Be Kind, Please Rewind

He’s a Cover Songwriter. He’s the… 

Vidiot

Week of March 14, 2014

I wrote this next one to torture terror suspects. First up…

Inside Llewyn Davis

The key to being a successfull folk singer is finding the perfect street corner to busk on.

Even more prominent, the troubadour in this drama has found himself a coffee house to play at.

After his partner’s suicide, couch surfing, folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) learns a fellow folk singer (Carey Mulligan) is pregnant with his baby.

Llewyn agrees to pay for the abortion and that arrangement sets the stage for his journey from Greenwich to Chicago to see a record producer (F. Murray Abraham) in hopes of establishing a solo career.

A striking recreation of the1960s café scene, directors Joel and Ethan Coen bring their oddball blend of dark humour, eccentric characters and esoteric metaphors to the format.

And while not every message is comprehensible and not every ballad is enjoyable, the artistry is undeniable.  

Incidentally, the folk singer movement ended the very day Bob Dylan became indecipherable.  Yellow Light

The Book Thief

The problem with stealing books is that no one cares they’re missing.

However, this drama takes place at time when books were both valued and feared.

To keep her safe from the Nazis, Liesel’s (Sophie Nélisse) mother sends her to live with foster parents, Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson).

Whereas Rosa is stern, Hans is kindhearted and teaches Liesel to read the books she pilfers from the book burnings.

When WWII breaks out, Liesel learns Hans is harboring a Jew (Ben Schnetzer) in their basement.

To pass the time, the refugee teaches Liesel to write her own stories.

Despite omitting major sections of the book, this is a suitable adaptation of the teen novel.

But, like the book itself, the narrative never uses its fascist setting to its full potential.

Incidentally, Nazis burnt books so Hitler’s Mein Kampf would be the only one on the Best Sellers list.  Green Light

Homefront

To get rid of a meth-head, tell them there’s a cache of cold medicine hidden out in the backwoods.

Unfortunately, that won’t work for the father in this thriller because he lives in the sticks.

After an epic undercover assignment with a biker gang, which saw him kill the leader’s kin, DEA agent Phil (Jason Statham) retires to a rural community.

But when his daughter crosses a bully at school, his mother (Kate Bosworth) asks her meth-dealing brother Gator (James Franco) to intimidate Phil.

Doing so, Gator discovers Phil’s a cop, and gets his girlfriend (Winona Ryder) to notify the imprisoned gang leader - who wants to settle the score.

While the action is impression thanks to Statham, the thrills are less so thanks to Franco.

Miscasting aside, the story itself is pretty standard and ultimately uneventful.

Fortunately, in the backwoods, moonshine distillery explosions cover up any meth lab explosions.  Red Light

Out of the Furnace

The highlight of coming home from war is not having to lie on a pile of corpses, pretending to be dead anymore.

Mind you the ex-soldier in this drama performed less cowardly deeds.

Back from Iraq, Rodney (Casey Affleck) rings up a gambling debt with a local thug (Willem Dafoe). 

Russell (Christian Bale), Rodney’s brother, pays half of the debt with his paycheck, and is later incarcerated for DUI.

When he’s released from prison, Russell learns of Rodney’s involvement with underground boxing, and his subsequent death at the hands of a crazy hillbilly (Woody Harrelson).

To make things right, Russell hunts down his brother’s killer despite the sheriff’s (Forest Whitaker) warning.

While the acting talent is present and accounted for, the gritty script is hard to pin down due to its erratic and somewhat implausible nature.

Besides, to avoid future revenge scenarios, only kill people who are an only child.  Yellow Light

***Folk Me***

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

To be a valued member of any chain gain, be sure to memorize the latest and greatest work songs.

Mind you, the missing links from this comedy’s chain gang prefer folk songs.

Determined to reclaim the millions he stole and hid before his capture, Ulysses (George Clooney) and his chain mates, Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), escape.

On the lam, the fugitives encounter an array of eclectic characters, like a soulless guitarist (Chris Thomas King), a cyclopean bible salesman (John Goodman), a notorious bank robber (Michael Badalucco), and a bevy of Sirens.

Along the way, they cut a hit song under the pseudonym Soggy Bottom Boys.

Loosely based on the Odyssey, directors Joel and Ethan Coen breathe life into the Depression Era with their trademark amalgamation of fact, fiction and fantasy.

However, if they’d had the hit song beforehand then they’d never have to go to jail.

He’s Folked Up. He’s the…

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