Angel-A

When it comes to Luc Besson films one can expect two things: shootouts and explosions. Although Besson is known for his action films I find that the action comes second to his narrative. In "Léon", a lonely assassin takes care of a young girl after her parents are killed by Gary Oldman's crooked cop, Stansfield. The greatest thing about "Léon" is the relationship between himself and the young Mathilda. Besson plays with a Lolita like romance between the two, yet their friendship never goes there. While I can not say enough about "Léon," Besson's romantic fantasy "Angel-a" is my main focus today.
After a string of action films Besson made his comeback with "Angel-a," a black and white film about an in-debt gambler and a tall, sexy stranger. Again, Besson creates two odd characters who reluctantly partner up and fall for each other. The only other thing I find seductive other than the leggy Angela is Paris, captured in black and white. While Americans are used to seeing the Eiffel Tower and other popular French monuments, I feel as though Besson and his cinematographer truly captured Paris in a new fascinating light.
Although the relationship between Angela and Andre leaves something to be desired, I find this French romance stands out far beyond its American counterparts. Check out the trailer. Netflix it. Do what you gotta do to see it.

THE DELICACY OF LIVING MODESTLY

There was no other way to kick this thing off than with one of the greatest road bands you have probably never heard. If you have, congrats.
Browsing through my iTunes I realized I have outgrown much of the music I loved and listened to non-stop. I noticed that as I matured, so did my tastes. An exception would be Limbeck. I started listening to Limbeck back in high school while I went through my pop-punk and "emo" phases yet somehow still listened to Limbeck despite the fact they were more of a indie/country rock band. It was just really odd. Over the years as I left artists like My Chemical Romance and Dashboard Confessional behind, Limbeck managed to stay on my ipod.
Limbeck always puts a smile on my face, there's no denying it. While other artists like to get complicated in their songwriting, Limbeck keeps it simple. Their discography consists of albums about friends/people, places, and memories mixed with melodic country pop-rock. Not one song on any of their albums disappoints. Check them out at myspace.com/limbeck

"People Don't Change"

"Big Drag"