BOOKS LAST READ 

Stefan Zweig - Chess Story (1942)
Francis Scott Fitzgerald - The Rich Boy (1926)
Don DeLillo - The Body Artist (2001)
Saul Bellow - Seize the Day (1956)
Alice X - Go Ask Alice (1971)

Five Lou Reed moments in cinema

Lou Reed passed away yesterday October 27th, 2013. He was 71 years old.
His music was the soundtrack to many people's lives; it helped also form the emotional core of quite a few cinematic moments. My favourite are listed below and-coincidentally or not- all are a type of either drug-induced psychosis or a love scene. Or both. R.I.P.

5) Velvet Underground - "Venus in Furs" in Last Days (2005)

A scene from the Gus Van Sant film largely inspired by Kurt Cobain. 
Nothing particularly happens in this scene (and of course in the movie itself): we're at the musician's reclusive mansion; someone puts on the records player an album and the Marquis de Sand-inspired tale of s/m starts playing; people pass by; others are dancing. Then the song is abruptly cut. 

4) Lou Reed - "Satellite of Love" in Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Another film loosely based on actual rock artists, Velvet Goldmine tells the story of two musicians who were rock stars in the 70's, only to have disappeared from the public eye today. The portrayed musicians are most likely David Bowie and Iggy Pop, played here by Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor. Director Todd Haynes is clearly a big music fan -his filmography includes the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There and the controversial, banned short film Superstar: The Caren Carpenter Story.

 

3) Lou Reed - "This Magic Moment" in Lost Highway (1997)

David Lynch's Lost Highway ranks amongst the greatest cinematic experiences I've ever had. Its soundtrack is simply perfection, a master in variety and creativity. With the use of only Lou Reed's song and slo-mo and with no dialogue whatsoever, Patricia Arquette instantly becomes the mysterious, dreamy, sinister, sexy, elusive creature of desire for the main hero. Not coincidentally, these adjectives can perfectly describe the whole movie. 

2) Velvet Underground - "Pale Blue Eyes" in Adventureland (2009)

One of the great indie romantic comedies waiting to be discovered, Adventureland boasts performances from Jesse Eisenberg (pre-Social Network) and Kristen Stewart (post-Twilight). It takes place in the late 80's. He is the new kid in town, geeky but smart and kind. She is aloof and mysterious and cool. They're workmates in the local amusement park and have become sort of friends. He is hopeleselly in love with her. Then they go together for a night ride. Romantic moment alert: the Velvets' ballad starts playing - one of the most tender, sweet love songs ever written. That was Reed's genius: the man wrote both "Venus in Furs" and "Pale Blue Eyes". 

1) Lou Reed - "Perfect Day" in Trainspotting (1995)

This is of course a regular in 'best use of rock music in cinema" lists and rightfully so. Director Danny Boyle throughout the scene expertly shows the consequences of addiction, cleverly -and thankfully- avoiding any sort of moral preaching.  
The stately piano figure introduces the soft-as-ever voice of Reed. The verses consist only of the piano motif but the chorus explodes as the strings usher in. It's such a perfect day while Renton (Ewan McGregor in one of the most impressive breakout performances of all time) overdoses and lays helpless on the ground in the middle of the road. Rarely such a powerful but subtle, ironic but bitter contrast between lyrical and filmic content have been achieved. 

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American Splendor (2003) - 7.5
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The Lone Ranger (2013) - 6.0
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The Great Gatsby (2013) - 7.0
Before Midnight (2013) - 7.5
Blue Jasmine (2013) - 7.0

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Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) - 8.0
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - 6.5
Syriana (2005) - 8.0
Αλίμονο στους Αισιόδοξους (2012) - 5.0
Night on Earth (1991) - 7.0
Les Miserables (1998) - 7.0
Elementarteilchen (The Elementary Particles) (2006) - 6.0
The King of Comedy (1982) - 8.0
In the Name of the Father (1993) - 8.5

I listen to the wind: the music in Wes Anderson films (part 2)

Rushmore (1998)

The music of the 60's is Wes Anderson's big love. Its frequent use in his films lends at his characters an air of nostalgia and innocence. 
Nowhere this is more evident than in Rushmore, arguably Anderson's most revered film; the music is such a vital element on it that apparently in certain cases Anderson had already chosen the music he wanted for specific scenes prior to the finalisation of the scene itself. 
The main music concept is quintessential 60's Britain: Stones, Kinks, Who, Faces. 
The songs in Rushmore work as a mirror revealing the personality of teenage protagonist Max Fischer (played wonderfully by Jason Schwartzmann); he definitely could be a textbook character out of a Ray Davies song. 

"Making Time" - The Creation
This is history-making stuff. The now famous "extra-curricural activities" sequence uses the psych-pop 1966 track from the relatively unknown English band to introduce wunderkind schoolboy Max Fischer. 




"A Quick One While He's Away" - The Who
An excerpt from The Who's first foray into rock opera, this is as classic Wes Anderson as it gets: the masterful "revenge" sequence where nerdy, quirky Fischer faces his arch rival Herman Blume (a spectacular Bill Murray - his career resurrection really started here). When Fischer comes out of the elevator in slow-motion full of teenage braggadocio, it seems to echo the legendary entrance of De Niro in the bar in Mean Streets with the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" playing. It's that good.  
 


"Ohh la la" - Faces
The last song on the last Faces album is a bittersweetly funny tale about the futility of the belief in romantic love, as told from a sensitive male's perspective: "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger / love is blind and you're far too kind / don't ever let it show" sings the late Ronnie Lane. 
And what a fitting song to end this similarly bittersweet gem of a movie: Max Fischer, though still hopelessly in love with his schoolteacher (a never-more-beautiful Olivia Williams), has realised the sad truth that he cannot be with her and so he's ready to move on with his life. But there is a price to pay: in a way he has become more emotionally mature now, but he has lost his innocence (or naivety) in the process. This is a sad message of the film, in that in order to move on you need to leave your silly, naive teenage romantic notion about love behind. The song starts at the three-minute mark but the scene must be seen from the beginning. 
One of the complaints in Anderson's body of work is that he seems to opt for style over substance; this scene is a glorious proof of the opposite.

I listen to the wind: The music in Wes Anderson's films (part 1)

Bottle Rocket (1994) 

Wes Anderson tells unconventional stories about quirky, idiosyncratic characters who somewhow find themselves in uncomfortable situations. He came fully formed in his debut - his directing style is already recognizable here. 
Two seemingly directionless friends decide to do a robbery after one of them helps to rescue the other from a mental hospital where he is in following a nervous breakdown. They find another friend who will help them. One of them also falls in love. In the end comes the robbery. That's pretty much it.
Luke and Owen Wilson started here their steady collaboration with Anderson (in acting and writing). James Caan is the father figure of the boys, a motif appearing in other Anderson movies as well. 
A total flop commercially upon its release, Bottle Rocket was surprisingly selected by Martin Scorsese as one of his ten favourite films of the 90's.

"2000 Man" - Rolling Stones 
The Rolling Stones are Anderson's favourites: they are present in almost all his films. This psych-pop masterpiece is off 1967's Their Satanic Majesty's Request, Rolling Stones' spectacularly failed effort to outdo Sgt. Pepper's. "2000 Man" is the soundtrack to the climactic scene as the friends attempt to flee after their planned robbery goes wrong. 




"Alone Again Or" - Love 
In Bottle Rocket Wes Anderson opted for the more psychedelic side of 60's music. "Alone Again Or" is the crown jewel of one of the greatest, most exceptional albums of all time, Love's Forever Changes from 1967. 
Anderson went on to use "Alone Again Or" as the soundtrack of the love scene of the movie. After his best friend finally gives him his approval to go after the girl he's in love with, Luke Wilson hurries to find her in the hotel she works as a maid.
The song's arrangement is a thing of beauty: plucked acoustic guitar arpeggios, airy strings and flurry Mariachi brass provide an uplifting, celebratory feeling which has remained age-defying. The lyrics, though, tell a different story: "You know I could be in love with anyone / I think that people are the greatest ones / and I will be alone again tonight my dear", making "Alone Again Or" a brilliant contradiction of music and lyrics. This criticism has been bestowed on Anderson as well, in that he cares mainly to match music to film without much regard for the lyrics themselves. 
The scene could not be found on the internet so please jump straight at the 37th minute mark.

MOVIES LAST SEEN

Lawless (2012) - 7.0
Cosmopolis (2012) - 5.0
Haywire (2011) - 6.0
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - 9.0
Woody Allen: a Documentary (2012) - 8.0
Jagten (2012) - 8.0
The Squid and the Whale (2005) - 8.0
Dazed and Confused (1993) - 6.0
Bottle Rocket (1996) - 7.0
Hit and Run (2012) - 6.0
Hard Eight (1996) - 8.0
Interiors (1978) - 9.0
Alpeis (2011) - 7.0
No Country for Old Men (2007) - 8.0

They walk in beauty like the night: Sofia Coppola, her heroines and their songs

Sofia Coppola is full of surprises when it comes to the music of her films. 

Exhibit A: she chose Air to score her first film The Virgin Suicides, one year after they had just released their debut album. Their Moon Safari was admittedly highly acclaimed, but still it was quite a bold move for a first-time director. 
Exhibit B: she managed to make indie genius Kevin Shields write music for Lost in Translation; Shields had disappeared completely from music since My Bloody Valentine released their seminal Loveless in 1991 and obviously his re-appearance came as quite a surprise at the time.
And finally, in what could be her most unexpected move, she chose the golden era of new wave and post-punk (Siouxsie, New Order, Bow Wow Wow, Cure) as an inspiration and guide for the candy-coloured style of Marie Antoinette; apparently it was also one of the main objections some critics had with that particular film. 
Her latest feature Somewhere is scored by her husband Thomas Mars (singer of Phoenix) and features again an eclectic and varied choice of tracks.

"Playground Love" - Air (The Virgin Suicides, 1999)
The unforgettable languous saxophone riff is ideal for the airy, hazily sensual atmosphere of the movie. Kirsten Dunst relishes the pleasures of teenage love before things turn bad. Really bad.



"Just Like Honey" - Jesus and Mary Chain (Lost in Translation, 2003)
Soundtrack to the famous ending scene which caused the cinephile crowd to incessantly argue throughtout internet about what exactly Bill Murray whispers to Scarlett Johansson; who knows if it will ever be revealed. The song also features the same legendary drum pattern to Ronettes' "Be My Baby".



"Hong Kong Garden" - Siouxsie and the Banshees (Marie Antoinette, 2006)
Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette and the rest of French aristocracy party and dance carefree to Siouxsie's post-punk anthem from 1978.



"Cool" - Gwen Stefani (Somewhere, 2010)
Another movie, another Sofia Coppola heroine on a quest for maturity and self-knowledge: this time it's 12-year-old Elle Fanning playing the daughter of estranged movie star Stephen Dorff who unexpectedly finds himself responsible for her upbringing. In a wonderful sequence Elle is performing ice skating figures like a pro, accompanied by a contemporary pop tune by Gwen Stefani and her dad's realisation of his role as a father.