|
|
|---|
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Perhaps projection from hatred of my birthday made June a bit unbearable at times....
It’s weird. It seems the more stressed out I am the more blogging I do. That’s the only reason to explain the 70 posts this month – June was even worse than May.
Along with Jose and Luke, I finally discussed the Best Actor Race of 1985. Two actors nominated for action films? That doesn’t happen often.
On the collaborative note I teamed up with Yojimbo for a Scene On A Sunday discussion centring on Atonement.
Of course, I probably should take into account the 30 posts dedicated to the overlong TV Meme, but despite the stress it was fun. Rachel and Ryan T. have been counting with me and Luke, Robert and Jude are still in the process. Yes, we know most of you are movie blogs, but TV has its moments.
Speaking of which, I submitted my own ballot for the upcoming Emmy Awards a few days ago. The Emmy’s are notorious for depressing me, but I’m like a dog with a bone.
I’ve reached the homestretch of my Top 100 films and only recently singled out The Apartment as #10. More to come in July. I’ve also got a countdown of sorts (inspired by Heather) premiering tomorrow, so check back for more details.
I revisited the lovely An Education though what I did was nothing like a review, hence the poll in the sidebar...I'll review whatever wins.
My movie watching has been considerably down, what with exams and all – though I did see Nowhere BoyR (liked it very much), Robin Hood (appreciated it in spots) Toy Story III (liked it, generally). The latter got me wondering about the animation format... July should point to increased viewing, I’m very curious to see Knight & Day actually.
After Marshall won LAMB Casting she went for a lighter film. Get your ideas for My Best Friend's Wedding sent to me.
June marks the halfway mark to the year. How was it for you?
CS of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind invites bloggers to Pitch a Movie every month. This month, it's the Buddy Film.
Examples of the Genre: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; Thelma and Louise; Midnight Cowboy; Planes Trains and Automobiles; Sex and the City; Strange Brew; The Hangover; Toy Story; Fried Green Tomatoes; Swingers; Grumpy Old Men; Sideways; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
10 words/phrases to get you started:
- You owe me! Remember that...
- I think the walls are moving...
- Leslie
- Did we forget something?
- Drinks
- Well look who just walked in...
- Road Trip
- You know I would do the same for you...
- Cellphone
- Who’s going to know?
Like with the last title I pitched, I'm not sure how much it stays within the genre...and as usual...still no name. Here goes...The words I used from the list are bold.
It opens with a wedding. It’s the usual posh, but not over the top arrangement and all seems fine except that the groom is outside smoking, very tense. This is JOSHUA KLINE. Eventually, a bridesmaid comes out; the wedding has to be started. The wedding procession begins and his bride (LESLIE) arrives at his side. He shakes his head imperceptibly, and we pan out to see he is without a best man. We arrive at the wedding ceremony, dancing, conversing and a bottle of champagne opens as we cut to a man in the shower. This is PATRICK JONES, the missing best man. He enters his bedroom where a woman lays there, post coitus – SOFIA VIERA. They have a cold conversation where, after being goaded, Patrick reveals that he doesn’t believe in weddings – that’s why he didn’t turn up at Joshua’s. After a slight spat Sofia leaves.
A couple of weeks pass and Patrick eventually turns up at the newlyweds’ home, with a bonsai tree as a gift. Leslie smiles wanly letting him in. Joshua enters the kitchen where they are and shakes his head, “Well look who just walked in…” The air is tense for a few seconds and the three sit and have breakfast as if nothing has happened, with Patrick mentioning that the gift is really from Sofia.
A few years go by peppered by the usual. The couple have a baby, and then another one – Patrick stands as the godfather for both, even though he hasn’t exactly become a “new man”. Sofia gets married and Patrick refuses to be motivated to make any romantic gesture to thwart it, though he still maintains a friendship with her. As marriages go, problems are forthcoming with Leslie and Joshua and Leslie and Patrick unwittingly have sexual encounter at low points in their lives after talking over drinks. “Who’s going to know?” a drunken Patrick whispers to her as they consummate the affair. Conversations afterward reveal that this is not the first encounter of the kind between the two.
Both wake guilt ridden and Leslie anxious to rekindle the flame her marriage severs the relationship with Patrick and suggests the idea of a road trip for the couple – to Las Vegas. Patrick is given the task of babysitting the children. Sofia, now separated from her husband, turns up to help him. While out with the two children and Sofia at the playground Patrick gets a call on his cell phone. On the way back home, Leslie and Joshua have been in an accident. Leslie has died and Joshua, just barely hanging on, pleads with Patrick to adopt the children. A distraught Patrick is reticent and Joshua implores “I’d do the same for you.” Patrick shakes his head, “I’d never have had children.” Angrily Joshua shouts, “You owe me! Remember that.” Patrick thinks he’s referring to the wedding that he missed seven years ago, but (of course) Joshua knew of the affair all along. Joshua goes into shock and dies as a frantic Patrick sits down. He leaves the hospital room to see Sofia and waiting expectantly with the children. He sighs heavily as the screen fades to black.
CAST
Joshua / James Franco
Leslie / Rosemarie DeWitt
Patrick / Derek Luke
Sofia / Sara Ramirez
Oh, how I love a tragedy. Any suggestions on a title?
Sooner or later, for me it’s always sooner, we get to the place where we see movies less as independent entities waiting to be judged but pieces of “art” that we would (or perhaps not) have a connection. Even if it’s not acknowledged, we have to feel some connection – regardless of how tenuous – to a film we recommend. It was something that occurred to be less than half an hour in Toy Story 3. I don’t know if I was an “unusual” child but I’ve never been enamoured with toys. I can’t remember – even vaguely – any, though I’m sure I must have; I was always literary minded. Toy Story 3 is the type of farewell that many sequels are unable to get. Andt is literally attempting to create an end (and a beginning) for these characters and his tale is excellent…in spots.
Andy is leaving for college and is faced with the dilemma of what to do with his toys. Through chance occurrence after chance occurrence they end up in a school which leads to new adventures for the toys. In the same way that I was never attached to toys I’ve never been attached to previous incarnations of Toy Story, but as much as the writers are using continuity they don't depend upon it and it’s as much a send-off as it as a film complete in itself. Toy Story 3, though, is for children – or at best, the children in us. Whereas Coraline (incidentally another film touching on children and playthings, notwithstanding to a lesser degree) is a film for older children with things to attract the young, Toy Story 3 is the opposite. At its heart it’s the story of a boy and his toys, and (silly me) I didn’t realise that until the end of the film. I don’t know how sinister it makes me sound, but I found myself almost hoping that the film would close with a certain movement of the toys, hands joined, towards a certain burning light; but moments later I realised that any poignancy to be found in such a send-off would be much to morbid (and anti-antimation).
It’s not that Woody’s constant refrain of “We’re Andy’s toys!” is lost on me, but Unrich and Arndt are doing such a good job of making everything else seem fun – notably a particular young girl and her toys – that I forget that Andy is the missing link. Thus, his final moments with his toys doesn’t move me as much as it makes me smile, somewhat ironically; I didn’t really understand it - can't a child survive without toys? And, yet, I did understand. And, then it occurs to me that it (the movie) is not about an end but a new beginning. It’s not heaven, but it’s somewhere close – for the toys, and perhaps for the audience (some of them) too.
B
(Is there any chance of me getting a “Book Story”? That would really appeal to me.)
This question puzzled me. Characters die on TV but often they’re guest stars or recurring characters, unless it’s Lost or 24 deaths don’t come that often. I have touched on two sad deaths over the months, Denny’s in Grey’s Anatomy and Rex’s in Desperate Housewives. It made me realise that what was sad was not the actual death but the reactions of the characters. I decided I’d focus on a character I’d never liked that much, but on what I consider to be one of the strongest representations of death in a television show.
The death in question was that of Joyce Summers in “The Body”; the show – Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Buffy comes home one night to find her mother dead and the rest of the episode continues in a sombre, dismal tone. Whedon realises that death doesn’t always bring people together – it tears them apart and it’s seeing the reactions of the characters that make this episode less about Joyce’s death and more of death in general. I always remember Anya, a demon turned human, asking frantically “What am I supposed to do?”
What are we supposed to do when someone dies? Buffy just draws deeper into herself…
This is the last MEME post, I shall be back with a recap...but for now
"I'm free! We're free! We're free!"
Extra points if you know which play ends with that line.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
I knew it wouldn’t be Glee I’m not obsessed with it (yet) and I’m more obsessed with Chenoweth (and the music) in Glee than the actual show – which is a delight. It couldn’t be Grey’s Anatomy. Yes I love (with the DVDs to show) but it’s heading south and they need to stop making everyone have sex. It’s a hospital, for god’s sake. It couldn’t be Dexter because that’s mostly about the excellence of Michael C. Hall and it couldn’t be The Office because I want more B.J. Novak. In a time of such indecision there really was only one person to turn to – Leslie Knope.
When Parks & Recreation first premiered it was received with mix reviews – a strange premise, stodgy writing and an unproven cast. Somehow I’m not sure what the issue was because I was there from the beginning and I’ve always been a believer. The first season focused on the Parks & Recreation departments attempt to turn a horrible pit into a park – that didn’t pan out too well for the department but it led to a whole lot of hilarity for me. I won’t say much about. I already have (and I’m tired), but rest assured it’s one of the greatest things on TV right now. Just check my fake Emmy nominations...
The penultimate post of the meme, sigh.
In case you didn't notice, I've got a poll up on the sidebar. I actually hate polls (anonymity does not do it for me), I actually did two polls way back when when you picked Sweeney Todd as your favourite musical and Sense & Sensibility as your favourite nineties period piece. I reviewed both, as promised. I didn't do well in attempting to review An Education, so this is take on 2009 reviewing. I wrote various musings on three of the four, and very little on The Last Station and Up. So, you decide which I should review.
While you're on that, I'm accepting ideas for the newest LAMB Casting, we're recasting My Best Friend's Wedding, see more here.
Okay...as you were.
I told you before, editorials are not really my thing but I have to do one every now and then. It’s been nagging at me since May. This is less editorial and more of a short conjecture.
When Univarn rightfully weighed on the issue with some musicals I questioned whether musicals can rightfully be called a genre. Romance is a genre, every romance films have the same tenets – no matter how quirky, offbeat, maudlin, unrealistic, gross, stupid or smart – there will be a couple, they will fall in love (or pretend they have) one may die, they both may die, they may part ways but romance will occur, hence the name. It isn’t the same with a musical, silent movies aren’t regarded as a genre (at least not correctly) neither are “talkies”. So why are musicals and animated films treated as such…? What is it that we expect from them? No one thinks of breaking down films in terms of black-and-white. I do have my favourite black-and-white film (forthcoming on the list).
"Sweeney, dear, there's been a bit of an error...this is a bit too bloody to be a musical..."
It’s not that I don’t often go around citing my favourite musical or animated flicks (I do and I did) but when persons have such mental blocks it becomes a tad – trite? “I don’t watch children’s movies” – did they see Waltz with Bashir? “Musicals are for girls” – I think I’ve done enough trying to prove that one wrong but Sweeney Todd (or on stage “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”)? Really? …or maybe I’m missing the big picture. Is there something that makes all musicals inherently the same (musical drama, musical comedy, musical romance, musical tragedy, musical horror) or all animated films likewise (animated documentary, animated comedy, animated fantasy)? Other than the fact that one will have singing and one will be animated what else makes then worthy of being regarded as a genre? Aren’t they just film forms? Or am I just being overly neurotic?
…anyone?
…anyone?
Every month Luke and Jose, two excellent bloggers, and me get together to discuss one of the more forgotten acting categories - Best Actor. This month we turned to 1985.
The lineup? William Hurt in Kiss of a Spider Woman (that year's winner), Harrison Ford in Witness, James Garner in Murphy's Romance, Jon Voight in Runaway Train, and Jack Nicholson in Prizzi's Honor.
Luke: Shall we discuss that illustrious year of 1985?? I know how much you thoroughly enjoyed the apparent torture I put you through by picking this year... ha.
Jose: It wasn't that tragic in the end.
Andrew: No torture here. Really, I liked this lineup...not all individually, but as a collective group.
Luke: Yeah, I feared the worst, but there was only one truly complete stinker in my mind.
Andrew: Wow, now I'm getting interested. Not to guess as to who that is, but can we start with Ford?
Andrew: For someone who's so knowledgeable about Oscar trivia I always forget that Ford has a nomination.
Luke: He does seem like one of those people that is famous but never received a nod.
Jose: Nothing we hadn't seen before, just got the nod cause he proved he could be interesting outside Spielberg and Lucas fare. The man is quite a limited actor, and I would rather have him be nominated for Han Solo or Indiana Jones than this dull attempt at "drama."
I looked at the word carefully obsession. I’m not an obsessive persons (lies) and I never really loved TV until I was at least nine. This makes my choice seem somewhat odd, but it’s an odd one. It got to a point where I think I’d seen all the episodes by the time I was 13 (one episode a day, five days a week). The first show I ever really became groupie for was Andy Griffith’s Matlock.
I should probably have prefaced that with the fact that up until I was 17 I was planning on being a lawyer (got through to University and all). I wouldn’t say that Matlock drove me to that career (that would be weird), if anything it probably weaned me off of it. The man’s life was always being threatened. Like many modern day detective stories Matlock was as episodic as it gets. In each episode a murder would occur, and Matlock would defend the accused who would inevitably prove to be innocent. Matlock wasn’t content to stop there, he always had to find the real murderer and this each episode led up to that climax in the court where he’d find the truth (whenever ten minutes are left usually whoever was on the stand was GUILTY). I did love the routine of the show, but it was even more gripping when it would be a double parter and (shocker) we’d be left with nothing. I have not seen an episode in some time, so I wonder how my 19 year old, non-legal self would respond to it.
Andy Griffith was the life of Matlock. With that same tepid, grayish white suit in every courtroom everywhere he went he was the perfect sort of lawyer we’d root for. He had a think for hot dogs and was something of a buffoon at times, but always funny. But Matlock worked too because of more things. Matlock, depending on the season, had a strong supporting cast. Of the people actually working for the big man Nancy Stafford’s Michelle (Matlock’s secretary / assistant /decoy / hottie) was my favourite with Clarence Gilyard’s Conrard a close second. Unfortunately, he never did rise to same level of greatness on Walker the Texas Ranger (Chuck Norris, aka screen hog, boo!). I was less enthused when the cast would shift to Matlock’s daughters Charlene or Leanne, who was a tad annoying, or Cliff who was more annoying. But the highlights of the supporting cast were those NOT working for Ben (oooh, yes he does have a first name). There was Warren Frost playing Cliff’s father and Matlock’s long-time rival back in the day when they were in high school, there was Don Knotts s his nosy, eccentric neighbour and friend and the shining light Julie Sommars as the Prosecutor and Matlock’s on-and-off “friend”. He was old, but he was not wimp.
Each episode of Matlock was preceded by the title (The Singer, The Other Woman etc) and each episode was formulaic and somewhat predictable. We always knew that Matlock’s client would be innocent so it was much fun trying to find the guilty party. I suppose it was never really a “good” show but everyday for years I’d tune in for Griffith’s quasi-humour. Strangely, I can’t imagine my childhood without it…
Again, late...yet as the MEME comes to a close I’m getting a little sad. Go figure, it’s been kicking my disorganised ass.
Monday, 28 June 2010
There’s Nothing Like It: Movie-wise, Love-wise, laugh-wise or otherwise-wise
0 comments Posted by 2011 at 10:54
"What makes The Apartment great isn’t just the talent involved; it’s the encompassing grandeur of the collective effort. Wilder’s natural wit and charm exude the tale of these two lost souls. While Lemmon and MacLaine entrance the viewer with their dynamic chemistry, and down to earth personas. Aided by the perfect timing of MacMurray as the evil Mr. Sheldrake. And, of course, a script so heartfelt, one could only dream of writing it."
That essentially sums it up, a script one could only dream of writing…but you know I’m wont to get loquacious. The original poster and tagline for The Apartment always amuses me (click on the picture adjacent for an enlargement - the post title is a derivative), and really it’s a claim that’s a bit brave. But, I think it’s accurate for the most part because – really – The Apartment is unlike little that appears on the screen movie-wise or otherwise-wise.
The concept of The Apartment isn’t original because of its focus on a heroine involved in an extramarital affair neither is the originality stemming from the fact that its hero isn’t as assertively “mannish” as conventions would purport. In fact, Wilder’s decision to make Shirley MacLaine’s Fran into something a suicidal simp realising the errors of her ways in the middle of the film is more compliant with societal norms of the era than dissenters were willing to admit. What makes The Apartment so revolutionary (to me, at least) is its dedication to the sort of subtle and almost incidental comedy that is unlike most things we normally see. Chances are, if The Apartment was ever remade (god forbid) producers would either turn it into an unapologetic introspective, sentimental drama or decide to do an about-face and turn it into some bawdy attempt at serious slapstick. Naturally, both attempts would be failure. Even though The Apartment seems to exist as the usual black and white comedy of manners with a penchant for melancholia its end result of discovering the sweet humour in even the most dire of circumstances is surely something worthy of praise and something unlike most of what we’d normally find on the screen – either big or small.
Still, even though every Wilder films seems to have a decidedly Wilder-esque stamp on it (it doesn’t roll of the tongue quite as nicely as Capra-esque, though) The Apartment impresses me more than even the more oft-cited Some Like It Hot. The Apartment’s humour depends to a large part, almost completely – I would say – on the success of its cast. It’s the very reason why I cited Lemmon’s performance as one for the books (even if that list was made a bit arbitrarily, the top 6 hold up). Lemmon’s Baxter is more introspective than audiences seem to remember, I’ll always cite Lemmon as the master when it comes to facial comedy – which is a dubious phrase itself, but I do prefer subtle movements of the face to the more physical stuff (which is, of course, why Chaplin is not a favourite of mine). I know Nick has his issues with Lemmon, and I’ll admit he’s more comfortable playing a specific type than he realises – I still fall hook, line and sinker for his shtick every time and no place else more unequivocally than in The Apartment. Yojimbo goes into it a little bit more with his thoughts on the films specialness.
"The situation drips with irony: an insurance company, where the exec's juggle statistics and mistresses with no moral compasses. And the hierarchy of executive structure is paralleled to the status of folks in their private lives: the mistresses are treated with contempt if they begin to interfere with the home turf. And Baxter is literally left out in the cold every night, as the executives hedonistically burn through relationships that Baxter doesn't have the roots to start. It's only when a crisis occurs that Baxter begins to grow a conscience over the moral compromises he's making and providing. It seems like a fairy-tale today with current rubber-board rooms of the business-world filled with sociopaths. But, at the tale end of the 50's and the concerns of the world moving away from our boys in khaki to the boys in grey-flannel, it was a cautionary tale. Revolutions of all sorts in the '60's and plagues, both sexual and financial, in the 70's have made the film seem...one shudders at the word... "quaint."
But, that doesn't affect its wit, its insight, its charm, or high entertainment quotient. As a film it's a perfectly built comedic construction, a bon-bon exquisitely made and wrapped, with just a hint of bitterness at its core. And in the running gag that permeates the conversation of the film, it delivers its bellyful of laughs with no disconnect to the head, on its way to the heart, intellectually-wise."
Though I’m not one to lambast Elizabeth Taylor’s first bid for Oscar, I still wish Shirley MacLaine could have taken the prize. She has the ability to emanate that feeling of “lead actressishness” even though I’m sure that she’d be pushed into the supporting category if the film opened today. If Lemmon is responsible for keeping the comedy, MacLaine is responsible for not making it a tragedy. Her suicide attempt manages to play out (marginally, I will admit) as realistic and not some maudlin attempt at faux-sympathy. It’s because Marge isn’t intent on ensuring that we leave the film in love with her. Thus, by downplaying the very thing that’s her ace in the hole (another Wilder film I’m ignorant of) she ends up being even more attractive even if she’s self destructive – but perhaps that’s the very thing that makes her so attractive…
The Apartment becomes even more atypical when I consider that all the craziness is happening around Christmas time. It’s not exactly the seasonal picker upper we would anticipate. The Apartment is one of those films that make me feel lucky to experience the “classics”. Even though four films 1980 and before show up higher on my list of favourites, The Apartment just screams classic. And yes, there’s nothing like it – movie-wise, love-wise or otherwise-wise. It’s #10 on my list of favourites…
The countdown to the top begins, The Apartment is #10…9 more to go. What do you think of Wilder's piece?
“Welcome to the age of un-innocence, no one here has affairs to remember and no one has affairs to remember.”
These are some of the first words we hear from our de facto “heroine” in the pilot episode for HBO’s Sex and the City. It was the first pilot that came to mind, and of the shows I think of as good (Friends, Six Feet Under, Grey’s Anatomy, The West Wing, Dexter etc) along with Pushing Daisies and Desperate Housewives that I saw from its actual beginning – even though it was not “live”. The pilot for Sex and the City works so well because even though, like most pilots, it’s interested in “tell”, “tell”, “tell” it works because we’re never being told too much. There’s a sweet little montage that occurs at the beginning that works excellently. It’s here we meet my favourite Sex and the City character:
MIRANDA: I have a friend, who’s always gone out with extremely sexy guys and just had a good time. One day she woke up and she was 41. She couldn’t get any more dates. She had a complete physical breakdown. Couldn’t hold on to her job and had to move back to Winsconsin to live with her mother. Trust me, this is not a story that makes men feel bad
I could only imagine how shocking it seemed in the nineties, but Sex and the City is never interested in shocking us for the hell of it. It sets its characters up perfectly, and for her faults Sarah Jessica Parker. Really, sometimes Carrie induces an eye roll (okay, most of the time) but even as our heroine she’s not trying to actively woo us, even the virtual absence of any significant male doesn’t hurt it. I don’t get the appeal of Mr. Big (with reason, I suppose) and Skipper is just sad even if he leads to some hilarious comedy with Miranda. Still, I don’t fault a pilot so uncaring about telling us too much and so funny (Samantha’s attempts to woo Mr. Big are just uncomfortably hilarious). It’s an auspicious start to a great show and what makes it work even better is that it works excellently as a stand alone episode.
A+
Notable Pilots: Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, Dexter
Late again, I really have no excuse. MEME guilt.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
I wasn't planning on posting an episode of Scene on a Sunday today, but I've had this drafted for a while and thought, why not? It's a bit tough coming off the Atonement entry which you all seemed to love because of Yojimbo's many screen captures. Only 12 for this entry. I've expressed my love for Shakespeare in Love before and this short scene is particularly nice. We've seen only a few shots of Paltrow thus far enjoying the plays at the palace. We meet her now for the first time. The shot opens with a gorgeous shot of the house.
Shakespeare in Love easily notes the richness of our heroine, and though it's Wessex's reason for marrying her it's never made an issue out of. Of course this is because it's the Elizabethan era and our characters have bigger fish to fry - Shakespearean fish. I just love seeing Paltrow in this mode, though. She's so personable and has such a beautiful lilting voice.
VIOLA: Did you like Proteus or Valentine best? Proteus for speaking. Valentine for looks.
In case we don't already know, she's speaking of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of Shakespeare's earlier comedies. It's a fair pice, though nowhere near his best (of course Viola will quote a beautiful soliloquy from it later) but Viola is almost like a "groupie" for Shakespeare and she's so caught up in the "poetry".
NURSE: I liked the dog for laughs.
And on that note can we please discuss the brilliance that is Imelda Staunton here? Why does no one remember her excellent comedic timing here. She's not even "acting" like you'd expect, she's so completely in the character and refuses to play it prosaicly. The relationship between her and Viola is lovely, even if they really are speaking over each other.
VIOLA: Sylvia I did not care for much. His fingers were red from fighting and he spoke like a school boy at lessons.
She's referring, naturally, to the custom of men playing women and her annoyance is palpable. I don't think of Paltrow as particularly physical in her acting but she's acting with her entire body here. Notice how she slumps her shoulders just slightly, so impassioned about something like the injudicious lot of a badly played Sylvia. She really is a fan of "Master" Shakespeare.
VIOLA: Stage love will never be true love while the law of the land has our heroines being played by pipsqueak boys in petticoats
I wish you could hear how she delivers this line. Her stress on the word "boys" is a nice slight touch. Her brilliance here is often forgotten, even I sometime forget that she really did a fine job. And there's more going on in that shot. Like the Nurse cleaning Viola's ears for her, and the obvious dynamic of the servant/mistress that still manage to attain a personal bond - very Shakespeare. The two will soon have a slight banter about Lord Wessex. Viola of course will have none of the Nurse's suggestion. Marry Lord Wessex? A pox on Wessex!
VIOLA: I shall have poetry in my life.
The words are lovely, but you must give Gwyn credit for pulling off the trueness of the period. And, as always, the Nurse is not far behind to ask her: Like Sylvia and Valentine?
VIOLA: No not the artful postures of love. Love that overthrows life. Love like there has never been in a play. I shall have love, or I shall end my days...
NURSE: As a nurse?
Love that portion. viola is so enamoured with the postures of love (even if she doesn't realise) and Staunton is ready to inject wisdowm without being condescending about it. She is, after all, paid help and with almost no life of her own. Yet, she continues to be so devoted to her charge and never sinks into self pity. Her line reading there is precise, but never pitiful.
VIOLA: Oh, but I would be Valentine and Sylvia, too.
Her earnestensss is so infectuous, how can anyone root against this lovely woman?
I love that shot above, Viola stares out wistfully and she is framed soooo beautifully and Stoppard words read as if they're almost poetry. I choose to end the scene there, even though Viola's poetic words are cut by the Nurse's matter-of-fact "Clean your teeth while you dream then." Such a perfect blend of comedy and olden aged drama. I do love this scene.VIOLA: I would stay asleep my whole life if I could dream myself into a company of players.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
My oh my. What a question, I've read a few titles for this day (skimmed is more the word) and I see the types they've chosen and I'm really at a loss as to what to pick. I'd always had three season finales on my mind, though I'm still not sure they're the best season finales or the most shocking. There's "The Gift" the season finale for Buffy, the Vampire Slayers Season Five. Then, there's the two parters "Deterioration of the Flight or Flight Syndrome / Losing My Religion" the Season Two closer from Grey's Anatomy and "Goodbye for Now/One Wonderful Day" from the First Season of Desperate Housewives. However they'll rank on the list of great performances they really are three excellent season closers.
You know I don't like choosing so I'll do a quick recap of each finale and tell you why they're OMG, WTF worth. They may not seem so shocking, but watching it makes you see it more. Still here goes - beginning with Grey's Anatomy.
Grey's Anatomy: Season Two Finale
Backstory, in case you don't know the show is about surgical interns. At the moment Izzie Stevens (an excellent Kate Heigl) is cutting Denny, her boyfriend's, LVAD wire because unless his condition worsens he will lose the chance of getting a donor heart and he may give up on life and head in to the light. WTF? I think so too...
Breaking it down, it goes like this - It opens with what we learned in the last episode. Burke has been shot OMG. Meredith has joined George with Izzie and Cristina informs them of Burke's test. Dr. Bailey, their resident, finds them all breaking rules and orders them out but Izzie shouts them down refusing to leave (W.T.F). Alex is at another hospital waiting for the tests to confirm whether Denny is critical or not, but the rude attending there refuses to wait (WTF). Eventually, though more lies, he does get the heart and Dr. Hahn grudgingly returns to Seattle Grace to take part in the surgery since Burke is incapacitated. Burke might not be able to use his hands again and Derek must perform on him (OMG). Denny gets the new heart, but for punishment the interns must help the Chief-of-Surgery's niece pull of a ridiculous prom (OMG - seriously?). Denny asks Izzie to marry him even though he's NEVER seen her outside of the hospital (WTF). All are called in for questioning, but no-one spills the beans even Alex, who Izzie dumped him to hook up with Denny. Eventually though Denny dies because of a blod clot (O. M. G.) and Izzie cries through the entire of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" eventually quitting the hospital surgical programme (WTF). Oh, and Derek and Meredith have sex in a closet and the episode ends with her there, unable to decide to choose between him and her current boyfriend (WTF - who the hell wouldn't pick Chris O'Donnell over sleazy adulterer McUnDreamy?)
Desperate Housewives: Season One Finale
Backstory: Somebody killed Deirdre, Mike's ex-fiancee from a decade ago and he's intent on finding the murderer. He believe it is Paul Young, who happened to kill another neighbour who was blackmailing his wife Mary Alice - leading to her suicide. Bree and her husband Rex are about to be separated (he's been unfaithful), her pharmacist is poisoning him to death, but no one else knows. Tom's ex-girlfriend is working at his company again and his wife is jealous and Carlos may be going to jail for some white-collar crime. Okay, good. Susan is walking around the street being her usual annoying self.
Rex gets a heart attack, but Bree is being passive aggressive and makes the bed before she drives him. (WTF). She realises it's serious and checks him in. Gabrielle suggests to Carlos that the baby she's carrying may not be his and he freaks out and attacks their new gardener, who's gay (WTF). Lynnette's ridiculous jealousy makes Tom lose his job (WTF! OMG!). Paul Young's son Zach is staying with a nosy neighbour Felicia, the sister of the woman Paul killed, who shields him from his father's location (she has actually sent Mike out to kill him OMG). Zack goes berserk when she doesn't tell him the truth and bludgeons her until he gets it (WTF! OMG!). The new neighbours arrive and though Edie sold them the house they refuse to let her show them around (WTF!). Susan's constant ridiculousness leads her over to Mike's house where Zack is waiting with a gun, she's trapped there for the rest of the episode (OMG). Rex's doctor realises that he has too much potassium in his blood and Rex immediately thinks Bree is poisoning him. He writes a note of forgiveness and dies, Bree receives the news cleans her cupboard of silverware and then sits down to wail (OMG). Gabrielle testifies that she was making her husband jealous which is how the mix-up came about, but her original gardener shows up and tells Carlos the news in court, who attempts to beat him up (WTF). Wait: there's more. We learn that Mary Alice and Paul took Zack to a new town when his druggie mother sold him to them. She returns three years later clean and wanting her son. A scuffle ensues and Mary Alice kills her (OMG WTF OMG WTF). They put the body in a box and put it out to sea. When Mike learns the truth from Paul he does not kill him, but goes home not knowing that Zack is there waiting with a gun (OMG).
Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: Season Five Season Finale
Backstory: Glory is super evil, that's really all you need to know and she's planning on destroying the world by opening a portal that Dawn, Buffy's sister's, blood is the key to; hence Dawn is being held captive. Tara, Willow's girlfriend, has gone catatonic due to Glory's wiley ways.
The one way to stop the world is to kill Dawn, Buffy of course refuses. The gang decide then their best option is to avert the time of Glory's attempt since the world can only be stopped at a particular time (WTF). Xander proposes to Anya, who tells him to wait until the end of the world doesn't happen - OMG. Spike is finally allowed back into Buffy's house and the two share a heart-to-heart (OMG, so nice). The usual fighting hijinks ensue and there a lot of OMG moments (like Giles murdering Ben) but it's the end when Buffy KILLS HERSELF to save the world and we're all left doing a collective OMG WTF (this is the SECOND time she dis). Damn, I love this show.
Okay, that was one big splat of verbosity. This MEME is killing me, but I love it.
Last year June, when this blog was now taking baby steps I (misguidedly, I might add) ventured into compiling a list of my hundred favourite films. Of course, I knew the #1 choice immediately but as I compiled it, though it grew tedious on occasion, it was fun. I like to make lists. Certainly, I’m least qualified to create some veritable cannon of important cinematic works, but I have to start somewhere.
A year later (and what a difference a year makes) the top ten are here, I wish I’d started this project now because some of my “reviews” were just horrible…but I digress. Some of you lovely readers know a few of my top ten already…I’ve invited a number of you to participate in helping me count down the ten (even though everyone already knows that The Graduate will be placing at #9). I shall be reviewing it again (hence the title of this post, which is somewhat misleading). I feel a tad embarrassed looking at the list, though. Me, the ultimate (well one of a few hundreds) Oscar dissenter has not one, not two, but three Best Picture winners – and every one of the last seven was a nominee in the category.* It does make the list look a little generic but I suppose I am more generic than I care to admit.
Of course the list is not static, it only covers films of 1939 to 2007 and I’ll be liable to keep tinkering with rankings, I promise myself if I live to January 2012 I’ll update it (well the world will be ending then, and I don’t want to go out without updating). So, I’m looking forward to hearing what you think as I unveil the top ten…one by one by one by one…beginning Monday with a Best Picture winner. In the meanwhile I’ll be continuing the meme and doing my random chatter that you folks like to think of as versatility (bless you).
* Bringing Up Baby happens to be the highest ranked film on the list to not attain an Oscar nod at #24 and Summertime at #21 is the highest ranked Oscar nominated film without a Best Picture nomination (oddly both are Hepburn’s).
Good God, this is late...even for me. In March, while recapping 2009 I listed my favourite beginnings, my favourite scenes and was supposed to list my favourite endings...well never too late - here they are.
The last few minutes of a film can completely change our feelings of it. A fair film can be changed by a surprise ending and a good film can be destroyed by a poor one. Surprise endings have a better chance to be remembered, but sometimes an ending can be equally satisfying without being a shock. In 2008 there was an embarrassment of richest when it came to endings. There were the subtly surprising like Revolutionary Road and Burn After Reading. Both took secondary characters and made them the focal point for arresting and startling conclusions. There were the tense like Doubt and even In Bruges to an extent. As much as I am reiticent about Streep’s work in the former, she excels in the end. And In Bruges endings is not the copout many claim it to be. There were important closing shots of our protagonists like in The Wrestler and Changeling but my favourite was the sweetness that was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – episodic, I know, but a lovely ending.
The last few minutes of a film can completely change our feelings of it. A fair film can be changed by a surprise ending and a good film can be destroyed by a poor one. Surprise endings have a better chance to be remembered, but sometimes an ending can be equally satisfying without being a shock. In 2008 there was an embarrassment of richest when it came to endings. There were the subtly surprising like Revolutionary Road and Burn After Reading. Both took secondary characters and made them the focal point for arresting and startling conclusions. There were the tense like Doubt and even In Bruges to an extent. As much as I am reiticent about Streep’s work in the former, she excels in the end. And In Bruges endings is not the copout many claim it to be. There were important closing shots of our protagonists like in The Wrestler and Changeling but my favourite was the sweetness that was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – episodic, I know, but a lovely ending.
Now, on to 2009…Here are the ten closings that were memorable, the top 5 in particular made their films all the better for it. Ummm, spoilers ahead. Obviously. (Couldn't find pictures for the exact scenes in all, apologies), click on the links for my reviews.
Runners Up: A Single Man, Three Blind Mice, Bright Star, Avatar, The Road
#10: 500 Days of Summer: “A New Season”
#9: Brothers: “A Confession”
#8: Moon: “The Journey”
#7: Inglourious Basterds: “The Twist”
#6: Drag Me To Hell: “The Button”
#5: The Fantastic Mr. Fox: “Success”
#4: Duplicity: “Together At Last”
#3: In The Loop: “Credits”
#2: Nine: “Curtain Call”
#1: Chéri: “A Face in the Mirror”
Bright Star wasn’t the only period piece unfairly ignored last season; at least it got an Oscar nomination. Pfeiffer’s face in the mirror has become an important shot but what makes Chéri work so brilliantly is the cold narration of Stephen Frears as he tells us of the suicide of the eponymous Chéri It throws the audience, but it’s not just for show. It’s an excellent bit of filmmaking and my favourite ending of the year.
So with the endings I close on all things 2009. And it's about time, really. Which ending pierced you the most and made you see the movie with new eyes?
...and head over to Kai's The List where I've taken part in a group effort listing some great films that you've probably never seen.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Yikes, almost forgot about this.
Here you go...
Meme on my mind, go HERE to see more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
