Music Review: Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons: Greatest Hits Vol 2 (1991)

 I did not care for this C.D. a great deal as kit was of their second tier of songs.  Even so there were a few songs I really enjoy.  "Working My Way Back to You," "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "My Eyes Adored You" to name a few.  

Tom Hanks Movie Review: **^ Asteroid City (2023)

 This movie is very confusing to me.  Mostly it is about a family driving home to the father-in-laws residence where they plan to live for a while after the mother has passed away. Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) has not yet told his children even though she died three weeks ago.  He is carrying her ashes in a Tupperware dish.  He is traveling with his son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three daughters, Andromeda, Pandora and Cassiopeia (Ella, Gracie and Willan Ferris). Those three ad some good humor as they can be vicious.  When they get to Asteroid City the car blows out.  Steenbeck contacts his father-in-law (Tom Hanks) and he agrees to come and get them.  In the meantime Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) who is a movie star and her daughter, Dinah (Grace Harris) arrive in Asteroid City.  As does a bus load of people and many more coming for the annual Asteroid Day celebration.  The ceremony for Astroid Day is conducted by General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright).  And at the ceremonies they are visited by a space alien.  Consequently the town is put on quarantine, including the visitors.  The government tries to keep the story locked down,  The story deals with the father and kids struggling with losing their wife and mother.  The father too also struggles with losing his daughter.

The confusing part of this movie is the format, a movie about a television programs which is airing a dramatic play.  I can't keep track of what is what, because there is also real life going on.  The movie concludes with the line, "You can't wake up, if you do't fall asleep."  Apparently meaning you have to go on, and then you can deal with the grief or issue over time.  But again this movie is very weird.

Music Review: Celtic Women, Lullaby

Lullaby is a 2010 release from Celtic Women and funded through PBS.  This is a group of ten going to bed songs featuring the light voices of the Celtic Women.  This C.D. features early performers and more recent performers.  This includes the early violinist, Mâiréad Nesbitt.  The vocalists are Chloe Agnew, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly, Órla Fallon, Mêav Ní Mhaolchatha and Hayley Westerna.

The songs are classic children's songs; two from Disney, "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Stay Awake" are from Pinocchio and Mary Poppins.  One is from Wizard of Oz, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."  One is an Irish song, "Suantrai," which is Irish for Lullaby.  We also have two classic songs, Brahms "Lullaby" and "Hush Little Baby."  Very enjoyable.  I really like "Hush Thee My Baby."

Music Review: Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Then Sings My Soul

 Then Sings My Soul, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Orchestra at Temple Square, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Intellectual Reserve Inc., SLC, Utah 2006.

This is a set of 18 highly spiritual songs.  It starts with "How Great Thou Art" and doesn't let up until the last note is heard.  Several sosngs have trumpet fanfares which makes them very powerful.  This includes "Redeemer of Israel" and "High on a Mountain Top."  These songs really get the blood moving.  On a more spiritual tone are "I Know that my Redeemer Lives," "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee" and "The Spirit of God like a Fire Is Burning."

There are plenty of songs to love in this C.D.  A couple I liked less was their version of "The Lord Is my Shepherd."  I guess I like the standard version.  I also didn't like "I Will Sing with the Spirit."  It was too soft.  

Music Review: Putumayo Presents Café Latino

 Putumayo Presents Latin Cafe, Putumayo World Music, 2013.

This is a compilation of Latino artists.  This C.D. has artists from France with exposure to Spanish musicians, Columbia, Cuba, Canada with a Mexican father, Cuban descent, Venezuela, Spain and Ecuador.

Mónica Giraldo from Columbia sings of waiting for someone to walk by.  Her song, "Por verte llegar" has a Latin beat with bluesy guitar and is very uptempo.  Amanda Martinez from Canada sings a song with a tango feel, and violin.  She sings "Alcoba Azul" with lots of passion.  "El Avion" sung by Jose Conde from the U.S. with Cuban parents, has a very catchy rhythm and accompaniment.  Sacha Nairobi plays the cuatro, a smaller guitar common in Latin American.  She sings of being frozen in time with her love.  Miquel Gil sings "L'amor es Déu en barco," Love is God in a boat.  I am not sure what that means but this song has an interesting sound, sort of like a southwest cowboy song.  He sings in Catalan.  Alex Cuba Band is from Cuba but now lives in Canada,  His song Café Havana has a definite Caribbean feel.  Soñando con Quito by Alex Alvear from Ecuador and Marta Gomez form Colombia.  She sings and he plays guitar.  Georgina Hassan is from Argentina but her song does not feel Argentine.  "A Primera Vista" (at first sight) is a Brazilian song which she sings in both Spanish and Portuguese.  This song has a very nice Jazzy sound.

Putumayo seems to produce very nice anthonogies.  I do not like this as well as Latin Lounge but it is still very nice.

Movie Review: ***^ Philomena (2013)

 This is a movie of a mother, Philomena (Judi Dench/ Sophie Kennedy Clark)  trying to find her son 50 years after he was adopted.  She is from Ireland, and was in a home run by nuns.  They sold her child to a couple from America, which is where he had gone.  She recruits a reporter, Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) with the help of her daughter, Jane (Anna Maxwell Martin).  The home for the nuns was not helpful and would not tell them anything.  They said the records were burned in a fire.  Turns out the nuns burnt them while keeping the relinquishment papers.  A neighbor tells them they were selling babies for $1000 pounds each. 

She and the journalist who is pursuing the story, head to America to see if they can track him down.  They discover who he is, Michael Hess (a lawyer who served on Reagan's and Bush's staff.  He died from AIDS some years before.  Philomena is looking for some sign he thought about her.

Turns out he was looking for his, and went to the same nunnery and was told that she didn't want anything to do with her son.  The nuns knew they were both looking, but the old nun said it was their penance.  

He insisted on being buried in Ireland there at the cemetery where he was adopted.  This is so his mother could pay his respects, and she did.

This story in actuality was written by the reporter Martin Sixsmith.

In Theaters: **** The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

After being let go by her newspaper, Andrea/Andy (Anne Hathaway) takes employment with her old boss in the fashion world.  She is in charge of the magazine part of the business.  However Miranda (Meryl Streep) doesn't really want her.  Andrea has to prove herself every day.  She finally does scoring an interview with Sasha (Lucy Liu), who is mega rich and doesn't give interviews.  Their is an old friend, Emily (Emily Blunt) who use to work with Andy but is now running a business.  She is a major advertiser so they must visit with her.  She has a new rich boyfriend.  Miranda's head assistant, Nigel (Stanley Tucci) would like a bigger job and more recognition.  Miranda is due for promotion, but the owner dies before it is announced.  The son takes over, and goes a different direction with downsizing, or selling.  Everything is about to change as Emily's boyfriend is planning to buy and then Emily will run things, kicking Miranda to the curb.  However in the end there is another buyer, Sasha, who will not be that active so Miranda keeps her job, and Andy moves up and all are happy.

Interesting look at the fashion world, which is not my scene.  Lady Gaga sings at the fashion show.  Miranda skips out and Nigel gets his chance.