Modern Maestros: David Cronenberg

Robert here, continuing my series on important contemporary directors. I'm glad Nathaniel posted his list of favorite characters of the 2000's earlier today, and even gladder that Tom Stall, protagonist of A History of Violence made the cut. He's a fantastically layered character. Also it's a nice segway into my director of choice this week. Though before we start, let's get this one bit of sad business out of the way: Yes, we'll never be able to talk about Cronenberg's Crash without having to say "No, not that Crash, the other Crash. Yes there's another movie called Crash." Le sigh.

Maestro: David Cronenberg
Known For: sci-fi, thriller, or generally disturbing takes on violent people.
Influences: plenty of great cerebral or sci-fi writers. Philip Dick, Ray Bradbury, Franz Kafka. Cinematically? According to Cronenberg, he grew up liking westerns.
Masterpieces: I respect a lot of his work. For me Eastern Promises and Dead Ringers are at the top.
Disasters: Oh eXistenZ really does kinda sUcK.
Better than you remember: I can't blame anyone for reacting with abhorrence to Crash. But it's really not that bad.
Box Office: over 40 mil for The Fly
Favorite Actor: When Cronenberg's next film is released (next year) Viggo Mortensen will be the #1 man with three showings. Right now there are a few actors who've starred in two Cronenberg films, including Ian Holm and Jeremy Irons.

Not many directors can work handily for over three decades and still be considered a "modern maestro." David Cronenberg is not only still making movies, but he's at the top of his game. He's reached a point in his career where a new Cronenberg film is greeted by movie lovers as a slightly out of the mainstream event and my guess is this is exactly where he wants to be. Through the past thirty years as we've watched his career go from horror in the late 70's to science fiction in the early 80's to psychological dramas with surreal elements in the 90's to straight thrillers this century (and for the sake of modernness, we'll try to stick to those here), his top interest has always been the same: violence. We've discussed directors who explore violence before. Tarantino loves the excitement of it. For Von Trier it's a social weapon. But for David Cronenberg, violence is simple and intimate. His movies ponder how we come to violence and how it comes to us. He examines how it alters our identity. After all, our bodies are our identities and when parts of those bodies are punctured, cut open, amputated or scarred, it alters who we are and what we are, if even just a little bit.

But all this about what violence does to us is just half of the equation (usually presented for our own musing in graphic detail). Once we understand the extent of what violence can do to a body, we can ask the other half. What kind of man can do such violence? For this, Cronenberg has any number of answers. It could be someone mentally scarred, someone in the pursuit of good, or even someone a lot more like you and I than you'd expect. It is the psyche of this individual that is at the very heart of what a Cronenberg movie is. But why stop there? Cronenberg movies always seem simple when they're fantastically layered. Where there's violence, sex isn't far behind. In an industry where most sex scenes are used as either shallow titillation or trailer teasing, Cronenberg's have always been immediate and necessary. When was the last time sex scenes were used to demonstrate the evolution of a relationship as successfully as those in A History of Violence?

Life is good. What could go wrong?

Even though Cronenberg started off as a horror director (saying that sounds so reductive doesn't it? I really don't mean it pejoratively) his style has always defied the easy tricks of that genre. Cronenberg's horrors aren't about the startle, they're about the slow build. While watching one of his films, you're never worried that something will jump out at you around the next corner. In fact you're certain that nothing will. But you know that what's around the next corner will be worse than what was around the last corner. And what's around the corner after that will be worse still. And you can't escape it. Although Cronenberg has departed the genre of supernatural horror (for good?), he's kept this method of building slow terror and it continues to serve him well.

After saying all of that I feel I haven't even come close to doing David Cronenberg justice, though if I wrote ten more paragraphs I still may not get close. One probably needs to take a psychology class and a philosophy class (and possibly be stabbed a few times, and have kinky sex, maybe simultaneously) to really get all the way through the depth of Cronenberg's canon. Excitement is already building for his next film, which will deal with a theme that while not violence (not directly at least) has been prevalent in all his work. Psychoanalysis, and the relationship between Freud and Jung (starring Viggo again and Michael Fassbender, what a cast!) Talk about things being worse around the next corner.

Mark Your Calendars

We now have our 2010/2011 Academy Awards dates.

• Dec 27th, 2010 nomination ballots go out to Oscar voters.
  I don't know if you've heard but we already have our first 'we aren't going to push this one as hard as we should' awards candidate in Blue Valentine. The marital drama has been dumped on the dread December 31st date. I'm guessing 6 theaters (max). Such an ignoble dump if you ask me. It's too bad really because the film and the performances deserve better.
  
• Fri Jan 14th, 2011 all ballots due. Polls close.
• Tues Jan 25th, 2011 nominations announced bright and early as is the tradition. It'll be a great day for _____________.
  
• Wed, Feb 2nd, 2011 final ballots go out.
• Sun, Feb 27th, 2011 The 83rd Annual Oscars with _______ as host!
  

Now that AMPAS has set its dates all the golden wannabes can claim calendar dates in the position they think will best influence voters (sigh). We can only pray that they don't all announce nominations in the same week like they did this past season. That traffic jam was such a terrible suspense killer. In previous years it's been more like a ripple effect but this year it was all tidal wave. When everyone votes at the exact same point in the season there's not much variation and no time for stories to unfold. Echo chambers are dull but call and response is more than a little dramatic.

I know I'm moving like my feet are in cement but we'll do a 2010 preview and the annual April Fool predictions very soon. Stay tuned.
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TTT: Top Ten Characters of the Aughts

Tuesday Thursday Top Ten

Remember almost exactly a year ago when I did that impossible list of Favorite Film Characters of All Time? At the time I excluded anybody from the Aughts on account of they were still so new and we'd get to them later. Well, it's later. Here's a quick rundown which I may expand for another project later. These are the newish characters from the last decade in film that are (arguably) the ones I think about the most. I cherish them... it's not a list of best written or best performances or best whatever. It's a list of characters that frequently hop into my brain. They've bought condos in my brain real estate. Though obviously if you asked me on a different day...

Not that you asked me today.

10 Favorite(ish) Movie Characters of the Aughts

• Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain "Jack, I swear"
• Lalit Verma in Monsoon Wedding (Loving dads in cinema really get to me. I'm sure armchair therapists will love that)
• Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind "I'm just a fucked up girl trying to find some peace of mind"
  
• Eleanor Fine in Far From Heaven "Cathy... I'm your best friend"
  
• Tom Stall in A History of Violence (I've brought pompoms to this post...just in case)
  
• Satine in Moulin Rouge! "wilting flower, bright and bubbly or smoldering temptress?"
  
  
  
• Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky (my hero!)
• Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream (At least once a week I find myself thinking about Sara thinking about that red dress. And that's no exaggeration)
• Vivian and Brad Markowski in I ♥ Huckabees "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
  
• Elle Driver (aka California Mountain Snake) in Kill Bill, Vol. I and Kill Bill, Vol. 2
  
• Mr Chow in In the Mood For Love and 2046 (who leaves behind a cloud of cigarette smoke to punctuate this list)
  

Oops. That's 12.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai in In the Mood For Love

Did these characters sink way down deep into your soul? Or are the newish fictional men/women/creatures that are never far from your thoughts quite a different dozen?
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Isn't She Lovely?

Jose here.

When one thinks of Sarah Jessica Parker the first thing that comes to mind of course is sex.

For years we've enjoyed her iconic performance as the most fabulous journalist in TV (and later movies!). Through most of the last decade she made a name for herself as a great comedic actress, bold producer and fashion icon.

Today she turns 45 and what better way to celebrate her than to indulge in the sheer joy of her style?

Therefore, if an image is worth a thousand words, I give you 45,000 words that express why we love SJP.



How will you celebrate what should ideally be International Fashion Day?
How excited are you about the Sex and the City sequel?

First and Last, 3.3

It's the first image after the opening credits and the last image before "the end"...


Can you guess the movie?

Highlight for the answer if that out of focus green blob doesn't do it for you: This is GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) for all first and last puzzles, click the label below
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Can We Talk About Damages ?

My general rule of thumb is that I don't talk about television on this cinema blog unless...

a) I can't help myself (Glee, Buffy)
b) it is connected to cinematic interests (Mad Men, Sex & The City) or...
c) it involves major film actresses

For today's small screen detour, we're talking "c". I watch Damages semi-religiously but I don't love it -- I curse you DVR! you made tv too easy for me -- and I think I've finally pinpointed why. The show is completely intimidated by its Star Actress.


Not that "two-time Oscar winning Gle"-- sorry, uh, "five-time Oscar NOMINATED Glenn Close" is not an intimidating force. She absolutely is. Have you seen what she can do to bunnies, dogs, and pfeiffers?

But Damages creative team seem to live in mortal fear of crossing her path. Every scene and plot development seems to tiptoe up to some big risky "in-your-face-Patty!" throwdown before it scampers away frightened. The way they construct both its rogues gallery and its elaborate plots boils down to the often non-riveting fact that Patty Hewes is an indestructable all-knowing amoral demi-god and everyone else is mere mortal.

For all of Damage's timidity in giving Hewes a true antagonist. -- Rose Byrne's "Ellen" has her moments but doesn't totally work when positioned this way -- you'd think the show would be more terrified to stare directly at Close's Medusa gaze. To make the show as riveting as it thinks it is, they need to focus on this fact: for all the staring matches, they have not yet turned to stone. Glenn Close will not destroy them if they fuck with her a little.

Last week's Close's strongest scene backs up my assertion. The actress nearly found a new note to play when confronted with a disturbing fact (involving her son) that her character was unaware of. Patty, you see, is never The Last To Know. The gap between what Patty always projects (absolute power and relentless determination toward End Goal) and Patty deciding what to project and how to get there without either of those fallbacks was delicious. The show needs a lot more of these gaps in its personality constructs.

Glenn Close is not going to be ignored... but neither, I don't think, would she mind a worthy acting opponent. I hoped, when I first heard that Lily Tomlin would play the Tobin matriarch that they'd make her Patty's arch-enemy. Instead the role, to this point, has been merely an above average take on a teary entitled widow.

I've included an entirely unrelated photo of Lily with Meryl just to make sure you're still reading. Aren't they cute?

I don't think Glenn Close has an equal in the intimidating factor -- unless they really thought outside the box and recruited someone foreign / frosty like a Isabelle Huppert type -- but drama doesn't need its protagonist and antagonist to be total mirrors. That's just one way to do it. Season 2 nearly found the right formula. The blithe carnality of Marcia Gay Harden (see previous post) was a smart, intriguing and non-reflective match for Close's blunt dominance. How, after all, would Patty stare down an opponent that wasn't staring back but checking her hair and talking in hushed sensual tones to everyone but Patty? Strangely though, the show decided not to truly pit the opposing councils against each other. Such a shame.

Should Glenn get another crack at Damages (a 4th season is up in the air), who should take a crack at her gorgon lawyer? Do you share my concerns about the show's imbalance... or do you merely despair that so many great actresses bolt the large screen for the small?
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Abbie Cornish: Spinning Career Somersaults

Editor's note: This post is from Craig of Dark Eye Socket, which I've been enjoying a lot lately. I invited him because he wanted to talk about Abbie and I'm all ears! Next up for Abbie are two supporting roles in Zach Snyder's Alice in Wonderland inspired Sucker Punch and Madonna's period romantic drama W.E. Do you want more Abbie soon?

Abbie didn't look upset 'bout that snub at Vanity Fair's post-Oscar bash

Abbie Cornish was a Bright Star last year, but five years ago she shone bright enough, in her debut lead role in Somersault, to get noticed snagging three Australian acting awards. As Heidi, a girl who escapes the dullness of small-town Canberra for a ski resort in Jindabyne, she clapped and gleamed her way to a more eventful life and a near seduction of pre-Action Man Sam Worthington. Nice idea, Abs.

Since then, she’s steadily honed her talents in a handful of higher profile films which have all made great use of her ability to be both subtle and determined. Her bohemian defiance in Candy, followed by sterling support in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and A Good Year – then hooking up with Ryan Phillippe (much to the future chagrin of Reese Witherspoon) on Stop-Loss, and providing muse duties for Ben Whishaw on Bright Star – have given Cornish ample chance to re-ignite the screen in the years since her Somersaulting turn. That she’s only sparkled at half-brightness so far (in some folks’ eyes) merely points to the fact she’s in it for the long haul, not the quick trip: she’s eking out an enduring résumé; her future’s brighter.

The mid-‘00s saw a surplus of flighty females coax guys into their orbits: Zooey Deschanel in All the Real Girls, Julie Delpy in Before Sunset and – to the tune of an Oscar nod – Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine, to name three, all deservedly gained critical attention. But Cornish’s equally deserving Somersault role, despite the three awards, didn’t inspire quite as much universal adoration. Like that film’s landscapes, maybe she’s seen as a touch too frosty, too oblique for wider appeal. Maybe some folk don’t like that she hangs with the guys too much (most of her co-stars have been male) – something that got Heidi into hot water in Somersault. And she hasn’t exactly taken roles which have been too easy to warm to. But stick to your guns Abbie - more power to you, I say.

She gave one of ‘09’s best performances in Bright Star (couldn’t they have extended the acting categories to ten, too?), but is she still too much the newcomer to appear on Oscar’s radar yet? Recent nominations say otherwise: Carey Mulligan, another demure and elfin movie novice, got an early stab at Oscar; the Academy loved a quirky Ellen Page and a corseted Keira Knightley; and Hathaway and Portman got to make a grab for the bald man. Cornish will just have to wait her turn. Maybe in time she’ll prove herself a capable comedienne and do a Bullock, or take a left turn down the Jennifer Jason Leigh route. A role in a Kathryn Bigelow flick wouldn’t do any harm right now either.


Somersault gave Cornish her best role yet. She was awkwardly, intimately indefinable; viewers, like the film’s characters, skirted around her, curious to see what she'd do next. It was a subtly immersive performance, one that’s perhaps characterised Cornish’s career so far. To paraphrase Bright Star’s strapline: First Roles Burn Brightest.
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Into Link Groove

general cinema
Dark Eye Socket a triple bill recommendation: frightening fiendish females
Inquirer Entertainment Shirley Maclaine is still quotable. Also babysits Bening-Beatty kids!
Socialite Life Kellan Lutz to play Poseidon in War of the Gods. This story is all over the blog rounds but the best part of the story is the one that's not making any headlines: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) is in the director's chair. Therefore, we must assume instant must-see rather than trashy dumb action flick


Old Hollywood Great 70s quote from Patti Smith on French legend Jeanne Moreau
My New Plaid Pants wait, what? Helen Mirren was besties with Brad Davis? Helen Mirren is quite possibly the most fascinating actress with whom I don't have a particularly deep bond. I should learn to love her more
SUNFiltered Isabella Rossellini's uniquely awesome Green Porno series gets a new name and batch of creature carnality
Towleroad Have you heard about this awful situation in a Canadian bar regarding Jake Gyllenhaal and asshole homophobic blogger? Yuck
Life Archives 17 great photos of Steve McQueen, King of Cool [thx]
Queerty a parody of RuPaul's Drag Race

politics and films
i09 has a great piece on healthcare reform through the prism of sci-fi's dystopia stories
Michael Moore have you read this astute Open Letter to Republicans. Funny, sad, and smart in equal measure.

off screen fun
Pop Justice Finland choir does Lady Gaga's 'bad romance'... how long til America tries a version of this reality concept? Post Glee I totally see it happening.
Critical Condition starts a (seemingly massive) Madonna countdown project
I Need My Fix Kristin Chenoweth is delightful whether on Twitter or Ambien or both simultaneously
AIGA/NY an evening of really bad book covers. Sounds interesting
Litely Salted "Oh, Lindsay" I've placed LaLohan in the "offscreen" section because she is obviously no longer movie-related. Which is sad.

First and Last, 3.2

the first line...

a story. a man fires a rifle for many years and he goes to war and afterward he turns the rifle in at the armory...

and the last image before the closing credits


Can you guess the movie?
Highlight for the answer: This is JARHEAD starring our beloved Jakey for all first and last puzzles, click the label below
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DVDs: Fantastic Blind Red Cliffs for Mad Men

A fresh batch of DVDs. Which will you eagerly consume?

• The Blind Side will have huge DVD sales. I'm *cough* blind to this movie's appeal but millions love what they see and will continue to. If it weren't based on a true story, you KNOW that they would already be adapting this into a television series for some young C Lister to try and survive, risking comparisons to a movie star. Kinda like when Sandra Bullock herself got the Melanie Griffith sloppy seconds for television's Working Girl. Who knew then that Bullock's fame would so eclipse Griffith's?
  
• Brothers has arrived for those of you curious about Tobey Maguire's Golden Globe nomination. Do you think he came in the dread sixth place for an Oscar nomination this year? Whoever was sixth was a distant sixth given events on the road to Oscar night, but someone was sixth!
  
• Fantastic Mr Fox is probably going to be even better on DVD. I'm sensing "highly rewatchable". You know what scene makes me howl with laughter each time I'm reminded of it? "Whackbat"
  
• Red Cliff is basically a porn movie to me given that it stars Chen Chang, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung Chiu Wai... so I, uh, probably shouldn't watch it at home. But, that said, I might because in DVD form you can see all 4 hours. I liked the movie in theaters (big action scenes, colorful costumes, and fun war strategy sequences) but it felt suspiciously like a miniseries that had been repackaged for movie length... which, in fact, it had.
  
• Seraphine. Yolande Moreau stars is the painter in this biopic. She won the French Oscar as well as the recent LAFCA Best Actress prize. For those who are impatient it's available on instant play at Netflix.
  
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon ...no comment.
  

Which DVD would you like Nathaniel to type at'chu about right here? A simple review, tossed off thoughts or even a liveblog. Who knows? Vote.

poll by twiigs.com

Mad Men Season Three is also available. I own all three seasons and the packaging is so choice. A scotch neat this time (last season it was a dress shirt in its package). I can't wait to watch it again but first I have to rescreen Season 2 for "Mad Men at the Movies", my series on the film references therein. It'll be a good summer Sunday diversion right here at TFE while we wait for Season 4 to begin. If you've never watched the show you still have a few months to get caught up. It's pretty hard to resist once you've succumbed to its spell. If you haven't yet seen Season Three, you should also rent Bye Bye Birdie (1963) for kicks. It factors in more heavily than just about any film ever has on the show.
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Mexican Wrap (Up).

Jose here (and <=== there for those of you who've never seen me). I got back from the Guadalajara International Film Festival on Sunday and I'm still recovering from the ten most excitingly chaotic days I've ever had. Nat asked me to do a small wrap up of the whole festival experience and first I have to take my hat off to all the journalists, critics and reporters who year after year go through all the screenings, parties, conferences, interviews and venue to venue races of festivals, yet still have the stamina to deliver daily reports, reviews and news about what's going on. I wasn't one of the energetic ones and, on an average sleep of three hours a day, I never could summon enough energy to type everything I wanted to share with you. Therefore I'll give you a quick rundown of my favorite moments right here.



First of all here's a picture of Diego Luna to go with what I wrote last week and for all you girls and guys who think he's dreamy.

Next my recommendations from the festival (seek them out whenever they open near you!)
1. Zona Sur (Bolivia, 2009): think Godardian formalism meets The Maid.
2. Lebanon (Israel, 2009): really I don't know what's wrong with Israel! This movie would've been a lock for the foreign language win in the year of The Hurt Locker.
3. Kinatay (Philippines, 2009): not as shocking and perverted as Ebert would have you think but still superb, taut cinema from a remote land.
4. Garapa (Brazil, 2009): if Michael Haneke and Roberto Rossellini had a child and he made a documentary...
5. Tu (A)mor (Spain, 2009): the most heartbreaking film since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...and it's ten minutes long!

Pictured to your left is screenwriter Michael Tolkin (The Player, Deep Impact and Nine) who gave one of the most debatable lectures during which he declared new Latin American cinema was like "Fassbinder in the 70's" and declared the end of the Hollywood empire was imminent in artistic terms.

The "next important cinema belongs to you" he said addressing a room full of future filmmakers for whom this was sort of a blessing until he decided to let us know of the actual cruelty in Tinseltown (but honestly what can you expect from the guy who wrote The Player in its book and screenplay incarnations?)

My favorite moment of his conference was when he proved his passion for Latin cinema by showing us his iPhone wallpaper, which featured none other than Magaly Solier from The Milk of Sorrow next to one of those giant Oscars AMPAS uses in all its events.



He told us he's a member of the maligned Foreign Language Film committee and revealed how pleased he was with the inclusion of two Hispanic nominees in the running and as much as he'd liked The Secret in Their Eyes (a film he said could NEVER be made under the current Hollywood studio system which he called Nazi) his vote had gone to Perú.

About Nine he said he was as disappointed by it as most of the world was ( his purpose was to "turn 8 1/2 into a musical not the Broadways show into a movie") and even if he had nothing but great things to say about Rob Marshall's committal to the movie he didn't mention Anthony Minghella once.

Another significant moment was a panel held by four notable Latin American film critics and theorists (all of you who know Portuguese read José Carlos Avellar's work ASAP!) who pledged for the necessity to save film criticism in the age of Twitter and the death of print media. Unlike most people who assume film analysis will die with the disappearance of print outlets, these critics actually were thrilled with the possibility of interactive dialogue with audiences.

As they reminded me, we're not here to destroy or worship movies, our work is to enhance and prolong the viewing experience. We're the ones who remind you why you loved that film so much when you're back home or the ones you wish to punch in the face for not sharing your deep love of the latest gross comedy. And just like you we love going to the movies.

(All photo credits courtesy of Anna Cosenza, I'm the laziest tourist ever so she was my unofficial photographer XOXO)

Twelve Years Ago This Week...

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... James Cameron became the King of the World.
How have you been handling his reign? (I sent him my first born)

JA from MNPP here. Titanic swept the Oscars on March 21st, 1998. The back and forth and back and forth over the movie's worth still continues to this day - and only got reignited in recent months with Cameron's re-ascent to the top of the box office heap with Avatar, as I know y'all are only too keenly aware - but I've always been a fan. Of Titanic, that is. And all the cheesiness that non-fans decry make for my favorite bits! Kathy Bates telling Leo he shines up like a new penny. The spitting contest and the warm welcoming bosom of the simple ethnic po' folk downstairs. That scene where Frances Fisher appears to be violating her daughter while tightening her corset with violent tugs. Billy Zane's only-in-need-of-a-mustache-to-twirl performance. I love it all!

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First and Last, 3.1

the third season of first and last begins.
It's the first image after the opening credits and the last image before the closing credits.


Can you guess the movie?
Highlight for the answer: THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
for all first and last puzzles, click the label below
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Monologue: "As Long As He Needs Me"

It's time for the Monday Monologue.

I don't think we've ever discussed Oliver! (1968) in all the years of The Film Experience. Weird. Today it's often disparaged as a typical example of the bloat of 1960s musicals. It's six Oscar haul (including Best Picture) is to blame for much of the critical animosity it engenders. Oscar enthusiasts know that winning the big prize isn't always good for your place in film history.

When I was a child I couldn't get enough of this musicalized telling of Oliver Twist. And it probably won't surprise you to hear that literally every one of my favorite scenes was focused on Nancy, the prostitute with the heart of gold (Shani Wallis). It may well have been the first movie to unlock my actressexuality. I was obsessed with Nancy's sadness, her maternal instincts, her slightly forced joy, her ginger hair, her heaving bosom. Okay, yeah, and maybe I danced in front of the television and got really into that "I'd Do Anything" number where all those smudge faced orphan boys declare their love for her. What of it?

I haven't seen the movie in years but the number that haunts in the memory and that I'm absolutely sure I didn't understand as a kid is "As Long As He Needs Me". Nancy has just been violently back-handed by her man Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) because she doesn't want to go along with his criminal plans.


She exits the scene humiliated as her adoring orphans look on stunned. Once outside of this den of thieves she watches her beloved bully of a boyfriend walking away down the street and tears fill her eyes.

Not all ballads double as monologues but this one sure does. Wallis even begins the number talk-singing.

As long as he needs me.
Oh yes he does need me.
In spite of what you see, I'm sure that he needs me.

As her song progresses, the talk-singing gives way to a fuller musical performance but Wallis's vocal style is mostly subdued. She's not pulling out any vocal pyrotechnics to distract you with her pipes. She's playing the emotions more than the notes.

Who else would love him still
When they been used so ill?
He knows I always will as long as he needs me.


I miss him so much when he is gone but when he's near me I don't let on.

The way I feel inside... The love I have to hide... But hell, I got my pride as long as he needs me.

What's fascinating about the structure of the song (and the detailing of Wallis's performance) is that it's both interior monologue and plea for audience understanding. As such it's more in keeping with stage traditions than the cinema where the fourth wall is more sacrosanct. Nancy's monologue keeps swinging back and forth between addressing us (notice all the questions and the "yous" and the "people") and dark retreats into her romantic interior spaces.


At this point in the song/monologue Nancy hesitates for the last time as if she's still unsure if she should keep justifying her love or start carelessly shouting it. Her final excuses begin to emerge, the abused victim apologizing for the abuser. (I didn't understand the adult psychology of this at all as a child). Once she's gotten this out of the way, the belting commences.

He doesn't say the things he should. He acts the way he thinks he should. But all the same, I'll play the game his way.

As long as he needs me, I know where I must be. I'll cling on steadfastly as long as he needs me. As long as life is long. I'll love him... right or wrong. And somehow I'll be strong, as long as he needs me.

After several of these belted phrases the masochistic sadness of the song really sinks in. It's a heartbreaker. And Nancy knows she's broken.

If you are lonely, than you will know... when someone needs you, you love them so.

There'll be no turning back for Nancy once she's uttered this last rationalization. She'll sing her love for this man until it's the death of her. It's quite obvious that it will be.

I won't betray his trust, though people say I must. I've got to stay true just as long as he needs me.

The climactic lines are sung in far away profile and the song ends with Nancy's back to the camera as she walks slowly away. It's an incredibly sad exit, made more powerful by the use of the forgotten movie grammar of the long shot. Not every scene should be in close-up. Sometimes you have to let your actors walk away, diminished.


This film clip is strangely not available on YouTube so here are some other renditions of the song from the immortal Judy Garland through Ruthie Henshall to Melinda Doolittle...




I include the American Idol clip because, though Doolittle's voice amazes, it's sung without any emotional understanding of the song's content (the frequent bane of that particular pop culture behemoth). Like "Cabaret" after it, "As Long as He Needs Me" is a frequently misunderstood standard. The song is a defiant declaration of purpose, yes, but its mostly a terrible and desperate rationalization. If you don't sell both, you're just singing notes.
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Which movie...

...makes you think of your sister and why?

(If you don't have a sister choose one from the movies in the comments!)
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Teenage Jezebel!

RCL: Nordic Gods, Evil Faeries, Singing Angels

Red Carpet Lineup: each monday a random batch of movie peeps. Who is Where and Why? And What (are they wearing)?

from left to right: Anna Friel hit the Trousdale nightclub. Shouldn't she be looking for work instead of partying? Or is the floral print a reminder that Pushing Daisies is over and she's employable again? Next up for Anna is the crime drama London Boulevard from Oscar-winning screenwriter turned director William Monahan (The Departed). She'll be playing Colin Farrell's sister. Keira Knightley has the lead female role as a reclusive actress; We don't really think of Alanis Morrissette as a movie person but remember when she played God and sang the great "Uninvited" for that crap American remake of Wings of Desire? She's back to acting this year in two indies. I like her. Flavors of Entanglement didn't break any new ground for her as a recording artist but it was still a good listen. I was actually thinking about her during that scene in The Proposal where Sandra Bullock accidentally fell on top of Ryan Reynolds naked. It's true and, no, I don't know what's wrong with me; Pierce Brosnan remains steadily employed post-007 though I've never fully understood his career. I'll never be rid him because he has a weird habit of collecting my favorite women as co-stars. Julianne, Meryl, Madonna, The Bening, SJP, what's next... Michelle?;

Cate Blanchett took her husband and son (pictured left. I think this is the eldest Dashiell?) to the big Generation One event in Australia. Sounds like a worthy outing.

I'm normally grossed out by how obsessed the public is with tots who won the pre-existence lottery and were born to super wealthy famous people. The media always wants to know what these kids are wearing and whatnot and it's so weird. That said, I found myself curious to know what Junior Blanchett is reading here. The book looks very dogeared. Whatever it is, he's totally enjoying it if he's bringing it with him to functions and what not. I even tried blowing the picture up to see what book it was but I can't figure it out. I hope it's not something predictable like Harry Potter. I hope it's like The Sound and the Fury or the complete works of Proust or something. Because if you've sprung from Cate's loins, you'd best aim high. The world is yours.



from left to right: Sarah Jessica Parker wore this black thing to the Showest awards. It's like an ice skating outfit as interpreted by an evil fairy. She was pushing Sex & The City 2 (66 days and counting). I've always loved that SJP began to ascend playing a nerd and ended up the epitome of New York chic but, that said, lately her wardrobe hasn't been working I don't think; Is it weird that I'm still bummed that Alexander Skarsgård (walking 'round West Hollywood here) didn't get the Thor role... when I don't even care about Thor? But he's Nordic and godlike and he doesn't even look silly with long hair and he's 6'4"... what more did they want? He has two movies coming up so cross your fingers that a film career does take. Meanwhile it's only 83 days until True Blood returns; Madonna (out to dinner in NYC wearing a faux alligator coat) is prepping her second feature as a director called W.E. It's the true story of King Edward VIII (as yet uncast) who abdicated his throne for a divorcee (Vera Farmiga). Abbie Cornish has also signed on in an unknown role.

Dakota Fanning, like SJP, wore a glittery fairy dress this week (to another premiere for The Runaways). It looks so dainty. Maybe she's decided she wants to remind people she's only 16 after sexing it up in The Runaways?

<--- Neither of this week's fairy dress looks were quite right so after a brief making-it-work consultation with Tim, I've made some minor construction adjustments to the left here for both of the girlie stars. I fear that Nina, Michael and Heidi will think I went too costumey and I'll be asked to clean up my workspace.

Uh, it's going to be a long week. Bear with me.

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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