Weirdness All Around
Reviews and Comments by Ken Burke
I invite you to join me on a regular basis to see how my responses to current cinematic offerings compare to the critical establishment, which I’ll refer to as either the CCAL (Collective Critics at Large) when they’re supportive or the OCCU (Often Cranky Critics Universe) when they go negative.
Annette (Leos Carax) rated R 140 min.
Opening Chatter (no spoilers): COVID-Delta’s still keeping me out of movie theaters (despite being fully vaccinated, just not trusting the true status of others in such an enclosed space), but if I were going to see something there it would be Flag Day (directed by/starring Sean Penn, also stars his daughter, Dylan Penn) despite poor reviews, but I’ve got a dysfunctional-family-story here to explore this week anyway so I’m probably not losing too much. What immediately jumped out at me among streaming releases, though, is Annette purely on the basis of its lead talent, Adam Driver and (Oscar-winner) Marion Cotillard, even though it’s in my maybe-yes/maybe-no genre of musicals, which I’m more intrigued by if there’s something substantive about the story (this genre has tended to be such in recent decades after its Classic Studio years), certainly the case here as a caustic, cutting-edge comedian enters a career decline while his opera-star wife’s fame continues to grow, leaving him with more of the childcare duties toward their baby daughter, played mostly by a puppet (yes, there are aspects of this film that wouldn’t be out of place in a David Lynch conception); it’s weird yet extremely fascinating in concept and execution. Also free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
However, in picking what I choose to see for review purposes each week most of the finalists aren’t as easily set as Annette given my regular flood of reminders from IMDb, Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Hulu about the many new-release-possibilities available to me, easily as many as are in the theaters, so I need some inspiration to send me further searching through the review sites or other sources of info because there are just too many options to explore in-depth from scratch. Last week what led me to John and the Hole (which has 108 Rotten Tomatoes reviews [just 18 at Metacritic]; however, I’d heard of it through none of those aforementioned sources) was a strong recommendation from a local San Francisco-area critic—the same guy who fortunately also steered me to the equally-obscure-but-marvelous Lorelei (review in our August 12, 2021 posting)—so I thought I’d follow his advice again; this time, I’m not as convinced he pointed me to a diamond in the rough, although John … isn’t like much else you’re likely to see so at least it has that status going for it as sort of a family drama/psychological horror mixture about a teenager who imprisons his family in a deep shaft back of their house (found on several streaming platforms for $5.99-$6.99 rental). Along with … Hole in the Short Takes section I’ll offer suggestions for some choices on the Turner Classic Movies channel (but too much extra text for line-justified-layout like you see here [Related Links stuff at each posting’s end is similarly-ragged], at least to be done by this burned-out-BlogSpot-drone—oh, tedious software!), along with my standard small dose of industry-related-trivia.
Here’s the trailer for Annette:
(Use the full screen button in the image’s lower right to enlarge it; activate
that same button or use the “esc” keyboard key to return to normal size.)
If you can abide plot spoilers read on, but this blog’s intended for those who’ve seen the film or want to save some $. To help any of you who want to learn more details yet avoid those important plot-reveals I’ll identify any give-away sentences/sentence-clusters like this:
⇒The first and last words will be noted with arrows and red.⇐ OK, now continue on if you prefer.
What Happens: In this strangely-structured-musical-drama (which, by chance, I have access to several clips from, so I’ll illustrate these comments as I can; be forewarned, though, the final one in the paragraph just below takes us into the Spoiler zone, with all the singing in any of them done live on set during the shooting, a further break from traditional-production-practice) we begin with the cast and some crew in a recording studio in (what seems to be) Santa Monica, CA singing "So May We Start" in a meta-consciousness-statement that this is a movie about to unfold for us as the singers continue into the streets until our protagonist couple, Henry McHenry (Adam Driver), Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard), go their separate ways—her in a limo-like-van, him on his motorcycle—into L.A. for the night for their individual performances: him as a caustic, edgy-comedian (“the Ape of God,” wearing what seems to be a boxer’s robe) whose act seems so well-known his audience sings questions to him to unleash his angry-diatribe-answers; her a renowned opera soprano who does the same show every night where her character always tragically dies at the end, followed by thunderous applause. After his work’s done, he motors over to watch her finale, kisses her backstage; next day they’re walking in the woods (then riding his bike at night) singing "We Love Each Other So Much," followed by an engagement announcement, marriage. A wrinkle in their seemingly-singular-passion, though, comes with the introduction of a character originally called The Accompanist (Simon Helberg)—later The Conductor as his professional dreams/need for greater fame are realized—because he had an affair with Ann before she met Henry, continues in her professional life with regret; her life is shown with seemingly no other limits, though, as she walks toward the rear of her stage in performance while the forest backdrop suddenly becomes 3-D as she continues deep into it, singing about being afraid but not knowing why prior to her dramatic death scene as she returns to the theatre’s stage (normal limitations of physics don’t hinder this narrative much). Soon, Ann’s had a baby—Annette, played by a puppet (voiced later when she sings by Hebe Griffiths)—but her marriage is shaken by 6 women coming forward to talk of being abused by Henry.
Ignoring these accusations, he motors off to Las Vegas where his act isn’t so well-received (see this clip and this one to watch his fictional-monologue about killing Ann by tickling her to death, the second clip showing his “What’s Your Problem?” response to the audience’s rejection, their retort in “Get Off, Get Off the Stage”) so his career begins to slide as Ann’s continues to soar with him taking more of the childcare role, bitter about it, drinking too much, so they set out on a private yacht cruise hoping to rekindle their love. However, they sail right into a storm, he’s had too much to drink yet wants to waltz with her on the deck amidst the rain and waves, resulting in Ann falling overboard to her death. Henry then rows himself and Annette ashore where Ann’s ghost tells him she’ll haunt him, especially through baby Annette suddenly able to sing with (seemingly) Ann’s voice. Henry’s cleared of any legal responsibility for his wife’s death, then—broke—contacts the Accompanist/ Conductor to go on the road with him as a stage act featuring the surreal baby. ⇒He agrees, Annette’s a worldwide hit, but when Henry comes home one day to find the child singing “We Love Each Other So Much”—a song he considers private between himself and Ann—he’s furious with The Conductor for teaching it to Annette, but the musician counters with an implication he’s Annette’s true father. This leads to a scene where Henry drowns The Conductor, drags his body away, which leads to Annette withdrawing from Henry; in response he plans one huge finale for her career, the halftime show at the Hyperbowl, but instead of singing she says “Daddy kills people,” leading to his arrest and conviction. A few years later, Annette—now as a human child (played by Devyn McDowell)—visits Henry in prison, refuses reconciliation, even has anger at Ann for using her as the instrument of Henry’s punishment, leaves as that discarded Annette doll's on the prison floor.⇐
So What? In Film Studies academic terms (I must miss lecturing, as I often return to it here), a “non-integrated musical” is one in which the singing and/or dancing numbers are performed only by professionals within the story either in rehearsal or on stage for an audience whereas an “integrated musical” allows anyone to express themselves in song/dance at any point without having to be trained in the musical arts. An example of the former is Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972) where there’s only one number done outside of the stage shows at the Kit Kat Klub, a chilling rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” by a Hitler youth at a countryside beer garden where most of the patrons eagerly join in, but even this could be seen as a natural, spontaneous sing-a-long within the context of this serious exploration of the eventual fall of Germany to the Nazis in the mid-1930s. On the other hand, The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939) is totally integrated where all sorts of beings suddenly burst into song about the story’s events, with even Dorothy’s pre-Oz musings about a wonderful life somewhere “Over the Rainbow” not rationalized by anything in her situation, rather it’s just a spontaneous wish set to music foreshadowing her upcoming journey. In the case of Annette the only non-integrated musical numbers are the ones Ann sings on the opera stage; everything else is integrated, to the point of songs not just replacing dialogue in a somewhat-metaphorical-manner but even becoming manifestations of mundane aspects of the realities of situations, as with the movie’s troupe launching into their upcoming action with “So May We Start” or the later-to-be-Conductor, simply explaining who he is or why he matters in his first number: “I’m an Accompanist.”
Similarly, a lot of the dialogue in Annette is sung (for no apparent reason except stylistic-structure) as in operettas, while the interchanges between Henry and his various audiences defy any standard logic but simply become showpieces first confirming his fame, then challenging it. (Woody Allen pushed the integrated musical to a similar point of incredulity in Everyone Says I Love You [1996] by casting actors—including Allen himself—not known for their vocal chops so that, intentionally, as songs sprang from them spontaneously it wouldn’t be a charming experience as in, for instance, Singin’ in the Rain [Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1952]). In the context of Annette, all of this ongoing-weirdness, enhanced with a constant array of marvelous visuals (displaying successful art direction in their design, often using very effective superimpositions), adds up to a unique, captivating, unpredictable experience, even though it displays aspects of borrowing (homage?) to Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)—of course baby Annette even as a puppet isn’t ghastly like the baby in that film—and the various versions of A Star Is Born (1937, 1954, 1976, 2018)—different as well in Annette as it’s the rising star, not the falling one, overtaken by fate. Nevertheless, this strange musical is like little else you’ll ever see, so please give serious consideration to it even if you’re no fan of musicals (like me) or have to just force yourself to go with the flow when narrative logic flies out of the window.
Bottom Line Final Comments: Annette represents one of those situations where the CCAL’s mildly supportive yet I’m much more enthusiastic (hadn’t happened so far this year, as I’ve been in league with them when their numbers were in the 80s or 90s, my disagreements coming as I’ve fallen below many of their more-supportive-stances); the critics at Rotten Tomatoes offer only 71% positive reviews, those at Metacritic come in at their usual lower level (but not by much) with a 66% average score. In an attempt to see better what their hesitations are vs. my willing-embrace I skimmed some reviews, found statements from a guy I respect, James Berardinelli of ReelViews: “A breath of fresh air? Or a pretentious mess? Perhaps a little of both. It’s easy to see why a mainstream viewer might quickly lose patience with Annette but I found the film’s embrace of unconventionality to be bracing and energizing…at least to a point. The problem is that it goes on too long. There comes a point when the weirdness and non-standard storytelling ceases to be effective and becomes a detriment. [...] Nevertheless, Annette dares to be different and, at a time when so many movies feel like cookie-cutter representations of better past tellings, there’s more than a little virtue of taking an offbeat and oddball path, even if the detour is too long and has a few too many potholes.” Thus, his 2½ of 4 rating, representative of those intrigued but not so overwhelmed.
That’s one way to look at it—as I’m sure many would do, especially if musicals aren’t their go-to-genre or, even if they are, Annette’s not the standard assumption of what’s in a musical, even one as socially-snarky as Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002). But, if you’re willing to go into unexplored territory Annette can be fascinating as long as you can buy the premise the songs are intentionally-mundane, again highlighting any musical’s basic attempt to replace dialogue with lyrics but these songs aren’t showstoppers, simply reflections of ordinary bits of verbal interaction they’re replacing (which gets us back to that opening meta-concept where this film in its own way is a satire of musicals even as it allows us to experience nuances within the format we don’t tend to anticipate). However, I like to finish these reviews with a Musical Metaphor chosen to speak to aspects of the film in question so what I’ll give you with Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)” (from his 1961 Lonely and Blue album) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTR2IlAJEyQ is a recognizable (also sing-along-able) tune (unlike the ones in the film) where lyrics such as “Only the lonely Know the heartaches I’ve been through Only the lonely Know I cry and cry for you,” could easily refer to both Ann and Annette as the formerly-successful-cynicism of Henry’s act has morphed into his perpetual isolation. In closing, I’ll note that if for no other reason to see Annette (free as long as you’re an Amazon Prime Video subscriber) you should to immerse yourself in Adam Driver’s performance, my choice—for now at least—as Oscar’s next Best Actor (Cotillard’s already won, as Best Actress in La Vie en rose [Olivier Dahan, 2007], but she doesn’t factor in enough here for such top-consideration).
SHORT TAKES
(but not as short as I intended; spoilers also appear here)
A teenage boy living a materially-comfortable life rarely gives much insight into his needs or interests to anyone, but when he finds the remains of a deep shaft dug into his family’s property he—for no reason ever clarified—drugs his parents and older sister, drops them into this bleak hole, then goes about living as if he were an independent adult in an unsettling story, offering so little in explanations.
Here’s the trailer:
Before reading further, please refer to the plot spoilers warning detailed far above.
If you’ve ever debated about whether children should be in your future here’s an excellent argument in the negative although the circumstances are just surreal enough you might see this more as a disturbing Twilight Zone-type-fantasy that hopefully would never come to fruition in your life (or anyone else's). Presented in old-school-style 4x3 format, John (Charlie Shotwell) is a 13-year-old boy living in a roomy home in the countryside with Dad Brad (Michael C. Hall), Mom Anna (Jennifer Ehle), somewhat older sister Laurie (Taissa Farmiga [Vera Farmiga’s considerably-younger-sibling; family resemblance is clear]) where no one gives him much grief over anything (even occasionally-annoyed Laurie kisses him on the forehead to end a squabble; Brad tries to find connections with him, buys him an expensive drone yet doesn’t get angry—just a bit incredulous—when the kid says he lost it in the woods [he didn’t]); John always comes across as inscrutable, usually looks troubled, says very little except for getting into repetitions of “Why?” as if he were a 5-year-old (although in phone conversations with his friend Peter [Ben O’Brien] as they play a video tennis game [long-distance] he's more verbal, mostly in tradeoffs of “Fuck you!” in casual, not hostile, exchanges). One day, after Dad mysteriously said the night before “Look under your bed,” on a relatively-remote section of their property he comes across a shaft dug into the ground, maybe 25 ft. deep, 10 ft. wide, with 4 steel walls and a floor, no top covering. I’m not all that clear on the explanation his parents gave about how it possibly started as a shelter from severe weather (or worse) but abandoned because the builders ran out of money, although they were aware of it being built as if it weren’t then on their land then but now is—however, all that really matters, though, is John knows the hole exists.
Then we have a scene where John pesters the gardener, Charlie (Lucien Spelman), then brings him lemonade after he’s bitten by a spider (John spikes the drink) after which Charlie collapses, seems to be dead. Next we get brief night scenes of John taking bedding from Laurie, dragging Brad out in a wheelbarrow; as morning arrives we find all of John’s family down in the shaft with mattresses, covers, and pillows, although no idea how they got there. (In retrospect we’ll understand Charlie was simply knocked out completely but alive by whatever John put in the lemonade—seemingly some of Anna’s medication—as a trial run for John to then drug his family, dump them in the hole. Unless he tossed the mattresses down first, then perfectly dropped them onto these cushions it’s not clear at all how he put them down there with no physical harm.) As the days pass John occasionally stands at the top of the shaft, refuses to talk to any of them as he tosses in some minimal food, water, and blankets; their bathroom needs aren’t shown except one scene where Laurie embarrassingly poops into a plastic bag which Brad tosses over the hole’s open top (oddly, on a night when rain comes there doesn’t seem to be any residual water in the hole the next day despite the uncovered opening).
Meanwhile, John cleverly learns to drive the family car, withdraw cash from their ATM, imitate his mother’s voice on the phone to tell Charlie they won’t need his services any more (What did he think happened when he came to?), lies to neighbor Paula (Tamara Hickey) he’s alone as the others have gone to tend to his sick grandfather, invites Peter to spend the weekend with him where they play video tennis and a drowning game in the pool to see if any insights emerge in near-death-state (we watch in horror as John seems ready to push Peter beyond the limit), then John gets more cash as a gift to Peter when he drives him back to the train station. Charlie at one time, working next door, finds John floating in the pool as if dead but just leaves him; concerned Paula calls the police to check on the house but nothing seems amiss so the family remains in confinement, increasingly dirty, hungry, at wit’s end why this is happening even as John probes Paula about what it’s like to be 50, tries to convince her to stay with him which she adamantly refuses. ⇒Finally, John, with the help of an Internet video, cooks risotto, lowers it down to them in a bucket with a bottle of wine, eats sitting on the edge of the hole’s top while they gobble what he’s provided. Finally he lowers a tall ladder allowing them to escape; they find him face down in the pool but alive, then there are shots of a bulldozer filling in the hole with dirt, followed by a close-to-final-scene shot from outside their house showing them casually eating dinner as if nothing’s happened. The true final scene is of a little girl (12), Lily (Samantha LeBretton), walking in the woods; what makes her presence unsettling is about halfway though the John-family-narrative we’re suddenly introduced to Lily and her mother, Gloria (Georgia Lyman), with the girl asking Mom to tell her again the story of John and the hole (?), then later we see them as Gloria’s about to leave Lily on her own for no clear reason, just with enough cash to pay the rent for several months as long as she doesn’t squander the money; how those scenes relate to the finale of Lily in the woods isn’t even attempted to be clarified nor connected.⇐
Don’t feel frustrated if you didn’t read the Spoiler material and therefore can’t make much sense out of what’s going on in this film; even if you’ve seen it you’re likely left at the very least with major questions about John’s mental state, curiosity regarding his concerns about what adulthood is like, queasiness about his actions toward his family and their response to him, as well as how the brief scenes with Lily connect with the rest of this. John and the Hole is certainly unique, intriguing, has aspects of psychological horror, and isn’t as lauded by the near-OCCU as it was by the nameless (to protect the innocent) guy whose recommendation I listened to (he called it “mesmerizing” with “provocative writing,” in the manner of Edward Albee [?—I guess he has aspects of Albee in mind I’m not aware of beyond Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]) instead of going with my initial interest in Reminiscence (Lisa Joy [theaters and HBO Max; Hugh Jackman in sort of a Blade Runner {Ridley Scott, 1982} story but with even lower OCCU numbers than ... the Hole] as RT offers John ... a mere 57% positive reviews, MC comes in a bit surprisingly-higher with a 64% average score). I wasn’t bored with … the Hole but I wasn’t floored by it either (some who like it better include my enthralled-wife, Nina, and Variety’s Peter Debruge : “But ‘John and the Hole’ is not quirky. It’s calculated and precise and meticulously constructed in a way that will be of considerable interest to audiences who appreciate stories that unsettle, and those who recognize the precision of Sisto’s approach. Both in style and psychology, this arm’s-length, deliberately paced film resists sensationalism, even as it relates a potentially freaky situation: John has been coddled by his family to such a degree that he feels compelled to banish them from the picture, but the way he goes about it is unpredictable (or at least inscrutable) enough that we start to fear for the lives of everyone involved.” Thus, solid support.
If this intrigues you it’s available to stream on Amazon Prime for $5.99 rental, other platforms (including Apple TV+) for $6.99 (was in just 42 domestic [U.S.-Canada] theaters, now down to 2 so that choice is unlikely). As for a Musical Metaphor, little comes to mind so I’ll default to The Beatles’ "Bad Boy" (written by Larry Williams; on the U.S. 1965 album Beatles VI) at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=KKZlI6Y0cbU (best version I could find is by a tribute band) with lyrics like “Junior’s head is hard as rock Now, Junior, behave yourself” implying the difficulties John’s family (in the film, not lead-singer Lennon’s [they had their own challenges!]) faced with their equally-unsociable-child.
Suggestions for TCM cablecasts
At least until the pandemic subsides Two Guys also want to encourage you to consider movies you might be interested in that don’t require subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, similar Internet platforms (we may well be stuck inside for longer than those 30-day-free-initial-offers), or premium-tier-cable-TV-fees. While there are a good number of video networks offering movies of various sorts (mostly broken up by commercials), one dependable source of fine cinematic programming is Turner Classic Movies (available in lots of basic-cable-packages) so I’ll be offering suggestions of possible choices for you running from Thursday afternoon of the current week (I usually get this blog posted by early Thursday mornings) on through Thursday morning of the following week. All times are for U.S. Pacific zone so if you see something of interest please verify actual show time in your area for the day listed. These recommendations are my particular favorites (no matter when they’re on, although some of those early-day-ones might need to be recorded, watched later), but there’s considerably more to pick from you might like even better; feel free to explore their entire schedule here. You can also click the down arrow at the right of each listing for additional, useful info.
I’ll bet if you checked that entire schedule link just above you’d find other options of interest, but these are the only ones grabbing my attention at present. Please dig in further for other possibilities.
Saturday August 28, 2021
10:30 AM The Wild One (Là szló Benedek) While not of the overall cinematic qualities of the other TCM recommendations I’ve chosen for you, this one’s notable for Marlon Brando’s iconic role as
the leader of a motorcycle gang; in a town where the bikers have taken up temporary residence a woman asks him “What are you rebelling against, Johnny?” to which he replies “Whaddaya got?” Lee Marvin’s the rival gang leader who feuds with Brando, great to see them snarling in conflict.
Sunday August 29, 2021
6:30 AM Autumn Sonata (Ingmar Bergman, 1978) Powerfully intimate, a successful collaboration between 1 of cinema’s greatest directors and 2 of its finest actors as the wife (Liv Ullmann) of a village pastor invites her mother (Ingrid Bergman) to visit after 7 years apart; Mom’s a famous pianist with a grand view of herself daughter’s not so talented but accepts her domestic role, even caring for her severely-disabled sister, as long-simmering tensions emerge among all these women. 2 Oscar noms: Best Actress (Bergman, female), Best Original Screenplay (Bergman, male) but won none.
12:45 PM Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944) Origin of “gaslighting,” now used to sow confusion for nefarious political purposes. An opera star (Ingrid Bergman) marries a man (Charles Boyer) whose true intention is to find precious jewels hidden in their attic (among stored belongings of her aunt, murdered for the loot); he convinces his wife she’s going insane so she’ll be put away. Nominated
for 7 Oscars, won for Best Actress (Bergman), Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White.
3:00 PM Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) Do you really need my description to know what this one’s about? If so, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre are “looking at you, kid,” to watch it! A movie truly defining what I consider to be a 5 stars-“classic,” celebrated for decades as a story of hope, patriotism, and making the right decision when romance conflicts with greater needs in the early years of WW II.
Monday August 30, 2021
1:00 PM White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) A highly-acclaimed gangster movie that’s not so much like the production structures of other film noir stories but certainly features a criminal environment where decency has long been forgotten. Outlaw Cody Jarrett (James Cagney) is brutal, psychotic, troubled with migraines, and Freudian mother-fixated despite being married to Verna (Virginia Mayo). Nobody escapes Cody’s wrath, whether he’s on the loose or in prison. You need to see what leads up to (and follows) his final statement: “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!,” but it’s all quite grimly, tensely powerful.
Wednesday September 1, 2021
11:30 PM Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) Here’s another crucial gangster story, more in the film noir realm as exiled gangster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson, alluding to his earlier Rico role in Little Caesar [1931]) is smuggled back into the country during a Florida hurricane where he and his gang take hotel occupants Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore hostage. Claire Trevor as Rocco’s desperate-for-a-drink-moll, Gaye Dawn, won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
If you’d like your own PDF of ratings/summaries of this week's reviews, suggestions for TCM cablecasts, links to Two Guys info click this link to access then save, print, or whatever you need.
Other Cinema-Related Stuff: Extra items you might like: (1) Movie theaters battered but not yet broken; (2) Theater owners' head rejects studios' policy of simultaneous openings on-screen and at home. As usual for now I’ll close out this section with Joni Mitchell’s "Big Yellow Taxi" (from her 1970 Ladies of the Canyon album)—because “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”—and a reminder that you can search streaming/rental/purchase movie options at JustWatch.
Related Links Which You Might Find Interesting:
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Here’s more information about Annette:
https://www.annettethefilm.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIceSEFwgMQ (6:21 actor Marion Cotillard discusses the movie’s themes, singing during the sex scene with her and Adam Driver, among other aspects of
her acting career) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A95579xgxoQ (10:51 interviews with actor Adam Driver about his attitudes about acting and need for audience acceptance, praise for
this director, influential directors for his career; also, briefly screenwriters Russell and Ron Mael
on themes in the film)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/annette
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/annette
Here’s more information about John and the Hole:
https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/john-and-the-hole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwwm_oAGZCQ (12:00 interview with director Pascual Sisto and actors Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle, Taissa Farmiga, Charlie Shotwell)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/john_and_the_hole
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/john-and-the-hole
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If you’d rather contact Ken directly rather than leaving a comment here please use my email address of kenburke409@gmail.com—type it directly if the link doesn’t work. (But if you truly have too much time on your hands you might want to explore some even-longer-and-more-obtuse-than-my-film-reviews-academic-articles about various cinematic topics at my website, https://kenburke.academia.edu, which could really give you something to talk to me about.)
If we did talk, though, you’d easily see how my early-70s-age informs my references, Musical Metaphors, etc. in these reviews because I’m clearly a guy of the later 20th century, not so much the contemporary world. I’ve come to accept my ongoing situation, though, realizing we all (if fate allows) keep getting older, we just have to embrace it, as Joni Mitchell did so well in "The Circle Game," offering sage advice even when she was quite young herself.
By the way, if you’re ever at The Hotel California knock on my door—but you know what the check-out policy is so be prepared to stay for awhile (quite an eternal while, in fact). Ken
P.S. Just to show that I haven’t fully flushed Texas out of my system here’s an alternative destination for you, Home in a Texas Bar, with Gary P. Nunn and Jerry Jeff Walker. But wherever the rest of my body may be my heart’s always with my longtime-companion, lover, and wife, Nina Kindblad, so here’s our favorite shared song—Neil Young’s "Harvest Moon"
—from the performance we saw at the Desert Trip concerts in Indio, CA on October 15, 2016 (as a full moon was rising over the stadium) because “I’m still in love with you,” my dearest,
a never-changing-reality even as the moon waxes and wanes over the months/years to come. But, just as we can raunchy at times (in private of course) Neil and his backing band, Promise of the Real, on that same night also did a lengthy, fantastic version of "Cowgirl in the Sand"
(19:06) which I’d also like to commit to this blog’s always-ending-tunes; I never get tired of listening to it, then and now (one of my idle dreams is to play guitar even half this good).
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