Saturday 27 March 2010

What can I say?


"I'm quiet" / "What can I say?"
"The movie's most contentious exchange is pretty mild, and actually revolves around Meg's refusal (or perhaps inability) to speak up. Throughout, the White Stripes live up to their mythic roles: Jack runs around, charismatically blabbing, yelping, and flailing like a little brother while Meg's big-sis stoicism keeps things grounded."
When I posted the clip from The White Stripes, I should have mentioned that it comes from a documentary called "Under Great White Northern Lights" by Emmett Malloy which followed their band on their 2007 tour through all Canadian territories and provinces (they played unusual venues and very small towns as well). I've never seen the band live, sadly, but there are moments in the film that capture perfectly why The White Stripes were my favourite band growing up: but the thing that I like most about it is when Meg steps up to the microphone, clearly not enjoying that she can't hide behind the drum set anymore, to sing "In the Cold Cold Night", and it's beautiful because you never really hear her voice in the interview segments (she speaks so quietly that everything she says has subtitles). I didn't know that they had to stop touring because of her anxiety.

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