Goodbye Sydney Pollack - Page 2

Gemini Cricket · 05-27-2008, 10:28 AM

I just watched him in Tootsie the other day. How sad.
RIP, Mr. Pollack.

innerSpaceman · 05-27-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

iSm: You might want to wait on mourning when watching Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. That was directed by Sydney Lumet.

OH THANK GOD SIDNEY LUMET STILL LIVES.

Who's this other Sidney? Oh, the hack that directed Tootsie and Out of Africa?? Good riddence!!

No, just kidding. But I liked him better as an actor than as a director.

Tref · 05-27-2008, 11:36 AM

Mr. Pollock had a welcoming presence on the screen. I was always happy to see him appear in a scene, no matter how small the part. Sometimes Pollock's role would be the only thing I remember, especially in films like Eye Wide Shut and Husbands and Wives -- there was a warmth and humanity to SP, that I can't even describe or put my finger on. Sydney was sort of like Bill Murray, you always enjoy the movie more because he's in it.

Alex · 05-27-2008, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

No, just kidding. But I liked him better as an actor than as a director.

I've been trying to decide what I feel about Pollack as a director. He was always good on screen but in that regard was just an occasional character actor. I hold an esteem for him that is too big for such a limited definition.

Three Days of the Condor is a fantastic political thriller. I love the fortitude it probably took to see The Way We Were to its appropriate conclusion (though I'm not a big fan of the movie overall). I love the beginning of The Electric Horseman. Tootsie is good but I've never thought it great. I like Out of Africa more than I think is the average.

Then he kind of stopped. Over the last 23 years he directed six movies, one of which is a documentary. One is a surprisingly solid piece of boilerplace (The Firm), three are outright mediocre or bad (Havana, Sabrina, Random Hearts) and I still haven't seen The Interpreter.

Looking over his resume I'm actually surprised to see how few films he directed over the years. But to me, even with the diminished output, I think he bridged a certain edginess from the '70s with '90s commercialism.

And if nothing else, even if he wasn't making it, he was a fantastic advocate and promoter of quality film.

05-27-2008, 10:28 AM	#11
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	I just watched him in Tootsie the other day. How sad. RIP, Mr. Pollack.
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05-27-2008, 11:36 AM	#13
Tref Not Tref Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,188	Mr. Pollock had a welcoming presence on the screen. I was always happy to see him appear in a scene, no matter how small the part. Sometimes Pollock's role would be the only thing I remember, especially in films like Eye Wide Shut and Husbands and Wives -- there was a warmth and humanity to SP, that I can't even describe or put my finger on. Sydney was sort of like Bill Murray, you always enjoy the movie more because he's in it. __________________ Tref3.0 Listen in aural 3-D to Pop's muzak! (New songs added semi-bi-daily) j & j Did you know that Emas eht yltcaxe is exactly the same spelled backwards?!
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