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< Television ~ It's Not TV -- It's HBO! |
| Shane |
 Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 9:45 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 1168
Location: Chicago
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| Now on season four of seven of "New Tricks" hope to catch up soon!! |
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I'd like to continue the argument we were having before. What was it about? |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:43 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Location: Lawrence, KS
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Disclaimer: This reviewer's first professional dancing job was under the auspices of the Young Americans, supporting Liberace at the old MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and the following review is anything but unbiased and drawn from first-hand observation and experience:
Behind the Candelabra proves yet again that HBO has few if any peers and no betters in the tele-movie and biopic arenas. If Steven Soderbergh has ever done anything this nuanced, unsentimental and both darkly comic and ironically pathetic since Traffic, I was asleep at the switch. It's not just that Michael Douglas gives the performance of his career, displaying the kind of simultaneous humanizing and impressionistic refraction of an Icon and deft mimicry of their essence usually associated with Meryl Streep. What made my jaw drop and my eyes fill was that, from start to finish, his frank, fervent and ultimately awe-inspiring turn was at once an interpretation of and outright channeling of Mr. (closeted) Show Biz, without descending into shtick or relying on externals. Among many superb sequences, there's a mid-point bit in a porn emporium, and to see Mr. Douglas as Lee ("My friends call me Lee, and I hope you'll be my friends" were his first words to all of us chorines, but I digress) peeking over a stall to marvel and slaver over what is going on there is to understand the art of contradictory-impulse acting at its most layered. As Scott Thorson (upon whose memoirs Richard LaGravenese's excellent teleplay is based), Matt Damon also goes the emotional/physical distance, taking great pains to incorporate both the sweet-centered abandoned child who caught Liberace's eye, and the almost inadvertently gold-digging, drug-addicted shell of a human that he became. As with Mr. Douglas' utterly astounding replication of Liberace's piano technique and flamboyant-old-auntie-in-rhinestones onstage persona, Mr. Damon digs way deep, getting to the inner truth of a complex role that could have been pedestrian in less fearless hands. The duo's back-and-forth, love-you-now, hate-you-later interaction is absolute and seamless, thankfully without a trace of condescension or playing for effects. There are other great elements, particularly hilariously over-the-top Rob Lowe as the duo's plastic surgeon, an unrecognizable Debbie Reynolds as Liberace's oh-so-calculating mother Frances, and a spot-on Dan Aykroyd as Lee's longtime manager Seymour Heller (or, as we used to call him, "Uncle Seymour"). The production values, design factions and technical credits are big-screen worthy, lush and gritty by turns (Warner Brothers' loss -- they had the movie rights and decided it wasn't economically feasible -- is Home Box Office's gain). Even in the final quarter, when things could become seriously soap-operatic and pro-forma, Mr. Soderbergh's recognition that, however one-sided Mr. Thorson's post-palimony account could be read, this particular saga traces an only-too-believable love story by way of show-business cautionary, keeps it wholly riveting and affecting. HBO can expect award nominations of dancing waters proportions, and Mr. Douglas and Mr. Damon can start ruminating over their GG and Emmy acceptance speeches now. Behind the Candelabra isn't just the best thing in this particular genre that cable has proffered since Game Change -- it's as unexpectedly accessible, multivalent and thought-provoking a property as anything going, in any medium, for quite some time. Can't wait for the DVD.
Edited for misspelling. |
Last edited by inlareviewer on Wed May 29, 2013 2:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| daffy |
| Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 4:50 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Wall Street
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| Terrific review, Inla! Thanks. I've been loving the promos for this; it's good to hear it lives up to my hopes. |
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"I have been known, on occasion, to howl at the moon."
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/index.html |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 6:27 am |
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Location: New York City
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The movie is amazing, not just for the great Douglas and Damon performances, but for everything else, including--as inla noted--the truly memorable cinematography, which is (oddly) reminiscent of that in Soderbergh's Traffic--to quote inla, "lush and gritty by turns." The underrated Scott Bakula again proves why he's one of my personally favorite actors, and the always-under-appreciated Debbie Reynolds shows why she's remained Hollywood royalty all these years. The finale is streaked with genius.
Douglas more than equals his superb turns in Wonder Boys and Solitary Man and Wall Street, and Damon continues his reign as (IMO) most-improved, most-surprising great actors in screen history.
As for Soderbergh, he is a genius, and no other word will do. His resume is short on dogs and long on complete or semi-masterpieces. Behind the Candelabra is one of his best, but far from his only great movie. Please, sir, do not quit! |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:14 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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daffy: Aw, thank you -- it's easy to rave when it's that good. And really, it is that good.
willybeeds: Bingo, and yes, kudos to Scott Bakula, and Paul Reiser, and, oh, et al. Cheyenne Jackson's petulant bit as Mr. Thorson's predecessor made me snort Miller Lite through my nose.
Am now thinking Mr. Soderbergh should direct, oh, let's say, Mrs. Gummer, Kevin Kline, Goldie Hawn and Kevin Spacey, in the oft-discussed, never-greenlighted film adaptation of Follies (re-set in an about-to-be-demolished movie studio). He has such breadth of insight and unfussy imagination. A great filmmaker. |
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 1:56 pm |
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Guest
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| I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that Scott Bakula is completely overlooked as the excellent actor that he is. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:47 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6945
Location: Black Hills
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| Been meaning to ask if anyone here has seen Chris Guest's HBO series, Family Tree? Has Guest's usual stable of actors, plus some newer talents, and the first season of 8 eps just concluded earlier this month. Might check out the DVD when it comes along. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:58 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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bartist wrote: Been meaning to ask if anyone here has seen Chris Guest's HBO series, Family Tree? Has Guest's usual stable of actors, plus some newer talents, and the first season of 8 eps just concluded earlier this month. Might check out the DVD when it comes along.
Family Tree is very funny at times, too twee at others. Chris O'Dowd is one of my new favorite actors, but his charms are muted in this one. I would watch, but keep expectations within limits. |
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| daffy |
| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 1939
Location: Wall Street
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We finally started watching The Newsroom on demand. While it certainly had its moments, it was spotty at the beginning. I think they were trying so hard to be a Sorkin vehicle that they ended up trying too hard and it was clunky.
Now we've finished Episode 6 "Bullies", and it was marvelous, absolutely seamless. I'm really looking forward to seeing how things play out.
And let me say that Damon Gupton as a gay black male aid in the Santorum campaign was simply marvelous. It's one of the most amazing performances I’ve ever seen anywhere, in anything. I cheered for his character and my heart broke for him, in spite of who he worked for. The guy was pitch-perfect, and he did it sitting down, looking into the camera (meaning essentially without an acting partner), and in only one scene and in only a few minutes. If you get a chance, re-watch it. It starts about 42 minutes in (though seeing it in the context of the whole episode is more effective). |
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"I have been known, on occasion, to howl at the moon."
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/index.html |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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bartist wrote: Been meaning to ask if anyone here has seen Chris Guest's HBO series, Family Tree? Has Guest's usual stable of actors, plus some newer talents, and the first season of 8 eps just concluded earlier this month. Might check out the DVD when it comes along.
I did enjoy it. Laid back but had its charms.
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 10:01 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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I have been going through episodes of House of Cards and Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Good stuff, almost on par with HBO's better shows.
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 1:18 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6945
Location: Black Hills
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Trish wrote: Anyone watching Boardwalk Empire?
I frankly wasn't that impressed after the 1st episode - but since then the show has grown on me immensely.
Just watched the first 5 episodes and found it awfully bloody but well constructed and with notable work from some of the supportings, like Kelly Mcdonald. Paz de la Huerta gives us the most obnoxious bimbo in television, which is saying something. Steve Buscemi makes friends with the camera on the first day of shooting and then just lets it flow - I'm not sure everyone will find it interesting to watch, but he is a natural. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 12:43 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Dexter used to be a great show, but it's going out a total loser. The finale is this Sunday and it can't possibly recoup. Lame and flaccid and boring. Who ever would have thunk it?
P.S. The finale was better than I expected but still not good enough. |
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| daffy |
| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:11 pm |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:45 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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| .... |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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