Natalie Portman: Queen of Artifice

by Cláudio Alves

Some actors thrive through mimesis, reaching for realism when performing. In cinema, they bring the actuality of everyday life to the screen, psychology and material terms. Or they replicate others like straight mirrors. Since midcentury developments, that approximation of off-screen life has been standardized into what most recognize as "good acting." It's the mainstream, the rule, the de facto way of doing things. But is it the only way? I would think not and have grown to appreciate those who step outside those lines, whether deliberately, through their director's influence, or by mere accident.

When done right, embracing fakery may feel more honest and insightful than the attempt to copy - realer than real, truer than truth. All this to say, I love Natalie Portman at her most artificial and absurd…

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Audra, please make more movies

by Cláudio Alves

With Rustin now on Netflix, cinephiles worldwide can enjoy one of the season's top Best Actor contenders. However, one shouldn't presume there's no more to George C. Wolfe's picture than Colman Domingo's spirited turn. Indeed, there's a vast pool of brilliant Black actors around him, breathing life into civil rights icons left and right. Among them, Broadway's First Lady and Tony champion Supreme stands out, the one and only Audra McDonald as Ella Baker. She's only in a couple of scenes but leaves a lasting impression, embodying strength and conveying a rich history between the activists that goes beyond the narrative's limited scope.

As of late, that's McDonald's big screen specialty, serving excellence for a scene or two, and then – poof – she's gone. Just look at her other 2023 movies…

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Contemporary Costume Watch: "Pain Hustlers"

by Cláudio Alves

Where does one draw the line between period and contemporary costume design? It's hard to tell, and sometimes, it depends on the intentionality behind a given sartorial choice. Some filmmakers aim to capture the specificity of time and place, even when chronological proximity would excuse some adaptations to current sensibilities. Others forego that exactitude altogether. And then there's the way even the Costume Design Guild muddies the waters. How is the early 90s style of Rent considered period in 2005, but Precious' 1987-set narrative is still contemporary in 2009? All this to say that, for this article's purpose, let's interpret Pain Hustlers' wardrobe as a work of contemporary costume design. An outstanding one at that…

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You got to love that "Master Gardener" wallpaper

by Cláudio Alves

If you've read my thoughts on Decision to Leave, you might have realized I'm obsessed with wallpaper as set design. Indeed, one of these days, I might do a Top Ten best wall coverings in Park Chan-wook's filmography, for he remains the king of wallpaper cinema. Not that the Korean master is the only cineaste to dip their toes into these pools of scenographic goodness. Recently, one can think of the nauseating renovations in Zone of Interest, the autumnal florals in Killers of the Flower Moon, Priscilla's pretty pastels, and Cobweb's domestic nightmare.

Still, in 2023, one film utilized wallpaper like no other – Paul Schrader's Master Gardener, with sets designed by Ashley Fenton…

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First & Last - So chilling

Can you guess the movie from its first and last shot? The answer is after the jump...

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