Tuesday 5 July 2016

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: John Lone in Year of the Dragon

John Lone did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Joey Tai in Year of the Dragon.

Year of the Dragon tells the story of a police Captain Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) trying to take down the organized crime within Chinatown in New York.

Year of the Dragon does not work as a film, though it is not a standard failure. Its problems largely stem from the parts of the film focusing on our "hero" played by Rourke. The set up is already strange because it seems the character was suppose to be far older than Rourke was, judging by the grey hair they gave him. This side of the story fails, aside from a few directorial touches by Michael Cimino. This in part in its inability to tell one story, or at the very least balance its various facets well. It seems like it might be a Scarface style gangster film, then others possibly a more serious minded one. At others it seems like it might be trying to be a straight one man's revenge type thriller. It also throws in a misguided romance which could never have succeeded due to the atrocious performance by Ariane Koizumi as the Asian reporter Stanley gets involved with. It also includes in there one man dealing with his racism which seems like just a footnote put into the end of the film in an attempt to balance some of the remarks made by Stanley. There is yet another portion of the film though which is the best part of the film, which stars John Lone.

Now I wish I could say that John Lone borders on being co-lead since the film would be better if that were the case. Actually I wish I could say that John Lone merely was the sole lead to the film as it could have potentially been a great film that focused on the rise of power of this criminal in the Chinese underworld. Instead we get glimpses of this story, which more often than not seem oddly detached from the police Captain's story, yet these glimpses are still the high points of the film. John Lone plays Joey Tai who we meet early on when Stanley goes to try to intimidate those in power in Chinatown. Lone brings the needed intensity to the moment as he eyes daggers back at Stanley as he makes his accusations which the men deflect. Lone finds nuance in this moment and is very effective in the way he portrays Tai analyzing Stanley in the moment seemingly determining whether or not he will be a threat to him. Lone is terrific in this scene as he manages to give Joey Tai a definite presence this early on even before he does much of anything, but makes it clear he will have an impact as the film proceeds forward.

After that scene Lone is rarely in scenes that directly engage with the main story, which is a good thing for Lone. These scenes focus upon Tai as he attempts to ensure deals go down, as well as increase his control over Chinatown. These things theoretically could have been more simplistic as basically a villain setting up his villainy so to speak, but that's not what happens due to Lone. A lot of these scenes showcase just how good of an actor Lone is, especially in the scenes of negotiating with other criminal elements. Lone carries himself so well again because he never forces Tai to just be a standard gangster stereotype. Lone exudes the confidence needed for the role as Tai goes face to face with various other dangerous men, and the power of the man is made into a fact by Lone's assured work. Lone never defines these scenes one way such as when he speaks with the Italian mob. Lone is subtly able to give the sense of Tai considering his actions before he takes them alluding to just a hint of apprehension before going for the throat to get what he desires. Lone earns the confidence of the character by building to it in these scenes, and portraying a growth in Tai to a "better" criminal in these scenes.

Lone never wastes his screentime, I particularly love the sequence where he meets with a military group in Asia. In the scene the men try to force him to kill someone who he he shares a history with. Lone says a great deal in the silence of the moment brilliantly suggesting the past between the two men as he avoids the murder. The most remarkable element of this scene is that Lone manages to pivot in the scene to Tai revealing he had another man decapitated who was one of is competitors. Lone shows this side of Tai as the cutthroat businessman who will do what it takes to secure his interests. Lone is quite menacing through this approach in any of the scenes where Tai orders violence to be carried out. Lone does not portray it as a maniacal villain, but rather is quite chilling by presenting him as a man just meticulously removing obstacles out of his path. When Tai orders a murder, Lone does not yell the order, he calmly orders it as though it is a standard transaction. The film technically undercuts all that Lone is doing by having him just be a straight villain to be defeated by ending the film in a gunfight between Tai and Stanley. To Lone's credit he does not compromise avoiding going over the top even as he gets into a duel on a train track. Lone even goes out on a high note by finding a modicum of actual humanity in the character as Tai somberly asks Stanley for an easier way out. Lone delivers beyond the call of duty by giving a compelling portrait of an ambitious gangster, when it seems the film would have probably settled for just a one note bad guy.

91 comments:

Calvin Law said...

Michael McCarthy: what did you think of Rylance in The BFG?

Calvin Law said...

I watched this and completely agree with this review. What's your rating for Rourke, and thoughts/ratings for the rest of the cast?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on:
Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr in Quo Vadis
Glenn Ford in Trial, Gilda and Blackboard Jungle
Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Jack Palance, Burt Lancaster and Ralph Bellamy in The Professionals

Calvin Law said...

Kerr is so bland in Quo Vadis. Not bad, but it's the one performance of my favourite actress I can't quite defend.

Michael McCarthy said...

Calvin: Rylance realizes a great deal of the character just through his voice, it's impressive how natural he makes the odd dialect and vernacular of the BFG. Beyond that, he does a very good job of conveying a great deal of both meekness and cleverness through his vocal performance. The MoCap as well as the direction make it a bit difficult to create a lot of emotional complexity with his facial expressions, but he still does well within these lines in using both his face and voice to bring a lot of warmth into the role.

Calvin Law said...

That's good to hear. It's still my most anticipated film of this year so I'm still looking very forward to it.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Rourke - 3(A performance that's a little difficult to judge. On the one hand 80's Rourke is such a naturally captivating and magnetic performer. That's evident here, and in terms of portraying the emotional hardships of the story of his character Rourke succeeds. The problem is he's clearly miscast in the role as the aged police Captain. This makes everything he does seem off in a weird way, because it's never that he's bad it just never seems right for the character)

Koizumi - 1(Her performance is abysmal. Not a single one of her expressions or line readings seem believable. There is an awkwardness in everything she does in her flat delivery and often vacant expressions. She's wooden beyond belief and does not have a hint of chemistry with Rourke. The fact that Joan Chen was supposedly the second choice is mind boggling, though even with a better performer the writing behind the character already is deeply flawed.)

Dun - 2.5(His whole character seems like a complete waste, though he has a very good moment in the scene where Joey Tai is looking for the inside man. The character is underdeveloped though and should have played a much bigger role in the story.)

Barry - 2.5(He's always a reliable character actor, but he's just given too little to work with here.)

Anonymous:

Taylor - 1.5(An extremely bland performance. I'll say it again to pull off the lead in a sword and sandals seems quite difficult and Charlton Heston and Russell Crowe deserve more credit than they get. Taylor's performance just lies there. His whole character transition is non-existent, and he makes for one forgettable hero.)

Kerr - 2(She really doesn't have anything to work with to begin with. She's got a block of wood for a co-star, and she's basically there just to stand around and look pretty.)

Ford - Trial/Blackboard Jungle - 3.5/4(Both of the roles seem very much in his wheel house as the righteous crusader. Although when that is at his most direct I'd say that is probably his weakest part as he sometimes comes off as more sanctimonious than truly righteous. Most of the time though he's pretty good in portraying the frustrations and passion of a decent man trying to make different despite the obstacles against him. He's particularly good in the final class confrontation scene in Blackboard Jungle.)

Ford - Gilda - 3(Ford is decent enough in the role, but really just that. He does best in the early scenes as the guy who just entering the dark world of the story, but there's something lacking in his portrayal of the descent as he stays a bit too stiff.)

Marvin - 4(Primo badass Marvin. Marvin just carries the action scenes with such ease, and brings the needed charisma and confidence for the leader of a group known as the Professionals)

Robert Ryan - 3(He's not given much to do here other than being just one of the members of the team. Ryan adds a bit of character when he can though.)

Jack Palance - 3.5(His accent is a bit goofy yet he's very effective in portraying his character's desperation in the film scenes of the film, and gives hints to why the character is worth saving in the end.)

Lancaster - 4(Lancaster I found was a tad overshadowed for some of the film, but more than makes up for it in the final showdown sequence of story. Lancaster is excellent in revealing his character's personal connection to those he's fighting, even though he technically does not even say much.)

Bellamy - 3.5(Bellamy does a very good job as the crude businessman type. His role is fairly limited but he's the sleazy presence he needs to be.)

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your top 10 best and worst epics.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Just saw Our Kind of Traitor, and I really hope Stellan Skarsgaard and Damien Lewis are saved for Supporting at the end of the year for the blog.

Luke Higham said...

I hope Ineson is saved for The Witch at year's end.

Bryan L. said...

I recently rewatched American Beauty and was surprised at how mannered and calculated Wes Bentley's performance was. Thought he played it as a kind of caricature.

Anyway, who do you think would be cast in a remake of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest?

Here's mine:
Randle McMurphy: Bradley Cooper (Michael Shannon would be a close second.)
Nurse Ratched: Kate Winslet
Billy Bibitt: Logan Lerman
Max Taber: Walton Goggins
Martini: Michael Stuhlbarg maybe? Don't know many actors comparable to Devito

Matt Mustin said...

McMurphy-Sam Rockwell
Nurse Ratched-Cate Blanchett
Billy Bibbit-Tye Sheridan

Robert MacFarlane said...

I would go with these for a Cuckoo's Nest remake:

McMurphy: Josh Brolin (I wanna see him play this sort of character for once)
Ratched: Marion Cotillard
Billy: Alden Ehrenreich
Charlie: John C. Reilly

Michael McCarthy said...

I love the idea of Sam Rockwell as McMurphy. I can see Stuhlbarg being a good Cheswick, and maybe William H. Macy as Harding.

Louis, what are your rating and thoughts for David Warner in Tom Jones? I'm rewatching it now and he may be my new MVP of the film, he's an excellent little shit.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I don't know, it's a little difficult to define what exactly counts as an epic.

Michael:

Warner - 4(I'm rather sure Warner can do no wrong. Funny enough his future onscreen employer in Titanic should have looked to his performance here to see how it's done. As pompous jerk Warner is great since he can be so deliciously smug yet entertainingly so. He finds just the right balance that you hate him in his behavior yet he never becomes off putting in the wrong way either. It's terrific example of pulling off the type of character that can so easily become a black hole within a romance or romantic comedy.)

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on Gig Young as an actor?

Michael McCarthy said...

Yeah, I had a feeling you'd raise Warner. I'd love to find a hidden gem from his filmography where he has a role he can really sink his teeth into.

What are your Top 10 films of 1987 and 2003?

Matt Mustin said...

Louis, what are your thoughts on the technical aspects of Passion of the Christ? Particularly the cinematography, which I noticed you gave the win to for that year.

Álex Marqués said...

Has anyone seen Fateful Findings? I've seen a supercut edition of that in Youtube and it makes The Room look like On The Waterfront. Hilarious.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I think I've only seen around five of his performances plus his Twilight Zone episode. Those are a very strong indication of his ability as an actor. Young had quite the emotional range as shown in his vulnerable work in Waking Distance and Come Fill the Cup, to his wonderfully devious Oscar winning work. Then his work in Teacher's Pet suggests he was quite the capable comic actor as well.

Michael:

1987:

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Last Emperor
3. Robocop
4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
5. Full Metal Jacket
6. Lethal Weapon
7. Wings of Desire
8. Spaceballs
9. Angel Heart
10. Broadcast News

2003:

1. The Return of the King
2. Master and Commander
3. Memories of Murder
4. Oldboy
5. Kill Bill Vol. 1
6. Big Fish
7. The Station Agent
8. X-2
9. Matchstick Men
10. American Splendor

Matt:

We can all argue about the stories he chooses to tell, but in terms of reigning the technical elements to get the best out of them in his films Gibson seems to be master. Passion of the Christ is no different in this regard. The sound and makeup in particular make the films violence all the more visceral. The cinematography is impressive as it finds an effective combination between a heavenly grandeur and a grim earthly reality.

Álex Marqués said...

Glad to see Memories of Murder that high in your list, Louis. Excellent film.

Calvin Law said...

Wow, Robocop at 3? Definitely would not recommend checking out the remake then haha. Glad to see we share the same wins for both years. Glad to see Big Fish, Wings of Desire, and The Station Agent on there.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised that Robocop is ranked so high.

Anonymous said...

Saw Tarzan and found it enjoyable enough.
Skarsgard: 3,5
Robbie: 3
Waltz: 2,5
Jackson: 3
Hounsou: 2,5

Bryan L. said...

I think Kate Winslet has that look that Nurse Ratched had, hence my selection of her. I also thought of Emory Cohen for Bibitt. I really liked Logan Lerman's performance in Fury, which would make him a good fit for the part.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your 2010s Cast and Director for The Last Of The Mohicans.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Directed by Werner Herzog

Hawkeye: Matthias Schoenaerts
Col. Munro: Simon McBurney
Major Heyward: Joe Dempsie
Chingachgook: Arthur Redcloud
Magua: Zahn McClarnon

Anonymous said...

Louis: What actors from the Golden Age deserved better roles in your opinion?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Edward Arnold
John Carradine
Pat O'Brien
Cedric Hardwicke

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Louis what are your ratings and thoughts on Linda Darnell in No Way Out? Because I've just seen it and I found her performance very impressive.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your cast and director for a 2010s Titanic.

Calvin Law said...

Damn, Schoenaerts as Hawkeye, that's...perfect.

Luke: I'll take a stab

Directed by Peter Weir
Jack: Emory Cohen
Rose: Imogen Poots
Cal: Ben Foster
And you could actually keep a lot of the supporting cast. Cut out the whole Bill Paxton subplot of course.

Calvin Law said...

Louis and co: which of these two Princess Bride casts?

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

Westley: Nicholas Hoult
Buttercup: Imogen Poots
Humperdinck: Jason Segel
Rugen: Matthias Schoenaerts
Vizzini: William H. Macy
Inigo: Mark Strong
Fezzick: David Bautista
Miracle Max: Wallace Shawn
Valerie: Joan Allen
The Grandson: Jacob Tremblay
The Grandfather: Tom McCamus

Directed by John Crowley

Westley: Kit Harrington
Buttercup: Saoirse Ronan
Humperdinck: Jason Bateman
Rugen: Tom Hollander
Vizzini: Dustin Hoffman
Inigo: Pedro Pascal
Fezzick: Rory McCann
Miracle Max: Jim Broadbent
Valerie: Julie Walters
The Grandson: Jaeden Lieberher
The Grandfather: Alan Arkin

Louis Morgan said...

Giuseppe:

I could use a re-watch there, as I recall liking her, but I don't have any exact thoughts right now.

Luke:

I'll agree with Calvin's choices.

Also I saw the BFG.

Calvin:

If I may do a combination, and just a few ideas of my own.

Directed by John Crowley

Westley: Nicholas Hoult
Buttercup: Saoirse Ronan
Humperdinck: Ben Whishaw
Rugen: Noah Taylor
Vizzini: Kevin Spacey
Inigo: Pedro Pascal (though that does seem too easy)
Fezzick: Thór Björnsson (Watch his heavy bubbles commercials for proof of concept.)
Miracle Max: Wallace Shawn
Valerie: Julie Walters
The Grandson: Jacob Tremblay
The Grandfather: Alan Arkin

Calvin Law said...

Thór Björnsson, haha. Thoughts on The BFG on the whole, and thoughts/ratings for the cast?

Calvin Law said...

Also can't believe I didn't think of Noah Taylor. He looks uncannily like Christopher Guest.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I saw Swiss Army Man. Was really into it until the last five minutes. Dano and Radcliffe were great, though.

Anonymous said...

Some retrocastings that came to my mind.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1940's)
Eddie Valiant: Humphrey Bogart
Judge Doom: Boris Karloff
Roger Rabbit: Mel Blanc
Jessica Rabbit: Lauren Bacall
Baby Herman: James Cagney
Dolores: Claire Trevor
RK Maroon: Edward G. Robinson
Marvin Acme: Henry Travers

Network (1950's)
Howard Beale: Edward Arnold
Max Schumacher: Clark Gable
Diana Christensen: Ava Gardner
Frank Hackett: Lee J. Cobb
Arthur Jensen: Edmond O'Brien
Louise Schumacher: Lillian Gish

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

The BFG is just fine, but just fine. There was only one standout sequence for me which is when the other giants storm in the BFG's house and we get a classic Spielberg set piece. The rest of the time it is never bad but the pacing does feel off. It suffers I think from the source material, and there might be an innate difficulty in adapting Dahl. Not because of quality, but rather Dahl's writing tends to focus on long descriptions of whimsical or weird, people, things and behavior. Also I think the film could have been done the old fashioned way with the giants, aside from one scene where the other giants are throwing around the BFG, and I'm quite certain I would have preferred that. Again the film is enjoyable enough, and it does get a bit a boon from....

Rylance - 4(Rylance's work is wonderfully heartfelt here. He just pulls of the warmth so well, as his voice just exudes the kind nature of the giant in every word. There's an energy about him, and he makes the character so very endearing. He manages even to make some of those Dahlisms really work just by finding the right manner of spekaing that makes those words coming out of his mouth seem not only natural but either funny or sweet depending on the situation. His work elevates the film as best it can, and I'm glad to see that he will apparently be in everything Spielberg makes from now on.)

Barnhill - 3(The character of Sophie is not a very complex one. She just a sweet girl who reacts in a pretty straight forward fashion to what happens throughout the story. Barnhill gives a nice natural performance, even though there isn't too much asked of her.)

Everyone else is fine but they don't get much to do.

Anonymous said...

What are your thoughts on John Lone in Rush Hour 2?

Calvin Law said...

I just re-watched The Thin Red Line, and Louis I was wondering if you do choose to go over it again sometime soon, whether you could add Nick Stahl, Kirk Avecedo and especially John Savage to thr rankings? I thought all three (and the film as a whole) grew on me a lot. Stahl's death scene is probably one of my favourite scenes in the film because of his, Koteas' and Brody's (I've bumped him up to a 3 because I appreciate his mostly silent work all the more now) performances and the beauty of Malick's direction.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Looking at the rankings for some years, I'm surprised you have Billy Crudup so low for Big Fish. I always thought he was sort of the unsung standout of the film.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Actually, the entire rewatch I just did of Big Fish, Carter's performance got much better too. Probably my choice for Supporting Actress that year.

Calvin Law said...

I'm surprised by the generally low ranking of most of the Big Fish cast. The whole cast is extremely good, my favourites being Crudup, Carter, McGregor and Finney (who was at one point my win for the year before Bettany took over), though I also have a soft spot for Alison Lohman's luminous work.

Calvin Law said...

Also regarding Crudup, I think him and Jim Caviezel should play brothers or something in a film.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Finney is only my fourth favorite performance in the film. Carter, Crudup, and McGregor all impressed me a lot more.

Calvin Law said...

Tim Burton's direction is definitely MVP of the film for me, though. His last great live-action film since.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Sweeney Todd has its moments.

Anonymous said...

Louis what are your ratings and thoughts on Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business?

Bryan L. said...

Let me try the Titanic cast of the 2010s:

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Jack Dawson: Emory Cohen (Based off his performance in Brooklyn, I see him as a type of guy you could've met back in the day.)

Rose: Olivia Cooke (She has the look of a girl who's been raised in the upper-class but wants to hang out with people outside of it.)

Molly Brown: Melissa McCarthy (She can play restrained, as evidenced by St. Vincent. I also don't know many actresses like Kathy Bates lol.)

Brock Lovett: Ewan Mcgregor (Has an everyman quality to him and he'd be convincing as an explorer)

Caledon: Matt Bomer

Robert MacFarlane said...

Matt Bomer as Cal would actually work in a non-ironic sense.

Bryan L. said...

Yep. I liked his performance as a bad guy in The Nice Guys. And Cuaron is good at mixing elements of romance (Great Expectations, parts of Y Tu Mama Tambien) and blockbusters (Gravity). Anyway, anybody remember in which post Louis rated the cast of Hail, Caesar?

mcofra7 said...

94dfk1:Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max

Anonymous said...

Louis how do you reckon the voting of the 1981 Supporting Actor went? obviously Gielgud won but who do you reckon finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in your opinion?

Calvin Law said...

Damn I love that 1981 lineup. My favourite of the lot is Rollins, easily, but I thought Holm was excellent, and Gieguld, Nicholson and Coco were extremely good too, even though I don't care all that much for their respective films.

RatedRStar said...

I reckon Ian Holm may have finished second simply because how much buzz Chariots of Fire had, plus that bafta win for Holm beating Nicholson probably helped a bit, I love the official 1981 lineup also, although I am not a big fan of Ragtime because I felt it was just a tad too messy although I liked Rollins a lot. Its so great to see Jack Nicholson, John Gielgud and Ian Holm in the same lineup.

Being that I am a brit I am quite biased to loving Chariots Of Fire on every level, especially the acting and score, so my favorite of the nominees was Ian Holm.

RatedRStar said...

I kinda liked Only When I Laugh simply because when I heard of the razzie nomination for James Coco I was like " Ah great its gonna be shit" and its actually fine enough for what it is, Marsha Mason was a really underrated actress.

Calvin Law said...

Big Fish (1980s version directed by Rob Reiner)
Old Edward Bloom: James Mason
Young Edward Bloom: Sam Neill
Old Sandra Bloom: Eva Marie Saint
Young Sandra Bloom: Elisabeth Shue
Will Bloom: Jeff Daniels
Josephine Bloom: Emmanuelle Béart
Jenny Hill/Witch: Carol Kane
Karl: Andre the Giant (way too easy)
Amos Calloway: Wallace Shawn (also way too easy)
Norther Winslow: Billy Crystal (far too, far too easy)

Calvin Law said...

RatedRStar: I love Chariots of Fire too. It really did deserve Best Picture that year, though in all honesty 1981's not that strong of a year for me based on what I've seen (granted I haven't watched Das Boot, The Long Good Friday, or Gallipoli).

Calvin Law said...

Also:

The Thin Red Line (2010's version, only Malick could direct this)
Witt: Ben Whishaw (this is perfect, eh)
Welsh: Bradley Cooper
Staros: Adrien Brody
Bell: Domhnall Gleeson
Tall: Brad Pitt
Doll: Michael B. Jordan
Gaff: Adam Driver
Keck: Walton Goggins

Calvin Law said...

Although, throw in Mark Strong over Brody since he seems to be the modern-day Elias Koteas.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Lone - (He doesn't have much screentime but he still manages to make a compelling villain with it. The performance technically is a variation on the one above, and again he's quite good. He even really manages to sell the emotional connection between his character's and Chan's, especially at the end when he taunts him over his father.)

Anonymous:

DeMorney - 3.5(Her character is a pretty obvious male fantasy, and she technically fulfills that requirement as she's incredibly alluring. DeMorney, mostly in moments that are unsaid does do her best to make her character a bit more. She conveys well the certain distress behind her character, and does well with just the unassuming moments in her performance. Not to mention she has some good chemistry with Cruise.)

Anonymous:

My best guess:

1. Gielgud
2. Holm
3. Nicholson
4. Howard R. Rollins
5. James Coco

Holm since they loved Chariots of Fire, and later won the Bafta over Gielgud. Reds also had plenty of support so some probably went Nicholson's way, and they were eager enough to reward him soon afterwards anyways. Rollins's nomination feels like a good first time rising star nomination, which don't usually result in wins in the supporting category. Coco I would assume might have suffered some stigma from his Razzie nom, and the fact that the film was poorly received on the whole.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

I would if they stood out to me on rewatch.

Calvin Law said...

I think you'll find on re-watch that a lot of the castmembers stick out more. The first time, Malick's magnificent vision didn't allow me to properly appreciate the actual performances. Second time round they resonated far more on the whole; Chaplin went up for me the most.

Calvin Law said...

Also, Louis, what do you think of a Terrence Malick version of Cloud Atlas? I imagine it would be quite something to watch regardless of when he made it.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I would watch a Malick Cloud Atlas a thousand times before the actual one.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

I'm thinking it would be about six completely different stories from the original ones, despite Malick having filmed all those scenes, and you'd see Tom Hanks randomly in the corner of one scene.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Better Tom Hanks stay in the corner than give the career bottom performance(s) he gave.

Calvin Law said...

Lol

Yeah I think it'd be too much to ask Malick to constrain himself with a project like that. Perhaps get another director to collaborate with him, splitting the two halves. Now that'd be intriguing.

Calvin Law said...

Although the more I think about it the perfect directors for Cloud Atlas, I think, would be Ang Lee for one half, Martin McDonagh for the other half.

Calvin Law said...

Or Edgar Wright.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Twyker's sections were good. It's the Wachowskis' sections I don't like.

Calvin Law said...

My favourites were easily the 1939 and 2012 segments. Adam Ewing was fine, the 1970s thriller had some high points but ended terribly, not much of a fan of Neo-Seoul (found it much more compelling in the novel), and the Zachary segment was nearly a complete disaster.

Luke Higham said...

1. Day-Lewis
2. Holm (Dreamchild)
3. Lone
4. Holm (Wetherby)
5. McDowall

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis, are there any actors or actress pairings you would like to see for playing parent/offspring? For example, it's been bugging me that Zach Woods hasn't played Kyle McLachlan's son in anything yet.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

Benedict Cumberbatch and one of the Fox brothers(Edward or James), preferably James.

Michael Fassbender and Christopher Plummer.

Michael McCarthy said...

I'm gonna throw in Chris Pratt and Albert Finney. I rewatched a couple of Finney's early films recently and and realized some of their expressions are practically identical.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I still think Heath Ledger would have been perfect as Michael Rooker's son had he lived.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Are there any actors or actresses, that you could see equaling or surpassing Mifune's Fives record.

Calvin Law said...

So I just watched Dear John. Extremely mundane film overall, with two dull leads, that is not worth watching bar one exception: Richard Jenkins is heartbreaking in it, and gives possibly the most accurate portrayal of high functioning autism I've seen on film.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: Doubt anyone's touching that record in the foreseeable future.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Of course. :) Yet it can happen, if the blog's still around for another 10+ years.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Who do you think is capable of equalling his record.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Apart from Hardy.

Calvin Law said...

I guess Joaquin Phoenix, Oscar Isaac and Ben Foster are viable candidates for matching 7 5's or so.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Phoenix could do it bonus rounds. If Louis likes him enough in The Yards and Two Lovers, that is.

Luke Higham said...

Tom Hardy
Oscar Isaac (Including Television work, he's now on 4)
Ben Foster
Michael Fassbender
Joaquin Phoenix
Marion Cotillard

mcofra7 said...

1. Day-Lewis
2. Holm (Wetherby)
3. Lone
4. Holm (Dreamchild)
5. McDowall

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Katy Jurado in High Noon.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I could swear I've covered that performance before.

moviefilm said...

Can anyone help me? Some time ago Louis was asked to put down TOP 10 mannered performances and he said he's gonna respond to that later. I can't find it anywhere. Can anyone help me find it?