Sunday, September 17, 2006

Volver


Will this man ever be able to do a bad movie? The latest Almodóvar instalment is once again a wonderful homage to women in general and mothers in particular, a perfect balance between tragedy and comedy, done with a unique sensibility that only Almodóvar can have. And by the way, Penélope Cruz has the role of her life in here.

Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds


Where to start? Who would have guessed that a former boys-band member, that started his career as a child, presenting the Mickey Mouse Club TV show, and was famous for being Britney Spears boyfriend, would deliver something like this? Four years ago, things started to change and so did our perception of him. Justified, his first solo album, was full of funky and addictive gems, courtesy of the Neptunes producing touch, with some people even calling him the new King Of Pop. Four years, 3 movies, a new famous girlfriend (Cameron Diaz) and one uncovered Janet Jackson breast later, he's ready to actually take the throne. FutureSex/LoveSounds is an ambitious project having an epic sonority and it totally lives up to its own expectations. With the help of Timbaland and citing Prince and David Bowie as his new influences, this album is full of electro funky sounds, addictive melodies, minimalistic and innovative beats, and, above all, a lascivious atmosphere, with the word "sexy" written all over it, as its own title suggests. Even the lyrics reflect his new persona: "Slide a little bit closer to me, little girl / Daddy’s on a mission to please" or "Dirty babe / You see these shackles baby I’m your slave / I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave". All this with a surprising charisma and disarming sincerity that makes him a first-league star even further and on his own. Take out a couple of the last songs and you would have a perfect masterpiece. Like this, it's simply one of the best albums of the year.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Miami Vice


Forget about the 80's TV show, besides the title, main characters and location, this movie has not much else to do with it. With less emphasis in telling us a story and more in creating atmospheres, it's actually quite a dark and raw movie, only possible due to the fact that was entirely filmed in digital. Full of mesmerizing scenes and shots, this is probably one of the first abstract action movies to hit the mainstream.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Polaroids # 7

Madonna Confessions Tour (mobile-phone) pictures...




Seeing this girl in concert is always an intense experience. Her shows are a rollercoaster of sensory stimules, ideas, ideals, imaginaries, celebrations, raw sexuality, messages, images, sounds and thousands of screaming and adoring fans. And above all that there's her presence on stage, so full of a strong charisma as only an icon who's been around for almost 25 years can have. Yes, I was star-struck once again.

(pictures taken on the 3rd and 4th of September 2006 in Amsterdam Arena)

Polaroids # 6

Had a wonderful time in Amsterdam!...






(pictures taken in Amsterdam between 1st - 7th September 2006)

Outkast - Idlewild


Speakerboxxx / The Love Below remains one of the best albuns of this decade. So what next? In the case of Outkast, the next step is the materialization of a dream, which is to make their own musical. Idlewild is the soundtrack for the film of the same title and is a concentrate of many ideas coming from the eccentric minds of a duo with loads of imagination. Vaguely inspired by a possible 1920's sound (which is the decade where the film takes place), there's a lot going on in here and some things will maybe make more sense after seeing the movie. But when you have so many genius songs like Morris Brown, Peaches, The Train, Idlewild Blue, Call The Law, N2U or The Greatest Show On Earth (featuring an irresistible Macy Gray) you can't help but fall in love with them all over again.