Cyrus really surprised me. I went in expecting this escalating battle of wits between John C. Reilly and the titular character, played by Jonah Hill, that would only get worse/more hilarious as the film progressed. I thought Cyrus would do everything in his power to drive a wedge between his saintly mother (Marisa Tomei) and her new beau, and new beau John would respond in kind with hilarious tactics of his own. I certainly was not prepared for an honest and vulnerable performance from Hill as a boy fighting against oncoming adulthood. Nor was I ready for a Reilly-Tomei relationship that actually worked, that managed to ring true despite the fact that she's mind-blowingly beautiful and he's, well, Shrek.
Now, it's not always successful. It doesn't quite find that balance between broad comedy and realism, and often you'll find yourself in either one movie or the other. When it goes for a more realistic tone by the end, it's surprising, a little off-putting...but it works somehow. You can thank the actors for that, for Hill and Reilly always manage to keep themselves grounded in reality. Hill, as I've said, is the real surprise here. He can act! Who knew? Reilly is solid, as always, and Tomei's a sweetheart -- though I don't think she always finds her character, you know? Like she's only playing the surface. Maybe there is only surface to her character, since everyone except Cyrus is strangely honest with each other. But again, thanks to the actors, it never comes off as on-the-nose or stilted. That's just how they are.
It was a pretty good time. Oh, sure, the constant and unnecessary zooming irritated the bejeezus out of me, but overall it's a fine movie with some solid performance. Again: Hill. Wow.
PLEASE GIVE
Speaking of honest characters. In Please Give, Nicole Holofcener introduces us to six people who are all very blunt with each other. Sometimes, they're passive-aggressive. Most of the time, they're very aggressive. But the trait that binds them all together is this strange habit of saying whatever mean thoughts come into their heads. Also, over-sharing. This movie is about over-sharing, I think. And youth, and our obsession with it. Also, it's about giving, whether it be monetarily or emotionally, whether it be to charity or at home. Because, really, charity begins at home. I think that sums up the last scene, really.
Anyway, the film follows six people from two families. Catherine Keener and Rebecca Hall are the leads, one a wife and mother with that famous guilt upper-class liberals feel, the other a radiology technician who takes care of her grandmother (Ann Guilbert). Keener's bought the grandmother's apartment next door, and is basically waiting for her to die so that she break through and remodel her apartment. She feels guilty about this, and about her job: buying furniture at estate sells and then selling them at her furniture store for more than she paid. She tries to give to the homeless and volunteer, but something always backfires. Hall's character is just naturally giving and dutiful, and though it's difficult caring for her grandmother, she does so without complaint. Hall's sister, a conceited beautician/masseuse/cosmetologist/I don't know what (Amanda Peet), is openly hostile towards Grandmother. Also in the mix are Keener's dorky husband (Oliver Platt) and their self-conscious daughter (Sarah Steele).
Again, a good movie. Good. Rebecca Hall is the especial stand-out (isn't she always?), though Keener is, of course, magical. Platt seems a little miscast to me, and I can't figure out what would lead Keener to marry and procreate with this man. His playing of the role is a little off, too: my roommate said he thought Platt was the gay best friend for the first fifteen minutes. Steele is great, funny and sad as the awkward 15-year-old. Guilbert has little more to do than be cranky, while Peet has little more to do than be a bitch. Oh, but her self-conscious moments are delicious.
But overall? It's just good. When all is said and done, I don't know why Keener chooses to do something that fills her with as much guilt as it does. And their business doesn't really seem to be doing that well, anyway, so it can't be the money. Like, I just didn't understand these people's motivations. Is that the point? Are they just normal human beings fumbling their way through a strange existence? I don't know, but it's not very fulfilling. I could watch it again, but I wouldn't buy it. Unless it was to savor Rebecca Hall's performance again. She's great.
Showing posts with label John C Reilly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John C Reilly. Show all posts
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Casting Coup Tuesdays: Cheers
I've discovered many shows by just watching whatever followed reruns of The Golden Girls. The Nanny, Designing Women, Cybill...and eventually, Cheers. Naturally, Cheers was different from these other shows for many reasons. For one, it appealed to men more. For another, it was a show I remembered from childhood, having watched it in syndication with my parents during lunch. I remembered nothing except the opening credits and Norm, except what I had gathered by watching Frasier. So, when Hallmark offered, I accepted.
It's a hilarious show, if you've never seen it. The ensemble is a collections of employees and regulars at a bar in Boston. The protagonist, Sam Malone, is a former baseball star and recovering alcoholic. We never see him partake of what he proffers, though he indulges liberally in women. His unquenchable lust meant the first couple of seasons centered around the on-and-off relationship with snobby, intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers (She would later fall for, bring along, and eventually leave psychiatrist Frasier Crane; he, in turn, would meet and marry Dr. Lilith Sternin). Diane looks at the patrons of Cheers as below her intellectually, but divorcee/head barmaid Carla Tortelli always managed to outsmart her, especially in the clever insults department. The most notable of the barflies are mailman Cliff Clavin, who lives with his mother, and Norm Peterson, an accountant who LOVES his beer. Sam's old Coach served as bartender until his passing, then farmboy Woody came in. And, of course, there was rich, neurotic Rebecca Howe, who bought the bar from Sam after Diane left Boston. It's a rich mythology.
If it wasn't for the fact that I'd found the perfect new Sam Malone, this CCT might not have happened. But one night, I was watching it, and thought to myself, "Oh, you know who'd make a GREAT Sam...?" It all just snowballed from there. Perhaps I had grown used to the idea of recasting TV shows from the increase of film adaptations and TV reboots of old series. The cineplexes this year got The A-Team, a new Hawaii Five-O series is on its way, and there's no end in sight. Why not hop on and join in the (possible, but not guaranteed) fun?
It's a hilarious show, if you've never seen it. The ensemble is a collections of employees and regulars at a bar in Boston. The protagonist, Sam Malone, is a former baseball star and recovering alcoholic. We never see him partake of what he proffers, though he indulges liberally in women. His unquenchable lust meant the first couple of seasons centered around the on-and-off relationship with snobby, intellectual barmaid Diane Chambers (She would later fall for, bring along, and eventually leave psychiatrist Frasier Crane; he, in turn, would meet and marry Dr. Lilith Sternin). Diane looks at the patrons of Cheers as below her intellectually, but divorcee/head barmaid Carla Tortelli always managed to outsmart her, especially in the clever insults department. The most notable of the barflies are mailman Cliff Clavin, who lives with his mother, and Norm Peterson, an accountant who LOVES his beer. Sam's old Coach served as bartender until his passing, then farmboy Woody came in. And, of course, there was rich, neurotic Rebecca Howe, who bought the bar from Sam after Diane left Boston. It's a rich mythology.
If it wasn't for the fact that I'd found the perfect new Sam Malone, this CCT might not have happened. But one night, I was watching it, and thought to myself, "Oh, you know who'd make a GREAT Sam...?" It all just snowballed from there. Perhaps I had grown used to the idea of recasting TV shows from the increase of film adaptations and TV reboots of old series. The cineplexes this year got The A-Team, a new Hawaii Five-O series is on its way, and there's no end in sight. Why not hop on and join in the (possible, but not guaranteed) fun?
ERNIE "COACH" PANTUSSO
Who is He: Sam's former coach on the Red Sox, he came to Cheers to bartend. Having taken a number of pitches to the head, Coach isn't the brightest of the group, but he's the kindest man, a father to everyone in the bar.
Originally played by: Three-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers)
Nicholas Colasanto (Family Plot, Raging Bull)
My Choice: Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Actor (Hard Eight), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia)
Philip Baker Hall (Rush Hour, Fired Up!)
WOODY BOYD
Who is He: An old pen pal of Coach's (they exchanged pens), Woody comes to Cheers to meet him. Upon learning of his death, Woody takes over as bartender. Hailing from a small town Indiana, Woody is a naive innocent, frequently misunderstanding the goings-on at the bar. He's a gentleman and pretty handsome, too, which means girls tend to find him attractive.
Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor [in a Drama] (The People vs. Larry Flynt) and Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (No Country for Old Men), Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Cheers), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger)
Woody Harrelson (White Men Can't Jump, Zombieland)
My Choice:
Michael Angarano (Man in the Chair, Gentlemen Broncos)
He's handsome, young (but not too young), and has played naive, goofy kids before. Maybe not ever this dim, but that's acting, right?
DR. LILITH STERNIN
Who is She: A cold, analytical psychiatrist with a hidden libido, Lilith dates and eventually marries Frasier.
Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
Bebe Neuwirth (Celebrity, The Faculty)
By the way, Neuwirth only did one Woody Allen film? For shame!
My Choice: SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Sideways)
Sandra Oh (Bean, Blindness)
Too obvious? She has that voice, after all.
FRASIER CRANE
Who is He: A well-to-do psychiatrist from Seattle. Despite a childhood of pretensions and snobbery, Frasier warms to the beer-and-nuts crowd of Cheers. At first in love with Diane, he is eventually set up with, and marries, Dr. Lilith Sternin.
Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Frasier)
Kelsey Grammer (Toy Story 2, Swing Vote)
My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It?), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Mystic River, Bobby)
Laurence Fishburne (Othello, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)
The man's voice is almost British in its lyricism. And he's surprisingly funny, too: in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he plays the bear in the beer commercial!
CLIFF CLAVIN
Who is He: A mailman with little to no social skills, a mind full of useless trivia, and a bedroom in his mother's house.
Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)
John Ratzenberger (The Empire Strikes Back, House II: The Second Story)
My Choice:
Ed Helms (Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Hangover)
Not much of a stretch from his previous roles, maybe...but we could still give him a mustache!
NORM PETERSON
Who is He: Accountant, house painter, interior decorator. Norm is the most beloved of the regulars, greeted by a chorus of "Norm" whenever he enters. Norm loves the bar, loves the beer, and loves his friends. He's Cliff's bestie, which means he's the only one subjected to invitations to craft days with Cliff and his mother.
Originally played by: Six-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)
George Wendt (House, Dreamscape)
My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy and Best Song - "Walk Hard" (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Anniversary Party, The Good Girl), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Chicago)
John C. Reilly (Dark Water, Step Brothers)
Isn't this obvious? He's like the skinnier George Wendt (think about that). Pudgy and lovable, he has an easygoing-ness about him. He's also one of the best at both understated and over-the-top comedy, which could serve him well here.
CARLA TORTELLI
Who is She: Head waitress/barmaid of Cheers. Carla is a tough-talking, wise-cracking, working-class broad with three marriages and eight kids under her belt. Though unlucky with men, she does get lucky quite often. She hates Diane and Cliff with equal disdain.
Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
Rhea Perlman (We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Matilda)
My Choice:
Wanda Sykes (Pootie Tang, Monster-in-Law)
So she's not Italian. So what? She's sassy, funny and tiny, and that's all I need to know to cast her as Carla. Tortelli's just her married name, anyway.
REBECCA HOWE
Who is She: After Diane leaves Boston, Sam sells Cheers to a corporation. Rebecca is assigned to manage it, and boy is she nuts. She wants to present herself as a poised, in-charge woman, but she's often clumsy and neurotic. Rebecca often goes after rich men, though there is considerable tension between her and Sam.
Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
Kirstie Alley (Look Who's Talking, Drop Dead Gorgeous)
My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug, Doubt), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee/Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress/SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy (Enchanted), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug)
Amy Adams (Drop Dead Gorgeous, Serving Sara)
Neurotic. Funny. Hot. I think we've got these bases covered.
DIANE CHAMBERS
Who is She: The only child of a wealthy family, Diane arrives at Cheers after being jilted by her lit professor/lover Sumner Sloan. She begins waitressing there, but considers herself intellectually superior to everyone around her. Intelligent yet naive, elitist yet attracted to Sam, Diane is a hodgepodge of sexy and awful. She and Sam are perpetually on-again-off-again, due less to their compatibility than to their sexual chemistry.
Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
Shelley Long (Irreconcilable Differences, The Brady Bunch Movie)
My Choice:
Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth)
She is Diane. In interviews, she comes off as smart, but not as smart as she thinks. She declares herself to be a feminist, but she stars in films in which she surrenders to an alpha male. But she's also a fine actress who could excel in this role.
SAM MALONE
Who is He: Former relief pitcher for the Red Sox, recovering alcoholic, owner/bartender of Cheers. Sam is a notorious ladies' man, regaling Norm and Cliff with tales of his conquests. He frequently proposes to, and is denied by, Diane Chambers, until she leaves to pursue a writing career. He then turns his attentions to Rebecca, though Diane still haunts him.
Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)
Ted Danson (Saving Private Ryan, Little Danson Man)
My Choice:
Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The Hangover)
Handsome, fit, funny, and a little smirky, Cooper has that great combination of humor and charm -- and MAN -- that is Sam Malone. Expect the fireworks between him and Heigl, or him and Adams, because it would be explosive. He's also got great chemistry with most of his co-stars, which would work with an ensemble-heavy project like this.
NORM PETERSON
Who is He: Accountant, house painter, interior decorator. Norm is the most beloved of the regulars, greeted by a chorus of "Norm" whenever he enters. Norm loves the bar, loves the beer, and loves his friends. He's Cliff's bestie, which means he's the only one subjected to invitations to craft days with Cliff and his mother.
Originally played by: Six-Time Emmy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)
My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy and Best Song - "Walk Hard" (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Anniversary Party, The Good Girl), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Chicago)
Isn't this obvious? He's like the skinnier George Wendt (think about that). Pudgy and lovable, he has an easygoing-ness about him. He's also one of the best at both understated and over-the-top comedy, which could serve him well here.
CARLA TORTELLI
Who is She: Head waitress/barmaid of Cheers. Carla is a tough-talking, wise-cracking, working-class broad with three marriages and eight kids under her belt. Though unlucky with men, she does get lucky quite often. She hates Diane and Cliff with equal disdain.
Originally played by: Four-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
My Choice:
So she's not Italian. So what? She's sassy, funny and tiny, and that's all I need to know to cast her as Carla. Tortelli's just her married name, anyway.
REBECCA HOWE
Who is She: After Diane leaves Boston, Sam sells Cheers to a corporation. Rebecca is assigned to manage it, and boy is she nuts. She wants to present herself as a poised, in-charge woman, but she's often clumsy and neurotic. Rebecca often goes after rich men, though there is considerable tension between her and Sam.
Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug, Doubt), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee/Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress/SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy (Enchanted), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Junebug)
Neurotic. Funny. Hot. I think we've got these bases covered.
DIANE CHAMBERS
Who is She: The only child of a wealthy family, Diane arrives at Cheers after being jilted by her lit professor/lover Sumner Sloan. She begins waitressing there, but considers herself intellectually superior to everyone around her. Intelligent yet naive, elitist yet attracted to Sam, Diane is a hodgepodge of sexy and awful. She and Sam are perpetually on-again-off-again, due less to their compatibility than to their sexual chemistry.
Originally played by: Emmy Award Winner for Best Actress in a Comedy (Cheers)
My Choice:
She is Diane. In interviews, she comes off as smart, but not as smart as she thinks. She declares herself to be a feminist, but she stars in films in which she surrenders to an alpha male. But she's also a fine actress who could excel in this role.
SAM MALONE
Who is He: Former relief pitcher for the Red Sox, recovering alcoholic, owner/bartender of Cheers. Sam is a notorious ladies' man, regaling Norm and Cliff with tales of his conquests. He frequently proposes to, and is denied by, Diane Chambers, until she leaves to pursue a writing career. He then turns his attentions to Rebecca, though Diane still haunts him.
Originally played by: Two-Time Emmy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Comedy (Cheers)
My Choice:
Handsome, fit, funny, and a little smirky, Cooper has that great combination of humor and charm -- and MAN -- that is Sam Malone. Expect the fireworks between him and Heigl, or him and Adams, because it would be explosive. He's also got great chemistry with most of his co-stars, which would work with an ensemble-heavy project like this.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Late to the Party
It's been a week since I've seen it, but I just wanted to make sure the magic wouldn't wear off before I started writing about it. And there's another movie that came out at the beginning of the Summer, but I just got around to seeing it. And I don't need to sit around debating with myself how I felt.
STEP BROTHERS
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are magic when they get together. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was instantly quotable (yes, that counts for a lot), and gets funier with repeat viewings. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby offered the same nonsensical tone with an actual plot, with sexy results. But Step Brothers...hoo boy, did I love Step Brothers.
There's more of a plot than Anchorman, but less so than Talladega Nights. Lay-abouts Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Academy Award Nominee John C. Reilly) still live at home with their parents. Dale's father (Richard Jenkins) meets Brennan's mom (Academy Award Winner Mary Steenburgen), they marry, all four move in together, hilarity ensues. Okay, so it's more of a set-up than a plot, but at least it goes somewhere.
As the first R-rated film of their collaboration, Step Brothers allows Ferrell and McKay to up the ante. Masturbating to the weather girl? Adultery in the men's room? Mary Steenburgen shouting, "What the fucking fuck"?!? The climactic Wine Mixer? I don't do it justice in print, but the execution on film is HILARIOUS.
Everyone in the cast is pitch-perfect. Jenkins almost steals the show as the put-upon patriarch of this crazy clan, while Adam Scott is a perfectly hilarious villain, playing Brennan's devious, more successful brother. The chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly, first seen in Talladega Night, is just awesome. They are clearly more blood brothers than stepbrothers -- comically, anyway.
Step Brothers is mindless entertainment, it is true. (And thank goodness for that -- it's nice to kick back and relax after three viewings of The Dark Knight) Trust me when I say it's hilarious, it's awesome, it hits all the right notes. And that Jon Brion score is GAH! amazing. ***1/2
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Well, Indiana Jones (Academy Award Nominee Harrison Ford) has returned: older, campier, computier than before.
Indy and greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) search for a missing professor (Academy Award Nominee John Hurt), winding up in a quest for a mythical City of Gold and the Crystal Skull of the title. Russian commies are the villains this time out, led by paranormal investigator Colonel Dr. Irina Spalko (Academy Award Winner Cate Blanchett).
The Indy movies have always had a great balance between the exciting and the ridiculous. This new one, an attempt to recreate 50s B-flicks, is no exception, though there were times where I had to keep my eyes from rolling. I can accept refrigerators that can survive nuclear blasts. I can accept forays into the supernatural and trans-dimensional.
I just cannot accept Shia auditioning for a new Tarzan movie, nor will I ever accept the use of CG animals. What, they couldn't find real prairie dogs? And why fake monkeys -- did they kill all the real ones in the first three movies (those fucking dates!)? Not a big fan of Janusz Kaminski's cinematography in this one, either. Too much white light. Too fake-looking. I get that there's a "feel" about this film, but it was awfully distracting.
But whatever. It's great to see Indy back in action. Hell, it's great to see Harrison Ford back in action, still in shape and still doing most of his own stunts. The guy's still got it, and looks ready for a few more. Everyone is clearly having a good time, especially Blanchett. I'd love to see her do more roles like this, like maybe in a Bond film. She just nails it. Perfectly.
Overall: Great fun. I'd see it again, but I can wait for the DVD. ***
STEP BROTHERS
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are magic when they get together. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was instantly quotable (yes, that counts for a lot), and gets funier with repeat viewings. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby offered the same nonsensical tone with an actual plot, with sexy results. But Step Brothers...hoo boy, did I love Step Brothers.
There's more of a plot than Anchorman, but less so than Talladega Nights. Lay-abouts Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Academy Award Nominee John C. Reilly) still live at home with their parents. Dale's father (Richard Jenkins) meets Brennan's mom (Academy Award Winner Mary Steenburgen), they marry, all four move in together, hilarity ensues. Okay, so it's more of a set-up than a plot, but at least it goes somewhere.
As the first R-rated film of their collaboration, Step Brothers allows Ferrell and McKay to up the ante. Masturbating to the weather girl? Adultery in the men's room? Mary Steenburgen shouting, "What the fucking fuck"?!? The climactic Wine Mixer? I don't do it justice in print, but the execution on film is HILARIOUS.
Everyone in the cast is pitch-perfect. Jenkins almost steals the show as the put-upon patriarch of this crazy clan, while Adam Scott is a perfectly hilarious villain, playing Brennan's devious, more successful brother. The chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly, first seen in Talladega Night, is just awesome. They are clearly more blood brothers than stepbrothers -- comically, anyway.
Step Brothers is mindless entertainment, it is true. (And thank goodness for that -- it's nice to kick back and relax after three viewings of The Dark Knight) Trust me when I say it's hilarious, it's awesome, it hits all the right notes. And that Jon Brion score is GAH! amazing. ***1/2
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Well, Indiana Jones (Academy Award Nominee Harrison Ford) has returned: older, campier, computier than before.
Indy and greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) search for a missing professor (Academy Award Nominee John Hurt), winding up in a quest for a mythical City of Gold and the Crystal Skull of the title. Russian commies are the villains this time out, led by paranormal investigator Colonel Dr. Irina Spalko (Academy Award Winner Cate Blanchett).
The Indy movies have always had a great balance between the exciting and the ridiculous. This new one, an attempt to recreate 50s B-flicks, is no exception, though there were times where I had to keep my eyes from rolling. I can accept refrigerators that can survive nuclear blasts. I can accept forays into the supernatural and trans-dimensional.
I just cannot accept Shia auditioning for a new Tarzan movie, nor will I ever accept the use of CG animals. What, they couldn't find real prairie dogs? And why fake monkeys -- did they kill all the real ones in the first three movies (those fucking dates!)? Not a big fan of Janusz Kaminski's cinematography in this one, either. Too much white light. Too fake-looking. I get that there's a "feel" about this film, but it was awfully distracting.
But whatever. It's great to see Indy back in action. Hell, it's great to see Harrison Ford back in action, still in shape and still doing most of his own stunts. The guy's still got it, and looks ready for a few more. Everyone is clearly having a good time, especially Blanchett. I'd love to see her do more roles like this, like maybe in a Bond film. She just nails it. Perfectly.
Overall: Great fun. I'd see it again, but I can wait for the DVD. ***
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Casting Coup: Pippi Longstocking
I promised it, and now I'm delivering it! I bought the book on Sunday. I read it Monday. And I cast it Tuesday. Which is today. Because my good friend, the Lovely Lea, requested it, I present to you....
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING!!!!!!
I felt no need to go into the whole rigmarole with the South Seas and blah-dee-blah, keeping instead with the original book that first captivated Swedish children in 1945, and American kids in 1950. Since then, there have been several film adaptations: Swedish in 1949 and 1969, Russian in 1982, American in 1988, and Canadian in 1997. Naturally, I was first introduced via the '88 version, entitled The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. It was third grade, we saw it twice, and all I could think to myself was, "HOLY COW MRS. PEACOCK IS IN THIS MOVIE!!!" (Indeed, Eileen Brennan was nominated at the Razzies for her performance. Fuck you, Razzie Committee. IT'S NOT FOR YOU!)
But it wasn't until Sunday that I actually read Astrid Lindgren's original story. And let me tell you, it is fascinating. Pippi is the strongest little girl in the world, as strong as ten policemen! She marches to the beat of her own drum, and is true to herself no matter what. With her are her horse, Little Old Man:
...and her monkey, Mr. Nilsson:
She has no parents: Mum's dead, and Pop, a ship's captain, was lost at sea. So, this nine-year-old girl lives alone at Villa Villekulla, next door to the Settergrens, who are more traditional. Supposedly.
Hell, let's just throw you right into the mix. Click "Read More!" to read more.
THE COFFEE GUESTS
Who are They: In "Pippi Goes to a Coffee Party", Pippi visits her old friends the Settergrens. Mrs. Settergren has a coffee party, which Pippi of course dirupts when she pours sugar on the carpet ("Why should there be the kind...to sprinkle on things if somebody doesn't go and sprinkle it?"), dives into the pie ("You mustn't feel bad...The main thing is that we have our health."), and tells stories of her Grandmother's maid, Malin ("The only annoying thing was that as soon as company came she would rush at them and bite their legs."). Each of the women subjected to this have complaints about their maids. Mrs. Berggren's is messy, Mrs. Granberg's borrows without asking, and Mrs. Alexandersson's steals.
My Choices: I've decided that all the adults should be glorified cameo appearances. So, I chose the three most proper women I could think of. Women we would love to see in hats and pearls.
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Enchanted April), Joan Plowright (101 Dalmatians, Dennis the Menace) as Mrs. Berggren
Juliet Stevenson (Infamous, Emma) as Mrs. Granberg
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (American Gangster), Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun, Do the Right Thing) as Mrs. Alexandersson
THE RINGMASTER
Who is He: So, Pippi goes to the circus and pretty much puts the whole place out of business when she spontaneously becomes part of the show. And is much better at it. She beats the strongman. The ringmaster grows quite exasperated ("Horrible child! Get out of here!")
My Choice: He looks nothing at all like the illustration, but I like his build and his presence, as far as ringmaster-types go. Academy Award Nominee for Best Live-Action Short Film (Little Surprises)
Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day)
THE POLICE OFFICERS
Who are They: The cops made the mistake of trying to drag Pippi to the orphanage. She gets the best of them, as you can see.
My Choices: Buffoonish, so perhaps some comic actors. But they're cops, so they have to look believable in uniform.
Will Arnett (TV's Arrested Development, Blades of Glory)
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), John C. Reilly (Step Brothers, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story)
THE TEACHER
Who is She: A good-hearted, sweet soul who has to contend with Pippi on her first and only day of school. Two possible reasons for her going crazy. This exchange:
TEACHER: "Pippi, can you tell me what seven and five are?"
PIPPI: "Well, if you don't know that yourself, you needn't think I'm going to tell you."
Or maybe this:
Strong cases for both, really.
My Choice: She's described as sweet, so I wanted someone who not only could play a Mom type, but who was easy on the eyes. Of course, she also gets very stern, so I wanted someone who could play irritated and pissed.
Carla Gugino (Spy Kids, Sin City)
THE BURGLARS
Who are They: Two tramps named Bloom and Thunder-Karlsson (fuck off, that's why). They want a sandwich, but when they see Pippi counting gold, they decide to try to steal from her. Instead, they wind up making friends and dancing the night away. They finally leave, upon which Pippi pays them each with gold coins: "These you have honestly earned."
My Choices: They are not buffoonish, like the cops. Still, they have to be of the straight-faced-shock school of comic timing. I chose a pair of Britishers.
Mark Addy (TV's Still Standing, A Knight's Tale) as Bloom
Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park, Spice World) as Thunder-Karlsson
MRS. SETTERGREN
Who is She: Mother to Tommy and Annika, she allows her children to continually spend time with Pippi, even after the coffee party. And the police interference. And the school incident. Not a very wary woman, clearly.
My Choice: Someone who can be exasperated yet motherly at the same time? Sign up this Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Working Girl, In & Out)
Joan Cusack (Addams Family Values, Friends with Money)
TOMMY & ANNIKA SETTERGREN
Who are They: Sickeningly sweet kids who gets roped into Pippi's crazy antics. Tommy does not bite his nails, and "always did exactly what his mother told him to do". Annika keeps clean and "never fussed when she didn't get her own way". They clearly need to introduce a little anarchy in their lives. Or a little Pippi.
My Choices: Yes, yes, yes, I actually found a pair of innocents to take on these roles! The boy, meh, I found him on a TV show, but the girl is going places. Seriously. The last time I had a hunch about a young actress about her age, it was for a certain little tot in Signs. And she almost won an Oscar, may I remind you. So, here they are, my child stars:
Miles Williams (TV's Wonder Showzen, TV's The Guiding Light) as Tommy
Future Academy Award Nominee/Future Hollmann Award Winner Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (Hulk, The Last Mimzy) as Annika
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Who is She: The lead, a red-headed orphan who doesn't need some bald-headed billionaire to make her feel complete. She's CRAZY. Pippi is seriously crazy. Look at that. She's out for blood. You're next.
My Choice: She may be 10 instead of 9, but come on. Look at her.
Ryan Newman (Monster House, TV's Hannah Montana)
Lea? Proud?
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING!!!!!!
I felt no need to go into the whole rigmarole with the South Seas and blah-dee-blah, keeping instead with the original book that first captivated Swedish children in 1945, and American kids in 1950. Since then, there have been several film adaptations: Swedish in 1949 and 1969, Russian in 1982, American in 1988, and Canadian in 1997. Naturally, I was first introduced via the '88 version, entitled The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. It was third grade, we saw it twice, and all I could think to myself was, "HOLY COW MRS. PEACOCK IS IN THIS MOVIE!!!" (Indeed, Eileen Brennan was nominated at the Razzies for her performance. Fuck you, Razzie Committee. IT'S NOT FOR YOU!)
But it wasn't until Sunday that I actually read Astrid Lindgren's original story. And let me tell you, it is fascinating. Pippi is the strongest little girl in the world, as strong as ten policemen! She marches to the beat of her own drum, and is true to herself no matter what. With her are her horse, Little Old Man:
...and her monkey, Mr. Nilsson:
She has no parents: Mum's dead, and Pop, a ship's captain, was lost at sea. So, this nine-year-old girl lives alone at Villa Villekulla, next door to the Settergrens, who are more traditional. Supposedly.
Hell, let's just throw you right into the mix. Click "Read More!" to read more.
THE COFFEE GUESTS
Who are They: In "Pippi Goes to a Coffee Party", Pippi visits her old friends the Settergrens. Mrs. Settergren has a coffee party, which Pippi of course dirupts when she pours sugar on the carpet ("Why should there be the kind...to sprinkle on things if somebody doesn't go and sprinkle it?"), dives into the pie ("You mustn't feel bad...The main thing is that we have our health."), and tells stories of her Grandmother's maid, Malin ("The only annoying thing was that as soon as company came she would rush at them and bite their legs."). Each of the women subjected to this have complaints about their maids. Mrs. Berggren's is messy, Mrs. Granberg's borrows without asking, and Mrs. Alexandersson's steals.
My Choices: I've decided that all the adults should be glorified cameo appearances. So, I chose the three most proper women I could think of. Women we would love to see in hats and pearls.
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Enchanted April), Joan Plowright (101 Dalmatians, Dennis the Menace) as Mrs. Berggren
Juliet Stevenson (Infamous, Emma) as Mrs. Granberg
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (American Gangster), Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun, Do the Right Thing) as Mrs. Alexandersson
THE RINGMASTER
Who is He: So, Pippi goes to the circus and pretty much puts the whole place out of business when she spontaneously becomes part of the show. And is much better at it. She beats the strongman. The ringmaster grows quite exasperated ("Horrible child! Get out of here!")
My Choice: He looks nothing at all like the illustration, but I like his build and his presence, as far as ringmaster-types go. Academy Award Nominee for Best Live-Action Short Film (Little Surprises)
Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day)
THE POLICE OFFICERS
Who are They: The cops made the mistake of trying to drag Pippi to the orphanage. She gets the best of them, as you can see.
My Choices: Buffoonish, so perhaps some comic actors. But they're cops, so they have to look believable in uniform.
Will Arnett (TV's Arrested Development, Blades of Glory)
Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago), John C. Reilly (Step Brothers, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story)
THE TEACHER
Who is She: A good-hearted, sweet soul who has to contend with Pippi on her first and only day of school. Two possible reasons for her going crazy. This exchange:
TEACHER: "Pippi, can you tell me what seven and five are?"
PIPPI: "Well, if you don't know that yourself, you needn't think I'm going to tell you."
Or maybe this:
Strong cases for both, really.
My Choice: She's described as sweet, so I wanted someone who not only could play a Mom type, but who was easy on the eyes. Of course, she also gets very stern, so I wanted someone who could play irritated and pissed.
Carla Gugino (Spy Kids, Sin City)
THE BURGLARS
Who are They: Two tramps named Bloom and Thunder-Karlsson (fuck off, that's why). They want a sandwich, but when they see Pippi counting gold, they decide to try to steal from her. Instead, they wind up making friends and dancing the night away. They finally leave, upon which Pippi pays them each with gold coins: "These you have honestly earned."
My Choices: They are not buffoonish, like the cops. Still, they have to be of the straight-faced-shock school of comic timing. I chose a pair of Britishers.
Mark Addy (TV's Still Standing, A Knight's Tale) as Bloom
Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park, Spice World) as Thunder-Karlsson
MRS. SETTERGREN
Who is She: Mother to Tommy and Annika, she allows her children to continually spend time with Pippi, even after the coffee party. And the police interference. And the school incident. Not a very wary woman, clearly.
My Choice: Someone who can be exasperated yet motherly at the same time? Sign up this Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Working Girl, In & Out)
Joan Cusack (Addams Family Values, Friends with Money)
TOMMY & ANNIKA SETTERGREN
Who are They: Sickeningly sweet kids who gets roped into Pippi's crazy antics. Tommy does not bite his nails, and "always did exactly what his mother told him to do". Annika keeps clean and "never fussed when she didn't get her own way". They clearly need to introduce a little anarchy in their lives. Or a little Pippi.
My Choices: Yes, yes, yes, I actually found a pair of innocents to take on these roles! The boy, meh, I found him on a TV show, but the girl is going places. Seriously. The last time I had a hunch about a young actress about her age, it was for a certain little tot in Signs. And she almost won an Oscar, may I remind you. So, here they are, my child stars:
Miles Williams (TV's Wonder Showzen, TV's The Guiding Light) as Tommy
Future Academy Award Nominee/Future Hollmann Award Winner Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (Hulk, The Last Mimzy) as Annika
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Who is She: The lead, a red-headed orphan who doesn't need some bald-headed billionaire to make her feel complete. She's CRAZY. Pippi is seriously crazy. Look at that. She's out for blood. You're next.
My Choice: She may be 10 instead of 9, but come on. Look at her.
Ryan Newman (Monster House, TV's Hannah Montana)
Lea? Proud?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Casting Coup: Slaughterhouse-Five
When your first exposure to anything is through an oddly enjoyable but nonetheless pretty lame 80s dance flick, you don't expect to fall in love with whatever it is. At least, not without irony. Yet Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five is more than just a random example of Kevin Bacon's rebellious flouting of small-town conventions (take that, church and state!). Mind-bending and time-bending, witty and woeful, Vonnegut combines fact and fiction in telling the story of Billy Pilgrim, who is unstuck in time.
To go along with our reading, Ms. Arena decided to show us the film version. Directed by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), the film was even approved by Vonnegut himself, and is said to be the best possible adaptation possible. Unfortunately, we did not get to finish the film. I think Ms. Arena taped over it accidentally or something. Anyway, I never got to finish watching it, so all I could do was imagine what it must have been like.
And then I decided, Hey! Why not do a Casting Coup of it! That, plus Gemma requesting it on the Request Post, made it worth my time--AND YOURS--to do CCT.
Quotes from SparkNotes.
BILLY'S PARENTS
Who Are They: Dad tries to teach Billy to swim by throwing him into the pool. Mom nails a crucifix to the wall, but never goes to church due to her inability to choose a denomination. One demonstrates "the illusory nature of free will".
My Choices: One is an Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (The Killing Fields)
Sam Waterston (TV's Law & Order, Hannah and Her Sisters)
Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands, The Jane Austen Book Club)
LILY RUMFOORD
Who is She: A young trophy wife who meets Billy as he rooms with her husband in hospital. Lily is scared of him, and she silently in the room.
My Choice:
Natasha Lyonne (Everyone Says I Love You, Party Monster)
BERTRAM COPELAND RUMFOORD
Who is He: Laid up by a skiing accident, he occupies the hospital bed next to Billy's. A history professor, he refuses to believe Billy's less-than-heroic accounts of the Dresden experience, as they do not gel with his own presumptions.
My Choice: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Amadeus)
F. Murray Abraham (Scarface, Finding Forrester)
ROBERT PILGRIM
Who is He: Billy's son, a young delinquent who finds order in Vietnam when he joins the Green Berets. Billy is unable to effectively communicate with him.
My Choice:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, 10 Things I Hate About You)
BARBARA PILGRIM
Who is She: Billy's daughter, a young bride who becomes frustrated with her father's war trauma and mental breakdown.
My Choice:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Bobby, Black Christmas)
WERNER GLUCK
Who is He: During the War, Werner is a guard at the prison camp where Billy is held. He and Billy get a first glimpse of naked female together, and the two opposing soldiers find a common bond.
My Choice:
French actor Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising, Paris je t'aime)
HOWARD W. CAMPBELL, JR.
Who is He: An American soldier at the prison camp, he has become sympathetic toward the Nazis. He tries to recruit people in fighting alongside the Germans against Russia, seeking to claim new recruits to his ideology.
My Choice:
Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club, Edward Scissorhands)
ELIOT ROSEWATER
Who is He: Like Rumfoord, he occupies a bed beside Billy in a hospital. In this case, it is the mental ward of a veterans' hospital. He introduces Billy to the work of Kilgore Trout.
My Choice: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago)
John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Magnolia)
VALENCIA MERBLE
Who is She: Billy's pleasant, fat wife. She adores her husband, but he remains distant.
My Choice:
Lori Beth Denberg (TV's All That, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)
EDGAR DERBY
Who is He: A handsome, likable soldier in Dresden who is sentenced to die. Instead of sorrow, Billy feels that it was inevitable.
My Choice:
New favorite actor John Krasinski (Leatherheads, TV's The Office)
WILD BOB
Who is He: A delusional colonel who has lost his entire regiment, Wild Bob befriends Billy en route to the prison camp.
My Choice:
Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense, Hudson Hawk)
PAUL LAZZARO
Who is He: A bloodthirsty POW who avenges the death of Roland Weary by assassinating Billy Pilgrim later on. In the middle of the book. Because time is nonlinear.
My Choice:
Giovanni Ribisi (Lost in Translation, The Fast and the Furious)
ROLAND WEARY
Who is He: "A stupid, cruel soldier" who sees war as his chance to be heroic. Delusional and hungry for glory, Weary "heroically" toughs out the gangrene that later claims his life.
My Choice:
Ethan Suplee (TV's My Name is Earl, TV's Boy Meets World)
MONTANA WILDHACK
Who is She: An "actress" in "independent" films, Billy mates with her in the zoo on Tralfamadore. Young, sexy, and trusting, Billy fathers a son with her.
My Choice:
Drew Barrymore (Lucky You, Batman Forever)
KILGORE TROUT
Who is He: "A bitter, unappreciated author of several cleverly ironic science-fiction novels that have a great influence on Billy."
My Choice:
Frank Langella (Superman Returns, Good Night, and Good Luck)
BILLY PILGRIM
Who is He: "A World War II veteran, POW survivor of the firebombing of Dresden, prospering optometrist, husband, and father. Billy Pilgrim is the protagonist...who believes he has 'come unstuck in time.' He walks through a door at one moment in his life and suddenly finds himself in another time and place. His fragmented experience of time structures the novel as short episodic vignettes and shows how the difficulty of recounting traumatic experiences can require unusual literary techniques."
My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (Half Nelson), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Actor (Lars and the Real Girl)
Ryan Gosling (Fracture, The Notebook)
To go along with our reading, Ms. Arena decided to show us the film version. Directed by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), the film was even approved by Vonnegut himself, and is said to be the best possible adaptation possible. Unfortunately, we did not get to finish the film. I think Ms. Arena taped over it accidentally or something. Anyway, I never got to finish watching it, so all I could do was imagine what it must have been like.
And then I decided, Hey! Why not do a Casting Coup of it! That, plus Gemma requesting it on the Request Post, made it worth my time--AND YOURS--to do CCT.
Quotes from SparkNotes.
BILLY'S PARENTS
Who Are They: Dad tries to teach Billy to swim by throwing him into the pool. Mom nails a crucifix to the wall, but never goes to church due to her inability to choose a denomination. One demonstrates "the illusory nature of free will".
My Choices: One is an Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (The Killing Fields)
Sam Waterston (TV's Law & Order, Hannah and Her Sisters)
Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands, The Jane Austen Book Club)
LILY RUMFOORD
Who is She: A young trophy wife who meets Billy as he rooms with her husband in hospital. Lily is scared of him, and she silently in the room.
My Choice:
Natasha Lyonne (Everyone Says I Love You, Party Monster)
BERTRAM COPELAND RUMFOORD
Who is He: Laid up by a skiing accident, he occupies the hospital bed next to Billy's. A history professor, he refuses to believe Billy's less-than-heroic accounts of the Dresden experience, as they do not gel with his own presumptions.
My Choice: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Amadeus)
F. Murray Abraham (Scarface, Finding Forrester)
ROBERT PILGRIM
Who is He: Billy's son, a young delinquent who finds order in Vietnam when he joins the Green Berets. Billy is unable to effectively communicate with him.
My Choice:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, 10 Things I Hate About You)
BARBARA PILGRIM
Who is She: Billy's daughter, a young bride who becomes frustrated with her father's war trauma and mental breakdown.
My Choice:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Bobby, Black Christmas)
WERNER GLUCK
Who is He: During the War, Werner is a guard at the prison camp where Billy is held. He and Billy get a first glimpse of naked female together, and the two opposing soldiers find a common bond.
My Choice:
French actor Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising, Paris je t'aime)
HOWARD W. CAMPBELL, JR.
Who is He: An American soldier at the prison camp, he has become sympathetic toward the Nazis. He tries to recruit people in fighting alongside the Germans against Russia, seeking to claim new recruits to his ideology.
My Choice:
Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club, Edward Scissorhands)
ELIOT ROSEWATER
Who is He: Like Rumfoord, he occupies a bed beside Billy in a hospital. In this case, it is the mental ward of a veterans' hospital. He introduces Billy to the work of Kilgore Trout.
My Choice: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Chicago)
John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Magnolia)
VALENCIA MERBLE
Who is She: Billy's pleasant, fat wife. She adores her husband, but he remains distant.
My Choice:
Lori Beth Denberg (TV's All That, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)
EDGAR DERBY
Who is He: A handsome, likable soldier in Dresden who is sentenced to die. Instead of sorrow, Billy feels that it was inevitable.
My Choice:
New favorite actor John Krasinski (Leatherheads, TV's The Office)
WILD BOB
Who is He: A delusional colonel who has lost his entire regiment, Wild Bob befriends Billy en route to the prison camp.
My Choice:
Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense, Hudson Hawk)
PAUL LAZZARO
Who is He: A bloodthirsty POW who avenges the death of Roland Weary by assassinating Billy Pilgrim later on. In the middle of the book. Because time is nonlinear.
My Choice:
Giovanni Ribisi (Lost in Translation, The Fast and the Furious)
ROLAND WEARY
Who is He: "A stupid, cruel soldier" who sees war as his chance to be heroic. Delusional and hungry for glory, Weary "heroically" toughs out the gangrene that later claims his life.
My Choice:
Ethan Suplee (TV's My Name is Earl, TV's Boy Meets World)
MONTANA WILDHACK
Who is She: An "actress" in "independent" films, Billy mates with her in the zoo on Tralfamadore. Young, sexy, and trusting, Billy fathers a son with her.
My Choice:
Drew Barrymore (Lucky You, Batman Forever)
KILGORE TROUT
Who is He: "A bitter, unappreciated author of several cleverly ironic science-fiction novels that have a great influence on Billy."
My Choice:
Frank Langella (Superman Returns, Good Night, and Good Luck)
BILLY PILGRIM
Who is He: "A World War II veteran, POW survivor of the firebombing of Dresden, prospering optometrist, husband, and father. Billy Pilgrim is the protagonist...who believes he has 'come unstuck in time.' He walks through a door at one moment in his life and suddenly finds himself in another time and place. His fragmented experience of time structures the novel as short episodic vignettes and shows how the difficulty of recounting traumatic experiences can require unusual literary techniques."
My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (Half Nelson), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Actor (Lars and the Real Girl)
Ryan Gosling (Fracture, The Notebook)
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