Medium Crossings & Visual Tonality: The 2010 Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival - Feature

The texture of music and film belies a contextual inevitability. The mixture either works with a tangible congruence or its misses the beat with the differing click of the metronome.With the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival, subtle care has been taken to mix the ideas of the two mediums which at times function as one and the same progression. As stated by many musicians loving to see films or filmmakers grooving to the visual motifs of the different performers, the interaction is one of vehemence but also one of grace.Beginning with film, the music tends to revolve in tandem with almost all the stories giving an exceptional through line that anchors the films.The first, "The Tender Hook" takes places in the jazz age but within the context of the Australian underworld. The power player in question is played with conviction and music intonation by none other than Mr. Smith himself, Hugo Weaving. The charm that he can exude even when his vicious tenacity comes out is palpable. The story revolves around a boxer who falls in love with Weaving's girlfriend, played with a light knowing by Rose Byrne. The musical connection reflects in Weaving's band playing just before a fight, a matter of fixing not lost on the viewer. The narrative is a battle of odds which ultimately shows that the victor is the one with the least to gain."True North", by comparison, lacks a musical truth throughout. Its context follows the story of Irish fishermen who ignore the ethics of the sea by taking on human trafficking as a way to bring in more money. Like "The Perfect Storm" but with human cargo, the idea becomes about "the catch", both literally and figuratively. The structure that keeps the film going is the brevity and drama of actor Peter Mullan showing his indie chops after making many significantly larger films. The ultimate resolution tries to be mythic in certain base contexts but ultimately falls short of the mark, because even though the logic of the film is sound, it tends to be overplayed."Coals To Newcastles" in juxtaposition, is purely about music and the paradox inevitable within. Following the band New Mastersounds, it follows the progression of their performances (which are a mixture of funk and blues) from their home base in Leeds on the road to New Orleans during Jazz Fest. The idea permeates in the irony that these British boys are taking American music, playing it in the UK then coming back to the US (specifically in the place it was invented) and performing it for Americans. While the societal context of what is being done is not necessarily explored, the truth of the experience of this music to both the band and its audience does come through with flying colors. Its subtlety shows the global language that music provides."Ivory" interrelates music back to a narrative form in the story of a young aspiring pianist who is striving towards a milestone that will define his adult life: the Lizst Competition in Budapest. The key to the thinking here revolves around the structure of style and passion and how to interweave this in a music-based context. While the progression seems a little naive and one sided, the crux and reality of this kind of life is undeniably based in these facts. With small cameo roles by Peter Stormare and Martin Landau, there is a balance of pedigree and efficient cinematography that gives the story backbone from which to work on despite the fact that ultimately its crux rests on the inevitability of a love triangle."In The Eyes Of A Killer", by comparison, rests in its laurels of supposed "bad cinema". Using a plot device in the form of a man who receives an eye transplant from a murderer who ravaged a town on the California coast years ago, the narrative basis forms structural flaws from the beginning. While the noir stylings are apparent, especially in relation to "Cape Fear", the acting is overplayed and the dialogue repetitive. The lack of true drama and the nature of a distinct thriller plays to more of a camp structure without the awareness of it. Directed and starring Louis Mandylor with cameos from his brother Costas as well as James Marshall ("Twin Peaks"), the betting was a balance of commercial and art house fare which neither seems to accomplish."Cartagena", in distinction, knows what it is on all points which allows it to succeed. Its strength lies in playing its leads against type motivating their true possibilities to shine. For many years, Christopher Lambert has been synonomous with "Highlander", even though he did that film in a second language (English) with a discernible accent. Reflecting him in his original French here shows a nuance which is similar with Antonio Banderas (though the latter had more success Stateside). The story is a simple one but not overbearing in the way it is handled. An alcoholic washed-up boxer (Lambert) takes a job caring for a crippled socialite (played with conviction by Sophie Marceau of the Bond film "The World Is Not Enough"). As would-be with wanton relationships, the caring becomes a two-way street. The simple acts like rolling on grass and sitting overlooking the city at sunset works in the texture of the old school romance films never pandering to an overworked melodrama but instead letting the characters breathe and act in natural ways as befitting of such a vibrant city. The movements of character venture as lyrical giving them a rhythm of life."Dvojka" approaches the relationship issue in tandem as well but with less of a remarkable bent creating the crux of the three way relationship and its inevitable progression to doom. The filmic approach to this material is much more rough but undeniably realistic in its breakdown. The inherent problem is in its amateurish capture despite some shrewd dramatic choices in the structure of the actors. While formulaic in its progression towards its final resolution and dramatic intent, the breakdown of human behavior rings true in that isolation, even in intimate situations, is an interactive endgame."Driven To Race" revolves in a more visceral induction following the structure of young racing competitors that builds up into a sponsorship fueled competitive league. These kids are not driving the small functional lawnmower motors but the full-end race cars. This of course is fueled by the ambition at times of their parents but the actuality is that running races of these types to get to the big time is an expensive business and only works if you win. Granted the balance of race footage and interviews shows the possibility and personalities which will rule these kids later in life as well as reflective interviews of the big NASCAR drivers who speak about making their bones with this league as a stepping stone to where they are now. "Driven To Race" shows the progression of what young racers need to do to make it in their later years. It just doesn't happen on the luck of a penny. It is about maturity, skill, charm and, above all, marketing.In interstructuring ideas of music, emotional connotation or literal visceral connection usually determines the mood whether it be the heavy keys of a piano, a vibrato voice or the vicious jam of a bass line.Continuing with music portion of the festival, the inherent ideas of tone exist within a visual connotation reflecting both the experiences of the performers as well as their soulful connection to the melody and its meaning.Julia Kay, spinning country with a subtle texture of pop, brings to vision a young Shania Twain with an essence of confidence and accessibility. The utter of essence in bridging the two worlds involves the aspect of edge which someone like Sheryl Crow has been able to encompass. Kay's ability becomes apparent when she doesn't just doesn't hit the notes but inflects them. Whether it be "Wake Me" with a tinge of Stevie Nicks doing "Gold Dust Woman" or the effective "Renegade" with its style mixture and vicious circle, the ideas are there. However, the selection in covers reflect an even deeper connection with a soulful rendition of Neil Diamond's "Son Of A Preacher Man" and a pitch perfect rendition of Peggy Lee's "Crazy" that permeates a connotation of a bygone era.Ben Baxter, who watched Kay's performance from the front row, understands the connection to the audience and maintaining the energy without becoming too aware of it. Undeniably connections (just due to the guitar style and vocal range) bring to mind odes of John Mayer which is not lost on the artist when he later does a cover of "Daughters". However, his stop note progressions despite maintaining a certain through-sound make more references in time possibly to John Mellencamp. "Flash Before My Eyes" betrayed a half-step drop without a thought which is harder to do than most think while "Never Let Go" and "Time To Change" reflect Baxter's vocal ability to simply let the emotion sing without belittling a sense of darkness underneath. His opening cover of "Aint No Sunshine" spoke riddles but his inclusion of a Robin Hood-ode played true with little irony to his Austin roots using storytelling structure with a sense of knowledge befitting of a film lover.Tamara Miller, by comparison, lacked a consistency of stage presence despite her musical signature "60 Seconds" having appeared on a heavily watched television show. Her tonal intonations spoke more to a piano-based lyricist which while poignant suffers from an over-saturation of similar sounds. While "It's In Your Eyes" written on the cusp of Baby Grand in Florence whispers odes to Tori Amos, its overlying emotional arc doesn't quite hit the mark. "Down To Earth" provides a bit of chill while "Every Day Is A Better Tomorrow" reflects a Sarah McLachlan texture nevertheless not defining a true rhythmic identity.Redstone Hall, hailing from Los Angeles, mixes a more jam-based ideal which, while inherently visceral, is 70s-stressed in its soul. Despite this thought when the band gets running, its interaction is scarsely abated though at times one can see the lines. "Get Back Jack" plays with a stop/start funk progression which resembles certain ideas of Maroon 5 with keyboard/vocalist Stephen Rothstein pushing the octave range when necessary. The band's inherent strength revolves in the ability in all four members ability to retreat purely into instrumentation like with the closer "Renegade" which signals with guitarist Zach Hall's ability to rage up tempo beats all the while pushing the envelope.The Alex Lasher Band, continuing with a sense of nostalgia, understands the perception of his audience reveling in guitar sinued grooves while permeating the marketing punch of an Idol in the making. The key incumbent after viewing the performance is that in certain overarching music, the intent is to integrate the advent of talent with the needs of the songwriting. While Lasher moderately balances the possibilities in both these ways with his vicious jam structure, the overall mentality needs to warm in tandem to his wares meaning he needs to adapt a more specific idealization in terms of his connection to the audience.Acidic, by paradox, completely jumped off the wagon in relation to its identity in a smaller-based town. Relevant in a more urban Downtown LA setting, the Chili Pepper-induced stylings here relevant in an almost punk structure appealed to the young audience members. The response of the older, jazz-inflected crowd gestated in curiousity reflected simply in confused harmony while the overall ambition and stage presence of the lead singer rang true without a doubt. Despite being the wrong quotient for this particular outlay, Acidic's energy was undeniable in its presence.The Flutterbies, in texture, optimizing a new vision of alt-country functions within a rockabilly tendency buoyed by the searing vocals of Maureen Davis. Utterly at home within torch songs or "down-and-dirty" ditties, "Louder Louder" emphasizes audience participation with its canon refrain while "Hummingbird Heart" sings of joy and darkness in lost love. "How I Get Over You" though highlights in delicious vision wrapping guitar riffs and Davis' silken voice into a structure of rock-out sensuality without overcoming with melodramatic visions of heartbreak.With the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival, obvious intentions reflect as well within the rhythmic progression of life and art which tend to straddle the abstract edges of both these mediums offering a balance of life and love.