8 minute read
Six Reviews
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Medhane, Lerado, and MAVI
BY MEGAN BORMANN Greta Gerwig’s new motion picture hit the big screen on December 25, 2019. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, and Meryl Streep, Gerwig’s retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic tale goes in a modern and feminist direction. The casting of the characters reflected the thoughtfulness and brilliance of Gerwig’s interpretation. Saoirse Ronan’s performance as the strong-willed and creative Josephine March brought a new kind of liveliness and ferocity to the character. One cannot forget Meryl Streep as Aunt March, bringing a dry, comedic twist to a character who is often represented as a mean old woman. Streep brings heart and redemption to a woman who is just trying to make sure the March sisters thrive in the lives they choose to make for themselves. One of the most notable performances in the film was Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Amy March. Pugh was able to take a character who is often portrayed in a negative way and make her into a character that audiences could empathize with. Instead of telling the story in chronological order, Gerwig flashes back and forth between the past and present. Through the film’s lighting effects, the audience was able to distinguish between the glowy, golden memories of the past and the gloomy, harsh reality of the present. Little Women
Earl Sweatshirt’s influence was evident in all of the artists at The Whole on January 31, yet they were able to craft their own distinct sounds. Before MAVI performed, Medhane hypnotized the audience with his raw, deep voice and unflinching eye contact. His skin glowed blue as he paced between bodies, rapping about his struggles with mental health on tracks like “Affirmation #1.” It was refreshing to witness
someone focused not only on telling his story but also on truly connecting with those listening, unafraid of any darkness that lingered between the bars. Local rapper Lerado was more playful, characterized by his monotone and glasses. He jumped into the audience to crowd surf. At its core, rap is poetry. Few demonstrate this better than MAVI, whose performance transported the crowd to a sun-scattered spot in the grass. Trickling piano loops set the tone for the track “Eye/I and I/Nation,” in which he philosophically reflected on black pride. Despite the absence of hooks in his songs, he kept the audience entranced. A biology student at Howard University, his intellectual lyricism was on display during the track “Self Love,” with lines like, “Clasp the windows to my soul/smoke thicken grab my mental by the throat.” Although his music is somber and meditative, he turned up the energy for “EL TORO COMBO MEAL,” and no one could resist nodding along to the beat. BY KINGA MOZES At the Whole Music Club
22 Although Gerwig’s film is not the first adaptation of Alcott’s creation, it is refreshingly modern and provides the audience with new ideas and female role models to look up to. It’ll be challenging for the Whole to book artists as bold as these in the future. 1
Vampire Weekend at a Bernie Sanders Rally In Cedar Rapids, IA
Ever since Bernie Sanders’ first go at the presidency in 2016, Vampire Weekend has consistently shown him support. The night began with a performance by singer-songwriter Lissie Maurus, mirroring Fleetwood Mac grooves with an oddly patriotic cover of Paul Simon’s “America.” The eagerness for Vampire Weekend’s performance became palpable as hype beasts Michael Moore, Representative Ilhan Omar, and Dr. Cornel West gave way to the man of the hour, Senator Bernie Sanders. The atmosphere was similar to being in church—quite an unorthodox political rally. BY HANNAH DOVE
Though one of the political pundits joked about how “some of you may only be here for Vampire Weekend,” it didn’t feel as though Vampire Weekend was the main act—they were an opener for Bernie. However, that feeling quickly faded as Vampire Weekend burst into an acoustic version of “Harmony Hall” and the crowd surged forward in a frenzy as hot and bothered as one can get in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Mixing together old hits such as “Walcott” along with new bops “Gold Rush” and “This Life” off of their latest album “Father of the Bride,” Vampire Weekend managed to fit a snapshot of each of their albums into an hour, with a lightning round including deep cuts “California English Pt. 2,” a song from the Peter Rabbit movie, and a cover of “The Boys Are Back In Town.” Though Iowa is a cursed state, the power of Bernie Sanders and Vampire Weekend may be the only thing that can drag me back again.
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Sex Education Season 2
BY KATE TIFFIN
Season 2 of “Sex Education” dropped on Netflix a few weeks ago, riding on the coattails of a successful first season. The show follows the lives of “Otis, Maeve, and Eric” and the sex clinic they run in their wildly uneducated high school. Season 1 hinted at a potential romantic spark between Maeve and Otis, but the relationship took a backseat in season 2. While the lack of focus on Otis and Maeve’s relationship was a disappointment to many fans, this shift allowed space for several new, and frankly, more interesting and relevant, storylines to come to the surface.
Some of the most significant plots that took shape this season were the trauma of sexual assault, the importance of female friendship and support in a world run by men (we see this when the girls go to the bus stop to ride the bus with one character who, because of a triggering event, no longer felt safe riding the bus alone); parental abandonment (which both Maeve and Otis navigate after their parents who left come back into their lives); and the continuation of exploring sex, sexuality, and love. The show portrays each in a complex form. One big storyline that has resonated with audiences online is a sex crime experience and the fallout and trauma that someone carries after experiencing this.
No matter who you are, everyone can find a little bit of themselves in the show’s second season. Although the final was bittersweet and somewhat divisive, it left audiences excited for season 3 of “Sex Education.”
Fine Line
Harry Styles
BY NINA RAEMONT
After two and a half years of silence from one of the most iconic descendants of the boy band music industry, Harry Styles released his sophomore album, “Fine Line.” Styles established himself in 2017 with his self-titled album, avant-garde fashion taste, and growing fanbase consisting of 1D stans old and new and Beliebers who have rightfully converted.
“Fine Line” shows maturity and intense emotion, with hints of self-deprecation and an emotionally aware Harry who acts as the narrator of a tale of bright love turned heart-wrenching separation. “Golden,” the first song off the album, reminds me of the honeymoon stage of any relationship where things are almost “too bright” to feel real. Through swanky background vocals and touches of piano, Styles effectively paints a picture of an idealized relationship. No matter the song, Harry’s ability to bring the listener into his story, through his use of instruments and vocals, is strong.
In the experimental songs of pleasure and self-acceptance, like “Watermelon Sugar,” Styles alludes to forbidden fruit—a tired metaphor, in my opinion—to implicate his sexuality and in “Lights Up,” he urges you to consider whether “you know who you are.” The vulnerable ballads, like “Cherry” and “Falling,” contextualize his breakup and demonstrate an acknowledgment of his mistakes. The second half of the album provides songs that don’t particularly fit within the theme of the album but are enjoyable nonetheless.
In “Fine Line,” Harry dipped his toes into the experimental waters to test his ability as a songwriter and musician. He proved successful, showing depth and quirk, but has room to grow and cultivate his own voice and (no pun intended) direction.
Uncut Gems
BY JOSIE TAKESHIMA ALLEN When people think of Adam Sandler movies, they often think of goofy, feel-good comedies. Their appeal is not in that they are good movies, but in that they never leave anyone feeling bad. They also left no lasting impression on me. “Uncut Gems” leaves viewers feeling like they have been punched in the gut (in the best way possible).
Howie Ratner is a man caught in the grips of a gambling addiction, and he will do anything for his next hit. The movie depicts addiction in a way usually reserved for hardcore drugs. It is gritty, heartbreaking, and exhilarating.
I found myself rooting for Howie in the same way that I root for characters in other movies, who do bad things because of their diseases. It is so clear that Howie spiraled out of control a long time ago and has no chance of quitting gambling on his own.
But every time he had a chance to make things right, I wanted so badly for him to take it. But the mistakes he made began having higher and higher stakes and he was making them more and more often. By the end of the movie, I felt like I was Howie and that my money and my family was on the line.
Don’t go into this movie expecting to feel good when you come out. That being said, I will remember this movie for years, and I think it is the best movie that Sandler has ever made.
