Jose here. Is it me or has the release of Agora gone quite unnoticed in the United States?
Not that I'm saying everyone should leave whatever they're doing and go see it (I thought it was pretty mediocre actually as you can read in my review) but I find it surprising that so little has been mentioned about a movie that could generate controversy.
Not only does it feature a woman as lead, but the woman in case (Hypatia of Alexandria played effectively by Rachel Weisz) was also, allegedly, quite ahead of her times and had no need of a man in her life. Think of her as a character of Sex and the Old City.
But the most divisive point in the movie might be Amenábar's portrayal of early Christians as the wreckers of reason. If you think Almodóvar has pent up Christian anger, wait 'til you see the Gibsonian way with which Amenábar jumps against preachers of the gospels.
There's a great article out there by Tim O'Neill that wonders how much Amenábar bent history at his will to push his own agenda. It's highly recommended, if only because of the amount of research the author put into it.
Yet despite all the silliness and shortsightedness of Agora I couldn't help but be mystified and intrigued by the way Amenábar could've done a great film based only on the nature of his visuals. Agora is after all based on a geometric principle. His allegations of Hypatia's premonition of Kepler's laws might be a little far fetched but his ideas of the "evolution" of the circle as a mystic figure are remarkable.
The first half of the film glorifies the circle and establishes it's a symbol of perfection (you can even see its love of it in the poster)
But as the plot advances, the characters' idea of the circle begin to shift towards the possibility of its imperfection, which gives us the ellipse.
Then we get views of buildings and elements we'd seen before with a slight change in perspective (the circle becoming an ellipse) and while the obvious plot sinks into a biased melodramatic condemnation of fundamentalism the things we're seeing suggest something altogether more significant.
Besides the implications of Kepler's contribution to science what can we learn about the effect of the circle in cinematic storytelling? Wasn't the elliptical nature of cinema after all a major contribution to narrative aesthetics and the way humanity could perceive the world around them?
Perhaps if Amenábar had been a little less worried about pre-postfeminism and religious hooligans he might've realized he had the power to create a complete film course.
Instructables build an Iron Man arc reactor of your own SF Gate "Is this the end of Downey Jr's greatness?" interesting peace from Mick LaSalle on taking up residents in franchises. /Film yet another shortening of the theatrical release to home viewing window. The end is nigh and... David Poland, always in touch with the business end, responds to this FCC ruling
flick filosopher 'damn those high society film critics!' I love it when MaryAnn gets pissed off at stupid people Just Jared with new Inception poster and stills Only the Cinema pays tribute to the just departed cinematographer William Lubtchansky (RIP) Cinematical Rachel Weisz on the upcoming gender bending body horror film Invisible X MNPP gets excited 'bout the new Gregg Araki movie Kaboom
Finally, I don't know how I missed this news in April (but then again that month. argh) but A Star is Born has been reborn again. If you've never seen this grand Judy Garland musical epic, you MUST mark June 22nd on your calendar and get the Blu-Ray of the restoration (from the original negative). Sadly, though,there's still a big chunk of it missing from the 1954 chainsaw edit it got when distributors complained that the film was too long. Damn you Hollywood powers-that-be (at the time), damn you retroactively!
"As effective as Judy Garland is singing 'The Man That Got Away' in any medium, there's nothing like seeing her singing that song three stories tall, in Technicolor."
I can only imagine. I've only seen it on DVD and it's already one of my top five favorite song performances in the history of the cinema.
Hollywood News top ten movie stars (using term loosely perhaps? Tina Fey?) to emerge from SNL Peel Slowly What's that a poster for? Can you guess which movies these Polish movie posters are selling? Jon HammMad Men Season 4 now filming. Yayyyyy
<--- Did you see that Russell Crowe got his star on the Walk of Fame this week? It's so random, the timing I mean, when stars receive theirs. A listers and D listers alike get them in surprising time frames. You'd think they'd tie this in with the release of Robin Hood (Cannes opening night film -- see the whole lineup) but in fact, it happened just as Tenderness arrives on DVD. No, I'd never heard of that either. Crowe in a straight to DVD release? What's that about? Maybe it did get theatrical release somewhere but it's rare that something with a star that high profile slips by unnoticed.
Cinema Blend Rachel Weisz as Jackie Kennedy. Oscar #2? Rope of Silicon Martin Scorsese to make The Invention of Hugo Cabret as a 3D film Roger Ebert kicks Kick-Ass 's ass. I love that he wrote this
silver screen Dear Old Hollywood revisits the locations in A Star is Born (1954). If you love movies as time capsules Mighty God King a great piece on the ironic oldness of "reboots". I wish Hollywood would read this. Cinema Blend is Pixar's The Bear and the Bow switching titles?
The Critical Condition remembers Pretty Woman for its 20th anniversary In Contention on the ubiquitous Mia Wasikowska Man About Town has a rave for the first gay feature to come from The Bahamas, Children of God
off cinema Time Out New York has casting ideas for the first major NYC revival of Angels in America i09 wonders what's happened to sci-fi series Torchwood. It has been awhile since "Children of Earth" Just Jared Rachel Weisz wins Best Actress at the Olivier Awards. That Blanche Dubois sure is a reliable awards magnet role Towleroad Cheyenne Jackson rocks the pompadour. Anyone know if he's coming back to 30Rock next season? I'm not good at keeping up on TV news
Glark makes an of-the-moment funny. RIP Swayze [thx Joe Reid] Dave Kehr interviews Lars Von Trier but also discovers some new (old) Italian masterpieces that sound intriguing IndiewireA Single Man will be distributed this year by the Weinsteins. Colin Firth is gunning for Best Actor. I love festival season. It always makes the awards race seem so near New York Times 5 great upcoming performances: Gabourey Sidibe and Carey Mulligan have more buzz than they can deal with already but this article also contains less common drooling over Robin Wright Penn in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Variety Nicole Kidman continues on her gloriously pathological quest to work with every fine director in the world. Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) will direct The Danish Girl. Unfortunately Charlize Theron has bolted. I want to root for Theron, I do. But her filmography bores me Some Came Running Glenn Kenny on three TIFF titles Self Styled Siren isn't too fond of Mad Men. Her new post on it and movies she loves from the era might make an interesting sidebar for you if you've been reading and enjoying the Mad Men @ the Movies series right here In Contention maybe Robert De Niro is worth watching in Everybody's Fine? /Film Karyn Kusama's next project may terrorize, destroy or otherwise alter Rachel Weisz's gorgeous body
Finally, as you probably read yesterday (what? I'm busy. I've had two hellish days of spotty internet service. Leave me alone) Hollywood Elsewhere loves Annette Bening in Mother and Child. Loves the whole film actually. Will it find distribution in time for an Oscar run?
I think it's "cute" that Jeffrey Wells thinks it's the best performance of The Bening's career. You see, someone says that just about every time with her. That's how you know you're dealing with a major actress. With lesser actresses everyone always agrees on what their "best" is, you know? It was Warren Beatty who said it about Running With Scissors but then, he has vested interest in her eventual (?) Oscar crowning.
Our reader / contributor in Cannes hasn't had much time for post-screening e-mails but she is quite fond of Agora, from director Alejandro Amenábar (The Others, The Sea Inside). That's rather a surprise since a lot of reports we've been reading have been decidedly less enthusiastic. But you know cinema: it divides whether or not it conquers.
Here she is...
Agora is unapologetically provocative. The Vatican has been wasting its time worrying about Angels and Demons with Amenábar's epic about the religious strife that destroyed Alexandria waiting in the wings. Rachel Weisz, reminding us that her Oscar win was no fluke, is dynamic as Hypatia, the philosopher and astronomer known for her outspoken questioning of God. She has a high-minded nature and has sworn off men and worldly pursuits completely. The first half of the movie follows the expulsion of the pagans from Alexandria and the Christian led destruction of the city's famed library. Many Alexandrians convert to Christianity in the wake of the seige, including Hypatia's former slave Davus (Max Minghella) and confidante Orestes (Oscar Isaac). Hypatia nonetheless remains steadfast in her beliefs, devoting her time to pursuing possible explanations for the heliocentric model. The movie focuses on the growing power of the Christians, as they turn their sights on the Jews and eventually the city's entire political organization. Agora outright accuses the film's Christian leaders of flagrantly manipulating the biblical text and indulging in the worst types of persecution (are there good types?). This is the most forthright challenge to the religion that I have personally seen committed to film.
Max Minghella starts out somewhat weak but grows increasingly impressive as he develops from a slave in love with Hypatia to a religious follower trying to mute his own unease with the tactics being used around him. I was most invested in the relationship between Orestes and Hypatia, and the former's clear respect and admiration for the latter. Watching Orestes negotiate the turning of public opinion against Hypatia gives the movie its most challenging emotional edge. Agora has some trouble connecting the drama of the personal stories with its larger tale of a pivotal moment in civilization, but its audacity, technical clarity, and relatability ultimately make it worthy of the effort.
I know several readers are hoping that we see Rachel Weisz on Oscar's red carpet again. The lack of consensus enthusiasm at Cannes doesn't always mean something in the larger marketplace (and thus the Oscars) but it can. Rosengje thinks that if it surmounts the obvious obstacle -- will anyone see it? will critics care to convince them to? -- it would find Oscar favor.
<-- Abbie Cornish and Jane Campion at the Bright Star premiere
I also had to ask her opinion on Jane Campion's Bright Star which is about the short passionate romance between the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. It's my most eagerly awaited picture from the festival on account of my deep love for Campion's The Piano (1993).
Rosengje is less enthusiastic then the consensus thus far.
I enjoyed and admired Jane Campion' competition entry Bright Star but could not fight the feeling that the movie frequently functions as a standard period romance. Abbie Cornish's direct manner and eventual tenderness toward her beloved are captivating. It is a testament to her performance that the poignancy of the relationship is actually more potent in Keats' absence. I felt the leads were lacking in chemistry, but the depth of Fanny's feeling as the film progresses is palpable and carries the film's last act as Keats journeys to Italy to treat his tuberculosis.
Ben Whishaw and Paul Schneider in Bright Star
I found Ben Whishaw to be Bright Star's biggest weakness. The actor effectively portrays the man's sensitivity and his poetic nature, but overall he seems too weak to warrant the affection of the headstrong Fanny. Paul Schneider, in the supporting role of Mr. Brown, gives the movie's most energetic and vital performance amidst the romantic and intellectual angst. He constantly challenges Fanny's motives while demonstrating a true devotion to Keats.
As expected, the technical credits are perfection, with costumes and cinematography standing out. Fanny starts Bright Star obsessed with design, and her frilled and pleated ensembles reveal more about her personality in the opening scenes than her initial interactions with Keats. Campion particularly captures the beauty of the couple's surroundings in a way that is more effective than the resulting poetry. One sequence involving butterflies left me breathless.
This is the same sequence that Roger Ebert referred to in his recent Cannes article, so I'm guessing it's a true standout and one that they'll eventually plaster on beautiful Oscar FYC ads... not that that is all that important at the moment. The real importance is that Jane Campion has finally made another picture. Rosengje wanted Campion's comeback movie to be a bit more "narratively audacious" but thinks it could be an arthouse hit.
Bob Berney, formerly of Picturehouse, has made a career of successfully drawing audiences to arthouse fare, and the young leads and romance should be accessible and enjoyable to a fairly broad audience.
Agora is currently expected on American screens on December 18th. Bright Star arrives on September 18th.
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.
A random sampling of celebs from premieres, parties and events this past week...
image sources
I made fun of Sharon Stone this week but I did it with love, I assure you. In truth I think the world would be a far better place if more celebrities tried as hard as she (still) does. Take Scarlett Johansson for example. This tent jacket is what she wears to her own premieres now? Sometimes she doesn't even try. You gotta try. It's Hollywood. Tinseltown... tinsel is, like, shiny -- get it Scarlett? No? Well, if you don't try on the red carpet at least try on screen. [sigh] I worry about that one... it's been 5 years since a particularly memorable pair of performances made her A List. So many films since then and so little to remember from them. If I were King of Hollywood, I would appoint Sharon as Headmistress of the Academy for Aspiring Movie Stars and I would warn her that Scarjo is a natural who just ain't applying herself.
A private message to both Kerry Washington and Jay Hernandez: Please start making some movies I'd actually like to see because you're extraordinarily scrumptious. Pleez & thx, - N.
Rachel Weisz loves zebras and Darren Aronofsky so she has reasonably good taste. I'm hoping you'll see her at the Oscars... because that would mean her auteur husband was finally recognized for something and why not start with The Wrestler. It's so good... I'm next to finished with all the big ticket Oscar hopefuls and The Wrestler just keeps looking better and better in comparison. Luca Argentero... I had some reason for including him but it's already escaped me. Ciao Italia. Angelina Jolie would love to stay and chat but she's busy. busybusybusy. The question is will she & Brad stay so active red carpet wise once the multiple global Changeling and Benjamin Button premieres are over? Will we see them at the Globes and Oscars? That depends on the fates of their vehicles, his & hers.
JA from MNPP here, asking the question: Why mess with a great thing, Darren Aronofsky? According to this piece at MTV, Aronofsky is considering making a new-ish version of his 2006 stunner The Fountain.
"“It wouldn’t be a ‘director’s cut,’” he said — more like an alternate story told with the addition of unused footage from the first go-round. This would be a complicated project on a couple of levels, though, and it’s at least a few years away."
It's been awhile and my memory is hazy but for some reason I had thought that the original version Aronofsky had been working on with Brad Pitt in Hugh Jackman's role never actually got around to filming anything. Am I nuts? I could've sworn that Pitt backed out right before shooting was set to commence, thereby throwing the project into turmoil that took a couple of years from all of the world's Aronofsky-movie-watching abilities and made me dislike Pitt for a bit. (And Bradley appears to be playing the same ditching game with Darren again on The Fighter; will you ever learn, Darren?)
I guess I must be nuts if Aronosfky has gone on the record with hopes of integrating this lost footage together into some Franken-Fountain monster thing. I suppose there must've been some effects work and the like done early and that's what he's speaking of?
As far as I'm concerned Aronofsky is a genius and I will watch whatever he wants to make. But I'm perfectly happy with The Fountain as is and I know he had a frustrating experience with the project but I'd rather he just went and made new movies and not turn this into something like Ridley Scott's fifty versions of Blade Runner. If Rachel Weisz turns up on a unicorn, somebody's going to get a very stern talking to! .
As we get closer and closer to the present day, the Vanity Fair cover girls (and sometimes boys) are starting to look more and more plausible as current cover subjects. It does take several years for an entire group of careers to change dramatically. Though, who would have guessed in April 2002 when this was published that Rachel Weisz would be the only Oscar winner within the next six years. (Connelly had already won hers).
Kirsten Dunst, newly 20, had been well known since she was 12 but her fame was exploding: that record breaking Spider-Man franchise was launching a month after this cover. She was the Next Big Thing coming off of a comic hit she carried (Bring It On, 2000) and lots of critical praise for three performance stretches: The Virgin Suicides (2000), crazy/beautiful (2001) and the just-opened period piece The Cat's Meow (2002). In other words her future was very very bright...
<-- One might say blinding: she hadn't even slept with Jake Gyllenhaal yet (!) who, and people forget this, was considerably less famous than she when that began in Sept 2002. One can never know what's coming, can one? Especially if you've just entered your twenties. Wildly hateful internet backlash and rehab for depression were still far ahead in Kiki's unforeseeable future.
Kate Beckinsale, almost 29, was very high profile at this exact moment though not so much before, having just starred in Michael Bay's blockbuster Pearl Harbor. Prior to that dumb epic she was known mostly for period pieces. Afterwards she seemed to mostly swear off indie fare (Laurel Canyon a notable exception) in favor of headlining big budget vampire flicks in skimpy costumes (Underworld, Van Helsing). Next up: Supposedly she's an Oscar hopeful for the true story political drama Nothing but the Truth. Jennifer Connelly, 31, had just cemented her typecasting as The Depressive Crying One with her Oscar win in A Beautiful Mind (2001) which was hot on the heels of a critical hit with Requiem for a Dream (2000). She hasn't equalled the success of the former or the performance skill of the latter since. Though it almost feels like she stopped trying at her peak, doesn't it? A year after this cover she was a newlywed with a child on the way (Her A Beautiful Mind co-star Paul Bettany was the lucky man). She's never exactly gone away but films like Reservation Road, Little Children, Dark Water, Blood Diamond, House of Sand and Fog and Hulk have done little for her reputation. The 30something years are generally the plum years for actresses of a certain fame level and, strangely, she seemed to sit hers out. Who could've predicted it? Is a comeback in store? [Pictured right at the 2002 BFCA Awards -photo src]
Rachel Weisz, turning 31, had driven up her fame co-starring in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001) but a date with Oscar seemed a little far fetched at this juncture. At the time she was something like a B version of Kate Winslet: a Sam Mendes dating, talented, pretty British actress. It wasn't until she married director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) and delivered that grand performance in The Constant Gardener that she started to seem like a potential A lister. Her career has since settled back into the mid level range but who knows. Next up: The Brothers Bloom from the director of Brick and a high profile gig as the grieving mother in Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lovely Bones.
Brittany Murphy, 24, had been dancing animatedly around the edges of big fame for some time. A feisty offscreen personality and memorable screen stints in Don't Say a Word (2001), Cherry Falls (2000), Girl Interrupted (1999) and Clueless (1995), kept her in the Hollywood running until the lead roles started hitting 'round about the time of this cover. Movie Star status didn't really take. Maybe it was the films she delivered in her brief headliner phase from 2002 to 2004... 8 Mile, Just Married, Little Black Book, Uptown Girls? She returned to firecracker supporting parts in Sin City (2005) and The Dead Girl (2006) which seem to fit more comfortably. Still, there was real screen presence and potential that one senses wasn't quite explored for a variety of reasons -- emotional instability, party girl madness and bad career moves chief among them.
Brittany on David Letterman in 2002 (when the future looked bright) and in the music video Faster Kill Pussycat in 2006
Selma Blair about to turn 30 was enjoying her second Hollywood cover (see Episode 6 for more on her). Conde Nast must have owned as much stock in her career as they did in Gretchen Mol's. Blair is now returning to TV comedy full time with the US adaptation of Australia's irreverent Kath & Kim.
Rosario Dawson was about to turn 23 and enlisted by Vanity Fair's strange Affirmative Action policy with these covers [unwritten but obvious rule: one non-white actor must be placed in the last third of the foldout]. She first hit Hollywood in the controversial Kids (1995, which also introduced Chlöe Sevigny -see episode 7) and she has been a hardworking game actress since --she's nearing 40 quite diverse feature credits after only 13 years in the biz). 2002 was bringing her three major opportunities to score with the public: Co-starring in two summer star vehicles for huge stars (Will Smith in Men in Black II and Eddie Murphy in The Adventures of Pluto Nash) and The Girlfriend part in Spike Lee's joint 25th Hour which turned out to be his best since Do the Right Thing! [pictured left at a party for the film -photo src] Her work ethic hasn't let up since (either that or she can't say "no" to any offer) and fame has continued rising at a steady if non A list clip. She's currently the star of the groundbreaking web series Gemini Division and in theaters with Eagle Eye.
Christina Applegate, 30, was something of an oddity for these covers which usually focus on film stars. Her fame had come from TV (Married With Children) but perhaps the Vanity Fair staff assumed she'd really cross over? She didn't. She made ooccasional forays into the big screen: The Sweetest Thing (2002) and Anchorman (2004) to name two high profile examples. She also had a minor success on stage with a revival of Sweet Charity (2005) but through it all she never strayed far from the small screen. She recently returned there to carry the hit sitcom Samantha Who? Though not a movie star, she's a success story not to mention a Hollywood survivor --consider that storied broken foot on Sweet Charity and her recent battle with breast cancer --and a likable celebrity, too.
Naomi Watts, 33, was then more commonly known as "Nicole Kidman's Best Friend" or even "Heath Ledger's Girlfriend" rather than for her own gifts (the Aussie friends are all pictured, right, at the premiere of The Ring). She was still a relatively untested screen presence when this issue debuted despite years in the biz. Sure she had just aced her role in David Lynch's Mulholland Dr [prev posts] ensuring her a place in cinephile hearts forever but it wasn't a mainstream success and didn't bring her Oscar attention. Luckily for Watts, filmmakers went crazy for her and after The Ring (2002), 21 Grams (2003), King Kong (2005), and The Painted Veil (2006 - previous post) among others she's now the most important Actress (capital intended) of the nine featured on this "Hollywood" cover. At the time, who knew? * * median age: 28, Kiki played the baby sister (20) and Naomi the mom (33) collective Oscar noms before this cover: 1 nomination and win for Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind [see prev post] who inexplicably won everything that year despite strong competition. collective Oscar noms after this cover: Only 2 (Naomi Watts in 21 Grams & Rachel Weisz) with one win (Weisz in The Constant Gardener) fame levels in 2008, according to famousr, from most to least: Kirsten Dunst (this is why actors make superhero movies, you know ;), Naomi Watts, Kate Beckinsale, Brittany Murphy, Christina Applegate, Jennifer Connelly, Rachel Weisz, Rosario Dawson and Selma Blair other episodes of 'VFH':1995 ,1996, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. bonus jpeg: The ladies now!
Our young festival-going correspondent Lev (pictured left) actually lives in Toronto. So, he's not going anywhere now that TIFF has wrapped. But post festival frenzy he has one last report to offer us. Here he is...
That's a wrap! Well, at least it was a few days ago. I realize I'm a little behind the times. Here are my final three movies:
The Brothers Bloom - Rian Johnson's (Brick) sophomore effort is a predictable and slight film. Johnson seems to be channeling Wes Anderson in everything from the quirky-cleverness to the family issues to Adrien Brody, and if Wes Anderson doing Wes Anderson is past its prime then another director doing him is even staler. Brody is much too mopey, Ruffalo is fun but he doesn't have much of a role, Weisz overplayed her character to the point of irritation, and Kikuchi doesn't really do anything at all besides having a clever name that's not all that clever. C
It doesn't surprise me at all to hear that Weisz may have erred on the side of overplaying. That's exactly how I felt about her turns in The Shape of Things and The Fountain. Well, she'll always have The Constant Gardener.
Me & Orson Welles - I really really hate HD. My viewing experience would've been enhanced ten-fold if Linklater had shot film. HD just looks like bad TV. This actually feels like a TV movie, and it would have felt less so if it was shot film. I still had fun. The first two acts are much stronger than the third. I got the feeling the writers didn't really have an ending, so they just let it go on. Still, Christian McKay (as Welles) is a hoot, and Zac Efron doesn't make you cringe, although he can never quite match the brilliance of that basketball song in the High School Musical 3 trailer (for those who haven't seen the trailer, you have to see it for it's comedic brilliance). B-
Che - A lot of unjust controversy over this one. It's not really all that difficult or dense. Yes, Soderbergh does omit numerous dramatic moments, but this is nothing new. Wasn't it Bunuel and his co-writer Jean-Claude Carrière who wanted The Phantom Of Liberty to be a series of thinly connected stories and then stop each story right before it got interesting? That's not to say that Che is uninteresting. Besides the second act of The Argentine, the film(s) are quite compelling, and Soderbergh shifts from action to humour to powerful drama effortlessly. Benicio Del Toro is, as he always is, brilliant. He probably won't get an oscar nomination; he has no showy moments or breakdowns but he brings motivation and humanity to a coldly written character. Soderbergh shot in HD with the brand new Red camera, and for the most part it looks pretty dingy. Unfortunate, because Soderbergh knows how to shoot scenes: never cutting too much, choosing his angles carefully. Don't let the running time scare you, Che is well worth seeing. A-/B+
No matter how many times I hear that I shouldn't worry about the running time... I still do! I'm seeing it shortly @ NYFF press screenings and perhaps I'll have to do some yoga during intermission to make it through. Back to Lev...
I can't compare this TIFF to previous fests, but I learned a lot in terms of choosing my films, and next year I'll do a lot more research. My order of preference for the 12 films I saw.
1. Synecdoche, New York 2. Four Nights With Anna 3. Che 4. The Wrestler 5. Gigantic 6. Me & Orson Welles 7. Linha De Passe 8. Sugar 9. The Brothers Bloom 10. The Burning Plain 11. Acolytes 12. Zift
Thanks for reading
No thank you, Lev, for sharing your festival with us here @ The Film Experience. Give him a round of applause in the comments, please. And if you missed any TIFF coverage just click the label below for all the posts. *
This is how much I love Ralph Fiennes: I sat through Maid in Manhattan in its entirety...
Read and return to discuss if the spirit moves you.
Also the third round in the Actress Polling has begun on the main site. So go and cast your vote. And if you're curious here are the readers rankings to date for both the actresses and the actors.
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