Showing posts with label Merly Streep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Merly Streep. Show all posts

Thursday, 21 January 2010

A Few Words on The Fantastic Mr. Fox

0 comments Posted by 2011 at 01:05

Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox, as the name indicates, is a story about a fox; a fantastic one. After his wife’s pregnancy Fox retires from the dangerous world of thievery to become a journalist. The film from a superficial standpoint focuses on the fox and his intimations with his fellow animals, but it is not difficult to see it in a larger sense. Fox questions his place in the world as his wife urges him to be more responsible and his son yearns for acceptance. These themes are glaringly human, and these are the idiosyncrasies that make The Fantastic Mr. Fox succeed.
            
The animation here is not the typical 2D or 3D form but a stop-motion format that is almost offensively non-realistic. Narrative wise, The Fantastic Mr. Fox is not faultless; although the first half could claim to be. These first forty minutes are outstanding in their exuberance and a cause of profound delight [oxymoron?], but towards the middle and end it falters. The dialogue is still spoken at breakneck pace. In fact it is in the faultier second half that Streep in particular shines as Fox’s wife. However, the story – one already low on actual plot – seems to be spread too thin. Nevertheless, the potential crisis is averted for the satisfying end-result which manages to be cool and sentimental all at once.
               
The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a strange case. The themes would most likely hold more profundity for adults and the dialogue may go over the head of even the most lucid children but there is a pervasive sense of juvenility about it all. As the credits rolled I could not call it my favourite film – animated or otherwise – of the year. But, for all its adult imitations it was the one that most elicited those elusive memories of childhood.
              
B+

 

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Sunday, 21 June 2009

Cher in Silkwood

0 comments Posted by 2011 at 17:47

3I’m one of the participants in Stinkylulu’s June Supporting Actress Smackdown for 1983. I was planning on writing reviews on each of the five films up for consideration, but I opted out. I don’t have patience. Instead I decided to write some short vignettes on each of the five actresses and anything that struck me about their films. Some more than others, but I decided I’d go with a 400 word limit. At the end of the series I'll post my favourites of the year. I'll begin with the music star making a cross over...

Cher in Silkwood

Silkwood marks the beginning of Cher’s Oscar career – which just consisted of two nominations really. The film is a showcase for Meryl Streep, this is the Meryl Streep that I liked – the Out of Africa, Sophie’s Choice Meryl not the One True Thing or Bridges of Madison County Meryl or the Doubt and The Devil Wears Prada Meryl, but I deviate. Cher plays the lesbian friend of Karen Silkwood the protagonist of this film. I have always admired (to some extent) Cher as an actress more than her as a musician. Strangely enough my favourite performance of hers was in The Witches of Eastwick, which is not exactly an excellent film – but Cher does well in these type of roles – as she further showed in Moonstruck. I figure that the AMPAS had an agenda nominating Cher for an Oscar. Her performance was actually her first good performance.

As I mentioned earlier, the film is a Meryl showcase and we know that not many could have outdone Meryl back in the eighties. I always get the feeling that Cher was just happy to get a good part; I can always notice a certain earnestness in her performance. It’s not the best performance, but she has me interested… and that’s one thing you can’t fault ever fault her for. She’s not a bland actor.

As I said earlier I figure that AMPAS had an agenda nominating Cher, she was a big movie star and they like the movie (not enough to give it a Best Picture nod), but just enough. So they're not too fond of Kurt Russel and are probably uncertain whether to put him in lead or supporting so they nominate Meryl and they nominate Cher. Back then they seemed really into giving popular people a chance to get invited to ceremony.

Cher's performance is not bad; it just wasn't one my favourite of that year, but it’s always good to see people improve their range.

You will notice I changed the font again, this time it's permanent.

 

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