Soundtracks, 'Up In The Air' and 'Hearbeats'

High thoughts for Up In The Air

I cannot remember the last George Clooney film I saw, it's literally been that long. Up In The Air was a nice fresh change, nothing groundbreaking but I really enjoyed the film. First off, Jason Reitman who also directed Juno was absolutely on the money. The film had the quirkiness that Juno had with characters that you could hate a bunch, but somehow find it in your heart to love.

The icing on the cake though was the incredible soundtrack that followed the film. I was completely surprised to find the tune "Goin' Home" by Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) in the film. It's the last track to appear on his beautiful, underrated solo album Keep It Hid.



I got really excited to hear an Elliott Smith song in the soundtrack as well - a very quiet addition of the tune "Angel in the Snow." An interesting choice that was drawn from his late released B-sides collection New Moon.



There were a few Graham Nash projects sprinkled into the film with the Crosby, Still & Nash song "Taken At All" and the solo Nash tune "Be Yourself."



Furthermore, the kicked off with an epic start with Sharon Jones and the Dap King's "This Land Is Your Land." An offbeat tune that gets a ton of radio play on Rich Terfry's afternoon radio show, Drive. The beginning of the Sharon Jones tune sounds a bunch like Modest Mouse's "Horn Intro" a complete odd ball intro to the album Good News for People Who Love Bad News.





Heartbroken by Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats

Xavier Dolan's work has yet to really amaze me as it has most of my film loving friends. It is quite astonishing that a person at the age of 20 can do what he has done. Serious respect on that level.

BUT, he hasn't moved me in ways I think his film moves other people. I find his work really messy and piecemeal. It's really hard to feel what the characters feel the way he portrays it. And the thing that ticks me off the most is that he is the lead in all of his films. I can't really decide if he truly is an auteur, or just a boy with a hint of talent and a truckload of family money.

I was hoping with a quirky plot of two people from opposite sexes going for the same guy to bring some flavour and fun into his story. Not rom-com kind of deal, but a little life and excitement. The angst however seriously overrode any potential for excitement.

That's where I disagree with all of the reviewers that suggest that Heartbeats is an update of Truffaut's Jules et Jim. The similar triangle.

Two things that really stuck out -

Monia Chokri, the leading lady. Dolan is a hipster, his characters very naturally are hipsters too. Dressed in beautiful '60s vintage fashion apparel and matching '60s makeup. Chokri was a total knock out in this film.

And the repeated use of Cher's "Bang Bang," but done by the 60's French singer Sheila.



The best version by Nancy Sinatra -



And apparently, Dolan prefers Godard to Truffaut. Not me, babe!