6A — Monday, March 23, 2015
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Young cast carries
lackluster ‘Insurgent’
More hype than
depth in ‘Empire’
By NOAH COHEN
Daily Arts Writer
The idea of partitioning people
by virtue – bravery, cleverness,
service – was believable in the
case
of
Hog-
warts
because
it was a school
whose
single,
final arbiter was
a
talking
hat.
In “Insurgent,”
the adult society
commits to the
wildly
childish
trope of separat-
ing by kind, and when our action
kids inevitably break the bounds
of that artificial division, it encour-
ages the young adult viewer to be
bigger, more complex than what
society tells her she’s allowed to be.
Imagining people complexly is
a common theme in movies star-
ring nerdfighter Shaliene Wood-
ley (“The Fault in Our Stars”), a
privately weird young adult who
has been rising through a familiar
starlet-to-star channel these past
five years. Woodley plays Tris, the
“100% Divergent,” who possesses
the virtues of all five segments
of society and who has abruptly
become the face of an uprising
which looks suspiciously like a
similar rebellion of virtuous young
people against conniving adults,
where the true leader of the young
protagonists is one more cruel
adult. Sound familiar?
Woodley, playing the true-
blue mascot and allegory, does a
remarkably good job. Given a role
that demands rigid compliance
to certain expectations, Woodley
fulfills those expectations. She’s a
good role model for the teens and
tweens whose parents are crazy
enough to take them to see this
actually startlingly violent movie.
More praise for Woodley: her
young adult movies actually have
sex in them, and the sex isn’t total-
ly messed up. In “Insurgent,” the
romance could easily have strayed
into
uncomfortable
territory.
Her partner, Four (Theo James,
“Bedlam”), had been her instruc-
tor and a figure of authority over
her, but as he and Tris show each
other their true colors, they reach
an equilibrium of trust, and by the
time Tris chooses to have sex with
Four, he’s every bit as emotionally
vulnerable to her gaze as she is to
his. The chemistry between the
two of them is stellar.
Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our
Stars”), meanwhile, has a softer,
more familiar sort of chemistry
with Tris playing her brother,
thanks to Elgort and Woodley’s
history as onstage romantic oppo-
sites. In their case, it was better to
go from playing lovers to siblings
than siblings to lovers. At least, it
helped “Insurgent.”
Young adult books-turned-
movies have been getting very
dark, so Peter (Miles Teller, “The
Spectacular Now”) is a breath of
fresh air, one realistically goofy
frenemy in a sea of murky joke-
less subterfuge. In a small way,
he carries the action through
dramatic junctures where the
plot begins to spin off its wheels.
The plot’s general direction
is trite and known, so the direc-
tor’s job of shaking things up is
not an easy one. Robert Schwen-
tke (“The Time Traveler’s Wife”)
does a better job than Neil Burg-
er (the director of “Divergent”).
Schwentke creates something
that manages by the barest of
margins not to insult the intelli-
gence of the young adult viewer.
However, both of them fail the
higher standard of constructing
lastingly good movies.
Ordinarily, I would decry the
pillaging of a book for the sake
of moviemaking profit, but the
Divergent series is a whore of the
young adult genre, capitalizing
on the successes of its betters. It
can’t expect to be remembered,
so it might as well get paid. The
final book in Roth’s trilogy, Alle-
giant, will be split into two mov-
ies, dooming the remainder of
the franchise.
Elgort, Woodley and Teller,
on the other hand, each seem
to have bright futures, and can
expect deeper roles as they age.
The eldest “kid,” 31-year-old
Theo James, is adequate eye-
candy to roll forward on his
looks and penchant for action
roles. It’s rare that you have a
young cast carry a badly struc-
tured film, but here’s one exam-
ple. Not bad.
Mega-hit FOX show
proves spectacle
sells big
By ALEX INTNER
Daily Arts Writer
From the moment “Empire”
debuted, it was a hit. In its first
week,
it
tied
“How
to
Get
Away
with
Murder” for the
largest
drama
premiere
of
the
broadcast
season in the
key 18 to 49
demographic
and scored 9.9
million viewers (which fell below
“Murder” and the new CBS dra-
mas). The vast majority of shows
drop somewhere in the range of
10 to 25 percent in their second
week, but “Empire” grew, adding
400,000 viewers. In its last epi-
sode, it garnered 17.6 million view-
ers and a 6.9 rating with a 21 share
in the demo. This means that one
out of every five people watching
TV between ages 18 to 49 were
watching “Empire,” making it the
highest-rated network drama tele-
cast since the “House” season pre-
miere in 2009. The finale ratings
will also easily surpass 20 million
viewers when a week’s worth of
DVR viewing is counted.
Numbers
like
that
cement
“Empire” ’s place as a cultural
phenomenon. What are the pieces
that supported it’s meteoric rise?
Primarily, it’s how well the show
does with African American view-
ers. According to ratings-guru Joe
Adalian at Vulture, among Afri-
can Americans aged 18 to 49, the
highest-rated episode of this show
in that demo had more people
watching than the Super Bowl. In
addition, FOX was able to stack the
episodes on their VOD and online
platforms, meaning that they could
keep more than the normal five
episodes online at one time, giving
people the opportunity to catch up.
In fact, earlier this month, Gaude
Morose, a FOX publicist, tweeted
that 100,000 people were watching
the pilot every day. There’s also the
music. The “Empire” soundtrack
sales were so high in its first week
of release that they actually topped
the sales of Madonna’s new LP, the
first time she didn’t have the num-
ber one record during a debut week
since the ’90s.
Notice that I haven’t actually
mentioned anything related to
the actual content of “Empire” ’s
finale. That’s because “Empire”
the cultural phenomenon is much
more interesting to me than
“Empire” the TV series, because
“Empire” the show is a bit of a
mess. The finale had some fantas-
tic moments, yet it shoved aside
some of the best elements of the
series and wasted some of the con-
siderable talent in its arsenal.
Both hours of the finale of
“Empire” put the focus on Lucious
Lyon (Terrence Howard, “Iron
Man”). The main story of these
episodes is about the characters
gearing up for a tribute concert to
the music mogul. Over the course
of the season, Lucious has been
the most frustrating character on
the show because he is probably
the furthest from an actual human
being. These episodes had those
same silly moments, like him giv-
ing a pillow as a “gift” to Cookie
to represent her trying to smother
him, or him looking at the camera
through the bars at the end of the
episode saying, “it’s game time
bitches.” However, him repairing
his relationship with his son Jamal
(Jussie Smollett, “Revenge”) was
enough to salvage his charac-
ter. Those moments appeared to
be genuine, and getting over his
homophobia
actually
showed
character growth.
This focus on Lucious occurred
at the expense of some of the show’s
best pieces. In the role of Cookie
Lyon, Taraji P. Henson (“Person
of Interest”) is the show’s heart
and soul. (I would be surprised if
she’s not nominated for an Emmy
in September.) She was brilliant in
her featured moments, including
the meeting with Malcolm (Derek
Luke, “The Americans”) in her
office and her attempted murder
of Lucious after realizing he killed
her cousin. However, there wasn’t
enough of her. She was pushed
aside to service Lucious’s story
and that’s a shame. The series also
had Jennifer Hudson (an Oscar
winner for “Dreamgirls”) on for
several episodes and never really
found a way to give her an interest-
ing character. She got to sing, and
she sounded gorgeous when she
did, but her character never got to
evolve beyond the religious music
therapist. It was a slight waste of
her talents.
Despite some of the story issues,
the “Empire” finale maintained
the show’s strong production
qualities. The episodes had a slick
look, especially the second hour
which was directed by the talented
Debbie Allen (“Fame”). The music
continued to shine as well, with
two memorable performances by
Smollet in the rap battle and in
the final performance of the new
Luscious song (which featured the
incomparable Patti LaBelle).
“Empire” is not even close to
a perfect show. Some of its story
twists and characterizations dur-
ing the first season didn’t make
sense. However, the series has
enough intrigue left to support a
second season, with Lucious in
jail, the hostile takeover of Empire
in progress and the possible rami-
fications of the murder of Vernon
(Malik Yoba, “Alphas”). It remains
to be seen whether the show can
maintain its momentum after a
lengthy break, but it has enough on
the table to make it worthwhile for
those who return.
B
Empire
Season 1
Finale
FOX
By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY
Daily Arts Writer
Australian singer-songwriter
Courtney
Barnett’s
debut
album Sometimes I Sit and Think
and Sometimes
I Just Sit is
exactly
what
the title says.
It
depicts
a
fascinating
trip
through
Barnett’s
mental
workings;
sometimes
profound,
sometimes
nonsensical,
but more than
anything else,
fascinating.
In
some
facets
she seems to know herself
and everyone else better than
anyone
deemed
possible,
but in others she admittedly
knows absolutely nothing. The
juxtaposition
of
stream-of-
consciousness rambling, slow
crooning
with
oh-so-subtle
cymbals
and
in-your-face
guitars successfully reveals a
world of contradictions cloaked
in a sleek sheet of tongue-in-
cheek humor.
The LP’s opener, “Elevator
Operator,” recounts the day of
one Oliver Paul. The first half
of the song is hard to follow
due to Barnett’s quick deliv-
ery, but once Paul finds himself
in an elevator with a woman,
they’re both headed to the roof.
“Don’t jump little boy, don’t
jump off that roof,” she says. “I
think you’re projecting,” is his
response. We don’t know what
happens to her, but Paul heads
to the room to play an imaginary
game of SimCity. “Pedestrian
at Best” is Barnett’s recogni-
tion that she is fully capable
and prone to dick moves. She
chants the chorus “Put me on a
pedestal and I’ll only disappoint
you / Tell me I’m exceptional, I
promise I’ll exploit you / Give
me all your money, and I’ll make
origami, honey / I think you’re
a joke, but I don’t find you very
funny,” over head-banging gui-
tar riffs.
“An Illustration of Loneli-
ness” feels like a night alone in
an apartment filled with mari-
juana smoke. You stare at the
ceiling, think about palmistry
and miss someone a lot. At this
point in the album, it’s con-
firmed that Barnett seems to
know stuff we don’t. Her depic-
tion of stories is poignant to the
point where listeners will take
anything she has to say as fact.
She’s in the know in the same
fashion as Jayden Smith, but less
annoyingly so.
The narrative style present in
“Elevator Operator” returns on
“Depreston” and “Aqua Profun-
da.” The former is a combination
of the words “depressing” and
“Preston,” the town in which
she finds herself looking at a
house. The mundane delivery of
the mundane subject turns into
a social commentary. She is sad
to move away from coffee shops,
and then she sees a picture of the
deceased owner and is unable to
concentrate, but nearly instantly
finds herself thinking, “I won-
der what she bought it for?”
The track comes to a close with
her agent stating, “If you’ve
got a spare half a million / You
could knock it down and start
rebuilding” six times. With
each repetition the irony in her
voice becomes consistency more
prominent to reveal the ridicu-
lousness of the statement.
“Aqua Profunda” narrates her
experience attempting to impress
a fellow swimmer at the pool, but
in her vain attempt, she passes
out from holding her breath and
once she awakes, he is gone.
It is the storytelling present in
tracks that make the album inter-
esting. The lyrics are not miracu-
lous themselves, yet somehow
through delivery and produc-
Lyrical wit abounds
in Barnett’s debut
B+
Sometimes
I Sit and
Think and
Sometimes
I Just Sit
Courtney
Barnett
Mom + Pop Music
tion, Barnett manages to make
impressive songs that don’t even
have infectious choruses.
The stand out track of the
second half of the album, “Nobody
Really Cares If You Don’t Go to
the Party,” is a commentary on
extroverts and introverts: the
party girl vs. Barnett. She sees the
girl’s qualities as valuable. “You
always get what you want,” she
sings. After the chorus, her tone
changes. “Why are you so eager
to please?” She appreciates her
own social style. The repetition of
the chorus “I wanna go out, but
I wanna stay home” closes the
track. The conflicted persona she
presents may be one of the most
relatable of all time.
Dropped in her three-minute-
song-style is a pair of seven-minute
tracks. Her crooning introspection
on “Small Poppies” is balanced by
a small dig: “I’m sure it’s a bore
being you.” On “Small Poppies”
and “Kim’s Caravan” Barnett is
confused. “Small Poppies” dis-
plays that she simply (or compli-
catedly?) does not know who she
is and searches for answers in
her tumultuous relationship over
rock-band-level guitars. In “Kim’s
Caravan,” she likens the Great Bar-
rier Reef to a whore who has been
raped out of greatness. Finally, she
sees Jesus (whom she refers to as
“she”) and runs out of things to say.
Has she said everything already?
Is she simply dumbfounded? Deal-
er’s choice.
The album closes with “Boxing
Day Blues.” This track, specifically
placed as the album’s finale, seems
to be reflective of her work as a
whole. Lines like “I know that I
let you down / You’re not keen on
what you found” are inferences
on how listeners feel at the end of
her work. Her parting words, “I’ve
got no idea,” allow listeners to
wait for her. Despite her feelings,
it seems she has a wealth of ideas:
some extremely poignant, others
extremely mundane. Nonetheless,
her ideas are worth hearing (and
enjoying).
LIONSGATE
Needs some Vitamin D.
B-
Insurgent
Rave and
Quality 16
Lionsgate
New stars of summer
FILM REVIEW
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
By CATHERINE BAKER
Daily Arts Writer
Temperatures hit a high last
Monday, and my spirits skyrock-
eted alongside them. (Seriously,
where did that 70 degree weather
come from? And where did it go?)
While it might not be summer
quite yet, there is no stopping my
Spotify
playlists
transforming
from soothing, contemplative bal-
lads to summer songs. Yes, you
know the ones — upbeat, dance-
able, sometimes obnoxious, songs
reminiscent of Carly Rae Jepsen’s
“Call Me Maybe” that will govern
the radio for the next four months.
Named one of Nylon magazine’s
South by Southwest Artists to
Watch, HOLYCHILD is a front-
runner to dominate the summer
song scene this year. Self-diag-
nosed as “brat pop,” the LA-based
duo takes traditional pop music (or
as traditional as pop music can be)
and adds a sarcastic spin to its con-
struction, pairing experimental
chords and an intense drumline to
create an entirely new subsection
of pop. A remix of HOLYCHILD’s
most recent release, “Running
Behind,” is currently featured the
new Apple Watch commercial,
allowing brat pop to take to televi-
sion screens across the nation.
HOLYCHILD, comprised of Liz
Nistico and Louie Diller, formed
when the pair met as juniors at
George Washington University in
Washington, D.C. With a sound
similar to Icona Pop (whose love
child with Charli XCX, “I Love It,”
monopolized the summer of 2013),
Nistico and Diller make music
that should be listened to with the
volume turned up and the win-
dows rolled down. It’s fun, sugary
sweet and inventive in ways that
haven’t been explored yet. “Run-
ning Behind,” characterized by
powerful, steady percussion and
looping choruses, sets the stage for
these new methods and dictates
the direction of HOLYCHILD’s
vision. Although much of the focus
remains on syncopated beats and
repetitive electronic riffs, the
sarcastic lyrics of “Playboy Girl”
explore the unrealistic expecta-
tions placed on women in rela-
tionships. Despite its bubblegum
pop sound, many of the songs on
HOLYCHILD’s first EP MIND-
SPEAK indirectly address larger
societal issues without alerting the
casual listener.
These up-and-coming artists
often take to their Twitter to
interact with fans and express
their desire to stay true to them-
selves amid the hectic journey to
fame. While their authenticity is
refreshing in a world primarily
revolving around appearances,
it’s also interesting to see the
reflection of their personalities
in their music. Liz and Louie’s
rebellious tendencies frequently
manifest themselves in their
mocking lyrics, singing “I would
lie if I say I did know / My true
love and my silly symbol” in “Pre-
tend Believe.” Set to release their
first full length album on Jun.
2, HOLYCHILD’s The Shape of
Brat Pop to Come will attempt to
define this new genre and kick-
start the summer with catchy
and innovative musical tech-
niques fit for the Top 40.
Some songs are meant to be
summer songs. They aren’t ones
that will be remembered in 50
years or played in the back-
ground of a graduation slideshow
(my mother was partial to Billy
Joel’s “Vienna”), and that’s okay.
These are songs that that you’ll
find on that throwback playl-
ist and they’ll launch you back
to that road trip or those nights
in the park. This is exactly what
HOLYCHILD strives to do — cre-
ate songs that make memories.
TV REVIEW
FOX
Empire State of Mind.
ALBUM REVIEW