If you are even remotely plugged into the "scene" in Austin, you have been touched by Miguel Angel. He's either taken your photo at an event or provided the soundtrack to one of your wild and crazy Saturday nights.
Angel, also known as DJ uLOVEi ("I love u" backwards), has made a living creating and capturing moments in Austin as a DJ and photographer. On any given week you'll find him spinning hip hop at the Eastern, Cumbia at Takoba and "booty music" at Barberella. You'll also see him around town taking photos for Tribeza, KLRU and dozens of other organizations. "I love that I get to showcase Austin's unique personality through my music and photography," he says.
For someone so connected to the Capital City, it's hard to believe he's not from around here. Angel, 28, was born in Del Rio, served in the Marines and stumbled across Austin with no real plan. "After I got out of the military I had to find some place to live. I visited Austin a few times and felt like it had the right vibe and style for me," he says. Not only did he move to Austin, he's now part of the vibe and style that attracted him in the first place.
Angel was a photographer for the Marines and added spinning to his skills when he arrived in Austin. After successful shows at SXSW 2010, he decided to take a leap of faith and turn his hobbies into a profession. It meant leaving behind a steady job and income to follow his passion.
"At night everyone was patting me on my back, giving me high fives and buying me drinks," he says. "It was totally different during the day at my tech job where I had people yelling at me to fix their computers and treating me like crap." The only yelling Angel hears now are his fans shouting out requests for songs or trying to get his attention for a photo. He loves honoring both.
"I like to DJ because it allows me to express myself. It feels good to be in control of the music and the party. I also like that I can go to any party with my camera and meet everyone. They remember me and look for me and the photos I take."
Angel prides himself on being inclusive both professionally and personally. You'll find him spinning oldies but goodies for a swanky VIP party one night and then grunge music for a crowd of sweaty hipsters another. Plus, you can't help but notice the Human Rights Campaign logo displayed on his Mac during each show. The HRC is a national civil rights organization fighting for LGBT equality, and he is an advocate. "I don't understand why people's sexuality is still an issue. It makes me mad that people still hate on other people."
With so much going on, the busy DJ admits finding his soul mate has been hard. "Most girls can't handle the texts, photos and late nights," he says, but it's a part of the job he's not ready to give up. While he could easily play and photograph weddings and private parties, his preferred space is out in the community. "Austin is changing so much. I just want to keep the party going and make sure we don't sell out."
With 12 Oscar nominations in the past 12 years in multiple categories, Bradley Cooper has turned into not only an acclaimed actor, but also a touted filmmaker. Given that pedigree, it might be difficult to remember that he first gained recognition as a comedy star in movies like Wedding Crashers, Yes Man, and The Hangover series. For his latest directorial effort, he has married comedy with drama in Is This Thing On?.
Unlike the previous two films he directed, Cooper only has a supporting role, ceding the lead to Will Arnett. Arnett plays Alex Novak, who, as the film begins, is starting the process of divorce from his wife of 20 years, Tess (Laura Dern). Forced to move to a depressing apartment in New York City and only getting limited time with his two kids, Alex finds the unexpected outlet of stand up comedy when he signs up for open mic night at the famous Comedy Cellar.
The film follows Alex as he continues to pursue comedy while still having to see Tess on a regular basis, thanks to a shared custody agreement and get-togethers with friends like Balls & Christine (Cooper and Andra Day) and Stephen & Geoffrey (real life couple Sean Hayes and Scott Icenogle). While the comedy serves as a form of counseling for Alex, truly moving on proves more difficult than expected.
The film, co-written by Cooper with Arnett and Mark Chappell, is loosely based on the real-life story of British comedian John Bishop, so one of the biggest things they needed to get right was the comedy itself. Alex’s marital situation lends his comedy more of a confessional style than actual jokes, and his evolution in that space is done well. Shooting in the actual Comedy Cellar and populating the club with real comedians like Amy Sedaris, Jordan Jensen, Reggie Conquest, and more gives those scenes an extra dose of realism.
As if to underscore the personal and emotional nature of the story, Cooper and cinematographer Matthew Libatique make liberal use of closeups with handheld cameras. The camera is constantly moving around and often seems to be right in the actors’ faces, something that is most noticeable when Alex is performing. As if the stories Alex was telling weren’t intimate enough, having Arnett's entire face fill the frame forces the audience to pay attention to what his character is saying.
If there is something to knock about the film, it’s a lack of dramatic stakes. While there’s natural tension between Alex and Tess due to the divorce, it’s way less than in a movie like, say, Marriage Story. There’s also a sneaking suspicion that Cooper was just looking to have fun with the film, casting himself as the comic sidekick and working with good friends like Arnett and Hayes. If ever there was a good hang divorce movie, this is it.
Arnett rarely gets to be in movies, much less as the lead, but he ably embodies this somewhat dramatic part. It helps that he’s given a great scene partner like Dern, who knows when to dial her acting up or down for a particular situation. Cooper and Day are also good despite their story being slightly superfluous, and Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s parents lend the film some extra gravitas.
Is This Thing On? is a much different type of film from Cooper’s first two directorial efforts, A Star is Born and Maestro, and it’s nice to see the filmmaker offer something new. It has a relatable story for anyone who has ever been married while offering an element of uniqueness with someone discovering an undiscovered skill late in life.
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Is This Thing On? opens wide in theaters on January 9.
