5. Christopher Lee in The Man With the Golden Gun - Lee as expected makes for a proper Bond villain both charismatic and menacing even if perhaps he's too much of a match for his Bond.
Best Scene: Proposing the duel.
4. Roberts Blossom in The Great Gatsby - Roberts Blossom gives the most resonate performance in his film and even manages to offer a bit of tragedy left lacking by the film's underwhelming film.
Best Scene: Mr. Gatz in Gatsby's room.
3. David Warner in Little Malcolm - The underrated Warner gives a terrific performance as usual giving an amusing and even moving portrayal of a wannabe philosopher whose positive outlook stands in a striking contrast to the titular wannabe philosopher.
Best Scene: Sentenced to death.
2. Ken Takakura in The Yakuza -Takakura gives a brilliant performance that sets up an enigma which he slowly reveals in a deeply poignant portrait of a man defined by the sacrifices he makes for the sake of his honor.
Best Scene: Revelation of his real relationship.
1. Richard Harris in Juggernaut - Good Predictions
Tahmeed, Omar, Luke, RatedRStar, and
Michael McCarthy. Richard Harris seems to be in a role just right for him as he gives an incredibly charming performance, that is so effortlessly compelling in his portrayal of a bomb disposal expert with his own personal style and philosophy towards his job.
Best Scene: "Fallon is the champion"
Updated Overall
Next Year: 1988 Lead
42 comments:
Louis: Rating and thoughts on Rita Hayworth in Salome.
Luke Higham
Ratings and thoughts on the rest of your
3.5s and 4s.
Any other Female Performances from 1974 that you would give a 4 or more too.
Bruce Willis in Die Hard (I'd love a full review)
Willem Dafoe in Last Temptation of Christ
Steve Martin and Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Harrison Ford in Frantic
Luke Higham
Willem Dafoe - The Last Temptation Of Christ
Day-Lewis - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
John Neville - The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
Michael Keaton - Clean and Sober
First two are musts
Willem Dafoe - The Last Temptation Of Christ
Day-Lewis - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Martin & Caine - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Harrison Ford - Frantic
Michael Keaton - Clean and Sober
Willis in Die Hard or De Niro in Midnight Run would be good full reviews too
Thoughts on The Longest Yard? I liked it a lot, more so than the Sandler version.
Also second a Caine/Martin review.
Luke
And the rest of your 4s and 3.5s in Lead Actor.
Louis: Thoughts and ratings on Schuck, Remsen and Fletcher in Thieves like us?
And your thoughts on Duvall in The Godfather Part II.
Guys, what are your fav acting moments of the year so far?
Saw The Snowman. Honestly not a bad time at the cinema, because of how ridiculous it got. The acting was definitely not good though, even Fassy.
Henry:
1. Singing at the party/Final Speech - Lucky
2. The game goes wrong - Detroit
3. The Church - Three Billboards Outside Outside, Missouri
4. 'I'm just gonna assume you're all criminals' - Detroit
5. Police station showdown - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
6. A burial - Logan
7. No no no no no - Get Out
8. 'You sure about this?' - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
9. Hypnosis - Get Out
10. Pre-Prom dad talk - Spider-Man Homecoming
Louis: My request is David Warner in Morgan - A Suitable Case For Treatment.
Louis: please make sure to check out these performances:
- Carmen Maura in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
- Gena Rowlands in Another Woman
- Jodie Foster in The Accused
- Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark
- Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist
Anonymous:
Hayworth - 2.5(A rather bland performance from her that is better than say her absurdly bland leading man, as she has enough of a vibrant presence on her own, however this is not a great example of that still. There's just very little of interest in her work here, and she never really makes sense of the actions of Salome in the film through her performance. Her work is very vague and just sort of there most of the time.)
Luke:
Stallone - 4(I suppose it's not too surprising to learn that Stallone was allowed to re-write his scenes since they're the only scenes that really work. Stallone really is terrific here in that first sets up a believable character in this lunkhead greaser, however he does so with such a natural bit of humor. He's especially good in the scene where he is trying to cheap his way through buying a wedding ring, and Stallone is hilarious as he realizes the lack of smoothness of the man as he threatens the jeweler while fighting with his girlfriend. Every one of the scenes that focus on him are quite good, and this actually makes me wish Stallone had done more character work like this later on.)
Albert - 4(Albert is terrific here and frankly delivers the performance I had hoped for but did not get in Attack!. Albert is on point here in first bringing such a false warmth in his initial scene with Reynolds. As the film goes on though Albert becomes genuinely menacing by portraying so well the smug assurance of the warden as he keeps misusing his power throughout. It very much has shades of Bob Gunton's later work in Shawshank Redemption, and that's a good thing when it comes to playing wardens.)
Warner - 4(Another strong performance from him as to be expected and he really nicely adds to the creep factor of his section. He brings the needed chilling quality in his murder scenes by portraying such a strange intensity, but also is quite effective as he offers some depth by realizing a bit of remorse in this.)
Williams - 4(The one man who I'd say stands out among DePalma at his full DePalma, which feels quite right given his music also stands out in the film. Williams makes for a pretty good Satan having such a properly devilish style that is actually intimidating in its very own way, while being pretty entertaining as well.)
Hampton - 3.5(Liked that he actually made the character just a touch slimy that indicated why he was in prison. Hampton though with that touch though also finds the right likability within that, and I particularly like his straight forwardness in his pseudo "heart to heart" with Reynolds.)
Cushing - 3.5(Perfectly cast of course and his presence adds just the right type of fun sort of creepiness for the film. Cushing's particularly good at somehow being sort of terrifying as he is just so unassuming particularly in his final scene.)
Elliot - 3.5(He's pretty entertaining here for his few scenes portraying such a sloppy pretension so well. He does the two sides at once quite well as he brings such a vital importance in the way he deliver his views however never hiding his sort of wretchedness in his physical manner.)
Margaret Leighton - From Beyond the Grave - 4(Downright hilarious and wildly entertaining in a point in the film that really needs that addition. She makes the loopiness of her character so very enjoyable to watch, and she's just marvelous in her versus the forces of evil scene.)
Blythe Danner - Lovin Molly - (The film itself through Sidney Lumet's strangely underwhelming direction I thought skirted greatness however the performances were on point particularly Danner's. She's terrific in bringing such an alluring quality to her character while doing it this way where she seems wholesome while she's not being so in the least. Danner effectively though goes a bit deeper than just that, particularly in her segment, where she slowly loses that initial sultriness to realize the sadness within the characters regrets while so often holding a facade of joy.)
RAZZIE WIN for Carol Burnett in The Front Page.
Gould - California Split - 4(Once again working so well with Altman here in that he just is great at that type of wandering dialogue in a way, and Gould makes for quite the strange yet always intriguing gambler here. Gould's style works well in creating the sense of the guy just going from one bet to another, occasionally springing up with joy, yet Gould portrays the base setting as ambivalent as though it is his way of navigating the world.)
Matthau - 4(Perfect fit for the Walter Burns role as you'd expect him to be, as he nails the right type of sheer straight faced selfish shyster attitude of the character perfectly. Matthau's consistently hilarious in the role, and makes the most out of every bit of humor in the fairly rich source material.)
Perkins - 4(Wouldn't be my first choice for the simple country boy however Perkins does quite well in the role here. Perkins makes himself just naturally endearing and is very effective in portraying the more general lusts of the character, and his honest interest. He makes the frustrations believable with Molly by also showing his own inconsistency in a natural way. In addition he's quite good, along with Danner and Bridges in portraying the age, and rather poignantly goes from the young man to the nostalgic old man.)
Lemmon - 4(As usual in their team ups I do prefer Matthau here as well, but they are on a closer keel here as Lemmon is terrific Hildy as well. He's particularly good in the ace reporter scenes in portraying the enthusiasm in such a instinctive way of a guy who essentially just can't help himself in that regard. He's equally good though in portraying the fed up frustrations in dealing with Matthau's burns increasingly duplicitous ways.)
Segal - 3.5(Found Gould left a stronger lasting impression in this more prickly take on the gambling bromance film. Segal though is still pretty good in portraying on the surface his usual style, but within that portraying a certain darkness within the intensity of the gambling scenes. He's particularly strong at the end in playing up the phases of fear to gamble, love of the winning, to finally a certain emptiness from it all.)
Bridges - 3.5(Gets the short end of the stick in the film as he is just barely lead. For much of the film he's fine but just sort of there. He's great though in his narrative section offering such a moving portrayal of man quietly looking back at his life and those involved with it. He's particularly good in simply his reactions towards Perkins and Danner in their final scenes together.)
Reynolds - 4(Tempted to go higher with him actually as this is terrific work from him. First of all it is some miracle that he makes his character likable just through the sheer will of his charisma given the despicable actions of the character initially. Reynolds though also helps in this I suppose though by slowly revealing a real nuance within the man and after initially seemingly just giving an entertaining performance. He ends up bringing even a poignancy to the role as Reynolds reveals the regrets in the character, and the eventual passion to help the prisoners stand up to the warden.)
Calvin:
I really enjoyed the Longest Yard as it worked as a straight forward sports movie, as prison movie, as a sports comedy, but also brought an actual edge at times that surprisingly gave the film some real substance to the story, something sorely lacking in the remake.
Omar:
Shuck & Remsen - 3(I'll admit in the film I kind of cared the least about the other thieves. They are both good in their roles though portraying the right down home type of criminal. Shuck doing so in a more off-putting way by realizing the carelessness of the behavior, while Remsen exudes the ideals of just a guy happy for the free ride.)
Fletcher - 3.5(Quite honestly felt like a bit of a warm up to Ratchet in a few ways. She's not quite that cold here though in that she more of portrays well this hardened woman, and creates the right blunt sensibility within her that explains her actions.)
Anonymous:
Duvall - (Duvall in both films is very interesting in that he establishes Tom as this rock at the center of the film most of the time, though in typical Duvall fashion he's terrific in the subtle ways he works in a greater depth to the character whenever possible. Much of the time Duvall presents the straight forward calm and precision of the lawyer just doing what is best for the family in the most basic ways. When on a "mission" Duvall's great by being so business oriented even when dealing with a dead prostitute or telling a guy basically to kill himself. Duvall though quietly reveals more though in small moments particularly those he shares with Pacino. I like the doses of unease at his own treatment and some of Michael's decisions. The film does not dwell on these yet you always know exactly what Tom is going through thanks to Duvall's performance.)
Louis: Your rating for Danner in Lovin Molly.
I saw The Snowman. It wasn't even funny bad (well, outside of two death scenes and the protagonist's name) it was just flat and unfinished. It's Fassbender's brooding nadir as an actor.
As for Kilmer's much-talked about scenes, I felt bad more than anything. It's clear the throat cancer took its toll on him. His final scene was hilarious, but not due to him.
Willem Dafoe-The Last Temptation of Christ (Just saw it for the first time and REALLY dug it)
Michael Keaton-Clean and Sober
Michael J. Fox-Bright Lights, Big City
Daniel Day-Lewis-The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Steve Martin-Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Luke:
4
Louis: Have you seen The Snowman yet?
No, I've lost almost motivation to do so, I will see it eventually, but when the director even bashes the film you know there's a major problem with it.
Louis: I won't lie, it's not worth it. Plus it'll ruin your opinion of Fassbender.
Louis who are you're top tens for best actress and supporting actress for 1974?
Louis: Your cast and director for a 1960's Tombstone.
Robert Macfarlane: I am pretty sure it wont ruin Louis opinion of Fassbender lol one bad performance out of about 9 good ones that Michael has given wont suddenly change his mind lol.
Willem Dafoe - The Last Temptation Of Christ
Daniel Day-Lewis - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Michael Keaton - Clean and Sober
Harrison Ford - Frantic
Ray Liotta - Dominic and Eugene
Yeah Kilmer wasn't really hamming it up or anything. He was trying for something and arguably just didn't work because of the condition he was in. The effort really came through poorly but not really his fault.
My ratings would probably be:
Fassbender: 2
Ferguson: 2
Gainsbourg: 1.5 (wtf)
Sevigny: 1.5
Vibert: 2
Simmons: 2.5
3 winning predictions in a row, I am like the William Hurt of this blog from his awards, which means I wont win one now for about another 18 predictions lol.
I will give my 3 winning predictions at some point lol still arent 100% on who yet lol.
Calvin: Fassbender's a 2? Oh dear...
Calvin; thoughts on Gainsbourg? I don't think she was that bad.
94dfk1: Afraid so. He's bland at best, outright terrible at worst (mostly bland though)
Omar: Gainsbourg like most of the cast had absolutely no energy. Frankly only J.K. Simmons seemed to bring any sort of enthusiasm. I found her stilted and wooden through her whole performance. Extremely boring to the point of badness, which may have been the point of her character?
Willem Dafoe - The Last Temptation Of Christ
James Woods in The Boost
Michael J. Fox in Bright Lights, Big City
Harrison Ford - Frantic
Harvey Fierstein in Torch Song Trilogy
Tom Cruise in Cocktail
Chris Mulkey in Patti Rocks
Danny DeVito in Twins
Davor Dujmović in Time of the Gypsies
Sidney Poitier and Tom Berenger in Shoot to Kill
Harrison Ford in Frantic
Louis: Your thoughts on the Simpsons episode Some Enchanted Evening.
I'll be rewatching a certain Bollywood film before making a request.
Nicolas Cage in Vampire's Kiss
Willem Dafoe in The Last Temptation of Christ
Tom Hulce, Dominick and Eugene
Ray Liotta, Dominick and Eugene
John Candy, The Great Outdoors
Willem Dafoe, The Last Temptation of Christ
Don Ameche, Things Change
Anonymous:
Lead:
1. Faye Dunaway - Chinatown
2. Ellen Burstyn - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
3. Gena Rowlands - A Woman Under the Influence
4. Brigitte Mira - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
5. Goldie Hawn - The Sugarland Express
6. Blythe Danner - Lovin' Molly
7. Diahann Carroll - Claudine
8. Shelley Duvall - Thieves Like Us
9. Mariangela Melato - Swept Away
10. Mia Farrow - The Great Gatsby
Supporting:
1. Valerie Perrine - Lenny
2. Cloris Leachman - Young Frakenstein
3. Diane Ladd - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
4. Madeline Kahn - Young Frankenstein
5. Jennifer Jones - The Towering Inferno
6. Margaret Leighton - From Beyond the Grave
7. Aurore Clement - Lacombe, Lucien
8. Karen Black - The Great Gatsby
9. Madeline Kahn - Blazing Saddles
10. Lois Chiles - The Great Gatsby
Anonymous:
Tombstone 1960's directed by Sam Peckinpah:
Wyatt Earp: Charles Bronson
Doc Holliday: Martin Landau
Virgil Earp: Richard Widmark
Morgan Earp: Lee Van Cleef
Curly Bill: Ben Johnson
Johnny Ringo: Warren Oates
Henry Hooker: Robert Ryan
Ike Clanton: James Whitmore
Anonymous:
It's a better season 1 episode though it's animation is particularly rough in terms of how overly cartoony it is at times. It works though frankly more for its sort of thriller elements strangely enough with the kids versus the babysitter since like most season 1 episodes it isn't all the funny.
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