REVIEWS
MUSIC: Sin Fang Bous, Clangour
Sometimes we must step out of our comfort zone in order to explore the wondrous world of music. In doing so, it's not difficult to discover tunes from around the world, such as Sin Fang Bous' debut release, Clangour.
Hailing from Reykjavik, Iceland, Sindri Mar Sigfusson created Sin Fang Bous as a side project from his previous work with the popular Icelandic band Seabear. Sin Fang Bous seems to be a creative outlet for Sigfusson, as the album's electronic and experimental sounds differ from Seabear's folksy feel.
Clangour blends harmonic pop melodies with an assortment of electronic and acoustic sounds to create one incredibly unique sound. Sigfusson's soft, tranquil vocals are perfectly intertwined with the melodies, and his voice slightly resembles that of Sufjan Stevens. Although Sigfusson is from Iceland, the lyrics are entirely in English, making the music relatable for first-time listeners. There is also excellent texture in the music, with elements of piano, xylophone, guitar and drums coning together in ways one might never have thought possible.
Each song on the album is
unique in its own way.While some songs,like "Advent In Ives Garden" and "Fa Fa Fa" are structurally fundamental and have upbeat pop melodies,others, like "Take Me Up To Smell Pine," are more experimental and take on interesting thematic developments.
Clangour is the type of album you might listen to while sitting at the fireside, reading and sipping coffee on a cold winter day. If you're into Icelandic music like Sigur Rós, or are just looking for some creative new tunes, check out Clangour.
Danny Nordstrom
MOVIE: Synecdoche, New York
Director Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York had an uncommon amount of expectations attached to it for a first-time director. His previous work in screenwriting and storytelling (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) have secured such anticipation.With little doubt, it must be said that these expectations will not be met, but only because this movie won't be at all what you expect. This, I think, is a good thing.
Certain of his imminent death, theater director Caden (Philip Seymour Hoffman) sets out to create a piece that is personal and brutal and truthful. As he mounts his masterwork—a massive recreation of reality in an abandoned warehouse in Manhattan—Caden struggles to keep his life and all the relationships in it from deteriorating. The artwork becomes his life, while his life becomes part of the work. However, this synopsis greatly simplifies the complexities of the conceptual and narrative framework.
Kaufman delivers a unique work that explores art and artifice, life and death. It is a moving and beautiful film with wonderful performances from the entire cast. Writer/director
Kaufman has the ability to capture and focus on the subtle interactions between people. Slight gestures, embarrassed looks and anxious tension are paramount in the construction of this world. It's refreshing to see a film that tackles major cerebral concepts without sacrificing the humanity of its characters. Like Kaufman's other works, it is a depressing, but ultimately hopeful story. Synecdoche, New York is a film to be celebrated and contemplated.
—Darron Carswell
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Movie: Australia
Simultaneously a celebration of the country's culture and history and a mixture of great Australian dramas, Australia rises above director Baz Luhrmann's previous ventures like Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, but doesn't quite live up to the legacy set by the many films it references and tries to resemble.
Luhrmann, who co-wrote the script for Australia, isn't one for exposition, and doesn't let the audience get to know his characters. Fortunately, the rest of the film does not follow suit.
Australia's whirlwind beginning is classic Luhrmann. We meet Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), who travels from her home in England to Australia to get her husband to sell their near-bankrupt cattle farm. She arrives in Australia and meets Drover (Hugh Jackman), a cattle driver-for-hire. All of this takes place in the first 10 minutes.
Upon returning to the farm, Sarah discovers that her husband is dead, and that a magical and freakishly adorable child named Nullah (Brandon Walters) is hiding out on her farm. Sarah eventually decides not to sell the place, and to try and finish her husband's work. In the process, Sarah and Drover fall badly in love.
In addition to the action and romance.
Australia is also a massive cinematic collage. It references the gamut of Australian films, from classics (The Man from Snowy River) to more recent releases (Rabbit-Proof Fence).
Australia is a love letter to the country and its rich culture. Rocky to start and irritating to finish—it has more endings than Return of the King—Australia's saving grace comes from its well-executed middle section, and from a heartbreaking performance by Brandon Walters, who is enchanting as Nullah.
18
Abby Olcese
December 4,2008