By Dave Montalbano
AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com
Grief is a confusing emotion. One reacts differently under each situation.
Last December, I lost my Uncle Paul and my buddy (“Scary”) Gerry Carter within three days of each other. The only emotional release I found was Matt “Guitar” Murphy’s Blues performance at Satchmo Blues Bar in Ft. Lauderdale a few nights later (see picture pg. 1).
A member of the original Blues Brothers Band who performed with Howlin’ Wolf and Etta James, Murphy was backed-up by Albert Castiglia.
Castiglia will be performing at the Florida Blues Film Festival at Satchmo on Martin Luther King weekend. Presented by BlueAtHeart Productions, this festival features three documentaries that have been honored in the past year, Full Moon Lightnin’, Hard Times and M is for Mississippi. While the Blues acknowledges pain and suffering in the world, it’s often also the first step toward redemption. (www.bluesfilmfest.com).
For many, The Mill and the Cross could be considered a transformative motion picture. Featuring Rutger Hauer, Charlotte Rampling and Michael York, this Art House motion picture details Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s masterpiece The Way to Calvary, circa 1564.
The film is an entertaining art history lesson that looks at many phases of putting oil on canvas. It opens with models being positioned, while Bruegel (Hauer) provides commentary about character placement.
While the suffering of the Christ is the focal point, Bruegel explains why he hides Jesus in the painting while characters vie for the spotlight. A hit at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, The Mill and the Cross is the next best thing to going to an art museum this weekend.
For more traditional movie-going fare, The Adventures of Tintin is a fun diversion. The first of a planned trilogy, Tintin was produced by Peter Jackson, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the much-loved European comic book character created by Brussels-born artist Herge.
From the opening notes of John Williams post-modernist score, the viewer is plunged into the animated world of Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his loyal companion Snowy, a dog. After purchasing a model ship at a street fair, Tintin learns about a valuable secret inside the vessel.
Unfortunately for Tintin and Snowy, the evil Sakharine (Daniel Craig) wishes to obtain the same secret.
With the exception of the visuals, this adventure may not contain an Oscar-winning narrative, but is 107 minutes of pure cinematic escapism.
