5. Michael Palin in The Meaning of Life - Although in a mixed bag of a film, Palin delivers on the best parts of that mixed bag in his various absurd comic turns.
Best Scene: "Every sperm is sacred"
4. Ian McDiarmid in Return of the Jedi- McDiarmid manages to create an instantly iconic villain that is playing on a known riff but in a different way.
Best Scene: Crossed sabres.
3. David Bowie in The Hunger - Bowie delivers again that fascinating enigmatic charisma of his, though also grants a haunting depiction of a man swiftly consumed by the ravages of age.
Best Scene: Old man seeing the pupil.
2. Jonathan Pryce in Something Wicked This Way Comes - Pryce gives an appropriately devious portrayal of a calm yet sinister omnipotent evil.
Best Scene: The library.
1. Takeshi Kitano in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence - Kitano gives a brilliant performance that depicts both the cruelty of a man designed by a terrible code, but also the compromised humanity still within that.
Best Scene: Final merry Christmas.
Updated Overall
Next: 2014 Lead (though taking a brief hiatus to catch up on some 2020 releases, feel free to make any 2020 recommendations).
122 comments:
Dan Stevens - The Guest + the winning requests
Just wanted to say that I fully agree on McDiarmid - It's an enjoyable villainous turn, and certainly one of the better elements of the film.
As for 2014 lead, so long as we get reviews of Taika Waititi in "What We Do in the Shadows" and Jeremy Renner in "Kill the Messenger", I'm fine with anyone else.
Cruise
Isaac
Hardy
Rating and thoughts on Rossi in Heart Like a Wheel?
I was the one I think who requested What We Do in the Shadows and I probably would put Taika Waititi in the lead category, he isn't the overwhelming lead but he is the one that would probably be considered the leader of sorts if you could call him that.
Louis: If Waititi's Lead, I'm willing to switch my request from Mortensen in Jauja to Dan Stevens in The Guest.
Louis: Any other updates to the 83 Female rankings. Ratings and thoughts on the other Lead performances you've seen and Barbra Streisand in Yentl. Has either Fox, Bellamy or Harris gone up to 4.5s.
And did you see The Day After.
Clement and Waititi are both lead, I think.
Louis: Right, I'm switching Mortensen to Stevens.
2020 Recs (Also how I'd rank these films)
True History of the Kelly Gang
Bad Education
Color Out of Space
The Invisible Man
Emma
Birds of Prey
Louis: You can add The Personal History Of David Copperfield and Onward on to that list.
Ah, nearly switched Palin and McDiarmid in my original prediction too.
Anyways, haven't seen any 2020 releases that are available right now (apart from The Invisible Man, which was fine), but I hear Never Rarely Sometimes Always is good, and my brother watched Emma. and liked it.
Louis: You may as well watch Capone as well.
Clement is the one I am most iffy about in terms of placement because he is part of the principle three but I would say is the most limited in terms of what he gets to do. I guess he would be lead as well but then Jonathan Brugh 100% is lead as well.
I should just say as well if you have not seen this film you must see it because it is a hidden gem of a film.
"I CAN'T EAT CHIPS"
Louis: There's a typo On the Supporting overall. 'Takeshi Kitano - Merry Christmas, Merry Lawrence'.
On the Kermode and Mayo show, apparently Simon Mayo described Jermaine Clement as a tricky person to talk to lol.
Haluk Bilginer, Winter Sleep
Aleksey Serebryakov, Leviathan
Dan Stevens, The Guest
Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows
Johannes Kuhnke, Force Majeure
Ibrahim Ahmed, Timbuktu
Chadwick Boseman, Get On Up
Rob Brydon & Steve Coogan, The Trip to Italy
Jason Schwartzman, Listen Up Philip
Josh Charles, Bird People
James Franco, The Interview
Andre Benjamin, Jimi: All Is by My Side
Sam Louwyck, The Wonders
Gaspard Ulliel, Saint Laurent
Louis, there's a typo on the Michael Palin label.
Louis, What are your top 5 Jonathan Pryce performances.
Having not seen the film itself, I'd kind of like to see Daniel Radcliffe get reviewed for Horns just for the novelty of it. Also what's Edward Fox's new rating for The Dresser?
Since I’ve already requested Eisenberg, my one and only wish for 2014 is for you to watch the fantastic A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.
Enjoy the little break Louis, hope there are some 2020 releases you enjoy. On one hand I’m kind of interested to see what your thoughts on The Gnetlemen will be, on the other hand STAY AWAY FROM IT.
Robert:
Rossi - 1.5(Sadly not an enjoyable bottom dweller. It's just a bland and anti-charismatic performance. One where you don't understand the relationship he's in at the start of the film, and just grants no sense of history or anything else later on in the film either. Just a hollow boring performance.)
Luke:
What We Do in The Shadows is an ensemble film in my book.
No regarding that supporting trio.
Actress:
1. Fanny Ardant - Confidentially Yours
2. Glenda Jackson - The Return of the Soldier
3. Jane Alexander - Testament - 5
4. Catherine Deneuve - The Hunger
5. Meryl Streep - Silkwood
6. Shirley MacLaine - Terms of Endearment
7. Sonsoles Aranguren - El Sur
8. Phyllis Logan - Another Time, Another Place
9. Anne Bancroft - To Be Or Not To Be
10. Julie Walters - Educating Rita
Supporting Actress:
1. Melinda Dillon - A Christmas Story
2. Cher - Silkwood
3. Tess Harper - Tender Mercies
4. Jamie Lee Curtis - Trading Places
5. Susan Sarandon - The Hunger
6. Rosemary Harris - The Ploughman's Lunch
7. Mary Kay Place - The Big Chill
8. Alfre Woodard - Cross Creek
9. Rebecca De Mornay - Risky Business
10. Lupe Ontiveros - El Norte
Antonutti - 3.5(His performance is largely one through observation, however he is effective in giving these sort of distant ideas of a father through perception of a daughter. In he is the seeming pillar of strength and warmth early on. He however slowly loses the facade to reveal a quiet desperation. His work is limited by this approach, however it is an effective performance.)
Perkins - 4(The sequel actually isn't terrible, it's ridiculous of course, but might as well do something different for a sequel. Perkins is quite good in portraying a just slightly camped up version of Norman. He doesn't go too far, rather makes some entertaining moments through his stutter on cccuttlery. He's good though in bringing to life to the character both as he becomes deranged again and the more humane moments of the man trying to stay sane. It isn't as good as his original work, but it's not a bad reprise.)
Patey - 3(Basically a silent film in approach, an approach I didn't love I have to admit, but he's fine in portraying desperation that slowly builds towards violence.)
Cage - 3(Straight romantic turn from him...which means it isn't straight at all. It's a thin role but Cage doing a bit of his riffing style makes it stand out more than it would have otherwise.)
Chan - 3(Charming enough Chan.)
Patinkin - 3(He's pretty broad here too, however it works better for the tone of the film which is broadly romantic. I wish someone had actually let him sing however. He's fine though in being charming enough within his broad approach.)
Gledhill - 2.5(Pretty forgettable child performance actually. Not bad, but just nothing of note to his work.)
Streisand - 3.5(The film actually isn't a bad directorial debut, though I actually kind of hated the songs, her performance though nonetheless belts them out to properly adequate method. She is good here though in terms of finding the sort humorous awkwardness of her character's ruse, along with the sense of needing and longing in a more dramatic sense. It isn't a great performance but it is a decent example of her talent.)
Anonymous:
1. Game of Thrones
2. Brazil
3. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes
5. Taboo
Michael:
He's still a 4, though a strong one, side note he's also one of the few things that's better in the remake of the Dresser.
Louis: agreed he’s very good in the remake. Seems like the material suits him very well.
Also to begin my 2020 watch, one I saw awhile ago but didn't think it was worth mentioning too much, Sonic the Hedgehog. Using the standard of Detective Pikachu, which wasn't great in itself, the film falls short, very short. It's actually rather bad, it's virtues are that it's not a mess in terms of just general film-making, which isn't always the case for video games films, but that's not a standard any film should be proud of surpassing. The design thing I almost feel was gas-lighting to get the film a better reception, as yes Sonic isn't designed horribly, but he's in a dull, unfunny, predictable, and altogether forgettable film.
Schwartz - 2.5(Not terribly annoying but not endearing either. So just kind of in a strange purgatory between being obnoxious and genuinely entertaining.)
Marsden - 2(Yeah I can see him trying to be charming and funny in a Ryan Reynolds sort of way, but he fails horribly at it. He's just not a good straight man it seems as I don't think it plays to his strengths in the least.)
Carrey - 3(I'll give him credit he brings 90's Carrey energy again, and it is not wholly wrong or wasted in this role. It's not great material he is working with unfortunately, but I'll give him the small badge of honor that he is the best part of the film. He's not as fun as you'd like him to be, but he at least is a little bit of fun.)
Everyone else is extremely forgettable.
Louis: What would you say are the Top 10 Least Bad Movies Adapted From Video Games?
Guess I’m gonna pass on that one then.
Louis: I'll stick with Mortensen then, though please review Stevens.
Rating and thoughts on Aranguren in El Sur and Edward Fox in The Dresser (2015).
Also, production on Damien Chazelle's next film Babylon has been delayed indefinitely.
Louis: Would you consider doing a write-up of Pryce in Don Quixote.
Aidan:
Hmmmm the Mount Rushmore...
1. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
2. Detective Pikachu
3. Mortal Kombat
4. Street Fighter (Probably can guess why)
Uhhhh....
5. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
6. Sonic The Hedgehog
7. Pokemon The First Movie
8. Super Mario Brothers
9. Double Dragon
10. Mortal Kombat Annihilation
Luke:
Aranguren - 4.5(Her performance is reminiscent of Torrent in Spirit of the Beehive, I only wish she stayed throughout the film, though her adolescent performer is also good, you just kind of become close to her before the film switches. Aranguren though gives a wonderful turn though as she portrays the more expected sweetness of the little girl with the interest in her father, and brings a nice honest exuberance in the early scenes. She's great though in portraying in reaction towards her father the sense of the loss of that initial view of the perfect father, and portrays well the anxiety that slowly develops from that. Her performance largely silent, yet powerfully so showing a loss of innocence not towards being broken but rather this creating this oh so genuine portrait of someone losing that initial view of their parent being this perfect image.)
Fox - 4(He and Watson are the only things better in the remake, but where Watson's role was slightly beefed up (to make Sir's wife more sympathetic I think), Fox is playing the same essential part was in the Dresser. A role that Fox makes the absolute most out of. This in initially portraying sort of the shyness of the day player now put to the forefront through the covertly important role in Lear's fool. Fox is wonderful in capturing this sort of fright with it, but also excitement within it. He's great in his final scene though in bringing such a genuine pride in his performance after it is over, and successfully creates his own moving little arc within the story, that is far more potent here due to Fox's work. He really gives a sense of what the role of the fool means to the "slight" actor, and his delivering of this appreciation is remarkable.)
Luke:
Yes, as I probably would've reviewed him as part of the lineup but saw him too late.
Louis: And your rating and thoughts on Watson in The Dresser.
Louis: Ratings on Sandrine Bonnaire (To Our Loves) and Sondra Locke (Sudden Impact)
They made a Professor Layton movie?
Okay, so started with Wendy, which is better than the critical reception might have you believe, though it is flawed. The biggest being the editing, where 20 minutes could've easily been cut from the film, and aided the pacing greatly. I also think Zeitlin's minimalistic story telling approach is actually a mistake, as when he gets more detailed the better the film becomes. This as when the film works, it very much works, it has some clever choices regarding the Pan story, particularly the pirates, captures a child's energy quite effectively, expectedly has plenty of visual splendor, and a marvelous score. Although there is potential left on the table due to many lulls in the narrative and again, Zeitlin's insistence on being too abstract at times, I have to say the final minutes of the film are simply outstanding...and it is almost worth recommending on that alone. Although again not perfect, there is more good, than...I wouldn't even say bad...just elements that don't work.
France - 4
Mack - 2.5
Naquin(s) - 2.5
Pugh - 3.5
Landes - 3
Luke:
Watson - 3.5(She does have a stronger presence by the virtue of being Watson, and makes her character more important on that virtue to begin with. This bringing more so a grace and strength of character in her scenes. Her big scene though I'd say actually would've been a better suited to Finney's less sympathetic version of Sir, but nonetheless Watson is good in. This in portraying effectively just a quiet discontent and released frustration over years of disappointments.)
Brazinterma:
It's been long while since I've seen Sudden Impact, though I recall her being more than decent.
Robert:
Yes, even had a theatrical release in Japan and apparenlty the UK. Not amazing, but a solid animated movie, that actually managed to include puzzles into the narrative in a fairly clever way, especially by video-game standards.
ah fuck, i was so close! I even had McDiarmid over Palin ...
Watched The Sting. Quite a solid crime flick overall. Really enjoyed it.
Redford - 3/3.5
Newman - 4
Shaw - 5
Louis: what platform is Wendy available on if I might ask? It was my most anticipated and even though I was put off by the critical reception I’m hoping to watch it still, and your thoughts give me hope.
Calvin:
You can rent it on most of the streaming platforms including amazon, itunes, googleplay and youtube. It's been particularly poorly advertised.
Louis: Thank you, it has hasn’t it. I put it on my top of my most anticipated list and for some reason it’s still completely escaped my attention. Cheers!!
Also Louis: your thoughts on 'Willow's Song' from The Wicker Man?
Louis: So, before I regret anything given 2014 has been by far my most anticipated year since joining the blog, I think I'd like to switch my request from JoaquÃn CosÃo to Damián Alcázar from the very same film, who's also supporting. I re-watched the film today, and I think he might be the choice for the better review.
As for any suggestions, as much as I'd love a review of Renner in Kill The Messenger and Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year, above anyone else I implore you to check out Xavier Dolan's Mommy for Antoine Oliver Pilon. I rarely feel confident about this, but Pilon might be an even stronger lock for a five than any of my requests.
Goddamn, 2014 was great.
I'll agree with Emi in regards to the request switch, since Alcazar is definitely that films' MVP.
Just for future reference, I might as well give my ratings for the 2014 contenders I've actually seen:
Hardy - 4.5
Renner - 4.5
Cruise - 4.5
Tatum - 4.5
Watiti - 4.5
Isaac - 4.5
Hawke - 4 (Nice shout out, Luke)
Really, it was a damn strong year for best actor, and that's even reflected in the academy's line up minus Carell (Who's still fine).
You know what, Hardy and Renner are actually 5's for me.
Also, I almost forgot: for 2014, Phoenix starring Nina Hoss is well worth the watch. She’s my win in the category actually.
Louis: Your ratings and thoughts on Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges in Heart Like a Wheel?
Louis: Your thoughts on the endings for both Wages of Fear & Sorcerer? You mentioned in Film Thoughts that you liked the latters’ a bit more, and I *think* I know what you’re getting at.
Louis: Thinking about it more, I'll switch my request of Mortensen to Stevens. I think he'll get no more than a 4 for it plus would like to give an opportunity to other first-timers like Stevens or even Pilon like Emi mentioned.
Tom Hardy - The Drop
Jeremy Renner - Kill The Messenger
Tom Cruise - Edge Of Tomorrow
Oscar Isaac - A Most Violent Year
Channing Tatum - Foxcatcher
Dan Stevens - The Guest
Jesse Eisenberg - The Double
Antoine Olivier Pilon - Mommy
Shahid Kapoor - Haider
Ethan Hawke - Predestination
Luke: More than being a first timer, I just want Louis to check out Mommy pretty badly. The main trio of performances carry the film to incredible heights so that even if the style and direction might not be so appealing, its cast make it a compelling enough experience on their own.
I don't think I've seen a film in recent memory were the main trio of performers have been so equally excellent since since The Favourite.
And looking at that lineup...man, Christmas arrived extra-early this year, lol.
Louis: Rating and thoughts on Wendy Hughes in Careful, He Might Hear You.
My God, next year's Oscars will be postponed by 3 to 4 months to prevent cancellation.
Louis, thoughts on France in Wendy.
Luke, I wonder how much that will affect the blog since the eligibility rules have been extended to early 2021.
Maybe the one positive out of this is that January-March of next year will be far less of a dumping ground than usual.
This maybe a little off-topic but I can't believe Gladiator is now 20 years old.
So, I just watched Haider, and......Kapoor is definitely not getting anything less than a 4.5. He's absolutely spellbinding in the second half.
That being said, the film belongs to Tabu, who plays the greatest Queen Gertrude I've seen. She'd be my win in either lead or supporting, phenomenal performance.
Tahmeed: Wait, I didn't know it was a Hamlet adaptation. Colour me intrigued.
So happy you liked him. Also an opportunity for Louis to ser irfaan khan In such a fascinating role.
Tahmeed & John: I actually watched Haider a couple days ago as well and largely agree with you, Tabu was outstanding and Khan made a huge impression in his brief screentime. Kapoor is difficult for me to evaluate though, I agree that he was great in the second half of the film but in the first half I found him wholly underwhelming, and his descent felt really rushed.
Okay I watched Wendy and I wept through the whole finale. I guess Zeitlin really is my thing.
Michael: The only issue I had with Kapoor was in his first two scenes, where it seemed like he was just there. After that though, I felt like he delivered a rather effective, internalized portrayal of confusion and grief.
That being said, I found that to be a warm up act for two stunning scenes in the second half, which I feel were the best in the film acting and direction wise.
Louis: thoughts on the cast of Wendy?
Like Aidan recently, I watched "The Sting" for the first time and found it to be an entertaining, well made crime caper.
Redford - 3.5
Newman - 4
Shaw - 5
Durning - 3
Antoine Olivier Pilon in Mommy
Dan Stevens in The Guest
Tom Hardy in The Drop
Jeremy Renner in Kill The Messenger
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year
Well Emma, is a rather enjoyable adaptation. Captures the wit well, and has a downright scrumptious Wes Andersonesque aesthetic that is most appealing. I'd say its greatest asset however is in its lead performance, that takes it an extra step forward I think overall in terms of offering something a bit new within the material. Not a revelatory Austen adaptation otherwise, but a good one,.
Taylor-Joy - 4.5
Flynn - 3
Goth - 4
Hart - 3.5
Nighy - 3.5
O'Connor - 2.5
Turner - 2.5
Graves - 3
Whelan - 3
Capone is terrible. It is just a bunch of loose ends that are never tied together in any way, or given any purpose. This all around just watching Hardy give the worst performance of his career, with his makeup, particularly his bloodshot eyes and gaunt appearance, along with his crackly voice sounds, that makes him seem more fitting as a cave creature than a former mobster. The whole film though really just is a waste of time, as it is just a whole bunch of scenes thrown together until it ends. A real shaggy dog story.
Hardy - 2
Cardellini - 2.5
Lowden - 3
Dillon - 3
MacLachlan - 3
Calvin:
A most effective song in terms of creating very much the sense of it as this folk song, a folk song that of course doesn't exist. This though having that style while lyrics far more suggestive and alluring than your typical folk song. Wonderfully done as that certain duplicity as in the film as the "friendly" song that seems devious in some way.
Glad you felt the same way about the ending to Wendy.
Anonymous:
Bedelia - 3(Her performance is almost a rendition of Coal Miner's Daughter but with racing. I think her work lacks the certain vibe needed for the part, as the subject of it herself felt, as Bededlia doesn't seem particularly in her element at any point. She's decent enough though in the scenes of just dealing emotionally with the central relationships and is effective in both the naivety of the teenage girl along with the harder edge of the more knowledgeable woman.)
Bridges - 3(Bridges manages to find enough of a balance with sleaze and a genuine charm. He's asked to be both and he actually does pull off that switch well enough.)
Bryan:
Well two endings is the biggest difference, as with "Wages" it is the triumph destroyed by a cruel irony played on the protagonist, I prefer Sorcerer's quieter ending actually of instead the man just accepting his fate in the demise, particularly with the execution of just granting you with the knowledge what will happen without showing it.
Luke:
Hughes - 3.5(Side note the film has one of the most overbearing scores I've ever heard. She's certainly effective in doing the routine of an extreme cold disregard with others but this signs of the extreme desperation within it. Her performance is effective in creating the intensity of this juxtaposition.)
Anonymous:
There's actually precedent regarding release dates, that being the earliest Oscar years were between years, so no matter what the academy considers I will still place films/performances based on year of first release. Although I'll obviously review whatever the lineups are, I will split them, based on that if that is the case for any performances. So yes, I could review a performance for this year's Oscars, that is then ranked with the class of 2021.
France - 4(She gives a splendid performance that is the most confident regarding the child performances, though perhaps by a little too much. Her performance though finds the right balance in creating the child sense of wonder in the discovery of the fantasy element, while also granting the emotional sense of what that really means entirely. She's effective most though in creating the conflict then between the idea of appreciating the sense of youth while also creating the idea of concern for taking that to far. It's an endearing energetic performance.)
Lucas:
Mack - (His performance is fine, has a charisma about him and energy. He just doesn't really carry the bigger moments intended for his character. They just feel more like a kid trying to act unfortunately, though he's not bad overall.)
Naquin - (Similar to Mack, okay, but just don't quite make the next step.)
Pugh - (Fascinating portrayal of Captain Hook actually in portraying a unique sort of emotional desperation and intensity. He's particularly good in his later moments in portraying the sort of sense of regret and anxiety as he stands where he is in the film's alternate take with the character.)
Landes - (Similar to Pugh but also effective.)
Louis: Thoughts on the casts of those films. Hate seeing Hardy performing this poorly, hopefully it's a one-off.
Louis: Your thoughts on 'The Landlord's Daughter' from The Wicker Man.
Luke, I’m sorry to hear that about Hardy :( I know he’s one of you favorite actors working today
And thoughts on The Draughtman's Contract with ratings/thoughts on the cast.
Frankly, I'm not even the tiniest bit surprised to hear "Capone" is a dud. I'm also disappointed to hear about Hardy not being so good, since you would think the guy who was in "Bronson", "Lawless", "The Drop", "Legend" and "Peaky Blinders" would at least deliver something as a prohibition crime boss.
I agree with you to an extent about the child actors mostly not being quite up to scratch - certainly ain’t no Wallis in that regard - but very glad you took to France.
I also think that despite the film’s critical reception being very underwhelming I would not be entirely surprised to see it emerge as a Best Original Score nominee come next year. Could be a funny reversal of Beasts (where they absolutely loved the film overall but snubbed it in Score).
And glad you liked Goth in Emma, she was my personal MVP.
I actually got to see Emma at my theater before it closed but I don't think I posted about it. I agree with Calvin on Goth being the MVP.
Louis, could I get your 11-20 films of 2011 and 2012?
I know it's only his third movie, but I guess Chronicle really was Josh Trank's one hit wonder, and probably means that Fant4stic turning out awful wasn't really the studio's meddling's fault, or at least not entirely, like he had claimed.
Also, Louis, thoughts on Trank's direction and screenplay in Capone?
Anonymous: That’s exactly what I was thinking to. Can’t pull the “studio interference” card on this one.
I don’t even think Chronicle was particularly good if I’m honest. Trank just seems like an asshat as well.
Michael: that was the second last film I saw at the cinema this year, I think.
Calvin: Yeah, I also didn't see the hype with Chronicle even when it came out. If anything, now its flaws are even more apparent, since at the time I was hoping Trank would work on them, seeing as it was his debut, and therefore didn't care for them much.
Louis: What are your Top 10 Netflix films?
Louis: Your rating and thoughts on Linda Cardellini in Green Book? I find it funny that she played the role of “wife of a real, larger-than-life Italian-American” twice in less than two years.
Does anyone else feel like blockbusters from the late 90’s and early 00’s seem more... earnest? I’ve been watching a lot of action and adventure films from the era and I find it oddly refreshing to see films so unafraid to be goofy, campy, and sincere in an age when all film humor and fun is based around snark. Maybe I’m just nostalgic.
On a related note, Mask of Zorro owns.
Robert: I know what you mean, I think almost every film from that period had that aura about them. It was kind of a trade off though, the action and adventure films had more heart but a lot of the dramas come off as overly saccharine now.
I just remembered, isn’t Charlie’s Country a 2014 release? I’ve heard extraordinary things about David Gulpilil’s performance in that, if they’re true I hope he gets reviewed over someone who’s already been ranked.
Michael: I completely forgot about that one but going by the release date info, you’re right. It sounds like a fascinating performance, I’d put him in over Cruise then.
Robert: I absolutely get what your saying, and perhaps that's because of the juxtaposition to today's film series. Nowadays it just doesn't seem that franchises are taking the same risks to try to be individualistic. For instance, if I'm given the choice between watching "The Princess Bride" and almost any sort of Marvel film - honestly, I'm going with the former. I like a lot of the MCU just fine, don't get me wrong, but I think I appreciate how "The Princess Bride" is just its own little thing, and embraces its irreverent nature with absolutely no shame.
In fact: Louis, can you change my request for Eisenberg in The Double to Gulpilil for Charlie’s Country? I promise that’s my final decision and I won’t go back on it.
I still hope you end up watching The Double, but I have a gut feeling Gulpilil could do well (will watch the performance as soon as I find a good copy) + more international variety in the lineup.
On two different notes, I just revisited "Casino Royale" and Craig might just be my 2006 best actor win. I have yet to see "The Lives of Others", but I'd easily put him in the same league as Owen, Bale, DiCaprio (The Departed) and Whitaker.
And for Louis, what would be your thoughts on the voices of Eva Green and Leonard Nemoy?
Michael: Gulpili seems like he could go either way, so I'm intrigued.
I will oblige all the ones that have been made, but please no more request switches for 2014.
Luke:
Taylor-Joy - (I will say having recently watched Paltrow's take might've made me appreciate her all the more, and I liked Paltrow's performance. I loved the sort of deviousness really and mischievousness Taylor-Joy brings to the part. Yes she's charming, luminous even, and of course has the needed biting wit in her delivy of Austen's repartee. That sort of impishness though in the match matching I loved about her performance though as I thought in particular she managed to find a new way of sort of creating the ego Emma. Something Paltrow portrayed more as though she was a planner for all, I liked Taylor-Joy's almost sinister way of playing that for me made sort of her fall from her sort high horse more affecting and effective. This while never making Emma truly unlikable either, particularly though in showing well the regret when she senses she's gone way out of bound with her particular vanity.)
Flynn - (Preferred Northam overall I think, however I do think he brings enough of the sense of the kind disagreement of the character, as the one who knows Emma's games and stand up to her more directly. Don't think he makes as much of an impact but still a good performance.)
Goth - (The most comparable I think as she and Collette are both good as the "awkward" one to be matched. I liked Goth all the more though in bringing such an honesty to the certain naivety to the character, and managed to even make that type of awkwardness so in particularly sweet and charming in its own way. Her reactions to Taylor-Joy are some of the best moments of the film, in portraying so well someone who is working on the same level of thought, and is frankly better for it.)
Hart - (Appropriately charming as she is goofy, but this is really about the scene where Emma cuts her down needlessly. She's actually incredible heartbreaking in the moment in portraying just a good natured goof being so honestly hurt. Wonderful work.)
Nighy - (An enjoyable bit of Nighy. Expected but in a good way.)
O'Connor - (Thought he went a bit much at times. I guess it feels more natural coming out of Alan Cumming, as O'Connor just went a bit far.)
Turner - (Compared to McGregor in the role I thought he barely made an impact. Not bad, but I forgot that his role was even considered important.)
Graves & Whelan - (Both charming in their little moments.)
Hardy - (Alright there is something to be found in a few of his silent reactions. This is after all because he is a great actor. Everything else is wrong though. This as a huge failure of the film as the script can't decide if he's crazy or faking it, it throws that seed in for no particular reason. So instead it just makes Capone this bizarre freak show. This amplified I suppose by Hardy's craggy voice and just wild insane eyes all of the time. He just seems out of place and ridiculous here. I don't think Trank's script helps him in the least, but Hardy doesn't deliver here even within the faults. But hey, with so many out on the limb performances that paid off, he's bound to finally get one that fall flat.)
Cardellini - (Basically the exact same performance she gave in Green Book.)
Lowden - (Well I'm sure glad we got to know that this guy has a vendetta against Capone, with his dramatic Hitler speech. I'll give Lowden credit he delivers that, but....um what was the point of having this character again?)
Dillon - (Maybe he should've played Capone? I don't know but Dillon offers at least some straight forward gangster presence, but again what was the point of this character again?)
MacLachlan - (I mean he does a fine job of portraying a doctorly voice who there might be some ulterior motives to. Does a lot with his eyes, but what was the point of this character again?)
The Landlord's Daughter again is in that vein, though this one in the style of an Irish ditty, this again though with that same upbeat spirit of such a song, but with unlikely lyrics. Wonderfully done again.
I thought The Draughtman's Contract was a slightly interesting experiment at first, as a film in The Favourite genre, but got a bit repetitive particularly in its purposefully overly formal style of a man treating affairs like a contract.
Higgins - 3.5(His performance I don't think quite has the presence to hit the next step to make his character come to life past the concept. The aforementioned concept though is well realized still by his own performance that is a mix of formality and impropriety. It doesn't go past that though and stays sort of stylistic part of a vision.)
Suzman & Lambert - 3.5(Their performances are similar in both portraying the prim and proper ladies, however with eyes filled with more lust filled or even conniving intent. Both work within this style well, but I wished the narrative had been a touch less constrained.)
Calvin:
Although I obviously didn't think Wendy was without faults, I will say I do think it fell into "kick the wunderkind" that occasionally happens, like why "Life Aquatic" was suddenly the Wes Anderson critics had a problem with or the degree of venom given to Ben Affleck with Live By Night.
Anonymous:
Not much of a one hit wonder in my book, Chronicle, was just okay in my book.
Trank's direction of Capone is uninspired. It isn't really the problem other than some minor things, like maybe saying don't make Hardy look like the creatures from the Descent, but there is nothing inspired about it. The direction is not where the incompetence lies overall, not that it is well directed, it's just kind of blah.
His screenplay is atrocious. The story doesn't have a purpose. There's the idea of Capone faking his dementia because they mention it. There's his secret treasure, well they mention. Do they explore in an interesting way? No. There's his relationship with his other son. Is that explored in an interesting way? No...they just mention it. How about his relationship with his family. They're there, but nothing happens to explore it in anyway. How about the "king" in exile, eh. How abut his mob life. Eh. they mention it. How about a FBI obsession, well they mention it. Does it go anywhere? No of course no, but they mention it. How about a doctor hired to spy on Capone...they mention it. Does it go anywhere, no of course. How about how his friends feel about his condition? Well that mention. Does it go anywhere. No of course not. I have no idea why Trank made the movie honestly. This as this script, is like an outline of ideas that never went past the outline stage.
Anonymous:
(Same performance as in Capone...okay, she's okayish in granting a sense of low key affection, and meets the type well...but both are severely underwritten parts.)
Robert:
Hear hear, regarding Mask of Zorro, and hey I'll always be there for Raimi's Spider-Men as far > than Marvel's Spider-Men
Mitchell: That’s not really being fair to the MCU tbh, even to the best films from them. The Princess Bride is THE gold standard of its genre, and it blows many films period out of the water.
Aidan:
1. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
2. The Irishman
3. Okja
4. El Camino
5. Marriage Story
6. Dolemite Is My Name
7. The Other Side of the Wind
8. Roma
9. The Two Popes
10. Klaus
Michael:
Sure.
2011:
11. Rango
12. The Adventures of Tintin
13. Bullhead
14. Tyrannosaur
15. Headhunters
16. Margin Call
17. Attack the Block
18. X-Men: First Class
19. Hugo
20. The Tree of Life
2012:
11. Holy Motors
12. The Grey
13. A Royal Affair
14. Rust and Bone
15. Life of Pi
16. The Impossible
17. Bernie
18. Nameless Gangster
19. Amour
20. Django Unchained
Bryan: Fair enough, but it was the most obvious example I could think of in terms of current franchises.
I watched Dead Man's Shoes, which I actually kind of loved.
Matt: Considine is brilliant in it, isn’t he?
Calvin: He really is.
Calvin: Actually, the whole cast is aces.
Calvin: Hold up, if you're no longer requesting Eisenberg for The Double I'd rather change my request for Dano in Ruby Sparks for him instead (Only if that last one is possible, Louis, I understand if not). You have no idea how much I've longed for that one.
I think I'll stay off of requests for a while after this one.
I'm sorry Emi but you can only change requests from the same year.
Louis: Could you possibly move Tatum to the next backlog, because I would like to see an Eisenberg review.
This is really turning into a bloodbath.
Okay, lets try this again.
Tom Hardy - The Drop
Jeremy Renner - Kill The Messenger
Tom Cruise - Edge Of Tomorrow
Oscar Isaac - A Most Violent Year
Dan Stevens - The Guest
Jesse Eisenberg - The Double
David Gulpilil - Charlie's Country
Antoine Olivier Pilon - Mommy
Shahid Kapoor - Haider
Ethan Hawke - Predestination
Listen, maybe it's just me, but in a year this packed, I kinda don't need reviews for people who are already ranked.
Luke: That's ok. I do appreciate that anyway.
In case anyone *really* wants Tatum, I'm willing to switch Hawke for him instead just to make up for this mess. After this, though, I'm really not messing with requests for a long time.
Sorry for any inconveniences, Louis and everyone.
Emi Grant: No it's fine, I'm sure Louis can save him for the next backlog along with Mason, Newman, Anderson and Sim (An Inspector Calls). However, I do think Snook's the MVP of Predestination.
Has anyone else seen Mommy? I think Louis will hate it.
Also guys, if there's any non-reviewed fives seen from this bonus round, they'll get write-ups in future.
Emi and Luke: My apologies, my fault for requesting and then making a last-minute switch. I didn’t realise people were looking forward to an Eisenberg review and just thought he might not take as much to the style of the film to review it.
Luke: I understand. Also, I agree about Snook.
GM: I have, which is why I've insisted a bit on Pilon. Not sure how Louis will vibe with Dolan's style in particular, but I'm hoping the performances more than make up for it.
Calvin: It's fine, Gulpilil has more five-potential in my eyes.
Calvin: It's totally fine. I'm to blame since I'm a mark for Eisenberg. I'm also interested in Gulpilil now.
I'll agree with Matt. I don't really need reviews for Isaac or Tatum this time around, I'd much rather Louis discover more potentially brilliant performances. It's one of the reasons I'm not particularly a fan of performances like Peter Stormare getting reviewed in a lineup, because, where's the suspense in the prediction?
Tahmeed: I'll agree with you on Tatum. But seriously, who would you've replaced Stormare with. If there's not enough competition to make him an extra instead, then why not place him in the lineup.
Louis: You know what, I don't mind if you save Isaac for the next backlog as well. Hardy and Renner are musts though because they are likely five upgrades.
This must be the most heated discussion on a lineup that I've seen here.
Anonymous: Well, I hope Louis will have a compromise and give us a lineup we're all satisfied with.
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