Have you read the Variety feature where SAG card holders are essentially campaigning for other actors for awards season? Sometimes the admiration is surely talent-based and not about who they're friends with or have worked with and sometimes it's clearly a mixture of the two.
Nicole Kidman, marvelous again in Rabbit Hole.
Marion Cotillard worked with Nicole Kidman on Nine, for example, but her tribute has one very insightful observation. She's talking about how, in the first moments of Rabbit Hole you know nothing about Becca's (Kidman) story but you're instantly drawn in despite her abrasiveness.
"Becca" is so far and yet so close at the same time. The space that is created between her and the audience is simultaneously delicate, strong, violent and full of life. A part of her is gone and will always be gone, yet you feel nothing but life.
Marion & Nic' last year
And when Marion concludes her tribute with...
She is simply one of the world's best actresses.
You have to say "amen." That's too true and a half, whether or not the actresses hit it off on musical soundstages.
Reading all the articles is a pain since Variety takes such measures to hide their content but read we must. Helen Mirren loves the theatricality and imagination of Lesley Manville in Another Year, Alec Baldwin was wowed by the authenticity of the duet in Blue Valentine. And a few actors cite the cast of The Kids Are All Right. Laura Dern calls Mark Ruffalo one of her acting heroes and delivers an astute read on why he's so magical in that very difficult part (which, alas, probably won't look difficult enough to voters less discerning than Dern). Amy Ryan gives props to The Bening, particular in the Joni Mitchell scene (her obvious Oscar clip, yes?) and Colin Firth's ode to Julianne Moore (his co-star last year in A Single Man) is wonderfully expressed. His conclusion gives me hope that The Kids Are All Right will get that "Ensemble" nomination it so richly deserves at the SAG Awards.
All of the actors in this film are on the same formidable level. I kept thinking what a joy it must have been for them to all play off of each other.
Colin & Sally. She moves him.
But my favorite might be Colin Farrell's ode to Sally Hawkins in Made in Dagenham since he admits their offscreen friendship right up front but is clearly bowled over by the talent of the friend in question. Here's the fun intro.
Sometimes I see a film. Sometimes I see a film that moves me. Sometimes I see a film that has a friend in it. Sometimes that friend's name is Sally. When I see a film with a friend in it and that friend's name is Sally, that film moves me.
I can't say that I know the feeling exactly as I have few close friends that I regularly just happen to catch on the silver screen. But I can say that I know the feeling; when I see a film with a stranger in it and that strangers name is Sally, that film moves me.
I know that a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has to be (literally) bought. But I still find the whole thing weird, exciting and confusing. People get one when they're barely established, others when they're legends, some never. Oprah Winfrey is getting her star for television next year. Yes, the Oprah. She's been ruling the small screen for so long that she's as synonymous with it as Philo T Farnsworth. And it's only happening now?
Nevertheless, I love those photos of stars holding their stars. It's so meta. Plus, it's fun to see who comes out in support of them.
Anyway, the 2011 crop was announced. Two music acts that I'd love to see biopics on despite my aversion to the genre made the list: The Go-Gos (I've discussed that one already) and Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge.
Here's the complete "movie" list for 2011: Penélope Cruz (good time in her career for this. Nice) Bruce Dern & Laura Dern & Diane Ladd (listed separatedly but ♪ ♫ its a family affair... it's a family affair ♪), Ed Harris (maybe he'll be an Oscar winner for The Long Walk Home by the time that ceremony is held?), The Muppets (who already have a star for television), Reese Witherspoon, Kenny Ortega (wait, who?), Gwyneth Paltrow and three major players you'd have thought would have had them since the 70s or early 80s: director Ridley Scott, Carrie herself Sissy Spacek and the enduring Donald Sutherland.
The latest commercial/film in Marion Cotillard's Dior deal is out. (How much are they paying her anyway?) It's a 16 minute whatsit from the inimitable David Lynch called "Lady Blue Shanghai"
Given that the film contains grainy dv shots, ominously loud ambient soundscores, a nervous girl walking down empty corridors, overlapping image bleed and red curtains, it's Lynchian with a capital L. But parodically so?
In some ways it plays like a distant cousin of INLAND EMPIRE, a lightweight cousin with a heftier clothing allowance. Cotillard has her talents -- I like the way she handles one of those absurdly obvious Lynch questions "who knows what's inside that bag?" -- but nobody will ever top Laura Dern for her facility at embodying Lynch's psychotic break story beats in all their humor, danger and weird sincerity. Give or take Laura Palmer.
For what it's worth the film is more beautiful to look at on the Lady Dior site. I have no idea who her co-star is here. It says "with Gong Tao" but a search brings up nothing by way of an actor or model with that name.
I love that modern corporations have taken to employing acclaimed auteurs for longform commercials (a nice way for them to make extra money while audiences ignore their filmographies to buy tickets to the latest CGI film) but I doubt anything will ever top The Hire (2000-2001, starring Clive Owen) in this particular realm of filmdom. Those were such gems.
In honor of Penélope Cruz's recently announced pregnancy and the DVD release of Lindsay Lohan's latest Labor Pains (don't everybody rush out to snatch it up at once. I promise you they'll have enough copies) in which she fakes a pregnancy to keep a job, I thought a top ten list celebrating the miracle of childbirth -- or future childbirth rather -- was called for.
But first a bit more about Ms. Lohan. Rich at fourfour collected the Labor Pain lines that were more applicable to Lindsay the celebrity than the character she happens to be playing.
...not that Lindsay plays characters these days. The Actress wrapped things up with Mean Girls, only The Celebrity lives on. *
Ten Best Pregnant Movie Characters
10 Juno in Juno (2007) The general three act journey of zeitgeist movies goes like so... Act I: instant hype, audience love and acclaim births a new pop culture babe; Act II: media overkill curdles that hype, attempts to beat holdout audience members into submission spurring rebellions. Backlash turns pop culture darling into punching bag; Act III: Everything settles down until the darling/punching bag is just a movie again, neither the greatest nor the worst ever made. Are we in act three yet with Juno? I hope so because for all the swipes at its forced quirk and too widely adopted quotables, it's a good movie and Juno the character as written, and especially as performed by Ellen Page, should be appreciated as a pretty swell(ing) movie character, hamburger phones be damned.
But how do you think her baby turned out?
09Demi Moore in... Vanity Fair Magazine: The Movie. Don't even argue that that wasn't her best role.
08Holly in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) That's a spoiler if you haven't seen Woody Allen's Oscar nominated classic. I love that Holly begins the movie as a bundle of cocaine snorting sister-dependent directionless neurosis and ends the movie aglow with the promise of new life and yet you never think to worry that she'll be a terrible mother. You're too in love with Holly to be anything but happy for her. Credit Dianne Wiest who is one of the most endearing actresses that the cinema has ever known.
07Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984) If you give birth to the future savior of mankind you deserve a place on the list. I chose Sarah over Mary from any Jesus movie or Kee from Children of Men because I don't think they would have survived a robot apocalypse (too demure and too shell shocked, respectively). More on The Terminator and Sarah Connor herself.
06Dawn Lagarto aka 'Bloody Mama' in Series 7: The Contenders (2001) It's strange to me that Daniel Minahan's Series 7 never got its due as a prescient satire of the barbaric leanings of reality television and celebrity culture's fame fixation. In the movie, random citizens are selected to star in a show wherein they have to kill the other contestants before they're killed themselves. The final girl (or boy) is the winner. Did the black comedy arrive a year or two too early? Is it not quite as sharp as I remember it being? Either way, Brooke Smith's reluctant but efficient pregnant murderess still lingers in the memory with her big belly, flop sweat and bloody hands.
Is Brooke Smith cursed? Whenever you think her career is going to take off either the film doesn't (Series 7) or she's overshadowed by brilliant co-stars even though she's totally working it too (Vanya on 42nd Street and Silence of the Lambs) or she gets written out of the picture series (Grey's Anatomy, Weeds). If anyone in Hollywood had actually seen Series 7 maybe they wouldn't be so quick to write her off as a contender. Given the right opportunities, she's killer.
04Ruth in Citizen Ruth (1996) If you've never seen Alexander Payne's satire of America's eternal war between the pro-choice and pro-life forces, you should. The ever brilliant Laura Dern (in one of the best performances of 1996) plays the druggy dimwitted and frequently pregnant Ruth and both sides of the abortion divide seek to co opt her for their cause. It's worth seeing for Dern's amoral comedy alone but the political satire has real bite, too. Here I'll help you. Rent it from Netflix or Blockbuster.
03Marge Gunderson in Fargo (1996) Frances McDormand's Oscar win for her seven months pregnant police chief is one of the greatest atypical Oscar moments of all time. A memorably comedic portrayal of a truly original character wins? There is a god. That's as hopeful as Marge's innate goodness, which provides the wintry brutality of Fargo's comedy with its sole warmth.
And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'cha know that?
And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it.
Marge is a great cop. You know she's going to be an awesome mom in just "two more months. two more months."
02Trudy Kockenlocker in The Miracle at Morgan's Creek (1944) This Preston Sturges comedy about a girl who gets knocked up on a one night stand with the troops should be mandatory viewing in film schools. It's not that it's the greatest comedy of all time or anything that hyperbolic. It's that it does two things superbly that Hollywood has forgotten how to do well at all. First, briskly paced comedic storytelling and second, an endearing good time gal lead who doesn't feel like she's been assembled from pull down menus in a screenwriting program. Betty Hutton is a total dream as Trudy: funny, sexy, radiant and supremely silly. She's just wondrously fruity. And her loins are unexpectedly fruitful, too.
01Rosemary in Rosemary's Baby (1968) Roman Polanski's enduring chilleris among my personal holy trinity of horror: the father mother (Psycho), the son (Rosemary's Baby), and the unholy ghost (Carrie). Most horror movies play with our loudly admitted phobias: fear of the dark, monsters, death. Rosemary's Baby plays a more masterful game, exposing primal fears about things we're not supposed to admit we're scared of. Fears such as pregnancy, childbirth, unknowable offspring and the dread of identities subsumed by our children's. Mia Farrow's brilliant star turn channels these anxieties which are especially pronounced in new mothers, whether or not they've been knocked up by the devil.
* * Here's the part where you horrify me by telling me who I've forgotten...
Adam of Club Silencio here with another look at my favorite actresses and their distinguishing claims to fame.
I had a dream. In fact, it was the night I met you. In the dream there was our world, and the world was dark because there weren't any robins... and the robins represented love. And for the longest time there was just this darkness. And all of a sudden, thousands of robins were set free and they flew down and brought this blinding light of love! And it seemed like that love would be the only thing that would make any difference... And it did. So I guess it means there is trouble till the robins come.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Laura Dern; civil rights or robins of love. Both valid dreams from inspirational dreamers. Laura Dern is one of our most bright, inspiring and expressive actresses -- an angelic beauty with an edge. Expressive not only because she's lovingly referred to as "The Face" 'round these parts, but because she has the rare ability to capture the internal conflicts in some of cinema's most ambiguous dilemmas.
She's always drawn to characters in the midst of significant grey areas: the abortion argument, the peak of adolescent sexuality and nosedive of innocence, the perils of monogamy, and cloning prehistoric species on remote islands for tourism. Her characters always seem to hold the crux between right and wrong, naivete and danger, hope and tragedy. As good with smooth talk as she is a rambling rose, Laura's greatest gift is playing to both sides of the spectrum and finding a harmonious balance.
Sweetly asking, "When will the robins come?" or theorizing that "the whole world's wild at heart and weird and top," Laura's characters ground her films with an enchanting idealism that undercuts much of the darkness surrounding them. "It's a strange world," indeed. Take it from David Lynch, her frequent collaborator who uses this dual dynamic best. In describing some of her essential roles he says, "'If you wanted to buy a bottle of innocence as a shampoo, you'd buy Sandy in Blue Velvet.' Lula, I guess, is a bottle of passion-flavored bubble gum." Laura always walks this idyllic fine line with an elegance that often dips into dangerous territory as her films progress. Whether she's snapping bubble gum in Wild at Heart, orsnapping her fingers to the tune of prostitution in Inland Empire, Laura's beauty and grace can easily transform in situations of devastating circumstance.
...Whether a movie part comes to me or I seek it out, there's always this journey to darkness through light, or vice versa; that element has been in almost everything I've done.
Laura often acts as the guiding light through her film's bleakest depths. Even as Ruth Stoops, a hopeless huffer and propaganda-piece in Citizen Ruth, she manages to highlight the moral divide while giving birth to the sixth or seventh child she can't support. With a character seemingly devoid of conscience or concern, Laura manages to shed light on the controversy and still give this woman a purpose as potent as paint fumes. So many of her films (We Don't Live Here Anymore,Rambling Rose, Smooth Talk) paint her as this glowing figure whose inner light dims, flickers and fades (and seizure strobes in the case of Inland Empire) as the films progress, but usually in the end Laura's light is back and burning brighter than ever.
It's a strange world, wild at heart and weird on top, but we can depend on Laura to light the way. As we hold out for the robins, let us bask in our ever blinding love for Laura Dern.
5:00 PMMickey Rourke (a lot more on him if you scroll down), Kerry Washington, Taraji P Henson, John Malkovich, Darren Aronofsky, Debra Winger, Rosemarie DeWitt... lots of famous faces flashing at us, some of them probably trying desperately not to think about the Oscars tomorrow. Ben Stiller is talking at us to introduce our host Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder, Hamlet 2). Why is it that I think Stiller is so funny when he's playing himself and not so funny in actual movie roles? Jokes about "most of us haven't seen these films"... why do I get so much flak for suggesting Hollywood types don't watch all the nominated movies and yet, they themselves joke about it constantly. (sigh) He's joking about how the Oscars are orgies of backpatting for beautiful people. At the indie spirits they're beautiful on the inside instead. People don't seem to think this joke is funny. Neither does the cameraman because they cut to Aaron Eckhart and Jenny Lumet (both classically beautiful, neither apparently amused)
...and then he's on to talking about Penélope Cruz and making lesbian jokes. Weird segueway.
5:10 Jonathan Demme is wearing an orange t-shirt. For a second I thought it had Obama's face stencilled on it. The face being inescapable. Even when we're celebrating movies.
5:20Best Supporting Actor goes to James Franco for Milk.Haaz Sleiman does not win but you can't really types "loses" when the subject looks like this...
<--- (yeah, like that) 5:25Best First Screenplay goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk, beating Jenny Lumet for Rachel Getting Married (it's going to be a Milk day obviously. But then the Indie Spirits usually end up sucking up to one of the main Oscar nominees. Last year it was Juno for everything). Black gets political and says we can't wait 30 more years for equal civil rights for gay and lesbian citizens. It'll be awesome at the Oscars to hear this spoken aloud (since he'll win there, too).
5:30First Feature goes to Charlie Kauffman for Synecdoche New York. He thinks "best" is "crap"... I think that's a nod to his competitors but the speech is kind of jumbled so who knows. The speech is not circular or full of allusions or depressing or, in short, anything like his movies.
5:32Best Supporting Actress goes to Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She's the only Oscar nominee in this lineup so winning the Oscar isn't the same battle at all. But her speech (she hasn't prepared one is really fun) and I love the story about Woody Allen actually leaving the set to see his dermatologist (new freckle discovery) on the day she was making out with Scarlett Johansson. Debra Winger loves this story too. It's nice to see her laugh. I love that Misty Upham (Frozen River) is all dressed up. At the Spirits!
5:45 John Cassavetes Award goes to ??? I forgot already. This is the type of movie one senses the Indie Spirits exist for. But if they didn't include all the Hollywood stuff nobody would watch the show.
5:55 No fair. No song to introduce Rachel Getting Married. Just a song from the movie.
6:00Documentary goes to Man on Wire. Shortest speech of the night. Basically 'thanks'. It was presented by Batman and a fake Joaquin Phoenix. Kinda funny but I have to admit --you miss a lot when you live blog. I don't even know who that was making the Bale "we're done professionally" jokes. How fresh!
6:05Melissa Leo wins Best Actress for Frozen River. Rachel Getting Married is going to lose everything but great films are their own reward. I'm watching this show with two friends one says "She made her dress from the Golden Girls couch!" The other says "She looks like a Relief Society President" You'll get that if you're Mormon but otherwise you're out of luck. But maybe you know enough about Mormons to know. They're taking over. Mormon raised at least: Amy Adams, Aaron Eckhart, Eliza Dushku, Dustin Lance Black. They're everywhere! When I was a wee tyke the only celebrities who were "a little bit" Mormon (past or present) were Donnie & Marie.
at some point in this presentation Teri Hatcher did a really disturbing "Bitch is Back" number celebrating Wendy & Lucy. I don't think Michelle Williams knew what to make of it but since she isn't exactly a "loud" actor or a "loud" personality it's anyone's guess what she was feeling.
6:11 Some woman won some award. That's all I know. See what I mean about missing things while live-blogging. She's from Seattle. There's some specificity for you!
6:15 I want this to be over.
6:somethingor other Rosie Perez is presenting something and says 'I hate Penélope Cruz.' I love Rosie Perez. Why doesn't Hollywood? 6:29 The Class won foreign film. Yay! So I got to see my silver medal director Laurent Cantet.
6:30 Cinematography goes to Maryse Alberti for The Wrestler. Director Darren Aronofsky accepts. I love that he always says "I'm Darren". For a brilliant auteur he sure doesn't waste a lot of time selling himself. Could you imagine M Night Shyamalan's trademark intro being "Hi, I'm M"?
6:32 Cameron Diaz gives the Robert Altman Award for to Synecdoche New York. Great cast that movie had. I just wish someone else had directed it. I love Kauffman's writing but I feel like his writing is too self-devouring for the same person who dreamt it up and wrenched it out of its creative womb to also try and visualize it. Just my take. Obviously, others disagree.
6:38 Rainn Wilson does a musical number for The Wrestler. I shan't torture you with a photo but Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz find it amusing.
6:42 Laura Dern THE FACE presents Best Actor which goes to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. I don't know if y'all checked that link the other day about "hair" and Oscar winners but if he wins tomorrow he'll be only the second Best Actor winner ever to win for a long haired role (the only other one was Jon Voight in Coming Home. His speech is on fire and it's spreading. It starts with a tribute to another 80s up and comer who never quite became what he was supposed to become (Eric Roberts -- Julia's brother, yes -- last seen in The Dark Knight) and I have to agree with him there. Someone give Eric another great role. If you've seen Bob Fosse's Star 80 you'll understand Mickey's shout out.
This might be the craziest longest most train-of-thought speech since Ally Sheedy won for High Art.
Update: Here is the whole thing...
To Darren Aronofsky ,who is worried about actors being scared away from working with him because of Mickey's story about how "tough" Darren is:
If they aint got the balls to bring it, then fuck 'em
He's crazy. He totally gets the room going. He cracks Laura Dern and Philip Seymour Hoffman up. He scandalizes Anne Hathaway with a story about wrestler's "banging chicks in the ass in the bathroom". Well done Mickey. This is what the Indie Spirits live for.
6:53 John Waters and quirk queen Zooey Deschanel make jokes about inflated budgets on these so called "indies". It's mildly amusing.
6:54Tom McCarthy wins Best Director of The Visitor. He's worried about following Mickey Rourke. No kidding. I love this guy although I wish the beard would go. He thanks "Dickie Jenkins" Hee. Richard seems very happy for him. And this also means more shots of Haaz.
6:59 Best Picture goes to The Wrestler. I'm happy for them. Darren... Just "Darren" please ... gets a full kiss from Mickey and the cheek kiss from his partner Rachel Weisz. Thank you. Darren calls The Wrestler a "Passion piece. We all bled to get here" It shows. Damn what a movie it is. I hope you've seen it by now. Twice. I'm not even that mad that Rachel Getting Married lost everything tonight. Because at least the awards went to fine films.
Hello everyone mB here from A Blog Next Door (do come visit - animationphiles, lit theory junkies and pop culture crazies all wecome!) - I'm part of the coalition to keep TFE up and running while usual showrunner Nathaniel takes a breather. And, what better way to start off my Guest Blogging stint here than to spotlight the wonderful actresses that made the cut for the Emmys?
Even if you didn't catch Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris quipping during the nomination ceremony, just by browsing the nominations here you can see that it reads as an actressexual guide to TV.
First we have the I used to be a movie star but the tube gives me such good roles award (ie. Drama Series Lead Actress Award) Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters) Glenn Close (Damages) Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) Kyra Sedwick (The Closer) and that SVU woman who I will hereafter call 'the woman who stole Mary McDonnell's rightful Emmy nom.'
Then we have the I mainly work in movies but I couldn't turn down such a good TV role award (ie. Guest Actress in a Drama Series) Ellen Burstyn (Big Love) Diahann Carroll (Grey's Anatomy) and Anjelica Huston (Medium) who join TV stars Sharon Gless (Nip/Tuck) and SATC's Cynthia Nixon (Law and Order: SVU)
We can't really leave out the Movies will always come first... some just happen to be TV movies, so I do those once in a while award (ie. Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie) Catherine Keener (An American Crime) Susan Sarandon (Bernard and Doris) Dame Judi Dench (Cranford) Laura Linney (John Addams) joining Cosby Show alum Phylicia Rashad (A Raisin in the Sun)
Other actresses who made the cut and deserve a mention: the talented Kristin Chenoweth was nommed for her spunky take on Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies (a show that, despite getting two of its thesps nommed and garnering 11 technical noms failed to make the Best Comedy Series lineup - ahh why does 2.5 Men keep getting noticed?!), the multi-hyphenated Tina Fey can add another nomination to her resume with her portrayal of Liz Lemon AND can celebrate her friend's Amy Poehler's groundbreaking SNL nom as a Supporting Actress, Ms Applegate and Ms Parker also made the cut for Comedy Lead and the lovely Ms Laura Dern also made it with her Recount performance as a Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.
Phew! Okay... there's plenty more. Who were you sad to see missing a nomination (*cough *Marcia Cross *cough*)? And who were you happy to see having their name called out? (*sneeze* Mad Men *sneeze*)
Yesterday my peeps dragged me to the Museum of Natural History. I haven't been there in years and it was a perfect thing to do before people-watching for hours in Central Park on a coat-droppingly beautiful day. They do this on occasion, my friends... [concerned voices]: "Nathaniel, step away from the computer!"
You probably won't agree with me that the Stegosaurus is the best dinosaur but it is. Their tails are so rocking. My friends did not agree: one vote for the Brontosaurus, one for T-Rex, and one "abstain" --some people are so difficult. Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park totally shafted the Stegosaurus (and the second best, the Triceratops) in favor of those made up Velociraptors and that jaw-dropping first shot of the brachiosaurus. Unfortunately Laura Dern took the "jaw dropping" part literally.
I know she was looking at a green screen or whatever they looked at at the time (blue screen?) but work with what you got Laura. That first reaction shot always made me uncomfortable in the 'can we do another take?' way. Spielberg didn't do another take, damn him. She's way better when she stares at personal demons and makes faces for David Lynch.
Right before we left for an early evening in Central Park we watched this short film on the history of the mammal which was narrated by none other than Meryl Streep. Afterwards we all agreed that she totally phoned that voice over in. When she was talking about what happened 65 million years ago, for example, there was no past tense in her voice. It wasn't lived-in. Definitely one of her least-committed performances.
Dinosaurs are awesome and so are actresses but for whatever reason, they don't mix. Naomi Watts' terror in King Kong excepted.
screenshots from the 20th minute and 7th second of a movie I can't guarantee the same results at home (different players/timing) I use WinDVD
JEREMY IRONS [voiceover]: This script, this world we're going to plunge into—if we all play our role, do our best, if we work hard together... well, this could be the one. This is a star-maker if ever I saw one. You'll see. I think we have a chance to pull it off. What do you say?
I couldn't avoid it. I couldn't go with anything else. I worked for over an hour on a different banquet of 20:07 images for today, and I'll probably still share them tomorrow. But it is Halloween, and nothing in recent memory, or perhaps ever, has spooked me as badly in a movie theater as INLAND EMPIRE did. The first time I saw it, I screamed at least twice, somehow managed not to jump into Goatdog's lap, exited the theater into a back street at midnight, and cried on the bus on the way home. The second time I saw it, I screamed at least twice, the same two times. (If you've seen the movie, no points for guessing when.) The third time I saw it, I took 14 pages of notes, partly to start working on an essay about the movie, partly to insulate myself just a smidge against total psychosis.
Though the image isn't exactly definitive (though what image from this movie would be?), I love that 20:07 pinpoints this particular moment in the script: the moment where "Nikki Grace" commits herself completely to "Susan Blue," who may or may not be the same person as herself, and which therefore may or may not entail a terrorizing pledge of allegiance against her own well-being, even her own reality. Also the moment where the full ride of Laura Dern's performance really begins; and the moment where INLAND EMPIRE raises its own stakes as a "plunge" worth taking, as the "one" movie that Lynch fans have been begging him to make in the five long years since Mulholland Dr. Clearly we do have to "work hard together" with this movie if we're going to get anything out of it, but there's so, so, so much to be gotten. Trick or treat? Both, I think.
LAURA DERN: I'm tellin' you, it was a night like any other night.
If you rent or buy the DVD of INLAND EMPIRE, you gain access to 75 more minutes of extra footage, or what Lynch dubs "More Things That Happened." I haven't waded through all these expansions and effluvia yet; everything I read assures me that no "explanation" of INLAND EMPIRE arises from these sequences. I do love that, in another glorious and fortuitous surprise of this feature that Nathaniel dreamed up, the Nikki pinpointed at 20:07 of the bonus disc is the polar-opposite Nikki of the ambitious Hollywood glamor gal we find at 20:07 of the theatrical version. Oh, that Nikki—always somehow exposing at least two sides of herself at, quite literally, the same time. As she so mellifluously puts it, "That's the kind of shit I'm talking about."
As for "a night like any other night"? I don't think so, Nikki/Susan/Laura/David.
And as for you, here's wishing you a happy-scary night unlike any other night.
I didn't get a chance yesterday to post the weekly DVD roundup but the only absolutely crucial info to know is this: INLAND EMPIRE has arrived. Lynch's bizarre grotty nightmare, which vaguely revolves around an actress on a cursed film shoot, is potent art film stuff.
If you didn't catch it in theaters (and who can blame you really given the sorry state of distribution in this country for fringe films) you'll finally be able to see why Nick thought it was last year's best American film, you'll see why I strayed from Oscar's consensus Best Actress list to include Laura Dern, and you'll see what "the face" (Film Bitch 'Best Scene' nominee) refers to. Though on this last point -- oh hell on all of these points, you might not see at all. Glenn @ Stale Popcorn who recently saw the film still had to ask me which scene I meant. I thought it would be obvious but his question and his guesswork brought other images from the film springing back to life in my mind. Lynch movies are liquid like that, filling up whatever empty space they rush into. It's a weird but unmissable movie ... just like the rest of Lynch's oeuvre.
When I saw INLAND EMPIRE last December @ the IFC center (along w/ The Boyfriend and JA), Lynch regular Justin Theroux was present for a Q&A after the movie. He asked the crowd not to ask him what the movie meant but sure enough... within a couple of questions a hand went up "But what do you think the movie means?" sigh
Nevertheless the actor was highly agreeable even in response to the dumbest questions (somebody actually asked him about his eyebrows) and he was gorgeous in an extremely casual 'I'm just watching the movie with you' kind of way. He spoke honestly about his first and second reactions to the film (different) and likened the film to the non narrative pleasure of music if I recall correctly... though the memory of the night is fuzzy after Laura Dern frightened me with The Face™.
Justin Theroux is, as a hottie, not for everyone. That's OK: more for me. I've always been partial to extremely angular beauties. With Mr. Theroux the angularity doesn't stop with the jawline and cheekbones. It parties with the lively assymetrical eyebrows and then, still restless, shoots straight up into the sharp angles of his hair (it's easy to see why big haired Lynch favors him as a surrogate) and down through the sinewy body. The angles are having too much fun to quit with just the face.
Oh, I almost forgot. Justin played a director in Mulholland Drive and now he's playing one in real life, too. His first film Dedication (starring Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson, Dianne Wiest, Bobby Canavale and Amy Sedaris) opens next week. Here's the trailer.
for the list maker in me and the list lover in you
Today is the birthday of both Barbra Streisand (the Funny Girl herself) and Warren Beatty's Sister (like Babs, expert with the comic timing) so in honor of them and other funny ladies of yore (I'm partial to Carole Lombard, Irene Dunne and Judy Holliday) I thought I'd do a list of female comediennes. The only trouble was that once I started to form it I realized that I don't see a lot of what passes for comedy these days (mostly because it's male driven and those comedy stars aren't always that funny to me and some I'm straight up allergic to: David Spade and Jon Heder for example) so my list would have too many glaring omissions.
So, rather than do a list of the "funniest women", which might include a few SNL or sitcom alums or even Charlies Angels if I'm generous and would include everyone who works with Christopher Guest, I thought I'd do a list of people I wish would yuk it up more often on the big screen
Actresses Who Should Do More Comedies
10 Jamie Lee Curtis. It pains me greatly that her career ended with Christmas with the Kranks and not the one for which she shoulda been Oscar nominated: Freaky Friday. She never got the credit she deserved during her acting career. She was nearly always much better than she had any right to be given the films and the roles. Such a funny and unique talent. sigh. Well we'll always have Halloween, True Lies, A Fish Called Wanda and Freaky Friday
09 Anna Faris Perhaps I should have said "actresses who should do more good comedies" --I think she's quite funny in the bit roles in which I've seen her but it's not like I'm going to sit through most of the dreck she finds herself in to see if she's as funny as she seems. Can't someone who writes intelligent comedy (f.e. the Coen Bros, David O'Russell, Christopher Guest, Woody Allen, or Alexander Payne) get her some better material?
08 Christina Ricci. Now that she has taken a step back towards recovering her screen mojo (Black Snake Moan), I'd love to see her seize a comedic role with the same intensity and enthusiasm that she did back in her Addams Family Values days. That'd be off the chain. Get it? Um... Black Snake Moan plus... oh never mind.
06 Rachel McAdams. I sometimes get the sense that we're all holding our breath for nothing. It's clear that should she want it, huge stardom is hers. But her career is awfully quiet in proportion to the enthusiasm from moviegoers. She proved she could carry films with Red Eye and The Notebook but my favorites in her filmography are in comedic supporting roles: the caustic sister in The Family Stone and that already classic queen bee in Mean Girls ("I know right?")
05 Meryl Streep. Last year's twofer (Prairie Home Companion and The Devil Wears Prada) confirmed what Streep fanatics have known for a longtime: her legend was built from drama but her delicious silliness deserves its own act in her career.
04 Lily Tomlin. Never mind those Huckabees videos... what matters is what ends up onscreen and Tomlin always delivers. So why is it that one of the best film comediennes only gets teensy roles once every three years or so? Huckabees, All of Me, Nine to Five and Flirting With Disaster are lonely for company in the great comedies playroom
03 Joan Cusack. She's the only female Saturday Night Live alum to win an acting Oscar nomination, two of them in fact (Working Girl and In & Out), marking one of the rare times that Oscar voters have really been wise to the skill and inspiration a comedic performer has brought to the filmmaking table. I wish she'd make more movies. It was good to see her again in Friends With Money.
02 Laura Dern. She's a subtle hoot in The Year of the Dog as an overprotective suburban mom. Pair that with her brilliant film carrying work in Citizen Ruth (1996) and be forcefully reminded that there's much more to this undervalued actress than playing formidable muse for David Lynch.
01 Reese Witherspoon. She's following up her somewhat divisive Oscar-win for Walk the Line with another teary drama (Rendition) and I get the sense that that's the direction she's headed in in general. But she's a spitfire in a good comedy, elevating both Legally Blonde movies and selling the heck out of her career breakthrough in Election. I had to "Pick Flick"for the top spot.
With the posting of the Best Actress and Best Cinematography nominees the first half of the FiLM BiTCH Awards (or: my imaginary Oscar ballot) are complete. Those two categories were the hardest to decide on and while my choice for a Best Actress shortlist probably reads like a statement (in its minus two consensus) ... it's really not. This is just an honest carefully considered (one might say "obsessed over") opinion in a year that had way too many riches --of the 2005 contestants only the winner would make the lineup this year and she'd be in last place. That's how strong this year is comparatively. At any rate the Oscar choices for Best Actress will be thrilling. It'll be the most celebration worthy lineup since 1987. Best in 20 years = not too shabby.
Re: Winslet. I know she has legions of fans. I'm one of them, a die hard. But before you descend with pitchforks and torches, remember this: if I ran the world she'd have already won twoOscars. So put down those torches. Wouldn't you rather live in that world?
Regarding my off-consensus choices. I couldn't part with either no matter how many times I rethought. One terrified me and the other bewitched me in ways I still can't completely figure but felt like I should acknowledge for her staying power in my heart.
P.S. I'll fill in the last few "scene" and "character" prizes for the 7th annual Film Bitch Awards in the next week with medalists in all categories to be announced on February 5th, 2007.
You've probably read here and elsewhere that David Lynch has been sitting with a cow in public to promote Laura Dern as a Best Actress candidate for this year's Oscar race. Idiosyncratic or abstract FYC campaigns are a hoot but they'll never get Inland Empire anywhere near Oscar nominations...
That said, the Oscars aren't everything. Inland Empire is a tough sit at nearly three hours but for Lynch fans it definitely has its moments, and they often involve Laura Dern's facial distortions, which are at least as frightening as Catherine O'Hara's face pulling in For Your Consideration were hilarious.
For my money, Laura Dern's best Lynchian performance is still her incredible work as "Lulu" in Wild at Heart but her doubled and unravelling performance in Inland Empire begs the question: Why aren't more filmmakers lining up to work with her? Why aren't they posing with their own cows to win her heart?
"A History Of..." is my most popular feature but what with all the painstakingly accurate research required [*chortle*] it can take days to prepare. So you may have noticed that I've been neglecting this duty. Sorry.
Without further ado...
1973 James Haven is born to Oscar-nominated Midnight CowboyJon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand in Los Angeles, California. He has his father's lips.
1975 Haven gets a baby sister, Angelia Jolie Voight, a month after his second birthday. She has her brother's lips.
1979 Jon Voight wins the Oscar for Coming Home in March. Angie and Haven celebrate at home. with knives.
1982 Little seven year-old Angie gets her first screen credit for Lookin' To Get Out.
1989 Begins modelling. Feels full and sensuous lips are much better fit for modelling where it's totally acceptable --nay, required!-- to sexualize 14 year-olds. Hollywood is so stingy with good roles for natural born Lolitas.
1993 Getting long in the tooth for modelling, Angie re-debuts in cinema with Cyborg 3. Auspicious beginnings.
1995 She lands her first role that anybody notices. On the set ofHackers she meets and soon...
1996 ...marries Trainspotting star Johnny Lee Miller, hubby #1. Finding wedding dresses too bourgeois and veils too sexist, she paints his name in blood on her T-Shirt for the ceremony. Haven turns green, and consoles himself thinking about one of Angie's earliest tattoos "H". Tattoos are forever.
1998 Mrs. Johnny Lee Miller causes minor Hollywoodquake in the title role of the HBO film Gia playing her first glamorous sociopath. Follows it up with touching ensemble work as a party girl looking for love in Playing With Heart, further proving that beneath the pout lies a persuasive acting gift.
1999 She portrays "Lisa" in Girl, Interrupted and turns Winona Ryder's intended comeback into her own star-making vehicle. Noni too stoned to notice the hijacking. (Unclear if she yet realizes that Angie is the one with the Oscar.) Lisa = glamorous sociopath #2.
In this fertile star-making period she also films Pushing Tin where she meets Billy Bob Thornton. Out with Johnny Lee (divorce). In with Billy Bob Thornton, soon-to-be hubbie #2 and tattoo #welostcount. Billy Bob was dating Laura Dern at the time but I think we can all agree that knives + tattoos + blood vials are hard to trump in the "hot girlfriend" arena. Sorry, Laura.
2000 The breakthrough starlet attends the Oscars as Morticia Addams and makes out with brother Haven (not dressed as Gomez but maybe he spoke French?). Sets new millenium trend of following up Oscar win by starring in shitty blockbuster-- Charlize & Halle: nothing but copycats! Angie's next project is co-starring with Nicolas Cage in Gone in Sixty Seconds. But that's cruel of me to mention. You were probably relieved to have forgotten about it.
2001 Angelina's giant breasts get their first starring role in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Roger Ebert turns digits 'way, way up.'
2003 Ms. Croft travels the world for Beyond Borders.She adopts the world's cutest boy Maddox abroad. Dumps Billy Bob back home in America. Angelina's baby fever begins but contrary to early Mia Farrow media snarking, her international period soon reads a little more Audrey Hepburn dogooder.
2004 She pops up in a couple of crappymovies just so she can be the best thing about them and remind the world that she's a bonafide movie star.
2005 BRANGELINA fever begins with hit movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith and even bigger hit gossip. Brad is married to Jennifer Aniston at the time but I think we can all agree that tattooed mindblowingly gorgeous movie star with cute international brood beats hard bodied pretty TV star. Sorry, Rachel. Brangelina spends the year playing pointless "no comment" games with the press despite the fact that everyone in the known universe (including each citizen of Namibia the year before the Jolie-Pitts invade) knows. Meanwhile Jennifer Aniston milks her feels-sorry-for-me moment for all its worth, smiling on endless magazine covers and trying. to. stay. strong *sniffle* oh and go see her new movie(s)!
2006 OMG. You think I'm even gonna even try? If you need this history as full as her luscious lips, check out the Angelina pages @ Gawker, Defamer, popbytes and WWTDD for much more ∞
2012 Jennifer Aniston continues to stay strong and appreciates your support in this difficult time. oh and go see her new movie(s)!
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