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"The Guitar Song"

9/17/2010

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JAMEY JOHNSON’S “THE GUITAR SONG”

  √ BOB CERTIFIED (with reservations)

   Jamey Johnson had a line on his last album that captured the spirit of the 1970s’ outlaw movement in country music better than anything since Willie and Waylon at their peak—the one about “the high cost of livin’ ain’t nothin’ like the cost of livin’ high.” Even if the other songs on the album were uneven, that line alone—when coupled with a gritty, don’t-mess-with-me-buddy vocal style—made Johnson seem more interesting than almost every other male country arrival in years. Now, he returns with an ambitious follow-up that you have to admire for its audacity. At a time when the record business is in chaos, Johnson releases a double album, which is a clever way to stand apart from the crowd and make everyone in the country music world take notice. In all the critical enthusiasm over Johnson, however, it is important to note that this double album suffers from the same weakness as almost every double album—it would have been much stronger as a single disc. For all his instincts as a writer, he is still hit-and-miss. There’s another classic line in the opening song “It might be lonely at the top, but it’s a bitch at the bottom.” Only this time, Johnson didn’t write it. (Credit for the 1986 tune goes to Don Cook, the late Keith Whitley and Chick Raines).  Johnson did co-write (with Vicky McGehee and Bill Anderson) the killer title track and a few other winners: “That’s Why I Write the Songs” (with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley), the gospel-minded “I Remember You” (with Shane Minor) and “My Way to You” (with Charlie Midnight), but that’s far short of a double album’s worth. Thankfully, Johnson also has a good ear for cover songs so he is able to score points for his renditions of such tunes as Mel Tillis’ “Mental Revenge” (a hit in the 1960s for Waylon) and Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times.”  In the mostly bland world of contemporary country music, you’ve got to root (hard) for Johnson, but he needs to work much harder on his songwriting before he can live up to the widespread acclaim. If he wants more covers, he might start with the catalogs of John Prine, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Mickey Newbury and, of course, Kristofferson. He might also spend some time with a few classic John Anderson albums.
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"Takers"

9/16/2010

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TAKERS

A cliché (or two) per minute.  Avoid!

    Let me say right off the bat that this cops and robbers action movie was so dull and cliché-riddled that I couldn’t make it to the end. Aside from that warning to avoid the whole thing, let me pass along a couple of things about the movie and the trailer that struck me as strange. First, why isn’t the star of the movie (Matt Damon) even shown in the trailer? And second, rapper TI has a cool, seductive charisma that steals the trailer, but in the film itself he is so bland he isn’t even interesting for a single frame. How is that possible? Just another mystery of show-biz I guess.
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"The American"

9/15/2010

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THE AMERICAN

√ Bob Certified

     For critics to call this movie “slow” is as wrongheaded as those who dismissed “Inception” as “too baffling.” The story of a world weary assassin’s days of lonely reflection is familiar almost every step of the way, but the direction by AntonCorbijn (a celebrated rock photographer whose credits include the memorable U2 shots for “The Joshua Tree” album) is marvelously stylish and George Clooney continues to be an actor with superb restraint. The emotional isolation of Clooney’s character is magnified by the small Italian village setting. Next to the non-stop action of most mainstream adventure films these days, “The American” is by all means “slow.” But in this case that’s a glowing virtue.

 
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"Mesrine" Parts 1 and 2 and "Soul Kitchen"

9/13/2010

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   MESRINE: Killer Instinct (Part 1)

          √ Bob Certified

   MESRINE: Public Enemy No. 1 (Part 2)

          Not as compelling, but you’ll welcome more of Vincent Cassel.

         Vincent Cassel, who stars in this two-part film based on the life of a celebrated French gangster named Jacques Mesrine, turns in the kind of electrifying performance that reminds you of a summit meeting between Belmondo (it’s a French film after all) and Mitchum. Director Jean-Francois Richet wisely keeps our attention on Cassel as he becomes seduced by the criminal life in Paris (and elsewhere) in Part 1 and then becomes a prisoner of his own ego in Part 2. Because we don’t know where his story is going to lead us, the opening journey is more successful than the conclusion, which is mostly consumed by him being hunted and caught by the police, then breaking out of prison and being hunted again. The trouble is “Killer Instinct” is so seductive that it’s hard to not want to follow the story to the end in Part 2. Even if “Public Enemy No. 1” is a let-down, you’ll never tire of watching Cassel.

 

   SOUL KITCHEN

Lite menu.

After seeing this German film, I can understand why I was having trouble figuring out from the reviews just what it was about. It’s not about much at all—though it’s certainly a feel-good experience. The Soul Kitchen is a restaurant (as in soul music, the owner explains, though the specialty isn’t catfish and collard greens). A lot goes on in the place, but little of it requires close attention. The film is mostly about the importance of remaining hopeful even when almost everything around you is falling apart. Within its limits, it’s nicely done.

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The Latest Reviews

9/7/2010

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MOVIES:

THE SWITCH

  Chemistry is everything.

  This is a pretty slight romantic comedy—except for the chemistry between two of the characters. I’m not talking about the always winning Jason Bateman and the rarely more than serviceable Jennifer Aniston. What keeps the film’s head above water is the touching relationship between Bateman and 6-year-old Thomas Robinson.  It’s their film from start to finish and that’s enough to make The Switch worth seeing, at least on an airplane or Netflix.

 

INCEPTION

√ Bob Certified

   Christopher Nolan, whose past triumphs include “The Dark Knight” and “Memento,” adds to his reputation as one of our most valuable and original filmmakers in years. Just as you can find new delights in the opening bank sequence of “The Dark Knight” even if you’re seen it two dozen times, there are moments in this frequently brilliant science-fiction tale that will remain forever fascinating. The knock is that it is sometimes baffling, but many of the greatest movies, including several of the Fellini masterpieces, were at times baffling.  What works is the way Nolan, drawing yet another marvelous performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, takes your imagination on a magic carpet ride, dazzling you with the screen wonders, while slowly making you wonder about the underlying issue involved—mind control. The film is a frightening reminder of what may be ahead.

 

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

√ Bob Certified

   Edgar Wright knows how to make witty, entertaining movies that also tell us more about ourselves than you’d think from the lighthearted way he approaches his subjects. Following up the gems “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” the director gives us a film that is very much for the young at heart. The imagery comes from comic books, rock ‘n’ roll, video games and cult movies. Not a bad combination. It’s a simple tale: nerdy guy wants a girl who is clearly out of his league, but he doesn’t let that stop him. He even assumes superhero skills in fighting to win her affection. It’s a witty, sweet, smart and entertaining fun zone ride. None of it really makes sense, but when does young love ever make sense?

 

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED

   Things start off great, but….

   The opening scenes in this film debut by British director J. Blakeson match the documentary-style set-up of an ambitious criminal plot that made Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killing” such a winning work. We see a couple of guys on a shopping spree and gradually realize they are blue collar criminals (former jailbirds in fact) buying equipment needed to turn an apartment bedroom into a cell for a female hostage. But once the scene is set, the psychological drama embarks on such a series of twists and turns that it quickly loses its grip on you. Some of the surprises do add to the tension, but the real lesson here is a simple one: not every plot twist is guaranteed to work.

 

 

ALBUMS:

ARCADE FIRE’S “THE SUBURBS”
√ Bob Certified

     This is the third Arcade Fire album and it’s the third time the Montreal band has shown us that it is still possible to make rock ‘n’ roll music that is bold, heartfelt, illuminating and inspirational even in an age when the commercial pulse of pop music has been kidnapped by spectacle and American Idol. At a time when thousands of young rock bands seem to have given up on trying to dominate the cultural landscape the way groups from the Beatles to U2 once did, the Fire continues to burn with ambition and purpose, making music that is both thrilling sonically and smart lyrically. Where suburban life is a topic that invites cliché and ham-fisted declarations, Win Butler (and cohorts) not only sidesteps the dangers, but challenges the usual rock assumptions about suburban life. In these songs, there is a sense of times wasted, but also lessons learned from the past and even a hint of sweet affection for the memories of home. This is a brilliant album that challenges your notions about where you’ve been and where you are headed.
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Bob’s Tivo List—updated Sept, 7, 2010

9/7/2010

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   Here are the weekly (or less frequently) TV series that I currently have  on my TiVo. To keep the list manageable, I’ve excluded daily shows whose timeliness makes them less suitable to TiVo—except the irresistibly clever “The Colbert Report.” The list of shows is alphabetical. Some programs are currently on hiatus. The best of the shows are recommended to everyone and identified as Bob Certified.

AMERICAN PICKERS (History)
  
This is a companion show (of sorts) to “Pawn Kings.” Here, Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe, two guys from Iowa, drive around the country hoping to find “gold” in the junk that is stored in the barns and backyards of rural America. They come across everything from old gas station pumps to motor oil signs—which they resell to collectors at a nice profit.  The journey isn’t as consistently interesting as “Pawn Stars,” but it is fun to walk into a weather-beaten barn with the guys and share their excitement as they see something so valuable that their hearts skip a beat.

BIG LOVE (HBO)—√Bob Certified
   I couldn’t warm up to this tale of polygamy and gave up on it after two episodes during the show’s initial year. But Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McNamara convinced me to give it a second try when she wrote at the start of the series’ third season: “If there’s a better written, better acted, more originally conceived show on television, I defy you to name it.”  I soon became so caught up in the show that I went out and bought to first two seasons on DVD just so I could catch up. It’s a remarkably affecting look at family, faith and fanaticism. 

BREAKING BAD (AMC)—√Bob Certified 
  
As unlikely as the concept seems (a high school chemistry teacher starts a meth lab to help finance his cancer treatment), “Breaking Bad,” created by Vince Gilligan, has proven to be a consistently engaging series. The emotional terrain is wide—giving us moments both manic and touching. Fine cast led by Bryan Cranston. It’s back on the air and I can’t wait to find out where it’s going to take us this season. The initial episodes are terrific. 

THE COLBERT REPORT (Comedy Central)—√Bob Certified
    The best (almost) daily show on television by far. If you watch it night after night, you’ll be amazed by how consistently smart, original, insightful, topical, surprising and marvelously funny it is. Colbert, as the right wing, megamanical host, is superb whether he’s simply going one on one with a guest author or tackling something as inspired as entertaining the troops in Iraq. Simply inspired television.

 ENTOURAGE (HBO)—√Bob Certified 
   One reason I keep checking out this wickedly funny tale of Hollywood ambition and vanity is that I hope the brain trust behind the show will really go for broke one week and introduce us to Ari’s brother in the White House. 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC)—√Bob Certified
   This is a bit of a roller coaster ride; with good stretches sometimes giving way to unconvincing plot twists and it’s easy to get impatient with the recurring choices of some of the large cast of characters. But the coach and his wife deal with the problems of family, the workplace and the everyday rites and rituals of small town Dillon, Tex., with a steadiness and edgy wisdom that gives the show its heart.

JUSTIFIED (FX)—√Bob Certified
  
I was hooked on this show from the opening 3 minutes where Timothy Olyphant (as US Marshal Raylan Givens) dishes out his own brand of justice by confronting a vicious criminal in a swank Miami eatery. It’s the best opening for a series since the first few minutes of “The Wire.” The show, based on an Elmore Leonard short story, is gritty, wry, entertaining, and constantly tense. Plus Olyphant, from his starring role in “Deadwood,” is ideal for the marshal who has to return to his stereotypical hillbilly Kentucky home town.

MAD MEN (AMC)—√Bob Certified 
  
This series was on the screen before the nation’s financial meltdown, but there’s something about the unprincipled nature of these New York ad executives from the 1960s that speaks to the ruthless and greedy businessmen whose actions cased the bailout. From Jon Hamm to Robert Morse, the cast is outstanding.

MEET THE PRESS (NBC) 
  
This was “can’t miss” TV when the late Tim Russert was the host because he was able to draw something interesting out of even the most stodgy politician. David Gregory continues to improve as the new host. Still, my interest rises and falls depending on the guest.

THE MENTALIST (CBS)—√Bob Certified 
  
It’s not fair to say Simon Baker, the charismatic star of this light hearted mystery/state police series, is the whole reason to watch because he’s got a likeable cast supporting him, but he lights up the screen as much as anyone has done on network TV in years. A supremely entertaining show.

THE OFFICE (NBC)—√Bob Certified 
  
After loving the original British edition of “The Office,” I didn’t think this U.S. spin-off had a chance, even though you should never bet against anything with Steve Carell in it. But the show has been consistently entertaining, sometimes spectacularly so. Super supporting cast.

PAWN KINGS (History)
  
This show isn’t for everyone (including my wife), but I enjoy the parade of characters who walk into a Las Vegas pawn shop and try to get the best possible price for something that has been sitting around the house for months or years: from motorcycles to NBA championship rings to antique rifles. The owners—three generations of the Harrison family—are a hoot as they try to figure out what the stuff is worth and they talk the seller into parting with it for much less.

30 ROCK (NBC)—√Bob Certified 
  
Fey is one of those TV stars that you just can’t help liking and rooting for, and she’s got a terrific cast to back her up in this spoof of network TV life. Especially winning: Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer. 
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    Robert Hilburn

         I was pop music critic and pop music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 through 2005, and am writing books.  A memoir, "Corn Flakes with John Lennon" was published last fall.  The paperback is due in October.  I am now working on a biography.
    Photo by Jeff Amlotte, copyright 2009.

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