Musical Thesis: My 10 Favorite Songs of 2018

Musical Thesis: My 10 Favorite Songs of 2018 is a special playlist to me. These are the 10 songs that I had on repeat most often. They got me through incredible highs and lows. I hope they can do the same for you. Enjoy!

To listen to the Musical Thesis: My 10 Favorite Songs of 2018 Playlist on Spotify, click here.

“Ancient Names, Pt. II” by Lord Huron

“Last Ride” by Beach House

“Severed” by The Decemberists

“Starwatcher” by The Decemberists

“Chinky Pin Hill” by I’m With Her

“Lemon Glow” by Beach House

“888” by cavetown

“When I’m Weary” by Dave Matthews Band

“Everything Is Awful” by The Decemberists

“I’ll Be Your Girl” by The Decemberists

Be good to each other,

Nathan

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The Cinephile's Journey: "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937)

For my current writing project, I am watching, ranking, and reviewing every film to win The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture. Below, is my review of the 1938 winner, "The Life of Emile Zola." 

4/5 Stars

Plot: “The biopic of the famous French muckraking writer and his involvement in fighting the injustice of the Dreyfuss Affair.” -IMDB

Director: William Dieterle, Writers: Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, Starring: Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schlidkraut

Review: Of all the movies I have watched so far during this writing project, “The Life of Emile Zola” is my favorite. Perhaps it connected with me, because of the position my country finds itself currently occupying. Perhaps I found refuge in a man who also knew that his country could do better. Perhaps I love the idea of not settling and pushing society forward to be better. Perhaps it was all of these things and more.

In many ways, the life of Emile Zola reminds me of the writer, James Baldwin. In fact, my immediate thought after watching this movie was to wonder if Mr. Baldwin had watched this film. Both men were writers of a revolution who wrote with the intention of making their country better. Where they differed is that as Zola became more well-known and respected, his life gave way to comfort and the accumulation of things. So much so that a dear friend accuses him of selling out. It isn’t until he is presented with the opportunity to fight for someone wrongly accused of a crime that he did not commit that the idea of his comfortable life confronts him.

When Zola takes on the trial of a member of the French military who has been accused of treason, we finally get to see a beast who slumbers no more. The trial scenes are the best in the entire film. It is our first opportunity to see what Zola has spent years writing in action as he questions the state and the citizens' relationship to it.

In the end, this is a film about truth and being dedicated to higher ideals. This film came out during the rise of Adolph Hitler and before World War II. At such a time, it must have been a thing to behold. Given the tumultuous and uncertain times, we find ourselves, I think more people should dust this film off and give it a try.

Be good to each other,

Nathan

Best Picture Ranking (So Far)

The Life of Emile Zola

Mutiny on the Bounty

Cavalcade

It Happened One Night

The Great Ziegfeld

All Quiet on the Western Front 

Wings 

The Broadway Melody 

Grand Hotel

Cimarron

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Musical Thesis: Thurston Moore “Demolished Thoughts”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MUSICAL THESIS PLAYLIST

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews aren’t about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.

What would it mean for you to be completely open and honest? As conversation, art, music, or any other creative expression as your medium, what would it look like for the world to see the skeletons in your closet? If you are anything like me, there is probably a pretty healthy mixture of shame and pride. Shame for those shortcomings and pride for those good deeds no one knew about you. For Thurston Moore’s “Demolished Thoughts” we are invited to an open and honest conversation; a rare treat and a tremendous responsibility for both us and the artist.

The conversation is about things falling apart and a man attempting to put it all together again. Music is the vehicle and the mirror. As Mr. Moore shares, we find commonality; the greatest tool and the ultimate achievement of any art form. We see his failings and ours. We see his moments of joy and recall our own. We learn lessons from the experiences of others. We are provided an opportunity that can only be experienced by spending time in someone else’s shoes.

After this is all done, we are left with the most profound lesson of this album; there is power in not going back “there” again. “There” can be anything. It can be when we were at our worst, a breakup, a person who failed us, etc. Whatever it is, there is power in overcoming it and choosing not to dwell on it any longer. This choice is masterful, and it reveals freedom. These lessons give us space to become more complete human beings and we have demolished thoughts to thank for the chance.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Cinephile No. 758 “The Favourite”

“Love or Love of Power?” a review of “The Favourite” by Nathan H. Box

Recommendation: 3/5 Stars, STREAM

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Writers: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, Starring: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz

Plot: “In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Weisz) governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail (Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.” -IMBD

Review: “The Favourite” is the most peculiar film I have seen this year. Centered on a sickly Queen Anne played by Olivia Colman in early 18th Century England, the monarch is a woman in desperate need of attention. Luckily for her, Lady Sarah played by Rachel Weisz is by her side to govern and meet her every need. This relationship works for both women, but a wrench is thrown into the arrangement when a new servant, Abigail, shows up at the castle door played by Emma Stone.

From the get-go, it is obvious Abigail is a charmer and possesses a unique ability to get her way. Very quickly, she begins rising up the ranks seizing every opportunity presented to her. When she uses herbs to soothe the queen’s gout, she becomes yet another person for Queen Anne to lean on in her hours of need. This gives birth to a hilarious and proper rivalry between Lady Sarah and Abigail. This is also the jumping off point for one of the darkest comedies I have seen this year.  

With her new favorite, Queen Anne sets a beloved lesbian war into motion with the two rivals taking any opportunity to one-up the other. Entangled in a triangle of sex, lust, and power, Queen Anne is oblivious to it all. Between the two women at her side, there is a war brewing and true power is the prize to be won.

As “The Favourite” nears the end, it drags. At times, it doesn’t seem to know how to end. At the one hour and thirty-minute mark, it clearly made the point that these women are torn between love and love of power. With thirty more minutes to go, it moves from a film that I would recommend you seeing to one I think you should stream. Still, this ended up being one of the funniest movies I have seen this year and a movie I can’t wait to watch again with a fresh set of eyes.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Cinephile No. 757 “Roma”

“Two Lives,” a review of “Roma” by Nathan H. Box

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Writer: Alfonso Cuaron, Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey

Plot: “A story that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.” -IMDB

Review: I have never seen anything like “Roma.” It is epic in scale while being intimate at the same time. It is a beautiful thing to behold while dealing with ugliness. It beckons to old Hollywood movies while giving us something fresh and new. It demands attention while encouraging you to wander off into its world. It felt too big and insanely small at the same time. It is about a domestic worker living inside the home of an upper middle-class Mexico City family and it is about much bigger issues. It is about the lives of two women and the challenges before them.

Life outside of the home is where we get our first sense of who Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) truly is. She is young and looking for love. Sofia (Marina de Tavira) is the mother of the house where Cleo works. From different economic classes, we are consistently reminded of the distinctions between these two women. Thanks to beautiful cinematography and a wonderfully written story, we are also forced to see what they have in common. This becomes abundantly clear when Cleo becomes pregnant by a man unwilling to be a father and Sofia’s husband abandons his family for a younger woman.  

With two men removed from the picture, the worlds of these women seem to be coming unhinged. Chaos is the name of the game here as Cleo and Sofia battle to redefine themselves. Both must come to terms with who they are now and the lives they want to create for their children.

[Spoilers ahead]

This is when the most challenging scene of the film takes place as Cleo gives birth to a stillborn child. The coldness of the hospital is heartbreaking beyond any sense of humanity we all hold dear. In a very matter fact sort of way; birth, death, goodbye, and be gone; back to a home filled with four children and a mother wrestling with the loss of her familial identity. It is here that you realize Sofia’s children are practically Cleo’s. It is also here that we come to terms with two lives dealt harsh blows by the waves of life. This film serves as a reminder that while the shoreline may be in a state of constant change, we are built to handle the impossible. For that lesson, I implore you to see this film.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Cinephile No. 756 “Green Book”

“An Enduring Friendship,” a review of “Green Book” by Nathan H. Box

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Director: Peter Farrelly, Writers: Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

Plot: “A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.” -IMDB

Review: The plot of “Green Book” is predictable. Most of the time such a sentence is a nail in the coffin for a film. At the very least, it is strike one. That isn’t the case for this movie. Instead, this film is saved by the on-screen chemistry between Viggo Mortensen’s character, Tony Lip, and Mahershala Ali’s character, Dr. Don Shirley. Tony Lip is an opportunity man trying to make ends meet. Dr. Shirley is a classically trained pianist. As they drift into each other’s atmosphere, the real fun and drama of this film begins.

The “Green Book” serves as a roadmap for black travelers to use when in the American south of the 1960s. With this knowledge in hand, we know racism is going to rear its ugly head somewhere in this film. When uncultured Tony secures a job driving Dr. Shirley to tour dates across the Midwest and through the south, the biggest and most lingering question of the film presents itself. Will this professional relationship be able to endure?

From one town to the next, we are introduced to the master that is Dr. Don Shirley. As he fills mostly white auditoriums, concert halls, and southern homes, we are treated to an unexpectedly funny film. We are also on the front row to the evil men do to each other no matter the talent before them. As Tony confronts these evils, our hearts are left to sink and swim under the tension. We know Dr. Shirley can handle the pressure. Tony’s in/ability to do so is what will keep you engrossed in this picture.

At times, it can seem as movies such as these are tailored made to play off white guilt about our horrible past. It can seem as if they are built to garner award show votes. I don’t believe that is the case here. In the end, this is a worthy tale about an enduring friendship withstanding racism, classicism, and educational divides. It stands as a testament to what can happen when we look past what divides us and truly get to know a person. For that, I cannot recommend it enough.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Cinephile No. 755 “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

“It Fell from a Book,” a review of “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” by Nathan H. Box

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Director: Marielle Heller, Writers: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells

Plot: “When Lee Israel falls out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception. An adaptation of the memoir, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer Lee Israel.

Review: “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is flying under the radar and really deserves more attention than it is receiving. Featuring Melissa McCarthy as down on her luck biographer Lee Israel, this is a film about a woman dedicated to her craft but desperate to make it any way she can.

Melissa McCarthy is brilliant in this film and without a doubt worthy of an Oscar nomination. In this role, she makes us believe in a struggling author passionate about unpopular topics. With this love affair, comes exhaustion, disappointment, and an opportunity to survive; all of which McCarthy embodies with near perfection. Her brilliance really begins to shine when doing some research for a book a letter from a literary giant falls from the pages. This original letter garners big bucks on the auction and private collector circuit. This gives Israel an idea and McCarthy a chance to show her range.

You will spend much of the second act of this movie wondering if our recluse will be caught. For their part, the filmmakers do a good job of slowly unwrapping the inevitable. Lee is playing with fire and we all know that she will be burned. As an audience member, we wrestle with the tension of how it will all come crashing down because when it does it is sure to be glorious.

The crash comes in the form of the FBI and a remorseful Lee admitting guilt. Judgment from the court doesn’t necessarily turn out the way one would envision but provides McCarthy an opportunity to deliver the monologue which will lead to her being nominated. It is this scene and what occurs afterward that sealed the deal for me. I think it will do the same for you; which is why I am recommending you see this one in theaters.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Cinephile No. 752 “First Man”

“A Love Letter to Those Who Dream,” a review of “First Man” by Nathan H. Box

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Director: Damien Chazelle, Writers: Josh Singer, James R. Hansen, Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke

Plot: “A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.” -IMDB

Review: After an end to the Apollo missions, the American love affair with space began to lie dormant. Sure, we’d tune in for another satellite being launched into the furthest reaches of space, parts added to the International Space Station, or an astronaut breaking “time in space” records. Recently, thanks to the likes of Elon Musk and American cinema, we’ve begun looking at the stars and collectively dreaming once again. “Interstellar,” “The Martian,” and “Gravity” have helped fuel this idea that something like a manned mission to Mars is possible. Before we go further than any man has ever gone before, it is necessary to pause and realize where we’ve been. “First Man” is about those men and women who dare and have dared to do the impossible.

Neil Armstrong is the center of this film and is played by a subdued, focused, and melancholy Ryan Gosling. To understand Armstrong’s motivation, you must fully grasp the personal and professional tragedies that plagued his life. It is the loss of his daughter coupled with the loss of colleagues in the pursuit of something seemingly impossible that pushes this man forward throughout this film. It also doesn’t hurt that in the early days of the space race, the Russians were dominating the fight. As an actor, Ryan, and the Director, Damien Chazelle, impress upon us this pressure and the stakes. At times, it is enough to make you sweat in your theater chair.

“First Man” is the personification of our romance with space; a love letter to those who dream. It stands as an example of the best of America and our pioneering spirit. Few of us, especially those of us born after 1969, fully realize the technical marvels and sacrifice needed to put a man on the moon. This film stands as yet another reminder, but not since “Apollo 13” have we been made to realize how hard this journey is and how hard it must have been on those men and their families who first broke free from our gravity.

The path to the moon was paved by life and death. So far, in my estimation, it is our greatest technical achievement. It will only be outdone by putting people on the face of Mars. Until then, we can celebrate the best of ourselves with this film.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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A Reader: “Goddess of the Market” by Jennifer Burns

As always, this is not a book report. Rather, it is an opportunity to discuss some ideas that stuck with me while reading “Goddess of the Market” by Jennifer Burns.

What Does Influence Mean?

I find myself fascinated by Ayn Rand. The fascination grows out of intrigue and not a devout belief in her ideas. I find Ayn Rand compelling for the same reason I find Scientology interesting; the fact that a movement was born in our lifetime is something that I find curious. Unlike Scientology, Ayn Rand’s ideas have taken hold on our society. While reading this book, I spent a lot of time thinking about the power she wields and wielded over her devotees. It made me question the very nature and meaning of influence. From genesis to widespread public support, what does it take for an idea to move masses? Is it timing? Circumstances? Luck? Or a combination? When you look at the entirety of her life, it is hard to believe that it isn’t some combination. More than anything, I believe this is the overarching point that this book tries to drive home.

A Cult of Personality

Reading this book, the devotees of Ayn Rand come across as fanatical. They swallow every word, clamor to be in her presence, and defend her honor without question. This forced me to spend some time thinking about a cult of personality and what blindly following someone does to a person. As a human being, I am prone to such a fault. I have aligned myself with people who see the world as I do, but rarely question where these beliefs I hold dear came from or how they became true for me. I see this as a cautionary sign to slow down, pause, analyze, and spend some time with what I truly believe.

Modern Philosophy

In my mind, philosophy tries to find order in chaos. For Ayn Rand, Objectivism is an attempt to create order out of a past in communist Russia, the Great Depression, and the growing role of the government under President Franklin Roosevelt. While I disagree with the vast majority of Rand’s worldview, I do appreciate the attempt to bring some sense to the world. While I am no philosophy student, I hesitate to say that no philosophical idea has had a greater impact during my lifetime than those ideas expressed by Ayn Rand. How that makes us feel and what it means for our world is for us to decide.

The Future

I am not sure if the philosophy of Objectivism is built to last. Objectivists would argue that the world has never seen a capitalist system like the one proposed by Rand, therefore it is still too early to say. I do see a world where more and more wealth is concentrated at the top and the gap between the classes continues to widen. I can’t see how a system such as this can continue. This new economy is creating too many losers and too few winners. It is leading to increases in homelessness and a way of life that we hold as purely American to become further and further out of reach. The system has to either redistribute wealth in an effort to lift more ships up or it has to become fine with larger and larger amounts of people being left behind. Beyond those two ideas, I am not sure where we go from here, but it is something I would love to discuss with anyone that is willing.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Gnaw: Brew Kitchen Bar

The Stage: If you would have commanded me to find Monterey Park on a map showing LA suburbs before two weeks ago, I would have failed. Then, I visited Brew Kitchen Bar and everything changed. If you are struggling to figure out the specialty of this local spot, everything you need to know is in the name. This sometimes brewery, sometimes kitchen, sometimes bar is modern, clean, inviting, and charming. As soon as you enter the doors, you are invited to order from the counter, grab a cocktail or beer, and food to tide you over between drinks.

The Food: To start the evening, I ordered the “Apple Pie” cocktail. I have no idea what comprised the contents of this concoction. I do know this; it tasted like apple pie with a sweet mix of sugar, cinnamon, and enough alcohol to bring it all together. For my entrée, I ordered the “Hot Chix Sando.” It was a chicken sandwich on a brioche bun. The buttermilk chicken was fried with a tri-chile blend and featured pickles, slaw, and house aioli. It comes in three versions: mild, medium, and hot. Naturally, being a coward, I ordered the medium. If I were to use five words to describe the food, I would use crunchy, fall-apart, approachable, familiar, classic brewery food.

The Service: The service was on par with most breweries I have visited. They were quick, no-nonsense, and often checked in to see if you needed anything else. While I can always use more witty banter, I have no complaints about the service.

The Price: For two people, our total bill was $85. That price comprised two rounds of drinks and dinner for two. In today’s LA, that price point feels more and more like a steal.

The Takeaway: Brew Kitchen Bar is worth a return trip. The brewery world is getting more crowded in Southern California. Still, I can think of a couple of out of town guests who I will be taking to visit this place. I imagine we will come for the food but stay for the beers.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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