Oprah Winfrey--1/29

Today is Queen Oprah's birthday, so I'm writing about her. Op hasn't made that many movies as an actress, but everything she does tends to be significant. She always plays strong women overcoming terrible odds and adversity. Her best performance to date, in my opinion, is her first. The Color Purple is one of my favorite movies. Its one that I can catch on TV at any spot and will sit and watch the rest, and sob at the end of. Oprah is amazing in this movie. She is Sofia. Granted, I read the book after I saw the movie, but there is NOTHING about Sofia in the book that I don't see in Oprah's performance. She captures the strengh and vulnerability of Sofia with grace and dignity in every word.

My favorite scene of Oprah's in The Color Purple is when she finally goes back to see her family, after being in jail, and being Miss Millie's maid. She hasn't seen her children in years, but their reunion is cut short by Miss Millie's ignorance and selfishness. Oprah shows you how hurt Sofia is in this moment, without showing too much. She walks a fine line between being true to the character and being over the top. She gives us a whole person in this movie, a whole person's life, a whole person's soul. I can only imagine what Oprah's career would have been like, had she focused on film acting, rather than her talk show. God knows the world would be a completely different place were that the case. She may have been a fantastic Mary Jones in Precious or Mrs. Miller in Doubt. I do love her, and would love to see her do more acting when her show goes off the air. Happy Birthday Oprah!!!!!!!!!

Diana Rigg--1/28

The movie version of the Sondheim musical A Little Night Music is pretty much universally thought to be one of the worst movie musicals of all time. The transfer to screen just didn't work for this one. Some blame it on bad casting (Elizabeth Taylor) and some on bad filmmaking (Harold Prince was a successful stage director, not film). I happen to appreciate this movie, because I LOVE the source material. There is one thing in this movie that is the bright spot, whether you like the movie or not, you will love Diana Rigg. She is FANTASTIC as the long suffering wife of Count Mittelheim. Her wry wit, and spot on comic timing crack me up!  She delivers looks over her teacup that remind me of one of the greatest at "the look" Bea Arthur. It's not just her comic chops that I love. She breaks your heart at the same time. When she is degrading herself, she holds herself together so well. And, my God, she is class all the way! I can't even tell you!! Love her. Watch this movie, the whole thing, on YouTube.

LITTLE ASHES

Title: Little Ashes
Director: Paul Morrison
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltran, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell
Rating: 1.5/4 stars

I had high hopes for this movie, I really did. I was really interested in seeing the relationship between Frederico Garcia Lorca and Salvador Dali. Pretty much what I was given was a mediocre gay romantic drama. This was pretty formulaic. Boy meets boy. Boy is afraid of attraction to boy. Boy screws requisite loud, lonely straight girl. Boy dumps boy. Boy runs into boy years later and realizes boy is a freak. Thats all it was. The style of this film was pretty uneven, and the tone was all over the place. I just couldn't get into it. The only redeeming thing this movie had was Javier Beltran. He gave a wonderfully real performance. He was also VERY nice to look at. Robert Pattinson did just what I expected him to do. His performance was all over the place. He went from brooding to The Joker at the drop of a hat. This role would have been perfect for Heath Ledger, he would have done something interesting, and maybe had an accent that was consistent! Such a shame. This movie had such potential, and just fell into a formulaic mess, that was no better than any B gay romance!!!

The Gayssentials

Here is a list of some of my Gayssentials, by genre:

Comedy:

3-The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert**

2-Sordid Lives

1-The Ritz

Drama:

3-Bent

2-Torch Song Trilogy

1-Maurice

Romance:

3-Kissing Jessica Stein

2-My Beautiful Laundrette

1-Beautiful Thing**

TV:

3-Serving In Silence

2-An Early Frost**

1-Tales of the City

Coming Out Stories:

3-Making Love

2-Dorian Blues

1-Get Real

Classics:

3-Advise and Consent

2-The Children's Hour

1-Victim


Seen any of these? Have any thoughts on them?? A personal Gayssential???

Gayssential

Gayssential (gey'sěn'shəl)
        noun. def-A Gay Essential. A movie, book, television show that is essential to gay life either historically, politically or for its entertainment value. ex. You've never seen BEAUTIFUL THING? You must, its a Gayssential.

I plan to start working my way through my Gayssentials, reviewing them. So I am coining the term now!

Rita Moreno--1/26

Rita and Treat Williams in The Ritz

Rita Moreno is an Oscar winning actress. I remember her most from my early introduction to musical theatre in the movie versions of The King and I and West Side Story. It wasn't until a few years ago, that I came across a fantastic little comedy from the 70's by one of my favorite playwrights, Terrence McNally. The Ritz is most definately Rita at her best. I LOVE this movie for many reasons, but this is not a review, this post is all about Rita. She is the queen of comedy in the movie. As Googie Gomez, the headliner at a gay bath house, she carries this movie on her shoulders, and she is not even the star. Rita makes every moment she is on screen a 'must watch' moment. Her energy is infectious. Her tempermental moods, and loud mouth are comedy gold. The scene that sticks out the most for me is Googie's entrance into the movie. In the first few moments, she comes on the scene, and she stakes her claim on your funny bone. Her accent, her attitude, her facial expressions. Again, I find, with comedy it's hard to say what it is that makes it brilliant. Its something that you need to see to believe. So just go rent The Ritz. You won't be sorry. It is a Gay Essential, or Gayssential as I like to call them!

GYPSY

Title: Gypsy
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Rosalind Russell, Karl Malden, Natalie Wood, Ann Jillian
Rating: 2/4 stars

Last night I popped this in for the first time in about 5 years. It was nice to revisit the big screen adaptation of one of my favorite musicals. This movie lacks some of the energy that I love about the show. It feels kind of heavy, even in it's lightest moments. Rosalind Russell does make a great Mama Rose, driving through the story like a bulldozer. Her singing is dubbed fantastically by Lisa Kirk, who sounds exactly like Russell. Wood actually does her own singing here, unlike in West Side Story. Its too brash, and she cannot blend, poor Ann Jillian has to fight to be heard during their duet, and it's Wood's character Louise who is the meek one. Singing aside, I actually do love Wood's performance, she really makes the journey to becoming Gypsy Rose Lee believable. She goes from mousy tomboy to sexy woman, and we don't even see her working at it. Malden is bland. Jillian has a great voice, but thats about it. The look of the film is drab and washed out, especially during the strip sequence, where I want more brightness and glamour. Overall a mediocre adaptation of a GREAT musical!

Bullock????

With her SAG win, I am now officially SCARED that Sandra Bullock is going to win an Oscar. I liked her in The Blind Side, but really??? It's going to be a long wait 'til Oscar time.
I suppose if she wins she can join Elizabeth Taylor (Butterfield 8), Gwenyth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon in the Most UNDESERVING Best Actress Oscar Winners Club!!! I'm setting myself up for disappointment!!!!

SAG AWARDS!!!

OK...starting the Live Blog...Be sure to check back for updates!!!

Starting kind of late, because of internet issues...DAMN!! But here we go with the reactions.

• ALEC BALDWIN=Best Actor in a Comedy Series I am not surprised because he is AWESOME and the actors love him!!
• TINA FEY=Best Actres in a Comedy Series I am surprised that Toni Collette didn't take this one...She is BRILLIANT in TARA.  But I do love me some Tina, so I'm not holding it against anybody!!!
• Cast of GLEE=Outstanding Ensemble of a Comedy Series Disappointment sets in. I just don't get Glee, and why they are winning this stuff, and Lea Michelle looks like a Monchichi!!
• CHRISTOPH WALTZ=Best Supporting Actor OK, Now I really need to see this movie. What the hell are you talking about in your speech man?? I don't get it really.
• JULIANNA MARGULIES=Best Actress in a Drama Series She so deserves this one. The Good Wife is fantastic and Julianna is brilliant in it! But I must say that I just don't get her dress, velvet, droopy boobs???
• MICHAEL C HALL=Best Actor in a Drama Series I know many Dexter fans who will be happy about this one!!
• Cast of MAD MEN=Best Ensemble of a Drama Series They always seem to win these awards, this is a show I have not been able to get into! I don't know why. But John Slattery is a silver FOX and Christina Hendricks is BEYOND gorgeous.
• Ken Howard is great, but I hate when they do all these speeches...just get to the awards!!!!
• OOOOOOOOOOO It's Betty White time!!! She is so deserving of this award!!!
• Good speech Sandra. Heartfelt and funny, I'm sure Betty LOVED it!!
• This Package is making me tear up!!! I love me some Betty!!!!!
• Now I am officially SOBBING!!!
• Betty White is ABSOLUTELY a LEGEND!!! She really has done everything and can continue to do so! She is hilarious, and dirty. I wish she was my grandma, and yet I kind of feel like she is!! WOW!!!!!
• DREW BARRYMORE=Best Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries Most deserved!! She was AMAZING as Little Edie! She made me love the real Little Edie even more!!!!! Acceptance speech...iffy! But I love that it's real!
• KEVIN BACON=Best Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries I got this from Netflix, but I sent it back without watching it...is that bad?!? He is a sexy man though....and only gets sexier with age!!
• The Memoriam. This is always hard to watch. So sad, Hollywood really lost some greats this year. Patrick Swayse, Harve Presnell, Jennifer Jones, James Whitmore, Karl Malden, Natasha Richardson and Bea Arthur! I'm so glad they included 'God'll get you for that, Walter'!!!!!
• MO'NIQUE=Best Supporting Actress OK...This one is in the bag...She is BRILLIANT in Precious, I just love watching every one of her acceptance speeches. She is so eloquent!! And she knows it. She is sort of my hero right now!!!
• JEFF BRIDGES=Best Actor I don't know about this one, because I haven't seen the movie. But he is always stellar in everything, so it's ok. I was secretly rooting for Jeremy Renner though!!!!
• SANDRA BULLOCK=Best Actress I am a little mad..see previous post!!!!!
• INGLORIUS BASTERDS=Best Ensemble Now I DEFINATELY need to see this one! Sad that it wasn't Hurt Locker!!!

Lesley Ann Warren--1/23

This column is not always about people who have turned in the best work, consistently, but is also about a singular performance or moment on the screen. As I was re-organizing my DVD collection today, I was making mental notes of performances I wanted to mention here in the future. When I got to the letter 'v' I saw a movie, and thought "I have to talk about Lesley today". Lesley Ann Warren is not the greatest actress ever. She doesn't have a long long list of stellar performances to mention. But she does have at least one performance that has affected me, like in a life changing way. Victor/Victoria is one of those comedies that I feel has taught me something about how to perform comedy. And Lesley Ann Warren is perhaps the highlight of that movie.
She plays what could be your typical 'gangster's moll', but she does it with such panache and style that it is unforgettable. One of the things I love about comedy, is when beautiful women are not afraid to look like fools. This is why I love Lucille Ball, Fran Drescher, Debra Messing and other television commedienne's. Warren has this quality in spades, and her comic timing in Victor/Victoria is impeccable. She really has something special in this movie. It's so hard to explain without actually just showing the whole movie, but there is a commitment. Lesley LOVES Norma, and she plays her without any condescension. And I love how she is loud, and over the top. Yet she has a vulnerability and a reality to her that is awesome.
This is one of those Oscar history things that kind of makes me mad. She lost to Jessica Lange for Tootsie. Now I really think Jessica just won for that, because she was also up for lead actress that year, and they wanted to give her one. She wasn't going to beat Streep in the lead category, so they gave her the supporting statue. Looking at these two performances next to each other, Lesley Ann Warren should have taken the trophy. She is FANTASTIC in this movie. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

R.I.P. Jean Simmons

Simmons in THE THORN BIRDS

Hollywood lost a great star today. Jean Simmons passed away at the age of 80. A star in such classics as The Robe, Young Bess, Guys and Dolls and Elmer Gantry, Simmons will be missed. Her work on the screen was always stellar, and she was also in The Thorn Birds, so for that alone we should be mourning her loss!!!! Rest In Peace.

Piper Laurie--1/22

Today is Piper Laurie's birthday. One of America's best actresses turns 78. And so, She gets some Lady Love today. I have loved pretty much everything I have seen her do. Although, looking at her filmography, I really haven't seen as much of her work as I thought I had. She has just made such an impression that it has made me think I have seen her in more. I guess I will have to make an effort to see more of her work.
The movie that I love Piper in the most is, of course, Carrie. She is chilling in every scene. Margaret White drives a steak of guilt and fear through Carrie's heart, and the audience as well. She makes me quiver. I definately find Margaret White, as she is played by Piper Laurie, to be the real scare factor of this movie. Carrie doesn't scare me, but her crazy ass christian mother does. That may be my personal fear of christians as a whole, but the way that Piper Laurie plays this woman, gets me every time. Particularly her first and last scenes. In the first, when she is trying to peddle her dogma to Mrs. Snell, she begins to reveal the scariest parts of her self. We all have met someone like that. Someone who stays for that extra minute when we don't want them to, and makes us quietly search for the quickest escape route.
The grand finale of Carrie is one of my favorite scenes in any movie. It is chilling and thrilling. Piper Laurie shows us how truly crazy Margaret White is. She is off the beam, and the mania in Laurie's eyes is seared into my brain. She is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

I just read on the Carrie trivia page on imdb, that Piper Laurie thought her character was so over the top  that it must be a comedy. I love that. I love that she went there, and wasn't afraid to let it all go. Whatever it was that gave her that freedom, it is a thrill to watch. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIPER LAURIE!!!

Lady Love: Anne Heche--1/21

Anne Heche is pretty much universally considered to be a lunatic. I am not saying I disagree with this thought process, but maybe her lunatic-ery is part of what makes her a brilliant actress. She has turned in some awesome performances over her career, Birth, Wag The Dog and Volcano come to mind. But, today it's her work in the 1996 HBO movie If These Walls Could Talk. It's a fantastic movie about three women, in three different times, all dealing with the same problem, an unwanted/unexpected pregnancy. Anne Heche plays the modern day woman. A college student, pregnant by one of her professors. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE her in this movie. Her portrayal is so heartfelt. She shows the struggle of a young woman making a very difficult choice, and you feel all of her agony over her choice. There is a cliche in movies that I love, and that is the 'single tear'. I love it because it can tell a whole story in one moment. When Anne is lying on the table, having the procedure done, she has an emotionless face, yet a 'single tear' falls down her cheek. I love this moment, so much. She is fantastic. I suppose that from madness, comes great art.

If you haven't seen If These Walls Could Talk, see it, it also has some awesome work from Sissy Spacek, Cher, Eileen Brennan, Diana Scarwid and Demi Moore. And Cher directed the segment where Heche stars!! Love it!!

Soapbox: Best Actress???

I know this is, like, sacrilegious, BUT...I DO NOT WANT MERYL STREEP TO WIN THE BEST ACTRESS OSCAR THIS YEAR!!!! Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Meryl. And I think she was great in Julie and Julia. BUT, this was NOT the best performance by an actress this year. I know the Oscar's don't usually get it right. They don't. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head: Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Sean Penn. And sometimes they let other factors dictate the winner: Gwenyth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon.
For some reason, Box office receipts and other political reasons get the Oscar voters to make the wrong decision. This years Oscar race seems almost to be a shoe in for Meryl Streep, and that makes me sad. If she wins, it will be an Oscar for her career. Her nomination this year will be a record 16th. And she has only won 2. And those two were in the early 80's. So it has been more than 20 years since she won. I know that her career has been illustrious. She really should have won for her work in The Bridges of Madison County, Silkwood and One True Thing. But she didn't. Does that make it OK for you to reward her for Julie and Julia. It was a great performance. But, it was not even close to the performances of Gabby Sidibe, Carey Mulligan or Shoreh Agdashloo this year (Agdashloo isn't even in the running for her powerhouse performance in The Stoning Of Soraya M.) So Streep should not win. She did not give the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
The other front runner for this years award is Sandra Bullock. Don't get me started on this. She was also great in The Blind Side, but it is not even close to the performers I mentioned earlier. Seriously Academy??? I just don't understand it. It does make me very angry. The category is supposed to be the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for 2009, not Career That Deserves Recognition, nor is it Best Box Office Blockbuster.
I just know I am going to be VERY disappointed come Oscar time!!!!

Lady Love: Joan Cusack--1/20

For some reason, comedic roles are considered less prestigious than dramatic ones. I don't get this. Comedy is just as hard, if not harder than drama. It bothers me that comedic actresses so rarely get recognized by the acting awards of Hollywood. Joan Cusack is one of the BEST comedic actresses there is. And she's not so bad at drama either, when she gets the chance to do it (Arlington Road is fantastic.) She has been twice nominated for the Oscar for Working Girl, and the movie I am going to talk about today In & Out. She didn't win either time, but each role is fantastic.
In In & Out, Joan plays the long suffering fiance of a closeted teacher. If you haven't seen this movie, you really should. Joan is the BEST part of this movie. She delivers screenwriter Paul Rudnick's brilliant one-liners with expert timing. One of my favorites "Does anybody here KNOW how many times I've had to watch Funny Lady!?!?!?"
The key to great comedy, in my opinion, is to have tremendous vulnerability. And Joan has it here in spades. She is such a lovable loser, and when she cracks it is heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. The best scene in the movie is when her fiance comes out of the closet at their wedding. Joan reacts with the necessary shock. The way that Joan raises her voice is so funny. "Was there oh, ANY OTHER TIME YOU MIGHT'VE TOLD ME THIS? I'm wearing a wedding dress, WHICH YOU PICKED OUT!" It is seared in my brain. I love it. Joan Cusack is my comedy hero!!! I can't believe she lost the Oscar to Kim Basinger, disgusting!!!!!!!!

Lady Love: Barbra Streisand--1/19

OK. I know, Streisand? Really? Could I BE any gayer?? I will be honest here. I am not a huge fan of Babs as a singer, and I am kind of over her as a filmmaker. But, as an actress, I think she is BRILLS. I know her ICON status tends to cloud many peoples opinion of her as an actress. The same thing happens to Cher and Bette Midler, sadly (Cher and Bette will be mentioned in future columns, I promise.) But lets really look back at Barbra, the actress. She delivers in pretty much everything she has done, from FUNNY GIRL to NUTS to THE PRINCE OF TIDES and, yes, even MEET THE FOCKERS.

I am thinking today of THE WAY WE WERE, my personal favorite of her movies. There are some awesome scenes. Katie listening to Hubbell's story in class. Their first dance. The big fight scene. And, of course, the beautiful ending (I'm tearing up thinking about it.)

The scene I always think of in this movie is after a fight between Katie and Hubbell. She is feeling so alone, so she makes a call. She calls her best friend, Hubbell. She is so vulnerable. She steps out on a limb. She tells him that she doesn't know who else to call, who else to talk to. What Babs does in this scene is so sweet, and lovely. She is not the tough, self-deprecating Katie we have seen throughout the movie. She is broken-hearted, yet there is not an ounce of pity in Barbra's performance. This scene is, in my opinion, one of the GREAT telephone scenes in all of movies. I love it, and I wish that Babs, the actress would come out more often.

Lady Love: Toni Collette--1/18

In honor of Toni Collette's Golden Globe win last night for UNITED STATES OF TARA (a brilliant series), she is the subject of today's Lady Love column. I love Toni. She is one of my favorite actresses (I have many favorites, so get used to hearing that sentence.) She has given numerous fantastic performances, pretty much everything she does is fantastic.
Today I want to talk about her brief but affecting performance in THE HOURS. Here it's a performance about the subtle cracking in a facade. Toni as Kitty is everything Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) wishes that she was. Kitty is popular, beautiful, classy and stylish. She has her life together. When she comes to ask Laura to feed her dog while she goes to the hospital for tests on her ovaries, she has to reveal a weakness. She tries to hold it together, but for a brief moment, she loses her grip. Toni does such fantastic things in this scene. She manages to crack just so slightly, and catches herself with such ease. It is a joy to watch. When Laura does the unexpected and plants a passionate kiss on Kitty, Toni is able to show us Kitty's whole range of emotions. Revulsion, flattery, condescension and pity.

Toni makes the most of a brief scene in a fantastic movie. I have seen THE HOURS many times. It has been a while since I last watched it, and thinking back on the most affecting, telling moments in the movie, this scene always comes to mind. It is one of the most memorable. Toni Collette has given MANY moments of brilliance on the screen, so this will definitely not be the last time you see her in this column. LOVE HER!!!!!

Globes Globes Globes

MY REACTIONS TO THE 67th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES (in bullet points)

• THE FASHION: This is not a fashion blog so I will just say this. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Toni Collette and Sofia Vergara were the best dressed women there. And Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock looked like they bought their dresses at Forever 21. PS Julia was also a HOT DRUNK MESS THE WHOLE NIGHT which made for great TV!
• THE HOST: I LOVED Ricky Gervais as the host. He was hilarious. He wasn't overly present, he was there just enough to make an impression and do his brand of humor, which is hilarious.
• THE MEN: So, I pretty much could care less about the male winners. I just love actresses more. I wasn't surprised by any of them, except Robert Downey Jr., who was looking HOTT by the by. His speech was also the best.
• THE WOMEN: OK...I could not be happier about the wins of Mo'Nique (of course, she was the most deserving) Toni Collette (her show is brilliant) and Drew Barrymore ("this is the best thing to wear for today") I was not at all surprised by Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock's wins. Although, I don't think Bullock was the best of her competitors. (I'll get on another soapbox about that later)
• THE SPEECHES: Best speeches of the night go to Mo'Nique, Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr. Worst speeches of the night go to Christoph Waltz and The Producers of GREY GARDENS.
• THE BIG WINNERS: OK Globes, you got it right with Grey Gardens, and Mad Men, but beyond that, I am disappointed. The Hangover? Really? Over Julie and Julia and (500) Days of Summer? I was a little mad at that one. Then Glee over Modern Family and 30 Rock?? Seriously??? DISAPPOINTED. Then lastly AVATAR over The Hurt Locker???????? I AM NOW PISSED!!!!!!
• OVERALL: Overall it was a pretty good show. I sometimes wish only the actors got to make speeches, because they were the only interesting ones, but that's just me. Some of those winners have me scared for the Oscars though!!

Well, there you have it. Expect a soapbox speech from me later about the Best Actress category this awards season. I am a little angry about it!

Lady Love: Nicole Kidman--1/17

Nicole Kidman is one of my all time favorite actors. So its only natural that I would start this feature with her. There are so many performances of hers that are brilliant, but today I am thinking about DOGVILLE. A movie that many movie goers that I know have never even heard of.
This movie is BRUTAL. It is long, it is jarringly unrealistic, and it is tough to get through. What makes it worthwhile are the performances, especially Nicole's. She is haunting. She goes through the pantheon of human emotions in DOGVILLE, but if you blink, you might miss one. Her performance is so understated and quiet. She goes through a fat lot of terrible things in this movie (being a fugitive, being a slave, being raped repeatedly, being chained up) and she shows the complete breakdown of a person. And yet, there is always some glimmer of hope in her eyes. She is always hoping that something will come along and change her pitiful state. And in the end, she becomes vengeful. There is a moment when she is talking to her father, at the end of the movie. She is sitting in the back of his car, and she makes a decision that is not a hard one for her, but that means the destruction of a whole town. A decision that I was SHOCKED by when I first saw this movie, but Nicole makes it understandable.
Nicole's performance in this movie is realism at its best. That's one of the great things about DOGVILLE and why I watch it over and over again. It's presentational style, and colloquial speech patterns, are counteracted with the most realistic form of acting: simply being. It isn't loud, it isn't over the top, it is free from self-indulgence. Nicole Kidman in DOGVILLE is one of the greatest performances by an actress of all time! (Yea, I said that) See DOGVILLE, and see the magic for yourself!

Top 10 Movies of 2009

I have done my list of the performances, and now here is my list of the movies. This is just my list. There are many movies I did not see, but these are the ones that I think are the BEST!!


Top 10 Movies of 2009
10-An Education
9-(500) Days of Summer
8-The Young Victoria
7-Sunshine Cleaning
6-The Stoning Of Soraya M.
5-The Messenger
4-Precious
3-District 9
2-A Single Man
1-The Hurt Locker

New Feature: Lady Love of the Day

I have decided to start a new feature. As a lover of ladies in film, I have countless moments of beauty on the screen, burned into my brain, and I love nothing more than to talk about them. So, each day I shall pick a performance and talk talk talk about it!!!!

I may end up giving away key moments of the film. If you haven't seen it, I am sorry! That'll happen though, so get over it!

IT BEGINS TOMORROW: JAN 17th!!!

A SINGLE MAN

Title: A Single Man

Director: Tom Ford

Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult

Rating: 4/4 stars

This film is a work of art. It is simply that. I barely have words to describe this film. I could say how great the acting it, but it is pointless. When you look at the Mona Lisa, does it really matter what the life story is of the woman you see in that painting? No, it doesn't. The only thing that matters is how it makes you feel. That's how I feel about the acting in A Single Man. The acting is just another dab of paint on Tom Ford's canvas. In A Single Man I have found a truly singular piece of brilliance. It really should not be measured by film standards. Like most art, it will be loved by some and hated by others. My opinion does not matter. It is simply a work of art!!!!!

THE BLIND SIDE

Title: The Blind Side

Director: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates

Rating: 3/4 stars

I went into this movie expecting a load of sentimental hogwash the likes of Freedom Writers, Rudy and Mr. Holland's Opus. I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing of the kind. OK, well, not nothing of the kind, there were definately some moments of tearjerkiness, but overall, it was an "inspirational" movie that was actually inspirational. As much as I hate to admit it, I am kind of a sucker for a hollywood "inspirational" movie, but this one was surprising. While it did have some of the old cliches (cracked-out mother, society snobs, workout montage), It also had a heart that rang totally true. There was no artificial emotion to be found, and most of the credit for that goes to Bullock, who totally deserves her impending Oscar nomination. She delivers an understated and effortless performance, and takes some unexpected turns. OK, so the moment when Tim McGraw is reciting and interpreting Tennyson while Kathy Bates cries quietly did make me want to barf. But that was really the only scene that was hard to watch. The rest was pretty delightful. My only hope is that the real life Michael Oher doesn't become a hooker-screwing pro athlete!

Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

Here's the list for the ladies!!!

Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

10-Emily Blunt in Sunshine Cleaning
9-Saoirse Ronan in The Lovely Bones
8-Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia
7-Carey Mulligan in An Education
6-Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria
5-Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
4-Shoreh Agdashloo in The Stoning of Soraya M.
3-Marion Cotillard in Nine
2-Mo'Nique in Precious
1-Samantha Morton in The Messenger

OK...Mo'Nique and Samantha Morton really are pretty much a tie, but they are like comparing apples and oranges. Samantha Morton barely spoke above a whisper in The Messenger, and I just love that...so thats why she is number one.

Also, I have Emily Blunt on here twice, and I truly think she should have played Anna Kendrick's role in Up In The Air, she would have knocked it out of the park, unlike Kendrick, who I hated!!

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Title: The Young Victoria

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walker
Rating: 3.5/4 stars

I love Emily Blunt. She is one of my favorite actresses of her generation. Along with Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams, she can pretty much do no wrong in my book. The Young Victoria is Blunt at her best. She is so full of life, and brings youth, playfulness, joy and serenity to her role as the young monarch. And that is not the only thing this movie has. While having a fantastic leading lady is important, a movie cannot rely on that alone. And this one doesn't. After seeing it a second time, I was surprised at what a lovely movie it was. While it could easily have been a bland period piece, it surprises with each move of the camera, and each cut. It has a modern flair in the camera-work that I didn't expect, or even really notice after the first time I saw it. It is refreshing in a period piece like this to see a bit of innovation. Add to that, wonderful work from Friend and the rest of the cast, and costumes that made my gay heart beat faster, and The Young Victoria makes for a joyous and extremely pleasing two hours.

Top 10 Male Performances of 2009

OK, so, I love movies, and I also love making lists. So here is the first of many lists that will appear on this blog. As it is awards season (aka, The Gay World Series) I am making my lists of the best of 2009. Here is the first!

Top 10 Male Performances of 2009

10-Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
9-Rupert Friend in The Young Victoria
8-Ben Wishaw in Bright Star
7-Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
6-Alfred Molina in An Education
5-Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
4-George Clooney in Up In The Air
3-Colin Firth in A Single Man
2-Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
1-Sharlto Copley in District 9

These are simply my opinions, I did not see every movie that came out, but of what I saw these are most certainly the best!!!!
COMING SOON: Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

THE MESSENGER

Title: The Messenger
Director: Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Woddy Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Rating:3.5/4 stars

I must start with Samantha Morton. I love actresses, and I love realism, and I love raw emotion. I am going to say, with all certainty, that Samantha Morton in The Messenger is my absolute FAVORITE performance by an actress in 2009!!! She was riveting, subtle, heartbreaking and soft. It was a performance of quiet brilliance (whereas my 2nd favorite, Mo'Nique in Precious, was one of loud brilliance.) That said, this movie was beautiful. Its portrayal of a soldier who is assigned to casualty notification has moments that break your heart, and they are plentiful. Foster is stellar, as is Harrelson. I love when a director trusts his actors enough to let them do their thing, and just sit back an watch. In my favorite scene, between Foster and Morton, the camera simply sits still, letting the intimacy reach its full potential. The emotions in every scene are given the chance to flow and fly, and it is a joy to see that. It could easily be a sequel to another great movie of 2009, The Hurt Locker. This is one of those quiet little movies that not many people will see, but everyone should!

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

Title: Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Director: Lee Daniels

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton

Rating: 4/4 stars

Precious is simply brilliant. It tells a story of the piteous existence of Clareece 'Precious' Jones without a drop of pity in the storytelling. A movie like this could so easily fall into the trap of being a sappy "inner city youth beating adversity finding themselves" movie. But it doesn't. It is told with such love and truth. Presented as simply what it is. It doesn't shy away from showing you the most terrible parts of Precious' life, and it doesn't shy away from showing the happiest moments either. It is just HONEST filmaking! Sidibe delivers a debut performance that is up there with Marlee Matlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Andrews and Jennifer Hudson, as one of the BEST debut performances of all time (each was nominated/won the Oscar for their debut.) She is a revelation. Mo'Nique shocks and reviles as Precious' mother. She is beyond words, playing a villian, but almost making you sympathize with her...almost!! She walks that fine line, and her final scene is so earth shattering, it should be taught in acting classes worldwide. All the supporting players, turn in fantastic work as well. All in all, a truly honest and riveting film. Brilliantly done!!

UP IN THE AIR

Title: Up In The Air
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton
Rating: 2.5/4 stars

Every year at Oscar time, Hollywood trots out that years 'smart movie.' In an effort to tell the world that Hollywood isn't all about hot bodies and blowing things up. Sometimes these movies are fantastic, and sometimes they are just too smart for their own good. Like 'smart' movies from the past few years such as Sideways and Adaptation, Up in The Air is very good, but, it knows it is. There's something about a movie that thinks it is smarter than it's audience that makes it hard for me to love. Clooney is fantastic. He gives probably the best performance of his career, and reminded me that he is a bona fide silver fox. Vera Farmiga also turns in a wonderfully understated performance, simply being, not acting. Anna Kendrick, while I liked her character alot, I disagreed with almost every choice she made, there was no heart in her character, only surface. A whiney brat one moment, and a cold bitch the next, with nothing tying the two together. It was a performance so uneven that I am baffled at her impending Oscar nomination. I liked this movie, but it's not as amazing as Hollywood would have you believe.

NINE

Title: Nine
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Fergie
Rating: 3/4

I am a big movie musical fan. I am a big fan of NINE the stage musical. I had very high hopes for this movie, and for the most part it doesn't disappoint. I have seen it 3 times (and counting). As a whole, the movie is mediocre. I'm sorry to say this, but I think Rob Marshall takes the easy way out by putting every musical number in someones head. Really Rob? You don't trust your audience enough to let them accept the musical numbers as part of the world of the film? Who said Marshall should direct movie musicals anyway??

The main reason to see this movie is for the performances. Every actor on that screen is stellar. Fergie sells the shit out of her number, as does Hudson. Dench is lovely despite her disappearing french accent. Kidman is haunting. Loren is cozy and Day-Lewis is a sexy sleazeball. The standouts, however, are the vulnerable and sexy Cruz, who evokes pity and lust; and Cotillard, who is heartbreaking, and makes me cry more each time I see this movie. She is the closest thing our generation has to Audrey Hepburn, class personified, and a BRILLIANT actress to boot.

THE LOVELY BONES

Title: The Lovely Bones
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Rose McIver, Michael Imperioli
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
I have not read THE LOVELY BONES book. I love this movie. Rarely does a movie make me feel the way I felt after this. The performances of Tucci and Ronan are brilliant. Ronan carries the film. The only way we will care about the movie is if we really care about Susie Salmon, and Ronan's expressive eyes are a window into Susie's soul. Tucci gives us a villian with not an ounce of sympathy (something many actors can't do.) He doesn't expect you to like him, and you won't. The low point in this movie is Mark Wahlberg. He is wooden, devoid of emotion, and awkward. Poor Rachel Weisz was able to let her brilliance shine through even next to that terrible actor.

This movie was beautiful to behold. It has moments of self-indulgence, where they tell you things you already know, again and again; but, as my friend said, it was still pretty to look at. The scene where Susie's sister breaks into the murderer's house is executed with Hitchcockian brilliance. Kudos to Jackson for his breathtaking pictures of what it might be in the hereafter, he creates a living breathing world for Susie to inhabit. GREAT MOVIE!!

Welcome

I have been told by many people that I should be a movie critic. Well, here is my attempt to put my many many opinions about movies out there. In the interest of brevity, I intend to keep each review at 200 words or less. I will include information about the movie, as a rating system. ENJOY!!!!!!