John Barry R.I.P.

Tiger's Flame Dimming

Another great post by Joe Posnanski, talking about age, comebacks, and whether Tiger Woods really is finished.

It is amazing how quickly things can change. One moment, you're a lock for immortality, as Tiger was right after he won the U.S. Open in 2008 for his 14th major championship. And then, before you know it, it could be over.

Later in the day on Sunday, after Bubba Watson had won his second tournament on a course that Tiger has dominated over the years, hours after Tiger had limped home with a weekend 74/75, Jack Nicklaus teamed with Tom Watson to win the Senior Skins tournament over on Maui. And on the 17th hole, the Olden Bear turned back the clock, hit a terrific tee shot in the face of a driving wind, and placed the ball perfectly for his partner to knock it in and clinch the tournament.

And from Jack's reaction, you would have thought he'd just won his 20th major. A fist pump, a cackle of glee, the familiar high-pitched laugh which defined him for so long. And I'm thinking to myself, my God, this guy is 70, and he still wants to win more than anyone else.

What Posnanski writes about Tiger is undoubtedly true - what was once a given, that Tiger would overtake Jack's major championship record, is now a long shot. If it was anyone else, I'd say it was over. And perhaps I'm blinded by the very thing that Posnanski is writing about. But I still think he's got a shot at it.

Old Guys Rule - Elton, Leon, Gregg, John, Robert...and T-Bone

I almost called this post “It’s T-Bone’s World, We Just Live In It,” so let’s start this discussion with T-Bone Burnett. In the last couple of years, Burnett has undertaken a work schedule that makes even the prolific Rick Rubin look like a slacker. In the last 9 months alone, Burnett-produced albums have been released by Jakob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Ryan Bingham, John Mellencamp, Sahara Smith, Elton John & Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, and Gregg Allman. There was also the “Crazy Heart” soundtrack, and if you turn the page on the calendar, you’ll find more work with Costello, the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss collaboration, the “Across the Universe” soundtrack, and B.B. King. The man is hot, and he’s obviously in demand.

So what do you get when you sign on with T-Bone? Based on the evidence at hand (which we’ll get to in a minute), I’d use two words: “roots,” and “authentic.” I’m not sure if there is one singular “T-Bone Burnett sound,” because some of these albums sound very different from each other. What they share is an approach that can best be described as “a roots-based wall of sound.” Unlike Rick Rubin’s approach with Johnny Cash in the “American” series, T-Bone doesn’t go for minimalism. On some of these records, there is a lot going on, with more instrumentation than you’d be likely to see when the artists are performing the songs live. But it doesn’t feel like over-production, perhaps because it is a sound that I’m predisposed to enjoy, and perhaps just because it works so well (and perhaps both).

So let’s move on to some of the works – three T-Bone productions, and one that is not but takes a similar approach in its sound.

“No Better Than This,” John Mellencamp. In recent years, Mellencamp had become what is probably the worst thing you can say about any artist – boring. Imagine if, after “Nebraska,” Bruce Springsteen had decided to do nothing but songs in that vein, and you kind of get the idea. Yes, there was a lot of integrity in the sounds coming from the grooves, and you could say that it was never less than honorable. But jeez, John – how about lightening up a bit?

I’m pleased to say, therefore, that “No Better Than This” is Mellencamp’s best album in years. It takes an anti-modernist approach; the thing is recorded in Mono, for crying out loud!” The goal, apparently, was to make the record sound as if it had been recorded in one day, in some small, out of the way studio, probably somewhere in the South. And, thanks to the strength of the songs, it works. On songs like “No Better Than This” and “Love At First Sight,” Mellencamp sounds fresher than he has in years, and sounds like he’s doing more than just entering a set of lyrics into the “Dark, Brooding Mellencamp Song With Integrity Song Generator.” Welcome back.

On “The Union,” the heralded Elton John – Leon Russell collaboration, Burnett’s approach is very different. I’ve heard some say that this record is overproduced, but I don’t agree. Yes, there is a lot going on here, but it’s all part of a plan, and that plan is probably best described as “boogie woogie pop gospel.” There’s no doubt that Elton hasn’t sounded this relevant in about 35 years; if this album had been released in the late 1970s, it would have been hailed as an artistic triumph on his part. And if you want to hear overproduction, go back and listen to those Gus Dudgeon-produced Elton albums, which – and don’t get me wrong, I loved them – had everything on them but the kitchen sink, and the mix was always turned up really, really high.

The story behind this album is almost as good as the album itself. Elton was making an appearance on Elvis Costello’s show, and when asked by Elvis what were his influences, talked about Leon Russell. I suspect that triggered something in Elton’s mind. No matter what one things about this music, no one can dispute that Elton John is one of the most commercially successful singers of our lifetime. I can imagine him sitting there, wondering to himself whether it was really fair that he should become a mega-star, while someone like Leon Russell would be left to the ash-heap of history – still singing, still touring, but just to survive.

And so Elton did something about it, and the results are uniformly terrific. My favorite songs at the moment are “Hey Ahab” and “Monkey Suit,” but the great thing (and a sign of it being a great album) is that my favorites change on a weekly basis.

The most recent T-Bone production is Gregg Allman’s “Low Country Blues,” and I think the best way to describe it is that it’s the album that Eric Clapton has been trying to make for the last 25 years. I can hardly call myself a blues expert, and I know that the very concept of “laid back blues” strikes many as a contradiction in terms. All I know is what I like, and this sounds just terrific, and authentic in a way that Eric has rarely approached on his recorded blues efforts (live is another matter entirely). On the album, Allman tackles songs by many of the all-time greats – Skip James, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Amos Milburn, Otis Rush – and sings them like he has earned the right to sing them. Allman’s signature B-3 is present on every track, but so far the real star for me is Mac Rebennack’s (Dr. John) piano, which is as bluesy and “New Orleansy” as you could imagine. This is really good stuff, and if it gets bumped out of my Top Ten for 2011, I’ll be surprised.

Last in the docket is a non T-Bone production, but an album that takes a similar approach – Robert Plant’s “Band of Joy.” The record was produced by Plant himself, along with Buddy Miller, who in recent years has worked with Patty Griffin, among others. In his old age, Plant has found himself quite a groove, mining the fertile territory of Americana. “Band of Joy” is mostly an album of covers – not all by Americans, but songs that he expertly converts to that idiom – by the likes of Los Lobos, Richard Thompson, Townes Van Zandt, Low, and a couple of traditional songs in the public domain. Patty Griffin plays the role that Alison Krauss played on “Raising Sand,” albeit in a less conspicuous way. The album may lack one single song as good as the highlights of his previous effort (although “Silver Rider” comes very, very close), but where it wins me over is with a better mix of song tempos – as good as it was, after a while the relentless “slowness” of “Raising Sand” left one wanting one, just one, fast song to liven up the proceedings. Here, that is not a problem. And from Robert’s recent interviews, it sounds as if Jimmy Page is going to have to keep waiting for that Led Zeppelin reunion that seems so important to him. And that’s a good thing – because it’s doubtful that any music coming from a Zep reunion in this day and age can match the music that Robert Plant is producing on his own.

So there you have it, folks – the “old white guys,” as I call them, doing just fine.

Saturday Awesomeness

Hat tip to Jaltcoh.

American Top 40 Flashback - "Laughter in the Rain"

I don't know if I'd go so far as to call this song a milestone in my musical taste development, but it does serve as an example of a song that I was determined to champion at a time when everyone else made fun of me for liking it.

You have to consider the time and the context - this was January 1975, and I was a freshman in high school, that period of time when kids - even your friends - can be relentlessly cruel. This was around the time when it was no longer cool to listen to AM Top 40 radio, and in Sacramento that meant you weren't cool unless you were listening to KZAP, 98.5 on your FM dial. Now don't get me wrong - KZAP (and always read all four letters, don't say K-ZAP) in its glory was a great, great radio station. But I wasn't quite yet ready for FM radio and the adventurous nature of the overall FM ouevre. I was still addicted to AM radio.

So, I liked this song, it was catchy, it stuck in your mind, and it had a great vocal, even if Neil sounded a little...well, you can probably guess what the other ninth graders were saying about him. In those days I was too much of a coward to defend my opinions once the insults started flying, so I would just enjoy it in silence.

"Laughter in the Rain," Neil Sedaka - a great pop song, and the #1 song on this day in 1975.

Lehane's "Moonlight Mile" Revisits the Past

“I was a junior at Mount Holyoke when you found her the first time. I was obsessed with the case. I used to hurry back to my dorm to see the six o’clock news every night. We all thought she was dead, that whole long winter and into the spring.”

“I remember,” I said, wishing I didn’t.

“And then – wow – you found her. All those months later. And you brought her home.”

“And what’d you think?”

“About what you did?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“You did the right thing,” she said.

“Oh.” I almost smiled in gratitude.

She met my eyes. “But you were still wrong.”

In “Gone, Baby, Gone,” private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro were hired to find 4-year old Amanda McCready, after she had disappeared from her Boston home. It became a case that neither one of them would forget, and a case that tore them apart. In uncovering the conspiracy that led to Amanda’s disappearance, Kenzie and Gennaro were faced with an impossible decision – should they follow their minds and bring Amanda home to a mother who was clearly unsuited to raise her, or follow their hearts and leave Amanda with a couple who had broken the law in order to save her from a wretched existence? Kenzie chose the former, and it cost him the love and partnership of Angie – at least for a time.

Before Dennis Lehane hit the big time with “Mystic River” and “Shutter Island,” he wrote four novels featuring the pair of Kenzie and Gennaro. They were all good, and all in a category that I would call “edgy,” meaning that happy endings were hard to find, and even those that were happy…well, they really weren’t.

Now, after a run of film success that must have had Lehane pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming (Eastwood, Scorsese, and Ben Affleck directing the films of his books, with Affleck making a very, very good version of “Gone, Baby, Gone”), he has decided to return to Kenzie and Gennaro, and return them to the case that has haunted them to this day.

Amanda McCready, now 16, has disappeared again. Amanda’s aunt, who hired Patrick and Angie 12 years earlier, again approaches Patrick to take the case. He and Angie are now married, and are the parents of a four-year old girl – the same age Amanda was when she was kidnapped. He doesn’t want to take the case, but he knows he has to take the case. He’s looking for redemption and absolution at the same time – and neither one is easy to find.

Along the way, Patrick and Angie encounter Amanda’s dissolute mother Helene, whose parenting skills have not improved much in the 12 years since they’ve seen her, a family of memorable East European gangsters (including Yefim, who fills the role of charming sociopath quite nicely), and finally Amanda herself, who, as it turns out, has a trick or two up her sleeve.

It’s all very nicely done, and it provides Lehane the opportunity to give the couple who gave him his start what is likely their farewell in the sun. And, as with other authors who have returned to their original creations years later, it’s a gift to the fans. This one appreciates it a great deal.

View From My Pillow

In the background is Sophie, who is almost 16 years old now but still going strong. In the foreground, refusing to look at the camera, Scooter, who is a little over 6.

When the weather turns cold, they turn to sleeping on me at night. And for some reason, only me.

Have you ever tried to turn over in the middle of the night with 24 pounds of cat sleeping, either between your legs or on your butt?

I thought not.

Bryan Ferry's "Olympia" - Long Live Roxy Music!

Prologue

There used to be this ad (in the Fifties, I suppose) for a cigarette: You're Never Alone with a Strand! A guy alone in the street; belted raincoat, turned down hat brim; fog, drizzle, blurred neon lighting; three in the morning and he'd just left a party or come to the end of an affair or arrived off a train; down but cool (cigarette cool) and romantic, weary — a private eye at the end of a case. I always thought it was Frank Sinatra.

That was one role Bryan Ferry had figured out for himself.

Something else there used to be was two artists called Gilbert and George whose work of art was themselves. They exhibited daily in a classy gallery. Elegant, suited, disdainful, they'd stand there all day while people paid to look. Later on a little song and dance act became part of the picture.

That was something else Bryan Ferry wanted to be — a work of art.

I.

Those lines are from Simon Frith’s review of Roxy Music’s “Siren,” which appeared in the January 1, 1976 edition of Rolling Stone. The first time I read those words, I was an impressionable 15 year old, who wanted nothing more than to be on the vanguard of what was considered “cool” music. I had no idea who Simon Frith was; as it turned out, he was one of the best critics from what I still consider to be the golden age of rock criticism. At the time, my favorite singer was Elton John, which may sound silly to some – but 36 years later, I’d still argue that few artists have released two albums in the same year as good as “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” and “Rock of the Westies.” But even with that, he was hardly the vanguard.

The review made it sound great, but in those days I was a teenager of limited means, so I didn’t buy it. Among other things, I would have had to ask my dad to drive me to the record store, and if he’d gotten a look at the album cover (featuring a very young Jerry Hall as the “Siren” in the title), it’s just as likely that the record would have gone right back in the shelves.

A couple of months later, I remember laying in my bed on a Sunday morning, listening to “American Top 40” with Casey Kasem. The countdown had reached #28 or so, and all of a sudden, this really weird but very cool song came on…turned out, it was called “Love is the Drug,” and sure enough, it was by Roxy Music, off of “Siren.” And at that point I knew – eventually, I would own that album.

II.

In the spring of 1982, Roxy Music released what would turn out to be its last album. And by that time, it was clear that there were really two phases in the band’s career. The first began with the debut in 1972, and ended with the release of “Siren” in 1975. The second began in 1979, with the release of “Manifesto.” And while this second phase may not have been as adventurous, it was no less brilliant. Ferry had perfected his approach, and with “Manifesto,” “Flesh + Blood,” and especially with “Avalon,” had become the work of art he always wanted to be.

“Avalon” is a perfect album, from start to finish. It establishes a sound and a tone from the first song, “More Than This,” and manages to sustain it through the last, “Tara.” Like all the greatest albums, each song gains something from the ones that come before and after it, so that the work becomes much greater than the sum of its parts. And of those great parts, none was greater than “True to Life.” I can remember the first time I truly appreciated the song, listening to it in my dorm room shortly after I’d finished my last final before graduation. At that time I had no idea what my life would become, but listening to that song, all I cared about was that it would wash over me.

III.

Bryan Ferry’s new album, “Olympia,” begins with a few bars – almost identical – from “True to Life” before it segues into a much harder edged song, “You Can Dance.” Apparently, Ferry considered making this a Roxy Music album, but even though he didn’t, for all intents and purposes, it is the Roxy Music album that fans have been waiting for, for almost 30 years now. It’s not as if Ferry disappeared during those years – making albums every now and then, including one I enjoyed a great deal which consisted of nothing more than Dylan covers – but this is the first time that he’s really tried to recapture the scope and the depth of those Roxy years.

And amazingly enough, he’s succeeded. Only time will tell if this stands up to “Siren” or “Avalon,” but I think it’s got a shot. It’s got all of the elements of a classic Roxy Music album, and it’s even got many of the old hands – Phil Manzanera on guitar, Andy MacKay on saxophone, Andy Newmark (Roxy Phase II) on drums…and even Brian Eno on a few tracks, for crying out loud. It’s got at least one song (“Reason or Rhyme”) that sounds like it will stand up with the best that the band has had to offer, and it’s got another (Jeff Buckley” “Song to the Siren”) that stands as one of the best in a long history of great cover versions that Ferry has managed to pull off.



And now, Ferry is back on the road, at age 65, on the first Roxy Music tour in many a year – one that even has the great Paul Thompson back on drums. And that, my friends, is a good, even great, thing. And I hope they play a lot of the new album on the tour, because even if it isn’t a Roxy Music album in name, it is most definitely one in spirit.

Kanye's Fantasy

Had it not been for Son #2, it’s unlikely I would have given Kanye West much of a listen. I don’t have any problems with the notion of rap being a serious art form deserving of its place in the rock pantheon, but in the end most of it is just not for me – which isn’t surprising, given that I’m a 50-year old white male. That doesn’t mean I don’t have rap in my collection – I’ve got a decent sampling of the early greats (Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and some of the other Sugarhill groups), but that’s really about it. I’ve got Eminem’s greatest hits, and I think “Stan” and “Lose Yourself” are two of the greatest songs of this (or any) generation. But I’d never ventured into Kanye world, even with all of the critical acclaim and the public notoriety.

Upon its release in late 2010, it immediately became apparent that Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” was going to win all of the critic’s polls. It got a rave in “Rolling Stone,” it got a perfect ten in “Pitchfork,” Christgau gave it a solid “A.” And sure enough, that has come true, and its domination has been somewhat unprecedented. It’s probably fair to say that Kanye has come as close as any major artists in years (The Clash? Prince? Nirvana?) to conquering the entire spectrum of the rock critic establishment.

And as it turns out, there’s a pretty good reason for that.

One night in December, I was wandering around upstairs, and heard the sounds of a very interesting song coming out of Son #2’s bedroom. “What is that?” “That’s the new Kanye West.” Oh oh…just what I need, more music to check out. The song was “Dark Fantasy,” and it kicks off the new album in spectacular fashion.

I’m not going to do a song-by-song review, but suffice to say that nearly every track on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” crackles with that hard-to-identify edge and verve that separates the great music from the merely good. As I once said about M.I.A.’s “Kala,” the damn thing just sounds exciting. “Power” and “Runaway” are the standouts for me, and to be honest, I don’t even care what he’s saying. I can pick out a phrase here and there (“…you’ve been putting up with my shit just way too long…”), but it doesn’t really matter. For me, the brilliance of “Runaway” is not so much the message that’s being conveyed, but the excitement of a simple piano progression that turns into a pulsating beat that is so strong it sends shivers up your spine.

So, yeah…the guy can be a real idiot, and counter-productive to the very things in which he believes because of the things that come out of his mouth, but put him in a studio, and he knows what he is doing. There’s a very simple reason that “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” has topped every critic’s poll on the planet. It was the best album of 2010, and as much as I liked “The Suburbs,” I’m not sure anything really came close.

American Top 40 Flashback - "Baby Come Back"

Since I didn't have time to get to this on Friday (that pesky job, you know), why not start off the week with a bit of classic pop?



This is the kind of song that I miss from the old days of Top 40 radio. And no, by that I don't mean that I think this is one of the greatest songs in the history of rock and roll, or that Player was one of the great bands in rock history. As a matter of fact, I don't recall ever hearing another song by Player.

But this is a well-crafted, well played pop/rock song, and there will always be room in my memory banks for those. I wish there was room for them on the radio.

"Baby Come Back," Player, the #1 song on this date in 1978.

Top Twelve Addendum

You can check out my original reviews of the films on my Top Twelve list (as well as some others) by clicking here.

Finally - Top Ten of 2010! (Revised to a Dozen!)

UPDATE: Because I apparently had a brain-lock after 6 hours of football, I left two big ones off my list - "The Town," and "Machete." The revised list, which now includes 12 films, is below.

Now that I've seen "The King's Speech," I think it is finally time to put my Top Ten "to paper":

1a. “The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher, screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Max Minghella. I’ve included Sorkin in the credits here because his screenplay is probably the most brilliant component of a movie that includes a lot of brilliance. From the very first scene, you know you’re in the hands of masters. “The Social Network” will make you angry and you’ll want to punch Mark Zuckerberg in the face, particularly at those moments when you’re posting something on Facebook.

1b. “Inception,” directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, and Ken Watanabe. More brilliance – but of an entirely different type. I’ll concede that much of the screenplay (especially early on) is devoted to clumsy exposition, but the sheer scope and audacity of the entire enterprise renders that a moot point. This is the kind of movie where you just let the experience wash over you…the kind of movie where you buckle your seatbelt, hold on tight, and just enjoy the ride.

3. “The King’s Speech,” directed by Tom Hooper, and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham-Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, and Derek Jacobi. Uplifting, inspiring, and moving. Great performances all around.

4. "The Town," directed by Ben Affleck and starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. Affleck is well on his way to becoming an A-list director, and he seems to have a knack for intelligent action/thriller films like this one, which also includes a notable and memorable performance by the late Pete Postlethwaite as a crime boss who moonlights as a florist.

5. “The American,” directed by Anton Corbijn, and starring George Clooney. An art film, one that seemed to bore most critics to tears, about an assassin. I found its attention to detail and focus on the craft demonstrated by a master of his trade to be compelling and suspenseful.

6. “Black Swan,” directed by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, and Barbara Hershey. Trippy.

7. “True Grit,” directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. Terrific remake, fueled by another a great performance from Bridges, and a remarkable debut from Steinfeld.

8. “The Fighter,” directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. Intense, satisfying story that is about family and relationships as much as it is about boxing.

9. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” directed by Peter Yates and starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. It’s hard to believe the series is almost over. I’d hazard a guess that anyone with kids about the same age as ours (now 20 and 16) is feeling a little misty-eyed about the prospect of seeing one last Potter outing together. It’s also amazing how much more distinguished and mature the films have become as the characters have aged.

10. “The Crazies,” directed by Breck Eisner and starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell and Joe Anderson. Not exactly a zombie movie, but close enough – after all, the original was directed by George Romero. Very well done, with a great, charismatic starring performance by Olyphant.

11. "Machete," directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Danny Trejo, Don Johnson, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Robert DeNiro. Blood-soaked, B-movie fun.

12. “Kick Ass,” directed by Matthew Vaughan and starring Aaron Johnson, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz. Most people seemed to prefer “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” a movie I would put in a similar category, but I liked this one better. An underappreciated performance from Cage, possibly because he’s been in so many bad movies in recent years.

And there you have it!

Wrapping Up The Holiday Flicks - "The King's Speech"

I think it’s fair to say that “The King’s Speech” qualifies as old-fashioned entertainment. It doesn’t have flashy special-effects; it wasn’t filmed in 3D; it doesn’t feature rapid-fire dialogue being read by the youngest, hottest stars of the day. It’s a period piece set in the mid-20th century, one replete with kings, queens, princes and princesses, prime ministers, and other assorted British royalty.

The movie tells the story of King George VI’s ascension to the throne, but focuses on his lifelong battle to overcome a terrible stammer. When Albert (“Bertie”) is just a prince, it’s not such a huge issue, although it does result in public embarrassment from time to time when the prince is called upon to deliver a public speech or message. But when Bertie’s older brother Edward abdicates the throne, Bertie becomes King George and overnight is thrust into a limelight that he never sought or desired.

The heart of the movie consists of the scenes with Bertie and Lionel Logue, the commoner and would-be actor with a gift (if not necessarily a degree) for speech therapy. Their scenes together are inspiring, uplifting, and at times, downright hilarious. Both actors – Colin Firth as Bertie, and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel – are magnificent in their roles, and it will not come as a shock if they end up competing for the Best Actor Oscar. The film’s other acting is almost as impressive. There are few actors as good at playing dissolute charisma as Guy Pearce, who does a nice turn as King Edward. Helena Bonham-Carter is a loving and supportive queen, Michael Gambon a formidable and intimidating King George V, and Derek Jacobi a fussy but determined Archbishop. It’s an impressive group from top to bottom.

While it may be hard after two decades of tawdry media attention to accept anyone from the British royalty in the role of underdog, that’s exactly how “The King’s Speech” is constructed, and it works perfectly. “King Bertie” comes across as an honorable man, but one who is flawed and human. He understands his duty, is somewhat terrified by it, but is determined to overcome his faults to serve his people and his country as King. He is proud, but not so proud as to prevent Lionel Logue from coming into his life, and not too proud to become his friend.

The movie ends with the speech that gives it its title, and the moment when Lionel looks into the King’s eyes and gives him a few last words of encouragement is one of those perfect movie moments that is destined to go down as one of the greatest in the long history of cinema.

Conference Championship Predictions

Packers 27, Bears 17. You probably won't hear many Packers fans talking like this, but in case you missed it, the game Aaron Rodgers played last week was better than any game that Brett Favre played for the cheeseheads. The Pack is on a roll, and even though they're on the road in difficult conditions - and in the biggest rivalry in the game, to boot - I don't see them dropping this game.

Steelers 21, Jets 17. I really, really don't know about this one. What I can say is that I have the same feeling about the game that I had about a game played between Denver and Cleveland way back in 1987 - and that one turned out to be a classic for the ages. The Jets could just as easily prevail - but whatever happens, the score will be close. I'm picking the Steelers because I loved the way they climbed out of a hole last week against a very, very good Baltimore Ravens team.

Holiday Flicks, Part III - "Black Swan"

“Black Swan” has generated a fair amount of controversy in the world of film criticism, but one thing you can definitely say about it is that it’s always engaging – even at those moments when you’re cringing at what you’re seeing on the screen.

Some critics have taken pains to point out that the movie is not “about” ballet dancing. I’m not sure that’s a meaningful comment, because without the ballet backdrop, little about the film would make sense. One could just as easily have said that director Darren Aronofsky’s previous feature, “The Wrestler,” was not “about” wrestling. Sure, absolutely – the movie was “about” a man who happened to be a wrestler, but without the backdrop of (and some knowledge about) the professional wrestling world, much of the point would have been lost.

I’m not sure what this says about me, but I probably know more than the average person about both professional wrestling and ballet. I’m no expert, make no bones about it. But I’ve watched professional wrestling off-and-on for more than 40 years now, and my wife and I have been season ticket holders for the Sacramento Ballet for more than 20 years. In both instances, I feel like I can instinctively tell good wrestling/ballet from bad wrestling/ballet. No, I don’t know what their lives are like offstage (one thing I do know is that ballet dancers seem to smoke an awful lot; I assume to keep their weight down), or backstage, so I can’t really offer an opinion on whether the atmosphere surrounding the ballet company that Aronofsky portrays onscreen in “Black Swan” is anything close to reality. But what I can say is that it feels real.

“Black Swan” proves that simply knowing the ingredients to a movie does not mean that you can guess how the receipe will turn out. And this one has a lot of familiar elements: there’s the aging star on her way out, there’s the overbearing mother, there’s the somewhat tyrannical, somewhat genius choreographer/director who dabbles in womanizing, there’s the dangerous, somewhat mysterious, perhaps from the wrong side of the tracks dancer, and of course, there’s the young, virginal, somewhat overwhelmed young ballerina suddenly thrust into the spotlight in the biggest role of her career.

Aronofsky takes this mix, which just as easily could be used to create a droll melodrama, and turns it into one of the trippiest experiences to be seen on the big screen in recent memory. The finished product made me think of “Altered States,” which I saw just about 30 years ago in Berkeley, the movie that didn’t always make a lot of sense, but you were sure captivated by what you were seeing on the screen. And in “Black Swan,” you’re never quite sure what you’re seeing, just as Nina (Natalie Portman) is never quite sure what she’s experiencing.

The lead performances are all noteworthy, beginning with Natalie Portman as Nina, the swan who thinks she’s the ugly duckling. Vincent Cassell is spot on as the ballet director, Mila Kunis is just fine as Nina’s opposite figure Lily, and Barbara Hershey is suitably frightening as Nina’s mother. But the real star of the movie is Aronofsky himself, who keeps the viewer guessing even when the ultimate outcome is fairly obvious from the beginning. But isn’t that what great filmmaking is all about?

Holiday Flicks, Part II - "The Fighter"

It’s highly unlikely that we’ve seen every Oscar nominee in every category, but after wrapping up the holiday releases, I’m confident that we’ll have most of the major categories covered.

“The Fighter” is the kind of movie that, when made well, becomes an Oscar contender. When made poorly, it becomes the butt-end of jokes on Letterman, Conan and Leno. Fortunately, this one is made very well. The story, though one that is based on true events, could almost be accused of being hackneyed. You’ve got the good-guy boxer, you’ve got the older half-brother boxer who has fallen on hard times thanks to an insatiable hankering for snorting/smoking coke/crack/meth/whatever, you’ve got the domineering mother who also serves as good-boxer’s manager, you’ve got the crazy family, and you’ve got the tough but tender and supportive girlfriend. Sound familiar?

But with this group of actors and this execution, the movie works very well, and will likely take a spot in the pantheon of boxing movies. Let’s start with Mark Wahlberg, who is very good as Mickey Ward, all around good guy and neighborhood hero. Wahlberg should probably be considered the true auteur of the film, because without his efforts over a long period of years, the movie probably would not have been made. But it’s a sign of the movie’s success that he is probably least impressive of the lead actors, and you’ll just have to believe me that I don’t intend that as an insult. It’s just that the others are so good.

Amy Adams plays Mickey’s girlfriend Charlene, and her performance is a revelation. I was not that impressed by her turn in “Julie and Julia,” but now I think she was just playing the character – because here, she’s nothing short of spectacular. As Mickey’s half-brother Dicky, Christian Bale is spectacular, proving that he’s willing to do just about anything – in this case, lose a hell of a lot of weight – to make a role work. But losing weight does not a good performance make, and it can honestly be said that Bale is totally consumed by the character – absent the publicity for the film, one could be excused for not realizing that the person they’re watching on the screen is Christian Bale. Can you hear that sound? It’s Oscar calling.

But as good as Bale is, even he doesn’t quite match the titanic performance of Melissa Leo as Mickey and Dicky’s mother. And I can honestly say that I never saw this coming when I watched Leo on a regular basis when she was a member of the cast of “Homicide.” She’s just amazing – downright frightening in her determination to have Mickey succeed, to have Dicky be a part of that success, and to support her family, however crazy they may seem to someone on the outside. If she doesn’t win the Oscar, it will be a major upset.

But in the end, the key to any boxing movie is in the authenticity of its boxing scenes. And on this score, “The Fighter” passes on all counts. You believe what you are seeing, and you believe that Wahlberg is a real boxer. All in all, it makes for a powerful mix.