B15: Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks (414 pages)

"Au contraire. It's a delight in the observable beauty of the human body."

Where to begin with this book. Let's start with the word controversial. And redemption. Or lack there of. This book is sure to grab your attention and is a perfect read for any book group out there. It will generate some interesting conversation and quite likely will lead to some heated debates. Meet Kid, a 20-ish year old trying to find his way through life. Kid is observant, nostalgic and wants just to fit in. He loves the idea of being invisible and along with his oldest friend Iggy, a 43 pound iguana, meanders through the streets of a southern Florida town searching for life's answers. He is an arresting character with an unexpectedly salty past; Kid is a registered sex offender.

We follow Kid and a handful of other pariahs into their world of coping with life after committing one of societies worst possible offenses. It is a struggle for them to say the least and while Banks does a skillful job of penning memorable characters and story line, the real crux of this book lies in the theme. Is there anything that a person can do that can be considered unforgivable? Is sometimes redemption unthinkable? Is it possible to have a lifetime of good deeds wiped out with one bad mistake and how long does that mistake need to be punished? Also, to what degree do a person's social upbringing play into the equation? Are we all solely to blame for our mistakes?

Kid meets a character named Professor who does believe in second chances and sets out to find a cure for what led Kid into the life he has now been thrust into. The two forge an unlikely bond and both quickly realize that there is a lot that they can learn from each other. I really admire Mr. Banks for tackling such an unusual topic and for the way that he tries to humanize the atrocities committed within its pages. This novel will get people talking, something that any book worth reading should do. Check it out, it is extremely well written and most definitely worth reading.

B14: IQ84 By Haruki Murakami (925 pages)

 "Its 1Q84 now. The air has changed, the scene has changed. I have to adapt to this world-with-a-question-mark as soon as I can. Like an animal released into a new forest. In order to protect myself and survive, I have to learn the riles of this place and adapt myself to them."

Wow. What a book. Having just finished this masterpiece, I feel like I have completed a mental marathon. This work by Murakami is exhausting, ingenious and transcends the art of story telling. While this piece of literature may not be for everybody, it will go down as one of my favorite reads of all time. Words do little justice to describe the overwhelming feeling you get when you are into the book, or rather sucked into its vortex. Too be honest, I am not even sure how to sum up what I just read. But there in lies the magic of this story. This is a book about possibility. And how a human being could possibly dream up the web of details that create this story, is beyond beyond.

The bones of this book are structured around a lost relationship between the two main protagonists, Tengo and Aomame. Set in Japan in 1984, these two characters lead completely ambiguous lives apart from each other. Tengo is an aspiring novelist, Aomame an aspiring assassin. The two were once classmates in elementary school and have been separated for some twenty years, when a series of events begins sets in motion the process of their lives crashing back into one another. Young Tengo is asked to ghostwrite a fairy tale that reveals a little too much about a insidiously secret religious group and Aomame is assigned the task of dispatching the leader of the same group. Their lives are coincidentally thrown upside down and what they believed to be reality is now changed forever. Once the dust settles, they are no longer in the year 1984 (Murakami's homage to another one of my favorites) but rather in the year IQ84, where anything is possible. I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. It is epic, poetic, sexy, hypnagogic and truly an engaging work of art. This book is a must addition to any library and it something that you will not easily forget. It is more that just a love story, it is an experience. Domo arigato sensai Murakami, domo arigato.

F23: The Master-Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

"You are simply awful. A true scoundrel in every sense of the word."

Let's pretend that this movie hasn't been discounted as a time period drama and that Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn't look just like L. Ron Hubbard. Or that the pseudo religion started by PSH's character in this film doesn't sport the same eerily similar tendrils of Scientology. Or that there are not any people in the world that intellectually molest others into believing their far fetched dogma with promises of a grander existence. Lets take this film for what it is: exceptional. The Master will become one of the most talked about pictures of the year once award nominations start being garnered and frankly I am a little surprised at the lack of protest from members of Scientology regarding how their movement is portrayed or even at the very least, what this film is insinuating.

The movie is simple. And dry and brooding and poetic. We are introduced to Freddie Qwell in the opening scenes and quickly learn that he is a tragic, war torn figure willing to drink just about anything he can get his hands on to help him cope with life. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a masterful performance of this memorable character and should hopefully finally take home some hardware for his talents. While out on a drunken escapade, Freddie winds up stowing away on a small charter boat headed for NYC. On board is the surly Lancaster Dodd, a self proclaimed astrophysicist-writer-philosher sent from space to save mankind from our true animalistic selves. Dodd is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the greatest actors alive in my humble opinion. PSH is a Jedi and his role in the movie is easily worth your time and money. In fact I wish there was a tip jar at the picture house. After Dodd establishes the "Cause", what follows is the unpredictably twisted relationship between Lacaster's cult and the criminal minded Qwell. While this movie may not be the most exciting, riveting, action packed film you see, it will by far stage the highest level of acting you will come across this movie season. PSH and Phoenix are truly remarkable craftsmen and watching their interactions on screen is joy. This review could have taken several different turns as what lies at the heart of this movie is something worth talking and thinking about. While you are here to read reviews and not my rants on human maniputlation, I will end with this: see this film. Then get out there and find somebody to rant about it to. Kaboom.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ1O1vb9AUU

B13: The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (325 pages)

"I climbed the steps and rapped with the knocker a few times. The echo trailed off inside, like ripples on a pond. Fermin, who had assumed a respectful silence and looked like a boy on his first day of school, turned to me anxiously."
 

Fermin and Daniel and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books are back in a book that I have been waiting years for. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a favorite author of mine and his Shadow of the Wind title is near the top of my all-time favorites. He does not disappoint in this sequel, shining the spotlight on the affable, skirt chasing Fermin and diving into his murky past. When we first met this lovable character he was in tattered rags and his body a sack of bones. Daniel, our spirited protagonist takes him in and nurses him back to life. We now know why Fermin was in the state he was in and what he was coming from that dreaded night that Daniel happens to stumble upon him. After an insidious character shows up at Daniel's bookshop, the past of Fermin begins to come alive, unearthing all of his past secrets that the author has created for us via flashback.

Zafon is a very simple writer of impeccable technique and has mastered the art of character development. All of his stories are intriguing and set against backdrops that reek of adventure. This book is no different and is really a series of fascinating characters that have something unfortunate in common. They have all been arrested and set to rot away in the city dungeon for being outspoken against the dreaded Franco regime of 1940's. Thieves, authors and bohemians alike attempt to weave together a patchwork of humanity in the struggle to survive their individual sentences and the wrath of Warden Valls. Valls is memorable villain who is every shade of odious imaginable. If you have not read Shadow of the Wind, I would highly suggest pulling up Amazon.com and ordering it stat, along with this sister novella. I promise you will enjoy them both immensely and Carlos Ruiz Zafon will become someone whose work you fall in love with.

F22: The Bourne Legacy-Directed by Tony Gilroy

"Reds, greens and blues! Where are you keeping them?"

 Treadstone. Blackbriar. Viral genetic behavior modification supplements. Linking code that activates structural consistencies in a subjects physical makeup. Yawn. What a letdown this movie was. Being a huge fan of the Bourne franchise, I feel this latest and hopefully last installment is not worth your money. The film is too concerned with plot development and strays from the equation that made the previous films so stellar. With all due respect to the Philippines, gone are the sexy locations that we have come to expect from our beloved secret-agent-but-who-am-I-really series. The new main character, Aaron Cross, spends too much time playing tiddlywinks out in the remote wilderness instead of delivering lethal karate chops to the throats of his aggressors.  The director waited too long to launch him into action and lost me after the first 30 minutes.  You will be confused and just when you think you really have no clue what is happening, your befuddlement is untangled with some ridiculous turn of events. And don't even get me started on the ultra bad guy who is brought in from a similar sister training program to hunt Cross at the end of the film. He was laughable, as were the white pants he sported while jumping from roof top to roof top in hot pursuit. I will save everyone some time on this review and cut to the chase. This movie is flat out boring. Those fans of Jason Bourne will be disappointed and I strongly recommend waiting for DVD, at least then you can have instant access to snacks and alcohol. Boooooo.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paVLyvA5S1g

F21: The Dark Knight Rises-Directed by Christopher Nolan

Dear Christopher Nolan,

Just wanted to thank you for all your hard work the past decade and for bringing something very dear to my childhood to to life. Batman has always been my favorite comic book character and I have relentlessly hoofed it down to see every attempt at bringing him to life on the big screen. Michael Keaton was a classic, George Clooney a clown and Val Kilmer something in between. Casting Christain Bale was an amazing choice, especially considering the direction you were going to be the whole project. He is gritty, savvy and shines brightest when harboring the broken down spirit of a man with nothing to lose.

This last installment was not my favorite of the trilogy, but it wow was it good. I understand that it takes time to wrap up a series of films and the way you connected to dots and had the entire plot come full circle was brilliant. Your penchant for story telling is top shelf and I admire your ability to develop characters like no other. Your latest villain, Bane did not really show up too much in my comics, but I sure do wish he had. Mr. Nolan, he was bad ass. Not just surface bad ass, but throughout the core of his character, which you so expertly flushed out, he was incredible. He was no Joker, but I loved what you did with him, as well as how you introduced the Catwoman to the story. Anne Hathaway was another stellar casting choice and I really enjoyed her take on the iconic enigma. Hello, leather jumpsuit!

What can I say about your action sequences? I am pretty sure you did not really blow up that football field with Heinz Ward running back a kickoff, but yesterday you had me hook, line and sinker. Your vision for creating stunts and scenes that have not been seen before is implausible and this last installment was truly a magnificent achievement in film making. Your Batcave was dark and sinister and quite a change from Adam West's version with all the super computer boxes hogging the floor. I don't know how you do it Mr. Nolan, but everything about your film is visually ridiculous.

Again, thank you so much for all that you have poured into this trilogy. I have come a long way since running around the house in my Batman Underoos, and it was great to see how you evolved my beloved Batman into something that I could appreciate and love while being in my 30's. I will be looking forward to sitting down someday to uncork this masterpiece with my children and relive the prodigious story that you have told us about a man named Bruce Wayne and his involvement with the League of Shadows. Till then, I will be waiting for your next project to come out. I am sure it will be wicked.


Godspeed,
BF


Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQqjK47c04

F20: Savages-Directed by Oliver Stone

"There is just something wrong with your love story baby."

I was really looking forward to this film, but must say that it was really disappointing. Who wouldn't want a little stickem up-drug runnin-rpg blasting-love triangle kinda film on a Friday afternoon? I thought it sounded like a good idea, but this movie simply falls flat. While some may call Oliver Stone a visionary, he takes this simple plotted film and attempts to stretch into something epic. Epic it is not. I appreciate his attempt and while the man sure as hell can direct a bad ass action scene, this movie crawls and inches its way on. And on. And on. And on. And on. And on. And alright already boys, get moving and rescue the girl. She has and we have for that matter, suffered long enough. It did barely enough to keep me in my seat till the end, which was 2 hours and 45 minutes away from the opening spot.

Meet Ben and John. Ben and John grow cannabis. Lot's of it. They run their indy drug business in Laguna Beach, Ca and both date a girl named Ophelia, played by Blake Lively. Soon their operation attracts the attention of competing Mexican drug cartels and they are forced to accept an absorption or suffer the predictable consequences. Their plan to flee to Indonesia is foiled when Ophelia is kidnapped and held hostage, forcing them into upholding the proposed business arrangement. They conform, but hatch a rescue plan after about an hour of screen time and chaos ensues. Salma Hayek is cast as an unconvincing jefe running the Mexican operation from Tijuana. Other than the action scenes, the only other aspect worth mentioning is Benicio Del Toro's character which he plays to a T. One of my favorite actors, in this film his character is utterly despicable. Playing El Jefe's mullet rocking, bull whip cracking leading henchman, Lotto is abhorrently cruel with his methods. Bencio's talent is obvious and was one of the reasons why I did end up staying. When the ending finally did come, I can say that I enjoyed the mini twist Mr. Stone tossed in there, but more so the fact that it was finally over. Skip this one friends, or at the very least wait till released on DVD so you can take breaks. Trust me, you will need them.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC2zbOwbeEs