Tuesday 7 June 2016

Alternate Best Actor 1985: Eric Stoltz in Mask

Eric Stoltz did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe (absurdly for supporting actor), for portraying Roy "Rocky" Dennis in Mask.

Mask is an affecting film about teenager with a facial deformity trying to live a normal life alongside his biker mother Rusty (Cher).

Eric Stoltz has a bit of unfortunate notoriety attached with one of the most notable films of 1985, Back to the Future, where he was the original actor cast as Marty McFly, though not the original choice, to the point he shot several scenes, and can even still be seen very briefly in the film. Apparently not being quite right for the role, in that he was not Marty McFly as Michael J. Fox was, he was replaced by Fox which was fitting given that Fox was the original choice to begin with. Any chance at stardom seemed set to allude Stoltz by fate since he had another leading role in 1985 here in Mask, but the film's whole point setup Stoltz to be unrecognizable. Stoltz plays Rocky who is based on a real person who suffered from a condition that caused calcium to build up on his skull which caused his head to enlarge abnormally. Stoltz has a set challenge from beginning as he is always encased in this thick makeup throughout the film. This challenge is particularly important for the film itself given that Stoltz's work needs to overcome the makeup in a way, that makes him more than the makeup while still making it seem like a natural part of the character.

Stoltz accomplishes that with his performance as the makeup just seems part of him, and we only really see him as this kid with this condition. Stoltz never seems restricted by it as his eyes allow more than enough expression even as the rest of his face is set in place. Now the remarkable element of Rocky in the film is that this is not about someone living a different life through this condition, instead it is about him trying to live as normally as he can. This is set up well in an early scene where after a checkup the doctors tell Rocky he only has a few months to live, but both his mother and Rocky dismiss this given that they've heard this so many times before. That is not to say they are ignoring the idea, but rather not allowing it to control Rocky. Stoltz makes the decision to play Rocky as naturally as a he possibly can. He speaks with just the voice of an average teenager, he physically acts without mannerism. Stoltz makes the right decision as he shows firmly from the start that Rocky is just the same as anyone else except for some unneeded calcium on his skull. This is not to say that Rocky is completely unaffected by his condition, but this is not handled as one might expect.

The emphasis is on optimism for Rocky rather than any sort of pessimism. Stoltz's portrayal of this is remarkable as he is able to realize it in such a genuine fashion. Stoltz brings this energy of personality in Rocky that creates this certain charisma in him as someone who is willing to be anyone's friend. What I love about how Stoltz does this is that he does not portray this as effortless, but at the same time makes it completely honest. Stoltz subtly alludes to the recognition in these moments that Rocky knows its time to put on a bit of charm. He does not handle these moments with an ounce of cynicism though, instead portraying an understanding that this is what he must do to help others get over their reaction to his appearance. Stoltz makes Rocky actively likable in that he shows Rocky as someone who is always trying to win over someone best he can no matter what, given that if he did not do this he would be completely ostracized. Stoltz makes Rocky's success with the other teenagers convincing since he remains such a consistently endearing young man.

Although optimism defines Rocky much of the time Stoltz never allows Rocky to become one note, nor does he even allow the optimism itself to be simplistic. Stoltz is brilliant in the moments where he interacts with people who are seeing him for the first time because he does bring just a subtle hint of the discomfort in Rocky at seeing others initial revulsion to him. Stoltz portrays what Rocky himself must get over with his optimism by so effectively showing these vulnerabilities in Rocky. He portrays that most of the time he can override it through his upbeat personality, but it never is completely gone. Stoltz is especially strong in realizing the way these insecurities occasionally rise when something specifically occurs that reminds maybe a bit too much about his condition. Stoltz is terrific since he even keeps this moments fairly low key yet quite powerful. He shows so well the way it cuts deeply in him in this specific unease that seems ingrained unfortunately through his experience of life. Stoltz makes it so when there is the time for a more dramatic breakdown it not only is heartbreaking but completely earned in the moment.

Now two of the most important aspects to the film comes in Rocky's two most pivotal female relationships. A romantic one being with a blind girl Diana(Laura Dern). This is made to be just a very nice and altogether sweet relationship. It works though as they share the right chemistry, and Stoltz does well to show the way Rocky overcomes a natural shyness in regards to his appearance throughout their scenes together. The strongest aspect of the film though is in Rocky's other relationship, which is with his mother Rusty. The relationship is based in love as Cher and Stoltz both realize the needed genuine warmth between the two, as Rusty fights for Rocky to be treated normally with fierce dedication. The relationship though is more complex than that in large part due to Rusty's drug addiction and problematic lifestyle. Both Cher and Stoltz are fantastic in finding the depth in the relationship between the two as their moments of fighting are made raw and realistic. Stoltz does not sugar coat Rocky's disappointment in his mother's behavior, and by doing so he allows the tender moments to be all the more moving. One can see the history between the two in every moment they share together making the final scenes of the film rather devastating. Eric Stoltz gives an outstanding performance that is never defined by the makeup, as he successfully acts through it to give a complex portrait that makes Rocky so much more than just a boy with a tragic condition.

85 comments:

Michael McCarthy said...

Rating and thoughts for Cher?

Anonymous said...

Also, rating and thoughts for Laura Dern?

Alex Marqués said...

This seems to be a pretty strong year.

Calvin Law said...

I re-watched this and Cher is now my win for 1985, and Stoltz my #5 in a VERY strong year:

1. Nakadai
2. Julia/Hurt
4. Fox
5. Stoltz

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What's your opinion on these choices for James Bond.
Aidan Turner
Luke Evans (I know he's not in the running, but I think he'd be great)
Tom Hardy
Tom Hiddleston
Idris Elba

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And Damian Lewis.

Calvin Law said...

Hiddleston is easily my top choice after watching The Night Manager. I'd get behind all of these besides Hardy.

Calvin Law said...

Turner actually makes the most sense since he's a recognized actor now but far from a household name, good-looking and has decent acting chops. I will say though I find it odd how Jack Huston isn't in the running. He's a good actor, has the look and vibe, and Lord knows what a career boost he'll need after the surefire disaster that is the Ben-Hur remake.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: It's a shame, that he's ruled himself out. :(

My stance on Hardy is the same as it was a year ago, he doesn't need it at this point of his career, though when he reaches his mid-50s or 60s, I'd like to see him play Bond near the end of his career as a 00 or a retired spy.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: *Hiddleston

Michael Patison said...

Luke:
Just for the record, my Bond ranking would be:
1. Luke Evans (he's actually my #1 choice overall but I never bring him up because people are just like "huh? who?")
2. Tom Hiddleston
3. Idris Elba (would his pre existing fame ruin the Bond aura?)
4. Tom Hardy (see Elba but more so)
5. Aidan Turner

Michael Patison said...

Luke: I'd probably put Lewis either just above or just below Elba

Calvin Law said...

I agree about Elba actually, and I do think he might actually be more suited as a Bond villain.

I think I'd rank them:

1. Hiddleston
2. Evans
3. Turner
4. Elba
5. Lewis
6. Hardy

Calvin Law said...

Speaking of Evans I can't wait to see his take on Gaston. In fact I'm really looking forward to that whole film mainly by my liking of Bill Condon as a director. And some of the casting choices really intrigue me. Dan Stevens, he from Downton Abbey as Beast? He's a fine actor though so well see.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I think Dan Stevens could be great as the Beast (and he's so good in Downton Abbey as well). And I can't wait to see Luke Evans' take on Gaston.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin & Giuseppe: Evans' Gaston is far and away my most anticipated element of the BATB remake, yet I'm really looking forward to the film as a whole.

I hope Stevens excels as well, because Downton Abbey sorely missed his presence after Series 3 and just couldn't get into it afterwards.

Calvin Law said...

Speaking of Downton Abbey alumni, hope Michelle Dockery breaks out for good soon. Excellent actress.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

@Calvin: I absolutely love her. I think out of the whole cast of Downton Abbey (which is just excellent) she's the MVP. Mary is such a brilliant, complex character and in her compelling portrayal Dockery nails every single nuance.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael McCarthy:

Cher - 5(Excellent performance, and really I wish she would have kept playing actual roles throughout her career. She's fantastic in bringing the needed fierce passion needed for her character that always exemplifies her determination to get best what is for her son. She does not make this define the character though as she doesn't hold back in revealing the character's less savory qualities. She gives honesty to her moment of selfishness and addiction. She manages to flawlessly though intertwine this with the better qualities. Again as I wrote above she makes the relationship absolutely convincing in its complexity. She earns the most affecting moments, and is completely heartbreaking in the final scenes of the film)

Anonymous:

Dern - 3.5(Her role is rather limited as a fairly idealized version of the sweet blind girl. However Dern handles it well by bringing enough nuance to her performance to reveal some difficulties in terms of her blindness even though they are not focused upon. She importantly enables the sweetness to be honesty, but managing to note be solely defined by it despite that's the way the character is focused upon)

Luke:

Aidan Turner - (As stated by Calvin he technically is around the right notice level for a Bond. Craig and Dalton were probably the both known in a cinematic sense before their Bond work, and still they stood as somewhat obscure character actors. Dalton curiously enough stayed as such even after Bond. The only work of Turner's that I've seen is The Hobbit. His work there is not a guarantee for greatness, but I'd say he could potentially be a good Bond from that)

Luke Evans - (Also in about the right position fame wise, and I really liked him in The Hobbit so I'd say he could work despite him being great as a definite family man in that where Bond is anything but.)

Tom Hardy - (I think Hardy could pull off a dark Bond or a light Bond. I don't want him in the role though as I prefer just to see him continue on his current path. Plus he technically is far too known as Bonds go.)

Tom Hiddleston - (I like what he could offer as a change of style from Daniel Craig's and I could see him as a possibly a good version of Roger Moore's Bond. As Bond's go he's slightly too famous, due to Loki, but I think this could be a defining leading heroic turn for him.)

Idris Elba - (He technically is a bit too old for the part to begin with. Other than Beasts I have not been particularly impressed with his cinematic output so I'm unsure that he'd be a great Bond but then again I have not seen Luther. Although his usual presence alludes that his Bond would be similair approach to Craig, and I'm not sure that's the best choice at the moment.)

Damian Lewis - (Only have seen him in Wolf Hall I believe, and from that the only thing I could say is that he is definitely talented. How well he'll do as Bond, I couldn't say.)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Have you seen Colonel Redl, Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters or The Trip To Bountiful yet.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Hume Cronyn in The Postman Always Rings Twice? I think he's the best part of the film.

RatedRStar said...

One of the reasons Aidan Turner is getting bond buzz is because of his performance in "And Then There Were None" where he his performance was very bondesque.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I've just seen The Neon Demon. I'll say that the movie is extremely interesting whether you like it or not. I personally liked it a lot as I thought that it was visually stunning with a truly splendid cinematography and amazing sets. The score is terrific as well. I suppose some could find it style over substance but I personally thought it was an interesting look at the fashion industry and it featured an extremely effective turn from Elle Fanning. The supporting cast is also rather strong with Jena Malone being particularly remarkable. Now it isn't perfect as Keanu Reeves' subplot really doesn't go anywhere and the final fifteen minutes or so could have been easily shortened as the story was already over by then. Still, I thought it was an extremely compelling movie that is disturbing and disconcerting in the right way.

Alex Marqués said...

Giuseppe: Nice, judging by your review it seems to be what I hoped it to be.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I can totally see why someone would not like it though. The friend who went with me at the cinema absolutely hated it.

Alex Marqués said...

Well, I guess that usually happens with Refn.

Michael McCarthy said...

I'm so glad it seems like everyone's taken to Cher's performance, I was genuinely afraid it was gonna be divisive.

Anonymous said...

Just finished watching this film, and I have to say that Stoltz and Cher were both phenomenal. Cher is easily a 5, although Page is still my win.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

All will be revealed in the results.

Anonymous:

Cronyn - 4(I agree he was the best part of the film, I wish there had been more of him in it. For his couple of scenes though he absolute dominates bringing just the right combination of sleaze and slick in his razor sharp depiction of his lawyer. I like how incisive he is in his mocking of Turner and Garfield, while always conveying the cunning of how he will get them off the hook.)

Anonymous said...

Louis: In your opinion, what did The Postman Always Rings Twice needed to be a better film? I'd say a better director and better actors for the main roles.

Anonymous said...

*need

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I'd agree, just imagine a version by Billy Wilder instead.

Matt Mustin said...

Saw X-Men. I don't know what I thought of it exactly, but I didn't really like it. I thought it was messy, convoluted and almost irresponsibly violent. Apocalypse is an absolutely pathetic excuse for a villain. What kills me though is there are individual sequences that are great (three in particular are absolutely fantastic) so it hurts so much more that the rest of it is do disappointing.

The cast:
McAvoy-3.5(God bless him, he is giving it his all, and is actually quite great in the early scenes in showing where Charles is at this point. Unfortunately for him, most of the movie basically just used him as a prop more than anything else.)
Fassbender-4(His early scenes are exceptional, and if it was just them, I'd have no hesitation in giving him a 4.5. Fassbender is incredible in showing a new contented life, and is absolutely devastating when tragedy hits him again, showing exactly how bitter a man Erik is. Unfortunately, after this, the film decides to make him just a straight villain, which he handles well, but not amazingly.
Lawrence-2(Couldn't be less interested.)
Isaac-2(As I said, I found Apocalypse to be a truly pathetic villain, and because of this Isaac didn't really have the opportunity to give a good performance. That said, I felt that he really phoned it in, even when he went over the top.
Sheridan-3(Solid. Doesn't get a whole lot to do, but I have no complaints.)
Turner-2.5(She was fine, I guess for the most part, but early on I thought she was pretty dull.)
Smit-McPhee-3(Again, solid. He's no Alan Cumming, but he's just fine.)
Byrne-1(Alright, this was astonishing. I mean, this is a performance you really have to witness. She is phoning it in to the point that it's almost hysterical. I mean, she was flying into a magnetic force field and couldn't have seemed more bored.)

Matt Mustin said...

Oh, forgot a couple people.
Hoult-3(He's actually pretty charming here, and kinda makes his scenes with Lawrence work.)
Peters-4(You know, I just really love how much fun he's having. It's really not a complex performance in any way, but I enjoyed every second he was onscreen.)

There's also kind of a cameo from someone who's not in it enough to even really comment on, but I will say I thought the sequence was fucking awesome. (I try not to swear in these comments all that often, not even sure why, but here I felt it appropriate)

Calvin Law said...

Matt: I agree about that sequence. I know people complain a lot about the films overusing his presence but I've come to realise that perhaps it really is necessary.

Anonymous said...

Louis : With all of the choices available to play Ahab in the 50's, who would have you chosen instead of Peck for Huston's adaptation of Moby Dick? I'd choose Orson Welles for the part, with Raymond Massey playing Father Mapple.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I'd approve of that choice.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on Clint Eastwood, John Cazale, Liev Schreiber, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Harrison Ford and Edmond O'Brien as actors?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: What are your 10 most anticipated reviews.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: For Film Thoughts:
Game Of Thrones: Season 6
Apocalypse Now
Braveheart
Shaun Of The Dead
Hot Fuzz
The World's End
Zodiac
The Assassination Of Jesse James
No Country For Old Men
Mad Max: Fury Road

Anonymous said...

Luke: I think I already told you that I am really anticipatiing the reviews for Chaney Sr.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top ten films of 1971.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: What are your Early Nominee Predictions for the major categories next year.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Jennifer Lawrence is doing another biopic.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: And with McKay. Ugh. :(

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Clint Eastwood - (Eastwood is a brilliant actor who seems particularly astute in terms of understanding his own limitations and abilities as an actor. He has a set range to be sure, but throughout his career he proven his ability to know exactly how and where to stretch himself as a performer. Eastwood's basic presence is one of a kind in itself as he's managed to really make himself one of the iconic images of cinema with that steely glare. Eastwood's work is rarely simplistic though stretching within the best roles in often very remarkable ways.)

John Cazale - (One of the most unfortunate losses in cinematic history was the brevity of his career. Of course he certainly chose wisely in that brief time. The films were all great, and Cazale brought something to every one of them. Even with his smaller roles in the The Conversation and the first Godfather he still made an impact, then with his larger roles he was always one of the strongest elements in those great films.)

Liev Schreiber - (The great actor who just is so rarely in good films. Schreiber no matter the quality of the film always delivers and you can see his effort no matter how terrible the films may be around him. He's a compelling performer though and he's really an actor you just want to see given the chance with a great part given what he can do with often very poorly written roles. Hopefully he will have more films like Spotlight in his future and fewer like Wolverine Origins.)

Michael Keaton - (Technically was in a similair boat as his aforementioned Spotlight co-star for much of his career, though so far that seems to be changing. Keaton's a one of kind performer who has this off-beat presence in just the best sort of fashion. That's not to say he's just there for that, as his work in Birdman proved he's capable of so much more, and is indeed a great actor given the chance. Even when not he's usually still pretty fun to watch)

Samuel L. Jackson - (Jackson reminds me a bit of Christopher Walken in that his common image is often a poor representation of his true talent as a performer. For Jackson that being just the Bad Ass type. Now to Jackson credit he usually does this well, even if he seems like he's coasting sometimes. However like Walken, when a role really presents a challenge for him, especially with his work with Quentin Tarantino, he absolutely delivers and proves himself to be an exceptionally talented performer capable of far more than he's given credit for.)

Louis Morgan said...

Harrison Ford - (When viewing Ford ever in an interview it is rather astonishing to see what he is able to pull out on screen, well when he bothers to act that is. When Ford phones in, he phones in hard. When he tries though he's a rock solid leading man. When he's completely on point he's one of the very best with his ability to effortlessly blend humor, and emotion in an extremely charismatic performance. What's all the more remarkable though is that when he's gone out of his range, from what I've seen, he's only ever succeeded and is all around a far more talented actor than he's often given credit for.)

Edmond O'Brien - (It is interesting to see that in his pseudo leading turns he was more often the straight man to the true lead in films like White Heat, The Killers and A Double Life, but in his supporting roles he often played flamboyant or eccentric roles. He's really quite a lot like Burt Lancaster with the two distinct performance styles. Now in either branch O'Brien usually was pretty good. There's occasionally the performance where maybe he played it a little too stoically, or a bit too big, but for the most part he was a reliable presence to his films whether he was being the calm sense of reason or a bit of insanity thrown in there)

Luke:

1. 10 Rillington Place
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. Get Carter
4. The Last Picture Show
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
6. Diry Harry
7. McCabe & Mrs Miller
8. The Beguiled
9. The French Connection
10. Wake in Fright

Picture:

Billy Lynn's Long Half Time Walk (Winner)
Silence
The Birth of a Nation
La la Land
Loving
Passengers
Hacksaw Ridge
A United Kingdom
Manchester By the Sea
Sully

Director:

Martin Scorsese - Silence (Winner)
Ang Lee - Billy Lynn
Nate Parker - The Birth of a Nation
Damien Chazelle - La la Land
Jeff Nichols - Loving

Actor:

David Oyelowo - A United Kingdom (Winner)
Casey Affleck - Manchester By the Sea
Michael Keaton - The Founder
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling - La la Land

Actress:

Ruth Negga - Loving (Winner)
Rosamund Pike - A United Kingdom
Viola Davis - Fences
Emma Stone - La la Land
Jennifer Lawrence - Passengers

Eh I'll leave off the supporting for now, but I will say I think Liam Neeson will probably win supporting actor for Silence.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who do you think could have played Pablo (For Whom The Bell Tolls) better than Tamiroff?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Walter Slezak
Peter Lorre
Charles Laughton
J. Carrol Naish
Vittorio De Sica
William Bendix

Just to name a few.

Anonymous said...

Louis: About Peck's voice, what do you think of it overall? I think he should have used his natural voice in The Yearling, instead of the dialect he was using.

Louis Morgan said...

Peck had a great voice, which only got better with age, but it was best for him to stay away from accents.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Aside from The Big Country, which character actors do you think could played Bickford's cold roles better than him?

Calvin Law said...

I really can't wait for Hacksaw Ridge. Such a compelling real-life story, and despite some of my reservations about Gibson overall I can't deny he is a great director.

Anonymous said...

I can't see Billy Lynn winning.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I'd say at this point it's as likely as anything else.

Anonymous said...

Louis: So, aside from The Big Country, are there characterr actors that could have played some of Charles Bickford's roles better than him in your opinion?

Louis Morgan said...

Well in some of his performances I did not love he was still okay, like Song of Bernadette and The Farmer's Daughter. I'm sure someone else could have excelled more, say Sam Jaffe for Bernadette maybe Frank Morgan The Farmer's Daughter, but it's not terrible that he had those roles.

Anonymous said...

Feeling a little bored. I'll do some retrocastings.
The Exorcist (1950's version, directed by Charles Laughton)
Chris: Eleanor Parker
Regan: Patty Duke
Father Karras: Anthony Quinn
Father Merrin: Charles Laughton
Lieutenant Kinderman: Melvyn Douglas

Rambo (1960's version, directed by Robert Aldrich) (Post-Civil War)
John Rambo: Charles Bronson
Sheriff Teasle: Ernest Borgnine
Colonel Trautman: Henry Fonda

Pulp Fiction (1970's version, by Francis Ford Coppola)
Vincent Vega: John Cazale
Jules Winfield: Sidney Poitier
Mia Wallace: Meryl Streep
Butch Coolidge: Jack Nicholson
Winston Wolfe: Dirk Bogarde
Pumpkin: Tom Courtenay
Honey Bunny: Faye Dunaway
Marsellus Wallace: Morgan Freeman
Captain Koons: Harry Dean Stanton

Matt Mustin said...

http://performancereviewsmatt.blogspot.ca/2016/06/jason-bateman-in-gift.html

Everyone, I started up my own performance review blog, and my first one is Jason Bateman in The Gift. Please read and comment, if you so desired.

Michael McCarthy said...

Anonymous: I think I'd actually switch Poitier and Freeman.

Anonymous said...

Michael: I went with Poitier for Jules because I thought it would have been an interesting role for him

Robert MacFarlane said...

Good Game of Thrones tonight, though I'm still annoyed with how they're handling Mireen.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think we will not see Meereen long from now on ... I am very happy that Daenerys has arrived in Meeren this episode and have not left this for the last episode or the next season.

Anonymous said...

I also hope that Daenerys and the Greyjoys brothers soon find this season yet

Anonymous said...

Louis what are your thoughts on the episode?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I rather liked the episode. Alright Mereen was Mereen but by now that's par for course. Hopefully we will be done with that pit soon enough permanently. Also this episode proved that Arya's stabbing could have been better handled last episode, however it hardly ruined anything for me. I thought the Riverrun scenes were very strong especially in scene between Brienne and Jamie. I felt Christie and Coster-Waldau gave their best work of the season in that scene. I was sorry to see the Blackfish go, but I do believe his exit was logical. The Hound was great once more, and I loved seeing Beric and Thoros again. Cersei's scene was effective and I like where it has set her character. Then there was Arya's whole sequence, which to use a cliche I was on the edge my seat for. Even with its foibles I've thoroughly enjoyed this season, and I can't wait for the next episode.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I was really impressed with Tobias Menzies this episode. Didn't know they could make Edmure interesting.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I liked a lot Game of Thrones' last episode. Mereen wasn't particularly good but I thought it was better than usual and Dinklage and Hill were very good in their scene together. King's Landing was rather effective, Lena Headey was impressive and I can't wait to see what is going to happen there. Riverrun was the highlight of the episode for me and I thought Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie were fantastic in their scene together, and I thought their goodbye was actually a very moving moment. I also really liked Jaime's manipulation of Edmure and both Menzies and Coster-Waldau did a great job with the scene. I also loved Arya's segment as I thought it was extremely compelling and a satisfying ending to a storyline that had been going on for too long really. I have to admit though that I don't quite know if I really liked The Hound's segment: McCann is excellent but I honestly don't see what they are going to do with his character and storyline. It's great to see him back but I felt like there is something missing.

Anonymous said...

I believe now that The Hound met with the Brotherhood, perhaps they all can get involved with the storyline of Brienne and Jaime somehow ... Since all are in Riverlands

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Honestly, how the hell HBO decided to submit Max von Sydow and not Natalie Dormer, Jonathan Pryce and Diana Rigg? And why submitting Emilia Clarke for a performance this season that, save for a couple of moments, wasn't any more than decent? I love that they submitted Van Houten though.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Maybe we can finally squeeze Turner or Harrington in the lineup this year.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

@Robert: I definitely hope so. Honestly anyone but Dinklage this season, I love him but he barely had to do anything. But I'm a bit pissed about Dormer and Rigg, they were great this season and they were submitted for the previous three seasons so I have no idea why they weren't this year.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

Yeah he was great.

Giuseppe:

I believe this time Rigg and Pryce were in too many episodes to be submitted as guest performers. Why they weren't submitted for supporting though is hard to understand as is Dormer being left off. I hope they'll go for Harington over Dinklage this time, but I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Speaking of Game of Thrones, in your 80's choices for Game of Thrones, who would you cast as Ramsay Bolton, Qyburn, Beric, Thoros, Alliser Thorne, Edd, Yara and Euron Greyjoy, Randyll Tarly, The Blackfish, Edmure, Brother Ray, Jaqen H'ghar, The Waif and Lady Crane... Sorry for so many names. You do not have to do them all.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Ramsay Bolton: Peter Firth
Qyburn: Roy Dotrice
Beric: Patrick Stewart
Thoros: Ian McKellen
Alliser Thorne: Ian Bannen
Edd: Michael Palin
Yara: Alice Krige
Euron Greyjoy: Timothy Dalton
Randyll Tarly: Nigel Davenport
The Blackfish: Edward Woodward
Edmure: Corin Redgrave
Brother Ray: Alexander Knox
Jaqen H'ghar: Jurgen Prochnow

Calvin Law said...

Louis: which is your favourite out of these alternate castings for a 2010's LA Confidential?

(Directed by the Coen Brothers)
Exley: Oscar Isaac
White: Garrett Hedlund
Vincennes: George Clooney
Dudley Smith: John Goodman
Sid Hudgens: Michael Stuhlbarg
Patchett: Tim Robbins
Lynn Bracken: Tilda Swinton

(Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)
Exley: Paul Dano
White: Joaquin Phoenix
Vincennes: Tom Cruise
Dudley Smith: John C. Reilly
Sid Hudgens: Martin Short
Patchett: Adam Sandler
Lynn Bracken: Heather Graham

(Directed by Quentin Tarantino)
Exley: Ben Foster
White: Matthias Schoenaerts (really want to see how these two would handle Tarantino's style)
Vincennes: Robert Downey Jr.
Dudley Smith: Brendan Gleeson
Sid Hudgens: Steve Buscemi
Patchett: Jeff Goldblum (though Tarantino would probably cast himself)
Lynn Bracken: Uma Thurman

(Directed by Christopher Nolan)
Exley: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
White: Tom Hardy
Vincennes: Matthew McConaughey
Dudley Smith: Mark Rylance
Sid Hudgens: Joe Pantoliano
Patchett: Michael Caine
Lynn Bracken: Carrie Ann Moss

Anonymous said...

Calvin: Your choices for Vincennes are pretty awesome.

Álex Marqués said...

Yeah, they're absolutely perfect. On a side note, I'd love to see RDJ and Ben Foster in a Tarantino movie.

Calvin Law said...

In terms of recent Tarantino films I could've totally gone for Ben Foster as Chris Mannix or Calvin Candie, or RDJ as Aldo Raine. But yeah. Especially Downey Jr., he technically did a bit of QT in Natural Born Killers though.

Álex Marqués said...

Louis: Thoughts on Lee Byung-Hun in I Saw The Devil.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Would you have liked a David Lean version of Cleopatra instead of the 1963 film?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Just finished seeing Filth. McAvoy was amazing, and his performance works so incredibly well, even if the film is rather flawed tonally. Although, I'll have to sleep on it to figure out why his performance works though.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Hate to say it, but McAvoy's performance did not stick with me AT ALL.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Maurice Chevalier in Gigi.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Like the Tarantino lineup the most, well other than the potential self-casting by him which is rather terrifying.

Alex:

Lee Byung-Hun - 4(He is a bit overshadowed by Choi Min-sik for most of the film, it's hard not to be, however I think his performance still works well to echo the character's own descent of sorts throughout the film while acting a badass of sorts. His best moment though is the final shot of the film as he's devastating as shows basically all the events of the story hit him all at once.)

Anonymous:

Chevalier - 2(He's technically just doing his typical shtick, a rather uninspired example of it since his lack of alteration makes him come off as more than a little creepy in this case)

Anonymous:

Yes but it also needed to be written by Robert Bolt as well.