Monday, August 09, 2010

Here's to the Kendrick Who Lunched

Recent Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) hits the quarter-century mark today. I vow to throw her a massive blog party the next time she does anything this wickedly fun onscreen again.



FiLM BiTCH Award winner 2003, silver medal
"best musical number in a musical"

Fritzi's wicked triumph is still the single best moment of Kendrick's career though it's much more satisfying in context for about 12 reasons. Curse you disjointed YouTube culture!

<-- Kendrick looking dangerously good at the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World premiere in late July.

Up in the Air's Natalie Keener was a solid reminder that Kendrick could well have a very satisfying comically enhanced movie career awaiting her. But for all that movie's talk about Natalie Keener being a rising corporate star and a driven ambitious professional, Camp's "Fritzi" could still crush Natalie as easily as she mangles that martini glass prop. If George Clooney's "Ryan Bingham" had had merciless Fritzi shadowing his every move instead of Natalie, he'd have been more shaken than stirred. It would have been a different movie. She's ruthless!
*

24 comments:

Jake D said...

There are not many actresses who could have pulled that scene off. Amazing.

Looks like Anna is struggling with post-Up in the Air roles. Maybe once she escapes the Twilight beast, she'll have some better stuff lined up.

If she were British, I'd insist she replace whoever is doing Eliza in My Fair Lady this week.

MRRIPLEY said...

CAREY MULLIGAN ISN'T IT.

NAT - did you like natalie in uita,do you think she desreved her nom,i didn't hear much about her from you.

i was not impressed on her 1st time then 2nd watch found farmiga lacking in the later scenes where kendrick began to shine.

OtherRobert said...

She really is in Camp, isn't she? Wow. So I guess I have seen Anna Kendrick in a film I enjoy.

Michael said...

Her rendition of the Ladies who lunch may or may not be my ringtone...

Stella said...

She is so amazing in it. Nathaniel, have you also seen her in "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" on youtube with the Kit Kat Ladies? I can't decide which musical scene I like better.

Dave in Alamitos Beach said...

CAMP is one of my all time favorite movies. I gave it five stars on Netflix. You'd be surprised at how many people hate the movie.

Just about every move Fritzi made gives me the giggles. There are so many funny touches in this movie.

Anna Kendrick has a free pass from me for at least the next five years or so.

James T said...

Mrripley - Read StinkyLulu's post re:2009 supp actress nominees. He didn't like her that much. (If my memory serves me well)

Robert Hamer said...

Jesus, I've never seen this before. Someone cast her in a musical, stat!

Caroline said...

@Jake - give her a break, it's been less than a year after UITA! The offers she got post-UITA probably won't even materialize for another year.

She's doing a good job keeping on everyone's radar with Scott Pilgrim, though, which will probably be a massive hit.

Caroline said...

materialize as actual released movies, I mean.

NATHANIEL R said...

mr ripley & james t -- yeah, i'm not a huge fan of her UP IN THE AIR work. I think she handles the comedic demands of the role pretty well but it's the balance of the dramedic that i think she struggles with in that movie. Like, how much of a caricature to make Natalie Keener? I like her in it. I just wouldn't have nominated her and i think there's too many glitches to the performance.

nevertheless, I think she's very talented so we'll see.

you neever know with young actresses whether a rich career awaits or whehter hollywood will suddenly lose interest. you just never know.

Tetas Grandes said...

If I played this for a few classical singer friends of mine, I'm afraid their ears would spontaneously bleed (and they would never speak to me again).

I adore Anna Kendrick, she's lovely and talented, but she just doesn't pull this one off here. She kicked butt in Rocket Science though!

NATHANIEL R said...

Tetas -- well, part of the joke is that no teenager should ever be singing this song (as it's meant for an old woman with huge helpings of life experience) and could never pull it off.

TP said...

@Tetas - I've seen the videos a few times and this is the highest-rated comment on the video:

"This performance absolutely stuns me. Sondheim in general is NEVER easy to sing and yet here you have a girl who is about 30 years too young to be playing this role, and she absolutely nails it. The tone of her voice, the facial expressions, the attitude - she completely captures the emotional mood of the song. I am beyond impressed."

Glenn said...

It's just a shame Camp is such an awful movie.

NATHANIEL R said...

and by old woman i meant "older woman" oops. You're allowed to sing it in middle age :)

Anonymous said...

True story, I was at the Wright Stuff, a series of movies presented by Edgar Wright here in Toronto. Some girl who looked like Anna Kendrick but dressed like Ellen Page complemented my friend's tribal bracelet. He said thanks, we walk back into the theatre. He said "Oh my God, Anna Kendrick's so nice." And I was like "That was Anna Kendrick?! Oh my god, I'm so stupid."

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Unknown said...

What a surprise! I didn't recall I had ever seen Anna Kendrcik before Up in the air. I saw CAMP many years ago and I enjoyed it a lot. This scene in particular I loved. What a lovely voice (Wicked anyone?)

BTW I love when I rewatched all films and recogniced actors in early roles. Last night I was watching Stir of Echoes and guess what, the ghost girl was played by Jennifer Morrison of House fame. Also, in an old Sex & the city episode (2º season) there is this waiter with no lines: it was a youngish Matthew Morrison from Glee.

Brian Z said...

I was able to interview Anna last week for Scott Pilgrim. She was wonderful. However, my fellow interview and I just wanted to shake her and say, "Do more movies!!"

stjeans said...

I hate her in Up in the air.
She was horrible.
The movie overrated.

Tetas Grandes said...

@Nathaniel
I get that the comedy is this young petite girl singing a song for a mature brassy woman...but it still doesn't work for me. I admire Anna's committment, but it seems forced, awkward, and her voice is kinda colorless. And yes, I'm sure the director wanted the "Ladies" performance to highlight the comedy in the character's lack of stage experience, her small, thimble-sized voice, her immaturity, her arrogance, her apparent snottiness, blah blah blah...and yet it still doesn't work for me.

TP said...

@TETAS - she may not do it for you, but I think you should also acknowledge that this isn't just some fanbase pulling for her. You should seriously read some of the youtube comments - it's clear that there are many Sondheim devotees on there, all of whom thought she nailed it. And no, it's not supposed to highlight her lack of stage experience either (the producers probably realized that, casting a Tony nominee. Yes, Anna Kendrick is a Tony nominee) - the stage persona is actually quite fantastic, and the character rather ballsy as she transforms from a ratty-haired follower to a ruthless diva. And you should know how we like the divas on this blog.

NATHANIEL R said...

TP -- i love her performance in CAMP, but don't you think it's dangerous ground to start using YouTube comments in any serious way ;) i mean. YOUTUBE. it has to be the worlds largest cesspool when it comes to commenting. I can't believe the things you can find there. people with apparently single digit IQs over and over again hundreds of thousands of them all just spewing nonsense and often hateful nonsense. it's so weird over there. I prefer to just watch the videos and leave.

Tetas -- i see where you're coming from on the "colorless" part of the voice but I'm assuming that's just something that comes with age (not everyone can be Lea Michele or any legendary diva of yore whose instrument felt so complete so young) ... hopefully Anna Kendrick is working on her vocals instead of just basking in new fame. Not that HOllywood would encourage continued training.