Eli Wallach did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dancer in the Lineup.
Well Eli Wallach plays one of the two hitmen, the main killer along with Robert Keith as the more passively sadistic Julian. These two are a fascinating pair, though unfortunately it takes them 20 minutes to fully show up, regardless once they do the film starts to come to life. Wallach is always a dynamic performer, and this is yet another performance from him as this heavy. A classic heavy in many ways, as the big jawed man in a dark suit, who kills first, and just continues to kill. However Wallach finds whatever he can seemingly to be a bit more dynamic in the part. Take even his opening scene where he is talking more routinely with Julian and Wallach delivers his words as though he's a mailman who is trying to ensure the address is correct. And we see this in Wallach's performance of Dancer when he's in the state of prep before the job, and there is a kind of casually preparing things. He and Keith have a weird though effective kind of chemistry in their banter, not as friends, but as a pair of traveling salesmen who have been together for a very long time.
The two of them are fascinating as a pair with Julian setting up the targets for Dancer to destroy. And Wallach very much approaches this role as a heavy to give it as much depth as possible, even more so than I think perhaps the filmmakers intended. Wallach doesn't really approach any scene as just a standard, even as Wallach is menacing, which he most definitely is, but there is a depth to Wallach's work as there is always more going on within his mind than what he says. Wallach's fascinating because he does very much articulate the violence of the psychopath, almost with a baited breath within his eyes that murderous intention barely hides itself, but there is always more humanity to it. No simplification whatsoever with Wallach's performance, as he does always suggest a hint more, when talking even pure exposition, Wallach accentuates certain lines like "I don't write anything down" as though there is both the sense of the professionalism but a hint of vulnerability to the nature of the man.
Wallach crafts a duplicity between the character of Dancer who he portrays as a man who both is the real deal, but also kind of believes he's not on some fundamental level. Wallach's performance always has this subtle sense of vulnerability in his eyes as though he's waiting for something to fall apart for him, but his innate intensity seems to be carried almost to erase any of that vulnerability. And in turn Wallach is far more dynamic in how he approaches every killing scene because there is an unpredictability about the man that avoids the potential simplifications of the role. However there's yet another shade that Wallach gets to play where he gets to present the facade of a normal man, when he approaches a woman who unknowingly carries drugs he's after. Wallach is great in the scene because he's genuinely charming as he low key woos the woman to allow him to help her carry packages, and even has some notion of romance. Wallach's performance manages to fake the humanity of the character beautifully in the scene, but again he brings a bit more complexity yet again. There are moments of hesitation in Wallach's performance as the woman and her child are in danger from Dancer. Now this isn't really followed up within the script, but Wallach's ability to complicate the note of the killer makes the role far more interesting. One of the best scenes of Wallach complicating things comes as he meets with their secret boss, whom they failed since he couldn't get all the drugs, Wallach is excellent in showing the man trying so hard to try to explain naturally why they lost the drugs. Wallach again brings a terrific combination between sincerely trying to brush it off, but just underneath a real desperation knowing the situation could lead to his death. When the boss indicates he'll be killed for his failures, Wallach's full reveal to the man's insanity and a kind of mania is powerful. And Wallach shows the full psychopath, letting loose what he's been indicating the whole time, and creating a great crazed psychotic. Now all of this adds up to a relatively rote crime plotline, but what makes it a bit more dynamic are the two hitmen, and Wallach tries not to waste any of it. It would've been easy to have played a straight evil note the whole time, but Wallach seeks to create a greater sense of who this particular killer is and what he's going through at every turn. Now the film sort of lets him down, because in the end the film is just about getting the crooks rather than fully exploring them. Regardless even within the confines of the role, Wallach gives a captivating turn that brilliantly elevates his material.
72 comments:
Louis: Could you review Mifune before Holoubek & ratings and thoughts on the cast.
Alright, it's completely unrelated to anything normally discussed here, but as far as the exit polls are concerned, it looks like the opposition has just won the parliamentary elections here in Poland...let's just say lots of champagne will be opened tommorrow.
Louis: Now that The Fabelmans and West Side Story have settled in, your updated Steven Spielberg ranking?
Hey guys! Wanted to say after my analysis of "My Adventures with Superman", there's another film review up on my animation blog. Not much else to report, honestly, but I'll try and have another analysis prepared for the end of the week.
Mitchell: As I know you're a rock fan, what are your thoughts on Elvis Costello?
Louis: Your thoughts on the segments in Season 8's Treehouse of Horror VII?
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the cast of Afire.
Glad you liked Afire, Louis. Would you have Paula Beer in Lead or Supporting? I have her in the latter, though I do think it is borderline.
Louis: Right now I have 1 request left after predicting the 1981 Supporting lineup and I'm using it now: Brad Dourif in The Exorcist III for 1990 Supporting.
Luke:
Keith - 4(I think this is where the film could've gone somewhere truly interesting if it had explored the relationship between Julian and Dancer, because the seeds are definitely there; they just aren't fully grown. Keith is effective in creating this sort of controlled psychopath qualities where you see his own little glints of sadism as a kind of reflection of Dancer's and getting some thrill out of being his second in so many ways. Although he balances that with this sort of control up to a point of his own professional demeanor that handles Dancer's more extreme side. I think where the film could've done more is the breakdown of this that happens all too quickly. Keith is effective in portraying the sudden hesitations and weakness within his own violent resolve, however it is a little too brief to make that much of an impact.)
Jaeckel - 3(The biggest missed opportunity as he has a good presence in this sort of slick, more straightforward criminal who knows what he's doing. Unfortunately this doesn't really go anywhere.)
LaRoche - 2.5(Standard scared woman performance, not bad, but nothing substantial.)
Taylor - 3.5(Effectively creepy in his sort of controlled manner that sentences death with this casual ease, wish they had done a bit more with the idea/ and Taylor's performance however.)
Anderson & Meyer - 2.5(They're not terrible, but they're rather dull, particularly when compared to Wallach and Keith.)
Schubert - 4(Like Johnnie in No Love For Johnnie, I had strong feelings about this fool when he didn't take Beer's offer to go to the beach, if she wants you to go to the beach YOU GOT TO BEACH. Anyway....Falls somewhat into the passive protagonist where so much of his journey actually is about not taking action and about making the same mistakes again and again. And where Schubert is quite good in very much owning the pompous schlub elements, but in a way that grants insight rather than just separation. He is completely convincing in portraying sort of this surface selfishness of the man where every reaction, every interaction even is withdrawn into himself so it is all about himself. When being grumpy towards others, even talking it is always with his eyes kind of downward as a man far too much caught up in his "life of the mind" which he might not even be that good at. The crux of his performance is his chemistry with Beer, where he goes from moments of seemingly just almost breaking out of his self-imposed pompous shell that always jumps back to the same manner. He is able to play the note between internalization and externalization well, as the man who can never quite get out of his own way. Although the best moments are the moments of realization of him being a jerk, I particularly like his moment of dismissing the hotel staff as a pompous writer believes he should, but the moment of realization the regret is there, though it might not be enough. Schubert is quite effectively frustrating as the man almost doing the right thing, but too often falling short for his own sake.)
Beer - 4.5(A performance that consistently subverts the expectations as we see her essentially from our protagonist's view consistently, however what Beer does is so wonderfully explores just more and more to her character in every progression of the story. We initially seem to see her as the woman having sex first, then we see her as just the random woman to her, even if Beer has naturally a dynamic presence. However then we soon see her as very least the charming woman, even if he views her lowly from her position handing out ice cream, however Beer brings so much innately giving life to her performance exuding warmth and constantly the attempt to empathize first, rather than what Schubert's character does. Beer's performance keeps going in portraying the incisive depth even in the charm as she delivers her own knowledge and real insight where Schubert's Leon lacks. Her performance though is terrific because she never makes her selfless manner seem fake nor passive, rather there is the sense of trying to always look for more than the surface and grant understanding with a convincing sense of reality. She does have the moments where she pushes back or sense's Leon's limitation, however Beer shows that as something she tries to look past, to be more so in the moment and ready to connect.)
Brandt - 4(A performance that also effectively subverts the expectations consistently, as you might think from the outset that he's going to be pompous himself or even just aloof as the editor type. Brandt's performance though consistently reveals this greater genuine warmth that slowly makes him out to be this genuine sagelike character. Even when speaking of difficult subjects that concern his own well being Brandt's delivery has this accentuation on the comfort and trying to defer the distress of others even though he's technically there mostly to deliver bad news. He has a natural life to his performance as essentially the opposite of Schubert's character, by showing the man very much always concerned with others even though his position could technically leave him otherwise.)
Uibel & Trebs - 3(The least interesting characters in the film essentially is how positive they are together, and how well they get along. They're fine playing this note, but I don't think either quite stood out within the limitation all that much either.)
Bryan:
1. Jaws
2. Schindler's List
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
5. Jurassic Park
6. The Fabelmans
7. West Side Story
8. Catch Me If You Can
9. Lincoln
10. Duel
11. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
12. Bridge of Spies
13. Munich
14. Minority Report
15. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
16. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
17. The Color Purple
18. The Adventures of Tintin
19. Saving Private Ryan
20. The Sugarland Express
21. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
22. Empire of the Sun
23. Amistad
24. War of the Worlds
25. Hook
26. Ready Player One
27. The BFG
28. The Post
29. 1941
30. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
31. War Horse
Tony:
The Thing and I - (An episode based on the obvious though fine twist at the end of the episode. Otherwise it is mostly plot driven, which again is pretty simple, though entirely respectable. Gags though are relatively limited, I do in particular enjoy Hibbert's punchout moment of Hugo. But one where I think it does its job, but doesn't really do it to be all the funny or all that engaging overall.)
The Genesis Tub - (Mainly a visual gag episode or even just one about the visuals of the little civilization, particularly their star wars like attack on Bart. Overall though I think it falls into the just "fine" as there isn't much to the Lisa/Bart rivalry or even where the episode goes in terms of what happens with Lisa. It doesn't really go anywhere all that funny or interesting, though it is totally fine.)
Citizen Kang - (A dated episode, though dated when it first came out, as I think almost everyone assumed Bob Dole was not going to win by time the episode aired. Good bits mainly just for the aliens trying to act like humans, particularly "spinning towards freedom" or Clinton and Dole holding hands while walking down the street. Homer's attempt to foil the plan is all very amusing from his drunken state, to this failure to save Clinton and Dole, but also the turnaround of the ending about two party systems, especially the Ross Perot gag, are all great. And of course Homer's final line is an all time classic.)
Calvin:
She's supporting to me because it's never not Leon's story at any point in the film.
Tony: Believe it or not, I'm actually unfamiliar with most of Costello's work, so it wouldn't be fair to offer my opinion of him presently.
Now if you ever want to ask about Skillet, Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin or Disturbed...I'm your guy.
Louis: Does any director have a stronger 'top 2' for you than Spielberg does?
Also forgot the Lost World (which I honestly I frequently forget that Spielberg directed) which would be #30.
Marcus:
Can't say for absolutely sure, but he'd certainly be on the list.
Louis: Would Lost World be above or below Crystal Skull?
Also, your top 10 live-action short films?
Tony: It's above.
It’s funny, I just saw A.I. for the first time a few months ago and it immediately shot up to top 10 Spielberg status, but when I rewatched Minority Report assuming I’d appreciate it more, I ended up thinking it lower-tier Spielberg.
Luke: Well that was very obvious, I don't know how I must've misread that to think otherwise.
Louis: Your thoughts on the American Fiction trailer?
Louis: thoughts on Petzold's direction of Afire? I absolutely loved his use of music in this one especially.
Tony:
I liked the trailer a lot, looks like it might be perhaps a more subdued Bamboozled, with in all likelihood a much better leading performance. Again satire is tough always, but looks like it might have the right balances of tones judging by the trailer at the very least.
Calvin:
Falls in part into Petzold's direction, where Phoenix is kind of an outlier, of the focus on the atmosphere of a rural Germany, where idyllic might be the wrong word, but he kind of emphasizes a certain low key quietude. That is sometimes about the beauty of it, but there's a sense of a certain not quite dullness, however an expected separation. And much of his approach is with this matter of fact quiet sense of just reality, however with the specific emphasis on our imperfect protagonist reactions that are usually just being annoyed or being grumpy for much of the film. And Petzold's direction is always effective in creating empathy for its subject, even in this case where we very likely probably wouldn't exactly love his behavior. And much of his approach are these intimate quiet moments, that often are his observing shots of closeness. There are technically "bigger" moments, in his use of music such as in the opening scene, that are particularly effective, or his actual direction of the fire, which I thought was overall well handled even within obviously sort of limited scope, it works in that scope. Particularly in terms of the fallout we see of the fire, where again when Petzold kind of forces his hand directing wise it is always quite striking in terms of being the climax of the emotion more directly, after very quietly easing us towards it.
Tony:
I've seen some shorts, but on the whole not that many.
Louis, your thoughts on the trailers for Eileen and The Zone of Interest.
Louis: I wouldn't have wanted to take it away from her since she was perfect, but do you think Kyo would have worked as Lady Washizu?
And considering that you decided on Nakadai as the villain of that hypothetical Kurosawa crime thriller set in Hokkaido, maybe Mifune as the experienced detective helping the younger detective played by Yamazaki? Y'know, if he decided on doing the Stray Dog formula for that film, having two detectives solving crimes.
Tony:
Eileen looks like it will be either entertaining kitsch or terrible kitsch. Apparently it's not the latter, so that's promising and I did like Lady Macbeth so that's a good sign. I'll admit McKenzie or Hathaway wouldn't be my first choices for femme fatales, however I have liked the former in most things, and have progressively liked the latter more the last few years, so benefit of the doubt.
The Zone of Interest looks amazing in terms of the cinematography (naturally with Zal) and sounds it (naturally with Levi), the question is if I will respond to the experiment overall, which I did not with Under the Skin after about 30 minutes, but hope that I do here for the full runtime.
8000's:
Based on her performance in Red Beard, yes, which again is such a different performance from all her other work I do ponder what else she could do, or if there are hidden turns from her to be discovered that show it off.
I mean sure, would've loved to see Mifune take the mentor detective.
Louis: Could I have your thoughts on this original song from the Indian film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBfPs-PMGTA&ab_channel=RakibSultanMusic
Is 1995 going to be the last year covered for the 90’s?
Random, but speaking of 1995, I've decided to use one of my current wins to request Vincent Cassel for La Haine
I think he's lead, but with La Haine, it's one of those cases where either the main 3 are all Lead or Supporting. So, I'm not super sure on category placement.
Emi: i think he can savely be put into lead
Sandra Huller is having one hell of a year, isn't she?
Louis: Thoughts on the production design, costume design and cinematography of Bell, Book and Candle.
Louis: Also rating and thoughts on Chikage Awashima in Early Summer.
Louis: Would you consider making a Letterboxd list ranking all the Best Picture winners you've seen (or at least, your top 20 favorite ones).
RIP Burt Young
RIP Burt Young
R.I.P. Paulie
RIP Burt Young
RIP Burt Young
RIP Burt Young
Saw Killers of the Flower Moon, where it's not flawless and I have more than a few reservations on what it chooses to focus on, but for the most part found it deeply potent and immersive in ways that keeps lingering with me.
DiCaprio - 4/4.5
De Niro - 5
Gladstone - 5 (lead makes sense, supporting would've too, either way she's great)
Plemons - 4
Cardinal - 3.5
Lithgow - 2.5
Fraser - 1.5
Myers - 4
Collins - 3
Dion - 3
Isbell - 3.5
Belleau - 3.5
Cancelmi - 3.5
Shepherd - 3.5
Pretty much everyone else adds to the ensemble in a positive way even in the smallest roles.
Louis: Assuming that one day X-Men Origins: Cyclops will be made, who would you cast as Cyclops, Professor X (aside from a de-aged Patrick Stewart) and Mister Sinister and who would be your choice for a director?
Calvin: I am STOKED to see your rating for De Niro.
If Louis doesn't give Killers a 5 like he did for Oppenheimer on the first watch then I think it's a given that the latter will be his Picture win.
Louis, your thoughts on these original songs?
My Mood Swings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzJo3rS9sOE
The Scarlet Tide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDhYrwtus5s
Safe & Sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhAS_GnJIc
I’m having trouble giving coherent thoughts on Killers, because I thought DiCaprio was actively terrible the whole time, and he’s in like 80% of it.
I thought Killers was overall terrific, though I will need some time to fully ruminate because it is such a journey of a film. Loved so many choices by Scorsese throughout, and did feel transported to the time with such vibrancy and brutality mixed together. Crafting such a sense of period, but also this kind of sense of a cancerous rot encroaching on the community. My only major criticism are, needed more Mollie (because she was so fascinating every second she did get) and Brendan Fraser is absolutely terrible sticking out like the sorest of thumbs.
Gladstone - 5
Plemons - 3.5
Cardinal - 3.5
Lithgow - 3
Fraser - 1
Myers - 3.5
Isbell - 3.5
Belleau - 3.5
Cancelmi - 3.5
Shepherd - 3.5
Healy - 3.5
But really any quick character actor bit is strong work.
Category wise Gladstone I think does lean towards lead, De Niro has a huge role, but he's definitely supporting to me.
Louis: Thoughts on the cast.
I also saw Killers DiCaprio is mannered but either you buy into the mannerisms or don't. I did and thought he was great. MVP though De Niro, who I think will get his second win from Louis.
Anonymous: The frowning and the jaw thing definitely were a part of why I didn't like him, but what really bothered me is how much of it is him trying to hammer down how pathetic and conflicted he was in EVERY. SINGLE. FRAME. There's no variety after a certain point. Every simpering reaction shot, every mumbled delivery implying contrition, it just became mawkish. It reminded me of Tim Robbins in Mystic River, where the performance is more concerned with making the audience pity him with big, obvious choices than actually building an interior life. It's a selfish approach that becomes more distracting as the film goes along.
Gladstone is 100% the best thing about it.
Robert:
Disagree, thought he played him like a simpleton who struggled to comprehend much of what he was doing and only saw conflict later on. Gladstone was amazing though.
RIP Burt Young
Louis, what is your ranking for Scorsese?
Anonymous: That's actually my point. He tries too hard to get the audience to feel sorry for him by playing up the clueless simpleton aspect.
Robert:
Well I didn't feel sorry for him, rather to me he effectively illustrated to me how ignorance and just "going along" is just as damning as being intentional.
Anonymous: I definitely don’t think Scorsese wants us to feel sorry for him, but I think DiCaprio’s approach did. Though beyond that, I just thought he kept (badly) hammering down the same notes over and over again anyway, so I don’t know. I kept thinking of different actors who could have been better fits. Paul Dano, Michael Shannon, hell I could see Ehrenreich doing better.
Robert, how was De Niro?
I have to admit: Dicaprios' mannerisms got on my nerves the more the film went on, particularly the jaw and the frowning. It's like "Dude, you're still doing that?" And this is coming from someone who thought he was great in The Revenant. Aside from that, I felt he did have some good moments.
Yet to watch TKOTFM but this has always been my respectful opinion of DiCaprio whenever he is brought into the discussion.... that I ACTIVELY dislike him as a dramatic actor. For my money, he has simply NOT matured enough as a person/actor to give an unfussy, reserved yet meticulously crafted performance. He is a BATSHIT crazy human being who takes himself EXTREMELY seriously and that aspect works for his comedies/movie star performances... Regardless, be prepared for "DICAPRIO SHOULD HAVE WON 150 OSCARS BY NOW" comments on social media.
I sincerely hope Scorsese does not go ahead with DiCaprio as the lead for The Wager.
Bryan: your ratings for the cast of Killers Of The Flower Moon?
PS: i’m also seeing Killers Of The Flower Moon tonight. So excited :)
RIP Burt Young
Matthew:
DiCaprio - 4 (Again, his mannerisms bugged me after awhile but he still had some good moments throughout the film. Maybe I’ll like him more on rewatch…or less).
Gladstone - 5
De Niro- 5
Plemons - 3.5
Cardinal - 3.5
Lithgow - 3
Fraser - 1.5
Myers - 3.5
Isbell - 3.5
Belleau - 3.5
Cancelmi - 3.5
Shepherd - 3.5
Healy - 3.5
Tahmeed:
A charming tune to be sure, just has a nice gentle melody and just a nearly muzak quality, though a bit more though certainly pleasant enough in its relative simplicity. Though the slightly more complicated flourishes are pleasant enough.
Robert:
Probably.
8000's:
Again specific questions about films I'm watching based on the current year should be saved for the results.
Marcus:
I suppose I could at some point.
Tony:
My Mood Swings: Like the instrumentation of the guitar more than I think the lyrics that are more than a little rambling and don't really carry the melody on top. Although I wouldn't say Costello's singing helps in this instance either. Also doesn't build towards anything, though I don't hate it.
The Scarlet Tide occasionally I feel like the lyrics get lost and the song loses its ideal rhythm. Having said that, it has a really wonderful little blend within the instrumentation that has a potent soulfulness of it, and overall the lyrics do work in creating a particularly low key ballad.
Ah I see breaking the trend, anyway, I like the song has a somewhat expected sort of simple combination between the guitar and Swift's vocals, yet really pleasant and peaceful in the combination. Yet the building between the two, with the gradual way they seem to build and reflect on the vocals to the instrumentation, of really constantly this sense of support in the lyrics, really is quite beautifully done.
Anonymous:
Gladstone - (A performance that is just pitch perfect in every way, and I think does so much with every little facet she is given. And honestly I think there were so many pitfalls potential for a simpler approach to make Mollie too stoic, or too much of just a broken victim. Gladstone though is amazing in portraying initially really this sense of the power of the woman in sort of owning her status and her seeming control as created by her wealth. There is a power about her presence, but what she does so well then is sort of create the breaks in there that ends up being exploited. However she is heartbreaking off the bat, because she brings such life to the immediacy of her genuine interest in the man and creates such a sense of the urge for love but also even lust. When she reveals this playfulness but also reveals sort of her greater life there is so much to her that it's hard not to love the life she gives her immediately, making you immediately greatly concerned for everything involving her as the story progresses. I love the moments with her sisters, and her mother, where Gladstone naturally portrays frustration and again it's never the perfect person interrupted, rather someone just so filled with life that she presents instead. The moments with her mother, where she delivers in a moment a complete sense of that relationship, and the history that is filled with love, on her side anyways, but also struggle. I love just even the moments of admitting to her less than perfect diet that are just incredible. Her moments of narration though, where her delivery is filled with this quiet yet oh so potent pathos that is absolutely haunting. Of course that is combined with the moments of constant tragedy where she brings so much devastating heartbreak in every reaction, and shows how one can be shattered again and again. That is combined with the moments of this quiet ferocity in the desire for any sort of consequence, where her eyes burn with such an amazing power. That scene where she's looking through the crowd of the "wolves" is just incredible and it is really all in Gladstone's eyes. But if that was enough, you also get basically getting to do her own Joan Fontaine in Suspicion, as she is the woman dealing with being surrounded by all sides and gives such a powerful depiction of the physical challenge, the loss, but also the desperation though mixed in with the conviction. As much as I wanted even more of her, Gladstone is tremendous in making you sense every moment of her extreme journey, and doing so in a way that is never simple and absolutely captivating.)
Plemons & Healy - (I think both actually are equally effective in just being these cathartic moments where you see someone finally not fooled and just deliver this quiet sense of mix between exasperation, disgust but also confidence in their knowledge of the truth of the situation.)
Cardinal - (Has just a real quiet power to her performance that is so incisive in her seeming simplicity at times, yet there is always so much going on in her eyes.)
Lithgow - (Technically breaks the rule of no "late entries for a famous actor unless that's the point", but I was distracted by him, he gives a completely fine portrayal of prosecutors candor.)
Fraser - (YIKES WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS? Fraser delivers his lines like someone doing a Jerry Seinfeld impression. Totally over the top, totally feels out of place, and just comes off as completely ridiculous. Thankfully he mostly keeps his mouth shut, but this was a complete misfire that seemed out of a very different movie.)
Myers - (Brings the intensity of the sort of vivaciousness but also the sort of sense of the enjoyment of her choice of lifestyle without reservation or hesitation. Leaves a strong impression very quickly.)
Isbell - (All about his scene with DiCaprio, where he's terrific in bringing this complete sense of unease and disgust though delivered through faux pleasantries.)
Belleau - (Brings the right sense of heartbreak by presenting just a man who is obviously very out of sorts, but earnestly trying to live his life the same that makes it so painful.)
Cancelmi - (Very effective pitch black comedic work by not necessarily playing the killer with the least scruples but rather the one who doesn't bother to hide his amorality in any way shape or form.)
Shepherd - (Brings the right sort of slimy sense of a man who just lives in his amorality and never even questions it.)
J96:
Need some time for Killers to settle for that.
I just got back from watching KOTFM. Great work by Scorsese, but it really suffers due to a bad lead performance by yours truly...
DiCaprio-1.5 (I guess he just decided to emulate De Niro's facial expressions, but even during his better moments I couldn't take him very seriously, since he movie presents him as a caricature almost all the time)
De Niro-4.5
Gladstone-4.5
Plemons-3
Cardinal-3
Lithgow-3
Fraser-2 (at least he has a small role)
Myers-3.5
Isbell-3
Belleau-3
Cancelmi-3
Shepherd-3.5
Jones-3
I just saw KOTFM and give it a solid 8. I agree with the majority that Gladstone is easily the MVP.
Ytrewq Wertyq: Yikes.
Hey Louis and guys
Tell us your ranking of the best female performances in Martin Scorsese's films.
Mine is:
1. Lily Gladstone
2. Ellen Burstyn
3. Lorraine Bracco
4. Jodie Foster
5. Michelle Pfeiffer
6. Margot Robbie
7. Rosanna Arquette (After Hours)
8. Diane Ladd
9. Winona Ryder
10. Cathy Moriarty
So, not to beat a dead horse, but yeah, DiCaprio was why KOTFM didn't quite reach the masterpiece quality it was coming close to for the most part for me. Scorsese's direction, Gladstone and De Niro are the highlights that not only keep it afloat, but make it soar whenever possible.
However, I will say this about DiCaprio: I just think he was wrong for the part in general. His approach, though mannered to a fault, could've worked for a different actor imo.
DiCaprio: 3.5/4 (I thought he had a great moment or two in spite of himself, but I could go lower)
Gladstone: 5
De Niro: 4.5
Plemons: 3.5
Fraser: 2.5 (he was distracting, but not quite nails in a chalkboard bad)
Carinal: 3
Lithgow: 3
Myers, Collins, Dion: 3
Shepherd: 3
Belleu: 3.5
Cancelmi: 3
Corbin: 3
Scorsese's cameo was fantastic, though mainly from a directorial standpoint.
Luke: He will more likely than not. DiCaprio's name is what gets the funding.
As someone who's probably the most anti-DiCaprio person on here in general, I do think Ernest takes up too much space within the narrative, but I honestly think it was a pretty strong performance throughout regardless. I wouldn't nominate him personally even at this point, but I think it's a pretty good performance with some great moments especially in the final stretch. Though again, the focus of the film is more potent when it's on De Niro and Gladstone, but that's more in the sense that he's not quite on their level, not that I think he's bad.
I thought Gladstone was superb and easily the best thing about the film. De Niro was great but sometimes veered a bit too much to being overtly evil. I agree with the Leo criticisms.
Saw Killers Of The Flower Moon last night. Found it to be pretty good overall, but wouldn’t go as far as to call it a masterpiece like some people are.
Letterboxd Review: https://boxd.it/51SRox
Cast Ratings:
Leonardo DiCaprio - 4
Robert De Niro - 5
Lily Gladstone - 5
Jesse Plemons - 4
Tantoo Cardinal - 3.5
John Lithgow - 2.5
Brendan Fraser - 1
Cara Jade Myers - 3.5
JaNae Collins - 3
Jillian Dion - 3
Jason Isbell - 3.5
William Belleau - 3.5
Louis Cancelmi - 3.5
Scott Shepherd - 3
Everett Waller - 3/3.5
Tatanka Means - 3.5
Yancey Red Corn - 3.5
Pat Healy - 3.5
Tommy Schultz - 4
Gene Jones - 3
Barry Corbin - 3
After watching KOTFM, I think Oppenheimer is still winning best picture.
Post a Comment