One Prog-Metal Show and Two Films to Digest (haha)

A few weeks ago, yes I'm late on concert updates as well, I went to see the progressive/experimental metal band, The Contortionist, in Portland with a buddy of mine. We had decided to check out this show for a couple of reasons: 1) we had just seen the incredible live show of Between the Buried and Me and 2) the singer was from a previously local hardcore band. I have to admit, I hadn't heard any of The Contortionist's music prior to this show, but still, I was intrigued. And, once they started playing, I loved it. Their song structure is incredible. The length of the songs can stretch rather long, but because they can vary in range and time signature, you find yourself listening closely.

I found their setlist from a show a few day's prior to their show in Portland and I feel like it's rather similar. Check it out, and watch the videos!

1. Primordial Sound 
2. Causality 
3. Flourish 
4. Integration 
5. Thrive 
6. Geocentric Confusion 
7. Holomovement 
8. The Parable 
9. Encore:
9. Language I: Intuition 
10. Language II: Conspire 

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"Silence of the Lambs"
starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Kasi Lemmons, Anthony Heald, Scott Glenn
directed by: Jonathan Demme
written by: Thomas Harris

Wow! Just wow! Before one of the favorite films, "Seven," came this incredible feature directed by Jonathan Demme (whom now I wonder if he can make a bad film, just look at his resume).

FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster)—expert marksman, double major in psychology and criminology—is an up-and-coming student at Quantico. Special Agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) singles her out for an "interesting errand:" interview notorious serial killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) as part of an ongoing FBI profiling project. "And you're to tell him nothing personal, Starling," warns Crawford. "Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head."

But Dr. Lecter has other plans. At first, he sees Starling as little more than a "cheap rube," but his masterful perception detects something more in this rookie. He tests her, offers her tantalizing clues, and sets her on a collision course with a vicious monster: the brutal killer known to the authorities as Buffalo Bill.

The lynchpin of the narrative is the complex character of Hannibal Lecter. Anthony Hopkins owns the role, imbuing Lecter with a sense of depth and menace commensurate with his more complex portrayal in Harris' second novel in what has now become a trilogy. Lecter takes on an almost mythic status: a being of almost pure free will, above the simple categories of human psychology: "Oh Agent Starling, do you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool?" he asks dismissively in reference to her questionnaire. Hopkins never blinks during his time on screen: Lecter sees and judges everything. He tests and punishes those found wanting, offering Starling a succession of tests to prove her worth. Is he an arbiter of order (a brilliant psychiatrist, cultured and highly organized) or an agent of chaos (a cannibalistic serial killer who acts on whim)? Or is he both? Hannibal Lecter's fascinating complexity marks him as one of the most successful fictional monsters in 20th century literature.

Demme's direction is a skillful balance of his b-movie training (his mentor Roger Corman even shows up in a cameo), a more intimate, character-driven film, and glimpses of a traditional Hollywood thriller. Consider a scene like Starling's dark journey to Lecter's cell: gritty, realistic sets and a sordid atmosphere (hallmarks of an exploitation film) are combined with controlled performances by Foster and Hopkins, as Lecter's riveting gaze sizes up his new toy, and Starling struggles to maintain her composure and turn the tables. The result elevates a simple "main characters meet" scene to a mythic level: our hero enters the underworld to face judgment. Demme and Tally remain faithful to Harris' perfectly plotted novel, but embellish slightly. Images of America (flags, Tom Petty's song "American Girl") add the sense that the condition of Starling and her battle against monsters is the condition of America itself. Buffalo Bill (the name of a quintessential American "hero," who was also really an egocentric exploiter) lurks at the heart of the country, and you might be his next victim.

This film and its success belongs to Anthony Hopkins. I read somewhere that When Hannibal Lecter and Clarice meet for the first time, Hopkins improvised making fun of Foster's attempt at a southern accent and her genuine disgust for realizing that is captured in the film, which just adds to the myth of Hopkins as a true character-actor/method actor. To go back to another film I love, "Seven," Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter is like Kevin Spacey's methodical/crazy (?) deadly sin killer, and Foster's Clarice is like Brad Pitt's youthful, energetic detective character. These are two of my favorite thrillers. So great!
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"Reign Over Me"
starring: Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Robert Klein
written and directed by: Mike Binder

Let all who enter this film be forewarned: it's truly depressing, like I mean, seriously, there's no iota of funny or comic relief (even given Adam Sandler). This film will make you cry (when you're not angry at writer/director Mike Binder, whose previous film, "The Upside of Anger" is fantastic).

"Only love can bring the rain," is a line from the original song by the Who, "Love Reign O'er Me" from their fantastic rock opera album, Quadrophenia.

Charlie Fineman (Sandler), who, in contrast with his surname, is anything but fine. Having lost his wife and children on 9/11, he quit his job as a dentist and now – several years after 9/11 – wanders the streets of Manhattan on an electric scooter with ear-encasing headphones clamped to his head to block out – what? The past? The future? He only brims with life when discussing arcane music references, playing the video game Colossus on his wide-screen TV, or during a Mel Brooks marathon at the cinema. But then he runs across Alan Johnson (Cheadle), his old roommate from dental school, who takes it upon himself to try to resuscitate his friend, and in the process, also winds up reviving his own life, which has been growing stale. Despite being a story about life in New York post-9/11, the film does not dwell on the tragedy. Binder is more interested in piercing “the mind of the married man” (to employ the title of his career-making HBO series). Again adopting a dramatic persona, Sandler shows his desire to do more than be a Happy Gilmore for the rest of his career. His work here is decent, though hardly revelatory, but his game is raised several notches by Cheadle’s masterful presence. Cheadle takes what could have been a role as a mere foil and creates a rich portrait of a vaguely discontented married man. Yet the drama sputters once it reaches a contrived and melodramatic climax that feels undernourished and artificial – both less than and more than one had hoped for. Reign Over Me is disjointed and needlessly sentimental, though its whole often compensates for its sketchy parts.

I did enjoy this film, even though it got terrible reviews when it came out. It's an interesting dissection of human psyche when given tragedy. Adam Sandler gives it a valiant effort as he appears to be making a name for himself in more dramatic roles (much like Jim Carrey did later in his career as well), because no one can be funny/goofy all the time. We all grow up, and growing up hurts sometimes.