"Golda" by Guy Nattiv (2023)

I would go trough the fire and high water to see Helen Mirren in anything, but her latest movie came as a bit if disappointment, if not exactly by her own fault. You see, every time when film biopics portray a historical figures, there is always a heavy pressure of being respectful - unfortunately, the sheer reverence results in a predictable, boring movies (unless the movie depicts someone who is remembered as evil, which contradictory, works very well in the movies). The best example is 2012 "Lincoln" by Steven Spielberg that was boring as hell, because nobody dared to say anything bad about Lincoln and eventually it just ended up as a dry history lesson. Even recent 2021 "Respect" was bland and predictable, because of well, respect for Aretha Franklin (and her estate that would not approve of anything that has not been sanitised and whitewashed). In general, biopics are extremely difficult to make - from top of my head I recall 2012 "Hitchcock" that was very good (and included excellent Helen Mirren) because it had a new, interesting approach - it was not a biopic but it depicted only one chapter in Hitchcock's life, the time leading to his creation of "Psycho". That was actually an intelligent, entertaining and well done movie, where time was not wasted on trying to explain someone's whole life but we were there in a moment, understanding it is year 1959 and what was going on around the main characters. There was no pressure of squeezing someone's life in two hours.

"Golda" follows similar idea - what was happening around 1973 when Israel was simultaneously attacked by neighbouring Egypt and Syria. This was also time when Golda Meir was prime minister and she knew very well that she completely depends on help of US. Hence her reluctance to instantly react to the threat, because she knew too well that if Israel strike first, it will get no help from anybody.

This decision eventually made her very unpopular at home (and it led to her resignation afterwards) but to be honest, it was a very dangerous time and with Soviet Union backing Arabs and US backing Israel, it was actually very close to a nuclear war. 

Helen Mirren is buried under all those prosthetic that made her look like dowdy, grandmotherly Meir and she was not really given space to examine her character's feelings or opinions - she is constantly surrounded by the clouds of cigarette smoke, hiding in the basements with her ministers, people crowding around her as some Queen Bee, manoeuvreing her diplomatic contacts with Henry Kissinger and trying her best to save the country - it sounds much better than it actually is, because the final result is a gloom & doom that drags a bit and never really catches fire. This has nothing to do with a excellent cast and everything to do with Israeli director Guy Nattiv who is too reverent for his own good and the movie is simply too careful not to stir any controversy - it might have worked out better if he gave his historical characters some humanity. Curiously, at the end of the movie we see a clip of real Golda Meir who was charming, witty and engaging - completely unlike the stoic faced portrayal of her in this movie. 

Photo of the day

 

The Three Degrees Live In Concert 15/09/2023

A week ago I have visited a concert that was just a perfect Friday night fun - legendary female trio The Three Degrees celebrating 60 years in business and performing in front of their faithful fans. It is already known that black US performers are usually lovingly embraced in Europe, where they are loved, respected and they can always count on loyal support, even when audience back home don't care anymore. The Three Degrees had their golden years in the mid 1970s when they were celebrated as Philadelphia Sound and for a while they looked as greatest new challenge to untouchable The Supremes - when Diana Ross left Supremes, The Three Degrees took over with a list of classic hits like "When Will I See You Again", "Take Good Care of Yourself", "Giving Up, Giving In" and "The Runner" - their popularity in Europe was cemented when Prince Charles publicly claimed to be their biggest fan and the group was even invited on a royal wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 (the only US guests besides Nancy Reagan). As with all girl groups, the trio was constantly changing line up and not one single person stayed constantly, though Valerie Holiday is now the longest veteran in the band.

 

I was invited by some friends and was thrilled about the night of disco, though a little apprehensive about not being too familiar with their repertoire - shouldn't had to worry because the audience was in such a great mood that the atmosphere was happy even before the ladies came on the stage. I noted that the public that evening was a bit over the hill - but than, who else would be enthusiastic about the big disco hits from 1974 - it didn't matter since everybody was clapping, dancing and having a genuine great time, including me and my friends. The location was place called Q-Factory in the Eastern part of the city and it was big enough to assure audience being close to the stage, quite intimate and fun experience.

The ladies were actually much better than I expected. The current line up includes Valerie Holiday, Freddie Pool and lovely new addition Tabitha King who took over from veteran Helen Scott - they wee all in sparkling dresses, danced to impeccable choreography that we expected from them and even though this was advertised as 60 years anniversary, they sound like a dream. One thing I noticed was how often they would switch their places in the front of the microphone, almost each song they would shuffle their places and someone else was doing the lead. A friend was very impressed with their sassiness and whispered that he always found black ladies being the best singers - I attributed this to simple experience how to slay the public, these ladies are in a business long enough to know every trick how to behave on the stage, how to interact with the audience and how to get over any temporary situations that might occur on the stage (like when blonde Freddie Pool lost her shoe and briefly left the stage, the other two ladies simply continued without missing a beat). On top of it, they sang also other people's hits (as a part of their album "Strategy (Our Tribute To Philadelphia)") so I did not have to worry - everybody was singing and dancing to "Disco Inferno", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "You'll Never Find Another Love" and the legendary Soul Train theme "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" - it was a great evening, everybody had a wonderful time and apparently the ladies are often guests here, because Dutch audience just can't get enough of them. 

 

                                              

                                               

God's children: Ida Forsyne

I have stumbled upon this beautiful photo and was instantly captivated by it but had no idea who this person was: a subsequent internet search unearthed a few more details about the identity of this lady. She was indeed a very famous vaudeville dancer Ida Forsyne who had reached the peak of her success before WW1 and was later more or less forgotten. I just found this photo so beautiful that I needed to find more about her.

Apparently Ida starred in a travelling show led by celebrated "Black Patti" Sissieretta Jones so we are talking about earliest opportunities for black performers - she also toured Europe, where she had far bigger success and respect than back home. She even managed to pick up a few Russian dance steps, which created her a dancing sensation and was probably a novelty to see an energetic black lady doing something so exotic on a stage. However, after WW1 she had returned to US just to find her fame slowly disappearing and job offerings diminishing - new fashion trends in Harlem meant that nightclubs prefferred light skinned girls and Forsyne was not fashionable enough. She even went trough gruelling tours with Blues queens Mamie Smith and Bessie Smith where she had a chance to reprise her famous Russian dance routines but experience left her traumatised and she wowed never to tour the South again. Rather than facing the racism, she opted for work outside of show business - later she worked as domestic and elevator girl, living up to 100 years and dying in Brooklyn 1983. In her time, Ida Forsyne was known as "Queen of the Cakewalk".

Etta James recording in the Chess studio, early 1960s

 

Phil Chess, Etta James, and Ralph Bass! A Chess Records moment!

"Oppenheimer" by Christopher Nolan (2023)

This movie was so hugely advertised and pumped up (together with its competition, "Barbie") that it was inevitable that it will eventually leave me cold. Critics claimed it was masterpiece and the best movie of 21th century so far - well, that was really hard to live up to. I genuinely expected a cinematic equivalent of a burning bush, something nobody has ever seen before, etc, etc - at the end it was just a long, sprawling saga clumsily divided in two parts that could easily have been two different movies.

The first part of the movie is all about  J. Robert Oppenheimer and how he was a flawed genius, who got recruited by US government to develop an atomic bomb before somebody else does. After the war, he enjoys hero reputation which is eventually demolished during Cold War and anti-communists witch hunt hearings. This would be a story in a nutshell and although I must be honest and admit that everything was done professionally, with bug budget, top cast, etc, it left me completely cold and uninvolved. The best thing about it was that I did not feel 3 hours in the cinema and the time actually flew by quite nicely. 

In retrospective now, a week later, I wonder why it left me so unmoved. A friend who was with me saw "Barbie" first and she thinks that it was far more interesting, thought-provoking and provocative. Normally, I love these actors and even gladly went to spend 3 hours in the cinema, fully knowing it will probably destroy my bladder (it didn't). Perhaps its all this press, claiming its phenomenal and "watch out for that particular scene that leaves everybody traumatised" - well, no, I was not traumatised, in fact, I was not even moved. I thought it was overlong, sprawling and too ambitious in its scope and desire to cover too much in one movie. What bothers me the most is - 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are well known historical facts and only this new generation Z is the one who is constantly surprised by everything, like the world had started in 1997. - to them, these youngsters, this might be traumatising and thought-provoking movie about something they have never heard before but to the rest of us this is basically re-telling of a something we have all learned in the school. I mean, is there a person in the world who does not know how did WW2 end? As for myself, I have even visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki + saw the museums with my own eyes, so no, this was neither traumatising nor new nor something I did not expect. To me it was very much like if somebody made a movie about WW2 and kids got all shocked and surprised - well yes, this is historical fact and no amount of your outrage and offenses can erase it. 

Tribute to the cult rock album sans original performer

Thanks to wonders of youtube I stumbled upon something very dear and close to my heart - a concert tribute to legendary all-star Croatian LP album from 1973. The album itself was a debut studio showcase for than 23 year old Josipa Lisac who was surrounded by the cream of local musicians and it is now considered to be one of undisputed masterpiece of Croatian rock music, with generations after generations of new listeners discovering it trough the years. During my teenage years, lady herself would very rarely perform these old songs, since she had tons of new material and was happy introducing new songs that her partner Karlo Metikoš tailored specifically for her - I clearly remember even back than, in 1982 people would complain that her voice is now not what it was before and that she changed her style too much from the original recordings - fast forward to 2023 and she had metamorphosed so much into almost unrecognisable artist than nowadays her concert performances hardly resemble those old recordings - at this point she is all about jazzy improvisations and experimentations that alienate quite a lot of people, including (dare I say it?) me as I grew up with original recordings and loved every note.

On June 10th, 2023 there was a very interesting performance tribute to this whole album by a young local band, led by vocalist Lucija Pećar Končić and her guys - they performed a complete album in chronological order and in original arrangements, as they were recorded in 1973. Josipa Lisac herself was amused and flattered that her masterpiece (now 50 years old) is apparently capable to exist on its own without her, but she was not present or performing in the concert - it was all about the music, not about her. I knew vaguely about this but was not expecting to find it available on youtube and when I discovered it today, I must say that I was overjoyed. After all, I know every single word and every note by heart.

 

One interesting thing that struck me immediately is "oh, they really followed original recording note by note" - by now we are so accustomed that Lisac is constantly experimenting with new versions that it comes as a shock to hear album the way it was. At first i wasn't even sure what I think about it - I thought, well, copying original note by note can be done by anybody, right? Even I could do exactly what the singer Lucija Pećar Končić was doing here, just give me a microphone and a spotlight, I know every word and every single ornamentation. And this is one of the reasons why Lisac is such a celebrated singer, because she never rested on her laurels but was constantly changing and evolving (to the point that now she is singer's singer but too complicated for wide audience). But after a while I got so carried away with the music, that I didn't care anymore - I was singing along from the top of my lungs and decided that even in this, obviously well-studied version, its simply a labour of love from musicians who love, admire and know this music - its a joy to see all of them so young and so clearly in love with music. And it confused me a bit, since I never really liked how Lisac herself was twisting original recordings into something unrecognisable but now when I see it performed exactly as it was my reaction was "hm, that is too easy". In any case, this live concert made me very happy and I have not only shared it around with everybody but also listening right now, its the soundtrack of my life and I can only hope that in the future there will be more of similar tribute concerts to this fabulous music and this wonderful lady.

   

Sinéad O'Connor 1966-2023

Just watched interesting documentary "Nothing Compares" directed by Kathryn Ferguson, who could not possibly known that this 2022 film will just a year later serve as farewell to famous Irish singer. the documentary itself was very interesting although it kind of ends around mid 1990s when O'Connor gleefully destroyed her pop stardom and famously alienated half of the world with her highly publicised opinions. So there is nothing about her fall from grace and (perhaps fittingly) its a celebratory documentary, focused on how Sinéad became world superstar but almost nothing is said about her last years - that might be focus of another documentary. A large elephant in the room was the fact that Prince's estate strictly forbid use of his song - even he was alive, he was apparently not a fan of O'Connor - so its a bit obvious that documentary is built around the singer but can't play the song that made her a world superstar. 

Her death came as a shock but not as a surprise - I was only surprised that she was actually so young and actually just a few years older than me. I vividly remember the times when she shoot to fame in the early 1990s, the beautiful new girl on the block and how everything about her was so unusual - she was not smiling, she looked focused and angry, her bald head making that beautiful face even more striking. Her music did not really appeal to me back than, but I found her intriguing - I might enjoy her music more today, in a retrospect. What was clear from the start was the O'Connor had strong opinions and was indeed courting the controversy, I would even say enjoying attention she got from the media - but constant anger brings you only so far and it was eventually self-destructive, as conservatives turned against her. Yes, in hindsight, whatever she said about Catholic church eventually came out as truth but in my opinion she fought with the windmills and it turned a lot of people against her. I can't think of any current pop star who would so knowingly sabotage their own success with bold statements like O'Connor. 

One thing that documentary focuses on is her perpetual accusations - be it church, Magdalene asylum, her own mother or music industry. While in her TV interviews O'Connor comes on like a very charming and jovial, in print it sounds as she was constantly angry. Right now everybody talks about her as being bipolar or having mental issues, but this is how real artists are - they must have something that fires them up - I don't see O'Connor as more mad than the next person on the street. What bothers me just a bit is that constant obsession with the past and wounds that should have been left behind - we can't forever blame our parents for our own lives and at certain point one must accept his own responsibility. There is also a certain public hypocrisy where now everybody seems to praise her, but in fact she was almost blacklisted while she was alive. It confirms again that old motto that the best loved artists are dead ones. 

Bela

Grieving for our pets is a special kind of pain - while society in general don't care much for it and associate it with weakness and self-indulgence, the fact is that we as a species are connected to our pets (the point could be made vice versa as well) and for thousands of years there is a link between us that to my knowledge no other species on this planet create with other creatures. Only humans select certain animals as their pets, share their home with them and grieve after they die. I have never heard of donkey or a geese having a pet - only humans do it. And its with a heavy heart that I have to write here about the passing of sweet Bela. 

Bela was not officially my dog - she belonged to my first neighbour who decided to adopt her one winter when I was between the ships on vacation and enjoying my deserved rest after non stop 6 months work. Like everything else that young couples do, it was a spontaneous decision made in a heat of the moment but not very well planned - they both worked long hours and the little fluffy white puppy was crying alone in a empty house. So I suggested, why don't you leave her with me, I am here just across the road and she will be in a warm house + will have somebody to look after her. So the puppy Bela spent days with me in a warm kitchen and would go back to their owners in the evenings. I clearly recall her learning how to use sandbox for wc and how excited she was when she managed to jump on the chair for the first time. 

In the beginning she was too small to even made it trough the few steps in front of the house. The very first time she saw another dog, she was so scared that she run back to the house to hide behind me. And it was very sweet how she wold always run behind me when she felt threatened. Once we were walking somewhere trough the forrest and she was barking at the other dogs in the distance but once they decided to respond to her challenge, she hid behind me. The official master of the house was actually a bossy cat who surely had to adopt to a fast-growing puppy who was completely harmless but eventually grew much bigger. 

 

For the longest time Bela was just a sweet, playful puppy and was roaming free around our houses, as animals do in the countryside - occasionally this was dangerous for cats who would get killed by a car but dogs were doing just fine. I always thought she had a wonderful life, living completely free without any fences or barricades - I recall waiting for the local bakery bus and watching her joyfully jumping trough the tall grass in the fields. Yes, this freedom also had a price - when her periods started, she was not protected from local dogs and we had to quickly sterilise her (traumatic experience for all involved, I still feel so guilty about bring her to a vet) but that was really the only way we could keep her from million dogs attacking her. 

As the years passed, I was really always looking forward to go on vacation and to return to the little sleepy village, where Bela was now a part of the story. I had always wondered would she recognise me and brought her lots of goodies and treats (bought specially for her in other countries) - naturally she would always recognise me and we would have a wonderful time together, she was just a lovely, sweet natured dog. When babies came along, her owners naturally shifted their priorities and perhaps she was not pampered as before but that is probably reality of many dogs elsewhere. Seriously, my main reason to go back there for eventual vacation was to see Bela again, for me she was a connection with the place much more than anything else - to find out that she has gone was really sad news and I don't think that I will ever forget her. 

The one particular memory I have about Bela is the bright moment I forever keep in my heart. It was a beautifully quiet and peaceful afternoon, one of those lazy summer afternoons when there is no other sound around but just a birds chirping, insects buzzing and a lonely tractor somewhere far away. I was standing in front of the house admiring the view, with Bela by my side - it was one of those strange moments when I was perfectly aware this is happiness - very rarely I live in a moment but that time I recognised the beauty of it. It was perfect, tranquil and peaceful, just me and a dog full of love standing next to me. She can never be replaced, because she was unique soul like all of us. I am still grieving and it created a scar on my heart. 

In memoriam: Branko Blaće

This blog is turning into one long list of obituaries but that's life - my heroes are slowly leaving this planet. Recently I have found out that Branko Blaće had passed away and it was sad news as he was one of my all-time childhood favourites, in fact the generations have grown with brilliant recording of our very own rock-opera "Gubec beg" where tall, strong and handsome baritone Blaće performed the title role. Croatians are always very quick to admire everything imported and usually don't appreciate homegrown talent, but this was genuinely a historic moment, where we had our very own rock-opera (one amongst the very first in the world, next to 1969. "Tommy" and 1970. "Jesus Christ Superstar") and it was a huge success at home and at the foreign stages. It was welcomed with standing ovations in Italy, Hungary and Soviet Union while at home the performances were sold out. 

"Gubec beg" was based on a historical novel “Seljačka buna” (by August Šenoa) and it was planned as anniversary of famous village uprising against local feudal nobility who treated them as slaves (we were not the only ones, apparently these village rebellions had happen all over the continent). The leader remembered as Matija Gubec was eventually brutally executed along with his helpers but the episode was remembered as a part of national consciousness and after centuries still echoes with a message about human spirit that won't accept injustice. At the time of its premiere, it was quite a spectacle rare on our local stages (they had huge folk chorus Ladarice and karate fighters amongst the cast) while media buzzed is it acceptable that pop singers like Branko Blaće or Josipa Lisac were invited in the theatre. 

After Gubec, Branko Blaće continued to perform in the musicals - I had seen him in another historical rock-opera that was also inspired by the famous book ("Grička vještica") and in fact cherished that recording as well. Later he played in local versions of "Les Miserables" but never seriously pursued solo career as a pop singer - there are literary only a handful of singles and some festival performances left behind him, it looks as he never cared much for that and was focused on a teaching work. I have actually met him completely by accident as a young man, when I worked as a journalist - invited into a home of a famous Croatian pop singer who lived in a fancy, northern part of town, she told me not to worry, her neighbour will pick me up - this neighbour turned out to be Branko Blaće and my head almost exploded from excitement, I still can't believe that it was Gubec beg himself that gave me the lift. I think I said something stupid like "You were Gubec beg!" and he laughed at me being so thrilled. 

"Gospel Truth" by Russell Shorto (1997)

 

Normally, I love Russel Shorto. I have read with the greatest pleasure both of his books about Amsterdam and New York. And this particular subject - possibility of historical identity of Jesus Christ - has long been one of my all-time favourite subjects. So why then, you might ask, has this been such a joyless task instead of exciting read? It took me forever to finish it and it became one of those books that i am reading just to finish what I started. At first I thought it was because I frankly read too many books about this, starting with 1903. "Did Jesus Live 100 BC? " trough excellent 1965. "The Passover plot" and more recent books by Lee Strobel, Bart D. Ehrman, Bill O'Reilly and Ian Wilson, capping it all with brilliant "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth' by Reza Aslan - I honestly thought maybe its just a case of overkill and I had read too much about it, but actually what struck me this morning is something else.

For such a controversial subject, Russell Shorto is simply too reverent for his own good. If you are playing with fire, if you dare to poke in a hornet's nest, than do it properly or don't do it at all. Where other authors before and after him, dared to bring something new, something provocative or simply stir controversies by considering fresh alternatives, Shorto goes on trough what was already being mentioned many times elsewhere but he is never going to upset anybody with new claims or new ideas. My personal feeling was that he did not dare to go any further (for whatever reason) and somehow got sidetracked by modern day Christian circles, televangelists and whatnot - I take brave works by other authors like Hugh Schonfield or Richard Dawkings anytime instead of this bland camomile tea. 

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" by James Mangold (2023)

 

There are not many things that still bring me pleasure like in previous times - blame it on a completely natural process of ageing, but at this point I am aware that clock is ticking and everything is just about being comfortable, not about the excitement anymore. However, the news about upcoming Indiana Jones movie got me all excited - this was THE cinematic superhero of my youth and I can never forget the thrill of watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for the first time (and many times afterwards) - in order to mentally prepare for this, I have spent a whole week re-watching all of the Indiana Jones movies in order just to make sure I know who is who. Guess what, I still love "Raiders of the Lost Ark" the best - every subsequent sequel had better production, bigger budget and more explosions and somehow less heart. 

On to a latest (and hopefully, the last) Indiana Jones movie - out of a sheer affection, I decided it will be in a lovely old (and recently renovated) cinema "The Movies" that proudly stands here since 1912. and when facing a closure, locals from the neighbourhood pulled cash to save & renovate it. It is such a special place that I feel compelled to always visit and support it. It is decorated in a classic Art Deco style and at this point everything is so new that it smells on carpets and glue - audience is also very lovely, real film lovers and not silly teenagers who usually prefer huge cinemas. There is a certain magic and charm about small places. 

What can I say - I am much older now, I am not a teenager anymore and this type of stuff is not even entertaining to me. It appears the merchandise is out of Spielberg & Lucas hands, Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd. pulling the strings, investing the money and pushing the promotion. I am honestly surprised that Harrison Ford even accepted this. Maybe he though it would be a perfect closure. In any case, there was a first part of the movie (call it an introduction) set in a WW2 where Indiana was digitally de-aged to look younger - this was actually done very well and you would never know the difference - this part actually feels like a classic Indiana Jones adventure. Everything that comes after that is unfortunately a never-ending action and run from one crowded place to another, so much that we never have a chance to actually care of these characters. The worst of all, the movie is too long - at 2,30 hours it feels seriously tiresome and when it all ended, the audience in a cinema felt not excitement but a relief. 

Harrison Ford is not to blame - at the age of 80 he is still reasonably fit elderly gentleman and he does everything to keep this mammoth afloat but the story itself is silly (or perhaps it always has been?) while his supporting cast is just not so engaging. Instead of his son and wife (who were important characters in 2008."Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" now we have British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge as his goddaughter. She is a cunning daughter of a scientist introduced in WW2 scenes and for the most of the movie we are not completely sure is she antagonist or a hero - when she eventually switches over to Indiana's side, its already a bit too late, we can't take her seriously as a goodie because she was baddie for too long. There is an obligatory child sidekick (this time a young Moroccan), almost unrecognisable Antonio Banderas in a very short, cameo appearance and a Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as the main Nazi enemy. My conclusion is - "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is still by far the best Indiana Jones movie and every subsequent sequel had bigger budget but less heart. Piling action scenes and car races trough the crowded streets of exotic locations does not necessarily bring anything new. It could be that I simply can't accept what is basically a cartoon-based pulp fiction adventure movie anymore the same way I did when I was twelve. But such a huge budgeted spectacle will not appeal to young kids who are not connected with 1981 classic and the elderly audience will probably feel exhausted as me.