Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) has built a vastly successful filmography for himself, and this film is no exception.  The first film that I watched by him was The Host, which turned out to be an interesting thriller/horror.  Yet, Joon-ho never fails to add comedy to his films, creating a wholly original tone.  He has created his own genre, which meshes a whole bunch of different genres into one.  Unfortunately, I thought that this detracted a bit from Okja because it was too slapsticky.

Joon-ho's film tone is so odd that it often catches me off-guard, making me fall out of the film's message.  If there was not any comedy in Okja, I would value the message a lot more.  While most of the acting is fantastic, I am still pondering what Joon-ho was doing with Jake Gyllenhaal's (Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler) character.  As Johnny Wilcox, Gyllenhaal goes way overboard with his voice and eccentric attitude.  This is one of the worst roles I have seen in a Joon-ho film.  Clearly, Joon-ho wanted Gyllenhaal to be a comic relief for the dark subject matter, but he really is too much.

Luckily, the rest of the acting is more serious and deserving of praise.  I loved Paul Dano's role as a vegetarian rebel leader.  Dano seems to have struck gold with his recent successes in diverse roles ranging from Prisoners to Swiss Army Man.  Tilda Swinton's (Adaptation., Doctor Strange)  character is similar to her character in Snowpiercer, which is fun to watch but really odd at the same time.  My favorite casting choice for the film would have to be Seo-Hyun Ahn (The Housemaid​) as Mija.  Mija is a stubborn, but also innocent character which Ahn portrays perfectly.  I'm glad that less familiar foreign actors and actresses are finally making their way to American audiences! 

With the quirkiness of the characters and subject matter, the cinematography and CGI effects are still beautiful.  The first quarter of the film is a broad image of a Korean countryside where Okja and Mija live.  The shots are epic and open space fills the screen with natural beauty.  When we move into the city, Joon-ho maintains his grand film scale.  The action sequences are fluid and every shot is worthwhile.  Of course, Okja has no noticeable flaws.  The super pig graces the screen as if it is an actual giant pig.

The Bottom Line:  Although the tone is a bit quirkier than usual, Bong Joon-ho maintains his filmography with another pressing subject.

Score: 6.5/10

Image credit: ​By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59614492

After hearing about the success of this film in the festival circuit, I had to check it out myself.  I, Daniel Blake is a story about friendship and love.  The film is predictable and familiar, but still intriguing with a good storyline.  The titular character is a sad image for audiences that can connect with the complex topic.  Daniel Blake struggles to receive state welfare after obtaining an injury from a previous job.  The main reason why he cannot get what he needs is because of regulations towards the welfare state.  Without going into too much detail, watching Blake's struggle with money starts off as a depressingly bleak look at current economic policies.  Luckily, we get to watch Blake connect with other characters to share his optimistic outlook on life.

Dave Johns (Daniel Blake) and Hayley Squires (Katie) are a great duo, constantly bringing emotion into their roles.  There is a scene in this film that reminds me of the emotion brought up in the argument between Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester By The Sea.  If you don't like slow character development, then this movie might not be for you.  There is not a lot of action and crazy things rushing around the screen, but there is the subtlety of emotion provided by the cast.  I had not seen a film from Ken Loach (The Wind That Shakes the Barley) before this one, and I'm interested in watching more of his works now. 

The film is very heavily British and sometimes hard to understand because of its foreignness to American audiences.  I would recommend seeing it with subtitles because I would have missed a lot of dialogue without them.  Some research on the British healthcare system might also work in the viewer's favor, but it is not necessary if you have a basic understanding of the welfare system.  Furthermore, a general outline of the film is predictable for this genre.  There are no real twists in the film, with the typical dramatic themes that Paul Laverty (The Wind That Shakes the Barley​) chooses to follow. 

The Bottom Line:  While this film is well-acted and quite emotional, it is predictable to viewers that are familiar with the genre and style of this filmmaking.

Score: 7/10

June 12th
Piotr Andrejew (b. 1947) - Shadowman
Sam Beazley (b. 1916) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

June 13th
Yoko Nogiwa (b. 1936) - 203 Kochi
Anita Pallenberg (b. 1942) - Barbarella

June 14th
Aleksey Batalov (b. 1928) - The Cranes Are Flying

June 15th
Bill Dana (b. 1924) - The Nude Bomb

June 16th
John G. Avildsen (b. 1935) - Rocky
Stephen Furst (b. 1954) - Animal House
Gilberto Galimberti (b. 1933) - The Italian Connection
Mieczyslaw Kalenik (b. 1933) - Black Cross
Yoon So Jung (b. 1944) - Ice Girl

June 18th
Antonio Medellin (b. 1934) - Love Rules

Perfume Genius is the stage name for solo artist Mike Hadreas, hailing from Seattle, Washington. He returns for his fourth studio effort, No Shape. Since the release of the 2014 album Too Bright, Hadreas has really expanded his sound to a grander and more diverse stage, while retaining the Lo-fi qualities of his earlier works. On No Shape, he employs a multitude of instruments and sounds, jumping across the genres of art pop, chamber pop, and soul. There are many unique and experimental qualities to the music that make it difficult to put the album into words.

The record’s opener, "Otherside", teases at a soft and tender beginning, but quickly erupts into an avalanche of sound. The abrupt transition from sparse to vast instrumentation is unlike anything I have heard in a single song. "Slip Away" follows up as another boisterous moment. Loud percussion backs the upbeat and catchy vocals. Besides the drums, this is one of the more conventional instrumentals on the project.

Hadreas continues the strong start with one of the album’s best songs, "Just Like Love". It’s a sweet and warm romance tune with a strong groove. Instrumentally, there’s a lot going on. Strings you would hear on a Beatles song accentuate the track, along with a driving guitar behind the chorus, and light, bubbly percussion. However, the record hits its first roadblock on "Go Ahead". The heavy and oddly-timed percussion is such a strange transition from the smooth sound of "Just Like Love". No Shape is a versatile album, but this is certainly a case where the different styles greatly clash. Despite its faults, "Go Ahead" still has strong singing from Hadreas and a surprisingly funky bass line.

The album rebounds with the two more tracks that close out the first half. "Valley" is another soft take, with some lovely acoustic guitars and my favorite vocals of the record. Hadreas employs a lot of vocal shifts for a really interesting sound. The piano and plucked strings also add instrumental depth to the song. "Wreath" is another bright and inspiring moment. The chorus is catchy, and raised up by booming guitars before each line. The track ends with a long-winded vocal chant and a hypnotic rhythm.

The second half of the album is a much quieter experience, and that begins with the song, "Every Night". Once again the instrumental feels hypnotic with repetitious phrases. The singing from Hadreas is both beautiful and tragic. "Choir" is the most interesting and experimental point of the project. The choral instrumental is gorgeous with constant strings and a haunting choir. Hadreas provides a strange, spoken-word passage that gives a strong sense of the supernatural, which Mike has listed as inspiration for the song.

"Sides" provides the only guest appearance on the album, with a verse from female vocalist Weyes Blood (Natalie Merling). The melody is strong with a distorted guitar as the prominent feature. Halfway through the track Merling enters, and it shifts to a more atmospheric and spacious beat. Her vocal performance sounds fantastic and matches well with the music.

After ten solid tracks, "Braid" marks the album’s weakest efforts. While Hadreas sounds just as strong as a performer, it is the most uninteresting instrumental passage of the record. While the next song, "Run Me Through", is a lot more interesting with some jazzy elements, it is surrounded by two of the slowest songs. On the album’s closer, "Alan", Hadreas went in a more simple direction. But it feels underwhelming when compared to "Otherside". I can’t help but feel that "Alan" is similar to the album’s opener, but without that grand musical statement that it became. Put together, the last three cuts run too quiet and sparse. It clashes with the vibrant first-half and spoils some of the record’s momentum.

Whether you enjoy the experimental side of pop or not, No Shape is worth a listen just for the sake of hearing something completely new and original. Lyrically it’s a very personal experience, and musically it does not hold anything back. Placing the album into any single category is a difficult task, and it certainly benefits from multiple listens. Regardless, Mike Hadreas under the Perfume Genius name is certainly one of the more unique songwriters working right now.
 
Score: 8.25/10

Favorite Tracks: "Otherside", "Slip Away", "Just Like Love", "Valley", "Wreath", "Choir", "Die 4 You", "Sides"

Least Favorite Tracks: "Go Ahead", "Braid"

Image credit: ​By Incase from San Francisco, USA - Perfume Genius, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18161209

June 5th
Andy Cunningham (b. 1950) - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Rita Riggs (b. 1930) - All in the Family

June 7th
Earl Lestz - One Night in Hollywood
Thierry Zeno (b. 1950) - Wedding Trough

June 8th
Glenne Headly (b. 1955) - Don Jon
Sean Michael Rice (b. 1947) - LOVE, Inc.

June 9th
John Heyman (b. 1933) - D.A.R.Y.L.
Adam West (b. 1928) - Batman: The Movie

June 10th
Po-lin Chi (b. 1964) - Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above

June 11th
Doreen Andrew (b. 1923) - Whatever Love Means

Image credit: ​By photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2530050

Wonder Woman takes the grittiness of past DC movies and adds empathy into the formula, creating a relatable story for the female hero.  Finally, DC has returned to good form with this installment in their cinematic universe.  The casting is near-perfect with Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) in the leading role.  It is not very often that we see these kinds of powerful roles for actresses.  Fortunately, Gadot reminds us that there is plenty of room for these roles in cinema.  Chris Pine (Star Trek) is a nice addition as a supporting actor in the film.  The two main roles play off of each other in a charmingly romantic style.  Of course, there is a whole mix of other roles that also influence the characters and the plotline. 

While Wonder Woman excels because of it's great casting, it stands even taller because of the themes recurring in the story.  The struggle between human nature and free choice has always been a philosophical debate.  The storyline is deep and emotional because of it's relativity to audiences.  The writers take this debate and masterfully create a storyline around it.  Previous DC films have struggled to bring this impact to their viewers.  In the past, action has preceded the storyline.  Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad had the potential for emotional impact, but got muddled down with their action sequences.

Although Wonder Woman is a step forward for the DC universe, there are still some issues for the franchise to hash out.  The last quarter of the film had some interesting action sequences, but felt too long.  The action has a few too many effects, seeming unrealistic.  I also saw the film for free in 3D, which in my opinion wouldn't have been worth the price.  The first act has some fun 3D effects, but nothing else stands out later in the film.  It is cool to watch at first, but eventually detracts from the ideals that the movie worked so hard to create.  Still if this is the new base level for DC films, I cannot wait for the future installments.  Patty Jenkins (Monster) brings hope to female filmmakers who want to helm big blockbusters.

The Bottom Line:  Wonder Woman is the best DC film since The Dark Knight Rises, bringing justice to female superheroes and the franchise that has left them out for too long.

Score: 8.6/10

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore - File:Gal Gadot 2014 Comic Con.jpg, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40400532

Relaxer continues to deliver the ambient and electronic noises that alt-J gave audiences with their previous two albums.  Starting at a slow pace Relaxer starts of with a lounge-style of instrumentalization.  One of my problems with alt-J's previous works is the amount of time it takes for their music to hit a soothing melody.  Once again, the first track on their new album does not give a payoff until the very end.  That being said, Joe Newman's voice helps to give a bit of strength to "3WW" at the very end.  Luckily, the band picks up the pace with the second track on the album.

"In Cold Blood" is a great mix of vocals and looping with some nice beat drops here and there.  This is the first time I have felt intensity with the ever-so-often relaxed band.  Right after "In Cold Blood", the band creates an interesting cover of "House of the Rising Sun".  Their take on the classic hit is very quiet and lacks the rawness that The Animals gave their listeners.  There are some interesting acoustic instrumentals, but the song never takes off.  Oddly enough, the next hit on the track sounds more like The Animals than alt-J's cover of "House of the Rising Sun".  "Hit Me Like That Snare" has a vampirish tone.  It's like an Addams Family rendition of an old British song.  Plain-old weird and kind of creepy.

The next three tracks of the album are somewhat boring, with similar concepts that have already been tested by alt-J in their previous discography.  The ambience is dull with a few synthesized flourishes here and their.  Nothing needs to be discussed for these tracks because nothing is too interesting.  Fortunately, alt-J leaves listeners with a decent vibration in their ears.  "Pleader" includes classical instruments with sweet strings and woodwinds.  The track is a pleasurable finish, balancing between the creepier tone and delectable serenades. 

Score: 5/10

Favorite Tracks: "In Cold Blood", "Pleader"

Least Favorite Tracks: "House of the Rising Sun", "Deadcrush", "Adeline"

Image credit: ​By Darligulves - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46194801

May 30th
Wendell Burton (b. 1947) - The Sterile Cuckoo
Robert Michael Morris (b. 1940) - Smiley Face
Molly Peters (b. 1942) - Thunderball
Dasari Narayana Rao (b. 1947) - Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
Elena Verdugo (b. 1925) - House of Frankenstein

May 31st
Joe Hyams (b. 1926) - Chariots of Fire
Tino Insana (b. 1948) - Barnyard
Lyn James (b. 1929) - The Young Doctors
Parvathamma Rajkumar (b. 1939) - Om

June 1st
Roy Barraclough (b. 1935) - Coronation Street
Jose Greci (b. 1941) - Hercules Against the Mongols
Sonja Sutter (b. 1931) - Frauenshicksale

June 2nd
Peter Sallis (b. 1921) - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

June 3rd
Shivraj - Amar Akbar Anthony

June 4th
Washington Xisolo - Who Am I?
Roger Smith (b. 1932) - 77 Sunset Strip

Gone Now is a surprisingly superior album for Jack Antonoff's main band, following their successful debut album.  "Dream of Mickey Mantle" quickly brings us back to the world that Bleachers introduced us to with their first album.  Right off the bat, we get the pop perfection that intrigued us the first time around.  

Yet, this album is a deeper project for Antonoff.  Antonoff's childhood starts to reveal itself on the second track, "Goodmorning".  The track is relatively stripped down for Antonoff's creativity.  His voice is raw, with a slower beat as a bottom layer.  The vocals are at the forefront of the song even with his productive layerings.  It sounds like a pure confession of childhood innocence, ending with a baby crying out.

After the first two tracks, we make it to one of the singles that came out preceding the album release.  "Hate That You Know Me" is a lyrically thoughtful track, with moments of Antonoff yelling out in an emotional manner.  It gives us a real look into the troubled thoughts that go through a human's mind on a daily basis.  At the same time, it has the pop-influence of a Jackson 5 song with high vocals and funky beats.  Right after the funky track, we get the lead single on the album.  "Don't Take The Money" is reminiscent of hit tracks off of Strange Desire.  The open-air ambience of the instrumentals show off the success of the past hit, "I Wanna Get Better".  This is basically the perfected pop formula that Antonoff has started producing.  We even get a bit of Lorde's vocals towards the end of the track.  Don't zone out though because you might lose it in the ridiculous amount of layering on the track.

This album works so well because audiences feel a connection to Antonoff.  This becomes clear with "Everybody Lost Somebody".  Antonoff reminds us that struggles are a part of life.  His main struggle in life came when he lost his 13-year-old sister to brain cancer.  "Everybody Lost Somebody" is a straightforward tribute to her.  The lyrics are sad, but soothing instrumentals progress the song with a seemingly happy tone.  

The first miss for me on the album comes with "All My Heroes".  The track is inspirational, but has trouble taking off because of the tone that Antonoff leaves us with after "Everybody Lost Somebody".  After "All My Heroes", we return to Antonoff's creative mind in the following track, "Let's Get Married".  The track includes excerpts of Lena Dunham's voice, with a very simple message that constantly states "Let's Get Married."  It's a simple track that seems a little too direct, and out of place in the mix.  The next track, "Goodbye", is also oddly placed in the middle of the album.  It plays as a sendoff, but I'm not exactly sure where the track is supposed to lead us next.

After the three curveball songs, we return to the pop perfection with "I Miss Those Days".  It's almost as if Antonoff realized that he got a bit lost in the making of the album for a few songs.  The lyrics boldly state, "I know I was lost but I miss those days".  Just when we get lost in the music, Antonoff guides us back into his well-crafted world.  "Nothing Is U" acts as a breakdown moment that features piano and strings in the background.  The ballad is refreshing with a decent build-up into a grand orchestral finish.

The ballad takes us straight into the oddest track on the album, "I'm Ready To Move On/Mickey Mantle Reprise".  The instrumentals on the track almost sound like a space opera, meshing past voices with synthesized sounds.  It's as if ghosts are talking to us and reminding us of everything we just encountered on the album.  

Of course, Antonoff has to finish the album on a high note with "Foreign Girls".  The ghosts are interrupted by a high trumpet melody, eventually building to a multi-layered pop hit.  At times, it sounds like a choir is walking down the street and giving us direction towards the future of Bleachers.  The autotune is prevalent, but also effective as we go between a single voice and a multi-layered choir.  Overall, the last track is a nice ending to an adventure through Antonoff's past life.  Surely, Antonoff will no longer be a stranger to pop listeners.

Score: 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks: "Goodmorning", "Hate That You Know Me", "Don't Take The Money", "Everybody Lost Somebody", "I Miss Those Days", "Foreign Girls"

Least Favorite Tracks: "All My Heroes", "Let's Get Married", "Goodbye"

Image credit: ​By Justin Higuchi - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jus10h/14835976210/in/photostream/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34986765