Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Angelic Visitations

I was just working on tonight's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" (we'll be posting about 10 or 11 PM so get yer post up before then for linkage!) Had to pause my skimming for much laughter about this post funeral scene. So I figured I'd share it. In the sequence Prior is telling his best friend Belize (Jeffrey Wright) about the heavenly visitor (Emma Thompson) who had recently come calling. Belize thinks it's just a fever dream. But Prior tells him all about their sexual progress.
She had eight vaginas.
Wright's two beat silent reaction shot just slays me.


A shrug, then a mouthed "eight". So so funny. Little moments like this are why I've been obsessed with actors forever. And Jeffrey Wright is such a great one. He's 'Best in Show' in Angels in America (maybe) and that's like being the best holiday in a year. The other ones are merry, too!

Speaking of "Best in Show"... I hope you've enjoyed the first three installments of my new column at Tribeca Film where I've covered Winter's Bone, The Kids Are All Right and Inception thus far. I was going to cover Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom next Monday or Tuesday (the film opens Friday) but I ended up interviewing its new Aussie director instead. His name is David Michôd ... remember the name. You may have already read my seven word review or picked up on Glenn's enthusiasm for it. I fully expect Animal Kingdom to win awards attention come year's end. At least of the Independent Spirit variety. You can read the interview here.
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17 comments:

Robert said...

Why why why why why doesn't Jeffery Wright have a better feature film career?

Why?

Michael said...

Wright's Belize seems more authentically angelic than the angels in that movie.

Anonymous said...

If you mean "better" as in he should be seen more often, yeah. But I think Jeffrey Wright has got a wonderful backlog of films. And, you know, for major mainstream kudos, he was a brilliant Felix Leiter in the most recent James Bond films; I would have loved to have seen more of him as that character.

His Belize is magnificent.

Oh, and Nathaniel - I posted my ANGELS shots earlier in the week: http://crossoverman.livejournal.com/688625.html (Warning: some nudity)

Anonymous said...

i was catching up on google reader and saw this, so i've decided to participate this time around. this is a really cool idea!

posted mine:
part one
part two

dbm said...

Animal Kingdom @ Independent Spirit Awards...

Nominations-

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Screenplay
Best Director

Still one of the best movies of the year so far.

Anonymous said...

he is quite amazing in Angels in America, but how can you pick best in show? Marie Louise Parker takes it for me. Wright would be close second.

Colin Low said...

Here's my choice, which I suspect the movie never intended as a Best Shot. But then again I wish I'd liked it more.

Jenn said...

Jeffrey Wright was the best part of that show for me. no offense to the others, they're all splendid, but he made Belize unforgettable

BeRightBack said...

Michael C: I think that might be one of the points of the whole piece, actually.

Glenn said...

Yes! Jeffrey Wright is so very good in Angels in America. Best in Show, agreed.

As for Jacki Weaver and Animal Kingdom? My place is already known.

vg21 said...

I'm participating again, here is my post about Angels in America: http://vg21random.blogspot.com/2010/08/hitting-nathaniel-with-my-best-shots_12.html

Can't wait to read yours and the others'.

NATHANIEL R said...

dbm -- wait who for supporting actor and lead actor? the cast is so stacked.

brandz said...

Meryl Streep as Ethel Rosenberg is easily best in show for me. Her Kaddish is truly momentous. Jeffery Wright places second.

Unknown said...

Good call choosing to embed the Australian trailer for Animal Kingdom over the American one. I much prefer it (and the poster) over the US version.

Glenn said...

I imagine Mendelsohn for Lead and Pearce for Supporting (because he's the biggest name and gets that big speech about the strong being weak).

Lara said...

For me it's between Wright, Kirk and Parker and close behind Wilson and Pacino. They all outshone Streep and that says something because she was very good in it.

Paul Outlaw said...

Isn't Animal Kingdom (like last year's An Education) only eligible for Best Foreign Film at the Indie Spirits?

According to the guidelines:

"The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee applies the following guidelines in making its selections. Any variations of the rules or guidelines are at the sole discretion of the Nominating Committee.

Uniqueness of vision
Original, provocative subject matter
Economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation)
Percentage of financing from independent sources
Except for the category of Best Foreign Film, all nominations go to American films, defined as either:

Having at least one U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident credited in two or more of the following categories of responsibility: writer, director, producer; OR
The film is set in the United States and fully financed by a company whose principal office is in the U.S.