Happy Birthday – Chiwetel Ejiofor

10 Sunday Jul 2016

Tags

Actor, Birthday, Career, Dirty Pretty Things, Endgame, Kinky Boots, Serenity, Talk to Me

Chiwetel Ejiofor (10 July 1977 -)

A British actor who has found his mark in American movies, Chiwetel Ejiofor – pronounced Chew-eh-tell Edge-ee-oh-for if you’re not sure – has appeared in a number of high-profile features since he caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, and was cast in Amistad (1997). Since then he’s had the serious good fortune to appear in movies directed by the likes of Ridley Scott (twice), Woody Allen, Spike Lee (also twice), Roland Emmerich, and Joss Whedon. By his own admission he’s attracted to strong, dramatic stories, hence the reason Love Actually (2003) is one of the very few comedies to grace his CV, but it is that intensity and drive he can bring to a movie that makes his performances so memorable, even in something as disappointing as Secret in Their Eyes (2015). He’s best remembered for his award-winning portayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), but fortunately it’s not a movie or a role that has pigeon-holed him since, and with his upcoming appearance as Baron Mordo in Marvel’s Doctor Strange (2016), it’s clear that he’ll continue to make a variety of dramatic movies, and in any genre. Here are five more movies that he’s appeared in over the years. Together, all of them confirm his range as an actor – as if this was needed – and all of them are well worth seeking out if you haven’t done already.

Talk to Me (2007) – Character: Dewey Hughes

A movie about the life and times of ex-con and radio personality Ralph “Petey” Greene (played by Don Cheadle), sees Ejiofor playing his friend and manager. He gives an inspired (and award-winning) performance that perfectly complements Cheadle’s, and the movie’s examination of one of America’s most turbulent periods – the late Sixties, early Seventies – is faithfully depicted. Even if the episodic nature of the narrative stops the movie from being as powerful as it could have been, Ejiofor’s portrayal of Hughes is nothing short of outstanding.

Dirty Pretty Things (2002) – Character: Okwe

A British movie that deals with issues of immigration and racism, Dirty Pretty Things is bolstered by yet another award-winning performance by Ejiofor. As a Nigerian doctor forced to leave his country and who finds front of house work at a hotel that hides a terrible secret, Ejiofor brings an honesty and sincerity to his portrayal that never once falters. He’s particularly good in his scenes with Audrey Tautou (as a Turkish Muslim seeking asylum), and does a superb job of maintaining Okwe’s fatalistic-yet-hopeful character, even when the odds that he’ll find happiness are stacked against him.

Endgame (2009) – Character: Thabo Mbeki

The second true story in this list, Endgame concerns itself with the secret talks held between the African National Congress and the Afrikaner National Party as they tried to reach an agreement to end apartheid. As Mbeki, Ejiofor gives yet another excellent performance – this time alongside William Hurt’s professor of philosophy, Willie Esterhuyse. The relationship that evolves between the two men serves as an example of what life in South Africa without apartheid could be like, and as the passionate, demanding Mbeki, Ejiofor is on such good form he’s almost hypnotic.

Serenity (2005) – Character: The Operative

Ejiofor’s first encounter with science fiction couldn’t have been more enjoyable – for him and for fans of the short-lived TV series Firefly. As the mysterious and determined Operative, Ejiofor elevates the character’s seemingly banal, villain-101 demeanour into something much more interesting and calculated. He also fits in well with the established cast, and proves more than capable of holding his own against the likes of Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, while also creating a role that is memorable for being unexpectedly layered.

Kinky Boots (2005) – Character: Lola/Simon

There’s much fun to be had in this, the tale of a Northampton shoe manufacturer whose livelihood is threatened by falling sales – until owner Charlie (played by Joel Edgerton) comes up with the idea for making bespoke boots for drag queens. As one of those drag queens, Ejiofor mixes comedy and drama with ease, and reveals a fine singing voice into the bargain. It’s effectively a supporting role, but when he’s on screen, Ejiofor holds the viewer’s attention like no one else – and that’s not just because of the outfits he’s called on to wear.

Happy Birthday – Sean Bean

17 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Actor, Anna Karenina (1997), Birthday, Far North, Movies, North Country, Sean Bean, The Field, Tom & Thomas

Sean Bean (17 April 1959 -)

An actor with a wider range than most people give him credit for, Sean Bean is also one of the most consistently reliable actors working today. He may be well known for his more villainous roles – which, admittedly, he’s very good at playing – but since playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), his career has become more varied and (no doubt for him as well as us) more rewarding. His tough, uncompromising demeanour belies a man who listens to classical music when he’s preparing for a scene, and who is still a fervent supporter of Sheffield United football club. He made his feature debut in Winter Flight (1984), and since then has amassed over a hundred credits in both the movies and on TV, including appearances in Lady Chatterley (1993), the Sharpe series of TV movies, and more recently, season one of Game of Thrones (2011). On the big screen he’s a familiar face who brings a certain degree of gravelly sincerity to his roles. Here then are five Sean Bean movies that feature some of his more under-appreciated portrayals… and where his character doesn’t get killed.

Tom & Thomas (2002) – Character: Paul Sheppard

A rarely seen children’s movie, Tom & Thomas sees Bean play the adoptive father of one of a set of twin boys (both played by Aaron Johnson, now better known as Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Once they meet, the other twin’s involvement with a group of child smugglers sets the pair off on a great adventure. It’s an enjoyable, unassuming movie, and it’s good to see Bean making the most of such a different role from the ones he’d been used to up until then.

Anna Karenina (1997) – Character: Count Alexei Kirillovitch Vronsky

Unfairly dismissed by critics upon release, Bernard Rose’s Russian-shot (and badly cut by the studio) version of Anna Karenina certainly has its problems in the script department, but remains a beautifully realised production of Tolstoy’s classic novel, with superb use of music by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Bean is a convincing, dashing Vronsky, and his scenes with Sophie Marceau are impeccable for the way in which both actors portray the overwhelming passion their characters feel for each other.

North Country (2005) – Character: Kyle Dodge

Bean takes a supporting role in another movie that broadens his career CV, playing the good friend of Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) who brings a class action suit for sexual harassment against the owners of an iron mine. Based on a true story, Niki Caro’s movie is eloquent, passionate, and inspiring, and Bean fits in well as one of the few men in Josey’s life who aren’t either sexist scumbags or manipulative, uncaring “primitives”.

Far North (2007) – Character: Loki

In this strange and haunting tale set in the arctic tundra, Bean plays a man whose sudden interjection into the lives of a mother and daughter leads to both unexpected passion and forecasted tragedy. Kapadia’s last feature until this year’s Ali and Nino, Far North is a tough, uncompromising movie made against some stunning backdrops and giving Bean the chance to reveal a less macho side to his acting.

The Field (1990) – Character: Tadgh McCabe

Although it was a commercial failure, The Field still has a good reputation amongst movie lovers, thanks in the main to Richard Harris’s performance as Bull McCabe, but there are other positives as well, such as Bean’s stalwart turn as Bull’s son. It’s a powerful portrayal of a son unwilling (or unable) to meet his father’s expectations of him. It’s a movie where tragedy is just waiting to happen, and where pride is the instigator of that tragedy, and in the hands of writer/director Jim Sheridan, packs such an emotional punch you’ll be bruised for days after seeing it.

Happy Birthday – Lara Flynn Boyle

24 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Actress, Afterglow, Birthday, Have Dreams Will Travel, Land of the Blind, Lara Flynn Boyle, Movies, Red Rock West, Speaking of Sex

Lara Flynn Boyle (24 March 1970 -)

With her angled features highlighted by big piercing eyes, Lara Flynn Boyle has always brought a distinctive, attractive element to her movies, ever since her big screen debut in (sadly) Poltergeist III (1988). And yet beneath the model looks and slightly aloof exterior, Boyle has displayed a natural talent for acting that some of her peers would kill for (if they’d only admit it). She found fame though away from the big screen with the role of Donna Hayward in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks (1990-91), but like her female co-stars Sherilyn Fenn and Mädchen Amick, was never really able to capitalise on the show’s success in terms of bigger, better movie roles. Boyle has nevertheless appeared in a number of movies whose reputations preceed them, and even if she’s made the odd movie that doesn’t add anything to her CV – Hansel & Gretel Get Baked (2013) for example – her performances have always carried a sincerity about them that adds to the movie in question. She hasn’t made many movies in recent years, and some recent plastic surgery choices have kept her in the public eye for all the wrong reasons, but hopefully we haven’t seen the last of her on the big screen, not when the following five movies all show just how good an actress she really is.

Afterglow (1997) – Character: Marianne Byron

Alan Rudolph’s dramedy of marital infidelities cast Boyle as the sexually frustrated wife of an ambitious businessman (played by Jonny Lee Miller) who develops an unhealthy crush on a handyman (played by Nick Nolte) who has marital problems of his own. More than holding her own amongst a very talented cast that also includes an Oscar-nominated Julie Christie, Boyle’s performance overcomes some of Rudolph’s more unhelpful character decisions, and she handles the comedic elements with a clear understanding of the darkly comic aspects woven throughout the material.

Speaking of Sex (2001) – Character: Dr Emily Paige

Rarely seen, but well worth seeking out (though some would say otherwise), this comedy from John McNaughton thankfully is more hit than miss, and sees Boyle playing a marriage counsellor who teams up with an expert on depression (played by James Spader) to try and solve a couples’ marital problems. The humour is situational rather than reliant on one-liners, anyone who’s even remotely prudish won’t enjoy most of it, and Boyle is terrific in a cast that also includes Jay Mohr and Melora Walters as the couple, Catherine O’Hara, Megan Mullaly, and Bill Murray.

Red Rock West (1993) – Character: Suzanne Brown

As the unfaithful wife who has a contract taken out on her by her husband, Boyle is never less than compelling as the intended victim who hides a secret of her own and who isn’t as easy a target as Nicolas Cage’s wrong-person-in-the-wrong-place soon discovers. John Dahl’s modern day film noir gives Boyle the chance to play the femme fatale, and she seizes the opportunity with undisguised relish, imbuing Suzanne with the kind of icy immorality that we all like to see in our tarnished heroines.

Have Dreams, Will Travel (2007) – Character: Ben’s mother

A coming of age tale that somehow manages to avoid the clichés of the genre and provide viewers with a refreshing approach to otherwise familiar territory, Have Dreams, Will Travel (aka A West Texas Children’s Story) features Boyle, but this time in a supporting role as a young boy’s mother whose obsession with Hollywood and its movie stars means that she neglects him. Despite the focus being on her son, the female friend he makes, and their subsequent relationship, Boyle grabs the attention whenever she’s on screen and gives another indelible performance.

Land of the Blind (2006) – Character: First Lady

In this ambitious and largely successful political thriller, Boyle plays the wife of a dictator (played by Tom Hollander) whose imprisonment of a dissident (played by Donald Sutherland) drives the narrative. It’s a dark, pessimistic movie, shot through with the kind of black humour that is funny and uncomfortable at the same time, and features superb performances from all concerned (particularly from Ralph Fiennes who plays Sutherland’s guard), and though Boyle’s role is a secondary one, nevertheless there are strong enough echoes of Lady Macbeth to make her performance a chilling one.

Happy Birthday – Daniel Craig

02 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Actor, Birthday, Career, Daniel Craig, Hotel Splendide, Infamous, Layer Cake, Movies, Munich, The Mother

Daniel Craig (2 March 1968 -)

Since stepping into the shoes of everyone’s favourite British secret agent – no, not Johnny English – Daniel Craig has made fewer and fewer movies between 007 outings (between Skyfall and Spectre he made just one short movie, and even that was a promo for Spectre). But before he became licenced to kill, Craig’s career was full of interesting choices and appearances in movies you wouldn’t have suspected he’d be in the running for. From his debut in The Power of One (1992), Craig has given undeniably powerful performances throughout his career, and worked hard to vary the kind of movie he appears in (though he doesn’t seem to be anyone’s first choice for a romantic lead). While he can sometimes seem aloof in person, on screen he has a definite presence, and a physicality that can be a character in its own right. Here are five movies where the latest James Bond has shown he’s not all about gadgets and guns and glamourous women.

Munich (2005) – Character: Steve

In Steven Spielberg’s absorbing, somewhat controversial take on Mossad activity during the early Seventies, Craig’s low-key performance as South African driver Steve is one that rarely takes centre stage, but when he does, Craig displays a fierce determination to get the job done. While it might be regarded as a minor supporting role, Craig certainly doesn’t play it that way, and as a result, more than holds his own against fellow stars Eric Bana, Ciarán Hinds and Mathieu Kassovitz.

The Mother (2003) – Character: Darren

In this emotionally tense, absorbing drama, Craig plays the lover of a grandmother (played by Anne Reid) looking to regain some meaning in her life following the death of her husband. It’s a dour piece with tragic overtones, and Craig’s performance (as the handyman having an affair with the grandmother’s daughter as well as the old lady herself) is one laden with unnerving hints as to his true motives, and which is far subtler than might be expected.

Hotel Splendide (2000) – Character: Ronald Blanche

In this rarely seen, obscure drama, Craig is the head chef of the titular hotel, and one of many characters sucked into a bizarre mystery surrounding the return of the hotel’s former sous chef (played by Toni Collette). With everyone made to behave oddly, Craig fits in well amongst the ensemble cast, and he gives an unexpectedly moving performance that acts as an emotional anchor for the viewer.

Infamous (2006) – Character: Perry Smith

Perhaps Craig’s most well-known role outside of the 007 franchise, Infamous sees him play one of the two murderers immortalised by Truman Capote (played here by Toby Jones) in his book In Cold Blood. As the object of Capote’s “affection”, Craig uses his physical presence to good effect, and his character’s emotional and sexual confusion to even greater effect, resulting in a complex performance that really sees him stretch as an actor.

Layer Cake (2004) – Character: XXXX

Matthew Vaughn’s ambitious British gangster movie is given a boost by Craig’s taking on the lead role, a drug dealer aiming to quit the industry but who finds himself “asked” to find someone’s missing daughter. Craig’s cynical, world-weary yet smug performance keeps the movie focused when it wants to head off in other directions, and his confident swagger works as a clue as to how he might play a certain iconic role, should he be asked (oh, right, he was).

Happy Birthday – Laura Dern

10 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

10 February, A Perfect World, Actress, Birthday, Career, Daddy and Them, Focus (2001), Laura Dern, October Sky, We Don't Live Here Anymore

Laura Dern (10 February 1967 -)

Laura Dern’s career has had its ups and downs, like many others, but she’s always maintained a positive approach that has paid off handsomely over the years. Perhaps being the daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd meant being an actress was always in her genes, but she’s forged her own path and played significant roles in a number of movies, from David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986), to her Oscar-nominated role in Rambling Rose (1991), and perhaps most famously as archaeologist Dr Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1994), a role she reprised in Jurassic Park III (2001). She’s an actress who has forged a career by making some very interesting choices, and in doing so, has made a variety of movies in a variety of genres and never been pigeon-holed as a result. Her lithe, slightly elongated frame and tousled blonde hair are her physical trademark, but she can be tough as nails when required, and has the kind of intuitive acting style that brings an uncomplicated honesty to the parts she’s played over the years. Here are five movies she’s appeared in that have benefitted greatly from her performances, and which are well worth tracking down if you haven’t seen them already.

October Sky (1999) – Character: Miss Riley

Dern takes a supporting role as a science teacher who helps inspire some of her pupils as they begin to express their interest in rocket engineering. The movie is based on the true story of Homer Hickam (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), and its depiction of the small town Fifties milieu Hickam grew up in is expertly recreated, allowing Dern and her co-stars to channel some very effective nostalgia in the process. Her character is the kind of teacher we all wish we had in school, but rather than make her a complete paragon, Dern takes a pleasant natured figurehead and makes her more fully rounded than the role needs her to be.

A Perfect World (1993) – Character: Sally Gerber

A tense thriller directed by Clint Eastwood from a script by John Lee Hancock, this sees Dern as a criminologist who locks horns with Eastwood’s Texas Ranger in the hunt for two escaped convicts (played by Kevin Costner and Keith Szarabajka) who have taken an eight-year-old boy hostage. Dern gives an impassioned performance as she fights Eastwood’s intransigence and hostility towards “new-fangled” ideas of man’s innate humanity. And as the only female of note in the movie she more than holds her own in such testosterone-fuelled company, and offers a welcome change of perspective whenever she’s on screen.

Daddy and Them (2001) – Character: Ruby Montgomery

In this black comedy – written and directed by her co-star Billy Bob Thornton – Dern plays one half of a couple who come to the aid of an uncle who’s accused of murder. Part road trip, part exploration of the jealousies and fears that can bind a couple just as easily as love and friendship, the movie gives Dern the chance to show off her comedic skills, and work with her mother as well. It’s a little rough around the edges, but has a charm all its own, and Dern and Thornton together make for a great couple who can’t help but be at odds with each other.

Focus (2001) – Character: Gertrude Hart

A complex, thought-provoking look at anti-Semitism, both perceived and actual, in Brooklyn during the last days of World War II, this sees Dern as a young woman turned down for a job by William H. Macy’s thoughtless racism. When the tables are turned and he finds himself equally prejudiced against, his relationship with Dern’s character gives him the opportunity to make amends for his previously callow thinking. Dern gives a sympathetic, assured performance as the harrassed young woman whose perceived Jewishness proves no justification for her own flawed prejudices.

We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004) – Character: Terry Linden

With the tagline, “Why do we want what we can’t have?”, this sees Dern as a frustrated, negligent housewife whose husband (played by Mark Ruffalo) has an affair, and which leads to her doing the same. The problem? Their extra-marital partners are their best friends, another unhappy couple. Dern is terrific, downplaying her natural vivacity in favour of a subdued, wayward approach that speaks of unspoken abuse somewhere in the character’s past. And she has a standout speech in which she describes the way in which her husband treats her like a dog, a moment of sincerity and emotional honesty that is delivered so perfectly Dern is simply mesmerising to watch.

Happy Birthday – Isla Fisher

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3 February, Actress, Birthday, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Hot Rod, Isla Fisher, Now You See Me, The Great Gatsby (2013), Wedding Daze

Isla Fisher (3 February 1976 -)

Born in Oman and spending time in Scotland and Australia growing up (where she also started out on homegrown series such as Home and Away), Fisher has made a good career for herself as the sexy girl next door with a flair for comedy, adding lustre to movies as diverse as Wedding Crashers (2005) and The Lookout (2007). Her bright, bubbly nature is always a bonus in any movie she’s a part of, and though she often finds herself in supporting roles, she’s still an actress whose name in the credits will provide a level of reassurance in the viewer. From an early role as Woman #1 in Out of Depth (2000) right up to her recent appearance as herself in Klown Forever (2015), Fisher has proved time and again that she’s a versatile, talented actress. Here are five more examples worth taking a look at.

Now You See Me (2013) – Character: Henley Reeves

As part of the Four Horsemen magicians’ group, Fisher had one of the most memorable scenes of 2013, chained in a tank of water and finding herself unable to get out (which actually did happen during filming). Although the focus tended to be on Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson’s characters, Fisher was still an important part of the mix, and more than held her own in her scenes with her male counterparts.

Wedding Daze (2006) – Character: Katie

In this romantic comedy – originally titled The Pleasure of Your Company – Fisher is the love interest for Jason Biggs, a man whose previous marriage proposal resulted in his fiancee’s death. Fisher navigates the various tropes and traditions of this kind of movie with ease, and gives a fresh, happy-go-lucky performance that adds a great deal of energy to things. It’s not the greatest rom-com in the world but thanks to Fisher, it is one that’s a lot of fun when she’s on screen.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) – Character: Rebecca Bloomwood

A cautionary tale disguised as a rom-com, this was a movie that saw Fisher cement her place in Hollywood, as the clothing/accessory obsessed magazine employee who can’t seem to stay out of debt. Fisher is just perfect in the role, and takes every opportunity the script gives her to be funny and charming, and she even makes her eventual change of priority feel entirely credible and not just a necessity of the script.

The Great Gatsby (2013) – Character: Myrtle Wilson

As the tragic mistress of Joel Edgerton’s arrogant bully of a businessman, Fisher has her most dramatic role to date, and doesn’t disappoint, even if her appearances are kept to a minimum. But thanks to a combination of Fisher’s understanding of the character, and Baz Luhrmann’s approach to the material, Fisher makes those brief appearances count tremendously, leading to the view that her role could – and should – have been expanded.

Hot Rod (2007) – Character: Denise Harris

In this cult favourite, Fisher takes on the standard role of girl next door and still makes something out of it, even if it requires her to be a foil to Andy Samberg’s obsessive stuntman for much of the time. Working well within an established ensemble, Fisher shows a keen sense of comedic timing and does more than enough to ensure that she’s not overshadowed by her largely testosterone-fuelled co-stars.

Happy Birthday – Scott Glenn

26 Tuesday Jan 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

26 January, Actor, Birthday, Buffalo Soldiers, Carla's Song, Freedom Writers, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Personal Best, Scott Glenn

Scott Glenn (26 January 1941 -)

Glenn is one of those rangy actors with a weathered face who pops up in a variety of movies, sometimes in the lead role, but always giving good value and on occasion making an average movie (or even a downright bad one) all the better when he’s on screen. From his feature debut in James Bridges’ The Baby Maker (1970), Glenn has been the epitomy of honest screen acting, someone the audience can rely on and sympathise with, even if he’s playing the villain. He’s made some high profile movies, including Oscar winners such as Nashville (1975) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and later this year he can be seen in season two of Daredevil. But in amongst all these well-known and well regarded movies and the performances that go with them, Glenn has made a number of movies that have either slipped unnoticed under the radar, or haven’t quite managed to get the attention they deserve, or feature appearances that you might not remember him making. Here are five such movies, and proof – if any were needed – that Glenn is a talented actor, and sometimes the only reason that some movies turn out as well as they do.

Carla’s Song (1996) – Character: Bradley

Glenn in a Ken Loach movie? As unlikely as it may sound, it happens here, with Glenn playing an aid worker in war-torn Nicaragua who encounters Robert Carlyle’s politically naïve Glaswegian bus driver. It’s not the most well-written of roles that Glenn’s ever played, but he manages to overcome the movie’s second-half stylistic failings to keep the viewer energised whenever he appears, and Bradley’s complex motivations allow for a degree of suspense.

Freedom Writers (2007) – Character: Steve Gruwell

Glenn takes a supporting role as the father of Erin Gruwell (played by Hilary Swank), a teacher who tackles her class’s notions of racism by showing them the horrors of the Holocaust. He’s not required to do too much, and you could be forgiven for thinking he wasn’t in the movie at all, but this is one of those occasions where Glenn’s familiar features and personal integrity adds an extra layer of truthfulness to an already true story.

My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991) – Character: H.D. Dalton

The last movie directed by Stuart Rosenberg – Cool Hand Luke (1967), Brubaker (1980) – this sees Glenn as a retired rodeo rider whose return home sees him face a new set of challenges thanks to his dysfunctional family. Glenn gives another subtle, nuanced turn that’s quietly convincing, and if the ending is a little too “Hollywood”, the movie’s still worth checking out for the very good work that leads up to it.

Buffalo Soldiers (2001) – Character: Sergeant Robert E. Lee

In this satire on corruption and greed within the US military just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Glenn is the top sergeant who squares off against Joaquin Phoenix’s black marketeer. As a no-nonsense, intensely loyal patriot, Glenn inhabits the character with aplomb and makes a wonderfully steadfast counterpoint for Phoenix’s less savoury activities, all of which lead to a spectacular showdown.

Personal Best (1982) – Character: Terry Tingloff

Robert Towne’s exploration of women’s athletics features a career best performance from Mariel Hemingway, but also a perfectly judged turn from Glenn as the coach who can accept that two of his athletes have feelings for each other but not when those feelings interfere with their aim to compete at the Olympics. Glenn gives such a good performance it doesn’t feel that unlikely that he could step off the screen and do the job in real life.

Happy Birthday – Julian Sands

04 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

4 January, Actor, Birthday, Cat City, Julian Sands, Leaving Las Vegas, Romasanta, The Scoundrel's Wife, Wherever You Are...

Julian Sands (4 January 1958 -)

With his striking good looks and rich earthy vocal tones, Julian Sands is an actor whose early roles, including his breakout role in A Room With a View (1985), seemed destined to have him forever playing in costume dramas, but as his career has progressed he’s found a home in horror movies and thrillers alike, albeit with mixed results. For every Arachnophobia (1990) though there has been a Heidi 4 Paws (2009), and it’s always seemed that Sands’ career has never really been able to fulfill its potential. But he’s still an interesting actor to watch, and can often use his sardonic approach to less than worthy material to make things more interesting. Here are five examples of movies where he’s been a part of something worthwhile, and where his performance has been one of the main reasons why.

Romasanta (2004) – Character: Manuel Romasanta

This low-budget horror is based on the true story of Sands’ title character, a travelling vendor in 1850’s Spain who was also a serial killer. It’s an atmospheric chiller, and Sands is eerily effective as the man who used his victims’ body fat for soap. The part calls on his skill as a seductive charmer, and it’s this thread of gothic romanticism that allows Sands to portray Romasanta as both lover and villain.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995) – Character: Yuri Butso

While everyone remembers Nicolas Cage’s Oscar-winning central performance (and rightly so), not everyone remembers Sands’ supporting role as the Latvian pimp whose selfless severing of his relationship with prostitute Sera (played by Elisabeth Shue), is the catalyst for her meeting Cage’s character, Ben. Sands is memorably vulnerable in the role and gives one of his most affecting portrayals, providing a counterpoint to Cage’s self-loathing alcoholic.

The Scoundrel’s Wife (2002) – Character: Dr Lenz

Sands takes a mainly supporting role in this drama set in Louisiana during World War II where a woman (played by Tatum O’Neal) trying to raise her two children alone is accused of being a saboteur. Sands’ gives a dignified, restrained performance as the German medic who tends to the wounded survivors of U-boats sunk in the nearby Gulf (and much to some of the locals’ consternation), and who also develops a relationship with O’Neal’s character. Based on real events, the movie isn’t entirely successful, but it is lifted whenever Sands is on screen.

Cat City (2008) – Character: Nick Compton

A modern day film noir gives Sands the chance to play a husband who may or may not be playing around. Acting alongside Rebecca Pidgeon (the wife) and Brian Dennehy (the detective looking into things), Sands is an unscrupulous land developer who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants, while being unaware that his wife is having him investigated. Scandal and murder ensue when one of his more shady deals goes wrong.

Wherever You Are… (1988) – Character: Julian

This sombre movie from Krzysztof Zanussi sees Sands play a Uruguayan diplomat who takes his wife (played by Renée Soutendijk) on a trip to Poland in the lead up to World War II. While she has premonitions about the impending German invasion, Julian buries himself in his work and behaves cruelly towards her. Sands gets to play very nasty indeed and under Zanussi’s direction gives a memorable performance as a man with literally no redeeming values at all.

Happy Birthday – Jenny Agutter

20 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

20 December, Act of God, Actress, Birthday, Child's Play 2, Equus, Secret Places, The Riddle of the Sands

Jenny Agutter (20 December 1952 -)

In the early Seventies, Jenny Agutter shot to stardom on the back of two completely different movies, the children’s classic The Railway Children (1970), and the stark survival movie Walkabout (1971). But where she might have capitalised on this success, Agutter instead worked in television and theatre instead, only returning to movies in the latter half of the Seventies. She’s an actress who has worked steadily over the years, mixing TV appearances with the theatre and occasional roles in movies, and with a grace and intelligence that always shines through, even in the direst of efforts, such as Number One, Longing. Number Two, Regret (2004). Recently she’s landed a recurring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a member of the World Security Council, and has a lead role in the BBC series Call the Midwife, all signs that she’s not prepared to retire anytime soon. Which is good as she’d be sorely missed. But if she did, we’d still have the following five performances to savour as testaments to her significant abilities as an actress.

Child’s Play 2 (1990) – Character: Joanne Simpson

An unexpected choice for Agutter sees her as the foster mother of young Alex Barclay (played by the returning Alex Vincent), and reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that Chucky the malevolent doll is still trying to claim Alex’s soul for his own. Agutter is good in a role that could have been stereotypical, and she enters into the absurd spirit of things where some actresses would have made it clear they felt they were slumming it.

The Riddle of the Sands (1979) – Character: Clara Dollmann

Erskine Childers’ romantic spy thriller is given the low-key treatment as Agutter plays the daughter of a man (played by Alan Badel) suspected of espionage in the early years of the 20th Century, and who finds herself the object of attention from two young Englishmen (Michael York, Simon MacCorkindale). Agutter’s beauty complements the natural beauty of the Frisian Islands, where the movie is set, and she gives a quietly authoritative performance as a young woman torn between duty and love.

Equus (1977) – Character: Jill Mason

It may be a supporting role, but Agutter’s involvement in Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s play, landed her a BAFTA. It’s also a pivotal role in that her character’s relationship with the troubled Alan Strang (played by Peter Firth) leads to the movie’s tragic and shocking denouement. The role shows as well how good Agutter can be when dealing with darker, more unconventional material.

Secret Places (1984) – Character: Miss Lowrie

Agutter has another supporting role in this tale of two girls from different cultural backgrounds who form a bond at boarding school, and which threatens the stability of the entire establishment. As one of the younger teachers, Agutter is sympathetic to the young girls’ plight, and although she’s not on screen for long, she adds a much needed layer of understanding to a situation that seems likely to spiral out of control. A movie full of fine performances, even if it isn’t entirely compelling.

Act of God (2009) – Character: Catherine Cisco

(No image available at present)

This odd little thriller hasn’t had much exposure since its release, but it’s well worth seeking out, and features Agutter as the wife of a surgeon (played by David Suchet) who finds himself the target of a man who is angry his girlfriend wasn’t the recipient of a heart transplant. It’s short (75 mins) and with a deliberate pace that accentuates the tension, and Agutter is on form (as usual) as the wife whose comfortable life begins to fall apart.

Happy Birthday – Milla Jovovich

17 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

17 December, A Perfect Getaway, Actress, Birthday, Dummy, He Got Game, The Claim, The Million Dollar Hotel

Milla Jovovich (17 December 1975 -)

For many, Milla Jovovich will always be Alice in the Resident Evil movies (five down, one to go), but like so many actors and actresses who are associated with a signature role, there’s more to Jovovich’s career than looking mean and killing zombies. She’s an actress who can often surprise you, and when she’s given the chance she can display a gift for characterisation that isn’t always so apparent when she’s running around with a gun. She’s made more than her fair share of stinkers – Ultraviolet (2006), or The Three Musketeers (2011) anyone? – but much earlier in her career she was making a strong impression in a variety of movies, and proving that there was substance behind the model looks. Here then are five movies that are worth checking out for Jovovich’s performances, and as evidence that producers should be looking to bring her away from action/sci-fi thrillers and back into the real world.

The Claim (2000) – Character: Lucia

Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, relocated to California in the 1860’s, is a commanding movie full of impressive performances, not the least of which is Jovovich’s. She plays the owner of a saloon-cum-brothel in the town of Kingdom Come, and lover to Peter Mullan’s central protagonist, Daniel Dillon. When his past catches up with him, its Lucia’s actions that prompt his ultimate downfall, and as his rejected yet emotionally loyal “companion”, Jovovich gives a sensitive, proud portrayal of a woman determined to maintain her own sense of place in an overwhelmingly harsh environment.

He Got Game (1998) – Character: Dakota Burns

In Spike Lee’s compelling sports drama, Jovovich plays an abused prostitute who lives in the hotel room next to Denzel Washington’s convicted felon. Their relationship develops over the course of a week, and is a touching meeting of damaged souls. Jovovich is very good as the vulnerable yet still defiant Dakota, and more than holds her own in her scenes with Washington, matching him for emotional honesty every step of the way.

The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) – Character: Eloise

Jovovich continues to work with some of the most challenging, most gifted of directors, this time Wim Wenders, in a movie that doesn’t always work, but which does allow the actress to give a well-rounded portrayal of a young woman whose tentative relationship with another of the residents at the titular hotel hints at far more than a standard love story. Jovovich shines throughout, and manages to avoid making her character’s mental health issues feel contrived or all-consuming.

Dummy (2002) – Character: Fangora “Fanny” Gurkel

The very definition of quirkiness, Dummy‘s tale of a socially awkward office worker (played by Adrien Brody) who discovers a talent for ventriloquism, is backed up by Jovovich’s effervescent turn as the wonderfully named Fanny, a wannabe singer who takes up klezmer music just so she can get a gig. One of Jovovich’s best performances, and helped immensely by her own talents as a singer, Dummy gives the actress a chance to do comedy, and she proves more than capable of drawing out the laughs from writer/director Greg Pritikin’s sweet-natured screenplay.

A Perfect Getaway (2009) – Character: Cydney

David Twohy’s suspenseful psycho thriller sees Jovovich and Steve Zahn on honeymoon in Hawaii, and who begin to believe that the hitchhiking couple they meet (Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth) are serial killers currently on the island. It’s the kind of movie where everyone looks and acts suspicious most of the time, and Jovovich does a great job of keeping the audience guessing as to whether she’s good or bad, and maintains the required intensity throughout.

Happy Birthday – Kenneth Branagh

10 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

10 December, Actor, Birthday, Conspiracy, Five Children and It, How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog, Kenneth Branagh, Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Theory of Flight

Kenneth Branagh (10 December 1960 -)

Originally hailing from Belfast in Northern Ireland, Kenneth Branagh will always be remembered for his Shakespeare adaptations (six so far and counting) and for bringing a touch of studied class to his acting roles. He’s taken some risks in the past – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) anyone? – but on the whole he’s been a consistently impressive performer, even if the movie he’s in has been less so – Wild Wild West (1999) anyone? He’s also made some odd choices over the years, and his filmography as an actor includes titles as diverse as Swing Kids (1993) (in an uncredited turn) and the TV movie Warm Springs (2005) (as Franklin Delano Roosevelt). Here then are five more roles that might have slipped under the radar, but which are still worth seeking out.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) – Character: A.O. Neville

Branagh excels in Philip Noyce’s disturbing exposé of systematic, Australian government-sponsored aboriginal abuse in the early 1930’s. As the official Protector of Western Australian Aborigines, Branagh is cold, distant and unemotional in his treatment of “half-castes” such as the movie’s young heroines, Molly and Daisy. It’s only when they run away from one of his “re-education” centres and elude capture that his mask slips and the depths of his racism becomes apparent, and the extent of Branagh’s control of his portrayal becomes even more impressive.

How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog (2000) – Character: Peter McGowen

Easily the oddest movie title in Branagh’s filmography, How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog sees him playing a once-successful playwright whose recent string of flops has left him struggling to deal with the various stresses and strains of daily life while attempting to get his career back on track. Branagh keeps McGowen from going fully manic, and this left-field comedy benefits immensely from his performance, being both cheerfully misanthropic and delightfully caustic.

The Theory of Flight (1998) – Character: Richard

A touching and emotionally honest drama (with comedic overtones), The Theory of Flight is effectively a two-hander between Branagh (as an unsuccessful artist who builds primitive flying machines) and Helena Bonham Carter (as a woman suffering from motor neurone disease who wants to lose her virginity before she dies). Contemplative and unapologetic, the movie is an unlikely gem thanks to the playing of both actors, and assured, sympathetic direction from Paul Greengrass (making only his second feature).

Five Children and It (2004) – Character: Uncle Albert

Branagh takes a supporting role in this children’s fantasy movie (adapted from the novel by E. Nesbit) set in World War I, and which sees the titular children discover a sand fairy, a Psammead (voiced by Eddie Izzard), in their uncle’s greenhouse. Branagh takes a back seat to the child actors (led by Freddie Highmore) but does more than enough to make Uncle Albert more than just a kindly, if eccentric, caricature.

Conspiracy (2001) – Character: Reinhard Heydrich

A TV movie, but inarguably one of the finest ever made, with Branagh hypnotic as the overseer of the Wannsee Conference, where the Nazis worked out the details of the Final Solution. Much has been made of the movie’s ability to portray the so-called “banality of evil” that the Nazis’ actions represented, and it’s true that the matter-of-fact way in which matters of mass execution are referred to is horrible and chilling. Just Heydrich’s comment to begin the conference, “So to begin. We have a storage problem in Germany, with these Jews”, is all you need to know as to how terrible the next ninety minutes will be.

Happy Birthday – Ellen Burstyn

07 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

7 December, Actress, Birthday, How to Make an American Quilt, Lovely Still, Playing by Heart, Requiem for a Dream, Wish You Well

Ellen Burstyn (7 December 1932 -)

In the early 1970’s Ellen Burstyn was the late-blooming star who shone in a handful of now classic Seventies movies: The Late Picture Show (1971), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Exorcist (1973), and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974). But after this remarkable run of movies, Burstyn’s career seemed to stall, and she didn’t make another movie until Providence (1977). It was another great movie though, directed by Alain Resnais, and it seemed as if Burstyn was back on track, and she started the next decade with Resurrection (1980). But it was really at this point that Burstyn’s career began to falter, and subsequent roles/movies proved disappointing to audiences, and it seemed as if she couldn’t land those strong female roles she’d become synonymous with. But in the intervening years, Burstyn has made a number of movies that deserve closer attention. Here are five of them, all worth watching, and all displaying Burstyn’s trademark intelligence and unexpectedly soft voice, even though these are mostly supporting performances.

Playing by Heart (1998) / Character: Mildred

An ensemble cast that includes Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands, Playing by Heart is a comedy/drama that tells several interconnected stories centred around various forms and expressions of love, and features Burstyn as a mother struggling to come to terms with the fact that her gay son (played by Jay Mohr) has AIDS. Burstyn gives a terrific performance and manages to make her character’s conflicted antipathy towards her son both disturbing and sympathetic.

Wish You Well (2013) / Character: Louisa Mae Cardinal

Adapted from the novel by David Baldacci, Wish You Well sees Burstyn playing a family matriarch in 1940’s Virginia, and looking after her orphaned great-granddaughter and great-grandson. It’s a gentle, reflective movie that gives Burstyn the chance to play the usual wise old woman with attitude (when needed), but she infuses the role with a charm that you can’t help but warm to, and there’s a chemistry between Burstyn and Mackenzie Foy that helps elevate the somewhat predictable material.

How to Make an American Quilt (1995) / Character: Hyacinth (Hy) Dodd

Another literary adaptation, this time from the novel by Whitney Otto, How to Make an American Quilt sees Burstyn as the older incarnation of a young woman who sleeps with her sister’s husband in a moment of emotional weakness. Facing off against an angry Anne Bancroft, Burstyn shows the pain and suffering associated with her character’s guilt, and layers her performance with an air of fragility that allows for an unexpectedly effective emotional impact.

Requiem for a Dream (2000) – Character: Sara Goldfarb

Darren Aronofsky’s searing drama about four Coney Island drug addicts, Requiem for a Dream earned Burstyn her sixth Academy Award nomination, and served as an impressive reminder of just how talented an actress she is. As a woman suffering from amphetamine psychosis, Burstyn is simply incredible, shunning any attempt to hold back on showing the devastating effects of her addiction, nor the terrible fate that awaits her when it spirals even further out of control.

Lovely, Still (2008) – Character: Mary Malone

A touching movie about love and longing between an elderly couple – Burstyn is joined by Martin Landau – Lovely, Still gives Burstyn the chance to play a rare romantic role, as her character begins a relationship with Landau’s reticent grocery clerk. The Xmas setting adds to the charm of the movie and Burstyn is as watchable as ever as a woman with a secret that may or may not have a lasting impact on the man she becomes involved with.

Happy Birthday – Julianne Moore

03 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3 December, Actress, Assassins, Birthday, Evolution, Julianne Moore, Shelter, Surviving Picasso, The English Teacher

Julianne Moore (3 December 1960 -)

The Oscar-winning actress has the kind of career that few can ever dream of, but she’s known mostly for her dramatic roles in movies such as Savage Grace (2007), Short Cuts (1993), Boogie Nights (1997) and Still Alice (2014). But ever since her first big screen appearance in Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), she’s flitted from genre to genre and made lasting, indelible impressions in all of them – even in something like Next (2007). Here are five movies you may have forgotten she was in, and which serve as evidence that she can do a wide range of movies and genres and not just drama.

Assassins (1995) – Character: Electra

As the target for both Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas’ titular assassins, Moore plays a nervy computer hacker who (somewhat inevitably) earns Stallone’s trust and protection. In real terms it’s a supporting role, but Moore’s presence is welcome amidst all the testosterone flying around, and she invests the character with a will to survive that plays well against Stallone’s taciturn hitman.

Evolution (2001) – Character: Dr Allison Reed

Moore does comedy in this sci-fi extravaganza, as the clumsiest CDC scientist you’re ever likely to see, and matching old hands David Duchovny and Orlando Jones for laughs. It’s nice to see her doing something lightweight and angst-free, and she seems to be enjoying herself at the same time, displaying a flair for comedy that hasn’t been exploited nearly enough over the years.

Shelter (2010) – Character: Cara Harding

This horror mystery gave Moore a chance to do scary as the forensic psychiatrist who learns that the multiple personalities displayed by one of her patients (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) are all murder victims. It’s not the best movie in her resumé, but Moore is as compelling as always and makes her character’s crusade for the truth more understandable and credible than in most movies of this type.

Surviving Picasso (1996) – Character: Dora Maar

In this biopic of the famous artist (played by Anthony Hopkins), Moore gets to appear in a Merchant-Ivory production, and play one of Picasso’s muses, the photographer Dora Maar. Moore is excellent as one of the many women Picasso mistreated during his life, and while this is definitely a dramatic role, here Moore rises to the challenge of playing a real person, and steals the movie.

The English Teacher (2013) – Character: Linda Sinclair

As the character of the title, Moore mixes comedy and drama to disarming effect as a teacher who discovers she’s obsessed by a former student (played by Michael Angarano) who returns to their respective hometown after writing an unsuccessful play in New York. Linda’s determination to put on his play leads her to take risk after risk where she’s never done so before, and Moore makes her obsessive/compulsive behaviour both sweet and disturbing at the same time.

Happy Birthday – Vincent Cassel

23 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

23 November, A Dangerous Method, Actor, As You Want Me, Birthday, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Movies, Read My Lips, Secret Agents, Vincent Cassel

Vincent Cassel (23 November 1966 -)

Blue-eyed and ruggedly handsome, Vincent Cassel has made a reputation for himself as a tough, uncompromising actor who can exude menace at the drop of a chapeau. But as is the case with most “tough guy” actors, there’s much more to Cassel than his performances in, say, La Haine (1995) or the one-two punch that was Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct and Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy #1 (both 2008) – although he has been quoted as saying, “My father [Jean-Pierre Cassel] is best known for his light comedies, and I’m best known for crazy bad guys with short tempers”. Here are five movies where Cassel shows that his career has a lot more to offer viewers than just anger and violence (with one exception).

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) – Character: Jean-François de Morangias

Christophe Gans’ bonkers martial arts/werewolf/historical drama sees Cassel give one of his most over the top performances as the villain of the piece, and yet it fits perfectly with the thrust of the movie, and allows him to play flamboyant, cunning, sly, mendacious, cruel, vicious, and even romantic (it’s true), against the fervid backdrop of superstitious, 18th Century rural France. A one of a kind performance and hugely enjoyable to watch (as is the movie).

Read My Lips (2001) – Character: Paul Angeli

In the same year as Brotherhood of the Wolf, Cassel made this arresting drama for Jacques Audiard, playing an ex-con who falls in with a deaf, put-upon office worker (played by Emmanuelle Devos) who’s looking for a way to improve the way she’s treated. The relationship that develops between them is an uneasy mix of mutual exploitation and dependency, and Cassel matches his co-star for vulnerability and pathos, as her need for revenge and his criminal background make for an uneasy combination.

A Dangerous Method (2011) – Character: Otto Gross

David Cronenberg’s look at the turbulent relationships involving Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Jung’s patient Sabina Spielrein (Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley respectively), also gives Cassel the chance to impress as the unstable psychoanalyst Otto Gross. It’s a pivotal role and Cassel is on terrific form as the man who felt that sexual passion should be wholly embraced and never repressed.

As You Want Me (1997) – Character: Pasquale

Cassel does comedy as well as drama in this enjoyable if not entirely successful movie that still benefits from the actor’s usual commitment to a role. He plays a policeman in Rome, who, during a roundup, finds his old friend from school, Domenico (played by Enrico Lo Verso) is now called Desideria and is transgender. Romance rears its confused head and Cassel does a great job in convincing the viewer that he could fall for his old friend even though he has a fiancé (played by Monica Bellucci).

Secret Agents (2004) – Character: Georges Brisseau

A psychological thriller that sees Cassel reunited with Bellucci, this sees them as spies working together to foil an arms deal in Africa. Cassel’s character is cool and methodical, but when the mission begins to derail around him, and Bellucci’s character ends up in jail, it’s down to him to get her out. It’s formulaic stuff but with a Gallic spin that’s aided by one of Cassel’s most instinctive performances, as he tries to remain focused while dealing with being betrayed.

Honourable mentions: The Pupil (1996), Black Swan (2010).

Happy Birthday – Jamie Lee Curtis

22 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amazing Grace and Chuck, Birthday, Blue Steel, Forever Young, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mother's Boys, November 22, The Tailor of Panama

NOTE: This is a new strand on thedullwoodexperiment. Each day (hopefully) I’ll be celebrating an actor or actress’s birthday by listing five of their more interesting movie roles. These won’t necessarily be their most famous roles; instead it will be an attempt to highlight some movies that people might not be aware they’ve appeared in, or parts that have been overlooked.

Jamie Lee Curtis (22 November 1958 -)

The star of Halloween (1978) and its cleverly titled sequel, Halloween II (1981), has been making movies since she debuted in John Carpenter’s iconic slasher movie. Away from that particular franchise, she’s been married to Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies (1994), befriended a homeless Eddie Murphy in Trading Places (1983), swapped bodies with Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday (2003), and been seduced by John Cleese in A Fish Called Wanda (1988). She’s a versatile actress who has maintained her career without appearing in too many bad movies (though you might want to give Halloween: Resurrection (2002) a miss), and has a bright, engaging personality that no doubt has contributed to her popularity. Over the course of thirty-seven years she’s made movies in a variety of genres. Below are five of those movies, all of which are well worth checking out, both for her performances in them, and just by themselves.

Forever Young (1992) – Character: Claire Cooper

This romantic drama was a change of pace for both Mel Gibson and Curtis, with its mix of scientific experiment gone awry and requited long-lost love proving successful at the box office. Curtis is the nurse who helps Gibson’s Thirties US Army Air Corps pilot adjust to being adrift in time, and with the help of JJ Abrams’ script, takes a fairly conventional love interest role and makes more of it than expected.

The Tailor of Panama (2001) – Character: Louisa Pendel

John le Carré’s tale of a con man (played by Geoffrey Rush) who gets in too deep with a British spy (played by Pierce Brosnan) in Panama is a gripping thriller that gives Curtis one of her better dramatic roles as the con man’s wife who hasn’t got a clue just how dangerous things are getting around her. Curtis gives a low-key, sympathetic performance, and her scenes with Brosnan are some of the movie’s best.

Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) – Character: Lynn Taylor

In this earnest slice of wish fulfilment, a young boy who refuses to play another game for his Little League baseball team until nuclear weapons are abolished, and whose decision is taken up by a professional basketball player, features Curtis as the basketball player’s agent. It’s a standard, almost formulaic role – at first she doesn’t agree with her client’s decision, then she sees the light – but again, Curtis adds lustre to a role that most actresses would have just walked through.

Mother’s Boys (1994) / Character: Judith ‘Jude’ Madigan

Here, Curtis gets to play the bad girl as the unhinged mother who abandons her family for three years, and doesn’t like it when her husband divorces her and starts a new relationship. Curtis’s mad mom isn’t averse to the odd attempt at murder, and the actress plays her character borderline crazy and appropriately nasty, making this the only occasion where she’s played the psycho rather than been chased by one (and she looks good as a blonde).

Blue Steel (1989) – Character: Megan Turner

Kathryn Bigelow’s third feature is a twisted obsessive stalker variant that pits Curtis’s rookie cop against Ron Silver’s sadistic killer, and gives Curtis one of her most effective and challenging early roles. Her character is certainly put through the wringer, but Curtis proves to be more than a match for the material, and this is perhaps one of her very best performances, despite how much of it is played at fever pitch.

Honourable mentions: Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), My Girl (1991)

thedullwoodexperiment – Two Years On

30 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Birthday, For One Week Only, Poster of the week, thedullwoodexperiment

Today thedullwoodexperiment is two years old.

It still comes as a surprise to me that I get to do this (most) every day, and that I get the visits and feedback that I do, just by writing about what I love most: the movies. Even when a movie is a real stinker, it’s still an enjoyable feeling to be able to put my thoughts about such debacles out there, and alongside the movies that really work.

I’ve got several ideas and plans for Year Three, including the return of Poster of the Week (though in a slightly different format), the return of Zatoichi (my apologies for not having continued the series as originally planned), further installments of For One Week Only, and several other ideas that will remain under wraps for now. Reviews will continue to be the focus, but I aim to increase the amount of non-review posts as well.

As always I’m open to suggestions about which movies should be reviewed or included, and if anyone wants to see something specific under the For One Week Only banner, feel free to let me know. Any and all feedback will be gratefully received. Now, what can I watch next…?

IMDb – Happy 25th Birthday

18 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

25 years, Birthday, Col Needham, Internet Movie Database

As someone who visits the IMDb site pretty much every day, and finds it an almost invaluable resource (my only bugbear is movie running times – I’ve found them to be maddeningly inaccurate over the years), I just wanted to add my congratulations to founder and CEO Col Needham and his team for the sterling work they’ve been doing over the last twenty-five years.

In terms of how much I’ve relied on them for thedullwoodexperiment, I can’t thank them enough, and I’m looking forward to delving into the site for another twenty-five years to come. And as a movie buff, I’ve learnt a lot that I wouldn’t have found out otherwise. Here are five examples that come under the heading, Well I Didn’t Know That Until Now:

1) John Travolta was offered Tom Hanks’ role in The Green Mile (1999).

2) John Carpenter was disappointed with The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and would have loved to direct it himself so he could make it “much more frightening and gripping”.

3) The bridge explosion in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) had to be filmed twice as there was a mistake first time around: the command to set off the explosion was misheard and no cameras were rolling.

4) Some Like It Hot (1959) was originally banned in Kansas as being “too disturbing for Kansans”.

5) In The Big Lebowski (1998), Julianne Moore wore a prosthetic butt for her nude scene as Maude.

Monthly Roundup – September 2015

30 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

12 Rounds 3: Lockdown, Abigail Breslin, Action, Airlock, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, Arizona, Axe to Grind, Baseball, Beverly Tyler, Birthday, Brian McGinn, Brighton, Cancer charity, Cattle rustling, Corrupt cops, Crime, Dean Ambrose, Debbie Rochon, Drama, Earl Bellamy, Ferrell Takes the Field, George Montgomery, Georgie Henley, Horror, Insurance fraud, Jennifer Garner, Jim Davis, Jim O'Connolly, John Carson, Josh Gad, Judith Viorst, Keoni Waxman, Literary adaptation, Matt Zettell, Mercenary, Michael Matzur, Michael Steppe, Miguel Arteta, Mira Sorvino, Movie role, Murder, Perfect Sisters, Peter Vaughan, Rob Margolies, Roger R. Cross, Romantic comedy, Sci-fi, Screenwriter, She Wants Me, Short movie, Silver mines, Smokescreen, Stanley M. Brooks, Stephen Reynolds, Steve Carell, Steven Seagal, The Boss, The Toughest Gun in Tombstone, True story, Vacuity, Vinnie Jones, Western, Will Ferrell, Wish, WWE, Yvonne Romain

Smokescreen (1964) / D: Jim O’Connolly / 70m

Cast: Peter Vaughan, John Carson, Yvonne Romain, Gerald Flood, Glynn Edwards, John Glyn-Jones, Penny Morrell, Barbara Hicks, Sam Kydd, Deryck Guyler

Rating: 7/10 – bowler-hatted insurance fraud investigator Roper (Vaughan) is called in to investigate when a heavily insured businessman’s car bursts into flames before going over a cliff – but was he in it?; a neat, unprepossessing British thriller, Smokescreen features an enjoyable performance from Vaughan, some stunning location photography, and a script that allows for plenty of ironic humour in amongst the drama.

Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day (2014) / D: Miguel Arteta / 81m

Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, Kerris Dorsey, Sidney Fullmer, Bella Thorne, Megan Mullally

Rating: 7/10 – when overlooked youngest child Alexander (Oxenbould) has the worst day ever, he wishes that his family could experience just a little of what he has to deal with – but when they do, things quickly escalate beyond anything that Alexander has ever faced; Judith Viorst’s novel gets a fun-filled adaptation that is amusing, clever, and visually inventive, but which lacks bite, and has surprisingly few characters to root for (that is, none).

She Wants Me (2012) / D: Rob Margolies / 85m

Cast: Josh Gad, Kristen Ruhlin, Johnny Messner, Aaron Yoo, Hilary Duff, Melonie Diaz, Wayne Knight, Charlie Sheen

Rating: 6/10 – an ambitious though neurotic writer (Gad) working on his first screenplay faces a dilemma when the role written for his girlfriend (Ruhlin) grabs the attention of an A-list actress (Duff); a romantic comedy with few ambitions that struggles to make good comedy out of anxious indecision, She Wants Me is innocuous stuff that passes by in amiable fashion without ever really involving its audience.

12 Rounds 3: Lockdown (2015) / D: Stephen Reynolds / 90m

Cast: Dean Ambrose, Roger R. Cross, Daniel Cudmore, Lochlyn Munro, Ty Olsson, Sarah Smyth, Rebecca Marshall, Kirby Morrow

Rating: 3/10 – an honest cop (Ambrose) finds himself trapped in a station house and hunted by several of his corrupt colleagues when he comes into possession of evidence that will see them put away for the rest of their lives; another depressing WWE Films action movie, 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown dispenses with the set up of the first two movies, and does its best to be yet another Die Hard rip-off, albeit one stifled by inept plotting, terrible dialogue and a performance by Ambrose that never gets started.

Perfect Sisters (2014) / D: Stanley M. Brooks / 100m

Cast: Abigail Breslin, Georgie Henley, Mira Sorvino, James Russo, Rusty Schwimmer, Zoë Belkin, Jeffrey Ballard, Zak Santiago

Rating: 5/10 – two sisters (Breslin, Henley), fed up with the antics of their alcoholic mother (Sorvino) and her poor choice in boyfriends, decide the only way of improving their lives is to kill her; if it wasn’t based on a true story, Perfect Sisters would be dismissed as absurd nonsense with no basis in reality, but as it is it’s an uneven, tonally awkward movie that features average performances from its leads, but which does seem completely committed to drawing the viewer’s attention to Breslin’s cleavage at every opportunity.

Ferrell Takes the Field (2015) / D: Brian McGinn / 49m

With: Will Ferrell

Rating: 5/10 – in support of a friend’s cancer charity, Will Ferrell takes to the baseball field to play all nine positions for ten major league teams at five separate pre-season games, and all in one day; if the charity had been the Reassure Will Ferrell He’s Still Funny Charity, then this would have made more sense because Ferrell Takes the Field is a mercifully brief documentary that sees the comedian attempt to appear relevant in an arena where he has no real talent, and where, when he gets it wrong, he’s quite rightly booed by fans, leaving viewers to wonder why on earth this idea was commissioned in the first place.

Axe to Grind (2015) / D: Matt Zettell / 81m

Cast: Debbie Rochon, Guy Torry, Matthew James Gulbranson, Paula Labaredas, Michelle Tomlinson, Dani Thompson, Adrian Quihuis, Tony von Halle

Rating: 2/10 – when the producer of her latest film tells aging actress Debbie Wilkins (Rochon) that her role has gone to another, younger actress, it sets her on a killing spree that sees her despatch the cast and crew, and anyone else who gets in her way; low-budget horror always runs the risk of being offensively stupid, and Axe to Grind is no exception, as it treats its audience with disdain while failing to appear as clever and entertaining as it thinks it is.

The Toughest Gun in Tombstone (1958) / D: Earl Bellamy / 72m

Cast: George Montgomery, Jim Davis, Beverly Tyler, Gerald Milton, Don Beddoe, Scotty Morrow, Harry Lauter

Rating: 6/10 – with outlaws running most of the nascent state of Arizona, the Governor assigns Matt Sloane (Montgomery) and a team of undercover officers to apprehend the gang involved with cattle rustling and silver thefts; a modest Western that tells its simple story plainly and with few frills, The Toughest Gun in Tombstone is acceptable fare that doesn’t exert itself too much, but is enjoyable nonetheless.

Absolution (2015) / D: Keoni Waxman / 91m

aka The Mercenary: Absolution

Cast: Steven Seagal, Byron Mann, Adina Stetcu, Vinnie Jones, Howard Dell, Josh Barnett, Maria Bata, Dominte Cosmin

Rating: 4/10 – mercenary John Alexander (Seagal) and his colleague Chi (Mann) find themselves battling both a criminal syndicate and their own corrupt boss when a contract killing proves to have larger ramifications; another mumbling, stand-in heavy performance from Seagal detracts from what is – for him – a better outing than of late, and thanks to Mann’s athleticism and Jones’ snarling villain, any scenes where Seagal doesn’t take part are actually halfway enjoyable.

Vacuity (2012) / D: Michael Matzur / 14m

Cast: Michael Steppe

Rating: 6/10 – an astronaut, Alan Brahm (Steppe), stranded in an airlock while the space station he’s on begins to fall apart has a choice: either save his crew by jettisoning the airlock (but dooming himself), or save himself and get back to Earth (and dooming the crew) – which choice will he take?; as moral dilemmas go, the one facing Alan Brahm in Vacuity is, on the face of it, fairly cut and dried, but thanks to Matzur’s script and Steppe’s performance you’re never quite sure how things will play out, or even if either choice will be taken away from him, making this short movie a model of concisely focused drama.

Happy Birthday! – thedullwoodexperiment is a Year Old Today

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by dullwood68 in Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Birthday, Movies, Phase 2, Reviews, THANK YOU

It’s incredible to think that I’ve been doing this for a year now, a year in which thedullwoodexperiment has exceeded all my expectations – not that I had very many – and which has, in its own small way, found a home on the Web that hopefully has proven thought-provoking, entertaining and informative.

When I wrote my first review – Touchy Feely (2013) – it was with a sense of trepidation. I didn’t know if anyone would read it, or if they did, whether they would like it, agree with it, disagree with it, or just be dismissive of it. But as I added more and more content, and I started getting more and more traffic, I could see that my efforts weren’t entirely in vain. As I gained a few followers (still something that seems incredibly weird to me), I also gained more confidence in what I was writing, in my choice of movies to write about, and thanks to some generous comments and feedback in those early days, the momentum I needed to keep going when it seemed no one was interested (those were dark days indeed).

But now I feel I’m in a position to continue with even more confidence that, with all the other movie blogs out there, my little piece of the Net is getting the attention that it deserves, and that it’s appreciated as well. It’s a tremendous feeling when I log on and find someone has liked a review or a post; it makes it all the more worthwhile.

So, a big THANK YOU to everyone who’s read a review, or a post – whether you’ve liked it or not – and especially to those very kind and generous people who are currently following thedullwoodexperiment. As it’s customary to say on these occasions, “I couldn’t have done it without you”.

With Phase 1 of my version of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe now complete, it’s time to look forward to Phase 2, and making this particular blog even more well-known than it is now. Hopefully I’ll pick up some new readers along the way, and hopefully they’ll like the blog enough to tell their friends etc. (That’s a big hopefully, by the way.) I have some ideas for the blog that will happen in the next twelve months, and a lot of them I’m really excited about. A couple of new “additions” can be seen from today.

But the reviews will continue to be the focus of the blog. I hope to include even more reviews in the next year, and not leave some out like I did this year – my apologies to 47 Ronin, several Roger Corman movies, Pride, and a few low budget horror movies that I just couldn’t bring myself to write about. I’ll continue to review a wide range of movies from a variety of eras and countries, and not just the latest new releases; I think that’s only fair.

Finally, if you’ve ever wanted to leave a comment, positive or negative, and decided in the end not to, can I suggest that you just go for it? Hearing from other people, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, is always special, and feedback is always greatly appreciated. So, don’t be shy, and let me know what you’re thinking.

That’s all for now, folks!

thedullwoodexperiment

~ Viewing movies in a different light

Tag Archives: Birthday

Happy Birthday – Chiwetel Ejiofor

Happy Birthday – Sean Bean

Happy Birthday – Lara Flynn Boyle

Happy Birthday – Daniel Craig

Happy Birthday – Laura Dern

Happy Birthday – Isla Fisher

Happy Birthday – Scott Glenn

Happy Birthday – Julian Sands

Happy Birthday – Jenny Agutter

Happy Birthday – Milla Jovovich

Happy Birthday – Kenneth Branagh

Happy Birthday – Ellen Burstyn

Happy Birthday – Julianne Moore

Happy Birthday – Vincent Cassel

Happy Birthday – Jamie Lee Curtis

thedullwoodexperiment – Two Years On

IMDb – Happy 25th Birthday

Monthly Roundup – September 2015

Happy Birthday! – thedullwoodexperiment is a Year Old Today

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: