Coming Soon But Not Soon Enough#11 Margaret (Fox Searchlight. No release date announced yet.)
Margaret, the new film from missing-in-action writer/director Kenneth Lonergan may well be the most hotly anticipated film of 2006 for two sets of moviegoers: The first group is the rabid fans of the fine 2000 sibling drama You Can Count On Me. The second might be The Piano (1993) junkies (you know who they/you are) desperately waiting for Anna Paquin to play something other than a mutant or a Lolita-esque sex object for a change --just to see if she has any more greatness in her. It has to suck to peak at the precocious age of eleven, so let's hope she does. Have more greatness in her, I mean.
I must confess that when I first saw Lonergan's feature debut You Can Count On Me I didn't love it the way I do now. It was clear then that it was a solid drama and well written but it's lack of cinematic pizazz must have obscured it's greatness for me. I was a little surprised to see it on virtually every top ten list annnounced that year. But it definitely holds up well to repeat viewings and, more importantly, it grows more emotionally affecting in memory.
Margaret concerns a young woman who witnesses a traffic accident that sends her into an emotional tailspin. If Lonergan's second feature is anywhere close to as finely rendered and performed as his first, Paquin may finally be topping her uncanny brilliance as Holly Hunter's mischievous mouthpiece child in 1993. This is not to imply that Margaret is a one woman show. The large supporting cast includes Matt Damon (this is but one of three prestige dramas he's in this year. busy guy.), Mark Ruffalo, Keiran Culkin, Jean Reno, J Smith Cameron, Allison Janney, and Matthew Broderick.
tags: Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Margaret, drama, Mark Ruffalo
previous "coming soons": The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Zodiac, and Bug
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14 comments:
Could this be an oscar nomination for Miss Paquin? Not that that even matters anymore.
But next year looks to be an orgasm of actress goodness with Kidman, Bening, Streep and Winslet ALL having great roles. It would be amazing to see them all getting recognition at once.
it could be. but you're right tough competition.
i was disappointed to read in the synopsis that she's playing a high school student again though. This girl is 23. can someone cast her in a grownup part already and let her rip (although this might be emotionally grown up)?
Any mention of The Piano sends me into a tailspin of cinematic ecstacy. I've been waiting for years to see Paquin at her best again. Fingers crossed.
Well best actress might still suck, cause there's always the possibility that they'll ignore Kidman (too arty and challenging), Streep (too ensembly), Bening (too dark and weird, plus a terrible title), and Paquin (too young and maybe not even deserving). But I'd be rather shocked if Winslet doesn't get at least a nod this year... like Streep, she is nommed every year she has a proper prestige project lined up, and it feels like her moment.
I probably shouldn't say this, but I've never seen The Piano. I want to, because of Anna's win over Winona that year (And I love me some Winona).
I've liked Anna in what I have seen her in (X-men 1 and 2 and 25th Hour), but I really need to see her Oscar pic.
I really like Anna Paquin; although she hasn't had a 'wow' role since The Piano, she has at least managed to maintain a fairly good career through those teen years, and she's still only 23!
You Can Count On Me is one of my favorite films so this looks really promising.
It sounds great, but I really can't see Paquin beating so many great actresses. For a nod, I mean. Is she deglamming?
cal roth
haha, she needs to deglamm, play a real life person and reveal to us that even though she won an Oscar at such a young age she still live in trailer park til she was offered the X-Men role! That will guarantee her a win.
Any film that somehow combines the sweeping majesty of The Piano and the quiet intricacy of You Can Count on Me has me in line-in fact, I think I'll head to the theater right now to buy tickets.
I like Paquin too, and even if her film roles after her breakthrough have been quite redundant...you have to admit that she has been careful in choosing her films (well except for She's All That).
I think you're really unfair towards Anna.
She has done great stage work (with Kenneth Lonergan among others). And the vast majority of the film projects she has worked on were based on excellent scripts. It's not her fault she hasn't had any "Star" roles.
Personally I prefer someone like Anna who would rather be in a good movie in a small role than someone else who only accepts starring roles.
I've heard that this movie has a 9/11 tie in...is that true? if so how?
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
I think that Paquin is too old to play a high school student.
ive seen the piano she is quite an actress...its about time she does more lead roles
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