Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 11 april 2019
A challenging exploration of humanity in 'High Life'

By LINDSEY BAHR post-Colonial West Africa rig. Instead it seems straight
Associated Press or modern day working out of a 1970s film, and it is
French filmmaker Claire class France, but to the out- slowly and surely shutting
Denis, one of the great liv- er reaches of space to drift down. Designed by Ice-
ing directors, has not lost around an ominous black landic artist Olafur Eliasson,
her edge as she's coasted hole with Robert Pattinson it sets a perfectly unnerv-
into her 70s. Her latest film, and a baby, daring us to ing mood, and every day
"High Life," which debuted piece together how they Pattinson has to convince
last fall at the Toronto Inter- ended up in such a precari- a low-tech computer that
national Film Festival and is ous situation. he is healthy enough and
now making it to theaters, The only thing that's imme- the ship is stable enough
is as stimulating and chal- diately clear is that they to justify systems running
lenging as anything she are alone on this space- for another 24 hours. It's an
made in the 90s. Although ship, which is hardly the existential chore to say the
here, she's taken us not to most advanced-looking least.
Pattinson, as a character This image released by A24 Films shows Robert Pattinson in a
named Monte, doesn't scene from "High Life."
have much dialogue to Associated Press
work with. But there is a
world of fear and anxiety girl and a dog near a des- routine, which requires
in his eyes as he tries to olate pond in the woods, some inventiveness to deal
tend to the needs of the but it will take some time with some of her bodily
creaky old ship and the for the film to reveal what functions, eventually you
adorable little infant in his happened then and why start to itch for the why and
care, soothing her through it's relevant. the how and Denis doesn't
a speaker as he tries to fix Although it is oddly peace- disappoint with her patient
something outside the ship. ful and compelling watch- reveals.
He has a few flashbacks to ing Monte and this baby, First, you realize, there was
a moment in his youth on a Willow (played by Scarlett other crew on board, but
grey fall day with a young Lindsey), go through their they've all died. q

Snarky Puppy's 'Immigrance'

emulates live experience

chael League says it's all
about fluidity, motion and
being "in a constant state of
migration." At 19 members
— including trios of drum-
mers, guitarists and percus-
sionists — Snarky Puppy is a
band as caravan, a group
that may need to start its
day with a roll call.
Winner of three Grammys
and numerous other dis-
tinctions, the instrumen-
tal mega-combo is also a
globalist when it comes to
musical styles, finding room
to add a wide spectrum of
world sounds to its jazz and
funk foundations.
Opener "Chonks" is chock-
full of funk, while another
League composition, "Bigly
Strictness," has a gnarly gui-
This album cover image released by GroundUP Music shows tar and a Moog keyboard
“Immigrance," a release by Snarky Puppy. solo that briefly speeds up
Associated Press like a vintage video game.
None of the tunes have lyr-
By PABLO GORONDI da and Japan, to name a ics, but guitarist Chris Mc-
Associated Press few, and instruments from Queen's "Coven" has plenty
Snarky Puppy, "Immi- as far away as Egypt and of lyricism, anchored by a
grance" (GroundUP Music) Morocco, Snarky Puppy's horn section that frequent-
With musicians from all "Immigrance" rings true to ly varies its hues as guitars
over the United States, as its name. and keyboards add their
well as Argentina, Cana- Bandleader and bassist Mi- own emotional inputs.q