Idol Insider

The girls finally have a chance to break the White Guy With Guitar strangleholdover American Idol

The judges’ general inadequacy aside, Season 11 of American Idol is shaping up to be an intriguing, unpredictable competition. The Top 13 contestants hit the stage Wednesday night to put their own spin on the Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston songbooks.

Here’s my take on the contestants who will sing for your votes:

1. Deandre Brackensick, 17 (San Jose)

Brackensick’s performances thus far have been a mixed back — a swirl of bum notes, sick falsetto and delicious throwback vocals. I don’t fault the judges for giving him one of the three wildcard slots based on his pure gift, but sometimes I think he’s not quite sure what to do with his intricately nuanced voice.

He’ll need to conquer that uncertainty in order to compete with the more commanding voices in the competition.

2. Hollie Cavanagh, 18 (McKinney, Texas)

I’m thrilled that Nigel and Co. gave Cavanagh a second chance after she fell just short of the Top 24 last season (remember this disastrous audition?). Green, sincere and naturally talented — my favorite Idol formula — Cavanagh is of the breed of contestants whose artistic arcs often end in the sweetest payoffs.

If she can cultivate her potential over the next 12 weeks, she just might end up battling it out at the Nokia Theatre.

3. Colton Dixon, 20 (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)

Perhaps the most commercial of all the contestants, Dixon seems tailor-made for the post-Adam Lambert Idol with his pop-rock style and showmanship. But does his aura outweigh his good but not spectacular voice?

Time and Idol’s signature limited themes will tell, though I have no doubt he’ll go far in this competition.

4. Heejun Han, 22 (Flushing, N.Y.)

As the competition gets more serious, Han’s equal part hilarious, equal part endearing personality is slowly but steadily losing its magnetism. It’s not that he isn’t talented, in an organic sort of way. It’s just that his repertoire of soft-rock ballads is starting to feel a bit one-dimensional.

If he doesn’t bust out with something ingenious in the next few weeks, he may be in danger of missing the Idols Live tour cut-off.

5. Jermaine Jones, 25 (Pine Hill, N.J.)

In my fantasy Idol league, I would’ve swapped Jones out for the polarizing Creighton Fraker, but the voters felt differently about the deep-voiced Gentle Giant. He’s a solid singer, to be sure, but for all his tenderness and mama’s boy sweetness, there’s been a general lack of charisma in his performances.

I’ll be surprised if he makes it past three or four weeks into the competition.

6. Skylar Laine, 18 (Brandon, Miss.)

Country music swept Idol nation last season, but it never quite matched the gusto Laine brought to the stage when she slayed “Stay With Me.” Like a spunky cross between Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire, Laine could easily come across as a 2.0, but there’s nothing derivative about her as of yet.

The key to her success will be how well her massive energy translates when she showcases the softer sides of her persona.

7. Joshua Ledet, 19 (Westlake, La.)

Ledet (“Mantasia”) has all of the vocal range of last season’s Jacob Lusk with about 110 percent more vocal restraint and instinct. He’s sung the fire out of all of his performances to date, and with the right mix of subtlety and power, he’ll continue to soar.

8. Jeremy Rosado, 19 (Valrico, Fla.)

There’s nothing that affects me quite like the swell of a melody (been there, done that), and if there’s one thing the soft-spoken Rosado’s proven, it’s that he knows how to massage a melody until it’s putty in his hands. Even if his performances sometimes feel a little old school Idol, I think the judges made the right choice by saving him with the wildcard.

Rosado has great potential, and lest we forget, sometimes the most powerful of emotions come in the shyest of packages.

9. Shannon Magrane, 16 (Tampa)

Otherwise known as “The Girl Who Stole Jen Hirsch’s Spot” (me, bitter?), Magrane has the pipes of an old soul, minus the soul. Her performances, like her rendition of the contemporary Christian hit “Go Light Your World” last week, have been grand and rich but lacking in earnestness and emotional depth.

Maybe she’ll find her groove — perhaps with songs that draw out her youthfulness — but right now she’s seems more like bait for those who claim Idol is all voice, no heart. And we know that isn’t true.

10. Phillip Phillips, 21 (Leesburg, Ga.)

It’s obvious that Phillips² is a descendant of the David Cook/Kris Allen/Lee DeWyze dynasty (see WGWG reference below), and for a lot of people, that’s tiresome in itself. Personally, though, I’m not willing to let that cloud my perception just yet.

Phillips’s shown creativity, grit, raw talent and a knack for breathing new life into lyrics (has “In the Air Tonight?” ever felt so evocative?), and I have hope that he’ll show other sides of his artistry in the coming weeks.

Regardless, you can put money on him being on our TV screens long past April Fool's Day.

11. Jessica Sanchez, 16 (San Diego)

Let’s put aside for the moment the fact that Sanchez was clearly bred for Idol — the swagger, the vocal inflections, the J. Hudson song that she killed — and instead state the obvious: The girl is mad talented. I’ve said before that the only way for 15 and 16-year-olds to survive on this show is for them to have an innate sense of self, an artistic wisdom that transcends their age.

Sanchez proved with one searing performance that she has just that, and I think if anyone can break the WGWG (white guy with guitar) hold on the Idol crown, it’s her. Game on.

12. Elise Testone, 28 (Charleston)

Note to all future talent competition contestants: if you’re going to sing Adele, you better have pain at your disposal. Testone wrung her semifinal performance of “One and Only” in sheer broken emotion, from the longing embedded in the lyrics to the awe of the “I can’t believe this happening” moment she had about 15 seconds in. Her voice may have cracked in places and fell off pitch in others, but the honesty and conviction in her voice show she’s in this for the music and nothing less.

I have a feeling the voters won’t carry Testone very far in this competition, but I’m eager to see what she does in the meantime.

13. Erika Van Pelt, 26 (South Kingstown, R.I.)

I agreed with the judges that Van Pelt’s spin on “What About Love” last week lacked bite despite her gorgeous smoky tone, but she wiped away any doubts with her electric Wildcard performance of “Edge of Glory.” If she continues to infuse her performances with this much vigor, she could prove a worthy competitor to the other feisty girls in the competition.

Get more of Tara Seetharam's pop culture musings on her website www.taraseetharam.com and follow her on Twitter @TaraAshley

unspecified

Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

---

The Invite is now playing in theaters.

movies film