5. Danny Kaye in Wonder Man - Somewhat disposable Kaye work, not bad, but he's been much better.
Best Scene: Police station.
4. Errol Flynn in Objective, Burma! - Flynn is almost entirely onto something as the more casual approach to playing a military commander, even if the execution isn't quite perfect.
Best Scene: The death of the correspondent.
3. Roger Livesey in I Know Where I'm Going - Livesey's presence offers a very unique and effectively off-beat take on the romantic stranger type.
Best Scene: Boat ride home.
2. Pierre Brasseur in Children of Paradise - Brasseur brings such potent charisma portraying so effectively one man in the film not weighed down by anything rather elevated by it all.
Best Scene: Ad-libbing.
1. Laird Cregar in Hangover Square - Good predictions Tim, Omar, 8000's, Calvin, Matt & Tahmeed. Cregar delivers one final dynamite portrayal of insanity, this time though with a passionate edge that offers a sense of avenues he may have been able to explore had his career not been tragically cut short.
Best Scene: Final concert.
45 comments:
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the lead performances.
Your Female Lead and supporting top 20s with ratings and other 4+ honourable mentions.
Hello Louis!
Tell me from the year 1945 which are your TOP7 best:
- Song
- Score
- Poster
- Editing
- Screenplays (adapted and original)
- Cast
Your rating and thoughts on Hurd Hatfield as well.
Louis: Your best scene for Cregar in Hangover Square?
Louis, have Crawford and Wyman been upgraded.
Louis: My winning request would be Jean Gabin in Le jour se lève (1939).
Louis: Could I have your thoughts on 'Young Hearts' by Commuter from Karate Kid/Cobra Kai?
Luke:
Donat - 4(Donat in the opening scene is almost doing his late Mr. Chips just to show how extreme the early scenes between the two are in terms of showing just how dull and stuffy they are. Not that either is bad, it is more a directorial thing to be honest, but the transformation to charming lover of life is almost immediate. Regardless, once Donat is portraying the charming lover of life, he is immensely charming and finds a natural chemistry with Kerr in terms of portraying this convincing mix between frustration in the past, and sudden surprise attraction. Creating enough of a sense of depth within the relationship, even with the surface trappings being a little more obvious.)
Rathbone & Bruce - 4/3.5(Fine reprises. Rathbone gets to show off a little extra in his moment of admiring Watson humorously late in the film, that just reaffirms how good he really is at Holmes.)
Robinson - 4(Convincingly playing just a warmer sort though with limits, as the caring but also concerned dad. Robinson creates the right blend between earnestness but with a sense of the serious at times that manages to keep things from becoming too twee.)
Harrison - 4(I mean if you want to cast a slightly baffled English chap Harrison makes sense as much as the next, even if he didn't really think much of the film or the material. Regardless, Harrison does deliver an effective performance mainly by just being so consistent no matter the situation, and creating this sort of proper British kind of not quite deadpan, but close to it in the way he stays so proper no matter what is happening.)
Cotton - 4(Doing his typical charming thing, which I always like.
Cagney - 3.5(Charismatic as always even with not amazing material here, but he strives to sell it in a fairly basic role for him.)
Bernard - 3(He's okay, but just seems so passive compared to the women in presence that he ends up kind of weighing down the whole film by just seeming too distant. He's never bad but he just not enough of something either.)
Scott - 3(Kind of imperfect attempt at playing realism, he has some good moments, but also some wonky ones. Much like the film itself there are times where he seems ideal in representing what the film is going for and other times so completely out of place.)
Young - 3(Modestly charming but doesn't really do much with the melodramatic half, though he's okay enough with it. He just doesn't really make any impact of despair to show any kind of proper transformation.)
Walker - 3(He is certainly trying to sell the lackluster material, he's completely fine, the film itself just is doing him no favors.)
Andrews - 3(A little too passive here as well and straightforward. He's not bad and has presence as to be expected, but he's frankly not making enough of a statement with the character to make a proper impression within the scheme of the film.)
Haymes - 3(Well he can certainly sing and has a nice charming presence here at times. He isn't the most confident screen presence but it works well enough here to carry the light load asked of him.)
Clements - 2.5(Not particularly charming though he's trying for it all, all the time, but it doesn't quite add up to something that entirely works particularly when the film shifts to the sudden dramatic.)
Ladd - 2.5(Too struggles with the weird tone the film chooses in the end, though Ladd kind of struggles not to be a bit stiff. He has the occasional deadpan moment that works, but not enough to make it work.)
Garfield - 2(Really holds back his film at times, that is saved by the supporting cast, because he's just so much all the time, and really honestly rather unappealing. He goes big almost the whole time and in moments that really deters sympathy which is the whole aim of the film. It's a shame as Garfield can be good, but like a Sean Penn type, he needs to be reigned in and that is not what happens here.)
Tierney - 2(I mean he does have menace but he has all the appeal of a wet rat here. And just sort of grimaces his way throughout the whole thing.)
Nolan - 2(Just a forgettable expository performance that leaves no impression other than someone reading lines through.)
Hatfield - 1.5(What a waste of a character because Hatfield is like a non-entity throughout, he's in scenes but you could forget it despite being a main character. He grants no internalization or sense of anything going on. He just kind of stands there to the point the painted version of him frankly has more life to it.)
Eythe - 1.5(Speaking of just being *there*, I couldn't tell you what he looks like despite having seen the film not long ago, by just how little impression he makes in any way.)
Lead:
1. Celia Johnson - Brief Encounter
2. Wendy Hiller - I Know Where I'm Going
3. Gene Tierney - Leave Her to Heaven
4. Peggy Ann Garner - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
5. Margaret Lockwood - The Wicked Lady - 4.5
6. Elina Labourdette - les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne - 4.5
7. Joan Crawford - Mildred Pierce - 4.5
8. Maria Casares - Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne - 4.5
9. Wanda Rothgardt - Two People - 4.5
10. Constance Cummings - Blithe Spirit - 4
11. Deborah Kerr - Vacation From Marriage - 4
12. Kay Hammond - Blithe Spirit - 4
13. Vivien Leigh - Caesar and Cleopatra
14. Gail Russell - Salty O'Rourke - 3.5
15. Margaret O'Brien - Our Vines Have Tender Grapes - 3.5
16. Nina Foch - My Name is Julia Ross - 3
17. Dorothy McGuire - The Enchanted Cottage - 3
18. Greer Garson - The Valley of Decision - 3
Supporting:
1. Jane Wyman - The Lost Weekend - 5
2. Anna Magnani - Rome, Open City
3. May Whitty - My Name Is Julia Ross - 4.5
4. Margaret Rutherford - Blithe Spirit - 4.5
5. Eleanor Parker - Pride of the Marine - 4.5
6. Dorothy McGuire - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - 4
7. Pamela Brown - I Know Where I'm Going - 4
8. Ann Blyth - Mildred Pierce
9. Rosemary DeCamp - Pride of the Marine - 4
10. Mildred Natwick - The Enchanted Cottage - 4
11. Glynis Johns - Vacation From Marriage - 4
12. Googie Withers - Dead of Night - 3.5
13. Vivian Blaine - State Fair - 3.5
14. Gladys Cooper - Love Letters
15. Lucile Gleason - The Clock - 3.5
16. Sally Ann Howes - Dead of Night - 3.5
17. Linda Darnell - Fallen Angel - 3.5
18. Linda Darnell - Hangover Square - 3.5
19. Eve Arden - Mildred Pierce - 3.5
20. Rosamund John - Johnny in the Clouds - 3.5
Louis: Where would you rank Arrietty in your top 10 for Children Of Paradise.
And thoughts on the female performances.
Brazinterma:
Song:
1. "Love Letters" - Love Letters
2. "It Might As Well Be Spring" - State Fair
3. "Isn't It Kinda Fun" - State Fair
4. "It's a Grand Night For Singing" - State Fair
5. "So In Love" - Wonder Man
6. "I fall In Love too Easily" - Anchors Aweigh
7. "The Sorry Song" - Anchors Aweigh
Score:
6. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
7. Leave Her to Heaven
Poster:
WEAK year, far too many random head posters. Let's just say Spellbound wins in a landslide.
Editing:
1. Brief Encounter
2. The Lost Week-End
3. I Know Where I'm Going
4. Children of Paradise
5. Dead of Night
6. Rome Open City
7. Story of G.I. Joe
Adapted:
6. Leave Her to Heaven
7. Blithe Spirit
Original:
6. The Seventh Veil
7. Vacation From Marriage
Ensemble:
1. Children of Paradise
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
3. The Lost Week-End
4. Brief Encounter
5. Dead Of Night
6. Rome Open City
7. Blithe Spirit
*Arletty
Louis: Where would you rank Georg Rydeberg for Two People with rating and thoughts.
Louis: Your #6-#10 for Director in 1945
Louis, what's your rating for Anna Magnani in Rome Open City.
Luke: I think he'll probably update after supporting, like he always does.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on Jennifer Jones in Love Letters and Angela Lansbury in The Picture of Dorian Grey?
Has anyone else here seen Hot Ones, the YouTube talk show? For those who have, what do you think of Sean Evans as an interviewer?
Tony: It’s weird because I like Hot Ones, yet I don’t love Sean Evans. He seems like a nice guy, but I’m not a fan of his interview style. I don’t know; maybe he’s just too stiff for my taste.
A: Would you say it's the guest that makes them worth watching for you, then? I agree in that Evans seems content to cede the interview over to the guests and let himself not be much of a presence. From what I've seen, it doesn't feel like he's having much of an actual conversation with the guests.
Incidentally... may I ask, what's your avatar from?
Tony: It’s definitely the guests that make it or break it for me; someone like Bill Burr is fun to watch, whereas Ice Spice is… not great. I guess there is something to Sean not trying to insert himself too much.
As for my avatar, it’s from a manga called One-Punch Man.
A: Who are some of your favourite guests? Like everyone else online, I enjoyed Conan's guest spot recently.
Luke, if it's 1998 next, who are your 2 picks for the last 2 slots.
Tony: The Conan one was indeed great. Off the top of my head, some of the guests I’ve enjoyed were Sterling K. Brown, Paul Dano, Florence Pugh, and really any NBA player (I’m a HUGE basketball fan).
Anonymous: Hugo Weaving in The Interview and James Woods in Vampires (Was Siskel's favourite Lead Actor performance of that year). I think we might get a bonus or 2, for which I predict Bruno Ganz in Eternity And A Day and Matthew Lillard in SLC Punk!
Other potential 4.5s are Eamonn Owens in The Butcher Boy, Clive Owen in Croupier and Denzel Washington in He Got Game. On re-watch Anthony Hopkins in The Mask Of Zorro, Rufus Sewell in Dark City (who I would like to see get a write-up in Sutherland's review) and Nick Nolte in Affliction.
Tony: I’ve seen a couple of full episodes of Hot Ones (Gordon Ramsay and Conan), plus the clips from other eps that have gone viral. I do like the questions Sean Evans asks on his show, but he’s always seemed a bit too stiff IMO. It halts any rhythm the show sometimes generates.
Tony: I saw a few of these episodes and I find Evans' hands-off style refreshing, it's good that he aims to make the guests open up instead of constantly interrupting or hogging the spotlight like some talk show hosts do. Not to mention that his questions feel very creative and insightful compared to the standard "so, uh...this new thing you're in, what is it about?".
Louis: What are your 10 favorite performances that work due to converting an actor's usual weaknesses into strengths?
Louis: thoughts on the new trailer for Long Legs?
Ytrewq: He is certainly preferable to those who try to over-assert themselves, but with Evans, I'm too often reminded of the fact that I'm watching a Q&A. I'd rather an interview feel like you're watching two people have a real conversation, rather than one just answering the other's questions. The style I tend to gravitate toward the most strike a balance between being conversational and delving in-depth.
On the subject of YouTube interview shows, has anyone else watched DP/30? It's exclusively film/TV-centric and tries to do more of the aforementioned style I prefer, though David Poland is rather hit-and-miss as an interviewer. While it's somewhat inactive these days, for a period from 2010-15 or so he tended to get great guests.
So, uh... anyone have any thoughts on QT scrapping plans for The Movie Critic?
Luke:
Arletty would be #7, Casares in supporting would be #9.
Lockwood - (Her performance is wonderful and it is such a shame that it is basically constricted by code. Because Lockwood is going all in in terms of portraying the lusty manipulative nature of the character in her earliest scenes in portraying the viciousness of the character in a completely unabashed way. This only gets better when she teams with Mason where she portrays this mutual sort of shamelessness, though portraying a bit more intensity of someone who goes one step more, and portrays the equally intense jealousy that reveals itself. Lockwood portrays not vulnerability as any goodness, but just even more fiendishness effectively and not ever giving a hint of any hesitation in her amorality. It's only a shame the film isn't quite as merciless as Lockwood, as she wants to go further it would seem but the film only lets her go so far.)
Labourdette & Casares - (Playing effectively the opposites of the natures of the character as Labourdette the woman of "low" character who is good, and Casares as the bad woman of "good" character. Labourdette artfully never is just perfect in the role rather presenting this sort of earned agency of someone who has taken her time and her experience to learn. Labourdette is moving in portraying the only true vulnerability as her physical vulnerability, and articulating her character's thoughtful concerns over Casares character's manipulations with a subtle strength. Casares on the other-hand is beautifully vicious in her way. From the opening scene in playing the subtle anger of her character, then just the devious glint in her eyes even behind her false presentations of charity. Playing the angles convincingly while also revealing the evil nature of the woman that is bubbling just beneath the surface.)
Rothgardt - (Given the conceit of the film she has to go much through a very short amount of time, however she is entirely convincing in this run through. Of having genuine playfulness that is quite endearing and moving moments of just portraying genuine uncomplicated love. But then portraying the mix of concern of the complicated love as she believes she must defend her man no matter what. Then again segueing to something more extreme however she's convincing in portraying this coming from that simple love from the start and is captivating in this quick unraveling.)
Cummings & Hammond - (Each playing a different note effectively. Cummings being first this effective straight man of frustrations against Harrison's properness and creating the growing sense of dissatisfaction most effectively. Then managing to go one step beyond that in portraying the frustration of the character most beautifully. Hammon on the other hand is appropriately, well, blithe in the part in just bringing this pithy understatement that works in presenting a ghost who treats it all matter of factly.)
Kerr - (Basically what I said about Donat.)
Russell - (As the "dame" thought she brought a nice energy to the role that managed to quite effectively delivered an earnestness with a mix of gentle humor that better served the material almost than anyone other than the always ideal comedic performer in Demarest.)
O'Brien - (Like Shirley Temple, as a child, O'Brien is very performative in a certain way but in a certain way where the performative quality does work. Is she Peggy Ann Garner, who you completely believe as a person, no she's a movie kid, but what she does works as a movie kid so to speak. In that she's sweet, she's charming and she's a little much, but it works.)
Foch - (She's okay, but found her a little underwhelming on the whole in terms of truly selling the horror. It doesn't help that her character is so poorly defined before the thriller begins.)
McGuire - (The lesser of her work from the year, though she has a degree of charm with Young not too much, but a little bit.)
Garson - (Accent is more than a little distracting here, and the part I will say probably needed someone a bit younger. She has some decent moments in there, but it is never quite enough to salvage her somewhat overdone qualities of her work.)
Whitty - (Absolutely fascinating to see her completely subvert her typical manner as the proper older woman, and just be so wonderfully horrible. Whitty takes no prisoners in just bringing this vicious streak and this incisiveness in her performance in just showing her bluntly cruel side. Particularly when she speaks of the plan where Whitty just shows this callousness that is particularly chilling as she reveals under, this time around, fact sort pleasantries we expect from her. I frankly didn't know she has this specific note in her, and it is quite a striking one to say the least, she more than anyone makes the film.)
Rutherford - (Written purposefully as the standout part, but Rutherford does not waste it. She throws herself in every moment in delivering her rambling lines with expert timing and a sort of insistence on her confidence while having the right glint of madness to it all. She's wonderfully proper while also being so splendidly bats in her eyes that creates the right kind of dynamic and more than anyone sells the very specific humor of the piece by sort of putting the breaks within the overtly proper manner.)
Parker - (Speaking of against type, she is but in a completely different way, because mostly I've only seen Parker as truly troubled characters for the most part, so her as the romantic lead and caring potential love interest is a change of pace. And well, she's quite wonderful in presenting this very different side and manages to really ease away some of the obnoxiousness of Garfield's performance. By bringing such a natural warmth to her role and creating a depth even when that is relatively limited in the material.)
DeCamp - (For a throwaway role potentially she does a lot in bringing this quiet wisdom about the character where she manages to embody both the concern and encouragement in the role. Even as a functional part DeCamp offers her own internal life in the role, and creates such a sense of how genuinely she wants the men to get through their traumas to some kind of success.)
Natwick - (She has a force, always a supporting performer, and here she seems to be off to the side, yet makes a distinction in more than anyone trying to sell the situation with some gravitas. Something she completely delivers on and makes the most of what she does have.)
Johns - (Just a wonderfully delicious supporting character in just being supporting in that sense. In that she breathes life and an easy humor to the part of the eventual "best friend" there isn't a moment that Johns wastes that she does have in front of her, creating the right sort of straightforward dynamic against Donat/Kerr's character who are caught up in somewhat foolish notions.)
Withers - (Manages to sell her portion quite convincingly in playing the confusion naturally, that pulls towards concern and the moment of immediate horror well. Becoming briefly the heroine of her story quickly and easily without much difficulty.)
Blaine - (More than anything thought her chemistry with Haymes just worked, and brings just an endearing energy to the relatively simple role.)
Cooper - (Limited role but her presence at least delivers a little bit of something.)
Howes - (Brings the right sort of youthful energy that effectively sells her story with the right sort of kid energy of the sudden horrifying discovery of the unknowing ghost. Providing an alternative in the group scenes that works quite well.)
Arden - (Truly the supporting style supporting character but does do well in terms of giving a sense of the hardbitten nature of the character well as this quietly tough love encouraging type.)
John - (Like almost everyone in the film just brings an innate authenticity that works well in crafting the roles in their relatively simple natural way.)
Shaggy:
6. David Lean - Blithe Spirit
7. Roberto Rossellini - Rome, Open City
8. Fritz Lang - Scarlet Street
9. John M. Stahl - Leave Her to Heaven
10. Akira Kurosawa - The Men Who Tread on The Tiger's Tail
If I was only considering Cavalcanti's contributions to Dead of Night, it would probably make the top five.
Anonymous:
Jones - 2.5(She's okay in the scenes where she just needs to seem innocent, because that is what she plays well. When she needs to convey something else though she just comes off as completely overcooked if not more than a little ridiculous.)
Lansbury - 3(Barely a role for her honestly. She's fine in bringing this sort of innocent to be abused woman, however her whole progression is basically just explained rather than shown, so she really doesn't get to do much of anything with the role. She's good with what she has, she just has far too little to make a proper impact.)
Ytrewq:
Keanu Reeves - A Scanner Darkly
Hayden Christensen - Shattered Glass
Edward Norton - Birdman (In a different way)
Raymond Massey/James Dean - East of Eden (In that "no chemistry" usually is a weakness)
Mark Wahlberg (In almost any of his good performances)
Natalie Portman - May December
Julia Roberts - Ben is Back
Arnold Schwarznegger - The Terminator
Crispin Glover - Back to the Future & Wild At Heart
Channing Tatum - Foxcatcher
Tony:
He may backtrack, I believe he called off The Hateful Eight after the script leaked, but ended up doing it anyways.
Louis: That's so far the only time he's done something like that, though. There are countless other projects he flirted with, only to back away from after a while. Seems to me that he's become obsessed with trying to make the perfect swan song, but hey, whatever helps his process.
On the subject of interviews, what are your general thoughts on Conan O'Brien as an interviewer?
Tony: He actually does this all the time, he talks about wanting to do a movie and then all of a sudden goes "Actually, I scrapped that, here's this new thing".
Tony: At this point all I care about is Tarantino casting Mickey Rourke in whatever his final film will turn out to be.
Tony:
My point was he's fickle in general, however as far as I know I think that's the only time in recent years where he had an actual script and he ended up making it. If he actually wrote the movie critic already, I'd be surprised if he didn't at least do *something* with it...but that something might not be a film.
the way i read it, he decided not to do The Movie Critic during a massive rewrite that postponed everything. Originally, it was supposed to already be in production right now. So there certainly are several drafts of that story, he just thought that maybe it would not be worthy as his last film (MAKING MORE THAN 10 COULD HELP WITH THAT!! but whatever)
Ytrewq: that, but with Nicolas Cage
allow me to take a little risk with my winning request:
2007 Supporting: Robert Patrick in Bridge to Terabithia
This is a weird movie where practically the whole first to thirds and the last scene do not work. It's too disney-fied, sappy and just not really realistic. Once we get to the meat of the story after an hour it becomes really effective, but it always seems like that was the part the director really wanted to get to and didn't really put a lot of work into.
Patrick though consistently works throughout the entire movie and is always shockingly emotionly honest in such an artificial film. There is the chance that Louis will not like him as much as me (he certainly won't hate him) but i honestly see him doing a lot in that role that many others would have underplayed, making the movie a lot better everytime he's on screen
Louis: Could I have your thoughts on throwing up the shoes/Reunion from Barfi, and could Kapoor go up for it slightly?
Louis: Your thoughts on this scene from Baby Buggy Bunny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZazFOmMW3FU
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