Noen-lights... at twilight.
The sky’s humming Bono’s tune...a wide-eyed boy reeking with mischief and innocence, with secrets and yet simple, utterly in love..walks the end of the terrace of a high rise in LA and you see him in slow motion running towards the other end.
Free Fall and absolute joy.
That’s Wim Wenders for you. After starting ’’Road Movies Produktion’’ became the most major figures to emerge from the New German Cinema. A cult director of the 80’s, says his life was saved by Rock’n Roll. It gave him identity and the right to enjoy and to imagine. Otherwise he might be a lawyer by now. mmhmm..
He worked with musical greats such as Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, Willie Nelson, U2, Bono, Nick Cave, Ronnee Blakley and Lou Reed.
’’Million Dollar Hotel’’ - A flea-pit in downtown LA where in you find the whole jazz of misfits and outcasts. The movie is about their story. Seen through the eyes of Tom Tom, who is lovesick for the tarnished street angel Eloise; 2 lovers in Hollywood lost in a haze of drug abuse and mental illness.
(I have deliberately avoided mentioning the name of the actors for the roles. hey..I’m letting you in on the story. Moreover, it makes for interesting viewing).
Anyway, it’s not that serious - until the hotel becomes the focus of a police investigation. One of its residents, the engaging junkie Izzy, has come to a grisly end. To the amazement of his neighbors, he is revealed to have been the son of a billionaire media magnate. Every denizen of the Million Dollar Hotel falls under suspicion in the inquiry led by FBI hard-liner, Detective Skinner. As Skinner’s investigation proceeds, the lines between murder and suicide, sane and deranged, become very blurred indeed.
’’The Million Dollar Hotel’’ features music produced by Bono, including songs by Bono and U2. Directed by Wim Wenders and written by Bono, Nicholas Klein and Wim Wenders, the hotel hosts these guests: JeremyDavies, Mel Gibson, Milla Jovovich, Jimmy Smits, Peter Stormare, Amanda Plummer, Gloria Stuart, Tom Bower, Donal Logue, Bud Cort and Julian Sands. I must mention the art direction too which is done by Bella Serrell.
For some movies, the story and the music are a whole. One does not make sense without the other. Both play a major role in ’’making’’ the movie complete. This ’’Hotel’’ especially. You have to listen to it as much as you watch it. Wim Wenders is more of an soundman than an image man. He spends 2 weeks in cutting images and slaves 6 months over the sound. The original music by Bono, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Daniel Lanois and Hal Willner; produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, is downright melancholy, moody and mellow. It features two new U2 songs and three new Bono songs. It’s a mixed bag of sombre tunes and quirky, jazz-blues instrumentals that recall the previous soundtracks of films by both Wenders and David Lynch.
The one rocker on the album is the Spanish-language Anarchy In The USA -- a reworking of the Sex Pistols classic Anarchy In The UK -- by Tito Larriva and the Million Dollar Hotel band, which includes Bono, Lanois and Eno.
The best U2-related song is the album-opener, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, with music by the band and lyrics by author Salman Rushdie from his novel of the same name. It starts off slow and dreamy, with pedal steel work from Lanois, but eventually kicks into high gear about half-way through with stirring strings and The Edge’s signature guitar work.
As for the Bono songs, he tries to croon his way through the ballads Never Let Me Go and Dancin’ Shoes (the latter one in a strange, bluesy, high falsetto), but can’t really pull it off. He does better with Lanois on the pretty Falling At Your Feet.
Meanwhile, Jovovich butchers Lou Reed’s Satellite Of Love, although the instrumental version (for obvious reasons) is an improvement.
Track Listing
The Ground Beneath Her Feet - U2 with Daniel Lanois
Never Let Me Go - Bono and the MDH Band
Stateless - U2
Satellite Of Love - Milla Jovovich and the MDH Band
Falling At Your Feet - Bono and Daniel Lanois
Tom Tom’s Dream - The MDH Band
The First Time - U2
Bathtub - The MDH Band
The First Time (Reprise) - Daniel Lanois and the MDH Band
Tom Tom’s Room - Brad Mehldau with Bill Frisell
Funny Face - The MDH Band
Dancin’ Shoes - Bono and the MDH Band
Amsterdam Blue - Jon Hassell, Greg Arreguin, Jamie Muhoberac, Peter Freeman 14. Satellite Of Love (Reprise) - The MDH Band featuring Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Greg Cohen
Satellite Of Love (Danny Saber Remix) - Milla Jovovich with Jon Hassell and Danny Saber
Anarchy In The USA - Tito Larriva and the MDH Band
Though it is an old movie, released in 2000/2001, I noticed that there is not a mention of it anywhere in here and decided to bring it on. It’s a masterpiece and should not be missed. I would like to warn here that it’s not a regular movie and one needs to be ’’tuned’’ enough to understand it. That is the reason I’ve, going completely going against my style, actually put the story line here so that you don’t miss the good part.
Other movies by Wim Wenders that are worth making a note of are ’’Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty’’ and ’’Buena Vista Social Club’’.