Wednesday 3 July 2019

Alternate Best Actor 1963: Alberto Sordi in Il Diavolo

Alberto Sordi did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning a Golden Globe, for portraying Amedeo Ferrettiin in Il Diavolo.

Il Diavolo is an interesting film that follows an Italian merchant through his travels in Sweden.

It is probably fair to say that Alberto Sordi's Golden Globe win for best actor in a musical or comedy, is the most obscure winner in the history of the category. This is to the point that one ought to give that often dubious awards group some credit for recognizing a non-English language performance in a film that was not a major awards touchstone otherwise. They might have been on an Italian kick, with Marcello Mastroianni having won the previous year for Divorce, Italian Style, however that was an Oscar nominated turn as well. I won't diminish the win though as this is rather a different turn to examine from comic actor Alberto Sordi. An actor, I'll admit, I have only a limited perspective of in a few scant, though more than decent turns, in English language films, and his notable devastating turn in An Average Little Man. Of course that turn was one that went to a very dark place, however the nature of this role also has really two sides within it.

Sordi's unique talents so strongly evident in that later performance is evident here as well though in perhaps lower stake circumstances. Our man Amedeo is just indeed an average man as well, but in the circumstances of just a business trip. A trip he foresees more for pleasure despite being a married man, of course. Sordi, even with this intention, brings a such a considerable charm through his affable screen presence. This making Amedeo's endeavor almost have this certain oxymoronic innocence within it. This approach is effective however from his earliest moments of essentially admiring the local women who he comes across early in the film. Sordi brings the utmost earnestness in his energy in every one of his greetings towards these women however he manages to find just the right manner for this. In that he does certainly deliver the requisite lustful quality of Amedeo however he carefully does not over do it to the point of becoming excessively sleazy. He's best instead by being just a bit sleazy however so well realized within Sordi's comic manner that still finds a charm even within that.

Sordi's performance is essential the film beyond his exact journey though in a particular way as he stands as a reactionary lead. This makes enough sense as his communication skills are limited as an Italian in Sweden, however how Sordi reacts to each given situation very much makes both the comedic and dramatic thrust through the film. Although less extreme than in An Average Little Man, Sordi's performance very much functions within both atmospheres to realize Amedeo's journey here. Sordi is very funny in initially keeping that same, lets not beat around the bush here, horny grin across his face with each potential "conquest" he meets. Sordi's equally effective in conveying then the certain disappointment as each opportunity instead opens himself up to a different part of the Swedish culture that isn't sex related. Sordi finds in these moments the right humorous disappointment in his expression in a given moment, but balances that with the right degree of shame all the same. A particularly wonderful scene is as he's met with a carol instead of any sort of tryst, and his eyes convey so well the character's certain dismay though that Sordi so effortless conveys to that quiet appreciation though with a definite embarrassment underlining it all.

Throughout Amedeo's journey he does not discover a sex romp, but instead discovers a perhaps a little strange however still welcoming country with far more to offer him that debauchery. Sordi's performance then becomes one of this interesting discovery of each new situation underlining each with a bit of Amedeo's sort of discovery of each place while also creating a sense of the reflection of it within himself. In the grand finale, of sorts, we get really two sides of Sordi's performance so effectively intertwined once again. This being mostly in a hilarious fashion throughout a sequence of ice car racing where Sordi's reactions are priceless to the insane, rather dangerous, hi-jinks of his female host. When finally though it seems he'll get his initial desire of sex, Sordi derives such a poignancy in his timid way of speaking the truths of a man who has in reality only been honorable to his wife despite his straying thoughts throughout. This is a wonderful turn as Sordi very much delivers on the promise of this goofy tourist looking for all the wrong things in all the wrong ways. His comic reactions are consistently funny throughout the film, but what takes the performance further is creating this honest sense of growth in the character. This in creating a genuine portrait of a man learning more about himself in what is an overarching comedic turn.

83 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the cast.

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: Please consider reviewing Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau. Just...please consider it.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Yeah, so I really hated Midsommar. Pugh is great, but it’s overall just an extremely puerile, empty exercise (and I’m the one guy here who liked mother!).

Bryan L. said...

Midsommar.

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

Calvin Law said...

Oh dear. Still definitely going to check it out for Pugh.

What’s everyone’s top 10 for the year so far? For me,

1. Avengers: Endgame
2. Us
3. Parasite
4. Rocketman
5. Toy Story 4
6. Wild Rose
7. Aladdin
8. Shazam!
9. Fighting With My Family
10. Captain Marvel

Bryan L. said...

Note: JW3 and Captain Marvel are on an even keel to me, but I just went with the formers action scenes as a "tiebreaker".

Matt Mustin said...

Calvin:
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Dead Don't Die
3. Us

Everything else I've seen so far is on the exact same level of decent, except Velvet Buzzsaw, which sucked.

Emi Grant said...

Calvin: I haven't watched much I'm afraid, but here's what I have so far...
(Haven't/might not watch: Long Shot, Velvet Buzzsaw, John Wick 3, Spiderman FFH/ Captain Marvel, Aladdin, Dumbo, etc.)

1. Rocketman (The most fun I've had on theaters this year, so far)
2. Toy Story 4
3. Us
4. Shazam!
5. Endgame (Might have to re-watch to fully settle with it, but it hasn't stayed with me that much)
(slight gap)
6. Detective Pikachu
7. Booksmart

I'm currently busy with some ratings stuff, but once I'm done with that I'm going in a bit of a binge.

Emi Grant said...

Robert, Bryan: If you don't mind, and without going in spoiler talk, what is it exactly that you hated about it? Legit curious.

Bryan L. said...

Emi: To me, it was hollow as can be and a lot of the scenes just play out as dumb, ESPECIALLY one near the end.

It's basically Aster just shooting random images in search of a plot, which Hereditary at least had going for. I'll go as far as calling the film "obnoxious", at least the middle section.

Luke Higham said...

Robert & Bryan: What an utter shame, at least Pugh managed to give a noteworthy turn.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin:
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. Us
3. The Kid Who Would Be King
4. Shazam!
5. Rocketman
6. Fighting With My Family
7. Toy Story 4
8. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
9. Captain Marvel
10. Aladdin

Luke Higham said...

My Acting winners and runner-ups so far:
Lead Actor
Winner: Taron Egerton - Rocketman
Runner-Up: Louis Ashbourne Serkis - The Kid Who Would Be King

Lead Actress
Winner: Lupita Nyong'o - Us
Runner-Up: Florence Pugh - Fighting With My Family

Supporting Actor
Winner: RDJ - Avengers: Endgame
Runner-Up: Chris Evans - Avengers: Endgame

Supporting Actress:
Winner: Scarlett Johansson - Avengers: Endgame
Runner-Up: Annie Potts - Toy Story 4

RatedRStar said...

Spider-Man was ok I guess, I did like Holland as always, Jake was fine but he does have one good little scene when he of course turns villain lol that was a good scene where he goes all ego.

I have only seen 8 films so far.

1. Avengers: Endgame
2. Fyre
3. Us
4. Shazam!
5. Fighting with my Family
6. Captain Marvel
7. Spider-Man Far from Home
8. Velvet Buzzsaw

RatedRStar said...

Louis: It really must have been an italian kick since otherwise it seems shocking that Alberto Sordi beat Albert Finney, I am glad that Sordi was a deserving winner though.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Could Sordi become your win for 1977 Lead Actor.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: Can't rule out Harvey Keitel in The Duellists.

RatedRStar said...

Oh I saw Happy death day 2 but it was meh.

Gus B. said...

Louis: well, I guess, behind the Italian kick, two other factors may have had influence in his win - 1. he was well liked by the HFPA, since it is not his only nomintaion there, he got one before and another one after this victory; and 2. Finney, certainly the favourite back then (Tom Jones won Comedy, after all), took the Most Promising Newcomer - Male award, so the group likely wanted to spread their love.

Gus B. said...

Oh, and Il Diavolo was up for Foreign Language Film as well.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Have you seen Stranger Things 3 yet?

Louis Morgan said...

Saw Midsommar as well...did not care for it in the slightest. In fact have a powerful urge to do a spoiler bash in a moment (bash does not mean party in this instance). Pugh is very good though, Reynor is borderline atrocious.

Luke:

Everyone else is fine, but it's a limited supporting cast situation.

Matt:

I'll certainly consider it.

Tahmeed:

It's possible, 77 lead's an open year.

Not yet, but I will of course watch it soon.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Extended thoughts and Ratings & Thoughts on the cast.

Louis Morgan said...

I'll say spoilers, but I'm going to try to be vague regarding the specifics.

Still

*SPOILERS*

Things I liked: Pugh's performance, cinematography and production design.

Things I did not:

- Well obviously Ari Aster really loves Don't Look Now (I mean I get it), but doing another grief induced horror seems frankly repetitive thematically. Yes filmmakers love reusing themes, but basically giving both films just about the same starting point seems a bit tired.

- Of course that grief starting point, which I have problems with in itself, in this seems far less developed than in Hereditary. It is there just again as the hook for the cult to our heroine, again, but this time even that feels pretty flimsy.

- It seems more about, or desires to be about, but fails miserably, is the idea of the dissolution of a relationship a la Ingmar Bergman. The problem is the relationship is so thin from the start it fails to resonate in that regard. If the point was that it was thin, then who cares about the dissolution of it?

-Strange to cast three non-Americans as Americans all together, but I guess you get an array of accents. Pugh's good one, Reynor's excessively slippery one and Poulter's stilted AHMERicAN accent.

- Speaking of Poulter, his role seems like a response to perhaps criticisms of Hereditary being so serious. The problem is his humor seems like it was thrown in last second and doesn't gel at all with Aster's still otherwise extremely self-serious tone.

- As one could say Hereditary is Don't Look Now meets Rosemary's Baby, this is Don't Look Now meets The Wicker Man and kind of even the Wicker Man remake.

- The problem with that there is no subversion or surprise. It's so absurdly easy to guess what's going to happen it just becomes this progression to a forgone conclusion if you've seen the Wicker Man. Of course when that film was made, that was a surprise. Here though it just is the same thing, but more overtly gruesome, with the bear costume from the remake thrown in for good measure. Sadly no screaming Nic Cage though...

- Aster's whole style I found wholly tiresome here. He needs a long talk with a talented editor, as he refuses to cut even the most banal scene down. His approach though of even atmosphere building just is tiresome as well though. Take the first, or really second, overt horror scene. As soon as you see something you know it's coming, but Aster takes a good 10 minutes to get to it. He then spends another good 10 or more doing it twice, then two extra times for good measure. It becomes grotesque just for the sake of it, however done with the utmost conviction of a serious filmmaker.

- Once Aster begins doing his thing, he just proceeds at the same tempo the same tone from there on. Having horrible things happen to people, you really don't care about since he spends so much time wanting to build the atmosphere here, he forgets to create any sense of character.

- In fact besides the limited grief angle, and the very relationship one, his only other one is the motivation to write a thesis...which is as dumb as it sounds.

- In The Wicker Man, Howie didn't leave because he was looking for the missing girl, plus he was on an island, here our characters refuse, even after something very concerning happens, because of "My thesis dude!".

- But hey if you love lingering shots of smashed faces (Ari Aster "I'm so edgy bro!") this film's for you....yah creep.

END OF SPOILERS

Anonymous said...

Louis, any ratings for the cast.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the cinematography of Rear Window, North by Northwest and Ben-Hur.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Indeed. I'll give Pugh a 4, though I wish I could've gone higher if this was a better film, or even a decent one.

Reynor didn't bother me *too* much actually, although that has more to do with me being tired out by the film, and that I frankly didn't care what happened.



Bryan L. said...

Where's Nicolas Winding Refn when you need him?!

I need a drink.

Bryan L. said...

Calvin: Ahh I forgot about the Fyre documentary RatedRStar mentioned. Here's the fixed version

1. Avengers: Endgame
2. Dragged Across Concrete
3. Rocketman
4. Fyre
*Slight gap*
5. US
6. Fighting with my Family
7. Shazam!
*Gap*
8. Long Shot
9. John Wick 3
10. Always be my Maybe

Calvin Law said...

Louis: what are your thoughts on Lucian Msamati in Game of Thrones?

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: What are your problems with Michael Mando in Spider-Man: Homecoming? Because I re-watched it last night, and he's not even really in it enough to make any kind of impression.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'll say that outside of Pugh, I did like William Jackson Harper as well. He was kind of doing a lower key version of what his work on The Good Place, and I at least saw moments where he filled in the blanks of his character.

Robert MacFarlane said...

*of his work

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on the screenplay of chinatown and unforgiven

Robert MacFarlane said...

Okay, finished Stranger Things 3. Mostly really liked it, though I kind of hated how they handled Hopper for the first few episodes. Hawke and Keery MVP’s.

Calvin Law said...

I’m only up to Episode 5, but I will fully concur on Hawke and Keery being easy MVPs so far. Finn Wolfhard hasn’t been very good this season, nor has David Harbour.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Calvin: Harbour gets better at the end (has one REALLY great scene), though there’s something with his character at the end I didn’t buy that I’ll wait until everyone has watched to talk about.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: Glad to hear! I will say that the episodes have kind of progressively gotten better. Also am I alone in thinking that Dacre Montgomery is really good this season?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Calvin: No, I liked him a lot too. I like Sadie Sink more this season too.

Matt Mustin said...

Saw a double feature of Kill Bill today, having never seen either one.

Vol. 2 is GREAT.

Bryan L. said...

Matt: Nice. Just in time before OUATIH, to boot.

Ratings for the cast of both films?

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your expanded thoughts on the main scene with Roache and Riseborough in Mandy? ("Shh its about to start...")


Also, any expanded thoughts on any of the other bit players (Brother Swan, Mother Marlene, Sister Lucy, etc.)? The latter really stood out to me on rewatch, especially her Russian roulette moment.

Calvin Law said...

Stranger Things Season 3: earlier episodes I thought hit some of the nadirs of the show in terms of acting and writing, but by the final stretch was a return to form. Will say though that the overarching storyline just wasn’t the most compelling and that the highlights often came in the sub stories, so to speak. Cast ranking:

1. Maya Hawke (her bathroom scene with Steve is in my top 5 scenes of the series)
2. Joe Keery
3. Dacre Montgomery (I know, I’m as surprised as you)
4. Millie Bobby Brown (honestly the material wasn’t best this time round but she’s still amazing)
5. Gaten Matarazzo
6. David Harbour (truly a game of two halves, beginning to end)
7. Sadie Sink
8. Natalia Dyer
9. Noah Schnapp
10. Andrey Ivchenko
11. Cara Buono
12. Alec Utgoff
13. Winona Ryder
14. Finn Wolfhard
15. Caleb McLaughlin
16. Cary Elwes (not bad but a bit wasted)
17. Brett Gelman
18. Charlie Heaton (Jonathan just isn’t as interesting when he isn’t sharing scene’s with/driven by his brother)
19. Priah Ferguson

Matt Mustin said...

Bryan L:

Vol. 1
Thurman-4.5
Chiba-4.5
Liu-3.5
Fox-3
Hannah-3
The Crazy 88-A collective 3 except for Kuriyama, who I'd give a 3.5
Carradine-3.5 (I *loved* his voice work)
Bowen-1 (It's partly the writing and directing that puts him that low, but he doesn't help)



Vol. 2
Thurman-5
Carradine-5
Madsen-4.5
Hannah-4
Liu-4
Jackson-3
Parks-3.5
Bishop-2.5
Haney-Jardine-3

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I've also finished Stranger Things 3, and this would be my ranking:

1. Maya Hawke (the conversation between Robin and Steve might just be my favorite scene of the entire series)
2. Dacre Montgomery (he was absolutely astounding in the finale, and so damn haunting throughout the season.)
3. Joe Keery
4. Millie Bobby Brown
5. David Harbour (while I do think they made Hopper a bit too much of the overprotective jerk dad in the first few episodes, I still found Harbour entertaining in his attempts to match that with his performance. He only got better as the season went on, and holy crap, that finale)
6. Gaten Materazzo
7. Natalia Dyer (massive improvement over her performance in Season 2)
8. Sadie Sink
9. Alec Utgoff (I loved how he was such an amusing comic presence throughout, he was a much needed bright spot)
10. Noah Schnapp
11. Winona Ryder
12. Andrey Ivchenko
13. Finn Wolfhard (Not going to lie, but his performance here doesn't reach the emotional heights it did in season 1 and especially Season 2. That being said, I did find that he had a more than effective chemistry with Brown and the rest of the guys, and that was enough for me)
14. Cara Buono
15. Brett Gelman
16. Caleb McLaughlin
17. Cary Elwes (I wish he had more to do)
18. Charlie Heaton
19. Priah Ferguson (found her to be extremely grating most of the time, and thank god all her scenes were with Hawke, Keery and Materazzo.)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: If you've seen Stranger Things 3, could I have your overall rating for and thoughts on the season (either on here or Film Thoughts would do), your cast and season ranking, and your thoughts on the cast (reprises and additions).

Matt Mustin said...

I saw Blue Velvet for the first time tonight. It's a masterpiece. It's also a horror movie, despite never being listed under that genre.

Also, nobody ever mentions this, but the sound mixing in it is maybe some of the best ever.

Matt Mustin said...

By the way, if anyone wants, here's my ratings on the Blue Velvet cast:

Maclachlan-(Strange one. He's either a 4 or a 2, and I'm not sure which. A re-watch may help me decide.)

Hopper-5(I'll review him in the future, after I've watched it a couple more times)

Rossellini-5

Dern-4.5

Stockwell-4.5(I'll review him with Hopper)

Nance-3(Mostly just there, but his bizarre "I'm Paul" is one of my favourite small moments in the film)

Calvin Law said...

MacLachlan is a solid 4 for me, and agreed on Nance.

Saw The Mustang. Need to think about the film itself but Schoenaerts is phenomenal as per usual.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Calvin: How was Gideon Adlon in The Mustang? She did some voice work recently in the last Telltale Walking Dead game that was so great I couldn’t believe it came from a video game.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: She’s fine but doesn’t get much to do, only really in 4 scenes and mostly to react against Schoenaerts’ performance.

Bryan L. said...

Matt: I was about to ask you for ratings as well. Glad you liked the film.

How about Dickerson, Lange and Dourif?

Matt Mustin said...

Bryan L:
Dickerson-3.5
Lange-3
Dourif-2.5(Doesn't really do anything.)

Bryan L. said...

Matt: True regarding Dourif, although I do love how he turns meek once Frank starts barking orders at him right after having threatened Jeffrey with a knife.

Matt Mustin said...

Bryan L: He doesn't do anything wrong, he's just always there in the background.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the trailers for Judy and Mulan.

Anonymous said...

Louis, are there any actors or actresses you would like to see tackle a particular genre.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Any past film roles for Carey Mulligan aside from Audrey Hepburn.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: I think she could probably play the Donna Reed role in It's A Wonderful Life.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Just to name a few.
Carey Mulligan: Horror/Voice Acting
Michael Fassbender & Tom Hardy: Medieval Fantasy
Daniel Day-Lewis: Comedy (This will never happen)

Matt Mustin said...

Saw Spider-Man: Far From Home. Really enjoyed it.

Holland-4
Gyllenhaal-4(Could actually go higher, to be honest, I loved what he did here)
Jackson-2.5
Zendaya-3.5
Batalon-3
Favreau-3.5
Starr-3(Glad he got kind of an expanded role, because he's pretty much always hilarious.)
Smulders-2.5
Tomei-3
Revolori-3
Smoove-2.5
Rice-3
Hii-1.5(Pointless character, badly played)

Matt Mustin said...

You know what...Holland may actually be a 3.5, I'm not sure.

Mitchell Murray said...

Luke:

Judy - Ehh, seems like your standard biopic/awards baiting contender; Everything here looks pretty safe, not to mention episodic in terms of Garland's own life. I did not get the sense of an especially "fresh" or "ambitious" approach by the film makers, so my expectations are equally middling. As for Zellweger, I've never completely gotten the craze for her acting. She seems fine in the role, but nothing that outstanding as per usual, and the fact that she already has an oscar immediately hurts this movie's potential campaign.

Mulan - On a technical scale the movie looks decent enough. Like so many of today's reboots, though, I'm still asking myself why? What could this live action version possibly add to the original, and would it in any way stand by itself against the animated classic? Based on Disney's current track record, I think I'm inclined to be a little shrewd. Again, its looks alright, but the exact necessity of the project remains in question.

Anonymous: Would it be cheating to name actors who've already tackled a certain genre, and who I found to be more effective in those films than in there usual range? Because if that's the case, more comedies for Leonardo DiCaprio, please (I know he has OUATIH coming out, but still, almost every time he's attempted lighter fair he's done quite well.)

Off the top of my head, though:

Carrie Coon: Science fiction/horror
Andrew Garfield: Comedy

Bryan L. said...

Luke: I believe Louis chose Mulligan as his 2010s Edie (On the Waterfront), so there's one right there.

Bryan L. said...

Mitchell: Garfield starred in the semi-comic Under the Silver Lake, although reception to that is pretty mixed.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Pugh - 4.5
Reynor - 1.5
Harper - 3
Poulter - 2
Blomgren - 3.5

All the other random swedes are good in their various limited roles.

Anonymous:

Robert Burks's work in Rear Window you might say is the heart of the film given it is all about the realization of the voyeur. This accomplished so flawlessly in granting this specific scope in the framing and composition of every given shot. Shots that vary from exact approach, from the brilliantly intimate (Thorwald noticing he's being watched, always a personal favorite of mine), to keeping a distance that creates truly the feeling of the helpless onlooker most notably when Lisa invades the apartment. The movement that Burks achieves is key, in that it has this careful naturalism of the eye, that helps to ensure you feel right within the place of Stewart's Jeff. The lighting in particular is outstanding though in creating each time of day within the world outside the window most notably. It is also just some fantastic work at the time, in realizing such a vibrant palette, most unforgettably in Grace Kelly's entrance, that is absolutely entrancing in every regard to what Burks does in that shot.

Burks's work for North By Northwest is perhaps a little less at the center of it all than with Rear Window, but that's truly meaningless. It is truly just some downright sharp work, that is low key influential in perhaps developing towards modern action sensibilities. In that you have just some great pristine lighting for the time once again. This combining an inherent glamor, though with just enough of a grit. There is something truly dynamic however with the camerawork throughout, which emphasize the action set pieces more so than any other Hitchcock film. This most notably seen in the crop duster sequence where Burks's work is essential in crafting every moment of that scene, from the captivating establishing shot of the barren field, to the ominous distant plane phony dusting, and then every action moment especially the follow of Grant away from the explosion.

Will get to the Surtess soon.

Calvin:

Msamati brings a wonderful life to his character in only a few scenes, to the point that I wish Salladhor Saan had been given at least something to do later on. Msamati though brings such an affable charm in his manner and I especially love his chemistry with Cunningham where there is such a palatable sense of history the two actors manage to convey without saying a word.

Matt:

Well I thought it was an egregiously lazy performance as he just did frankly a pale Nacho in his couple minutes of screentime. I suppose I was extra critical because he technically should be playing a potentially important villain. He made such a non-impression though, he kind of ensured you knew his Scorpion wouldn't be headlining a future film anytime soon.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Where does one even begin with Chinatown's screenplay, which is among the greatest if not the greatest screenplay ever written. I guess the answer to that is why? Well I think a big reason within this equation is what it achieves, which is no small feat, which is it is the greatest noir ever written. Although it is a neo-noir technically speaking, it realizes itself as the greatest noir by taking what makes that genre so remarkable and realizes those elements into their best selves here. This is also while doing some subversion of those elements, but more on that in a moment. The first is the convoluted plot. Chinatown has many twists and turns, as any decent noir will. Chinatown excels beyond all others in this respect, one way being that the plot actually makes sense when you break down, as complicated as it is, which was not always the case in the old noirs. It goes beyond though in terms of just how tricky that is. In that you have an opening really just like the most famous noirs, The Maltese Falcon, as a PI is given a case by a woman. The case is not at all that it seems, but nor is the woman.

She's not even the woman she claims to be. The man is not seeing a mistress, as one thinks the pictures would have one to believe. Nothing is as it seems as it unravels brilliantly. Essential though the greatness of the scripting is Jake's own investigation of this. No segment of it seems cheated, each clue has a purpose, each piece of investigation is rich in detail. For example, take his visit to the orange groves, could've been a simple interview, however is made such a stunning sequence, where we are given vivid detail of the plight of those people even as it is just a stop for Jake. The efficiency of Towne's work is as key, though as vivid as these moments are laborious they never become. Each piece adds up, but never does it become cumbersome in this regard.

As much as the screenplay works as this fantastic machine, it never becomes as such. For so many reasons, but I'll name a few. It is thematically rich, in touching upon noir tropes concerning morality and most importantly corruption here. The corruption being this overarching theme, specifically that of societal corruption. There is a real power there in how Towne realizes this through Jake's journey, which is not a numbers game of just figuring out what's happening, but rather a tragedy as he is pulled into the role of the observer of a Greek tragedy. This in the femme fatale that is unlike any other, with the unforgettable villain in Noah Cross within that. They are representative of more, however never simplified within that. Cross is the face of government corruption and big business, but he is also a cruel devil we come to know. The characters are never sacrificed for the plot, as they balanced again within it so brilliantly, and again enrich the experience all the more. This is of course aided by Towne's wonderful, vibrant, yet in a certain so effectively straight forward, dialogue. Again though it is this "perfect" noir though in every regard. It unravels in so unexpected ways that support the tropes, such as the PI falling into personal investment, yet does it better than perhaps any other film that came before in the genre. It only subverts so cleverly and effectively, as our femme fatale is in a mess we'd never expect, and the final result is not of triumph but rather harrowing despair with the greatest final line ever written. Towne made a screenplay that was everything a noir should be, yet also reinvented it through his masterwork.

Well give me some time on the best Western screenplay ever written.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

A fascinating, and darkly scene, with the introduction of the song, played so brilliantly by both actors, as it begins as this trippy affair, amplified by the transfixing blur of the cinematography, that end on a sad, though most hilarious joke, once dicks get whipped out and the purpose of this "messiah" becomes so abundantly obvious.

Tahmeed:

Will give you more expanded thoughts in a bit, and need a little time to ruminate on ranking the seasons. I really enjoyed the season once again. It went in an unexpected, somewhat silly place, in the "red dawn" plot, however I actually thought it ended up working as the idea that the strange things keep happening in this one place requires a bit of ridiculousness anyways. Again the series just is really entertaining, that thrives on the character interactions, that do have depth in their own way, and in a way I almost view the plots now like I do in a Thin Man film. They serve their purpose, which is to get us to these characters interacting. Not that I even thought the plot itself was bad, as it completely worked in creating such wonderful setups and surprises, for our characters to go through, and for us to have that fun with them, with some emotional stakes of course.

1. Maya Hawke
2. Joe Keery
3. Dacre Montgomery
4. Millie Bobby Brown
5. Gaten Matarazzo
6. David Harbour
7. Sadie Sink
8. Natalie Dyer
9. Noah Schnapp
10. Alec Utgoff
11. Cara Buono
12. Cary Elwes
13. Winona Ryder
14. Brett Gelman
15. Andrey Ivnchenko
16. Finn Wolfhard
17. Caleb McLaughlin
18. Charlie Heaton
19. Priah Ferguson

Maya Hawke - (Given how big the gang's getting it would have been very easy to seem a surplus member. Hawke instantly erases any such possibilities as she is just a wonder here from start to finish. This in hitting every comedic moment so perfectly. This is no small feat in that she hits the snarky co-worker bit without overdoing it, then the almost Nick and Nora style banter with such wonderful vigor and even makes the "tripping" scene totally work (which could've easily gone very wrong if she and Keery weren't so good in the scenes). She is such an endearing force in every moment she is on screen though in slowly creating this absolutely splendid eagerness in her work. She quietly brings to alive this considerable charisma within the character. She goes beyond this though in giving such a genuinely moving turn as her character slowly reveals herself. She carefully doesn't overplay these moments making them so natural in their vulnerability. It also helps that she has AMAZING chemistry with Keery (hence the Nick and Nora comparison) and even Matarazzo.)

Keery - (Continues his Jaime Lannister arc in such a splendid fashion (hopefully he won't say in the last season "Popularity is everything!). Helps in his aforementioned co-star being such a perfect fit, but Keery once again delivers so well. This being such a hapless yet eager hero, that is so much fun just to really be around. I frankly could've just spent more time with the two talking in that ice cream shop, they're that good together. Keery though is fantastic as he was in season 2, love him once again and makes again this natural progression to this humble super dude (and now lovable underdog).

Dacre Montgomery - (I have to give him full credit. He delivers on everything expected him and more. He absolutely hits the moments of very different types of menace needed, while actually creating a real sense of the character's emotional and physical desperation within it all. Excellent work.)

Millie Bobby Brown - (She has much less of a focus this time around, yet hit every note she needs to again and again. I liked her easing up in certain moments as well, when she is just part of the gang so to speak, and enjoyed her chemistry with Sink. She though absolutely delivers once again in the emotional heft needed in her character, and again excels here.)

Louis Morgan said...

Gaten Matarazzo - (Delivers on his impeccable comedic timing once again, and I love that they did not waste his amazing chemistry with Keery from last season.)

David Harbour - (Will echo the other sentiments here where I didn't love how they kind made the character such a goof at times here. That was as written mind you, and I'll even say Harbour would play a good goof, as he has the comic timing for it. The problem is it felt ill-fitting to the Hopper we know. Thankfully they pull back on that as the season goes on. Harbour is once again dialed into that so effectively, and I really think he should've stayed the straight man.)

Sadie Sink - (Expanded her role nicely I felt, in furthering developing the chemistry with the rest of the gang. This both in that sense of warmth and comic timing. She most importantly really hitsher emotional moments, however brief.)

Natalie Dyer - (Major step up from the last season, and I'll honestly say she carried her story segment wholesale here. Dyer though just felt far more confident in general in her work, bringing the right endearing energy and sort of convicted determination.)

Noah Schnapp - (His arc I'll say gets a little rushed in the scheme of the plot, however I still found him effective in realizing the awkward state of being even out of place with his friends suddenly. It's moving work from him though, and I wish they had given him just a little more there.)

Alec Utgoff - (A minor little performance yet I really liked what he did with it, in this largely silent performance. He managed to find just the right tone in his manner to be funny, but also quietly moving in the character enjoying his experiences.)

Cara Buono - (Doesn't have too much to do once again, however I felt she made the most out of her few places to shine, particularly her pep talk with Nancy.)

Cary Elwes - (Too little to do, but I actually really enjoyed the sleaze he brought to the part.)

Winona Ryder - (Once again Ryder's performance in the show almost always feels one second from some sort of trainwreck, though she once again does stay on the rails, most of the time. She has less of a pressing through line and in turn seems less sure of what to do with the role. She is still fine though in just being a place of general unease, I guess about magnets, and at least turns it down since it is no longer specifically about her kid.)

Brett Gelman - (Found him a bit less grating this time around, occasionally he goes to his too much of season 2, but I felt he cooled it a bit enough to be genuinely funny at times here.)

Andrey Ivchenko - (Gets the job done, though I'd say he's more Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV than Arnold Schwarznegger in The Terminator.)

Finn Wolfhard - (Eh, he really lives on the chemistry with the rest here. That's enough, but doesn't really make much more of an impression here.)

Caleb McLaughlin - (The chemistry's there, which is where he works., A bit stilted once again however.)

Charlie Heaton - (Yeah no scenes with Will really, not a good thing. He really just makes Jonathan a dullard here, more so than I think Jonathan was suppose to be.)

Priah Ferguson - (Pretty sitcomy, however I didn't find her too distracting either at least.)

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Judy - (From those snippets Zellweger looks like she could potentially deliver something special on her end. The film doesn't look like anything of note however. Doesn't look terrible though, hopefully its not, but doesn't look like it's reinventing any wheels.)

Mulan - (Looks like the animated film without the songs and her sidekicks. Action and general design looks a bit generic. Hope it brings something to the table, as the story has potential to be realized in a different path than the animated film by going in a whole new direction. From this, that doesn't look it will be too much of one. Not that it looks terrible, but could be just another serviceable yet pointless live action remake.)

Anonymous:

Leonardo DiCaprio: Romantic Comedy (A good one!)
Marion Cotillard: Horror
Simon Pegg: Character Drama where he's the lead.

Emi Grant said...

Mitchell: Just in case you're wondering, Garfield is rather good on Under The Silver Lake, and I'd argue it's he's the only thing that makes the film somewhat worth watching by selling his character's relaxed nature and his apparently natural intelligence rather well. He's also just pretty fun to watch overall. (Paragraph down below might slightly spoiler-ish)

Don't expect him to compensate for the screenplay's horrible lack of any actual character development or background to explain things further, as that frankly seems to me impossible.

Matt Mustin said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn.

Emi Grant said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn

RatedRStar said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

RIP Rip Torn.
Louis: Could I have your thoughts on the following scenes from Stranger Things 3-
Steve and Robin's bathroom scene
'I'm sorry'
The final letter

Luke Higham said...

RIP Rip Torn

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn.

Louis: Your thoughts on Reznor and Ross' rendition of "In the Hall of the Mountain King". There's something about that version of the song that feels Kubrickian in a way.

Bryan L. said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. Rip Torn and Valentina Cortese

Louis: your 1973, 1974 and 1975 top 10 for best director?

Luke Higham said...

And RIP Freddie Jones & Valentina Cortese.

Matt Mustin said...

I saw Dragged Across Concrete. It's got some major problems, but I enjoyed enough overall. Gibson is great, but one of the problems is he basically carries the whole film himself, despite there being a lot of characters.

Gibson-4.5
Vaughn-3.5(The .5 is for his last scene. Other than that, he's fine, but he's completely overshadowed by Gibson the entire time.)
Kittles-3
Carpenter-1
White-2.5
Holden-3
Kretschmann-3
Johnson-3
Melamed-3
Kier-2.5

Calvin Law said...

RIP Rip Torn, Freddie Jones, Valentina Cortese.

Fincher’s next film is going to star Gary Oldman and will be in B&W.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Bathroom scene - (Beautifully written actually and beautifully acted by both. I loved the way Hawke managed to show Robin dreading it, but not in sort of a negative way towards Steve. Keery in turn does that doofy earnestness in Steve so well. More than anything though I love how it doesn't at all feel heavy handed, with it feeling to come so naturally in the moment, followed by the segue to the back having such loving, if platonic, chemistry with one another.)

I'm Sorry - (A pretty quick but rather moving scene, as performed by Montgomery and Sink. Both managed to hit though as this sort difficult understanding but honest loss so wonderfully well.)

The Final Letter - (Slightly mixed feelings as that plot point wasn't the most natural to me, as it made Hopper go into that place that did not feel natural to his character. I also think we definitely have a Jon Snow situation here but I digress. Still the final moments of the letter are genuinely poignant still with such heartfelt work from Harbour that reinforces that fatherly relationship so well from the previous season, and Brown's reaction is fantastic.)

Anonymous:

I mean an amazing arrangement, doing a techno riff on classical piece can get gimmicky really fast, yet this one such a striking dynamic within the already invigorating piece, through sort of the explosions of "electronics" within. And well it does have a bit of The Shining Intro flavor to it.

Anonymous:

1973:

1. Nicolas Roeg - Don't Look Now
2. Robert Altman - The Long Goodbye
3. William Friedkin - The Exorcist
4. Robin Hardy - The Wicker Man
5. Martin Scorsese - Mean Streets
6 .Francois Truffaut - Day For Night
7. Peter Yates - The Friends of Eddie Coyle
8. Victor Erice - The Spirit of the Beehive
9. Peter Bogdonavich - Paper Moon
10. Fred Zinnemann - The Day of the Jackal

1974:

1. Terence Malick - Badlands
2. Roman Polanski - Chinatown
3. Francis Ford Coppola - The Conversation
4. Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather
5. Andrei Tarkovsky - Mirror
6. Brian De Palma - Phantom of the Paradise
7. Sam Peckinpah - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
8. Werner Herzog - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
9. Bob Fosse - Lenny
10. Joseph Sergent - The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three

1975:

1. Steven Spielberg - Jaws
2. Peter Weir - Picnic At Hanging Rock
3. Stanley Kubrick - Barry Lyndon
4. Sidney Lumet - Dog Day Afternoon
5. Milos Foreman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
6. John Huston - The Man Who Would Be King
7. Lina Wertmuller - Seven Beauties
8. Robert Altman - Nashville
9. Akira Kurosawa - Dersu Uzala
10. Woody Allen - Love and Death
















RIP Rip Torn, Freddie Jones & Valentina Cortese.