Loving Love: Part 3 of 3 (that means the last one)

Loving Love: Part 3 of 3 (that means the last one)

An interesting thing happens when something we love becomes widely noticed and embraced. We feel slighted. When a band gets their big break and packs their music into small briefcases and carries them into the ears of the masses, us early followers and early spokesmen and women feel abandoned and jealous. Perhaps we even lose our zeal for collecting albums and lyrics. Deep down inside us we felt like the music was ours and there is something that has been diluted by other people discovering the joyful genius. (See the present presentation of a future band that this will be true of in the soon to be past here: )
On this note, "There Will Be Blood" has been enjoying some amazing reviews and had a warm reception pretty much across the board. Writer-Director Paul Thomas Anderson has been receiving much deserved fanfare for his quiet opus and people recall that they always really liked "Boogie Nights" and many are even easing up on their distrust of the equally epic "Magnolia". For many people "... Blood" has placed Anderson in conversations with the likes of John Huston and Orson Welles. I am suddenly feeling like my favorite small band got its big break.
Please don't misunderstand. I am not claiming that P.T. Anderson was existing under the radar until now. He has had avid fans for many years and has been nominated previously for an Oscar. What I'm saying is that it should have come years earlier for another film of his. Listen to what I am about to say and listen hard:

"Punch-Drunk Love" is one of the greatest comedies ever made. Ever. EVER.

Go ahead and disagree and see if I don't come through your fucking LCD screen and punch you in the ovaries or testicles.
I am not speaking in hyperbole, nor am I drunk. "Punch-Drunk Love" is one of the greatest comedies- and, by extension, films- of all time. I am not talking about it ranking up there with "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" or "Superbad" (both of which are fantastic comedies). No, I am talking about this film sitting in the real upper-echelon with the likes of Keaton's "The General" and Chaplin's "City Lights".
With "Punch-Drunk Love", P.T. announced himself as an American auteur. "Punch..." lives somewhere between Mexican magic realism and French new wave- and it's American! Do you understand, people? He is sculpting true art in a country where we refer to Steven Spielberg as the greatest director ever and we perennially nominate Ron Howard for Oscars. Ron Howard! That's Richie Cunningham!!! I want to fight all of you so bad!
... Okay. Wait... I'm sorry. This is supposed to be about love and here I am offering to fight you. I should have spoken ill of neither Spielberg, nor of Opie. I overreacted and I sincerely apologize. I am at fault and humbly ask your forgiveness. Why should I attack? I have love and truth on my side. I should be taking you by the hand and caressing your skin where your neck fades into your shoulders. We should be watching the sunset together and just as the sun drops beyond the ocean, I lean in and whisper, "'Punch-Drunk Love' is what bonds two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen together. It is as beautiful as an infant's laugh and mysterious as a black hole floating in the middle of space, awaiting meaning and life. I love you and together with 'Punch-Drunk Love' the three of us can conquer hate, end poverty and feed the world's children with a single basket of bread." That is how I should have approached this article and I'm sorry I didn't.
It is true that we live in a culture that tends not to recognize genius in art until the next generation discovers it and gives it its due- particularly with comedy. I want you to watch this movie and at least pretend you appreciate it so that one day when you give birth to a child prodigy and he or she discovers this piece of art you can at least fake your way into not looking like a clod. You want your child to love and respect you, don't you? If you are not ready to recognize the layered artistry of this movie, don't tell your child. Don't put them through the misery of going through life knowing one of their parents cannot recognize beauty and love when it presents itself. Don't do that to your flesh and blood.
Watch Adam Sandler give one of the greatest comic performances in film history and don't tie yourself down with his history. Simply because he was part of "Chuck & Larry" does not mean he is not brilliant in "Punch-Drunk Love". Watch the colors explode. Feel the symbolism. Listen as one of the greatest sound designs/ scores (Jon Brion) tickles the cockles of your heart and dream of a day when I don't have to yell at you for not recognizing greatness.


This concludes the epic three part series that was "Loving Love". On Valentine's Day you should feel the currents of both natural and forced love passing through the air. Grasp it with both hands, wrestle it to the ground and tell it you want to scoop out its eyeballs because it's so beautiful. Remember, without Santa Claus Christmas loses some of its magic and without Love, Valentine's Day loses some of its magic. Believe in Love... Or I'll kick your dick/pussy.

Andy apologizes for his use of profanity. He gets extremely defensive when beauty, art and love are not given their due. He also reacts similarly when standing too close to Republicans.

Loving Love Part 2 of 3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Loving Love: Part 2 of 3 (originally published in January, 2005)


I'm back and I'm ready to extol the virtues of believing in love for another week. How are you doing with the countdown to Valentine's Day? Have you fixed your eye on that shy coffee shop lass? Perhaps that lad who always fixes the copy machine? Don't forget that we all die one day and as far as I can tell, regrets are the worst thing to have on your death bed. Maybe this year you should go out and find an especially adorable set of Valentine's Day cards- a Transformers or Care Bears set would be particularly keen- and simply hand a few out. Why not? I can personally guarantee that if you hand someone a Valentine's card featuring Optimus Prime or Grumpy Bear and they don't apprecaiet it, they are not worth your time. Bring some joy to the hearts of friends and strangers. Spread the love, folks. Here is a suggestion to get you in the mood.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



This one just received two Oscar nominations; One for Kate Winslet in the lead actress category and one for original screenplay. Since I'm in love mode I'll go ahead and tell you the truth. After all, how can love grow if it isn't surrounded by honesty? The truth is, this is the best movie of this past year. I know what you're thinking, "Isn't this a Jim Carrey movie?" No. It is a Charlie Kaufman/ Michel Gondry movie. Kaufman is the mind behind Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. He may be the most interesting screenwriter working today. Gondry is a music video directing wunderkind who makes this his sophomore feature effort. It may very well be his masterpiece no matter what he does from here on in. This movie is at once over-the-top zany as well as quiet and subtle. I have now seen this film four times and each time there are piles of details I notice for the first time. The background of this movie is more active than... um... well... something that's really active.
Jim Carrey puts in the most controlled performance of his career and manages to make himself a believablly shy, guy next door type. Technically this movie is amazing, but its heart lies with, well, the heart. It is about the inescapable pain of love, as well as the power and immense importance of it. I really think this is the best love movie of the last decade (with the possible exception being next week's offering). It is intensely honest with its two main characters. Both are riddled with flaws and we are allowed to see parts of their relationship deteriorate for various reasons and in various ways. However, the magic between them in their moments of honesty are almost ethereal. At the beach and on the frozen river we are treated to a chemistry so natural that it feels as though we are watching memories of moments we almost had ourselves. What if I had spoken to that girl on the bus the other day? What if I gave that guy at the supermarket my number? Who knows what might have happen if we were more bold in our lives?
This movie is about love, fate and then our roles inside of that. What it seems to say is that love will only unlock the door for us. We have to be brave enough to open it and walk through ourselves. So, for these next two weeks, as we approach the dreaded day, I ask you- no, I dare you- to give someone you don't know a flower or a handful of multi-flavored hard candies. Why not? What have you got to lose? The fear seems to be of rejection and that somehow that will injure our dignity. Well let me tell you something. I lost my dignity years ago and I have been just fine. Dignity is for suckers and spontaneous and random acts of romance are for champions. This Valentine's season ask yourself, which are you, a champion or a sucker?


Andy tries to live his life by the code of the Champion.

Loving Love Part 1 of 2: Lost in Translation

Loving Love: Part 1 of 3 (originally published in The Humboldt Advocate in January, 2005)

This is part one of a three part series leading up to Valentine's Day.
That time of year is upon us. The time of year that makes us slightly more irritable and slightly more sensitive than we'd like. We look around and find ourselves a bit more disappointed with the significant other we have or frustrated with the significant other we wish we had. Ladies and gentleman, it's love time. Valentine's Day is coming and I've decided to jump start my pacemaker and believe in love this year. I figure, what the hell? I don't have anything else to do.
Let me ask you a question. Do you believe in love? Really. Do you believe in the kind of love we see in movies or read in novels? The kind that makes violins swell and forces the sun to set as the wind caresses our sculpted hair? Many of us have been or are in relationships that mean quite a bit to us, but aren't quite at "movie love" level. Does that mean it's fake? Is it only in the movies for a reason? Just for shits and giggles, I'm going to say that this sort of poetic love is real. I'm going to say that there is a kind of love that baffles logic and science. I'm going to tell you that there is a match out there for you. A soul mate. What makes me say these things? Movies. Not your average Hollywood saccharin Jennifer Lopez movies. I'm talking about art. Movies that are at their core about absolutely nothing more than Love. That's right. Capital "L". In the last five years there has been an influx of amazingly well made movies that are about this very cliched subject. It is a wave of films that sit closer to "Harold and Maude" than to "Titanic" and I think for Valentine's we should all watch them and believe in love for at least a couple of hours.
This week's love nugget:


Lost in Translation



This movie got nominated for four Academy Awards, came from a Coppola and stars Bill Murray. Those are some good credentials. The film features a different type of love story. There are no passionate lovemaking scenes and really only hints at what type of attraction the two main characters have for each other. It is at once simple and complex. It asks very basic, but difficult to answer questions. What attracts us to others? What is attraction?
The ending is always crucial to any movie and love stories are no exception. This movie has an ending that reaches inside your bitter soul and gives you The Feelings while maintaining a dignified and respectful level of class.
The movie's love line is drawn between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, but never really crosses into what we normally require of movies about love। The obligatory bedroom scene between the two main characters in this one is so well crafted it makes me want to punch someone in the face. Hardly any physical contact, yet we feel a connection... in the scene, I mean. The face punch would feature a lot of physical contact. These two characters are in opposite places in their lives, but are experiencing the same doubts and emptiness. They find each other and float through strange world as if guided by something beyond their capacity to understand. And that ending! Damn, it's a good one.


So there we have it। Review number one in the countdown to Valentine's Day। Join me in my attempt to treat Valentine's right this year। Remember how much more you loved Christmas when you believed in Santa Claus? Love is the Santa Claus of Valentine's and I think it would do us all some good to try a bit harder to believe in it.