personally, my favorite Bowersox was "Midnight Train to Georgia" on piano, as opposed to her trusty guitar.
What Bowersox must do now is something so completely out of the box that everyone steps back and says "Hey!" It need not even be a particularly good performance, though something tells me that everything she sings turns to gold. "Mad World" showed us last season how dramatically restrained Adam Lambert could be--something like an acoustic "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" or knocking something current out of the park, something like when Nathaniel Rogers did "Disturbia" during last season's Hollywood week. But more performances that are technically good but not showstopping, and we could see a Melinda Doolittle-style backlash brewing for Bowersox.
Signature Tune: "Long As I Can See The Light"
Weak Point: "Come Together*"
*Not from a statistical standpoint: that'd be "Hand In My Pocket." But it wasn't the most original performance, and something of a half-baked one.
The Wild Card: Siobhan Magnus
Name the most iconic performance this season. How many of you said "Paint It Black*," by none other than Magnus? Not surprising, considering her interpretation so veered off of the original Rolling Stones recording and became something iconic all its own. Her vocal may not have been steady the whole time, but it was powerful, dramatic, interesting, and, yes, showstopping. And her high note, first introduced to us on "Think," was beautifully done.
However, Magnus needs to make sure she always picks the right song. True, she's done it almost every time. But the two times she didn't, with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," it really hurt her. Making standards all kinds of brilliant works for her, and this week's "Across the Universe" was no exception. And the emotion she showed in talking about her sisters was a huge humanizer, making her relatable for the audience. Trust me, that's half the battle.
Signature Tune: "Paint It Black"
Weak Point: "Through the Fire"
*"Paint It, Black" is the actual title of "Paint It Black," but the Rolling Stones have made it clear that the comma was unintentional and added by their record label. So I won't use it.
The Unsure Rocker: Lee DeWyze
I get a little frustrated when talking about DeWyze, because I feel that this guy has so much potential but doesn't realize it. All of his performances have been lacking in confidence, even though some of them have been pretty good. R&B week's "Treat Her Like a Lady" was amazing, actually.
So when he finally gains some confidence, what does he do? Have a bagpipe player come out during "Hey Jude," all the while acting like a cocky asshole. He was back to his worrywart self on results night, facing being in the Bottom 3, but it was a major turnoff. He needs to learn to moderate himself.
Signature Tune: "Treat Her Like a Lady"
Weak Point: "Hey Jude"
The Consistent One: Casey James
I want to like James. I really do. I can appreciate how well he sang (technically) on this week's "Jealous Guy," or how good he was the first week out on "Heaven" when everyone else was still struggling. I also like that he's been ridiculously consistent all season, always scoring in the same small range.
But James needs to learn that he needs all the performances to be "Jealous Guys." Actually, they need to be better. He needs to convince the audience that he has a personality behind his chiseled chest, long blond hair, and electric guitar skills. Not only that, but he needs to prove that he could be a contemporary artist today. I just don't think that's the case right now.
Signature Tune: "Jealous Guy"
Weak Point: "I Don't Want to Be"
The Saved: Michael Lynche
I will be the first to say I was rooting (quite hard actually) for the judges to save Lynche this past week. I think that there are so many more that deserve to go home before him, and I applaud that he took a real risk with "Eleanor Rigby" this week, even if it wasn't technically a brilliant performance. And his "This Woman's Work" is up there next to Maxwell's famous cover of the Kate Bush song.
What Lynche really needs to work on is not letting his "lovable" personality grate on people. For some reason, despite really strong performances like "Work" and India.Arie's "Ready for Love," Lynche just isn't connecting with the audience enough to bolster his ratings above a relatively low 79. And he was technically eliminated this week; thank goodness for the Judges' Save. Something isn't working with Lynche, so I hope he figures out what he needs to change to really turn it on. Because it needs to happen fast. Like, this week. Remember, two are going home this week.
Signature Tune: "This Woman's Work"
Weak Point: "This Love"
The Starlet in the Making: Katie Stevens
Stevens has never been my favorite, but this week, she won me over hard. Her "Let It Be" was beautiful, she had a couple of great personality moments, and she proved that she does indeed belong in this crop.
But she needs to step it up if she wants to keep that momentum going. She needs more moments like "Be" every week, and she needs to prove that she is just as good as the two other women in the Top 9. Which she isn't, of course, but she just needs to fake it.
And Katie, sweetheart? Don't cover a Kelly Clarkson song if you don't have the vocal chops for it. In fact, just don't cover a Clarkson. She's the standard-bearer for Idol, and all others should stay the hell away from her impressive catalog.
Signature Tune: "Let It Be"
Weak Point: "Breakaway"
The Ragamuffins: Andrew Garcia, Tim Urban, Aaron Kelly
With nine left, only six really deserve to be there. These are the three that don't. They all have ratings that fall below or at 40 on WNTS.com, and none have had a very impressive moment (I don't count proper identification of body parts as a "moment," Garcia). In fact, Garcia and Kelly have mostly skated by on the judges' sometimes superfluous praise of mediocre performances. Urban has skated by because he's the singing equivalent of that puppy you found on the side of the road when you were four and your mommy wouldn't let you keep. He's what you want, but also what you can't have. (That's because he probably has rabies, kids.)
If any of these three want to survive past this week (always a possibility that two of them will, but at least one will be caught up in the double elimination), they need to get better. Fast. Do something different, like gender-swapping a song, or going way outside their comfort zone. But none of these three can win. And I'm sick of bloggers perpetuating VoteForTheWorst.com's theory that Urban can win the competition. He can't. It didn't happen with Sanjaya Malakar, it didn't happen with Kristy Lee Cook, and it didn't happen with John Stevens. He won't win. It won't happen. Don't get nuts. It may not go to Bowersox or Magnus, but then it'll go to DeWyze or James. Urban has absolutely no shot at the title, and neither does Garcia. Nor Kelly.
The show on the whole needs to keep the themes relevant, and pick themes where the songs will actually get cleared (Teen Idols to Billboard #1s was a bit of a disaster, after all). The judges are doing all right, considering their usual incompetence. After all, Ellen DeGeneres isn't Heidi Klum, Kara DioGuardi isn't Nina Garcia, Simon Cowell isn't Michael Kors, and Randy Jackson isn't that rotating guest judge no one listens to. (Oh, wait, yes, he is.) But Simon needs to wake up, Ellen needs to learn to balance the funny and the constructive (something she seems to be learning every week), Kara needs to stick to her actually incredibly intelligent critiques and stop flirting with Simon, and Randy...needs to hush.
Same for Ryan Seacrest. I don't know of one person that actually likes him, to be frank. He's a placeholder, albeit a better than average one, but his showdowns with Simon this season have been ridiculous. He needs to leave himself out of the proceedings.
I'm actually excited to see where Idol goes from here. If you've stopped watching because you think it's gotten unwatchable, tune back in. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Rated S for Swell.
I've become so lazy in my blogging, guys. Seriously, Oscar season ends, and the blogging just tapers off. It's very sad.
I don't blog about music much, primarily because most of the stuff I really enjoy (which actually is pretty varied, as you're about to see), most people hear about way too often anyway. But I'm going to take a crack at blogging about music this week to talk about two albums that I really enjoy from start to finish, which is rare in this single-based world.
The first is an older album: The Swell Season, by, appropriately enough, The Swell Season. The members of the group, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, are perhaps best known for their film Once and the Academy Award-winning song from the film, "Falling Slowly." The beautifully orchestrated anthem about new love is exactly what made me seek out the soundtrack to Once, but because of a price disparity, I instead bought The Swell Season, the group's official debut album, which featured many of the same songs. I'm glad I made the choice I did. The album has very few low watermarks ("Leave" and "The Moon" are the only tracks I generally skip when listening to the album), and its high points are pretty incredible.
There's something soulfully stirring about The Swell Season's instrumentation and vocals. My fondness for the violin is a great fit for The Swell Season, as the emotionally evocative instrument is used beautifully here, especially on "Falling Slowly" and the band's titular track, the instrumental "The Swell Season." If you're looking for a strong vocal from Hansard, you can't find anything better than "When Your Mind's Made Up," one of the more quick-paced choruses on the album. "Drown Out" and "Lies" are both painful melodies that use the piano and violin to great effect. But nothing is better than the Irglova-centric "Alone Apart," which uses every strong suit of The Swell Season's, including a stirring melody and a beautifully evocative vocal. It's the highlight of the album.
In a very different genre, Rihanna, the pop princess from Barbados, released her rock-tinged album Rated R late last year to critical and commercial success. It is her darkest effort yet, and, I would say concomitantly, her best.
It's no secret that Rihanna had a domestic abuse scandal with her boyfriend Chris Brown early last year. While none of the songs directly address the abuse (though the haunting "Russian Roulette" gets pretty damn close), all of the songs are tinged with a dark tone and a maturity rare for Top 40 music.
Your mileage may vary as to your favorite song, because the songs themselves are so disparate in style. If you like a slinky, almost Latin flavor, "Te Amo" is the song for you. If you're looking for a brilliant gangster anthem, check out "G4L." For a hard rock kiss-off featuring no less than Slash on guitar, take a listen to "Rockstar 101." Then there's the stirring "Cold Case Love," the "Take a Bow"-esque "Stupid in Love," and the absolutely hilarious "Rude Boy." My personal favorite is either the creepy album opener "Mad House," the hard-hitting "Wait Your Turn," or "Roulette," a masterpiece unto itself. The best part of "R," however, is that it listens so beautifully as a whole.
These are two albums that anyone can find highlights in, but if you're going to download certain tracks, you can't go wrong with:
- "Alone Apart," the stirring love song
- "Falling Slowly," the Oscar-winning anthem
- "Drown Out," the haunting violin-focused song
- "G4L," the hard-pumping gangster anthem
- "Russian Roulette," the beautifully composed song of lost love
- "Wait Your Turn," a hard-hitting pop ditty
I don't blog about music much, primarily because most of the stuff I really enjoy (which actually is pretty varied, as you're about to see), most people hear about way too often anyway. But I'm going to take a crack at blogging about music this week to talk about two albums that I really enjoy from start to finish, which is rare in this single-based world.
The first is an older album: The Swell Season, by, appropriately enough, The Swell Season. The members of the group, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, are perhaps best known for their film Once and the Academy Award-winning song from the film, "Falling Slowly." The beautifully orchestrated anthem about new love is exactly what made me seek out the soundtrack to Once, but because of a price disparity, I instead bought The Swell Season, the group's official debut album, which featured many of the same songs. I'm glad I made the choice I did. The album has very few low watermarks ("Leave" and "The Moon" are the only tracks I generally skip when listening to the album), and its high points are pretty incredible.
There's something soulfully stirring about The Swell Season's instrumentation and vocals. My fondness for the violin is a great fit for The Swell Season, as the emotionally evocative instrument is used beautifully here, especially on "Falling Slowly" and the band's titular track, the instrumental "The Swell Season." If you're looking for a strong vocal from Hansard, you can't find anything better than "When Your Mind's Made Up," one of the more quick-paced choruses on the album. "Drown Out" and "Lies" are both painful melodies that use the piano and violin to great effect. But nothing is better than the Irglova-centric "Alone Apart," which uses every strong suit of The Swell Season's, including a stirring melody and a beautifully evocative vocal. It's the highlight of the album.
In a very different genre, Rihanna, the pop princess from Barbados, released her rock-tinged album Rated R late last year to critical and commercial success. It is her darkest effort yet, and, I would say concomitantly, her best.
It's no secret that Rihanna had a domestic abuse scandal with her boyfriend Chris Brown early last year. While none of the songs directly address the abuse (though the haunting "Russian Roulette" gets pretty damn close), all of the songs are tinged with a dark tone and a maturity rare for Top 40 music.
Your mileage may vary as to your favorite song, because the songs themselves are so disparate in style. If you like a slinky, almost Latin flavor, "Te Amo" is the song for you. If you're looking for a brilliant gangster anthem, check out "G4L." For a hard rock kiss-off featuring no less than Slash on guitar, take a listen to "Rockstar 101." Then there's the stirring "Cold Case Love," the "Take a Bow"-esque "Stupid in Love," and the absolutely hilarious "Rude Boy." My personal favorite is either the creepy album opener "Mad House," the hard-hitting "Wait Your Turn," or "Roulette," a masterpiece unto itself. The best part of "R," however, is that it listens so beautifully as a whole.
These are two albums that anyone can find highlights in, but if you're going to download certain tracks, you can't go wrong with:
- "Alone Apart," the stirring love song
- "Falling Slowly," the Oscar-winning anthem
- "Drown Out," the haunting violin-focused song
- "G4L," the hard-pumping gangster anthem
- "Russian Roulette," the beautifully composed song of lost love
- "Wait Your Turn," a hard-hitting pop ditty
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)