april 2024 finds is here!
BOOKS
1. i read tudo pode ser roubado by giovana madalosso. i was especially excited because it was my first novel in brazilian.
2. i re-read le petit prince by antoine de saint exupery in portuguese. it’s called o principezinho.
3. i was surprised by how weak souvenirs dormants by patrick modiano was. the author got the nobel prize for literature as well as the prix goncourt.
MAGAZINES
4. zendaya was on the cover of the current british vogue. i’m not surprised since she has been promoting her two latest films.
MUSIC
5. i still listen to tangk a lot. it will most probably be the album of the year for me.
here’s a beautiful version of this break-up song.
and here’s the album’s absolute banger. imagine being there for the live version. yeah.
6. pitchfork awarded live through this a well-deserved perfect score. if you have never listened to this 30-year old masterpiece, you should.
7. i watched the 2022 busan bts concert called yet to come. you’ll like it if you are already a fan.
i find it interesting to watch the management’s strategy. they drip feed content while the boys are in the military. the music, and everything else, was planned to create a steady stream of launches to keep the army interested. the solo albums were released separately, to cover the period when the members are unavailable. is the strategy successful? i think it will be. thus, bts will the first k-pop group whose career survives the compulsory military service.
8. don’t ask me where i got this from, maybe on insta. i love it and i’m looking forward to the album coming soon. nusar3000 is the name of the artist and he posted a clip with sevdaliza in the studio. i’m ready.
FILMS
9. i loved the minimal and subtle past lives by celine song, with greta lee and teo yoo. by now, we know that pretty much any a24 production is worth watching.
10. the worst person in the world by joaquim von trier features his favourite actor, the doctor. and the main character is played by renate reinsve. she deserved the best actress award she got in cannes. but the film was too long, a fault i find with many films nowadays.
11. deep water by adrian lyne with ben afleck and ana de armas. i was curious because of the director, but the film is pretty abismal. even if the protagonists were actually a couple during the shooting, there is zero chemistry. oh, jacob elordi is in there, too.
12. the best part of saltburn was being a jacob elordi ad. apart from that, the storyline was weak and unnecessarily long.
13. priscilla by sophia copolla was hella weak and painfully slow. yeah, jacob elordi again.
14. i feel like i’ve seen flavours of youth before. anyway, it’s an animation about the nostalgia generated by the foods you ate in your childhood.
15. and then, the best film i’ve seen in years! i loved the challengers by luca guadagnino. i loved the story, the direction, the actors and the soundtrack. the tension was unreal, i was wringing my hands at one point. also, i saw it twice!
zendaya is one of the main characters, but also a producer. they say she hired the director. imagine being 25 and having the power to make this kind of moves. to get made a film that showcases her talent and range. hm.
the high tempo soundtrack feels a bit weird, superimposed. but in the end, the techno serves the story well. i had somehow forgotten that reznor and atticus ross were in charge of the soundtrack. i listened to it on my way home, it’s high-energy.
and now, trivia:
– grosu is a romanian player in the film. and his romanian is on point, not nonsensical as it usually is in hollywood movies.
– the writer, justin kuritzkes, is the husband of celine song who did past lives (see point 9 above).
– lastly, the director and the writer have worked together on a film called queer. it’s based on the homonym novel by burroughs. and apparently, it will premiere in cannes these days. i cannot wait.
PODCASTS
16. i went back to good bad billionaire. i listened to the rest of episodes this time around. i liked the taylor swift and jay-z ones. it is indeed more of an introductory course. still, it’s an interesting source of info.
YOUTUBE
17. i’d advise you to find out who courtney love is.
18. hit so hard: the life & near death story of patty schemel is a documentary . it’s based on the book written by the drummer of the band hole. you can watch it on dailymotion.
19. en iwamura is an interesting japanese ceramicist.
20. the tokyo kids are alright.
how was your april? as usual, you can find me on insta.
photo and video credits: copyright holders and little aesthete
1 comment
Tim says:
Jun 2, 2024
Thanks – terrific information and ideas as usual.