A blog about acting, film, and a little bit of stage.
I saw The Ides of March today, and loved it. I’ll give it a 4/5.
I really don’t understand the critics who gave this film an average rating. Most of the criticism that I have seen about this film has revolved around the fact that you don’t learn anything new about politics.
So? Why do you have to learn something new about politics? Did you learn something new about social networking in The Social Network? No.
This was a human story with the backdrop of politics. It was about the loss of innocence, the corruption of spirit, and finding the monster within. It does not end on a good note.
Ryan Gosling’s character here is sort of like the Michael Corleone of Politics. Once the masks are pulled off, the true nature of the people he’s surrounded by is revealed, he doesn’t waste time coming to grips with reality. He immediately assesses the rules of the game, and does what he must to move up on the power ladder. His performance deserves a consideration for an Oscar nomination, more so than his performance in Drive.
All of the supporting cast was great. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella. Even though George Clooney pretty much acts the same here as he does in any movie he is in (and we don’t ever expect anything else from him) he does show some darker streaks of his personality.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the film itself get nominated for Best Pic either, but not at the expense of great films being unrecognized.
Credit to George Clooney for making some interesting directing choices. The confrontation between Morris and Stephen was incredibly tense, I especially liked the shot where Paul gets fired. Clooney chooses not to show what’s going on inside the vehicle, and leaves it to the imagination. The result is an anxious feeling a kin to that of waiting for a bomb to go off. The 3 room pan out dialogue shot was pretty unique too.
I did some work on Pan Am. That kid who plays the pilot, Mike Vogel. He has a lot of swagger. That should be enough to carry him places in the film industry.
I just came back from seeing 50/50 (Originally titled “Live with It”). The dramedy about cancer. It’s a heartfelt film in which cancer forces the main character (played subtly by Joseph Gordon Levitt) to re-evaluate the relationships in his life, and his life.
Seth Rogen was more nuanced than he usually is, even his physicality was slightly different. Anna Kendrick was surprisingly sexy due to her vulnerability.
I’ll give it a 3/5
It was a good film, but I somehow missed the brilliance of it that so many people were hyping up. I didn’t think it was award worthy in any aspect. Maybe I’m just jaded by great films and great performances.
That’s my opinion…Live With It.
The Wettest County in the World is one of those films, that could drastically change the landscape of the race in the last quarter. In my opinion, it holds strong contenders for a number of categories. Best film? Check. Best director? Check. Best Actor for Tom Hardy? Check. Best Supporting actress for Jessica Chastain? Check. Best Score for Nick Cave? Check.
Harvey Weinstein is in possession of a heatrock, and it seems like he is sitting on it. What’s he gonna do, release it early in the year 2012 and let all the award glory go to waste? (Does he read tumblr? I hope he does. Or I hope his cronies do, so they can point him towards this blog)
Tom Hardy has described it as “The Waltons on acid and Goodfellas all mixed together.”
The man really needs a nomination to award him for his great year of work. Need I mention the films? Warrior? Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? He is in top form in both roles, and it would have been cool to see him nominated as a lead for Warrior, but unfortunately the film’s box office killed the chances of any nominations. He can still, very well, get a supporting nod for Tinker, though.
In The Wettest County he is given a very interesting character. A very quiet type, a bit socially awkward, dealing with the discomfort of having a myth built around him, some partially deserving, and some undeserving. It’s a character that shares some similarities with Ryan Gosling’s Driver.
I must say, when I read the script, I didn’t find it to be particularly good. But I knew that with the right actors and director, something special could be created. Hopefully, they succeeded. Hopefully we can get to see this project this year.
Christian Bale stars in The Flowers of War, a film about the Rape of Nanking.
No one is mentioning his name for the Best Actor category. But the truth is, he is a factor, isn’t he? Although, the film is a foreign entry for Academy consideration, that won’t stop him from being nominated.
He won last year for his blazing portrayal of Dickie Ecklund. If he does something interesting with this role, and strays away from his typical quiet restrained performance (which are usually boring) he may be another unforeseen force in the Best Actor race. It sure would make things interesting. It would be a delight to see a Best Actor race without any Hollywood Golden Boys, names need not be mentioned. You know who they are.
As I see it, this is how the race is panning out right now
1. Gary Oldman - the leader. He is long overdue and his performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy looks sensational. He’s doing all those things that we know him for. Loud and nuanced physical behavior, except he scales it down to the tiniest gestures. The man is absolutely genius.
2. Michael Fassbender - runner up. His performance in Shame is really flooring people right now. If the academy can get over the racy material he can be the biggest competition for Gary Oldman this year.
3. Ryan Gosling - RG has had one fuck of a year, pardon my language. He is all over the place. He is charming, funny, and a great actor. His performances are always interesting and he constantly keeps you surprised in a scene, whether he is simply reacting to what another actor says or is doing something himself. Last year, he was unjustly snubbed (arguably should have won for Blue Valetine). The Academy owes him in a huge way. His chance of being nominated is very hight
4. Dicaprio - As much as I hate to say it, Leo will probably get nominated this year. J Edgar is formulated Oscar bait and Leo is essentially playing himself, with a minor attempt at an accent. His performances tend to rely on intense emotional truth, and not character work. The pretty boy is arguably long overdue for a golden man.
5. Tom Hardy - This is more of a wishful thinking choice. Tom probably doesn’t have much of a chance to be nominated, because the film isn’t geared at Oscar audiences. But his performance is Oscar material. Intelligently crafted in the way he chooses the moments and ways to contrast the characters dominant traits and a emotionally raw finish to his character’s arc.
There you have it. An alternative to those old naive predictable Oscarologists. You see them. Screaming Clooney’s name. Screaming Pitt’s name. They’re wrong every year, but they never learn.
