non-cultured

Beautiful Boy is a devastatingly emotional look at the true story of a father and son’s relationship as the son battles a turbulent addiction to crystal meth and heroin.  Since addiction is so prominent in the United States, this movie does a good job at showing the reality of addiction while not glorifying drugs in any way.  Although the first act of the film is a little hard to follow due to the mix between flashbacks and present day, the film settled out and was more or less balanced in the second and third acts.  What is most significant about this film is the acting.  Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet’s portrayals of David and Nic Sheff are both raw, emotional performances that make you want to root for the characters and react to all of the travesties that occur throughout the film.  

While I could make this review about the acting of the film’s two shining stars, I feel as if that is not necessary.  Both Carell and Chalamet are such strong actors and you can tell the dedication they put into their roles to express all of the heart-break in this true story.  But the acting is not something that anyone will have to be convinced of, since it is just brilliant.  Unlike the acting, there is a part of this film that is very different than most films I have seen as of late.  That being the soundtrack.  

One of the most unconventional aspects of this film is the soundtrack, but it truly works to aid the story.  The soundtrack features a great variety of work, ranging from Tim Buckley’s folk ballad, to Finnish electronic group Pan Sonic’s stranger things-esque “Haiti”, to Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings”.  The soundtrack is unique and patched together, much like the relationship between David and Nic.

By showing the father-son duo bonding throughout flashbacks to music, you get a sense of realness in the relationship.  The highway jam of Nirvana or the lullaby of John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” represent key moments in the development of their relationship and their identities.  David’s serenade to Nic represents his passion for being a father, and Nic screaming along to Nirvana represents his development of his own personality.  We see Nic’s personality develop even more when he heads off to college, and there is something extremely captivating about listening to Timothee Chalamet read Charles Bukowski poems over the slow rumble of Sigur Rós’ “Svefn-g-englar”.  Here you think that there is hope for Nic, and that is equally expressed by both Nic himself and his father.  

Possibly the most powerful song in the movie occurs during a series of scenes at which Nic is at his possible lowest.  Pan Sonic’s song “Haiti” is chilling and eerie and helped create a feeling of distress and unease that perfectly accompanied Nic’s actions at the time.

The soundtrack for Beautiful Boy is unique and a mix of genres, artists, and moods.  It is representative of a culmination of songs shared by father and son sharing what they love with each other and also growing through their experiences together.  Beautiful Boy is a powerful story, so it is fitting that it has a very powerful soundtrack.

This past weekend I attended my first Brockhampton concert in Chicago.  When it comes to concerts, I usually go through the same cycle.  I become obsessed with a certain artist, I find out they are playing near me, I buy a ticket, I go to the show, and I leave the show with the thought that it was the best experience of my life.  This time, I experienced all of those same things, but I am sure this was the most impactful show I have been to.  

I listened to Brockhampton for the first time right around New Years 2018.  My sister had been a fan for a while, but I was convinced that I would not like them from the way she described their music.  Once I got a listen for myself, I was instantly hooked, but like a lot of people, I did not understand how the band was built.  I started researching and watching some of the videos on the band’s Youtube channel.  I became so interested in learning about each of the boys and it became so fun for me.  It’s like trying to pick which Spice Girl you are, but instead of five, you have 14 members to identify with.

The boys were electric on stage.  Each had such intense energy.  It is impossible to not be impressed by their mere presence on the stage.  Not only is their energy contagious, but their performance is unique and bursting with talent.  The setlist was perfectly pieced together, a mix between old and new, bangers and ballads.  This show was completely unique.  The chemistry of the group on stage and on the record is a force to be reckoned with, and that is attributed to a combination of friendship, hardwork, and talent.

The crowd at the Brockhampton concert was more than a group of strangers, it truly was a unique community in which I instantly felt comfortable with.  Everyone will find something they identify with in music.  With Brockhampton, this connection is a perfect fit for a generation that has grown up with the internet and social media.  Brockhampton met on a Kanye West forum.  We are living in this new time in which people make friends, share their lives, and connect with people in ways we never thought possible.  Brockhampton is a cultivation of everything good that can come from the Internet and a perfect example of this new generation of music discovery.  

The crowd at Brockhampton was unique because most people there are internet kids.  I looked at the hashtags on Twitter and Instagram after the concert and found photos from everyone in the room, some from strangers I was standing next to.  This realization of community that has been created and then cultivated on the internet, we are able to feel connected in a room of 5,000+ thanks to the music of Brockhampton and stay connected in the hashtags and subreddit after it is over.  

The first trailer I saw for Sorry to Bother You left me wanting more.  This movie seemed like an interesting, topical, and unique film and I could already tell it would be one of my favorites.  I anxiously anticipated the movie theater release for this movie and rushed to see it on opening night.  I sat in my seat with my jaw practically on the ground from start to finish.  I ran to the car to rewatch the movie trailer as I could not believe that movie was the movie I had anxiously waited for.  Sorry to Bother You is wild, but in the best way possible.  There are a wide array of things I could choose to look at for this film, but the thing that had me returning to my experience at this movie over and over again was the mere shock value.  I found that I had underestimated what I thought this movie would be and what it was about.  Boots Riley’s, Sorry to Bother You, left me shocked by it’s message and the delivery of the message.

From the first trailer, Sorry to Bother You seemed to be about a black man named Cassius fighting the system and doing what he needs to do to get by.  The trailer itself was weird, but it was appealing because it seemed to be much different than anything else that has come out in the past few years.  In the actual theater, I was shocked by something in almost every scene.  Every performance and new plot point seemed to get even more extreme. By the third act of the film, I was so shocked I literally screamed.  But what I noticed, is that with the growing intensity and eccentricity of each scene, the more forgiving I would become of the previous scene.  The whole movie was incredibly weird from start to finish, but it worked for the story.

I left the theater feeling surprised but also satisfied, as I had watched a film that was so unique that the experience could never be replicated, not even with a second viewing.  The themes throughout the movie such as the dangers of capitalism, institutional slavery, and the double edged sword that is success, were all communicated well with such an uncharacteristic delivery.  

Sorry to Bother You has many great qualities and is a thrilling movie that is unlike things you have seen before.  Lakeith Stanfield’s portrayal of Cassius Green was a tremendous performance that was made even better with the presence of Tessa Thompson.  You will leave the theater questioning “what did I just watch?”, but for a good reason.  

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, A Star is Born, is the fourth rendition of the story.  This time, A Star is Born takes place in what we can assume is 2018 and features Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper as Ally and Jack.  Jack is a famous country-rock musician struggling with substance abuse and alcoholism.  Ally is waitressing at a restaurant during the day and performing at drag shows at night.  This film was done beautifully and delivers important messages.  An intriguing aspect of this film was the role of Ally and how Lady Gaga, one of the most respectful musical artists in recent times, fit the role perfectly.  

If not just for her music, Lady Gaga is likely a household name for her many outrageous looks throughout the past.  Who can forget the meat dress?  But what we saw in 2016 was a rebranding of sorts for Lady Gaga with the release of her album, Joanne.  In the Joanne-era of Lady Gaga, we saw a more laid back, simple version as far as her appearance goes, but her songs were anything but.  In tracks like Angel Down, Million Reasons, and of course the title track, Joanne, we see a stripped down and raw version of Lady Gaga speaking on social issues and her life experiences.  

I was fortunate enough to see Lady Gaga in August of 2017 in Chicago.  During the show, Gaga spoke on issues such as police brutality and gun violence in the city, self-love and acceptance, and supporting others.  Gaga gave an enamoring speech about the reason behind her album Joanne, as it was written for her late-Aunt who died of lupus.  Along with a touching tribute to her friend who passed away from cancer, the show was heart-wrenching, honest, and unforgettable.  

In A Star Is Born, Ally is a struggling singer-songwriter who has been told her whole life that no one will listen to what she has to say since she isn’t conventionally beautiful (although Lady Gaga is gorgeous so that is questionable).  Through her relationship with Jack, she becomes more confident in her performances and song-writing and starts gaining attention.  When Lady Gaga starts working with a record producer under contract, we see Ally’s music shift towards pop and her appearance change to bright orange hair and crazy outfits.  This role was perfect for Gaga as we have seen just this.  Gaga started outrageous and dramatic and theatrical, and although she has been incredibly successful and innovative, we have seen her revert to a more natural, raw, and while theatrical, musician and performer, just like we see Ally do towards the end of the film.

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut is a must-see.  The development of the characters and the awesome soundtrack are just two highlights.  The chemistry between Gaga and Cooper feels very real, making the story very convincing.  I hope to see Gaga in more acting roles in the future.  I am sure with the success of A Star Is Born, we will see just that, as she is the star of the film.

“I can sit here and pretend that my biggest problems are Pringle cans and burritos.  The truth is my biggest problem is you.  I want to please you, but I want to stay true to myself.  I want to give you the night out you deserve, but I want to say what I think and not care what you think about it” (Make Happy, 2016).

Eighth Grade, directed by Bo Burnham, presents a raw story of an eighth grade girl’s last weeks of eighth grade.  This movie was incredible for many reasons.  First, the actors were actual eighth graders.  This aspect of the movie was fascinating, considering how many movies are about teenagers played by people in their late 20s.  This aided in creating a much more convincing story.  The film’s main character, Kayla played by Elise Fisher, makes Youtube videos about a wide range of topics including confidence and being yourself.

Bo Burnham created one of the most real coming of age stories while also making it topical to 2018.  Kayla is glued to her phone and computer, and much of her peace comes from scrolling through Instagram or posting “totally not posed” photos to Snapchat.  Many of her interactions with her classmates take place through DMs and likes.  A true moment of pain for Kayla occurs when she throws her phone and picks it up only to realize it has cracked.  These issues may seem silly or even disgusting to an older audience, but to someone who has grown up with technology being readily available for most of their life, the issues are very real.  

One of the most interesting elements of Eighth Grade is the fact that it is written and directed by former Youtuber, Bo Burnham.  Many people may remember Bo’s Youtube videos and Vines that occured before and after his stand-up comedy specials.  Bo Burnham’s journey from the internet to the big screen is a story that we will likely see more and more in the coming years.  

This story was real.  And it is just the beginning of more mainstream projects being created by people who have previously built their fame from the Internet.  The quote opening this piece is from Bo Burnham’s 2016 comedy special, Make Happy.  In the closing act of that special, Bo invited us into his struggles with his fame and desire to please his audience.  I think Eighth Grade is Bo’s attempt to say what he thinks needs to be said, and he did so in a pleasing, artful manner.  Eighth Grade is a coming of age film created by a person who grew up on the internet for people who have grown up with the internet. 

“We're afraid that we will never escape our past. We're afraid of what the future will bring. We're afraid we won't be loved, we won't be liked. And we won't succeed” (Lady Bird, 2017).

We’ve all stared out windows, at one time or another, imagining our life as a movie.  The one thing that always dampens this image is the idea that we, as an individual, are not particularly interesting.  Greta Gerwig’s late 2017 film, Lady Bird, made me think maybe my life could be a movie, not because I am uniquely interesting, but because my mundane experiences are something shared by others.  As far as coming of age films usually go, Lady Bird presents a different narrative.  Saoirse Ronan’s character, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, is almost unlikeable.  You see a girl struggling through a rocky relationship with her mother, lashing out at her brother, and ditching her old friends for guys.  The movie does a fantastic job creating a sense of nostalgia.  Towards the end of the movie, you see Lady Bird finding herself again as Christine, after realizing that maybe the “Lady Bird” she thought she wanted to be wasn’t as great as she thought.  The nostalgia for me came from a feeling of guilt, but also a desire to be better.  This movie made me remember all of the times I have said hurtful things or been a bad person to the people who love me the most, my family.  And although I am now past that point in my life, I turned the movie off and was left with a sense of appreciation and admiration for my family.  The nostalgia here made me think of times in which I have been unlikable and caused me to reflect on my growth as a person.

Lady Bird takes place in Sacramento, California and there is very heavy emphasis on location throughout the film.  There are many scenes in the film that open or close with a shot of a street or park or residential area in Sacramento, making you feel a sense of familiarity.  The film does a great job of creating this true setting while also making the setting feel familiar.  Sacramento could be anywhere, that’s how familiar it is.  The locational attention creates a further sense of nostalgia when watching the film.  

This movie is easily one of my favorites of all time.  The style, writing, and actors allowed this film to paint a picture of adolescence in the worst form, something we can all relate to in one way or another.