The West Georgian. (Carrollton, Ga.) 1933-current, September 05, 2007, Image 6
ARTS &E NTERTAINME NT
"The Nanny Diaries" leaves viewer disappointed
By Grant Wallace
Staff Writer
grarmntß7@yahoo.com
DIARIES
Based on the novel by
Emma McLaughlin and
Nicola Kraus, the film
follows Annie Braddock
(Scarlett Johansson)
as she sets out to find
herself after completing
grad school, and what
better place to start than
becoming a “nanny”.
Produced by Richard
N. Gladstein (The
Bourne Identity, Finding
Great live shows match
band's album
By Bobby Moore
Staff Writer
rmoore 7 @ westga .edit
As many shows as
I go to, it’s not unusual
for me to be blown away
by an opening band
and then hear their
album and wonder
why there’s such a
fall-off in quality.
Fortunately,
The Bird and The
Bee break from that
trend, as their self
titled album's style
makes it possible
for Inara George
and Greg Kurstin to
recreate these great
songs in live sets like
the one they did before
Lily Allen’s Atlanta
debut back in March.
“Again and Again”,
a song about the
uncertainty of love, is
a strong opener, while
“Birds and the Bees”
is lyrically clever with
lines like “Don't take
****, crucify it”.
The next two tracks
are among the band’s
best.
“*******
Boyfriend” made a
good single and adds a
iWift T 7 "pppppHPHf mr—
PPMSB . |H\aa ?
Photo courtesy Mp3blog.ch
ASPIRING ARTISTS AND CARTOONISTS NEEDED
The West Georgian is currently searching for artists or cartoonists with ideas and dedication.
Interested students should contact the West Georgian by emailing Erik Waters at:
uwgpaper@westga.edu
Neverland), the movie
has its moments but will
ultimately go down as a
bonafide “ciiick flick”.
Part of me was
forced into seeing this
movie, and part of me
was forcing myself to
see this movie. The part
that forced me was my
friend; we’ll call her “X”
(a weird technique used
in the movie to disguise
actress Laura Linney’s
on screen name). The
part that was forcing
myself, was Scarlett
Johansson. This should
be the only excuse guys
use to see this movie,
other than taking their
girl.
The plot isn’t really
all that complex, which
makes it suitable for
almost any audience,
moms especially. Annie
is slowly coming to
grips with what exactly
little attitude to what
you might call “retro”
music. It's kind of like
what you get with The
Pipettes.
On the beautiful
“I'm a Broken Heart”,
Jk
y .; ■. ■ Ik Wm
Photo courtesy Google.com
the “retro" feel is taken
to another level. From
the incorporation of
horns to the simple
and repetitive lyrics,
everything seems to
work together to make a
near perfect pop song.
"My Fair Lady”
might be George's best
vocal performance on
the album, and the piano
part toward the end is
equally as lovely.
The more upbeat “I
Hate Camera” insults
Public Relations types,
and that’s always a
being a nanny is, be it
doing chores for Mrs.
X’s 4-year-old nuisance
of-a-son Grayer, or
gradually falling in love
with the little twerp (in
the mother-son kind of
way).
Along the way,
Annie deals with taking
care of Grayer almost
all the time due to his
parents being constantly
away, fitting in what
little time she has left to
hang out with her friend
Lynette (Alicia Keys), or
spending time with her
new found love interest
“Harvard Hottie” (Chris
Evans).
In the end, the
movie had a hard time
keeping my attention in
the scenes where Scarlett
Johansson is absent. But
due to the PG-13 rating,
even this isn’t enough
at times. The movie
good thing. Seriously,
though, this is a clever
tune, with lyrics like
“Oh how the camera
has misspoke”.
The borderline soul
styling of “Because”
reminds me of more
famous bands like
The Gossip, while
the more relaxing
“Preparedness”
was one of the
highlights of the
band’s live set.
Overall, this
is a very strong
album, and I'm
hoping that the
wide distribution
this album will get
thanks to EMI will lead
to another appearance
in Atlanta. Next time,
1 expect them to be the
headlining act.
Rating:
8110
I
Photo courtesy Rottentomatoes com
stereotypes the typical
Nanny-hiring mother as a
low, selfish, narcissistic
person, concerned with
just herself and no one
else. Needless to say,the
movie has a happy ending
and I’m sure you know
why, even if you haven’t
seen it, much unlike the
Mae's magic beginning to fade?
By Grant Wallace
Staff Writer
grannntS 7 @yahoo .com
Nearly live years ago, I saw this band
pertorm at what I would have considered
their peak point. Granted, this may come
off a little selfish or ill-informed, but the
truth ot the matter is, Mae have gone from
perfection to settling for a safer sound that
will secure them with the masses. But,
when you get signed by a major label
(Capital Records), this is kind of what you
have to do. When you Ux>k at it from that
perspective, this album really isn’t half bad.
On the other hand, when you Ux>k at their
entire career,
starting
back with
2<X)3’s highly
acclaimed
“Destination
Beautiful", 1
can’t help but
grimace at the
thought of who
they’ve become.
Hear me out
though. They’ve
achieved the
thing all aspiring
bands strive for,
the chance to
actually make
a living by making music. They’ve gone
from basement shows to sold-out tours, a
dream come true. But for the die-hard fans
that have been with them since the start, I
can’t help but feel a little disconnected with
them now.
Full rent mother-in-law suite available
Approx. 1100 sq. ft, 6 mi from UWG
Masonry fireplace and Jacuzzi!!!!
All utilities included! SBSO mo.
References and deposit required
Call Jeannie at H: 770-836-1189
Or C: 770-314-4895
end of this review.
I ended up leaving
the movie disappointed
and unfulfilled, but my
friend left with k ; nd
words and praise, I
think it’s safe to as e
that this isn’t meant for
the average male college
student.
\ / /
• /
moe Sirtri lariiy
Rating:
2/5
Afterreleasing’The Everglow” in 2005,
it was apparent that they were growing up.
They dropped their genre defining “Mae”
sound, and went for a less Multi-sensory
Aesthetic Experience (MAE), and came
out with something brand new, while still
keeping it catchy and enjoyable. Now with
their newest installment, “Singularity”
brings yet another new chapter to their
nearly seven-year career.
Despite their need to change on each
album, one can always tell a Mae song
thanks to singer Dave Elkins one-of-a
kind voice. But even a sublime voice isn’t
enough to sway me over this time.
Singularity shows the rawest side
Photo courtesy Drivenfaroff.com
every instrument in every song.
When it’s all said and done, Mae only
left a temporary disappointment in me. 1
know now they’re not coming back, it’s
just going to take some time to let me catch
up, but I’m certainly willing to try.
i§
of Mae yet. The
guitar riffs are
raw and tight,
giving off a very
mechanical feel.
The keyboards
are sporadic and
overly obvious
at times, but
there’s no doubt
there is much
talent amongst
the aging band.
The other half of
the songs follows
a pretty routine
Everglow-esque
style, utilizing