Page 6 April 5, 2018 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
By Roz Templin, Library Assistant,
El Segundo Public Library
A Fairytale for music lovers…
Once upon a time, there was a record shop
on Unity Street, somewhere in Britain. It
is 1988 and “…if you want to run a music
shop …, you had to stock CDs.” Frank’s
store, however (as colorful posters exclaim),
only stocked vinyl. Lots and lots of vinyl.
Imports, rarities, picture discs, classical,
punk, soul, jazz, “…as long as it was on
vinyl, there were no taboos.” Frank had
a unique talent. He could “prescribe” just
the right piece of music for anyone who
might be depressed, ill or just unsure of
life. For “The Man Who Only Liked Chopin”
it was Aretha! For Maud, it was “Adagio
for Strings.”
Maud runs a tattoo parlor on Unity
Street and she has a thing for Frank. Father
Anthony, now an ex-priest, has a store that
sells religious items. Mrs. Roussos and her
Chihuahua are neighbors. The Williams
Brothers have a funeral parlor. Mr. Novak
runs a bakery. And Kit works in Frank’s
store and likes to make the posters “For
the Music You Need!!!” Unity Street is struggling.
A development company is offering
to buy up the properties and then demolish
them to make way for new housing. But
this tight-knit crew is hunkering down and
fighting the good fight. And then Ilse Brauchmann
appears.
Ilse is a mystery woman who not only
intrigues Frank, but also everyone else on
Unity Street -- except Maud, who’s in a
jealous rage. Why is this woman in a music
shop when she asserts that she doesn’t listen
to music?
So begins an awkward dance between two
people who very obviously are attracted to
each other, but for varied reasons are unable
to admit to it -- not only to each other, but
to themselves.
There are chapters that flash back to Frank’s
childhood with his single mother Peg. Peg
is unconventional, to say the least. Her love
of music is the gift she passes on to Frank.
Author Rachel Joyce uses her own vast
musical knowledge to breathe life into Peg
and her stories of composers and particular
songs and suites. When introducing Vivaldi
to young Frank, she describes how innovative
the composer was for his time: “…he was
painting pictures with music. There will be
wind and rain and a storm. There will be
birds and flies, and a day so hot you can
hardly move. You’ve got to …close your eyes
and really listen.” As Frank matures, he uses
Peg’s tales to inspire others to try different
genres that they may not ever investigate
on their own.
The shopkeepers and residents of Unity
Street are a delightfully eccentric bunch, but
all of them are fiercely loyal, especially to
Frank. Kit, Frank’s assistant, is particularly
amusing with his puppy dog-like enthusiasm
and clumsy attempts to be helpful.
While listening to the book on CD version,
I especially liked narrator Steven Hartley’s
characterization. His inflections brought Kit’s
personality to the forefront and never failed to
make me smile. The library has both formats,
books and book on CD and will be featuring
this title in our Evening Book Discussion on
Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m.
We invite you to visit the library and discover
all of the programming and materials
that are available to the community. •
Lean on Pete Is a Stunning Companion
Film Full of Heartache and Triumph
By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com
Last year, it was Luca Guadagnino’s
visceral drama Call Me By Your Name that
transported audiences to the remote village of
Crema, Italy where we felt the warm summer
breeze on our skin, tasted the juices of the
perfectly-ripened fruit, and got that all-tooreal
pit in our stomach that only first love
can give. While the “cinematic” year is just
getting started, it seems like Lean on Pete is
British-born director Andrew Haigh’s answer
to last year’s aforementioned Best Picture
Oscar nominee. The visual and emotional
vibrancy of Lean on Pete, plus the powerful
performance from breakout star Charlie
Plummer, radiates from the screen and will
easily make its way into your heart.
Sixteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Plummer)
and his father Ray (Travis Fimmel)
have a dysfunctional relationship, which is
apparent from early on. They love each other
dearly, but Ray is not financially stable and
his emotional capacity is constantly being
distracted by the various women he brings
home. Because of his upbringing (Charley’s
mother left the family when he was young),
he has always been an independent boy
longing for connection -- so when he finds
a job at a local horserace track working
alongside Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi)
and jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny), Charley
finally feels complete. Del and Bonnie fill
the role of “family” and Charley becomes
emotionally attached to one of Del’s older
horses named Lean on Pete. However, when
Charley learns that Pete is being sent to the
slaughter after failing to win a race, he feels
not only betrayed by the people he considered
his chosen family, but heartbroken at
the thought that his best friend was going to
be discarded in such a horrific way. Charley
won’t let that happen and so, with Pete in
one hand and a couple bucks in his pocket,
he sets out across the Midwest to escape the
harsh reality in hopes of a promising future
ahead in the great unknown.
While the story isn’t an original idea
-- Haigh adapted Lean on Pete from Willy
Vlautin’s novel of the same name – the director
turns this story into an unforgettable
cinematic experience. Heartbreaking and
beautiful, we follow Charley as he makes his
way through rough terrain -- both literally
and figuratively -- navigating through the
harsh environments and a messy personal
life. Charley experiences various tragedies
and Pete becomes a sort of emotional support
animal for him. It is a heartwarming
moment once realized that just as Charley
saved Pete from an unethical death, Pete is
saving Charley from total loneliness.
Coming off of last year’s role as the kidnapped
J. Paul Getty III in All the Money in
the World, Plummer does an outstanding job
holding it all together as the headstrong yet
naive and underprivileged teen. The tension
bubbles and tears well behind his eyes, but
the attitude he adopts as Charley doesn’t
allow him to let his vulnerability show. It is
during certain moments of the film when this
vulnerability peaks through his tough exterior
that we see a child who is aching for stability
in any form. The supporting performances
from Buscemi and Sevigny are full of depth
and evoke a wide range of emotions. The
environment is also very much a character
in itself as the brutal landscape and places
within it provide Charley and Pete with benefits
or deterrents. However, Charley seems
to always come out the other side having
learned from the experience.
Lean on Pete is divided into three distinct
parts, perhaps serving as an homage to the
book. At times, it can feel like three different
movies. The motivation deters slightly
throughout each part, but the emotional impact
of Charley’s end goal remains consistent and
strong. It will be hard to get through the film
with dry eyes, but its lasting satisfaction and
tenderness make it all worth it.
121 minutes. Lean on Pete is rated R for
language and brief violence. Opening this Friday
at The Landmark and ArcLight Hollywood. •
Entertainment
Film Review
Morgan Rojas.
Check It Out
Lean on Pete. Courtesy of A 24.
Roz Templin.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce.
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