"You know, I... I really... I don't need to be hearing about your wife's cervix right now!"You know, Laura Linney does more with each and every scene in The Savages than most actresses get around to doing in entire movies. That's not hyperbole, just observation. She's both hilarious and heartbreaking. If I were to ever have the time and patience for a top 100 comedic performances of the Aughts, she'd be an easy top ten'er. Wendy Savage might be the most entertaining Manhattan-based screen neurotic outside of Woody Allen's oeuvre.
-Wendy Savage (Laura Linney) in The Savages
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16 comments:
Seriously, Laura deserved that Oscar.
Alas, "o'tooled" again.
YES.
Ugh, she's so brilliant. Yes, in general like that. I mean, when is she not? Even in the most undemanding stuff like Breach she totally owns it. LL4life.
Robert... I disagree, Julie Christie deserved that Oscar but... still Laura is fantastic, her performance is just terrific, comedic perfection and her voice so warm and he looks like a real human being but also as an effective comedic character. Easily Linney's best performance so far.
Make sure to catch the chinese (ORIGINAL) cinderella story in YEAR OF THE FISH (2007). it comes out on August 29th at the Angelika in New York City.
http://www.yearofthefish.com/
I'm just grateful Laura was even NOMINATED for that oscar.
Ugh, the words "Laura" and "nominated" together actually make me think of Laura Roslin and how Mary McDonnell is never nominated for anything.
Anyway, I would very much like to see a "best comedic performances of the aughts." I assume Miranda Priestly and Captain Jack Sparrow would be slugging it out for the top spot. Would Satine be in the mix? Does that count? It's a great perf, but I wouldn't really call it the best comedy of the decade. Ditto Ewan in same. Jim Broadbent, on the other hand...
Nurse Betty? Bridget Jones? Clementine Kruzcinski? Julia Lambert? Borat? Adams in Junebug? Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church in Sideways? The guy from Rodger Dodger?
So many of these (save Borat) are only partially comedic performances. The brilliance is not necessarily tied to the comedy.
The only ones that jump out at me instantly are Miranda Priestly and Jack Sparrow. If we're talking supporting, then I guess Emily (Blunt) and Harold Zidler, too. And in the more dramedic realm, Linney, Winslet, Bening, She Who Must Not Be Named (But Was Great Back Then), etc.
That could be an interesting list.
Interesting how I thought so much more of the females. Hmm...
Nathaniel, please visit my blog right now... my last entry is pure actressexuality worship.
http://www.sixdegreesofluigi.blogspot.com/
I literally just came back from checking this out from the library. Can't wait to see it again. For Hoffman, too.
"An autobiographical... A subversive autobiographical play." Ah, that movie is so damn funny and heartbreaking.
I know it's going for the obvious, but Will Ferrell in Elf needs to be on the list somewhere. And, forget Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen in Sweeney Todd gets my vote.
A shame that the movie was just okay.
Greatest. Actress. Alive. I'm not kidding. God, she deserved that Oscar last year. And 2000. (Fine, Madsen, you get 2004. ;) )
Interesting that you've posted about Laura Linney's The Savages. I just put some THE SAVAGES CLIPS on youtube with what I consider to be the best moments of the film.
http://www.youtube.com/user/alexinmovieland
oh, I feel guilty for not giving her 5 stars :P
mmm... well I think that the actress that really deserved the oscar last year wasn´t even nominated... and actually got snubbed by everyone...
I would have handed that oscar to Ashley Judd.
i'll have to take your word for it as it STILL HASN'T BEEN RELEASED DOWN HERE!!! they're saying next week, but i've been burnt before
i just want my lovely laura...
(sob)
The Savages was #16 on my Netflix list! Its now #5.
Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson in Little Children. That sex scene when Patrick's Brad talks about his wife while they're doing it? That's another great moment in cinematic adultary. I want to change my answer to the previous blog on what movie I feel like seeing now. Little Children.
I was gonna say the exact same thing as Par. Here's hoping it gets released here eventually. We finally got The Painted Veil a couple of months ago!
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