Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Modern Day Musical Refuses to Die, Part II

NYMary has a crush on the kid in Across the Universe. I get it, totally. He's adorable. ("You do like them dishevelled." Heh heh.)

But let's hear it for This Boy.



In case you haven't heard, Cate Blanchett IS Bob Dylan in I'm Not There. And I mean IS. You've never seen anything like it.

Seriously, watching this transluscent Australian woman staggering around impersonating a skinny Jewish guy on speed impersonating a strungout Puerto Rican hooker is the sexiest thing I've seen in years.

Oh, and incidentally -- the soundtrack album, which mixes oldtimers (Roger McGuinn) with somewhat younger hepsters (Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Eddie Vedder) covering the master's stuff is misleading. Most of the music in the movie is actually familiar Dylan singing Dylan. The one big exception is the Albert Hall concert scene, where Blanchett lipsynchs the soundtrack album version of "Ballad of a Thin Man" by the kid from Pavement.

Oh hell, just go see it already. It's amazing....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

steve--okay, i will!

i had rescheduled my guitar lesson for this coming wednesday morning (while the girls are at school). then i realized that the downtown cinema (that is going out of business unless anyone steps forward to run it--you can buy the equipment for a dollar as incentive!) is showing this film & they have a wednesday morning matinee! looks like i'll have to reschedule my lesson again...

steve simels said...

WG --

Prepare to be dazzled...

Anonymous said...

Great interview with director Todd Hayes on Public Radio's "Studio 360" yesterday.

You can get the podcast HERE.

Anonymous said...

I gotta say...that clip still sort of scares me. The dialogue is irksome and I keep looking for Lennon in the back of the limo while waiting for Dylan/Cate to heave. Besides, Aronowitz always insisted *he* introduced Dylan to Ginsberg, so that contrived encounter is even more annoying to me.

Still, Cate is impressive, I'll give you that--and the casting of David Cross is nothing less than inspired.

Anonymous said...

steve--

You'll probably never find this here, but I just have to say that I went this morning at 10. I'm still shaking.

While it's true I don't go to the movies anymore, or even watch many besides family movies, so it's possible I'm easily impressed, this is one of the best movies ever.

Now, I better go try to write a song before the girls get home!