Mr. Postman look and see...
This one goes out to my beloved Mailman. ;o9
As of this afternoon, Janelle and I had amassed enough movies to have Edward Norton Night! (Our last Theme Night was Gene Kelly, which was also delightful, and for our next Theme Night, though I'm not sure Janelle will go for the idea, I'm pitching: 'only indie movies with two different animals in the title' - like Eagle vs. Shark and The Squid and the Whale. Other suggestions welcome, of course).
Janelle and I saw The Incredible Hulk together on... mmmonday? (Which gave us the idea). And Primal Fear not long after that. Both of us had also seen The Illusionist before tonight - though not together. So from the available choices we selected: The Score, The Painted Veil, and American History X (which, to my great shame, I'd never seen before. Bit disingenuous to call yourself an Edward Norton fan and not have seen that movie, methinks!)
The Score was okay - and Edward Norton's part in it was interesting, as usual. But the Ocean's 11 series must have spoiled me for heist movies, because it just didn't seem that much... fun. I found the characters a trifle predictable - knew if there was going to be a double-cross that it would come from a certain quarter, and that any incompetence would certainly come from another, etc. And I kept wondering how they could possibly think they were going to pull off any kind of a Job at all without Chinese acrobats and false-noses and stuff.
The other two movies were so good, however, that I thought I'd make a note or two toward the ongoing battle with my mailman over Edward Norton, Mark Wahlberg, etc and so forth:
My Mailman objects that Edward Norton is a) beady-eyed, and b) snivelly, based primarily (as far as I know) on The Italian Job and The Illusionist. Thing is: after recently rewatching The Illusionist, I can see where my Mailman is coming from. (I think we can all concede that Edward Norton is supposed to be beady-eyed and snivelly in The Italian Job). Eisenheim, although a romantic lead, is also focused and forbidding. The plot demands that we never have complete access to him or his emotions, that we never perfectly trust him. His eyes are dark and shiny - like beetles. I'm not sure 'snivelly' is the first word I'd use to describe Eisenheim, but if I had already expected to find him so, I doubt the movie would have fully disabused me of the notion. I'm also not sure I would enjoy Eisenheim so much if I didn't already enjoy Edward Norton. But American History X and The Painted Veil each have something very different to offer. My recommendations are as follows:
American History X is not the kind of movie you send someone to for the express purpose of making them fall in love with Edward Norton. With that said, I was shocked to discover that it is the kind of movie that just *might* make you fall a little in love with him anyway.
-Why my Mailman might like American History X:
Derek Vinyard goes to prison a hateful, hostile, ugly knot of rage and racism; he emerges from prison someone different than before. It is a sign of Edward Norton's great skill that the transformation is believable, and that his character turns out to have more depths and dimensions than I strictly *wanted* to find in such a person. At moments, Derek even exhibits a rare sort of stillness, of strength, that I can only call nascent manliness. The story is about racism and violence, but also about family and about friendship.
-Why my Mailman might not like American History X:
To put it simply: it is sometimes dreadfully hard to watch. Awful things are done by and to Derek Vinyard. Schindler's List is the only other movie I can think of so jarring that I remained dry-eyed the entire time, only to sob uncontrollably when it was all over.
The Painted Veil, by contrast, is a really lovely period film about a couple fighting a cholera epidemic in rural China - and only really learning to love each other well after they're married.
-Why my Mailman might like The Painted Veil:
Walter Fayne endears himself first by his halting sweetness and quiet reserve, then (oddly enough) by his wounded dignity and suprisingly inventive cruel streak. I found the results hilarious as often as I found them poignant. As the story unfolds, Walter is called upon for acts of real heroism, and the maturation of his love for his wife (as with hers for him) is a joy to watch. In Edward Norton's own words:
'I don’t tend to see my life reflected in movies about people who meet when their dogs tangle up. I’m not being specific. I’m just saying I thought that it was the kind of romance that touched me. I felt like it was a story about the long struggle of men and women to actually understand each other in a forgiving way, and I found that very touching because it’s challenging. It’s a challenge to say, 'Am I capable of that?,' or 'Have I done that? Have I been forgiving, myself?'
Plus: gorgeous scenery and period costumes (evocative without being fussy) and fifty bonus points if you recognize Diana Rigg!
-Why my Mailman might not like The Painted Veil:
Walter sports a truly frightful hairdo, though it improves with time (and is compensated by his Really Cute Feet. I don't know that I've ever thought that a boy's feet were either cute or uncute before, but Walter's feet were cute). Also, the movie left me slightly unsatisfied in the end, though I'm not sure if that indicated a fault in the story or just that what I did see was so good I didn't want it to end. The very last scene, though: that was dumb - they should have done without *that.*
As for tomorrow? Tomorrow, Edward Norton tries to put his affairs in order and say goodbye to his family before being sent to prison in 'The 25th Hour'! And (supposing we can find it at one of the local video stores) dances awkwardly on the table in 'Everyone Says I Love You'! Netflix willing, Monday finds Edward Norton leading Matt Damon down the primrose path to destruction in 'Rounders'! And perhaps the wee hours of this very morning find Edward Norton doing something surreal in my dreams again - if I can only get to sleep.
In other news: today I am wearing the earrings my Mailman brought back from India! One of my most favorite pairs. Thank you, Mailman. I love you.
As of this afternoon, Janelle and I had amassed enough movies to have Edward Norton Night! (Our last Theme Night was Gene Kelly, which was also delightful, and for our next Theme Night, though I'm not sure Janelle will go for the idea, I'm pitching: 'only indie movies with two different animals in the title' - like Eagle vs. Shark and The Squid and the Whale. Other suggestions welcome, of course).
Janelle and I saw The Incredible Hulk together on... mmmonday? (Which gave us the idea). And Primal Fear not long after that. Both of us had also seen The Illusionist before tonight - though not together. So from the available choices we selected: The Score, The Painted Veil, and American History X (which, to my great shame, I'd never seen before. Bit disingenuous to call yourself an Edward Norton fan and not have seen that movie, methinks!)
The Score was okay - and Edward Norton's part in it was interesting, as usual. But the Ocean's 11 series must have spoiled me for heist movies, because it just didn't seem that much... fun. I found the characters a trifle predictable - knew if there was going to be a double-cross that it would come from a certain quarter, and that any incompetence would certainly come from another, etc. And I kept wondering how they could possibly think they were going to pull off any kind of a Job at all without Chinese acrobats and false-noses and stuff.
The other two movies were so good, however, that I thought I'd make a note or two toward the ongoing battle with my mailman over Edward Norton, Mark Wahlberg, etc and so forth:
My Mailman objects that Edward Norton is a) beady-eyed, and b) snivelly, based primarily (as far as I know) on The Italian Job and The Illusionist. Thing is: after recently rewatching The Illusionist, I can see where my Mailman is coming from. (I think we can all concede that Edward Norton is supposed to be beady-eyed and snivelly in The Italian Job). Eisenheim, although a romantic lead, is also focused and forbidding. The plot demands that we never have complete access to him or his emotions, that we never perfectly trust him. His eyes are dark and shiny - like beetles. I'm not sure 'snivelly' is the first word I'd use to describe Eisenheim, but if I had already expected to find him so, I doubt the movie would have fully disabused me of the notion. I'm also not sure I would enjoy Eisenheim so much if I didn't already enjoy Edward Norton. But American History X and The Painted Veil each have something very different to offer. My recommendations are as follows:
American History X is not the kind of movie you send someone to for the express purpose of making them fall in love with Edward Norton. With that said, I was shocked to discover that it is the kind of movie that just *might* make you fall a little in love with him anyway.
-Why my Mailman might like American History X:
Derek Vinyard goes to prison a hateful, hostile, ugly knot of rage and racism; he emerges from prison someone different than before. It is a sign of Edward Norton's great skill that the transformation is believable, and that his character turns out to have more depths and dimensions than I strictly *wanted* to find in such a person. At moments, Derek even exhibits a rare sort of stillness, of strength, that I can only call nascent manliness. The story is about racism and violence, but also about family and about friendship.
-Why my Mailman might not like American History X:
To put it simply: it is sometimes dreadfully hard to watch. Awful things are done by and to Derek Vinyard. Schindler's List is the only other movie I can think of so jarring that I remained dry-eyed the entire time, only to sob uncontrollably when it was all over.
The Painted Veil, by contrast, is a really lovely period film about a couple fighting a cholera epidemic in rural China - and only really learning to love each other well after they're married.
-Why my Mailman might like The Painted Veil:
Walter Fayne endears himself first by his halting sweetness and quiet reserve, then (oddly enough) by his wounded dignity and suprisingly inventive cruel streak. I found the results hilarious as often as I found them poignant. As the story unfolds, Walter is called upon for acts of real heroism, and the maturation of his love for his wife (as with hers for him) is a joy to watch. In Edward Norton's own words:
'I don’t tend to see my life reflected in movies about people who meet when their dogs tangle up. I’m not being specific. I’m just saying I thought that it was the kind of romance that touched me. I felt like it was a story about the long struggle of men and women to actually understand each other in a forgiving way, and I found that very touching because it’s challenging. It’s a challenge to say, 'Am I capable of that?,' or 'Have I done that? Have I been forgiving, myself?'
Plus: gorgeous scenery and period costumes (evocative without being fussy) and fifty bonus points if you recognize Diana Rigg!
-Why my Mailman might not like The Painted Veil:
Walter sports a truly frightful hairdo, though it improves with time (and is compensated by his Really Cute Feet. I don't know that I've ever thought that a boy's feet were either cute or uncute before, but Walter's feet were cute). Also, the movie left me slightly unsatisfied in the end, though I'm not sure if that indicated a fault in the story or just that what I did see was so good I didn't want it to end. The very last scene, though: that was dumb - they should have done without *that.*
As for tomorrow? Tomorrow, Edward Norton tries to put his affairs in order and say goodbye to his family before being sent to prison in 'The 25th Hour'! And (supposing we can find it at one of the local video stores) dances awkwardly on the table in 'Everyone Says I Love You'! Netflix willing, Monday finds Edward Norton leading Matt Damon down the primrose path to destruction in 'Rounders'! And perhaps the wee hours of this very morning find Edward Norton doing something surreal in my dreams again - if I can only get to sleep.
In other news: today I am wearing the earrings my Mailman brought back from India! One of my most favorite pairs. Thank you, Mailman. I love you.