Joseph>I echoed the same sentiments, however, I thought Lily Tomlin was the stand-out. Has she ever won an Oscar in the past? She is so underrated. IFranklin> I'm unfamiliar with the "Search For Signs", but vaguely recall hearing the name from somewhere?? If you learn more, kindly share. As to the rest - agreed.
heard that she had this SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE filmed but I
don't know where to look for this. THE PLAYER is really Hollywood at its
gutter-worst and I love the way Altman skewered just about anyone. I
thought the ensemble cast in THE PLAYER is as ideal and as the cast in THE
HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS is as disappointing (all were miscast in my opinion
except Glenn Close who was nearly incandescent as Ferula).
Joseph>And don't get me started in GOSFORD PARK. I thought it was brilliant and although some people say that nominating GP is recognition enough, I thinkFranklin> Calling all "period" film buffs: GO SEE/RENT "GOSFORD PARK", two or three times if necessary (you won't be alone) - ah, nuance and it's subtle,baffling, alluring attractions! I'll have to check out "In the Bedroom" if only because of the personal status you assign it. Also, have yet to see "The Importance of Being Earnest", though several friends whose taste and talents I respect highly have also recommended it as a "must see". It's now on the list of TTD (things to do).
its even better than my favorite IN THE BEDROOM. The camera angles, pans,
the superb born-to-play-their parts cast were as inch-perfect as the
people who inhabited that world in the not-too-distant past. I thought
Ryan Philippe is a disaster waiting to happen but I was pleasantly
surprised he pulled it off (peripherally related: Reese Witherspoon's
performance in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST was lovely and her accent
was not to be faulted but I have this wish that I want to see someone else
play her role -- an English woman along the likes of Kate Beckinsale).
Franklin> I like feisty ladies. (BTY keep slingin' the truth out there about the current music industry debacle and it's genesis, Joni. You have absolutely earned that right, and speak for tens of thousands of us who wish we had the platform to openly ridicule, fume and scream about all the worthless CRAP being "created" today! At least you can be that voice for us: quite eloquently, bluntly and truthfully, I might add (wink). The ENTIRE, or so it seems from the radio, industry needs FUMIGATING!!!) BTD (back to discussion) There's a couple you've recommended here I'll have to add to the "list". As to further commentary about Ms. Davis, I could either get rather loquacious (I can hear JDLM prayers being uttered and answered right now - hey it worked! lol) Or just leave it for another day/post/topic and say that I bet she'd be one hell of a fun/challenging dinner date!> Franklin> Judy Davis! What a gal! I'm not familiar with herJoseph>There are plenty of things that she said on the web that put her directors in a bad light. She hated Gillian Armstrong's approach in handling MY BRILLIANT CAREER (although that film made the world aware of Judy Davis"lambasting Sir David Lean" but it sounds intriguing. Any web transcripts you could direct (no pun intended) me to on that?
brilliant acting career). She said also that Sir David Lean is highly
nervous of her because she questions a lot of things in the set. For a
relative newcomer, Judy Davis came too strong and always bristling with
intelligence. People say her best performance is in this Australian film
HIGH TIDE which, if I am not mistaken was also directed by Gillian
Armstrong. Her great performances ranged from a combative wife of Kevin
Spacey in THE REF to BARTON FINK's muse and as a woman who died and who
keeps on surfacing in David Cronenberg's THE NAKED LUNCH.
Joseph>As for Woody Allen's reticence as indication for his approval, British director Mike Leigh wanted the actors to improvise on their parts. HeFranklin> Michael Leigh... now there's an entire discussion in itself also. Definitely, one of a kind, broke the mold director. Fascinating stuff. The only Director on earth to film entire movies without a SCRIPT. He "forced" the actors to "become" the characters, and thus, do what the characters would do, hopingt to end up where the thin, open storyline would logically end." Talk about daring bravado. Obviously, the great, as well as unknown, actors and actresses must love the guy. Who else would put such trust in "cattle" - LOL. (that's a joke, gang. Cattle: commonly used derogatory term for actors by producers, directors (behind their back) and film company Presidents.
would let them play their parts as real people, and you can see it in
SECRETS AND LIES and even obscure ones like LIFE IS SWEET, FOUR DAYS IN
JULY and NAKED
What I thought was one of the most unusual moves in Hollywood history (one which turned out to be BRILLIANT by the way) was when some apparently extremely intuitive, intelligent and daring Hollywood producer (I know that all sounds oxymoronic as hell) elected, fought, whatever, to get Leigh to direct "Donnie Brasco". Here is the ultimate "character-study" director being chosen to helm one of the most riveting, best-selling, true stories in Mob/law-enforcement lore/history! And he ends up pulling the "characters" out of the cowboy cop (Depp), and the "normal" Joe hitman (Pacino). What a movie! Even the real Donnie Brasco stated that it essentially captured it ALL accurately! You rarely hear that.. Easily one of my top twenty of all time. I find it so funny (?) amusing, that right along side - literally shoulder to shoulder with the best Mob movies (movies period even, for guys anyway...lol) ever - "Godfather" 1&2, "Good Fellas", "Casino" - stands "Donnie Brasco". Coppola, Scorcese, and Leigh - now that is ODD to the point of being funny. BTY - a grossly underrated, yet sheer classic look into the Mobster psyche is the little known "The Friends of Eddie Doyle" starring Robert Mitchem (1973?) - really gritty, captivating, intriguing look into the "to snitch or not to snitch" dilemma of an aging prison-bound, loser, fringe-mob hoodlum.
Franklin> Totally agree on all descriptive points. BTY, I wasn't implying that Altman was a Painter, I don't know if he paints as a hobby or otherwise??? I put it in "" to emphasize that his best MOVIE PICTURES are all IMO choreographed, much like Sayles, as frame by frame "paintings". I don't know if either of them ever picks up a brush... (BTW - Sayles wrote an informative, fascinating book on the entire project of the making of Matewan - complete with script called "Thinking in Pictures" - Love that title!)Franklin said>Altman and Sayles are both "painters". In fact, for the > "Matewan", Sayles and his DP - multiple Oscar winner, HaskelWexler, went through several Art Museums and books detailing paintings by the various masters and story-boarded "Matewan" FRAME BY FRAME as a series of portraits and paintings - it shows! BTY - EVERYONE on that film worked for union scale. It cost three million to make, yet easily compares cinematically to another classic done around that time - "Dances With Wolves" easily - which cost, I believe 23 million.Joseph>I didn't even know that Robert Altman is a painter, yet one can discern the picture-perfect framing of his scenes... well, not the postcard-pretty ones, but the balance he achieves, the symmetry and the lack of parallax errors. I like the haunting and meditative pace of MATEWAN. Its almost like a homage to a mountain, very placid and Zen-like.
Joseph>As to LONE STAR, don't you think Frances McDormand was a tad awful in that film? I like this woman but her excesses make one forget she was the sameFranklin> Come to think of it yes.. I also thought Mary MacCormand(sp?) was a bit, shall we say, overreaching in "Dances With Wolves", but with Costner's predictable,typecast, laconic persona - IT WORKED...lol I also must give honorable mention to Sayles for actually making Kris Kristofferson actually ACT, and very well, I might add. I've never really been able to "accept" Kristofferson as a legitimate actor. He has always struck me as one or two dimensional. But "Lone Star" was a different story - he was CONVINCING... Just goes to show the real talent, gift of a great director - to get great performances.
actress in FARGO and MISSISSIPPI BURNING.
That is why some of the most popular actors, who are lauded as being "great" have spotty filmmatic experiences - the real creative force, standing between a horrible, mediocre (arguably worse than horrible) and outstanding performance is the Director... Too few "consumers" realize that: but then why would/should they? They don't stand around and contemplate such issues. Ah,,,the general public! Where would capitalism, commerce, disposable "art" (read: commercial radio and TV) be without them??!! lol
Robert said> (just kiddin' Joseph lol) Thanks, Franklin for a wonderful and informative post. By the way, who is this Robert who you are quoting? He seems to be quoting what I said. LOL!!Franklin responding to Joseph and JDMLers> (CORRECTION: the brilliant "Robert" with whom I dialogued in the aforementioned post was, in fact, Joseph. Either I idiotically, subconsciously, assigned him the name Robert early into the post and inadvertently gave him "Robert Altman status" due to creative and intellectual commonalities between the two, or he purposefully requested that I assign him a pseudonym due to his meek and unassuming nature, not wanting to attract undue attention to his obvious native intelligence...you decide. KABOINK, WINK, SMILE P.S. I always thoroughly enjoy your insightful, thoughtful correspondence Joseph. Thanks!
Frankin
NP Chris Whitley "Living With the Law" 1987. Certified 100% "filler-free". A stunning poetical, musical achievement by one of the FINEST Dobro-slidin' guitar players to ever "salvage" that magical Edsel...INCREDIBLE! (very special thanks to producer, Malcolm Burn - this CD alone shows your native genius, even though Whitley, "green" in the studio this first time out, has never ceased to whine about the way the tone of the CD turned out. I note that having taken the helm on later efforts, Whitley totally lost that "signature" sound which would have done much further cemented his place in the pantheon of great writer/guitarists - TIP: Give Malcolm a call NOW Chris. Humbly apologize and cross your fingers...lol. I do appreciate the long-standing whining though, because without it, I would have never known how totally brilliant a producer Burn is capable of being! I like others, would have probably credited that extraordinary soundscape to Whitley.. ah, producing - you either shoulder the blame or quietly, hopefully lucratively, appreciate the success, often with nothing more than resigned understanding, as the "artist" assumes credit for the "art".)
Joseph in Manila np: Wynton Marsalis "Soul Gestures in Southern Blue" Vol. 2
