Take Three: Catherine Keener

Craig from Dark Eye Socket here with this week's Take Three. Today: Catherine Keener

Take One: Being John Malkovich (1999)
Do you think it’s possible to admire an actress’ immense talent yet still be somewhat immune to her overall allure or effectiveness? Or perhaps it’s fair to acknowledge their greatness, but have issues with many of their performances? It’s been this way with me and Cathy K for eleven years. It was very likely Being John Malkovich that kick-started my general viewer/star incompatibility with Keener. I did, however, enjoy her sarcastically dry, bolshy, personality-destroying task master Maxine Lund in Spike Jonze’s breakthrough film a great deal. But in the film – and in many things since – she’s baffled, transfixed, annoyed and intrigued me in equal measure. Watching one of her films is a tug-of-war, filled with both appreciation and irritation.

Objectively I can see just how good a performance Keener gives here (evident to anyone watching). She has her eye on the ball at all times. Maxine’s never less than alert to her surroundings and ready to manipulate any sad interlopers who infiltrate them to her advantage. While sympathetic to protagonist John Cusack’s plight, I didn’t blame Maxine for maneuvering every event to her betterment. But Malkovich was the key film in how I came to view Keener as an oddly awkward yet undeniably captivating screen presence. Maybe her interpretation of this adversely egoistical role was too successful and the character and actress detrimentally intertwined in my mind.

Keener herself apparently didn’t originally think she was right for the part because of her dislike of Maxine. Regardless, her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod was well deserved. Unlike her second one...

Take Two: The 40-Year-Old-Virgin (2005)
...or should I say her second Oscar nomination was misplaced?

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Look! Fincher, Lohan, Whedon, Pinnocchio, Sheen, "Chloe"

We've gone clip happy in this roundup because there are things to gawk at and it's a slow weekend online,  everyone being outdoors where it's awfully hard to look at computer screens.

Geekologie sneak peek of a marionette for the new stop motion Pinnocchio (produced by Guillermo Del Toro). Eery little false boy, that.
Film on Paper is a new website devoted to poster art. Big collection on launch with beautifully prepared photos of original posters.
Tailgate 365 looks at the three most recent Joss Whedon series (Firefly, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible) to determine what makes them tick and what makes them so rewatchable.
Ken Levine feels for character actors. It's hard out there for a number of reasons.

The Hobbit everyone's favorite beautiful blond braided elf is back; Orlando Bloom officially reprising "Legolas" for The Hobbit. Quoth Peter Jackson.

"10 years on, I’m thrilled to be working with Orlando again.  I look older – he doesn’t!"

Look! it's a camcordy peak at the teaser for David Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It's very rapid fire "greatest hits" of the now well-known story but it looks enticing (as Fincher's films always do)

Look! it's Lindsay Lohan in a "psychological portrait" that's basically riffing on famous screen imagery from the 60s. But if a "psychological portrait" is only homages to great European and Scandinavian cinema, what is that actually saying about the object of the study. I'm not sure I see the point. But some of the images are very pretty even if Lindsay's psychology is not.

Look! It's Drew returning as "Chloe" for a special Memory-ial day video. For the life of me I can't decide what makes these "Chloe" spots so funny but they're just brilliant bliss.

Look! it's a Twilight fanfic reading by Michael Sheen. Feel free to LOL. I know I did.

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Sheen's big movie roles (Frost/Nixon, The Queen, Underworld) always reveal a very solid actor but I prefer him best when he's using that actor's wit like he is here. He has fun with his self-aggrandizing know-it-all in Midnight in Paris as well. As much fun as Woody allows him to have, I mean. He's barely in it.

TV @ The Movies: Parks and Recreation

Summer is a strange time at Chez Nathaniel. Though I'm a film guy, summer movie season isn't really even close to my favorite movie time. And though I'm not totally a TV guy, I miss my shows (No Mad Men this summer is going to be the strangest).

Fr'instance, I'm already missing Parks & Recreation since the fantastic two part Season Finale aired a week back.

The Haverford Charm Ray! wah-wah-wah

You know I LOL'ed at this moment when Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) decides to use the "Haverford Charm Ray" on an old lady who works on the dread 4th Floor. How to do it? Flatter her with screen goddess comparisons.

He wants this old lady to do his work for him. Time to butter her up.

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Yes, No, Maybe So: I Don't Know How She Does It

Jose here.

In this edition of Yes, No, Maybe So we take a look at Sarah Jessica Parker's newest film: I Don't Know How She Does It. Based on the eponymous book by Allison Pearson, the film centers on the life of Kate Reddy (SJP) a working mom who earns the living in her household. Greg Kinnear plays her husband. 

The book is often compared to Bridget Jones's Diary and like it, became a sensation in England. For the film adaptation, the action was moved from London to the States and as your ears will make clear, SJP has no British accent. 

But anyway before we say anymore about the trailer, you have to see it first:

  

YES. SJP narrating while we see the city! Even for a second or two, it just makes you think about Sex and the City, no? And that is never a bad thing. However I couldn't help but wonder: will she ever fully get out of Carrie Bradshaw mode?  Though I adore her and think she's seriously underrated but her roles land as different versions of Carrie: bitchy Carrie (The Family Stone), slightly sluttier Carrie (Failure to Launch), indie Carrie (Smart People); you get the point. Someone better put her in a period movie right away! Try new things, SJP>

Also...Christina Hendricks! She's in it for like a second. Will someone please give her a movie now?

NO. Pierce Brosnan doing "comedy". Last time he was funny was when he played James Bond and that's the kind of funny he should be doing. 

Also, let's all agree on how much the title sucks. Right? It's such a weird thing to say, but I couldn't see myself buying a ticket for a movie with that title if it didn't star SJP.  And, as someone who has to suffer through preposterous movie title translations, I'm already expecting something particularly corny for this one.

MAYBE SO. When everything pointed to yet another forgettable comedy, I realized the director is Douglas McGrath (did you notice how the actors don't even get credited in the trailer, weird huh?) McGrath has a rather slim filmography but all of his movies have had some value. He proved he has a talent for romantic comedies with the delicious Emma and the surprisingly enjoyable Nicholas Nickleby. His take on Capote (Infamous) wasn't half bad either. One can arguably say he was one of the first directors who set out to prove that Sandra Bullock could act (her Harper Lee is just as affecting as Catherine Keener's). McGrath also co-wrote Bullets on Broadway with Woody Allen. The man is talented so maybe this movie will be better than what the confusing trailer suggests.

So, are you a Yes? No? Maybe So?
Will SJP ever stop being just Carrie?
Do you like Douglas McGrath's other movies?
Are the memories of Brosnan's vocals in Mamma Mia still haunting your deepest nightmares? 

Goodbye Kenickie

 

A hickie from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card!

Rest in Peace Jeff Conaway. The Grease (1978) actor, who recently become a sublebrity again on the reality program "Celebrity Rehab With Doctor Drew" passed away last night at the age of 60 with family surrounding him. We knew it was coming after that medically-induced coma but that doesn't make it any sadder.

We used to watch Grease so much in high school. *sniffle*

How long did your Grease phase last? Oh, don't pretend you never had one.