Best Actress, 2003

I will never forget that photo of Charlize Theron in full Aileen Wuornos drag, clad in a prison jumpsuit with hands clasped while awaiting mercy in a courtroom. It's the picture everyone used to say "this is our next Oscar winner", the picture everyone chose to say "gorgeous women can only win Oscars win they de-glam!" Hell, in 2006, the Academy Awards itself made a joke by saying Charlize Theron was once more "ugging it up" for North Country. If you read "We Predict the Winners" articles from the era, everyone tries to build suspense by saying it's a narrow race between Theron and Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give...and everyone predicts Charlize Theron. I was three days from turning 15 and even I knew who'd win:

Who should have won? The performances ranked, by me, from 5th to 1st:

Casting Coup: The Elephant Man

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture, Jonathan Sanger

Best Director, David Lynch

Best Actor, John Hurt
Best Adapted Screenplay, Christopher De Vore/Eric Bergren/David Lynch
Best Music - Original Score, John Morris

Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Stuart Craig/Robert Cartwright/Hugh Scaife

Best Film Editing, Anne V. Coates

Best Costume Design, Patricia Norris

The Elephant Man is inspired by the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John in Treves' memoir), a curiosity of Victorian London who went from the sideshow to stardom when eminent surgeon Frederick Treves took an interest in his unique case and moved him into London Hospital. It is a life that has inspired books, television specials, social studies (Ashley Montagu's, for example), even primetime animation.

And, of course, it has inspired dramatists. Bernard Pomerance's Broadway play debuted in 1979, won three Tony Awards including Best Play, was adapted for a 1982 ABC TV movie, and has been revived on the stage twice more. On stage, the role has been played by David Bowie, Bruce Davison, Mark Hamill, Billy Crudup, and Bradley Cooper, the latter two getting Tony nominations for their efforts. Pomerance was famously peeved about the film The Elephant Man, which had no relation at all to his play and probably hurt the film sales for it. And worse yet, if anyone were to finally adapt Pomerance's Elephant Man for cinemas, you know it would be reported as a remake of this version.

Of course, we today are not imagining a cinematic adaptation of Pomerance's work, but a remake of David Lynch's Oscar-nominated classic. Still. There's precedent for multiple versions of the story. Here's ours.

The Messenger Delivers the Goods

When we speak of the indie film dealing with war without really taking sides, we're generally talking about The Hurt Locker. Entering the conversation on the side, however, is the exquisitely-made The Messenger, the directorial debut of screenwriter Oren Moverman (I'm Not There, Married Life). Known primarily for being the movie Woody Harrelson keeps getting nominations for, The Messenger is an intimate, emotional work about the war at home.

Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is discharged from the hospital, a war hero, the details of which will not be revealed until the end (naturally). With three months left, he is assigned to go to the homes of men killed in action and break the news to their families. His superior is Lt. Stone, played by Woody Harrelson. a lonely man who tries to get close to Will while also keeping his emotions in check. Samantha Morton is the widow whose reaction to the news of her husband's death affects Will deeply, and the two form a bond.

That's the plot. And the Morton thing is really a subplot, although the impact it has on Foster's character is significant. Really, it's a character study, as well as a meditation on the effects on war on soldiers and their families. It doesn't really take sides: it may be anti-war, but more in the general sense than Iraq specifically. War may be hell, but some people need the army. Morton has a beautiful moment in the mall where she confronts two recruiting officers after buying clothes for her husband's funeral. It's the only out-of-control moment we see from her, and it is startling -- but not melodramatic. All of the performances here are very real.

That goes, too, for the grieving families. I think we see five families besides Olivia's, and their scenes are wonderfully done. Moverman does not exploit the grieving scenes, does not give character actors their "Big Scene". In fact, we do not even see the reactions of the first family Will and Stone visit, we just hear their reactions. Actually, Moverman often keeps the focus on Ben Foster, rarely cutting away to other people or objects, even if they are referenced directly. This brilliant choice keeps us with his character, and we actually see the journey. 

It's as refreshing as the long takes, wherein Moverman opts not for close-ups and inter-cutting between lines of dialogue, but medium shots with subtle movements. Moverman actually seems to be interested in watching his actors, and requires no editorial flourishes here and there to cover his tracks. There are no cuts in the crucial Kitchen Scene between Morton and Foster, allowing us to actually see both actors at the top of their game, unhindered by new set-ups or separate takes. Foster's monologue about his "hero" status has but one cut, and it is effectively done.

Harrelson should be receiving an Oscar nod Tuesday for his performance. It's not just the precursors building buzz; he's got it. Lt. Stone is a complicated, sad, surprisingly funny creation. He can turn on a dime from friend to soldier, but his eyes keep the two connected. This is a man full of regrets trying to connect while maintaining a distance.

Foster delivers his best performance to date. Will Montgomery is haunted by things he has seen. He wants to connect with the families, and it's more than just simple humanity. He tries to keep a distance, at first, from Stone, pulling away from the army even as he serves it. Foster always has crazy eyes, honestly, but he puts them to good use here. I never thought of him as a subtle actor, per se, but I may have to reevaluate that.

This is, hopefully, not the last we shall see of Oren Moverman. The Messenger is a pleasant surprise, a quiet masterpiece, a jewel in the crown of 2009 Cinema. I fyou are able to see it, I highly recommend you do so. It's a honest-to-God FILM.

Casting Coup: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

*This one's from one of the Hollmann Holiday Extravangaza posts, my annual Christmas celebration. It is only one of two times that I have made a Casting Coup for an Agatha Christie. These are not the original pictures, by the way, as my hot-linking craziness from the LJ days had to be dispensed with.*

I know a few of you out there have never before read Hercule Poirot's Christmas. Thus, the following casting session may be confusing, or meaningless. However, I love Agatha Christie, and casts, and Christmas, and last time I checked, this was the HOLLMANN Holiday Extravaganza. So, allow me to be as selfish as Scrooge pre-Marley and Marley pre-death, and present my cast for the Agatha Christie classic Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

Synopsis (from us.agathachristie.com):

It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning, but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man...

THE LAW

Colonel Johnson
Who is He: Chief Constable of Yorkshire and friend of Poirot's. "I know criminals. Chicken-livered, most of them."
Originally played by: Nobody. In the TV version, Colonel Johnson was replaced with series (and short stories) regular Chief Inspector James Japp, who took the case for Scotland Yard with little or no argument from the locals, curiously enough. He was played by Philip Jackson.


My Choice: The great Bill Nighy, always an able supporting man, and who would work wonders with this small yet humorous role.



Superintendent Sugden
Who is He: Superintendent of the Middleshire Police. Johnson says he has little imagination.
Originally played by: Mark Tandy. Much younger than this photo, and with a mustache.


My Choice: Toby Stephens, who has at least four kick-ass roles to his credit: Bond villain (Die Another Day), murder suspect (Poirot: Five Little Pigs), Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre), and Maggie Smith's son. Only, he too needs a mustache. He's the one on the left.


Better look:


Anywho, moving on...


THE VICTIM

Simeon Lee
Who is He: The patriarch of the Lee family, with legitimate and illegitimate family members all over the place. How much of a dick is he? He gathered his family together for Christmas just to psychologically torture them for his own amusement. He gets his throat sliced open.
Originally played by: Vernon Dobtcheff, who was also in Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express.


My Choice: An aging family patriarch with a wicked sense of humor? Hmm, let me think.



THE FAMILY

Alfred Lee
Who is He: The eldest son. Kind of a pushover, since he still lives at home and serves his father like a Nubian slave. Hates his brother Harry. Simeon hated him because he was boring.
Originally played by: Simon Roberts.

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee Kenneth Branagh



Lydia Lee
Who is She: Alfred's wife, "an energetic, lean greyhound of a woman", stronger than her husband. She at least tells Simeon what she really thinks of him.
Originally played by: Catherine Rabett, who was on "You Rang, M'Lord?", my favorite Britcom of all time. More importantly, she played Elizabeth in Frankenstein Unbound.


My Choice: She even looks like an energetic, lean greyhound of a woman. Academy Award Winner Cate Blanchett.



George Lee
Who is He: An MP, if you can believe it, which means he's pretty high up on the social food chain! Also, he's a bit of a moron, cheap, and just dull as dirt.
Originally played by: Eric Carte, who has not changed a bit since 1994.


My Choice: I tend to typecast, giving the role of a cheap snob to someone who can play snobs really well. Ladies and gentlemen, the manager of the Spice Girls, Richard E. Grant.



Magdalene Lee
Who is She: George's much younger wife, a blonde beauty with a blank expression. She spends like it's going out of style. Everyone thinks George a fool for marrying her.
Originally played by: Andree Bernard, who is still quite a beauty.


My Choice: Another beautiful, sexually-charged blonde, Sienna Miller.



David Lee
Who is He: The youngest son, he has yet to recover from his mother's death twenty years ago. Coming back home reverts him to a childlike state.
Originally played by: Nobody. His character, perhaps the most complex and interesting of all, was cut out of the film.
My Choice: The youngest guy here, Ewan McGregor.



Hilda Lee
Who is She: David's plain wife, extremely devoted to her husband, in an almost scary amount.
Originally played by: Well, without David, there could be no Hilda.
My Choice: Plain but with an extreme force of character, Academy Award Nominee Samantha Morton.



Harry Lee
Who is He: The prodigal son, a dishonest swindler and forger of cheques. Naturally, his father's favorite.
Originally played by: Brian Gwaspari. This is an old picture.


My Choice: Dougray Scott, whom you may remember from Ever After, starring Drew Barrymore. Or Desperate Housewives.



SURPRISE GUESTS

Pilar Estravados
Who is She: The estranged granddaughter of Simeon's dead daughter, who married and lived in Spain. Pilar is beautiful and full of gumption. She also becomes a favorite of her grandfather's.
Originally played by: Sasha Behar, who is actually kind of pretty in an exotic kind of way.


My Choice: The only beautiful Spanish actress old enough, yet young enough, to play this part: Academy Award Nominee Penelope Cruz.



Stephen Farr
Who is He: A mysterious stranger from South Africa, claiming to be the son of an old family friend. But who is he, really? Can he be trusted? He and Pilar are in a constant state of eye-fucking.
Originally played by: Nobody. Again, one of the three most intriguing characters was cut out. Only Pilar remained.
My Choice: That master of accents, Academy Award Nominee Tim Roth.



THE SERVANTS

Horbury
Who is He: Simeon's valet, a mysterious man who comes and goes as quietly as a mouse. Or a cat, even.
Originally played by: Ayub Khan-Din, and they turned it into a race thing.


My Choice: Let's go crazy, let's go wild, let's go self-referential. I say Poirot star David Suchet!



Tressilian
Who is He: The butler, he has been in the family for something like a thousand years. Knows all the secrets, but would be willing to die if it meant protecting the family.
Originally played by: John Horsley, who co-starred with Catherine Rabett on "You Rang, M'Lord?"


My Choice: The always-dependable 200-year-old Irish actor David Kelly.



THE DETECTIVE
I know, I know. This is really what you came to see.

Hercule Poirot
Who is He: The world's greatest detective.
Originally played by: Bunches of people, but in the original Christmas show, it was David Suchet.


My Choice: This is kind of cheating. There's a movie called Murder by the Book, in which Hercule Poirot and Agatha Christie have an intellectual duel of sorts. The Poirot in that is the Poirot in mine: Academy Award Nominee Ian Holm.


Don't worry, he's used to playing small people with French accents.



And that is my cast for Hercule Poirot's Christmas.


*It is here that I traditionally do a Christmas song, but the one I chose is so epically long... We're better off without it.*