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Heidi J. De Vries

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March 10, 2003
Wild Style
Almodóvar has been one of my favorite directors ever since I somewhat haplessly wandered into Kika at the Nick. His latest, Talk to Her, is just as good as everyone has been saying it is. Javier Cámara and Darío Grandinetti play two men whose lives become intertwined through a series of events that would seem ridiculous in anyone else's film. Talk to Her is more in the introspective vein of Live Flesh or The Flower of My Secret than in the insanity of Kika or Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, but Almodóvar continues to masterfully put the complexity of relationships on film without making excuses for anyone. Gay? Straight? Healthy? Sick? It's never that simple. This is the perfect follow-up to All About My Mother. Finally, I hate hate hate bullfighting, but watching Rosario Flores stare down a bull sure made me feel kinda funny.

Friday night I journeyed out to Hunter's Point for Altruity's Catalyst party, the sort of multimedia event that always seems to be happening in this city. This was a good one. There was art, there was food, there was bleepy bloopy music playing. I did my best to push up the prices on a few pieces of art in the silent auction and then allowed myself to become engrossed in the aforementioned music. T vs. T were playing while I was there, and they created their electronica live by twiddling knobs and layering some guitar and bass on top of the beats and breaks and samples. I didn't win any of the art I bid on, which is great because I really don't have the money to be bidding anyway. I don't know what comes over me.

I had a much-needed lazy day on Saturday during which I watched The Passion of Joan of Arc twice through, first silent and then with the Einhorn score Voices of Light. I recommend watching it with the score. I see why critics go nuts for this film, and I thoroughly enjoyed letting the procession of beautiful shots flow over me. Joan of Arc remains a powerful and intriguing figure to me, and Passion did a good job of portraying her as convicted instead of simply crazy.

Later that eve I was at the Red Vic for a showing of the classic Wild Style complete with director Charlie Ahearn in attendance. Fairly thin on plot, Wild Style is really just an excuse to showcase some amazing early rap as well as gorgeous graffiti from the likes of Lee Quinones (who also stars in the film). And then there's the breakdancing. Good education for a girl who remembers when instructional breakdancing records were being advertised on Nickelodeon. Order now and get a free piece of linoleum!

Talk to Her
Altruity
T vs. T
Wild Style



   



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