Summary A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school, one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness, and the professor pushes him Genre : Drama/Music Country : USA Cast : Miles Teller : Andrew J.K. Simmons : Fletcher Melissa Benoist : Nicole Director : Damien Chazelle
My opinion
“The truth is, Andrew
I never really had a Charlie Parker. But I tried. I actually fucking tried.”
"Whiplash". You could think that this film tells the story of a drummer (the movie poster is a bit of a spoiler when it comes to this) who has suffered this injury by violently playing his instrument. Or he lost control of his car while drumming rhythmically on the steering wheel and crashed into the car driving in front of him. You could link the movie title to these assumptions, because the arrangements that Andrew (Miles Teller) has to play in this masterful and highly rhythmic film may result in a neck injury. And when it comes to losing that control ... well ... then you should go and watch the movie to find out yourself. Anyway, the film title refers to a song written by the American jazz composer Hank Levy. The central theme of the film is about the influence you can have on someone and drive that person to exceed certain inhuman limits of his own ability. Now, for me you're already a top musician when you know the complete arrangement of "Whiplash" and "Caravan" (written by Duke Ellington) by heart. Even if there's a little mistake here and there or you are little bit offbeat, eventually I will have a boundless admiration for the musician after completing such a superhuman performance.
I've never had such a desire to pull someone through the screen and then smack a huge cymbal against his face as now with the presumably extremely talented music teacher Fletcher, brilliantly played by JK Simmons. A man who lives for his music and has a huge passion for it. It's a bit exaggerated that passion though. Exaggerated to such extent that it exceeds the limit of human dignity and by his passion for creating a perfect musician, his way of teaching tends to be sadomasochistic. A kind of militaristic attitude towards his traumatized and frightened students who are wary of any unexpected outburst. A disrespectful howler, suitable as "drill sergeant" in the US Army, and first-class bully, who suddenly swings around music stands, slaps his students in the face and throws out a member of his orchestra, just because he plays a bit out of tune . Afterwards, the accused doesn't appear to be the culprit, but he's just thrown out of the classroom because he didn't know he wasn't the one playing out of tune. A worse stain on the reputation of a professional musician, according to Fletcher.
That's also what Andrew, an ordinary American teenager who studies at the Shaffer conservatory and whose only envisioned aim is to be the best jazz drummer ever, undergoes. The moment he's being asked to join Fletcher's school orchestra, which only consists of a select group of musicians, it becomes the best day of his life. His confidence gets such a boost that he even overcomes his shyness and dares to ask a girl, who works at the cinema, on a date. That it's subsequently leading to a veritable psychological warfare, goes beyond his wildest dream. Gradually the terror policy of Fletcher drives him to the utmost to meet Fletcher's expectations. Even his relationship with Nicole (Melissa Benoist) is terminated abruptly by him. The love for music is displaced by a bloody battle for a wanted spot in the orchestra. The obsessional takes the upper hand, tending towards self-destruction.
I'm not exactly an expert myself when it's about jazz. And I've read reviews where it's suggested that the essence of jazz is completely misrepresented here : "The idea about jazz in this movie is brought in a grotesque way and looks like a ridiculous caricature". The whole history about Charlie Parker and the anecdote Fletcher tells everytime, apparently isn't exactly true at all. Could be, but for me the jazz section wasn't of essence in the story. It's the emotional and physical brutality that Fletcher uses to bring students to a higher level. In this way Fletcher tries to create "HIS Charlie Parker". The whole movie does follow the rhythm of the used music: uplifting, rhythmic and intense. Only the end was predictable and presented us of course the well known rule that the oppressed kicks the oppressor's ass again. Actually I hoped Andrew would put his drumsticks there where the sun doesn't shine at Fletcher.
The performances of Teller and Simmons are obviously extremely stunning. It took me a while before I realized that I've seen Teller in "That awkward moment". A movie I wanted to forget about as soon as possible. Here, however, I thought he was brilliant. And apparently he's an avid drummer and he did all the drumming himself. Hats off and respect ! But the most brilliant achievement was undoubtedly that of Simmons. What a great character sketch with lots of charisma. A character that scares you. Someone you start to hate thoroughly after a while. But in the end I understood a bit what drove him to this behavior. He won an Oscar for this role and in my opinion well deserved. An energetic musical thriller, with a fairly predictable outcome and which is so extremely rhythmic you can't sit still. Highly recommended!
Summary Gretta and her long-time boyfriend Dave are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan, a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City. Genre : Drama/Music Country : USA Cast : Keira Knightley : Gretta Mark Ruffalo : Dan Adam Levine : Dave Director : John Carney
My opinion
"Are you really an A & R man? You look more like a homeless man."
"Begin Again" is a modern fairy tale in which individuals are about to make a new start in their life and (coincidentally) begin again : the start of a new career, a new relationship, a new image or simply a new personal life. The amount of films with people who are on the brink of disaster, in a desperate situation and then by a twist of fate take control again, is endless. It's the same in this with music filled feel-good movie. Only the chosen princess in this tale, I personally think isn't such a success. Not a bad word about the acting skills of Keira Knightley, but the moment she starts laughing, I feel shivers going down my spine. And she laughs a lot in this film. The choice of Mark Ruffalo as the quarreling hit music producer and full time alcohol drinking future candidate clochard, contrasts sharply with this. An endearing and beautiful rendition. Fortunately, he didn't turn green during a fit of rage.
The whole story starts with an intimate and fragile performance by Gretta (Keira Knightley) in a dingy pub. She has just broken with her boyfriend, the rising star Dave Kohl (Adam Levine) who couldn't resist the temptations of his stardom and leaves his artistic better half for a female producer. Gretta is a songwriter who puts fragments of text and music on paper once and a while, trying to channel her deeper feelings in poppy sounding romantic tunes. At the same time the producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) tries to cope with his own personal problems. He has lost his magic touch of discovering new talent and starts drinking a lot. As a result he's being sacked by his partner and co-founder of the record label. By coincidence he sits at the bar of this pub and he becomes enchanted by the song. Surrounded by a disinterested audience, he's the only one who realizes the potential of Gretta's song. And that's the beginning of the fairy tale.
I've played in a band once and I was also fantasizing about the glory and fame. The attention, the innumerable people who listen to your music and know your song by heart, the number of fans who follow you unconditionally, the feelings you can produce within total strangers and the money we could earn with it. Unfortunately it remained a fantasy because we had two drawbacks: it wasn't exactly commercial music and we didn't live in the US, the country where your dreams can come true and where some poor guy can grow out into a mega-star. Dan hears Gretta's song for the first time and he's touched by the innocence and simplicity. He's the only one who can imagine how a full orchestra could support this with sophisticated arrangements and turn it into a huge hit. For me this was the most successful and imaginative scene. It demonstrates why he was a brilliant music producer. The empathy and the ability to project a simple piece of music to something grander and overwhelming. The music, in my opinion a rough mix of Suzan Vega and Birdy, isn't my favorite genre. But that didn't matter at all. It's a wonderful laid-back movie that makes you feel relaxed.
Unfortunately it's a film which progress is as obvious as that Easter Monday will fall on a Monday. As the dominoes begin to fall, you can predict what direction it's going and what the final outcome will be. The music career of Gretta goes as planned, the characters who lost each other somewhere reunite irrefutable and the decisions taken are as expected. No astonishing developments or unexpected endings. A simple film which gives you a good feeling and contains a positive message. But perhaps it's because my love for music is so big and I agree with the subtly hidden complaint against the music industry nowadays, that I appreciated this film. Today it's only the commercial aspect that counts and not the emotional value. Gretta made this already clear at the beginning of the film : "Sorry, what does beauty got to do with anything? I actually just think that music is about ears not eyes".
I also admire Knightley who seemingly has sung the soundtrack by herself and she did this in a creditable way. She can, although she was out of tune a few times, still start a singing career in case Hollywood would turn its back on her. Also the supporting roles were exceptionally successful. James Corden as the helpful Steve who is musically talented, although his street performances were extremely bad. The ballad via voice mail was actually the musical highlight in this film. The endearing role played by Corden was brilliant. Hailee Steinfeld as Dan's daughter Violett, who's not satisfied with the attitude of her father, was spot on. Take a guess how that will work out ! Ceeloo Green as the savior Troublegum took care of the fun part. But mostly I was surprised by Adam Levine, front-man of Maroon 5 (Not that I knew him because it's not my type of music and I suppose it's reasonable commercial). The practical experience he gained in the music circuit was convenient I guess. I'm still wondering if the name Dave Kohl was a parody on that of the front-man of Foo Fighters. The combination of the singer with little acting experience and the actress with little singing experience was sublime. The only thing I'm sure of is that (and who has experience in sound recordings can confirm it) the recording of the demo will sound pretty lousy when you see what kind of amateurish material they used in a noisy metropolis like New York. For the rest, this was a sympathetic musical film with the versatile and colorful New York City as a setting.
Summary Shortly after the Second World War, Max visits an English pawn shop to sell his trumpet. The shopkeeper recognizes the tune Max plays as one on a wax master of an unreleased recording, discovered and restored from shards found in a piano salvaged from a cruise ship turned hospital ship, now slated for demolition. This chance discovery prompts a story from Max, which he relates both to the shopkeeper and later to the official responsible for the doomed vessel, for Max is a born storyteller. He was befriended by another young man, the pianist in the same band, whose long unlikely name was Danny Boodman T.D. Lemons 1900, though everyone just called him 1900, the year of his birth. Genre : Drama/Music/Romance Country : Italy Cast : Tim Roth : 1900 Pruitt Taylor Vince : Max Tooney Bill Nunn : Danny Boodmann Director : Giuseppe Tornatore Alternative title : La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano
My opinion
“You're never really done for, as long as you've got a good story and someone to tell it to.”
There are some films that, despite having such a miserable long playing time, won't bore you quickly. However, there are films which have a regular playing time and still bore you to death. In the first category I include "The Lord of the Rings", "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "The Shawshank Redemption". You can add "The Legend of 1900" or "La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano", which takes about 165 minutes, to this list, because this is a breathtaking and fascinating masterpiece. A musical journey told in the form of a fairy tale, that grabs you by the throat in the beginning and releases you when the credits start. I'm not really a jazz enthusiast or a piano recitals specialist, but it aroused my musical curiosity. Sometimes it feels as if you are getting musical education and you're actually continuously looking at some virtuosic piano playing like in "Grand Piano". There is however a big difference with the latter. And that's the fact that you stay intrigued and want to watch further so you can see how it unfolds. And you don't need toothpicks so your eyes stay open. It's not a recent film, but there was somebody who was praising this movie on some webpage and I had to see it.
The whole story is told from the perspective of Max Tooney (Pruitt Taylor Vince) who played brass trumpet along with a legendary pianist in an orchestra on a cruiseship called "The Virginian".This legendary pianist once was abandoned by some poor immigrants and was left to be found in the class of the wealthier passengers, probably to ensure his future, but was eventually discovered and adopted by Danny Boodmann (Bill Nunn), a coal-man in the engine room. The young boy was named Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon Nineteen Hundred.Or just plain simply 1900, his year of birth. To avoid problems with certain instances 1900 lived deep in the hull of the cruise ship, until the day Danny died. Then he suddenly disappears. Until he reappears one night, sitting behind a piano and playing it in a wonderful way. He'll become the most virtuoso fabulous pianist in the world who doesn't have the courage to set foot on shore.
"The Legend of 1900" was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and is based on the monologue Novecento of the writer, music critic, saxophonist and occasional actor Alessandro Baricco. Overall, I thought there were three major chapters in this film. The first part can be described as "Oliver Twist on The Titanic." The same atmosphere and guidance as in Titanic, but without an iceberg anywhere, so the crossing to America was completed without a hitch and one could behold the Statue of Liberty after arrival. A kind of Walt Disney-ish part where the first years of 1900 were told in an amusing way. The second part is the largest and most musical part. A series of musical interludes, including the piano duel against Jelly Roll, "The man who invented jazz" as people said, and 1900. Ennio Morricone provided the musical frame. So you know that this is a guarantee for masterful pieces of music. The third part is the most philosophical and tragicomic area. The attempt that Max is doing to get 1900 to leave the old cruise ship before it gets demolished. Three chapters which flow into each other fluently. In the beginning it alternates between the past and the present by means of flashbacks. An engaging, comical and touching film that continues to fascinate and amaze.
TimRoth, who I recently sawstarring in"Broken"andalso has an impressive resumeonhis name,takes care of the lead roleas the adult1900. I think he'sa wonderfulactor whojust has an innatecalmness, interspersed with a truly sad, melancholicposture andgaze.Thechildish amazementabout everyday thingsandthe otherworldlinessare expressed byhimin a simple,unaffected way. He seems like ahumble, timid andkind person, until he usesa heartfelt"asshole". A pianistwho uses his emotions andthe observedcharacteristics of people inhis piano playingand onlylives for hismusic.During a recording that was made by a music company, which would make him world famousandvery rich, you can hear the tone andatmosphere of hispiano performance slowly turninto a very intimatetimbresmerelyby the appearance ofa lovely lady. Eventhe deep philosophicalreasoning in the endsoundedacceptable, although 1900 didn't enjoy academic education. He gave a simplistic though rational explicationabout hisstate of mindandfear of the unknown.
Pruitt Taylor Vince takes on the role of Max, the lone musician who is forced to sell his instrument. He wasn't really known to me. When I read his biography, he seemed to have made quite a furore in the years 80-90. He has won an Emmy for his role in "Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer" and starred in "Mississippi Burning", "Jacob's Ladder" and "Heavy". Eventually after "The Legend of 1900" it looks as if he has been forgotten a bit and only played small parts like in "Beautiful Creatures", "Homefront" and "13 Sins". Probably those parts were so small that I can't even remember them. All in all I found him fitting for this part although there was sometimes a case of overacting and he wasn't really in sync with the rudderless ship during the storm as he was wobbling all over the place. This stormy scene was for me rather too dramatic and slapstick-like. Pretending to be seasick, swaying back and forth and doing the waltzing dance while sitting behind the piano.
Although this film is appropriate for it, it still didn't become an overly grand Hollywood spectacle in which they couldn't resist to use excessively sentimental stuff and exaggerated wide angle action effects. It was sometimes overwhelming and impressive. The moment someone sees the Statue of Liberty and the whole ship starts waving with handkerchiefs and everybody is shouting out of intense joy (while the upper class sticks to a polite subdued applause) was the first goosebumps moment. After the umpteenth time however, despite the successful comedic approach in the end, it was a bit too much. Also the piano duel was a highlight where it was indisputable that 1900 played in such a way that it looked like he was playing with four hands (and the highlight of the smoldering cigarette ofcourse). Yet at one time I had reached a saturation point. A superb duel and brilliant expressions, but still it was excessively long. But these tiny remarks don't outweigh the greatness of this film. Brilliant, excellent movie !
