Reels, Notes & Takes: Week 2

There’s no better place to keep a finger on the pulse of arts and entertainment happenings than Los Angeles. The A&E world is alive – it’s always buzzing, sometimes ready to implode with a hint of a surprise album or a celebrity’s controversial statement. Each week, the Daily Bruin A&E editors will discuss their views on recent topics and trends in pop culture.

“Untitled 2”: Kendrick Lamar’s poetic justice

There’s nothing Kendrick Lamar can’t do.

The rapper performed Thursday as the musical guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” In Dec. 2014, Lamar had performed an unreleased track, “Untitled,” on “The Colbert Report.” His performance of “Untitled 2 (Blue Faces)” on Fallon’s show seemed a natural transition through late night TV in the period following the roaring success of “To Pimp A Butterfly.”

Lamar, with his infectious yet calm energy, owned the stage. Many rappers distract audiences with messy intonation and exaggerated gestures, but I was blown away by his crisp delivery and clean movements. His lyrics, too, maintained the high standard set by “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in their complexity (“We both criminals with bad intentions/ They say time heals all/ But if I could shortcut/ My success, Corvettes by tomorrow”), leaving me relieved that he hasn’t compromised quality to chase numbers at the top of a chart.

With the song, Lamar triumphed over the mess of hip hop’s recent slack lyricism (think Kanye West’s “Facts”) and obsessive grasping for meme-fueled fame (Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” anyone?). If anything, Lamar’s appearance on Fallon’s show proves even his unreleased tracks pack a punch.

– Shreya Aiyar

A “Titanic” night at the Golden Globes

As Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet embraced and congratulated each other on their victories at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, I went into a trance.

In my head, DiCaprio whispered into her ear, “Do you trust me?” and Celine Dion’s soaring vocals cascaded momentarily into my brain, completely blurring out all other sound.

Now, I realize not everyone may have had the same intense experience seeing the embrace that broke the internet. But I’m sure many fans at least welled up or summoned fond memories of how Jack and Rose’s love story formed their childhood idea of romance.

However, the limelight of DiCaprio’s victory in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama category and embrace with Kate Winslet was partially stolen by a strange look he gave Lady Gaga. As Gaga brushed past him on the way to collect her Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television award (no wonder the Golden Globes ceremony is so long), DiCaprio seems to be laughing at something. Then when he notices Gaga his face suddenly contorts. It’s difficult to tell, but for me his expression flashes from a laugh, to a grimace, to a slightly embarrassed naughty child’s look.

DiCaprio later dismissed the reaction in an interview saying, “I just didn’t know what was passing me – that’s all!”

I, for one, think it was a harmless instance where DiCaprio was intimidated by Gaga’s sudden appearance at his shoulder (who wouldn’t be when such a powerful, trend-setting figure brushes past). However, others are bound to interpret it as something ruder, perhaps in an attempt to spoil DiCaprio’s perfect night.

– William Thorne

Lit-lover Emma Watson

Emma Watson is a bookworm on and off the screen.

The English actress portrays two of the biggest reading fanatics – library-loving Hermione from the “Harry Potter” film series and Belle in 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Watson, the United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador, decided to start a feminist book club Wednesday.

Like all popular movements of the 21st century, the project was initiated by Twitter when she tweeted asking her followers about ideas for the book club’s title. Her followers answered her call. They suggested creative options such as “Hermione’s Army,” “Watson Your Bookshelf,” “Equal Writes,” “fEMMAnist” and Watson’s selected winner – “Our Shared Shelf.”

The club is officially live on Good Reads, and Watson announced the first book as “My Life on the Road” by Gloria Steinem, a feminist activist and organizer.

Just when the art of book reading seems to be dying out, Watson’s idea of using technology to unite her fan base and embrace new perspectives from Steinem’s memoir is both modern and virtuous. I plead with other celebrities to look to Watson as a role model: to interact wholeheartedly with fans, use their voices to speak against issues that matter to them and encourage people to exercise their minds by reading.

The only downside is the Daily Bruin has already reviewed Steinem’s book, so we can’t quite read along.

– Lindsay Weinberg

The Tatums’ chemistry

From Jenna Dewan’s painted abs to Channing Tatum’s Beyoncé wig, everything about the married couple’s “Lip Sync Battle” is priceless.

The duo showed off their dance skills and humor in a showdown on Wednesday, in which Dewan masterfully and provocatively danced to Ginuwine’s “Pony” (think of her husband in “Magic Mike XXL”) and Tatum stepped to Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls).”

Dewan reminded me of her impressive dancing talent she initially showcased in the 2006 film “Step Up.” On the sidelines, her husband cheered her on with a genuinely speechless LL Cool J by his side. She beckoned Tatum on stage then proceeded to give him a lap dance, rendering him red-faced.

After getting off a statue of a horse, Tatum bounced stiffly in a skin-baring getup, mirroring Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” music video, while Dewan-Tatum danced and laughed on the sidelines.

As though the couple’s adorable reactions weren’t satisfying enough, Beyoncé surprised the audience, with an appearance halfway through Tatum’s performance, resulting in a floored (literally) Dewan. Tatum and Beyoncé shook their shoulders and flipped their hair as I stared into my phone screen, laughing.

But for me, the best part of the show was not seeing Beyoncé – it was seeing a glimpse of Dewan and Tatum’s relationship dynamics which they keep so private. The couple’s humorous performances and cheers for each other showed the human side of their celebrity.

– Gail Acosta