Wednesday 11 November 2020

Alternate Best Actor 1994: Temuera Morrison in Once Were Warriors

Temuera Morrison did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jake "the Muss" Heke in Once Were Warriors. 
 
Once Were Warriors is a powerful, though brutal, viewing experience that focuses on a dysfunctional family of Maoris in New Zealand. 

I'll admit I went into this film without any knowledge of it whatsoever. This as we see the opening of the family living different lives including Temuera Morrison who at first seems just like potentially, the slightly rough, but charismatic dad who is just hanging around with his mates. Morrison brings a larger than life power within his presence here. He's just the life of the given room as he matches really this personality intensity as we see his hard drinking Jake living up his life, though early warning signs begin as he seems to have little interest in the rest of his family, including his oldest son whose joining a gang, his younger son who is sent to juvenile hall or his daughter who seems to live life in a slight depression per her surroundings. Morrison though portrays Jake seemingly still having the time of his life and Morrison projects that joy remarkably in making you believe that might be the case for him. This though is harshly set aside when his wife Beth (Rena Owen), questions verbally many of his recent decisions, such as getting fired. When immediately happens is startling to understate as Morrison instantly unleashes a feral intensity. A feral intensity without caution or concern as he brutally beats and later rapes his wife. Morrison presents it without hesitation rather almost a purely animal reaction built within such a palatable sense of bitterness in his eyes as he commits his heinous crime. 

Morrison effectively bluntly shows the hard edge as we see essentially the hangover as he delivers each word even afterwards with a disregard both for his previous actions and towards any actual concerns for his family. Morrison's portrayal is hard to watch but convincing in showing just a festering anger that defines the man who is either looking for a good time or for someone to blame. Where some films I think  struggle in depicting truly toxic relationships, is within the idea of how the relationship existed to begin with. Well in this instance it shows again so well how relationship exists between Beth and Jake because of the performances of the actors. Morrison is great in a few scenes later where Jake seeks to reconcile. He portrays a real charm and quiet warmth in the moment. There is a sense of how he won her over to begin with with the calm earnest sweetness Morrison brings in the moment of showing his love for Beth, even if far more so a manipulation. Morrison though is wholly convincing in realizing the reconciliation. He doesn't suddenly make Jake a good man, rather he realizes the attractive qualities of the man, and how they would once again put a veil over Beth's eyes to his true nature of a person. Seemingly though Jake's better side is prevailing for the moment as he agrees to take Beth and the family to see their son in juvenile hall. 

Morrison again shows the appeal of Jake as even as he sings along with the car there is a real endearing cheer to Morrison's' work. He almost wins the viewer over to his seeming reformation like he is in some way a better person. There's a great moment where with the family where Jake and Beth recall their relationship. Morrison speaks the initial words of pride in taking a "prized" woman from her proud heritage of Maori warriors. As he continues to reflect on the idea, including his heritage of slave Maoris, Morrison eyes create such a palatable sense of bitterness. There again is that hatred even in him still even as he is not just yelling. Morrison revealing the considerable chip on the man's shoulder we witnessed quite loudly beforehand but now nearly silently. Morrison in this reveals the nature of the man, a man he portrays almost essentially driven by ego. This as he's not finding joy to think about all his failures in life through drinking and the like, which Jake ends up choosing to do rather than seeing his son, he rages against them. This though specifically as how it all revolves the man and only him. Morrison expresses joy only when nothing interferes with himself, but when it does, it is with a strict dissatisfaction. Morrison so well realizing the machismo of the man, that while won over Beth in the past, now rules the man's behaviors towards reacting with violence first and never thinking about it later. This as even as we see tragedy come to the family, largely due to Jake's selfishness, Morrison's reactions is essential. This as he manages to convey a degree of grief, but it is almost hollow. This as Morrison expresses as much with just still a general rage of something getting in the way of living life as his broken pride dictates. Morrison's great in this in managing to find humanity within the character, but a venomous humanity. This as we consistently find the man defined by his cruel actions and his senseless actions built around his fragile ego. Morrison gives a striking turn here by finding depth within the role of Jake without even for a moment limiting the character's terrible nature.

159 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Pleased you really liked him.

Ratings and thoughts on the cast.

Mitchell Murray said...

Haven't seen this film, but I do find the Maori culture quite interesting, so I'll likely check it out at some point.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone on this blog watches the show, but what's everybody's thoughts on these fan made "Death Battle" promos/suggestions?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4afYtSZbyQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jEjz5ZIOGA

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Temuera Morrison & Nicole Kidman for Arthur/Mera in a 1990s Aquaman?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And speaking of Morrison, Have you been watching The Mandalorian at all.

Anonymous said...

Luke, what new films do you think will make it on Louis’s Top Ten for 1994?

Stefan Klein said...

Hi guys, hope you are all doing well.

In response to Calvin's question in the previous comments' section: I've actually seen more films from 2020 than I thought beforehand. I'm pretty comfortable with The Trial of the Chicago 7 as my personal number one so far.
But what I really wanted to tell you: I absolutely hated I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Despised it. Which is weird, because I usually concur with Louis very much. (Braveheart is pretty great, by the way.) It bothers me in a way.
Anyway, I think your ratings in the last few weeks(of the performances I've seen) are pretty spot on, Louis. For me anyways. I happened to see Dick Powell in Murder my Sweet yesterday. A 4 feels just right. Keep up the good work.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Rip Hillbilly Elegy. Getting destroyed.

Calvin Law said...

Great film. What did you think of the direction (just goes to show you can’t always tell from Hollywood work of a director’s talents), and specially in the funeral sequence? I thought that as brutal as the film was I just as admired some of its more beautiful and heartfelt ones.

Also Uncle Bully might be one of the nastiest characters ever in film.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: #6-10 are out.
Hoop Dreams
Three Colours: Red
To Live
Once Were Warriors
La Reine Margot or In The Heat Of The Sun

Anonymous said...

Is everyone having issues on Youtube.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Yes. :(

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Yep. Just started getting YT issues.

Mitchell Murray said...

I'm not getting them yet, I don't think. What's happening on youtube?

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Owen - 5(Outstanding performance. This as we get her just having this innate charisma that she brings so wonderfully as a given. This sort of presence of her work that it is just something special on its own. This though also in realizing that chemistry with Morrison that suggests such a long past, and they create such a real sense of their relationship. In turn she is brutally effective in creating the visceral intensity of the beatings scenes by showing the sheer devastation but also anger that comes from it. Her work though is amazing though in creating each relationship within the family with the kids. This in granting such a powerful sense of the complexity whether it is warmth, concern or even regret as she's trying to be the best mother but also failing by putting up with Jake. She finds chemistry with each that is again so special. This is just a performance though of such incredible individual moments throughout, particularly her reaction to the tragedy that is absolutely heartbreaking. Within these reactions she conveys and earns the slow building of her own confidence, where she absolutely own her final scene with such a strict power of self.)

Arahanga - 3(Found his story really to be probably the least interesting, though he is more than fine in his moments as the wannabe gangster who really is just looking for a father figure.)

Kerr-Bell - 5(Absolutely heartbreaking work from her. This as she brings such lovely life to so many of her scenes. These beyond the situation. This in hanging out with the homeless kid or moments with her mother. Her work creates such a moving sense of her trying to find some sense of normalcy within it all. This while also showing the disappointment in seeing those consistently making the same mistakes over and over again. Her performance finding a real sadness in creating the state as something that has been ongoing for far too long. This leading up to her final scenes where she also details so powerfully every step of the abuse she suffers, that it is indeed actually rather hard to watch just how honest it all feels.)

Emile - 3(Quite liked the sense of confidence within his work as he embraces his heritage.)

Curtis - 3(Limited though properly horribly sleazy without overplaying it.)

Yes I have, I thought the first episode was quite good just largely based on the visuals(though I wish it embraced classic western actually a bit more in turn particularly in terms of Olyphant's character who I wish had a little harder of an edge). The second episode was pretty lame, though the spiders were kind of cool. Show continues to have acting problems, namely the return of Amy Sedaris, hopefully it will be more consistent as it goes on. I'll stick to it mainly just because of the spectacle honestly.

Bryan:

Makes sense.

Calvin:

Oh I really liked the film, and I think it is a great example of how to handle subject matter. This as it does have moments of natural happiness in between it all, and doesn't just pile it on like certain films about people living in dire straits. It shows instead the variety. Now the film I think is most winning in terms of the acting and writing but the direction is good. Tamahori's work is distant in an effective way. Not too far to be detached, but just good in quietly finding the power of scenes. That particularly being the scenes of the Maori dances and the funeral. Both that he lets play out in a fairly quiet but oh so potent way.

Calvin Law said...

Your thoughts on Owen have made me consider switching her back to my win in Lead, and yeah I think I might've taken what Kerr-Bell did too much for granted.

Matt Mustin said...

I have to say, True History of the Kelly Gang is staying with me a lot more than I expected, I think my muted reaction to it may have just been tiredness.

BRAZINTERMA said...

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
10º Rosemary Harris - Tom & Viv
9º Maria de Medeiros - Pulp Fiction
8º Dianne Wiest - Bullets Over Broadway
7º Brigitte Lin - Chungking Express
6º Valerie Chow - Chungking Express
5º Uma Thurman - Pulp Fiction
4º Kristin Scott Thomas - Four Weddings and a Funeral
3º Rachel Griffiths - Muriel's Wedding
2º Kirsten Dunst - Interview With the Vampire
1º Virna Lisi - Queen Margot

LEAD ACTRESS
10º Winona Ryder - Little Women
9º Kate Winslet - Heavenly Creatures
8º Melanie Lynskey - Heavenly Creatures
7º Jodie Foster - Nell
6º Miranda Richardson - Tom & Viv
5º Isabelle Adjani - Queen Margot
4º Faye Wong - Chungking Express
3º Linda Fiorentino - The Last Seduction
2º Sigourney Weaver - Death and the Maiden
1º Irène Jacob - Three Colours: Red

DIRECTOR
10º Robert Redford - Quiz Show
9º Roman Polanski - Death and the Maiden
8º Robert Zemeckis - Forrest Gump
7º Luc Besson - Leon: The Professional
6º Krzysztof Kieslowski - Three Colors: Red
5º Neil Jordan - Interview With the Vampire
4º Wong Kar-Wai - Chungking Express
3º Tim Burton - Ed Wood
2º Frank Darabont - The Shawshank Redemption
1º Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction

Luke Higham said...

Sigourney Weaver in 2nd. LOL.

Calvin Law said...

Interesting, I don't know if I'd put Faye Wong in Lead but come to think of it...she's kind of co-lead in the second half in a way isn't she? Although I guess the same could be said of Lin.

Louis: your thoughts on this modern day cast for Pickup on South Street (rewatched it just now) and choice of director?

Skip McCoy: Jimmi Simpson (come to think of it he kind of is a modern day Widmark in presence isn't he?)
Candy: Lily Collins
Moe: Grace Zabriskie

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Since you covered the screenplay a longish time ago, your thoughts on Quentin Tarantino’s direction for Pulp Fiction?

John Smith said...

Louis, would any of the songs from kabhi kabhi na ranks among your top 10 songs of 1994. Your thoughts on the songs would be appreciated as well.
Ae Kash Ke Hum is one my all time favs.

P.S Im happy you gave Khan a positive review. Looking forward to when you get around to reviewing him in dil se (:

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Could Sinise and Scofield possibly go up for Forrest Gump and Quiz Show respectively.

Tim said...

I already asked for Sinise once, didn't get an answer ...

Luke Higham said...

Tim: I'd give Sinise a 3.5, perhaps even a 4. Scofield is abit lower than he should be.

Tim said...

i'd actually say a 4 too



Louis: your thoughts on the screenplay for Rain Man?

Matt Mustin said...

Sinise gives my favourite performance in the film.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Hanks and Sinise are 4's for me in Forrest Gump, and I don't care for the film otherwise.

Mitchell Murray said...

As far as "Forrest Gump" is concerned....

Hanks - 3.5 (+ 0.5 mainly for Gump's final grieving scene, and reaction to seeing his son)
Sinise - 3
Picture win - Undeserved
Director win - Underserved
Screenplay win - Underserved
Technical wins - Mostly underserved
Movie itself - Neither love it nor hate it

...I really don't have much more to say about the film.

Emi Grant said...

Here's a hot take for you all when it comes to Forrest Gump:

I like it.

Bryan L. said...

As a thematic piece about American history? Hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm........

As entertainment? It’s alright.

3/5

Bryan L. said...

(I haven’t seen it since 2009 however, so maybe I should rewatch it for a more objective take, I guess.)

Matt Mustin said...

Forrest Gump is the most middle of the road no strong feelings one way or the other movie I've ever seen

Tim said...

As i have already said, i definitely call it my Best Picture of 94 (as far as i've seen)

John Smith said...

Forrst Gunp to me is a mess. Snise would be a 4 and Hanks a 4 as well.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Hate Forrest Gump. At best it’s just nostalgia porn for white baby boomers. At worst it’s a cloying celebration of ignorance that condescendingly uses a disabled character to illustrate that point.

Mitchell Murray said...

Robert: Can't say your entirely wrong, but what are your thoughts on Hanks/Sinise?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Sinise is the best part and a solid 4. Hanks is... a very generous 2.

Tim said...

and Field?

Anonymous said...

Luke, If 70 were to come next, what would be your Lead and Supporting suggestions.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: In the hope of a 10 lineup, which I think there's more to talk about given the low number of 4.5s and over in the overall:
Alec Guinness in Cromwell (The best Charles I and I've seen every single portrayal of him and is exactly how I'd imagine him from physical resemblance to mannerisms)
Nicol Williamson in The Reckoning
Jason Robards in The Ballad Of Cable Hogue
Alain Delon in Le Cercle Rouge
Tom Courtenay in One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich
James Fox/Mick Jagger in Performance
Peter Sellers in Hoffman
Richard Harris in The Molly Maguires
Lee Marvin in Monte Walsh

Supporting
Bernard Cribbins in The Railway Children
David Warner in The Ballad Of Cable Hogue
Christopher Plummer in Waterloo
Gian Maria Volonté and Yves Montand in Le Cercle Rouge
Charlton Heston in Julius Caesar

Bonus: Klaus Kinski in Count Dracula (Michael might correct me here but I expect him to get a 4 while the rest get a 4.5 or higher)

Luke Higham said...

And if it is 70 then I'm gonna have to request Ray Winstone in Scum for 79.

RatedRStar: I expect Colin Welland to get a 4 for Kes.

Anonymous said...

I like Forrest Gump, sue me since I didn't praise a woke liberal PC movie since apparently that's how yall rate movies these days

Matt Mustin said...

Hanks is probably a 3 for me. No one else could've played that role, but it's not really a role worth playing.

Anonymous: I rate movies bases on whether I like them or not.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I'm fairly apolitical when it comes to viewing films.

Tim said...

Anonymous: explain why you would think that please. Like, examples

Calvin Law said...

Anonymous: wow are you for real

Luke Higham said...

Oh dear, I'm not looking forward to Robert's response tbh.

Mitchell Murray said...

Anonymous: Can we PLEASE not go down that route. Everyone is entitled to their own viewpoints, and that's something no one has the ethical right to take away. When it comes to films, though, I'm very much like Luke: I try to view every film within it's own merits, and if there's a particular theme or social commentary involved, than it's about how well that theme is developed/conveyed.

Case in point; I happen to like both "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Moonlight", which are two films that one could see as ideological opposites. By the same token, I think the majority of us here disliked "Vice", not because of the stance it took politically, but because it was just a terrible film in so many ways.

Luke Higham said...

Before anyone asks, I know how vehemently Robert feels about his own opinions.

Mitchell Murray said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Calvin Law said...

Luke: and he’ll be entirely right about expressing it. Just cause you don’t feel comfortable about people feeling strongly about shitty statements against ‘PC culture/filmmaking’ doesn’t mean we should just shut up about it when we see people making stupid comments about it. I’m sorry Luke but I see this from you all the time and it is a very annoying and privileged position you’re coming from.

Mitchell Murray said...

Lets try and avoid going down this path any further, guys. And if we can't... well...tread carefully.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Yeah, I'm for Freedom of expression yet nowadays we can't have an honest civilized conversation because of political and social differences.

And name me times when I've done what you said all the time. I've more or less kept my mouth shut because I don't want to get involved.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Love the cast (especially Zabriskie), Michael R. Roskam.

Bryan:

I think Tarantino's direction of Pulp Fiction is where there is the greater advancement compared to his work in Reservoir Dogs, which in part dates that film a bit more to a very specific 90's Indie era. Things like, for example, the opining walking Dogs scene makes no logical sense (aka why would the gangsters bank rolling want to be seen in multiple public places with some soon to be robbers?). Anyway, Pulp Fiction is far more refined work in every respect. His song choices are legendary for a reason here, and just essential to the film in how well that infuse such a striking quality to every scene. I think that is also where you see the strength of his visual work that shouldn't be understated, even though Tarantino is typically seen as a writer first. For example, take the scene of just Butch finding the weapon to save Marcellus, that is some fantastic visual work in the build of the song and then the shot of the samurai sword. Moments like this are found throughout the scene, and so many moments are just brilliant moments of direction. Whether it be "waiting" to enter the door for the conversation, the entirety of the overdose scene, or even just how he stages the final confrontation. Tarantino's work here knows when to cut and when to rest, something less true in Dogs where you have the pretty silly sequence of the ludicrous locations Tim Roth is on telling his commode story. Not to pile on that film, but you just see the refinement and greater confidence here in basically every scene. You also see the original of so many techniques that became the gimmick, these elements not from Tarantino's writing but his direction.

John Smith:

I have to admit I wasn't overly enthusiastic about any of the songs, for me they were in-between the, for me, interminable songs of old school Bollywood and the modern songs of films like Haider and Lagaan, which I rather like. These were...not my tempo.

Luke:

Probably, I'll re-watch both during supporting.

Tim:

Well speaking of middle of the road populist films like Forrest Gump, look no further than Rain Man, which I'll say is lesser than the greater road picture the previous year of Trains, Planes and Automobiles that better defined the genre than Rain Man. This as it follows the formula of the career driven guy who learns more through the guy who shakes up his status quo through his existence while traveling. The other guy here though having the twist of having autism as the secret brother. I'll say, I like this formula a lot, and it isn't hard for it to work for me. The films in this sub-genre though I'll take Midnight Run and the aforementioned film anytime however. Rain Man though I still think works in its formula that is strictly populist within its depiction of autism. Having said that Cruise's character's arc is well written in this expected way, its good in that. Is it pretty obvious in every respect, yes, is it repetitive in the way it writes Hoffman's character, more so than intended, does it still realize the tried and true formula yes. The screenplay fails to do any true reinvention, but it doesn't fail in formula, though like the film it should've been nowhere near any "best of" recognition.

Luke:

Well take that as part of just how the Anonymous left the comment, clearly left to incite anger not compel civilized conversation. We've had disagreements on here before, it just takes a certain approach.

Calvin Law said...

Sure it’s freedom of expression when someone calls out people for enjoying stuff they label under ‘PC Woke’ culture. It’s also stupid, inane, and deserves to be called out on so I don’t know why you have to nitpick on Robert specifically if he chooses to respond whatever way he does.

And I’m just saying the number of times you go, ‘I don’t want to hear anymore of this/I really don’t want to go down that route’...I’m sorry but as of late I’ve become more aware of how much shit is going on in the world that directly affects film and representation, so no I won’t shut up about these things. I don’t expect people to follow along in line and of course if Louis thinks it gets out of hand, he can tell us to shut up, it’s his blog. But I’ll always be offering my two cents on matters like this if I can.

Calvin Law said...

Anyway, my thoughts on this matter are settled now so I won’t elaborate. Glad you concur on the fancast Louis.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I go to take nap and look what I miss.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I wholly understand how you feel, I just want to be on friendly terms with everyone.

Tim said...

Mitchell: while you were at it, i don't think i have ever mentioned it in here, but even as somebody who quite enjoyed himself some The Big Short, i just found Vice boring, obnoxious and tiresome


Louis: funny that you speak of confidence with Tarantino. I happen to have watched Jackie Brown this very evening, and as a standart for my film viewing, i went on the imdb trivia page where it said that Tarantino considered Jackie Brown his "first professional directorial effort"

Matt Mustin said...

Hey guys, let's not speak for other people, OK? We're all adults here.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Anyway, my thoughts: I’m assuming this Anonymous is the same little troll who defended Kavanaugh when I mentioned I was upset on here two years ago, so I’m just going to assume bad faith and ignore.

Luke, if you want to be neutral, that’s fine. Just consider the optics of claiming “both sides” on certain issues. That’s all I request.

Luke Higham said...

Robert: I'll always be neutral, but I need to see all the evidence first before jumping to any conclusion and I don't listen to News Corporations anymore, especially in Britain with that arsehole Piers Morgan.

Louis Morgan said...

Tim:

I have a feeling that probably had something to do with the film being his first, and at this time, only adaptation.

Anonymous said...

Anyway, I was thinking that Sinise might have been a good Ron Kovic in Born in the Fourth of July, since, in my opinion, he pulled the 'disillusioned disabled war veteran' WAY better than Cruise, and actually made me believe and care for his character (which is something that Hanks and Cruise failed for me). Although, he would still have Born's terrible script and direction going against him, but I think the result could be better than what we got.

Shaggy Rogers said...

Louis. What are your thoughts on Rising Sun (1993)?

Mitchell Murray said...

Matt, Robert and Luke: Just for the record, I pretty much agree with all three of you guys.

There are certainly issues that require a definitive stance, and one must be careful as too which topics they choose to express themselves as neutral. That said, one must also be certain to look at all available sources before taking said stance, and not to merely assume someone's position by impulse. This is why I'm so reticent to discuss news in general, because the vast majority of us are hearing secondary, at times contradictory information from today's news outlets. It's becoming increasingly hard to "filter out" something that's concrete fact, and something that was whipped up by a media frenzy/those with agendas. The way in which a quote-on-quote "narrative" can evolve in today's news cycles is just baffling...

But I digress...

And to respond to Tim's comment, I found "Vice" all that and more. Honestly, if I were to recite all the negative labels I could give to that film, I might pop a blood vessel.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Have you seen The Burning Season with Raul Julia. If so, your thoughts on it and ratings/thoughts on the cast.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

What in the hell did I miss here xD

I'm going to have to side with Calvin on this one. I'm all for freedom of expression too, as long as it doesn't legitimize and validate downright stupid/harmful opinions. And yes, that means addressing said opinions, as civilly as possible of course, but I refuse to keep my mouth shut when someone's being a douche.

Mitchell Murray said...

Tahmeed: Thankfully, this little corner of the internet seems to avoid much of the chaos, nonsense and volatility that engulfs other blog sites...

Once again, it's for that precise reason I'm not on social media.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: I respect your views on the matter, I never really meant anyone to remain silent but try to act civil about a situation if possible. Now if someone's being flat out racist, sexist, ageist etc, then I can understand the rage as it can be a natural reaction.

Calvin: Again, I wholly understand how you feel but calling me very privileged was unfair. It took me 4 years to get a sustainable job and not exactly the most fulfilling one either.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Mitchell: By the way, I'm almost done with season 1 of 'Mob Psycho 100' (which I never finished for some reason), and I'm loving it. Definitely better than One Punch Ma, which I mention due to having the same author and tackling somewhat similar themes.

Mitchell Murray said...

Tahmeed: Nice!!! As I said before, it is my favourite Anime series that I've seen so far, and I personally can't wait to watch season 2.

On another note, I'm 3 shows away from having an official "top 10" anime list. At this moment, the series/seasons I'm most likely going to watch in the next few months are as followed;

Hunter X Hunter (Season 4)
Attack on Titan (Season 1)
Jojo's Bizarre Adventures (Season 3? - Whichever one has Jotaro)
Mob Psycho 100 (Season 2)

Louis Morgan said...

Shaggy:

Haven't seen it.

Luke:

The Burning Season doesn't elevate itself as a television film nor as a film about labor activists, other than its lead performance. It's fine, but it hits expected beats in an expected way. We get kind of an insight, but it doesn't truly pull you into its narrative. It structures itself basically through brutalities, which it realizes with enough of a visceral sting considering its limitations, but it never develops into something beyond a "then this happens" film.

Julia - 4.5(One of his better performances, and is the best part of the film quite easily. Julia here very much shows just why he was a great performer as you compare his humane work here the same year as his brilliant operatic ridiculousness of Street Fighter. Here though Julia is far more low key and also great in this regard. This in part just giving such a moving portrayal of the reactionary warmth and anguish over every brutality he faces either personally or in reflection. His performance though goes far more in bringing such an endearing quality with finding the dogged hero in such an endearing light. He's especially great in just the simple genuine nervousness he brings in his proposal scene. He's fantastic though in every one of his rallying moments or negotiating scenes. I love especially his first scene because Julia plays it so quietly yet wholly convincing in his persuasive manner. He's though equally great in his final scene of this ilk in presenting the desperation but also still conviction within the desperation as he's at his wits end.)

Olmos - 3.5(Have to say of his Globe win, he did kind of rob Hyde Pierce and Alexander. This as he just doesn't have much of a role, basically as the man that forces Julia's Mendes to have to take the next step. Olmos is terrific though in his one major scene of a careful concise speech, that he brings a honest humor to along with the passion. A good performance if very limited.)

Braga's in it but she doesn't get much to do.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Any thoughts at all on the cast of Frasier.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: I apologise if you took any offence to it - I meant privilege in the sense of the privilege to not need to worry or feel offended, anger etc. at these sorts of topics. It's something I have as well in a sense so I know not to shut people up from my own particular position. But again, probably a misuse of the word. We'll leave it at that then.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Luke: I'm sorry man, I can only imagine how tough that must have been. I only wish you (and everyone here) all the best, and no difference in opinion will change that.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin and Tahmeed: That means alot to me guys. All I want is to get along and talk about what we're really here for. THE MOVIES! :)

Anonymous said...

Louis, Luke didn't mention it but have you seen Heart Of Darkness with John Malkovich and Against The Wall with Samuel L. Jackson and Kyle MacLachlan.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Okay, my entire Twitter feed has more or less declared Ellen Busrtyn the new frontrunner for Supporting Actress in Pieces of a Woman. Make of that what you will.

Luke Higham said...

Anyone other than Close is a win for me.

Matt Mustin said...

Robert: I'd certainly be fine with seeing her get another one.

Calvin Law said...

Omar’s seen Burstyn and he said she’s good (I think it was a 4 he gave her), with one great scene.

I also low-key think Youn Yuh-jung has a strong chance, she just got into the Gotham Awards as the only supporting performance nominated.

Matt Mustin said...

She probably should have won for The Exorcist, to be honest.

Michael McCarthy said...

She was incredible in The Exorcist AND Alice Doesn’t Live Here...also The Last Picture Show. Fuck it, I guess I’m an Ellen Burstyn simp.

Tim said...

Why is no one mentioning Requiem For A Dream?

John Smith said...

My favorite by her is in 'The Last Picture Show'. Requiem For A Dreamis a performance i some have reservations towards, but her final scene is amazing and so is the physical degradation the character.

Luke Higham said...

Tim: I've yet to see Requiem For A Dream but those that have wouldn't call it her best work and they all gave her a 4.5.

Tim said...

Luke: it's been some time since i've seen it (putting on rewatch-list), and i would not call it her very best either, but i still found her genuinely effective

Bryan L. said...

Louis: What are some Batman characters that you think Robert Mitchum could’ve been a good fit for?

Emi Grant said...

You guys had a fun time yesterday, huh?

Mitchell Murray said...

Emi: Yes, it was certainly...a thing.

Mitchell Murray said...

Bryan: For the the "middle aged" Mitchum IE "Cape Fear" to "Ryan's Daughter"...

Carmine Falcone
Roman Sionis
Harvey Dent

Stefan Klein said...

Hi again guys,

I have a question for you all: Which TV show would you recommend right now (that I can actually watch over here in Germany)?
Let me elaborate just a bit: I was very much into several shows like House M.D. or The Walking Dead (yes, I know), but after season 6 or 7 I couldn't bring myself to watch them anymore. According to my personal theory, almost all shows have jumped the shark (is that right?) after season 6 or 7. That's probably the reason I liked Breaking Bad and Babylon 5 (does anyone of you know it?) so much. Although the latter should have ended with season 4. At least it had two constantly good to great performances (by Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik, in my opinion anyway).
I would really appreciate any and all recommendations.
Another thing: This one is the only blog I follow. I'm way too old to put up with crap on the internet. So thank you very much, Mr Louis Morgan. And all the other regular contributors.
PS: Ellen Burstyn is very good in Requiem for a Dream. But I won't watch that dang movie ever again. Way too depressing.

Luke Higham said...

Stefan Klein: I was addicted to Game Of Thrones then the 5th season hit and I felt rather baffled. 6 was great but 7 and 8 was a disaster despite how great some individual scenes were. I only follow Louis, Calvin and Bryan's blogs though Louis the most as he's had 10 years worth of content.

Emi Grant said...

Stefan: Have you tried Mad Men? I personally don't think it ever had a truly bad season. Sure, some people don't love Seasons 6 and 7 as much as 4 or 5, but they never truly "jump the shark" nor fall down abysmally in quality.

Luke: Now that you phrase it like that, how many people can actually claim that? Putting out legitimate and engrossing content for over 10 years on a blog? I feel like Louis is one of the few people on Earth who can himself a blogger and have as much legitimacy as a top notch journalist.

Luke Higham said...

Emi Grant: I bet 70-75% of bloggers give up after 6 months to a year when trying to start up one. I tried myself once when doing a post on LOTR but didn't have the urge to follow up on it.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: And I'm glad he made Blogger his own platform because if he was in the Media for instance, he'd be under alot more scrutiny from others, especially from those with a toxic fandom of any popular film.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: Also, I have noticed you in comment sections on 411mania and who are your 5 favourite wrestlers.

Mitchell Murray said...

Luke and Emi: I mean, I'd just refer to my run at being a blogger; It wasn't strenuous by any margin, but it still took a lot out of me, and eventually I needed to let it go in favour of other pursuits.

The fact that Louis has kept his Blog up and running for so long is quite an achievement, to say the least.

Tim said...

Stefan: Lost

Anonymous said...

Louis, your thoughts on Harris's performance of this scene from Cromwell.
youtube.com/watch?v=gVzIolbSlG0

Emi Grant said...

Luke: Oh, shit. You noticed me there? Well, no reason for me to pretend I don't love wrestling. I mostly just catch up with New Japan, but I don't mind watching random matches from AEW/WWE/ROH/etc. from time to time.

1. Katsuyori Shibata (His retirement was rough for me)
2. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Johnny Gargano
4. Kyle O'Reilly
5. Tetsuya Naito

(Shingo Takagi, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, Hiromu Takahashi, Kenny Omega and Naomichi Marufuji are also up there for me)

Luke Higham said...

Emi: My favourite to have come in recent years is WALTER. My all-time favourites are Ric Flair (The man was a god on the mic in the 80s and 90s), Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar (I know he gets a lot of stick these days but he's still the most legit, badass motherfucker to ever enter a Pro Wrestling ring), Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit (The performer, not the person), Chris Jericho and Edge. I may be missing a few.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Thank you for the mention. Need to get back on it.

Btw, did you completely delete your LoTR post or do you still have a copy of it by chance? I wouldn’t mind reading it again, but if it’s gone, that’s ok.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: I saw the Tanahashi/Suzuki match from New Japan in 2012. I only ever followed more intensely the US mainstream promotions.

Luke Higham said...

Bryan: No it's gone I'm afraid. :(

Luke Higham said...

Emi: I saw highlights of the Okada/Omega matches and seen some of the latter's work in AEW. To be frank, I like Okada but I'm no fan of Omega.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Damn :/ Oh well, it was a good read at least!

Anonymous said...

Louis: I remember how you mentioned how easy it is to screw up on capturing yellows in film, so I'm curious, would you say it's the most difficult color to do well out of all the colors you can think of? And the easiest color to capture well?

Matt Mustin said...

Regarding the blogs, was writing some performance reviews for a bit there, but I don't know how many people were actually reading them. I might go back to it here and there but it will definitely never be a full-time thing.

Luke Higham said...

Matt: I have read your reviews but I need content on at least a semi-regular basis to be kept on board.

Luke Higham said...

1 a month would suffice.

Luke Higham said...

Now Calvin hasn't updated on his blog lately but he does use other platforms like Letterboxd and Instagram so I still get content from him that way.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: Yeah, see, that's also kinda why I stopped, I don't really need that pressure.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: The content I put out on social media is usually my own real-life stuff, such as my acting and related things. I'm on Letterboxd very frequently though.

Luke Higham said...

Matt: Understandable, It's all a matter of choice in the end.

Luke Higham said...

Matt: Could you possibly give me your account web address on Letterboxd.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: It's literally just my name

Emi Grant said...

Luke: I love all of those that you mention (especially Styles, Jericho, Angle and Benoit, the performer) I just hate that I couldn't grow up with them during the early 2000s. Styles and Jericho are still kicking ass, tho.

I also still like Brock a lot. Marked out big time when he returned in 2012.

Omega can be divisive, but when he flourished in New Japan through 2016-2017, he was something else. Maybe the Naito/Omega match from the G1 Climax 26 can give you a better picture of him.

WALTER is fucking awesome. His matches with Dunne, Bate, Thatcher on Progress and his latest with Dragunov are absolute bangers. The latter is my match of the year, currently.

I'm also a fan of Tana and Murder Grandpa Suzuki. I need to re-watch that match.

I'm honestly just a mark for New Japan, but I do follow some US promotions too. I love a lot from mid-2000s Ring Of Honor, PWG and some matches from EVOLVE.

I also used to do highlights years ago. Good times.

Louis Morgan said...

Watched The Life Ahead, nice just to see Loren again more than anything, though the film is largely just fine, it is also just fine I suppose. There isn't anything its execution that is notable, though it succeeds within its fairly standard approach as well. Never a bad film (well other than a terrible CGI Lion), but also never a great one.

Loren - 4
Gueye - 4




Regarding Supporting Actress, I could see Burstyn, but Seyfried seems to be getting a lot of best in shows for Mank (if it's a tech juggernaut that could easily be one of its "above the line" wins).

Luke:

Well Grammer and Pierce were quite deserving of their frequent recognition. That is they were quite wonderful in their mutually impeccable timing in realizing both farce and wit with equal measure in their performances. They had a wonderful sense of any given situation they were thrown in, and for the first seven seasons or so could effectively dip towards the dramatic without going too far. I will say their work, much like the series, became less impactful largely because of the series lost really a lot of its balance and comic thrust later on. Although not bereft of quality material from either, it was a mistake to keep them separated from each other too often. The series should've ended with the will they/won't they, as that was the apex of both the comic and dramatic situations. Having resolved it lost so much potential within comic misunderstanding and lost anywhere for the show really to go afterwards.

Mahoney provided just the right straight man balance for both Grammer and Pierce in very much balancing their work through his often dead pan reactions. His performance offering just the right sort of "straight man" to their wackiness. In addition, he was particularly good at every single one of his "father's speeches", excelling each time, even when the show lost its way.

Leeves and Gilpen I think were often overshadowed by the "family", though I do think both offered fine support, largely more often in the show's minor dramatic moments more so than their overt comedy. Although they were more than fine in that respect as well.

Anonymous:

Have not, I've been focusing largely on features (made the exception for Julia's most awarded turn), and have been quite enjoying myself with that. Perhaps stating the obvious, but the amount of good films from 94 is remarkable. Often times I'll be a little fed up by the backlog at a certain point, but here I'm loving it.

Bryan:

Throw one in for Deathstroke.

Emi Grant:

Appreciate the kind words.

Anonymous:

Although I prefer Guinness in the film (helped by the complex portrayal of Charles as well compared to Cromwell who is made a generalized freedom fighter type), Harris is strong in the role. This speech being an excellent example of that as he delivers with it such a potent passion, but also anguish all the same. Harris showing the disgust of the man in reflection towards those who deny freedom just as he so passionately speaks for freedom.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: WALTER's matches with Bate and Dragunov are my two favourite matches in the past few years.

TBH, I'm really not a fan of the multiple falsh finishes philosophy in matches these days, I've become incredibly burnt out by them. I love Taker/HBK from WM XXV but it did have a negative influence unfortunately.

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: The more I've watched Frasier the more I've grown to appreciate Mahoney as the heart of the entire series.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: What's your view on Lesnar breaking Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak. I always thought Lesnar was the most believable guy to end the streak, problem was he was booked like shit for much of his run up to that point. Losing to he who I do not wish to name on his return was a joke and having three matches with the master of burying talent and losing 1 of them was shit.

Still, seeing all those shocked fans in the crowd that night brought a smile to my face.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: thoughts on Loren and Gueye?

Omar Franini said...

Louis: would you place Loren in leading or in supporting?

As for Burstyn, she’s definitely getting nominated but i don’t see her winning, she has a limited role but a baity one as she plays the anxious and edgy mother of Kirby’s character. She has a terrific monologue in the second half, and that scene alone should be enough for a nomination.

Tim said...

funniest thing would be if Mank in the end won Best Original Screenplay and nothing else

Calvin Law said...

I have to admit that as good as Mank looks I’m way more intrigued by several of the other BP contenders.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Instead of New Year, will you be posting your Oscar Predictions for Lead and Supporting Actor on March 1st.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Mitchell: Mob Psycho 100 season 2 is a masterpiece, it somehow reaches even greater heights than season 1. Excellent stuff.

Luke: I think as long as there are enough precursor nominations by January (which I'm not fully aware of, by the t), I think we can have a pretty good idea of who the nominees might be by January. Then again, this year does merit the exception.

Mitchell Murray said...

Tahmeed: Good to hear! Honestly, this is one of those instances where I wish I knew nothing about the show. But because of the Death Battle episode "Mob Vs Tatsumaki", I already know about the broccoli thing, and Mob's cloud/building feats.

I happen to like that match up quite a bit so I don't regret it too much, but I still wish I had the surprise factor going in.

Emi Grant said...

Luke: I just think it's a shame that it happened on match like that. It had to happen after all and after the Michaels/HHH programs, it was never going to get any better. At least it did kind of serve Brock alongside the Cena squash match to look like a beast.

I do wish though that Lesnar didn´t get booked for so many finisher spam matches, he can deliver with just 15 minutes and deliver he does.

Oh, and yeah. He probably should have gone over in Extreme Rules '12.

Calvin Law said...

I feel like Loren should be in supporting but when watching it I don’t know...I also kind of felt like she was such a big part of every frame even when offscreen. I don’t know really which category I’ll place for now.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: I think Lesnar enjoys working more with smaller guys as they make him look an even greater threat. I really love the program he had with CM Punk & the storytelling in their match from 2013 and his matches with Styles (Needed another 5 minutes) and Bryan were tremendous.

Luke Higham said...

Emi: Also, my fantasy match for Brock Lesnar is 2004/5 Samoa Joe.

Anonymous said...

Luke and Louis, your thoughts on Wonder Woman 1984 possibly having a limited theatrical release in December and be released on HBO Max the following week.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I think they have to release it soon because the costs from delaying and promoting it are piling up by the day that could lead to a financial black hole and there's no guarantee the situation will be better by Spring.

And it's going to take some time for Cinemas/Theatres to have a resurgence.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Based on his work in Steve Jobs, how do you think Danny Boyle would fare in directing a Harold Pinter adaptation?

Louis Morgan said...

Matt:

I would agree.

Calvin:

Gueye - 4(A strong confident performance to be sure. I think that is what is needed more than anything. This is a wholly convincing performance that is never in any way lacking in terms of being a youth performance in any way. Gueye's good in relating just well the quiet conflict within the character and the sense of growing warmth within his relationship with Loren's Rosa. It's a consistently good performance as he just naturally realizes the roles in a way that grants the right authenticity to his character.)

Loren - 4(She is supporting by virtue that her screentime is far too limited and in the end it is really just Gueye's story in the end. I think what gives a second thought to it is the film comes most alive when she is onscreen, which unfortunately is limited. Loren has as commanding of a screen presence as ever. Loren's portrayal brings the innate strength even in her upper 80's she has just that power of personality. Here finding it with such an ease that combines though the quiet warmth within her work and a striking quietly humorous cunning. The best scenes of the film easily are those just between Gueye and her, where they develop an honest chemistry. One that not only makes the relationship believable but quite moving. I wish there had been more scenes of her with him, and could've honestly allowed those scenes to go on for longer. Still when Loren is onscreen the film is at its best, unfortunately she's not in it enough.)

Omar:

See thoughts on Loren.

Anonymous:

Seems they've run out of options honestly, and best they can do, is make the best of a bad situation.

Bryan:

I don't know, only because that was so surprisingly restrained work, I can't help but feel the psychological elements of Pinter who lead to a lot of "editing into the mind" of the characters, which I would not want t see.

Anonymous said...

Luke, What would you like to see happen between now and the Oscars.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Well, It's up to Louis on what he wants to do. For me personally, if 70/79 is finished by the end of January, I would like the next backlog lineup plus viewing recommendations.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Similar to the Directors that frustrate you question, can you name 10 Actors/Actresses (One List) that you would say the same for in the past 5 years and your reasons why.

Luke Higham said...

Did anyone see that Justice League: Snyder Cut only having 4 added minutes. What a Joke.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke:He's just shooting four new minutes. There's plenty more unseen footage that wi be in it.

Luke Higham said...

Matt: We shall see. His past track record doesn't give me any hope at all.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: Oh, it'll be terrible, I'm just saying those headlines are misleading

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Oh I see what you mean.

Lastly, your alternate casting choice instead of Phillips Holmes in The Criminal Code?

Mitchell Murray said...

So in relation to my previous comments, I finished the 4th season of "Hunter X Hunter" just now. It's unfortunate that Netflix doesn't have the remaining 2 seasons of the show, because I certainly wouldn't mind checking them out. I simply found myself more invested in the series than what I've seen of the comparable "Naruto" and "Bleach"; If I had to guess, I think a lot of that comes down to the overall better pacing, animation and music. Beyond those qualities, the show also has a consistent sense of fun and a likable leading pair in Gon and Killua (Who's relationship gets into Sam and Frodo territory at times, and I'm sure there are certain corners of the fanbase who embrace that in ways I do not).

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Regarding the annual predictions, it will probably remain, as it is never intended even to be my final predictions, just a set of predictions, and I'll admit here part of it as practicality, as I am usually busy at that time and it allows for a post that I'll admit typically doesn't take long. This year it will probably be more inaccurate than usual, but that's okay.

Robert Downey Jr. (Can do way more, despite being good as Stark, any other choices have been uninspired or downright questionable in the case of Doolittle.)
Johnny Depp (Outlier Black Mass, but showed that he just relies way too much on shtick.)
Adam Sandler (For every Uncut Gems, there's 20 schlocky nonsense.)
Forest Whitaker (It's easy to forget he wasn't always such a ham.)
John Travolta (Hard to say what's the exact problem, but he really should look for roles that hue closer to a Tom Hanks)
Jennifer Lawrence (All that great natural talent wasted.)
Jessica Chastain (Same though less extreme.)
Oscar Isaac (Shame he hasn't be able to return to his 2011-2015 streak, though hey he was the best part of Suburbicon at least)
Mickey Rourke - (Shame he was never able to get out of his own way.)
Javier Bardem - (Frankly I'm not quite sure what's going with him, as he hasn't done anything interesting in awhile)

Bryan:

A good actor.

Tim said...

So, i watched several movies yesterday. I didn't really have a theme, just wildly mixing some movies i wanted to watch for a while. It was a wild night.


At first Searching. Unknown User, but good. I loved the premise and the way it stuck to it all through. THE BIG twist in the end was a bit too much for me, but i realised that at least the foreshadowing for it was really really good and that it actually brought the movie along, so i kind of got around to it.


Cho: 4
Merrick: 3.5



Then i saw It Happened One Night, which i was dying to see for ages. I was actually somewhat embarassed not to have already seen it as someone who claims to like romantic comedies. I enjoyed it a lot, although the pacing kind of goes down in the last half hour. I also did not really laugh much, less for the actors (who did all they could) and more for the writing; it was just not my humor.


Gable: 5
Colbert: 5
Connolly: 4



Complete 180 to Mandy. it was .... a movie.
That's the only thing i am sure of at this point. Is it pretensious and full of itself, or one of the great style-over-substance movies of all time? I have not really decided yet, but the violence fetishist in me had fun. (Note to self: do not watch while high)


Cage: 4.5
Roache: 4.5
Riseborough: 3.5
Brake: 3.5
Dennehy: 3




And then, after an almost 4 year break, i finally finished the best ever Best Actor lineup by watching Fences. I found it pretty fantastic actually.


Washington: 5
Davis: 5 (do not mind putting her in supporting, she is kind of both)
Williamson: 4
Hornsby: 3.5
Adepo: 4
Henderson: 3


2016)
5) Garfield
4) Affleck
3) Mortensen
2) Gosling
1) Fences




yeah, i had fun yesterday

Tim said...

the hell do i write "Fences" for?

* 1) Washington

houndtang said...

Only saw this film once, over 20 years ago, but remember it well. Great performances all round.

Emi Grant said...

Louis: Thoughts on the cast for the remake of The Guilty?

Tim said...

Louis: your thoughts on the screenplay for Thank You For Smoking?

Mitchell Murray said...

Tim: Troy's monologue about his abusive dad is still, without question, Washington's best acting moment to date.

Also, its not anime related, but I'm currently watching Netflix's "Castlevania" series. As someone who never played the games, I'm finding the show quite good with it's intriguing characters and rather striking animation.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: I think I mentioned it to you during the 1966 bonus rounds, but isn't John Randolph lead in Seconds? The film is about his character after all, and he is lead during his screen time.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Could I have your thoughts on the infamous psychiatrist monologue from Psycho?

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: You can find his thoughts on that scene in Charlton Hestons’ review for Major Dundee.

Luke Higham said...

RIP Soumitra Chatterjee

Louis Morgan said...

Well Ma Rainey's initial reactions suggest that Boseman's definitely in the running at the very least.

Emi Grant:

Well I'll say Gyllehnaal could be promising in that role, and that is a wide array of memorable voices in Hawke, Dano, Burr, Joy Randolph...among others, if they are just voices.

Having said that, the rest of the creative team though excites me far less. Antoine Fuqua is at best a competent director (a little bit of a stretch to say that) and I'm not looking forward to some excessive "kinetic" editing to make the chamber drama "more exciting", and if it is still a one location film. Also we have Nic Pizzolatto as the screenwriter, whose dialogue might be a little hard to take for a story that is almost entirely driven by it. Again, also with a director who probably will not find a way to temper it.

Although as always with remakes, will it bare little resemblance (then what's the point) or it will be a carbon copy (then what's the point). I mean one can make a great remake with an entirely new vision, but I'm not sure what the variation for that film would be, furthermore I doubt Fuqua/Pizzolatto are the ones to discover it. But hey, who knows maybe it'll be great.

Tim:

Thank You For Smoking is one of the few times I feel Reitman's seeming misanthropic views actually worked for the material. Although within the screenplay itself I think what he largely constructs is an entertaining narrative largely through embracing just how despicable his central character is and running with it. The whole screenplay works in whatever sleazeball thing Nick will do next. Honestly also as written it probably wouldn't have at all worked with a less charismatic turn, as Eckhart does a whole lot. This is as I do enjoy the film largely through embracing an atypical protagonist, but honestly if you break it down there is nothing notable within its satirical approach, other than suggesting most are unabashed and hypocrtical in their agenda no matter what they're selling. The screenplay though actually technically wimps out on making it a universal indictment by specifically making Nick a hypocrite, by rightfully removing a scene of him backtracking on letting his son smoke. In turn making Nick a bit more of a hypocrite than the rest, which cheapens itself a bit, so I'll say Reitman made the right move in removing that moment. I actually don't think it is brilliant anyways, working best as a screenplay just as setups to let Eckhart entertain in an unlikely character study, but it does work in that context.