Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Two Ladies.


Just this shot alone, courtesy of Zimbio, makes me love Tom Ford's A Single Man a teensy bit more. (I need no boost to love Madonna. That part comes naturally. I think I was born that way... loving her.) Come to think of it -- and no knock on my also-beloved Julianne Moore -- but the marinated aging party-girl role of "Charley" is just the type of role that Madonna could nail onscreen. Especially in a movie that puts images first. Madonna's a natural at image-making and posing for them, too. Plus, she's practiced that British accent forever.

Julianne laughs at my casting switcheroo.

She makes a dirty joke and LAUGHS about it!

But whatever, Jules, I think it's kind of brilliant. Stop giggling. I'm serious. Madonna totally coulda done it. Not that she would've won the same Oscar buzz in the part.


*

28 comments:

Criticlasm said...

I don't know why, but I'm dreading this movie knowing the book. A reviewer said that it's the best fragrance commercial he's ever seen. Still way into seeing it, but have to open up to it as a totally different piece.

Now I'm laughing about Madonna in The Hours and Vanya on 42nd Street.

amir_uk said...

You're totally playing devil's advocate, Nathaniel!... You must be!... Er, you are, right?

(Especially as it concerns your beloved Julianne. Surely Madonna-love doesn't trump Juli-love... Or does it?... ;-) )

amir_uk said...

Also, please upgrade A Single Man to "A-". You know you want to! (Ok, you probably don't... But it's so a film unto its own, if you know what I mean. Like "future indie classic"-idiosyncratic.)

Gianni said...

I love that picture of Julianne Moore so much. The first time that I saw that image in the trailer, I thought it was so over the top and hammy, but in a way that works. And it just grows on me.

Hayden said...

OMG, I know I asked for a Madonna post but I had no IDEA it would be a Madonna/Julianne mashup. You spoil me, Nathaniel.

Michael Parsons said...

Oh Nat, how I love thee

MrJeffery said...

can't wait to see the film! i want to read the book first though.

Jude said...

Thanks for getting Two Ladies stuck in my head! hahahaha

Michael B. said...

I went to a screening last night of A Single Man and Tom Ford, Julianne Moore and Nicholas Hoult were there after to do a Q & A. Let me tell you that I think Tom Ford could be one of the best directors. I liked the movie but hearing Ford talk about the color scheme and why he did what he did...Let's just say he knows what he's doing.

And I didn't fall in love with the movie, I'd give it a solid B, but I think that Firth and Moore and Hoult were fantastic. I give Firth my win.

jean-paul said...

Was Moore that bad?

:/

Unknown said...

Haven't seen A Single Man, but I could see her (Madonna) playing those role...

Thought she was terrific in Dick Tracy... she gave, what is in my opinion, the best performance in that film...

As I post this comment, people are grabbing their pitchforks and assembling into into an angry mob. I'm waiting for this mob show up at my front door any minute now...

the boyfriend said...

@criticlasm - that's exactly what I said to Nat when we walked out of the theater: "That's the longest perfume commercial I've ever seen!"

Hayden said...

Oh, and what about Madonna as Emma Thompson in An Education? Might have been an interesting dose of irony.

gabrieloak said...

Thank you for giving me a good laugh. I'm so glad Tom Ford cast Julianne Moore instead of Madonna in his movie.

gabrieloak said...

Not sure why I seem to like A Single Man more than others. I was seduced by the style of the film, I admit. I like to think I'm not that shallow.

RJ said...

"Oh, and what about Madonna as Emma Thompson in An Education? Might have been an interesting dose of irony."

I don't think we need to give Madonna an excuse to break out a British accent.

Jim T said...

I have a role for Madonna.

"And then, the girl goes home and silently thinks about things to do that are worh being done. She tries for years to come up with fresh ideas and suddenly...she realizes she isn't productive anymore and starts writing her autobiography."

Nobody publishes it because nobody cares anymore.

NATHANIEL R said...

Jim T... i don't take well to smack downs of my girl! She changed the world and i will love her until my dying day

Jim T said...

Nathaniel, there are many reasons to love Madonna but I'm in a place where I mostly see the reasons that make me call her boring and I think that is the worst thing to say when speaking of Madonna! I mean "Give it to me" is perhaps the only good song since 1999?

And, don't be angry at me. :(
I have a gift for you. I know you love Hathaway and Spiderman so here are some possibly good news http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/malkovich-and-hathaway-are-apparently-spider-man-4-villain-frontrunners

NicksFlickPicks said...

I think the Madonna idea is kind of great. I'd be worried about it throwing the viewer too far out of the movie, but in my experience, every single thing in the movie was already throwing me out of it, so - what the hey.

Hayden said...

Jim T is so confused. [shakes head]

NATHANIEL R said...

Jim T -- we must be listening to different CDS. Since 1999 she's had the following songs which easily stand with her best work from other incarnations:

don't tell me
impressive instant
music
nobody knows me
hung up
sorry
get together
give it to me

there's at least one classic on every album and CONFESSIONS (2005) is one of her best albums ever.

Hayden said...

I think Nathaniel's right, and what's important to recognize is that each new Madonna album does reflect a different incarnation.

And, when we're talking about an artist who constantly shifts shapes, chances are good that you won't like everything she does. You've clearly gone an entire decade without really connecting with her music. But if Madonna wanted to hold onto fair-weather fans like you, she'd still be rocking rosaries and black lace instead of daring to change and trusting her audience to follow her through it all. The nature of Madonna's career (and consequently, her music) is to anticipate the kind of reaction you're giving her.

Basically, "This is who [she is], you can like it or not, you can love [her] or leave [her], but [she's] never gonna stop;" "Tell [her] everything [she's] not, but don't ever tell [her] to stop;" and, most importantly, "there's more important things than hearing you speak."

Aaron said...

I'm sorry Nat but I did NOT get Confessions...Hung Up was catchy, but that album for me was dreadful.

Music is by far her best CD of the decade, and thank you thank you thank you for mentioning Impressive Instant--a most underappreciated song (along with Gone, which is quite fantastic and very un-Madonna if you ask me).

American Life is definitely underrated too, and I love love love Nobody Knows Me....but the best on that album has to be Nothing Fails, that song always brings me to tears...Madonna at her most vulnerable, if you ask me!

Okay, my Madonna critique is over...

Andrew K. said...

I like how the comments turned into a Madonna love fest. And Nathaniel I can't find anyone else who likes [or knows] Nobody Knows Me. Nice to see you do. :)

Tom W. said...

I think my favorite song from Madonna this decade was....Intervention from American Life. I personally put Music pretty low on the Madonna album chart..except for Impressive Instant, Dont Tell Me, and Gone. I loved the song Music...until she did it on every tour! Classics from this decade: Impressive Instant, Nothing Fails, Nobody Knows Me, Don't Tell Me, Hung Up, Sorry, Give it to Me, The Beat Goes On,Devil Wouldnt Recognize You, the aformentioned Intervention and Like it or Not...

Jim T said...

Nathaniel, we respectfully disagree. No big deal :)

NATHANIEL R said...

JIM T -- MADONNA IS A BIG DEAL ;)