Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

What about Bette?

Oh, now GC, Bette Davis AND Joan Collins? Hootfest of the highest order!

Bette in the Warner's Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex is wonderful classic Hollywood and one would never expect it to be historically accurate. Errol Flynn is so incredibly handsome as the roguish Essex and Bette is very mannered as Elizabeth (with all the usual Bette ticks), that said, it's a fun watch. Gorgeous costuming, beautiful lighting, tech-NI-color, great Korngold score. It's never dull, it is what it is. Besides, imagine what it would have been like if Ginger Rogers had gotten the part, she lobbied hard for it and did a test (which does not exist, so I understand). That would have been painful in 1939 and a camp hootfest today.

I loved Mirren's Elizabeth. I will see Golden Age this week once it hits the mailbox.

[Snowflake]

Alex, I disagree with you about Cotilard merely lip synching. I thought she was riveting as Piaf. Make up helped a good deal - those last years Piaf looked like more than a train wreck and there were moments when I kept thinking that Cotilard was Piaf, the body language, etc. was dead on.

My complaint was that too much time was spent on her terrible childhood and early years, then it was a whirlwind of "instant" success and then the inevitable and speedy downfall. Thye cut far more out of Piaf's life than they used in the film. It was much a Cliff Notes version. But I thought Cotilard was a standout.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes she was. I instantly thought Oscar after seeing her performance, and I hope she wins on Sunday.


Ah, Elizabeth. Let's have a marathon and watch Bette, Glenda, Cate, Helen and Judi till our eyes pop out.


All that them took liberties with history. Oh, like we can ever really know what the true history was of 50 years ago, much less 500.

But in Elizabeth, her relationship with Dudley was hardly in the closet at all. It was out out out there. I don't think the dance was out of place in that context. Maybe historically incorrect (or maybe not), but certainly in keeping with the film ... where they carried on in public in 15 or 20 scenes.

I don't recall the Helen version as well. Was she secretive about Jeremy Irons? Ugh, who could be???

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

What about Bette?

What about Jenny Runacre?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

Alex, I disagree with you about Cotilard merely lip synching.

I didn't say she was merely lip-synching. Cotilard was fine, I was just bored with everything that didn't involve singing (all of which was lip synched, whether to Piaf or Aigrot).

Currently I've seen four of the five nominees for Best Actress (and if I have time I will see Julie Christie in Away from Her tonight) and I'd put her as the best among the other nominees, that's just not a terribly high bar this year. Laura Linney was fine but there was nothing special about The Savages; Ellen Page was good in Juno; maybe Blanchett was good in Queen Elizabeth and just tainted by the overall stink of the movie so I'm not seeing it.

[Snowflake]

Alex, I stand corrected, sorry bout that.

I'd love to see Cotilard win, I think she truly deserves it. It was, for what it was, a tour de force performance.

Julie Christie has my sentimental vote.

[Gemini Cricket]

I saw Bourne Ultimatum the other night. I highly recommend it.
It's a wonderful action film. One of the best I've seen in awhile.
The editing is so fierce, I can't believe how many cuts this film has.
And I can't believe the locations that they shot in. There's a huge scene in the middle of the busiest tube station in London and then there's a huge chase scene in Tangiers that is wonderful. There's one jump that the Bourne character takes that is tremendous.
I definitely want to watch all 3 back to back sometime.
Interesting that Matt Damon is now the golden boy and Ben Affleck is nowhere to be found. Interesting.

Spoiler:

An interesting thing I found out is that casting can sometimes give away some of the plot. Or at least it can direct you in a way as a viewer.
I saw in the credits that Albert Finney was cast in the film. And seeing 3/4 of it and not seeing him yet, I figured out that he was going to explain the whole Bourne secret. Why else would he take the part if it wasn't a significant role? And his scene would have to be a major one if he had not a single piece of dialogue 3/4 of the way in. I think they should have hidden the fact that Finney was in it and surprised us with his appearance and his revelation.

That was also a big giveaway for me when I saw Appointment with Death. I thought to myself, why on earth would Lauren Bacall be in this film? She's a heavy hitter. She wouldn't do this film unless... Yes, it could have been John Gielgud but I just knew it was her. And it was.

[CoasterMatt]

It was music movies night tonight on HD Movies - Imagine: John Lennon, followed by Pink Floyd: The Wall

I'm comfortably numb

[Chernabog]

I watched "Sunshine" yesterday on Bluray and thought it was sort of meh. Like, it visually looked good, and the acting was good (Cillian Murphy still has beautiful eyes) but the last act of the movie went off in a bad bad direction after an amazingly cool and thought provoking setup.

That seems to be a running theme with Danny Boyle films. Two AMAZING first acts followed by a third one that makes you go... why WHY did you go there (see, for example, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting).

Though it was kinda cool to finally see something on profile 1.1 bluray (video-in-video) in the special features.

[Gemini Cricket]

So, I finally got around to sit down and watch the Russell Crowe 3:10 to Yuma. I like it so far, but I'm a little irked. I can't understand a word anyone is saying. It's quite aggravating. So, I turned on the subtitles just now.
Oy!