Recensione. Commedia agrodolce (tra il riso e il pianto, ma è quest'ultimo a prevalere) con Laura Linney (Wendy) e Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jon) diretta da Tamara Jenkins. Fratello e sorella divisi da un'infanzia infelice e alle prese con le beghe di una vita non esaltante si ritrovano per accudire il loro vecchio padre, con cui i rapporti non sono (ed erano) idilliaci e che ormai è paragonabile, quasi, ad un estraneo.

Niente famiglia da cartolina e personaggi di successo ma persone alle prese con le difficoltà dell'esistenza, tra aspirazioni infrante e difficili rapporti amorosi, figli, forse, di un'infanzia senza affetto. A far rivivere sofferenze e dolori del passato, il vecchio padre, non più autosufficiente. Ed è questo un altro tema toccato dal film, quello dell'anzianità e delle malattie senili, di anziani soli e con la mente persa chissà dove, rinchiusi e abbandonati in ospizi e "case di riabilitazione" perfette ed ordinate per nascondere la tragica realtà di solitudine che dietro vi si nasconde. E lasciati a se stessi per esorcizzare la paura di finire, un giorno, nelle stesse condizioni.

Per Wendy e Jon è quindi ora di fare i conti con il proprio passato, riaprire ferite mai chiuse e prendere delle decisioni sulla propria vita, per riscattarsi anche da una deludente posizione sociale e lavorativa. E con quel vecchio, che di amore è sempre stato avaro, magari tentare, in extremis, l'estrema riappacificazione.

Il tutto senza sconfinare nel melodramma e nella troppa disperazione ma affrontando le tematiche proposte con un mix di ironia, serietà (niente mostri o supereroi), sereno distacco critico e grinta (di petto, senza troppi artifici), senza passare inevitabilmente, da crisi e momenti bui, dai quali i nostri protagonisti sono invitati/esortati ad uscire. Ed è questa forse la scommessa più importante del film. Laura Linney e Philip Seymour Hoffman interpretano quindi 2 persone piene di problemi e sfaccettature, che tramite la malattie del padre, rielaborano le proprie sofferenze, pronti a riprendere a vivere oppure condannati a sprofondare nel rancore e nell'abbattimento.

Una rappresentazione critica e cruda della realtà, che vuole far pensare, lontana forse dall'abitudine del mondo di oggi e dal vizio tipicamente umano di voltare velocemente la testa alle sofferenze e alle difficoltà del quotidiano.

Il Gorgonauta.

Starring: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Jon Tenney, Rory Culkin
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Screenwriter: Kenneth Lonergan

From its heartbreakingly real beginning to its satisfyingly resolved ending, You Can Count On Me is a film that draws you in. It's a film that doesn't ask too much, and at times is content with letting you observe it. But so much of the time, it asks you to be a part of it, of its characters and their lives. It asks you to care, and we do care, because these people are so real, and their feelings so immediate. This is a great film.

Sammy (Laura Linney) and Terry (Mark Ruffalo) play a brother and sister who have been estranged from each other for years. As the film opens, we see that their parents were killed in a car accident. It then fast forwards to the present, where the two of them are grown up. Sammy works at a local bank and has a son, Rudy (Rory Culkin). Rudy's father is not a well-liked man, and Sammy doesn't tell Rudy much about him. But children, especially those in such situations, get curious. Still, Sammy's small town life is normal.

It gets thrown out of whack when two events occur: first, her brother Terry comes to visit, intending to stay only a couple days and mooch her for money. Then, she gets a new manager at the bank, Brian (Matthew Broderick). They don't get along very well. He wants to shake things up. She's not used to it, and has a hard time with change, especially when it's forced upon her. Things develop between the two, in a slightly expected way. But the real importance comes from Terry, and his effect on the lives of both Sammy and her son.

Terry develops a friendship with Rudy. And it is a friendship, but though Terry is an adult, and Rudy a child, they both inhabit aspects of the other. In some ways, there's a subtle role-reversal at times. Terry wants to push things where Sammy won't, constantly bringing up Rudy's father to him. Things end in a violent confrontation, and some quiet revelations are made.

But the relationship between Terry and Sammy is one of magic. They don't spend a ton of time on screen together, but when they do, it's real; it's genuine, it's natural. They feel as if they've known each other since childhood, and you can sense a deeper pain within the two of them that they never quite express, yet we fully understand. Brad Renfro and Laura Linney are absolutely fantastic. Watch the scene between them where they're on the patio smoking pot. Never has a brother/sister relationship been so authentic on screen.

Kenneth Lonergan has crafted a film that after watching it, I wanted to watch it again. I couldn't stop thinking about it. And yet, though I wanted to know what happened to these characters after the film ended, I thought what I might with a close friend or family member: "They're gonna be alright."

The Truman Show (Special Collector's Edition) is available at Amazon for $7.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

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Other Products of Interest

• Pleasantville (New Line Platinum Series)
• Liar Liar (Collector's Edition)
• The Majestic
• The Mask (New Line Platinum Series)
• Bruce Almighty (Widescreen Edition)

Despite it's gloomy subject matter it made me realise a couple of things. First, that we need to make it easy on our kids by planning these kinds of things now. By facing them today, it'll make retirement much easier because we've done the messy stuff before we're forced to confront it. The other thing it made me think about was that we need to make the most of every moment of our retirement. Sleeping in might be fun for a while, but we really need to celebrate every day and do everything we can to squeeze every last drop of fun and joy out of every day. Let's do it, let's learn to live again. There's no better time, than now.

Les abonnées de Super Écran peuvent, depuis mercredi dernier, voir l'une des plus récentes et acclamées minsérie de la chaîne payante étasunienne HBO: John Adams.

Après avoir joué un rôle de premier plan dans la Révolution étasunienne, Adams fut vice-président des États-Unis durant la double présidence de George Washington, puis président à son tour. Second commandant en chef, certes, mais le premier à être élu à la suite d'une véritable course présidentielle, alors que George Washington se fit davantage officialiser dans son titre de président qu'élire à proprement parlé. Battu par Thomas Jefferson, un autre Père fondateur, lors des élections de 1800, Adams pris sa retraite lors de l'entrée en fonction de son successeur en mars 1801.

Le premier épisode introduit John Adams, avocat de Boston qui défend des soldats britanniques impliqués dans ce qu'on appelle le «Massacre de Boston». Fort de sa victoire en court, cet événement conforte Adams dans l'une de ses plus ardentes valeurs, à savoir que les lois doivent primer sur les hommes:

« A government of laws and not of men »

John Adams, "Novanglus Papers", 1774-1775

L'une des scènes de cet épisode est particulièrement troublant, démontrant à quel point la sauvagerie et la stratégie s'affrontaient, incarnées par des commerçants frustrés réagissant par la violence et des intellectuels qui se demandaient s'il vallait mieux laisser cette grogne populaire s'exprimer dans ses plus virulentes manifestations ou bien jouer la carte de la rhétorique patriotique — les révolutionnaires ont d'abord tenté de court-circuiter le parlement britannique pour se soumettre directement au roi, à la façon  (inversement) des villes impériales de l'Empire germanique — et juridique.

Toujours juste, l'acteur Paul Giamatti est celui qui prête ses traits à John Adams, probablement l'interprétation la plus imposante de sa carrière, lui qui avait déjà brillé dans l'introspectif Sideways (À la dérive en canadien français). Jusqu'à ce jour, sa prestation lui a valu de remporter le prix TCA pour l'«accomplissement individuel dans un drame», ainsi qu'une nomination aux prochains Emmy Awards dans la catégorie «meilleur acteur principal dans une minisérie ou un film».

D'ailleurs, John Adams aligne six nominations aux Emmy, dont une concernant la performance de Laura Linney dans la peau d'Abigail Adams, épouse de John. Trois autres acteurs se partagent la tête d'affiche de la catégorie «meilleur acteur de soutient dans une minisérie ou un film»: Stephen Dillane (Thomas Jefferson), Tom Wilkinson (Benjamin Franklin; j'ai hâte de le voir) et David Morse (George Washington). Petite anecdote, les deux autres acteurs à se retrouver en nomination dans cette catégorie sont également issus d'une minisérie de HBO: Recount.

Le processus d'indépendance des États-Unis est l'une des périodes de son histoire qui me captive le plus. John Adams semble être une merveilleuse mise en images de cet important épisode, avec l'originalité de le présenter du point de vue d'un Père fondateur trop méconnu des gens. Triste ironie que plusieurs personnes ignorent le rôle de John Adams, alors que trop considèrent Benjamin Franklin comme l'un des meilleurs présidents.

Évidemment, Franklin n'a jamais été président des États-Unis, d'où l'ironie :!:

Mise-à-jour: mon site de référence préféré en matière de cinéma, IMDb.com, m'a induit en erreur. Ce n'est pas six nominations que récolte John Adams aux prochains Emmy Awards, mais bien 23. En comparaison, Frères d'armes (Band of Borthers - 2001) en a récolté 20, alors que le record de tous les temps appartient à Racines (Roots - 1977), qui en avait obtenu 37.

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The Squid and the Whale GRADE: C

The maxim held by quirky indie comedies for the past ten years has been, “Don’t speak. Create an awkward moment and let it linger in silence.” It’s the outside observer watching a person in their dumb moment of realization and sneaking a chuckle. And that’s how The Squid and the Whale feels, like the silence before the punchline.

Squid revolves around the dysfunctional Berkman family, helmed by Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney. Following their divorce, the two young Berkman bucks suffer through joint custody and struggle to reconcile what their parents found to be irreconcilable. Sadly, the story plods along, and it doesn’t help that an intolerable level of cynicism and sarcasm masks each character’s humanity. The Berkman’s are wildly critical beings, and the viewer must watch the characters cut each other until they bleed to death – which would be tragic if it weren’t masquerading as funny.

Director Noah Baumbach is best known for his writing collaborations with Wes Anderson, not as much for his former films, Kicking and Screaming, Highball, and Mr. Jealousy. Baumbach is a writer’s writer, and makes little-to-no effort to mask that fact, name-dropping at every possible turn. Squid ends up being a highly personal, intimate portrait of a family – but for Christ’s sake, what modern fiction isn’t?

Este segunda largometraje de Jenkins posee la virtud de eludir el campo del heroismo de las historias extraordinarias para dedicarse a comprender y expresar a personajes de la cotidianidad, a través de un guión minucioso que explora emociones y esperanzas. Por eso comienza con una escena donde un grupo de ancianos bailan —en una extraña coreografía que tiene mucho de surreal— en una muy soleada urbanización de una también muy soleada ciudad llamada —¿de qué otra manera?— Sun City, en pleno desierto de Arizona. Ancianos que bailan, practican golf y hace vida social al compás de I'm in Heaven. Todos parecen estar en el cielo pero la realidad suele ser más brutal. En la ciudad de Nueva York —con muy poco sol— Wendy Savage, una trabajadora de tiempo parcial, utiliza subrepticiamente los recursos de la oficina que la ha contratado para enviar su obra de teatro a distintas fundaciones culturales para obtener una beca. Vive sola con su gato y un ficus y de vez en cuando se deja visitar sexualmente por un vecino casado. En Buffalo, en el mismo estado de Nueva York, Jon Savage es profesor universitario de drama y literatura e intenta escribir un ensayo sobre Bertoldt Brecht, de quien parece tomar prestado el método del distanciamiento para no concretar su compromiso con la novia polaca que abandona EEUU pues su visa se ha vencido. Solitarios y fracasados, los hermanos Savage viven la crisis de la edad mediana.

Jon y Wendy configuran una extraña relación pocas veces presentada en el cine: dos hermanos, varón y hembra, que no pueden relacionarse en el presente pero comparten un pasado en el que la madre abandona a la familia y el padre se hace cargo de la educación de los chicos de una forma dura y cruel. Ninguno quiere vivir con los otros pero todos tienen que hacerlo. Esos lazos familiares afloran desde el olvido y les ofrece una nueva oportunidad para reparar las piezas gastadas de sus respectivos carruseles. Esta especie de Hansel y Gretel urbana y contemporáneamente dura permite a la directora hurgar en el alma de sus dos tristes personajes para extraerles nuevas emociones y nuevas posibilidades de reconstruir sus vidas. Lo hace desde una perspectiva que contrasta el drama de sus vidas con el humor negro que se desprende de sus diálogos. Tal vez por ello La familia Savage no termina siendo una película triste como sus personajes sino esperanzadora como la idea misma de superar los miedos íntimos.

La selección de Laura Linney y Philp Symour Hoffman no pudo ser mejor. Dos intérpretes de calibre que evaden los clichés y construyen desde adentro a estos dos hermanos condenados a rescatarse. Cada mirada y cada lágrima, cada sonrisa y cada grito, son elementos expresivos que dibujan la evolución de unos personajes necesariamente complejos y a ratos contradictorios. Sobre todo porque ambos están vinculados con el teatro, la creación y el manejo de conceptos artísticos mientras pretenden apartarse de la realidad sin esperanza alguna. Con este segundo largometraje, la señora Jenkins se convierte en una realizadora importante en el panorama creativo de su país.

LA FAMILIA SAVAGE ("The Savages"), EEUU, 2007. Dirección y guión: Tamara Jenkins. Producción: Ted Hope, Anne Carey y Erica Westheimer. Fotografía: Mott Hupfel. Montaje: Brian A. Kates. Música: Stephen Trask. Elenco: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Cara Seymour, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Tonye Patano, Guy Boyd , David Zayas, Debra Monk. Distribución: Cines Unidos.

Really, Alfred's entire role in TDK was to keep telling Bruce to go out there and do whatever shit he needs to get the job done, even if it means not being such a good guy when doing it.  So not only are his morals somewhat shifted from BB, but he actually is now encouraging Bruce to dive head first into probable bodily harm and possible death.  And when he finally gives the "we burned the whole forrest" line in his final speech to Bruce, what was the point of it?  No symbolic action of the sort was taken by Batman at all that he wasn't already doing or hadn't already set in motion.  The symbolism of that ended up being meaningless.

The family was never a happy one and Wendy and Jon have both gone their separate ways and have not seen their abusive father for years when they are called upon to deal with his sudden homelessness (his aged girlfriend dies). Despite their unresolved anger toward their father for his earlier treatment, they take on the burden of care, which in this case is placing him in a nursing home.

I found one scene in the film particularly poignant. It takes place in a diner where Wendy and Jon are attempting to have a conversation with Lenny about an advance directive (living will). Wendy is struggling with the conversation and is confusing Lenny as she is reluctant to ask direct questions: what do you want us to do with your body when you die and do you want to be maintained on life support? Jon has much less trouble expressing himself, and when he sees Lenny does not understand Wendy’s approach he says something like Do you want us to pull the plug?

These are real issues for real people and through our work with clinical ethicist Dianne Godkin we are trying to help people deal with these emotional topics. While the University of Alberta Press was preparing to publish her book, Living Will, Living Well: Reflections on Preparing an Advance Directive, I sat with Dianne and we talked about her motivation for writing the book.

She said that one of the most difficult aspects of her work and those of other medical professionals is dealing with family when there have not been any conversations prior to either life-support decisions or death for a cherished family member. Everyone is in a highly emotional state and it is tough to make important decisions. Often, in addition to grief, there is anger and hurt feelings just when people need each other the most. However, there is a way to mitigate the stress: Communication among family members in advance can help to ensure a person’s wishes are honoured and those left behind can feel some solace in having eased the mind of their loved one.

There is no Hollywood happy ending in The Savages; however, there is some healing and closure. I recommend the film for its complexity, humanity, and truthfulness.

~ Linda

Direção: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Roteiro: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Elenco: Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Nicholas Art, Paul Giamatti, Chris Evans, Alicia Keys

De uma forma geral, “O Diário de uma Babá” é um bom filme e contém boas críticas a alta sociedade de Nova York. Mas alguns elementos presentes são extremamente desnecessários e fazem com que ele caia no lugar comum, coisas para fazer o filme mais comercial.

A história é uma adaptação de um livro escrito por Nicola Kraus e Emma McLaughlin, duas ex-babás que não tiveram bons momentos com as famílias para quem trabalharam no Upper East Side em Nova York e resolveram relatar suas experiências. Quem assina o material cinematográfico é a dupla de diretores e roteiristas Shari Springer Berman e Robert Pulcini, que apareceram em 2003 com “Anti-Herói Americano”. Por mais que insistam em pecar como na hora de colocar um romance bobo e mal trabalhado e uma seqüência viajandona, a crítica presente nos relacionamentos entre as famílias e as babás é bem explorado pelo texto e pelas atuações de Scarlett Johansson, Paul Giamati, Nicholas Art e principalmente por Laura Linney, que é educada, psicótica e carente em momentos alternados do filme.

A história gira em torno de Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson), uma jovem que recém saída da universidade ainda tem muitas dúvidas sobre quem realmente é e o que pretende ser no futuro. O início de suas descobertas começa quando encontra o pequeno Grayer( Nicholas Art) e sua mãe (Laura Linney), a quem Annie chama de Senhora X e recebe uma oportunidade de emprego como babá do garoto. Achando uma boa solução para começar a resolver seus problemas, Annie aceita o convite e se muda para a casa da família, localizada no Upper East Side, que é uma das áreas mais valorizadas de Nova York.Como pretende ser antropóloga, Annie vê a chance de começar seus trabalhos analisando a vida da família e vai fazendo comentário em Off ao longo do filme.

O encanto inicial com a Senhora X e Grayer se rompe logo no primeiro dia e aos poucos ela vai percebendo que a família está em ruínas, o chefe da casa, o Senhor X (Paul Giamati) é um marido e pai ausente, que da mais atenção ao trabalho e fazendo tudo para estar viajando. Esse abandono faz com que a Senhora X seja uma mulher nitidamente problemática e que também não da muita atenção ao filho. As brigas constantes entre os pais afetam diretamente Grayer, que apesar de ser uma boa criança é muito mimado e todo fresquinho. Mesmo com todo ambiente desfavorável, Annie não larga o trabalho por que criou um elo forte com Grayer e sabe que o menino precisa de atenção, mas as coisa chegam a um ponto tão insuportável que Annie estoura e faz um monólogo para uma câmera escondida no quarto de Grayer.

O elenco ainda conta com Chris Evans e Alicia Keys, mas seus personagens não acrescentam em nada na história. “O Diário de uma Babá” presta, mesmo tendo uns momentos desnecessários.

You'd think I'd have noticed this because (a) I like spy stories, (b) I worked for several years in a building next door to the FBI headquarters in D.C. and have been in some of the less-secret places in that building, (c) I lived in Northern Virginia and went birdwatching in the same park that Hanssen used. As best I can figure, during some of the same years as well. Of course I wasn't looking for things taped up in trash bags, but still...

In any event, I just finished watching "Breach" on DVD. I stumbled across it while searching for some other movie and ran across the unlikely juxtaposition of Laura Linney and Ryan Phillippe. Throw in Chris Cooper (who plays Hanssen) and Dennis Haysbert and I'd have watched whatever movie it happened to be. Everybody knows how it turns out, but they still manage to create a great deal of tension and suspense. Eric O'Neill, the young agent who worked for Hanssen, consulted on the film and was I believe the one who suggested the story. He does some commentary on the DVD along with director Billy Ray.

Very well done. If you're at all interested in any of these subjects, check it out. And I'm afraid the unflattering portrait of daily life in the Bureau's bureaucracy may be more accurate than not.

We here at TV Bacon have some issues with the Emmy nominations. This is...not unusual. We remember with something less than glee 2002, when the Academy saw fit to honor Ray Romano for acting. Still, nominees tend to be bifurcated between glorious and ghastly--after all, 2002 was the same year they recognized John Spencer. Below we outline the most exciting moments and the most egregious omissions of the 2008 nominations.

The Horror! The Horror! 

Maybe They Think Masturbation Means Chewing Your Food: The exclusion of Pushing Daisies from the Best Comedy Series lineup is nigh unforgivable. Granted, we're not convinced this show belongs among comedy company either, but voters had no trouble nominating it for 12 other awards as a comedy. So, having some of the best writing, directing, actors, music, costumes, production design, editing, and hair and makeup means you aren't as good as Entourage. Nice. Also, where is the cinematography nod?

Game's The Same--Just Got More Fierce: The Wire got as many nominations as According to Jim. One of the greatest achievements in American television history ends with two total Emmy nominations. Two. Total. Across five stellar seasons. So...convince us the Emmys mean anything.

Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton Get Sacked: Yes, only five people watch Friday Night Lights. Yes, even people who don't watch the show heard the bad buzz surrounding this season's ludicrous murder plot. Chandler and Britton still turned in some of the most subtle, detailed, wrenching performances on TV. Thank goodness Boston Legal was there to provide James Spader's fantasia courtroom grandstanding and Candice Bergen's ninth nomination instead.

Bear McCreary Must Be in A Galaxy Far, Far Away: We love Battlestar Galactica, but even we'll acknoweldge that the episodes that fell within the eligibility period were perhaps not the strongest the show has ever put out (we'd hold out more hope that they might be recognized next year as they sign off, but...The Wire). Maybe we should celebrate that a show on the Sci Fi Channel about spaceships gets any nominations at all, let alone six, let alone one in a major category (Drama Writing). Even though it's a travesty that Mary McDonnell goes unnominated while the likes of Mariska Hargitay get in again, episodes focusing on her character fell outside of the eligibiity period. But no matter how hard we try, we can't understand how Bear McCreary's epic, innovative work scoring this show can go unrecognized. We threatened previously to unleash Katherine Heigel if this happened, so batten down the hatches and bar the door against Katie.

Thank Goodness Things Have Changed Since the 60s: Three acting nominations for Mad Men, and they're all for men, in spite of the complex, beautifully acted female characters on the show. It's not like television is overflowing with outstanding roles for women, leaving no room for the likes of Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, and Christina Hendricks.

Evacuate the Children!: Classical Baby: The Poetry Show. Hannah Montana. High School Musical 2. Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: The Untouchable Kids of India. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Even with a couple of classy entries, this might be the Emmy category with the lowest batting average. We weep for the future.

Lest We Forget: So much for the greatest generation. Ken Burns' epic, moving, historic documentary on World War II received nominations for writing, directing, sound, and editing, but is nowhere to be found in nonfiction series or special. Inside the Actors Studio, which was nominated, interviewed Charlie Sheen last year. Well, he is an Emmy nominee. As is his personal hairstylist.

Even A Stopped Clock Is Right Twice A Day: Kudos and Huzzahs

And This Award You Just Got? It's A Cookie: 17.5 nominations (including one for Kenneth's the Page's webpage) for 30 Rock...and they probably deserved more. Where's the recognition for costume design for Will Arnett's super-short robe? Shine a spotlight on Tina Fey and turn a wind machine on her--she might be on stage a lot come Emmy night.

Better Award Winning through Chemistry: Bryan Cranston was robbed during his time on Malcolm in the Middle, never winning for his warm, rubbery Hal. Here's hoping that his performance as a terminally ill teacher who becomes an quietly angry meth dealer garners him the Emmy he so deserves. Don't mess with him, voters--he can melt you in a bathtub.

Perhaps This Will Make Him Feel Warm and Safe and Loved: With a loaded Lead Comedy Actor category, we worried that Lee Pace's mild, sad, lovestruck piemaker would be overlooked. Finding his name on the list was better than than a cup-pie with urban honey baked into the crust.

He Knew Which Palms to Grease: It wasn't for his role as The Wire's corrupt ex-mayor, but Glynn Turman's nomination for In Treatment is a huge--and most welcome--surprise in a category that often recognizes movie stars regardless of the size or quality of the role they play. Frankly, we thought he'd lose out to Robin Williams. Now we just want to see Turman beat him.

No More Kings--Just A Bunch of Emmy Nominees: John Adams was uneven as all get-out, but the wide range of supporting actors breathing life into the architects of a new country took our breath away. From the always-brilliant Tom Wilkinson as an earthy Ben Franklin to a surprising David Morse as George Washington to Laura Linney as the backbone helping to hold a country together, the characters surrounding Adams outstrip the second president.

Because We Know Patty: FX's bold, beautifully shot Damages seemed to suffer from all the things that usually keep shows from being recognized by the Emmys. First, it's really good. Second, it's on basic cable--HBO's award-grubbing budget is probably bigger than FX's total budget. The intricate mystery doesn't lend itself to the Emmy screening process. And yet, quality wins out for a change. Let's hope the same holds true for the final victors.

At the peak of my television obsession (high school when I would record and keep episodes of various shows on VHS), I remember when I would wake up at 5 in the morning to watch the live feed on E! of the announcement of the Emmy nominations. Sadly, time passed and since premium cable never existed in my life and the popularity of TV shows on DVD was still something of the future, watching nominee after nominee from The Sopranos or Six Feet Under didn't mean anything to me.

However, in most recent years, proven with today's nomination list for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, major network and basic cable television shows are making their marks as places to find good television. HBO-style gratuitous sex, bloody murder, and f-bombs are out, cute piemakers are in. Well, perhaps the sex and murder aren't completely out (re: Cagney of Cagney and Lacey's guest starring role as the obsessed agent/teddy bear maker on Nip/Tuck).

Highlights of This Year's Nominations

Complete List of This Year's Nominations

Since all the nominations for Mad Men and 30 Rock are a given, I'd like to congratulate and highlight some of the surprises:

Lee Pace, Kristen Chenoweth, and Costume Designers Mary Vogt and Stephanie Fox-Kramer for Pushing Daisies - Ms. Vogt and Fox-Kramer, you two deserve that Emmy. I have never wanted a television character's wardrobe more than Anna Friel's.

Amy Poehler for Saturday Night Live - I don't even remember when someone was ever nominated for an emmy for their cast role on the sketch show

Sharon Gless on Nip/Tuck - You scared the beejeezus out of me.

Christina Applegate for Samantha Who? - Yay for first season nominees. You made me actually not hate the guy from 7th Heaven and Jennifer Esposito.

The nominees for lead actress in a miniseries or movie - the lineup looks better than the best actress nominees for the Oscars

And the nominees for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics - Flight of the Conchords' "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)" and "Inner City Pressure" plus Jimmy Kimmel Live's "I'm Fucking Matt Damon"

Flight of the Conchords - Inner City Pressure

[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/20/1967807/02-flight_of_the_conchords-inner_city_pressure.mp3]

Flight of the Conchords - The Most Beautiful Girl (in the room)

[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/20/1967807/12-flight_of_the_conchords-the_most_beautiful_girl_%28in_the_room%29.mp3]

Sarah Silverman - I'm Fucking Matt Damon

]]> http://moviecrackhouse.wordpress.com/?p=221 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:42:21 +0000 Helena http://moviecrackhouse.wordpress.com/?p=221 I thought I'd try something new and pit two similar movies against each other in a sort of double-review. It happens every now and then, different studios get the same bright idea and then duke it out for who can get their version out first - it's happened a few times. For the first battle, I'm going for the Espionage/Drama genre with The Good Shepherd and Breach. Let's meet the contenders... 

The Good Shepherd

"Edward Wilson believed in America, and he would sacrifice everything he loved to protect it."

The Good Shepherd is basically a character study of what it took to be a spy in the early days of the CIA, when it was still known as the OSS. We follow the life and career of  Edward Wilson [Matt Damon]. How he was recruited, and how his job gets increasingly difficult as he tries to plug an information leak in the bureau, and is willing to sacrifice his ideals and his family to do it. Damon's 'Wilson' is so straight-edge and can completely detach emotionally from his work. Which is beneficial if you don't plan on having any sort of life outside of work, but he tries to - and as you can probably guess - he fails miserably. If this was based on a true story, I might cut it more slack, but it wasn't. So the fictional characters felt like just that - fictional. Watching them and their decisions became increasingly frustrating because they just didn't seem realistic. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I expect people working for the OSS or CIA to be smarter than these characters seemed to be... I will say that there was nothing wrong with the acting or cinematography - everything was perfectly true to the period [1940s]. And there was an amazing supporting cast with Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Robert De Niro, Billy Crudup and Angelina Jolie. The pacing was slow, though, and this movie is very long. If you know that going in, it may not be so bad. This is a drama with some suspense thrown in. I wouldn't call it a thriller, though, even though that's what it's categorized as on IMDb... 

Add'l Info: Released: Dec 22, 2006 • 167 minutes • Rated R for some violence, sexuality and language • Genre[s]: Drama | thriller

Breach

"Inspired by the true story of the greatest security breach in U.S. history."

Breach is a more recent story that takes place in '01 about how the young CIA agent, Eric O'Neill [Ryan Phillipe] was instrumental in catching the 'worst spy in history', Robert Hanssen [Chris Cooper], the man who was convicted for selling secrets to the Soviet Union. Ironically, Hanssen was a very devout Catholic, and aroused suspicion initially based on his less-than-desirable sexual habits. O'Neill is sent in by his boss, Kate Burroughs [Laura Linney] to pose as a new employee of Hanssen to get closer to him and collect the evidence they need to arrest him. Breach is a fast-paced, cat-and-mouse style thriller with an amazing performance by Chris Cooper as Hanssen. Nobody plays righteous and deviant quite like Cooper. lol... 

Add'l Info: Released: Feb 17, 2007 • Runtime: 110 minutes • Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language • Genre[s]: Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

WINNER: Breach

Why? It wasn't 167 minutes. It went somewhere. It had suspense. It wasn't pointless. That tagline for The Good Shepherd pretty much sums up the movie. The main character was so one-dimensional that it was tough caring about him at all, so it was almost torture watching a movie about someone so seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. We almost left at several points during this movie, but stuck it out - all 167 minutes of it - hoping for some kind of resolution. And there was none to be had. There are many people out there who seemed to enjoy this film. They are very patient people. lol... save yourself the 2 hours and 47 minutes and go for Breach if you're trying to decide between the two. 

Good Shepherd: 2 1/2 out of 5
Breach: 3 1/2 out of 5

OK, I have another confession: I'm a Revolutionary War nerd! That is because I grew up in Yorktown, VA, a place other Revolutionary War nerds will recognize as the place where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington, leading to the end of the war. I actually grew up within walking distance of the home where the treaty was signed (The Moore House), the field where they surrendered, and the battlements where the fighting took place. So needless to say, I am really enjoying the John Adams miniseries my hubby and I are watching on DVD this week. It's like synergy between many of my favorite things: period dramas, revolutionary war, Georgian England, pre-revolutionary France, great acting, Massachusetts (home of my ancestors), beer (Sam Adams is a major character), and much more.

Yes, this is a drawing of Laura Linney wearing a couch.  Why?  Because it LOOKS like what she wears in her film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, during virtually every courtroom scene.  I advise everyone else to not make this comment in any way, shape, or form.

Be careful what you say because Laura Linney can and will take revenge.  It's like the story of "The Grither."  Basically, if you are unfamiliar with the Grither, it's from an episode of Tales From the Darkside.  It's about an evil monster who lives in the North Pole.  If you say its name, the monster's ears grow -- becoming wings, no less -- to hunt down the person who uttered its name.  Laura Linney = Grither.

To make a long story short, I started to watch and thoroughly enjoy tales other than Tales From the Darkside, namely Tales of the City (1993).  The show/miniseries is based off of the book by Armistead Maupin. I've watched four out of six episodes and now I cannot find the third disc with the last two episodes ANYWHERE.  I'm convinced Laura Linney has stolen it.  Due to this, I am unable to continue onto More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City until I find and watch that disc.  To make matters worse, I started watching Twin Peaks (which doesn't even have to do anything with Ms. Linney), but the first disc isn't really the first disc!!! Laura Linneyyyyy! I will never make a statement about your couch-wearing ways again.

So far in the show, Laura Linney's character (Mary Ann Singleton), is no Carrie Bradshaw.  She isn't into Jimmy Choo's, she lives in San Francisco instead of New York, and she isn't completely annoying.  After being in San Francisco for five days on vacation, Singleton decides to leave her life in Cleveland behind and permanently brave the city, version 1976:

Drugs (everyone), gays (Marcus D'Amico), creepy married men (Thomas Gibson) , and old people love (Olympia Dukakis + Donald Moffat)!!!

I have to find that third disc.  Laura Linney, along with everyone else, are truly fantastic.  Right now, I love that unlike C Bradshaw, MA Singleton is a somewhat innocent being exposed to all walks of city life.  She is literally shaken by everything.  Just wait until you see Parker Posey.  Despite her judgments, she has an affair with the creepy, married man...

I NEED THAT THIRD DISC.

Until I get it, I'm going to relive "The Grither" and be completely paranoid about Laura Linney's next attack...

[3 netflix stars]

The Station Agent: Beautiful in it's simplicity and profound in it's depth.
Rating:

Be Kind Rewind: It was fun, and had a nice take on community, but there was something missing.
Rating:

Joe Versus the Volcano: Peculiarly fascinating. Meg Ryan was awesome in this as three characters.
Rating:

Fido: A Canadian zombie film with the tagline "Laugh your head off".
Rating:

The Savages: Brilliant performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.
Rating:

The Empire Strikes Back, 1981  

Rebel forces see Imperial All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT) Walkers approaching their base on Hoth.  

This key moment in the beautfully-shot first third of the film captures the central conflict of Star Wars.  The rebels are ill-equipped and low to the ground; the Empire is large, well-resourced, and ready to pound anything in its path.  But all it takes is a single pilot with a cable and detonator to turn things around.

You Can Count on Me, 2000

Sammy and Terry Prescott talk in the restaurant upon Terry's return home.

If ever a scene in a film has captured what it means to be disappointed or a disappointment, the "responsible one" or the "irresponsible one," and all the awkwardness associated with the convergence of the two, this is it.  Successful in equal parts due to Kenneth Lonergran's talky dialogue, Laura Linney's and Mark Ruffalo's nuanced performances, and the simple fact that the conversation takes place in public, this is my favorite scene in one of my favorite films.

Scenes from a Marriage, 1973

Marianne calls friends to confide that her husband Johan is having an affair; her friends tell her that they already know.

True, this is a mini-series and not a film per se, but chalk it up to Ingmar Bergman being ahead of his time.  He was making film-quality episodic television well before HBO and Showtime had the idea.

Scenes from a Marriage is all about small moments, big revelations, and impeccable acting (particularly from Liv Ullman as Marianne).  The shock and pain that this realization brings to her character comes at the middle of the series and represents emotional devastation at its most honest, powerful, and severe.

Who are your five favorite actors, and what's your favorite performance by each, and then who are your five favorite actresses, and what's your favorite performance by each?

(Sorry to double up, but we've got some big Whatevers coming up and I didn't want to spread this out over two weeks. Besides, you guys are you guys, and I know you can do it.)

ACTORS

1. Harrison Ford. It's got to be Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I like Ford because he's fearless in the sense that he's not afraid to show vulnerability, be it physical fear in a fist-fight or emotional fear like in the scene in Patriot Games when Jack Ryan comes apart while trying to tell his wife that their daughter's spleen has to be removed after they were almost killed by terrorists. For my money, he's the greatest actor of all time.

2. Bill Murray. From the man who made me laugh in What About Bob? to the man who made me cry in Lost in Translation, Murray delivers in everything he does. As brilliant as his work was in the Wes Anderson outings he's been in, including Rushmore, which is my favorite film of all time, I'm going to have to go back to the work he did in What About Bob? as a dazzling piece of sociopathic comic insanity.

3. Steve Martin. Like Murray, he can turn on a dime from hilarious to heartfelt. I loved him in Bowfinger but I'm going to have to go with Father of the Bride as his finest hour. My parents always let me watch his movies when I was little, and I thank them for that.

4. Denzel Washington. He's awesome in everything, but he's a man on fire in Man on Fire. Or that speech he lays down in The Siege: "Come on General! You've lost men! I've lost men! But you -- You! -- you can't do this! What if they don't even want the sheik? Have you considered that? What if what they really want is for us to herd our children into stadiums, like we're doing? And put soldiers on the street, and have Americans looking over their shoulders? Bend the law, shred the Constitution just a little bit? Because if we torture him, General ... we do that, and everything we have fought, and bled, and died for is over. And they've won. They've already won!" Whoa.

5. Christian Bale. This guy can do anything. And even though he showed us the heart of Bruce Wayne while still creating our most ferocious and powerful Batman, my favorite performance is his inspiring turn in Rescue Dawn, in which he plays a prisoner of war whose indomitable spirit brings so much hope to his fellow captives that they plan one of the craziest and most dangerous escapes in history. Bale brings total physical and emotional dedication to every role he takes on. Bravo, sir.

ACTRESSES

1. Cate Blanchett. She's ethereal, and versatile, and utterly amazing in everything she's in. But as much as I love all the characters she's created, her channeling of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator is otherworldly.

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal. Like Christian Bale, Maggie's another entertainer who's gotten to the level she's at by being totally emotionally and physically fearless. That's why I've said before and I'll say again that it's hard to find a hotter case of the hots than the hots I've got for Maggie Gyllenhaal. She really grabbed me as Giselle in Mona Lisa Smile because I've known that kind of girl before and Maggie captured it perfectly. And one time, when I was in Chicago, I passed her on the street, and she is 11 times more beautiful in person than she is on screen. If that's even possible. And it is. I should have said something. Oh, well.

3. Laura Linney. Beautiful, earnest, capable Laura Linney. Put her in something and I immediately believe her. I particularly loved her as the small-town sheriff in The Mothman Prophecies, which scares me to death just thinking about it.

4. Lauren Graham. Like Laura Linney, I immediately believe everything that comes out of her mouth. Her body of work as Lorelai Gilmore -- in more ways than one, WHAMMY! -- is the most powerful proof on the planet that the Emmy Awards are a friggin' joke. And she makes me laugh. I love her.

5. Tina Fey. This girl came out of nowhere and has become one of the great comic actresses of all time, in a very short time. Though Baby Mama was beneath her, she was excellent in it. But as Liz Lemon on NBC's 30 Rock, she's as funny and as brilliant as they come. And sexy beyond all comprehension. "Chocolate! Chocolate! ACK!"

Your turn!

Hey everyone:)

So, I saw a really great movie the other day (or I finished a really good movie the other day, I have been so busy). Anyways, I started watching "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" thinking that it was going to be a horror film. To my surprise it really wasn't. That was definitely how they marketed it, but it turned out to be something entirely different. While it did have some scary moments in it, it turned out to be more of a court film and a very good one at that. I started watching the movie, because my brother happened to be watching it when I was over at his place. I found it very riveting.

I love Laura Linney. She was in this movie as the attorney that was defending the priest. For those of you that don't know the storyline it is about a girl named Emily Rose who dies in her house. The priest whom was performing the exorcism is being blamed for it. Now there are either one of two things going on here, either Emily Rose was actually possessed or she was severely sick in the head, died of nothing to eat, and the priest didn't get her medical attention when he should have.  So, anyways. Whatever Laura Linney is in she is usually very good. While we don't usually see her in bigger films, we get to see her in independence. She has an intense subtleness about her that was really nice in this movie.

The girl who played Emily Rose did very well as well. Her name was Jennifer Carpenter. It would be very hard to play someone who either is possessed or who thinks they're possessed and she seemed to do a very good job. Everything you could basically believe in performance. There were only a few times that I remember thinking was pretty silly.

I love the scene in which she sees Mother Mary. I thought that was a very pretty scene and really well done. I love the guy that plays the priest too. His name is Tom Wilkenson. I have seen him in something else as well, but I can't exactly remember what else he was in. He's a darn good actor. Terrific too!

I love the way that the film turned out and I love the court scenes as well as all the flashbacks. I think it is a definite must scene. Remember, although it does have a lot of scary elements, it is primarily a thriller, and courtroom drama. You have to love all that put in one!

Alright, I'm off to make my terrific day!

Have a great one:)

-me to a blank page.

(I won't be so bold or foolish to share the reason for the "why".)

•••

Entertainment -

John Adams (HBO miniseries) - Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney

Savages - Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman

American Experience - Eleanor Roosevelt (PBS)

Podcasts -

Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac

Fresh Air (of course)

Music -

Evil Urges (My Morning Jackt)

Exile on Mainstreet, Beggar’s Banquet, assorted Stones…

Tim (The Replacements)

Books

Her Husband: Hughes and Plath--A Marraige
By Diane Middlebrook

Kafka Was the Rage
By Anatole Broyard

Exile on Mainstreeet (33 1/3 series)

by Bill Janovitz

•••

We bought a flat-screen 19”. Long live DTV: 4 PBS stations. While I still don't like the possibility of mindless consumption of advertising available in my home at the flip of a button, atleast there really is the chance of something good being on. It never occured to me until the other day, I can actually look up what's on PBS (or any station for that matter) and make an intelligent decision about what I'm going to watch before I even turn on the TV... but how to teach the kids this habit? Thats the real question.

❦

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