Tag: Brigid Walshe ’19
French Films Come to Providence
by The Cowl Editor on March 2, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Brigid Walshe `19
A&E Staff
French cinema has been creating quite a buzz in the film industry recently with French actress Isabelle Huppert winning a Golden Globe for her performance in Elle, a performance she received an Academy Award nomination for. After all, France is the birthplace of cinema, and now it is bringing some of its best films from the past couple of years to Providence this week.
This past weekend marked the start of the annual Providence French Film Festival, which celebrates dozens of critically acclaimed French films from the past couple of years. The festival, now in its 22nd year, is presented by Brown University and takes place at the Cable Car Cinema on South Main Street. The festival is a huge success year after year, and continues to grow more.
How the festival works is that the coordinators select films, and usually these are films that have premiered over the past couple of years and at well-known film festivals, such as Cannes Film Festival, among others. This year, there are 14 films, with each film being shown once or twice.
Cable Car Cinema is also no ordinary cinema. The intimate space also serves as a café, serving sandwiches and drinks. One can go in there to do work during the day and see a movie at night.
The festival provides its patrons with an opportunity to experience French film culture, one with a rich history and legacy. France’s film industry has made a name for itself as a cultural phenomenon and continues to grow today. Films, including many being shown this year, address current important social and cultural issues that are relevant to anyone who watches them, French or not.
The lineup for the films this year is pretty strong, with almost of all the films receiving positive reviews from critics. Among the films is Cézanne et Moi, which tells the touching story of two childhood friends who reconnect later in their lives. This film was also submitted to the Academy as one of France’s foreign films to be considered in the Best Foreign Film category for the Academy Awards, but unfortunately, didn’t make the cut. There is also The Son of Joseph (Le Fils de Joesph), which follows the character of Vincent as he searches for his father.
This year’s festival ends March 2nd, so there is still time to head downtown to check out any of these amazing 14 films. Tickets are $9 for general admission and $7 for student admission for each show, and remember, vive le cinema francais.
Netflix Gives Another ‘Reason Why’ to Watch
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
By Brigid Walshe `19
A&E Staff
After the immediate success of some of its original series, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, Netflix has put more focus—and money—into producing their own original shows. In 2017 alone, Netflix is planning on spending $6 billion on 20 new original series, one being 13 Reasons Why, based on the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why written by Jay Asher.
The novel is centered on the suicide of Hannah Baker and the reasons behind it. Hannah leaves behind cassette tapes, each centered on an individual who played a role in her death. She leaves Clay, who had a crush on her, in charge of the cassettes, and Clay pieces together the mystery of her death throughout the novel.
Of course, the subject of this novel is very dark and mature for a young adult book, yet it discussed topics of life and death that are difficult for young adults to talk about and more importantly, gives a prime example of how treatment of others impacts their lives. The book has been given numerous awards and accolades, including a spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list and it was named one of the “Best Books for Young Adults” in 2008.
More importantly, the novel has made a direct impact on fans reading it. Author Jay Asher has said that he receives many reader emails and is thrilled that this book has made a difference in so many lives. Therefore, after such a success, it was only a matter of time until the book would be adapted to the screen.
Universal Pictures originally bought the rights for the film back in 2011, and cast Selena Gomez as Hannah, the main character. The movie was put on standstill until 2015, when Netflix announced its plan to make it into a miniseries, with Selena Gomez signing on to be the executive producer.
Gomez, who took some time off from the industry for physical and mental health reasons, has stated that she is emotionally attached to the project, saying, “Kids have to see something that’s frightening, I want them to understand I definitely relate to everything.” Although the cast is mostly newcomers, the team behind the production is pretty impressive.
The series is directed by Tom McCarthy, who was the director of the film Spotlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at last year’s Oscars. The creator and writer of the series, Brian Yorkey, is both a Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner. Hopefully, behind the guidance of these professionals, the show can do the book and its message of justice.
More importantly, this could add to the list of Netflix originals that have received critical acclaim. This is a big year for Netflix, and hopefully 13 Reasons Why can prove that Netflix’s shows will continue to impress audiences now and in the future.
The Lumineers Bring the Funk to MSG
by The Cowl Editor on February 9, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
By Brigid Walshe `19
A&E Staff
The Lumineers just finished a two-night gig at Madison Square Garden in New York City and they did not disappoint. The indie folk rock band sold out the Garden both on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3, a feat in itself, and rocked the arena both nights.
For many artists, performing at Madison Square Garden means you have made it big—selling out the Garden though, is a whole other caliber of achievement. For members of the band, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, this was also a homecoming—both members originally come from New Jersey—and they told the crowd how incredible it was to be there throughout the show.
The band played a good mix of songs from both an older album, and their newest one, Cleopatra, which was released in April of 2016. In an age where digital music is really taking off, The Lumineers have stuck to their traditional roots in folk rock music. That being said, it was nice to see a band consisting of an acoustic guitar, piano, and cello on stage, that’s how simple the set-up was.
The band was on stage for about two hours, and performed nonstop for most of it, except for stopping in between songs to tell fans about the stories behind their hits. For example, one of their hits from their debut album, The Lumineers, “Charlie Boy” was based on Schultz’s uncle who volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War. Despite the crowd size, The Lumineers were able to make Madison Square Garden into an intimate setting, where you feel as if you weren’t in an arena, but a much smaller venue.
Schultz and Fraites formed the Lumineers after Fraites’ brother died from a drug overdose at the age of 19. Both men turned to music for solace, and so, way back in 2005, The Lumineers was formed. They got the idea to name their band “The Lumineers” after they were announced as the Lumineers, which was actually the name of another band scheduled to perform at the same club the week after them, and they just stuck with it.
After limited success in New York and on the East Coast, they went out west to Denver, Colorado. There, Schultz and Fraites met Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained cellist, who responded to their Craigslist request for a cellist. The three of them became The Lumineers and they haven’t looked back. The Lumineers gained recognition after their single “Ho Hey” from their first album The Lumineers.
The band announced their Cleopatra World Tour in January 2016 and has toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe this past year. The Cleopatra tour will end in the next couple of months, but the band will also be the opening act of the Irish band U2 this summer as they kick off their stadium tour, so if you want to see them, there is still a chance.
New Year, New Album, Same Mayer
by The Cowl Editor on February 2, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
Brigid Walshe `19
A&E Staff
John Mayer is back in a big way. On Jan. 20, Mayer released four of his new songs from his current album, The Search for Everything, and fans are already craving more.
Mayer is planning on releasing his latest album in waves, meaning that every month, he will release four more songs until the album is released in full because he feels like there are “too many songs to ever get out the door at once.”
The four songs released off this EP, The Search for Everything-Wave One, are “Moving On and Getting Over,” “Changing,” “Love on the Weekend,” and “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me,” which have all have had a positive reception.
Mayer has said that these songs “represent literally hundreds of hours living inside of these little worlds.” The songs have everything you would expect from John Mayer: poetic lyrics and peaceful, bluesy melodies. Through them, Mayer meditates on getting older, yet his music sounds just as good as it did at the beginning of his career over 10 years ago.
Mayer released the first single, “Love On The Weekend,” from the EP back in November, where he also hinted at a possible full album and tour. This has been Mayer’s first single since he covered Beyoncé’s song “XO” back in 2014 and The Search for Everything will be his first full album since Paradise Valley back in 2013.
Despite the hiatus, Mayer has been busy producing new music and touring as the lead guitarist with Dead and Company, which features Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. The group is supposed to tour this summer as well, now equipped with more material in Mayer’s newest songs.
Mayer has said that this album has “more songs than can fit on your standard sized album,” meaning it may be a couple of months until the full album is released. Much to his fans’ liking, Mayer has also said that 2017 “is the year of more music coming than I’ve ever put out in one year.”
On Twitter, Mayer announced that these new songs were performed and recorded by many of the same people who worked on his hit 2006 album Continuum, which included popular tracks such as “Waiting On The World To Change” and “Gravity.”
Mayer is set to tour The Search for Everything this spring across the U.S. and Canada, giving fans even more to look forward to. It looks as if 2017 will be a big year for the artist, and there are plenty of reasons to tune in.
Sherlock Leaves Fans Ready for More
by The Cowl Editor on January 26, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Brigid Walshe `19
A&E Staff
Season four of the critically acclaimed series Sherlock premiered earlier this month after almost a three-year hiatus, and it did not disappoint. Like I said, it’s been almost three years since the last full season of Sherlock aired, back in January 2014. There was a special last year, but Sherlock fans wanted more and on Jan. 1, they finally got what they wanted.
Each season of the show consists of three, one and a half hour episodes, with each of the episodes being loosely based off Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. The storylines and the characters are pretty similar to those in Doyle’s short stories. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title character, Sherlock Holmes, while Martin Freeman plays his friend and assistant, Doctor John Watson.
Cumberbatch shines as the odd, witty, and brilliant detective, and he has received many positive reviews from critics, including award nominations for his performance, and has led to a pretty impressive fan base. One of my favorite things about the show and this season particularly is the spectacular way they portray Sherlock’s brilliance.
The cinematography is pretty brilliant, with the audience watching as Sherlock enters his “mind palace” as he searches for the answers to the most mysterious mysteries. The audience enters into the mind of Sherlock and sees how he can manage to solve the most complex mysteries in only seconds.
The latest season of Sherlock picks up exactly where season three left off, despite the three-year gap in between the two seasons. With high expectation for this season, it had everything a Sherlock fan could hope for. It had plot-twists, old (and new) villains, the death of a major character, a cute baby, and even more mysteries. This season definitely had a darker nature than the previous seasons, with the audience seeing different sides of the characters the events of the season definitely tested the characters and their relationships with each other.
Now that the season is over, anticipation for the next season has already begun, but fans of the show have expressed concern that this could be the final season of the beloved series, due to scheduling conflicts of the two main stars.
While both Cumberbatch and Freeman have expressed that they would love to continue working on the show, as long as the scripts are compelling and well written, no one knows for sure the fate of the show—it’s a mystery. Regardless of whether or not if this is the end, you should definitely tune in to see the charm of the show as you follow Sherlock and Dr. Watson on their adventures.
Golden Globes Exemplify a Changing Industry
by The Cowl Editor on January 19, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Brigid Walsh `19
A&E Staff
The 74th annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Jan. 8, honoring the best of the film and television industry this past year. Of course, everyone was talking about La La Land and their record-breaking seven wins, which is the most Golden Globes ever won by a single film, but there were so many other amazing performances that were recognized this year at the Globes as well (and you should check these out too).
First, Manchester by the Sea, starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, takes place in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, where filming for the movie actually took place. It follows an uncle who is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies. Affleck’s performance as Lee Chandler, the uncle now responsible for his nephew, won him Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture–Drama. According to The Guardian, this movie explores “the painful and irreparable wrongness of life” and Affleck’s performance is one that you should see.
French actress Isabelle Huppert took home Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her role in Elle, a French psychological thriller centered around a woman who plots revenge against her rapist. Huppert is an esteemed actress in France, and critics, as well as the Hollywood Foreign Press, noticed her magnificent and “standout” performance in this thriller, so it’s no shocker that she took home the award for this film.
Moonlight took home the award for Best Drama Motion Picture, which isn’t a huge shocker since the film received universal acclaim from critics. Moonlight, “a heartbreaker filled with miracles,” is based on In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The movie portrays the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in a rough neighborhood in Miami, from childhood to adulthood. Critics have given positive reviews of the film based on its relatable struggle with identity. According to criticism by Soshua Rothkopf from TimeOut! New York, Moonlight is why we go to the movies: “to understand, to come closer, to ache—hopefully with another.”
Today’s film industry is pushing boundaries and exploring more and more concepts of human nature on screen. The diversity of this year’s nominees and winners at the Golden Globes is a prime example. These movies call to us because their performances and storytelling connect us to the characters. So, next time you want to watch a movie, consider one of these and appreciate what these movies can accomplish. As the Oscars draw closer, it may not hurt to check out some of the frontrunners either.