Friday, January 18, 2008

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved this movie when I saw it in college (my professor and I had a disagreement on it. She saw it as misogynistic, I saw it as empowering.) That moment when she takes the camera from Spader and confronts him was awesome.

RedSatinDoll

NATHANIEL R said...

i deeply love this movie though I haven't seen it in over a decade.

i threw it up since SUNDANCE screenings are in full swing in Utah. I'm writing some documentary reviews for ZOOM-IN.

sorry for the lack of postings today.

Lee Emil Hernandez said...

Nathaniel R:
You are very smart, so I want to know what you think of Romola Garai not getting any good ink or Oscar-buzz for "Atonement." I am a huge "Atonement" supporter (even if it's currently experiencing a "great depression" and I will not pull the plug on it like Clint did for Mamushka in Million Dollar Crackhead. Anyhow, I loved all three Briony's, but Garai stole my heart. She was so affecting, and gentle in that scene with the expiring soldier, that I thought she should win the freaking Oscar. Ok, maybe not win. But she was really good. Back to my question-wh no love for Romola?

NATHANIEL R said...

if you're going to butter me up with compliments you know I will respond (you sly one)

my feeling is that romola's performance is too internal for much play. Plus, she's a woman. I don't mean that to sound as flippant as it does. It's just that sometimes male actors can get away with that an win praise (think Stephen Rea in Crying Game or Frank Langella this year in Starting Out in the Evening)

and occassionally female actors (if they're already very well respected --think Helen Mirren in The Queen) but usually not.

My personal belief is that voters like female actors either weepy (think Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind) or histrionic (think ---oh, too many to choose from) and Garai approaches it in a way that's very internal. She's doing the shell shock of war and probably the numbness and self-disbelief that came from the guilt of her previous action and self (see; Saoirse Ronan) and I don't think that translates really well to "awardable"

I also thought she was quite good --she just missed my list of top 12. And if I could have voted for her and Saoirse combined they would have made my list of nominees

Cinesnatch said...

pulling on the plug on Mamushka ... lol.

McDowell's "The garbage keeps coming" monologue ... hilarious.

Anonymous said...

I just noticed you gave the most recent Die Hard movie a B!

I liked the movie too, which really surprised me.

Here's hoping we'll see John McClane as one of the "Heroes of the Year" FB award nominees!

Anonymous said...

BTW, to all you Pfeiffer lovers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/bazbamigboye.html?in_article_id=508980&in_page_id=1794

Anonymous said...

Great, great film. This played on AMC recently (chopped up with commercials unfortunately). I'll have to rent it from Netflix again.

Lee Emil Hernandez said...

Fair enough. I agree that her performance is "too internal." But she's really great in the film. And I hate it when there's a movie with 4 actors and 3 of them get buzz, while the other sits at home and gets fat (so to speak). lol.
I really didn't like it when "Sideways" kept winning awards for Giamatti, Church, and Madsen, and they kept leaving Sandra Oh off every list. Not only was she good in the movie, but also people don't realize that actors make each other great in scenes. I think she really helped Thomas Church and V. Madsen deliver some great scenes. It also happened to Anne Hathaway who was great in Brokeback Fountain. Williams, Gyllenheezie, and Ledgeroso kept getting prizesizzies foshizzle but they wasn't rewarding hathaweezie. This year, Romola suffers from the "I am the only one in the cast yet to get nominated" illness. Ugh. I'm sorry to say this, but can we replace Tilda Swinton, who looks so annoying in that trailer they keep showing at all of the awards shows, "Tomorrow, I have to tell...that the lead ar-chi-tect...." yada, yada, yada, with Garai. Pronounce away Tilda but do it on your own time.

Anonymous said...

Like "Groundhog Day" in which she starred, every one of Andie McDowell's movies feels like the same crap.....

Mikey Filmmaker said...

One of my all time favorites. I haven't seen it in a while.

NATHANIEL R said...

er...

if you think SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE is like all of andie macdowell's other movies you obviously haven't seen it

if you think that clip is emblematic of what Tilda Swinton does in MICHAEL CLAYTON you obviously haven't seen it (why do they keep using that boring clip?)

see the movies! ;)

Anonymous said...

i don't get it

Anonymous said...

andie m's only good perf made my 89 top 5 best actress list along with pfeiffer,,feild,tandy and adjani.

Lee Emil Hernandez said...

What if I've obviously seen them both? Then what?

Middento said...

I love this movie as well. Thanks for the reminder.

jahs34 said...

One of the top 5 scripts ever.