Travel & Entertainment


Photos: Peter Mountain

Dapper Depp

One of the most anticipated films of the season is undoubtedly the Michael Mann gangster epic, Public Enemies, retelling the story of Chicago bank robber, John Dillinger. None other than the equally charismatic Johnny Depp plays the almost mythic figure that sacked the financial institutions and embarrassed the authorities that had failed to alleviate the hard economic times of the Depression.

Depp explains, “Funny enough, when I was a little kid, there was a long period where I was fascinated with John Dillinger. No particular explanation why, I just was; he struck my fancy somehow. But looking back on that initial interest in Dillinger and the fact that it’s carried through for the majority of my life, it was his character. It was who he was as a man…back at a time when men were really men. He was, for good or ill, exactly who he was, without any compromise whatsoever.”

“Deep in the corner of Johnny, there’s a toughness,” says Mann. “When we started talking about it, he said that he had been interested in Dillinger for a long time and that Dillinger reminded him of some people from his past. He had Dillinger in him; that’s something I sensed.”

More than the cops and robbers action-packed sequences with FBI agent, Melvin Purvis (played by a rigid Bale) this is where Depp makes an impact on the film and where it works most. Equipped with a fly-in-your-face daring, a wry sense of humor and his passion for Billie Frechette (played understatedly by Marion Cottilard), Depp gives Dillinger and the film its life. This is further enhanced by a sensual and dark score by composer Elliot Goldenthal and edited handsomely by Paul Rubell and Jeffrey Ford – all of which comes together beautifully in a g-rated love scene between Depp and Cottilard. Mann recreated the 1930’s masterfully, using Billie Holiday in the soundtrack and for modern jazz fans, a cameo from Diana Krall whose rendition of “Bye Bye, Blackbird” is the couple’s theme.

“I was profoundly impressed by Marion’s commitment to Billie,” commends Depp. “She took so much care in playing her properly and giving Billie her fair shake. Marion worked unbelievably hard on the accent and was profoundly committed to the part. I like her very much, both personally and as someone to get in the ring with.”

Depp will next be seen in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

PUBLIC ENEMIES (Universal Pictures) *Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billie Crudup.

W, MONTRÉAL

Craving an international destination without the stress of a long-haul flight? Want to practice your linguistic skills without feeling like a cast member of Lost in Translation? Then a weekend break to Montréal, Canada will quench both desires without breaking the bank in these financially constrained times.

With its cobblestone streets lined with cafés, galleries and shops as well as lovers meandering hand-in-hand, Montréal seduces your senses into a different time and place. And with the summer festival season just around the corner, Montréal will be alive with sultry music, culinary delights and decadent parties.

At the edge of the concrete jungle of downtown and the quaint streets of Vieux (Old) Montréal, the W Montréal holds reign as the trendiest hotel in the city. Housed in the Banque du Canada building, the W Montréal immerses you in contemporary styling and historic architecture. As you enter the grand building, the hotel lobby startles you with its bold décor. Luscious crimson couches, vibrant cerulean lighting, and rich mahogany wood paneling create a sultry ambiance while the city’s chic soak in eye candy and intoxicating elderflower martinis at the adjacent Wunderbar.

But you can even move the party up to your pad. The impressive Wow Suite will appease even the most demanding party girl or playboy with its twenty two foot floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive outdoor terrace with downtown views, a lofted bedroom and spacious living room with a 47” plasma TV. Not for the modest, the voyeuristic bathrooms feature peak-a-boo showers with rainforest showerheads, deep soaking tubs replete with bliss bath products and lush terry robes. Late nights can be nursed away in comfort with the W’s signature beds adorned 350 count luxurious bedding and plush pillow top comfort.

The Away Spa will complete your stay at the W Montréal when you’re ready for pampering. Entering the spa, an immediate sense of tranquility envelops you with the Asian inspired décor, the scent of potent essential oils, and a taste of spice infused teas served on arrival. Behind closed doors, the ritualistic treatments take you into a transcendental space. A must is the Aromasoul massages. Using the traditions of Arabia, the Orient, India, and the Mediterranean, as well as essential oils, herbs, flowers, and spices unique to each region, the skilled therapist transforms a cultural experience into a therapeutic and holistic massage leaving your mind, body and soul revitalized.

Once you regain strength from the calming massage, hunger pains will likely lead to you downstairs to Ristorante Otto. The scene is very much like the lobby; chic, trendy, and happening. Though Montréal is French influenced in its cuisine, the fare at Otto’s is decidedly Italian with hints of Asian inspiration which give the menu lighter options. Earthy pastas, creamy risottos, and grilled meats offer rustic Italian fare for those looking for more traditional plates but you can also opt for dishes like the grilled hamachi, a delicate and buttery fish served with cherry tomato and lobster couscous.

When you can’t take another bite, exit the hotel to take a late-night stroll around Old Montréal where you will discover art galleries, clothing and home décor boutiques and well as charming restaurants, bars and cafes interspersed amidst historic loft buildings and old-world churches. Then, just as your feet become ever so slightly weary, jump in a cab and your W bed awaits.

W Montréal, 901 Square Victoria, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, (514) 395-3100

Rooms from $250 CAD

-- Shayan Rayani

Santa Monica Pier Centennial

www.santamonica.com

www.santamonicapier.com

Celebrating 100 years, the Santa Monica Pier has endured time, nature, and politics in becoming world-renowned as a symbol of the California lifestyle. Famous bodybuilders such as Jack LaLanne and Joe Gold (of Gold’s Gym) worked out in the famous ‘muscle beach’ and helped shape (pun intended) and establish the health and fitness boom for which California is famous.

These and other facts, that time has forgotten, will be on display and be part of the first museum to display historical information on the art, culture, and history of Santa Monica at the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum – opening late 2009.

Although the Santa Monica Pier’s Centennial Celebration will take place on September 9, 2009, there is a also a year-long calendar of free and low cost vacation and travel activities available for Summer travelers.

Centennial Highlights:

Santa Monica Society Museum – opening late 2009
Museum of Flying – opening Fall 2009
Cirque Du Soleil KOOZA – opens October 16, 2009
First large-scale Santa Monica Fireworks display in 18 years – September 9, 2009
Top 25 Free Things to Do in Santa Monica
Calendar of Events

-- Warner Alas

THE NEW INDIA at MOMA


Mira Nair, Josh Siegel, Rajendra Roy	Abhay Deol, Josh Siegel

The Big Apple’s cine-enthusiasts rubbed elbows with Bollywood celebs at the opening night party of The New India, a two-week, 16-film exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City in early June. Exploring the richness and diversity of contemporary Indian cinema, the exhibition presented features and short films, including eight New York premieres, which dazzled audiences and kept them glued to their seats. On opening night, audiences were captivated by the New York premiere of Megan Doneman’s Yes Madam, Sir (2008), a riveting portrait, narrated by Helen Mirren, of India’s first elite policewoman, Kiran Bedi, who spent three decades fighting corruption, bureaucracy, and human rights violations in her country. Other Bollywood celebrities who promoted their films and attended the exhibition included Mira Nair, Nandita Das, Abhay Deol, and Naseeruddin Shah.

- Jitin Hingorani

PAGES

UNCOVERED: Rare Vintage Male Nudes (Universe) Reed Massengill Massengill, an acclaimed photographer, author and journalist reveals more than one hundred rarely seen male nudes by artists including Robert Galster, Plato, and Antonio Arabia from the pre-Stonewall era when male nude photography was kept underground.
CLEOPATRA AND ANTONY: Power, Love, and Politics in the Ancient World (Walker & Company) Diana Preston This stirring book explores the romance and military, political and ideological struggle of larger than life figures, Cleopatra and Antony. Award-winning author, Diana Preston, has created a compelling and passionate book that sheds new light on a story we think we know everything about and debunks the sensationalism for a more balanced take.
AT LEAST IN THE CITY SOMEONE WOULD HEAR ME SCREAM: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life (Harmony) Wade Rouse Fans of Sedaris will rejoice in Rouse’s humorous and thoroughly entertaining account about becoming “the ultimate cliché.” At 40, Rouse hates his job, is mentally and physically exhausted, sells his house and moves to the woods with his partner, Gary, to become a modern-day Thoreau only to discover that there’s nothing simple about the simple life.
THE GROOM TO HAVE BEEN (Spiegel & Grau) Saher Alam Meticulously written and inspired by Edit Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, the debut novel is about Nasr, an Indian-Canadian Muslim who agrees to let his mother arrange his marriage while dealing with complicated feelings for his childhood friend, Jameela. Told against a backdrop of 9/11, the novel is as much about the struggle of balancing tradition with modernity as it is about recognizing love.
PERFORMANCE: Richard Avedon (Abrams) A sumptuous tome that comes in a hard slip-case and packed with more than 200 stars including Cate Blanchett, Sinatra, Brando, Monroe and Chaplin in rarely or never seen before photographs. John Lahr, Mike Nichols, André Gregory, Mitsuko Uchida, and Twyla Tharp provide the engrossing commentaries about Avedon.
J W WATERHOUSE (Royal Academy Publications) One of the most influential painters of the 19^th Century gets a fitting tribute in this hardcover book. The mesmerizingly detailed paintings bring mythical characters and ancient scenes to life and are handsomely supported by information. Also included in this volume are the artist's connection to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and his engagement with French art of the period.
THE GREEKS AND GREEK LOVE: A Bold New Exploration of the Ancient World (Random House) James Davidson The deliciously hefty offering by Classics scholar, James Davidson, explores homosexuality in ancient Greece by drawing from philosophy, poetry, drama, and history, and through archetypal heroes like Achilles, Heracles, and Alexander. An erudite work that is staggering in scope and achievement.
WHERE’S MY FIFTEEN MINUTES? Get Your Company, Your Cause or Yourself the Recognition You Deserve (Portfolio Hardcover) Howard Bragman Get tips and insights from the guru of PR that has helped such stars as Cameroon Diaz and Paula Abdul and perceptively suggests that PR stands as much for ‘perception and reality’ as it does for ‘public relations.’ With 30 years under his belt, Bragman is able to impart valuable lessons in not just how to prepare for appearances, but also how to create the perfect spins and how to sit in your chair during interviews.

SOUNDS

BACH IN HAVANA – Tiempo Libre (SONY BMG) Two-time Grammy-nominated, Miami-based Cuban group, Tiempo Libre combine the rhythm and sensibilities of Afro-Cuban grooves with the masterworks of Johann Sebastian Bach and features guest artists like Cuban legend Paquito D’Rivera and sax player, Yosvany Terry. Think Minuet in G underscored by calve and congas.
LAST CHANCE HARVEY – Dickon Hinchcliffe (Lakeshore Records) The simple though enchanting score uses mainly piano for the Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman film. Breezy and just over a half hour long, the music works just as well independent of the film and is easily accessible by fans of new-age music as it is by soundtrack buffs. Steering clear of a ground sound, the score is intimate and tender.
GREY GARDENS – Rachel Portman (Varese Sarabande) Portman, who has had a trademark sound, has been around a long time and her repertoire includes such greats as Benny & June. But lately, she seems to have reached new heights and given us breathtaking scores like The Duchess and now, Grey Gardens (which has remarkable similarities to the former). Poignant, sweeping, everything a great movie score should be.
SIN NOMBRE – Marcello Zarvos (Lakeshore Records) A sensual and moving score that can be enjoyed even without having seen the film. Zarvos, who has given us lush scores like The Door in the Floor, The Good Shepherd and Taking Chance, is consistently good and delivers again with melodious compositions that use guitars, emotive strings and drums. Zarvos has been named one of the “25 New Faces of Indie Film 2004” by Filmmaker magazine.
HELLO HELLO – Midival Punditz (Six Degrees) A slight departure from their previous releases, this more westernized installment from Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj still packs the haunting vocals of artists like Vishal Vaid and the sensual, hypnotic fusion of classical Indian rhythms with western music. Standouts include Sun Mere Sanam where Vaid soars and Har Ek Baat which uses a poem by 19^th Century legend, Ghalib.
LOST – Asha Puthli (Kyrone GP Music) The legendary diva unleashes a rendition of Bollywood classic, Dum Maro Dum, another take on The Devil is Loose, and originals like the sensual title track. Puthli, recognized as a pioneer of world music, has worked alongside and/or shared the spotlight with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Grace Jones, Sonny Rollins and The Rolling Stones. And from the looks of it, she’s anything but lost to her legion of fans, old and new.

Tribute: Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009


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