In Contention

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  • “If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe — anything at all — you would’ve hidden from it in terror.”

  • Great performances in bad movies

    Tim Roth in Planet of the ApesIt happens, sometimes when a really fine actor manages to give a brilliant performance in a terrible or weak film, a diamond in the rough. In fact, some of the best actors working have shone brightly in bad films as far back as the 1940s, though I will focus on the 1970s to present day here today.

    For whatever reason the respective film fails: perhaps the writing was weak, the direction went horribly wrong, or all the ingredients needed to make a great film, hell even a good film, simply were not there. Yet a single actor did everything right, understood their character, understood the impact they needed to make in their scenes and they give a superb performance despite his or her surroundings.

    Look at Bruce Dern in “The Great Gatsby.”  Here we have an exceptional actor in one of the roles of his career.  He WAS Tom Buchanan, elevating every single scene he was in with sheer presence. Jack Clayton’s direction was lumbering, Robert Redford was woefully miscast and Mia Farrow? Please.  (The single burning question we need to ask ourselves is what about Daisy attracts Gatsby when he can now have anyone — she doesn’t appeal on that level.)

    Dern radiates the sort of danger Redford needed to have in the role of Gatsby, but is far too good as Tom to even think of him in a different role here.  The lead really should have been Jack Nicholson.  Can you imagine the sparks between him and Dern?

    Perhaps one of the best performances ever given in a bad film was Morgan Freeman’s breakthrough in “Street Smart,” portraying a vicious pimp using a journalist portrayed by Christopher Reeve to get off a murder rap without realizing that he too is being used. Freeman is brilliant, all smiles and kindness, the sort of guy you would like to hang out with until his temper flares (to say the least). With just a few moments of screen time he gave an unforgettable performance as Fast Black.

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  • Is Clarkson one to watch for ‘Whatever Works?’

    Evan Rachel Wood and Patricia Clarkson in Whatever WorksAs Penélope Cruz, Dianne Wiest, Mira Sorvino and assorted nominees over the years can attest, if you’re an actress hungry for some awards attention, you can do a lot worse than take a supporting role in an (at least) halfway decent Woody Allen film. (Unless, of course, you’re Scarlett Johansson, who’s still holding an IOU for her startling work in “Match Point.”)

    Allen’s latest, “Whatever Works,” has just been unveiled at ShoWest, and while much of the advance speculation has been centred on leading lady Evan Rachel Wood, I’ve heard a couple of informal reports that, in accordance with the aforementioned trend, Patricia Clarkson could be the story here. Which wouldn’t be a surprise, of course; she’s a great actress, and the film apparently gives her a chance to play entertainingly against type.

    Judging from this faintly spoiler-ish description from a contributor at Nat Rogers’ Film Experience site, it sounds like a pretty showy role:

    Patricia Clarkson storms into the movie after approximately 40 minutes, and plays a role in many ways comparable to Penélope Cruz’s tempestuous Oscar-winning Maria Elena. While I was initially skeptical of Allen’s treatment of Wood as a young Lolita, Clarkson actually plays the much more sexualized character. After showing up on Boris’s doorstep in a hot pink ensemble (scrunchy included!) fit for the Southern pageant circuit, she is quickly awakened to the culture of New York … Her character transitions from praising Jesus to opening an exhibit of nude collages. Clarkson is dynamic and sexy and once again demonstrates her unbeatable range. I don’t think it is any stretch to consider her worthy of this year’s Oscar race.

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  • Eckhart to join Kidman in ‘Rabbit Hole’

    Aaron EckhartNow this, to my mind, is a star pairing that really makes sense. Nicole Kidman has been attached for some time to star in the screen adaptation of “Rabbit Hole,” David Lindsay-Abaire’s stage play that was awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Aaron Eckhart is now reportedly in talks to play opposite her.

    The project represents a major dramatic opportunity for both stars: the play, which is said to be funnier than the thematic material suggests, revolves around a happily married couple forced to re-evaluate their relationship when their young son is killed in car accident. Cynthia Nixon (who won a Tony for her efforts) and John Slattery originated the roles on Broadway — I guess it’s fair to say the casting has been prettied up for film, but what’s new?

    Personally, I’m excited at the prospect of Eckhart getting a role with some significant emotional range to tackle, and for some reason, I imagine his everyman quality and Kidman’s nervous reserve complementing each other nicely. Kidman, meanwhile, continues to choose the most interesting projects but it’s been a while since she had a really meaty dramatic lead in this vein — I’d love to see her pull something sufficiently riveting out the bag to stem the (unwarranted, in my opinion) backlash against her.

    Meanwhile, the project may be an even more intriguing proposal for its director than for its stars. John Cameron Mitchell’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Shortbus” have won him a legion of admirers, but this promises to be a very different kettle of fish from those gleefully in-your-face efforts. I’m intrigued to see what he does with more muted material that he hasn’t originated himself. (Lindsay-Abaire will be adaptating his own work.) One to watch, for sure.

  • Cannes-bound?

    With the “news” (which has, of course, been common knowledge for the better part of a year) that Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” is set to compete at Cannes, it’s time to start contemplating what else might appear in the festival lineup.

    For my money, one of the safest bets has to be Ken Loach’s latest, “Looking For Eric.” A comedy centred on a working-class football fanatic who receives life coaching from legendary French footballer Eric Cantona, it looks like a refreshingly fanciful departure for a filmmaker celebrated usually for bleaker social-realist fare. That may not exactly sound like a festival gimme, but it’s been almost two decades since a Loach feature didn’t compete at one of the three major European fests — Cannes being the most hospitable of his work.

    Loach has an enviable track record at the Croisette — though 2005’s “The Wind That Shakes The Barley,” which finally netted him the Palme d’Or after eight attempts, never really caught on after the festival. The chirpy teaser below suggests to me that “Looking For Eric” may find more of an audience, even if it’s less award-friendly than previous Loach efforts. (Thanks to commenter Han for the tip.)

  • Us west-coasters won’t have to wait three hours for the Globes next year

    This is good news, though maybe some smart chap involved with the HFPA finally caught on that web streaming was stealing their west coast thunder last year.  It’s always been quite irritating that the Oscars don’t mind landing outside of prime time out here while the Globes remained archaic about it.  Now if only the SAGs would follow suit.

    From Brooks Barnes’s Carpetbagger post:

    The Golden Globes have a date for next year’s awards.

    The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Thursday that the 2010 Golden Globes ceremony will take place on Jan. 17 – a week later than this year. And for the first time, the show will be aired live nationwide.

    Usually, viewers on the West Coast have to wait until prime time to catch the festivities (unless they are friendly with a network executive who has a live feed) but the Internet has made the tape-delay practice unpractical.

  • Pixar on Blu-ray…whither ‘Nemo?’

    Probably the most beautiful films to watch on high definition are animated films, and at the very top of that tier, Pixar’s lot looks astounding.  I own each of the available titles (yes, even “WALL-E,” much to the shock of those who still think I hated the film).  But so far it’s just “Cars,” “Ratatouille” and the Pixar shorts collection joining last year’s lovable robot in the Blu-ray bin.

    The studio recently announced the May releases of “A Bug’s Life” and “Monsters, Inc.,” but where the heck is Pixar’s crowning jewel so far: “Finding Nemo?”  Ditto “The Incredibles,” which is still, mind you, the only animated feature film to win more than one Oscar outside the formerly easy-to-score music categories.  I popped “Nemo” in the ole’ PS3 the day I got the machine and even on regular DVD, those blues and greens of the ocean environment look amazing.  But I’m ready for the real HD deal, dang it!

  • Red band ‘Bruno’ trailer lands

  • Angry/sexy

    And Hope Davis… well… I have always liked watching Hope Davis’ work, but I haven’t always understood how directors saw her in some of the roles she’s played. Something like American Splendor is character work… terrific. But there has always been a kind of angry, sexy blond thing that I could see that directors saw in her, but I never really got it. To see her throw herself around the stage here… fearless… and showing herself to have a body that you would expect to see gracing the pages of Maxim. After years of watching her work, a serious actress, I must admit that it came as a real surprise to me.

    From David Poland’s recent comments on the New York stage production of “God of Carnage,” which I touched briefly upon two weeks ago.  I’m glad someone else recognized this fireball.

  • POLL: Which summer blockbuster are you most anticipating?

    Thanks to BJT for getting my creative juices flowing here.  But as we head into the summer months, let’s find out what the readership is most anticipating in the arena of blockbuster entertainment.  Let us know your thoughts in the sidebar poll.

  • Give me an idea for a poll…

    Obviously the old one is stale.  I got nothin’.  What do you think?

  • Casting news galore

    Michael ShannonLots of acting decisions being made today.  Despite the “holiday,” it’s all legit, too.  Well, I can’t vouch for /Film’s points us to the news that a trio of thesps joining Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” (each of them listed as “in talks”).  According to Variety, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page are circling the project (and I’m dying to get my hands on that script, by the way).  I wouldn’t mind seeing these three pan out.

    Elsewhere, Michael Shannon joins Mickey Rourke as the second of this year’s Oscar nominated acting class to sign up on a comic franchise.  Shannon and “Arrested Development” star Will Arnett have both been cast in Jimmy Hayward’s “Jonah Hex” among an ensemble that already includes Josh Brolin (in the title role), John Malkovich and Megan Fox.

    I’m stoked for Shannon even without knowing the specific role he’ll take in “Hex.”  Knowing the world of that comic book series, however, I expect he’ll find a nice home for one of his trademark off-kilter portrayals.  Arnett is a weird fit but, well, we’ll see.  I just want the movie to be good.  After “Watchmen,” studios will likely start scrutinizing the wisdom of comic book adaptations.  I don’t want something like “Hex” to come along, screw the pooch and do the very same thing to westerns.

  • Are you experienced?

    Until I actually get to see it, I have absolutely no idea what to make of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience” — which, if you haven’t heard yet, is a breakthrough vehicle for multi-award-winning ingenue Sasha Grey. Soderbergh’s lo-fi experiments work for me approximately half the time, so I’ll just have to see which side of the fence this one lands on.

    But however the film turns out for me, there’s no denying that this is an absolutely first-rate poster, from the graphic concept to the typography to that killer tagline. Great work all round.

    [Courtesy: Vulture]

  • Maketh the man

    Mickey RourkeI don’t mind admitting that one of my most consistent pleasures of the last awards season was Mickey Rourke’s wardrobe. Seriously. In an industry where “who are you wearing” has been allowed to become a legitimate question, Rourke’s wholly individual, tongue-in-cheek and occasionally (okay, maybe it’s just me) pretty damn stylish ensembles came to symbolise his entire rebel stance within the circus. If only more stars would let their freak flag fly so proudly.

    So I was tickled by this good-humoured ribbing of the man in the Guardian’s fashion pages recently:

    While I wouldn’t dress like that myself, there’s something oddly laudable about Rourke’s one-man war against dignity, especially in the styled-to-perfection world that is Hollywood. There’s always the chance that Rourke is being styled, too — possibly by someone in the throes of a nervous breakdown — but I doubt it. I think he’s dressing to make a statement. OK, that statement seems to be, “I have crossed the boundary that separates ‘being an individual’ from ‘being a maniac’ — stand well back for your own safety.” But you can’t deny he’s getting his message across loud and clear.

  • Binoche and Kiarostami team up again

    Ahead of last year’s Venice Film Festival, I got terribly excited about the projected collaboration between Juliette Binoche and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami — well, what arthouse devotee wouldn’t?

    As it turned out, this was either a wrongfooting or a simple miscommunication, for the film that was being talked up — a romantic drama set to be Kiarostami’s first film shot outside his home country — wasn’t the one that appeared at Venice.

    Instead, audiences were presented with “Shirin,” an experimental, non-narrative piece in which over a hundred actresses (one of whom was indeed Binoche) were depicted as audience members watching a theatre piece never shown on screen. More gallery installation than cinema, it was a work of befuddling beauty, but little more.

    Happily, however, Screen International reports that the initially discussed Binoche/Kiarostami vehicle is now going ahead. “Certified Copy,” a mainly French-language effort, will begin shooting in Tuscany in early June. As far as I can gather, it’s a love story centred on the affair between a French gallery owner and a British writer that blossoms on the latter’s Italian book tour, though details may have changed since last year.

    In any case, when you’ve got one of the world’s greatest living actresses working with one of its greatest living filmmakers, and in the Tuscan countryside to boot, it’s churlish to ask too many questions, no? I’m looking forward to whatever they come up with.

  • Jury duty

    L.A. county owns my hide all day long (and hopefully not longer than that).  I wish THAT was an April Fools joke.

  • Troubling details of Nolan’s ‘Shadow of the Bat’ revealed

    Cover of Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1I really don’t know what to say about this.  I understand Christopher Nolan is a progressive artist, a guy who understands both the necessity of shunning convention and the idea that what one may expect isn’t always the best solution.  He’s proven it time and again with the films in his re-booted Batman franchise, starting at the top with a story that involved a villain largely unknown to the masses.  He brought in Heath Ledger in a move some thought a bit too outside-the-box, and boy were they wrong.

    But bringing Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher on as creative producing figures?  Having the gall to cast Carrey as the Riddler again (even though I’m strangely okay with sticking to the one-major-villain-per-film paradigm)?  I’d follow Nolan to the ends of the earth, but even I can’t go along with his creative reasoning here, which sounds like the whims of a mad man.  I mean, I dig the title (which a lot of us saw coming).  It’s a nice nod to an extinct series of books.  But the rest of it…I just…

    From Variety:

    Warner Brothers’ Batman franchise will take a third bow in the summer of 2012.

    “Shadow of the Bat,” the sequel to 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” will introduce quiz-master villain the Riddler to audiences for a third time after the character appeared in the 1960s television series and 1995’s “Batman Forever.”  Funny man Jim Carrey has been tapped to reprise the role in “Shadow,” while helmers Joel Schumacher and Tim Burton, the filmmakers behind the Caped Crusader’s first theatrical franchise, have been brought on as consultants to the production, which director Christopher Nolan says will be his final take on Gotham City.

    “I felt it novel to tie this third and final chapter to the character’s roots on the screen,” Nolan said.  “Tim and Joel had two completely different visions of the Batman, visions that contrast vastly with my own.  But I don’t feel that negates the possibility of a creative convergence.  Batman is more than the ideas of one person, of one team of artists.  He is the result of seven decades of pop culture influence and innovation.”

    WB is eying a May 2012 release date for the film to coincide with the 73rd anniversary of Batman’s first comic book appearance in 1939.

    Nolan begins shooting his latest film, “Inception,” with Leonardo DiCaprio later this year for a 2010 release.

    Read the full story here.  I need to go off into a corner somewhere and think hard about this.

  • Filmmaker publicly sticks it to Nikki Finke…finally

    Rod LurieOkay, it should be noted at the top that director Rod Lurie’s op-ed against the more-in-the-news-than-ever Nikki Finke is running on Sharon Waxman’s website, The Wrap, and that Waxman and Finke have been at each other’s throats, it seems, for a while now.  The dust on that journalist cat fight was kicked up once again last week, following a media back-and-forth that I briefly recounted here.

    What Lurie’s piece does signify, however, is one of if not the first public shot across Finke’s bow from someone on the other side of the line, a working filmmaker in the business, albeit a former journalist who recognizes the danger of Finke and her deplorable practices.  I really hope there will be more.

    Lurie starts out thusly:

    Right now there seems to be a new kind of insidious power in journalism: the independent reporter/blogger. In many cases, these are people who purport to run news items, “scoops,” as they call them, in a shoot-first-and-do-the-interview-later kind of way.

    Alright.  Nothing new, nothing old.  But then it gets a little personal for him:

    The wannabe Murrows have become the de facto McCarthys — carelessly lobbing accusations and innuendoes against unsuspecting victims.

    This all really struck me the other day when a friend alerted me to the fact that Nikki Finke — who is one of the most-read bloggers in our entertainment community — had taken a shot at me in her column.

    “Endeavor just signed its 3rd WMA client this month — director Rod Lurie. I can’t fathom why any agency would be interested in this nasty piece of work who keeps hopscotching reps.”

    Okay, the “nasty” part is her opinion and God bless. However, before the day this was posted, I think I had spoken to Ms. Finke once in my life on the phone. It was a short and cordial conversation as I recall.

    Lurie then goes on to convey his side of things on the Endeavor/William Morris matter, then present another case of Finke’s sloppy reporting when it came to a story involving his work on television’s “Commander in Chief.”  He also digs in with the expected thoughts (thoughts not simplified in print often enough, to be honest) that Finke is “emblematic of a true danger that now exists in journalism: the unchecked reporter.”

    Like I said, I hope others in the industry take Lurie’s lead and speak out on this.  Right now it’s journalist versus journalist for the most part in a battle that can’t help but seem competitive more so than righteous.