LEMON (Directed by laura Brownson & Beth Levinson)

              Only in America Could This True Story Happen

            from rags to spiritual riches

Directors Laura Brownson and Beth Levison's memorable biopic is narrated by the beat poet, Andrew Andersen (AKA Lemon). An ex-con, Lemon discovered poetry while at Rikers.  His love of poetry touched his spiritual soul, and his messy past was about to take a different course. The two directors brilliantly bring us into the full spectrum of his life.

Growing up in the projects in Brooklyn, his childhood days were disastrous; they followed him right into adulthood. He and his brother Peter became small-time drug pushers for the building they lived in. His mother Mille was a heroin addict who died of AIDS. A lot of his poetry is about her and their mutual love. As a kid from Puerto Rico, he stuck out with his blond hair, and so Lemon became his name. Peter and his wife figure in the film as major influences – not as positive forces, but this changes at the end of the film.  The story centers around Lemon's steely drive to become a very successful poet. He begins to perform in schools. Then he raises the bar by connecting with a small American theatre company. After some performances in this company, he is swooped up by American Public Theatre's Under the Radar Festival. Richard Kerner, who ran the smaller theatre where Lemon first began performing, is dropped; the American Public Theatre wants to own all the production rights. Kerner is naturally disappointed, but begrudgingly releases Lemon from their small contract. Later on in the film, Lemon returns to Kerner asking for funds.

The relationship between Kerner and Lemon is the major focus of the film. Kerner truly kick started Lemon’s career and got him his audience. He treats Lemon like a brother, so when Lemon leaves him high and dry, and then goes back to him to ask for money without eating humble pie (that’s not Lemon’s style), Kerner said he felt like Lemon was coming back to the lover he had dumped. Kerner gives him nothing. It was very difficult for Kerner to let his brainchild go and receive no credit for his personal and financial investment in Lemon. It was a bitter-sweet moment, for on the one hand, Kerner is angry, and on the other, Lemon is happy to be moving up the ladder in the performance world of New York City. In defense of Lemon, the poet makes a key point: all his life he catered to others above him, and was a “yes” boy. For the first time in his life, he is going to pursue what he wants, even if it means breaking the bond of a deep friendship.
                                                                     

That scene is very telling of Lemon's great ambition and his determination to go to higher places even if it means betraying the one who gave him his start. There was a reason why Lemon approached Kerner. Although his Under the Radar stint was successful, the American Public Theatre lacked funds to support Lemon's mainstay run of County Kings -- the name of his show. He’s told he must raise $50,000 if he wants to continue his run. Despite rave reviews of his work from his two-week stint in Under the Radar, he can't get the money. He ends up unemployed, taking care of his two daughters while his highly supportive wife earns the money. One day, Spike Lee, without whose support the award winning musical Passing Strange would have never made it to the silver screen, calls out to him just as Lemon is leaving a restaurant. He had seen Lemon's performance, and offers to put up the money Lemon needs to continue the show indefinitely at the American Public Theatre. Lemon's poetry is tough, defiant and extremely passionate. He is gifted and utterly disciplined.
Throughout the film, Lemon presents his compelling poetry. He also offers poignant views on poverty, power tycoons, resilience and what it takes to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve success and endure. Interestingly, he has a problem after he gets his main run. He hyperventilates all the time on stage. He knows he needs his wife with him during his performances. She quits her job to be with him. She is the sweet cherry that sweetens up Lemon's life. Nothing made him crack during all the tough times -- just the lack of her presence. I found that rather touching.
 

MADEMOISELLE (Directed by Park Chan-wook) *

Lesbian Erotica Teases Nastily within a Duplicitous Trio

It’s a pretty far-fetched plot whose sketchy credibility is only strengthened by the terrific acting and sumptuous costumes that beautifully reflect Korea in the 1930’s. But a dark tone infuses the film, and so it should; the characters are live under the Japanese yoke. But this film is not about war; rather it is about ambition, sexual lust, lies and identity theft. That’s what it takes for the crooked phony Count Fujiwara to send his lover/ maid Sook-hee to Lady Hideko, a reclusive and fabulously wealthy mademoiselle who in turn must obey her uncle – a sadist who enjoys hurting young and old alike.  She is supposed to marry him, but Fujiwara’s wants her hand in marriage to get her inheritance, and this, she does not keep from either woman.  

                                                                                                       

The film works in parts including flashbacks when we see how she is subjugated – forced by her uncle to read erotica to his friends and pose as a sexual object. As plans are hatched, things take on twisted reversals of fate for everyone. The film is an elaborate statement on sexual, gender and cultural oppression. 

The sexual scenes, combined with and one gruesome one of torture were gratuitous – cruel to the eye. One wonders about the motivation behind this confluence of distasteful human traits that played so vividly in the director’s imagination and ended up in the characters he created in this film. 

Sado-masochism, greed, pseudo-porn and lasting lesbian love make up the hodgepodge of this weird yet nonetheless compelling film that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours.

This film was first screened at FNC Festival

 

THE VIOLIN TEACHER (Directed by Sergio Machado) ****

 

Violinist, Laerte (Lázaro Ramos) freezes during a prestigious audition for OSESEP in Brazil. Needless to say, he did not procure the position of first violinist. He is offered a job teaching a group of uncontrollable teens how to make music as an orchestra.

 

It is mayhem and a total disaster, but one kid, named Samuel shows promise. Drugs, a riot and a motorcycle chase by police lead to a fatal encounter. To make it all worse, there’s a violent gang that has two of the kids in their shackles, beating them until they pay up on money they owe. They show how dirty and dangerous life is in Brazil’s favelas. Still, Laerte is making great progress with his little orchestra and things go well at that end.                                           

  

 

A tragic turn of events set the plot into a downward hell, but the music of Bach and Vivaldi prove to be cathartic for the kids as they perform in the favela for hoards of people hanging over the balconies to hear their nighttime concert. Laerte has his own dream and it gets fulfilled. Based on a true story, the film is touching – particularly poignant for  a music lover and that special kind of heroic teacher who never gives up on belligerent kids who come under his/her baton. The film was screened at Cinema du Parc during Montreal's Brazilian Film Festival.

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK (Directed by Edward Zwick) **

Not much to admire about this action film, other than the teenage girl who may or not be Reacher’s daughter.

She’s witty and unlike all other characters, seems real. The plot has Jack back trying to uncover the government plot that involves silencing those who have discovered an illegal clandestine smuggling operation run by a US army dude that involves Afghanistan. What I wonder is how does one get slammed repeatedly against a cement wall and keeping on duking it out. There was so much violence; it overshadowed all the characters and plot. It was as if the director knew nothing could save this lackluster film, not even the indomitable Jack Reacher A.K.A. Tom Cruise.

Presidential Debates Would Make the Best Reality TV Series Ever!

Think about it. Opponents and one of them has to get voted off. I think the three debates I witnessed between Hillary and Donald are true reality TV material. Conflict, comedy, accusations and bad behavior, plus the element of learning facts, discerning lies and listening to eloquence and buffoonery simultaneously delivered by two different characters. Now, is this not the quintessential reality TV show?

 

 

 If Trump and Clinton really want to make their money honestly, they ought to franchise out those debates and have them translated into a zillion languages, and this way the whole world would listen - laughing, crying and discussing who really ought to get voted off at the end of the series. November 8^th will reveal the winner. And whoever it is, they deserve a medal for TV showmanship and entertainment value. Sad thing is, these presidential debates are for real, folks.

 

                            Will the next president please accept his or her award?

 

MOONSHINE (Directed by Barry Jenkins) *****

 

                           Raw revelations in a heart-breaking coming-of-age film

On a drug infested quiet street in Miami, little Chiron, a Black American, is victim to his mother’s addiction and anger. He’s bullied at school – even beaten up by a group to which his best friend belongs. Little Chiron seeks refuge in a couple who offers guidance and love. The man teaches him to swim, but he sells drugs.

Sadly, Chiron ends up selling drugs. The future holds his best friend to unite with him in a way that references the past upon Little Charon’s sexuality. This stunningly crafted film is so real, yet delicate in its profound grip on us as it quietly aligns issues of socio-economic import, human relevance and the secrets we hold and can’t voice except under the light of the moon. The acting was brilliant.

ARION BAROQUE ORCHESTRA : COFFEE MUSIC BREWED TO PERFECTION

                                              Cafés & Jardins en Musique

                                              Bourgie Hall, Montreal, October 2 pm

Celebrating 35 years of performing baroque music to audiences around the world, Arion Baroque orchestra opened its 2016/17 season with a concert brimming with scintillating baroque flavours that once filled the café houses and gardens in Germany during the 18^th-century. One such place was Zimmermann’s Coffee-House where billiard cues, card games and lively conversation created the background buzz to Bach’s Collegium Musicum – a talented ensemble of student musicians who performed for those eager to taste coffee and enjoy the musical fare Bach was serving in front of them.

Arion’s performance was tantalizingly delicious; each work had me wanting to drink in more of the program’s stimulating brew. What a joy to hear the orchestra bring more than just a few sips of the past to an audience seated in anticipation, happy to hear the orchestra play the first of the season’s five concerts                                                           

Indeed, Bourgie Hall was jam-packed – much like those landmark Leipzig denizens for coffee-drinking addicts once were. And like them, our taste buds extended beyond the cups of coffee – that we were treated to pre-performance and during intermission – compliments of Faro Coffee that has now partnered with Arion.

Thus the stage was set to usher in the ambiance of Arion’s brilliantly brewed baroque program. The first work performed was Suite for orchestra in G-minor, BWV 1070, by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. He was J. S. Bach’s oldest son who may have used his father’s copyist, Christian Friedrich Penzel to create the work, but to this day it is attributed to J.S. Bach. 

Still, one is not sure just who wrote most of it. Whatever the case, the “school of J. S. Bach” – the provenance delicately assigned to this suite – comprises six contrasting movements. Each is appealing in texture and melody. From the opening Larghetto’s rather noble tone to the sweet Menuetto, and the robust joy and accelerated exhilaration of the final capriccio, the contrast between playful tempi, exciting fugues and gallant moods made for a spontaneous-like  satisfying mix of sounds and rhythms

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Arion was warming up the pot for us to enjoy yet another delightful coffee music composition: Concerto for flute and strings in E-minor, L2.4. Arion’s artistic director, Claire Guimond took to the stage to perform what for me was the most moving music to greet my ears during this afternoon concert.  She mesmerized us in the opening Allegro con brio. A flurry of sparkling, fast ascensions on her baroque flute created images of birds and butterflies fluttering among flowers and bush. It seemed to be almost begging for a soprano to sing the melody.  She produced crescendos with finesse and despite the speed of this first movement every expressive nuance made itself heard without one note missing its clarity. Her sostenuto of breath made for strong note holding that further engaged our emotions. A delicate sonority transported us into a realm of exquisite beauty. The Adagio un pocco andante brought tears to my eyes; so profound was the expressive execution – stirringly gifted to us by Ms. Guimond. The final presto left us all breathless and cheering for more. Ms Guimond revealed to me at intermission that she had fun playing this piece and that Alexander Weimann, the guest conductor for the concert who brilliantly performed on the harpsichord was really great to play with; their timing cues were so tight. 

 

     

Together, like a cup and saucer set, the pair continually poured out coffee music which the orchestra magnificently bolstered without stopping. I left in a state of addiction – not to coffee but to Arion itself,

J.S. Bach, inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s work the Concerto for 4 violins, 2 violas, cello and strings in A-minor, BWV 1065 put his own spin to it, preferring that four harpsichords play the violins’ parts. Maestro Weimann also modified things flipping the composition by ensuring the four violins reappeared as they were in the Vivaldi composition – a humble gesture indeed on the part of Arion’s guest director/harpsichordist. It was spectacularly performed by Arion’s 12-member orchestra with Maestro Weimann at the helm directing and playing his instrument with exuberant ease.

The final piece was a true celebration of coffee. It’s interesting to note that Bach himself owned five coffeepots by the end of his life, and so it is not surprising that he wrote a charming short comedic opera, called  “Cantate du café Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht” BWV 211. It’s about a daughter who refuses to stop drinking coffee; she is in love with the taste. Her father is furious, and only the promise of a husband can get her to stave off her craving. A husband will be had, but she puts in her marriage contract that he must allow her to drink coffee.

This light-hearted creation of humour and wit was a delightfully delivered to us by the artists. The father, performed by bass, Jesse Blumberg acted ebulliently as the angry, frustrated father. He is charismatic – a talented actor whose singing was astounding. 

The narrator – tenor, Philippe Gagné also has an impressive voice.

Lightness and elegance combined to create tonal beauty that, despite M. Gagné’s smaller role as the narrator, he beautifully impacted our listening pleasure.

Soprano, Hélène Brunet as the daughter carried off the role with subtle charm. She reaches high notes like a magical bird. Crystal clear clarity, vocal purity and pitch were spot on. She has a beautiful voice, but I would have appreciated her more had she been more energetic in her acting, but nonetheless, she conveyed girlish stubbornness with enough gusto to inspire us to make our own pot of Faro Coffee once we returned home. 

All three singers – together with Mme Guimond periodically playing on her flute – performed an exhilarating recitative for the finale. It was a dashing, musically aromatic ending for this unique concert.

Impeccable in timing, taste, expression and sweetness, Arion was the coffee, cream and sugar in a cup. And no bitter after-taste greeted our tongues at the end of the performance – only resounding “bravos”, and they lasted long after the last pot of incomparable coffee music was poured.

Arion’s next concert takes place November 9^th, 11^th, 12^th and 13^th. Haydn and Mozart are on the program with two exciting artists performing with the orchestra. I’ll keep it a surprise.

For program and ticket information about this concert and all other upcoming concerts, go to:  www.arionbaroque.com.

You can also call (514) 355-1825