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A Musical Interlude …

Happy Friday everyone!

I have been listening to a lot of Sam Cooke lately. Currently on my reading list (once I get though the backlog of books) is his biography. I have always been fascinated by his tragically short life. So I am really looking forward to digging into the book when the time comes.

What you may ask does this have to do with the world of cinema?

Well, this week as I was making my journey to work, waiting on the subway platform for the express train, an underground troubadour began to sing Cooke’s classic Wonderful World. And whenever I think about that song, I am transported to this film:

Granted this is not Mr. Cooke’s version of the song (rather it is a cover version by Greg Chapman), but I forever associate his vocals whenever I think about this song …

In case you were curious, here is the Sam Cooke version of the song:

Now back to Witness I absolutely love this film. I will refrain from making this a full on recap/review of the film but the juxtaposing of the two worlds is so wonderfully done, my words cannot do it justice. All I can say is that if you have not seen this film – Forshame! JK, but seriously, Witness is well worth the time to catch this one (and yes that is a very young Viggo Mortensen behind Harrison Ford).

witness-1985-12-g

 

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Loved the Movie, REALLY Loved the Music (An Appreciation of “High Fidelity”)

Over the past years there has been a spattering of mention of my appreciation for the 2000 Stephen Frears feature High Fidelity here on my blog. Now I would like to pause to mention some of my favorite bits from the film.

For the uninitiated, here is the logline:

When his live-in girlfriend walks out on him, a Chicago-based music store owner with a penchant for top-five lists, goes on a path of self-exploration.

Source: Wikiscreenplay

The ensemble cast, lead by John Cusack, features Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Lisa Bonet, Sara Gilbert, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tim Robbins.

While I have not read the Nick Hornby book on which the film is based (set in London), I look forward to reading it (someday). To date, I have read one of Hornby’s autobiographical books (31 Songs) and am currently reading his most recently published novel, Juliet, Naked, published in 2009.

For me what makes High Fidelity an enjoyable watch is … frankly everything! From the witty dialogue to the effective use of the pieces to camera, I can watch this film over and over again. But above all else, the use of music throughout the movie sends this film to another level for me. In fact, whenever I catch the film, I watch it all the way through to the end credits so I can hear one of my favorite Stevie Wonder tunes (Note: do not watch if you have not seen film — possible spoiler):

 

As hard as it was to do, I have narrowed down the list of some of my favorite scenes from the film (WARNING: Some clips contains explicit language):

 

LET’S GET IT ON

 

“MUSICAL SNOBS”

 

TOP 5 SONGS ABOUT DEATH

BONUS: “Stevie Wonder/Cosby Sweater”

Now for the bad news – as with any soundtrack that you may decide to purchase there will be notable and disappointing omissions. Take a look at this Wikipedia entry about the soundtrack, which includes music played in the film, but not on the purchasable soundtrack.

Go ahead; make your own mix tape.

What did you think about this film? Are there any films in your library that resonate the same way for you?

 

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