7.27.09 My Top Ten RIGHT NOW
1. MOVIE (500) Days of Summer (2009)
This movie is already getting a little too much hype, but I cannot deny that I was swept into this flick, enjoying it from beginning to end. Sure it’s novel in the approach to love out of order and made up of moments (albeit questionably so, Two for the Road comes to mind as similar in technique and by far more creative) and sure it has an amazing soundtrack (as all good modern romances should have) but it is truly the performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel that make this movie what it is. These performances are lived in, expressive, engrossing and above all else believable. With all these elements coming together into one movie, you really can’t go wrong for a little summer escape that will remind you that while love may be grand, it also can just plain suck.
2. PLAY Mary Stuart
Three hours of costume drama has never been so scintillating and shockingly poignant, especially when there isn’t much in the way of costume, set or stagecraft… just an absorbing script brought to life by tour-de-force acting. Harriet Walter finds the heart of Queen Elizabeth, making her at once human as inhumane for the way she treats her position. The indomitable Janet McTeer rips her way through the role of Mary Stuart, bringing a wrenching guilt for the injustices wrought upon her. But here’s the true genius, neither of these women, nor their performances, can be so easily described, as the audience is constantly being thrown from one side to the other, unsure where truth and honor lies. Both sides have strong points, the history seemingly unclear, both trespassing against one another and with the most ambivalent yet emotionally draining of endings, you can’t help but walk out of the theater invigorated, bereft, confused, and above all else, excited that both history and theater can actually provide that kind of an evening once in awhile.
3. ARTIST Jennifer Poon at the Claire Oliver Gallery
A large white washed open space, simple, well designed, and beautifully lit (feels very open and airy, unlike many of the more cramped Cheslea galleries) all of which allows for the art to stand front and center. I was immediately taken with the work of Jennifer Poon, delicate and haunting. There’s a frank sexuality about her pieces without forcing it onto you. This is especially clear in “Black Lace,” a large work that is simple astonishing. Her deft use of watercolor creates a gentle appeal despite the slightly warped faces, the lace so realistically depicted that you could touch it, the red shoes jumping out from the largely black and white work, the sewing in of actual ribbon, the layering and overlapping effect of different sheets of paper and cut outs playing with negative space, it’s overwhelming when up close and even more so for it’s overall impact when you step back. I cannot wait for her solo show at the same gallery next spring.
4. EXHIBITION Discoveries at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery
A few months ago I complained about a showing at MoMA of photographs completely out of any context, all linked by a supposed location and thus confusing. Taking a similar oddball hodgepodge display tactic, the Silverstein gallery has created something quite fascinating by isolating 45 incredible works from the private gallery collection. Featuring works by Helen Levitt, Werner Bischof, Weegee, Magritte, Man Ray, Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange and other luminaries, you find yourself looking across nearly a century of work each individually worth your time and then taken together, a stunning testament to how a single medium can be utilized in such varied ways. Even standing between an Edward Weston or Thorek and a Mapplethorpe (a disturbing photo collage unlike his more characteristic works) or a Warhol (a quadrant of the same four horse photographs sewn together) you can actually see the transformation from subject to interrogation of a single media.
5. FOOD Dirty Bird
I don’t know about you, but I love fried chicken. Sure, you feel a little gluttonous eating with your hands, all that deliciousness, and maybe you even pull off a bit of the skin pretending like that’ll make it a little healthier. Well, with Dirty Bird, there is no pulling off of that skin, because the buttermilk dipped fried chicken is so well seasoned and fried to absolute perfection that you find yourself completely full and yet reaching into the box to grab just one more piece because you simply cannot stop yourself. To round out the meal, match that with delicious sides, the usual mac and cheese, smashed potatoes and gravy and the unusual but tasty shallot cornbread. It’s decently cheap, filling and this stuff comes to your door ridiculously fast (which makes it all really quite dangerous when you think about it).
6. GALLERY Ippodo Gallery
Much like the Japanese art contained in this Tokyo by way of NYC gallery, the place is spare, minimal and of course, gorgeous. Focusing on ceramics, you walk in on these fragile egg-shell-like forms littering the floor, as though you’d happened upon an alien birthplace. Lining the walls are simple bowls, each glazed in a different almost miraculous hue. Some shimmer like gunmetal, pigment gathering in little droplets at the center of the bowl, others swirl with rich reds and deep blues impossible to find in nature. In an adjoining room, two banquettes display tiny bottles in similar shades as the bowls but all the more precious. On the opposite wall is a tatami matted area displaying a wider variety of wares, all striking, especially two bowls coated in a thick dark matte finish with the inside looking like richly shined bronze. Seriously, this gallery seems like it has nothing in it, and yet you find yourself stopping at each tiny piece to take in its full beauty.
7. ALBUM Signs of Life Dionne Farris
Part of loving artists is loving the way they evolve. I was slow to feel that for this album which initially paled in comparison to her first album Wild Seed – Wild Flower. In further listenings, and thanks to hearing some choice tracks live at Joe’s Pub, I saw the light. Sonically she treads similar waters on “Can You Feel,” “Day Dream” and the very listenable hook filled “Open.” Farris moves into intriguing jazzier places with the addictive “For U” and the funk-tastic “Gravity.” Overall, her voice is in fine form and it just makes me so happy to hear that sound coming out of my speakers once again that she can really do no wrong. Here’s hoping for another effort that isn’t ten years in the making that captivates and captures that effortlessly spectacular voice.
8. FOOD La Esquina
Little tacos have never been so tasty as they are from this late night standby and lunchtime essential. The fish tacos, skewered meat over lettuce, onions and gushing with salsa verde, are all the more divine when spritzed with a bit of lime. You also can’t go wrong with the chorizo style, slightly spicy and extremely filling. There are a ridiculous number of flavors to choose from, with a multitude of meats to fill them, each one better than the previous and perfect for any fancy that might strike. Get some moros y cristianos (black beans, white rice and pico de gallo) to accompany your sweet little meal if you’re feeling extremely hungry. Wash it down with a swig of tequila and you have yourself a party.
9. MOVIE Pineapple Express (2008)
I’m not huge on pot smoking humor, but I was always intrigued by this film for being helmed by none other than David Gordon Green of such critic friendly fare as George Washington and more recently the harrowing and gorgeous Snow Angels. Well, I can’t exactly say he brought his artistry to this pot-smoking buddy comedy, but that’s not to say that it isn’t a fun movie. James Franco, in an odd but enjoyable turn from his usual roles, and Seth Rogan playing his usual team up nicely as the always high leads aided by the now fully-fledged comedy star, Danny McBride as another drug dealer. There’s no great plot, just a bunch of decently hilarious riffs and a few excellent side characters to pass the time. Now if only we could get a comedy from the Apatow camp that doesn’t run two hours, things would be much better…
10. BAR Deacon Brodies
I’m always fascinated, and in turn pleased, when I’m shown a spot in the insane Times Square/Hell’s Kitchen area that isn’t a tourist trap or not insanely over filled with the usual crowd of the area. This little pub is a perfect respite from all that insanity, authentic right down to the accent of the man serving me my draft beer. It’s a friendly establishment in which you can imagine actually saying hello to your fellow patrons, possibly share a pint and definitely sing a few songs together. These people play some of the best music of any bar I’ve been in, hitting greats from the 70s and 80s and not sticking to the inane top 40 hits that dominate the bars of the area. So if you’re looking for that little bit of Ireland (or what I dream Ireland to be) in the middle of the city, this is the place for you.
