Luke: You don't need to know the ratings. Spacek, Bujold and Ullmann are fives while Laurie is a 4,5. Louis: Thoughts and ratings on: Kirk Douglas in The Detective Story Burt Lancaster in Mister 880 Fredric March in The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit Also, thoughts on Walter Brennan, Thomas Mitchell and Dean Jagger as actors.
Rating predictions Shaw- 5 Holbrook- 5 George- 5 or 4,5 Duvall- 4,5 Weathers- 4 (Seriously, I don't see a 4,5 for him, he was good, but not great) Howard- 3 Feldman- 4
I give Weathers a 4.5 and sure hope Louis those too. He made what could've been a one-note, obnoxious obstacle for Rocky to overcome into a fascinating character in his own right. One who carries himself in public with all the pomp and swagger of a superstar to disguise quite a sweet and endearing soul within. I'm seriously considering moving him up to a 5, no kidding.
On a separate note, quite looking forward to the new Rocky spinoff with Michael B. Jordan as Creed's son; a very worthy successor.
I think George and Holbrook are definite 5's. They make so much of potentially paper-thin characters, making them into incredibly unique creations.
I could definitely see Duvall getting close to a 5 too, as he was terrific in Network, particular in his scenes with Dunaway.
Shaw I think will get a 5, but don't know how much Louis will love him. It's a splendid performance but the main meat of it is not actually that focused on it; it's a very supporting and unshowy performance that makes so much out of the margins of the film.
I could see Howard getting anywhere between a 3 and 4.5, I liked him personally. As for Feldman I haven't seen him but I'm guessing a 4.
Luke & Calvin: Let's see if Jordan can give a great performance as Creed's son in that Rocky spinoff. I'm also hoping for Louis to see Magnani in The Rose Tattoo, Hayward in I Want to Live!, Bergman and Ullmann in Autumn Somnata. Speaking of Ingrid Bergman, she would be 100 years old today.
Jordan has been the best thing about every film I've seen him in.
Granted that's Fruitvale Station, Red Tails, Fantastic Four and That Awkward Moment. One decent film and three pretty mediocre ones. Still, not a bad achievement to stand out among some of the dreadful acting in the latter three.
Fruitvale Station: 4 (imperfect performance in that there are a few moments here and there where the film plays up the 'inspirational' aspects of his character too far, nevertheless Jordan gives a solid performance by playing a man just as a man, and delivering perfectly in the right moments to show what a rut he's going through)
Red Tails: 3 (not a very good film and mostly filled with bland performances, but i think he and Oyelowo instilled some life into it with their energetic performances)
That Awkward Moment: 3 (in contrast to Miles Teller's mugging and Zac Efron's blandness. Jordan gets the thankless role but is nevertheless the most entertaining when,shooting the breeze)
American Hustle Bale - 3.5 Adams - 2.5 Lawrence - 2 Cooper - 2 Renner - 4.5 (The shining light of one of the dullest Oscar films this decade) De Niro - 4 (A really good 5 minute cameo) Louis C.K. - 3
I think the best scene of any film in 1976 is the final duel between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw, very akin to Rashomons fight of desperation, that alone means that I feel...
1. Robert Shaw 2. Hal Holbrook 3. Chief Dan George 4. Carl Weathers 5. Robert Duvall
Luke: Is American Hustle any good? I plan too see every Best Picture nominee (that technically can't happen since The Patriot is lost), so I have to see this eventually. This seems like a bad first Bradley Cooper film. Then again, my first impressions of De Niro aren't good either (Shark Tale).
Ruthiehenshallfan99: It's one of those films that you will either love or hate, I fall close to the latter. It's character driven, yet there isn't really any substance. I'm usually quite patient, when it comes to watching films, but it's running time wore thin on me a second time.
I didn't think American Hustle was bad. Overrated, yes, but bad, no. It's a good movie, not a really great one but it's very good. Bale and Adams are both terrific (really what's that hate towards Adams's performance? It was subtle and beautiful), Cooper overdid it at times but he had good moments and while I get why Lawrence's performance is divisive I really like it. At least we all agree about Renner's performance. My reservation about the movie is that the plot feels a bit overstuffed for such a character driven movie and the final wrap-up doesn't work entirely. But I do like the movie and the performances.
Anonymous: I don't think it's bad either. My criteria for a bad film is to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Renner's performance is one that I like the more I see it, though I'm a fan of his anyway. The acting on the whole is a mixed bag, I quite like the soundtrack and Bale was definitely watchable, though it's a shame he wasn't given an opportunity to go that much further with his performance.
I personally find American Hustle to be just okay. Cooper is a 1,5 for me, what a terrible performance. He is a good enough actor in my book with American Beauty and SLP being his two best performances. Both are 4,5's.
I'd give to American Hustle: Cooper: 2,5 Bale: 3,5 Adams: 3 Lawrence: 4,5 i loved her performance and the Live and Let Die part was amazing Renner: 4,5 De Niro: 4
I enjoy both movies as slight but fun entertainment, but not much more. My ratings for both casts:
Hustle:
Bale - 4.5 Adams - 3.5 Cooper - 3.5 (I understand the dislike, but he seems to be the only actor taking on the jarring tone shifts head on. Not a perfect approach, but I appreciate the tenacity more than everyone else.) Lawrence - 1.5 or 2 Renner - 3.5 Louis C.K. - 3.5
Don Jon:
Gordon-Levitt - 3.5 Johansson - 4 (I actually think of this as a better version of Lawrence in AH) Moore - 3.5 Danza - 2.5
Michael: Good to hear. Surprised and pleased by the good reviews Eisenberg's been getting. If Segel gets campaigned in supporting, would it be Casey Affleck-esque category fraud, or a borderline Christian Bale-The Fighter example.
Robert: what are your top 5 JGL performances, and your rating and thoughts on him in 50/50?
1. 50/50 (5) 2. 500 Days of Summer (4.5) 3. Mysterious Skin (4.5) 4. Hesher (4.5) 5. Brick (4.5, definitely think he should dip into the noir genre again)
I am one of the two Anonymous who guessed right for 1976 leads (I'm assuming we are two, I don't remember posting the same predictions twice) and I request for the Bonus Round Murray Melvin in A Taste of Honey (1961 supporting).
1. Say his name (The Innocents) 2. The hospital scene (The Omen) 3. The chest burster scene (Alien) 4. 'A boy's best friend is his mother' (Psycho, I don't love the film at all but that moment is pure perfection) 5. Quint in the window (The Innocents) 6. Dallas' death (Alien) 7. Father Karras regaining faith (The Exorcist) 8. David Warner's window closes (The Omen) 9. Flora by the pond (The Innocents) 10. Drew Barrymore realises something's amiss (Scream)
Also I need to re-watch Alien, but if I find a particular moment that stands out for Yaphet Kotto's Parker in Alien, that'll be another choice of mine. Seriously his performance just keeps growing on me.
Murray: 5 (such a sweet and endearing performance. This my friends is how you portray a 'gay' character; by treating him as just another human being. Murray is so naturalistic for starters as none of the mannerisms he uses comes across as extraneous. His role is actually fairly simple but he carries his scenes of comfort and kindness so incredibly well, as well as his confrontational side, and really makes himself the beating heart of the film, a symbol of true kindness that never feels saccharine)
Tushingam: 5 (still can't believe this was her breakthrough role as she's just so adept at carrying this film throughout. She's just so naturalistic like Murray, but in a different more downtrodden sort of way, and makes her character's predicament moving yet refusing to sugercoat her faults. Magnificent work.)
Bryan: 4.5 (blasphemy I suppose but I still think she was terrific, I didn't find her as naturalistic as Tushingam and Murray but she's still excellent at portraying the more straightforward emotions of her character, and her general inebreation)
RatedRStar: Definitely :) So many underrated British films from the 1950s and 1960s, all the kitchen sink dramas, Outcast of the Islands, The Browning Version, Billy Budd, Cry the Beloved Country, The Sound Barrier, A Kind of Loving, A Kid for Two Farthings, The Holly and the Ivy, to name but a few.
Louis: Just read that James Woods desperately wanted to play Jim Garrison in JFK. I think he would've been great, but might've clashed with Oliver Stone's use of the character. The role Stone wanted Woods to play, Joe Pesci's, would've been a good choice too.
Segel-(I was a little apprehensive at first because of how mannered his performance was, but if you watch the whole movie you realize that it needed to be that way. Segel in the beginning of the film plays his role sort of like a typically indulgent, quirky, but brilliant writer. At this point he seems like he could either really be this archetype, or that he's putting on a facade in order to get a better interview. What's outstanding about Segel though is that as the film progresses he manages to subvert both of these expectations by showing not only that he really isn't that type of writer at all, but that he was never trying to appear to be one. His various quirks aren't indicative of a substance abuse problem or delusions of a superior intellect, they're just part of who David Foster Wallace is. In addition to that, he conveys a very lived-in sense of loneliness felt by the character that cause him to be very insecure, but what's interesting is how Segel shows that Wallace has no desire to hide his insecurities, but hopes that if people know about them he'll become more relatable, and therefore he'll have more friendship in his life. In addition to that he just has very nice chemistry with Eisenberg that never becomes too affectionate and always stays a bit distant, but is rather just consistently friendly, social, and often comical, and ultimately leads to a sort of almost understanding between the two. Honestly this is one of those performances that I can think of more great things about every time I think about it.)
The film itself on the surface seems like it's kind of pretentious, like how every conversation between the two writers is constant deep, philosophical ideas. What makes it work is when you realize that this isn't pretense on the part of Wallace, it's just that he doesn't know any other way to think and he makes it clear that he doesn't think he's smarter than anyone else because of it. And as philosophical as some of the ideas were, it seemed like they were always relatable and easy to understand, and I thought was a realistic portrayal of loneliness and various kinds of insecurity.
Spacek - 5(Carrie's tone technically is pretty insane, though I'd say in a fashion that works, but it is Spacek who keeps it from being just a freak show. It might still be that but there's an emotional core to it thanks to Spacek. Spacek is heartbreaking in the early scenes of the film as she creates such genuine vulnerability in the character from all the mistreatment she receives from her classmates and her mother, and manages actually to be very heartwarming in her portrayal of the way she gradually seems to find herself through the small kindness she receives. When the pigs blood comes crashing down Spacek gives more of an impact than just setting loose the monster. When the monster sets loose though Spacek is brilliant as she naturally brings out this intensity in Carrie's hatred that feels as though it is coming from all of her mistreatment over the years.)
Laurie - 4.5(She's way over the top to be sure, even she insisted she was giving a comic performance. What Laurie does though certainly works though as she manages to be chilling but also a complete hoot in portraying the gleeful insanity of her character. I'll admit I don't quite love this performance as some do, but it's certainly memorable performance)
Bujold - 5(Although the film is a particularly thin rendition of DePalma ripping off some more Hitchcock Bujold is consistently great in it. She begins doing her best Kim Novak as she is so eloquently mysterious and charming. Then as the film proceeds she does her best Joan Fontaine, as she starts being the one in exuding the unease and anxiety of being in such a bizarre situation. Then she proceeds to round it all out brilliantly in the revelation scenes of the film that probably shouldn't have worked at all, but do due to Bujold. Bujold manages to convincing portray child, while being clearly a grown woman, but even more than that she manages to be incredibly moving in doing so)
Liv Ullmann - 5(Ullmann work here is deeply unsettling as she manages to seem so effortless and genuine in her portrayal of her character's descent into madness. Ullmann's performance is outstanding since it never feels like a performance as she gives such terrible detail to her depiction of the mental decay that it always feels so horribly natural as her character comes apart. Ullmann's work gets under your skin the way she so eloquently falls to pieces, and depicts just a mess of a mind)
moviefilm:
Ask me in Feldman's review.
Anonymous:
I believe I covered March and Douglas before.
Lancaster - 2.5(He really doesn't have much of a role here. There's nothing wrong with his performance, but it also doesn't really add up to anything)
Walter Brennan - (Usually added a bit of life to any film in which he appeared whether it was a major supporting role, or a smaller one he tended to make the film have an extra bit of color because of it. Whether the role was comic or more dramatic he delivered, and if the role more expansive he did not waste that fact. He was one of the best character actors of the period)
Thomas Mitchell - (Well basically can echo most of my thoughts on Brennan for Mitchell. Although it should always be noted he probably did the comedic drunk better than anyone)
Dean Jagger - (I find him usually to be a pretty dull presence in the majority of the films he appeared in. Not always a bad actor exactly, but just not a very engaging one.)
Calvin:
JFK (1970's directed by yep Pakula):
Jim Garrison: Robert Redford Willie O'Keefe: Brad Dourif Clay Shaw: Marlon Brando David Ferrie: John Cazale Lee Harvey Oswald: Christopher Walken Lou Ivon: Harry Dean Stanton Bill Broussard: Harvey Keitel Jack Martin: Van Heflin X: Karl Malden
Left off 80's since Stone would still be the best choice for director with the same going for those in the majority of the roles, other than it would have been more likely that James Woods would have been Garrison.
64 comments:
Louis: Once Again, Your Female Lead/Supporting Top 5s with ratings and other 4+ performances for 1976.
1. George
2. Holbrook
3. Shaw
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
1. George (I think we're in for a surprise victor)
2. Holbrook
3. Shaw
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
Louis: Ratings & Thoughts on Spacek & Laurie in Carrie, Bujold in Obsession and Liv Ullmann in Face To Face.
1. Shaw
2. George
3. Holbrook
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
Anonymous: Louis has posted his Chinatown/TSOTL Casts on the results page.
1) Chief Van George
2) Robert Duvall
3) Robert Shaw
4) Hal Holbrook
5) Carl Weathers
Also, once again your rating and thoughts on Brooks in Silent Movie.
1. Holbrook
2. Shaw
3. George
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
Actually,
1. Holbrook
2. George
3. Shaw
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
Luke: You don't need to know the ratings. Spacek, Bujold and Ullmann are fives while Laurie is a 4,5.
Louis: Thoughts and ratings on:
Kirk Douglas in The Detective Story
Burt Lancaster in Mister 880
Fredric March in The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
Also, thoughts on Walter Brennan, Thomas Mitchell and Dean Jagger as actors.
Anonymous: I know that, I just need reassurance.
Anonymous: I know that he posted a 4.5 beside Laurie.
My Rating Predictions
George - 5
Holbrook - 5
Shaw - 5
Duvall - 4.5
Weathers - 4.5
Howard - 3
Feldman - 4
Rating predictions
Shaw- 5
Holbrook- 5
George- 5 or 4,5
Duvall- 4,5
Weathers- 4 (Seriously, I don't see a 4,5 for him, he was good, but not great)
Howard- 3
Feldman- 4
Oops, I predict that Holbrook will get a 4,5.
Anonymous: I'm predicting a low 4.5 and I give him a 4 personally.
I give Weathers a 4.5 and sure hope Louis those too. He made what could've been a one-note, obnoxious obstacle for Rocky to overcome into a fascinating character in his own right. One who carries himself in public with all the pomp and swagger of a superstar to disguise quite a sweet and endearing soul within. I'm seriously considering moving him up to a 5, no kidding.
On a separate note, quite looking forward to the new Rocky spinoff with Michael B. Jordan as Creed's son; a very worthy successor.
Calvin: Well, it ain't Jamie Foxx, which is a huge plus. :)
I think George and Holbrook are definite 5's. They make so much of potentially paper-thin characters, making them into incredibly unique creations.
I could definitely see Duvall getting close to a 5 too, as he was terrific in Network, particular in his scenes with Dunaway.
Shaw I think will get a 5, but don't know how much Louis will love him. It's a splendid performance but the main meat of it is not actually that focused on it; it's a very supporting and unshowy performance that makes so much out of the margins of the film.
I could see Howard getting anywhere between a 3 and 4.5, I liked him personally. As for Feldman I haven't seen him but I'm guessing a 4.
Luke & Calvin: Let's see if Jordan can give a great performance as Creed's son in that Rocky spinoff. I'm also hoping for Louis to see Magnani in The Rose Tattoo, Hayward in I Want to Live!, Bergman and Ullmann in Autumn Somnata. Speaking of Ingrid Bergman, she would be 100 years old today.
Calvin: In regards to Holbrook, I'd find it quite baffling if there wasn't a 5 star performance from his favourite film of 1976.
Jordan has been the best thing about every film I've seen him in.
Granted that's Fruitvale Station, Red Tails, Fantastic Four and That Awkward Moment. One decent film and three pretty mediocre ones. Still, not a bad achievement to stand out among some of the dreadful acting in the latter three.
Luke: Oh well, you never know, I mean favourite films don't necessarily have to have 5 star performances. Case in point, 'Z' for 1969.
Calvin: E.G. LOTR 1 & 3.
Calvin: What are your thoughts on Jordan in those three films, excluding F4?
Fruitvale Station: 4 (imperfect performance in that there are a few moments here and there where the film plays up the 'inspirational' aspects of his character too far, nevertheless Jordan gives a solid performance by playing a man just as a man, and delivering perfectly in the right moments to show what a rut he's going through)
Red Tails: 3 (not a very good film and mostly filled with bland performances, but i think he and Oyelowo instilled some life into it with their energetic performances)
That Awkward Moment: 3 (in contrast to Miles Teller's mugging and Zac Efron's blandness. Jordan gets the thankless role but is nevertheless the most entertaining when,shooting the breeze)
Calvin: I gotta check out those films. Oh, and what did you think of Peck in Duel in the Sun and Gentleman's Agreement?
Luke and Calvin: what Are your thoughts and ratings about Don Jon and American Hustle?
Omar!
Haven't seen Don Jon.
American Hustle
Bale - 3.5
Adams - 2.5
Lawrence - 2
Cooper - 2
Renner - 4.5 (The shining light of one of the dullest Oscar films this decade)
De Niro - 4 (A really good 5 minute cameo)
Louis C.K. - 3
If you don't mind, Omar, I'll give my thoughts on American Hustle.
Bale- 3,5
Adams- 3
Cooper- 1,5
Lawrence- 2,5
Renner- 4,5
De Niro- 4
Louis C.K- 3
I think the best scene of any film in 1976 is the final duel between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw, very akin to Rashomons fight of desperation, that alone means that I feel...
1. Robert Shaw
2. Hal Holbrook
3. Chief Dan George
4. Carl Weathers
5. Robert Duvall
Luke: Is American Hustle any good? I plan too see every Best Picture nominee (that technically can't happen since The Patriot is lost), so I have to see this eventually. This seems like a bad first Bradley Cooper film. Then again, my first impressions of De Niro aren't good either (Shark Tale).
Ruthiehenshallfan99: It's one of those films that you will either love or hate, I fall close to the latter. It's character driven, yet there isn't really any substance. I'm usually quite patient, when it comes to watching films, but it's running time wore thin on me a second time.
Ruthiehenshallfan99: I'd recommend either Silver Linings Playbook or American Sniper for your first exposure to Cooper.
I didn't think American Hustle was bad. Overrated, yes, but bad, no. It's a good movie, not a really great one but it's very good. Bale and Adams are both terrific (really what's that hate towards Adams's performance? It was subtle and beautiful), Cooper overdid it at times but he had good moments and while I get why Lawrence's performance is divisive I really like it. At least we all agree about Renner's performance. My reservation about the movie is that the plot feels a bit overstuffed for such a character driven movie and the final wrap-up doesn't work entirely. But I do like the movie and the performances.
Anonymous: I don't think it's bad either. My criteria for a bad film is to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Renner's performance is one that I like the more I see it, though I'm a fan of his anyway. The acting on the whole is a mixed bag, I quite like the soundtrack and Bale was definitely watchable, though it's a shame he wasn't given an opportunity to go that much further with his performance.
I personally find American Hustle to be just okay. Cooper is a 1,5 for me, what a terrible performance. He is a good enough actor in my book with American Beauty and SLP being his two best performances. Both are 4,5's.
Anonymous: Agreed.
1. Holbrook
2. Shaw
3. George
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
1. George
2. Holbrook
3. Shaw
4. Duvall
5. Weathers
1. Hal Holbrook
2. Chief Dan George
3. Robert Shaw
4. Robert Duvall
5. Carl Weathers
I'd give to American Hustle:
Cooper: 2,5
Bale: 3,5
Adams: 3
Lawrence: 4,5 i loved her performance and the Live and Let Die part was amazing
Renner: 4,5
De Niro: 4
Anonymous: haven't seen Duel in the Sun. He's okay in Gentleman's Agreement but I'm not a fan of the film. I'd give him a 2.5 for that.
Omar!
Don Jon: did not mind it but really nothing very special or particularly funny about it. Felt a bit smug and overly self-aware at times too.
Levitt: 2.5
Johansson: 2
Moore: 3.5
Ganza: 3
American Hustle: a film that's actually grown on me after re-watches, far from a perfect film, but a quite enjoyable ride.
Bale: 4
Adams: 2
Cooper: 1.5
Lawrence: 3.5
Renner: 4
De Niro: 3.5
Huston: 3
I enjoy both movies as slight but fun entertainment, but not much more. My ratings for both casts:
Hustle:
Bale - 4.5
Adams - 3.5
Cooper - 3.5 (I understand the dislike, but he seems to be the only actor taking on the jarring tone shifts head on. Not a perfect approach, but I appreciate the tenacity more than everyone else.)
Lawrence - 1.5 or 2
Renner - 3.5
Louis C.K. - 3.5
Don Jon:
Gordon-Levitt - 3.5
Johansson - 4 (I actually think of this as a better version of Lawrence in AH)
Moore - 3.5
Danza - 2.5
1. Hal Holbrook
2. Chief Dan George
3. Robert Shaw
4. Robert Duvall
5. Carl Weathers
I just saw The End of the Tour and was really into it. The screenplay is deceptively great in my opinion.
Segel- 5
Eisenberg- 4.5
Michael: Good to hear. Surprised and pleased by the good reviews Eisenberg's been getting. If Segel gets campaigned in supporting, would it be Casey Affleck-esque category fraud, or a borderline Christian Bale-The Fighter example.
Robert: what are your top 5 JGL performances, and your rating and thoughts on him in 50/50?
1. 50/50 (5)
2. 500 Days of Summer (4.5)
3. Mysterious Skin (4.5)
4. Hesher (4.5)
5. Brick (4.5, definitely think he should dip into the noir genre again)
Segel is definitely lead. The film is told a bit more from Eisenberg's perspective but the plot itself is more focused on Segel.
Thought so. Would you mind elaborating on Segel's performance? And the film overall if you like; my anticipation for it grows daily.
I am one of the two Anonymous who guessed right for 1976 leads (I'm assuming we are two, I don't remember posting the same predictions twice) and I request for the Bonus Round Murray Melvin in A Taste of Honey (1961 supporting).
THANK YOU for that. Melvin, is so close to being my win for 1961 supporting, only Nakadai is in his way.
Calvin: Your Top Ten Horror Film Moments.
1. Say his name (The Innocents)
2. The hospital scene (The Omen)
3. The chest burster scene (Alien)
4. 'A boy's best friend is his mother' (Psycho, I don't love the film at all but that moment is pure perfection)
5. Quint in the window (The Innocents)
6. Dallas' death (Alien)
7. Father Karras regaining faith (The Exorcist)
8. David Warner's window closes (The Omen)
9. Flora by the pond (The Innocents)
10. Drew Barrymore realises something's amiss (Scream)
Also I need to re-watch Alien, but if I find a particular moment that stands out for Yaphet Kotto's Parker in Alien, that'll be another choice of mine. Seriously his performance just keeps growing on me.
Also if we count Aliens as a horror film, then Hudson's death would be there too.
@Calvin: Yeah he's SO good in the role. What are your ratings and thoughts on him, Rita Tushingam and Dora Bryan (in A Taste of Honey)?
Anonymous:
Murray: 5 (such a sweet and endearing performance. This my friends is how you portray a 'gay' character; by treating him as just another human being. Murray is so naturalistic for starters as none of the mannerisms he uses comes across as extraneous. His role is actually fairly simple but he carries his scenes of comfort and kindness so incredibly well, as well as his confrontational side, and really makes himself the beating heart of the film, a symbol of true kindness that never feels saccharine)
Tushingam: 5 (still can't believe this was her breakthrough role as she's just so adept at carrying this film throughout. She's just so naturalistic like Murray, but in a different more downtrodden sort of way, and makes her character's predicament moving yet refusing to sugercoat her faults. Magnificent work.)
Bryan: 4.5 (blasphemy I suppose but I still think she was terrific, I didn't find her as naturalistic as Tushingam and Murray but she's still excellent at portraying the more straightforward emotions of her character, and her general inebreation)
Calvin Law: Umm interesting, a well written gay character from the 60s, um I must check it out sometime =D.
RatedRStar: Definitely :) So many underrated British films from the 1950s and 1960s, all the kitchen sink dramas, Outcast of the Islands, The Browning Version, Billy Budd, Cry the Beloved Country, The Sound Barrier, A Kind of Loving, A Kid for Two Farthings, The Holly and the Ivy, to name but a few.
Louis: Just read that James Woods desperately wanted to play Jim Garrison in JFK. I think he would've been great, but might've clashed with Oliver Stone's use of the character. The role Stone wanted Woods to play, Joe Pesci's, would've been a good choice too.
Also your casting for a 1970s and 1980s JFK :)
Calvin: The director for the 70's version would be Pakula, who directed All the President's Men.
Calvin:
Segel-(I was a little apprehensive at first because of how mannered his performance was, but if you watch the whole movie you realize that it needed to be that way. Segel in the beginning of the film plays his role sort of like a typically indulgent, quirky, but brilliant writer. At this point he seems like he could either really be this archetype, or that he's putting on a facade in order to get a better interview. What's outstanding about Segel though is that as the film progresses he manages to subvert both of these expectations by showing not only that he really isn't that type of writer at all, but that he was never trying to appear to be one. His various quirks aren't indicative of a substance abuse problem or delusions of a superior intellect, they're just part of who David Foster Wallace is. In addition to that, he conveys a very lived-in sense of loneliness felt by the character that cause him to be very insecure, but what's interesting is how Segel shows that Wallace has no desire to hide his insecurities, but hopes that if people know about them he'll become more relatable, and therefore he'll have more friendship in his life. In addition to that he just has very nice chemistry with Eisenberg that never becomes too affectionate and always stays a bit distant, but is rather just consistently friendly, social, and often comical, and ultimately leads to a sort of almost understanding between the two. Honestly this is one of those performances that I can think of more great things about every time I think about it.)
The film itself on the surface seems like it's kind of pretentious, like how every conversation between the two writers is constant deep, philosophical ideas. What makes it work is when you realize that this isn't pretense on the part of Wallace, it's just that he doesn't know any other way to think and he makes it clear that he doesn't think he's smarter than anyone else because of it. And as philosophical as some of the ideas were, it seemed like they were always relatable and easy to understand, and I thought was a realistic portrayal of loneliness and various kinds of insecurity.
I will have to see The End of the Tour at somepoint, I have a feeling I will need some tissues =(.
Same with A Taste of Honey, I may need some tissues for that also.
Luke:
Spacek - 5(Carrie's tone technically is pretty insane, though I'd say in a fashion that works, but it is Spacek who keeps it from being just a freak show. It might still be that but there's an emotional core to it thanks to Spacek. Spacek is heartbreaking in the early scenes of the film as she creates such genuine vulnerability in the character from all the mistreatment she receives from her classmates and her mother, and manages actually to be very heartwarming in her portrayal of the way she gradually seems to find herself through the small kindness she receives. When the pigs blood comes crashing down Spacek gives more of an impact than just setting loose the monster. When the monster sets loose though Spacek is brilliant as she naturally brings out this intensity in Carrie's hatred that feels as though it is coming from all of her mistreatment over the years.)
Laurie - 4.5(She's way over the top to be sure, even she insisted she was giving a comic performance. What Laurie does though certainly works though as she manages to be chilling but also a complete hoot in portraying the gleeful insanity of her character. I'll admit I don't quite love this performance as some do, but it's certainly memorable performance)
Bujold - 5(Although the film is a particularly thin rendition of DePalma ripping off some more Hitchcock Bujold is consistently great in it. She begins doing her best Kim Novak as she is so eloquently mysterious and charming. Then as the film proceeds she does her best Joan Fontaine, as she starts being the one in exuding the unease and anxiety of being in such a bizarre situation. Then she proceeds to round it all out brilliantly in the revelation scenes of the film that probably shouldn't have worked at all, but do due to Bujold. Bujold manages to convincing portray child, while being clearly a grown woman, but even more than that she manages to be incredibly moving in doing so)
Liv Ullmann - 5(Ullmann work here is deeply unsettling as she manages to seem so effortless and genuine in her portrayal of her character's descent into madness. Ullmann's performance is outstanding since it never feels like a performance as she gives such terrible detail to her depiction of the mental decay that it always feels so horribly natural as her character comes apart. Ullmann's work gets under your skin the way she so eloquently falls to pieces, and depicts just a mess of a mind)
moviefilm:
Ask me in Feldman's review.
Anonymous:
I believe I covered March and Douglas before.
Lancaster - 2.5(He really doesn't have much of a role here. There's nothing wrong with his performance, but it also doesn't really add up to anything)
Walter Brennan - (Usually added a bit of life to any film in which he appeared whether it was a major supporting role, or a smaller one he tended to make the film have an extra bit of color because of it. Whether the role was comic or more dramatic he delivered, and if the role more expansive he did not waste that fact. He was one of the best character actors of the period)
Thomas Mitchell - (Well basically can echo most of my thoughts on Brennan for Mitchell. Although it should always be noted he probably did the comedic drunk better than anyone)
Dean Jagger - (I find him usually to be a pretty dull presence in the majority of the films he appeared in. Not always a bad actor exactly, but just not a very engaging one.)
Calvin:
JFK (1970's directed by yep Pakula):
Jim Garrison: Robert Redford
Willie O'Keefe: Brad Dourif
Clay Shaw: Marlon Brando
David Ferrie: John Cazale
Lee Harvey Oswald: Christopher Walken
Lou Ivon: Harry Dean Stanton
Bill Broussard: Harvey Keitel
Jack Martin: Van Heflin
X: Karl Malden
Left off 80's since Stone would still be the best choice for director with the same going for those in the majority of the roles, other than it would have been more likely that James Woods would have been Garrison.
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