Precious
by 
|A film about a horrendously obese girl who has two kids, with Mariah Carey in it and produced by Oprah. Sounds awful and at first, I couldn’t be less interested, but it turns out, I couldn’t be more mistaken. Based on the novel Push, it’s a tight and intelligent script realised by dedicated actors and exquisite direction. Even Mariah Carey is pretty good, but an American comedian known as Mo’Nique, who plays the mother of Precious, will win the best-supporting actor Oscar, or I will eat my shoes. While ‘Precious’ tells one of the most uncomfortable and confronting stories to make it to the screen, it resists being all gloom with some great comedy moments. Too many films work on a moral code where every character gets what they deserve. ‘Precious’ reminds us that the world isn’t fair, there’s no point waiting around for everything to balance out and still, there’s room for hope.
Tagged: Mariah Carey, oprah
Also by XAVIER TOBY
Australian movie A Few Best Men
With all the gross out jokes and silliness of the common comedy romp, you’d think making them would be easy. Well, it’s not. It’s actually really difficult. Writing a joke is one of the hardest tasks anyone can undertake. Read more
Melancholia: a film by Lars von Trier
I wish there were a lot more of the types of films made by Lars von Trier. Each is very different but still distinctly von Trier, and each is superb. Melancholia is the follow up to the wonderfully confronting Antichrist. This is all about the end of the world, and told with an honesty and pacing that is probably much closer to the actual end of the world than all the Hollywood crap would have you believe. Read more
We Need To Talk About Kevin: based on Lionel Shriver’s novel
A delightful uncomfortable film, told from the point of view of a broken woman. Kevin’s just not right, and that’s obvious from the outset as mother Eva battles to bring him up in a world where the onus is put squarely back on the mother. The intensity is poured on throughout, as tragedy seems imminent. Read more
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Alexey Kurbatov is a Russian illustrator who blends all kinds of artistic elements into his own unique style. He has come up with a fabulous portrait series that features historical characters and celebrities. Read more
I started reading a very funny book over the weekend by the English writer Toby Young called The Sound Of No Hands Clapping. Brilliant. Never has a title been so apt as Young bumbles his way through the fickle Hollywood movie industry. It’s an excellent study in human nature. And a mighty big whack to to the shallowness of the celluloid world along the way. [illustration by Cecilia Carlstedt]
Set in a remote Chinese village in the 1920s during a cholera outbreak and with a revolution bubbling in the background, The Painted Veil is a wonderfully tortured love story which excels on all levels. Based on the W Somerset Maugham novel, it was a labour of love for stars Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, who also produced the film. Read more
I just came back from teaching a week-long illustration workshop in Venice, Italy. After finish up the class each evening, the students and I often ran to our favourite gelateria in town, Nico. Read more
Our friends over at SNAP!, Montreal’s only free and independent arts and lifestyle magazine have just released their fourth issue in which they look back and celebrate the faded beauty of past eras, grandmas and grandpas, Polaroids, antique finds, old wisdom and vintage style. Yeeha! They also remember the best of 2008 in Montreal arts, with a variety of writers and photographers giving their take on their favourite cultural discoveries.
Hailing from upstate New York, Phantogram were signed by the uber-hip Ghostly label on the recommendation of School of Seven Bells. Hardly surprising given Phantogram’s dark, beats-and-samples pop sound.
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Australian designer Ruby Smallbone takes us into the chill of Winter with clockwork pieces and sharp cuts. This Sydney-based label is fast becoming an international hit with its distinct mix of European tailoring and street-inspired style. Ruby Smallbone’s Winter 09 collection proves there is a fine line between art and fashion, creating the perfect fusion of luxury fabrics within a creative and unexpected aesthetic.
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Matthew Dear’s Black City album totem
Our friends at Ghostly International are releasing Matthew Dear’s Black City album as a limited edition ‘totem’. A what? A totem – a limited edition metal bar used to access a private music chamber. Cool! Read more
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
Here are a couple awesome pieces by Matt Leines that were recently on display in the Doubting Thomases exhibit at Nudashank gallery in Baltimore. Gives me ideas for Halloween. Read more
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
We love the re-Issue of the original Raised by Wolves and Furni digital watch collaboration, which comes with a built-in phone book, stopwatch, countdown timer and multiple alarm features with melody setting. Read more
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