What I've Seen...
I've been whinging since September about the lack of Oscar worthy films--there's been a few like "99 Homes" but the rest from "The Martian" (It'll get a nomination but they're voting on a curve) to "Bridge of Spies" were just
This should be this year's Oscar statue
I just feel that this time last year we had true frontrunners like "The Theory of Everything", "Whiplash" and "The Imitation Game". I don't even see how they'll get 8 best picture nods unless they nominate a few European films, but I think finally some traction is being made.
Brooklyn
Adapted by Nick Hornby (“About a Boy”) from Colm Tóibín’s novel from the same name, “Brooklyn” is a gorgeous film: cinematically and in feel with a stunningly simple, yet tremendous performance by Saoirse Ronan whose grace and natural aplomb belies her relatively young age.
Set in the 1950s young Eilis Lacey has very few prospects in her small hometown in Ireland. Realizing that, her older sister seeks out help from an Irish priest stationed in America, Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) to bring Eilis to Brooklyn in hopes for a better future.
In Brooklyn, Eilis stays in boarding home with other single young ladies (including “Arrow”s Emily Bett Rickards) under the watchful eye of the stern Madge Kehoe (Julie Waters)
they help her overcome her crushing homesickness to acclimate to her new environment. Soon Eilis meets the sweet and earnest Tony (Emory Cohen, “Smash”).
Just as things are looking up for Eilis with her new love, burgeoning education and growing confidence a family emergency has her headed back to Ireland for an extended stay. Eilis becomes torn over returning to her new life with Tony in the states or remaining in Ireland in the comfort of familiar surroundings and new opportunities, including a blossoming attraction to townie Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson, if you’ve not seen him in the Richard Curtis film “About Time” please remedy that.) who embodied everything Eilis hated when she was in Ireland and now she’s able to see the man behind her presumptions.
“Brooklyn” could’ve easily fallen into schmaltz with the stereotypically Italian it hurts Tony, but within the archtypes there is a live, beating heart and it’s Eilis. The audience not only sees her life unfolds but feel her emotions as if we are her as she goes on this journey of discovery. We always see films that are coming of age stories, but none really captures the post-adolescent years, the burgeoning adulthood years where you come into your own and forge your own path and the bittersweet imperceptible changes that comes with that transition of trying to fit your past and your future in your life.
The performances, especially by Ronan and Cohen are incredible but I also love that the writing is not lazy. With movies with romantic themes we’re always given the choice of no choice where the protagonist is pitted between two men and there’s always a moment when the audience is shown which man the woman should choose. But in this film either men, either life would be perfectly sound choices for Eilis. There was no wrong answer and I love that they honor that life is hard and there are choices that we must be resolute and pick even though the thought of ‘what if’ is whispering in the back of your mind.
Emory Cohen, Sairose Ronan and Domnhall Gleeson
Ronan, Gleeson and director John Crowley
**The night I saw “Brooklyn” a “Suffragette” Q&A was going on at the theater across the hall so I saw Carey Mulligan in a full on gown hotfooting it to the elevator when her Q&A let out. She was even walking ahead of her security.
Domnhall’s dad Brendan costars in this take on the British suffragette movement centering on a young wife and mother who gets swept up into the movement.
Maud is a wife and mother who works as a laundress for a boss who sexually harasses her and other female staffers. She suffers silently and go along to get along like so many others have to. When her coworker and outspoken suffragette Violet (Anne-Marie Duff, “Shameless” (UK) who can now finally be known stateside than more than Mrs. James McAvoy) cannot testify before parliament at a right to vote meeting, Violet urges Maud to tell her story before the committee.
When the committee-who Maud felt was sympathetic to her and others’ plight-vote down the act Maud is spurred on to action. She joins Violet and Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter), one of the most vocal and ardent suffragettes in their quest for voting equality.
As the women mobilize they are being investigated by Inspector Steed (Brendan Gleeson) who is trying to squash their “insurrection”
and weed out the top suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep).
As Maud gets more active the more the resentment builds from her husband (Ben Whishaw) and others in the community who view the suffragette movement as a disgrace.
Will Maud continue to risk her freedom and family for equality or will she submit to defeat?
Written by Abi Morgan (“The Iron Lady”) and directed by Sarah Gavron (“Brick Lane”)
The film starts a flame rather than a fire; it educates but doesn’t incite but rather presents the unjustness and injustice of it all and let the reality do the inciting. Sonny, Maud’s husband, a seemingly “good man” is disgusted by her involvement with the movement who feels that the perception of her being a suffragette is an affront to him. Inspector Steed a “good man” who accepts the fact that husbands can beat their wives without any repercussions because the wife belongs to the husband.
Just seeing the distaste and disgust society had for women fighting for voting equality makes me think of the current state of feminism where men and some women act as if it’s a dirty, virulent thing that undermine men.
It’s almost as bad as this cartoon
It’s fine to me when people say they’re not a feminist. But I have to roll my eyes at “I’m a humanist”. Yes, well, not all humans have the same fights (the film’s producer Faye Ward said it was hard casting the male roles because they actors they would contact all felt that there wasn’t enough for them to do and that they were only reacting to the female characters. I’m sure these actors consider themselves “good men” too.
Which is why the actors and director wearing this shirt w/ Pankhurst’s quote on it were lambasted
The real Pankhurst
The cast with Abi Morgan and Sarah Gavron
Mulligan is wonderful as Maud as we see her dawning realization that the status quo doesn’t have to remain so. Her quiet strength and determination is a great juxtaposition to Bonham-Carter’s Edith an educated woman, with a supportive husband and her own career who is unafraid to risk all she has for their rights.
Streep is Streep in her one big scene as Parkhurst. Really, if I hadn’t seen “The Danish Girl” I would think the Oscar race would come down to Saoirse Ronan and Mulligan, but Alicia Vikander knocked Mulligan out of my top spot.
Smashing film. Superbly acted, lyrically written, beautifully shot, it’s top to bottom divine.
“The Danish Girl”, directed by Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”, “Les Miserables”) and adapted by Lucinda Coxon (“The Crimson Petal and the White) from the novel by David Ebershoff's based on Wegener’s diaries (Whew!!) centers on artist Einar Wegener who became the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery in 1930.
Married artists Einar (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander, “Ex Machina”) are partners in every sense: they work beside each other, have a love for life, they’re happily married and completely in love with each other. Their biggest issue is infertility and that Gerda’s work isn’t as appreciated as Einar.
When Gerda asks Einar to stand in for her model, her actress friend Ulla (Amber Heard) is detained elsewhere.
When Einar poses for Gerda clad in stockings and holding on to a frock Einar’s latent feelings of being a woman come to the fore.
Always in tune with each other and always game for anything Gerda goes along with Einar’s cross-dressing as they introduce it into their love life (in a surprisingly sensual scene for a film of the nature) giving life to Lili, Einar’s female persona.
As Lili emerges Einar begins to fade away as Einar comes to the realization that he is a woman. Gerda and Einar try to navigate their marriage as Einar wants to live as Lili.
The British Independent Film Awards nominations came out and Hooper and Redmayne received no nominations but Alicia Vikander did (deservedly so) and I hate to say that the nominating committee are haters but…the nominating committee are haters of the highest order. Perhaps it’s because on the heels of his physical transformation to portray Stephen Hawkings in “The Theory of Everything” voters felt Redmayne was being a one-trick pony and that Hooper hasn’t done anything variant from “The King’s Speech” or Les Miz so why nominate them again but it’s a travesty to ignore Redmayne and Hooper for this film. Einar’s change into Lili is so natural that you don’t realize until you see her dressed up how similarly mannered Einar was. He just needed Lili to complete his full picture. And there is a scene where Einar is mimicking a woman’s movements as Alexandre Desplate’s music plays underneath to Hooper’s gorgeous direction that is incredible.
The visual aspects of the film could be credited to the film’s set designer Eve Stewart (who also did a divine job on “The King’s Speech”) but Hooper’s mastery of the camera is a joy to behold. He shoots long, he shoots from high with angled shots, it’s exquisite. Then the costume design by Paco Delgado…
Gorgeous
This is Eddie, not Kelly Reilly of “Sherlock Holmes”
THIS is Kelly Reilly
For all of the heartfelt, quivering lips, audible nervous gulps, watery eyes and tremulous hands of Redmayne Vikander threatens to steal the film because she’s such a natural and authentic way of communicating scenes. She brings the same pluckiness from “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” to this role as Gerda a bohemian artist whose open-mindedness is challenged by the reality of Einar’s transitioning. She fights for her marriage as much as she fights to support his happiness despite how it affects hers. She’s as vibrant as the portrait she paints-she doesn’t fade into the background.
Real Gerda artwork
A true dream team
I love Alicia so much that I even love this dress!
Matthias Schoenarts also stars as Einar’s childhood friend who Gerda reaches out to for help in inspiring Lili.
The real Gerda and Einar
Lili
There is more to “Spectre” than the fashion and Monica Bellucci being Monica Bellucci. I’m sure I’ll think of what that is by the time I finish writing this but I just have to talk about the Tom Ford designed suits 007 rocked.
Beyond one misstep that involved this tan suit with a brown TEXTURED tie (onscreen it looks a dark aubergine)
What are you doing, Bond?
But the rest were winners. I always assumed his suits were just one solid color and flat but in this film he’s wearing a lot of patterns like crosshatching. It makes sense he’s more of an international guy than a boring businessman. Then there’s a double-buttoned jacket that is pretty hot. I even love the black satin tie in the "Spectre" one sheet. It's a simple satin tie but it really pulls focus from the suit. Ben Whishaw’s Q also gets a minor upgrade. He’s still in suits but I noticed his suit jackets looked like wool jackets almost a nod to his “Skyfall” cardigans. Bellucci has a minor role so she doesn’t get to display much wardrobe flair
but I love a good pant and Lea Seydoux gets to wear nice ensembles.
They even managed to craft a suit to work on bulky Dave Bautista
Also, it was quaint seeing Ben Whishaw with his legs primly clasped together, and Rory Kinnear with a bit of a wider stance then you get THIGH GAP McGEE DANIEL CRAIG SPREADIN’ ‘EM.
Love those slacks
007? More like 009 ½ (and that’s soft)
*Praise hands emoji all day!
Anyhooo…. It’s the aftermath of “Skyfall” and it’s been decided that M16 needs more oversight…enter Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott, “Sherlock”)
who wants to decommission Bond and get other nations to agree to a super surveillance program (you know, like Bruce Wayne did in “The Dark Knight”). As M (Ralph Fiennes) and M16’s Chief of Staff Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear, “Penny Dreadful”) deal with Denbigh’s edict Bond has gone on a rogue mission for an old friend. The mission uncovers a secret organization (you know, like H.Y.D.R.A) and he must weed out its head Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Walz).
To do so he must get the help of Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux, “Blue is the Warmest Color”) and his M16 teammates Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris)
and Q (Ben Whishaw).
I know Bond is a lone wolf but I really enjoyed the moments where he interacts with the team. I hope in his last one they get more to do as a unit as they work really well together.
Kinnear and Whishaw
**Total aside: As soon as I read Rory Kinnear’s father was an actor I said, “Stop right there.” I automatically knew his father was Veruca Salt’s father in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. I didn’t even know his name I just remembered the face. He’s definitely his son.
The film is too long; I would've gladly sacrificed extended pans over the scenery for more of the cast interaction. Christoph Walz is pretty weak on two fronts: the character's motivation is ridiculous and I'm realizing Waltz is merely an adequate yet one-note actor. There is little to no difference between how he plays Oberhauser than how he played Hans Landa in "Inglorious Basterds" to even how he played Walter Keane in "Big Eyes".
There are some great moments starting with the Day of the Dead opening sequence
Know who also celebrated the Day of the Dead? Helena Bonham-Carter as Frida Kahlo
And the showdown between Dave Bautista's Hinx and Bond is pretty awesome. I'd hate to see Craig go but this would've been the film to end his take on Bond. I don't see how the next one will have a more rounded ending for him than "Spectre".
The cast
*I’m loving Monica’s look.
Craig giving duck lips
**Ben Whishaw has another series, "London Spy". Whishaw revealed his own spy connection: his grandfather, Jean Spellmacher, was a British spy embedded in the German Army.
Spellmacher
Born in Turkey to a Russian mother and German father he was called to the German army while at university. He told a tutor that he didn't want to fight for Hitler and was later contacted by the British Embassy and recruited to be a mole. After the war to assimilate he changed his German sounding surname to Whishaw.
**Naomie will cover the upcoming issue of Essence.
Former Bond Girls Women were on hand to celebrate.
*Trina Parks (“Diamonds are Forever”) , Naomi, Halle Berry (“Die Another Day”) and Gloria Hendry (“Live and Let Die”))
George Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov (who each time I look at him I think, “How many other people know you played one of Bubba’s friends on “Mama’s Family”??) explore politics once again. Unlike the terrific (IMHO) “The Ides of March”, they’re tackling international politics; specifically Bolivia in this fictionalized account based on the 2005 documentary of the same name. When former Bolivian president Pedro Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida) throws his hat back into the ring for re-election years after being voted out. Due to past incidents he is losing in the pool. That’s when his American political strategy team led by Nell (Ann Dowd, “The Leftovers”), Ben (Anthony Mackie) and Rich (Scoot McNairy, “Halt and Catch Fire”) decide they need to pull a power play. Their decision: hire top political consultant Jane Bodine (Sandra Bullock)
who dropped out of the business after a brutal defeat by her nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton).
Jane, nicknamed Calamity Jane due to her failure is lured out of retirement by the chance of finally besting Pat. To do so Jane employs all the tricks of the trade in order to inch Castillo up the polls and into the hearts of the citizens.
There’s a bit of a tonal expectation due to the trailer and the poster that this would be a comedy-drama, when it’s actually more of a drama with just enough humorous touches to make it a comedy (surprisingly mostly by McNairy’s Rich, the image consultant who comes across as the rookie of the team; a man whose every turn up to bat leads to a strike out). But any humor there is (as well as the performance of Reynaldo Pacheco as Eddie, the campaign volunteer who is a fervent Castillo supporter)
to work as a balm against the straightforward cynicism of the film. Jane, a recovering alcoholic, can’t stay away from her other addiction: the machinations of politics. She hates how she and her ilk are capable at manipulating the public but it’s in her veins and she loves it despite the all too often destructive nature of it.
Like the politicians whose payroll she is on we can’t discern if Jane is really all that she purports to be: a white hat in a scene of black ones.
Thornton is wicked as Pat who is always one step ahead of Jane.. The two share a few scenes together but the best one are the phone calls between the two where Pat tries to throw Jane off her game but instead of using anger or taunts, he’s darkly seductive. She’s the fly to his spider.
Like “The Ides of March” “Our Brand is Crisis” is a sobering, tough look at the political facades that are created. You may have candidate who comes in with the best of ideas but over time it can shift as they do and say anything to get elected. The film attempts to end on an inspiring note but it feels like pacification.
The Cast with Heslov
**It was the premiere.
The only cast member I got a picture of was Joaquim de Almeida
because my battery died cos I love playing Temple Run.
I managed to catch a glimpse of Scoot McNairy-the only person I actually wanted to see that night-as he and his wife hightailed it out of the theater as soon as the film was over. He sped out that door.
And it was a shame because Anthony Mackie, Reynaldo Pacheco and Louis Arcella who plays del Almeida’s chief opponent Riviera hung out taking pictures. Pacheco and Arcella was chitchatting with fans. Arcella apologized to us for having facial hair, “It’s for a project, but I can’t talk about it.”, he explained. I congratulated Pacheco on the film and he beamed. He said it was his big break. Super sweet and he smelled like Pierre Cardin cologne.
Saw Amal Alamuddin Clooney in the lobby while George was still outside doing press. I could’ve sworn she was standing with Rande Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s husband and George’s bestie/business partner in a tequila brand.) Amal is super thin and her hair looks like Jackie O. She looks like a 1950’s socialite. Michael Malarky of CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” was there too and I haven’t checked it this season but I’m reading there’s a flashforward so I’m wondering what this means for his character Enzo because they are still filming but he had facial hair that night. So either he gets staked mid-season or he can grow a beard during his days off.