Blue Valentine

Warning: This review does go into a fair bit of detail on the film. If you prefer to see a film not knowing anything going in, please do not read on.

In 1931 Irish poet and story teller James Stephens wrote: “That grief had been translated, or was come/ Other and better than it first looked to be:/ And that this happened. because all things transfer/ From what they seem to what they truly are/ When they innocently brooded on/ – And so the poet makes grief beautiful.” More than just a film or a story, Blue Valentine is poetry of the soul and writer/director Derek Cianfrance is its poet.

Equally brilliant are Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in the lead roles of Dean and Cindy, two lovers, who after years of marriage and raising their daughter have drifted emotionally apart. Where at the beginning of their relationship, Dean had the upper hand as the nobler, older, wiser and employed half of the couple, the upper hand now clearly belongs to Cindy who has surpassed Dean in her education, employment and maturity. From some of the introductory scenes filmed around the breakfast table, it is clear that at this point in time and in their relationship that Dean has more in common with their young daughter Frankie than he does with his own wife.

Without giving too much away, the main catalyst for the demise of the marriage of Dean and Cindy is an irreconcilable difference in the way they define success. Cindy sees success in terms of potential fulfilled (whether she means earning potential, creative potential or both is unclear) while Dean sees success in terms of basic happiness – the ability to enjoy one’s days. What Dean sees as freedoms, Cindy sees as drawbacks – Dean’s happiness is Cindy’s settlement.

The character portraits that are painted are complicated ones. Though I wanted to hate Cindy and sympathize with Dean, I couldn’t, and I think that here lies the lesson that Cianfrance is trying to teach us – endings are not always clear cut, sometimes there are no “good guys” or “bad guys” but just people, good and bad, flawed and strong, ugly and beautiful. You can’t fault Dean’s devotion to his daughter any more than you can fault his wife’s desire for something more. I remember when I was younger and my mum had to explain the concept of divorce to me (not because my parents are divorced fortunately) and she explained it like this: Sometimes two wonderful people, great people, amazing people just aren’t wonderful for each other. That doesn’t make them any less wonderful, it just means that they don’t fit together.

For Dean and Cindy, pulled together by circumstance and timing, it is unclear whether they ever really did fit or whether the notion of love initially blinded them to their inevitable incompatibility, like it does for so many of the rest of us. Either way, I find it both horribly depressing and awkwardly reassuring at the same time

Review: Barney’s Version

Though it has spent the last year on the festival circuit, it was only this week that Richard J. Lewis’ adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s final novel Barney’s Version made it to theatres in my tiny, frozen little corner of the world. Well worth the wait, not only was Barney’s Version captivating but it also well acted, brilliantly scripted and at a very superficial level, also able to fill seats (which for a Canadian film is quite an achievement in and of itself).

Paul Giamatti, an actor who I am now a bit ashamed to admit, I am historically not a fan of, delivered a fully convincing performance as conflicted Montréaler Barney Panofsky. Hovering between being a complete (for the lack of a more accurate colloquialism) douchebag and a flawed but lovably sympathetic anti-hero, Giamatti was able to illustrate that the two archetypal film characters are not mutually exclusive.

The film stayed true to its roots, both in terms of fidelity to the original novel and to the context in which it was written. Despite bringing in Hollywood heavyweights – Giamati, Dustin Hoffman and Minnie Driver, the film made no attempt to mask its Canadian identity. By maintaining Montréal as the film’s primary setting, the producers and director were able to show that Canada’s major cities have as much to offer as the great old-world cities (such as Rome) and the megalopolises of the United States (such as New York). The inclusion of prolific Canadians like Scott Speedman, Bruce Greenwood and Ellen David in combination with a Leonard Cohen heavy soundtrack provided Canadian viewers with the sense that there is a whole layer of the film reserved for insiders like us while at the same time firmly planting itself in the UK-US big-indie filmmaking tradition.

All in all, I highly recommend this film, well worth the price of admission and quite possibly the Canadian film with the greatest awards potential since Denys Arcand’s Les invasions barbares.

What am I really looking for?: Insights from an emerging label head

During my time in A&R (artists and repertoire), and perhaps even more now that I am in the process of launching my own label, I often get asked by aspiring musicians for advice on what I look for from an artist or a band when I am thinking about signing them or getting involved with them in some way, shape or form. Because my answer is rather unchanging (and because the qualities that I am looking for are universal), I am posting my thoughts here, so that those interested in sending demos/EPKs my way or those who want to seek out my advice can at least know where I am coming from.

Just to be clear, I am only speaking for myself as a representative of Matchless Minds Music, my preferences are likely to be different from other label heads, other A&R folks and other human beings in general. The nice thing about running an independent label is that I don’t have to conform to generalized industry formulas aka I don’t just look for the artists that are most marketable (though not being sonically alienating is helpful).

I am looking for artists not musicians…

I know this may sound confusing, but I don’t mean that I want to offer Angela Bulloch a record deal. What I mean is that I am looking for someone who is more than someone who can competently play a musical instrument, or even play a musical instrument exceptionally. I am looking for someone, or a group of people who when together create something that transcends the mechanics of making music.

I am looking for people who are making music because they have to, not because they want to or even because they like to. I am looking for people who can’t exist without music, because I know that I can’t and if I am going to make an investment in someone or in a group of people I need them to be on the same page with me at least at this most basic level.

I’m not as concerned with whether I love each and every song that is produced as I am with whether or not a piece of the artist lies within each song.

…but I need artists that work like horses…

Though it is an absolute necessity to be an artist, there also has to be an amazing work ethic there. I run an independent label, not Warner Music, I don’t have millions of dollars to invest in paying other people to entertaining, primping, priming and serving my artists. At this point in time I barely have dozens. This means that, like with all indie labels, I need artists who aren’t afraid to work. I look for artists who put the hours in writing, singing, playing, working out melodies and harmonies and who are, to a certain extent, perfectionists about this. Even better are those who also aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty with me, assembling press packages, calling/emailing friends and families to remind them to come out to shows. At the end of the day, I am only one human being and while I will do everything in my power to move an artist’s or a band’s career forward, but I need the artist to be willing to put the work in to help me keep their engine running.

…and who act with a certain degree of professionalism.

I am taking this seriously and I need you to take it seriously too or it simply is not going to work. Be on time. Don’t be drunk on stage at a children’s festival. Don’t be high at your photoshoot. Don’t whine and cry until I take you to McDonalds when we are running late for an interview. This is so much more than a job. Note – MORE THAN A JOB – it still is very much a job and if you take it seriously it is the best job in the world.

Professionalism is something I can usually detect within two minutes of meeting with a band and talking to their appointed leader. If in those two minutes, I don’t see it, it is an automatic disqualification from consideration. This is probably a pretty harsh policy, but at the same time, experience has taught me that the more a band privileges “fun” over “work” (though for the best bands work is fun), the greater my headache, the harder my job and the less that I want to give 100% of myself towards their success. I refuse to give any less than my best, so the band will invariably lose out (aka get cut).

I am looking for the musical artists who want success the most and who define that success the same way as I do.

I don’t see success in terms of dollar signs. I like money (who doesn’t?) but I see it as a means to an end, as tool for survival (the ability to meet basic needs for you and your family while doing something you love) and for doing good in the world, not as power, status or a Mercedes Benz collection. If money = happiness for you, and if only loads of money is going to make you happy, I might not ever be able to make you happy, and I’m pretty sure that spending too much time around you is only going to make me miserable.

In terms of musical success, I define it as the ability to continue to move people with your music, the ability to fill (and continue to fill) rooms. For me, having an artist sell out and receive a standing ovation at Massey Hall is the pinnacle of success. Whether they drive home in a Lexus or a Toyota Corolla makes no difference to me. I want to work with people that dream of playing these legendary venues, who want to convert every person in their audience into a believer and who want to build long term careers so that they can keep doing this thing that they love every day of their life. I want to work with artists who dream of headlining the Hollywood Bowl, playing an evening slot at Newport Folk Festival and standing on stage at the Radio City Music Hall. I don’t want to work with artists who dream of babes, Bentleys and blow. I want artists that dream of Massey every single night and who will not rest until they can get there.

I am looking for artists who say something…

I don’t ever want to listen to another song about how two upper-middle-class teenagers fell in love, made out in their parent’s pool houses and then broke up dooming one another to a full week of eating lunch on their own at school or lying in the middle of a Whole Foods parking lot hoping someone would run them over. This means that I sure as hell don’t want to be the one responsible for more of these songs existing in the universe.

I am looking for artists who say something that means something. I want artists to talk politics, society, inequality, loneliness. I want artists who aren’t afraid to deconstruct themselves and the world around them.

… and who I am willing to bet my life on.

When an artist signs a recording deal or a management deal with me, they are essentially putting their future in my hands. It is my job to help them achieve their goals and dreams. At the same time however, I need the artists to recognize that while they are taking a chance on me, I am also taking a chance on them. I too am putting my success in their hands, my hopes, my dreams and my livelihood. When I say yes or make an offer, I really am betting my life on the artist(s) and I need them to respect that.

Cleaning the house…

First post of 2011 and I’m wasting it on housekeeping issues. That’s a bit lame. Oh well, anyways just wanted to let you, my readers know that I have gone through all of the entries from last year and  have cleaned them up for spelling and grammar.

Spelling is definitely my Achilles heel, but I’m making a commitment to consistently deliver the highest quality of writing that I am capable of producing and that includes things free of embarrassing typos. So if there were any articles that particularly confused you, you should be in the clear now.

I should probably also make some mention of the new look. I decided that I wanted something lighter, as I felt that the old look was a bit dark. The header photo is of Ottawa’s nighttime skyline. Photo credit goes to csschoong: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cschoong/3773670850/.