True Blue

1. Joni Mitchell. The greatest songwriter, recording artist of her generation turned 70 on Thursday. Her songs have been covered through the decades by Judy Collins, Crosby, Still, Nash and Young, Tori Amos, Hole, Annie Lennox, Prince, etc. etc. Her album, Blue, is the crown jewel in her long and storied career which has spanned 4 decades often weaving in and out of musical genres...from acoustic to jazz, to pop.  Never afraid to cross over and experiment, her music spurred collaborations (the list is long) with Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, Peter Gabriel, Pat Metheny, Willie Nelson, and Tom Petty among others. A Canadian national treasure Joni Mitchell was awarded a Companion of the Order of Canada, only the third recording artist to have that honor bestowed. Leonard Cohen, and Gordon Lightfoot are the other two.

2. Blue is the Warmest Color. I went. I watched. I loved it. Like all thought provoking artistic endeavors which differ from subjective concepts of the norm, there is a shit storm that surrounds it. Banned in Idaho. As an artist, conservative backlash like that, um, bring it on. Can't stand the heat? Get out of the fire. The author, Julie Maroh, of the book, 'Le Blue est une Coleur Chaude which the movie was based on blasted what she saw. I respect Maroh's critique, but when you give your work up to another medium, visions often collide. Abdellatif Kechiche, the director, has been smacked down by his two young actors. The 10 minute scene has been dissected over and over again. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you've been floating with Bullock in another galaxy. Is there a lot of 'skin?' In the context of the story, no. In the actual protracted scene, yes. Understand this, though, this is a very French film. It's 3 hours. It is packed with dialogue. Tight camera shots. Intimate excursions...dining, bars, school, demonstrations...hand held cameras; roiling tension, vulnerability, and growth. This is not just a coming out. It is Adele's story. Mostly. And Emma's too. It is a complex journey which spans 5 years. It is ultimately unrequited love. This is not a film for everyone. No doubt there will be dialogue and bitching for days. But, if you're living outside the lines, that's nothing new. Kudos to the French jury for presenting the Palme d'Or, Cannes, 2013 to this movie. It took stones. In years to come, this film in every aspect, will be the benchmark by which all others in this genre are measured.