Matt's Recommendations for the Week (July 20th)

We’ve finally hit the biggest weekend of the summer, with the official release of The Dark Knight Rises and The Gaslight Anthem’s latest record. As usual, here’s my recommendations for the week:

Movies

·         The Dark Knight Rises: The conclusion of what has been the greatest trilogy of my generation. It’s with a heavy heart I see the end of Christopher Nolan’s gritty noir epic superhero saga, but I’m sure it will be executed with gripping fashion.

·         Beasts of the Southern Wild:  Another recommendation that I have yet to see, and know very little about, but Beasts comes with all-around enthusiastic recommendation. A journey that’s apparently engrossing and heartfelt, I’m ecstatic Milwaukee is finally getting it this weekend.

DVD

·         The Artist: The Best Picture winner may not have been my first choice, but I was comfortable with the decision. The Artist is phenomenal, managing to capture the imagination of a jaded audience with a lack of color and dialogue. It was funny, adorable, and encapsulated the timeless message of being open to change- furthermore, it encourages a new generation to explore a generation of cinema that they may have considered irrelevant to them.

·         Fargo: One of the first of The Coen Brother’s features, this dark comedy also scored them a best-picture nomination. Like all of their features, it’s distinctive, going after an under-utilized genre that’s tricky to execute properly. A really solid movie that paved the way for an illustrious career.

TV

·         Nurse Jackie: I’m late to Nurse Jackie, the Showtime dramedy about a beloved nurse with an addiction to painkillers. After whipping through the first two seasons, Nurse Jackie is the network equivalent to nicotine. It catches its stride particularly in the second season, personifying second-string characters and mounting plot tension. Edie Falco earns those Emmy nods for her awesome portrayal, pulling off the rare feat of finding a successful role following an iconic television performance (in The Sopranos).

Music

·         The Gaslight Anthem, Handwritten: Continuing to build a legendary discography, Handwritten is a bleeding opus that might just compete with The ’59 Sound. Very few artists are able to deftly blend genre lines like The Gaslight Anthem; the bluesy punk-rock on Handwritten ranges from blistering and earth-shattering to personal and aching. Each new listen is like falling in love again, and getting caught up in the blustery temperament of smoky, rebellious youth. Album of the year contender.

·         No Doubt, “Settle Down”: Normally I don’t download singles, but No Doubt’s first release in a decade seems worth writing about. Considering the song is phenomenal, a happy marriage between Tragic Kingdom and Rock Steady, No Doubt continue to prove why their reunion may be the best and most inspired.

·         Passion Pit, Gossamer: From the second lead single “Take a Walk” kicks in, it’s apparent that Passion Pit are not, in fact, a one album wonder. The dancy, sunshine-inspired Gossamer is possibly better than its predecessor, if only for its accessibility and sing-song aptitude.