Monday 24 February 2020

Alternate Best Actor 1984: John Hurt in 1984

John Hurt did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Winston Smith in 1984.

1984 is not quite definitive, but certainly an effective adaptation of George Orwell's tale of a dystopian future, where thought itself is strictly regulated.

Returning again to the great John Hurt, in his banner year of 1984, where he made for a surprising, yet convincing, sporting lead in Champions, a notable against type turn as a cunning hit-man in The Hit, and here in the role Winston Smith, a character very much created with the intention to be our average man in this world. We follow Winston Smith as he enters into the world seemingly content to be part of it, as we open the film by watching him watch the government propaganda broadcast. This being part of a mass hysteria, albeit less intense one, supporting the violent causes of the their government against the apparent traitors. Hurt only showing a minor hesitation, a minor hesitation of any free will, and with that we have our man that is Winston Smith. The early scenes of the film are as we come to experience the existence through John Hurt's performance. This where he delivers in a way perhaps one of his most straight forward performances, this to the point that he even seems to ease back on his throat just a bit, that which typically carried a harsher tone even as relatively younger man. John Hurt emphasizing though effectively the average nature of Winston, he is not a man who is of some great note, and Hurt plays into this, however he does not use this as an excuse for a boring performance. Hurt rather excels in finding what is special within the observation of the average man in this society.

John Hurt manages to find what I would describe as a careful humanity in Winston. This as he looks upon his world so often just a man, but with a minor curiosity. A curiosity that alludes to where he eventually ends up, but also truly subdued in a man who initially only is simply part of the populace. This with much of a passive manner that Hurt brings with, though within that his eyes do conduct the minor element of discontent merely in that he isn't entirely a drone. This as we see him initially notice of Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), that is with this minor interest. This is alone though is major with the society of detachment, and in a way this alone spells doom for Winston. His initial tryst with her is portrayed curiously though quite effectively by Hurt, as this sort of breaking of a state. This as it begins almost as a game of sorts with the two following each other into a field for sex. Hurt's portrayal of Winston's wish for sex, presented through words of corruption against the words of purity as pushed by the state, are nearly stilted, though brilliantly shows of a man exhibiting this emotion, within such a deep seeded repression. This revealing the man's real lust within his delivery, though still controlled fitting to a man who is engaging in something entirely new within this type of rebellion. Their second rendezvous is quite a bit different, and less animalistic. This reflected in Hurt's reaction to seeing her in a dress, this with a simpler, more humane appreciation of her beyond simply a lust.

It is interesting as the two's chemistry actually becomes one less of an extreme passion and slowly more of sensitivity towards one another. Hurt's performance revealing just this modicum of more humanity within these interactions revealing more of a normal man in Winston, and in turn less content within the society. This though is not portrayed as a heroic journey, but rather one of a simple discovery of humanity. This even as he seems to discover outlawed texts, Hurt presents this as a greater appreciation seemingly for life in general. This with a greater attachment to the words that note the controlling society he lives in, but also just in his connection with Julia. Again a simple connection but a very tender one as found in the performances. They which create the sense of discovery within each other just the affection for one another. This as they begin to show as though they have a sense of happiness, as Hurt speaks with hope for the future as people, this of course being right before they are immediately arrested by the thought police. This leading to Winston to being "interrogated" separately by O'Brien (Richard Burton), a man he formerly believed to be a rebel. This involving much physical and mental torture. Hurt, as he previously showed quite memorably in Alien, is a master of depicting extreme physical pain. This in Hurt making these scenes extremely visceral alone on the sense of the torture of the man, being so brutal in Hurt's work that makes every moment of it feel almost unbearably real at times.

Hurt's performance is brilliant, though honestly quite hard to watch, throughout the torture sequence of the film. This as the collapse of the man's resolve is brought within his wilting delivery, and his eyes that are of a man slowly shattering before our eyes. The intensity of his work capturing the extreme nature of the situation but also showing essentially the act of exploiting the man's state. Hurt's work shows this not be a heroic man, but rather that of extreme suffering once again. The suffering granted an excruciating detail, given that Hurt somehow manages to show that there is a descent even from that extreme he begins at. This in his moment of confession Hurt's work is indeed heartbreaking by portraying this vulnerability of a man only able to bare himself at this point. The emotions of his love he did have true, but now wrapped in each moment with such agony. This as then the act becomes not Winston turning into the man he was at the beginning of the film, but almost a creature crafted by the state. This to be first wiped away to almost nothing, something crafted so terribly, in an incredible way, by Hurt's work as the decaying corpse he becomes, as few are able to do broken as well as Hurt. Hurt shows a man wholly broken in mind and spirit at the end of it, so gripped in pain that his delivery of the pain becomes internalized, as though he is so weakened he can barely speak.

This as Hurt shows the man turning into a hollow husk, his eyes representing a man gone to nearly unfeeling due to that suffering he has endured. This leaving seemingly at the end, yet there is one more test still, as O'Brien brings him to the dreaded Room 101, where he threatens to feed him to rabid rats. Hurt makes the scenario truly horrifying, as not only is the fear so gripping within his expression, and his voice just now this whisper of a man begging for his life. That being the end of the torture, where we find the "rehabilitated Winston" meeting the "rehabilitated" Julia. Hurt being wholly haunting, as now he is detached again, but now with this greater passive quality, and eerie contentment. A man seemingly without himself, as he callously ignores Julia, and speaks the party lines with conviction yet as robotic. Hurt showing a man alive but seemingly now without a soul. The film ends though, with a slight departure from the book, though even this is by leaving just a bit of ambiguity. This in itself is found in Hurt's performance, creating the most powerful moment in the end of the film, as we see Winston say "I love you" one more time. In the book this refers directly to the state represented by big brother. Hurt's performance though offers an alternate interpretation, though no less tragic, as his eyes bare emotion again, pathos and sorrow. This alluding to that he may still love Julia after all, as this is the only show of emotion. Of course, tragic still as in Hurt's expression it is that of a hopeless love that will never be experienced again.

62 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Yes, another five for Hurt. :)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I can't wait to get your thoughts on him in I, Claudius. His 3rd best work after 10 Rillington Place and The Elephant Man.

RatedRStar said...

Great review as always, I always think of Richard Burton when I think of this film, being his last of course.

Bryan L. said...

2010s Norma Rae, directed by Tom McCarthy

Norma Rae Webster: Emma Stone
Sonny: Austin Stowell
Reuben: Bill Hader
Vernon: James Remar

2010s Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski

Molina: Ryan Gosling
Valentin: Benicio del Toro

2010s All the President's Men, directed by Bennett Miller

Woodward: Ryan Gosling
Bernstein: Oscar Isaac
Rosenfeld: Tracy Letts
Simons: Stanley Tucci
Ben Bradlee: John Slattery (I guess)
Deep Throat: Richard Jenkins (Same)

RatedRStar said...

My parents asked me if I wanted to see Dolittle, thankfully I said no, then I realised..the original Doctor Dolittle from 1967 won two Oscars, when I saw that version I thought the special effects were fake and awful and the song was not good either.

RatedRStar said...

Louis and everyone: I think this film should clearly should have won both awards IMO, what does everyone reckon?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs8uYxTJ530

Anonymous said...

Luke, what are your Top 10 John Hurt performances?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I love this performance. It's just so difficult to watch during the last half hour or so, but his work is just too raw and compelling to ignore.

Louis: Could I have your thoughts on the novel?

Luke Higham said...

1. 10 Rillington Place
2. The Elephant Man
3. I, Claudius
4. 1984
5. The Hit
6. Little Malcolm
7. A Man For All Seasons
8. The Naked Civil Servant
9. Alien
10. The Plague Dogs

Calvin Law said...

I'm starting to think that not only is Hurt my favourite British actor of all-time, giving it more thought he could be just about on par with Jimmy Stewart for me.

Also Louis, I'm working on a Parasite/High and Low comparison piece now, hope you don't mind me taking inspiration. I'd offer RESPECT but probably best leave it be.

Calvin Law said...

RatedRStar: It's a great Bond theme no doubt.

Matthew Montada said...

Louis: what 10 do you think have the best screenwriting (you can include both Original and Adapted in your list)?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your ratings and thoughts for the rest of the cast of the film (not sure if you gave them before), and has Burton gone up.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your choice of cinematographer and screenwriter for an 80s Joker?

Also, cinematographer for a 30s Live by Night, 30s The Lighthouse and 70s Uncut Gems?

Anonymous said...

Howe would be a great choice for a 30's Live by Night IMO. Louis picked Walsh for director, and Howe worked with him a couple of times.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: thoughts on the Better Call Saul premiere? Think Tony Dalton might’ve been episode MVP for me though Odenkirk was brilliant too, love the they’re not overplaying the Saul Goodman side yet.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Are there any Hackman performances that could get an upgrade.

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: Howe would be a great choice indeed. I would've loved to see how he would've handled the shot of the bayou and the street scenes set in Tampa.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the 'Shotgun Ed' scene from L.A. Confidential. Pearce's reaction at the end of the scene is one of the many, many reasons why he's my win for 97 Lead.

https://youtu.be/_MLgnDZguM0

Anonymous said...

Bryan: Also, for that 30's The Lighthouse, get John J. Mescall and Zsigmond for a 70's Uncut Gems. Maybe Dante Spinotti for an 80's Joker.

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: Yeah, it definitely would've been Mescall, for James Whale. The only 80s film I've seen that Spinetti lensed is Manhunter (parts of), but based on that, he could be great.

So for the 80s screenwriter for Joker, probably just get Scorsese's friend Paul Shrader?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcM6sDKrX1M

houndtang said...

A little seen performance by Hurt that sticks in my mind is in a pretty bad film - Frankenstein Unbound. It's a cheesy horror/sci fi flick unworthy of his talents but Hurt essentially plays a straight leading man role and is very good at it.

Louis Morgan said...

RatedRStar:

Probably so, since Roy Orbison sadly did not include "There Won't Be Many Coming Home" within the actual film of "The Fastest Guitar Alive". Although I do like "You've never seen anything Like it", though maybe that's got a lot to do with Attenborough.

Tahmeed:

Briefly, the Orwell's novel is very much one that inspires a similar visceral reaction in the detail it grants the world and most importantly the state of mind in Winston. This truly putting you into his experiences by granting such vividness to the world/experience without become purple in its prose.

Hamliton - 4(Her performance does work as a less detailed counterpart to Hurt's just in there is less of her. She's effective though in managing to go from a since of the mass hysteria of the early scene, to the sort of seductress, that she slowly segues to something far more humane. Her own reaction to the moment Winston looks at her in the dress is particularly poignant. Although this also making her own work heartbreaking as she reveals the stilted zombie essentially of the final scene.)

Cusack - 3(Minor role however he is effective in portraying the seemingly slightly affable man before becoming so effectively cold and hard, as to be expected from Cusack in the brief switch.)

No.

I mean one of the many scenes that make me stop and go, well this isn't just a great film, but one of the best ever. This from Goldsmith's score, the visceral editing, and just the intensity of the unpredictable nature of how it unfolds. Hanson (who might be the #1, "I have one masterpiece I'm gonna make it"), just every choice on his part is brilliant. Pearce though is the essential ingredient, as we see a very different side to Ed, as he shows not just the calculated tactician, but violence capable within the man. Also mark that as another amazing reaction of Pearce's in that film, at Ed exhilarated at the kill.

Calvin:

"You know me?"

Seriously though, looking forward to reading it.

Thought it was a great start so far, especially loved the "Gene" portion, with a much cherished if brief sight at a familiar face, even if it is sadly probably the last time we'll see it.

Matthew:

All the President's Men
Amadeus
Back to the Future
Barton Fink
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Chinatown
The Conversation
Dr. Strangelove
In Bruges
It's A Wonderful Life
The Godfather Part II
Goodfellas
L.A. Confidential
Lawrence of Arabia
Magnolia
The Shawshank Redemption
Sunset Boulevard
Rashomon
The Third Man
Unforgiven

Here's my top 20, attempted to narrow it down to a 10, but it was causing my soul to slowly leave my body.

Bryan:

I mean it would likely be Ballhaus and Schrader.

Luke:

Probably not, but his speech in "Bite the Bullet" is something mighty special.

Anonymous:

I think more than anything it just suggests a lack of self-awareness on Spielberg's part, at least at that time, as there is nothing further from the truth. This as overriding themes, techniques and choices scream Spielberg in almost all of his films. This in front of recognizing truths within his mentions of Welles, Scorsese, Curtiz and Fleming. Though that just might be an instance of being too close to a thing to see it clearly, in that case his clear directorial style. I mean honestly what Spielberg film doesn't scream "SPIELBERG"?

Calvin Law said...

That’s one of Pearce’s finest moments ever.

Louis: your thoughts on these retro casts?

2020s Kiss of the Spider Woman directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Luis Molina: Ben Whishaw
Valentin Arregui: Wagner Moura
Leni Lamaison/Marta/Spider Woman: Ana de Armas

2020s Wise Blood directed by Lee Chang Dong
Hazel Motes: Choi Woo Shik
Grandfather: Choi Min Sik
Lily Hawks: Jeon Jeong-seo
Asa Hawks: Kim Roi Ha
Hoover Shoates: Song Kang Ho

2020s The Friends of Eddie Coyle directed by Bennett Miller
Eddie Coyle: Russell Crowe
Dillon: Macon Blair
Jackie Brown: Blake Jenner
Jimmy Scalia: Louis Cancelmi

2020s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold directed by Bennett Miller
Alec Leamas: Tobias Menzies (Tom Hardy would be perfect but trying not to re-use TTSS alumni)
Nan Perry: Daisy Ridley
Fiedler: Daniel Bruhl (he does seem like the perfect fit for the role no matter what)
Mundt: Johannes Krisch
Ashe: Alan Williams
Patmore: Mark Gatiss
Control: Michael McElhatton
Smiley: Eh I think we might as well Irishman Oldman slightly

2020 Diner directed by Thomas McCarthy
Eddie: Kodi Smit-McPhee
Shrevie: Lucas Hedges
Boogie: Harris Dickinson
Timothy: Charlie Plummer
Daly: Alex Wolff
Beth: Kaitlyn Dever

Bryan L. said...

Louis: And thoughts on the 2010s All The President's Men & Norma Rae as well?

Calvin Law said...

Bryan: Damn missed yours, Gosling would actually be amazing if they were going for the William Hurt approach, same with the All the Presidents Men duo and of course Slattery and Jenkins ‘reprising’ their roles.

Also just to add on,

2020s LA Confidential directed by the Safdie Brothers
Jack Vincennes: Oscar Isaac
Bud White: Robert Pattinson
Ed Exley: George MacKay
Lynn Bracken: Sarah Goldberg
Dudley Smith: Liam Cunningham/John C. Reilly
Sid Hudgens: Adam Sandler
Pierce Patchett: Jeremy Strong
Ellis Loew: Conan O’Brien (seeing their success with non-actors and the fact that he’s actually got good screen presence)

Mitchell Murray said...

So I finally got to check out "Fighting with my Family", and I very much enjoyed it. Yes, there are cliched aspects to the movie's structure, but overall its simply an entertaining film that's ably written, directed and acted.

Pugh - 4.5 (Between this and "Little Women" she's already become one of my favourite actresses of her age group. Additionally, this makes me anticipate her more "athletically based" performance in "Black Widow" even further.)
Frost - 4
Lowden - 4
Headey - 4
Johnson - 3.5
Vaughan - 3.5

Bryan L. said...

Calvin: Molina's a tough one to cast, but I'd be willing to roll the dice on Gosling or Whishaw.

I'd opt for Sandler as Patchett actually, and maybe Jared Leto as Sid Hudgens. The rest sound great, but what would you make of Sarah Gadon as Lynn (in 11.22.63 mode)?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this interview with Robert Altman. I gotta say, I didn't expect him to sound like this for whatever reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZpcVU_Ugvg

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

May we get a great leading role for Pearce again this decade.

Kiss, I'll say Hurt's Molina would be a tough act to follow no matter what, but Whishaw would be a fine choice to try. Moura suits the role well, and de Armas would be perfect. I will say though I imagined Pawlikowski's as set in the USSR.

Wise Blood, excellent choices, especially Song as Hoover.

Great Eddie Coyle choices, Crowe in particular would fit the role like a glove.

Like the off-beat Spy cast, Oldman, I will say I think could pull it off, particularly since he was sort of Aged up as Smiley in Tinker Tailor anyways.

Love the Diner cast.

Fine choices, though all about that Sandler as Hudgens.

Anonymous:

Well I too think Hugh Millais's performance is worth a strong mention, I also do like to hear Altman's appreciation for his own work, particularly compared to so often the revulsion of so many artists for experiencing their own. His point on "no good movie" I think too has merit, though I would argue it had been experienced already to that point in terms of his meaning of the word, but we definitely saw an expansion on the idea since his statement then.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Would love to see Stone in a real firebrand role, so yes, yes.

Great choices for the main staff, and Gosling as Woodward though might go Elias Koteas for Deep Throat.

Anonymous said...

Louis, For a late 2000s/2010s Lord Of The Rings, which role do you think Nikolaj Coster-Waldau would be perfect for and why.

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: Either Boromir or Aragorn.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Aragorn, might as well keep the Danish line going, however also I think Coster-Waldau has the right combination of swagger and maturity right for the character.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: Any chance Duvall could go up for the first Godfather?

Calvin Law said...

He should definitely be a 4.5 at the very least. The scene with him and Brando post-Sonny's death is one of the best acted scenes in the film.

Anonymous said...

Sandler as either Hudgens or Patchett sounds pretty intriguing.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

Given it is an element of the film that I've always appreciated a bit more on each subsequent viewing, I'd have to say yes.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: what kind of a match would Matthias Schoenaerts and David Lynch be in your opinion, I think he could be a different kind of leading man for him.

Anonymous said...

Louis: So far, what are your thoughts on Robert Eggers and the Safdies' visual styles?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: If you've read Thomas Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge", could I have your ideal cast and director for a film adaptation.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: My choice for Michael Henchard would actually be Russell Crowe. You need a great physical presence for that role as well as bringing a real pitiful state to him.

Anonymous said...

Louis, are there any GOT characters you think Nicol Williamson could’ve been a good fit for?

Anonymous said...

Louis: I'm curious, do you think Pixar's Cars would have been a lot better if it had been about humans driving cars? Whenever I think about the concept about anthropomorphic cars, it just comes across as weird.

Mitchell Murray said...

Well I pretty much completed the 2019 Florence Pugh trio by watching "Midsommar" just now. And man....I'm definitely not in the positive camp on this one. Its only been an hour, and I'm amazed at how much of the film I'm already struggling to remember. The movie just never really came "alive" for myself, so to speak, since its story/presentation was just so standard and surface level. At least the imperfect "Hereditary" still managed to develop a decent sense of pacing, and a fair amount of intrigue/complexity in its principle leads. "Midsommar", meanwhile, just kind of goes through the motions of any expected "cult horror" film, and never adds anything all of interesting - visually or thematically - to its proceedings. Even from a technical level, there are no real scares to be found as most of the disturbing imagery is mere shock horror, and even those lose there power with repetition (I'm sorry, but by showing the same mannequin with its head smashed in five times, it just makes me numb to seeing what is so obviously a prop). Now sure, the cinematography is pretty astute, and there is a certain dread conveyed through the actual village setting, but its not enough for me to overlook everything else. I'll be frank, here; "Midsommar" was simply an ineffective horror film for me, as it fails to capitalize on its premise in a truly gripping manner, and instead drags itself along as a dull, pretentious exercise.

As for the cast, Pugh was good as expected and has some especially strong moments early on, but even she sort of gets sucked into the film's vortex in the end. Everyone else was quite forgettable/boring.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the trailer for the new Candyman?

Bryan L. said...

Mitchell: Pretty much on the same page as you. Aster made the film he definitely intended to, but I just couldn't care for it.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

An interesting choice, I can certainly see it, though I'd imagine it more of a "The Drop" style Schoenaerts, as his protagonists tend to be retiring, however he has the type of either ethereal or internalized qualities that could work wonders with Lynch. Ryan Gosling I also think would be an ideal pairing.

Anonymous:

Well Eggers's visual style so far has to fashion an extremely idiosyncratic aesthetic, to craft very off-beat, in many ways unpleasant, yet picturesque qualities of the work. The VVitch felt in a way a dry run, as it definitely felt its own in creating the such a vivid place in the grays and little light of an early colonial America, but that was nothing compared to the Lighthouse. That which took the next step to be atmospheric, dreamy, grandiose, yet claustrophobic, though always "calm" visual choices, that shows a distinct craftsman at this point.

The Safides, who are right there with Eggers in terms of being the most unique voices who broke out this last decade, you could say are quite the opposite in terms of overall aesthetic. In their visual sense is one of movement, in editing, direct camera work, but just in general choices. Their work is consistently, and brilliantly kinetic, that takes from the masters of this (which in itself is easier said then done) yet also makes it their own. They manage this particularly notable feeling in that every thing feels natural, yet it looks so good, fitting to their protagonists in a way, as it seems like their making it up as they go along, but it's too good, not to have method in the madness. Their work is some of the best, maybe the best guerilla aesthetic, because it probably really isn't but it feels that way while being just a concise visual sense that serves their stories. Their style seeming by accident, though its not, yet being so notable in its approach. The only outlier in this being their "glow in the dark" scenes, that are just a nice additional touch, of something particularly unique, but not overdone.

Anonymous:

Jorah Mormont (His Little John shares much in common)
The Hound (Imposing stature, plus his O'Rourke shares much in common)
Barristan Selmy

Anonymous:

Uhh....I'm gonna say no...as the concept while strange...was never my major issue with the film.

Anonymous:

Has a promising aesthetic and atmosphere, and potentially the social commentary. Unfortunately the original got very boring once the killings started, this seemed to be the majority of the trailer which made it look just like a standard, if better mounted, slasher film.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Thomas Vinterberg (As the casting of Sturridge really was my only major reservation with his Madding Crowd).

Michael Henchard: Tom Hardy (ought to be a Thomas Hardy lead, he'd also suit the role.)
Susan Henchard: Carey Mulligan
Elizbeth-Jane: Florence Pugh
Donald Farfrae: George MacKay
Lucetta Templeman: Natalie Dormer
Joshua Jopp: Stephen Graham
Richard Newson: Mads Mikkelsen

Lucas Saavedra said...

Does anyone know which songs Psifonian used in the videos for best picture, director, actor, actress, sup. Actor, sup. Actress and the runner-ups for those categories. I'm talking the videos that he were on his channel that now are deleted. If anyone knows the names of those songs I'd apprecciate it a lot.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: When you review Dano in 2016 for Swiss Army Man, could you please review Radcliffe alongside him.

Calvin Law said...

Good lord that Casterbridge cast sounds like a surefire success to me.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Would Crowe be your choice for a 2000s Michael Henchard.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Could Jennifer Jones go up for The Song Of Bernadette.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: So for a 2020s Gerwig version of All About Eve, maybe something like...

Margo: Jessica Chastain
Eve: Saoirse Ronan (Of course)
Karen: Amy Adams
Bill: Finn Wittrock
Lloyd: Austin Stowell
Birdie: Melanie Lynskey
Addison: Paul Bettany

Calvin Law said...

Saw Emma yesterday and True History of the Kelly Gang today, the former was decent enough, the latter I loved in parts, found a bit messy in other parts (particularly in the buildup to the third act) but largely really enjoyed.

Taylor-Joy: 4
Flynn: 3
Nighy: 3.5
Goth: 4
Hart: 2.5
O'Connor: 3.5
Turner: 3.5

MacKay: 4.5
Schwerdt: 3.5
Crowe: 4
Hoult: 5
Davis: 4.5
Keenan: 4
Hunnam: 3 (could go up)
McKenzie: 3
Cave: 3

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Your thoughts on Taylor-Joy, Nighy, Goth, Turner, MacKay, Schwerdt, Crowe, Hoult, Davis and Keenan.

Mitchell Murray said...

I finally was able to see "Harriet" this afternoon and I'm more or less on the same page as everyone here; The film isn't terrible, per say, but its certainly not a great retelling of Tubman's life either. The whole thing just came across as too - for lack of a better word - "sanitized" for my liking. It really just felt like the filmmakers wanted to make the story as safe as possible, rather than trusting its audience with the true severity and importance of Tubman's ordeal. The middling screenplay, in the end, is the movie's greatest downfall as it handles these real life events in a very episodic, "this happened, then this happened, then this happened.." fashion. There's so much missed potential here given the historical significance at play (not to mention the more fascinating details of Tubman's life), which is all glossed over into a more paint by numbers, dramatically shallow production. Technically speaking, the film isn't anything to write home about either: The costumes/make up are fine, the cinematography is fine, the music is suitable enough if a bit overplayed. None of these really come together into a memorable whole, though, and what we're left with is ultimately a middle of the road, unremarkable interpretation of a very remarkable figure.

Erivo - 4 (I have to say I honestly don't love this performance, and without having seen Theron, she would be my least favourite from 2019's best actress field. To be clear, Erivo is still fairly good in that she does resemble Tubman physically, and has no problem in showing the needed resolve. For the action scenes, she is certainly present to convey Tubman's state of mind and underlying drive. Where I'm more hesitant, however, is her quiet reaction scenes, which I feel aren't handled all that amazingly by Erivo. She's still passable because she doesn't portray the wrong emotions, but at the same time, I struggled to really gauge what Tubman was thinking at times because Erivo offers rather simple, repetitive reactions. Had she shown more nuance in those scenes I think she could've made them hit that much harder, instead of coming across as slightly lacking in certain moments. That said this is still a decent performance in many regards, just not one I would consider to be all that groundbreaking.)

Alwyn - 2.5 (Okay he looks the part, and his accent is pretty convincing, but this performance did very little for me overall. That mainly comes down to the one dimensional nature of the role, since Alwyn honestly tries to give the right menace/complexity whenever he can - he's just never all that successful in his attempts.)

Odom Jr./Monae - 2.5 (Their both there, and they're both fine in their roles, but like Alwyn they don't leave all that big of an impression.)

Calvin Law said...

Taylor-Joy - (handles the slick Austen dialogue well, with the right cold yet light touch that Emma Woodhouse needs as a character and plays of well against the wackiness while also showing the nature of her character's troublesome anticsI don't think this is a definitive Emma by any means and she's not quite a Beckinsale or Knightley, but she's good)

Nighy - (charmingly hamming it up like Nighy only can, I wouldn't quite say he's a scene-stealer but he certainly adds nicely to the overall tapestry of the film as a one-note of wacky warmth)

Goth - (sympathetic and very affecting in the role and adds a lot to what could've been simply a plot device by extolling such sweet innocent grace without overplaying it into caricature, and given more thought might be my favourite performance in the film)

Turner - (fine turn as the caddish sort in vein of the typical 'wrong man' Austen characters albeit with less of a malicious streak, and along with O'Connor who is such a slapstick sweet delight handle the dialogue so well that I wish they'd veered more from the source material and given more focus to them over Flynn who while fine is a bit bland in the role)

I'll need to give more thought on MacKay as once again, some aspects of the film I initially feel may have constrained him might in retrospect have elevated it in some regards, I will say that he is exceptionally charismatic in the role and has the needed presence, but there's something else to his work which is just as if not even more impressive I'll get to at some point.

Schwerdt - (fine believable young Ned Kelly, though I wouldn't say he stole the show or stood out all that much in any of his scenes)

Crowe - (a great few scenes delight as essentially a criminal who just has a blast with what he does and so does Crowe, giving a very enjoyable performance with just the right amount of a more malicious streak to his actions, while staying so charming)

I'll also need more time on Hoult but let's just say for now that he reminded me a LOT of Stephen Boyd in Ben-Hur in some ways.

Davis - (covertly quite a daring performance actually as she has to balance between the loving mother and the selfish mother not so much as two sides but as all part of one package. She carries the rough, grating edge of such a woman wonderfully well in every scene of her work, while revealing her vulnerabilities in short spurts, and is particularly good at carrying a genuine warmth even when saying some very horrible things)

Calvin Law said...

Luke: I will say too that depending on the strength of the year, MacKay could be a contender for a review, and Hoult is a must.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Well I'd say Ciaran Hinds might've been a fine choice, though I haven't seen it.

Yes.

Bryan:

Fine choices across the board, though I might go a little more interesting for Bill and Lloyd, as I see no reason to hold onto the flaw of Merill and Marlowe being so dull.