B6 Graphic
LIFE & ARTS
January 24, 2013
MOVIE REVIEW
Rogue Wave BEN HOLCOMB Staff Writer
Stop, drop and park
Embark with me on a journey. This past week I had 10 minutes to get to a class in Elkins and was driving down from Drescher. As you probably know, Pepperdine hates residential campus drivers more than Al-Qaeda hates “The Bachelorette.” And yet, I soldiered on. Down the hill I drove, past countless open spots reserved for the proverbial — and often ethereal — commuter student or carpooler. I tried my luck at the Smothers lot, hoping maybe God had pulled off a little Tuesday magic and opened up the gate with a well-timed lightning strike. No dice. My last ditch effort of the four hidden spots near OneStop proved also to be futile. The pleather of my steering wheel became ensconced in my fingers as I squeezed on it like a feeble child unable to burst a roll of bubble wrap. Warding off tears, I rolled back around, only minutes before class, desperate for a spot. And there it was, off in the distance, almost too good to be true, the Lennay Kekua of parking spots. I pulled up to it, a narrow space between a Maserati and a BMW, and attempted to talk myself into what would prove to be the most challenging part of my day: the parallel park. I evened up with the Maserati, tried to remember how parallel parking worked, realized no one — not even my father — had taught me how to parallel park and resorted to prayer. This prayer was interrupted within seconds by a line of cars, student shuttles and a motorcade of buses carrying inner-city youth. “One moment!” I shouted. I cut hard to the left, more than 300 people scrutinizing my every move, and could’ve sworn I heard a Compton third grader shout, “Oh there’s just no way he makes it.” Unfortunately, he was right. I had gone in way too hot, was now perpendicular to the sidewalk and had reduced my chances of success into the single digits. I aborted the mission, tried to start back at square one, but the cars behind me began trying to pass, and then there were cars trying to proceed up the hill in the other lane. Alas, the patience of the Lord was nowhere to be found. So I drove back to Drescher and made myself a Hot Pocket. I think we have a parking problem here on campus. Actually, we have more car issues than Detroit in 2008. And thanks to half of our students parking with less care than the headmistress from “Matilda,” if you aren’t Ryan Gosling in “Drive,” even the free spots prove insurmountable. The obvious answer is more parking lots, but I don’t have time to sit around and wait for that awesome project that will make Pepperdine cool for my grandkids. We need solutions fit for a microwave, not an open-roast fire. What if there were spots reserved for those with a GPA above 3.25? What if freshmen could only park at Drescher? What if we fed visitors to the lions like the rest of us? Are these awful solutions? Perhaps, but at least I’m trying — which is more than you can say about our school at the moment and its hapless drivers. g
william.holcomb@pepperdine.edu
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
DO NOT FORGET ME, 24601— Prisoner 24601 (Hugh Jackman) struggles to forget his past and overcome the foibles of Jean Valjean in the silverscreen portrayal of the Broadway classic, “Les Miserables.” The movie opened in theaters across the country on Christmas day.
Hear the people sing in ‘Les Mis’
By Ayden Smalling Staff Writer
Unless you aren’t as cultured as the rest of us at Pepperdine, I’m sure you have heard of that musical where everybody dies at the end. No, not “Rent”; it’s the show that literally has “miserable” in the title. “Les Miserables” is quite a silver-screen spectacle to behold. Director Tom Hooper captured the intimacy of a stage show while providing us with the marvel of cinema. Outside of a few spots of weak casting, the film is quite an achievement and absolutely worth seeing. It’s too bad Daniel Day-Lewis played Abraham Lincoln this year, because Hugh Jackman now has no shot at winning an Academy Award, even though his performance is certainly Oscar-worthy. Jean Valjean is such a good man, and Hugh
Jackman makes the audience truly love his character. He sings every song with passion and his acting is spot-on; it makes you forget he ever did “Real Steel,” a film about boxing robots. Another spectacular member of the cast is Anne Hathaway. Her tragic tale helps frame the film’s first act and gives us our first great solo. With some Broadway experience under her proverbial belt, Hathaway’s solo is staged so beautifully that it emotionally rocks the audience. Hathaway injects power into her song not by belting out notes but by crying through them. And she cries. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be crying with her. Natalie Portman made shaving your head hardcore (and weirdly pro-terrorist) — Hathaway makes it just sad. There goes empowerment! Fortunately, we get a nice break from all the sadness with Sacha Baron Cohen as
the “Master of the House.” He seems to be channeling Johnny Depp in this role considering he’s playing opposite Helena Bonham Carter (and does she appear with anyone else?). We see Baron Cohen perpetrating the ridiculous, taking a cue from what he does best in films like “Borat” and “Talladega Nights.” His entire number is choreographed like “Punk’d” meets the 19th century. He has the audience laughing whenever he is on screen. Finally, the stellar cast is rounded out among our revolutionaries. Marius, played by Eddie Redmayne, has a fantastic voice and his emotions play well across the screen. And Aaron Tveit’s revolutionary leader has that certain “it” factor that you can’t seem to look away from. But the M.V.P. of the revolutionary troop is young Gavroche. He adds soul and smiles to an otherwise dark
and somber scene. But don’t worry — he’ll make you cry at one point, too. Some of these players, however, don’t live up to their hype. Russell Crowe is a critically acclaimed actor who has helmed countless blockbusters and award-winners, but the key word there is actor. In “Master and Commander,” he may have shown us that the world isn’t flat, but most of his singing clearly is. Javert is Valjean’s nemesis — they are rivals playing a game of chess throughout the entire film. I mean Crowe versus Jackman? All we need is Mel Gibson for the Australian trifecta. And to go toe-to-toe, Crowe has to sing very intense and powerful songs — he struggles. The film does a good job capturing the feeling of 19th-century France. Since this is Pepperdine, it is safe to say that many have been to France, so we can all appre-
ciate it. The iconic barricade from the stage show carries its role into the film as well. For something as simple as a pile of broken wood and idealistic youths, director Tom Hooper brings us right up to the action, as if we are in the front row of the orchestra pit. And that is what this film does best. It brings the magic that made “Les Miserables” such a long-running and successful Broadway show and puts it in a theater near you. It’s stacked with a nearly perfect cast and will make you bring a few tissues along the way.
I give this film:
g
ayden.smalling@pepperdine.edu
MUSIC REVIEW
Widowspeak’s ‘Almanac’ sounds like home
By Nikki Torriente Executive Editor
Widowspeak, a Brooklyn-based duo, debuted their dreamy, indie-pop sophomore album, “Almanac,” earlier this week on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Comprised of Robert Hamilton and Molly Earl, the band takes various instruments and genres and melds them together to create a unique collection of tracks. The 12-track record is a refreshing spin on the band’s first-album sound and shows that Hamilton and Earl haven’t been resting on their laurels. “Almanac” is a whimsical mix of musical influences. The sounds that filter throughout the album range from country twang to 90s ambient rock, but what stays consistent throughout the album is Widowspeak’s dependence on guitar effects and Earl’s melancholic, hazy vocals. Altogether, Widowspeak creates a funky indie-pop sound that’s unusually captivating. In all honesty, any of the tracks on the album could easily have been used in a 90s Freddie Prinze Jr. rom-com film, with their vague reminiscence of decades past that is, nevertheless, a breath of fresh air. The duo’s album reveals the talent that Hamilton and Earl possess as musicians and
song-crafters. They seamlessly integrate layered guitar and organ effects into simple beats that pair nicely with Earl’s purposeful, less-thanclear vocals. The best way to understand Widowspeak’s sound is to take a good listen to their album because, for all it’s worth in explaining their sound, it’s rather unexplainable. “Dyed Wool,” one of the more twangy, upbeat songs, is one of the best tracks on the record. Reminiscent of classic rock band the Eagles’ laidback sound, the song’s rhythm is a sultry, up-tempo beat that underscores Earl’s breathy vocals. The song takes a simpler route by keeping the guitar-driven sound less synthlike, yet they play up the sound by layering the track with lots of pedal-work. The pairing of the guitar rhythm and vocals would be the equivalent of a Stevie Nicks– Fleetwood Mac–era vibe with “Rhiannon,” except that Earl’s voice isn’t as commanding as Stevie Nicks’. Nonetheless, Earl’s vocals in “Dyed Wool” work well for the track and keep the melancholic tone ever-present. Another song on the album worth listening to is “Thick as Thieves.” The track is another ode to the Western twang, but the New York duo mix it in with various
other instruments to create a whimsical rhythm. Earl’s soft, dreamy vocals lend themselves well to the upbeat rhythm and create an ethereal, lilting vocal ribbon that weaves itself throughout the track. Widowspeak’s melancholic tone doesn’t disappear into the upbeat rhythm, however; the chorus of the track places the otherwise full instrumentation on simmer and focuses on Earl’s hazy vocals. Yet fear not, the playful, nurseryrhyme-like lyrics make up for the melancholic chorus. “Thick as Thieves” is a catchy song that deserves a thorough listen because Hamilton and Earl’s fine craftsmanship is superb. “Ballad of the Golden Hour” proves that Widowspeak is a versatile music group. With Earl’s vocal range and the duo’s melancholic tone, it’s easy to pigeonhole them. However, this track, which marks the midway point on the album, highlights the duo’s ability to master a more mainstream sound. With its indie-folk sound, “Ballad of the Golden Hour” could have found a nice home on one of the “Twilight Saga” soundtracks. For what it’s worth, that’s not a negative thing in their case; if the “Twilight” franchise has done anything right, it has created some solid
soundtracks featuring a great array of artists. “Ballad of the Golden Hour” has a simple guitar rhythm that is used as a strong foundation to layer multiple guitar effects, including a lot of pedaling. Earl’s vocals are a little more solid in this track than many of the others, but she still maintains her unique dreamy quality. The song is another catchy track that brings together instrumentation, vocals and lyrics to create a great piece. “Almanac” is a refreshing album that utilizes Widowspeak’s strengths yet shows that the band isn’t afraid to take musical risks. The group’s dream-pop, folk sound and hazy, melancholic vocals aren’t for everyone, but the duo presents a strong sophomore album effort that’s worth a listen. Remember that Widowspeak is all about the atmosphere that their guitar effects and dreamy vocals create, which means that “Almanac” is more than just an album to listen to. It’s an experience.
Courtesy of WIDOWSPEAK.
Key Facts Artist Widowspeak
Genres
Indie Folk
Label
Captured Tracks
On Tour? Yes, check out widowspeak.bandcamp.com
g
leticia.torriente@pepperdine.edu