Nathaniel Gives Thanks
Thursday, November 26, 2015 at 10:45PM You've heard from a few members of our team of their quick lists of gratitude so naturally your host and obsessive ringleader, Nathaniel, must chime in. As you read this I'm surely already stuffing myself but this year I've planned ahead with a big diet and exercize program to commence on November 30th.
I'm thankful for...
..."rug" in Room, steering wheels in Mad Max Fury Road, the train sets in Carol and Ant-Man, and Gerda's evolving portraits of Lili in The Danish Girl
... Grandma's bonobos fixation
... Sarah Paulson's ability to elevate every single project she's in whether said project is awesome (Carol) or, let's say, "challenged" (AHS: Hotel and AHS in general for that matter)
... the way 2015's hottest topics kept reminding us of Cate Blanchett's Blue Jasmine speech in 2014
...a tight squeeze, with shimmering bosom, in Paolo Sorrentino's Youth
... bits and pieces of Magic Mike XXL but oddly not the parts involving bits and pieces. [Ahem]
...the rise of continuous shots. Hello Victoria ! Can we keep getting one of these movies every year?
...communal meals in Brooklyn. And speaking of communal meals -- that time Katey, Nick, Joe and I were all in the same room (first time ever) and then that time I met her awesomeness Teo Bugbee for lunch and we retreated, without warning, into the weird pockets of our brains that are completely infected with Isabelle Adjani madness. (After we were done talking about drooling on Carol that is.)
... Tilda Swinton's tan in Trainwreck, Michael Keaton's self-assessment in Spotlight, and Juliette Binoche's laughter in Clouds of Sils Maria
...the beautiful commitment to ugly psychology in UnREAL
... Patton Oswalt's memoir "Silver Screen Fiend"
...the shot of Jack's feet tentatively touching the sterile hospital floor in Room
... *unfolds dread acceptance speech list of names that probably won't mean anything to readers but means a lot to me* Nicolette, Tony, Lisa, Lea, Chris, Gena, Courtney, Amy, Benjamin, Melanie, Denise, Rob, Matt, Thomas, Joey, Cory, Thelma, Todd, Dan, Ed, Kay, Matt, Tim, Jenn & Alan, Vern & Evi, Deborah & Roberta, multiple Williams & Davids & Ryans & Johns & Andrews and many others I'm forgetting right this second who either work in showbiz and make my job more pleasant from their outreach and kindness or don't work in the movies at all but make my life more pleasant and joyful in one way or several others.
... the absurd jump in quality (when the show was already excellent) in S2 of The Leftovers.
... three superb actors we've loved for years that were kind enough to guest blog right here at The Film Experience in 2015 for an entire day: Ann Dowd, Cara Seymour, and David Dastmalchian. Humbled and blessed to have them.
And, finally, a toast to imaginary friends within the movies -- Bing Bong (Inside Out), Lucky the Dog (Room), and Larry & Barry (Mad Max Fury Road) -- since every character we love in a movie serves the same function for us!
We'll end with a reminder of our deep gratitude to all you readers (international and domestic) -- especially those that donate, subscribe, comment, and share their favorite articles -- and to Team Experience who do so much to keep this blog popping daily when I'm exhausted, overwhelmed, offline, travelling, or even when I'm doing just fine and they're just sharing their love for movies in articles and or comments. Community means so much to The Film Experience because what is the obsession with movies other than the thrill of sharing stories together in the dark?
Nathaniel (c'est moi) posing with Natalie (Portman)! Nathaniel R, the creator and owner of The Film Experience, is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. He is the film columnist for Towleroad, a renowned Oscar pundit (Gurus of Gold), and his writing has appeared in both online publications (Vanity Fair, Slate) and print magazines (Esquire, Winq). Nathaniel has served on international festival juries and appeared as an on-air Oscar pundit for CNNi, Sky News London and more. Michelle Pfeiffer on a piano top (1989) altered his life's trajectory, and Julianne Moore high on coke and mommy issues (1997) and Nicole Kidman descending from the rafters (2001) at the Moulin Rouge sealed his fate as the hopelessly movie-mad Actressexual you see before you. [Follow Nathaniel on Twitter | See all Nathaniel's Articles
Reader Comments (17)
I didn't know u were skyuk's cinema pundit.
I've been loving reading this blog for more than 10 years. I am social-network-agnostic and I never read the comments anywhere else, and this is one of the 3 places I ever post my opinions in the whole internet. Thanks for keeping this place with a lot of love for the movies.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Nathaniel, and all your writers and fellow readers. I love this place!
Thank you Nathaniel and to all the contributors & commentors for teaching me about movies!
And thank *you* Nathaniel. I'm just realising, I've been visiting this blog/site for roughly 15 years now, and it's still among my Top 3 most frequently visited (NB: this includes email, facebook, porn etc etc). I hope to continue for another 15 years
xo
I am eternally grateful for you, your blog, and all the joy you've brought me for nearly 15 years. Here's to many many more years!
Thank you Nathaniel, from a newbie to your site. I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful.
Binoche's laughter in Clouds of Sils Maria!!!
It's just that kind of wonderful observation that's drawn me to this site for years. Thank you for all you do, helping us see films from different angles, and reminding us of the joy that movies provide us, in ways both big and small.
MARK -- it was just once or twice quite a long time ago now *sniffle*
CAL -- as someone who -- well, two of my three best friends are social media agnostic -- this is a huge compliment.
EZ - love to hear from newbies. welcome.
EVERYONE -xoxo
I think I found the film experience when in 2008 or 2009, meaning I was 15 or 16, and an extremely depressed teenager. This site has really been a place I go to escape the harsh realities of life and enter my favorite joy: the world of cinema (specifically: actresses).
So much that is said here has shaped my taste, or how I view movies, so thank you Nathaniel!
How do all of us even begin to express the amount of thankfulness that we cinemaniacs possess for you, Nathaniel? This thing that you created is a funnel and/or a straw for all of us to direct and/or syphon our passion for the art of cinema. Truth be told, when I'm lying around, knowing that I want to watch a movie but am not quite feeling passionate enough to succumb to MY PASSION... I flip over to your website and I start getting the sophisticated and amorous goose bumps that launch me into CINEMA MODE! You are a gateway to bulk passion. And on this Amercian Thanksgiving, and this average Canadian Thursday... I am extremely, as always, thankful for you.
Oh how this post warmed my heart! We have to do lunch again soon if only to properly gush over Michelle Pfeiffer to the extent of Carol and Adjani. (And also to gush more over Carol and Adjani, duh.)
I am thankful for the films of Jennifer Jones, Greer Garson, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Anne Bancroft, Julie Andrews, Julie Christie, Ellen Burstyn, Diane Keaton, Marsha Mason, Jessica Lange, Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Ingrid Bergman, Jane Fonda, Nicole Kidman and Toni Collette.
And for this sublime Web site. Thank you, Nathaniel!
I am so thankful for this site. When I was in high school, I thought I was just that weird kid who know a lot of useless Oscar trivia and could talk about and liked watching movies that were black and white. It freaked some people out. Quoth my biology teacher: "You know who Marsha Mason is?" However, once I got to college, I happened upon The Film Experience while going through my own Oscar predictions. I have been visiting the site every day since then. I discovered that I am not weird, that I am part of a vast community of film lovers and that apparently people in my hometown just didn't watch enough.
Very lovely (and thank you for continuing to praise Grandma and Lily this awards season)!
If you write in your bio that you are reknowned at anything, you are probably not. Just saying.
And it's spelled renowned. Like me.