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June 22, 2008There Will Be SingingKathy FennessyAnd all at once Until the say I die I wonder why He needs me
Years after his hitmaking day were over, the great Harry Nilsson provided the score for Robert Altman's unfairly maligned Popeye (1980), a triumph of costume and production design over story, but a sweet little comic-strip fable nonetheless. Twenty-two years later, Paul Thomas Anderson, who went from stand-by director on Altman's final film, Prairie Home Companion, to his own acclaimed There Will Be Blood, gave shambling epic "He Needs Me" a new lease on life via Punch-Drunk Love. In case you haven't heard the former or seen the latter, or if you could use some awkwardly charming, deeply romantic Shelley Duvall goodness to brighten your day... A startling 28 years passed between the first time I saw Popeye and the second Afterwards, I wondered why I find "He Needs Me" more affecting than Björk's "Pag-
When Björk sings those deceptively simple lines, you believe every word (I al- ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** One of the highlights of the film is when she sings all by herself on a
For the original context, please click here. "Pagan Poetry" appears on Björk's Comments
My favorite part of the song: "...but *he* does!" Posted by: ratzkywatzky at June 23, 2008 8:00 AMGood point. Also, I neglected to stress the difference in point of view. "He Needs Me" would seem less celebratory if Duvall/Oyl were singing "I Need Him." I think it's more empowering to feel needed than to need. Posted by: Kathy Fennessy at June 23, 2008 9:18 AMRead my posting more carefully. I said bad things about Prairie Home Companion...about Popeye I said: "I always had a soft spot for Popeye, especially Shelly Duvall’s remarkable portrayal of Olive Oyl." Thanks Posted by: aos at June 23, 2008 1:23 PMThanks for your comment. I apologize for the confusion, and have updated this post accordingly. From the way your entry was written, I thought you were castigating the *music* in "Popeye," not "Prairie Home Companion." It was clear to me, however, that Altman's last movie did not make a favorable impression on you. I liked it well enough, but was expecting something more from the man behind "Nashville," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller"--and, yes, even "Popeye." Posted by: Kathy Fennessy at June 23, 2008 1:49 PM |
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