A reaction to recent films and a score
Over the past few weeks I’ve seen some remarkable films. One rockumentary, Heima and two indie drama / thrillers, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. I’ve also been listening to the soundtrack for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which was composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of the Bad Seeds. The films combined with the audio effects of Cave and Ellis’s masterpiece has caused a deep sense of joy, remorse and sorrow for humanity as a whole.
But I’m not one to see the negative side of things, unlike Mr. Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis’ character in There Will Be Blood). The pure feeling I get when watching the films or listening to the soundtrack, whether it be of remorse or joy, is a true testament to their creators.
In Heima, the film was more than just about the music of Sigur Ros it was about the comfort of being home with friends and family.
In No Country For Old Men we come face to face with a psychotic killer who can’t understand why people think he doesn’t need to kill them when in his mind it was so perfectly clear why they must be killed - to get out of his way.
In There Will Be Blood we also come face to face with a psycho but in this case he’s not as blunt at first about his killer instincts. At first, the audience sees him as a tough guy on top but underneath the tough shell is a kind soul who cares for his son and their future. But in the end, we find out that is all untrue and the reality is something so grotesque and so vulgar that it’s almost impossible to comprehend his thought process. I’m still trying to get that final scene out of my head. To make the audience go from laughing to sheer fright at what just happened is not only a testament to the writers themselves but also to the power of Daniel Day Lewis. So far, this was the best piece of acting I’ve seen in 2008 and that’s a tough thing to say after seeing the breakout performance of Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men.
And finally, the score written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. When I first got the press kit for the soundtrack, the bio reads, “Cave and Ellis have delivered a soundtrack that retains its captivating power, even without the benefit of the film’s imagery.” After popping it in for the first spin, I was immediately drawn in by the flow of the piano keys, the slow burn of the violin, the rhythmic lines of the cello. I had seen previews and clips of the movie and that was enough for me to be able to visualize every time I listened to this soundtrack the flow of the movie itself.
I’ve never owned a Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album before and those that are big fans may find it hilarious that my introduction came in the form of a movie soundtrack. But let me tell you, this soundtrack stands very strong on it’s own and I highly recommend those that enjoy listening to classical music or for those just in need of some time to think, grab this one. It is a guaranteed forty four minutes of both aural and imaginative pleasure.
Stream a couple audio clips from the soundtrack to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert For:
“Move On”
“Cowgirl”
Watch the previews for all four films:
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Heima
Read the reviews and find out where they are playing near your town at RottenTomatoes.com
And if you live in Boston, make sure you check out the new indie film website, www.antiplex.com. It was created by the same guys that put tourfilter together.
And make sure to check out the new Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! , to be released on Mute Records on March 3rd in the U.K. and on April 8th on Anti in the U.S. Visit their official website, www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com, and listen to the title track.
Heima Review
It was a damp, cold night and rain was falling all over the icy, snowy streets of Boston. Each step was a testament to the strength of your leg muscles and the quality of your shoes. We slip slided our way in to the Kendell Sq. Theatre and prepared ourselves for a screening of Sigur Ros’s homage to home, Heima.
According to Sigur Ros, the weather last night was just right. In one scene, they’re playing for a relatively large village (in Iceland terms) that was tucked away between a mountain range and located on the edge of a river bank. From the looks of their wool sweaters and caps, the weather seemed damp as well and the fog was rolling in. They were playing outside to their fellow Icelanders and this my friends, was in their eyes, perfect conditions.
Put aside the music for a second, the imagery in this film was above and beyond one of the more stunning movie experiences I’ve been to in awhile. Now add in the ever so dramatic music by Sigur Ros and the combination becomes overwhelming.
If you’re not familiar with this recent release, the scenes were all shot during the summer of 2006 right after their world tour supporting the excellent release of Takk. It was a spontaneous decision to announce a few local shows around the countryside. The announcements were not made outside of Iceland on purpose. They wanted this to be a tribute to their home country and didn’t want to have the outside world come crashing in on the intimate tour. Slowly the spontaneous idea turned in to a once in a lifetime experience caught on film.
If I were to sum up the movie in one word it would have to be “innocence”. From the hundreds of tiny baby shots to the close ups of grandma watching them play, this movie was stooped in innocence. And topping it off were the band members themselves. Here goes my attempt at their Icelandic spelling - Georg “Goggi” Holm, Kjartan “Kjarri” Sveinsson, Orri Pall Dyrason and Jon Por “Jonsi” Birgisso. Jonsi is the timid lead singer you hear belting out the mostly Icelandic, some English and a lot of hopelandic (the Sigur Ros made up languag) on their albums. At times it sounds like whales screaming his pitch is so high. But something we learn about the band in this film is their humorous approach to humanity.
This is especially apparent with Jonsi. His attention to detail why trying to explain his thoughts bring both a smile to your face and a sense of commonality on his outlook on life. A perfect example is how he describes the crowds that show up to their random concerts peformed throughout all the villages and towns in Iceland. He describes how it’s apparent that some are showing up just because it’s a happening and not really for the music. And for Jonsi, this is just as amazing as if they were all coming together to just hear them play. He chuckles and giggles in his boyish way and gives off a crazy vibe but really, he’s just crazy
The movie is currently out on DVD but it has been traveling the theatre circuit here in the United States and elsewhere for a couple months now. I’m very happy I opened up my Myspace account for the first time in who knows how long to see the latest Sigur Ros post on my account - “updated screenings”.
There are only two more screenings in the states that I know of and they are going on tonight in Austin, TX at Dobie Theatre and Seattle, WA at Metro Cinemas.
Download: “Untitled 8″ (On the 2002 album ( ))
Download: “Olsen Olsen” (On the 1999 album agaetis byrjun)
Learn more about Heima from the official website - HERE
Purchase the Heima DVD (perfect Christmas gift for the music and art lover in your family) - Amazon (US) (UK) (Canada)
Visit the official Sigur Ros website and pick up more MP3’s - HERE
