Beauty vs Beast: I Dream of Tommy Lee
Monday, September 12, 2016 at 3:00PM 
Jason from MNPP here, fighting the urge to begin and end this week's edition of "Beauty vs Beast" wth a long monologue about the past and/or the dreams I had last night (although regarding the latter Aaron Taylor-Johnson may or may not have been involved - Hi Aaron!), for one of our finest actors, Mr. Tommy Lee Jones, who is turning 70 this week.
I make reference of course to his great performance in the Coen's masterpiece No Country For Old Men, a performance which is always overshadowed (and yes, I preemptively expect the same to happen here) by Javier Bardem's big hair trigger, but not, in my estimation, rightfully so. As I've revisited the film over the years since its release Bardem's scare show has begun to sink into the background and it's Jones' work as the titual Old Man that lingers - as he delivers the dream monologue that closes the film I find myself wanting to stare at his face and all its hills and valleys and sad wisdom for another hour, and another after that. It is a gift. Or maybe you just feel more comfortable voting for someone who'd dare to threaten Kelly Macdonald...
PREVIOUSLY Two weeks back we went full goofy with a love-fest for Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin, an admittedly awful movie that I nonetheless watch whenever it's on the TV - in a villain-off it was Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy whose green touch warmed our hearts over Arnold's Mr. Freeze. Said Roger:
"As a queer little Earth child mixing potions in the garden, Poison Ivy really spoke to me. Years later, discovering Uma was a fellow Taurus, child of Venus, made worlds of sense to me. I was in green and cherry-red love."
Reader Comments (8)
I hope I'm not the only one who flipped a coin.
I never understood the greatness of Bardem's performance. I accept that there must be greatness there, somewhere, since so many people adored it.I found him boring.
I can't say I remember Tommy Lee Jones' performance - I only saw the film once, I think - but I've never not liked him, except for in that Batman movie. My favorite performance of his may be Lonesome Dove.
I love TLJ in this
Every single time I've watched this I've loved Tommy Lee Jones more and more. Ed Bell and Marge Gunderson would have the loveliest conversation.
I've never really understood the greatness of Bardem's performance either (I was all about Michael Clayton that season, and so fruitlessly rooted for Wilkinson), but that hair is classic.
Suzanne: I like Michael Clayton overall (B+), but I kind of hate Tom Wilkinson as Arthur Edens. It's not quite Paul Dano as the Sunday Twins (oh boy would THAT nomination have held up even worse than Wilkinson), but it's still not good enough at what it is to justify the nomination. Of the field? I'd toss three just on principle (however you feel about them, Bardem, Affleck and Hoffman should have been viewed as lead or co-lead performances) and Tom Wilkinson for being not quite good enough. My field:
Jim Broadbent, Hot Fuzz
Timothy Dalton, Hot Fuzz (Bad ham, meet good ham. Shake hands.)
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men
Peter O'Toole, Ratatouille*
(I also, however, would have greatly appreciated surprise appearances from Jason Marsden for Enchanted, Robert Downey Jr for Zodiac, Sacha Baron Cohen for Sweeney Todd and either Michael Cera or J.K. Simmons for Juno over any of those dumb co-leads. Fraud SUCKS for those who actually pay attention.)
* = Winner
I agree that Bardem is overrated in this, as is the film. To me, sleepwalking is being mistaken for subtlety. That haircut--really? After several viewings, I still feel the creeping nihilism of this movie is somewhat cliched and ridiculous. I think TLJ steals the show. Heads, he wins.
Watched it last night to vote equitably. Went with Tommy Lee Jones. Cinema needed another iconic baddie so thanks to Javier Bardem. But let's face it, the acting gymnastics winner in this movie is The Sherriff.