Beauty vs Beast: Marriage Among the Ruins
Monday, October 5, 2015 at 4:00PM 
Jason here, taking a little break between New York Film Festival screenings to give you this week's edition of "Beauty vs Beast" -- this past weekend Danny Boyle's film Steve Jobs screened at NYFF to sold-out crowds and from what I gathered very good notices (stay tuned for TFE's take soon; I took that picture to the left myself at the press conference), and I heard that on Saturday night Danny Boyle led the crowd in a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" to birthday girl, beloved actress, Oscar winner, and icon Kate Winslet.
Kate turns 40 today! We have been worshipping Kate ever since she helped bash in her girlfriend's mother's head with a brick in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, and we've never wavered... well okay we had no idea what anybody was thinking with Labor Day either, but other than that, not ever. Here on her 40th birthday let's give love to one of her best recent performances, one that just happened to coincide with a reunion with the Bogie to her Bacall, Leonardo DiCaprio, who was doing very fine work right across from her.
PREVIOUSLY Last week in anticipation of Ridley Scott's The Martian's looming box office boom we faced off our favorite pair of Red Planet invaders -- well it was Tim Burton's little green men that zapped their way into our hearts, to the tune of nearly 80% of your vote. Sorry Tripods, better luck next invasion. Said Denny:
"ACKACKACKACKLOLOLOLOL The martians from Mars Attacks win for their Frankenstein-ian experiments ALONE. "
Reader Comments (18)
I love Kate Winslet in this movie so much.
I especially love her heated argument with DiCaprio about wanting another child and being truthful and how they used to live by the truth.
I think it is especially telling of a compelling performance when an actor can make you take the side of their character even you disagree with what they're saying. One of my favorite quotes ever is "No one forgets the truth, Frank, they just get better at lying", a statement I completely disagree with, but Winslet's shift from painful anguish to fiery indictment MID-SENTENCE has my actressexual mouth salivating everytime I hear her delivery! So powerful!
So there you go, team April!
I was totally team April. Frank had too much difficulties with his masculinity plus I loved how April always knew exactly what to say to get under his skin.
This was a such a gret acting showcase for the both of them. My favorite part is when April resigns to her fate and makes an effort to give a shit about Frank's job and ends up in tears after he leaves. Plus i've said this before but Leo is really good at crying.
I can't help but look at that photo and translate into Team Jack and my daydreams about never letting go, and Titanic memories made me go Team Frank.
John T -- Titanic memories do tilt towards Team Frank-Jack and wounded crying man-boys have their special place in cinema/hearts/lusts except when certain actors play them too often so... Team April?
But i am like the unwashed masses who had difficulty loving this movie or either of them in it despite the joy of a Titanic reunion.
i wish they would go a third round though They're really robbing us of that. how about a comedy together since they both need one?
Nathaniel Yes a comedy with the two of them would be wonderful.
As to who to vote for, both are pretty toxic characters. I am tempted to vote for Dicaprio this time, because WInslet clearly won round one (Titanic) It's more of an even battle this time.
These might just be my favorite performances from both stars, but I'm #TeamApril always.
I just watched "Revolutionary Road" for the first time, which made me go back and re-read Richard Yates' classic take on post-war suburbia.
Though the film of RR adaptation is faithful, it misses the black humor and telling interior thoughts of the characters. Which made the film versions of Frank and April highly annoying.
That said, for once, Leo's baby-faced huffing and puffing were appropriate, since the novel version of Frank seems to have been an inspiration for "Mad Men's" big baby, Pete Campbell! Kate's April is Betty Draper on steroids--more interesting, if not more empathetic.
Book version Frank VS April: April. Film version: a draw.
I'm Team April, but Leo really did do a terrific job in this movie (maybe my favorite performance of his?). That scene on the park bench at the end just kills me...every time!
I love both of them in this movie, but the close up of Kate smoking at the table after Michael Shannon's blow-up is actorly perfection. Maybe the most severe and intense she's ever been. I also love how she threatens to scream if he says another word... I wish more casting directors would take note of her ability at playing unpredictability / mental illness.
And Nat: I'm pretty sure she and Leo have joked that they'll work together once a decade. So... fingers crossed?
A comedy together! Yes. But how about a Mr. & Mrs. Smith type of film? That'd be fun also.
I voted for Frank, but only because I liked him better in the book. I haven't been able to sit through the whole movie (fail).
*girlfriend's mother's head
I am so Team April. The bitch is Toxic and I love it.
Kate is amazing, and thank god that this performace at least won a Golden Globe amongst that confusing Actress race.
CANNOT believe that she is only now turning 40, she seems to have been here for a long time.
Hoping that somehow she would present with Leo at the Oscars this year.
Ian -- right! Can't believe I missed that word, I fixed it. Thanks :)
I'm Team April but just cuz I feel like a vote for her is a vote for Planned Parenthood
Ah yes, I remember defending this movie just a couple months ago on this very site, from someone who decided to just judge all the characters' various very real human flaws and foibles, thus finding the entire enterprise unworthy.
I'm going with Team April here, mostly because of Frank's cringingly foot-in-the-mouth stupidity at the very beginning, when he handles April's failure in a community play by basically saying, "Well, that sucked but at least it's over!" I basically had a hard time with him after that (and with his inability to stop talking when April would absolutely plead with him to do so). It's a painful, resonant, well-told story. And the book is even better.
Can I vote for both? I love them together in this film. They bring something deeper out in each other.
I really wish this was the role she won the Oscar for.
Damn, this is a tough one. I really can't choose. They are both equally tragic in this brutal, doomed love story. And they are both excellent in two of their best roles, performing a true actors' duet, playing off each other's notes in subtle and surprising ways.
Philip--yes, this indeed should have been her Oscar winner.