Sunday
Apr122020
Early Blanchett in "Paradise Road"
Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 6:00PM 
For this week's episode of Murtada's new podcast "Sundays with Cate," I've finally joined in as a special guest. I told him I wanted one of her obscure movies and though my preference was the total oddity The Man Who Cried (2000) which no one ever discusses and which is quite discussable (trust) it is hard to find these days. So we did Paradise Road (1997) instead. This is the movie Dame Blanchett made right before Elizabeth which would of course change everything.
In the mid 90s she was but one of many rising actresses Hollywood was curious about but not yet besotted with... would this young Aussie deliver? The answer was "and how!" but time hadn't yet provided that spoiler alert.
Listen in!
Reader Comments (16)
Nathaniel you are acting Claudio-esque. Keep it up!
91st ceremony thrown in my face with Close and McDormand's name side by side.
Good episode. I am going to have to go back and listen to "Oscar and Lucinda" and "Little Fish", as I am always interested in non-Australian viewpoints on Australian movies.
Speaking of which, I hope you eventually do "Thank God He Met Lizzie" (or "The Wedding Party as it was blandly re-named for international release), as it is one of her best performances in an Australian movie. (And if you need a co-host, I am happy to submit recording of my radio hosting/producing as an application. :-) )
PS you mentioned her nomination at the Chicago Film Critcs awards as Most Promising Actress. I feel PR was just added as a sideline to her more acclaimed role in OSCAR AND LUCINDA.
This could have easily been Close’s Oscar back in 1997. If only it had been better/better received.
I look forward to listening to this episode. Murtada has not yet done an episode on Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I am hoping you will return as a special guest for it as I know how much that film spoke to you. ;) Your analysis of Cate's Oscar Reaction Shot would last half the episode I'm sure!
Sunday’s with Cate is fine, but Seasons of Bette is better....nudge nudge.
I do remember Cate in this the most but did watch it for Glenn and discovered a new obsession.
I did a double take on that pic of Cate. I thought it was Saorise Ronan.
Anon - Nathaniel was a fabulous guest and is welcome back anytime he wants, somehow I don't think The Golden Age would be his choice. LOL.
Travis - let me know what you think after listenng to our discussion of the Australian films. We also discuss Noni Hazlehurst in the "Truth" ep, where she had a small but impactful performance, that film was shot in Australia. As for Lizzie, it's not available in US.
Wink - ready to talk Bette anytime.
All - thank you for listening!!!
Everyone -- I am definitely *not* doing THE GOLDEN AGE lol. of the films remaining these are the ones I'd be most interested in discussing ;)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
AN IDEAL HUSBAND
THE MAN WHO CRIED
CINDERELLA
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Nat, are those your favourite Blanchett performances?
Bhuray -- no. they're just the 5 movies Murtada hasn't done yet that i most want to talk about. Other than CAROL. I think a lesbian should be the CAROL guest.
my fav Cate performances are:
1) BLUE JASMINE
2) CAROL
3) THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
4) THE AVIATOR
5) I'M NOT THERE
I love Jennifer Ehle too, guys! A fellow North Carolinian. :)
Honestly...I forgot this film even exists.
The premise of the film sounds very similar to "Playing for Time" - an Emmy-winning performance from Vanessa Redgrave.
Her Australian output is curiously not at all foretelling of her career. As Travis noted, her best performance in that period before ELIZABETH is the relatively frothy THANK GOD HE MET LIZZIE. I don't remember much of PARADISE ROAD, but it is very much a Bruce Beresford movie.