Andrew Dominik’s The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford (2007) is a majestic Western drama documenting the last months of legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James. Based on the Ron Hansen novel by the same name and starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in the roles of Jesse James and Robert Ford respectively, ... [Continue Reading]
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Jo Yeong-Wook: The last waltz
South Korean film director Park Chan-Wook’s revenge drama Oldboy stunned audiences worldwide on its release in 2003 and went on to win several awards at various festivals including the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes film festival. Main character Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is abducted, held captive for 15 years before being suddenly ... [Continue Reading]
David Wingo: Take shelter
Superbly shot and released in 2011 to great critical acclaim, psychological thriller Take Shelter is independent American director Jeff Nichols’ second feature film. Prone to hallucinations and persisting nightmares, working class father Curtis LaForche’s (Michael Shannon) mental state deteriorates gradually to the detriment of ... [Continue Reading]
Rachel Grimes: Earthly Heaven
A classical pianist and composer from Louisville, Kentucky, Rachel Grimes was a member of American indie post-rock and chamber music group Rachel’s for the best part of twenty years (1991-2011) before embarking on various other projects. The pianist released Book of Leaves, her first solo album in 2009 and is currently playing ... [Continue Reading]
Marideth Sisco: High on a mountain
Marideth Sisco (b. 1943) is neither a professional singer nor an actress, but when independent film director Debra Granik started researching and gathering material for her upcoming feature Winter’s Bone (2010), she hired the veteran teacher, part-time musician and journalist as a music consultant. Set in the desolate backdrop ... [Continue Reading]
Benh Zeitlin & Dan Romer: Beasts of the southern wild
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) is a first independent film by Benh Zeitlin which has garnered unprecedented accolades at film festivals around the world. The film is set in Louisiana, or more precisely in “the bathtub”, an imaginary bayou cut off from the main land by a levee. Seen through the eyes of Hushpuppy, a ... [Continue Reading]
Gustavo Santaolalla: De Ushuaia a la Quiaca
Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla’s powerful theme “De Ushuaia a la Quiaca” is used to stunning effect at the very end of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004). Based on Ernesto Guevara’s [amazon text=eponymous&asin=0007172338] memoirs and on his companion Alberto Granado’s book [amazon text=Traveling with Che Guevara: The ... [Continue Reading]