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Saturday, 30 October 2010
I’m reading “Jane Eyre” at the moment and it’s annoying me a little. I read it at a very young age, but that was one of those ludicrously abridged Illustrated Classics, reading it for an English Lit class is way more taxing – that book is long. I’m not a huge fan of the Bronte’s – save for “Wuthering Heights” which I sort of worship, sort of. We just wrapped up “Pride & Prejudice” and the parallels between Austen’s narrative and Charlotte are a bit striking if you look at it in the right perspective, and then I came across this article which amused me. It seems many are not fond of Austen, Bronte included. I’m a Jane Austen apologist, but in her defence – no one can take such simple plots and turn them into brilliant ruminations like she. “Jane Eyre”? Not so much. After the atrocity of “Robinson Crusoe” – I refuse to retract that statement, I loathed the book - Henry Fielding and Jane Austen were welcome distractions, but now we're on to Bronte and Charlotte and her fancifulness aren’t making me very pleased. Ah, school is bland – and then we’re doing “Paradise Lost” for Poetry – ugh, not a fan of Milton....
Speaking of aged 18th century lit, though, I had the weirdest experience last week. I went into a library, told the Librarian that I was looking for Caribbean plays. She’s there looking and turns to me, “Oliver Twist isn’t Caribbean, is it?” W! T! F!??????????????? It’s not Caribbean, it’s not even a freakin’ play! And from a librarian? And people wonder why I have no faith in humanity. Sigh.
What have you been reading lately? I hope it’s for pleasure, and not for school. Scholastic reading always ends up becoming tedious...
I’ve been vaguely remiss about TV this week, case in point: I didn’t see all t he shows I review, I didn’t even see all the shows I watch and don’t review. The upside is, I think I’ve finally gotten a handle on my somewhat ridiculous schedule. So I’m back to annoying you regularly...I know you can't wait...
On to the TV
Desperate Housewives: “Let Me Entertain You”
In some ways this episode was a bit regressive, not plot-wise but tonally. The first thirty five minutes reminded me of the generally bland fifth season, and the little I watched of the sixth season. Still, there were moments of niceties that impressed. The concept of Rene and Gabrielle as friends works, though Vanessa Williams and Eva Longoria don’t seem as evenly matched as Williams and Marcia Cross were last week. The end result of Rene staying on the street was not unexpected, but it was a nice moment even if the nose job plot line seems ridiculous. Marcia Cross manages to be fairly amusing though her craziness with Keith’s libido was kind of silly. Of course with all the other plotlines turning really heavy we needed something light. Felicity Huffman does her best work of the season so far, her arc is an interesting one since her arguments against Tom’s mother are valid even if she’s doing something similar in her marriage. Sidling Tom’s mother with what looks like Alzheimer’s seems less than inspired, though. I called the Paul / Susan arc three minutes before it happened, and the denouement was the best moment of the episode – Teri Hatcher in particular sold it. That moment alone made up for a generally trite episode, I’m going to enjoy seeing where that goes.
[B-]
Dexter: “First Blood”
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This is probably the weakest effort from Dexter this season. Structurally the episode was well done, but the execution was a bit too generic for the generally atypical way in which Dexter goes. Batista’s dilemma gets even more interesting, though it was embarrassing the way he completely misread everything about his wife. It was a bit of an obvious end to the arc, though I’m not convinced that the situation is over. Quinn and Deb really do manage to work, despite Quinn’s general boorishness. It’s going to be intense seeing how his plans to trace Dexter turn out. Deb’s work on the beheadings was probably the best handled storyline of the night, though there were some striking undertones of something amiss with the mother of the attempted-murder victim. Dexter had to focus on Harrison’s potential violent tendencies and the semi-deterioration of Lumen. Hall puts in good work, especially in that scene where he realises that he was about to kill the wrong man but Lumen’s arc didn’t work as well as before. The fact that I’m still unsure as to where they’re planning on taking the character probably makes me uncertain about her continued presence, even if I like seeing Julia Stiles turn in good work. The fact that the episode goes for some obvious moments, unlike Dexter usually shifts it more to a lower grade. But, overall, it’s a strong episode – all things considered – just not as a riveting as what we usually get from Dexter.
[B/B+]
Glee: “The Rocky Horror Glee Show”
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When “Time Warp” ended and the credits began to roll the first thing that I thought was, “Thank God Puck’s coming back next week”, even though it wasn’t the absence of Mark Salling that prevented the episode from soaring. Rocky Horror aside there was a kind of paradigm shift in tonight’s episode that didn’t work. Glee is at its best when it manages to balance the adults-acting-as-children storylines with their children-acting-as-adults storylines. The Will/Emma/Carl triangle could work, but being the A-plot against the generally bland body issues of Sam/Finn just doesn’t resonate. And after all the character development in “Duets” it just seemed sort of weird. I’m not the biggest fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show so I really could care less about the theme (or is it I couldn’t care less?) Shankman doesn’t do anything fascinating with the direction, the pacing seems sedate for an episode that’s supposed to be all about the freakish – well, in theory. Still, Jayma Mays continues to be brilliant even if it’s kind of ridiculous that she went that wild with “Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch Me”. Ah well. On that note though, how brilliant was Rachel’s fake acting? Lea Michele’s kind of brilliant. And damn, Amber Reilly killed “Sweet Transvestite”! And the return of Sue’s Corner? That’s my favourite Sue related event, even more than the diary diatribes – so the episode wasn’t without good tidbits.
[B/B-]
Parenthood: “Seven Names”
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Each time I watch Parenthood I’m acutely aware that it probably never will become a big hit. Parenthood is created on such a small scale it’s easy to find it meandering and bland, but it just works for me. This episode is a key example, with five arcs to examine the issues faced by each of the characters were nothing new – generic even, but the writing and the acting turn it into television worth watching. Last week I admitted I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of them ending the episode before Jasmine replied to Crosby’s proposal, but I should have known that this is not the kind of show that leaves you with a cliff-hanger like that only to renege on the idea. I’m still not altogether enthused about Dax Shephard as an actor, but he’s fine here and Joy Bryant seems like so much fun. I’m looking forward to their couple dynamic. Sarah and her daughter faced a typical issue, the divide between mother and daughter. The tearful confrontation between the two doesn’t hit home as precisely as it should. I don’t love Mae Whitman in this register, but it works and Lauren Graham is back to turning in good work. Adam’s dilemma with the laying offs was another standard, but Krause steps up and turns in a good performance nonetheless. One thing Parenthood should get credit for is its casting. I’m constantly amazed by how on point they are with that, in some ways Sarah Ramos is like a mini-version of Monica Potter and she does a nice job in this episode. She’s probably my favourite of the teens on the show. Of course Joel and Julia take the best-arc honours, even though their struggle of job/family is not a new one. The confrontation between Jaegar and Christensen was the strongest moment of the show and everything including the unoriginal “Why are you and daddy fighting?” from their daighter works. Parenthood works brilliantly, even when it seems as if it shouldn’t.
[B+]
Modern Family: “Halloween”
This episode of Modern Family works brilliantly, but not for the reasons you’d think. If you pay attention you’d notice that the Halloween theatrics are just a smokescreen for all the idiosyncrasies of our characters and like any ensemble show (like Glee or The Office) things are brightest when we get all our characters together, and better yet see characters who don’t usually interact having conversations. The three arcs work well on their own: there’s the language barrier with Gloria and Jay, Cameron’s embarrassing Spiderman incident and the Dunphy’s and their marriage. Like Parenthood the issues being presented are not riveting on their own, but it’s their delivery that turns the show into something to admire. Of the single storylines Jesse Tyler Ferguson completely delivers on the craziness of being Spiderman, but when the episode comes down to the final ten minutes it all shifts – everyone’s great but Ty Burrell and Sofia Vergara in particular shine. I’m a fan of Sarah Hyland, so I missed her inane wit but the episode was altogether a success and proof that Jose’s right, it's a good show. Damn him and his astute judgement.
[A-]
Grey’s Anatomy: “These Arms of Mine”
Most of you might know that I have an unwavering bond with Grey’s Anatomy. I don’t love it as much, but after six years I’ve become really invested. I still don’t know if it’ll ever return to the brilliance of Season Three but this episode worked in ways that episodes (other than the last season finale) hasn’t for some time. It’s ironic that it works so well, because it’s so different from the norm. Two weeks ago 30 Rock took a brave step with their live episode, I wasn’t a fan – but it was brave. This week Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t go live, but they go for the illusion of real time and works excellently. The major arc is a man getting arm transplants, as journalists examine Seattle Grace Hospital three months after the killings. I’ll always say that Grey’s Anatomy thrives for having standout performances (especially from Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, perennial Emmy nominees) but this episode works where no one takes control of the episode, but everyone contributes to a decisively ensemble natured episode. I did learn that Eric Danes really has little talent, but he didn’t spoil the episode. Chandra Wilson and Justin Chambers do particularly good work with their arcs, and Mandy Moore returns for a well timed guest spot. It’s anyone’s guess what’s going to happen with Cristina and her continued aversion to surgery, but it’s handled better this episode than before. I’m worried about the idea of Jessica Capshaw and (especially) Sara Ramirez leaving the hospital....but we’ll see where that goes.
[A-]
I missed The Office and Community this week, although seeing as how I’ve lost interest in the latter – I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Were they any good?
Things that had me going hmmmm
- Is it just me or was Cory Monteith at his best in “Damn It, Janet” – almost as if playing someone other than Finn Hudson makes him more tolerable. Weird...
- The Dunphy’s Corpse Bride and groom costumes? How brilliant was that?
- Doesn’t that Baldwin on Parenthood exude an air of scumbag entitlement...in short, doesn’t he seem like a douche? I’m not sure if it’s the character or him...
- Would a six year old boy care if his unmarried parents decide to get hitched? I’m not sure but Jabar’s lack of reaction to the wedding was hilarious.
- Justin Chambers singing for that patient? That was kind of nice, even though his singing sucks.
Standouts
Ty Burrell in Modern Family A- his subtle humour may be easy to ignore, but he does outstanding work this episode
Sam Jaegar in Parenthood B+ for managing to turn the mundane into great character moments
Michael C. Hall in Dexter B+ mostly for selling that breakdown, but really he grounds the episode with his uncertainty
Sofa Vergara in Modern Family B+ easily the strongest work I’ve seen her turn in since I started watching, pure delight
Chandra Wilson in Grey’s Anatomy B/B+ the episode is so contructed she doesnt get much time on screen, but boy does she sell those final 60 seconds...
Jayma Mays in Glee B/B+ for pulling of “Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch Me” even when the staging didn’t make any sense
What impressed you on TV this past week?
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
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Saturday, 23 October 2010
So even when there's no Glee on air, it's still in the air. Two controversies in the place of a week, I'm not sure which is more inane...the fact that the producers are being criticised for having Brittany and Santana lie down in a bed with each other (lips not even touching) or the fact that the actors are being criticsed for their sultry poses in GQ magazine. WTF? Seriously? This is a controversy? Eh, what the hell. On to this week in TV...
Desperate Housewives: “The Thing That Counts Is What's Inside”
I don’t know if I’m out of touch with reality – a possibility – but I have to say that Marc Cherry has actually managed to make Desperate Housewives improve starkly in contrast to the last two seasons of general banality. This week’s episode was lacking in places, but generally coalesced to form an interesting and most of all funny hour of TV. Sometimes Desperate Housewives lacks the panache for handling multiple storylines equally well (see Parenthood, Modern Family, Glee) but this week was a general improvement. Once again, Felicity Huffman gets the least diverting storyline but her performance was up. I have to say, the actress playing Penny is kind of boring and she reminds me of Lynette’s stepchild from hell from three seasons ago. I’m never going to warm up to Paul Young, although I suppose that’s sort of the point and I will say I’m really anxious to see what on earth he’s planning for the neighbourhood. Emily Berg continues to impress as his wife, who seems to have severe psychological issues. I never knew cutting green peppers could look so scary. Yikes. On the note of guest stars, I want to start campaigning for Laine Kazan to get a Guest Actress nod next season. Her role as Susan’s madam of sorts is just hilarious, and she comes with her own quotable quotes (“If I was fifteen years younger I’d ride you like a hobo rides a boxcar.) Susan’s arc is silly, but in the god way that Susan used to be silly back in the first season, and of course Bree and Rene continue to hold down the forth, with Marcia Cross and Vanessa Williams both being in-form this episode. Eva Longoria is doing well with the storyline, but I’m not sure where it’s going to go from there...I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
[B/B+]
Dexter: “Beauty and the Beast”
Aaah, Dexter. This is why this is my favourite show. The episode wasn’t as brilliant as last week’s, but it was still satisfying. Julia Stiles is another actor I want to start a Guest Emmy campaign for, and her arc seems to have a potential to be very satisfying. Michael C. Hall didn’t overshadow the episode as much giving the supporting players a chance to shine, but he’s still the strongest player on the show. I’m still distrustful of that psycho nanny. Okay, so she’s not really a psycho –but, I keep expecting her to turn manic. Time will tell. I especially loved Deb’s arc this week, the confrontation between her and the killer was gruesome and brilliant all at once. I still hate Quinn (can you blame me?) but I still like his relationship with Deb; I’m worried where that’s going to end up. Lauren Velez tops her performance last week delivering again now, I especially loved her blowout with the Quinn in her office. Although, yes, that means that she’s not as good as him since Quinn is right I love her delivery of the repeated line “He just lost his wife.” Of all the shows that are in a new season, Dexter wins for the constant movement of plot, everything is going along at a good pace.
[B+]
Parenthood: “Orange Alert”
Somewhere between the first episode I saw and the most recent episode, Sarah has turned from my favourite part of the series to my least favourite and Monica Potter has moved from my least favourite performer to the most consistent – in my eyes. I’ll never get the hubbub about Halloween, because I’m not American and I will admit that Asperser’s aside I kind of loathe Max but even though the episode had its pitfalls one thing Parenthood always manages to do his handle the stories well. I don’t like the Baldwin on the show, and I hate him with Lauren Graham so I was really just bleh over that storyline, although it provided for two great scenes. One was Lauren Graham in a catsuit (MILF anyone?) and that office scene with Sarah and Julia. Sarah’s line about getting pregnant in the hot tub...priceless, and I only just realised Finn and Quinn and that whole baby drama from Glee. (Even when it’s not on air it’s still on.) Seeing Julia struggling with Sydney’s costume of a beauty queen was hilarious, Sydney just might be my favourite non-teenaged child. Kristina and Adam stressing about Max’s issues and Halloween wasn’t the strongest storyline, but god knows Monica Potter can sell anything and that final scene with her Krause was kind of just perfect. What I didn’t love was the ending, I love the idea of Jasmine and Crosby getting married – but they did they need to end the episode without the lack of an answer? Jabar at school was sweet, though and the costumes were all kind of cool – though I had to laugh at Julia dressing up as Amelia Earhart.
[B]
Modern Family: “Unplugged”
Best comedic show this week, by a long shot. Last week I challenged Modern Family to show me a reason to love them, and they did – though not as I expected. I still think Jesse Tyler Ferguson is kind of brilliant, but incidentally he had the weakest of the three plots this week. Not that seeing Cameron and he worry about preschool wasn’t funny. The dilemma was actually well executed, but I just felt really badly during Cameron's rant on being American Indian. God, poor Mitchell – awkward? Sofia Vergara is in better form than she was last week, and I’m especially loving her interviews with the camera. She brought the funny this week, though her son wins for funniest in that particular arc. That scene with he and Jay, sipping tea, was just too brilliant for words. And of course, the Dunphy’s. They take top honours, and the entire family rises to the occasion. Julie Bowen especially is great, but Ty Burrell is brilliant too. I’d say he, Ferguson and Bowen are the three strongest. Sarah Hyland continues to impress, and I love how she hoodwinked her parents into winning the competiton, though she didn’t get the car. It’s the sort of episode that doesn’t exactly push the plot forward but is insanely enjoyable with bits of character development here and there – a winner.
[A-/B+]
Community: “Messianic Myths and Ancient People”
Last week Community was abysmal, this week it was just really bad. I’m not devout religious, at the moment I’m not really religious at all so it’s not that I found the main arc of Shirley and Abed offensive. It just seemed really stupid. Yvette Nicole Brown is the strongest player of the lot, for me, but it just didn’t work. Nothing about it popped and it ended up feeling ridiculous and kind of silly – a bit like Outsourced, but that’s one show I’m never reviewing (or watching, again). The B plot of Pierce worked a little better, but not completely either. Community is known for the silly, but I can’t find legitimate humour in the inane...hmmm, what to do with this show...what to do?
[C/C-]
30 Rock: “Regaining”
Yay, 30 Rock is back. Not in top form, but getting there. I’d like to take a moment to get over my general bias towards Tina Fey and congratulate her for an episode well done. Her confrontation with Jack over sexuality works in a way only Liz Lemon could pull off, and Alec Baldwin is someone else who’s in top form this episode. His attempts at problem solving were inspired and hilarious. But, come on! Jenna and Kenneth and Kelsey Grammer? Brilliance! Everything about that subplot had me laughing, and seeing Jane get solid material to work with is just the icing on the cake. Kenneth is ridiculous but there’s something that keeps him from descending into mindless drivel, I don’t know what – but I like it. And the less said about Tracy? The better.
[B/B+]
The Office: “The Sting”
Timothy Olyphant, Ed Helms singing, Meredith and KellyAND Ryan? How could I resist? It wasn’t perfect....but it was good enough and it was written by Mindy Kalling which only further enhances my point that Ryan and Kelly are the power couple of NBC. I happen to like Olyphant, though it was weird seeing him look so slick - he's usually so grunged. He's another guest actor this week that absolutely shines, that scene where he almost blows up at Michael for their failed sting was hilarious. I think Kelly established his presence best with her well-placed "f*** me". Sometimes Darryl fails to entice me, but seeing he and Andy bond was strangely satisfying even if Kevin still manages to freak me out. All in the episode managed to stay consistent and provide a good half hour of comedy.
[B]
Grey’s Anatomy: “Almost Grown”
I'd like to point out that Chandra Wiilson directed this episode; so nice to see her growing in the business. Still, writing wise, this felt like an obvious filler episode. There were things that I loved - Callie and Arizona? Yes. Lexie's photographic memory? Yes. Dr. Bailey and Richard? Yes. Then there were things I sort of loathed, like Avery and the fact that writers don't seem to be using Cristina's recent fear of surgery as well as they should. Ellen Pompeo turns in a good job, but Patrick Dempsey at her side doesn't entice me. I'm not surprised Owen won the competition, even if I thought Dr. Bailey's quasi-soliloquy about Paris vs the Grocery Store was quite on point. Tonally, it feels like Grey's back in the day - but there wasn't as much advancement of plot as I would have liked.
[B/B-]
Standout Performers
Julie Bowen in Modern Family B+ watching her as she realises the psychotic nature of her family was brilliant
Vanessa Williams in Desperate Housewives B+ it's probably borderline offensive watching her shirk from midgets,but it sure is funny
Monica Potter in Parenthood B+ only she can manage to make this work, and in the end she sells her devotion to her family
Jane Krakowski in 30 Rock B+ she's at her best when she's being diabolical with sudden flashes of wisdom.
Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock B+ oh, his egotism is great to watch especially when you consider that he's probably right
Michael C. Hall in Dexter B+ a more internal performance this week, but his struggle with the babysitter and his new victim works
What shows impressed you this past week?
(sorry for the lack of screencaps)
Friday, 22 October 2010
If you’ve been paying especially keen attention you’d know that I’m not the biggest fan of Gene Kelly. I think I’ve called him overly precise, and I won’t deny that some of my lack of interest centres on the fact that I generally loathe An American in Paris, but I’m digressing. If I had to pick a favourite Gene Kelly movie, it’d be one that he’s not even in – Hello, Dolly! I have a vaguely embarrassing love for Hello, Dolly! even though Nick despises it (oddly enough, I agree with an oddly large portion of his review, and I love it – go figure). Hello, Dolly! is based on a Broadway Musical which is in turn based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play – “The Matchmaker”. Its plot is simple, painstakingly so. Dolly Levi has been a widow for some time, and occupies her time by arranging things. She has her sights set on Horace Vandergelder who in turn has his eyes on Irene Molloy – a milliner. Horace is the guardian of his niece Ermengarde (what a a name), who’s in love with a starving artist of sorts Ambrose. Dolly pretends to set Horace up with Irene, sending him off to town.; though she's really trying to to put forth her own agenda. She in turn convinces Ermendgarde and Ambrose to go to town, along with Barnaby and Cornelius - two of Vandergelder's workers. All in all it's a musical clusterf*** of a situation.
The thing is, Barbra Streisand is (in theory) all wrong for the role. She’s about three decades too young for the role, because there’s no way that Barbra (two years after Funny Girl) is an aging widow of how many years. But, really, I don’t even care about the age thing, or the obvious lack of chemistry with Walter Matthau (we all know that Jack Lemmon was the superior member of The Odd Couple). Barbra can act and she can sing, but above all else – she can play funny, and that’s what so brilliant about her in Hello, Dolly!. It’s just one constant torrent of funny bits and she sells them excellently. With the exception of Matthau, the cast is quite good but Barbra steals the show.
Really, Hello, Dolly! doesn’t make much sense. The story is one of those ridiculous comedies that thoroughly amusing in its inane way, and I like that about it. It doesn’t have the strongest score (and the title song is oddly weak), but it’s well directed (yay, Gene Kelly) and well acted (yay Barbra). In fact “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” just may be one of the strongest ensemble musical numbers of all time. It has the sort of quotable quotes that make you roll your eyes and laugh and still think about their lucidity (case in point: “”). At its worst Hello, Dolly! is a kind of riduclous bauble; at its best Hello, Dolly! is easy watching – and I like to think of it at its best.
Ever seen the 1969 classic?
There’s a distinct lack of words flowing for this one, I’m officially stumped. Did I like The American? I can’t be certain? Was it well made? Even more dangerous territory. It gets even more difficult to assess when I essentially called the ending halfway through, although that doesn’t particularly take away from its effect (oddly). The American is about a serial killer (Clooney) who arrives in Italy for a job, that is the only essential portion of the plot. I still exist on general antipathy towards Clooney though I like him on occasion (namely here and here). In deciding whether or not I think Clooney does an impressive job here I have to decide if the film is one that manages to put forth a good performance.
The American is a low-key, sometimes maddeningly so. Even Cairo Time, which sort of thrives on being as minimalist as possible doesn’t evoke that stark sense of bareness. In keeping with the mood Clooney seems to be stripped to the bare essentials. Thus, his performance becomes half action performance and half silent. I’m never inclined to believe I’m watching George Clooney. Obviously, I am but Clooney is the sort of actor who seems to deliberately prevent separation between his celebrity and his character. He realises that it doesn’t here and he does a credible job of accomplishing that separation. The thing is, Clooney accomplishes the creation of a character with aplomb but fails to construct a person. It’s a possibility that this is a deliberate move from Corbijn, but that doesn’t make the experience any more fulfilling.
The American leaves a sort of bad taste in your mouth, though I’m still uncertain if it’s the story or the technique that does so. It’s simultaneously tightly constructed – a little over ninety minutes – and yet it seems to go on forever. Anomalous? Yes. Corbijn has an obvious talent for technique and The American is shot beautifully, though not overtly so. It works in its own way, but I’m not sure if it works for me. So I’m left in one of those unfortunate quandaries when it comes to grading and whatnot. That happened to me with Antichrist last year, one movie experience I’m disinclined to revisit. I’m not against seeing The American again; though I don’t think a second viewing would clear up anything. It’s not that I’m confused, per se, I’m just not unconfused. The American is impressive...that much I can say...
B/B-
Has anyone seen it yet?
Monday, 18 October 2010
THE SETUP
THE REACTIONBILLY: “Cranberry juice.”
MAN: “It’s a natural diuretic. My girlfriend drinks it when she’s getting her period.”
MAN: “What, are you getting your period?”
THE FALLOUT
Lesson Learned: Don’t insult a man’s choice of drink. Especially if it’s Billy Costigan (and Cranberry Juice is a natural diuretic).
I can’t say there would be anything wrong with waking up to this on a Monday morning...
The Movie Version of Carla
This has got to be one of the most misleadingly titled songs, “Call from the Vatican”? Sure. The visual quality for the two Broadway versions is poor, but still not completely unsalvageable. One thing is certain: phone sex will never be the same after Maury Yeston.
And, yeah, Jane Krakowski kind of tops them all for me. And you?
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Kate Winset has a very distinctive face. It’s not a shallow thing, she is beautiful, but she’s adept at expressing her feelings with her face, and the camera loves her. I’m a fan of her work in Revolutionary Road (evidence), as I am of DiCaprio’s (evidence) and even though it just might be one of the most harrowing portrayals of a marriage gone wrong it’s still fascinating to watch. My favourite scene in the film occurs towards the end, when everything has already begun to self-destruct. Frank and April’s impractical dreams of living as bohemians are given up – April’s pregnant and Frank is not as enthused about the move as he pretends to be. After John Givings turns up to put in some last minute lacerations in the already tenuous relationship it all comes to a close.
I love that shot of Kate there. She’s been sitting with cigarette in her hand for the majority of John’s tirade which has just ended. It’s almost painful to watch her expression, and it’s one of the beauty of watching Kate. She’s so good at emoting. But I love the next shot even more.
She moves from vulnerable to stoic in a matter of seconds, April may not be a good actress – but she’s an actress nonetheless.
Frank: “Okay, okay. Don’t tell me. Let me guess, I made a disgusting spectacle of myself, right?”
April: “Right.”
Frank: “Everything that made said is true, right? Is that what you were gonna say?”
April: “Apparently I don’t have to. You’re saying it for me.”
Frank: “Well, you’re wrong, April.”
April: “Really? Why am I wrong?”
The Wheeler couple are like a box of explosives. The slightest motivation and they start shooting sparks at each other. In the argument of consistency Kate outweighs DiCaprio but they’re both doing work that’s close to their best and they’re evenly matched throughout.
Frank: “Because the man is insane, he’s fucking insane. Do you know what the definition of insanity is? ”
April: “No! Do you?”
That immediate reaction of laughter from April is one of the scariest moments in the film. Though I wouldn’t call her crazy, she does a good job of pretending to be.Frank: “Yes, it’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love.”
I love how Kate plays it: it’s not so much real amusement as it is hysteria, and Frank is just there confused.
Frank: “April, April. April! APRIL!”
April: “The ina – the inability, oh, oh. Oh, Frank: you really are a wonderful talker.”
And then her about face from superficial delight to the harsh coldness...
April: “If black could be made into white by talking, you’d be the man for the job! So, now I’m crazy because I don’t love you. Right, is that the point?”
The thing is, though Kate is getting the bulk of the lines here DiCaprio’s reactions are just as important. It’s one of the brilliance of Mendes direction. Whenever a quasi-monologue comes up he’s careful to gauge the other’s reaction.
Frank: “No, you’re wrong. You’re not crazy, and you do love me. That’s the point, April.”
Honestly, I’d never see DiCaprio as the kind of guy who could talk a bird off a tree but he manages to make himself believable as a potential seducer and as a pathetic man.
April: “But, I don’t. I hate you.”
There goes Kate again with that preciseness that’s not too technical. These few lines are more important for seeing Frank’s reaction, though it’s anyone’s guess if April really means them.
April: “You were just some boy who made me laugh at a part once, and now I loathe the sight of you.”
The emotions that he goes through there works, Frank might be weak and potentially despicable but April knows where to hit him the hardest. He really does love his family.
April: “In fact, if you come any closer; if you touch me or anything, I think I’ll scream.”
What a pair of lungs, you can’t hear...but it’s loud.
I know it’s wrong to find this amusing, but that mutinous look of satisfaction April gives when it’s over is scary and funny at the same time woman on the verge...
And then, Frank’s reaction to it...
And off they go, round 2 (or 200)
Frank: “FUCK YOU, APRIL. Fuck you, and all your hateful...”
April: “What are you gonna do now? Are you gonna hit me, to show me how much you love me?”
Frank: “Don’t worry, I can’t be bothered. You’re not worth the trouble it would take to hit you, you’re not worth the powder it would take to blow you up. You are an empty, empty, hollow shell of a woman.”
And now Frank has the floor and April’s reactions become important, a sort of a blance...of we can call it that. This particular of shot of DiCaprio is my favourite of his in the scene.
Frank is the sort of emotionally man who has trouble with his emotions. That makes this portion of the film so poignant.
Frank: “I mean: what the hell are you doing in my house if you hate me so much? Why the hell were you married to me? What the hell are you doing carrying my child? I mean, why didn’t you just get rid of it when you first had the chance? Because, listen to me – listen to me, I got news for you. I wish to God that you had!”
But in the end we must return to Kate’s face, just like at the beginning...
April’s so good at putting her defences up, those moments of vulnerability are a treasure.
And then she begins thinking, we can see the wheels moving in her head...
She’s got her plan right there. Why doesn’t she get rid of the baby? It's the expressions like that that make me remember April the most...just brilliant.
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