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Wednesday, 30 September 2009
I don’t like writing about things non entertainment wise, unless it’s about my life…but I decided I’d finally address the issue with Roman Polanski. You’ve probably heard snippets about the issues. Essentially, it goes like this
Everyone is going to have their opinion on this…and that’s normal. Polanski was charged with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. The charges were dismissed under the terms of the plea bargain, and he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, according to the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, the court ordered Polanski to report to a state prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation, but granted a stay of ninety days to allow him to complete his current project. Under the terms set by the court, he was permitted to travel abroad. Polanski returned to California and reported to Chino State Prison for the evaluation period, and was released after 42 days. All parties expected Polanski to get only probation at the subsequent sentencing hearing, but after an alleged conversation with LA Deputy District Attorney David Wells, the judge "suggested to Polanski's attorneys that he would send the director to prison and order him deported". In response to the threat of imprisonment, Polanski fled the United States. Via
My feelings are simple. There’s this thing I vaguely remembered from my law class about the Death Penalty. If a person was convicted and given the death penalty there was a stipulation that the execution must be carried out and/or scheduled within some years…usually 10-15. If it exceeded it was deemed as inhumane and sometimes an appeal was even possible and the convict could get life imprisonment in stead. Now, obviously what Polanski did was wrong. And his fleeing the country only exacerbated it. Roman Polanski didn’t go all Bin Laden on us…if you wanted to find him, you could. So why didn’t the authorities arrest him then. Why did they wait thirty two years later? That’s my issue! It’s incredibly fickle for the authorities to now arrest him. I know that time doesn’t absolve him of the crime, but like that adage goes poop or get off the pot. And they haven’t pooped in over three decades, so by default they should be off the pot.
One last thing, regardless of your thoughts on this I don’t think it’s valid to call out the celebrities for signing the support Polanski document. Media personnel have gone crazy saying that the celebrities are only signing it because he’s a celebrity. Well, doh! I mean, if some person in your group got charged with whatever, you’d sign the petition because he’s part of your group. Right? Polanski is one of them, so they support him.
What do you think of the issue? Diagree…agree…I’d like to hear.
It’s hard enough being in one film with a huge cast, but when you’re in one of three films all with huge casts, someone is going to end up getting lost in the rubble. When the film in question is The Lord of the Rings, you’re just happy you’re in the biggest trilogy of all time. You’re not a hobbit, you’re not Gandalf, and you’re not Aragorn…so you probably will be forgotten. Like this entry.
Sean Bean in The Fellowship of the Rings
as Boromir
We first meet Boromir at the Council of Elrond as the representatives ponder what to do with the ring. Boromir goes against the grain, why not keep it and use it’s power – for good. He immediately rubs us the wrong way. Obviously his persona is in complete opposition to Aragorn – or Strider as we know him. This is not the noble man; there is a lust for power in his eyes that is not lost on us. When he realises that Aragorn is the heir of Isildur his contempt is not hidden well. “Gondor has no king”, he sneers to no one in particular. Aragorn is our hero and that is where our allegiance lies, but we can understand Boromirs feelings. With his father as Steward of Gondor he is the imminent steward and Aragorn poses a direct threat to him.
Boromir is one of the nine chosen for the journey to Mordor and the Fellowship continues as good as can be expected. All memory of Boromir coveting the ring is gone until that day that Frodo lets it drop carelessly. Boromir picks it up “It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so a small thing”…we have forgotten that this ring really is something dangerous, no matter how small it is.But that malevolent look in Boromir's, who has become friendly with the hobbits, eyes is something distressing.
In the entire of the trilogy Boromir’s death stands out for me as the most profound. After becoming overwrought with his lust for the ring he frightens Frodo into putting on the ring and breaking the Fellowship. With the donning of the ring the Orcs arrive and wreak havoc on the Boromir, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas. Boromir has already become enraged with himself and he fights valiantly to protect the little ones…but he dies, poetically of course with an arrow through him. It’s that final scene that sells me…as he pleads to Aragorn forgiveness. "I have failed you all." And then those final lines "I would have followed you, my brother...my captain...my king"…it is the saddest moment in the film. We realise that this is not a superhero film or a fantasy flick that ends in happiness for the good guys or those trying to be such. This is a poignant and somewhat tragic tale of man. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Sean Bean’s performance.
But what about you? Does Bean impress you as Boromir?
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Yes I am. Yes I am. At the moment I'm following 164 blogs. Is that alarming? I'm not sure. It's just that there's always a chance that someone writes something really profound and I miss it. That's why I never un-follow any blog. Even if they haven't posted in months. You never know what might happen. Crazy, right?
I'm feeling really blue right now for no reason...I should probably go watch a movie. But what?
Any suggestions?
Monday, 28 September 2009
Well here they are. The top six categories of the year and where my votes would have gone. Take a gander...Continued from here...
NOTE: Letters From Iwo Jima - I did not watch this out, so it's not on the list. An Inconvenient Truth...oversight that it's not here. I give a B+, Venus - I did not see this one. A big O'Toole fan...but [gasp] it's not in this country. And yes, it does suck here. The Lives of Others - did not see this either. Hence no inclusion here.
NOTE: Letters From Iwo Jima - I did not watch this out, so it's not on the list. An Inconvenient Truth...oversight that it's not here. I give a B+, Venus - I did not see this one. A big O'Toole fan...but [gasp] it's not in this country. And yes, it does suck here. The Lives of Others - did not see this either. Hence no inclusion here.
Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza in Babel
Cate Blanchett in Notes on A Scandal
Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada
Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine
Angelina Jolie in The Good Shepherd
Frances McDormand in Friends With Money
Anika Noni Rose in Dreamgirls
Sharon Stone in Bobby
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
Emma Thompson in Stranger in Fiction
This was a tough category to break down. So many women gave good performances in middling films, some tried their best to elevate their trite material, but at the end of the day these ten women were at the top. McDormand’s nomination is somewhat representative of her, Joan Cusack and Catherine Keener who did superb work in the horrible Friends With Money. It was such a wasted effort. Three great actors wasted. At the end of the day Adriana Barraza came out on top for her illegal immigrant. Those few solitary moments in the desert and positively haunting, she plays her role well. Cate Blanchett and Sharon Stone come next. Cate’s Sheba is a pathetic woman who is consumed with narcissism but yet she is able to find the [fine] light within, and we don’t end up hating the character. I always feel bad for Sharon Stone. She gives probably my favourite performance of hers, and few saw it and the other just didn’t care. And it wasn’t as if the film was bad. Meryl Streep and Anika Noni Rose both give best in show performances, and both play for comedy albeit in different ways. They round out the top 5.
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
Steve Carrell in Little Miss Sunshine
Paul Dano in Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children
Djimon Honsou in Blood Diamond
Gael Garcia Bernal in Babel
Jack Nicholson in The Departed
Brad Pitt in Babel
Martin Sheen in The Departed
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed
Oddly, this turned out to be the hardest category to compile. In addition to many of the films having a host of supporting actors present, there was also no clear winner. All the men were more or less equal. Finally, I decided on Paul Dano. An unlikely choice, no? Why didn’t anyone take notice of this performance? What is wrong with Hollywood? Those young untalented idiots from Transformers, Twilight, GI Joe get all the attention and Dano gets nothing. Even Michael Cera gets notice, so it’s not like it’s an aesthetic thing. I really can’t stress how much this performance impressed me. That scene where he finally speaks it’s just all really good. This was the best performance in the ensemble. Steve Carrell is close behind him, though. All I can say is genius. Jackie Earle Haley comes third for his haunting paedophile. Scary stuff. On a recent post I wrote that Brad Pitt is underrated. And he is…as an actor. We hear Brad Pitt and we think celebrity…we never think good actor. And he is. There are some scenes in Babel, aided by the aging makeup that are just chilling. And then there’s Gael Garcia in Babel. Pitt or he could have round up this category at the Oscars and I wouldn’t have minded. Are you going WTF at Martin Sheen. The scene leading up to Queenan’s death in The Departed are some of the most tense moments in recent cinema…Martin Sheen doesn’t have any big moments but he completely sells it as Queenan.
Best Actress
Annette Bening in Running With Scissors
Toni Collette in Little Miss Sunshine
Penelope Cruz in Volver
Judi Dench in Notes on A Scandal
Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette
Beyonce Knowles in Dreamgirls
Helen Mirren in The Queen
Julianne Moore in Children of Men
Julianne Moore in Freedomland
Kate Winslet in Little Children
What a good year it was for women…even if all the precursors only noticed five of them. I find it incredibly hard to single out one of them as best...and I try my best to avoid ties. In the end it goes to Judi Dench with Annette Bening nipping at their heels. Both women have tough characters to break into and they do it great alacrity. I bemoan the fact that Annette couldn’t even get a friggin’ nomination. But I’m over that. Really, I am. But we all know it’s because the film was clunky. But yet Streep gets nominated for the equally clunky The Devil Wears Prada in a supporting role. It’s a harsh world. Moving on…Kate Winslet gets the bronze medal for Sarah. She’s always great. So no surprise. Then there’s Ms. Collette who is so wonderful in Little Miss Sunshine. Words cannot describe. Ms. Cruz is fifth, but that doesn’t lessen her performance. I hate Spanish, but she made me want to learn it. The film gets a bit silly sometimes…but she plays it well. You’re probably saying…Where is Helen Mirren!!!! She’s in sixth place. I was glad she won…after that unwarranted snub for Gosford Park. Those bitches. But I just wasn’t as enthralled by The Queen. Kirsten Dunst is somewhere in the pack…I wish someone would give her a proper role – she has so much potential. Beyonce is somewhere towards the bottom of the pack …but I’d just like to note that I thought her performance was fine…and she deserved her Golden Globe nod. And yeah, Freedomland kind of sucked…a lot…but Julianne was not bad.
Best Actor
Matt Damon in The Departed
Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd
Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed
Aaron Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking
Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction
Greg Kinnear in Little Miss Sunshine
Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland
Forrest Whittaker in The Last King of Scotland
My race comes down to Leo’s tortured gangster and Kinnear’s bathetic husband and father. Leo wins it fairly easily, but Kinnear wasn’t bad at all. Picking three to round out the top five is harder to do though. I’m going to go with Damon in The Good Shepherd, Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking and Gosling in Half Nelson. It surprises me that of these three only Gosling gained any traction and Damon got virtually no response from the awards. And Eckhart couldn’t even win the Globe. I cringed when Sacha Baron Cohen won that Golden Globe. Kinnear wasn’t nominated…but at least they could give it to Eckhart or even Ferrell. Sigh. I can't fault Whitaker's win though.
Best Director
Del Toro for Pan’s Labyrinth
Condon for Dreamgirls
Innaturu for Babel
Marber Notes on a Scandal
Scorsese for The Departed
Once again The Departed has it. The others are just basically in a tie…okay, maybe Innaturu edges out in front for those scenes in Arabic…but they’re all pretty good. Todd Field was a runner up for Little Children…but I preferred the honesty of the direction in Notes on a Scandal even if it was the weaker of the two. But for some reason I think the two pieces complement each other.
Best Picture – chronological order
The Departed [A+]
Babel [A-]
Dreamgirls [A-]
Little Miss Sunshine [B+]
Little Children [B+]
Bobby [B]
Stranger than Fiction [B]
Thank You For Smoking [B]
Notes On A Scandal [B]
Pan’s Labyrinth [B]
Children of Men [B]
Happy Feet [B]
The Good Shepherd [B]
The winner by a long shot was The Departed. Perfect combination of crime, foul language, tension, murder and even a little sex. I was screaming at my TV as Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson opened that envelope. Good times. It was the clear winner in my book and no other film came close that year. Babel was in second place. For some reason people don’t like this one. But I was a fan. It’s not one that you necessarily want to see again, what’s that phrase…once is enough. And Dreamgirls is third. This has suffered some extreme backlash and it is not a perfect film…but it is enjoyable and Condon’s direction though spasmodic was inspired in quite a few scenes. Little Miss Sunshine is close behind. I never really saw this winning Best Picture…but this was a good ride, and although I would have liked if Dreamgirls had replaced it…it deserved its nomination…and then we have Little Children…it’s an almost tie Bobby and Stranger Than Fiction…but Todd Field edges out. Thank You For Smoking is my favourite Reiteman. It’s a flawed film, but I found it entertaining. The other films in the top thirteen are all good.
I grew up in the nineties, and I had my fill of animated films. I’ll always think that the classic 2D animation is the best. The renaissance of Disney occurred towards the end of the 80s when a fresh new idea came to Disney in the form of an adaptation of the classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid. I was never fond of the actual fairy tale. The somewhat poignant climax is diminished by the schmaltzy spiritual ending – but whatever. Despite this one having a happier ending, I find it more touching. I can’t remember the first time I saw this movie, but for a looooooooong time I was obsessed with Ariel. I used to seek out people with the name just because I’m sure we would be betrothed – and my name is not even Eric. I’ve moved on from that stage, thank God. But I still find this movie particularly enchanting. From the plight of Ariel, Triton’s fatherly affection, the wonderful machinations of Ursula and the charming score. I am a big fan of this.
Let’s begin with Ursula. Disney films hinge on villains – they range from the two dimensional to the profoundly human. Many of them are quite enticing, but the two villains that have had the most profound effect on me are Maleficent [Sleeping Beauty] and the aforementioned Ursula. There’s that scene towards the end where she becomes gigantic as the waves…that was some scary shit as a child. As an adult now, I just find it comical. I’m always one to look for hidden subtext in everything, and now I find Ursula’s plight quite tragic. The culmination of her character is in the under loved and sinister 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'. The song is played for ostensible dramatic flair, but now when I hear it I feel this acute sense of pity. This woman is pathetic; this deformed looking, beige Octopus thingy with those repulsive eels for company. If I was her, I’d want to destroy Triton’s life too.Ariel represented a turn from the heroines of yore – she was not silent like Aurora, insipid like Snow White or even dutifully reticent like Cinderella. She was a stepping stone for future heroines [Jasmine, Belle, Mulan], though she was not quite as unwaveringly brave as they were. Like all these heroines though, she was particularly bound to her father. At the end of all the dilemmas when Ursula has gone, Ariel realises that to have Eric she must give up her father. She gives Eric a sad, longing look. We can only assume what she’s thinking… and then her face goes into shock as she realises that she has legs. It’s a bigger moment than we may realise. Obviously it represents that moments in all parents lives when they must let their children go and it is profound as we see that bittersweet look on Triton’s face.
There are only four songs in this movie…well four and a half ['The Daughters of Triton'], and I really don’t know how 'Under the Sea' was the one Oscar chose. 'Under the Sea' is a nice frothy filler number, but it is never the song that jumps out at me. It’s a wonder that anyone can resist that sensual melody of the Caribbean crab Sebastian’s crooning in 'Kiss the Girl'. The rhythmic beats, the slow soothing sounds – it’s captivating and words well with the movement of the film. The diva ballad 'Part of Your World' is easily written off as generic, but you have to smile at the irony of lyrics like “Bet you on land, the understand. That they don’t reprimand their daughters” and the use of puns like “bright young women, sick of swimming, ready to stand”. And all this is within the first fifteen minutes.And this film is not long. In typical in and out form Disney wraps it up in below 90 minutes, making you wish it was longer but satisfied nonetheless.The film is definitely flawed, but who looks at Disney films to unearth some deeper psychological moment. Never during the short time do you question the reality of the characters plight. Your feelings do not waver, and male or female you do feel 'nice' when Ariel grows her legs. Poor girl though, if she only knew. Being human ain't all that it's cracked up to be.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
I hate technology. Why? Because I'm addicted to it. There was a time when I'd just read. Little TV, a fair amount of music...and a lot of books. Now with this blasted technology thing I'm addicted. Oh well, we had this massive power outage today in this area for twelve hours. So yeah. That sucked. Hence I caught the results to StinkyLulu's Smackdown a little a lot late. So you should head over there and take a look see at the year 1993 and what the Smackers chose. What are your thoughts on 1993? Good year [are you crazy]...bad year? What would your slate look like...and ummm, why are you still here? I said to head over to Stinky Lulu. NOW!
Since Danny asked me the other day about this ongoing feature I thought I’d clear up any confusion. This is not a list of the best films I’ve seen. Hell, I don’t know what that list would like that…and frankly, I don’t give a damn [that’s probably going to be on the list]. You already have the AFI in their way, telling us that so and so are the best films ever, so why do you need me to reinforce that? You don’t. What this is a list of the 100 films that have affected me the most. Don’t think this means I’m getting all weepy and this is a list of the most tear-jerking films. No. It’s not. You know those movies that your life would be empty without? These are mine. A purely subjective list. Keep that in mind. You might find The Godfather there, and then again you might not. You might Schindler’s List, there. And then again, you might not. Are these films, good – great? Hell yes, they are. But that doesn’t really concern me at the moment. It only matters if they’ve had a big impact on me. Because these are the movies that I think about when I start cinema lusting.
The list consists of films seen from 2007 going back. No films released after 2007 are eligible. If this blogging thing goes well, maybe next year this time I’ll revise the list. Maybe. Films released before 2007 that I see after have a shot of entering the firmament but only in special circumstances. I have to have some boundaries.
I must admit that I’m a bit of an elitist and have some highbrow tastes. No that the list is ridden with elusive foreign films or anything. But it does have a lot of Oscar winners. About 75% of them are probably Oscar type films. Sue me. My repertoire isn’t that broad. They’re the films that appeal to me. Yes, I like stuff like The Reader and Babel and The End of the Affair. But the list does have a few left-field choices that you probably wouldn’t expect. Just a heads up to all those teen movie/Lindsay Lohan haters…Mean Girls is on the list. It’s just a warning. And Citizen Kane is not. Great movie [best in the world…no], but it didn’t have that big effect on me. So it’s not there. To Kill A Mockingbird, great film, one of the best of the sixties perhaps…but it’s not here. Sorry. It didn’t change my life. The novel did, the movie not so much.
So there you have it folks. This is what my hundred favourite films will look like. You stand warned.
PS. I may be away from the computer today, so in case I'm not back...head over to Stinky Lulu and catch the smackdown as it happens. The year is 1993. Join in the fun and comment, etc.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
I’m working on another year in review. The year in question 2006. I’m keeping the list of my top thirteen films that year and the acting categories for later…as in tomorrow. But this is dedicated to the other films…ranked in chronological order…and other miscellaneous rantings.
Films Ranked B-
The Prestige
The Queen
Hoodwinked
Volver
Akeelah & the Bee
Marie Antoinette
Running With Scissors
United 93
Blood Diamond
The Devil Wears Prada
The Last King of Scotland
Scoop
Half Nelson
A Good Woman
Borat
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Monster House
I wouldn’t go as far as to say Marie Antoinette is a masterpiece as some, but the film was fine…and in such a weak year it’s surprising that there wasn’t more traction. Oh well. They’ll always have Paris…and the Revolution. I like Stephen Frears but I just could not get into The Queen. I tried...but I couldn't. And ummm, I happened to like Hoodwinked. It was an enjoyable animated flick? Am I alone on this? Scoop was not Woody's best...obviously...but it had charm.
Films Ranked C+
Nanny McPhee
The Holiday
Something New
Casino Royale
The Pursuit of Happyness
Miss Potter
Charlotte’s Web
Barnyard
Cars
X-Men: The Last Stand
I thought Cars was a travesty. That's all.
Films Ranked C
Take the Lead
Freedomland
Inside Man
The Black Dahlia
The Davinci Code
You, Me & Dupree
The Break-up
Films Ranked C-
Friends With Money
Just My Luck
Last Holiday
ATL
American Dreamz
Click
She’s The Man
Step Up
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Films Ranked D+
The Pink Panther
Phat Girlz
The Lake House
Films Ranked D
Firewall
Eight Below
Films Ranked D-
The Santa Clause 3
John Tucker Must Die
The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Films Ranked F
Big Momma’s House 2
Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties
Material Girls
If they were real I would take these three films, vomit on them and then stuff them down the throats of the Duffs, Martin Lawrence, Jennifer Love Hewitt and everyone else involved. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
What do you think is topping my list? Any film here that should have been in the top 13?
VOTE...VOTE...VOTE...
Contribute
Friday, 25 September 2009
-Do I know you?
-Do you ever shop at Barnes & Noble?
-Sure...sure...
-That's it.
-Yeah?
-I've seen you man. Book slave there for like five years now.
-No I think I'd remember you...
-It might me the hair.
-What might...
-The hair...it changes a lot.
Is it weird I wrote this dialogue from my head?
The freakiest shit happened to me today. For no apparent reason – I mean, untouched without preamble with any goading the monitor of my computer did a back flip. Yes, my monitor one of the normal-not-a-flat-screen-huge-monitor literally, and I say literally merely for dramatic effect, fell off from its stand and toppled over backwards. To the floor. And by the way it’s still working. Yes, a three-and-a-half foot fall and it’s intact. I don’t if I should be freaked out or not. If I had seen this on TV I’d have probably expected it to come out looking like this. Or at least not working. But let me tell you when it fell [yes I saw this traumatic event] I was thinking I am so going to need some money right now. I can't live without this thing.This reminds me of when I was five and fell from a two story building onto some asphalt and only ended up needing one stitch. Weird? I know. Is God trying to send me a message? Is he trying to tell me, "Andrew, enough with the computer. Get a life!" Is this way of telling me that I have a problem. Do I need to confront this? Is there a Bloggers Anonymous, or Internet Addicts Symposium I should attend? Should I? Anybody?
I didn't think so.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Moving on...M. Carter gives a list of the worst villains in cinema. Who do you think is missing?
I hope you checked out my list of favourite actresses...
Hunter's post is completely not related to film but it is hilarious!
And in movie news...Diablo Cody is adapting Sweet Valley High. Okay then. and Barbie is making a movie..okay then, again. Thoughts?
And finally...[like I haven't been remind you enough] please vote in the Katharine Hepburn Awards: Final Round...and if you're a fan [or not] you can contribute a piece on one of her performances.
The Supporting Actress. For some reason this seems to be most people’s favourite category. Not I. I don’t really have a favourite acting category. They all have their good ones, and bad ones. These are the performances that are embedded in my memory. As I’ve said before. There is no best...but for various reasons these performances are my favourites. We have a neurotic case, a passionate artist, a caring nurse, a dramatic actress, a serious actress, a passionate humanitarian, a tragic lady of the night, a loving girlfriend, and a political activist. There are my choices for Best Supporting Actress in descending order.
Juliette Binoche in The English PatientThere is nothing that can make me dislike this performance. There is just an incandescent nature about Juliette as Hana, the Nurse. The fluidity in her performance is striking. There’s a scene in the movie where she responds to a questions saying “I don’t know anything”. The line alone is unremarkable but it is her delivery that penetrates. There is no one Oscar scene in her role which makes me treasure the win that much more. It’s one of the more surprising decisions Oscar made…and also one of the most satisfying for me.
Sandy Dennis in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Her entire role is an Oscar scene and how well she does it. Honey’s transformation is startling, absurd, realistic, and horrific all at once and oh, how she sells it. There are so many layers to this performance and every time you watch you find another one. There is no best scene for her, it’s all about you and which of her emotions strikes you most. For me, it’s that moment in ‘Get the Guests’ where she realises her husband’s disloyalty. Her face begins to contort and her childish shrieks become so much more adult and so very heartbreaking and it’s the perfect set-up to the denouement of her character in the final act.
Cate Blanchett in The AviatorThere is once scene that stands out in The Aviator for me – always. Howard takes Kate Hepburn out out for dinner. The dinner is interrupted by Errol Flynn and Hughes’ press agent, Johnny Howard. I love the scene.What strike me about Cate’s performance here is the moments when she is not at the centre of the conversation. Mr. Flynn makes an offhand remark “You should use Lux on your hands, by the way. I do.”, it’s not really important…or is it? As he moves on to talk to Howard the camera lingers, almost by accident, on Cate as she self consciously looks at her hand. It’s a telling moment. Someone once referred to Kate as a self conscious beauty. She was beautiful, we’ve seen the pictures. And she was private. So how can Cate tackle this icon? Her effort is valiant and enticing, not because she’s playing Kate, but she’s playing a woman. Her big moments are loud and glorious – the first meeting, the airplane ride, the Hepburn lunch. But it’s the quieter moments when she really sells me, like that tentative look at her hands, and her expression as she leaves Hughes. Is this enough to be Kate? Certainly not. But could it have been better? No.
Rachel Weisz in The Constant GardenerI happen to be one of the people who like The Constant Gardener. For some reason this performance has suffered extreme backlash. Whatever. I first saw Rachel Weisz in The Mummy and even playing camp I was intrigued by her. Tessa Quail came next. I don’t think this is a leading performance, but that’s moot. Tessa is a bit of a mystery to us…no one is that good. What is her reward for her philanthropy? But maybe she is. The moment that strikes me most when I remember Tessa is that scene in the hospital after she has lost her child. She sits cloaking a newborn African child who’s mother in a precarious position. “This one was born healthy though. Weren't you beautiful my darling. His name is Baraka. It means blessing.”The emotion put into that one scene is remarkable.
Marcia Gay Harden in PollockWhenever I see Marcia Gay Harden I remember her unsettling performance in Mystic River. Celeste remains as one of the most disconcerting female characters this side of the century and Marcia’s performance is high on my list…so is her Lee Krashner. This woman is a phenomenal actress and you have to wonder why she doesn’t get more work. There really is not much you can say about this performance – if you’ve seen it, you just know it’s exceptional. What’s unfortunate is that as much slack as people give the Oscars they really do do some outstanding things. Not one major precursor recognised Ms. Harden with even a nomination. At least Oscar got it right.
Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over BroadwayWhat a gem Woody prepared for her. Dianne Wiest is another great actress that you rarely see getting work. She’s phenomenal in this and the question of any competitions more worthy always baffles me. And you can’t really say that its Allen’s words that sell the character. If there is no one capable of delivering the goods with such a role, then it becomes an epic failure. Luckily, she has all the talent necessary and then some. I spend my time waiting for her to appear on screen and counting the minutes till she returns and in a film that is so brilliant, the fact that I still highlight her as paramount is an achievement in itself.
Vanessa Redgrave in JuliaIt’s not that her performance is the largest in the film. Jane Fonda carries most of the middle section on her talented shoulders. And it’s not that her role is big – she has an alarmingly short amount of screentime. Why then is the film named after her character? We have to believe that there is a woman more luminescent, more enchanting, more affable and yet more mysterious than any other. We have to believe that there is someone that the hard edged Lillian Hellmann would sacrifice so much for her and Julia is Vanessa. The film hinges on her small role. If we don’t believe in Julia, well we don’t really have a movie. But we do believe in Julia. We believe she would do what she does and moreover we believe that she is worthy of all Hellmann goes through for her. That’s why she deserved the Oscar.
Anne Baxter in The Razor’s EdgeI have my own love affair with Anne Baxter. It always pains that so few remember her only as the conniving Eve…and what’s worse is that they don’t even acknowledge that she was well deserving of her Oscar nomination. Her win for The Razor’s Edge occurred some few years earlier, playing a damned woman, a best friend of the protagonist. It’s the type of role that probably screamed Oscar on paper. But that doesn’t make it any less good. The performance and role are tragic, but in a good way. She’s not the first woman to win an Oscar playing a broken woman, and she probably won’t be the last. But she is one of the more memorable ones.
Mercedes Ruehl in The Fisher KingThere are two reasons that I single out this performance. The first and obvious reason is that I love it, and the second is because it’s underrated. Mercedes represents for me brainwave the Academy experienced in the early nineties with Ghost, The Fisher King and My Cousin Vinny, awarding some left field performances. Ruehl. She is in complete control of her comedic timing and her sensuality. Every movement from her is well placed but not orchestrated. Her reactions to Bridge’s coldness, her tacky manner, her speech; it’s over the top and sincere as needed. And she sells it. Whereas with Goldberg and even Tomei there is that twinge wondering if someone else had triumphed I look only to Mercedes. I love the movie, and I love her in it.
These nine stand above the rest…runners up ARE, in order
Maggie Smith in California Suite
Kim Hunter in A Streetcar Named Desire
Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront
Maureen Stapleton in Reds
Celeste Holm in Gentleman's Agreement
Sage ranks them all according to prefence...He'll be very upset with me.
Joe Burns gives his list 2 in common
Joe Burns gives his list 2 in common
Make a list of your own from the winners...three, five, ten...I'll link up.
Remember that post eons ago on my favourite actors? I found that relatively simple because there are not many actors who alone could make me want to see a film…but with the women…it is much more difficult. This is a list of the women who I follow religiously. Their presence alone often makes me go see a film…for better and for worse. I’ve been tinkering for ages…but here they are in sequential order.
TIER ONE
TIER TWO
TIER THREE
TIER FOUR
TIER FIVE
Is there someone you don't recognise? Any surprise omissions or inclusions? Who's on your list?
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