Johnny Simmons

I’m back! What? Did you not notice that I was gone? I was offline for the last 40 hours, so that feels like something momentous to me. But, enough of me...what better way to start the morning than Julie Andrews performing a medley in concert?

Good morning.

In the last decade we lost a number of esteemed movie stars, among them Katharine Hepburn. You probably know my feelings on Kate, and I always wished that she’d had a career resurgence before her death. Of course she was in her nineties. These few women aren’t exactly at death’s door (knock wood) but I’m getting a bit antsy for their prospects – cinematically speaking. It’s hard enough getting roles now, but before the next decade they’ll all be seventy. That’ll be even more difficult. Their counterparts (Dench, Streep, Mirren) continue to find success on films. I wish they’d be so lucky. Here are the nine  older gals I hope get a career resurrection this decade. The rule is they can’t have had a notable leading role recently, so even though I wish they’d both do better work Sissy Spaceck (In the Bedroom) Diane Keaton (Something’s Gotta Give) and Julie Christie (Away From Her) don’t make the top ten, even though they’re on the sidelines, not far from this nine.

Marsha Mason (67)
Oscar Nominations: Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Chapter Two (1979) Only When I Laugh (1981)
Last Notable Role: Only When I Laugh (1981)

Back in the days she was a constant Oscar nominee, but I suppose few even remember who she is. She was a formidable screen presence, and I don't think that's something that one can lose. She is particularly gifted in comedy and with so many comedic roles for older women up for grabs it's a pity she can't even land one of those. It's a longshot, I suppose, hoping she'll ever get another good role...

                       

Oscar Win: Funny Girl (1968), Oscar Nomination: The Way We Were (1972)

Last Notable Role: The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

You may scoff, but Barbra Streisand is actually a talented. She’s not done a real film role in some time and I wonder if she’s forgotten how to. More than being a talented actress, though, she’s an exceptional comedian and I would love to see her reawaken her comedic talents in a nice caustic role (a la Judi in Mrs. Henderson Presents). She has enough money to fund it for herself.

           

Oscar Wins: Norma Rae 1979, Places in the Heart (1984

Last Notable Role: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

The lady is obviously talented. She is currently doing good work on Brothers & Sisters; but I want her back on the big screen. Sally has a knack for heavy drama and she deserves to get a nice juicy dramatic role. The role of a grieving mother sounds like the perfect type of schmaltzy drama she can make work. I mean, Places in the Heart shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it’s Sally’s talent that makes it succeed.

               

Oscar Win: Mary Poppins (1964); Oscar Nominations: The Sound of Music (1965), Victor/Victoria (1982)

Last Notable Role: Duet For One (1985)

I don’t mind when I see actors I love slumming it in pop fare, but I got no satisfaction from seeing her in The Princess Diaries. It’s become a “given” now that Julie can’t act, but I think that’s an obvious untruth. Sure, she thrives when she sings but The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins don’t work any less she uses her acting skills alone. The woman has a skill with mannered comedy, I’m not sure if she’s given up on acting or acting has given up on her….

                               

Oscar Wins: Tootsie (1982), Blue Sky (1994), Oscar Nominations: Frances, Country (1984) Sweet Dreams (1985) Music Box (1989)

Last Notable Role: Cousin Bette (1998)
I’m not sure why, but Jessica Lange doesn’t seem to have too many roles (or fans). For the life of me, I can’t see why. Plastic surgery or not she continues to be an excellent actress (see Grey Gardens, Big Fish) and when she spoke about the lack of roles she gets at the Emmy’s last year I felt a bit sad. The woman’s a double Oscar winner, beautiful and talented. Who doesn’t want to see her in a movie? She has a formidable range. I really want someone to give her the chance to use it.

             

Oscar Win: Dead Man Walking (1995), Oscar Nominations: Atlantic City (1981), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), The Client (1994)
Last Notable Role: The Banger Sisters (2002)

In a way Susan is like Diane Keaton. She’s been doing work, but not deserving of her talent. She gave a valiant performance opposite Carey Mulligan in The Greatest this year, but the film is not worthy of either woman. She just needs to work with better talent; she’s obviously not lost her touch for turning stock roles into real people. I still recall how the stodgy Shall We Dance lighted up whenever she was on screen. I wonder if her separation from Tim will send her career up or down...

     

Oscar Win: Julia (1977), Oscar Nominations: Morgan 1966, Isadora (1968, Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)The Bostonians (1984)Howards End

Last Notable Role: Mrs. Dalloway (1997)

I suppose in some ways this is a bit of a cheat since Ms. Redgrave actually has two films slated for release this year. She has the Amanda Seyfried romance (Letters from Juliet) and the alleged Ralph Fiennes Shakespeare piece (Coriolanus). I’m not certain if they’ll reach fruition, and nonetheless, there’s nothing like too much Vanessa. She remains as one of the most resplendent actors on screen and has aged so gracefully. She was slated to play Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in the Robin Hood flick this year, but the death of her daughter Natasha Richardson prevented it.

              

Oscar Wins: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), California Suite (1978); Oscar Nominations: Othello (1965), Travels With My Aunt (1972) A Room With A View (1986) Gosford Park (2001)

Last Notable Role: Tea With Mussolini (1999)

Maggie has brightened the last decade with supporting roles (some prime) on screen. Her most notable was he part in Gosford Park – which earned an Oscar nod. Still, even that’s been a while. I do enjoy seeing her breathe life into McGonagall in the Harry Potter series, but surely she deserves a greater role to go out on. Maggie is one of those rare thespians who is equally skilled in comedy as she is in drama, so there’s any number of great roles that could be offered to her.

Oscar Nominations: The World According to Garp (1982); The Big Chill (1983), The Natural (1984); Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Last Notable Role: Hamlet (1990)

Sometimes I forget that my darling Glenn is over sixty. She always seems so full of life. She’s experiencing a rebirth of sorts on TV impressing audiences with her audacious work on Damages, but I’m not satisfied. It’s not that I don’t like TV – I do. But the screen is where I'll always prefer to see her, and she is worthy of it. I’d love to see her bring that musical version of Sunset Boulevard to fruition - although I know the chances of that are slim at best. The thing is, she can play more than the caustic roles we've come to recognise (and love) her for. Why isn't anyone using her talents?

             
Which of these women deserves a plum role the most? Or is there someone I've missed?

Months ago when I listed some of my favourite musical scenes I highlighted an under-loved gem from the underrated 1964 musical Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins is on the obvious levels a comedy about the clashes between Mary and everyone she meets but the [few] emotional juggernauts are what speak to me. When she shakes that snow globe and begins to sing that “lullaby” of sorts “Feed the Birds” represents my favourite moment of the film, as Julie croons and we see Jane Darwell in her last screen performance [a cameo] there’s that sense of contentment and satisfaction; childish but true.

Julie’s performance has become undervalued in recent times, I listed it as one of my favourite Best Actress – it’s a list of nepotism, not of skill – but that shouldn’t make you think that Julie isn’t acting here. It’s a copout to just say that she does all that is asked of her, she does, but it’s not that simple. Julie Andrews has a charm that does not come as easy as she makes it seems. On paper Mary Poppins could be silly, I certainly found to the books to be thus, but Julie Andrews is a star – not in the Elizabeth Taylor sense – but one nevertheless. And it is her star quality that makes Mary Poppins works.

              

She doesn’t work completely on her own though. I never was too enthralled with Dick Van Dyke’s Bert, and I often found myself forwarding through his solo numbers when I was younger, but upon recent viewing it’s not as a annoying as I remembered. Of course, he’s no Julie – but who is? The Banks are played wonderfully by David Tomlinson and especially Glynis John who lends a perceptible comedic timing that should not go unvalued. It is a pity she didn’t do more film work. Then, of course, the Banks children. It’s so simple to write them off, but they [Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber] lend a perfect sense of bewilderment, astonishment and wonder at seeing Mary’s theatrics, and the two of them along with Dick and Julie make us believe even the most dimensional things seem real.

                            

Mary Poppins is light and fun, you could always try to find some hidden subtext and of course the aged theme of childhood remains true. I find it delightful that it earned a Best Picture nomination, even if some will look back with disdain. Mary Poppins is a wonderful film, and above all else it introduced the world to Maria Von Trapp – the singer. It’s #100.

Did I confuse with the title of this post? I meant to. I plan to finish my 100 favourite film list by the end of the year but currently I have 89 to go. So I’m doubling up…two films – one day…and it’s all because over at Octopus Cinema, Joshua is hosting a blogathon about two time Oscar winning director Robert Wise. So, I decided I would participate and kill two birds with one stone and give my reviews for two of Wise’s films which are also in my top 100. 

                                                                            

As much as I’d like to say that I’m going against the grain – I can’t. I haven’t seen that much of his filmography. But so what? To celebrate Wise I will offer my perspective on West Side Story [#31] and The Sound of Music [#42].

                                                                          

Between this and The Wizard of Oz, I was introduced to the musical. The Wizard of Oz – I saw first. But this I saw second, third, fourth and on and on and on. There was a period when this would show twice a month every month and we’d look at it all the time without fail. Julie Andrews plays a young nun Maria. Maria lives in the convent with the other sisters, but she’s not quite the same as they. With the blessings of the Reverend Mother she goes off to become the governess for the seven children of Captain Von Trapp. This story is very old, and if there’s someone out there who doesn’t know it – I’d really like to know who that person is.

                                                                         

A few weeks back when I wrote about my favourite scenes from musical Julie Andrews’ 'I Have Confidence' was ranked at [#8]. It’s my favourite number [but not song]  from the film. It’s always so difficult directing musicals where the characters sing at each other in real time and Wise achieves this wonderfully. Esepcially later in the movie. Every musical scene from the film is delightful. From 'My Favourite Things', 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen' [when I fell in love with Charmian Carr], 'Do-Re-Mi', 'The Lonely Goatherd'…it’s all wonderful. Well as far as the first act goes. The problems with the film – and yes there are those…come in the second act.

                                                                      

There is just an obvious jolt in the narrative when Maria leaves to return to the Convent. Eleanor Parker and Richard Haydn do good jobs – but they’re not Julie Andrews and the decimation of Rolf’s character seems so unrealistic. There seems to be no proper development or regression of his character. He’s love struck young man and then he’s a would be Nazi solider. Speaking of which, the Nazi soldiers are so stereotypically evil it makes the film a little…weak.

                                                          

The second act though despite being weak on story is has two beautiful numbers. It’s obvious that 'Climb Every Mountain' is the reason Peggy Wood earned her surprising Oscar nod. Well I don’t know if it was surprising back then, but it was surprising to me. And the most beautiful song in the score is in the second act – the duet 'Something Good'. It’s a bit disparate from the tone of the first act which dealt more with the children, but its beautiful nevertheless.

                                                             

Thinking of my issues with this film I think about Cabaret. Another musical I love…and I do love it…but I always think what if they have stuck to the original play. I would have loved to hear some of the original score, but that’s beside the point. Cabaret worked well as a film different from the play and I wish that Wise would have done that. I can see how the last half hour may have worked on stage…but on film it’s not very interesting. There’s those archetypal Germans and then that unnecessary singing competition. But that last shot of the Von Trapp family climbing the mountain [How’s that for symbolism?] is quite beautiful. And obviously it’s supposed to be a reminder of the war which had occurred some two decades earlier.

                                                             

With all its faults though, I like this movie. It’s in my top 50 after all…and it’s one of my favourite musicals. It’s something to Wise’s talent that despite the faults this film works not only for me…but for thousands of fans.