| Author |
Message |
|
| billyweeds |
 Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:26 am |
 |
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
Revisited Albert Brooks's devastating Modern Romance and was struck anew at the blinding brilliance of it all. This is without question Brooks's chef d'oeuvre, one of the most painful comedies imaginable, as Brooks's character film editor Robert Cole goes through pathological contortions to keep alive his horrible relationship with the gorgeous, codependent Mary (Kathryn Harrold). The whole thing is hysterically funny, but you are constantly laughing with your fingers covering your face in a mixture of horror and abject embarrassment.
Anyone who's never seen this marvelous comedy/dramedy/psychodrama should immediately rent it. Anyone who's already seen it--trust me, it holds up, and holds up and holds up and holds up. (I've seen it roughly a zillion times.) In fact, I may have to revise my "top ten films of all time" list and include this one. It's never been on my list before, even my "top 50" list, but seeing it again (post-Seinfeld-and-Curb Your Enthusiasm) shows me how far ahead of its time (1981) it was--and how mindblowingly great. |
|
|
| Back to top |
  
|
| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:29 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
|
| I saw "Modern Romance" when it first came out and liked it--I like all Brooks' films--but I don't remember much about it. Have to check it out again. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| gromit |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:29 am |
|
|
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
|
Haven't seen Modern Romance.
Enjoyed Broadcast News recently. |
_________________
Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| bartist |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:55 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
|
Modern Romance is added to my list (I'm loving the local interlibrary loan system, which is giving me nearly free access to a vast array of classics). Just got my hands on The Long Goodbye (Altman), keeping the noir retro going, will report back.
Broadcast News was great fun...I remember Holly Hunter's ritual of weeping every morning. |
_________________
He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:59 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
|
| "Broadcast News" is one of my favorite movies, right down to Brooks' line "I buried the lead" (I'm a journalism grad, after all). Though I think my favorite line is when the guy snipes at Holly Hunter that it must be wonderful to be the one who knows everything, and she says seriously, "No, it's awful." |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:12 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
My favorite moment in Broadcast News is when Brooks and Hunter discuss the restaurant they go to (and I'm paraphrasing like mad here), "near the place around the corner from that other place."
James L. Brooks, who directed BN, and who is no relation to Albert Brooks (whose real last name is, believe it or not, Einstein), does an incredible cameo role in Modern Romance. He's hysterically funny and also painfully real as an insecure but narcissistic film director. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:16 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
|
| Yet another film I want to see again now... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:19 am |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
| Kathryn Harrold, the captivating, very funny female lead in Modern Romance, is the long-time wife of MSNBC pundit Lawrence O'Donnell. Marj used to babysit for them and confirms what seems obvious, that they're stand-up folks. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Marj |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:52 am |
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
|
| Billy is right on. Not only were they stand up folks, he taught me so much about politics - more than anyone could ever learn in a class. And Kathryn was so much fun. She turned me on to some great movies - but never hers, so now I have to order Modern Romance too! Her pride and joy, though was the TV show, I'll Fly Away. Of course I've never seen that either. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:23 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
She also played the second wife of Larry Sanders in The Larry Sanders Show, now available streaming on Netflix. (She doesn't appear for at least the first couple of seasons.)
I've never seen I'll Fly Away either. She had the guts to appear romantically opposite Pavarotti in Yes, Giorgio, which (to put it kindly) is not quite up to his Turandot. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| gromit |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:27 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
|
billyweeds wrote:
James L. Brooks, who directed BN, and who is no relation to Albert Brooks
I always mix those two up, because I have no real idea who either one is. My mistake. |
_________________
Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:50 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
Both Albert and Jim (James L.) are directors, but Albert is an actor and sometime standup comedian. He directed and stars in beauties like Lost in America, Defending Your Life, (in which Meryl Streep gives arguably her loosest performance to date), Mother (with Debbie Reynolds in an Oscar-worthy turn). and turkeys like The Muse and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.
Jim almost never acts, but his cameo in Albert's Modern Romance is wonderful.
Jim won an Oscar for Terms of Endearment and directed most of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Broadcast News, in which Albert appears.
Both men are great talents whose careers are a bit uneven.
All clear now? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:15 pm |
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
|
| Albert Brooks is the one with more talent. |
_________________
You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.
-Topher |
|
| Back to top |
|
| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:24 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
|
| Albert has a brother who was a stunt performer, right? Steve something? He didn't use the family name either. (A daredevil named Einstein would have been too weird.) |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:25 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
|
| Bob Einstein (Albert's brother) is Super Dave Osborne. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
