Ben Mendelsohn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Gerry in Mississippi Grind.
Mississippi Grind is sort of The Hustler which believes in humanity I suppose, about two gamblers who go on a gambling road trip.
Ben Mendelsohn after making his international break out through Animal Kingdom has found himself frequently cast as villainous or at the very least criminal character. This is a nice break from that, though Gerry does engage in some petty theft, as Mendelsohn gets to just play a pretty normal guy here. The film opens with Gerry engaging in a low stakes poker game with Mendelsohn suggesting Gerry is being more or less in a similar low energy state as the rest of the players, though he offers a bit more levity in his manner than the rest as Mendelsohn brings some enthusiasm as he inquires if anyone else saw a rainbow. Another man, Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), joins the game who seems almost on a different wavelength than the rest of the players as he attempts to bring some energy and enthusiasm to the table. Mendelsohn does well in this just through his reactions as shows Gerry obviously appreciating Curtis's upbeat attitude especially against the indifference of the rest of the players. After the game Gerry runs into Curtis again, purely by luck, where the two bond over their fondness for gambling and an affection for a certain bourbon. Now Reynolds and Mendelsohn together is pretty much the film, in that he probably would not have worked at all if these two did not have chemistry.
Now the film has a way in by making Curtis a people person, who just literally loves people, but that explanation was not necessarily even needed in order for us to believe that Curtis and Gerry would become friends. The reason being Mendelsohn and Reynolds have just so much chemistry together. The friendship is instantly convincing and it is made simply a given by the two actors is which is something rather special. The two play each other so well with Mendelsohn staying more low key as the more understated Gerry, while Reynolds indeed is the people person Curtis should be as his good cheer only ever feels genuine. The dynamic is great yet the two are excellent in finding the right connection between the two that is basically an unsaid appreciate for life in general, even though it itself has not been excessively kind to either of them. The two are wonderful together to the point that its just so pleasant to watch the two interact in the moments where there is this mutual appreciation, as the two just are fun to watch have some fun. There banter always comes off as so natural, and there is just something endearing to watch the two go back and forth. I especially love an early moment as the two casually build up the betting of a pool game though it gets them in trouble rather quickly, the good sheer in their raising of the stakes is so charming.
When they are away from one another Mendelsohn utilizes these scenes well to reveal the state of Gerry which is basically as a perpetual loser due to his inability to quit when it comes to gambling. What's remarkable is how Mendelsohn so artfully avoids any melodrama in his depiction of this though. There's a definite sadness to the man that he conveys well by having a general melancholy most of the time, but revealing something even more troubling when he is reminded of his losses in life. Mendelsohn does something very interesting though in that he almost creates a problematic optimism in Gerry that seems to be behind his inability to quit. Whenever he succeeds with a bet there is such an out pour of joy that Mendelsohn undeniably reveals the appeal of the victory, then even in defeat Mendelsohn carries that consistent urge within Gerry as though one will bet will bring him back on top. I like that Mendelsohn does not override any of it being able to present basically a functioning gambler with his performance. The unhealthy obsession with it is there beneath it all, but it's easy to see why he could keep going since it only rears its ugly head completely when he fails. He makes it seem less of a problem, and all the worse of a problem because of that.
Of course it is not all about gambling and there is a great scene where the two spend a night with two prostitutes Simone (Sienna Miller) and Vanessa (Analeigh Tipton), though they are not acting with that function with these two. Now the interactions between Gerry and Vanessa are not romantic in nature, though this is despite Vanessa, through Tipton's reactions throughout the scene, obviously being more than willing to change that. That's not needed to make the scene something very special nonetheless as there is simply this ease of interactions between the two of them as they spend this time together. It is almost a mutual trade as they both do a pseudo talent show for one another then Tipton and Mendelsohn make it a very natural transition as Gerry reveals a bit of his own present predicament as Vanessa reveals some of her own. Mendelosohn is quietly moving as Gerry reveals, without becoming just self-pitying, his own mistakes of the past with the certain heartache of being a non-factor in the life of his daughter. It's made beautifully poignant scene by both performers. I especially like how Mendelsohn does not play it as though Gerry's oblivious to Vanessa's suggestive glances, rather he suggest Gerry is aware of them, but would rather keep things platonic between the two.
As Curtis and Gerry continue on their journey things only become worse for Gerry as he keeps losing money, while refusing to give up which only digs the hole deeper, while Curtis becomes less supportive of Gerry. Again Reynolds and Mendelsohn are so good in making the conflict between the two very real while still keeping it something very reserved. Reynolds is good in showing that Curtis basically forces himself to perform some tough love to try to snap Gerry out of his mindset, while Mendelsohn shows that his obsession to change his luck is almost impenetrable. Now the film's final act does technically sort of cheat in that Gerry's luck just sort of changes and he gets his life back on track by just doing the same exact thing that knocked him down in the first place. Curtis even joins back in with him, and technically speaking Gerry's gambling problem is basically solved by him gambling until he does just win. Now really one shouldn't let the film get away with this, but I have to admit I don't mind the cheat because of Mendelsohn and Reynolds's performances. The two are so likable together that the last scenes of them just finally winning again just work because you want them to work because Mendelsohn and Reynolds make the friendship work.
133 comments:
Great Work, though I really was hoping for a 5. I'm glad I put him down in 4th though.
Louis: Has Reynolds gone up, or does he remain the same.
Luke:
4.5 as well.
Louis: I'm very pleased with that. :)
What rating would you give Tipton? I thought she was great.
Great review Louis, I think both actors were really good, but I wasn't completely convinced by the ending. A shame, because the script was interesting for the most part
Louis: What are your ratings and thoughts on Cleopatra (1963) as a film? I'd say it's one of the worst movies ever to be nominated for Best Picture.
Glad you upgraded Reynolds. Both of them were so perfect with each other.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on:
Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes in A Farewell to Arms
John Barrymore in Svengali
Barbara Stanwyck in Titanic (1953)
Stuart Whitman in Murder Inc.
Miriam Hopkins in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Saw Deadpool. I enjoyed it, though it's not gonna be Robert's cup of tea.
Reynolds was great and I give him a 4.5. Skrein's a 2 and the rest are 2.5s to 3s.
I saw it. I didn't hate it, but it's not something I'm over-the-moon about.
Robert: Your thoughts on Reynolds.
Fittingly snarky. Better than most of his straight comedic roles. Still, consider his work here in Mississippi Grind a more gripping display of his talents.
Robert: I agree with you.
Huh, looks like Mendelsohn's the first casualty of this lineup.
Michael McCarthy: Depp will likely be the second and hopefully the last.
I'm surprised you guys hated Skerin so much. I thought he was fine at playing a smug bastard.
Robert: I didn't hate him, he was just OK.
Robert: I'll up him to a 2.5.
Louis and everyone else: your top ten directors currently working today?
I am not sure I would call a 4.5 rating a casualty lol wow high standards or what.
Anonymous: The alternate years for the 2010s are usually packed with performances that are rated 5 Jacks, so a 4.5 rating can be seen as a bit of a casualty.
Louis: In the results for Alternate 76 supporting actor, it shows that Carl Weathers is a 5 for Rocky. However, his individual review still shows a 4.5.
Alex:
Paul Thomas Anderson
Christopher Nolan
Martin Scorsese
The Coen Brothers
Edgar Wright
Martin McDonagh
Steve McQueen
David Fincher
Alfonso Cuaron
Quentin Tarantino
Wes Anderson would be my honourable mention.
Alex: Nolan, the Coens, Tarantino, Scorsese, Spielberg, Fincher, McDonagh, Cuarón and Innaritu.
Quentin Tarantino
Christopher Nolan
Spike Jones
Edgar Wright
The Coens
Todd Haynes
David Fincher
Steven Speilberg
Innaritu
Martin McDonagh
Scorsese, Anderson, Nolan, Fincher, McQueen
Anonymous: I was just re getting to the fact that most of the performances being reviewed are considered guaranteed fives by a lot of people on this blog, so for everyone who gets less than that, someone's gonna be disappointed.
^referring
Michael McCarthy: Are you sure Depp's getting a 5, because he did have a last-minute surge in the voting.
Michael McCarthy: Can't say I was that disappointed with Mendelsohn missing out on a 5.
I kind of expected that rating. Besides that, a year with only fives would get a bit tiresome IMO
Depp's probably getting a 4,5.
I don't do ratings anymore, but I would have much preferred to see Mendelsohn get a five over Leo and his search for "The Truth".
The only performances I would be disappointed in missing out on a 5 are Hardy, Fassbender and McKellen's.
Luke: I'd be disappointed if they missed on 5's, but I'm sure that the three will get fives.
Anonymous: I'm confident as well, Louis gave Hardy and Fassbender the same reaction when he initially watched Legend and Macbeth and said that McKellen's performance was well worth saving.
Luke: I already knew that. :)
Anonymous: :)
Luke: You said that you've played Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Have you played Sonic CD? It's pretty cool. You get to travel back in time.
Anonymous: I think so.
Luke: Seeing how the recent Sonic games have bombed and have been disappointments, I'm not hyped for the next game.
Anonymous: Me neither. I played Black Ops 3 recently and it was BORING.
Luke: Most Sonic fans are leaving the franchise due to terrible stories, but I honestly think that Sonic was never great in the story department and the general public never cared that in the first place.
*about that
Anonymous: Agreed.
Luke: To tell you the truth, I would rather play a game with great gameplay and terrible story over a game with terrible gameplay and great story. And some Sonic fans would play chores just for the sake of a story.
Anonymous: Who do you want to see reviewed next. I hope its Tremblay.
Luke: I don't really care who gets reviewed next. But probably Bateman or Tremblay.
Anonymous: What are your top 5 Fassbender performances.
1. Macbeth
2. Shame
2. 12 Years A Slave
4. Hunger
5. Inglourious Basterds
Luke:
1. 12 Years A Slave
2. Shame
3. Macbeth
4. Hunger
5. Inglorious Basterds
Luke: I read a interview with Vikander on Collider that she would like to play Garbo.
Anonymous: That would be interesting, though she'll need a good director.
Rooney Mara is being considered for the role of Maria Magdalena in a biopic
I'm not sure at all, but Louis's eagerness to share his thoughts about him when he first saw Black Mass makes me suspect he will.
Luke: Probably a director that's not Hooper or Frears.
Michael McCarthy: If he gets a 5, I'll be happy enough with it anyway, because by the end of this, Louis could possibly have given 30+ fives overall in a single year.
Speaking of Frears and Hooper, I haven't seen The Danish Girl, but The Program makes almost all of the mistakes a biopic could make. Legend isn't particularly good either... The best biopic from 2015 in my book was Love & Mercy.
Luke: Although he's a little too old now, I could see Jeremy Irons playing Boris Karloff.
Anonymous:
Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes - (I preferred Cooper out of the two and this was good example where he was able to establish the needed emotions through his stoicism. To Hayes credit they also have enough chemistry here to make the romance work which was definitely not the case in the 57 remake)
Barrymore - 2.5(Barrymore is moderately entertaining but also just a bit too ridiculous as his one note caricature)
Stanwyck - 3(She was just fine here in that I felt she made a believable enough dynamic with Clifton Webb. Webb though stood out more in terms of the film, though I certainly have no complaints against Stanwyck's performance)
Whitman - 2(Just a very bland performance from him where his big speech comes off as more whiny than anything else which is unfortunate. Peter Falk pretty much eats him alive in every scene they share)
Hopkins - 4(She very good in her early scenes bringing the needed allure that could cause Hyde to come out. When things turn for the worse Hopkins always teeters towards becoming a bit too melodramatic for her own good. However even when that's the case she's still pretty effective in revealing the character's mental state.)
Alex:
I'll count only if they've made a film in the last five years so no David Lynch, and going by the quality of their most recent output so no David Cronenberg.
In no particular order:
Paul Thomas Anderson
Martin Scorsese
The Coen Brothers
Christopher Nolan
Quentin Tarantino
Steven Spielberg
Alfonso Cuaron
Bong Joon-ho
Edgar Wright
Martin McDonagh
Louis: If Unforgiven had been made in the 50's or 60's, would Wayne be your choice for Eastwood's role?
50's I might go Gable, 60's I think Wayne would fit.
Louis: Since Gable is your choice for 50's, Wayne's for 60's (I would choose him as well), who would be the rest of the cast and director for you in the 50's and 60's?
50's:
Directed by: John Huston
Little Bill Daggett: James Cagney
Ned Logan: Clarence Muse
The Schofield Kid: Barry Foster
English Bob: Ronald Colman
W.W. Beauchamp: Jack Gilford
Strawberry Alice: Wendy Hiller
60's:
Directed By: Anthony Mann
Little Bill Daggett: Robert Ryan
Ned Logan: Roscoe Lee Browne
The Schofield Kid: Jack Nicholson
English Bob: Laurence Olivier
W.W. Beauchamp: Martin Balsam
Strawberry Alice: Ava Gardner
Louis, who would you cast in a non-musical adaptation of Les Mis under the condition of not using any cast members from the Hooper film?
Jean Valjean: Daniel Day-Lewis (Honestly I wish he had waited for Les Miserables to be his foray into musicals as I think he would have been a better fit for that than Nine.)
Javert: Stephen Dillane
Fantine: Marion Cotillard
Cosette: Imogen Poots
Enjolras: Jack O'Connell
Grantaire: Domhnall Gleeson
Eponine: Bel Powley
Bishop Myriel: Mark Rylance
Thenardier: Gary Oldman
Madame Thenardier: Kathy Burke
I'm afraid Marius stumped me.
Maybe Domhnall Gleeson for Marius and Taron Egerton for Grantaire? Also I bet Elizabeth Berrington would also make a great Madame Thenardier.
This may sound weird, but I would go with Ray Winstone and Emily Watson as the Thenardiers. Play it like a twisted version of the Stanleys.
That cast for Les Miserables is one hell of a cast.
Louis: Your top 10 songs of all-time and are there any bands that you love.
Louis: He was never considered for the role, but do you think Carradine would be great as Ahab? I think he'd be a perfect choice.
*have been
Carradine would've been an AMAZING Ahab. Great shout, Anonymous.
Saw Deadpool. Was pretty cool and like its source material, will prove to be divisive. Regardless...
Ryan Reynolds is a 5 in it. I've always said that Reynolds was specifically put on this Earth at this specific time to play this particular role. Perfect marriage of actor/character will damn near always get a 5 from me. Nobody could have done it better. That is all.
I'll watch Deadpool when it's on Putlocker.
Or, you know, go and see it. It's not like it's a limited release that's playing nowhere.
Louis: I've read that apparently Wellman was the first choice to direct 12 O'Clock High. He would probably get an adequate performance from Jagger the hard way.
Saw Deadpool as well, enjoyed it quite a bit.
Luke:
"In Dreams" - Roy Orbison
"Let It Be" - The Beatles
"Life on Mars" - David Bowie
"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
"Can't Take My Eyes off of You" - Frankie Valli
"Hurt" - Johnny Cash Cover version
"Hallelujah" - Leonard Cohen
"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners
"True Love Ways" - Buddy Holly
"Layla" - Derek and the Dominos
Did it one artist or band per song.
Anonymous:
I'm compelled to agree with both you and Calvin
Damn, you got a thing for the 60's and 70's.
Seeing "Come On Eileen" on that list is genuinely shocking to me, because I think that song's kinda terrible.
I'm glad that 'Let it Be' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody made his list :)
My own top ten :
1) Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx:
2) Candle in the Wind (1997 version) by Elton John
3) Lose Yourself by Eminem
4) Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams
5) With or Without You by U2
6) Faithfully by Journey
7) Hey Jude by the Beatles
8) The Show Must Go On by Queen
9) Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
10) November Rain by Guns N Roses
Louis: Your thoughts on Deadpool and your ratings & thoughts on the cast.
Ill do mine, basically, its rock, rock and more rock, metal also =D basically music that has drums and a guitar usually do the job for me,
Matt:
Just the right amount of pure 80's cheese if you ask me. But I have to say I think music tastes tend to be even more subjective than tastes in films,books,tv shows, et cetera.
Robert:
At the risk of sounding quite old I'll admit I just don't seem to get along with a majority of modern music.
Luke:
I probably liked Deadpool the most in terms of the crass hero films, in that I preferred to Kick-Ass. The action was good, it was consistently amusing, the plot was standard but really worked for purposes of the film. Although I felt there was few slow moments on occasion was pretty fun ride throughout, and I'm glad its doing well that way maybe they'll take some more risks with the genre.
Reynolds - 4.5(All previous snarky Ryan Reynolds characters, and one terrible iteration of the exact same character have leading up to this refinement. It was the part he was born to play, apparently)
Baccarin - 2.5(Has chemistry with Reynolds, she does not have too much to do past that point)
Skrein - 3(I'll admit I was concerned by bad Dario going in, but I felt he does his one note British villain routine with a proper bit of smugness)
Miller - 3.5(Kept his one liners going in an amusing way and played off of Reynolds particularly well I felt)
Carano - 2.5(She's doing her usual thing which works fine here)
Hildebrand - 3(Enjoyed her one note dispassion quite a bit.)
Kapicic - 3(To anyone who ever had a single fond memory for the pilot Pryde of the X-Men, as that's the Colossus he's doing, I think they'll enjoy this performance. I certainly did.)
I mean, I'm not knocking. At least half of my top ten would be stuff like The Who, Bowie, Queen, and Bruce.
Louis: My tastes are a bit similar to yours and the only modern artist/band, that I absolutely love is Muse.
Louis: And I was very happy that you included Life On Mars and Bohemian Rhapsody on your list.
Louis: What's your opinion on Life On Mars and Bohemian Rhapsody.
For fun :p
1. Colorblind, Couting Crows
2. Kashmir, Led Zeppelin
3. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
4. A Day in the Life, The Beatles
5. Purple Rain, Prince
6. How Soon is Now, The Smiths
7. Idioteque, Radiohead
8. Pagan Poetry, Björk
9. Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. O Pastor, Madredeus
Louis: Your BAFTA predictions for the major categories.
love to see thunder road, kashmir and how soon is now in your list GM! :D
in no order, from the top of my head right now:
5 years-david bowie
glory box-portishead
thunder road-bruce springsteen
gimme shelter-the rolling stones
hey-the pixies
born under punches-talking heads
sometimes-my bloody valentibe
achilles last stand-led zeppelin
reckoner-radiohead
wish you were here-pink floyd
valentine*
RYLANCE WINS. FINALLY. :)
And as expected, Boyega wins Rising Star.
Winslet Vs. Vikander for the Oscar.
Probably gonna be Vikander for the Oscar. SAG usually trumps GG and BAFTA
I think it's gonna be Vikander as well.
Fuck the big short
Adam McKay: 'A man of bottomless creativity and fierce integrity.'
Lel
I have made peace that McKay will win screenplay.
*karate chops kitten*
Luke:
Afraid I'm a bit late for the Bafta predictions. Song thoughts? I like em, there done.
Louis: Is the next review coming tonight.
Maybe.
Louis: Which character actors would have you chosen for Twelve O'Clock High instead of those who were cast?
Louis thoughts on the Bafta winners?
Very happy about Rylance, but disappointed at the last chance of Mara winning the Oscar :( (still haveen't seen Steve Jobs)
I seriously hope that The Big Short doesn't win.
Anonymous:
Lee J. Cobb instead of Paul Stewart, Karl Malden instead of Hugh Marlowe, Harry Morgan instead of Gary Merrill.
Anonymous:
Rising Star: Boyega, Great choice.
Editing, Makeup, Costume and Production design: Mad Max, Excellent Choices
Sound, Cinematography: The Revenant, Excellent choice though Mad Max would have been even better, yes for both.
Visual Effects: Star Wars, Come did they forget about Snoke, its pretty good otherwise but nothing compares to Mad Max in this category.
Original Music: Nothing can stop Morricone in this category I suppose as he's won all six times he was nominated here, I hope that translates to Oscar.
British Film: Brooklyn, Best choice without having seen Amy.
Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short, the worst choice, and I'm not even in love with the other nominees. It's such sloppy work though that should not be awarded.
Original Screenplay: Spotlight, Not my personal favorite, but I can't complain its a fine choice.
Supporting Actor: Finally! The best choice as well.
Supporting Actress: The fraud make me hesitant to support Mara still though I prefer that she take home the gold over Vikander committing the same fraud as the Oscars. Was hoping for a Leigh upset, though I knew it would not happen, and Winslet's good as well as being actually supporting.
Louis: Thomas Mitchell instead of Dean Jagger, I presume?
Anonymous:
Yes.
Louis: And your personal choice for Savage?
PHEW. :)
Kirk Douglas
Louis: Thoughts on Inarritu, Larson, DiCaprio and The Revenant for Best Film.
Of course this race becomes a two-way trek with my two least favorite nominees. Of course.
Fuck...Carol was totally snubbed this year. Well, let's all root for the fury road till the end!!
Anything but The Big Short and I'll be fine/happy with it.
hahahaha the Big Short hate is real (haven't seen it)
Louis: Who do you think was closer to getting nominated in 1937? Arnold or Laughton?
Luke:
Actress: I'm surprised that Ronan could not take this, on one hand they're giving less of a home field advantage than they use to, on the other hand I question if they have a mind of their own. Larson's a deserving winner though so it's fine, though Ronan would have also allowed for a bit of suspense for the race.
Actor: No surprise, and that's fine by me.
Director: Best of that line up if you ask me, and his Oscar repeat is guaranteed now I'd say.
Picture: The final envelop will be a nail biter to be sure at the Oscars, and since Max could not take it I'm fine with this win.
Anonymous:
Laughton I'd say, character actors who frequently played both lead and supporting roles like Arnold and Edward G. Robinson seemed to have trouble getting considered.
Louis: What are your thoughts on Myrna Loy and Irene Dunne as actresses?
Louis: Which five actresses have yet to impress you.
This award season has been a huge disappointment to me. Carol getting some nominations but no important wins (not even Picture and Director nominations at the Oscars!) is a true shame, it's a flawless masterpiece (in a perfect world Blanchett and Mara would tie for Best Actress at the Oscars but that's probably asking too much). Also, while Mara is leading, I'm still rooting for her at the Oscars, she's riveting and yet all the awards go to Winslet (who is good as always and is a fine nominee but not quite win-worthy in my opinion) and Vikander (who was miles better in Ex Machina, is the lead of The Danish Girl and while good her performance is hurt by the movie's flaws). Mara and Leigh are the best in that category yet they virtually get ignored. I'm okay with The Revenant winning but Carol, Brooklyn and Mad Max: Fury Road are all better movies. Rylance's win is good even if I don't love him as much as some do and I don't care at all for the movie actually (rooting for Stallone). Larson and DiCaprio are sure wins, and I'm happy with both (even if I actually think that Blanchett, Ronan and Rampling are better than Larson she's excellent nonetheless). Also I hate how The Hateful Eight, one of the best movies of the year, gets recognized only for its score (which is great but the movie has many other strengths).
The only race I'm really interested in right now is Supporting Actor. I need a Stallone victory.
I'm pretty sure he'll win.
Anonymous: Both were superb comedic actresses, in fact it would be hard to name many better in the screwball genre. They were both consistent delights. Now their dramatic work is slightly less consistent but when given stronger material they also proved that they certainly had range as well.
Luke:
I'm sure many but if we're talking about higher profile cases:
Patricia Arquette
Scarlett Johansson (I've liked her just fine in things but have yet to love her in anything)
Keira Knightley (Same)
Julia Roberts
Annette Bening
Louis what are your predictions for the big eight?
Picture: ? (Alright The Revenant I guess)
Director: Inarritu
Actor: DiCaprio
Actress: Larson
Supporting Actor: Stallone
Supporting Actress: Vikander
Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short
Robert:
Stallone really is not hurt by this win either since Rylance wasn't able to give a speech.
Louis: What do you think Inherit the Wind needed to be a better film? More subtlety?
That would have helped, but really if they had adhered closer to reality I think it would have provided a more interesting story.
I'd cut Inherit the Wind a little slack. Melodramatic as it was, you have to remember that for 1960 having such a blunt approach to that sort of subject matter was considered radical. Hell, the subject is still controversial. Just a decade ago I remember stories about schools in the Bible Belt switching to Intelligent Design over Evolutionary Theory.
Louis: And of course, March needed to give a much more nuanced performance.
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