The American Film Student in London

A Tribute to Woody Allen

2010-04-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

-Not many directors have made their mark on American cinema quite like Woody Allen. His flair for finding hilarity in ordinary life along with also pointing out the intricacies of human behavior have truly become his trademark. Likewise his eternal love affair with New York City along with his unrivaled stamina (he's written and directed one film virtually each year since making his debut as a filmmaker in the late 60s) have made him a cinematic landmark. Actors aspire to work with him, critics look forward to his movies and regardless of whatever advances films have made since he first appeared on the scene, Allen continues to stick to his traditional mode of filmmaking which has, and always will set him apart from any other director around. In celebration of an unprecedented legacy, here are 5 Woody Allen outings that may not have gone down as some of the master's greatest, but are some of my favorites and regadless of the type of "Allen" quality they give off, are still some of the most noteworthy films around.

1. Interiors (1978)
-One of Allen's most serious offerings from the 1970s, Interiors was not warmly received upon initial release but has since acquired a collection of admirers. The film's look very carefully measured with a variety of muted colors with only a handful of brightness sparsely scattered throughout the entire movie is exemplary. Moreover though, the film's main theme of how the divore of a long-time married couple affects their grown children was one that had, up to that point anyways, yet to be explored. Allen's treatment of the subject and the way he shapes the adult children characters help to make Interiors one of the most compelling examples of family drama in film history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhphrzgPpaE

2. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
-Allen's tribute to gangster pictures of the 30s as well as the great white way are both explored with great care in this fast-paced romp. A failed playwright is determined to bring his latest production to the stage himself but finds that his goal will be impossible to achieve unless he negotiates a deal with the mob. Full of lush cinematography, cracker-jack dialogue and great performances form the cast (especially Palminteri, Tilly and Weist who each received Oscar nominations for their work, with the latter winning), Bullets Over Broadway brought with it a resurgence for the director as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BDr_9S5ZwU

3. Melinda and Melinda (2004)
-In full experimental mode, Allen got together one of his most diverse casts for one of his most daring latter day entries. The film tells the story of a fictional character named Melindaa hapless singleton who is presented through two separate stories (one comedic, the other dramatic). Its not an easy premise to take on as a viewer, but if your patience holds on throughout, the result as well as the overall experience is truly rewarding. Full of Allen's trademark dialogue and sensibility, Melinda and Melinda is truly one of the more curious footnotes in the director's illustrious career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6IPioPX760

4. Scoop (2006)
-One of Allen's most celebrated, yet strangely still criminally underrated facets as a director has to do with his talents toward the area of magical realism. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the comedy/mystery Scoop. A young American journalism student spending the summer in London encounters the ghost of a recently-dead reporter who informs her that a prominent citizen may be a notorious serial killer. From start to finish Scoop is brimming with laughs, mystery, and elements of farce and suspense. Featuring Allen himself in a hilarious role, Scoop is one of his hidden gems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X31pBRzhqaw

5. Cassandra's Dream (2007)
-Family is family. Blood is blood. So states the tagline for this harshly-treated suspense drama from Allen. Two London brothers who are both struggling to rise above their current social status' beg their wealthy uncle to loan them large sums of money to clear their debts. In exchange for the loan, they must murder one of their uncle's associates. Unlike so many suspense yarns, Cassandra's Dream is very grounded in reality and boasts an assortment of interesting characters including the brothers' girlfriends, both of whom add intrigue to the film. In the end, Cassandra's dream represents family loyalty and the parameters that exist within.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iEQdTFb2Rw

Movie Flop of the Week- Nothing But Trouble (1991)

2010-04-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

-In the late 80s, the trio of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and John Candy were at the height of their fame before passing the torch of comedic movie star over to the likes of Rob Schnieder, Adam Sandler and Kevin James. These actors starred in an array of screen comedies that all played on thier various comedic strengths which they had earlier showcased on SNL. It seemed for a while that these surefire funny men could do no wrong creatively. That is untl Nothin but Trouble came their way.

Co-written and directed by Aykroyd, this dark comedy tells the story of a group of New Yorkers (which includes Chase and Demi Moore) on their way to Atlantic City for a conference when a wrong turn leads them into the city of Valkenvania; an eerie looking town filled with decaying buildings and questionable characters. Upon failing to notice a stop sign, Chase and co. find themselves being pursued by a local policeman (Candy). After deciding the outrun the cop, the group is eventually captured and taken to the local jail/courthouse; a dilapidated mansion with various mazes, trapdoors, secret rooms, and hidden stairwells. After being presented to the local justice of the peace (a heavily-made-up Akyroyd) the group's trial is postponed until the morning and are placed into a holding cell. Desperate to escape, the trendy New Yorkers plunge ahead through the many traps the manaical judge and his family have set up.

It seems that everyone involved (save for Aykroyd) must have seen the writing on the wall with regards to the outcome of Nothing But Trouble. Although the studio was willing to give the actor turned novice director a chance, interference from executives was still a factor as they tried to bleed originality from Aykroyd's screenplay in favor of a more audience-friendly outing ( the most notable example of this was changing the film's title from the original Valkenvania to the overly-generic, not to mention critics' favorite Nothing But Trouble.) It seemed the cast didn't have much faith in the film either with Chase reportedly telling everyone he knew the film was bad news and how he committed to the project only to please his friend Aykroyd. Audiences shared the same reaction as Chase and the studio (who released the film in early February- the dumping time for films studios have lost faith in) as the $40 million movie grossed a measly $8 million. Adding to the proceedings were the 6 Razzie Nominations the film received the following year for Worst Supporting Actor (Akyroyd-for which he won), Worst Supporting Actress (Candy-for playing his twin sister), Worst Actress (Moore- who received another nomination that year for The Butcher's Wife), Worst Director (Akyroyd), Worst Screenplay (Aykroyd and his brother Peter) and Worst Picture.

It becomes obvious that there are only two types of audiences suitable for Nothing But Trouble: the first is comprised of fans of Candy (who also plays his character's twin sister), Chase and Aykroyd, who must have taken delight in seeing the three comedic giants share the same screen. The second are fans of dark, macabre comedy who appreciate Aykroyd's decidedly harsh touches. Its true that at times the movie does become a tad mean-spirited such as when another group of lawbreakers (this time a group of drugged-out party animals) are sentenced to death and are placed on a rollercoaster which throws them into a machine which tears off their flesh and spits out their bones onto a dart board or when Chase and Moore encounter a room full of IDs belonging to the judge's many past victims including the never-found Jimmy Hoffa. Yet even these touches are filled with more imagination than most of today's dark comedy offerings.

Its no surprise the critics hated Nothing But Trouble with a passion. While their lambasting of the film is overblown, to their credit there are some points in the film which simply don't work. For example, the casting of Moore (the only non-comedian in the film), the side plot featuring the derranged family's estranged cousins, and the musical number featuring Tupac Shakur (in which Aykroyd joins in) are all elements which should have been rethought.

And yet in spite of this, Nothing But Trouble is still a great deal of dark fun thanks to the cast, its winding story which never lets up, and incredible set pieces including an elaborate junk yard and a funhouse from hell. It may have been one of the biggest flops of 1991; spelling the end for Aykroyd as a director, but Nothing But Trouble remains today what its creator intended it to be-a great deal of dark, twisted fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgBxhLgTEvg
-enjoy watching Siskel and Ebert take the movie apart on their program in a misjudged review...

An Appreciation of Kevin Kline

2010-04-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

-For years Kevin Kline has been one of film's most solid actors. He has proven his range in many kinds of films and his unique presence has greatly contributed to some of the most revered cinematic offerings of the last century (i.e. Sophie's Choice, The Big Chill, A Fish Called Wanda and The Ice Storm.) Its difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is about Kline that has endeared him to audiences for decades. Some suggest its his ability to deliver any line with the appropriate amount of class or manic intensity. Some say its his ability to tower like an overpowering leading man while still exuding a down to earth feeling. And still others point to an undeniable ability to transform himself according to whatever role he is playing while still maintaining his own unique personality. An Oscar winner who has deserved much more acclaim than he's been given in the past, below are 5 of Kline's most revered, yet slightly underrated performances which showcase the actor at his best.

1. Soapdish (1991)
-Although the film clearly had Sally Field geared as its leading lady, Kline is able to match up to her comedic abilities admirably. The story of a soap opera star (Field) who must confront her past when a former castmate/lover (Kline) returns and the farce that ensues was one of the early 90s most beloved comedies. Kline is at hs best as an actor rescued from trenches of dinner theater and is given one more chance to redeem himself by the soap opera world. He's funny, likeable and inhabits the role like a fine glove. Production delays on this film may have cost him the lead in Steven Speilberg's Hook, but his fine work in Soapdish resulted in a well-deserved Golden Globe Nomination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwDSYbNSmss

2. Dave (1993)
-Kline plays Dave Covic, the owner of an employment agency who bears a striking resemblence to the current President. As a side job, Dave is hired out to make personal appearances as the commander-in-chief, but when the real leader has a stroke, Dave is recruited by the government to serve as the President full time. Dripping with Capra-esque ideals, the casting of Kline seems ideal as he so wonderfully embodies the spirit of Capra favoite Jimmy Stewart and infuses the role with his own charms. This smart political comedy has a humanistic feel thanks to its leading man who received a Golden Globe Nomination for his performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt7TN_CKp9U&feature=related

3.Life as a House (2001)
-In a rare dramatic role, Kline portrays an archietect past him prime who has recently been let go from the firm he works at and as a result decides to build his dream home and bring along his estranged teenage son for the ride. Kline is absolutely pitch perfect as a man whose life has passed him by without knowing it and upon realizing it sets out to make things right. The premise of the film may seem simple, but story is still potent enough thanks to Kline's fully committed performance which never misses a beat. Its rare to see Kline in a role such as this for which he recevied a Screen Actors' Guild Nomination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlAXZclowmI

4. De-lovely (2004)
-The life story of legendary composer Cole Porter may not have been one of the most sought-after properties in Hollywood, but its an undenaible fascinating life story nonetheless. As the music man himself, Kline is at his most whimsical; brilliantly capturing the romantic and idealistic Porter in all his facets. Kline recognizes Porter as a man with an unshakable passion for life and plays him as such. Its one of his best times on screen and one of the most enjoyable real-life channellings in recent times. Had the film not been released the same year as Ray, Kline might have gotten an Oscar Nomination for his work, instead he had to settle for an equally deserving Golden Globe Nomination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxncdtqjs6g

5. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
-The film adaptation of Garrison Kiellor's long-running radio show was beautifully translated to film by the legendary Robert Altman and featured many standout characters. Yet it was Kline as the film's narrator and house detective which proved the most humorous. As Guy Noir, Kline comically channeled Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe and Jake Gitties to great effect. What makes Kline's performance work in this film so well is the fact that he plays his charcter in a strightforward manner rather than the second-rate gumshoe he actually is. Its Kline at his most serious, but also his silliest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvOCeeCP6tY

Major Revamp of Blog Content

2010-04-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

-I had so much fun making the compilation blogs leading up to the Oscars that i've decided to continue the trend and devote certain days of the week to creating blogs which explore various topics of film. This routine I plan on continuing weekly to have some more fun and change things up with this blog. However I don't plan on abandoning the blog's original purpose which is to celebrate various underrated and underappreciated films that have come and gone. So without further ado, here is my tentative make up for the new blog:

Mondays- Actor profile- I will look at certain highglights from the career of a particular actor or actress which I feel have contributed to making them one of the screen's most valued players.

Tuesday-Film Flops- A look at some of the most notorious cinematic disasters, why they are considered so terrible and what specifically is it about them that warrants revisiting.

Wednesday-Director Profile- Much in the same vein as the actor profile, I will be looking at some of the highlights of the careers from some of the most esteemed visual storytellers.

Thursday-Underrated classics- As usual, an examination of a film which received little to no attention when first released but deserves being written about due to its unique and hidden charms.

Friday-Theme Day-From horror, to musicals, to such topics as psychology and sex, to genres every Friday I will explore a various theme explored in film and various noteworthy examples which illustrate it.

Well that's the new plan!! I plan to set this into motion this upcoming Monday with my actor profile on an individual who is to be determined!! Til then!!

Living Out Loud- Movie of the Day (4/6/10)

2010-04-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

-Living Out Loud (1998)
-Starring Holly Hunter, Danny Devito, and Queen Latifah
-Written and Directed by Richard Lagravenese

-Films about damaged people are not all that uncommon. Movies about seemingly happy, carefree individuals wouldn't be able to sustain any kind of audience for 2 hours. Yet in watching stories about people who have lost their way in life and rely on each other to help pull them through will forever be compelling cinema.

An excellent specimen of such a film is the criminally underrated 1998 comedy/drama Living Out Loud. The film tells the story of Judith Moore (Hunter); a recently divorced upper-east side New Yorker who finds she doesn't know who she is since her long-time husband has left her for another woman. Judith spends her days reading books, eating out, attending jazz clubs and engaging in other similar activites by herself without any real human contact. Meanwhile Pat (Devito) is a doorman at Judith's building who is struggling with problems of his own. His only daughter has just died after a lengthy battle with lukemia and his gambling debts have been mounting. It isn't long before the two connect and in each other, find a true friendship, a possible romance, and the encouragement to finally live the lives they were meant to live.

There is virtually nothing about this film that works against it. Everything from the casting to the writing, to the directing and choice of music serves the film and story well. The humor within it is carefully spaced out, but always present in an effort to not crowd the drama but to also remind veiwers that Living Out Loud is indeed a comedy. Hunter is without question brilliant as Judith and plays her as a controlled mess; a woman who seems poised on the outside but whose inner ramblings are truly manic and neurotic ("I can't stand those terrorists!! They're always so mad at everybody!!") Through Hunter, we get to know Judith inside and out; her fears, desires, her vulnerability and frustrations. Its one of Hunter's finest moments and one which should have brought her more acclaim than it did. Likewise as compelling is Devito as Pat who wears his heart on his sleeve and who doesn't posess a single alterior motive. Its the kind of role one doesn't normally see Devito play. Here the actor abandons his trademark quality and plays Pat in a straight manner allowing the character's humor to come from his own charm. Never has Devito been as down to earth and honest on screen as he is here. Rounding out the cast is a jazz singer named Liz Bailey (Latifah); a one-time recording artist who now sings at the jazz club Judith frequents and later befriends. Like Devito, Latifah doesn't give a flashy performance, but rather one which is full of honesty and (thanks to some choice jazz numbers) class.

Some choice moments in the film brilliantly chronicle Judith's journey. Such as her hilarious inner-monolouges which are filled with anger, yet are still amusing, the sequence in which she enjoys an erotic massage allowing her to feel sexual again and the sequence when she takes ecstasy and accompanies Liz to a nightclub where she partakes in well-choreographed dance sequence. The latter scene is perhaps the most important as it represents Judith's evolution towards re-discovering who she really is and, after magically encountering a teenage version of herself, who she was.

If the movie feels at all like it may be a hair too long, its only because the journey for the characters is so rich and LaGravanese doesn't want to short change their stories in any way. While both Judith and Pat have circumstances that seem dire, their clinging to each other and their belief in hope pulls them through. In fact it is that term hope which is perhaps the movie's biggest theme as seen by an ending that is non-conventional and certianly not the most ideal, but which serves the character's greatly in the long run.

Its fantastic to find a movie such as Living Out Loud whose sole purpose is to tell a real story about characters who are struggling to put themselves back together again. Its easy to find aspects of these people in your own life and if the movie leaves the viewer with anything, its the question: are we truly living our lives out loud??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFZGpZVQVm0

Alternative Oscar Nominees...Best Picture!!

2010-03-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

-I'm beyond glad that The Hurt Locker took home the Best Picture award at the Oscars this year. If there was ever a film that was so artful, yet intense, as well as relevant, it was The Hurt Locker. Though the film was not a big money maker, it now has a place in history alongside the many other great motion pictures that came before it such as Gentleman's Agreement, The Deer Hunter, and Crash. I have very little doubt that anyone who did not see the film wanted any other nominee to take home the prize. Yet since the Academy opened up the top category to double the nominees, there was certainly a diverse group of choices. Without question, the darkest horse was The Blind Side, whose inclusion I suspect was based highly on box office rather that artistic merit, while others such as A Serious Man and Avatar had moments of brilliance, but their appearance on the list was also somewhat of a "hmm..." moment. Despite opening up the category to 10 possible winners, some of the most intriguing and worthy films of 2009 were shut out of the running. Below are my 5 alternative picks for Best Picture which I feel could easily have been worthy of one of the 10 spots. With the exception of one, none of these picks received any kind of Oscar recognition whatsoever in any of the other categories!! For that very reason, I shall also offer up some additional potential categories besides Best Picture which all of these films could have easliy fit into as well...enjoy!!

1. Afterschool
-The hit of several film festivals, Afterschool is indie director Antonio Campos' fourth feature and by far his most provacative to date. The film tells the story of a young boarding school student who feels unnerved by his surroundings; a feeling that more than escalates when he witnesses upon two popular fellow classmates overdose on drugs and die. Campos' bold move of abandoning the conventional movie camera techniques for a decidely more realist feel proved to be the ultimate comment on the heavily dependent youtube generation. The style of filmmaking only emphasizes the intese maddening feeling given off by the world of private school and one student's determination not to get lost within it. By far one of the most haunting films released this year.

Alt. Nominations:
Best Original Screenplay
Best Director- Antonio Campos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGFbWhlVezo

2. Duplicity
-The title on my list with the least amount of Oscar buzz, Duplicity was perhaps one of the most refreshing film offerings this year. From Bourne/Michael Clayton writer/director, Tony Gilroy, Duplicity concerns two ex-spies who come together to pull off a con on two of America's biggest corporations while at the same trying to stay ahead of one another. Not only does the movie have a sparkling script, lots of great location shots, and more than enough chemistry between the two leads, but Duplicity also successfully reworks the romance caper genre making it accessible to both passive and active audiences. The story structure of the film is laid out like a jigsaw puzzle, begging to be solved, while the romance and the comedy is fresh and present. All in all, a surprising and pleasant entry in an otherwise conventional genre.

Alt. Nominations-
-Best Original Screenplay
-Best Original Song- Being Bad
-Best Editing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PA92vCdgB8&feature=related

3. Everybody's Fine
-A remake of an earlier foreign film, Everybody's Fine is one of those special films that is able to fit comfortably into any era thanks to its universal story and the execution of it. The story deals with Robert DeNiro's elegaic journey across the country to visit his grown children whom he's grown slightly apart from since the death of wife a few months prior. Its so rare for a film to hit as many right notes as Everybody's Fine does. The acting, writing, directing all come together like a classical piece of music: delicate in its tone, yet strong enough to stir emotions. In an era where most films strive to be mind-blowing and life-altering, its refreshing to find a motion picture that simply wants to be fine.

Alt. Nominations-
-Best Original Song- (I Want to) Come Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGXuhyVxrQM

4. Nine
-"From Rob Marshall, the director of Chicago" spelled death for the harshly judged, Fellini-inspired Nine. Those unfamiliar with the film's subject were constantly comparing it to Chicago while those who knew the story's background felt what they were seeing was a half-baked version of the original Broadway show. Nine is about a revered Italian film director who has come to a career block making him unable to start work on his new film as he tries to come to terms with the various women in his life. Although it didn't live up to the bevy of expectations piled upon it in the months prior to its release, Nine works as a dazzling array of offbeat, showstopping songs performed by an able star-studded cast while at the same time also paying homage to not only the great Federico Fellini, but also filmmakers in general and the practice of making a movie. Any true lover of films should find themselves shedding a tear by the end.

Alt. Oscar Nominees-
-Best Original Song- Cinema Italiano
-Best Director- Rob Marshall
-Best Adapted Screenplay
-Best Editing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B2N_iRUJ7Y

5. Where the Wild Things Are
-THE most underrated film released last year was without a doubt Spike Jonze's visionary adaptation of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are. The story of a boy who escapes his home life and finds himself in a world populated by giant creatures who adopt him as their king couldn't have been brought to the screen any better. Jonze has constructed a film not necessarily for children but for anyone who remembers a time in their lives when they felt the need to escape the ugly realities of the real world. Beyond the cathartic feelings it provokes from the audience, Where the Wild Things Are represents that seemingly undefinable moment in childhood when we slowly begin to grow up. Well-written, well-crafted, and beautifully shot, Where the Wild Things Are is my personal pick for best picture of 2009.

Alt. Nominations:
-Best Adapted Screenplay
-Best Director- Spike Jonze
-Best Cinematograpy
-Best Art Direction
-Best Original Score

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFgB6xUzziU

Next Week...Back to my continuous appreciation of underrated films...

Alternative 2009 Oscar Nominees- Best Actor

2010-03-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

-Due to an unforseeable accident w/my internet provider, I was without internet for several days and as a result, I couldn't finish my alternative Oscar nomination posts prior to the awards ceremony. However, I now have my internet restored and will complete the two remaining posts despite the loss of some of their timeliness.

-I don't think that anyone was upset the Jeff Bridges won for his role in Crazy Heart. Certainly an actor with so many classics to his name as well as multiple nominations is definitley worthy of film's highest honor. The same is true (although to a lesser extent) of most of the remaining nominees. Colin Firth gave what was the culmination of his career through his haunting portrait in A Single Man which showed him at his best advantage. Jeremy Renner's work in The Hurt Locker likewise provided the seasoned actor with a fantastic platform from which to showcase the range of his acting. Morgan Freeman was finally able to give the public the role everyone had been waiting for him to play for so long; that of Nelson Mandella in Invictus. Only George Clooney, who gave his trademark disheveled businessman act in Up in the Air remains the odd one out in my opinion. This is not to say Clooney isn't talented, it just doesn't help when an actor continues to give the same performance as he did in his previous Oscar roles. In any case, below are five actors who did extraordinary work this year, giving performances in films which sadly went unnoticed by many, yet were definitley worthy of Oscar recognition.

1. Hugh Dancy for Adam

-Dancy, always cast as a stereotypical british gentleman (w/some notable exceptions), is finally allowed to stretch as an actor playing a man diagnosed with ausperger's syndrome who meets the girl of his dreams. Dancy skillfully handled both the comedic and dramatic elements deftly and was able to make the character of Adam a likeable enigma throughout. Its doubtful that we'll ever get to see Dancy in a role which allows him such whimsy and humanity. But I hope I'm wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92U6OnVZG3U

2. Johnny Depp for Public Enemies

-Even though most people thought that Michael Mann's much-anticipated Public Enemies was both overblown and underwhelming (myself included), many agreed that Depp's performance was indeed the film's saving grace. As legendary criminal John Dillinger, Depp once again added a memorable character to his film catalogue. Rather than give a movie star performance shrouded in mystery, Depp presents an honest and up-front portrait of America's one-time public enemy number 1. While not as flashy as most of his other roles in recent years, his turn in Public Enemies succeeds in showing the boundless talent of Johnny Depp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xOgO7_eT8

3. Joseph Gordon Levitt in (500) Days of Summer

-Levitt has always been one of the most interesting younger actors around primarily due to the projects he takes on. The actor eases between comedy, drama, big-budget, and indie fare seamlessly; giving total and complete devotion to each role he undertakes. Yet in (500) Days of Summer, Levitt is at his very best. As a young greeting card writer who falls for a co-worker, Levitt was mesmerizing playing scenes of hilarity, romance, frustration and despair. It is one of the finest male peerformances given all year long and a testement to one of the most talented former child actors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tJoIaXZ0rw

4. Sam Rockwell in Moon

-Sam Rockwell has always been one of the screen's most underapprectiated actors. His brilliant turns in The Green Mile, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Choke were all works of genius. In Moon, Rockwell truly inhabits the role of his career as an astronaut sent into space for a solo mission which lasts for 3 years. Being virtually the only cast member on film, the show was Rockwell's and through bouts of fright, paranoia and devastation, the actor was absolutely outstanding. Its another performance from one of the finest actors working today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_Q

5. Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

-I can imagine its not that easy to carry an entire film on one's own, let alone a Coen Bros.' film. Yet that's just what Michael Stuhlbarg did, magnificently I might add, in A Serious Man. Playing a professor who sees his entire life crumbling around him in 1960s America, Stuhlbarg was ideally cast. Though his work prior to this has been limited to theater and TV spots, I sincerely hope after having seen A Serious Man, that the film world takes notice of such an incredible talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETSYOibG-_Y&feature=related

Tomorrow...Best Picture...finally!!

Alternative 2009 Oscar Nominees- Best Actress

2010-03-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

-This year's Best Actress category at the Oscars is probably one of the most exciting and unpredictable in recent years. On the one hand there are the seasoned pros: Meryl Streep for her astonishing turn in Julie and Julia currently leading the pack of nominees with the most awarded performance of the season and a strong possibility to walk away with the coveted trophy and Helen Mirren, whose role as Tolstoy's wife in The Last Station is the definition of a dark horse if there ever was one. On the other side are two newcomers who have given some of the most impressive performances by younger actresses in such a long time. Carey Mulligan as an impressionable British schoolgirl in An Education was captivating and has taken home the most amount of awards this season (second only to Streep). Likewise Gabourey Sidibe's heartwrenching role in Precious has taken home every breakthrough actress/artist award around making her a very STRONG dark horse candidate. In the middle of all this, and the one nominee with the biggest Oscar buzz surrounding her, is Sandra Bullock, whose turn as a wealthy southerner in the surprise hit The Blind Side has led to what many call the performance of her career and has resulted in a string of high-profile accolades for America's sweetheart. I don't think anyone doubts that any of these women deserves her nomination, and I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if Streep or Bullock (the most logical choices) took home the gold. Yet I think its important to remember some of the other fantastic performances given by actresses in 2009 that, had it not been for the aforementioned 5 stellar turns, might have made it to Oscar glory.

1. Charlotte Gainsbourg- Antichrist

-Gus Van Sant's journey into the reecesses of dark madness proved to be too much for some with a few critics actually walking out at press screenings. While the film definitley takes a lot out of its audience, the most noteworthy component is Gainsbourg's performance. As a woman on the brink of insanity due to her son's death, Gainsbourg unleashed an unending flood of emotions throughout the entire course of the film which reportedly wreaked havoc on the actress' psyche. The result was the Best Actress award from the Cannes Film Festival and one of the most electrifying performances any actress has ever committed to film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBdDcQONmkM

2. Gwyneth Paltrow- Two Lovers

-Gwyneth took somewhat of a risk with her screen image playing a woman involved with a married man as well as her neighbor in the indie drama Two Lovers. Playing a real mess of a human being, Paltrow is completely credible as a woman torn between the possibility of two different lives and who on some level enjoys wallowing in her own misery. Its a Gwyneth who isn't as audience-concious as seen in previous films in what is certainly her best role since Proof which is evidenced by her recent Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMpuIAiuabw

3. Michelle Pfeiffer- Cheri

-Sometime last year when a random film article was published detailing which performers were long overdue for an Oscar win, it came as no surpise that Pfeiffer's name came up. After being robbed 3 times before (not to mention failing to even get a nomination for her chilling work in White Oleander), the actress once again makes it known that she is Oscar-caliber with her most passion-filled role to date in Cheri. Pfeiffer plays an aging courtesan (a term for french high-class prostitutes) who begins an affair with a selfish young man only to see it end years later when he becomes engaged. The actress commands the screen so vividly as a woman who thought she knew what she wanted from her life, that she is even the main focus of scenes she isn't even in; not a small achievement by any means whatsoever!! With Cheri, La Pfeiffer once again proves herself to be one of the most beautiful and compelling actresses working in film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7wk445BR0

4. Robin Wright-Penn- The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

-While the film itself received mixed reviews, everyone delighted in Wright-Penn's almost flawless performance. As a woman whose life has undergone so many transformations and is now questioning where her life will go next, Wright-Penn is finally given the chance to not only carry a film on her own shoulders, but also finally showcase some of her grossly underused facets as an actress. After years of able and noteworthy supporting turns and ensemble work, it was so rewarding to see this fine actress be given the kind of part she has always deserved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRV8fZza1z4

5. Renee Zellweger- My One and Only

-I found myself questioning some time ago what had happened to Zellweger's career in recent times. Her last few projects were either uninspired exercises into overly familiar territory (Miss Potter, Appaloosa, New in Town) or noteworthy films which had her doing very little (Cinderella Man, Leatherheads.) It was refreshing then to see the actress finally finding a rich role in a first-rate film such as her part in the late-summer comedy My One and Only. Based on the life of George Hamilton's mother, the film tells the story of a musician's wife who leaves her husband after discovering he's married and takes to the open road in search of a new love. With strong lines, period piece surroundings, and an accent to boot, Zellweger greatly inhabits a role any actress would kill for restoring some hope to what was once a most promising career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPUYETIAxc0

Tomorrow...Best Actor!!

Alternative 2009 Oscar Nominees...Best Supporting Actor!!

2010-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

-I must say that the Best Supporting Actor Oscar has to be my most favorite out of all the categories this year. So many great actors are nominated this year; all of them deserving!! It will be a MAJOR upset if the Academy doesn't award Christoph Waltz for giving perhaps the most tour-de-force performance in Inglorious Basterds. Yet it seems that any of the other men in the category would be equally deserving of the award. Matt Damon who seemed in danger of getting lost in the realm of Hollywood blockbusters gave a moving and credible performance as a South African rugby player in Clint Eastwood's powerhouse Invictus. Christopher Plummer, one of stage and screen's most well-respected actors for decades finally receives his long overdue nomination for playing legendary scribe Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station. Meanwhile Woody Harrelson gets a second chance at Oscar and once again proves his underrated and oftentimes underused acting chops playing a hard-as-nails Army Captain in the criminally underseen The Messenger. Finally, Stanley Tucci is rewarded for years of outstanding supporting work with a nomination for his decidedly unsettling role as a child murderer in The Lovely Bones. I have no complaints to make about the choices made by the academy for this category, but I do however want to acknowledge 5 other Oscar-worthy supporting actor turns from 2009; all of whom deserve just as much recognition as the aforementioned men.

1. Jeff Bridges- The Men Who Stare at Goats

-As I mentioned in an earlier posting, Jeff Bridges is an acting svengali who can do almost no wrong. Case in point is his hilarious performance in the oddly-inspired comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats. Although he doesn't get the chance to utilize his comedic abilities too often, in this sadly unnoticed army comedy, Bridges gives one of his most laugh-inducing roles as one of a group of soldiers who is able to destroy enemies through mind control. Perhaps if crazy Heart hadn't come along this would have been the film to bring Bridges the Oscar he rightly deserves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SreufFevUSw

2. Frank Langella- The Box

-While many just didn't get Richard Kelly's third film (also his most straightforward) about a couple played by Cameron Diaz and James Marsden; the recipients of a mysterious box which brings the promise of wealth for the two and death for a stranger. As the mastermind behind the proceedings, Langella, always a dependable actor, creates one of the most silently menacing creations shown on screen in recent years. His Mr. Steward is quiet, and because he's orchestrated so many events such as these, uncalculating. Instead he goes through the motions, which thanks to the fascinating elements of the character and Langella's talent, proves highly interesting!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFHa-ygkF_M

3. Steve Martin- It's Complicated

-For years Steve Martin has given the movies one zany character after another. Yet there are times when this brilliant comic actor turns in a highly credible performance that doesn't rely on sight gags or word play. Such a case would be his turn in this Christmas' hit comedy It's Complicated. Playing an architect who falls for his client played by Meryl Streep, Martin is at his best just being natural. Martin plays his character as someone who is content with his life, yet still recovering from the pain of a failed marriage. The actor is perfectly able to bring forth the duality of his role which is caution at the prospect of a new relationship and the desire to make himself open to the possibility of love once more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt-l1liNjk0

4. Christian McKay- Me & Orson Welles

-Its almost frightening at just how powerful and dead on McKay's interpretation of Welles is in this otherwise standard film. The actor, a virtual newcomer to films, nails the perfect intonations, inflections, gestures, and facial expressions that made the legenday actor/director such a force. But more than just nailing the physical and technical aspects of the role, where McKay succeeds just as greatly is in capturing Welles' spirit and dedication for the craft which more than shines through thanks to the actor's work which is perhaps one of the best interpretations of any real-life figure to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQvq7eulfWc

5. Alfred Molina- An Education

-Another actor long overdue (and still is) for Oscar recognition is Alfred Molina. As Carey Mulligan's straight-laced, but loving father in An Education, the actor proves once again why he is one of the best character actors around. His fatherly turn provides the emotional core the film is after and the love he possesses for his daughter comes through in virtually every scene he is in. More than that, Molina represents a man who gave up on his own dreams in favor of practicality and wants so much for his daughter to make not necessarily the opposite choice he made, but simply to make the one she feels is right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUeYKwxTCGQ

Tomorrow...Best Actress!!

Alternative 2009 Oscar Nominees...Best Supporting Actress

2010-03-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

-I have to admit that the crop of nominees for Best Supporting Actress this year is somewhat questionable ranging from the standard shoe-in to the requisite dark horse. No actress deserves to be on that list more than Mo'Nique for her work in Precious which saw her abandon any and all traces of her comic persona to play a true monster with hidden wounds. While not as powerful, but definitley entrancing is Vera Farmiga's work in Up in the Air; playing a woman completely guarded from the outside world, but who lets George Clooney in little by little. The same cannot be said for her co-star Anna Kendrick whose work in the same film reflects that of a machine with the right amount of technology required to sprout out the right lines at the apporopriate times as opposed to the true actress Kendrick actually is. Almost as uninspiring is Crazy Heart's Maggie Gyllenhaal who is normally a stirring presence on film, but who gets lost in what is essentially Jeff Bridges' film. Caught somewhere in between these four women lies Penelope Cruz, whose performance in Nine was definitley a showstopper full of captivating moments but was it really Oscar-worthy?? I kind of get the feeling that the Academy nominated her for two reasons: a) they love her as most everyone does, and b) they couldn't think of anyone else to nominate. I'm hoping the former is more true than the latter for the sheer fact that there were a number of Oscar-worthy supporting actress performances in 2009 which easily could have fit into the category this year!!

1. Kim Basinger- The Informers

-Many simply didn't get the big-screen adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' book The Informers (that's ok, American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction took years to attain their now-cult followings), but no one could deny after seeing it that Basinger is still one of the screen's most watchable actresses around. As the pill-popping, toy-boy loving L.A. wife reconciling with her estranged studio executive husband, Basinger inhabits one of her more interesting roles in years. It would have been too easy to play this kind of role in a straightforward manner, so Basinger instead chooses to dig deep and uncover all the pain, anger, resentment, insecurities and fear which control her character and channels them brilliantly in a performance where most things are "under the surface."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ellp6-RTJI8

2. Leslie Mann- Funny People

-One of the biggest letdowns this past summer had to be the Judd Apatow comedy/drama Funny People. While the comedy wasn't potent enough, the drama itself fell short of being genuine leading to a truly awkward (and overlong) film experience. Yet the bright spot of the film had to be Leslie Mann's turn as Adam Sandler's former love interest. In what is perhaps her best role to date, Mann plays Sandler's former girlfriend now happily married, but who decides to re-kindle her past love when Sandler finds out he is dying. Though she's garnered a few laughs in the past, Mann has never been given the chance to actually be funny on her own, which she does here quite admirably. Furthermore, the scenes which require her to bring forth sadness and despair showcase a flair for the dramatic which has been criminally underused in the past. I hope someday she will get to use these gifts in such a way again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huo4iLqR6e8

3. Julia Roberts- Fireflies in the Garden

-I'm not surprised that many people have never heard of this film. Playing at only a handful of festivals in the US before given the most minimal of releases before being sent off abroad, Fireflies in the Garden told the story of how a tragedy helped a damaged family understand each other. Though she dies in the film's opening, Roberts' character Lisa (shown almost entirely in flashback scenes) remains the film's emotional core. Playing a mother and housewife, Roberts is able to transcend the stereotypical "wife" role and let her true motivations show including her love for her family and her devotion to them. Not only does she do everything to make sure her family knows they are loved by her, but also makes sure they know she's her own person as well by standing up for herself and voicing her very strong opinions. This character truly comes to life thanks to Roberts' beautiful performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IU6zf84EFQ

4. Susan Sarandon- The Lovely Bones

-Many must have questioned Sarandon when she signed on to play Grandma Lynn in Peter Jackson's big-screen adaptation of the best-selling novel The Lovely Bones. Some felt the actress (hardly old enough to be called grandma) was perhaps not the wisest choice. Yet Sarandon brings enough gusto and energy with her to do the character justice. As a woman whose family is suffering the loss of their oldest daughter, Sarandon's character brings with her the appropriate amounts of strength and perseverance that her family needs to help them rebuild their lives. The role also doubles as the film's sole comic relief and although the actress isn't known primarily as comedienne, Sarandon manages just fine with the requirements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyuiE_K7Tqw

5. Charlize Theron- The Road

-One of the most beautiful and quiet performances Theron ever gave, The Road saw the actress inhabit a role that must have been hard to read and even harder to watch. Theron plays a wfie and mother whose family finds themselves as survivors in an apocolyptic society and must struggle to stay alive. Though her character's role in the film is relatively small, Theron makes such an impact during her time, that her presence never leaves the audiences' minds. Perhaps if the film had lived up to the buzz generated by the media in advance, Theron's sterling work would have been more acclaimed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbLgszfXTAY

Tomorrow...Best Supporting Actor!!

They weren't even nominated!! Best Picture nominees that never were...

2010-02-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

-Compiling this list was perhaps one of the hardest experiences I have had to date during my short time as a blogger. How do you go about selecting just one film from each decade which was absolutely winning in virtually all of its aspects but for some reason didn't connect with the Academy?? I thought long and hard about which films to select for this category. My first impulse of course was to pick films I liked regardless of the topic they were presenting or the way in which they were made. But then I wisened up. The list I compiled in the end in my opinion, not only represents some personal favorites of mine, but also reinforces why people go to the cinema in the first place; to be entertained, enlightened, moved, and inspired. Each of the films in this list received some kind of recognition of acclaim and while not all of them have gone on to become the classics they deserved to be, they all definitley deserve to be rememebred. So without any further ado, here are 7 films from past decades that deserved a Best Picture nomination, but for various reasons, were not given one.

1940s:

-Lifeboat (1944) instead of Wilson

-As with many Hitchcock films made during WWII, the director decided to focus more on the personal than on the political. In this film, which chronicles the survivors of an ocean liner that has gone down after being attacked by a German u-boat, Hitchcock does just that. In full-on experimental mode, the director shot the entire film inside a lifeboat and focused on the passengers within it, which includes a German soldier whose own ship was sunk as a result of the attack. No other film during this era has ever been able to portray various attitudes and beliefs during wartime quite like this one. The cold facts of war combined with human prejudices and behavior were all explored here in a truly riveting way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLUvLL-QCz4

1950s:

-Executive Suite (1954) instead of The Country Girl

-One of the few motion pictures ever made to not have a musical score attached, Executive Suite explores the various individuals who comprise a successful furniture company including vice presidents, secretaries, shareholders, and wives. This insider look at the many human components who call themselves part of corporate America may seem base, but not when it comes to examining the motivation, drive and commitment required to exist in that world. There isn't a false moment throughout Executive Suite from its sterling performances to its main themes which states that in order for a company to work, its integrity must never falter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7ONBkmc_pQ&feature=related
(please watch up to 5:10 in order to avoid spoilers)

1960s:

-Divorce American Style (1967) instead of Doctor Dolittle

Its astonishing how so few remember this 60s comedy written by evenlope pusher Norman Lear. In Divorce American Style Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds play a couple whose trouble marriage prompts a divorce. What follows is a hilarious look at the manaical state of divorce that was taking over in the 1960s. From the couple's meeting with their lawyers to the partners they eventually end up with, each moment of this film is overflowing with a satire that knows no boundaries. While this film may have seemed dated in the conservative 80s, the film which was eerily timely when first released is just as relevant today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYvZpikpljg

1970s:

-Voyage of the Damned (1976) instead of Bound for Glory

-One of the most overlooked films about Jews during WWII also happens to be one of the most compelling. Voyage of the Damned is about the true-life account of a ship full of Jewish citizens who were fleeing from Nazi Germany to Cuba in hopes of finding safety only to be turned away. The film not only features a variety of storylines; each more fascinating than the other, but it also contains an impressive cast including Faye Dunaway, Orson Welles, James Mason, Katherine Ross, Malcom McDowell, and Lee Grant, who received a Supporting Actress nomination for her role. With some many films made about the history of WWII, its seems almost shameful that this heartwrenching, but beautiful story should be forgotten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d4qA0YVssI

1980s:

-Steel Magnolias (1989) instead of My Left Foot

-So often considered a "chick flick," Steel Magnolias is in actuality more than just a weepie woman's picture. The story of a group of female friends who share their lives over the course of yearsout of a beauty parlor in Louisiana, Steel Magnolias is quite honestly one of the great American filmso f the 1980s. The main themes of the film: hope, perseverance, loyalty and laughter have been some of the fundamental elements that have made so many great American films so essential. Anchored by a remarkable cast, Steel Magnolias was one of the decades finest moments in capturing the crux of the human spirit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zno0xeap0hU

1990s:

-Everyone Says I Love You (1996) instead of Secrets & Lies

-Woody Allen's tribute to the golden age of Hollywood musicals is not only one of the director's most enjoyable films in recent years, but can also be viewed in two distinct ways. One could say that by casting actors not known for their singing abilities (except for Goldie Hawn who proves she CAN sing), some said that he cared more about the acting in the film than the singing. Yet others see the cast, some of which are tone deaf, as Allen's own personal joke toward the genre as a whole. Yet the film which tells the story of a large, extended upper-class New York family and their individual struggles with love is not only free of Allen's trademark cynicism, but also invokes a truly honest sensibility about the many wonders of love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZkbVM7UAcc

2000s:

-Bobby (2006) instead of Little Miss Sunshine

-Its pretty rare that a film with so much buzz surrounding it is actually able to deliver the goods expected. Yet Bobby, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, which chronicled the lives of various Los Angelites on the day of Robert Kennedy's assassination did just that. With an abundance of actors and plotlines, the film could easily have come off as phony. Yet each element works as a dead-on snapshot of America during the lat 1960s when the war was escilating and the country needed a change. More importantly, Bobby represents a society not toally overtake with cynicism, but who genuinely believed that a politician like Kennedy had the power to make a difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_dIhSOyjRs

Next Week...The most overlooked performances and films of 2009!!

They weren't even nominated!! Best Actor nominees that never were...

2010-02-25T21:47:00.001-08:00

-Its hard to single out what classifies as a "best actor" performance. Every year so many actors give performances that are labeled as "the best of his career," "the performance of the decade," or "a shoe-in for an Oscar!" With heaps of critical praise such as this, its no wonder that so many performances garner awards out of sheer buzz more than anything else while truly great work by gifted actors goes by unwarranted. One of the most noticeable examples of this is Benicio Del Toro's oustanding work in Che I & II which took home the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor award in 2008 but was nowhere to be seen come awards season. This is surprising given the magnitude and electricity of Del Toro's work in the ambitious 2-part biopic. Of course there isn't room at the Oscars for every brilliant male performance that comes along. Case in point: the 2002 Oscars. 2002 saw a handful of great performances turned away come Oscar time for sheer lack of space. Such performances included: Richard Gere for Chicago, Kieran Culkin for Igby Goes Down, Adam Sandler for Punch Drunk Love and Leonardo Dicaprio for BOTH Gangs of New York and Catch me if you can. In the end I suppose that it must be quite hard with so many enriching male performances given year after year that it might just be easier to vote for someone with lots of buzz surrounding their performance or film rather than examine all the work done by actors in film throughout the year. In any case, here are some fine examples of excellent performances given by some of the screen's finest actors that the Academy shamefully overlooked.

1940s:

-Joesph Cotten for Shadow of a Doubt (1943) instead of Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine

-For many, Cotten's career was at its peak when he gave a charming, yet chilling performance as a murderous uncle in Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. As a serial killer who murders wealthy widows before robbing them, Cotten gave his most memorable performance. His portrayal of Uncle Charlie is perhaps one of the most captivating serial killers brought to the screen due to the compelling and charismatic nature of the character. Cotten plays him as debonair, but also allows his disdain for certain aspects of society to shine through.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5XCz4B_ejg

1950s:

-Robert Mitchum for Night of the Hunter (1955) instead of Frank Sinatra for The Man With the Golden Arm

-Mitchum has long since been considered one of the screen's most underappreciated actors depsite having given a plethora of powerhouse performances that went by unheralded by the Academy. The most glaring oversight of all these however was the actor's work in Charles Laughton's disturbing The Night of the Hunter. Playing a an escaped convict posing as a preacher who marries then kills a widowed mother of two whose children hold the key to a hidden pile of money, Mitchum is positively unnverving. His speech on good vs evil is given as if he were a real preacher and the way he is able to put everyone underneath his spell makes the film all the more unsettling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X20XIg38GcE

1960s:

-Warren Beatty for Splendor in the Grass (1961) instead of Stuart Whitman for The Mark

-It was obvious Beatty was destined for stardom just from watching his conflicted turn as the son of a rich family who falls for a girl from the opposite side of town in the steamy drama Splendor in the Grass. Beatty's film debut was one of the most impressive given in film history as he successfully helped carry the entire production. His role as a young man torn between his family's expectations, the girl he loves, and the dreams he has for his own life gave the actor plenty to work with, which Beatty did in an outstanding way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiFeVc7s7TQ&feature=related
(please watch up to 1:15)

1970s:

-Gene Hackman for The Poseidon Adventure (1972) instead of Peter O'Toole for The Ruling Class

-The Poseidon Adventure was a landmark film that ushered in a whole wave of disaster films in the 70s, many of which were helmed by super-producer Irwin Allen. Yet before the genre turned into campy satire, there were performances such as Gene Hackman's in The Poseidon Adventure which brought forth the main themes of the genre: courage, perserverance, endurance and hope. As the minister who leads a group of passengers to safety aboard an ocean liner that capsizes on New Year's Eve, Hackman gave one of his most powerful and popular roles. Playing Reverend Scott, Hackman presents a man so torn by his faith, yet who clings to it tirelessly as he tries to bring his fellow passengers to safety. His belief in God's existence is never questioned at all throughout the film making Hackman one of the most believable men of the cloth ever to be shown on screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMuguMyYvQ4

1980s:

-Jack Nicholson for The Shining (1980) instead of Jack Lemmon for Tribute

-So many stories have been reported with regards to the notorious filming of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining. Yet what remains is an excruciatingly enthralling horror film and a dynamic performance from Jack Nicholson. As a writer hired to caretake an isolated hotel for the winter, the actor is given the chance to turn his sly, slick persona into one of maddening lunacy. The duality of the role is interesting; one the one hand there's traces of the Jack audiences know, but also an unstable maniac out to wreak havoc on his family. It is one of the actor's best performances and one which definitley deserved more critical acclaim than it got.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt9E1_KFfMY&feature=related

1990s:

-Jim Carrey for Man on the Moon (1999) instead of Denzel Washington for The Hurricane

-Film critic Roger Ebert said once that Jim Carrey had been underappreciated as an actor in the past. He had to have been referring to Carrey's work in this biopic of the late, offbeat comedian Andy Kaufman. As Kaufman, Carrey abandons literally ALL trademark gestures and traits and instead focuses his performance on channeling the late Kaufman himself. This is not a vanity project or a star vehicle by any means. The film is most definitley a well-deserved tribute to one of comedy's most intriguing figures as well as Carrey's most daring and surprising performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezPotNSNqg

2000s:

-Hugh Grant for About a Boy (2002) instead of Michael Caine for The Quiet American

-Grant has always been one of film's most endearing British actors with his unique charm, comedic abilites and an overall likeability. Yet some were quick to write him off as a leading man whose talents couldn't stretch past romantic comedies. However in the moving and intelligent comedy/drama About a Boy, Grant delivers a multi-layered performance that alternates between the dramatic and comedic; at times blending the two together. Grant nails every scene as a carefree bachelor who is content to engage in one relationship after another without letting anyone in until he befriends a young schoolboy with whom he forms a kinship with and who shows him what's missing from his life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPgbiSbYzfg

Tomorrow...Best Picture!!

They Weren't Even Nominated!! Best Actress nominees that never were...

2010-02-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

-Over the years the the Academy has definitley bestowed a number of coveted Best Actress nominations to some questionable individuals. Such examples include Hilary Swank, whose work in Million Dollar Baby was standard at best, Bette Midler for For the Boys; nothing more than a vanity project which gave her a reason to sing for an entire movie, or Nicole Kidman for Moulin Rouge who I feel received her nomination more on the basis of everyone's surprise that she could actually carry a tune. Yet during those years there were great female performances which far surpassed the abovementioned that went unheralded by the academy. Nicole Kidman's work in the haunting drama Birth saw the actress at her most vulnerable and conflicted, but was passed over for Swank's boxer. Midler's period musical deserved its Golden Globe win for the actress but was far less superior to Michelle Pfeiffer's damaged waitress in Frankie and Johnny. And Thora Birch's brilliant work in the indie comedy Ghost World revealed a performance of much more depth than Kidman's singing showgirl. In honor of some of the great performances of the past that went by without notice, here are 7 Best Actress performances that never made it to the Oscars.

1940s:

-Rita Hayworth for The Lady From Shanghai (1947) instead of Susan Hayward for Smashup: The Story of a Woman

-Hayworth will forever be immortalized as the kittenish Gilda, but her seductive turn in then-husband Welles' noir mystery is one of her finest. As the wife of a wealthy yachtsman who falls in love with a crew member, Hayworth is truly compelling. The role requires a revolving door of emotions and motivations which in the hands of another actress wouldn't have worked. Yet becasue of Hayworth's definite talent, her resonance with the audience, as well as her leading man, she manages it quite well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKk1iw1k1GM&feature=related

1950s:

-Doris Day for The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) instead of Nancy Kelly for The Bad Seed

-Hitchcock's update of The Man Who Knew Too Much is considered by many to be far more superior than his earlier version for many reasons. One of the biggest is the performances of the two leads, and in particular Doris Day who delivers a powerful dramatic performance as a doctor's wife who discovers that her son has been kidnapped as part of a political assassination plot. Day is truly heartbreaking in the role and acquits herself well with Hitchcock's style. In a career that consisted of playing the same character repeatedly, The Man Who Knew Too Much, sees Day proving herself to be a true actress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8AQsHg31Ac
(please watch 3:00-7:00)

-Rosalind Russell for The Trouble With Angels (1966) instead of Anouk Aimee for Un homme et une femme

-Russell made a career out of playing no-nonsense, independent characters, yet her role as the mother superior in the comedy The Trouble With Angels slightly went against that screen persona. As the reverend mother at an all-girls boarding school, Russell exerted discipline and order in front of the students, but privately proved to be a romantic dreamer of sorts who not only proved her devotion to students, but also her zest for life and the path she chose. Russell's work in the film is a classic example of a multi-facted actress in a role that requires true passion and understanding which she delivers effortlessly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypLsmQRvWS8

-Vanessa Redgrave for Agatha (1979) instead of Marsha Mason for Chapter Two

-In the mid-twenties, faced with a divorce request from her adulterous husband, the celebrated author Agatha Christie disappeared for nearly two weeks leaving no clue as to her whereabouts. While the film, which deals with the author's mysterious vanishing and the quest to locate her, is entirely full of speculation, Redgrave perfectly embodies the troubled Christie during this time of her life. Her conflicting torment between her literary success and her failed marriage is devastatingly captured by the actress in one of her most underrated roles. Its not often that Redgrave comes across as anything but self-assured, but in roles such as Agatha, the actress more than excels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4uS9h95fF0
(watch up to 3:00)

1980s:

-Barbra Streisand for Nuts (1987) instead of Sally Kirkland for Anna

-I am not one of those people who believes that Streisand is a multi-faceted performer mainly because I feel her entire career blends together so much, its hard to distinguish one project from the other. Yet in the psychological mystery Nuts, Streisand is at her level best. As a hooker who is placed in a mental hospital after killing a client in self-defense, Streisand lets forth a variety of dramatic techniques that the actress had failed to display before. To say Streisand is powerful in the role is not enough. She is absolutely dynamic and riveting from the moment she is on screen. Not only is she defending her character's sanity, but also her life choices and her rights as an individual while having to battle demons from the past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2al8CoL_M3A

1990s:

-Jessica Lange for A Thousand Acres (1997) instead of Julie Christie for Afterglow

-The adaptation of Jane Smiley's puliter-prize winning novel about a trio of Iowa farm sisters who must battle their monstrous father was defeintley an underwhelming exercise. Yet what succeeds in the film is the performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and especially Jessica Lange in one of her most subtantial times on screen. As the tranquil farm wife Ginny, Lange is at her most vulnerable; a trait not inherently seen in many of the actress' previous roles. Yet here she plays a character so filled with lost dreams and regret who must somehow find a way to confront her past and carve out her own future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHoiv5BqKXQ
(watch from 1:20-4:20)

2000s:

-Jodie Foster for The Brave One (2007) instead of Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age

-Constantly referred to as "the thinking woman's actress," Foster lived up to that title in this debate-driven story of a New York radio host who embraces vigilantism as a way of recovering from a brutal attack which took her fiance's life. This is perhaps Foster's best role in years and one which allows her to not only provide strong evidence for both sides of a controversial issue, but her overall presence adds credibility to what could have been a standard exploitation film. As a woman whose lost everything, Foster carefully presents the pain of a shattered life and the difficult task of existing in a society afterwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1NNDwYKAyU&feature=related

Tomorrow...Best Actor!!

They Weren't Even Nominated!! Best Supporting Actor Nominees that Never Were!!

2010-02-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

-This year's crop of nominees for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar is without question one of most interesting in recent years. No one doubts that Christoph Waltz will be awarded the prize for his turn in Inglorious Basterds, but there would be little disappointment if one of the other fine actors proved to be an Oscar upset. Both Stanley Tucci and Christopher Plummer are both up for their first nominations for The Lovely Bones and The Last Station respectively; nominations I might add which are long overdue, and Woody Harrelson and Matt Damon are also both nominated for The Messenger and Invictus respectively for performances which went beyond the typical sort of roles they are offered and showcasing their unique skills. While these four men are honored for their work this past year, I can't help but be reminded of the fine performances each has done in the past which went unnoticed by the Academy and for that matter, the work of other brilliant supporting actors which suffered the same fate. In celebration of these long overdue nominations, I have decided to take a look back at some of the great supporting performances from past years that never made it to the Oscars.

1940s:

-Farley Granger for Rope (1948) instead of Oskar Homolka for I Remember Mama

-So many have labeled this film as "experimental Hitchcock," (the legendary director tried to make the entire film appear as if it had been shot in one long, continuous take) without giving it much more credit. Besides being a great suspense thriller, the film contains an excellent turn by Farley Granger. As one of two young men who murder an old friend from prep school, Granger is positively riveting as the more fragile of the two who exerts his nervous energy through piano playing and drinking. Perhaps it was the implied homosexual aspects of the film which prevented Rope from succeeding and Farley from getting the nomination he deserved. But deserve it, he did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L52MJNdZpMs

1950s:

-Orson Welles for The Long Hot Summer (1958) instead of Gig Young for Teacher's Pet

-The Long Hot Summer comes along in the tradition of southern family dramas complete with picnics, sun and family pride. While Newman and Woodward were meant to be the stars of the film, it was the legendary Welles as patriarch Will Varner who truly steals the show. Welles gives one of his most powerhouse performances as a prosperous businessman trying desperately and selfishly to steer his children in what he feels is the right direction. Its a Welles performance unlike any other given by the actor before and one of his most dynamic times on screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVGgcILWIXQ&feature=related

1960s:

-Paul Newman for What a Way to Go! (1964) instead of Lee Tracy for The Best Man

-Its hard for an actor to make himself distinguishable in a cast which also includes the likes of Dean Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Mitchum, Robert Cummings and Gene Kelly. Yet Paul Newman manages quite easily in the dark comedy What a Way to Go! As one of Shirley Maclaine's many husbands, Newman is able to bring a required level of depth and intensity to the film as a bohemian artist. While this film is considered more of a classic of Maclaine's than of any of the actors involved, one should not overlook Newman's fine work in this film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3JU-knnk0k

1970s:

-Truman Capote for Muder by Death (1976) instead of Jason Robards for All the President's Men

-This might seem an odd choice at first. Yet Truman Capote made quite an impressive acting debut in the Neil Simon comedy/mystery Murder By Death. Capote plays famed mystery writer Lionel Twain, who invites his fellow writers and rivals to his isolated mansion for a real-life murder mystery. The author, in his first role, was definitley sinsiter bordering on creepy, yet also funny. Although he is only in the film for a brief period of time, he more than leaves his mark. Despite earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Newcomer, its a shame nothing more came of Capote's acting career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hbL029LRwA

1980s:

-Robert Downey Jr. for Less Than Zero (1987) instead of Vincent Gardenia for Moonstruck

-The film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' breakthrough novel Less Than Zero was considered lackluster at best by most ardant followers. Yet the one aspect of the film which everyone agrees works is the captivating brilliance of Downey's performance. As Julian, a Beverly Hills drug addict whose lost everything, the actor is at his best. His portrayal of the character is heartbreaking to watch yet at the same time so compelling with his false optimism and hopeless attempts at escape from the life he has made for himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQSGS5-7QI4&feature=related

1990s:

-Greg Kinnear for Sabrina (1995) instead of Tim Roth for Rob Roy

-Many have seemed to embrace Sidney Pollack's dicey remake of the classic Sabrina. Yet the film works for many reasons, not least of all Greg Kinnear's performance as David Larabee. In what was his debut performance, Kinnear plays a rich Long Island playboy who spends his time living the good life instead of helping his brother (Ford) to run the family business. Its hard to believe that Kinnear had no previous film experience since this is clearly a performance given by a professional. As David, Kinnear makes good use of what is definitley the film's flashiest role and injects it with the pitch-perfect comedic timing and charisma that it requires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQv3u_aj5m4

2000s:

-Ben Affleck for Hollywoodland (2006) instead of Mark Wahlberg for The Departed

-Affleck took a decidedly Hollywood route after winning his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay by attempting to carve out a leading man niche for himself in films like Bounce and Paycheck while doing favors for good friend Kevin Smith. Yet none of those roles was ever successfully able to capture his abilities as an actor quite like the true-life mystery Hollywoodland. As actor George Reeves (TV's Superman) who was found shot dead mysteriously in his home in the Hollywood Hills, Affleck showed a side of himself no one thought existed. He portrays Reeves the way many believe he was in real life; scared, angry, frustrated, and depressed. Affleck has truly never been better and one can only hope that a role such as this finds him in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZvDDWQfgFA

Tomorrow...Best Actress!!

They Weren't Even Nominated!! Best Supporting Actress Nominees that Never Were...

2010-02-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

-This year's race for Best Supporting Actress was rather interesting with regards as to which actresses would make up the final five nominees. Some were sure Julianne Moore would get in for her turn in A Single Man, which was unlike anything she had ever turned in before, while others expected at least one of the ladies from Inglorious Basterds to score a nomination. While none of them made it into the final five, their snubs are just the latest in a long line of overlooked performances. The Academy has been faced with a great number of supporting actress performances over the years that have stood out, yet not quite enough to be considered worthy of a nomination. To pay tribute to some of these great performances, here are 7 past supporting actress turns that were excellent on the screen, yet didn't even get a nomination...

1940s:

-Lucille Ball for The Big Street (1942) instead of Agnes Moorehead for The Magnificent Ambersons

-The future comedy legend was truly remarkable as a sought after nightclub singer who takes the world around her for granted until a devastating accident leaves her handicapped. There's no trace of the carefree and whimsical Lucy in this film whatsoever. Instead, the audience sees Ball as an accomplished actress, playing a character that is not necessarily likable, yet still somehow elicits sympathy. It was a worthwhile performance worthy of more recognition than it got.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ljzn3BxIZ4

1950s:

-Marlene Dietrich for Stage Fright (1950) instead of Hope Emerson for Caged

-Not many remember Hitchcock's first entry in the decade 0f the 50s, but the theatrical murder mystery Stage Fright is not only a worthy entry into the cannon of 50's Hitchcock, but also features one of Dietrich's greatest turns on screen. As a vain stage legend who persuades an admirer to cover up her husband's murder, Dietrich literally steals the show. Dietrich plays her character as not just vain, but in a way also philosophical and surprisingly level-headed. As with most roles she was offered, Dietrich plays a woman who is captivating and intimidating and she does it well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7u3wyxjTaQ

1960s:

-Ethel Merman for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) intead of Joyce Redman for Tom Jones

-Ethel Merman has gone down in history as a stage legend, but her broad, comic turn in Stanley Kramer's all-star farce bears no trace of the Merman that came before. Merman plays Milton Berle's domineering mother-in-law who, like everyone else in the film, is after a suitcase full of money hidden somewhere in California. Her consistent whining, nagging, and outright bullying would definitley get to be tiresome after a while, yet the actress' comic timing is excellent enough that she ilicits laughs throughout her entire performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee3CPfH2O_I

1970s:

-Jane Fonda for California Suite (1978) instead of Penelope Milford for Coming Home

-While her costar Maggie Smith's worthy performance went on to win the Oscar for this film, Jane Fonda's turn in this Neil Simon ensemble is the true stand out. Fonda plays a divorcee who travels from New York to Los Angeles to reunite with her ex-husband (Alan Alda) to discuss their daughter's future. This is perhaps one of Fonda's best onscreen moments. As a woman who has not been able to completely let go of her bitterness toward the past, the actress projects an air of self-control coupled with emotional fragility that is impeccable. Its not often one sees this kind of Jane Fonda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9KsZHMxzw8

1980s:

-Ally Sheedy for The Breakfast Club (1985) instead of Amy Madigan for Twice in a Lifetime

-The Breakfast Club was one of the seminal films of the 1980s. The story of a group of diverse high schoolers forced to spend an etire Saturday together in detention resonated with many teenagers who saw themselves in at least one of the now iconic characters. Without a doubt the most unique amongst the group was Sheedy's Allison. As the slient, all-black wearing, reclusive outcast, Sheedy represented a girl wise beyond her years whose outlook on life was decidedly bleak, but somehow optimistic with regards to the possibilities she could have outside of high school. Its one of Sheedy's most famous roles, and by far, her most touching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaLJPjLIdRQ

1990s:

-Isabella Rossellini for Death Becomes Her (1992) instead of Joan Plowright for Enchanted April

-I imagine it would be hard to try and stand out in a film when your entire role consists of scenes opposite Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis. Yet Rossellini manages to quite easily as a mysterious enchantress in this dark comedy. As a madonna-like figure who holds the key to eternal youth, Rossellini is positively captivating. Oozing sexuality and dispersing romantic notions of the bilssfulness of youth while possessing an air of control, Rossellini is without question, at her greatest. Its a shame the film was so heavily edited that the actress' role consists of mainly two large extended scenes. But memorable, they are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN3L7umTdTU

2000s:

-Michelle Pfeiffer for White Oleander (2002) instead of Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago

-Pfeiffer did some of her best work in this female-driven ensemble drama about a young girl's struggle with her dangerous mother. Pfeiffer plays a single mother/artist who kills her last boyfriend after their relationship ends causing her to be sent to prison, but is still able to maintain a hold on her teenage daughter. This is without question one of the actress' most complex roles. As Ingrid, Pfeiffer plays a woman who truly loves her child, but who manipulates that love and uses it as a weapon against her daughter. Her love and need for control knows no bounds as she is willing to silently destroy anyone she feels is trying to take her child away from her. Its a Pfeiffer that is both chilling and heartbreaking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6T_66uHLI

Tomorrow...Best Supporting Actor!!

They Shoulda Won!! Best Picture Winners From Past Years...

2010-02-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

-I honestly cannot imagine a single category that's harder to judge at the Academy Awards than Best Picture. The film which is awarded the top prize not only represents what the Academy as a whole liked the most over the past year, but the film chosen in a way also signifies the state of society over the past year as well as the mood and tone of the country. Sometimes films are awarded because of prestige. It looks good to vote for a film directed by one of the most edgy underground filmmakers around. Other times a film can make it based on sheer popularity. Big box-office returns often times sit comfortably with the voters. Still, at other times full-on campaigning can be a constant for a Best Picture nominee. A studio can push, and push, and push a nominated film relentlessly in front of voters until they have no choice but to select it as their pick for film of the year. This year the Academy has allowed 10 nominees to be entered into the Best Picture category even though only 7 of those deserve to actually be there (sorry District 9, A Serious Man, and The Blind Side). Still, it will be interesting to see with such a broad range of films, just which one of the three methods the Academy will succumb to. In any case, I'm taking this opportunity to look back on some past Best Picture nominees that fell victim to at least one of the above-mentioned tactics.

1940s:

Double Indemnity (1944)- lost to Going My Way

-The original blueprint for the classic film noir, this Billy Wilder classic was grossly robbed when it came time to had out the Best Picture Oscar. The film told the story of an insurance man played by Fred Macmurray who falls for the wife of one of his clients who convinces him to take part in the murder of her husband. The film was heavily criticized by censors of the day for being too racy with certain bits of dialogue. Yet the taut plot, solid direction and the pitch perfect performances from the two leads (especially Stanwyck who herself received a nomination for her role) led Double Indemnity to not only helping to establish a new genre, but also to become one of the best films of the decade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69dQZHjkmY

1950s:

Giant (1956)- lost to Around the World in 80 Days

-One of the most grand and beloved films ever made about Texas, Giant was a sprawling epic spanning two generations of the wealthy Benedict family. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, Giant was a classic Hollywood production if there ever was one. Not only did the film have a top cast including Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean (in his final screen role), but also one of the most sought after directors (George Stevens) at the helm. Only a film like Giant could capture the feeling of Texas within the different eras. The racism, the pride, the tradition, the way of life and the changing of times are all captured accurately here and for all that is depicted, good and bad, Texas has never looked better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot1PmYwdXq8&feature=related

1960s:

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1968)- lost to In the Heat of the Night

-I have always said that Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was one of the films that defined the decade of the 1960s. The film tells the story of a liberal couple who are caught off guard when their daughter announces she is marrying a black man; causing them to question their own beliefs. This film so brilliantly captures the many views on interracial couples from all sides and angles and does so in quite an entertaining way. Its speeches about society and the way of the future are presented not as sermons, but rather as wise observations and lessons. Above all, the film is about the enduring power of love and how it is an emotion which truly knows no bounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yt0wxoFl4o

1970s:

The Last Picture Show (1971)- lost to The French Connection

-It's absolutely appalling that one of the most seminal films of the 1970s was not given the Oscar for Best Picture. The Last Picture Show told the story of the citizens of a small Texas town in the 1950s. Shot in black and white and painted with a true authenticity by Peter Bogdanovich, The Last Picture Show truly feels like it came out of 1955. More than just an homage to the decade though, the film was also a love letter to the small town America which was rapidly disappearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU0ddrNtZ-k

1980s:

The Killing Fields (1984)- lost to Amadeus

-One of the most compelling journalistic pieces ever put to film, The Killing Fields explicitly depicts the Cambodian war and how it affected the two men covering the events. On the one side is New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg who was able to leave Cambodia before the opposing force took over. On the other is Dith Pran, a photographer from Cambodia who worked alongside Sidney during this time. The film chronicles Pran's detention in Cambodia and his struggle to stay alive during this time of war and Schanberg's neverending efforts to locate his friend and bring him to the saftey of his family in America. It is one of the most incredible survivor stories ever and certainly one of most touching depcitions of cross-cultural friendship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z1sj7gzpCk

1990s:

As Good as it Gets (1997)- lost to Titanic

-While comedies don't seem to fare well with the Academy, James L. Brooks' humorous film about an obsessive-compulsive romance novelist, a sweet Manhattan waitress and a gay artist warmed the hearts of the film industry. The film offers plenty of laughs thanks to a rich script and high caliber actors, all of whom are at their career bests. But more than just a simple comedy, As Good as it Gets is a tesament to the strength of the human spirit in times of uncertainty and how human beings possess the ability to endure and win out against any kind of strife. Its a film about damaged people and how, in spite of their flaws can save one another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHxg6Ug9GM

2000s:

Finding Neverland (2004)- lost to Million Dollar Baby

-While merely looked upon as a weepy drama, Finding Neverland is much, much more than that. Inspiried by the true story of how playwright J.M. Barry came to write the classic Peter Pan, the film is about the power of imagination and the importance of carrying it with you throughout life. The film is overflowing with many elements that make movies essential, real charactrs, a compelling story, and an overall magical quality that never ceases til the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqXYTSYHFKI

They Shoulda Won!! Best Actor Nominees From Past Years...

2010-02-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

-What classic performance comes to mind when one thinks of the term "best actor??" For some its Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird or James Cagney's classic footwork in Yankee Doodle Dandy, Jack Nicholson's manic McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, or Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter in The Slience of the Lambs, among countless others which have come to represent the very best in screen acting. All of the aforementioned examples contained fire, intensity, passion, beauty, and above all a commitment to the role and the art of filmmaking. It seems as if there are no limits with regards to the kinds of roles the Oscar chooses to recognize. Villians and saviors, savants and charlatans have all been portrayed on the screen and the men who have brought them to life have been honored for thier fine work. This year's crop of nominees up for Best Actor contain one of the mosst diverse groups in years thereby reinforcing my point. A washed up country singer, a suicidal college professor, an army officer, a disconnected businessman and one of the greatest world leaders in history have all been brought to life on screen this year and now stand amongst each other for the Best Actor Academy Award. In honor of these roles as well as the many other nominated performances from before, I present to you seven Oscar-nominated performances that sadly went unrewarded.

1940s:

Lew Ayres for Johnny Belinda- lost to Laurence Olivier for Hamlet

-While the main focus of Johnny Belinda focuses on Jane Wyman's performance as a deaf mute farm girl who is raped by a local, many neglect to mention the beauty and intensity of Ayres' work. As the new town doctor who falls in love with Wyman, Ayres is incredibly heroric in a decidely low-key fashion, taking the troubled Belinda under his wing and believing in her ability to learn. The audience feels for his character which has the purest of intentions, a kind heart and an open mind; making what happens to Belinda all the more painful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSlBeXCIhi8

1950s:

Charles Laughton for Witness for the Prosecution (1957)- lost to Alec Guiness for The Bridge on the River Kwai

-In all of the screen performances of that decade, there was hardly one as unique as Laughton's turn in the film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution. As a famous lawyer recovering from a heart attack who takes on a murder case, Laughton is positively at his best. Only a skilled performer like Laughton is able to inject the proper doses of drama during the many courtroom scenes and delicious comedy in the sequences with his cheery nurse. Such a role requires an actor not afraid to juggle the two sides, which Laughton does masterfully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq3UK04pNrY

1960s:

Richard Burton for The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965)- lost to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou

-John La Carre's stories have always seemed to translate well to the screen; captivating audiences with his tight plots of intrigue and complex male protagonists. For many, Richard Burton represents the quintessential La Carre hero with his gruff persona and cynical outlook on life. There isn't a shred of the dashing shakesperean leading man audiences had grown accustomed to, instead this film sees a different Burton in a role which remains one of the standouts of his entire career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNrjAMV0HJk

1970s:

Albert Finney for Murder on the Orient Express (1974)- lost to Art Carney for Harry and Tonto

-Of the various actors who have portrayed Agatha Christie's famous sleuth Hercule Poirot, Finney's portrayal was reportedly the closest to the author's inital image of the character. As the world-famous detective called upon to solve a murder aboard a train, Finney is unrecognizable with a waxed moustache and gleaming black hair. His performance is truly a tour de force that only gets better as he loses himself more and more in the role to the benefit of the film. If there was ever a time when the actor deserved the top prize, it was here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w-KfnLShIc

1980s:

Edward James Olmos for Stand and Deliver (1988)- lost to Dustin Hoffman for Rain Man

-While most feel that no one but Dustin Hoffman was entitled to the Oscar that year, no one can deny the Olmos' performance as a high school math teacher who changes the lives of a group of inner-city students comes a close second. Olmos has always been one of the screen's most dependable actors, but in Stand and Deliver he is truly inspiring playing this real-life figure. In what has otherwise become a tired and cliche-infested genre, the script and Olmos' portrayal make this a truly enriching movie experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIlHJsv0Joc&feature=related

1990s:

Richard Dreyfuss for Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)- lost to Nicholas Cage for Leaving Las Vegas

-While most films about inspirational teachers focus on the students they teach, Mr. Holland's Opus looks at the teacher as an individual. As a struggling composer whose life is transformed after accepting a teaching job, Richard Dreyfuss is nearly flawless in one of best latter day roles. He plays Mr. Holland as a man whose dreams have escaped him leaving him deep in regret, yet finds meaning in a path he never expected to take.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tQJBBY7X6I

2000s:

Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah (2007)- lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood

-I would venture to call Jones' performance in this film the culmination of his career. Jones plays a retired military officer investigating the disappearance of his son who has recently returned from Iraq. The beauty of the actor's performance here lies in how he is able to project worry and grief while remaining completely contained throughout; its a challenge for most actors, yet somehow it seems tailor-made for Jones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwmvAEetTs

Tomorrow...Best Picture!!

They Shoulda Won!! Best Actress Nominees from Past Years...

2010-02-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

-One of the age-old claims concerning film has been that there are very little substantial roles for women. This is a claim that has been goin on since the early days of contract players from Hollywood's golden age. Yet each year, more and more female actresses seem to defy the notion by appearing in roles which go against the typical female prototype. For example, stars such as Meryl Streep and Hilary Swank rely on their cameleon-like abilities to transform themselves into a bevy of characters thereby avoiding typecasting. Others such as Barbra Streisand and Jane Fonda take a more active role as producers and directors to ensure that they play only parts of quality while some, like Jodie Foster primarily take on roles originally written for men. In spite of these actresses' valiant efforts, some have felt the roles for women seem remain stuck in limbo; falling in between the neurotic, hard businesswoman and the poor girl who needs rescuing with very little variety in between. This year's collection of actresses nominated for Oscars all contain roles which point to just the opposite showing just how far the standards for women are changing and where they are headed. In celebration of this, I've decided to pay tribute to some of the great Oscar-nominated female performances given over the years; all of which should have taken home the gold.

1940s:

Barbara Stanwyck- Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)- lost to Jane Wyman for Johnny Belinda

-Stanwyck received her fourth and final nomination for her work in this gripping mystery playing a wealthy bedridden woman who, thanks to crossed wires, overhears two men plotting a murder over the telephone. An actress known for her tough as nails characters, the part was a quintessential Stanwyck role in which the actress portrayed fear, anger, romance, resentment, and regret. Never before has Stanwyck been asked to deliver so much on screen than here and she does so magnificently. While some of the films she did after this vaired with regrads to importance, Sorry, Wrong Number remains not just a brilliant film noir, but a classic example of Stanwyck at her best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Sm7jLNtmU&feature=related
(please watch up to 5:00)

1950s:

Deborah Kerr in Separate Tables (1958)- lost to Susan Hayward for I Want to Live!

-Before Kate Winselt became known as that superb Brit who never took home an Oscar, Kerr had already garnered 6 Oscar nominations without a single win. In Separate Tables, her fifth nomination, Kerr portrays a woman who is bound to her overbearing mother, but who is also curiously attracted to a child molesting Major (Niven). Its perhaps one of Kerr's most heartbreaking roles in which she must project emotional fragility and social awkwardness throughout the film. Kerr made her name with dramatically charged roles and here she found what is perhaps her most compelling and despite the fact that Separate Tables is an ensemble film, Kerr's character manages to stand out the most.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ZEhiiYFpc

1960s:

Audrey Hepburn for Wait Until Dark (1967)- lost to Katherine Hepburn for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

-Film lovers typically think of Audrey Hepburn playing charming roles in whimsical films, yet the actress did some of her best work in this underrated thriller based on the play by Frederick Knott. Hepburn plays a recently-blinded woman who, unbeknownst to her, has come into the possession of a child's doll containing drugs and is being stalked by three men out to retrieve the object. This film offers one of the few glances at Hepburn in peril (an excruciating experience for the audience who always felt protective of the actress). In what could have otherwise been an empty role, Hepburn plays her character as a real person rather than a stock character used as a plot device. While she may have been one of cinema's most sprightly and carefree actresses, here Hepburn gives a terror-filled performance unlike any seen before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGKBiMX8KU

1970s:

Faye Dunaway for Chinatown (1974)- lost to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

-Not many actresses can claim to have as many classics attached to their name quite like Faye Dunaway (Bonnie and Clyde, Network, The Towering Inferno, Three Days of The Condor, The Thomas Crown Affair, to name a few...). In Polanski's Chinatown, the ultimate neo-noir, Dunaway gave a new image to the tradtional femme fatale character. As the secretive, but alluring Evelyn Mulwray, Dunaway is both cold and callous, and later quite deep and open with the detective investigating her husband's murder. For an actress used to giving high-strung and neurotic performances, Dunaway is at her most controlled and subtle in Chinatown giving a performance of carefully precisioned skill and measure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FueLhmwT8E4

1980s:

Michelle Pfeiffer for The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)- lost to Jessica Tandy for Driving Miss Daisy

-Some people were quick to write Pfeiffer off in this role of a former prostitute turned lounge singer who comes between two musician brothers. While most actresses would have played the character of Susie Diamond as hard and cold, Pfeiffer plays her as strong, showing that she's been through alot but has made her new life her own. With such a character, it would seem hard to display her vulnerable side, yet Pfeiffer is able to do just that while never losing the character's toughness. Its an extraordinary performance from Pfeiffer, and perhaps her best to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2swHprmKwM

1990s:

Stockard Channing for Six Degrees of Separation (1993)- lost to Holly Hunter for The Piano

-For many, Channing will always be the tough-as-nails Rizzo from Grease, but her true talent as an actress shines brightly in this film adaptation of the Tony-winning play. As an upper class Manhattan wife who is deceived by a young Will Smith, Channing gave a performance that explored many levels of drama and comedy. There's an intensity in Channing's work here which is coupled by an air of pensive wisdom which the actress uses wisely at different times throughout the film. Its a crime that the actress received few other lead roles (or supporting roles for that matter) in her career which gave her the opportunity to truly excel as an actress the way she does here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4vLgn3yBew

2000s:

Annette Bening for Being Julia (2004)- lost to Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby

-One of the greatest Oscar upsets was Annette Bening's loss for Being Julia in 2004. As an actress who rarely gets to shine, Bening gave an impeccible performance as an aging British stage star who questions her own mortality when she gets involved with a younger male admirer. The actress has always been at her best when allowed to attack a role with wreckless abandon and nowhere is this more true than here where Bening projects endless amounts of gusto and comedy. Only a truly gifted actress has the ability to make skilled thespians like Irons and Gambon fade into the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ydegVSkDO8

Tomorrow...Best Actor!!

They Shoulda Won- Best Supporting Actor Nominees from Past Years

2010-02-16T09:04:00.001-08:00

-Todays post pays tribute to some of the great past Supporting Actor performances from the 1940s- the present. I have personally always found the performances given by supporting actors to fall between decidedly opposite sides of the spectrum. On the one hand, a performance can be flashy and larger than life with the actor making the most of his limited screen time and seizing the opportunity to make sure everyone knows which moments are his. By contrast, some of the best performances by supporting actors are the ones which are subtle and understated; radiating grace, class and beauty as they are not afraid to let the leads have the spotlight. In any case, the role of a supporting actor is a quintessential one. He is many times the emotional anchor (Louis Gossett Jr.- An Officer and a Gentleman), the malevolent force (Javier Bardem- No Country For Old Men) or the voice of reason (Ben Johnson- The Last Picture Show). In all, the supporting actor is an integral part of almost any film experience. Here are tributes to 7 brilliant Oscar-nominated supporting turns from actors who sadly went home empty handed.

1. Clifton Webb- Laura (1944)- lost to Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way

-The first of three Academy Award nominations for character actor Webb, the actor's loss remains questionable since that year's winner was also nominated in the Best Actor category for the SAME performance. Webb's characterization of an elisist critic who, like many others in the film, becomes enthralled with a beautiful woman, was clearly one of the decades best turns in the category. As Waldo Lydecker, Webb perfectly plays up the snobbery of his character, but also his devotion and slightly sadistic protection of the title character played by Gene Tierney. With a character that can be witty one minute and manipulative the next, Webb found the role of his career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC8A-MJ1ML4

2. Ed Wynn- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)- lost to Hugh Griffith for Ben-Hur

-There is hardly anyone who cannot picture the great Ed Wynn as anybody but Mary Poppins' delightful Uncle Albert, but the actor's truly greatest role on screen came with his turn in the classic The Diary of Anne Frank. As a Jewish man living in Holland who is forced into hiding during WWII, Wynn shocked many with his sensitive portrait of a man whose life is turned upside down in the midst of world-altering events. There is no trace of the classic Wynn at all throughout the film; instead what the audience is left with is a truly moving performance from a great actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85v6tX5MH-w
(apologies for not being able to find a better clip)

3. Montogmery Clift- Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)- lost to George Chakiris for West Side Story

-Clift earned his fourth and final Academy Award nomination (his only one as Best Supporting Actor) for his role in the powerful war-crimes drama Judgement at Nuremberg. Playing a victim of Nazi Germany gave the already-troubled actor one of his best turns in front of the camera; delivering a truly gut-wrenching performance that at times can be difficult to watch. Its a testament to Clift's talent that in such a stirring and dynamic film with actors such as Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, and Judy Garland, among many others that the actor is able to hold is own for his all too brief screen time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMiwGHTffc

4. Ned Beatty- Network (1976)- lost to Jason Robard for All the President's Men

-Network is without question one of the greatest films to come out of the 1970s. Its satirical look at the outrageous agenda-setting tactics of news-media corporations remains potent to this day. Nowhere is the film's core theme more explicit than in Ned Beatty's speech to recently-liberated news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch). With a performance consisting mainly of one long take, Beatty channels a truly otherworldy force as he educates about the importance and vitality of corporate America. Its truly one of the film's most powerful scenes and one of Beatty's most captivating moments as an actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeCMSLP3Wy8

5. Dan Aykroyd- Driving Miss Daisy (1989)- lost to Denzel Washington for Glory

-Aykroyd became the first of (to date) three SNL performers to receive an Academy Award nomination, which was rightly deserved as the long-suffering son of Jessica Tandy in this classic southern comedy. As Boolie Werthan, Aykroyd gave a sensetive turn as a man who is constanly faced with his own mortality as his mother refuses to accept hers. The native Canadian is authentically convincing as a southern gentleman as well as a loving son always concerned for his mother's welfare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KucQk8xFE94
(please watch from 3:20 onwardss)

6. Leonardo Dicaprio- What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)- lost to Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive

-Anybody who saw the film could clearly see a true talent emerging. As Johnny Depp's mentally-impaired younger brother, Dicaprio gave what many feel to be his finest onscreen performance. His role as Arnie is both humorous in his childlike innocence and curiosity and equally heartbreaking in times of great hardship. Its no small feat to steal a film away from Johnny Depp, but with a truly flawless performance, that's just what Dicaprio did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCjXQtU_YfQ

7. Michael Shannon- Revolutionary Road (2008)- lost to Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

-Had it been any other year, Michael Shannon would have taken home the gold for his show-stopping work in this 1950s-set drama of suburban angst. As a mental patient out for a temporary visit, the character of John Givings acts as the only voice of reason amongst a society drenched in conformity. Though Shannon's role is only 3 scenes long, the actor literally brings the story of the main characters to a pause with an electrifying performance that never lets up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I-56Xyr0Bw

Tomorrow...Best Actress!!

They Shoulda Won- Best Supporting Actress Nominees from Past Years

2010-02-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

-Last week on my blog I paid tribute to some of this year's current academy Award nominees by looking back at some of their past work. This week, with the Oscars just 3 weeks away, I decided to look back over the years and take a look at those who almost took home the gold. All week long, I will be looking at the top 5 Oscar categories (supporting actress, supporting actor, actress, actor and picture) and picking one nominee in each category from each decade to pay tribute to. I'm not doing this to take anything away from those who DID win those years, but simply stating that this is who I felt should have won had I been alive and/or eligible to vote that year!!

I begin with the Best Supporting Actress Category. This is a rather tricky one in terms of performances; an actress can carry a majority of the film alongside an actor, yet be relegated to the supporting sidelines (Eva Marie Saint- On the Waterfront) or be onscreen for a handful of mintues and still take home the gold (Judi Dench- Shakespeare in Love). In any case, the debate still lingers that perhaps some voters don't know what constitues a supporting performance. There has usually been some arguments raised with regards to how the nominees/winners of this category have been selected, but rather than go on about cases such as Marisa Tomei's legendary Oscar upset for My Cousin Vinny (she has actually maintained a decent post-Oscar career since her deserved win), or Kim Basinger's L.A. Confidential prostitute beating Gloria Stuart's Titanic older Rose, I thought I'd just look at some of the past "supporting" performances that, despite being nominated, wrongfully went home empty handed.

1940s:

Judith Anderson- Rebecca (1940) -lost to Jane Darwell for The Grapes of Wrath
-If there was one person credited with stealing the show in Alfred Hitchcock's haunting love story, its Anderson as the head housekeeper of an old English mansion who silently torments her employer's new wife out of a twisted adoration for her predecessor. As Mrs. Danvers, the actress gives in many people's opinion, the greatest acting job in any Hitchcock production. Her portryal of the housekeeper filled with love for her late employer and hatred for her new one is chilling and mesmerizing all at once. Its little compensation that Rebecca won Best Picture after losing out in most of the other categories, such as Best Director. Yet it was Anderson's loss that remains that night that stings the most.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r43B3e1JTU
(please watch up to 2:20)

1950s:

Thelma Ritter- Pillow Talk (1959)- lost to Shelley Winters for The Diary of Anne Frank
-Nominated for six times as Best Supporting Actress without a single win, Ritter has been looked at as one of the greatest character actresses of all time. As the lovable alcoholic maid in the romantic comedy Pillow Talk, Ritter is at her best in her trademark working-class no-nonsense role. She holds attention better than most leading performers and delivers each line with proper timing. While Winter (already a past Oscar winner) gave a performance that was heartwrenching, Ritter's role, just like her impeccible body of work, truly defined support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FNGZnlSj1o

1960s:

Edith Evans- The Chalk Garden (1964)- lost to Lila Kedrova for Zorba the Greek
-A classic example of how a supporting performance can double as a leading one, Edith Evans' work as Hayley Mills' grandmother in the poignant drama The Chalk Garden is so powerful that the actress easily outshadows Mills and Deborah Kerr in all of their scenes. Her character is domineering but also frightened and vulnerable. To do all of the above seems like an impossible feat, but Evans, one of Britain's finest performers, pulls it off well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TirgGbbvQg0
(please watch until 4:00)

1970s:

Piper Laurie- Carrie (1976)- lost to Beatrice Straight for Network.

-How such a performance went by unrewarded is beyond me. The second of actress Piper Laurie's Oscar nominations is also perhaps her most deserving. As Carrie White's religion-frenzied mother who sees her daughter's progression into womanhood as a devilish act, Lauire was absolutely riveting in a most difficult role; creating one of the most frightening portraits of motherhood ever shown on screen. While winner Beatrice Straight's performance in Network was powerful, it contained none of the magnetic force that made Laurie so chillingly unforgettable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5pL1PUJ59A

1980s:

Diane Weist- Parenthood (1989)- lost to Brenda Fricker for My Left Foot

-Many seem to remember Ron Howard's Parenthood as a funny and heartfelt look at the adventures of raising a family. Yet Weist's portrayal of a divorced working mother trying to raise a rebellious daughter and an introverted son are the film's most real moments. Weist perfectly embodies the frustrations presented to many women faced with doing it all on thier own. Her love for her children and her devotion to them are the emotional core of this brilliant performance and truly deserved Oscar praise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qicbxao1o7A

1990s:

Rosie Perez- Fearless (1993)- lost to Anna Paquin for The Piano

-To be honest, the image that comes to mind when one mentions Rosie Perez is not "accomplished actress." But that's just what Perez proved herself to be with her turn in the drama Fearless. As the survivor of a plane crash, Perez' character is wracked with guilt over the loss of her infant son in the accident and struggles to rebuild her life in the aftermath. The actress is typically utilized in comedic roles in urban comedies, but with a part that requires deep emotion and vulnerability, Perez proved she more than has what it takes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUBaRqY_NqA

2000s:

Holly Hunter- Thirteen (2003)- lost to Renee Zellweger for Cold Mountain

-Though she had already won for The Piano and gave nominated turns in Broadcast News and The Firm, Hunter gave one of her best performances ever with her role as the mother of a young teenage girl whose behavior is spiraling out of control. Her character is not the perfect mother and she knows this, but does the best she can with whatever she has all for the ones she loves. For an actress, who at the time had no children of her own, Hunter was required to be nurturing, supportive, concerned, paniced, and above all, loving; which she managed convincingly without a hitch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wScczSXpM4k

Tomorrow...Best Supporting Actor!!

The Best of Meryl Streep

2010-02-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

-Its hard to know what to say about Meryl Streep; the woman most consider to be one of the greatest screen actresses of all time. Any one of her impressive performances would be enough to sustain most actresses for the length of an entire career. By now Streep has proven that she can tackle virtually any genre, character, nationality, or time period to the point that when an actor, director, writer or audience member is presented with Meryl Streep in a role, they know they can rest easy. This year Streep reinvented herself yet again as the iconic chef Julia Child in Julie & Julia; a performance which earned her, among various other accolades, her 16th Oscar nomination. While she is near the top of the pack to win what would be her third Oscar, Streep still remains down to earth about her success and continued longevity with regards to film roles. I remember watching her be interviewed about this very subject to which she simply responded with a slight chuckle: "oh, I usually find something to do." In celebration of one of the greats, here are five classic Streep performances.

1. Postcards From the Edge (1990)
-Based on Carrie Fisher's novel/autobiography, Streep plays Suzanne Vale; a Hollywood actress just out of rehab who is trying to rebuild her life and career while coming to terms with her former movie star mother (Maclaine). The film itself is a brilliant take on Hollywood's attitude toward the fallen and its comedy and message are anchored brilliantly by Streep in a role which required her to be both frenzy and funny. Her Oscar nomination for Best Actress solidified the notion that Streep is a true chameleon evidenced from the opening scene to the musical performance which closes the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBWNFobsfVs&feature=related

2. The River Wild (1993)
-Streep proved an unlikely, yet winning choice for this action film directed by Curtis Hanson in which the actress plays a former rapids guide taking her family on a white water vacation when they run into some criminals. The film itself provides some excellent action sequences in the water especially when the characters are faced with trying to survive the river's most gigantic drop. Yet its Streep's manic performance as a wife and mother going up against one of nature's strongest forces in a bid to keep her family alive that proves to be the highlight.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38afo_the-river-wild-1994_shortfilms

3. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
-Its incredibly touchy territory to try and remake a classic like John Frankenhiemer's The Manchurian Candidate, yet Jonathan Demme's version succeeds mostly due to the performances of Washington and Streep. As a senator who is hell bent on making sure her congressman son gets elected as the next vice president, Streep is all fire in a role that is truly once again, like nothing she has ever done. Her portrayal of Eleanor Shaw is so cold and horrifying in even the smallest of scenes. Perhaps Voight's character says it best when he tells her: "when I think of you, I fear for this country."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xL6q94CFd4

4. Prime (2005)
-Its a shame this little-seen comedy didn't receive much fanfare since it is one of the only truly romantic comedies to be made in recent years that is actually grounded in reality. Streep plays a therapist treating a woman (Thurman) who, unbeknownst to anyone, also happens to be dating her much younger son. Streep is perfectly cast as the quintessential Jewish New York mother who takes an active interest in her children's lives. When her character becomes the only one who is aware of the three characters' connections, the actress proves once agian that she is comic gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzIvgs9iLo

5. Lions for Lambs (2007)
-This telling and insightful politcal drama which tracks three different storylines including a meeting between a professor and his student, two soldiers on a mission in Iraq, and a journalist's interview with a republican senator was considered too "talky" by some. Yet each character represents an aspect of America since the war in Iraq first began. The most potent of all these characters is Streep who plays a Washington journalist given an excluisve interview by a republican senator (Cruise) concerning a questionable new plan of attack. Her character questions, perhaps too late, her profession's impact on the war, the damage it has caused and her own morality and beliefs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGYEGWx4lAI

Congratulations once again Meryl Streep!!

The Best of Jeff Bridges

2010-02-11T09:40:00.003-08:00

-For so long Jeff Bridges has been continuously regarded as one of the screen's most dependable actors. His four previous Oscar nominations in both supporting and leading turns have proved this to be true. Likewise, the fact that many of his films such as The Last Picture Show, Tron, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Big Lebowski, Seabiscuit, and Iron Man have managed to strike a chord with audiences; further cementing Bridges as one of the great American actors of the last 40 years. His performances, which always contain unique levels of honesty and realism, are all marvels to behold. Nowhere is this more true than in Crazy Heart; Bridges' latest role as a beaten-down, aging country singer. The actor's work is so strong that he has replaced George Clooney as the frontrunner for this year's Best Actor Oscar. Anyone who has seen the film knows he deserves it. Everybody familiar with his work as a whole, knows that he deserved this a LONG time ago. Please enjoy some classic quintessential Bridges performances in celebration of this incredible actor...

(apologies if the sound is a little off on some of the clips)

1. Texasville (1990)
-The Last Picture Show was without question a success. Director Peter Bogdanovich skillfully adapted Larry McMurty's classic literary love letter to small town America; bringing him and his cast (including Bridges who received his first Oscar nomination) great critical acclaim. To try and film the novel's sequel, which saw Bridges' character Duane, now a wealthy townsman/family man whose life is crumbling around him, was a risky venture that some feel just didn't pay off. However, Bridges knows the character of Duane and all of his loves and frustrations and carries them with him throughout the film. In one of his more relaxed performances, the actor portrays a man faced with a life crisis, a family that's uncontrollable and future that is uncertain. Its because of Bridges that the film is able to capture some of the magic from the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-pEpBzR4f0

2. Fearless (1993)
-As an ordinary man who survies a plane crash only to be given a new lease on life, Bridges breathes new air into what could otherwise been a "George Bailey" type of role. Never has Bridges given such a whimsical performance so filled with life and vitality. Although the film has some truly devastating moments, the actor is able to lift the spirits of the audience with the notion that life is indeed worth living.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm5jBa4LzxQ&feature=related

3. The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
-While Bridges isn't known primarily for his comedic roles or his romantic side, the actor is perfectly able to handle both as evidenced by his work in this romantic comedy. Bridges plays a professor frustrated with sex and seeks only love for his future relationships. Rarely has Bridges given a performance more carefree and lighthearted than this. The film and his performance work largely because of Bridges' credibility as an actor which allows an otherwise conventional storyline to rise to a higher level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U0VLR-EWgs

4. Arlington Road (1999)
-In this tense and taut thriller, Bridges plays yet another professor; this time one who suspects his neighbor of terrorist acts. While he has the least flashy of the two lead roles in the film, Bridges brings endless amounts of intensity and desperation while trying to prevent his neighbor from succeeding. The fact that no one believes Bridges is an excruciating factor for the audience thanks to the actor's excellently frenzied performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk2CPzIgBRo

5. The Door in the Floor (2004)
-Bridges and author John Irving proved a good match for the story of a children's author whose son's untimely death has led to the crumbling of his marriage. Here, Bridges faces the challenge of playing a character that at times can be unlikable, but must also elicit sympathy from the audience. With emotions ranging from playfulness to grief, and despair, this is truly a role of great complexity. It's not an easy feat by any means, but Bridges makes it work in what is perhaps one of his most haunting performances on screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwwpdz9K9tg&feature=related

Well done Mr. Bridges!!

2010-02-11T09:40:00.001-08:00

The Best of Sandra Bullock

2010-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

-There's much to like about Sandra Bullock. She's funny, down to earth, extremely charitable, speaks german, and above all else she has that certain likability factor that only certain actresses such as Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan can attain. People associate themselves with Bullock when they see her on the screen. They feel like they know her. Throughout the years the actress has lovingly met audiences' expectations of her by doing stellar turns in many popular films of the 90s. Recently she achieved her first Oscar nomination with her turn as a southern socialite in the football drama The Blind Side. The movie's success has astounded me given how, given the circumstances, it should have failed. Not only did it have the bad luck of being released the same weekend as the second Twilight installment, but it also came out after Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire and before Invictus; two films which provided a more compelling portrait of troubled inner-city youth and sport success stories respectively in a way The Blind Side didn't. Its pretty clear that the main reason people flocked out in droves to see The Blind Side had MUCH less to do with the subject matter and MUCH more to do with seeing one of America's most beloved actresses give the performance of her career. In celebration of her nomination, subsequent accolades and overall winning year, here is a look at some of Bullock's other performances which show that she never was just America's sweetheart, but also a first rate actress...

1. The Vanishing (1993)
-Though she's only in the film for the first 10-15 minutes, Bullock makes a real impression in her handful of scenes as the girlfriend of a writer who disappears mysteriously from a gas station. While the rest of the film is devoted to Sutherland trying to find her and Bridges exercising his villain skills, Bullock's presence is felt throughout and makes the film so much more intense. While the original film is much more superior to this otherwise lackluster remake, Bullock's work alone makes this a film worth examining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmXPYfHAMf4

2. 28 Days (2000)
-By now, already an established star, Bullock took a considerable risk with her screen image playing an alcoholic writer who is ordered by the court to spend a month in rehab. The result is one of her finest moments on screen in which she conveys a toughness coupled with insecurity. Had there not been such an attempt to infuse the film with an abundance of comedic elements, but rather stick to the dramatic, perhaps 28 Days would have been more acclaimed and Bullock wouldn't have had to wait so long for a nomination. While the comedy in the film works, its moments like Bullock's confessional to Buscemi in which the film and the actress both come to life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRW_iVajmfA

3. Crash (2005)
-In the rush to (dutifully) praise the overall film, as well as standout turns from Matt Dillon and Thandie Newton, Bullock's fine work as a Los Angeles housewife sadly went unlauded. Bullock shed all traces of likability to portray a woman who has everything most people want, yet who is still angry at the world. It is a performance full of rage, anger and despair. If ever there was a textbook performance to signify "best supporting actress," it was this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U51r7295YFQ

4. The Lake House (2006)
-Most dismissed this time-traveling romance drama as a sloppy piece of Hollywood stock with the only appeal being the re-teaming of Speed stars Bullock and Reeves. Yet if you re-examine the film, you get some of Bullock's most beautiful work. So many times the actress has been asked to be overty physical in both comedy and action films; a challenge she can definitley handle. Here, we see another side to bullock; one which is gentle, warm, and heartfelt. She embodies the ideal romantic film heroine while maintaining her trademark charm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hYO8b4u3po

5. Infamous (2006)
-Released the same year as The Lake House, Infamous saw the actress do a complete 180 turnaround from her last film to play author Harper Lee who assists friend and fellow-writer Truman Capote in the creation of his book "In Cold Blood"; based on the real-life slayings of a mid-western family. The movie's release one year after the similarly-themed Capote ensured this film would go unnoticed. Its a shame since of the two films made on the subject, Infamous is hands down the better choice. As Lee, Bullock abandons all traces of her movie star persona and instills life and energy into the character; two elements missing from Catherine Keener's performance in the same role a year before. Again, another missed Oscar nomination for Bullock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-5iO49ojJA

Way to go Sandy!!

The Best of Morgan Freeman

2010-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

-There are very few movie people in film who have been able to be both an actor and a movie star quite like Morgan Freeman. Not only has he been able to commit himself fully to every project he's in like the consummate actor, but very few actors have been so lovingly accepted by the moviegoing public as well. Most say its the intensity in his eyes during scenes of fire and rage, others feel its the calm wisdom dispersed through his characters words, while some adamantly believe its his unique voice that accounts for his enduring quality. When it came time to play the lead in Clint Eastwood's Invictus, there was logically only one choice for the role of Nelson Mandella, and as usual, it proved to be the right one. Freeman's portrayal of the legendary leader was heralded by critcs and admirers who feel the actor gave the performance of his career and has resulted in his fifth Oscar nomination; his 3rd as Best Actor. Even though Freeman has already won for his work in Million Dollar Baby, everyone would welcome a second victory for the esteemed performer. Here is a look at some of his most popular and poetic roles.

1. Lean on Me (1989)
-Considered a film classic now, Lean on Me has remained one of the most classic examples of the educators who fight for their students regardless of their lower-class backgrounds. As no-nonsense principal Joe Clark who turns an inner-city school around, Freeman exuded endless amounts of passion and fire within his performance. Its almost as if he wasn't giving a performance, but instead really seemed to be Joe Clark!! Some say its one of his finest hours on screen and I'm inclined to agree. While the actor was grossly overlooked for his work in the film by the Academy, Lean on Me and Freeman's Joe Clark have lived on gloriously!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWW4KogocfQ

2. Glory (1989)
-The story of a black soldier squad during the civil war was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the 80s. There are great performances from Broderick, Washington (who won an Oscar for his role) and especially Freeman who remains calm and serene throughout the proceedings. His character of Rawlins stands out as perhaps the one man who has made his peace with God, and is well aware that even though he is fighting for the future, he suspects he might not live to see it. Released the same year as Lean on Me, Glory features Freeman at his most beautfiully understated best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBBk0q6AK-0&feature=related

3. Deep Impact (1998)
- A surprise hit in the early days of summer in 1998, Deep Impact saw Morgan Freeman take on the role of the President with the difficult task of telling the world that a life-threatening comet is headed for earth. While most dismiss the film as just another entry into the disaster-film genre, everyone agrees that Freeman's time on screen manages to raise the story to a much higher level. As a result, Freeman's turn as the commander-in-chief has become one of the top choices of "movie Presidents."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLgSKv2P-ow&feature=related

4. An Unfinished Life (2005)
-Its a shame this well-made drama wasn't seen by many people when it first came out, and hasn't since quite frankly. Freeman plays Mitch, a man who suffered an attack with a wild bear years earlier which left him an invalid. After years of living an unfulfilling life, Mitch stops feeling sorry for himself and begins to live again. This is perhaps one of his more subtle roles, but is also one filled with strength and perseverance which have become Freeman's trademark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_C_8K_KnG8

5. The Bucket List (2007)
-As cancer-ridden mechanic Carter Chambers who embarks on a series of adventures with a fellow patient (Nicholson), Freeman once again triumphed on screen. While lead roles are written with 20-something year olds in mind, Freeman demonstared he still had pull with audiences as was evidenced by this film's box-office success. The legendary actor also proved he could hold his own opposite fellow legend Nicholson. Such a feat would seem impossible, but Freeman pulls it off magnificently!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX8XEXmhHss&feature=fvw

Well done Mr. Freeman!!

The Best of Helen Mirren

2010-02-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

-If there's ever been a female performer that encompasses class and grace, it has to be Helen Mirren. With her offbeat looks and chameleon-like talents, Mirren's instincts have allowed her to equip herself well in almost any genre of film. Even in the most lurid of films (Caligula, anyone?), this actress can provide an air of dignity to the proceedings; giving life to whatever character she takes on and elevating whatever film she is in to higher levels. Its only fitting though that Mirren should find herself with her fourth Oscar nomination (her second as Best Actress) for playing author Leo Tolstoy's wife in the period drama The Last Station. Her work in the film will undoubtedly (if it hasn't already) bring her the attention of a slew of new fans who have yet to discover her. But for those who already know of Mirren's talent, here is an appreciation of some of her finer roles.

1. The Comfort of Strangers (1990)
-In this creepy and disturbing tale from Ian McEwan, a young British couple vacationing in Venice become associated with a dark and deeply eccentric husband and wife. Mirren plays Caroline; a woman who, along with her husband Robert, takes pleasure in the perverseness of life. Her views on obsession, danger, and sex are strong just on the written page, but Mirren brings to them a haunting quality of a woman who is both a tranquil romantic and a silent manipulator. It is truly one of the actress' more offbeat performances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JYxhS9bQhw

2. Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
-While a collaboration between the writer of Scream and one of Britain's finest actresses seems improbable to say the least, the matching was a winning one as Mirren takes on the role of the monstrous Eve Tingle; a history teacher who, after years of tormenting students, finds herself held captive in her own home by three pupils in this dark comedy/light thriller. While most other actresses would have overplayed the character's sinister qualities, Mirren instead administers Mrs. Tingle's evil with such careful precision to make sure we take her seriously. Through this method, Mirren also makes sure the audience knows that even though she's the victim, she's also calling the shots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXbszOPC0g

3. Calendar Girls (2003)
-Even though one might not think of Mirren as a comedic actress, she proved her versatility in this true-life story about a group of British women who pose nude for a charity calendar. Mirren is many things throughout the film; she's zany, foolish, driven, charming, and delightful. It may be one her least flashy roles to date, but it still contains the same amount of passion and commitment that makes up a Helen Mirren performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cr2dR6-wZ4

4. The Clearing (2004)
-In the criminally underappreciated film, Mirren plays the wife of a successful businessman who is kidnapped by a disgruntled former employee. Mirren's performance in this film is one of her best as far as transformations go. The character of Eileen goes from content to bitter, to worried, to desperate, to fierce, to finally brave all within the course of the film. It takes a high level of skill to bring the aformentioned elements to the table, which Mirren does almost effortlessly. At times her work is so good that she manages to steal the spotlight from both Redford and Defoe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwrK0fyDgro&feature=related

5. State of Play (2009)
-There is so much going on in this thriller, which deals with the mysterious death of the aide of a congressman; not least of which is a surplus of characters all vying for the chance to stand out against leading men Crowe and Affleck. Yet the only one who succeeds is Mirren as a tough newspaper editor. Though its a supporting role (Mirren is onscreen for no more than 20 minutes) she literally has the power to stop the film whenever she comes on screen like any good performer can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ME87tEX9Qw

Congratulations Helen Mirren!!

The Best of Woody Harrelson

2010-02-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

-I'm so glad Woody Harrelson got a second Oscar nomination. Of course anyone who has been following along this awards season knew he was shoe in for his turn in The Messenger. Its almost certain that Christoph Waltz will walk away with the prize for his work in Inglorious Basterds, but regardless, I'm still glad that Harrelson is getting the recognition he deserves.

In honor of Woody's nomination, I have selected five Woody Harrelson performances which I feel exercise his genunie gifts as an actor: namely that everyman quality coupled with an intense passion for whatever film he's doing as well as that rare quality he has of losing himself in the character at hand.

1. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
-Harrelson might have seemed like the most unlikely of choices to play Larry Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine, who overcame numerous scandals and obstacles throughout the magazine's life. The real Flynt is a larger than life personality who never excersises a filter between what he says or thinks. Harrelson embraces this quality and runs wild with it throughout the film, but remains watchful enough to bring it back when necessary. Its no wonder that Harrelson received SAG, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his brilliant portrayal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0nC-y_Bvw

2. Palmetto (1998)
-Unlike most stars, Harrelson has never been interested in dipping his toes into different genres simply to showcase his versatility, but instead has chosen projects based on their own merit. Such a case is his turn in the noir-ish mystery Palmetto. Harrelson plays anti-hero Harry Barber; a man who returns home after being shortly released from prison and quickly gets involved in a kidnapping scheme involving a rich tycoon, his trophy wife and their teenage daughter. As the twists and double-crossings abound, Harrelson proves he is up to the task and follows in the tradition of Fred Macmurray and Robert Mitchum in this underrated film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7iDhDJC3k

3. After the Sunset (2004)
-Out of all the actors from the cast of Cheers, Harrelson has been the only one who has been able to sustain a successful movie career due to such hits as White Men Can't Jump and Indecent Proposal. Such an acheivement has afforded him the luxury to switch between smaller indie fare and big-budget spectacles such as After the Sunset. In this film, Harrelson exercises the main attributes that have made him a bankable leading man: charm, charisma and an overall likability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLOwRK2rKJY

4. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
-In this film, Harrelson takes advantage of his roots playing one half of a singing cowboy duo performing on Garrison Keilor's longrunning-radio program. Under the direction of the legendary Robert Altman, Harrelson displays both his dry sense of humor and surprisingly decent singing skills in this touching tribute to small town America. Its a more down-home Harrelson than people are used to seeing, but one that bears his unique stamp nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PGPSjB4INU

5. The Walker (2007)
-When I first saw this small film in a London cinema, my heart sank because I knew that by that point the film had already played its limited run in America and that Harrelson's brilliantly haunting performance would have no chance of being remembered come awards time. I was right. Set against the backdrop of Washington, Woody plays Carter Page III, a gay socialite/real estate agent who occupies his free time escorting wealthy women to events and parties while becoming their confidant during ritualistic card games. When one of his friends becomes invovled in a murder, he steps in to take care of things, ultimately leading him to discover a side of Washington's social politics he never knew existed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ffkyMbAioQ

Congratulations Woody Harrelson!!

In Celebration of the Oscars

2010-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

-To comemmorate the upcoming Oscar ceremony, I have decided to put together a sort of tribute to those films and stars recognized by the academy. To start off, I will be paying tribute to some of the actors nominated for Oscars this year by looking at some of their more underrated performances. Following this, I will take a look back at certain individuals who have been nominated in one of the 5 main categories (picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress), and plead my case as to why I feel they should have deserved to take home the gold!!

As usual, I will be posting clips of all films/performances wherever possible and in keeping with the spirit of my previous posts, these selections will serve to pay homage to lesser-known or slightly disregarded films and performances. Enjoy!!

Infamous (2006)- Movie of the day (2/2/10)

2010-02-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

Movie of the day: Infamous (2006)
starring Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Peter Bogdanovich, Daniel Craig, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rosselinni, Juliet Stevenson, and Sigourney Weaver.

There's no denying that 2005's Capote was a well-made film about how celebrated author Truman Capote came to write his best-selling book "In Cold Blood"; the story of a slain mid-western family and their murderers. The film earned a spot on many critics top 10 lists and is considered the definitive film account of that part of American culture. Yet many do not know of Infamous; a film released the following year which dealt with the same subject, but proved to be a much different film altogether.

Filmed at the same time as Capote, Infamous likewise chronicles Capote's (Jones) discovery of the heartless killings of a family in middle America and his attempt to find out everything he could about the case from the local authroities and about the killers; one of whom Capote became very enamoured with. Alongside during his journey was close friend and author Harper Lee (Bullock) who acted not just as his confidant, but also conscience as well as guide. Yet the further he progressed with his book, the more obsessed he became; a fact noted in documentary-style interviews shown throughout the film with Capote's friends and associates.

In all honesty, the most compelling aspect of the first film, Capote, was Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance. It's absolutely brilliant. Hoffman captures the appropriate characteristics of the author and delivers them well. Apart from that, the movie seemed more concerned with mood and tone than with story and characterization and almost went out of its way to be overly bleak. Infamous on the other hand, differs wildly from its predecessor. To begin with Jones' performance is a revelation, and while it does not reach the depth of Hoffman's, it does show another side of Capote's personality which at times is so dead on accurate. Beyond this, the supporting cast is littered with all kinds of colorful and interesting characters played by an assortment of well-respected actors. The standout of the supporting players is of course Bullock who as Lee, brings an energy and vitality that was left out of Catherine Keener's portrayal in the same role a year earlier. Infamous sees Bullock abandoning all traces of a Hollywood movie star and giving a performance thats as real and honest as they come.

Yet I feel the film's greatest strength lies in its contrast between the two worlds it depicts. On one side there is the flashy world of New York society with gossip, cocktails and dinner parties and on the other there is the low-key world of the small town where conservativism and old fasioned values are held onto. Seeing Jones' Capote maintain the same levels of his character between the two worlds could not have been an easy feat to do, yet the filmmakers, and especially the actor, manage to pull it off fantastically.

Its not that I'm calling Capote a bad film, but in so many ways its plain to see how Infamous is far more superior due to the various risks the filmmakers took with it. The truth is that Infamous went into areas the first film failed to explore. But not many people want to see the same story twice, and as a result, Infamous was all but forgotten shorty after its arrival. However it is still worth checking out since, as the tagline states, "there's more to the story than you know..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZw8ORyIbLI

Teaching Mrs. Tingle- Movie of the Day (2/1/10)

2010-02-01T15:29:00.001-08:00

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
starring Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Barry Watson, Jeffrey Tambor, and Molly Ringwald
written and directed by Kevin Williamson

-Everybody has had one specific teacher, not a couple, but one in particular that made the learning experience all the more tortuous. Getting through high school can be a struggle all its own, but sometimes there's this monstrous force of nature hovering that you are convinced is against you. Perhaps this is why, despite whatever audiences might think about the other aspects of the film, there is hardly a person who has seen Teaching Mrs. Tingle that won't be able to recall such a character from their own past.

Helen Mirren plays the title character Mrs. Eve Tingle; the most feared teacher in a small town high school. Mrs. Tingle is hard on every student that comes her way, but manages to instill the most fear to the ones who deserve the most praise. Such a student is Leigh Ann Watson (Holmes); a top student who is on her way to being valedictorian and poised to win a scholarship to a big city college. However her future rests on whether or not she can pull off an A in Mrs. Tingle's history class. Offering to help, school bad boy Luke (Watson) steals a copy of Mrs. Tingle's final exam and presents it to Leigh Ann and fellow classmate Jo Lynn (Marisa Coughlan). Refusing to cheat, Leigh Ann turns down Luke's offer but almost as swiftly as she does, the three find themselves in the presence of Mrs. Tingle herself who believe the trio guilty of cheating. Later that night, when the three go to Mrs. Tingle's house to plead thier case, they are shown no mercy from thier teacher and when things turn hostile, Luke aims a bow and arrow at Mrs. Tingle, forcing her upstairs. The three decide to hold her hostage in her own home for just long enough to alter and submit their final grades. Things go awry however as the unsettlingly calm Mrs. Tingle begins a game of cat and mouse with the three students.

If Mrs. Tingle was just a strict teacher, then our three main heroes would be turned into villians. Yet it becomes quite clear early on that Mrs. Tingle does not want her students to find success on any level and in subtle ways does whatever she can to thwart their dreams and ambitions. In her mind, Mrs. Tingle instantly decides what everybody's future will be and gives nothing in the way of priase or encouragement. I feel one of the reasons this movie works as well as it does is becuase it is quite literally most high school student's fantasy to repay their educational tormentors for one reason or another. Admittedly though, the concept sounds somewhat dangerous. Released the same year that the high school killings in Littleton, CO took place, some saw slight parallels between the two, which might have indeed been responsible for the film's lackluster performance at the box office. But where the Littleton students were driven by hoplessness and rage for society, the students in Teaching Mrs. Tingle are driven by desperation and hope for their futures and while the former was clearly an act of vengence, the latter is most definitley one of justice.

Seasoned writer Williamson slips into the director's chair for the first (and to date, only) time and surprisingly does a worthwhile job. The balance between the moods of light thriller and dark comedy and handled perfectly and there are a requiste number of his trademark lines infused into the characters' personalities. Its hard to say what it is about this curious little film other than a first-rate villian or the main appeal of the central plot that makes one go back to this film. Indeed there is very little bloodshed within the proceedings and no large statement is made throughout the entire runtime. Despite this, Teaching Mrs. Tingle does indeed prompt rewatching every so often if for nothing else, to see a manifestation of that teacher you hated in high school get her due.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXbszOPC0g

The Last Shot- Movie of the Day (1/28/10)

2010-01-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Last Shot (2004)
-starring Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Toni Collette, Tony Shaloub, Ray Liotta, Calista Flockhart, and Joan Cusack
-directed by Jeff Nathanson

-For reasons that are more or less obvious, films reportedly based on true stories seem to be placed on a higher pedestal than most others. There's a slight feeling that a film based on actual events contains more credibility and in turn, deserves to be taken much more seriously than those which are purely works of fiction. Perhaps its the fact that reality is so much starker than fiction most of the time that makes moviegoers look at true life films with a much more sturdy eye. Although The Last Shot is based on true events, no audience member can ever actually take the proceedings seriously.

The Last Shot is the true story of how an FBI agent named Joe Devine (Baldwin) decided to go undercover as a film producer in order to catch the Rhode Island mob for racketeering. He decides to 'produce' aspiring director Steven Schat's (Broderick)unsold screenplay about a woman dying of cancer and convinces him that going into business with shady Tommy Sanz (Shaloub) is a good idea. Steven is uncomfortable with the number of compromises he is required to make but is so excited at the prospect of his film being made, that he makes them regardless. Things start to get murky though when Joe gets close to nabbing Tommy but also finds himself getting more and more into his role as producer.

What proves to be most enjoyable about The Last Shot is just how absurd and outrageous the story is given the fact that the events on screen actually transpired in real life. Indeed, the "true" aspect is perhaps the film's most unique quality; without it, there'd actually be very little to distinguish it from the standard Hollywood comedy format. Its highly amusing to watch scenes where Joe proposes the operation to his superiors only to receive a lackluster approval until later when the plan appears to be working at which point his superiors are advising him on what direction the film he is producing should take. On the flip side is Steven who finds himself in a dizzying wave of glee as his project comes to life, yet is perplexed by the number of strange comprimises he must make such as filming the Arizona-set film in Rhode Island. As the story progresses, situations collide, misunderstandings occur, and genuine laughs come rolling out one after the other.

Its a shame this title wasn't more well-known becuase it contains within it some of the best comic work most of these actors has ever done. While Baldwin delivers his usual deadpan delivery and Broderick has little else to do but act clueless and naive, its the supporting cast including Shaloub as the gangster kingpin, Collette as the film's leading lady, and Flockhart as Steven's frustrated girlfriend (so hell bent on securing a role in the film she even stabs herself with a fork to show she can demonstrate pain) who project a true flair for comedy that has rarely been tapped in this way. Yet its Cusack, who plays a Hollywood producer that deliver's the film's most side-splitting scenes. Although her role is only 2 scenes long, Cusack embodies the sort of burned out producer who has seen her share of the business and has been burned by it many times.

One of the most compelling true stories converted to film that I've seen recently was Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon (yes, its true). I enjoyed that film's exploration into a subject matter that had become part of television's history and was a landmark moment in both the medium as well as in politics. Although it rests on the opposite side of the spectrum, The Last Shot is almost just as compelling for its sheer lunacy. Indeed plots in a similar vein have probably been made at a bevy of bad studio pitch meetings and there's little doubt that a number of lesser ideas have made it onto the screen. It might be easy to dismiss The Last Shot as just another form of recycled Hollywood junk if it wasn't for the fact...that its all true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gD-ofy5NuA

Needful Things- Movie of the Day (1/27/10)

2010-01-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

Needful Things (1993)
-starring Ed Harris, Max Von Sydow, Bonnie Bedelia, J.T. Walsh and Amanda Plummer
-directed by Fraser C. Heston

-If there's one author that has lived long enough to see his name become synonymous with a particular genre of film, its Stephen King. The horror maestro has seen nearly 100 of his novels, short stories, and poems adapted to film and television ever since Brian De Palma adapted King's debut novel Carrie to great critical and audience acclaim in 1976. Alongside Carrie, other titles such as The Shining, Cujo, Pet Semetary, It, Misery, and The Green Mile, among countless others, have all gone on to cement the author as his own sub-genre of horror films.

One such title however that probably doesn't come up too often whenever King's name is brought up is the 1993 thriller Needful Things. Set against the backdrop of a quiet New England town (a familiar setting in King stories), the story deals with a mysterious stranger named Mr. Leland Gaunt (Max Von Sydow) who comes to comes to the small town of Castle and opens up an antiques shop called Needful Things. Inside the store lies each person's most desired possession. A signed first edition novel, a painting from a world famous artist, a charmed necklace, a vintage board game; whatever a person's most desired item is, Needful Things has it in stock. As far as the price is concerned, all Mr. Gaunt asks for payment is a bit of money and a favor which differs from customer to customer and which he asks to keep a secret. At first everything seems fine until a double murder makes the local sherrif (Harris) question who Mr. Gaunt really is.

On the surface, Needful Things does not read as a typical entry into the Stephen King genre of horror films. More of a thriller than a horror, the film serves to remind us of the ordinary person's feelings of greed, hate and fear. I suppose the original novel might have been written as a sort of attack on the materialistic 80s, but the film's release in the early 90s, after the country was recovering from a recession, seemed a bit out of place. And yet the motif of the film rings true. The idea of how even the most moral and good person could suddenly turn bad, how a good man would slay his neighbor in an instant for the promise of his most desired object is indeed a frightening prospect. In this sense, Needful Things is one of the more psychologically and spiritually horrifying King entries to date. Also, though its never outwardly mentioned, it doesn't take long to discover the Mr. Gaunt is indeed the devil himself, who with copius amounts of charm and sophistication, is able to sit back and watch the good people of Castle Rock tear each other apart. The scene in which two local women who each believe the other to be responsible of crimes neither has committed, kill each other with a butcher's knife and an axe while superimposed shots of Mr. Gaunt smiling and laughing slightly as Ave Maria plays in the background is both well-made and equally disturbing.

While the completely game Harris is meant to be the star of the film (as is evident by his requisite speech at the climax), its Von Sydow who steals the show. As Mr. Gaunt, Von Sydow is extremely convincing as the mysterious stranger who skillfully straddles the line between an evil being and a kind, worldly old gentleman. The supporting characters also do noteworthy work with their roles. Walsh, as a local businessman who becomes Mr. Gaunt's puppet impressively goes from pompous oaf to sniffling weakling while Plummer gives one of her better screen performances as the timid and vulnerable baker Nettie. Only Bedelia as Harris' girlfriend fails to bring any life to her role; a shame given the actress' past track record.

It should be noted that before the release of Needful Things, the studio made the decision of trimming over an hour's worth of footage from the film; leaving the final running time at just over an hour and a half. While the original cut has been broadcast on cable, I feel the loss of the footage, which included more screen time for certain characters' stories and an exciting chase scene, was the reason for the film's failure with both critics and audiences. Although, a film about the devil taking over a small town is not one which I'm sure was an easy sell to begin with. And yet Needful Things does stand out as a truly entertaining psychological thriller about the age old battle between good and evil. If anything, the film should leave each viewer pondering: what is our needful thing...and what would we do to get it??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ9n4Md16PE

The Big White- Movie of the Day (1/26/10)

2010-01-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Big White
-starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Giovanni Ribisi, Alison Lohman, and Woody Harrelson
-directed by Mark Mylod

-Dark comedy can be a touchy genre to venture into. For starters, it caters to a very specific taste. The average moviegoer will probably fail to see the humor in what would be considered morbid or grotesque in real life. Yet for many this brand of comedy which ranges from dead bodies being tossed into dumpsters or housewives being abducted, seems devoid of laughter. Yet there are those who can appreciate the hilarity in the morbid. In keeping with this tradition, The Big White serves itself up as a quintessential dark comedy.

Alaskan travel agent Paul Barnell (Williams) leads a worry-filled life. His travel agency business is not booming and his wife Margaret (Hunter), who suffers from tourret's has recently been denied the financial assistance she needs. After accidentally dropping his cell phone into a nearby dumpster, Paul notices the dead body of a man inside without identification. Thinking quickly, Paul decides to pass the body off as his long lost brother Raymond (Harrelson), who has been missing for years. With Raymond gone, Paul can cash in his brother's life insurance, leave his fledgling business and take his wife away to get her the help she deserves. The plan seems to work at first until Paul encounters a few obstacles including an insurance agent (Ribisi), his phony psychic girlfriend (Lohman), two criminals (Tim Blake Nelson and W. Earl Brown) who claim ownership of the dead body, and Raymond himself, who shows up after years away and who is clearly not dead.

It is known from the offset that The Big White has dark intentions and for this, the movie deserves much praise since some dark comedies tend to tread the line of "safe" and "dark" comedy. This film however knows what its audience expects and delivers it. This is a movie where all the characters are, in one way or another, guilty of something in one way or another. Even Ted Waters, the insurance agent, who goes beyond the parameters of typical procedure in order to expose Paul's lies is questionable as the voice of authority. Ted himself, lies, cheats and goes beyond what some might call, moral boundaries to prove Paul is a crook and earn himself a promotion. The Big White is filled with lines that in the real world should make ppl cringe, but instead provoke laughter. When Margaret is tied up after the two criminals trace their body back to Paul's house, she looks hard and cold into her kidnapper's eyes and very calmly and cooly says: "if you try to rape me, I'll swear to God I'll bite it off." Later on the same kidnapper and his partner call Paul with thier demands. He lists them quickly and before Paul has a chance to respond, hangs up exclaiming to his partner: thank God!! We avoided the trace!!" To which his partner replies: "we're at his house!!" When Ted is forced to hand over Paul's check, which he does so while holding onto it for dear life, the lights go out in Paul's office. He takes the check and says to his secretary: "Avis, can you use your cell phone and let the electric company know I'll be stopping by on the way home??" Such laughs occur throughout The Big White and range from subtle to hilarious. Although the comedy may be subtle, it never rings false and works beautifully with the grim circumstances.

The performances in The Big White are also highly noteworthy with everyone meeting the necessary requirements of their characters. Yet its Williams and Hunter who prove the most surprising. As Paul, Williams allows himself to be gently restrained in what is clearly the film's most subtle role. Paul is a man that is the sole voice of reason amongst all the ludicy and therefore must maintian his composure. Despite this, Williams manages to evoke laughs from the audience; albeit it in a different way than he is normally used to. Hunter meanwhile has a ball with her character's many explitives and physical actions. The actress really excels when asked to play comedy and The Big White is proof of that.

While some may point out some reminiscent elements from Fargo, The Big White is truly a one of a kind show with genuine laughs. Some dark comedies such as Big Trouble, Death to Smoochy, Duplex, Nothing But Trouble, etc...mostly fail at the box office for reasons which I have outlined earlier. While The Big White suffered a similar fate financially and critically, where the film does rise above the ones before it is in its heart. At the core of The Big White is a love story. It is the story of Paul, who is willing to sacrifice everything and go against his ideals and beliefs for the woman he loves. It is a rare combination to find not only dark comedy, but also real heart in film. Fortunately, The Big White has both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUsmT9P7TA

Shattered (01/25/10)

2010-01-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Movie of the Day (1/25/10)- Shattered (1991)
starring Tom Berenger, Gretta Scacchi, Corbin Bernsen, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, and Bob Hoskins
directed by Wolfgang Petersen

-For those who have heard the term neo-noir, but never had a decent enough illustration of it, Shattered is a perfect example. Although many (including perhaps myself) will press the point the Polanski classic Chinatown remains the quintessential neo-noir offering due to its stark closeness to the original blueprint of the anti-hero/avg. joe finding himself entangled in plots involving murder brought on by a seductive, yet dangerous woman (aka the femme fatale). Yet this 1991 offering from well-established director Wolfgang Petersen is a more than worthy addition to this sub-genre of film.

Shattered opens on a deserted mountainous road where is a car is speeding along, swerving back and forth. After several very near misses, the car finally crashes into a railing and falls off a cliff. As the car plumets to the ground we notice a woman being tossed out of the vehicle, tumbling down the cliff as well. While the car continues to make its way down, we notice a man behind the wheel who is trapped inside; helpless as the car goes down. It is soon discovered that the couple in the car are Dan and Judith Merrick (Berenger and Scacchi); a well-to-do husband and wife from San Francisco. Judith escapes with various injuries including a broken arm while Dan not only requires complete facial reconstruction, but also needs help regaining his memory, which has been erased due to the accident. When the two return home, Dan discovers that his wife, his business partner (Bernsen), his neighbor (Whalley-Kilmer), and a private detective (Hoskins) all hold clues to what had occurred in Dan's life before the wreck and that what seemed like an accident, might not have been at all.

From the getgo, Shattered is shrouded in mystery as the audience somehow instinctively knows not to take anything they see as the truth and must learn right along with Dan about the world he has found himself in. The plot itself, adapted from the novel by Richard Neely, provides a requisite number of twists to ensure that the proceedings never become tiresome and mundane. At times however, it seems that the plot be required to stand still while characters such as Jenny, the wife of Jeb, Dan's business partner tries to rekindle a past affair or when Jeb takes time to reintroduce Dan to their business. Thankfully these moments take up very little screentime in favor of the real matter at hand. Many questions arise during Shattered: why did Dan feel the need to hire a detective prior to his accident? what is troubling Judith so much that she dashes off mysteriously several times throughout the course of the film, who is the mysterious stranger from Dan's past that keeps re-appearing, and most importantly, who was Dan Merrick before his accident?? All these questions plague Shattered, leading up to an ending that's truly unforseen and well worth the wait!!

One critic who reviewed Shattered observed: "people don't count as much as surprises in this film." Taking that very notion into consideration, Shattered lends itself even more into the vein of neo-noir. In many such films, it is often found that the characters seen on screen are oftentimes unremarkable and clearly one-dimensional. You more or less know thier motives, beliefs and attitudes. In most genres this lack of characterization would seem unforgivable. Yet here it works for the sheer reason that the plot and the many facets it contains, needs to be much larger than the characters within the film. It should be noted that the cast as a whole, play their parts well. Each one falls into the archtype of character that the genre expects them to be and do so admirably. Hoskins in particular is a standout as the detective/pet shop owner. Moreover, the look of Shattered greatly reflects the dark and moody tones of original film noir where most scenes were shrouded in darkness. Here, with its lush dark lighting, accompanying California locale, and greatly-plotted story, Shattered provides the perfect look and feel for a classic exercise in neo-noir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RVhiJ_ds2U

Movie of the Day (01/21/2010)- Til There Was You (1997)

2010-01-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Til There Was You (1997)
starring Dylan McDermott, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Sarah Jessica Parker
directed by Scott Winant

-I'm decidedly not the biggest fan of romantic comedies. This is mainly because aside from westerns, they are the one genre which I find rarely strays from its conventions. The setup is typical: boy and girl meet, love happens, obstacles get in the way, and by the end, the two come together to spend the rest of their lives together in cinematic bliss. While there is nothing wrong with this premise, the problem lies in the fact that there is very little room for deviation within this setup. However, the little-seen Til There Was You successfully managed to re-write the genre and offer up a new twist on romantic comedies.

Til There Was You deals with the lives of two characters: Nick (Dylan McDermott) and Gwen (Jeanne Tripplehorn), who as the romantic centerpoints, never really meet until the film's end. As children, the two came from different backgrounds: his family was poor, while hers was well off. One day while running away from a school bully, Nick crashes into Gwen, knocking her down. Though he'd like to stop and help her, he continues running to evade his tormentor. The story flashes forward years later when Nick, a young architect is making a presentation across the street from the university where Gwen attends graduate school. Nick accidentally knocks a model of one of his designs out the window where it ends up nearly hitting Gwen. She yells up at him then takes off. As more years pass we see Gwen become a successful ghost writer and Nick a prominent architect. We see the two of them date various men and women with distinct flaws while the two main characters must come to grips with their own issues. There are two elements linking Nick and Gwen together: 1)Francesca Lanfield (Sarah Jessica Parker); a former child star who spent time in rehab and who hires Gwen to write her biography and Nick to handle the design of her new apartment complex she is involved in, and 2) a bizzarely decorated restaurant named "The Awful Truth," which both Nick and Gwen frequent with various dates and which the former designed.

While most romantic comedies offer up their share of sentimentality, Til There Was You breaks the mold by offering up a genre film that is more true to life than most other entries in the canon. First off, the two characters are seen as real people with real issues, not ones that a bland Hollywood script allows them to have. Both Nick and Gwen are flawed individuals who recognize the problems within themselves and try to live their lives as best they can in spite of them. But on a larger scale, Til There Was You proves to be realistic in the sense that its the story about two stranger's journey toward meeting each other. The failed relationships, the professional setbacks, the family crises, and the differing views on life and romance as seen through the supporting cast which includes Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olin, Michael Tucker and Nina Foch.

On the production side, Til There Was You is top quality. While McDermott and Tripplehorn are unlikely choices for the leads, the two inhabit their characters beautifully, especailly the latter who nails Gwen's hopeful, yet surprisingly realistic optimism. All of the other elements of the film come together in a decent way. And even if the running time is a bit longer than the story deserves, there are still plenty of new characters to watch in the meantime.

While this is Nick and Gwen's story, the real surprise of the film is Parker who, as the narcissistic former child star/drug addict, gives what is perhaps her best screen performance to date. Her turn as Francesa is truly one of a kind. She is at all times vain, insecure, whimsical, self-aware, and surprisingly wise. The character is truly a mixed bag and Parker brings all these facets to life almost effortlessly. In fact had the film been more well-received, I'm convinced that the actress, who was praised for her performance in the film, would have garnered some major accolades, perhaps even an Oscar nomination. To some it might seem far-fetched, but Parker has yet to deliver a performance as stellar as this one.

This is a romantic comedy which shows how true romance really is. It isn't finding the love of your life in the first reel and encountering one wacky situation after another. Love is a journey that involves several twists of fate, different characters and life lessons you never expected to learn before finding the one you were truly meant to be with.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi721289497/

Movie of the Day (1/19/2010)- The Moon-Spinners (1964)

2010-01-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

The Moon-Spinners (1964)
-starring Hayley Mills, Peter McEnery, Eli Wallach, Joan Greenwood, and Pola Negri
-directed by James Neilson

-In the 1960s Hayley Mills reigned as Disney's most popular leading actress and during her time with the studio she managed to churn out performance after performance filled with charm, honesty, and delight. One of the projects that came along during this time was the adventure tale The Moon-Spinners which sought to cast Mills in a role outside her comfort zone of slapstick comedy and singing. If some have never heard of the little-seen Disney classic, that's because the film's failure at the box-office, despite the popularity of its star sealed, its fate and relegated it to television broadcasts before debuting meekly on home video and dvd. Yet there is much to like about Disney's sole foray into Hitchcock territory with a tale of intrigue, mystery and adventure.

The film was based on the novel of the same name by celebrated author Mary Stewart. The original story had a young twenty-something woman seeking a vacation filled with peace and quiet as she travels to the remote island of Crete in Greece. While there she encounters a man in hiding who warns her to keep away from him. She disobeys and soon finds herself in the middle of a plot involving murder and stolen jewels.

As with most star vehicles, the story was refashioned considerably. The age of the herione was brought down to accommodate the 16-year-old Mills, the violence was toned down, and the plot was re-worked in an effort to make the overall story more accessible for a Disney audience. The plot of The Moon-Spinners now became the story of a teenage tourist from London named Nikki Ferris (Mills) traveling with her aunt who decide to stop for a few days rest in Crete. Despite a noticeable objection from the inn owner's brother Stratos (Wallach), the two settle in a nice room by the sea. While there the two meet fellow brit-traveller Mark Camford (McEnery) who charms the two ladies. After hitting it off over dinner, Nikki and Mark decide to meet up the following morning for a swim. After saying goodnight to Nikky though, Mark is propositioned by Stratos to take a walk with him by the shore. Declining, Mark pretends to go to his room as Stratos goes on ahead. Silently following him, Mark notes Stratos' movements in the dark, but is not careful enough and is shot by Lambis, Stratos' assistant. The next morning Nikki can't seem to find any trace of Mark, and after believing that he's gone home, finds him in an abandoned church. It isn't long before Mark tells the real reason for his presence in Crete and soon Nikki becomes entangled in a dangerous plot with Mark that could end both their lives!

Being a Disney movie, the violence is not as malicious as one would expect given the plot. Yet there are moments of genuine suspense to be had such as the windmill scene, and the on-going pursuit of Nikki and Mark by Stratos. Although the film runs longer than plot deserves, the overall story is intriguing enough to keep the pace flowing at a decent speed. This is due in part to the completely game turn by Mills who truly gives an energetic performance as do the rest of the cast including great supporting work from Irene Papas, Shelia Hancock, John Le Messurier, and silent film legend Pola Negri who came out of retirement to play Madame Habib; an elusive jewel collector. Indeed the sequence aboard her yacht is perhaps one of the most enjoyable throughout The Moon-Spinners as it blends both the comedy and mystery elements of the film together beautifully.

While the plot, acting and all other elements of the film work together quite admirably, and with no disrespect to Disney queen Mills, the true star of the film without a doubt is the isle of Crete
itself. The land is beautifully captured throughout the film with very little incorporation of a process screen. The water in the ocean is as crystal blue as can be, the mountains are grand in scale and the ruins present a dizzying maze of Greek history. Throughout all this though, the film never serves as a travel advertisement for the region, but skillfully incorporates Crete into the story to the point that it becomes a character itself.

While not on par with more masterful tales of suspense and intrigue such as Fleming's Bond, The Moon-Spinners is a lovely homage to the sort of Hitchcock thrillers with a Disney spin. Featuring one of Mills' trademark performances and beautiful shots of a far away land, The Moon-Spinners is one of the most delightfully escapist adventure outing of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3amIxSA7ZOU

Movie of the Day (1/18/10)- The Last of Sheila (1973)

2010-01-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

The Last of Sheila (1973)
-starring Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Mason, Raquel Welch, Ian McShane, Joan Hackett and James Coburn
-directed by Herbert Ross

-Not many have heard of this intriguing all-star murder mystery from 1974, but those who have seen it count it as one of the best in the canon of whodunnits. The Last of Sheila tells the story of Sheila Green who is first seen storming out of her own party at her Bel Air mansion. While walking along a darkened street, she is struck down by a moving car and killed instantly. A year later, a group of Hollywood figures and friends including, a high-powered agent (Cannon), a screenwriter (Benjamin), his wife (Hackett), a director (Mason), an actress (Welch) and her husband/manager (McShane) are all invited to a week on the yacht of famous producer Clinton Green (Coburn) to discuss making a film about his late wife. A noted gamesman, Clinton has also enlisted his guests into a guessing game involving true life secrets. Each person is handed a sealed envelope containg secrets ranging from shoplifter to homosexual. The object of the game is to discover each person's secret while trying to conceal your own but it doesn't take long to discover that each of the secrets being used in the game are actual one belonging to the players. When it is revealed that one of the secrets turns out to be hit-and-run-killer, the game turns decidedly ugly.

If the premise seems a bit straightforward, that's because at first gance it is. Yet as the story progresses, the mysteries delightfully pile on top of one another: who recieved what card, who is acutally guilty of what secret, who really killed Sheila, etc... This is perhaps one of the most clever mystery films of the 1970s due to its extremely clever plot. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent that the most minute of details provide answers to whole sub-plots and characters who apreared seemingly easy to read, are not!! One thing is for certain; no one is truly innocent during what Clinton calls "Sheila's Game" and even as the secrets begin to unfold, and the list of suspects begins to slim down, the mystery remains far from over.

It is more than evident that everyone in the film had a blast with the project as seen through the performances of an emsemble who give true life to all of their characters with Coburn as a true standout as the mastermind behind "Sheila's Game." The film itself is so self-referential with many side-references to Hollywood during the 1970s which not only proves to be entertaining, but adds an air of reality and credibility to the proceedings.

Equally as impressive as the talent on the screen is the crew behind the camera including notable film director Joel Shcumacher who worked as costumer on this film, Bette Midler whose song "Friends" was used as the film's closing theme, and most notably, Psycho star Anthony Perkins and composer Stephen Sondheim, both of whom wrote the screenplay!! With two such established names in the fields of acting and music respectively, it is completely mind-boggling how these men came up with a screenplay so cleverly-plotted as The Last of Sheila.

With an assortment of some of the hottest stars of the 1970s, and a clever mystery at hand, The Last of Sheila plays as a sort of counterpart to Murder on the Orient Express, another ingenous whodunnit of the 1970s filled with lavish stars. Unlike the latter film though, The Last of Sheila provides mystery after mystery throughout its 2 hour run. After its release, the film was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best picture, beating out classics such as The Sting, Serpico and Don't Look Now.
Yet in the years since, the title and reputation as one of the greatest mystery films of the 1970s has eluded The Last of Sheila. Some years back a film society held a special screening with a Q&A where stars Benjamin and Cannon answered questions from a packed house of fans and a standard dvd of the film was released with commentary from Benjamin, Cannon and Welch as the sole special feature.

Perhaps one day this dazzling whodunnit filled with fun performances and an intelligent story will be given the respect it truly deserves. Until then however, fans of the genre will continue to discover The Last of Sheila; a hidden gem of a mystery so clever that even the title itself is a clue!!

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2790522905/

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

2010-01-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
starring Bette Davis, Monty Wolley, Ann Sheridan, and Jimmy Durante
directed by William Keighly

-Usually the holidays bring out the traditional array of Christmas-themed films; Its a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34 St. (either version, ) Christmas in Connecticut, etc...Yet there are very few films which can be prescibed for those post-holiday days of winter that seem to lie in limbo. One exception is the charming farcial comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner.

The film takes place in the mid-west a week before Christmas Eve and tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Stanley, a prominent Ohio couple who are due to have revered author and critic Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Wolley) over for dinner. While the Stanley's are thrilled about their esteemed guest, the feeling is nowhere near mutual as Sheridan, a flamboyant personality to say the least, complains to his secretary Maggie (Bette Davis) about the engagement. Nonetheless Whiteside relents and while walking up the steps to the Stanley's front door, slips on some ice and breaks his hip. Confined to a wheelchair, the acid-tounged Whiteside, along with the helo of his colorful entourage, takes over the Stanley's household, essentially presiding over thier lives, much to the chagrin of his hosts.

Why this film isn't more well known remains a mystery for it is one if the greatest comedy farces of the 1940s. Not only does The Man Who Came to Dinner contain plenty of inuendos and misunderstood situations to satifsy fans of the genre, but it also offers up dialogue that proves both witty and hilarious. Most of the one-of-a-kind lines comes from Sheridan himself who can turn a phrase quicker than a slap in the face; leaving everyone he encounters stunned and speechless. Within minutes of meeting him, it becomes quite clear that Sheridan Whiteside is a man who the average person will either hold in adoration or loathe with contempt.

With such a larger than life figure as the central character, one would think that the characterizations of the supporting players would suffer as a result. Yet this isn't so. The filmmakers have taken great care to ensure that every character who enters the story does so with enough individuality in order to avoid being classified as one-dimensional. Among the many characters who populate The Man Who Came to Dinner are a spoiled theater actress, a flamboyant leading man, a woman-chasing film actor, a down-home newspaper editor, and Mr. Stanley's eccentric spinster sister Harriet, whose handful of scenes standout as odd, yet delightful peculiarities in an otherwise fast-paced film.

Based on the Broadway play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, The Man Who Came to Dinner also serves as an excellent look into the theater and film communities of the 30s and 40s. References to Lana Turner, Zazu Pitts, Catherine Cornell, and others are tossed about while Sheridan, Durante, and Reginald Gardner play variations of Gertrude Lawrence, Harpo Marx and Noel Coward respectively. Hart and Moss also famousy based their main character on famed critic Alexander Wolcott, who proved to a be a larger than life version of Wolley's Whiteside to say the least.

It is interesting to note Davis' role in the film. On the surface this seems to be the exact opposite of the roles she associated herself with for so long. The character of Maggie is without question the least flashy of any of the main roles and for the entire first act remains somewhat complacent toward Whiteside's antics. Yet as the film progresses and Maggie falls for the leading man, we see Davis emerge and give life to her character. So many elements make this one of the more interesting footnotes in her career; the film is a comedy, she is not the focal point, and her character in the end is sweet, but unremarkable. Nevertheless the image of Davis happily ice skating with the local newspaper editor and clumsily falling into the snow is a delightful one. Rarely did the actress show such playfulness and dreamy-eyed sensibility on screen.

As previously mentioned, the story take place just before Christmas Eve, yet this is hardly a Christmas film. While the holiday does provide a background to help speed the plot along and give certain characters a reason to come and go, the film is first and foremost a cleverly written piece of comedic farce that bears viewing after viewing in order to catch the most minute of details that was surely overlooked the first time around. So while nothing of note is playing at the cinemas in the humdrum days of winter, The Man Who Came to Dinner is a fun romp that helps to make the season go by faster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fMcWKXVkQU

2010: A year for new beginnings...

2010-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

It seems like so much has kept me from achieving my goal of being an expert film blogger. First it was an endless string of illnesses coupled with the lack of a sturdy internet connection at my dorms that proved a setback. Then work got in the way, which is forgivable since I needed the money!! Then my 3 day Christmas traveling experience from hell proved yet another setback followed by the requisite catching up with family and friends back home while waiting for my internet to be established yet again.

Now my internet is strong, I have money, my friends and family have seen me and I'm feeling perfectly healthy. Therefore I am ready to resume my blogging activities once more. I would like to say that nothing will stop me now, but we are unfortunately powerless against certain forces of nature. I do however promise to do my best to keep up my daily appreciation of those films which have been disregarded and forgotten about.

I'm pretty sure that at this stage no one is reading this blog, but that's beside the point. I feel that this blog has less to do with feeding my ego by accumulating online followers and more to do with making sure that the films I write about are given the proper acknowledgements they deserve. If I manage to get people to read and follow my blog, that would be fantastic, but I'll be fine so long as I know that I'm paying homage to some truly great films.

Movie of the Day (12/07/2009)- Birth (2004)

2009-12-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Movie of the Day: Birth (2004)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Danny Huston, and Anne Heche
Directed by: Jonathan Glazer

Sometimes the avant-garde can lure us in by a variety of different devices; a striking ambience, an unforgettable mise-en-scene, music that enraptures and, most importantly, stories that bare little resemblance to anything to be found in the mainstream. Although those who have never heard of it nor many who actually saw it would be inclined to agree, but Birth has all of the above and more.

Birth is a winter tale that opens with the collapsing figure of a man running through New York's Central Park. Flash forward 10 years later, and the man's wife Anna (Kidman); the daughter of a socialite (Bacall) is celebrating her engagement to her longtime boyfriend Joesph (Huston.) Yet there is a solemn child that continues to linger about in the lobby below who finds himself drawn to Anna. Days later the youngster sneaks into Anna's apartment, interrupting her mother's birthday party and proclaiming that he is Anna's late husband Sean. While she doesn't believe him at first, the child's shocking divulgence of a wealth of personal information coupled with Anna's inability to fully let go of her first husband, convinces her that Sean has come back.

Its impossible to write anything about Birth without first discussing Kidman's brilliant work in the film for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She portrays a character that is a socialite, yet not classically glamorous. She seems to a be a well-adjusted woman, who is truly in love with the man she is engaged to and both her career and her social life appear to be thriving. Despite all of this, it is obvious, even without the necessary prologue, that Anna is a woman who has known pain and suffering and that beneath the exterior lies an undeniable fragility. Kidman must have instantly recognized these various facets as she employs them skillfully at exactly the right times. She manages to capture Anna's content outlook on her life while at the same time channelling her doubts and fears.

The rest of the cast does high quality work, in particular Huston as Joseph who, second to Anna, is perhaps the film's most conflicted character. He loves Anna, yet he is filled with rage at the thought of losing her. Yet he indulges in her fantasy that Sean might actually be alive. Bacall as Anna's mother provides the sole voice of reason as only Bacall could, Heche as a friend with a secret turns in a performance one didn't think her capable of, and Cameron Bright as the reincarnated Sean is completely engrossing giving a performance unlike any other child actor in recent years.

While not in the traditional sense, Birth is a truly beautiful-looking film. Its strict use of colors such as brown, beige, gold, tan, white and occasionally black, give the film a quality that's more classic, timeless, and indeed elegant. In fact, throughout most of the film, one has trouble discerning what year the story even takes place as a result.

However the strongest asset of the film is without a doubt its subtleties. There aren't any overly-composed musical scores, nor are there many frenzied scenes that induce panic or fear, but rather the entire film is directed with a quiet hand, allowing the nature of the story to provide the haunted elements on its own terms as opposed to being forced upon by human forces. This is a testement to director Glazer's talent, which earned him a nomination at the Venice Film Festival for his work in Birth.

Nowhere is the sheer genius of Kidman's work, the excellent use of color, the skillful subtleties, and Glazer's unique talent more apparent than when Anna and Joseph go to the opera. At this point Anna is unsure what to believe anymore and rather than focus on the opera itself, the camera never moves from Kidman's face which is filled with conflict, hope, fear, and love. It is quite possibly the best moment in an otherwise near-perfect film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OfjZ5Msdb8&feature=related

Movie of the Day (11/13/2009)- One True Thing (1998)

2009-11-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Movie of the Day (11/13/2009)- One True Thing (1998)
Starring Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger and William Hurt
Directed by Carl Franklin

- Do you ever find that when you are looking forward to a certian film's release that you virtually ignore most other films being released around the same time?? Such was the case with me and One True Thing back in 1998. I had become so pre-occupied with so many other films coming out around that time (Apt Pupil, Cruel Intentions, Ronin) that I let this film slip through my radar. Years later, through some reason which currently escapes me, the movie found me. And I'm so thankful it did.

One True Thing is about a successful young journalist Ellen (Zellweger) who spent her childhood idolizing her writer father (Hurt) while ignoring her doting mother (Streep.) After living in his shadow all her life, Ellen now spends her adulthood trying to make him proud of her. Upon a visit home for his birthday, news comes that Kate (Streep) has cancer. George (Hurt) asks ellen to come home and take care of Kate as she battles the illness. Both mother and daughter are not in favor of this arrangement, but give into it in the end. Throughout Kate's illness, Ellen begins to not only question the man she has always idolized, but also to finally examine the woman who has always been her mother.

On the surface this might appear to be a film worthy of made-for-tv status, yet the writing and the actors help elevate it to be one of the most enriching family dramas of the late 90s. Streep received her 11th Oscar nomination for her portrayl of a woman whose whole existence was devoted to being a mother. Though she lost to Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love, one cannot write this off as just another Oscar bid by Streep. Indeed it is her performance that is the heart and soul of One True Thing. She inhabits qualities of all mothers and in her suffering, the audience feels her grieve for her family, rather than for herself. When she knows she is dying she cries, but not because of her own mortality, but for the fact that she still has so much more to give to her family. The main example of this can be found in the scene between her and Zellweger in her bedroom where Kate, for one of the first times, airs out her frustrations about her illness. It is, in my humble opinion, one of Streep's finest hours on screen.

Beyond just a brauva performance from Streep, the film should resonate with any person who has never particularly felt that kinship with a parent that we may have felt should have been stronger than it was. Its easy to love your parents I feel. However its even easier to disregard them, take them for granted, never realize what they do for us, and understand how much of their world we consume. After Ellen takes on many of Kate's duties when she is no longer able to, she asks her mother: "How do you do this everyday in this house and no one notices?" One True Thing not only makes us face this realization, but it also makes us recognize our own parents as genuine people with thoughts, interests, and opinions as opposed the institutions we eventually come to see them as.

Just as Ellen finally gets to know who her mother is, she also beings to realize that her father is not the mythical hero she has conjured up in her mind. The more Ellen becomes immersed in her mother's world, the more withdrawn George becomes, and Ellen realizes that she has inherited her disregard from her mother from George. Its disheartening to view the role model you looked up to your whole life with older, wiser eyes because it strips one of the comforting illusions and familiarity which have helped to shape who we've become. Yet for Ellen, as with most individuals, it is a necessary event in life.

One True Thing will never be considered a classic. More than a decade has passed since its release and the film is still being considered just another piece of dramatic fluff. Yet the film serves as a valuable reminder for people who take those in thier lives for granted. As both the tagline and Kate proclaim: "love what you have."

-please enjoy what I consider to be two of the best scenes in the film...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsOBIv69VAs&feature=related

Movie of the Day (11/12/09)- The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio

2009-11-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)
Starring Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, and Laura Dern.
Directed by Jane Anderson

-The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio is a rarity. It is the sort of film that is seldom ever greenlit by Hollywood executives anymore, as evidinced by the extremely minimal theatrical run The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio received. Perhaps because there is no immediate draw in comparison to a film such as Mr. & Mrs. Smith (also released in the same year) that this is so. It truly is the loss of the cinemagoer who misses out on such wonderful stories such as this one which serve as true slice-of-life pieces with multi-layered characters and their compelling lives.

The film tells the true story of an American housewife named Evelyn Ryan (Moore) who pulled her family through the most dire of financial times by winning one writing contest after another. Evelyn's talent and continuous fortunes frustrate her husband Kelly (Harrelson) who works hard in a factory to support his family, but has a drinking problem. Despite the struggles though, Evelyn perseveres for both her love of writing and the love of her family.

Upon first seeing The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio three years ago, I tried long and hard to remember the last time I had seen a film such as this one; a story about real people with real struggles who are placed in situations not extraordinary, but ones that are brought about by life in general. The main appeal of films is to escape reality and enter a world where the ordinary has been transformed. Yet its refreshing to see tales such as this one where one person's very own life can be so captivating that it reminds us that real life itself too is extraordinary.

The film, which takes place in the 1950s, is beautifully shot, written, directed, and acted. In the title role, Moore fits perfectly into the shoes of a housewife whose every act is made for someone other than herself. She understands the motivations and reasons behind them. Her face also comes into play quite well. This might seem an odd point to make. But for me, Moore has usually failed to strike me as a facially expressive actress despite her obvious talents. Yet here she manages to capture Evelyn's grief, surprise and optimism almost effortlessly. It is quite honestly one of her finest performances.

Likewise Harrelson reminds one of what he is capable of when he steps away from the laugh-out-loud comedy genre and takes on a role such as this in which, as the Evelyn's alcoholic husband, he manages to make his character likeable while ensuring that the film never pities him.

Other than the core story of Evelyn's pronounced writing talents, the film's view on marriage is perhaps the key theme of the film. Evelyn is clearly a wife devoted to her husband. She forgives his drunken stupors, which includes wasting the family's money on alcohol, his tempermental behavior, and his overall aloofness with regards to her passion for writing. Yet Evelyn is so sure of the man she fell in love with and the kind of person he was and still is, that she never loses her faith in Kelly.

On his part, Kelly is perhaps the most conflicted character in the film. He endures public jibes about his wife's fortunes which tears away at his masculinity, instills feelings of resentment and jealousy and drives him to drink. Yet one never feels like he doesn't love his wife. He supports her at every turn, tries his hardest to correct the mistakes he makes, and above all else is genuinely happy and proud of her success. Kelly's biggest frustration however, and the possible reason for his alcoholism, is his own feelings of failure at not being able to provide his wife and family with the lifestyle which he feels they deserve. But to Kelly's credit, he keeps on trying.

What The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio is truly about is the perseverance required for life which everyone must recognize and adopt. Evelyn's writing in the film not only gives her a way of supporting her family, but also gives her a purpose in life which goes beyond the parameters of wife and mother. She takes great care and precision with her craft and loves it as if its another one of her children. This film is funadamentally another story about the classic American dream shown through the eyes of a woman who was not able to reap ALL of the benefits the country had to offer, but who took what she had and did the best she could with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVxiQbFsVSU
-please enjoy the somewhat effective trailer to an otherwise breathtaking film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzxipBfJ4qU
-an excellent scene which more than anything explains the crux of Moore's character

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxrCpNgVXCc&feature=related

Movie of the Day (11/11/09)- The Bonfire of the Vanitites (1990)

2009-11-11T04:32:00.000-08:00

Movie of the Day (11/11/09)- The Bonfire of the Vanitites (1990)

Starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, and Morgan Freeman
Directed by Brian DePalma

-The Bonfire of the Vanities tells the story of Sherman McCoy, a Wall Street tycoon who, upon driving his mistress home from the airport, becomes involved in a hit-and-run with two African-American teenagers. Fleeing the scene, Sherman quickly sees his life begin to unravel as a down-on-his-luck reporter named Peter Fallow uncovers the incident which soon spirals into a media frenzy.

I begin this post by stating that I know how odd a choice The Bonfire of the Vanities is to make as a recommendation. I am aware of the film's reputation and all of its shortcomings and how the combination of big stars, meddling producers, and an uneven script have all conspired to make The Bonfire of the Vanities one of the most notable disasters in movie history. Yet I feel that there is more to this film than most people have perceived over the years. The origin of the film is of course the famous novel by Tom Wolfe of the same name. The book was widely regarded as a hilarious satire of New York's upper class and is now considered to be one of the most telling literary works of the 1980s. Its only natural then that Hollywood would want to capitalize on such a hot property by adapting it. The result was a film which decided to forgo the many ingredients which had made the novel so biting and powerful and instead opted to follow the traditional conventions of the Hollywood blockbuster. Audiences, most of whom had read the book, were disappointed as were the critics who found the film repetitive and obvious. The Bonfire of the Vanities has since gone down in history as a bona fide disaster.

Yet looking at the film without having read the book, The Bonfire of the Vanities succeeds on a variety of differing levels. First off, there is the level of comedy on display throughout the film, which, granted is not revolutionary by any means, seldom misses a beat. This is due in large part to the much controversial cast. While no one was necessarily in favor of casting Tom Hanks as the slimy Wall Street tycoon, Bruce Willis as the alcoholic journalist, or Melanie Griffith as the high society southern belle, the cast ably delivers the comedic touches the film nees while lending thier star power to roles that cast them against type. Despite this, one wonders how the film would have woked had the original choices (William Hurt, John Cleese, and Michelle Pfeiffer) been cast instead. The biggest surprise of all is Hanks who in my opinion gives quite an admirable performance as someone who is not necessarily a villain, but definitley not likeable. Hanks somehow plays Sherman McCoy as slimy while still making the audience side with him.

Almost as controversial as the casting choices, was the selection of DePalma as the director, who had been known for directing thrillers up to that point. Yet the director imbeds his trademark touches including high overhead angles and extended tracking shots (such as the brilliantly filmed opening in the world trade center) to make the film his own. Moreover, the film's criticism of society is one which DePalma has been known to tackle in the past and could be what potentially led him to helming the project.

It is that said criticism that is at the heart of the film which takes a very upfront attack on two societies; the callous upper-class who live on Park Avenue and the opportunistic lower class who live in the Bronx. While the contrasting attitudes and lifestyles of the two are distinctly presented, the script eventually shows them all as money-hungry, fame-seeking, status-attaining and morally vacuous. One of the problems many people had with the film was the fact that it presented its subjects as cartoons rather than characters due to the heightened nature in which they are presented. While this claim is just, one could also make the case that the exaggerated nature of the characters only adds to the satirical element of the film and keeps it from abandoning its comedic roots.

There is also the minor argument that The Bonfire of the Vanities was slightly ahead of its time. Made too soon after the 80s had ended the film's subject matter was simply too fresh to lend itself to a probing expose. Also, the depiction of the media as a powerful and driving force and outrageous scenes such as Hanks running around his penthouse apartment during a dinner party scaring off guests with a shotgun (my favorite scene) seems much more acceptable in today's cinematic world than in the early 90s.

The less than subtle nature also seemed to be a frustrating point with audiences who found the film's messages to be too blatant and 'in your face' in comparison w/the book. While I agree that the message of the film is not subtle by any means, the method of presenting the film's core themes is nothing new. In fact, this style of storytelling recalls the films of Frank Capra such as You Can't Take it With You and Pocketful of Miracles where messages of kindness and loyalty toward humanity were considered gospel and were hammered into the audiences minds from the beginning in more than obvious ways. Withthat in mind, it might be easier to look at The Bonfire of the Vanities as less like a failed literary adaptation and more like a modern day Capra film with a decidedly darker twist. Many of the key themes of the aforementioned films such as misplaced values and the emphasis on class distinctions are on view here and Freeman's grand speech about justice could easily have been taken out of one of Capra's own films verbatim.

In his review of the film, critic Roger Ebert stated that he was unsure of who this movie was for since no one who had read the book would appreciate it. In Ebert's comment lies the answer; the film is indeed better suited for individuals who haven't read the Tom Wolfe novel, as well as fans of the stars and director who can each consider the film as an interesting footnote in thier careers. In the end, The Bonfire of the Vanities is undenaibly flawed. But within those flaws is a film brimming with dark comedy, light satire and a timeless commentary on society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8svDYfWi2c

-the trailer of the film sets the tone in terms of the comedy and overall nature of the story...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luui7KGzciY&feature=related

-the film's opening sequence which takes place in the world trade center shows us that this is a DePalma film and that his technique is adaptable to comedy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3mufsIKsis

-F. Murray Abraham's first scene shows how the film treats racial and class politics with a decidedly, humourous edge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si55h9-MP_4

-as stated earlier, Morgan Freeman's speech is right out of a Capra film in that its virtually shoved down the audience's throats. The accompanying music only adds to this. Yet the scene should not be discarded, mainly due to DePalma's interesting angles which sees Freeman towering overhead and various characters are given tight close-ups in accordance with their part in the events...

Change of Plans

2009-10-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

The story so far...

I originally set out to create a weekly blog that consisted of lists in which I grouped various movies together through a common theme. As simple as that sounds however, it became a somewhat difficult challenge due to the fact that I am currently tied up in research work, my internet connection at my college dorm is often unreliable and the lists themselves became so long even after I excluded a few titles. In the end, I have decided to forgo the original idea I had.

I still intend to continue this blog, if even for myself. Diane Keaton once wrote a piece for the New York Times in which she referenced ageism in Hollywood. Her comments went something to the effect of: "its ironic that I have gathered all these years of experience and knowledge and now nobody wants to hear it." While Ms. Keaton is still one of the older actresses that's still being offered leading roles, there is a logic to her words. I find them relatable to my situation with regards to finding a job. I have studied and immersed myself in various aspects of film and film theory and have accumulated a knowledge of film which I am incredibly proud of and now nobody wants to hear it.

For me, that is what this blog is for. It might not be much of anything, but I feel it will give me something to look forward to each day and will be a comforting and consoling presence while I continue on my never-ending job hunt.

So onto the new format of this blog. I remember about 3.5-4 years ago when imdb.com had a feature called 'movie of the day' in which thier staff randomally selected films from various eras, genres, and countries and wrote a short commentary on them. I very much enjoyed this feature which helped to add on to my film library a great deal and I was quite saddened to see it leave.

Well I have decided to carry on where they left off by selecting a different movie everyday to write about. As stated earlier, these titles will have no rhyme or reason to them. They will be films which have been underrated, overlooked, or simply forgotten. I'm not endorsing any film as perfect, becuase I feel that no film fits such a moniker. However, I will be looking at what works in each film and why I feel it is worthy of a second look. My commentary will feature background history on the production, critical and commercial response, and a look at the film's ideology. Additionally, I will try to include as many clips as possible for each film to help emphasize my points.

At this point I'm not sure if anyone but me is reading this, but for some reason if someone does come across this blog and would like to comment on something i've written, please feel free!!

The purpose of my blog...

2009-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

As the title suggests, I'm a film student from America who is currently living in London!! I came over here two years ago to do a master's in 20th Century Literature and stayed on to do a second master's in Film Studies.

My program was fantastic!! I took courses on different subjects such as the various cinematic innovations beginning with early sound, American values in classic and contemporary Hollywood cinema, London's relationship with cinema throughout the decades, and Hitchcock's view of America in his work.

I also got to hear many talks by documentary filmmakers, film critics, curators of moving image museums, heads of film production companies, etc... Best of all, I got to intern at Sight & Sound Magazine, one of the most renowned international film magazines in existence!! I also served as primary researcher for the Editor, Nick James, on a book about the history of film criticism in Britain which was a thrill!! Can't wait until it comes out!!

Today I have handed in my thesis and I haven't got a clue about what to do next. Recession or not, there never has been an overtly huge market for graduates in my field; even harder since I don't actually graduate until March (UK education system--don't ask!!) Thanks to the inspiration Nick gave me though, I am planning on writing a book about film and have found some potential publishers to contact once I have completed a couple more sample chapters. Until then, I suppose I'm hunting for a job like so many other fellow graduates!!

In the meantime, I refuse to let my love of films go to waste!! Therefore, I've constructed this blog to list, in various categories, many of my favorite films. I have, more or less, 12 weeks left here in London, and every week, I will construct a new list based on some random category in film.

This blog is no different than some others out there I am sure, but what I hope will distinguish it from the others are the films I’ve chosen to write about. My tastes usually seem to gravitate toward those films which are often overrlooked, underrated, or forever ignored by audiences. If there is a mainstream film in the mix though, it is probably there for reasons not directly related to its initial success.

Despite my degree in film, my internship at the magazine, or my researcher credit on Nick's upcoming book, I do not claim that any of my lists, or my interpretations of any of the films chosen, are the definitive word on any aspect of film. These are merely my choices and my readings of these films and where I feel their place is in the world of cinema.

At this point, this blog is really just an act of indulgence for me, more than anything else really. However if anybody wants to read, or possibly comment on my blog, please feel free!!