Erin K. Murphy

The Love Children

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:56:00 +0000

spoiler alert
On May 4, 2009, I visited Jezebel, one of my favorite blogs, only to find out that Marilyn French had passed. She was one of the first feminist thinkers to open my eyes to issues surrounding womanhood, the dominance of patriarchy, and expectations of the female gender. I read_ The War Against Women a_ few years after it was published in 1992, and it ended up being one of the most affecting books in my life. I felt inspired to fight against the rather conservative view of the role of women. I also have a very dear memory of watching 1980 film The Women’s Room (based on French's 1977 novel) with my mother years ago and feeling angry and frustrated with the seeming futility of being a woman, with the injustice of it all.

Needless to say, I had rather high expectations for French’s final novel, The Love Children. While I was certainly entertained in terms of the story, the book seemed eerily listless, more like Marilyn French lite. I was utterly enamored with the two previously mentioned books, but sadly, this novel fell short in areas where these previous ones criticized sharply.

The novel’s main character, Jessamin Leighton (called Jess) ,is followed through adolescence to adulthood. Even though Jess is supposedly part of a generation free of gendered oppression, her interactions with her peers and her family tell another story. The novel opens on the fourteen-year-old Jess who runs with a band of rebellious teens of the same age, they wax philosophy on their societal ideals and fantasize with hearty, but understandable, naïveté. Jess heads off to a small-scale liberal college where she takes to dating both men and women, but specifically begins dating Chris, who spreads awful rumors about her. Jess responds by focusing on her coursework and transferring to another college rather than defending her honor. Again, she is put in a situation with a professor who gives her an “F” and is the victim of offensive name-calling, but she chooses not to respond.

Jess leaves college for a rather patriarchal commune called Pax where she and her friend Sandy reunite with their high school friend Bishop. Pax reveals itself to be an awful setting when the leaders deem the women “communal property,” and Jess leaves only to find herself pregnant and working at a restaurant (an interesting choice of career for the character). Without spoiling the conclusion, I will say that Jess ends up meeting a gentleman and, shall we say, happy ending?

Jess’ character, compared to other figures in French’s previous literature, reveals a rather fragile and passive spirit. Certainly, she chose to remove herself from toxic situations, but she lacks a confrontational fortitude that other French characters possess. French kept me turning the pages, but I regretfully found myself in a state of mystification and disappointment.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, October 16th 2009

Fabric 47

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

By Jay Haze

Fabric Records

For the thumping album Fabric 47, Jay Haze, the Pennsylvania-born and Berlin-based teamed up with the series of compilation albums produced by the legendary London nightclub of the same name. Haze is the quintessential renaissance man with experience in running multiple record labels and starting up the online electronic music magazine Textone in 2003, all while producing both collaborative and solo albums. His music has been described as psychedelic, but I didn’t get psychedelic so much as I did sultry and subtly climactic. For instance in “Mellow Dee” Haze (featuring Ricardo Villalobos) takes a melody that, when removed from its down tempo context, would seem almost creepy and ominous, but he turns out a track that slowly builds the musical equivalent of an orgasm. My favorite track is “An Hour to Fly” by Lil Dirty Ghetto Bastard, this kind of galloping tempo is definitely a personal favorite of mine, but when simple piano notes and a drum n’ bass beat are merged, Haze creates one of the most sensual tracks on the album.

Fabric 47 is much less lumbering than the last Fabric album to which I listened. It has natural transitions and is an exceedingly cohesive album with a much bouncier and more accessible recurring rhythm. It was most definitely more danceable, and less exhausting; it could just as easily be played at a low volume for more ambient sound than it could being pulsed through massive speakers in a club. I found it to draw much on creative transitions and other genres and less on heavy-handed electronic clichés.

Haze’s album is welcoming and versatile, a compilation that I imagine even people with rather narrow ideas of music would respond to. One can’t help but react to the throbbing sensual beats with, at the very least, a tap of a foot or the bob of one’s head. His sound could easily be compared to French house DJ Stéphane Pompougnac's Hotel Costes series which cleverly mixes tempos and genres in an inspired and refreshing way.

Without a doubt, in my future I see more Jay Haze. This compilation indicates an aptitude of what makes people move and a mastery of musical devices that make listeners yearn for more.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, October 8th 2009

Mothers & Daughters

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Directed by Carl Bessai

Raven West Films

Carl Bessai’s film Mothers & Daughters weaves a very textile-esque narrative containing a talented ensemble cast who convincingly engage the complex relationship between parent and child. Babz Chula brilliantly plays Micki, a self-involved romance novelist who all too easily forgets her daughter Rebecca’s needs. Rebecca, played by Camille Sullivan, possesses a rather brooding soul. Counter to this is the palpably awkward relationship between housewife Brenda (Gabrielle Rose) and her exceedingly stoic daughter Kate (Tiffany Lyndall-Knight). Kate’s bond clearly lies with her just-departed father, who left for a seemingly better life. Lastly, but certainly not least, is the character of Celine (Tantoo Cardinal), a woman who owns a house-painting business is hired by Cynthia (Tinsel Korey), a daughter-figure who knows little of her origins. Their tense relationship and developing connection prompts the viewer to question the existence of an actual blood relation.

All three relationships juxtaposed with one another barely scrape the surface of the mother/daughter bond, but they do portray, eerily well, the ups-and-downs involved. While all three couplings do seem to focus more on the tumultuous nature of the relationship, I find it oddly comforting that no explanations are given for the occasional discord, strife, or alienation. The film doesn’t function as mere reductive documentation of Freudian psychological case studies, but as an alarmingly real glimpse into the challenging relationship between mother and female child. I found the exchanges between Brenda and Kate to be particularly unpleasant and affecting, but was comforted to find several tender moments between them especially in the closing scenes.

It is easy to view the film as depressing and gloomy, but, as in normal parent/child relationships, it’s not always good times. As the “child” grows older and develops a distinct sense of self, and, as seen in the film, the mothers see themselves in the daughters as disparate as their personalities may be. It was refreshing to watch a movie that didn’t relegate the mother/daughter connection to that of mutual admiration and high regard, but it aptly portrayed it as complicated, raw, and messy, all-the-while taking into account the tender and compassionate side of things.

In addition to being the director of Mothers & Daughters, Bessai also wrote the screenplay and co-produced the film with Rod Ruel. The idea of a male writer/director and two male producers as makers of this film excited me to no end, as I eagerly awaited the arrival of the DVD in the mail. I was hesitant to think that a male could accurately capture the connection between two women, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sensitive, reflective, and intensely philosophical treatment of the connection between mother and daughter.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, June 29th 2009

Caught In The Trees

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:28:00 +0000

By Damien Jurado

Secretly Canadian

Damien Jurado is no spring chicken. He’s been making music since the mid-nineties and indie fave record label Sub Pop produced his first four solo albums. His time with Sub Pop proved to be a much more musically experimental one compared to his previous tried and true time as a folky balladeer. Jurado united with Indiana-based Secretly Canadian in 2003 for his album Where Shall You Take Me? and returned to his folk sound, a task that he excels at. Caught In The Trees is absolutely, positively no exception to the rule.

Released on last month, Jurado’s Caught In The Trees has the look and feel of his previous releases, but with a little bit more pep and edge. Lyrically, he’s known for his evocative story-telling abilities, but this album acted as a catharsis of sorts for Jurado. He took an entire year to record Caught In The Trees, longer than any previous album.

Collaboration with his friends and band mates, Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad, is cited as the explanation for the lengthy creative endeavor. The result is a much heartier sound than before, and Fisher and Conrad’s contributions substantially complement Jurado’s foray into more personal territory. He turned inward this time, rather than weaving the usually poetic, yet melancholic yarns of hypothetical characters. He looks to record-making, identity, and pain as fodder for his deep well of dark reflection. It’s undoubtedly upbeat compared to previous productions, but still carries the deeply gloomy substance that we’ve become so accustomed to in his musical explorations. It’s refreshingly cathartic (even as a listener) to get a glimpse into the psyche of Jurado, and this album is an unmistakably fruitful journey.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, October 17th 2008

Fabric 40

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:58:00 +0000

By Mark Farina

Fabric Records

Mark Farina, a San Francisco-based DJ, is a mainstay on the electronic scene. What began as an exploration of the house genre has now become Farina’s inimitable musical echo. The globetrotting performer is known for his genre versatility, but also his distinctive cocktail of Chicago urban, jazzy reverberation with San Francisco sound. While he’s also known for his down tempo grooves, Fabric 40 is nothing of the sort. Fabric is a series of compilation albums produced by the eponymous London nightclub, with the most recent mix by Chile’s Luciano.

I am sucker for anything that presents itself as a non-stop party, and Fabric 40, initially, is a generally bouncy invitation to dance, but I found a few of the transitions clumsy and forced. Farina’s compilation possessed a slightly anti-climactic feel to it, making it perfectly suitable for ambient music, but at times, I felt uninterested, or, unfortunately, like I had just tuned out 10 minutes of heaving drum n’ bass.

I grew weary about half-way through, and I wish that it better showcased the DJ’s versatility and musical creativity. Farina clearly didn’t strive for this compilation to be tuned out, but to excite the dancing shoes of his loyal fans. Regrettably, it fell short of his intent to keep the party bumpin’.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, July 28th 2008

Anna’s Summer

admin — Fri, 11 May 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Directed by Jeanine Meerapfel

Anna’s Summer, is a lovely and introspective film about life, death, remembrance and discovery. Anna, played evocatively by Angela Molina, is reminded of the loss of her loved ones and their qualities that made them not only lovable, but vulnerable and fallible. She has grace, countenance and an expressive nature reminiscent of Penelope Cruz in recent Pedro Almodóvar films. Her visage proves absolutely perfect for a role centering so much around reflection and the memories of her past. She is well-developed as a strong and determined character, but not so overwhelming that she’s off-putting. Molina humanizes, far better than most actresses, the feelings of loss and reflection.

The film, primarily set and filmed in Greece, vividly captures the picturesque setting with its scenic vistas and breathtaking seascapes. Rather than place being the catalyst for memory, the film is punctuated with Anna’s discovery of “stories” within a trunk holding tangible memories of her late mother, father and husband and her relationships with them. The film switches back and forth between vignettes from her memory and her present discoveries about the people she loved and a developing lust-interest, played by handsome actor Agis Emmanouil. Anna reflects upon her place in the world by way of these objects and their places in the personal histories of the people who meant the most to her.

Jeanine Meerapfel appears to be well-acquainted with Greek culture and its mouth-watering marine cuisine as evidenced in the omni-presence of food and cooking within the film. The scenes with food always seem to conjure up memories for Anna. It has been said, after-all, that certain smells can be linked to specific memories. Meerapfel seems to be successfully illustrating that everything in daily life can remind one of someone or something and it is these people and situations that make us who we are in the long run.

Written by: Erin K. Murphy, May 11th 2007