Screen cap from Francois Ozon’s hauntingly beautiful “Frantz”
by Sam Juliano
I certainly got my Chuck Berry fix this past week both in the house and in the car. The Great Twenty Eight compilation remains one of the rock’s defining works, and I was active on the repeat button! He was incomparable and an innovator. I am saddened at all the smut that has greeted his passing, though I’d be foolish to think that the extreme nature of his offenses hasn’t tarnished his image with many. We much had the same kind of thing upon the death of Michael Jackson, but Berry’s past is being posed as far more criminal and sordid. What we all need to do however (and Richard Wagner fans take note!) is to separate the man from the music. Is Chuck Berry a personal role model and are his issues relatively minor? No and no. But his music is in a different sphere methinks. There have been some heated debates online, and for the most part I have defended this legend, much as I did Michael Jackson in 2009.
Time marches on, and in a few days April is upon us. For Lucille and I this means a torrid nine-day attendance at the Tribeca Film Festival starting on April 19th. The day before we have a gleefully anticipated book signing with director John waters scheduled in Clinton, New Jersey. Upon the completion of Tribeca, the annual Montclair Film Festival commences, and then the school trip to Washington D.C., a three day tour I regularly engage in.
The author Marilyn Singer staged a unique event on Sunday afternoon at the Creative Arts Studio on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, in the spirited service of a book launch for her fabulous dance poem picture book “Feel the Beat,” illustrated by Kristi Valiant. An impressive throng were on board for actual floor dancing that included the various dances depicted in the book. Lucille, Sammy, Jeremy and I stopped in for a signed copy of the book, chatted with Ms. Singer and milled around. Nice refreshments were offered up in another room too!
We saw two new releases in theaters (yes both films technically are 2016 with their selections for Cannes consideration, with the Assayas film actually winning Best Director there) but with March US openings they are firmly in the 2017 camp.
Frantz **** 1/2 (Saturday evening) Film Forum
Personal Shopper ** 1/2 (Sunday evening) Montclair Claridge
Lucille, Jeremy, Broadway Bob and I attended the 7:30 P.M. Saturday night screening of Francois Ozon’s “Frantz” at the Film Forum in Manhattan. Set right after the end of the First World War, the brooding work, based on Ernst Lubitsch’s “Broken Lullaby” offers up a red herring and several other subsequent surprises in a slowly enveloping narrative film with sumptuous black and white and color passages. A film about loss and forgiveness, it evokes the famous trench sequence in Lewis Milestone’s 1930 “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Ozon leaves the viewers guessing at the end, when the relationship dynamic is anything but certain. The film makes excellent thematic use of Manet’s painting “Le Suicide” and features two intense turns by Pierre Niney and Paula Beer as the central players. Beautiful scored by Phillipe Rombi and photographed by Pascal Marti, the film weaves deception and clandestine elements into a screenplay that accentuates the power of love.
For the first time I found a film directed by Oliver Assayas to be vapid and torturous. Only our lead -Kristen Stewart- is remotely interesting but even she can’t save this loopy ghost story from imploding. “Personal Shopper” wears thin early enough, and in the end amounts to very little. I saw the film with Lucille, Melanie, Sammy, Jeremy and Danny on Sunday night and only Sammy seems to have given it a passing grade.
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You are not the only friend to be unimpressed by Personal Shopper. From what I’ve read, it has seemed really ambitious for Assayas, like he is making four movies in one. I’ll go in with an open mind but my expectations are sufficiently lowered.
Aaron, thank you for that information. Yes it is certainly ambitious, and I can appreciate that greatly. My issues are with the execution. As ever, though you and I are largely in agreement on so many films, you may still find my position here untenable. Much appreciated my friend.
Agree with your assessment of Frantz, and I’m dying to see Personal Shopper.
Yeah, I’ve been following the Chuck Berry obits with great interest—his sexual proclivities are largely rumor and where they do land in fact they’re erroneous and gross but I’m mostly interested in why, say, David Bowie’s groupie relations with underage girls in the 70’s wasn’t similarly included in many of his passing pieces last year around this time.
Either way, I’ve been listening to him a lot as well, including creating a fun mix of cover versions of his songs. It’s the best way to recall a trailblazer—count the influences far and wide!
As for watching I’m stuck in TV land; re-doing Twin Peaks in preparation for next months new season (first time I’ve re-watched TP since the 90’s so I’m having a blast) and FX’s very fun Feud.
Jamie, PERSONAL SHOPPER is a film I think you will appreciate and another that is making me think I need to give a second chance to. The major reason is that it was directed by Assayas, who actually tied for the Best Director last year (for this film) at Cannes. The film does require a lot of patience, that much is clear enough. Many I respect do love it. I am very happy to hear we are on the same page with the sublime FRANTZ. i am also assuming we also love the Lubitsch film. I just read Allan’s book entry on it this morning in fact, as it was not one he officially reviewed for WitD. Many similarities of course those the endings are quite different. Great to hear about the Chuck Berry listening bonanza, which I shared but perhaps not an intensely as you did. TWIN PEAKS of course is a hard to match time investment. Interesting enough, Lucille is the huge TP fan in this house, but I am right behind. Must get to FEUD! Have a great week my friend! BTW that is a very good assertion about Bowie’s free pass!!
Sam, I too was disturbed reading all the negative reports on Chuck Berry’s past. I have so loved his music and as a fellow baby boomer I have held him in the highest esteem for decades. I think as you say some of it was exaggerated. Frantz looks and sounds so beautiful.
Karen, thanks so much for stopping in my friend! Yes, what you say is so true and right as far as I’m concerned, and I am indeed a “fellow baby boomer.” The man has certainly moved mountains on the music scene. I can’t say I don’t lament some of his decisions, but I can’t say I think his music has at all been compromised.
I sorta think we should never overlook, or as you put it, ‘separate’ the transgressions of artists from the art they create, especially in the case of someone like Chuck Berry—i.e. someone who wrote from the perspective of youth because: A) he was socially immature (which would explain why he’d seek love in people of such a young age, or B.) thought about teenagers so much because that’s what stirred his head (and loins). I mean, how hard would you have to try in vain to separate his transgressions from, say, ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’? Often our artists aren’t unflappable, perfect creatures, and often the art is created in spite of, or because of these imperfections.
Separation is silly, but I commend you for trying, it’s a lot better than shaming dead (or living) artists on twitter or Facebook and feeling like a pig in shit because you’ve done your (meaningless) good deed for the day. Yeah, to me that’s worse—computer keyboard jockey’s who think they care about life only to desecrate the memories—and celebrations*—of it. It’s important to note it, but not to think you’re doing something grand by writing about it in print in an obituary. As I said last week, ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’ remains, it’s worth all the twitter shaming and Facebook rants 10 fold, those piss ants don’t amount to a nano-second of the 2:18 there. And they never will. On a level that’s gotta sting.
Separation is silly, but I commend you for trying….
I hear ya Jamie. I have acknowledged in my lead-in that in the minds of most Berry’s “transgressions” can never be separated in the sense that his music and his persona can never been appraised without the positive/negative impact. My call for separation is a plea to those who (as you note on Twitter, FB and other forums, not to even mention news stories) claim they will never now respect Berry the way they once did and that by implication won’t ever again find the same joy in his timeless music. I posed the corresponding example of classical music and opera titan Richard Wagner who by all historical accounts and biographical studies was a reprehensible human being, a notorious wife abuser and anti-Semite and an idol of Hitler and Nazi Germany. When I hear his famed heavenly overtures to “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg” and “Parsifal” and his spectacular passages in “Die Walkure” or his sublime orchestral work in “Tristan und Isolde” I never once think that this man was a monster. For me his music is a separate entity, and has not an iota to do with what kind of a person he was during his 70 years on Earth. For me the person and the music has been successfully and permanently separated, only resurrected for specific analytical discussions like this one. Yes, Facebook (and Twitter) have been brutal to Berry, and one person (a big music fan) has even been flooding my own page with slurs against Berry. I even brought up the controversy at another friend’s page by printing links to some of the articles. I am not at all saying that Berry’s sordid lifestyle doesn’t negatively impact an overall perception of Berry the Man. For some, they have written him off, in startling reversals from the past musical adoration. Everyone will do as they must, but for me artists shall be evaluated by their talents and contributions.
Emil Jannings is called a monster by many for his gleeful Nazi associations, yet for me he is one of the greatest actors of all-time. In the case of Michael Jackson, my respect for his music (I am speaking for myself here) hasn’t been tarnished or negated remotely but his lifestyle as well.
Thanks for the intricate analysis my friend.
I find attempting to discuss anything remotely serious or nuanced on social media as worthwhile an endeavor as eating vegetable broth with chopsticks. We should’ve quickly seen the fruitless nature of it already…
Jamie, what you say is not the experience I have had on social media for the most part. I’ve had long and enlightening discussions about film and exhausting talks with a number of exceptionally astute people at FB Film Forums. (FB Film Forum–Allan’s favorite where he was extremely active and where he posted many lists that resulted in fantastic film discussions; Film Elite and now a new site inhabited by people who appear to structure their entire life around film, ha!—“The Classic Film Board Lounge”) However on the matter of the recent Berry attacks, YES there are of course some idiots and trolls out there–there will always be that, Your critical barbs here are well applied to such people absolutely. I have tuned out of the political discussion though as of late as frankly there just is too much repetitions and my time is limited what with all the more preferred interests.
Talking film with a bunch of film fans can always happen—try politics or the shaming epidemic.
On this we’ll just agree to disagree. I’d think that the need to defend Chuck Berry would be more than enough for my side.
I have bailed out of political discussions as I say–ain’t worth it and I don’t have time. Like Allan, I have availed myself of the Film Forums populated by the ultra serious cinephiles, though our e little e mail chain is easily on par. 🙂
As to the “need to defend Chuck Berry” yes I am guilty as charged.
No sorry, I was obscure, I meant that we have to defend someone like Chuck Berry on social media sort of speaks to the worth of content swirling around there.
But I get it, I’m quite a bit the negative nelly in these regards. There’s worth there I suppose, just not for my tastes/takes.
I hear and I respect your position. A good part of times I even embrace it!
Thanks for the mentions of Elites-a site I founded-and Forum, a site I co-moderate and urged the physical founder to create. Allan is a greatly missed presence there and elsewhere.
Adam, they are great sites for sure! I enjoy my visits there. Allan is missed each and every day.
I hear ya Jamie. FB is horrible regarding the kinds of dialogue that take place on topics like this. If anyone remotely hints to the fact that they respect and love Chuck Berry’s art, then they’re lumped into supporting his behavior in totality. It’s a sticky situation that I try to stay out of on FB as it always ends badly. In the end, there are numerous artists whose work I love, but whose personal life was filled with all sorts of struggles.
and by struggles I include crimes of course.
I’ve seen my share of mean-spirited attacks on Berry’s legacy on Facebook, and it is such a damn shame.
Aye Frank, it is so sad, but as always the beholder will determine to extent of appreciation and adoration.
Sammy,
Busy week here for me as I get ready for a roughly 3 week trip to Kentucky for work. I will probably be back home here and there for a few weeks but it’ll be a long haul. Frantz looks great and I look forward to seeing that in due time. I will recap here my recent viewings:
Jackie: 2.5/4 on this…..I debated going 3/4 on this but it’s not quite there. Certainly an evocative piece with a terrific score, which might be it’s best suit. On the other hand, the film is fairly telegraphed and covers all the ground I expected without anything I didn’t expect. I am ho-hum on Portman’s performance. Her voice didn’t quite settle in for me and seemed unnatural. I can see how you really liked it though and I don’t blame anyone for thinking so.
Nocturnal Animals: 3 or 3.5/4- Liked this more than I thought I would and I’m still not sure whether I’ll go 3 or 3.5 on this one but it was an engrossing film. I liked the structure and the overall flow of the film. I especially liked the work from Michael Shannon.
Elle: 2/4: Not good. Really amateurish sleaze. Predictable and obnoxious.
That’s it for now Sam hope you have a great rest of your week!
Thanks as ever Jon! I am no fan of ELLE either, and on second viewing I did embrace NOCTURNAL ANIMALS and Michael Shannon’s performance. Yes I did love JACKIE (one of my Top 4 films of 2016) but happy to learn you liked aspects of it, especially that extraordinary score by Mica Levi that seems to be the one element praised by everyone, even those who didn’t care for the film. Our biggest disagreement in on Portman though. I thought she gave a towering performance. But fair enough. I am sure you will love FRANTZ. Have a great three week stay in Kentucky my friend!!!