p14, v7.16 — Arts & Entertainment

Arts & Entertainment

Mountain Views News Saturday, April 20, 2013

MVNews this week: Page 14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views News Saturday, April 20, 2013

SEAN’S SHAMELESS

REVIEWS:

JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

FRIENDFLUENCE: THE SURPRISING WAYS FRIENDS MAKE US WHO WE ARE

By Carlin Flora

With the topic of friends and relationships being the current hot choice for the start of the spring
season, why not continue this sunny streak with
“Friendfluence”. “Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways
Friends Make Us Who We Are” is not just an eye-
catcher with its colorful leaves and lengthy title, but
a wonderfully informative piece that does not require
the use of story-telling; rather, “Friendfluence” focuses
on many different aspects of why we as individuals
not just crave friendship, but how it is considered
essential to our well-being as well as the reasons of
why we sometimes seem to prefer friendships as the
relationships we most enjoy. This is not to say that
friendships are the best or most important, but as to
why they are beneficial for all individuals.

“Friendfluence” caters to the reasoning of why
friendships, ranging from a large group of friends to a
fair few, are the ones that can put us at ease, can make
us feel welcome a lot more easily, and why sometimes
efforts are made to make these friendships last. Carlin
Flora clearly points out and explains how friendships
are created, shaped, and maintained, and highlights
the positives that come with it. Examples include the
outside influences, the desire for another individual’s
philosophy to adapt with our own, and relishing the fact that there are like-minded individuals
who do not just have something in common with ourselves, but who actually inspire you to be
more open with yourself and with those around you (your families, partners, pets, etc.).

Copyrighted in 2013, and receiving praise from Huffington Post, Book Page, Kirkus Reviews,
and Publishers Weekly, “Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are” is
both a wonderful selection for your “must-reads” and one that is meant to be shared with others.

I really wanted to love
“The Place Beyond The
Pines.” It had all the
ingredients to become
a classic. This includes
starring two of the most talked about actors in
the game right now, Ryan Gosling and Bradley
Cooper. It’s from up and coming director,
Derek Cianfrance, who in 2010 wowed critics
and audiences alike with his sophomore feature
film, “Blue Valentine.” However, I wasn’t the
biggest fan of that movie, but admired the way
it was shot and acted. With “The Place Beyond
The Pines,” Cianfrance takes the ambitious
route of focusing on three separate stories that
are all linked together over the span of fifteen
years. The problem with this is how jarring it
becomes when the story would shift directions.

One act dedicated to Gosling’s character, Luke
Glanton, a motorcycle stunt driver who decides
to rob banks as a means to provide for his son,
who he just discovers exists. The second act has
a focal point on Bradley Cooper’s character,
Avery Cross, a rookie cop moving up in the
ranks in a corrupt department. Lastly, in the
least compelling tale the final act is between
both main characters’ sons fifteen years later.
Cianfrance is a wizard behind the camera,
as this is a gorgeously shot movie. However,
within the two hours and twenty minutes
running time, “The Place Beyond The Pines”
suffers from episodic storylines (the ones we’ve
all seen before) and barely touches the surface
on the multifaceted themes it’s hastily trying to
validate.

While Gosling’s character Luke is hypnotizing
in the first story (with many similarities from
his character in “Drive”), his storyline isn’t as
deep as I was hoping for. His estranged ex-lover
played by Eva Mendes comes back into his life
and Luke finds out he has a son. Before this, all
we know about Luke is that he’s the leader of a
traveling act of acrobatic motorcyclists named
“Handsome Luke and The Heartthrobs.” When
the news of a son is revealed, Luke decides to quit
his job and find a way to provide for his son. He
teams up with a local mechanic and soon finds
himself enthralled with the life of a bank robber.
For a brief time, he’s able to provide for his son,
but things quickly escalate out of control. I can
empathize with Gosling’s character to support
his son, but the whole robbing banks storyline
seems outdated and stodgy. I understand there’s
a deeper meaning behind the surface—a father
doing whatever it takes for his family for one.
However this compulsion to commit crimes
(with no inclination to hurt anyone) gets the
best of Luke and ends in a collision course with
police officer Avery Cross. By the time we get a
better sense of Luke, his story comes to a swift
conclusion. It feels more like a high production
short film than one-third of an epic feature film.

Bradley Cooper’s character Avery Cross is a
rookie cop that crosses path with Luke. Without
giving any way spoilers, Cross is thrown into
the limelight in the media. Cross gets mixed
up with some corrupt cops and has decisions
to make. He too wants to provide for his family,
but ultimately chooses right over wrong despite
what rewards are tied with wrong doings.
This sequence is actually quite compelling
even if it’s something we’ve all seen before.
Cooper’s character feels incomplete because
what happens later on in the film makes him
only concern with himself and not his family.
I don’t understand why this occurs especially
when you think he’s a good man and father.
It’s another dynamic to the family theme that’s
explored, but with most of the themes they only
touch the outer surface and rarely get as deep as
you’d hope.

The finale act is geared toward Avery’s 17 year-
old son, AJ, moving in with him and Jason
(Luke’s son, who is initially lied to about who
his father was). The two boys, unbeknownst
about each other’s past, form a friendship due
to a ridiculous coincidence. While the film has
significant circumstances that occur, they rely
heavily on coincidences. If you can get past this,
“The Place Beyond The Pines” has some worth
to it. I much rather have seen the first two acts
extended and the elimination of the third story.
In spite of this, the filmmakers’ intentions
were to tie the story with the sons because an
additional theme to the story is fathers and
sons. There’s nothing quite as powerful as the
relationship a son has with one’s own father.
However, the kids aren’t as compelling as both
Gosling and Cooper. Cooper’s son AJ feels out
of place. You come to realize how could his son
turn out the way he is, but I suppose anything
can happen during teenage adolescence. Jason,
Luke’s son, is lost and lonely. It seems utterly
coincidental that now in his life he’s curious to
whom his real dad is. The final twenty minutes
tries desperately to connect the layered stories
together.

While “The Place Beyond The Pines” is
ambitious to a fault, I think there are just too
many half-baked ideas strung together to
appear as something deeply profound and
substantial. It’s extremely dense film, but
Derek Cianfrance is a filmmaker to watch out
for because he knows how to get his actors
to deliver strong performances. He’s also a
terrific director that may benefit more from
an outsider’s screenplay rather than his own. I
don’t want to see Cianfrance continuously get
high on his own supply because perhaps he may
shine the most when bringing another story to
life that isn’t as close to him but will be once
he puts his signature touch on it. In the end,
“The Place Beyond The Pines” is a sweeping,
cinematic movie going experience with solid
acting, beautifully shot sequences and great
direction. At the same token it unfortunately
falls apart in the end leaving you with a feeling
of emptiness rather than fulfillment of any kind.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Directed by: Derek Cianfrance

Written by: Derek Cianfrance, Ben
Coccio, Darius Marder

Release Date: March 29, 2013 (limited)

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY 51ST ANNUAL ART FAIR

The 51st annual Friends of the Sierra Madre Library’s
art fair will be held in Memorial Park, 222 W. Sierra
Madre Blvd. in the city of Sierra Madre on Saturday,
May 4, from 9:30AM to 6:00PM and Sunday, May 5,
from 9:30AM to 5:00PM. More than 90 artists will be
displaying and selling their fine arts in mediums that
include oil painting, jewelry, water colors, glass, wood,
metal, photography, pottery, ceramics, mixed media,
and weaving. Stop by the booth of our featured artist,
David Van Noppen, to admire and purchase his lovely
glass creations. So far, forty of the artists have donated
lovely one-of-a-kind pieces to be auctioned off in a
Silent Auction which means that you’ll have a chance
to bid on some really beautiful artwork. The Creative
Arts Group has planned an imaginative craft activity
for children from 10:00am-4:00pm both days. While
you’re strolling among the various booths, you’ll be
entertained by an eclectic variety of live music in both
the band shell and on the south lawn.

A food court will offer a variety of food and drinks
provided by local non-profit groups as well as food
vendors. At press time we know that the Sierra Madre
Historical Preservation Society will be selling their
famous lemonade made with rangpur lime juice;
Taquito Lover will be offering taquitos, tamales,
nachos, tacos and fruit drinks; Sophia’s Kitchen will
be selling sausages, pizza, corn, hot dogs, nachos,
Philly cheese steak, a fish platter, and drinks; there will be Korean and Chinese barbecue including
beef short ribs, chicken and beef on a stick, Taiwanese sausages, pot stickers, and egg rolls; The
International Footprint Association will be serving hot dogs and beverages; and H.S.I. Carnival
Snacks will provide Hawaiian shaved ice, churros, frozen lemonade, water, and ice cream pops. And,
of course, the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library will have a booth selling loaves of homemade quick
breads and sweet breads.

So plan to spend a day with us, enjoying artwork done in a wide variety of mediums, sitting on the
grass listening to music, dining on a satisfying lunch or snack, watching the kids create their own
souvenir of the Art Fair and then going back to bid on some of the items in the Silent Auction that
appeal to you, and buying those lovely pieces of art that you’ve been thinking about since you saw
them. Proceeds from the Art Fair benefit the resources and programs of the Sierra Madre Library.
For more information, call 626 355-7186 or visit our website at sierramadrelibraryfriends.org.

CROWN CITY SYMPHONY WILL PRESENTS

TWO FREE CONCERTS

May 11, 2:00 pm

Altadena Community Church

943 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena

and

May 12, 2:00 pm

First Baptist Church of Pasadena, 75 N. Marengo, Pasadena.

(Validated parking in the stacked parking on Holly)

Marvin Neumann, conductor, will conduct "Morning, Noon and Night in

Vienna" by Suppe, and soloists Andrew Sords, violin, and Charles Hummel, violist,

will perform "Symphonie Concertante: by Mozart. The program will close with

"Masquerade Suite" by Khatchaturian.

“GOD’S MAN IN TEXAS”

Faith and egos collide in the age
of mass-market religion at Houston’s
Rock Baptist Church when
the board of directors introduces
a young heir-apparent to the
charismatic but aging founder/
pastor. A co-production with
television writer David Rambo
(Revolution, CSI)

Written by:

DAVID RAMBO

Directed by:

NANCY YOUNGBLUT

Presented by:

SIERRA MADRE
PLAYHOUSE

Starring:

TED HEYCK,

CHRISTIANLEBANO

and PAUL PERRI

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013
AT 8 P.M.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 AT 8 P.M.

SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE

87 W. SIERRA MADRE BLVD.

SIERRA MADRE, CA 91024

www.sierramadreplayhouse.ord

(626) 355- 4318

Reception follows Friday performance. Ample free parking behind theatre.

We’d like to hear from you!

What’s on YOUR Mind?