Thursday 29 July 2021

Alternate Best Actor 1964

And the Nominees Were Not:

Innokenty Smoktunovsky in Hamlet
 
Ivan Dixon in Nothing But a Man
 
Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death

Eiji Okada in Woman in the Dunes
 
Saro Urzì in Seduced and Abandoned

105 comments:

Luke Higham said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Price
3. Dixon
4. Okada
5. Urzi

Louis: I'm so glad you liked Coster-Waldau. Your rating and thoughts on him.

Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the 3.5s and 4s in Supporting.

And thoughts on the Sunset Sing cast.

Luke Higham said...

Rating and thoughts on Maria Bonnevie as well in A Second Chance.

Shaggy Rogers said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Okada
3. Dixon
4. Price
5. Urzi

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: what is your top 6 - 10 for Best Director from 2015?

Luke Higham said...

*Sunset Song cast

Jack Chung said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Okada
3. Dixon
4. Urzi
5. Price

Aidan Pittman said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Okada
3. Urzi
4. Dixon
5. Price

Razor said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Okada
3. Price
4. Urzi
5. Dixon

Louis: Waltz a 1.5 now, eh?

Also, your 11-20 films from 2015.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Any updated thoughts on Waltz in Spectre.

He must've had one of the biggest rating drops ever since you gave him a 4 on the very first viewing.

Robert MacFarlane said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Price
4. Okada
5. Urzi

GM said...

1. Dixon
2. Okada
3. Smoktunovsky
4. Urzi
5. Price

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on the cast of 10,000 Saints.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and ratings too of course.

Matt Mustin said...

MAJOR downgrade for Waltz, wow.

Matt Mustin said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Okada
4. Price
5. Urzi

(I don't know)

Matt Mustin said...

House of Gucci looks like it could go either way, but right now, oof, I don't know. Gaga looks promising. Leto looks horrible.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on the aforementioned trailer.

Mitchell Murray said...

This is really a shot in the dark, to be frank.

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Okada
3. Dixon
4. Urzi
5. Price

Also, on an unrelated note, I rewatched "Jackie Brown" for the first time in forever; It's far from the best paced or most entertaining Tarantino film, but I still think it has merit.

Grier - 4.5
Forster - 4.5 (I've seen everyone but Hopkins for '97 supporting, and he's my favourite)
Jackson - 4
de Niro - 3.5
Keaton - 3.5
Fonda - 3

Michael Patison said...

1. Innokenty Smoktunovsky
2. Ivan Dixon
3. Saro Urzi
4. Vincent Price
5. Eiji Okada

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Coster-Waldau - 4.5(Super melodramatic film that just doesn't have the deft hand to pull off such an extreme and tricky material. Having said that, Coster-Waldau delivers a terrific performance at the center of it. This in keeping a quiet and clear conviction in the moments of emotion that temper the melodrama and give it some substance despite its flaws. He gives it his all and is moving even as the film lost me.)

Bonnevie - 4(Now she is more on the extreme end, and really the film kind of jumps the gun in more ways than one in its storytelling with her character. Having said that Bonnevie gives a powerful performance nonetheless and is convincing on that extreme, which is remarkable despite the film's weaknesses.)

Sunset Song is very much a director's film. I did think the cast acquit themselves within the approach though. Particularly Agyness Deyn who has a wonderful ethereal quality her that is piercing particularly in the way Davies shoots her performance.

Waltz's performance really is just a lazy turn. There is nothing unexpected about it, but nor is there really a basic competence in his menace either. It just seemed like he ran through the lines with the most minor of Waltz riffs, that just seems like a whole lot of nothing. I can chalk my original rating for almost assuming Waltz should be good, but there he was not completely phoning it in, but certainly was sleep walking.

Louis Morgan said...

Moller - 4(An effective performance in creating the arc of his character. This in bluntly showing the expected hatred towards the German soldiers with just the intense disregard for people associated with such terrible crimes. Moller makes the most out of every reaction though in slowly cultivating a degree of empathy however just as naturally makes his moments of snapping back towards hatred. He creates the bends authentically and showing the change of the man honestly.)

Bijvoet - 4(Quite the interesting performance in creating the sort of state of the man who both seems logical and slightly insane at the same time. His performance balances the two sides beautifully and creates the right sense of the man you can't quite get a bead on either way. It is particularly effective in contrast to his host.)

Jones - 4(Just a fun performance by Jones in every moment just having such a delightful kind of disregard for anyone or anything other than his random interests. Jones brings the right kind of fun again making his segment with Cave easily the best of the three. Also strong in his final scene in portraying the right kind of sudden realization of his abhorrent behavior throughout.)

Hofmann - 4(All the boys are good but his performance is particularly moving in creating the sense of slow dismay with every loss, though also conveying the attempts at leadership and conviction. It's a strong portrayal of this strict sort of understanding against his hosts more unwieldy manners.)

Weaving - (It is funny how Weaving gets such a greater variety of roles in Australia rather being always cast as the villain. I'll say, much the film, his character actually is a bit overwritten with his quirks, however I did like Weaving energy and empathy he brought in to ground it still.)

Mutarelli - (Find bit of sleaze then bitterness in his performance. Segueing quite effectively between the two from his early creepy flirtations to just his glare of hatred.)

Cassel - (His character's always seem slightly horny so I guess it is only fitting for him to play a complete horn dog here, enjoyably so even if his story is a touch repetitive. Cassel consistently finds the humor in it however.)

Lucas:

6. Ryan Coogler - Creed
7. Christopher McQuarrie - Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
8. Alex Garland - Ex Machina
9. Thomas Vinterberg - Far From the Madding Crowd
10. Terence Davies - Sunset Song

Anonymous:

Hawke - 4(Almost seems like he was chosen to chaperone some kids production by how much better he is than the majority of the cast. This isn't even amazing work by Hawke, but it is rock solid work particularly against a very off cast. Hawke's basic competence in alluding to history of his character without saying it, finding just a ease in a emotion seems like he's light years away here, but again that is by how bad most of the cast is.)

Nicholson/Mortimer - 3/2.5(Nicholson isn't much but she is competent as usual. Mortimer here always seems a little off and wonky. Helped I guess by worse performances around her.)

Hirsch - 1.5(Don't know what he's going for here exactly but it is not good, not good at all. Actively bad one might say. There just is no honesty in his performance. No sense of really understanding his character of creating a conviction in the nature of the role.)

Butterfield - 1.5(Also awful, though his early haircut doesn't help. His rebel attempt though feels just phony every step of the way. There isn't a moment it doesn't feel like he's not ACTING, and not even acting overtly in even an entertaining way. Just bad work altogether.)

Steinfeld - 2(There are moments where you see the better Steinfeld just as there's moments where you see her really being as awkward as Butterfield and Hirsch. She's a mix but mostly bad here unfortunately.)

Razor:

11. Ex Machina
12. Room
13. Land of Mine
14. The Martian
15. Inside Out
16. Far From the Madding Crowd
17. Steve Jobs
18. Mississippi Grind
19. Bone Tomahawk
20. Sunset Song

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

As much as it probably would benefit him to spend some more time on the scripting stage, it has to be said it is damn impressive the technical merits of Ridley Scott's films alone, as even when his films are bad I wouldn't categorize them as "poorly made", more often poorly written. This as he's basically the opposite of Scorsese with the speed in which he makes his films. The fact that he has both this and the Last Duel in the same year, both films with clearly a lot of detail in terms of aesthetic, is quite the achievement for a man in the 80's regardless of how the films work as dramatic pieces. Having said all that, I'll concur with Matt the film looks like it could go either way overall, though there does seem plenty of potential in the story and the cast...for the most part....have no idea what Leto is doing, however I guess he's going for it ...which has been disastrous the last 2 out of three time....and Blade Runner he was really taking the same type of approach I just happened to like the indulgence that time. Also anyone else chuckle at the Jeremy Irons after Jared Leto moment, as it felt like he was channeling most viewers reactions to the previous clip.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I suppose Vinterberg could've been the one to make it work.

Louis Morgan said...

I mean let's not task poor Vinterberg with all the Scandinavian stories. I doubt he would've written it quite so melodramatically, perhaps instead have the main couple be childless unable to have a kid and see the mistreated infant and go from there instead.

Michael McCarthy said...

So I just saw The Green Knight. Not sure how long it’ll be before I know what to make of it, though I was definitely very impressed with how the final sequence of the film was handled.

Calvin Law said...

I'll wait until I've watched all of these over the weekend to make my predictions.

Matthew Montada said...
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Matthew Montada said...

Michael: is it at least possible for you to give your ratings for the cast of The Green Knight?

Matt Mustin said...

Nothing But A Man (which can be found on YouTube if you're looking for it) is slow, but it's a heartbreaker.

Tim said...

1) Smoktunovsky
2) Dixon
3) Okada
4) Price
5) Urzi

Tim said...

your thoughts on the screenplay, direction and production design of The Hateful 8?

RatedRStar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RatedRStar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maciej said...

1.Smoktunovsky
2.Okada
3.Dixon
4.Urzi
5.Price

Luke Higham said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Okada
4. Urzi
5. Price

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Hamlet is also on Youtube, for anyone who's looking. Will make sure to check out both Dixon and Smoktunovsky tonight.

Luke Higham said...

Films To Watch
Hamlet At Elsinore (Christopher Plummer/Robert Shaw)
Becket (Re-watch for Richard Burton)
The Fall Of The Roman Empire
Kwaidan
The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
Charulata
Red Desert
Gertrud
Diary Of A Chambermaid
Yearning
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
The Chalk Garden
The Americanization Of Emily
The Gospel According To Matthew
Three Outlaw Samurai
The Killers
Onibaba
Cheyenne Autumn
Marriage Italian Style
The Visit
Rios Conchos
Lilith
To Love
Sweet Sweat
Father Goose
One Potato, Two Potato
That Man from Rio
Tomb Of Ligeia
Band Of Outsiders
Blood And Black Lace
The Naked Kiss
The World Of Henry Orient
Sangam
Pale Flower
The Soft Skin
Robin And The 7 Hoods
Dear Heart
What A Way To Go!
A House Is Not A Home
Nothing But The Best
The Third Secret
7 Faces Of Dr. Lao
At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul
Welcome, Or No Trespassing
Diamonds Of The Night
Intentions Of Murder
Revenge
Black Peter
The Unvanquished
The Luck Of Ginger Coffey
The Strangler

Anonymous said...

Luke, your rating predictions?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous:

Smoktunovsky - 5
Dixon - 4.5/5
Okada - 4.5
Urzi - 4.5
Price - 4

Matthew Montada said...

Calvin: Your ratings for the cast of Old since I noticed you watched it recently on Letterboxd?

8000S said...

Louis: Thoughts on the production design, costume design and cinematography of The Black Room.

Thomas said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Urzi
4. Okada
5. Price

Thoughts on Sunset Song's direction.

BRAZINTERMA said...

5º Vincent Price
4º Saro Urzì
3º Ivan Dixon
2º Eiji Okada
1º Innokenty Smoktunovsky

Hey Luke. I have one more recommendation for the list: God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun (aka Black God, White Devil) by Glauber Rocha. One of the great classics of cinema in Brazil.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

I'd say skip the Unsinkable Molly Brown and just watch the Harve Presnell numbers. His voice is divine.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: What's your current rating for John Mahoney in Say Anything, and could he go up for it?

Robert MacFarlane said...

I have no clue what to make of The Green Knight. Ask me in a few days what I thought.

Matthew Montada said...

Robert: is it possible for you to at least give your ratings for the cast?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Matthew: I don’t do ratings.

Stephen Patterson said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Urzi
4. Okada
5. Price

Louis Morgan said...

The Green Knight will require some contemplation for my overall feelings on the film, however I can say now it is at the very least a mesmerizing visual feast and the ending is rather extraordinary.

Saving Patel.

Vikander - 4
Edgerton - 3.5
Choudhury - 3.5
Harris - 4
Ineson - 3.5
Dickie - 3
Keoghan - 4
Kellyman - 3

Robert MacFarlane said...

If I had to pick an MVP, I’d say it was Vikander.

Anonymous said...

What actresses of the golden age had the most range?

Calvin Law said...

Patel getting raves everywhere makes me so hopeful for the future of POC led genre films.

Anonymous said...

Louis, what are your thoughts on Heaven Knows What?

Omar Franini said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Dixon
3. Okada
4. Price
5. Urzi

Louis: have you seen Tangerine and Our Little Sister? What’s your rating for Agyness Deyn in Sunset Song?

Calvin Law said...

So I’m going to watch Okada tomorrow, but having seen the other four I’m a lot higher on Urzi than most it seems

John Smith said...

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Price
3. Dixon
4. Okada
5. Urzi

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the 'decaffeinated' scene from Hot Fuzz?

Marcus said...

Louis: With how common category fraud is now, hypothetically speaking, would you prefer it if five 5-star worthy Lead performances were nominated in the Supporting category, when all of the other truly supporting contenders gave lesser performances?

Ytrewq Wertyq said...

Louis, your 5 best Dom DeLuise's performances?

Anonymous said...

What are the top 10 worst performances nominated for an Oscar in any category?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Halfway through Seduced and Abandoned, and there's no way Urzi is getting 5th in this lineup.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: Having read the letterboxd reviews for it, he's definitely 3rd minimum.

Jack Chung said...

I'm glad that people are liking Urzi's work, he is truly the heart and soul of his film.

RatedRStar said...

Woman in the Dunes is the only one I've seen.

1) Smoktunovsky
2) Urzi
3) Dixon
4) Okada
5) Price

Louis Morgan said...

Tim:

Well attempting to write the screenplay thoughts keeps getting complicated so I'll start with the other two first.

Tarantino is someone who is considered a writer first, but the truth is he is terrific director. Here is a case of creating the dread filled tone of the piece. In part through the use of Morricone's score old and original, in creating the mood of the piece that which he punctuates with The Great Silence inspired style snowscapes that are both wide and isolating. The same of his interior work within that creates a unique kind of tension while also realizing a specific atmosphere. There's a quality of his work of the unknown threat just in specific shots and insert moments. This while also his typical violent induced comedy, which one thing the man does know is his timing even if one can easily argue it might threaten his more dramatic intentions at time. I think though he does cull himself enough at specific moments to make some standout moments. For example the opening cabin ride in discussing Marquis's past, the subtle mix in of the screaming soldiers is brilliant, the quietude given to the brief discussion between him and Smithers before directing it to a kind of nightmarish grandeur as the story grow, or the very final moment that is beautifully restrained with a final song choice that couldn't be better.

I mean the production design is pretty much the haberdashery, Crucifix and the wagon. The last pretty straight forward, the middle quite striking bit of iconography and the major interior filled with a kind of western character to every bit of it that feels particularly lived in.

8000's:

The production design and costume of the Black Room is almost comical in terms of comparing it to other more stodgy, though more self-serious, historical dramas. This as The Black Room has such vivid detail and an atmospheric quality. Slightly twisted in its designs as per fitting a horror film, like the black room itself. The costumes as well in designing the two brother and their natures is particularly effective. Really wonderfully vivid gothic work that puts other costume design of the period to a bit of shame at times.

Speaking of vivid work Allen G. Siegler's cinematography is some beautiful work in creating such distant contrasts in black and white, and fashioning again the gothic qualities so effectively. The composition and framing of the shots, particularly the brothers is just brilliantly done in creating the right refinement and off-beat energy.

Louis Morgan said...


Thomas:

Sunset Song's direction is best described as soulful and what is often a straight forward story does have a second life through the sort of powerful qualities infused into it by Terrence Davies's direction. This as he seems to just super charge the emotion of moments whether it is just a brief moment of someone standing still, or a greater moment of a crowd in a religious moment. There is a real beauty in the seemingly mundane he captures that is incredibly striking all on its own.

Tahmeed:

3.5 at the moment, I like his performance though I kind of like that aspect of the film the least, that is the criminal element to be specific. But it's possible.

Anonymous:

I'd say the top five are probably:

Vivien Leigh
Joan Fontaine
Olivia de Havilland
Greta Garbo
Shelley Winters

Anonymous:

Heaven Knows What reminds me of something like Who's That Knocking on My Door, though a little more refined than that, in that you can see a truly talented director refining themselves and finding their voice. This as the quality of the work is still there, but it is just a lot messier and disjointed. Still I think even with that it is effective to a degree as basically their own Panic in Needle Park. Again you can see them still developing but the talent is there.

Omar:

I did not.

4, she'd be higher but found he a touch off her final big emotional moment.

Anonymous:

I mean a very darkly comical bit of the confusion on Angel's face to the cut to the rather intense remains to be honest.

Marcus:

I mean that happened just this year with LaKeith Stanfield's nomination, he was more than a few notches better than any of the 7th spot contenders who seemed to have a legit shot (Murray, Leto, Boseman). So I guess I have to say yes, only because I am glad he got nominated over those three performance. My preferred scenario though is zero category fraud and a bit more imagination in the nominating process, because if say Stanfield had gotten in over say Mendelsohn or Dennehy, I would have been a bit annoyed.

Ytrewq:

Uhhhh...

1. The Secret of NIMH
2. Spaceballs
3. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
4. SilentMovie
5. The Twelve Chairs

Anonymous:

1. Sean Penn - I Am Sam
2. Richard Dix - Cimarron
3. Joan Lorring - The Corn is Green
4. Mikhail Baryshnikov - The Turning Point
5. Leslie Browne - The Turning Point
6. Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy
7. Eric Roberts - Runaway Train
8. Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
9. Anthony Franciosca - A Hatful of Rain
10. Will Smith - Ali

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Any particular reason Love and Mercy didn't make the cut for your top 20 films of 2015? While the stuff involving Giamatti's character is flawed, the film did grow a bit for me on rewatch.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Simply slipped my mind somehow when compiling the list, it would be my #15 actually.

Anonymous said...

Did your opinion of Jeanne Crain in Pinky improve? Because you originally gave her a 1.

Also I assume you weren’t including performances that didn’t win, but where would you place Mary Pickford on the list?

Anonymous said...

*I meant “were including” not weren’t

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Okay, guys if you want me to casually and somewhat promptly make such lists, please grant a degree of understanding that I am often going through long lists in my memory and one may slip through the crack just by the virtue of the length of the list of names. There is no reason to jump to immediate conclusions and questions about a missing name.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about that

Aidan Pittman said...

I got to see The Green Knight today and thought it was pretty great overall, though I may need some further thought to decide how I wholly feel about it (likely for the better).

Patel - 5
Ineson - 4
Vikander - 4
Harris - 4
Choudhury - 3.5
Keoghan - 4
Kellyman - 3
Edgerton - 3.5

Anonymous said...

What do you think of these original casting choices?

Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn-Thelma and Louise

Tilda Swinton or Miranda Richardson-Margaret Schlegel

Claudette Colbert, Ingrid Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, or Barbra Stanwyck- Margo Channing

Glenda Jackson- Sister Jeanne des Anges

Vanessa Redgrave- Miss Jean Brodie

Anonymous said...

Also Greta Garbo as Norma Desmond

Calvin Law said...

I'm going to go with my own personal preferences as my prediction:

1. Smoktunovsky
2. Urzi
3. Okada
4. Dixon
5. Price

Should note that I really loved all four of the top 4 performances and films and I do think Price is good even if I don't care that much for his film overall.

Matthew Montada said...

The Green Knight is one of my top 3 favorite films of the year so far! Here is my Letterboxd review for those who are curious to know my full thoughts:

https://boxd.it/22gvAv

As for my ratings for the cast:
Dev Patel - 5
Alicia Vikander - 4.5
Sean Harris - 4
Ralph Ineson - 3.5
Sarita Choudhury - 3.5
Barry Keoghan - 4
Katie Dickie - 3
Joel Edgerton - 3.5
Erin Kellyman - 3

Anonymous said...

Louis: What Jacques Audiard films have you watched, and what would you rate those films out of five (I know you only usually give ratings for performance, but I wouldn't mind if you aren't able to come to a rating out of five)?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Streep/Hawn obviously paired before, however together definitely would seem unusual. I could see Streep in Sarandon's role more so than Hawn in Davis's. I don't think Streep would be as ideal though either.

Richardson is easy to see, as she's a similar performer to Thompson to begin with, though I wouldn't imagine her fairing better however. Swinton, particularly 90's Swinton, I don't quite see having the right kind of presence there entirely, or at least not as good as Thompson.

Out of that group I think only Dietrich, Crawford and Stanwyck have the innate kind of needed diva presence needed for Channing, Bergman would've been entirely miscast, and Colbert did have that side if needed, Cleopatra for example, but less ideal. Of the other three I do think Davis was the ideal candidate but could see those three all doing well.

Jackson would fit into the role like a glove.

Smith was perfection in the part. I could see Redgrave making a go of it, but probably would be a touch more artificial. Smith I think finds a sneakier way of achieving the particular ferocity involved with the character's philosophy that doesn't sabotage the charm, which is quite a feat that I don't see Regrave quite mustering.

Garbo I think would've been great, however not as great. This as I feel her take probably would've been more overtly tragic and less twisted, the twisted take being more ideal for the material.

Anonymous:

Well my ranking of his work would be:

1. The Sister Brothers
2. The Beat That My Heart Skipped
3. Rust and Bone
4. Dheepan

I'd recommend all 4 films and consider them all good, though from what I've seen he hasn't made a elevated great film yet.

Anonymous said...

Could I also have your thoughts about these:

Diane Lane, Winona Ryder, Kate Winslet- Viola de Lesseps

Elizabeth Banks, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Andrea Riseborough- Tiffany Maxwell

Uta Hagen- Georgie Elgin

Angela Lansbury, Anne Bancroft, and Geraldine Page- Nurse Ratched

Jessica Tandy- Blanche Dubois

Tim said...

McAdams as Tiffany Maxwell?



no.

Anonymous said...

Why not?

It seems like something in her lane given her performance in Game Night

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Lane I could see, Winslet seems ideal honestly, but Ryder doesn't really fit the style of the role.

All would be better cast in terms of the age of the character who obviously was supposed to be older than very early twenties as written. I'd probably go with Dunst from this group, but honestly I think all would have very different, all potentially very interesting takes, well maybe not Hathaway.

Hagen would obviously be better cast as Kelly was far too young and glamorous as the part is written despite the attempts to downplay that. Hagen apparently thrived on stage with it, however my exposure to her on film is limited to her remarkable one scene wonder in Boys from Brazil and limited role in Reversal of Fortune. Still I think she probably would've been better.

Bancroft, Lansbury and Page I think also would've great, and would've loved to see their alternate universe takes.

Tandy's take is documented as less sympathetic, which sounds interesting within the dynamic of the story, but might've been less ideal for the film version. And of course Leigh was excellent.

Anonymous said...

What is your top 10 “teen” movies?( Ex: Easy A,Clueless etc.)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Anonymous: Not sure if a few of these fit the mold exactly, but mine would be:

Back to the Future
The Karate Kid
Sing Street
The Breakfast Club
Say Anything
The Edge of Seventeen
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Lady Bird
Eighth Grade
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

8000S said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Blood on the Moon as a missed opportunity?

Michael Patison said...

Anonymous:
11, but close enough

Back to the Future
Sing Street
Mean Girls
Pretty in Pink
Easy A
Lady Bird
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Edge of Seventeen
Say Anything
The Duff
Bend It Like Beckham

Anonymous said...

Lastly

Liv Ullman-Sophie Zawistowski

Isabelle Adjani, Ellen Barkin, Stockard Channing- Alex Forrest

Helen Hayes- Norma Besant

Shirley MacLaine- Diana Scott

Ingrid Bergman- Katie Holstrom

Kate Winslet- Tessa Abbott-Quayle

Faye Dunaway - Bree Daniels

Who would be your alternate choice for Scarlett O Hara?

Tim said...

Anonymous: well, i have just never seen McAdams play such a role

When i read Tiffany Maxwell, i think dark, brooding, depressed, foul-mouthed, bossy, a bit condescending too.


When i read Rachel McAdams i think of Owen Wilson romcoms.


The only time i have seen her come somewhat close was in Mean Girls, which was still very different.


Regina George was also mean and in control of every situation, but in completely different ways. She played nice, was more of a manipulator and and does it to achieve something.
whereas Tiffany could say whatever she wants because she simply doesn't care a lot about others.
So those two characters also have entirely different presences.


also, i don't exactly get the comparison with Game Night? Is it because both are comedies? i must be missing something ...

Matt Mustin said...

Tim: You know she's an actress, right? The image you have of her as someone from "Owen Wilson romcoms" is on you, not her. She was in Spotlight, for Christ's sake.

Calvin Law said...

Honestly out of that lot, Dunst or McAdams are probably the best choices.

Robert MacFarlane said...

McAdams would have probably ruled. I have no clue why Tim keeps dumping on her on this blog, she’s been consistently great for the last few years.

Tim said...

Matt: yes, but many Actors have a certain type that they work in. Some don not and are complete Chameleons, but most Actors cannot play literally every role.

I think you might have misinterpreted my shorthand there. When i say i think about Owen Wilson movies, that was just my shortcut to saying that she's regularly playing supportive, comforting characters. I'll admit, i should have just outright said so, but i sometimes just tend to be a bit too sarcastic for my own good.




Robert: uhh ... i ... i just don't know what you mean with "dumping"; let alone that i "keep" doing it, because

a) i think this is actually the first time i have ever spoken about her here
and
b) I don't dislike her. Far from it. She was in many films i like a lot.
I just said i don't see her as the depressed goth type, that was not meant as an insult

Louis Morgan said...

8000's:

Blood on the Moon I wouldn't call a major missed opportunity, as it is a good film, however the idea of the western film noir could've been taken further. The direction is mostly there, the cast certainly is, the script, while good, could've potentially been even tauter.

Anonymous:

The 400 Blows
American Graffiti
Back to the Future
Carrie
Donnie Darko
The Edge of Seventeen
The Karate Kid
The Last Picture Show
Sing Street
Your Name

Anonymous:

I'll be blunt it's Ullmann, she would've been great, and I'll say it, better than Streep.

Channing would've felt miscast, Barkin and Adjani would've both been very different forms of crazy, however I could see them working.

Hayes would've been better than Pickford, not much of an accomplishment, but I'm not sure I would've been thriller with the end result still.

MacLaine is such different casting from Christie, and I would say Christie was theoretically better cast, though I don't really like her performance all that much. MacLaine just doesn't seem right for the type of the vapid starlet.

Bergman probably would've been delightful, and obviously would've been a more natural fit just based on the role.

Winslet can go either way, though more consistent for me than Weisz overall, so maybe I would've preferred her there, but their takes likely would've been very similar.

70's Dunaway, so it is pretty easy to say she probably would've been great.

Well no one, Leigh was perfect. However out of the audition footage Paulette Goddard is the only one who seemed even worth comparing to Leigh's brilliance, so her.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: what present film roles do you think Jennifer Lawrence would have been suited for?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Damn, forgot that Your Name is a teen film. Definitely would be my #1 in that list then.

Marcus said...

Louis: Do you think Carey Mulligan would have been a good Scarlett for a 2010s/2020s GWTW?

8000S said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9-28x_Fdwo

Louis Morgan said...

Lucas:

Specifically trying to get her back to more naturalistic work:

Lydia Howland - Still Alice
Brie Larsons's non-Blockbuster roles

Marcus:

I could see it, though again far too tricky of material for today.

8000's:

Not surprising to hear Trevor speak so intelligently about her work given she was such an intelligence actress. Often times it seems the actor who can give such specific insights to their own work and films in general, are often great ones, which is the case for Trevor evidenced by her work and this interview.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the screenplay for Embrace of The Serpent? I’ve noticed you’ve given it the win for Best Adapted.

For me, the biggest takeaway from the film is Ciro Guerra’s direction and the cinematography, but now that I think about it, the screenplay also really did a good job of juggling both narratives alongside its themes.

Anonymous said...

Your top 10 rom com performances excluding screwball comedies?

Robert MacFarlane said...

I made a list. Feel free to add suggestions. https://letterboxd.com/koook160/list/movies-with-malevolent-handjobs/

Anonymous said...

Can I have your overall thoughts on Glenda Jackson as an actress?

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Well the conception of the adaptation was already brilliant. This in taking two explorer diaries, merging then, then turning the perspective away from the men and instead granting to the native who witnessed their entrances and exits from his land. That part alone is excellent writing on its own. What is more impressive though is the fact that Guerra and Vidal are able to turn this into a cohesive narrative where the two timelines of the explorers speak to one another through the mutual connection Karamakate. This alone allows the screenplay to explore a greater depth by portraying the influence of time on the first explorer's journey against the second. It also allows to powerfully explore the idea of the kind of potential infection of the outsider by seeing the result of the other with the first story against the second. Also just the rhyming between the two in how each find different moments of exploitation of bastardized Christianity now in the habitat and what is left of the people with the introduction of the different. This I think is interwoven, which is particularly pivotal, with still moment of intimacy between Karamakate and his companions. This just on a human level of connection but also the sense of something more spiritual particularly in the second story. There's a delicate balance as a tale of woe would've been easy to write, but instead something more complicated and remarkable was written to give a more complex examination of this idea.

Anonymous:

1. Mandy Patinkin - The Princess Bride
2. Emma Stone - La La Land
3. Jean DuJardin - The Artist
4. Bill Murray - Groundhog Day
5. Ryan Gosling - La La Land
6. Albert Brooks - Broadcast News
7. Ruth Gordon - Harold & Maude
8. Holly Hunter - Broadcast News
9. James Stewart - The Shop Around the Corner
10. Jack Lemmon - The Apartment

Robert:

Also Ironweed and The Fourth Man (perhaps one of the most malevolent of all...well other than Hyde Park on Hudson of course.)