Category Archives: Hedonism

ConsiderThis

When Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, the horror of his regime was strewn across the country, in countless unmarked graves filled with citizens who opposed his rule. A young filmmaker named Pedro Almodvar, giddy with the new freedoms of democracy, chose to ignore that dark side of history.

I have to confess, I sort of forgot about my political leanings and dedicated myself to finally enjoying the things denied me, the 72-year-old director said in an interview with IndieWire from New York, where his latest movie Parallel Mothers would soon close the New York Film Festival. He recalled the rambunctious hedonism of his early features, 1978s FuckFuckFuck Me, Tim! and 1980s punk rock Pepi, Luci, Bom, which echoed the unruly underground sensibilities of John Waters and Andy Warhol.

More from IndieWire

It was as though Franco never existed, Almodvar said. We just sort of moved forward as if it hadnt happened. That was my way of embracing democracy and turning my back on the Franco years.

Many years and acclaimed movies later, Almodvar is finally confronting that past, injecting his vivid cinematic talents with a bracing call to action. Parallel Mothers, his first feature-length effort since 2019s Pain and Glory, finds Penelope Cruz playing a single parent who forms an unusual bond with a much younger woman (Milena Smit) after they meet at a hospital. In this case, however, the traditional Almodvarian melodrama becomes as a Trojan horse to explore a recurring point of contention in Spanish society.

With some 114,000 people missing and presumed dead after Francos death in 1975, the countrys right wing tends to argue against exhuming hidden graves containing long-lost relatives, while others insist on it as an essential act of reconciliation. As Cruzs character, Janis, grows friendlier with Smits Ana, the older woman also struggles to track down her great-grandparents burial site while Ana repeats a right-wing talking point about the uselessness of reopening old wounds. I speak through the voice of Penelope, Almodvar said. Shes speaking the truth about Spain.

Story continues

Few prominent Spaniards have embraced this divisive subject on an international stage, which makes it particularly significant coming from Almodvar the countrys most revered creative voice since Federico Garcia Lorca, who was executed during the Franco regime and whose own remains have never been found.

Parallel Mothers

I dont have any relatives buried in a mass grave, said Almodvar, slipping between English and Spanish as he talked through his activist intent. But it is more than unfair that Spain tiene muy mala relaciones con el pasado. He turned to his translator, who chimed in: Spain has a very bad relationship with its own past.

While Parallel Mothers has been widely embraced in Spain, where it opened last week, that didnt seem to help it with the Spanish Academy, which did not select it as the countrys official Oscar submission. Instead, the slot went to the Javier Bardem comedy The Good Boss, directed by Fernando Len de Aranoa. I dont have anything to say about that because thats the situation, Almodvar said. Anyway, this is not new for me.

Indeed: Nineteen years ago, de Aranoas Mondays in the Sun beat out Almodvars Talk to Her as the Spanish submission. Ultimately, Mondays in the Sun fell short of a nomination, while Talk to Her landed Almodvar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, the latter of which he won. This time around, North American distributor Sony Pictures Classics is hoping for similar luck in major categories. Last month, Cruz scored the Best Actress prize at the Venice Film Festival, and Almodvar plans to campaign as much as he can in the months ahead. I dont know what is going to happen, Almodvar said. But Ive got the feeling that the movie is being received positively in the U.S., so I will fight just to be present in other categories.

In interviews, Almodvar tends to embody the fragility and attention to detail of his work, but discussion of Parallel Mothers finds him adopting an almost professorial tone as he explains Spains complicated history. This movie is a way of saying to the youth that they have to look to the past, he said. Right now, they might be worried about climate change, and things like that. Their whole identity is based around these big problems, which I think is important, but its also important to look at the past so they also understand that theyre inherited other problems that theyre currently living with. There are things weve inherited since the start of democracy.

Archeologists inspect a grave site in Ollacarizqueta, Spain, containing what they believe to be the remains of sixteen republican prisoners killed during the Spanish Civil War - Credit: AP

AP

The paradoxes of contemporary Spanish identity are visible across the country. When Francos regime ended its 36-year reign in 1975, the country embraced a decision known as the Pact of Forgetting, in which all political parties agreed to avoid litigating the Civil War to focus on a democratic transition. For years, Francos remains were interred at the Valley of the Fallen, a Civil War memorial and popular tourist site that celebrated both sides of the battle and valorized Francos rule. It wasnt until 2019 that his remains were moved from the site to a local cemetery, despite an outcry from his family and the monastery itself. At the time, the government said the decision was designed to symbolically close the circle of Spanish democracy.

But Almodvar and others argue that in order for that to happen, more graves must be uncovered. In Parallel Mothers, Janis says that until all of the missing persons have been found, this war is not over. When Ana argues that Janis should instead focus on the future, its almost like a clich narrative for the right wing, which reveals that Ana is coming from a very conservative background, Almodvar said. You know, Spain is only second to Somalia in terms of missing people. When Franco condemned these people to die in these mass graves, it was a way to dehumanize them, as if they never existed. All people are asking is that their loved ones are exhumed. It has nothing to do with revenge or politics.

In July, the Spanish government approved a Democratic Memory bill aimed at supporting efforts to search and exhume gravesites, as Janis does in the movie. Almodvar himself started mulling the possibility of confronting this subject several years ago. It comes with maturity, he said. For a long time, Ive been wanting to write about this and Ive been waiting for the right story.

The filmmaker has been hinting at Parallel Mothers for a long time (theres a fake poster for it in 2009s Broken Embraces) but it wasnt until he revisited the script during the pandemic that he realized how to use it as a vessel for a broader subject. He rewrote around 50 percent of the story, deleting a subplot involving Anas history with Opus Dei that he deemed too much of a distraction, and choosing instead to reflect the dogma of her upbringing through conversation. Ive always been very interested and invested in this topic, not for political reasons, but purely human ones, he said. I mean, during the entire dictatorship, nobody in Spanish households spoke of the war, because they feared reprisals.

Parallel Mothers - Credit: El Deseo

El Deseo

That silence hovers as an unspoken tension in Almodvars homegrown universe, from the the autobiographical childhood scenes in Pain and Glory to the homophobic characters in the 70s-set Bad Education all the way back to the sexual high jinks of his earliest work. Theres a glimpse of greater context in 1997s Live Flesh, the first of his many collaborations with Cruz, where she briefly appears as a young prostitute who gives birth on a bus in the dead of night. The scene takes place in 1970, as the minister of Spain announces a state of exception prohibiting free speech across the country. My idea was to portray this character whos born on one of the darkest nights, politically and literally, Almodvar said. I really wanted to think of him as the future of bad luck.

That moment united the filmmaker with his muse, and in Parallel Mothers, Cruz is an astounding vessel for the movies navigation of intergenerational grief. Over the years, Cruz has said that Almodovars early films inspired her to act in her youth. I remember thinking, Why is this man not the president of our country? she said in a recent Parallel Mothers Q&A. He was so much more than a director. His freedom was not normal. That was so important to me.

Despite their familiarity, Parallel Mothers brought Cruz into uncharted psychological terrain. It was very hard for her, Almodvar said. Shes a very visceral actress. She needs to feel some coherence in what shes doing. So to be able to play a character that has this contradiction of acting one way outwardly but feeling differently inwardly is very difficult to achieve for an actor. Most rehearsals ended with Cruz in tears. One of the ways that I would help her was to restraint that in a way, to help her dry her tears, Almodovar said. If youre someone who feels guilty, youre someone who doesnt necessarily cry.

The emotion of the set also stemmed from the reunion of Almodvars artistic family in the wake of the pandemic. (In addition to Cruz, Parallel Mothers includes a supporting role for Almodvar regular Rossy de Palma as Janis close friend.) During the initial lockdown in Spain last year, Almodvar spent a few months thinking through his next steps and writing articles musing on his past. Initially, he had planned to shoot the short film The Human Voice with Tilda Swinton to understand the challenge of working in English in preparation for his first English-language feature, A Manual for Cleaning Women, adapted from the short stories of Lucia Berlin. But when production on the feature was delayed due to the pandemic, he lost the rights to the project.

He is still in touch with Cate Blanchett about producing and starring in the movie. Im hoping to be able to recuperate it, he said. He did manage to make The Human Voice, his dizzying 30-minute Jean Cocteau adaptation, which found Swinton roaming through a claustrophobic set and rambling on about a troubled life. The experience helped him realize that he could work in the English language, 30-odd years after he turned down an offer to direct Sister Act and chose to remain in Spain. Ive lost about 70 percent of the fear that shooting in English brings to me, he said, and chuckled. It was 30 minutes, but 30 minutes of talking all the time!

The Human Voice

The project also got him more excited about short-form projects. Almodvar keeps numerous unrealized scripts on his computer, some of which he ends up splicing into other features. But now he realizes that he doesnt have to force them in. I dont want to stretch out a short, he said. After he finishes the promotional campaign for Parallel Mothers, he hopes to direct another short, which he described as a Western. He plans to utilize the dusty remnants of Sergio Leones Spaghetti Western sets, which are still standing in the Spanish city of Almera. I feel much more flexible about stories now, he said.

That impulse brings him back to his roots: Prior to his early features, Almodvar directed gritty Super 8mm films in the waning years of the Franco regime and presented them with live commentary in bars around town. That was my only film school, he said. But I feel very shy about showing them. Of course you can see my vocation of being a director, but also they were very crazy for the moment, with the kind of freedom that John Waters started. But they did have the themes that I would be involved with for the rest of my career.

Waters was among those who surfaced to pay their respect to Almodvar on the closing night of New York Film Festival. Over the course of a festive evening at Lincoln Centers Alice Tully Hall, Almodvar dashed from one Parallel Mothers screening to the next, in between receiving well-wishers at a cozy gathering in the upstairs lounge. Introducing the first showing of the night, the festivals programming director Dennis Lim said that the movie possessed an emotional vibrancy and incredible performances, but I also think theres something new here a kind of urgency about trauma and how it weights on us, what it means to confront it. Almodvar chose to withhold details in his own introduction. I wanted to make something about the historical memory of my country, he said, then stopped himself. Well, Im not going to tell you the whole story.

Later that night, though, giddy from interacting with a range of visitors at the gathering, he introduced the final screening with an impromptu explanation of the Civil War, then tossed in some kinky praise for Cruz, saying that she made him question his sexual orientation. Back upstairs, he wore a sheepish grin. I said something very crazy down there! he said.

A handful of Academy members roamed the room, one of whom admitted that they had no idea about the casualties of the Franco era. As awards season revs its engine, Almodvar was ready to keep the conversation going, regardless of the outcome. If I get another nomination, I will be very happy, he said. But if I dont, I will keep on making movies, which is the most important thing.

Sony Pictures Classics will release Parallel Mothers on December 24, 2021.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

View original post here:

Parallel Mothers: Why It Took Over 40 Years for Pedro Almodovar to Confront Spains Darkest Chapter - Yahoo Entertainment

Anna Parks drawings have the feel of a heady, debaucherous last supper. Delirious figures with grasping hands emerge from crowded environments full of American pomp and pageantrybarbecues, tea parties, game showstheir bodies fragmenting in angular, abstract explosions like shattered glass.

Its humanity at its finest, Park said during a recent visit to her Bushwick studio. Its not pretty a lot of the time, but I never want the work to be a jab. Its more that were all in this together.

This sense of humans embroiled in one last, pre-apocalyptic gasp of hedonism has tapped into the zeitgeist so effectively that Park has found herself, just one year out of art school, among the most in-demand young artists working today. At just 25 years old, she sold out her debut solo show at New Yorks Half Gallery earlier this year. Four of her vast charcoal compositions went to major museum collections: the Prez Art Museum Miami, the ICA Miami, the MFA Houston, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Another work from the Half Gallery show will be featured in a group show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2022. Her latest show at Blum & Poe in Tokyo also sold out, with works going from $40,000 to $58,000.

Parks trajectory hit hyperspeed even before the world went into lockdown, when she drew the notice of a couple of high-profile art-world aficionados. In 2019, the artist KAWS spotted her drawings at her alma mater, the New York Academy of Art, bought one of them, and then posted her work on Instagram, sending droves of his followers to her account.

Within a week or two of that meeting, Half Gallery owner Bill Powers saw the same grad school work, leading him to put her in a group show in 2020 and giving her a solo show in 2021. She also appeared in a group show at New Yorks Drawing Center in 2020, and spent much of her pandemic year working on a commission to draw the poster design for David Finchers latest film, Mank.(An art director working on the film had noticed her work online a while back, when her drawings were more figurative, and proposed her for the project.)

Anna Park, Hero Mentality, 2021. Courtesy of Half Gallery.

Beyond the strength and ambition of Parks workor, as Powers put it, the competency of her hand and the madness of her compositionsits relationship to the cultural moment is what has sparked the imagination of so many. Its interesting when the intent of a piece and the chronology of the culture and the biography of the artist converge, Powers told Artnet News. He was talking in particular about Parks Hero Mentality (2021), a feverish blowout of stars, stripes, and big smiles that is a heavily abstracted take on a 4th of July barbecue scene. The work was acquired by the High Museum.

When she made that drawing she was here with a Korean passport, and the country was deep in election turmoil, Powers said. By the time the show was up she had become an American citizen. And by April, when we showed the painting, the Biden administration had declared his plan to have 100 million shots in 100 million arms so that we can all gather together again by July 4th. So her notion of making a 4th of July barbecue is pretty loaded.

That alignment between Parks work and the cultural moment constitutes a significant technical achievement, according to Claire Gilman, the Drawing Centers chief curator, who critiqued Parks grad school work at the New York Academy a few years back. She has an ability to use line to match the aggressive, emotional overload that comes out of her workthis feeling of chaos and rage that reflects the chaos of our lives. Shes able to express that in every dimension, in the subject matter and her use of line.

I think we all feel a little frantic and out of control right now, Gilman added. Some of that is linked to social media because were sucked into this constant demand on our attention from the digital world. Parks work is very universal in that sense.

Inevitably, commercial shifts have also played a role in the demand for Parks work. The Asian market, according to Powers, is less nationalistic than it used to be 20 or 30 years ago, and a younger, highly mobile generation see themselves in artists of the Asian diaspora. Asian American and Asian Canadian artists like Park, Lily Wong, Dominique Fung, and Matthew Wong are gaining significant traction in China and beyond. (Around 50 percent of Parks exhibition at Blum & Poe in Tokyo sold to Asian buyers, according to the gallery.)

Installation view, Anna Park at Blum & Poe, Tokyo, 2021. Anna Park, Courtesy of the artist, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo. Photo: Katsuhiro Saiki.

Additionally, Powers says that while people used to think of works on paper as studies or second class material, the success of artists like Park or Alina Perez, another fast-rising star in the medium, has proven that hierarchy no longer holds.

I dont want to pigeonhole people by their medium or ethnicity, Powers added, but I think you cant help but imagine these are factors in how people are looking at work and thinking about it.

Born in South Korea in 1994, Park came to the U.S. with her family as a childbriefly to California before they settled in Salt Lake City, Utah. She picked up an early mentor in art teacher Bruce Robertson, who saw one of her drawings at a mall art fair and called up her elementary school to recruit her for his weekend figure drawing classes.

In hindsight, he changed my life, Park said, teaching her both drawing and tenacity. Those classes put her on course to pursue art schools in Californiashe had ideas of becoming an animator for a studio like Pixarand New York.

She ultimately settled at Pratt to study illustration and animation but left for New York Academy of Art when she found herself pulled toward fine art and seeking a traditional art school education. There, she studied with one of her drawing idols, Michael Grimaldi, and gravitated toward the quickness, the forgivingness of charcoal. Cecily Browns art was important to her in arriving at her current, frenetic, semi-abstract styleshe would often draw with catalogues of her work out or listen to interviews with the artist while she worked.

Anna Park, Mind Over Matter (2021). Anna Park, Courtesy of the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo.

Now, one yearout of grad school, she works in a roomy studio in Bushwick, in frenzied bouts of activity, typically completing a work in two or three weeks. I tend to work manically, she said, drawing from found images and memories and working intuitively, then edit myself down.

The Americana motif in her work comes from her experiences in Utah, while the chaotic, suffocating side comes from New York. She doesnt mean that as an insult: New York may be a decadent place, but she enjoys the overstimulation even as it overwhelms her. (The same could be said of the way many viewers feel about her art.) Environment tends to affect my work a lot, Park said. As work piles up in my studio, the new work becomes a lot more stuffed.

In her Blum & Poe show, there is a vast composition depicting a cowboy tumbling from his horse, rendered in her angular Futurist style. With the title Mind Over Matter (2021), the work seems to speak to Parks larger goal: to reveal something of the illusory nature of American identity.

At 25, shes aware of the danger of early success limiting your ability to move in new directions. Im so beyond grateful that I can do this every day, but definitely with more eyes on you its scarier to take risks, she said. She intends to spend the next six to eight months dedicated solely to experimenting with her work, possibly finding a new element to introduce to her work, material-wise or surface-wise, or perhaps to explore her Korean heritage in her art.

At the beginning you have to say yes to everything, she noted, but artists talk about the power of saying no.

Here is the original post:

Anna Parks Charcoal Drawings of the End of the World Have Earned Her Fans From Top Curators to KAWS. At 25, Shes Just Getting Started - artnet News

Matt Damon leads a knight life in The Last Duel.

Ridley Scott's The Last Duel opens with two hardened 14th-century French warriors preparing for ritual combat, but don't be fooled: This isn't a historical epic about brave men headed off to war. It takes awhile for the pieces to come together, but by the time The Last Duel circles back to that showdown between its main characters, the movie has thoroughly deconstructed familiar notions of chivalry and nobility. Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) begin the movie looking like fearsome knights fighting for honor. They end up looking like insecure chumps eager to kill (or die) for the sake of their macho pride.

After the opening machinations, The Last Duel flashes back somewhat dizzyingly across the years to a series of incidents that fractured the close friendship between de Carrouges and Le Gris. In 1370, they're compatriots fighting for France, both in the service of Count Pierre d'Alenon (Ben Affleck). Pierre, an ostentatious libertine who'd never think of taking up arms himself, has no patience for the pious, humorless de Carrouges, but the count takes a liking to Le Gris, who shares his penchant for hedonism. Both men are squires, but while de Carrouges eventually becomes a knight, it's Le Gris who gets money and power thanks to his friendship with Pierre.

De Carrouges loses the military position he expected to inherit from his father, and some of the land he was promised as a dowry for his marriage to Marguerite (Jodie Comer). But he gains an intelligent and beautiful wife, even if they have trouble conceiving an all-important heir. When de Carrouges returns from one of his military campaigns, Marguerite tells him that while he was gone, Le Gris barged into their home and raped her. Outraged at this offense, de Carrouges appeals first to Pierre and then to the childish King Charles VI (Alex Lawther), before settling on the duel as the only recourse left for him to preserve his honor.

At least that's how he sees it. The Last Duel runs through all of these events three times, first from de Carrouges' perspective, then from Le Gris', and finally from Marguerite's, but this isn't just a warmed-over medieval Rashomon. Many of the events themselves remain the same, but as the perspectives shift, Scott and screenwriters Damon, Affleck and Nicole Holofcener make it clear that both de Carrouges and Le Gris are caught up in self-mythologizing, viewing the woman at the core of their dispute as merely a piece of property subject to damage and/or reimbursement.

The filmmakers give her a voice, though, and Comer shines when the film switches to Marguerite's point of view in its third segment. Setting up expectations for a traditional story of knightly justice makes the subversion more effective, and the actors guarantee that the early segments don't just feel like marking time. Damon and Driver create believable characters who aren't just misogynistic monsters, and Affleck is a delight as the charmingly obnoxious Pierre.

Although The Last Duel is based on true events (as detailed in the 2004 nonfiction book by Eric Jager), much of its approach to sexual assault feels anachronistic, with parallels to modern-day controversies. That only adds to the story's resonance, though, and Comer brings inner strength and ferocity to Marguerite while demonstrating the limitations of a woman's agency in 14th-century France. She's still ultimately at the mercy of these posturing idiots hacking away at each other, in a crude, brutal fight that strips away any romanticism of chivalric tales. Scott teases his audience with rousing action, and then leaves them with ugly, messy reality.

Read the rest here:

Fourteenth-century knights succumb to toxic masculinity in The Last Duel - Pacific Northwest Inlander

Id love to see a documentary about how the rousing and epic and bloody fantastic historical drama The Last Duel came to be, given the legendary director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien, Blade Runner) is working from a screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (their first collaboration since Good Will Hunting) and Nicole Holofcener, the brilliant filmmaker whose pinpoint modern screenplays for movies such as Lovely and Amazing, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? are about as far away from the mud and gruel and grime of The Hundred Years War as you can possibly get. Who wrote what, and how did this collaboration come together?

The Last Duel: 3.5 out of 4

Also, our imaginary documentary would HAVE to include a segment devoted to the wigs. Oh my, the wigs.

Filled with big performances, breathtaking cinematography and expertly choreographed battle sequences that put you right there in the middle of the gruesome chaos, Gladiator-style, The Last Duel is an unabashedly old-fashioned and richly satisfying tale of nobleman and peasants, of hedonism and intellectualism, of brave knights and scheming tricksters and of course theres a love story as well, and though at first it seems to be the stuff of fairy tales, lets just say it doesnt play out the way one might expect.

The Last Duel is one of those movies that is set in the France of the Late Middle Ages and all the main characters are French and have names such as Jacques and Jean and Pierre but everyone speaks English (save for a few throwaway lines and a song) and for most part they dont even bother with French accents, and we just go with it because ever since weve had sound in cinema weve had movies set in foreign lands where everybody just happens to speak the Kings English.

After a prologue in which two squires prep for a duel as if theyre NFL players suiting up for the Sunday Game of the Week, were plunged into battle with Matt Damons Jean de Carroughes defying orders and commanding his men to get across that stream and save those people and during the course of the violent clash that leaves corpses and mutilated soldiers strewn everywhere, Jean saves the life of his longtime friend, the dashing Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver, looking like the most handsome cast member of a particularly flashy Medieval Times Tournament & Dinner ensemble). This Jean de Carrouges is a real hero!

At least thats the way it plays out in the first third of the story, which is told from Jeans point of view. With Damon sporting one of the most unfortunate mullets in movie history and a nasty spider web of a scar on his cheek, the brutish but valiant Jean finds himself at odds with the powerful and wealthy and hedonistic Count Pierre dAlencon (a hilarious Ben Affleck, almost unrecognizable under a bleached-blonde Beatles hairdo) and eventually with Le Gris, who has become a consigliere of sorts to Count Pierre and is always working some angle to thwart the uneducated and unsophisticated Jean.

When the newly knighted Jean marries a disgraced noblemans daughter, the beautiful Marguerite (Jodie Comer), and thus claims her dowry, it appears Jean has achieved everything he ever wanted but when Jean goes off to fight yet another battle for country and king, Le Gris snakes his way into the house and rapes Marguerite. At a time when most victims of sexual assault would remain quiet, Marguerite tells her husband and then goes public with the accusation, resulting in a trial in which its decided Jean and Le Gris will duel to the death. If Jean dies, Marguerite will be tortured and executed because that will prove she was lying. If Le Gris falls, Jean and Marguerite will be vindicated and will be free to live out their lives.

The Last Duel shifts viewpoints twice more first to show events from Le Gris P.O.V., and then, in the last act, through Marguerites eyes. This Rashomon technique is put to great use, as we see Jean transform from mighty warrior filmed in closeups, with the camera often tilting up to show his greatness into a clod, the butt of jokes, and a brute who treats Marguerite only slightly better than his horses. (And in fact, when Le Gris is accused of a crime, its not categorized as an assault against Marguerite; its a violation of another mans property.)

Theres no ambiguity about the rape; even though Le Gris maintains it was consensual, even when the attack is seen from his viewpoint, its rape. That Marguerite has to endure deeply personal and insulting questions in court, that even her circle of friends doesnt believe her, that its her reputation on the line, has obvious and relevant parallels to #MeToo. Jodie Comer does a magnificent job of playing a woman who is borne of her times and stuck in that world, and yet has a bigger heart and is just as brave as all those men killing each other on the field of battle.

Nothing about The Last Duel is subtle. Just about everything about The Last Duel is brutally effective.

Read more here:

The Last Duel review: Rousing historical epic triples the fun with multiple takes on a 14th century showdown - Chicago Sun-Times

15 years after he introduced himself as the venom-spitting vocalist in Gallows, in June 2021, Frank Carter sauntered onstage at Download Festival as a bona fide festival headliner.

It was about time. After spending six years establishing his current band The Rattlesnakes as the best live draw in the UK, what followed was the most thrilling, combustive set of the weekend. It was a life-affirming reminder of the importance of live music, and a primordial punch to the gut that had been missing from our lives for the last 15 months.

Carter and his bandmate, guitarist Dean Richardson, have sought to capture that breath-of-life abandon on the bands fourth effort, Sticky, an album Frank says is not a lockdown record but a freedom record. Where previous Rattlesnakes albums explored mental health and toxic masculinity, Sticky is a pressure release: loose and spontaneous, tapping into that inclination we all had at the end of lockdown to go well, a bit feral.

I go where monsters dwell / Dancing like a madman through a personal hell, Carter howls on the opening line of the titular track. The same could be said for the breakneck Cupids Arrow or Bang Bang, the latter featuring a tongue-in-cheek verse from electro-punk rapper Lynks. 8pm. Initiate downfall, hollers Carter, revving up for a night of madness over dirty, Slaves-style guitars.

Go Get A Tattoo is easily Franks most unapologetically anthemic track yet, with a bright, earworm chorus that belies its source material (in 2020 Carter achieved a lifetime ambition when he opened his own tattoo shop, Rose Of Mercy, only to see the doors slam shut after two weeks as lockdown kicked in). By the time Primal Screams Bobby Gillespie turns up like a ASMR Jesus amid shaft-of-light keyboards on the biblical Original Sin, hes talking Carter down from the ledge.

There are more serious moments nestled amongst the hedonism. Carter, a long-time champion for diversity in metal and rock, teams up with pop-metaller Cassyette on Off With His Head, a pertinent attack on a patriarchal society and gender-based violence: Get in your house and go to sleep / Cause it aint safe out on the streets. But Your Town, a collab with IDLES Joe Talbot proves to be the albums highlight, an incendiary pairing of two modern punk icons, written as Carter and Richardson watched societal divisions widen during the pandemic.

This kind of bug-eyed bish-bash-bosh is exactly what we need from Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes right now. Great records inevitably come out of shit times, and this is one of them.

Release date:October 15

Record label: International Death Cult

View post:

Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes Sticky review: a great record borne of hard times - NME

Rufus and Martha Wainwright in 1980 and 2021. Later photograph: Florian Thoss/The Guardian.Styling: Katharina Kosellek.Set design: Cinzia Grundke. Hair and makeup: Magdalena Wlodarkiewicz

Internationally revered singer-songwriters Rufus and Martha Wainwright are as known for their theatrical artistry as for inter-familial rifts. The children of two famous folk singers, Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, their bohemian childhood was split between Montreal and New York, before Rufus rocketed to fame with his self-titled debut, a further nine albums and two operas. Similarly prolific, Martha has released seven albums, the latest of which she is now touring. Martha lives in Montreal, with her two children and partner. Rufus is based in Los Angeles with his husband and daughter, and is touring the UK this month.

Throughout our childhood, Rufus and I fought about everything. We were quite scrappy, physically. Once, when I was a toddler and starting to walk, I ran down the hallway and he stuck his foot out. There was a lot of that. But something shocking happened that traumatised him. When he was about the age in this photograph, six or seven, there was a high, exterior staircase outside our mothers house. One time he fell, cracked his skull open and ended up going to hospital. He is convinced I tripped him deliberately. I dont know if I did.

When we were kids we lived in Montreal with our mum, but would spend long summer weekends in New York with our dad. At night we would often try to out-sing each other; see who could stay up the longest, singing as loudly as possible. He won every time.

I was less than a year old when my parents split up. My brother and I unfortunately witnessed our parents bad-mouthing each other. We were affected by that, but banded together. We had to hide our love for Dads girlfriend because my mother was angry. There was resentment and anger towards my dad Rufus and I would speak French to each other, which he didnt understand. We teased him. We made his life difficult, but a moment later we were totally adoring. It was this big tug of war. Its a classic divorced-kids kind of thing.

With Rufuss first record (1998s eponymous album), there was a lot of hope. A feeling from the label of: OK, throw some money at this guy, he is amazing. Id never been exposed to that in music before; my parents success was up and down. It all felt very exciting. But I was jealous of him. I had already started writing songs and, like any artist, I had a fantasy about becoming famous, too. Deep down, I already knew that it was not going to happen to me. It was not going to happen twice.

I was right there with Rufus as a young person we did a lot of drugs together. But he took it further. Id be with him at the party, but then he would disappear behind a curtain and youd lose him. I wasnt going to cross that threshold it was a different group, (crystal meth) was something else. It was too far for me.

I couldnt encourage him to go to rehab, because I myself am not sober. But he had enough people in his life who could help him through that, like Elton John. Rufus likes to brush shoulders with famous people; thats something he feels comfortable with. Elton has experience. He was able to see the red flags and guide Rufus.

Losing Mum (in 2010) made Rufus and I much, much closer. In our early 20s, we wanted to do our own thing, so we did, for 10 or so years. But when Mum died, we needed to support each other and become incredibly positive about one another. The love that our mother gave us needed to be replaced. So we sewed ourselves together again, repaired ourselves. We became one. It was like going back to a cellular level.

Rufus is incredibly sane. He has taken hard knocks really well, with a lot of reflection and acceptance. And hes even more talented than he thinks he is. Which is a lot.

This article comes from Saturday,the new print magazine from the Guardianwhich combines the best features, culture, lifestyle and travel writing in one beautiful package. Available now in the UK and ROI.

Thank you for your feedback.

Legend goes that when my parents brought Martha back from the hospital after she was born, everybody crowded around her, so I took a glass of grape juice and poured it on her. It was a ceremonial welcome. I was a precocious two-year-old and had a lot of attention until she arrived. Understandably, I was very perturbed.

I was never the protective older brother. I was keen to dominate most situations and Martha expressed a kind of brutal self-defence method from very early on. The minute you went for a pinch of skin, she turned into this tigress. If anything, I was afraid of her. I liken it to the relationship between a cat and a dog. I was very much the dog. My bark was much bigger than my bite. I tended to loaf around, I was needy of attention, always lapping it up. Whereas Martha was very quiet, a little cooler. But if you attempted to cross her, she was ferocious.

Martha had her own little dalliances with hedonism. What was more troubling on my end of drug addiction was that I would disappear from everybody. I would go off alone into these jungles of insanity; nobody would hear from me for days. It was hard on Martha and the rest of my family. But it was a turbulent time for everyone: my mother was basically a functioning alcoholic, Martha was struggling to keep her career going in the shadow of all of the others around her, and my dad was pretty confused by the whole thing. Eventually I went to rehab. Before I left, Martha wrote a very beautiful letter to me. It was great. Although I had to wait for her to deliver it; I was waiting and waiting. Thats typical Martha; always fashionably late.

We both had an intense relationship with our mother. Kate and I were so close. We were bound in this insane gay son-mother way that enveloped us. Martha felt left out. With my father, it was the polar opposite situation. I was always seeking him out, lonesome for his attention, and felt very disconnected. Martha really didnt care about him in that sense. She loved him, but was able to move on from the situation at an early age. I was swamped by it.

When our mother was dying, Martha and I were able to come together. She became more central. Unfortunately, she couldnt be there for the actual event: Marthas son was born prematurely so she was in hospital at that time. But I could be.

Our mothers greatest dream was for us to form a duo. Martha and I werent able to do that when we were young because we had to find our own path, but there is something to be said for what my mother saw when the two of us sang together. There is a power there. Maybe we could have been a wildly famous Osmond kind of thing.

The biggest change to our relationship has been becoming parents. Martha gives me advice: how to be patient, to give space. How to bring up a girl. And in a strange way, all our fighting growing up has made our relationship stronger. It gave us a chance to reconnect when we were navigating our way through adulthood.

Martha never ceases to amaze me. I am sure itll always be like that. Until the bitter end.

Read the rest here:

Rufus and Martha Wainwright: When Mum died, we sewed ourselves together again - The Guardian

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the best studio rom-com since Crazy Rich Asians.

To be clear, there are plenty of criticisms that can be made of Let There Be Carnage as a superhero movie. As my esteemed colleague Matt Razak pointed out in his review, the movie lacks the traditional superhero second act, in which Eddie and Venom (Tom Hardy) would confront Cletus and Carnage (Woody Harrelson) before being defeated, learning an important life lesson tying to the theme of the larger film, and returning triumphant in the final act.

The film plays fast and loose with the conventions of superhero storytelling, wasting little energy on even basic exposition. It is never explained, for example, why Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris) has the power to scream loudly enough to break glass and destroy helicopters. When our heroes confront Carnage at the climax, Venom has a minor panic attack and briefly refuses to fight, warning Eddie, That is a red one. The film never explains how or why Carnage being a red one matters.

However, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is only nominally interested in being a standard superhero movie. The market is saturated with superhero movies. Instead, Let There Be Carnage is a classic romantic comedy that has simply cloaked itself in the trappings of a superhero movie. Let There Be Carnage is a story about an alien symbiote and its parasite learning to live together and love each other. The film ends with the two of them on a tropical beach together, Venom admitting that he loves Eddie.

Its worth noting that it has been a rough couple of years for the big-budget studio romantic comedy. For decades, the genre had been a staple of Hollywoods output. During the 1990s, romantic comedies were often among the highest-grossing films of their respective years: Pretty Woman, Sleepless in Seattle, Jerry Maguire, My Best Friends Wedding, Theres Something About Mary, and Runaway Bride all placed in the box office top 10 of their respective years.

The 21st century has not been kind to the rom-com. Part of this is due to a decline in the quality of lead actors associated with the genre. However one might feel about Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl, they are no Richard Gere or Julia Roberts. Hollywood also just stopped making mid-budget movies like the romantic comedy, so it got squeezed out of the market. Outside of exceptions like Crazy Rich Asians, these days the romantic comedy mostly lives on streaming services.

So its fun to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage embrace the genre and wed its conventions to the structure of a superhero movie. Tom Hardys committed performance as both Eddie Brock and Venom was a major selling point of the original Venom. If one of the big challenges facing the modern rom-com is finding actors who play well off one another, director Andy Serkis has hit on a novel solution. Hardy has found a worthy screen partner with whom he shares incredible chemistry: himself.

Of course, the original Venom had its own romantic subplot. Perhaps reflecting its status as a superhero throwback, the film was very invested in Eddies relationship with his ex-fiance, Annie (Michelle Williams). Eddies betrayal of Annies trust was a major driver of the plot. The films emotional arc culminated in Eddie sincerely and unreservedly apologizing to Annie for all the harm he had caused. At one point, the two share a passionate kiss as a way of transferring Venom.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage wisely pushes away from any suggestion of a romantic reconciliation between Eddie and Annie. Early in the movie, Annie tells Eddie that she is getting married to Dan (Reid Scott). Eddie does not take the news well, but Annie is mature enough to wish him the best. She also understands that Eddie has somebody new in his own life. Eddie insists that Venom died at the climax of Venom, but Annie sees through him. Take care of him, Annie tells Venom.

As such, the relationship between Eddie and Venom is something of a rebound. In classic rom-com fashion, Eddie is a character recovering from heartbreak, and Venom offers the possibility of a new future. Venom earnestly laments that, as an extraterrestrial organism beyond human comprehension, he can heal almost any injury to a human body but not a broken heart. Venoms a sensitive soul, at one point shrugging off Eddies insults because he knows we are hurting.

Much of the first half of the movie is given over to Venom trying to make Eddie feel better, trying to instill in Eddie a sense of his worth and value. At one point, Venom tries to make breakfast for Eddie. At another point, Venom tries to walk Eddie through the particulars of his interview with serial killer Cletus Kasady, while trying very hard to make Eddie feel involved in the process. As in Venom, it seems that Eddie is a very bad journalist. Here, Venom singlehandedly cracks Cletus code.

While Matt is entirely correct that Let There Be Carnage is missing the plot beats from the second act of a superhero movie, it does adhere to the standard second act structure of a romantic comedy. After trying to find a healthy way to live together, the pair discover that it just isnt working. Venom wants to be out in the world together as a team, working as the Lethal Protector and eating the brains of bad guys. In contrast, Eddie wants a more mundane and normal life.

Its hardly the most subtle of metaphors. Venom doesnt want to have to hide what he is. In contrast, Eddie does nothing but hide what he is. He lies to Annie about Venom, even though she sees right through him. Eddies afraid of what the world will think if it sees him and Venom together. During a heated argument, Eddie confesses his fears that the two of them might be locked up and hauled away to Area 51. Dan is right to suggest that the two need couples counseling.

Tensions reach a breaking point. The idea of a superhero renouncing their superhero identity is a standard trope in superhero sequels, in large part because it provides a logical arc comparable to the origin story the hero has a journey back to heroism. So the idea of Eddie and Venom separating has its roots in superhero cinema, notably the sequels. It recalls Clark Kent (Christopher Reeves) giving up his powers in Superman II or Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) retiring in Spider-Man 2.

However, Let There Be Carnage plays this separation as a break-up. During one argument, when Venom shoves Eddie, Eddie protests, This is abuse. When the relationship reaches a breaking point, Venom starts tossing Eddies belongings out into the street while shouting get out! repeatedly. (For his part, Eddie responds, This is my apartment!) Eventually, Venom abandons Eddie and storms off into the night. Its the second act break-up that is typical of these romantic comedies.

Free from Eddie, Venom embraces hedonism. He has a wild night out, hopping from host to host and finding acceptance at a San Francisco rave. I am out of the Eddie closet! Venom proudly boasts, covering himself in glow sticks. (When a young woman compliments him, he considers his options before acknowledging, Not my type.) However, none of Venoms new relationships last. He moves from body to body through the rave, but he just doesnt connect with any of his new hosts.

While the emotional climax of Venom found Eddie apologizing to Annie as he was coached by Venom, Let There Be Carnage shifts the focus. Annie is able to unite Eddie and Venom and guides Eddie through his apology to Venom. The two are reconciled. While the third act of Let There Be Carnage doesnt feature a mad dash to the airport, it does feature our heroes bursting into a church at the perfect moment to stop a wedding. Theres even a quirky British priest (Reece Shearsmith).

Crucially, like any good rom-com, Let There Be Carnage features a beta couple. In fact, true to the movies commitment to excess, it features two beta couples. Annie and Dan represent a much healthier alternative to Eddie and Venom, a couple who trust one another and support one another. In contrast, Cletus and Frances offer a foil to Eddie and Venom. The movie introduces Cletus and Frances as an outlaw couple, and Serkis even riffs on Harrelsons iconic role in Natural Born Killers.

While Eddie and Venom are a couple who are perfect for each other but need to acknowledge it, Cletus and Frances are fundamentally imperfect for one another despite their love. After all, symbiotes are vulnerable to high-pitch frequencies, which means that Frances sonic superpowers render her incompatible with Cletus new alien symbiote. In turn, this tension puts Cletus and Carnage at odds with one another. They are not symbiotic! Venom realizes, in a key moment.

The climax of Let There Be Carnage finds Eddie and Venom at a church for a wedding. The closing scene finds the two together on a tropical beach, enjoying a honeymoon of sorts. If one commits to this reading, even the post-credits scene fits. As Venom talks to Eddie about his own secrets, theres a dramatic reveal of a character that most audience members will recognize as Venoms former partner at least in another dimension. The returning ex is a classic romantic sequel hook.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage might be a so-so superhero movie, but it is a great romantic comedy.

More here:

Venom: Let There Be Carnage Is the Best Studio Rom-Com in Years - The Escapist

Speaking of Catholics with good sense, Pope Francis delivered a 38-minute video message to the fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements yesterday. He opened by referring to global social activists (and no, hes not talking about you fascist insurrectionists out trying to destroy democracy) as Queridos Poetas SocialesDear Social Poets:

This is what I like to call you, social poets. You are social poets, because you have the ability and the courage to create hop where there appears to be only waste and exclusion. Poetry means creativity, and you create hope. With your hands, you know how to shape the dignity of each person, of families and of society as a whole with land, housing, work, care, and community [emphasis mine; Pope Francis I, video address to IV World Meeting of Popular Movements, translation from Spanish as presented in captions, Vatican News, 2021.10.16].

Social poets, creating hopewhat a fine and Christian way to spend ones days.

Pope Francis exhorts us social poets to keep pursuing justice for the oppressed:

The Meeting brings together activists from the most marginalized communities of society and participants include street vendors, artisans, fishermen, farmers, builders, miners, Christian workers of various trades and professions.

In thinking of you, the Pope said, I believe your dedication is above all a proclamation of hope reminding us that we are not condemned to repeat or to build a future based on exclusion and inequality, rejection or indifference; where the culture of privilege is an invisible and irrepressible power and exploitation and abuse are a habitual method of survival [Benedict Mayaki, Pope to Popular Movements: You Create Hope and Forge Dignity, Vatican News, 2021.10.16].

Justice, says Pope Francis, lies in reining in capitalist exploitation, division, and lies:

Pope Francis went on to make a series of nine appeals in the name of God. He appealed to big laboratories to liberalize patents and allow every country to have access to the vaccine; to financial groups and credit institutions to waive debts in order to allow poor countries to guarantee the basic needs of their people; to big extractive companies to stop destroying forests, wetland and mountains and polluting rivers and seas; to big corporations to stop monopolistic production and distribution structures that inflate prices and withhold bread from the hungry; and to arms manufacturers and dealers to cease their activity that foments violence and war.

The Holy Father also called on technology giants to stop exploiting the vulnerability of people to gain profit; on the giants of telecommunications to liberalize access to educational material to help educate poor children during quarantine; on the media to stop the logic of post-truth, disinformation, and an unhealthy attraction for scandal and contribute to human fraternity and empathy; and on powerful companies to stop blockades and unilateral sanctions against countries.

This system, with its relentless logic of profit, is getting out of all human control. It is time to put the brakes on the locomotive, an out-of-control locomotive that is carrying us towards the abyss. There is still time, the Pope said.

Then, addressing governments and politicians, he urged them to represent their peoples and work for the common good, listening to the people and not only the economic elites who are so often the mouthpieces of superficial ideologies that evade the real dilemmas of humanity [Mayaki, 2021.10.16].

Pope Francis also waves off you knuckleheads conflating God, guns, and Trump (thats the content of a flag I saw on U.S. 281 north of Wolsey the other day, flying disrespectfully above the Stars and Stripes):

I also want to ask all of us religious leaders never to use the name of God to foment wars or coups. Let us stand by the peoples, the workers, the humble, and let us struggle together with them so that integral human development may become a reality. Let us build bridges of love so that the voices of the periphery with their weeping, but also with their singing and joy, provoke not fear but empathy in the rest of society.

And so, I persist in my pestering.

It is necessary to confront together the populist discourses of intolerance, xenophobia, and aporophobia, which is hatred of the poor. Like everything that leads us to indifference, meritocracy and individualism, these narratives only serve to divide our peoples, and to undermine and nullify our poetic capacity, the capacity to dream together.

Sisters and brothers, let us dream together [Pope Francis, 2021.10.16].

Por favor, Papa, persista!

Pope Francis says that dreaming requires us to forgo the docile path of accepting (incorrectly, the Pope insists) that there is no better system than the status quo and choose the difficult path of changing the system toward greater justice. Pope Francis urges us to turn from resignation to action with this remarkable statement about the parable of the Good Samaritan and George Floyd:

In Fratelli tutti I used the parable of the Good Samaritan as the clearest possible Gospel Presentation of this intentional choice. A friend told me that the figure of the Good Samaritan. A friend told me that the figure of the Good Samaritan is associated by a certain cultural industry with a half-wit. This is the distortion that provokes the depressive hedonism that is meant to neutralise the transformative power that people possess, and in particular young people.

Do you know what comes to mind now when, together with popular movements, I think of the Good Samaritan? Do you know what comes to mind? The protests over the death of George Floyd.

It is clear that this type of reaction against the social, racial, or macho [!] injustice can be manipulated or exploited by political machinations or whatever, but the main thing is that, in that protest against this death, there was the Collective Samaritan who is no fool! This movement did not pass by on the other side of the road when it saw the injury to human dignity caused by an abuse of power. The popular movements are not only social poets by also collective Samaritans [Pope Francis, 2021.10.16].

Neither the Good Samaritan, the Collective Samaritan protesting George Floyds murder, nor Pope Francis is a half-wit. We must not pass by on the other side of the road when we see abuses of power that injure human dignity. We must approach and challenge those abuses of power to restore human dignity.

Pope Francis knows hell catch heck from some quarters for speaking up for social justice, but non carborundum illegitimus est. The Pope understands the criticism comes from the wealthy and powerful trying to keep their wealth and power:

It sometimes surprises me that every time I speak of these principles, some people are astonished, and then the Holy Father gets labeled with a series of epithets that are used to reduce any reflection to mere discrediting adjectives. It doesnt anger me, it saddens me. It is part of the post-truth plot that seeks to nullify any humanistic search for an alternative to capitalist globalisation. It is part of the throwaway culture, and it is part of the technocratic paradigm [Pope Francis, 2021.10.16].

and from members of his own Church who dont understand their own teachings and traditions:

And it saddens me that some members of the Church get annoyed when we mention these guidelines that belong to the full tradition of the Church. But the Pope must not stop mentioning thus teaching, even if it often annoys people, because what is at stake is not the Pope but the Gospel [Pope Francis, 2021.10.16].

Pope Francis wont get me to convert, but I find his adherence to and advocacy of principle in the face of criticism admirable and exemplary.

And while Im neither Catholic nor Republican, I can endorse more of Pope Franciss Catholic social agenda than I can of the supposedly Christian-based agendae of any noisy Republicans I know here in South Dakota.

See original here:

Pope Francis Praises Social Poets and Collective Samaritans for Fighting Social, Racial, and Macho Injustice - Dakota Free Press

Mexico is bursting with distinctive places to stay for all manner of tastes and budgets. Its unsurprising for a country thats known for its extraordinary diversity; expect everything from boozy tequila tours and mouth-watering street food, to the landscapes and cultural identities that characterise and differentiate each state. But, with a country as enormously varied as this, it can be difficult to know where to start planning a trip. The options are tempting and seemingly endless: do you go with buzzy Mexico City and a jaunt around foodie-heaven Puebla, or a meditative stay in the lush Oaxaca forest and whale-watching in starry Baja California? One thing is clear: whether youre leaning towards world-famous luxury hotels in Los Cabos, which are the last word in A-list hedonism, or soulful indigenous-owned hotels for a slice of Mexican life thats rarely spotlighted, youll find the best suggestions here.

Main photo: Hotel San Cristobal (Nick Simonite)

This article contains affiliate links.

All products and brands mentioned in this article are selected by our writers and editors based on first-hand experience or customer feedback. We feature properties from a specially selected list of trusted operators who are of a standard that we believe our readers expect. This article contains links which are ads and if you click on a link and buy a product we will earn revenue. The revenue generated will help us to support the content of this website and to continue to invest in our award-winning journalism.

Best for a contemporary crowdThis trendy bolt hole in the soulful, spiritual town of Todos Santos is the antithesis of the American-style maxi-hotels that often characterise Baja California. Its also a world away from the hedonism of nearby Los Cabos; here, the crowd is much more likely to be found sipping jalapeo margaritas by the pool or learning to surf Bajas best breaks. The 32 rooms are equally chilled: think whitewashed walls, bright patios with beachside views of the Pacific and Punta Lobos, and colourful, handwoven bedspreads. Look out for the hotels boutique, too; its a great edit of contemporary Mexican designers.

Best for privacyOnce the home of the multi-billionaire James Goldsmith, this 25,000-acre estate and nature reserve was the holiday spot of choice for US presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Youll find it south of Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast of Jalisco and its now owned by Goldsmiths daughter, Alix who has transformed it into an exclusive eco-hotel. The property continues to attract high-profile visitors for its huge swathes of wildlife-rich land, pristine beaches, lavish design and near-total privacy.

Best for natureWhile nature was the first to reclaim this old Yucatan sisal factory, it has since been given a new lease of life by Hamak, a small hospitality group from Mexico City that created a 40-casita destination spa thats truly worth its healing salt. Guests head out to visit some of the worlds greatest architectural triumphs by day the resort is set in remote, rural Yucatan, about 45 miles from Uxmal and 100 from Chichen Itza before arriving back to gawp at an enchanted forest by night, where fireflies flicker and hanging lanterns glow under a blanket of stars.

Best for serviceLocated on the tip of the glitzy Baja Peninsula and styled after traditional Mexican haciendas, this 84-room property certainly lives up to its name which translates to the windows of paradise. Consistently in demand by A-listers and those particular about luxury hotels, this place is all about the details; whether its the often-imitated decor, monogrammed cleaning cloths for your sunglasses or in-room telescopes for whale-watching and stargazing. If you manage to tear yourself away from your suite, the six bars and restaurants are spectacular we loved the onsite tequila bar.

Best for adventurersThis hotel is a 50-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta, followed by a 30-minute ride on a panga (traditional boat) and a short-but-steep hike up the hillside. And, while youll have to work to get there, this bohemian-style eco-hotel is more than worth the effort. Ten handmade houses are surrounded by lush jungle, an open-air spa and yoga hut, divine candlelit restaurant and each has staggering panoramic views over the Bay of Banderas and the fishing village of Yelapa. Just make sure to time your arrival for daylight hours.

6. Hotel Esencia, Quintana Roo

Best for familiesThis chic beachside bolt hole, known for its signature Mayan-meets-Caribbean decor, is a social media sensation. Youll find it on a 50-acre estate halfway between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, in peaceful Xpu-Ha. Unsurprisingly, its the former home of an Italian duchess and maintains a regal air; whether in the 42 decadent rooms, organic spa or the sophisticated locally sourced food. Families love the babysitting service, a childrens pool and well-thought-out activities throughout the school holidays.

Best for the beachIsla Holbox is barefoot Mexican luxury at its best and few places embody the idyllic islands bohemian spirit more than the 24-key Casa Las Tortugas. Think low-key design conch shell lamps, locally made linens and painted ceramic sinks as well as turtles hatching on the private white-sand beach, and restaurants serving fresh, line-caught fish and zesty margaritas. When the sun goes down, bioluminescent plankton sparkles like stars on the shoreline. While theres plenty to keep you busy, including kayaking in the mangroves and swimming with whale sharks, the very best thing to do here is absolutely nothing.

Best for buzzThis characterful three-storey hideaway in Mexico Citys elegant, tree-lined neighbourhood, La Condesa, owes its slick interiors to acclaimed Iranian-French designer, India Mahdavi. Here, clever use of texture including pale marble, wood-panels and traditional textiles offset sculptural tables, retro seating and futuristic tech. You can also look forward to a hydrotherapy pool and basement arthouse cinema, courtesy of architect Javier Sanchez. The huge rooftop bar and underground club are always busy and you wont want to miss late-night drinks on the terrace; its a hub for the citys VIPs.

Best for designThis renovated 19th century townhouse, in Mexico Citys Centro Historico district, is making waves for its Shaker-style interiors and its thoughtful homage to some of Mexicos most important contemporary creatives. As the former home of Manuel lvarez Bravo, one of the countrys most illustrious photographers, the property pays tribute to its former resident by lining the walls with his black-and-white portraits as well as spotlighting Oaxacan textile designers and hyper-local outfit, La Metropolitana, whose custom furniture pieces can be found in each of the 25 minimalist rooms. A walk around the neighbourhood will only deepen your understanding of Mexicos long tradition of crafts from gemstone jewellery to clever carpentry.

Best for cultureThis former nunnery and tile factory has been slowly and sensitively transformed into a peaceful luxury hotel in the heart of Pueblas old town. Here, 400-year-old walls remain, as well as an annexe which has tiled walls crafted with reclaimed and reused ceramics from the old factory. The lobby houses a Mestizo Rojo mural of pre-Hispanic items by Axolotl Collective, while the food Puebla is a gastronomic capital and home to mole poblano, one of Mexicos most famous dishes is exceptional. Just make sure you try it while sitting in the rooftop restaurant, which has a cracking view of Popocatpetl volcano.

Best for romanceMake no mistake: this ocean-wrapped, adults-only hideout, in Playa La Ropa, is one of the best honeymoon hotels going. Blending almost indiscernibly into the natural landscape, the resort spills down to Zihuatanejo Bay with majestic views of the Pacific from each of its cliffside terracotta huts. Happily, its so close to the elements that you can wake up and fall asleep to the sound of the waves. The open-air Mar Y Cielo restaurant is the stuff of rom-com dreams too; expect fresh, lantern-lit dinners, with the bay below and the stars twinkling overhead.

Best for responsible travelTaselotzin (which, in Nahuatl, means small plant or shoot) is operated by a hospitable indigenous womens cooperative, in Pueblas Sierra Norte mountains and every stay at the hotel supports their ongoing mission to empower local Nahua women. Rooms are basic, clean and comfortable, while the onsite restaurant is small but mighty; meals are authentic, flavourful and home-cooked, and served on native-made pottery. A visit here, and to Cuetzalan del Progreso, the local mountain town, feels like a doorway into the real Mexico the Sunday market, with its mind-blowingly talented artisans, is not to be missed.

Best for sustainabilityOn the surface, this beachside Oaxacan resort seems tailor-made for the design-savvy. Minimalist interiors and architecture all thatched roofs, cool, concrete walls and handcrafted furnishings are juxtaposed with meditative views of lush forest. Yet, theres sustainable substance behind its style: in addition to a rainwater catchment system, the 11-room eco-resort there are retractable walls that cleverly cool interiors with ocean breezes, rather than air-conditioning. The design project was overseen by Taller Luum a socially conscious team that contracts independent artisans all over Mexico.

Best for Old World grandeurLets not be coy when it comes to Cabo, this resort is as close to royalty as it gets. Its found at the business end of the region, sandwiched between the ocean and the desert, near sleepy San Jose del Cabo and repeat guests flock to the regions grande dame for their annual hit of Old World luxury. While parts of the Palmilla can feel archaic and uncomfortable for the modern traveller staff are inexplicably still told to bow to guests its remained an enduring favourite for the combination of a world-class spa, fine dining (including an excellent Jean-Georges restaurant) and spotless beaches.

See the original post here:

Best hotels in Mexico - Times Travel - The Times

The Power of Positive Thinking sold five million copies and was translated into 40 languages half a century ago. Even though I have not read the book, the title is appropriated for this column because negative thinking is now rampant. The silent power of positive thinking is needed more than any time in our lifetimes.

Headlines bury us in negativity of accusations, incidents, events and images, many old and distant about people we dont know and events we did not control. Media, the arts and performances display horrific, macabre, apocalyptic displays that mirror the negative spirit of our time. All are presented to arouse negative emotions of anger, blame, guilt and depression. They batter the soul and wear us down.

Even predictions in rhetorical questions with conditional will, could or might lead to unpleasant conclusions. The focus is always on the half-empty glass rather than the full portion. An old farmer was asked, Do you think it might rain? His drool response, It always does! Those who focus only on the half-empty past, present and future will likely grow old fearful, anxious, frustrated like grumpy old men.

Some foundation for positive thinking is necessary to anchor our lives inside this cyclone of negativity.

Norman Vincent Peale coined the phrase as a Methodist minister. A Christian worldview was his anchor. Humans are not just dust, but have been made in the image of God with unique abilities to reason and freedom to act as moral creatures. God transcends space and time and is the ultimate foundation for hope and ethics.

Other, non-theistic foundations exist. Epicurean hedonism counsels a nihilistic eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow we die. Cynic disdain views the world as a stage on which we are players through old age. Shakespeare describes the final stage of life in As You Like It: the end of this strange, eventful history our hero, full of forgetfulness, enters his second childhood without teeth, without eyes, without taste, without everything. Then, death! Stoic secular humanism presents a more positive foundation with stiff upper lip and moderation based on indifferent rational harmony.

Here are some steps toward more positive thinking.

Recognize that what we focus on is an act of the will. As moral creatures, we are not the slaves of stimuli that bombard us. We can decide about what we attend to and how we will react. We are able to focus on the empty half or the full half. We can get angry and curse the referees damaging call without valuing the hundreds of calls the referee got right, including those officially challenged.

Commit yourself to a worldview that promotes hope, peacefulness, love, joy, and actions to assist others and gives you hope for a positive future in this world and beyond. Then join with others who are so committed.

Attend to relevant news articles, broadcasts and posts in order to be responsible citizens essential to a constitutional democracy.

Associate with thoughtful, positive people who give thanks for the blessings they receive daily and who engage in positive actions to assist others.

Do something good for your neighbors rather than expending time and effort ranting about things over which you dont have any responsibility or control.

The power of positive living is the best antidote for negative thinking and spirit of our age. Bill Placher concluded his Wabash commencement speech: The class of 1970 does not enter a world full of nothing but glorious opportunities. But perhaps well learn that there are more things to admire in men than to despise; perhaps, knowing it will never be enough to change the world, we will act more honorable than we expected we would; perhaps well have a lot of fun along the way. It wouldnt be a bad life.

Raymond B. Williams, Crawfordsville, LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities emeritus, contributed this guest column.

The rest is here:

The power of positive thinking - Journal Review