Michael Haneke's Caché (aka Hidden) is a film that runs on two levels - a sociological one and a psychological one. I wish it was more of the latter but the former seems to be what it's mostly about - in this case France's relationship to Algeria as a result of their occupation of it in the 1960's. The film runs purposely slowly, building a paranoid intensity of the type where you never fully know what's going on and that never gets fully resolved - but maybe that's the point. France's relationship to Algeria will never by completely resolved and nor will a lot of our own psychological profile.

The psychological angle of the film is about guilt over one's past and the secrecy involved in hiding it. What do you reveal about yourself to others, even your spouse? There's no neat ending - it's more open ended and creepy but the performances are great and the point is understood. I prefer Haneke's La Pianiste which is more psychological territory and which I'll be doing a write-up of soon on this blog.

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Breezy Italian Bossa with 20th Century Touches

Barbara Casini and her wonderful album with Italian trumpet great Enrico Rava, Vento, formally introduced me to what can only be called "Italian Bossa". I don't know if this is an official genre but that's the most descriptive term for their music on this album. I've always known that there was a connection between Brazilian and Italian music and the more I learn about the South American side of the equation, the more the European side keeps popping up. Vocally, Casini makes a surprisingly good Italian version of Joyce and the arrangements and score of Vento is a little mesmerizing and really what I've come to expect from any decent bossa tinged album. If it doesn't transport you somewhat to another place then it isn't worth listening to for me.

I had never heard of Rava before but he's an interesting horn player - there were no dreaded "lite" jazz meanderings on this album, thank God. This is something even the talented Joyce veers a little too close to occasionally and it's something you'll have to watch out for in your bossa/jazz adventures. There's nothing worse than a perfectly decent, atmospheric album being ruined by Kenny G-ish horn playing and over production. Vento finds a nice balance between appropriate production and layered orchestration. The orchestra layer is enjoyable in it's own right with occasional dissonant 20th Century classical touches and fits well with Cassini's guitar work (which was maybe a little too blended in - I would've liked to hear it a little more prominently). The title track is the standout in terms of song composition.

If you like Joyce's work, then you'll dig Casini. If I run across Casini in the future, I'm definitely going to take some time out for a listen. Hopefully she has some minimally produced albums that feature her guitar work more.

Vincent Gallo's The Brown Bunny is a great film despite the ridiculous hype surrounding it. Regarding the hype and the controversy I can only say that it's not that big of a deal and only detracts from what is a compelling personal vision of loss and regret. It's understated as expected but it wasn't boring for one second. The look is also stylized and I loved the almost wordless scenes. The dialogue would only comprise a few pages but only Gallo could've directed this to give it the correct feel and pacing. It's a nice companion piece to Buffalo '66 although slightly less accessible.

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Vincent Gallo's Buffalo '66 reminds of exactly what is missing in today's cinema: personal vision. I'll take an imperfect but honest film with personal vision over a blockbuster ANY day. Christina Ricci is perfection and a vision of what made the 1990's so influential worldwide. She is beautiful and pale and understated and introverted and emotionally damaged and like I said, perfect. Gallo is despicable but you understand exactly why in brutal autobiographical flashbacks and current interactions with his parents - a perfect anti-hero of sorts that you have sympathy for over time.

This film is touchingly autobiographical - shocking without being gratuitous. No nudity but some definite sexual subtext. Although this movie is perfect in it's honesty it is also the type of film that you'll either adore or be bored with - you either get it or you don't. I get it, I miss it - it chokes me up. The grainy look, the understated performances, the meandering script...this might be the greatest indie movie of the 1990's (with Contact being the greatest big budget flick). The ending isn't a happy one, but more of a hopeful one and very touching. Go see this great film and be touched by the 90's spirit that's still influencing the world culturally!

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