Being Flattered vs. Being Challenged

             

-John Stuart Mill: Utilitarian, originator of the "Doc Brown Disheveled Genius" look.

               One question that keeps rolling around in my head, particularly as of late, is what people get satisfaction from. Being flattered - i.e. having their tastes, points of view, and overall interests satisfied - vs. being challenged - i.e. pushed out of their comfort zone, having their perspectives altered by hearing a viewpoint radically different from theirs, considering their position in the world and the potential that there are just as valid, yet drastically different ones from their own. It is not a particularly profound or original concept, but one most definitely worth discussion, especially in our current times when social media and the internet provides us with endless means to expand our experiences, but yet I see an increase in people narrowing their exposure to news, media, and even their potential base of friends in order to feel as comfortable as possible each waking second of the day: If the conversation I am having is not going in the direction I want, I can shut my mouth, look at my phone, and read an article that does agree with my viewpoint. Instead of having to actually engage with someone, I can remain in my own sphere of comfort, regardless of how little doing so achieves. In fact, by distracting ourselves from any sort of face-to-face conflict, we are hindering our ability to grow, and, although we may think we are more well-informed, we are indeed less-so, and each time distancing ourselves from actual growth as a viable member of society that has the capacity to progress; this is not to say doing one's own thing is the wrong way to live, I just see more and more examples of people assured in their thinking, despite all physical signs to the contrary (not that the physical world is the bearer of all truths, but unfortunately decisions that are not in our control are made off of mostly physical judgements, whether it is physical attractiveness, perceived, wealth, or anything of the like). One can claim to be happy because they can go to work, come home to their family, squeeze on the couch with them, and sit in front of the television for the next 5 hours, but are they really living the fulfilling life they intended for themselves? Are they not simply falling further and further down the proverbial rabbit hole, inching closer to the all-too-cliche mid-life crisis or death bed proclamation that life is meaningless?

               This may seem like a cynical point of view, but on the contrary, I believe it to be a hopeful one: By broadening our knowledge, and allowing ourselves to let cognitive dissonance into our lives every once in a while, we can find the true value in our relationships, whether it is with a friend who we always see eye-to-eye with, or an enemy we find it so hard to be around that we simply dismiss them as useless and incorrect. People have the capacity to surprise us, but more and more it seems surprise leads to disappointment, especially when it goes against some previous belief someone might have had about a social issue or even something as dynamic as a human being's attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. If we allowed ourselves to feel discomfort more, we might grow and gain actual value from every experience we have, instead of simply learning that we want to avoid the situation from now on. I have met many people who have said a variation of the following phrase to me, in regards to people, movies, music, and even conversations:

"I thought it was good (i.e. "I enjoyed meeting them"), but it wasn't what I expected, so I didn't really like it (them)."

               The confidence and lack of irony which with this statement is often said simply shocks me; I find it almost laughable. In an age when information is everywhere, and people claim to be connected to one another like never before, we create our own barriers to limit our worldview and thus our potential for true growth and success. Instead of relishing in our own accomplishments, we seek out others, and reward them with a follow, like, or our unconditional idolization. Instead of believing we have a unique voice, with a unique reason for waking up every day, many of us try to fit into a mold that other people define us as. Maybe it is from my experience working at a major communications company whose senior employees don't seem to have the capacity/foresight to communicate directly with their employees except via occasional emails and angry phone calls when a mistake is made,  the rest of the time leaving people unsupervised, hindered from thinking outside of the box, and feeling hopeless for individual progress, but my fervent belief is that because we put certain types of people in our culture on a pedestal, they suddenly become more important, simply because so many people would rather not put in the time to consider how they started at the same exact place as everyone else - in a womb, with not a care in the world, and only their own physical bodies and minds to get them to wherever it is they would end up.

               There are even cases I have discovered recently where people seem to change their beliefs in order to feel better about the way they are seen or approached. Take, for instance, some "asshole" I went to high school with. One day, towards the end of his run there, somebody decided to replace the word "asshole" with his last name. Instead of being offended or down-right angry, this person took pride in the fact that he was an asshole, and even started asshole chants himself, just so he could hear a bunch of people chanting his name, regardless of the connotation. This, while a silly high school example of juvenility, is not the first or last time I saw people flaunting their poor social skills. Consider the entire reality television world, for example: Most shows are renewed based on viewership, and unfortunately most viewers are humored by such vile, irresponsible behavior that people then feel the need to act out (and record), in hopes of getting famous for of all the stupidity that others are getting famous for. I have family members that would make for great reality show characters, but they are such poor human beings at times, with such insulting behavioral tendencies, that giving them the satisfaction that they may be entertaining for others is simply out of the question in my book. Would I have more day-to-day freedom? Probably. Would I make more money working on a show focused on them then I would wasting all my talents, sitting in a dark room in a company whose brand and name has become so much more important than any of the employees working there (except for the few famous faces that are seen in almost all promotional material sent out to the mainstream world)? Almost definitely. But I would also be flattering these awful people as well as exploiting the ignorant ones who think it makes them better by sitting on their couch, laughing, pointing, and saying "Can you believe THEM? At least I'M not like THAT!" But by wasting your time validating your behavior by comparing it to others (or simply winding down by digesting the narcissistic behavior of others), are you not just as bad, if not worse?

               And yes, there is certain value to doing whatever it takes to survive in this world, emerging out of the doldrums of society, despite the odds, and becoming a face everyone recognizes and admires (for reasons both valid and invalid), earning you freedom to do what almost nobody else can. However, the means of getting there seem to me just as if not more important than the idea of "getting there," which I believe has become the focus these days. As Sting says in this years Oscar-Winning 20 Feet From Stardom:

"There’s this idea that you can go on American Idol and suddenly become a star; but you may bypass the spiritual work you have to do to get there. And if you bypass that, your success will be wafer thin."

               Granted, American Idol is one small thing in a world full of them, but like it or not, it is an American Institution and certainly has changed network television forever. But at what cost? If any random person off the street can get a record deal after a month or two of hard work and the right on-screen appeal, it opens up a platform for anyone and anything to be praised, regardless of the quality of said talents. This is particularly noteworthy in the film world, where the studio system has become so transparently monetarily-oriented that some of the most exploitative, manipulative and ultimately useless stories get seen, simply because most audiences lack the imagination, or worse off, the motivation to broaden the types of stories they want to see (or even believe belong on the big screen). Consider a conversation I had recently with an unnamed acquaintance of mine:

Them: "I can't wait for Ted 2!"
Me: "Why would you even say something like that?"
Them: "Cause it's a bear who talks, has sex, and smokes weed."
Me: "But I already saw that in the first one."
Them: "And don't you want to see more of the same?"

Or this one, regarding "A Good Day to Die Hard":

Me: "God I wish I could go back to a time when there were only three of these."
Them: "Why? This has is so much better... it has so many more explosions!"

               I don't think this needs more explanation, but the attitude scares me nonetheless. Because our need for constant stimulation can be so easily fulfilled, we now need louder, more colorful stimulation (e.g. the outrageous expensive, exploitative electronic concerts that get thrown each and every day in this country, and around the world), lest we feel empty inside for even one second. Instead of paying attention to our place in the world and how we can truly thrive in it, we convey the attitude of "I need more of this, more of that, more of everything to be happy!" It's almost as if everyone is saying "throw more shit in my face so I can forget about who I really am! Let outside influences define me, as opposed to letting me put my own stamp on the world!" Or even worse "My place in the world is defined by that which I choose to take from outside myself!" For filmmakers these days, it is like they grew up saying "I want to make a movie just like that" to its literal conclusion, making the exact same movie, taking the money, and perpetuating a lack of creativity that is the norm by now, not the exception - made even moreso by an audience unwilling to believe that a good movie can contain no big-name actors, no special effects, and a story that doesn't immediately give away it's emotional and physical structure in a mere 10-15 words. By adhering to structures created and molded by people who were around before any of us were alive, we are indirectly and unintentionally repeating cycles that I can almost guarantee people in the past hoped would not be repeated. People say "that's just the way it is"(Not in a Bruce Hornsby/Tupac way), as if they do not matter: all that does are the systems put in place before we came to be: We are simply filling roles that have come before, nothing more (the technological innovations of late do very little to change this - everyone trying to come up with the next big app or the next bestseller or even the next blockbuster franchise are simply considering what people want rather than what they need - at least SOME apps do it in a very streamlined, meaningful way; most others simply detract from letting you create your own value in life, feeling the need to latch on to something else to feel calm, comfortable, happy, understood, - an organized manual for ultimate external satisfaction, if you will).

               So what to do in these times, when originality can be seen as threatening, and the Status Quo, while eternally challengeable and alterable, is becoming more and more about how people appear to be, as opposed to how they actually are? About how many eyeballs you can get on your creations rather than whether the work deserves any eyeballs at all? I leave you with a quote, from John Stuart Mills:

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party to the comparison knows both sides."

Today's Photos

Some photos I've taken from over the years that I happened to stumble upon recently... always good to share images that resonate with you, for whatever reason (no touchups whatsoever - let the camera do the talking, let the smudges/glare reveal the truth):

On a Golf Course in Cabo, Mexico... Surely I shanked the shot, too focused on the beautiful view.

From the Bottom of the Eiffel Tower... excuse me, Mr. Eiffel, for checking out your undercarriage.

On the way to Chicago from New York, most likely in Ohio... Only on the open road can you witness the full mystery and majesty of our natural world - a crop duster flew overhead moments later

In El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina... Sure looks like American Suburbia to me.

Versailles... too beautiful for words, too old to understand; simply gorgeous.

Top 10 Films of 2013 (Part 2)

5) Inside Llewyn Davis - Studio Canal (and others) - Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Starring Oscar Isaac

Like most Coen Brother films, one viewing simply does not do it justice. Their films are so radically different than most, from the first frame on, that repeat viewing is necessary for understanding them in full, if at all. That being said, I have not had a chance to revisit this moody, clever, formidable film, and it may move up my list as I do. Even so, however, I still cannot get it off my mind, not only for it's wonderful musical sequences, both hilarious and tragic (occasionally at the same time), but for it's razor sharp sense of place and time, as well as an atmosphere at once stunningly realistic while suprisingly dark and peculiar. As the title character, character actor Oscar Isaac turns in a star-making role (or what should have been one), creating a character so immediately identifiable but strangely distant that I could not take my eyes off of him, trying to figure out what was ailing him so much that he felt an obligation to finding and tending to an acquaintance's cat, as well as various other odd character quirks. Like all of their films, however, it is not necessary to understand, but rather to experience, not thinking too hard about what everything means or why it is there, but going along for the ride and trusting that the brothers have you properly under their spell. Even without all of these elements, the film manages to capture the essence of life in so many different ways: from an immediately iconic rendition of a hokey folk pop song to the sad reality of Llewyn's dreams detailed so eloquently and with impressive brevity by F. Murray Abraham's Bud Grossman when he says, "I see no money in it." While it is a detailed period piece about a very specific amount of time, the masters of their own odd, almost undefinable domain manage to make it relate to the times we live in now, and perhaps always have. Through misery there lies hope, a theme the brothers seemingly never stray from, while remaining stubbornly focused on making the kinds of films they want to make, a privilege only talents like them - who happened to come into popularity at just the right time in their careers and industry - can get away with. 

4) All Is Lost - Before the Door Pictures - Directed by J.C. Chandor, Starring Robert Redford

A man, his boat, and the sea: Nothing else matters. In an era in which films with major stars tend to be derivative to a fault, sometimes tragically so, a film about one man, with literally no dialogue (OK, a few lines here and there) is a breath of fresh air that gives me great hope for the future of cinema, specifically American Cinema. Coming off of his first film, a good if overrated depiction of what went on the night before the stock market crash of 2008, J.C. Chandor shocked and impressed me with his confidence and control over this story about Robert Redford's “Our Man” and his fight for survival. Like the independent film scene’s response to the emotional manipulations of both Life of Pie and Gravity, Redford tells us all we need to know by his actions – the only thing needed to tell a story such as this. None of it would work, however, if Chandor did not display deft attention to detail, and a keen eye for the beauty of the open sea (CGI be damned). In his hands, the smallest moments, such as Our Man drinking water from a can, knowing it might be his last, reveals layers of feeling, such layers that most feature’s do not contain throughout their entire run, let alone in a single quiet, somber moment, of which this film has many. Via All is Lost, Robert Redford passes the filmmaking torch to Chandor, enabling him to run with his creativity and passion from one project to the next; it just might make him one for the history books, and All is Lost is a hell of a start.

3) A Hijacking - Nordisk Films - Directed by Tobias Lindholm, Starring Soren Malling and Johan Philip Asbaek

Another perfect companion piece to a major American Production (this time Paul Greengrass's tense but overlong and far too gung-ho Captain Phillips) A Hijacking depicts the harrowing tale of a Danish cargo ship taken over by pirates. Unlike the American telling of a very similar story, Lindholm focuses on the complications of the negotiations, and creates tension in moments of silence, where the characters can have no way of knowing someone's true intention, which in reality is the scariest situation of all. The first moment I knew I was in a genius' hands was, after spending time with the CEOs in charge of monitoring the cargo ships safe trip, we are brought back to said ship with the pirates having already taken control. Their first task is getting food, and the perfectly played scene where they threaten Asbaek's cook's life while yelling in their native language (the translation of which is wisely left out) is just a tease for similarly gut-wrenching moments to come. Never have I ever been on the edge of my seat while watching a room of businessmen sit in front of a telephone, but alas, when Malling's stone-faced, tightly professional Ludvigsen proposes a ransom price and is left hanging for nearly ten seconds, I'll be damned if it wasn't the most excited I've been watching a movie all year. Stubbornly sticking to the concept of "reality rules," Lindholm creates a film for the ages, at once darkly nihilistic and completely engaging throughout, without having to resort to heavy handed dialogue or symbolism to get his points about human nature across (for a master class in showing not telling, watch the fishing scene, where both pirates and crew cannot help but work together, regardless of the fact that the task at hand is but a distraction from the dire situation they all find themselves in. It makes Greengrass' handling of Phillips' encounters with Barkhad Abdi's Muse seem like child's play). For a truly impactful, memorable rendering of a by nature melodramatic situation, steer clear of American cinemas and see where the true talents are shining.

2) Upstream Color - ERPB - Directed by Shane Carruth, Starring Amy Seimetz and Shane Carruth

Constantly baffling but endlessly captivating, Shane Carruth's follow-up to 2004's anomaly Primer shows just what a special talent the man is, a talent unfortunately doomed to never get the credit he deserves due to his stubborn refusal to engage in any part of the pre-determined American Film Structure (arguably an understandable one, considering the films he comes out with being more intelligent, challenging, and downright resonant than almost anything else coming out these days). In this, a much better, more beautiful and inviting film than his bare-bones debut, Carruth creates a tapestry of sound, image, and  ideas straight out of Thoreaux's Walden to tell the story of a life-cycle caught up in our own, complicating things emotionally far more than they already need to be. In doing so, however, he reveals the true power of visual storytelling, with connections between people being made not by dialogue, or even abstract symbolism, but the similar tones of noises, and the cross-cutting of animal lovers and emotionally connected humans. While not all of it is decipherable (even upon multiple extra viewings, a task I engaged it and gave me an even larger idea of what it all means), but all of it makes sense on a plain of consciousness that few talents are able to properly engage. Many may not be able to tell you exactly what it is about, but few would be able to properly dismiss it, for the moods it brings out and the elevated, specific moments of power it holds do so with such success that one cannot help but think of days, even weeks after taking it all in. And, while it is inaccessible to mainstream audiences of today, it reveals a connection we all have to everything around us, whether we like it or not; a message many people ought to think about more, but will surely do so in the future, as long as there are filmmakers like Carruth out there, willing to put their whole life into their projects and come out on the other end wiser, fuller, and with something that will be impacting creative minds for generations to come. 

1) 12 Years a Slave - Plan B - Directed by Steve Mcqueen, Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

The best movie of the decade, and perhaps the young century, has Brad Pitt to thank for getting to the big screen it so thoroughly deserves. At once life-affirming and harrowingly intense, not a single moment in Mcqueen's magnum opus is wasted, not a single frame not holding great meaning or power. Watching this in theaters, I was completely floored, captivated from the first second to the very last, never once feeling manipulated, misinformed, or like my intense emotional reaction was unearned on the filmmaker's part. Many times I could hardly watch the atrocities onscreen, but the eye with Mcqueen treats his subject is so magnetic I didn't dare to look away either. A realistic response to Tarantino's endlessly fun but ultimately empty Django Unchained, the story of Solomon Northup is that of our nation: When he is hung by his neck, the tips of his toes the only thing separating him from the afterlife, the rest of the slaves exit their homes and get to work, unable to help, lest their lives be taken from them. This complacency and unwillingness to risk our lives for another's speaks to the state of our nation, where the whole is larger than the parts, but not on an immediately personal basis. While we would all like to think we'd do what's right in every situation thrown our way, we are always taking our needs to heart above all else's: this is not wrong - it is simply human nature. But, in an environment where one's life can be fully determined by the color of their skin, such myopia could lead to years of struggle for an entire people. Containing some of the best performances of the decade, from Ejiofor to Fassbender to Paul Dano on down, this masterpiece is constantly captivating, constantly powerful, and stubbornly unforgiving. While Django could be seen as letting Americans off the hook for their past indiscretions, John Ridley's script as visualized by Mcqueen holds on tight and keeps adding to the pile of horrifying, villainous behavior many of us must come to terms with, lest we forget the evil that men are capable of and may be going on under our noses every day. Thanks to painterly cinematography and aforementioned refusal to slack on the details, 12 Years a Slave becomes a film immediately etched firmly in your mind, and in American culture, a feat rarely achieved by anyone, let alone a filmmaker not from this country depicting the exact reason why heroes are needed and perseverance is necessary to the development and continued thriving of the human spirit. 

Top 10 Films of 2013 (Part 1)

A bit late, yes, but I personally feel that without a little reflection, any Best Of list is simply invalid. Four months seems a reasonable amount of time to let the year in cinema simmer properly in order to re-assess the films that made an impact on me (cause that's what it's really about - what lasts, not what leaves your brain as soon as you leave the theater - *Clears Throat* Gravity - from the Bottom-Up:

10) Behind the Candelabra - HBO Films - Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon

Soderbergh's self-proclaimed "final project" did not disappoint on the levels the director is known for: stylish direction, dynamite acting, and a more than serviceable, if not particularly impressive script. But when in the hands of a prolific master such as Soderbergh and with the talents of Douglas and Damon, who needs the best script in the world (these days, some of the scripts considered the best around rarely make the best movies...)? Instead, what he provides is a shockingly good time, a drama that manages to cut to the core about what made Liberace so magnetic... and hopelessly desperate and vile. Just like it's subject, the film bursts with energy while still reminding the viewer that any second, Liberace could pull a tonal 180 and abandon those he loves (and are willing to love him back) most. Toss in a particularly noteworthy supporting turn by Rob Lowe (whose penchant for subtle, character-driven comedy has really shown how big its wings are in these past few years), and what we get is a 2 hour film that breezes by; that major studios refused to release it due to a fear that it was "too gay" may have been a blessing in disguise: HBO is the perfect platform for such a fun, stylish biopic to reach the audience who can appreciate it on it's own cinematic merits without disregarding it due to its subject matter.

9) Blue Jasmine -  Gravier Productions - Directed By Woody Allen, Starring Cate Blanchett

Woody Allen's latest through his audience a serious curveball in this tale of a former New York debutante in the middle of a nervous breakdown. I remember seeing it in theaters and finding myself on the edge of my seat for reasons unexpected. I also recall the mostly geriatric crowd in attendance walking out at the end in disgust: Midnight in Paris this was not: Here, Allen uses the supreme talents of his lead actress to a very dark tale about a woman who is her own worst enemy - and thus cannot help but pitiable, even when she is treating lower class citizens like, well, lower class citizens (in the worst way possible). It doesn't hurt that every other member of the cast brings out their A-game, not hard to do when working with Woody but still impressive nonetheless. As two very different yet structurally similar men, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Dice Clay stand out on the supporting side of things, using their brooding physical presences combined with dynamite comedic timing to create characters that seem like the type of people I spent far too much time around in college (down in Miami is all that needs to be said there...). Through their performances, however, they make them enjoyable, relatable, and even manage to make an old-fashioned blue collar attitude into something laudable. At the age of 78, not only does Woody still have it, he is sharper than 99% of filmmakers out there, and has enough self-awareness to let his dialogue and talented actors do the talking, maintaining a casual visual approach that does wonders to the slow boil that is Jasmine's self-destruction.

8) Prince Avalanche - Dogfish Pictures - Directed by David Gordon Green, Starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch

I'll admit it: I'm enamored with anything David Gordon Green touches. From his work as an emerging young talent in George Washington and Undertow to his more mainstream fair such as Pineapple Express and Eastbound & Down, I simply believe the man can do no wrong (I'll ignore Your Highness, which I see as simply a great excuse for a bunch of friends to hang out under someone else's dime). In this minimalist gem, however, he finds himself back in full force, depicting what is essentially a two-fer with a confidence rarely seen today. Because of his keen eye for the wilderness, the film breezes by even in its quietest moments, and perhaps more so because of them. Of particular interest to me is an encounter Rudd's character has with an elderly woman whose house burned down - an encounter that was apparently real and completely improvised. Other stand-outs are the two stars' conversation over their bad luck with women, and a magnificent montage showing just how far they've come in accepting one another for who they are. At once curiously low-key and beautifully moving, this is one of the few films of the year I see myself coming back to month after month, needing a taste of the world everyone involved created - at once terribly relatable but wonderfully outside the realm of my imagination, in terms of the feelings discovered within and the lack of emotional manipulation that makes a film like this resonate with so many viewers - at least those lucky enough to know about it and see it.

7) The Hunt - Zentropa - Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, Starring Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelsen is an imposing physical force. If it wasn't clear from his filmography throughout his career, from Pusher to Valhalla Rising, the man contains a certain something that can not be taught or gained, no matter how much work one puts into their job. He simply is such a large man with such a robust face that one cannot help but be magnetized by his presence. What a surprise, then, to see the man playing a victim, and a terribly tragic one, at that. In this stunning, intense, and emotionally intelligent drama, Mikkelsen plays a teacher dealt the biggest blow anyone can imagine: being accused of sexually assaulting a child. But while the subject matter of the film sets the viewer up for one thing, it gives them something completely different - that being an examination of how once a lie is told, even if it is refuted almost immediately, the seeds of judgement are already planted so deep that everyone's perception of the accused and the accuser are forever altered. Instead of asking whether the protagonist committed the atrocities he is accused of, Vinterberg instead focuses on the backlash even an accusation can have, and takes it to its logical extreme, ostracizing Mikkelsen's "Lucas" to the point that even his innocent, almost non-present child is abused for things his father may have done. It culminates in a gritty, cinema verite-esque sequence in which Lucas reaches his last legs of tolerance, having been asked by his local supermarket to disdain from shopping there. With visual nuance that is absent from major American Productions today, Vinterberg manages to make a story that could have been nearly impossible to watch unfold the way it does into a tense, dark, and uniquely alluring tale of how a community can turn on a trusted member at the flip of a coin - or a slip of the tongue.

6) The Place Beyond the Pines - Silverwood Films (and others) - Directed by Derek Cianfrance, Starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper

If Derek Cianfrance's second feature Blue Valentine was exemplary of moody, independent filmmaking, then his third might just be ready to go down in the annals of history as a sign of just how potent American Films can still be. Aiming for the moon and not quite reaching it, Cianfrance tells an epic tale of fathers and sons, cops and robbers, and the generational bonds that keep this world turning in the same direction. At once deeply intimate and radically ambitious in scope, this film contains some of the most powerful cinematic moments of the young decade, and perhaps of the 21st century on a whole, heightened immensely by Sean Bobbit's stunning cinematography and Mike Patton's perfectly modified score, pinpointing exactly what makes this powerful on so many levels while never treating the audience like people who need to be told what to feel in each moment. Also of note are the wonderful supporting performances of the always forceful Ben Mendelsohn and the rising talent Dane Dehaan, who both take what could have been dreary characters and lift them to alluring levels of palpability and screen presence. Ultimately, though, no one character or actor stands out, leaving the man behind the camera to reap all the credit for telling a raw, emotional story and never letting anyone, least of all the audience, off the hook, reigning us in with a taut first-act that renders whatever occurs afterwards instantly compelling. The fact that it manages to add so many layers to that first act is just a testament to Cianfrance, his writers, and his cast, seemingly bolstered by the commitment to hard, artful work that Ryan Gosling brings to his best projects (this according to an interview with Cianfrance himself). Combine this and Prince Avalanche (above) and you have what might be the two most identifiabe American auteurs at the top of their game. I cannot way to see what the future holds for both of them (surely great, impactful things - hopefully enough audiences are willing to explore these unique talents).

Part 2 to come later...

Today's Oldies But Goodies

Some gems from a bygone era, when musicians were awarded not for the size of their wallets, but for their capacity to have a good time, provide others with the same, and ignore all the worldly distractions in order to do so.

QUOTES TO MULL OVER

Some quotes to get you thinking about things in a different way; words to live by, if you will:

1) “The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence”
-Woody Allen via Kathy Bates (Gertrude Stein), Midnight in Paris

2)  “I don’t work the day shift or the night shift: I work the always shift, cause I’m a hero.”
-Nick Offerman as Axe Cop on Fox's Axe Cop

3) "When you're writing fiction or poetry... It really comes down to this: indifference to everything except what you're doing... a young writer could do worse than follow the advice given in those lines."
-Raymond Carver

4) For every moment of triumph, for every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled. 
-Hunter S. Thompson

5) “...You get to eat, you get to fuck, you get to read Kill a Mockingbird! That’s a great life."

-Louis C.K.

All great men, all very different points of view - if there's one thing to learn, it is this: Follow your heart, do what you love, and if you're honest enough about it, everything will fall into place. The closer you remain to the passionate person Carver speaks of, indifferent to everything but the way you see the world and can make the impact you want, the closer you will remain to your true self, and the better off you will be. If there is one thing to gain out of all of this, it is to keep pursuing passions, keep living, learning, and loving, and you will find yourself blissfully immer

sed in that which makes you happiest -it may not come quickly, it may not come easily, but without seeking it out, it will surely never come.

Till next time (wordier posts to come)...

-One Tall Dude

WELCOME!

WELCOME TO ONETALL DUDE! A collection of musings and thoughts from an intelligent, observant, hyper-aware individual who stands above the crowd, literally and figuratively. Within, you will find food for thought and continuing discussion, obscure music reccommendations that will surely broaden your auditory awareness, movie reviews that will have you challenge your pre-conceived notions about what storytelling is and can be, funny concepts I think of each and every day, and anything else that I fancy sharing with the world! Thank you for coming, engaging, and trying to become less and less myopic each and every day. With the wealth of information out there in the world, let's use it to inform and challenge ourselves rather than flatter ourselves till we see no difference between the world in our heads and the world we actually live in. Thank you for joining me and broadening your thinking.