Thursday
May212015
always the open thread
Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 11:00PM 
Whenever I panic at the lack of comments on an entire day's worth of goodies like Cannes beauties, fun movie trailers, and throwbacks to beloved or divisive movies. I think "What is Meryl Streep up to?". Streep is like Adivan for high anxiety blogging. Find some way to post about Streep and all will be well again! But all is quiet on the Streep front and I had a really rough stressful week off-blog so instead I'm just staring at this photo of Streep kissing Kidman like it's a paper bag to hyperventilate into.
Always the years. Always the love. Always The Hours.
What has your week been like? What's on your cinematic mind?
Reader Comments (41)
Post about "The Hours" and you'll get triple the traffic you get if you just post about a third of the movie. (Today you posted about two-thirds. Where's Moore?)
What's on my cinematic mind? I've watched "In the Bedroom" twice this week and I'm disappointed that Spacek wasn't as great as I remember her.
I love her in the beginning scenes, especially when she gets to play off Stahl. She's particularly fun to watch in scenes where she's not necessarily the focus. But as the movie progresses, and as she starts to carry more of the weight with so many characters disappearing, I didn't think she was up to the task. I found her wanting in scenes like stumbling into Richard in a supermarket, or finally confronting her husband with how she really feels, and even more when gives up at the end of that confrontation so easily. I think she underplayed a lot without actually being subtle. I was really sad, especially because I remember loving her so much (and loving the memory of the performance I thought I had seen for all these years).
Please convince me otherwise.
Sissy Spacek was *superb* in her scene with Celia Weston when the latter broke down after asking the former why she and her husband didn't have more children. Pefect handling and just flat-out well done, IMO.
What has been on my mind today is the news that Andrea Riseborough will play the villain in The Crow remake. I couldn't care less about that film (zzz) but am intrigued by her casting as she straight-up changed my mind about her and her starpower in Birdman so find myself wanting to see what she does for an encore.
Half way through Grace and Frankie. I don't think Tomlin even has the capacity to deliver a line poorly. Love love love her and can't wait to see Grandma.
Also, just watched The Rules of the Game for the first time. I think it will be something I revisit frequently.
Hope to catch Far From the Madding Crowd this weekend.
Well, I have a stack of screeners to watch and I'm starting to feel guilty about them.
Mareko: agree about that scene, for sure. And Weston actually breaks down because she makes a careless joke about having 11 grandchildren and thus her bloodline guaranteed to not die out (unlike Spacek's). Spacek is marvelous at playing it off. That scene and her slapping Tomei are my favorite scenes of her.
I'm just bitching because she has marvelous moments that don't quite add up to a marvelous performance.
BEST ACTRESS PERENNIAL
Meryl Streep
BEST ACTRESS CHAMP
Julianne Moore
Nicole Kidman
(When will you ever allow me to write a blog post? Surely it would generate some lively discussion. And I promise you it would not be of the click bait variety.)
Pitch Perfect 2 wasn't perfect but it was a lot of fun. Mad Men finale wasn't perfect but it gave us Peggy & Stan. But the sunny, warm weather outside is perfect, and Summer is here.
Beyond the fact that I've finally given myself until all of June to either put up or shut up about my Netflix Instant queue and start chipping away at a good chunk of the titles on there (over 160+), I've been thinking about the Bertrand Bonello Saint Laurent biopic in anticipation of a viewing tomorrow night. I really liked House of Tolerance quite a bit and the reviews for SL are throwing me off but this is just a project I NEED to see, as someone who's waited years for a proper YSL biopic. After the handful of Chanel/Chanel adjacent films a few years back, it got me thinking why some other foreign auteur hasn't mined the field of Dior or Balenciaga as perfect cinematic material. Then I realize how tricky and watered down it all gets when you're trying to show an audience how or what someone thinks translates to as style and design. In any case, it's something I wanna see attempted.
Also been thinking about Klimt a ton since Women in Gold became a modest success and having that same thirst for an artist like him as I do for the above mentioned subjects. Now, there's a glam and ethereal beauty of a film waiting to happen!
Since my mind is sun soaked, name some of your favorite sun soaked films. Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Kids Are All Right jump to mind for me.
Having a stressful, action-packed week, but still managing the random comment here and there. The only things on my cinematic mind are topics of recent discussion on this blog: Genevieve Bujold, Mad Max, Avengers (seeing both this weekend), Mad Men, Carol and other Cannes premieres, and cinematic April-June romances (like Stone-Phoenix in the new Woody Allen).
I was thinking that if they make a movie out of Fun Home, Hugh Jackman would surely be an Oscar shoo-in for playing the closeted gay father.
And also just finished re-watching West Side Story. Still amazed by RITA MORENO, but, for me, the moral drive of those hormone-filled hoodlums is simply horrendous
What happened to Jennifer Connelly that's on my mind this week,do you think supporting actresses winners have it tougher than best actress winners to get good roles,what is it with supporting actress Sorvino,Connelly,Wiesz,Zellweger,Basinger to name some.
Sissy for for me is perfect ITB i will never forget her smashing plates,Marisa slapping,smoking fury,the "oh" when she hears the priests story,her line reaing of "Matt" when her son is first beaten up,sumblime,the way she rests her hand on her sons arm at the game,offering him a sandwich,her loves is more repressed but just as strong for her son,I think an actress like Lange or Streep would have overplayed some moments maybe not Weaver or Keaton,she should have won.
Not sure if this has been addressed in other posts...I recently saw Birdman for the first time...what was up with that lesbian kiss? What were they trying to say about actresses in that moment?
Mark -- that's one of my favorite things about Saint Laurent. It's way way too long and indulgent but more than most "creative type" biopics, i think it succeeds in its attention to his actual work. and the minute details of creation.
Fadhil -- omg. he would be PERFECT. No offense to Michael Cerveris who i also love.
actually there's a new still for the streep movie with frears. hope it's good and meryl can be in a great movie again.
Since your post yesterday, I've been thinking about how much people around these parts seem to hate Natalie Portman. Was I asleep when that consensus was reached?
At any rate, something that I often think about now that black actors are Oscar-nominated more than in the past is which performances from years ago may have gained traction with the Academy. Off of the top of my head:
Ruby Dee, A Raisin in the Sun
Angela Bassett, Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale
Wesley Snipes, New Jack City
Jamie Foxx, Any Given Sunday
Debbie Morgan, Eve's Bayou
Queen Latifah, Set it Off
Sameul L. Jackson, Jungle Fever</>
I told myself I wouldn't see Fury Road until I finished the original trilogy and I finally did that earlier this week, so I'm basically really excited to see it this weekend (hopefully). I knew Thunderdome was divisive but I wasn't expecting it to be so...weird. It reminded me of Hook, which is a movie I grew up loving and haven't revisited since childhood but now I kinda get why people hate it. Tina Turner was fun, I thought she'd be in it more though.
@Troy H.- Kimberly Elise and Beah Richards from Beloved might've had a shot, though that would be a hard film for the Aademy to sit through.
First still of Meryl and Hugh from Florence Foster Jenkins!
I just found out a bunch of 40's dramas are going to be playing at a revival in the near future near me called "Films from the Homefront," so I'm thinking about which of them I'm going to hit. Surely Mrs. Miniver or The Best Years of Our Lives.
On Monday I saw "Mad Max" & I am still recovering from a severe case of Charlize Badassness (Is there anything that women can not do?)
Rewatched Before Sunrise for the first time in years last night, and it's still spellbinding. I introduced it to my boyfriend because I knew he'd love it, and sure enough when the credits began to roll, he was all: "WTF?!?! Where's six months later?!?!?!" And when I told him there was a sequel he was not only shocked but wanted to watch it right away. Until he realized what time it was. What surprised me most was how forward Celine was in many parts of the film - makes me VERY eager to watch Before Sunset again with this one so fresh in my mind. I imagine I'll have a completely different reaction to it than I did on my initial two viewings (both of which got very different reactions themselves).
thefilmjunkie: I have yet to sit through Beloved, mainly because I've never heard anything good about it other than Kimberly Elise's performance.
Mary Alice in Sparkle also comes to mind.
@Troy H. - It's a weird, dark, flawed movie and I understand where its detractors are coming from, but I love it. I even appreciate Oprah's performance in the film. As for Sparkle, Mary Alice broke my heart but I think Lonette McKee is best in show in an admittedly showier role.
thefilmjunkie: I was thisclose to mentioning McKee for that and Jungle Fever. She's woefully underrated as an actress and musician.
Elvis Mitchell's interview with Dee Rees and how I wish I had HBO so I could see BESSIE.
Also, how my kid came storming into my room last night and demanded that I watch a movie she just saw on Netflix with President Coin and Haymitch. Huh? With some research I learned it was Julianne and Woody in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. Is it a must-see?
I'll be seeing Welcome to Me this weekend - strangely enough, not at a theater (although it's playing at one in my city) but on Amazon Prime. Normally, if it's in a theater, I'll go see it, but this just works out better for my friends and me this weekend. Why aren't people talking about this movie more?
It's also the first 2015 film I've seen since getting through all the Oscar nominees in February. I know I'm way behind and would like to see Mad Max and Clouds of Sils Maria but other than that nothing much has motivated me to hit the theaters.
Was that Susan Sarandon I just saw in a Marilyn Monroe Lifetime movie? First Nicole Kidman and now this???
Kidman's situation is worse. Her movie was an actual theatrical feature demoted to Lifetime movie status. Sarandon's presence is elevating her Lifetime vehicle.
Troy see Beloved (1998). No reason in the world to avoid it because of the bad press. It is not a bad movie. More like a frustrating disappointment.
Weinstein bought a movie with Sarandon called "Three Generations" in Cannes. Possible Supporting nom next year? Wouldn't rule it out.
Love the picture of Meryl and Nicole. Two very happy Globe winners.^^
@Jamie
I saw the still. Goddamnit, she's just so cute and I'm curious about this role/person. (and a Soundtrack *lol*)
Anyway, I've seen Lovelace recently with Amanda Seyfried and it was surprised how much I liked it. I think Seyfried was really good and hat quite a lot of baity scenes. Sharon Stone was also good as her mother.
Sarandon also has an Xavier Dolan movie for a supporting actress bid. A sixth nomination and possible second win are certainly in the cards for her on paper.
I'm a believer that Beloved is probably the finest novel of the 20th Century. And I love the film. It's absolutely a companion piece and (in my opinion) should be seen as an accompaniment to the novel. Never instead of.
Elise is perfect, Newton is dementedly wonderful. Oprah is very unshowy.
Definitely recommended.
Both Saint-Laurent and Welcome to Me are opening today, and I'm waiting with baited breath to see them. I might see something else on the weekend, but I'm not sure what. (Tomorrowland doesn't really appeal.)
Im having a major Streep fatigue so I start and end with that
Looking at the movies Kidman is attached to, makes me wonder if that woman has any filter at all? By looking at her filmography from 2010, there are lots of stinkers there.
Is she in a race or something?
This weekend Im gonna celebrate that Im halfway thru my Masters Degree so gonna watch Fury Road.
But Cannes has made me almost hysterically anticipated when it comes to Carol, Sicario, Tale of Tales, The Assassin, The Lobster and Son of Saul
So back to Streep. Do you guys think that Blanchett could get her 3rd Oscar for Carol? Too soon you think? I dunno. The reviews are on fire
I think Blanchett will not win the 3rd, regardless of how amazing she is in Carol. I am not just saying that because it took so long for Streep to win the 3rd. I just feel that she will need more of a narrative to win.
Daniel Day Lewis does not count as a comparison- he is male.
also, day-lewis way playing lincoln vs. blanchett playing carol.
Jamie and Marcelo: do you guys think this is gonna be 2000 all over again. Roberts won while Burstyn clearly gave the better performance of the nominees
According to the reviews, the woman who ends up getting the Oscar, must have a combo of a narrative as you people call it, a killer performance in a great movie
What do you think Nate?
I think Streep is out this year and may possibly be nominated next year. Florence project
Troy H.: The unbridled hatred for Natalie Portman is gross, but not everyone here shares it. That thread was out of control.
Kidman's fans always defend her by saying that she is drawn to auteurs, but I feel that is true of a lot of actresses. Blanchett, Binoche and Swinton, for instance, also work primarily with auteurs, and yet they have managed to compile filmographies that are much more formidable than Kidman's.
Manuel- there are many times that Oscars award someone other than the "best performance"... I am sure Cate is brilliant in Carol and I want to see the movie badly. I just feel that at this stage of the game we just do not know if there is a younger actress whom some believe will be due for coronation come Oscar time... Or a an older actress who has paid her dues (Julianee Moore)... I am just saying that Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Tomlin, and even Carey Mulligan have better narratives to give them steam to win the race - even if Blanchett is brilliant in Carol (since 1) she is usually brilliant and (2) she literally just won.
As for Streep- I would be surprised if Ricki did not bring the 20th nomination this year but there is always the next movie (Florence or any other movie she is working on) that could . For me- Ricki will either have to bomb or just be forgotten completely by the time votes are in. But I will say this- they love her, she is pushing herself once again at 65+, learned to play the guitar and may have a really good script with Cody- if the performance resonates- she will at least get the Golden Globe and maybe even SAG- and then that may push her into an Oscar nomination ( even if she sneaks in for the 5th slot).... I would never bet against her... My gut says she gets in and I hope the original song is nominated as well- would love to see her rock out with Rick during the Oscar telecast!
Lawrence does not have a win worthy narrative. She did not deserve her first win and the push to get her a second one immediately after was horrifying. My preference is Lawrence and Streep not making the final five.
Suzanne -- Nobody hates Portman. She has a pretty face and is merely an OK actress. Her win brings out the worst because the movie its housed in does not play well for some on repeat viewings. And because she has that Oscar, Annette Bening is still without.
True, Kidman is not the only auteur chasing actress. But there are only two camps for actresses who chase auteurs: indie queens and foreigners. I think Kidman checks off both boxes. I hope she's able to recover artistically. It has been a long time since I've been excited by her work. I think Paperboy was the last hurrah for her.