Page 6 May 25, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Entertainment Check It Out Film Review Rosie Revere, Engineer By Andrea Beaty and Illustrated by David Roberts; Artist Ted By Andrea Beaty and Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre Reviewed by Katrena Woodson, Teen and Young Reader Librarian, El Segundo Public Library The school year is rapidly coming to an end and summer is coming full S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) ahead! This week’s review focuses on a couple of picture books that put a spotlight on this year’s summer reading program theme, Reading by Design! Young readers will be able to earn incentives throughout the summer for reading. Sign-ups for children and teens will begin June 9 in the children’s department at the main library. The first book is Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. Rosie is a girl who likes to build things, but is shy to admit it and her projects don’t always work. Her confidence is broken after inventing a snake-deterring hat for her uncle. Upon presenting it to him, he responded by laughing hysterically. When a fellow enterprising family member comes to visit, Rosie’s faith in herself is restored. Beaty’s message is that the words and actions of adults can have a major impact upon children. Roberts’ illustrations do an impressive job of keeping the mood light and emphasizing creativity throughout the story. This picture book is appropriate for children ages five and up. Beaty has a few other similar books that are sure to be favorites if you enjoy this one. Next is another title by Andrea Beaty called Artist Ted and illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. This is part of a series of books that Beaty created following Ted (a bear) as he tries different professions. In this installment, we see Ted wake up bored with his plain walls and bursting with enthusiasm to paint them. He doesn’t have any paint or paintbrushes, so he has to make some out of mustard, chocolate syrup, etc. He paints and paints and paints. Ted even goes so far as to use a classmate’s white shirt as a blank canvas. Ted is full of gusto even if he is misguided at times. This story is filled with classic kid humor as well as some humor that will be appreciated by adults. Lemaitre’s visual style is appealing and easygoing, making this story most suitable for readers three to seven years old. Readers will be anxious to follow Ted on his next adventure--detective work. The El Segundo Public Library offers access to its collection of titles in a variety of formats, including traditional hardback, e-books and books on CD. To check out Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts, Artist Ted by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre, or any other title on your to-read list, please visit the library to apply for your library card, or please contact the reference staff for further assistance. • Cate Blanchett is an Artistic Vision in Experimental Film Manifesto By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com Cate Blanchett is a powerhouse performer, as proven by her two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three BAFTAs, among countless other nominations. The Australian actress is now back with a film that strays from the mainstream, but displays her talent in a way that she has never done before. Manifesto is extremely unconventional, yet extraordinary--and serves as a springboard for Blanchett to showcase her talent, further convincing me to see every film she has ever been in or will ever make for the rest of her career. Theatrical in its performance-driven style and gothic in nature, Manifesto is a series of vignettes starring Blanchett who recites monologues derived from famous 20th Century art movements. In every sense of the word, Blanchett carries the weight of the film on her shoulders as she is the sole focus of every scene. She takes on 13 different contemporary personas– from homeless man to choreographer to anchorwoman– in order to “modernize” the manifestos of the past as well as show lasting relevance in today’s world. The visionary mastermind behind the camera is director Julian Rosefeldt, a German visual artist whose past grandiose video installations serve as a precursor to this feature. In addition to directing, Rosefeldt also wrote and produced the film (although it’s fair to say that technically the script was, for the most part, already “written” since it is a compilation of various historical works from past writers). I can honestly say that I have never seen more beautiful locations or intricate attention to detail than in Manifesto. I could re-watch it multiple times for visual inspiration alone. As magical as the film is visually, Manifesto is equally as wonderful due to the many inspirational one-liners that are sure to resonate with your inner-creative. Personally, the one that most connected with me comes from Jim Jarmusch’s essay, “5 Golden Rules of Moviemaking.” His fifth rule states “nothing is original,” and he ends the manifesto with one of Jean-Luc Godard’s infamous quotes— “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.” In this scene, Blanchett plays a schoolteacher who is passionately educating her students on the freedom that art should elicit in both the work as well as in the artist. It is a memorable scene with more than one strong takeaway. If you’re looking for a film that is neat and tidy with any sort of narrative structure, Manifesto is not that film and would stand a good chance of driving you crazy. With no direct plot line to speak of, the single thread tying the film together is the rhetorical question of “What is art?” along with the various manifestos that seek to answer that question. The vignettes, while absolutely picturesque, have no relation from one scene to the next and audience members trying to instill deeper meaning may only be left confused. The artistic liberty that is executed here is commendable and wholly original, but definitely not for the impatient. That said, for those who enjoy avant-garde works of both art and film, Manifesto is a juicy bite of artistic vision. It is a colorful and vibrant call to action that stands to dissect the sanctity of art and challenges the viewer to question the authenticity of what we consider art to be today. Blanchett brings the star power and talent, Rosefeldt brings the vision, and together they create an experimental tour de force. On the surface it may seem like Manifesto only caters to niche “art house” enthusiasts--but if you consider yourself to possess any threads of creativity, I recommend exploring this unconventionally beautiful and stimulating work. Manifesto is not rated. 95 minutes. Opening this Friday at the Nuart Theatre. • Cate Blanchett in Manifesto. Courtesy of FilmRise. Artist Ted by Andrea Beaty and Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre. Katrena Woodson. We Will Never Forget 29th MAY Herald Publications will be Closed on Monday, May 29. Enjoy the day with your family and friends. Calendar of Events from page 2 • City Council Regular Meeting, 7:00 PM. – 10:00 PM., City Hall Council Chambers, 350 Main Street, Call: 310-524-2306. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 • Bowling, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, 50 Plus, Senior Club of El Segundo, Gable House Bowl, 22501 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, Cost: $8.00 for 3 games, Call Joyce at: 310-322-7621. • ESHS PTA Meeting, 7:00 PM., ESHS Library, 640 Main Street, Call: 310-615- 2662. THURSDAY, JUNE 8 • El Segundo Farmer’s Market, 3:00 PM. – 7:00 PM., located on Main Street, Downtown El Segundo. • Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and Illustrated by David Roberts.
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