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inlareviewer

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:29 am

Joined: 05 Jul 2004 Posts: 1949 Location: Lawrence, KS

Jumping right in after a summer-to-fall of dealing with maternal in-and-out hospital hazzerai, Paper of Record tsuris, and a mite-ridden cat:

Hi, Third Eyesters, hope all are well. Sorry for not catching up on back posts, but the cycle has been overwhelming since July, and, if I don't post this now, I'll never get it out.

On the seen films front, am still most taken by Tree of Life, Beginners -- Ms. Laurent underutilized but lovely as ever, Mr. MacGregor and His Plummerinity by my lights never better, Arthur the Jack Russell neatly steals it. Idiosyncratic and specialized, but perhaps the most representative, self-delineated and therefore overlooked What An Indie Film Looks Like Indie Film of 2011, and how fun to see ER staple Goran Visnjikorhoweveryouspellit as a narcissistic gay opportunist who turns out to have a heart after all. I laughed, I cried, it became a part o'me -- Midnight in Paris, Win Win and The Help -- which oughtn't to have worked as well as it did, but which I quite respected and enjoyed. Haven't read the novel, doubt that I will, but the acting is exceptional: Viola Davis again showing us that nobody can do The Weight Of The World On My Shoulders as well as she; Octavia Spencer incredibly vivid, already getting Buzz for Supphose Actress at that, um, other film society --- Interruptional Sidebar: Eddie Murphy out, Billy Crystal in, woo-hoo, hoorah, hopla, am so there -- Allison Janney, as usual, swipes entire scenes with a raised eyebrow and modulated inflection: Sissy Dearest in tickling, grotesque character mode; Emma Stone justifying her burgeoning reputation: Jessica Chastain adding another plank to her I'm The Next Big Thing platform: and Bryce Dallas Howard sinking her fangs into a role in which she doesn't just look ginger and fresh and ingenue-gooey, brilliantly multivalent as the town bitch. It did take its shortcuts, there are some gauzey and crowd-pandering aspects -- yet it said some cogent things about wommyn, racial inequity, social pressures and the value of oral histories in a surprisingly engrossing, non-preachy way. I liked it heaps.

In the Eagerly Anticipated Column: The Descendants, about which there is enormous Buzz; The Artist, ditto, if not more --- since an Old-School, Predictable Film took the Gold Bald Man With A Sword last year, there's a logical suspicion that a more adventurous or arty film will be Top Hollyweird Dog this year; and of course J. Edgar -- colleagues have found it muted, but many think Leo is The One To Beat, and reportedly Armie Hammer plays against his innate patrician schnookerie. Have tried thrice to get into Melancholia, always sold out, but trusted friends have told me that it's remarkable and uplifting and Kirsten Dunst will blow me out of the water, so, even with my latent Von Trier wariness, am quite excitable. Also, that documentary about war zone photographers whose name escapes me at this early hour, that features the late, great Tim Hetherington, and, of course, both Glenn Close playing a womyn pretending to be a man and inla's Icon as Maggie Thatcher (though I'm super-worried about Mamma Mia helmer Phyllida Lloyd being the directress, but maybe she'll surprise me. Yeah, it's unlikely, yet SASSY still mandates attendance. Plus, the 2 minutes of footage that caused Harvey Weinstein to grab the distribution rights are astonishing). Still on the fence about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Gets Fincherized, even though the publicity shots of La Mara are kind of jaw-dropping -- she shaved her hairline, she pierced her nipples, commitment, thy name is Rooney -- because, well, I loved the Millenium Trilogy, and was over American remakes of foreign-language hits way before now. I know I should go see Moneyball, but something tells me to wait for the screener. Am looking forward to Shame, mainly because Michael Fassbinder was the principal reason to sit through the honorable but airless Jane Eyre remake; and I think I want to see the Widow Ledger play Marilyn Monroe, though I might change my mind and, again, wait for the screener. Despite raves from all of my colleagues, I find myself disinclined to pay to see Martha Marlene May Maggie, or Monica Mae Marilu Mindy, whatever that cult-escape film with the Olsen Twin's more talented kid sister is called, definitely will catch in on the small screen, though; and I'd sooner stick needles in my eyeballs than waste my scant shekels on Anonymous.

Now I have to go put Neosporin on a kitty, and pray for forgiveness. Later.

Edited for spelling errors and clarified intent

Last edited by inlareviewer on Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:54 pm; edited 2 times in total
_________________
"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim

billyweeds

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:53 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

Strangely find myself at diametric poles from inla, with whom i usually agree to the letter. The Tree of Life and Beginners are two of the 2011 films I find most unappealing, and IMO The Help is vastly overrated as is Viola Davis. About Jessica Chastain there can be no disagreement, however; she is pluperfect in whatever role she undertakes. A prodigy if ever there was one.

inlareviewer

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:15 am

Joined: 05 Jul 2004 Posts: 1949 Location: Lawrence, KS

It's all so subjective. As original post at the time noted, Tree of Life. which took me two viewings to decide what I thought, is certainly neither easy nor perfect, but it still haunts me. Beginners just flat-out struck many a nerve in My So-Called Gay Parental Caregiver Life. While I can understand other observers' resistance, frankly I cannot care much -- not since A Single Man, if not The Savages, has a film so unexpectedly pushed so many personal buttons. The Help actually surprised me in how much I enjoyed it, including Viola, but I did, and there it is. Just as it should be, how incredibly boring t'would be if everyone loved everything everybody else loved.

Edited for inadvertent snappishness.

Last edited by inlareviewer on Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim

marantzo

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:43 am

Guest

Glad to see you back inla.

Quote:

Meanwhile, Demi Moore gives her second terrific performance of 2011. I don't know what's happened to her, but she's stopped "acting" and started behaving like a human being, and she's suddenly a marvelous actress. Astonishing.

This fits in with something I've noticed many times. That actors/actresses who have never been any good seem to give very good performances when the get old. Poitier and C. Heston are good examples. Of course Demi isn't that old but maybe old enough to finally know how to act.

bartist

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:04 pm

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6958 Location: Black Hills

Joe Vitus wrote:

bartist wrote:

Not even sure what "middlebrow" means, but I hear the term a lot these days.

Surely you are familiar with the terms highbrow, lowbrow and middlebrow (not to mention Lowenbrau), whether you agree with them or not. I generally think they've done a disservice to the arts.

Yeah, I know what people are trying to say with those terms. I just don't think they carry much real meaning or substance. Except for Lowenbrau.

_________________
He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

bartist

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:07 pm

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6958 Location: Black Hills

I share Inla's eager anticipation of "The Artist" -- just the notion of John Goodman in a silent b/w movie tickles me enough to buy a ticket.

_________________
He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

bartist

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:12 pm

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6958 Location: Black Hills

Quote:

Despite raves from all of my colleagues, I find myself disinclined to pay to see Martha Marlene May Maggie, or Monica Mae Marilu Mindy, whatever that cult-escape film with the Olsen Twin's more talented kid sister is called, definitely will catch in on the small screen,

My filmgoing comrade and I exchanged a set of texts recently in which we kept stumbling over the giant mnemonic speedbump of the title and finally abandoned any plans of seeing it on the large screen. We did finally agree to call it 4M and leave it at that.

EDIT: We are seeing it on Nov. 18th. Martha Marcy May Marlene. Apparently there is a THIRD Olsen sister. Why this would tip us towards a theater viewing is beyond me, but there it is.

Last edited by bartist on Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

whiskeypriest

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 1:24 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 6916 Location: "It's a Dry Heat."

billyweeds wrote:

About Jessica Chastain there can be no disagreement, however; she is pluperfect in whatever role she undertakes. A prodigy if ever there was one.

Which is good, since she's in approximately 87.42% of the movies coming out this year. She's getting more work than the only hooker at a Baptist synod.

_________________
I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed?

billyweeds

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:43 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

inla--I echo the welcome back sentiment. Great to see your name there.

billyweeds

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:39 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

My Week with Marilyn features excellent performances by Michelle Williams as Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Olivier making The Prince and the Showgirl, but regurgitates a lot of the old cliches about the insecure, troubled Marilyn and the rigidly old-school Larry. It's Oscar fodder that's just a tad oversold in advance. Adding to the mix are wild caricatures of MM sycophants Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker) and Milton Greene (Dominic Cooper), and a canonization of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), the writer on whose work the film was based. Weirdly, though I never found Marilyn Monroe the most attractive woman in the world, I found myself longing for a glimpse of her instead of Michelle Williams's too-fleshy, somewhat moon-faced replica.

Weirder still, in a post-screening Q&A, Michelle was indescribably delectable in person in a way Monroe and the on-screen Williams herself did not/do not approach. Michelle Williams is, amazingly, unphotogenic. And gorgeous.

bartist

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 10:22 am

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6958 Location: Black Hills

People of half-Norwegian descent, like Williams, can be terribly unphotogenic. I know this from personal experience. Haven't seen Williams in anything but a small bit in Shutter Island; keep meaning to see Blue Valentine.

_________________
He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

billyweeds

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:46 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

Another screen personality who is breathtakingly, awesomely beautiful in person and only generally pretty on screen is Arlene Dahl. In person she rivals Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren and Halle Berry, but on screen she's more like Rachel McAdams or Anne Heche or Hope Davis or...Michelle Williams. Unfair.

Is Dahl half-Norwegian? This must be researched.

billyweeds

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:51 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

OMG. From Wikipedia's Arlene Dahl page:

Dahl was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1925, the daughter of Idelle (née Swan) and Rudolph S. Dahl, a Ford motor dealer and executive. She is of Norwegian descent.

carrobin

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:00 pm

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 7795 Location: NYC

When I worked for the film class, I was often surprised by the difference between the way a star came across in person and his appearance on screen. I was never a particular fan of Robert Redford, but in person he was gorgeous and charismatic in a way that I never saw in his movies (not even as Sundance). On the other hand, Warren Beatty--whom I expected to be irresistibly sexy, considering his reputation--was more like a practical businessman, though handsomer than most. (Maybe Redford has Scandinavian roots.)

billyweeds

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:41 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

bartist wrote:

You never saw Brokeback Mountain?

Or Dick or Wendy and Lucy? (Kidding here.)

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