September 15, 1977 (London, England, UK)
Today is 38th birthday of the wonderfully talented and crazy intense Tom Hardy. He might have been 2 hours long late to the set each day during the making of Fury Road, He might have been punching directors in the dick/chocking them(whichever happened on The Revenant set and was apparently, really justified) and he most definitely is every journalist's worst nightmare (1,2),
but damn if he isn't a sweetheart:
Tom has appeared in so many big movies during the last few years - Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road. He was in the movies that premiered at big festivals and were said to gain Oscar buzz soon - Lawless - or actually gained Oscar buzz - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Warrior. This year he was seen in Child 44, Fury Road and Legend, all of which he got great reviews for and now we are all awaiting The Revenant for which Tom has a good shot to get his first major award nominations. |
| The Revenant |
What Tom does really well is being memorable and charismatic in every single part. Let's face it, Inception doesn't have characters that would be much more than cliches, yet Hardy managed to make his character so charming there. During Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the only times I was awake was when he was on screen because he was one of the very few actors there who managed to make their characters feel like actual, alive human beings. In The Dark Knight Rises Hardy's face is covered with a mask for the entirety of the movie except for a very brief scene and he still managed to put so much emotion into Bane.
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| The Drop |
In his private life Tom overcame alcohol and crack addictions and has been sober for more than a decade which is an amazing accomplishment. He is married and he is expecting his second child - first with wife Charlotte - whom him worked with several times (they even played the famous tortured lovers in Wuthering Heights adaptation which I have not seen yet our of the concern for my health. He plays Heathcliff, for the love of God.).
So in addition to being a family man and an amazing actor there is another thing. And that makes Tom pretty much my favorite actor at the moment:
It's
that
he
really
really
loves
dogs 
I mean he really loves them.
So much.
In such a sweet way.
And ladies, there's also this:
Favorite films:
 |
| Mad Max: Fury Road |
Locke
Warrior
RocknRolla
Favorite performances:
 |
| Locke |
The Drop
Locke
Mad Max: Fury Road
Peaky Blinders
Warrior
The Dark Knight Rises
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Favorite characters:
Mad Max: Fury Road
Lawless
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Trivia:
- Leonardo DiCaprio convinced him to read the script of The Revenant (2015) and take the role of John Fitzgerald. They became friends after starring together in Inception (2010).
- Has appeared in four films with his idol Gary Oldman: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Lawless (2012), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Child 44 (2015).
- He assumed that Christopher Nolan cast him as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) because of his performance in Bronson (2008). He later found out that Nolan thought he would be a good fit based of his performance in RocknRolla (2008) and had not even seen Bronson.
- He battled alcoholism and a crack cocaine addiction in his early-to mid-twenties, but has been sober since 2003.
- Became a father for the 1st time at age 30 when his [now ex] girlfriend Rachael Speed gave birth to their son Louis Thomas Hardy on April 8, 2008.
- Had a dog named Max that was given to him when he was a teenager, he passed away in 2011. The dog's name was an honor to Mad Max (1979). Years later, Hardy played the title character in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
- He joined Drama Centre London in September 1998 and was taken out early to work on Band of Brothers (2001). One of his classmates at drama school was Michael Fassbender, both appeared in Band of Brothers and Hardy stated that Fassbender was the best actor in the school.
Queen of Earth is a cryptic, difficult movie. I've seen a lot of movies depicting the mental collapse - because of my own experiences with it, it's comforting to see the people on screen go through similar things. Black Swan and Mulholland Drive occupy the highest places in my all time favorite list. Repulsion follows close. Queen of Earth is not on the level of those movies, the director's vision not as clear, the movie not as mysterious and rewatchable, but it definitely portrays the decay of mind in a very insightful and fascinating way.
The film takes place in a week and the portrayal of Catherine's downward spiral is outstanding, if not for a slightly disjointed script - it's like Perry cannot decide if he wants to make a movie about Catherine's collapse or about the relationship between the two movies, trying to accomplish both he fails to fulfill the potential of either - it's because of Elisabeth Moss's brilliant work.
Moss delivers her best work here - her performance making you ignore all the blemishes of the movie and the script. She is heartbreaking and fragile, but she is capable of turning dangerous and violent in the matter of moments. But the best thing about her performance is that her Catherine is completely unpredictable - she is so unhinged you have absolutely no idea what she might do. I swear about ten times during watching this movie Moss's deranged expression and blank swollen eyes had me convinced Catherine is about to slaughter someone.
These are all excellent examples of what human minds does to us during mental collapse that I suspect not many who didn't experience such state understand. The crippling feeling of having to master all the strength, assemble all the molecules of your being just to hoist yourself up and do anything. The feeling that you just can't stop crying and calm down. The feeling that you may actually be capable of anything. The feeling you understand those who did the unimaginable.
The film is also a carnival of cruelty and sabotage. If Catherine and Ginny are friends, it's not a warm bond they share. It's a toxic, eerie connection. For some reason these two women are all they have left for each other - Catherine, having lost her father to suicide and depression and being abandoned by yet another boyfriend, and Ginny, who surrounds herself with meaningless relationships with people she doesn't really like. But they are both so self absorbed, the other tragedy here is that they are really not capable of being a friend to one another - there is a terrific scene where they are talking, but it's not even a conversation, it's just them saying their monologues about their lives.
But the bond between the two can never appear as toxic as it truly is when the film has such horrible male figures - Catherine's boyfriend who dumps her, even though he was probably justified giving her obnoxious behaviour, just comes off as heartless. And there is Rich, who is a complete asshole who enjoys torturing Catherine belittling her problems and poking fun at her life and situation. The ugliness of these male figures - weak, selfish and ignorant, even more so than Ginny and Catherine - masks the ugliness of female characters enough, that you almost feel bad for them. Almost.
Alejandro's back story is revealed in two sentences and these two sentences describe something so unimaginably horrible my throat clenched. This is another thing Villeneuve and the writer understand - what you don't see, what you simply hear about, is so much worse than if it was shown to you because your own imagination starts working and it's always worse than whatever filmmakers can conjure. Any other director would go for some gut wrenching flashback scene (hello there, soon to be entering the Oscar race Julia Roberts found my dead daughter in the dumpster) but not Villeneuve. He is not interested in easy solutions. So we get these two sentences, Alejandro having nightmares and the proof of what he is capable of because of what happened unfolding before our very eyes. And that's enough.
Sicario is, unfortunately, not without flaws. It's incredibly strange that a filmmaker as smart as Villeneuve and the writer who created a script otherwise this good allowed for this whole superfluous Mexican cop and his family subplot to happen. It brings absolutely nothing to the movie. The message that innocent people hurt because of what is going on is shown well enough without tedious scenes of this guy eating breakfast and talking to his son. Him merely stating he has a son would be enough. We get it, Denis. Evil causes more evil and it infects everyone in its radius. No need to spoon feed this to us.
There are plenty of moments when we see Kate react like a person in her job or situation would. The script also allows Blunt to have more relaxed moments, when she is with her partner. And she is such a versatile and likable actress that we care about her Kate from the get-go. It's not true what some say about her character - that unlike Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty she doesn't have a big moment. Chastain had her ridiculous over the top screaming hissy fit but for Kate it is her standing her ground as the only innocent one left - and not taking that shot in penultimate scene.
Then there is the supporting cast but no one really has much chance of standing out with Blunt and especially Del Toro in the film, everyone is convincing, though. Brolin manages to create a really interesting ambiguous character because you never know if he is really good at his job or if he is a jackass. Or - and most likely - a combination of both.
The Oscar season is almost upon us so I thought it would be fun to assemble a list of my winners in 5 big categories. I originally wanted to just share the list but once I started to write about these movies and performances the post grew so much I had to split it into three. So here is the first one with my winners for Best Picture and best performances between 2010 and 2015. 2015 picks are likely to change but at this point I just want to praise these performances. Fury Road is safe where it is, though.
While there is still 3 months left this year and the Oscar season has only just began I cannot imagine any movie this year that can top Fury Road. The relentless, beautiful, insane and exhilarating film is such an anthem for freedom and a testament of human will to survive. Everything is perfect - the simple script brought to life with so much nuance and color by the actors led by incredible Theron and fantastic Hardy, the music, the action, Miller's astounding directing and the film's gorgeous cinematography. But what makes Fury Road stand out from other action films and blockbuster is how much heart it has - you genuinely care for and admire the characters and the film's final shot, as pictured above is one of the most triumphant images ever put on film.
While I imagine Hardy loses this spot by the time I see The Revenant (DiCaprio) and Legend (Hardy again), at this moment in time he is my win. He has proved time and time again how charismatic he is and few years back as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises he proved he can create a memorable character even if most of his face is obscured - it is also the case here for the first 45 minutes of the film. Hardy also barely speaks in the movie but he is so good here - showing how his character goes from basically being an animal who just wants to survive to this man, a good man, who helps those who need him. It's a lovely performance and the way his work as Max and Theron''s performance as Furiosa compliment each other is just great to witness.
When asked who is the best working actress today some will say Blanchett, many will say Cotillard. But could Blanchett or Cotillard play characters as varied as Aileen Wuornos, Mavos Gary or Furiosa? They could try but they wouldn't do as well as Charlize Theron, the best working actress nowadays, does. Her Furiosa goes against the trope of action heroine - yes, she is badass but she is very human. Unlike Sarah Connor she is still capable of trust even though she was a slave for majority of her life. Unlike Ripley her traumas didn't kill her desire to belong, forgive and repent. As Furiosa Theron gets to express every single possible emotion and creates a character so fierce, so admirable and so instantly iconic. This is our Furiosa.
Fury Road is safe but out of these actors pick Ferguson is the safest. I really don't think there is gonna be a better supporting actress performance this year. I wonder what Tom Cruise thinks of all of this that happened with the critical reception of the film. Cruise was the one who saw Ferguson in TV series White Queen and got her cast in 5th installment of the series that pretty much belong to him. And then when the film opened - to great reviews - pretty much every single one of those was singling out Ferguson as the film's biggest asset. Del Toro steals Sicario but he doesn't do so with such grace as Ferguson does here. It's truly incredible - an unknown actress enters the franchise in its 5th film and overshadows everyone. Her Ilsa is a very fun character but it wouldn't be nearly as great without great actress playing her. And Ferguson elevates the material so much - her Ilsa is a kickass skilled agent but she is also a fine woman - elegant, classy and very feminine. She is like a femme fatale of Hollywood golden age movies. There is this moment when she lifts her dress, reloades the shotgun and positions it on her bare knee. I got lightheaded when that happened.
Michael Keaton's wonderfully meta performance in Birdman is as great as the movie itself. He's funny, tragic, difficult, relatable, all at the same time. Keaton can make you laugh both at Riggan and with him and he can make you feel so sorry for him only to root for him in the next scene. It's not an easy character to like but we like him, because we get to know him. And the scenes where he messes up are intertwined with the scenes where he manages to fix things, like the lovely moment where he gives courage to fellow actress. You want everything to work out for him in the end and perhaps, perhaps it did.
How do you show Amy with all of her complexities when you are working with a script much less intricate than the book was? You try to understand Amy. And this is precisely what Rosamund Pike did, from reading the books that Amy might have liked to creating whole new handwriting style for her. Pike nails all of Amy's personas creating such an incredibly compelling and fascinating performance. It is a performance far and above all the other ones by actresses in 2014, one that everyone will end up remembering many years from now.
Norton has managed to do the impossible - he was better than J.K. Simmons for me. His hilarious turn as method actor Mike Shiner is amazing to watch. You almost sense Norton is poking fun at himself as well as other actors but it never comes off as mean spirited. And I will never stop laughing at that fight scene he has with Keaton, while wearing just underwear and getting smacked with a newspaper.
Rose Byrne starred in variety of movies but it's in comedy where she finally found her true calling. She was excellent in Get Him to the Greek and Bridesmaids but it's Neighbors that brings her best performance. Byrne balances all the aspects of her character - loyal wife, loving mother and a girl who refuses to let these roles turn her life into boring routine - in such a wonderful way. And there was no role more fearless than that in 2014. Milking scene may be shocking and crude but she completely owned it.
Hill is a damn good actor. You can talk shit about him, I don't care. He is genuinely funny and even if the jokes in his comedies cross the line, he makes them work. He was my win for This is the End until I saw The Wolf of Wall Street. He was so great. DiCaprio is amazing but Hill never lets him overshadow him. From the little things he does - from the panicked look he has while he is sitting alone in the office after Brad was arrested - to explosion of comedy like his ridiculous scream during Lemmons scene, this is a wonderful performance all the way. 
Christopher Nolan's masterful conclusion to The Dark Knight trilogy is not only a step up comparing to previous two movies, it's also one of the most epic and incredibly well made action/adventure films I've seen. Directed with much skill, done with great scope and featuring stellar performances from the cast, the movie has been my number 1 of the year for the last six months and though some films came close, not one of them managed to dethrone it. The film has one stand out performance - that delivered by Anne Hathaway as suave and clever Selina Kyle - but it doesn't have the biggest issue The Dark Knight had - the performance so fantastic it puts everyone in the shadow, making the film uneven. Lead by wonderful Christian Bale, the cast delivers earnest performances that are never overshadowed by the film's incredible action set pieces and breathtaking moments.
It is a true art to create powerful performance in average movie. Denzel Washington created incredible work based on the mediocre script - his astonishing performance is the only thing driving this movie, preventing it from derailing. The anguish, self loathing, desperation and finally - redemption - without Washington all of those aspects of his character would be completely hallow. With him playing Whip, they are brutally real and powerfully honest. 
Rapace's powerful work in Ridley Scott's Prometheus was not easy - after all she would inevitably be compared to one of the most bad ass heroines in the cinematic history - Sigurney Weaver's Ellen Ripley. As Dr Elizabeth Shaw she is naive, curious and trusting - at first. She is driven by her desire to meet her makers and uncover the unknown. In the process of the movie we see her becoming strong and fearless, prepared to do whatever has to be done to survive. Rapace delivers a performance of a heroine who is admirable, inspiring and strong but she never stops being human and never loses her innocence.
De Niro finally delivers amazing performance - his Pat is a loving father, devoted husband and slightly obsessed football fan. As you can see this category was very competitive and we truly got a whole variety of wonderful supporting performances this year, but none of those amused me and moved me as much as De Niro's work. He was both hilarious and powerful throughout the movie and there is no way the film would work as well as it did without his scenes, especially his final lines to his son.
Although without question "Shame" is much braver film it is also definitely one of the heaviest and most overwhelming movies I ever seen. Also we must ask the question - what if the movie would be made without Michael Fassbender's exquisite performance? With "The Artist" all the elements are top notch. It's the most magical, enchanting movie I've seen since "Amelie", a film that paradoxically by telling a story set almost a century ago, in a matter from a century ago, feels so edgy and unique - precisely because it went back, doing something nobody thought about doing. Almost wordless film, without any stars in it, captures the audiences everywhere - because of the talent and pure love for cinema of everyone involved.
Michael Fassbender's harrowing performance as Brandon, a young, rich, successful sex addict struggling to get through the day is perhaps in my top 5 of the best performances ever. It may be even higher since the only performance that comes to my mind that has a shot at being better than what he did is what Fiennes did in "Schindler's List". Fassbender captured the void and desperation of his character in a matter so painful and powerful I wept during last 15 minutes of the movie, precisely because he completely became his character and during those minutes we get to see him hit rock bottom. There were many great male performances last year, but in comparison to what Fassbender does here they all look silly.
Mara's performance may be my favorite of the year - when I saw "Shame" I knew Fassbender will be great. But when I went to see "Dragon Tattoo" I had no idea that this, pretty much unknown actress will create one of my all time favorite performances. Mara is so amazing here she makes Noomi Rapace's version of Lisbeth Salander look one dimensional, almost like a mannequin artificially brought to life. In Mara's interpretation Lisbeth cares, feels, takes care of others and even smiles. But she is also capable of great violence and cruelty. Her performance is truly worthy of this fascinating girl created by Larsson and so beloved, all over the world. She is Lisbeth - girl you want to have as ally and you would never want to have as an enemy. The girl you root for and feel for.
Rickman's performance as unlikeable and harsh professor Snape has always been a highlight of "Harry Pottermovies but it's only in the last part of the series we get to realize just how important the character was in reality. The series was always filled with amazing actors who had very little screen time to establish strong performances, but they always managed to do so - however Rickman, during the series's most emotional and beautifully tragic moment manages to channel so much beauty and sadness with his performance it left the audiences all over the world shattered. It is a performance that is superior to McKellen's Gandalf, yet it was mercilessly snubbed during Award season.
If you would ask who the hell Jessica Chastain was two years ago, nobody would know the answer. But in 2011 she appeared in so many movies it would be exhausting to list them and delivered all around beautiful work. Although beloved by movie goers and critics for her performances in "The Tree of Life" and "Take Shelter" Chastain is most highly praised for her performance in "The Help" where she stars as sweet, naive and innocent Celia Foote. In a cast with so many great actresses and performances Chastain manages to shine the brightest being hilarious, adorable and when the script needs her to - completely heartbreaking. He scenes with Octavia Spencer are the best and most touching in already very moving film.
Darren Aronofsky's beautiful portrayal of decay of the mind and strive for perfection is a mesmerizing picture which has only one flaw - that it ended. I can't find flaw in this film and to this day I remember that I actually stopped breathing when I saw Nina dance her coda. Clint Mansell's terrific score, the cinematography and the great performances are all unforgettable and the film's script and terrific elements of body horror are so clever. Though many years have passed and many films were seen, Black Swan is still my favorite movie of all time.
Yes, Firth was better a year before in A Single Man. Yes, The King's Speech is an Oscar bait of a movie. But it doesn't change the fact that it was still a very moving, very well done film and Firth fully deserved his Oscar win for this one. The film's pivotal sequence of King's speech when he is carefully uttering every word to his subjects and everyone just stops and listen to him is so beautiful. I remember when that sequence came up the entire cinema full of people were completely silent and in awe. But it's not just this scene that Firth nails - he is wonderful for the entire film creating such a sympathetic character with so much compassion and heart.
Natalie Portman's best work as an actress, one that I don't think she will ever top, remains her performance as Nina. A huge credit has to go to Aronofsky - he brilliantly cast Portman as a ballerina who has all the right intentions, works hard, but perhaps lacks talent to be great. That is also true for Portman, no doubt a gifted actress, but never so gifted she could be one of the best. Though Portman was brilliant before - in her Oscar nominated turn in Closer and even more so in her supporting role in Cold Mountain - under Aronofsky's direction she truly shined as Nina. My favorite thing about the performance is the duality Portman nailed - she plays Nina as this lonely, shy, sheltered girl so well and then it is contrasted so well during the times Nina's dormant sexuality comes to light with Portman's fierceness and that dangerous spark in her eyes.
Winter's Bone is a great film which still remains as the movie Jennifer Lawrence, perhaps most overrated actress working today, gave her best performance. But the film belongs to Hawkes, a terrific actor, who brings so much charisma here. When Hawkes is on the screen he totally dominates it and it's a performance that was rightfully nominated by the Academy.
Mila Kunis's performance, when it comes to pure demands of the script, was probably the hardest role in Black Swan. Kunis had to play two Lilys - one that was perhaps after Nina's career, sabotaging her and the other that was sweet, friendly and helpful. The key was that neither Nina nor we, the audience could ever know which Lilly was best. The sabotaging Lilly part was easier because it was not as subtle as kind Lilly. But Kunis mastered this part too. There is this moment in the movie where Nina and Lily go to the pub together. A sleazy waiter hits on Lilly and she shots him down. She looks at Nina ready to laugh at the guy but she noticed how embarrassed Nina, who is never around people socially and probably never hits on is. There is look of such empathy and sadness on Lily's face then. It's a tiny moment but one that I can never forget and one of the proofs that Kunis really understood her character so well.
The first thing that stoke me when I was watching the episode was how different it felt from other seasons of the show - this one is more about the mood and atmosphere than it is about the story. Long tracking shots, fish lens shots and basically very surreal feel is what defines this episode. We walk the hallways along with the characters unsure of what the hell we are gonna see in another corridor.
But that's not even the scene people seem to be freaking out about the most - a junkie checks into hotel. Soon the wonderful Sarah Paulson shows up, finally playing an evil character - Sally. And what follows is Sally tormenting the guy while he is being anally raped by a demon with a drill for a penis. Yeah, that episode is probably a tough watch for men.
We get to see Matt Bomer, wearing a leather glove, smoking a cigarette, completely naked and bathed in blood. I just want to take a moment and say - thank you, Ryan Murphy. You bring so much joy to the world with this.
Kathy Bates' character is given a bit of depth in the premiere - she is a receptionist and at first she seems to be a villain but then, in a flashback to 1994 we find out her character is Donovan's (Matt Bomer) mother. Turns out Donovan is a junkie and his dealer is Sally. Bates follows them into hotel and what follows is a very thinly veiled mystery - Sally is pushed to her death by her, yet we saw her walking around years later. Given how her and Donovan were sharing a needle while injecting drugs, there's probably some sort of immortality virus at play here.
All in all this is a very good opener and I'm excited to see where it goes from here - hopefully it will be more like the show's first two seasons which were great from start to finish and not follow the steps of Coven and Freakshow - both entertaining and well done, but ultimately disappointing and a bit of a missed opportunity. 
The Oscar season is almost upon us so I thought it would be fun to assemble a list of my winners in 5 big categories. I originally wanted to just share the list but once I started to write about these movies and performances the post grew so much I had to split it into three. So here is the second one with my winners for Best Picture and best performances between 2009 and 2005:
In The Loop is the funniest movie I've seen in years. Thanks to that movie I saw the series it is based on - The Thick of It - and it quickly became my favorite TV series of all the time. Both are immensely rewatchable, hilarious and brilliantly scripted. In The Loop is a biting and clever satire on politics and one of the most quotable movies of all time. If you haven't seen it yet - do. You won't regret it.
Colin Firth's work in A Single Man is as beautiful as the gorgeous movie itself. He plays a broken hearted man who is set on committing suicide and we watch a final day of his life - when he finally notices the people and the world around him. It's a lovely, calm and deep performance. Firth would go on to win his much deserved Oscar a year later but it still pisses me off how the Academy chose Bridges over him here. It's the best kind of performance - one that is not showy but you can sense how much the actor understands the person he is playing.
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Tilda Swinton is one of the finest actresses working today and her work in Julia remains my favorite performance of hers. She plays a desperate alcoholic and that key word here is desperate. Swinton plays the character with such power and conviction she makes the good movie great solely with the force of her performance. There is a scene here where she runs over a man and it's just one of the best portrayals of woman being prepared to do whatever it takes I've ever seen.
Every once in a while an actor comes along that gives one performance so good they don't need to do anything else because thanks to that one performance they will forever have the place in cinematic history. Mo'nique is such an actress. Her work as the true monster is so frightening you will never be able to forget it.
Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon is the finest example of my favorite type of movie - the one where the tension is built on the interactions between two wonderfully portrayed characters and dialogue. Frost/Nixon is one of those movies I could watch every day. The performances from everyone - especially Kevin Bacon in the supporting role are just wonderful, as is Hans Zimmer's brilliant score. It is such a sharp movie portraying one of the most exciting events in media ever - a journalist getting a president to confess his sins - but it's also such an observant film that really makes us understand both sides of the conflict.
That this performance wasn't even nominated by the Academy is one of their greatest crimes.I think if an actor could sue the Academy for their stupid mistakes there would be no one out there with the stronger case than Leo. Jesus Christ, if he really wins this year for The Revenant, can you imagine what kind of a joy will the world feel? DiCaprio's intensity in this movie reminded me so much of Burton and Brando. He is just terrific and not just in portraying his character's insane anger but also in portraying his desperation for the life to finally be what he dreamed it to be and in his sadness in the film's final scenes. It's still his best work.
Winslet won an Oscar this year in what was perhaps one of the worst category frauds in the history of the awards - the Academy chose to reward her for her fine work in The Reader, which was very clearly a supporting turn. but Winslet was so much better here in a true leading performance. Her April is so disenchanted and she lashes out - the emptiness that she feels unloads in yelling, tears, violence and her final desperate act. Many criticized the actress for how flashy her performance was but I liked it and I thought it was one of her best. If the Academy wanted to finally award her they had the perfect performance in her April.
2008 would be a true bloodbath when it comes to supporting actor category - Kevin Bacon in Frost/Nixon, Brad Pitt in Burn after Reading, Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges, Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder. It would be impossible to pick but Heath Ledger's work in The Dark Knight made the choice so easy. It's just horrible that he is no longer with us because he was such a gifted actor. Ledger's whole performance doesn't have one false bit in it and he makes every single one of his scenes memorable one. It's a performance so visceral and one where actor becomes his character so much everything Ledger does is so in tune in his character. I think the favorite moment of this performance for me - and probably the best in the movie - is when Batman is beating Th e Joker up so that he would reveal where he is keeping Rachel and Dent. The Joker just laughs maniacally telling him he has nothing to do with all his strength. His work as The Joker remains the finest supporting actor performance in years. I wonder who is gonna top that but I'm sure it's not gonna happen any time soon.
Farmiga is one of the best actress that show u in films and TV these days and she delivered her best work in very underseen and underrated Nothing but the Truth. In the film she plays an agent whose identity is exposed. Farmiga plays such a fierce character with so much conviction. It's truly a shame that her work was so unrecognized.
It was a tough choice between Michael Clayton and Jesse James and while Jesse James is a better film I still prefer Michael Clayton. Clever, sharply paced thriller has a great dose of nuance to it in portraying the struggle of a lawyer disenchanted by life who still does the right thing. Framed by James Newton Howard's fantastic score and beautifully directed by Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton is just a wonderful movie all around.
This is the year when I go the most against the tide when it comes to actors picks - everyone and their mother chose Daniel Day Lewis in There Will be Blood and while it's a great performance, I think Clooney's is so much better. I have never seen the frustration acted out so beautifully - while looking at Clooney in this movie you can just feel his character's quiet anger at life, at his family, at the world. Clooney's fierce last conversation scene with Swinton is just powerhouse of the acting as is his beautiful final scene where we just look at him in the cub. It's just a mesmerizing performance.
That's right, readers. Weep as I don't choose Cotillard for her work in La Mome which put her on the map. Look Cotillard is great but it's the quality of the movie, which is so aggressively terrible that brings her down. Meanwhile that very same year we had Keira in Atonement. I just love her work here - look at the scene where she is talking to the police about her sister. Her lover was just arrested yet Knightley plays her Cecilia as focused and unmoved. You can see she is devastated underneath but it's her anger that covers it - yet she utters her word about them being better not trusting her sister in a calm and steady manner. But the best part of her performance is the way she looks at her sister when she, with her voice breaking, apologizes for what she did. Knightley, who is just fantastic in showing so well what her character is thinking without uttering any words, shows how much she feels for her little sister. Out of all the actors it is McAvoy who was the MVP here but sadly I cannot award him. Knightley, who is just getting better and better with each role, played one of her best here.
I dont watch "The Assassination..." very often. It's a beautiful masterpiece but each time I see it I get so mad that 1. it's not beloved more 2. we still didn't get that director's cut that was one screened that even though it is 4 hours long I'd watch the shit out of. There are so many things to admire in the movie - the gorgeous cinematography, Brad Pitt's quiet, calm work as Jesse James, the stunning score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and incredible performance by Sam Rockwell who would be my win had it wasn't for Affleck. 
The only actress who got Oscar nomination for Atonement was Saoirse Ronan. As good as Ronan was I was always stunned because my God, do you remember McAvoy crying over the bodies of those schoolgirls? Just how high are the members of the academy? Anyways, three actresses play the part of Briony - Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave. And it's Garai that for me was the best one. She plays Briony when she is already grown up and she comes into terms with horrible of effects the lie she told years before had. The whole of Briony here is the eponymous Atonement - how shy, sad and timid she is. There is this shattering moment when after getting yelled at by Robbie she begs her sister and him forgiveness - she almost recites the words but it's not because she is detached - she memorized them because otherwise she couldn't even utter them. The pain is just too great.
There were a lot of fine movies in 2006, mainly Babel and the Departed. While The Devil Wears Prada is my favorite in terms of how often I rewatch it, it's The Prestige that was the most impressive. I almost gave Hugh Jackman the win for Best Actor for his fantastic portrayal of obsession. While the female characters could be better - Hall rescues her with her acting but Johansson is hopelessly lost, everything else is fantastic.It's a trick within a trick - the art about art. Nolan uses the magic of cinema to tell a tale of magic and it's a mesmerizing and a very clever spectacle.
I really ought to see this wonderful movie sometime again but it just makes me so nervous. Throughout the entire film you care about Smith's character and his little son so much you really dread something awful is gonna happen to them. But in the end everything works out in one of the most uplifting and beautiful scenes in recent memory. Smith plays the role of caring father with such earnestness and warmth that even though Jackman was fantastic in The Prestige and Damon was just great in The Departed, the choice here was easy. 
If there was justice to awards this would be Streep's third Oscar win. She is just sensational as Miranda Priestly, creating a character that is truly instantly iconic. Streep never makes her Miranda into a caricature and the script has enough of little moments - amplified by Streep's convincing performance - to let us know at her very core, Miranda is still very much human. It's a fantastic work in a truly charming film, one that to this day remains one of those movies I could watch over and over again. 
That year is a real wasteland when it comes to this category. So much so that Walhberg, for his very fun but still one dimensional performance is winning here. He was nominated by the Academy and the award went to Alan Arkin for his charming and easy work in Little Miss Sunshine. But for me while Walhberg is far from best in the cast - Farmiga is so dedicated, Baldwin is so charismatic, DiCaprio delivers one of his best performances and Damon does deliver his best performance there - he is still one of the movie's most dynamic character with all his insults, colorful remarks and quips. It's not a great performance, but it's so fun to watch. 
Before everyone loved Birdman and were shaking in anticipation for The Revenant (this is the third time I mention this movie in this post series), Inarittu was making smaller movies. They still had big stars in them and they still dealt with grand issues but they felt smaller. One of such movies is Babel, a very clever, albeit far from perfect movie, depicting the human's desire to communicate. Brad Pitt is just wonderful here as is Adriana Barraza but the show belongs to Rinko Kikuchi, barely 24 at the time the movie was shot. This is such an extraordinarily brave performance and the film's toughest role - she plays quiet schoolgirl who is so lonely she lashes out by acting in overly sexual way. The amount of things this girl gets to express just with her eyes is stunning - there is such sadness and desperation there. I haven't seen this movie in years but I remember this performance so very well.
I HATE how underrated this movie is. It's a fantastic film about such important issues. It depicts the fight of Josey Aimes' who had to take a job in a mine, against the men who were molesting and abusing her. As Aimes Theron is truly a force of nature - she plays a woman who had a very difficult life but every single time she picked herself up and didn't let people get away with what they done. There is a gorgeous moment, which I'm sure those who didn't like the movie will call too sentimental, where one by one the people in the courthouse stand up to show their support of Josey. Theron wordlessly shows such disbelief, joy and relief and just breaks down in the face of it all as if she needed a moment to finally realize this is the fight she has finally won. It's one of her best performances so far.
Richard Jenkins is one of those actors who always brings his best. Thanks to that, even if the movie is terrible - my God, remember Eat Pray Love? - he makes it worth seeing just to witness his scenes. So when he is actually in a good movie the result is outstanding. And hugely underrated North Country is a very good movie. In it, Jenkins plays the father of Theron's character who for the majority of the story refuses to help her or even acknowledge what is happening to his daughter. But 
The Constant Gardener is one of the most unique romance movies of the last years - it's equal parts thriller, romance and in a way a ghost story. It shows a man getting to know his wife and truly, really love her only after she is gone. That man is beautifully played by Ralph Fiennes, in one of his best performances, but it's all about that woman - Tessa. Weisz delivers a very tricky performance here - it's not until some time into the story that we find out about Tessa's true personality. Up until that point the movie juggles the scenes depicting Tessa as determined, sensitive and perhaps very calculated and cruel. It's the best kind of writing because later on the film shows those scenes again and the perception of Tessa is completely altered. But Weisz plays the part so well, almost all of her scenes can be dually interpreted. It's not her acting that is changing, just the way we see her because of what we know at that point in the story. It's a beautiful work and the Academy did something wonderful this year - they actually recognized it as the year's best supporting actress performance.
Then we get a scene with cop's wife talking with mother of her patient who is 1. one of those morons who don't vaccinate kids 2. played by Madchen Amick from Twin Peaks. I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of this scene was or why did they bother to bring semi-famous Amick in for one scene so I'm assuming - and hoping - she comes back and there was some point here.
Sally and the detective talk a bit at the bar where it turns out he avoids drinking. He tells Sally how he lost his son. Then at work someone sends him a package involving some sort of statue cowered in blood. You would think this guy would be super cautious of creepy at that point but no - he gets back to hotel where for some reason the other cops bring his daughter Scarlett. There is about to be a fashion show and for some reason she is allowed to stay at the hotel. 
During the show Tristan pulls a bunch of stunts and stops only when he sees Elizabeth who remarks he has a lot of rage. Then the fashion guy comes in screaming and Tristan who cuts his own cheek and says he is done with modeling. Meanwhile fashion guy's kid brings Scarlett to see the baby vamps sleeping in coffins. What the hell is wrong with these two kids?
Scarlett takes the bus and goes to the hotel to talk to her abducted brother whom she recognized among the kids in the coffin. She takes a blurry picture of him with her. This is all very boring, I wish they just skipped these scenes. She then goes home and her parents freak out. I have to say that this entire subplot is clearly the weakest link this season - I couldn't care less about the detective, his wife or these two dumb kids.
Donovan finds them in bed and freaks out. In response Elizabeth tells him to pack his things and go. Bitch is insane. 
We also find out he had a wife who in the flashback is blonde (we only see the back of her head) and tells him she likes to watch his victims suffer. Iris then tells the detective that after Mr. March died his wife got all of his money. Could his wife be Elizabeth?
Then we get to see Tristan murdering some dude while Gaga comes in and he drinks his blood and then they make out. So your usual Hotel thing by now.
Stephen Daldry's The Hours and Tom Ford's A Single Man are both beautiful movies dealing with the subject of loneliness. The first follows three women, each living in different time, but each of them hopelessly stuck in their lives. The second shows a day of a man who lost his lover and is set on killing himself.
(spoilers!)
The film's beginning set in America when we get to get to know Edith and see her slowly fall into Sharpes' trap is very strong. That is mostly thanks to wonderful work from Jim Beaver, known to younger audience from his role in Supernatural and to those of us who were lucky and saw Deadwood from his wonderful performance there. In fact it is the bond between father and daughter that is the best portrayed relationship in the movie - it is genuine and lovely and Wasikowska and Beaver are fantastic in their roles. The moment when Edith starts collapsing into grief provoked madness when she is standing over her dead father's body is hands down the best scene of Wasikowska's career so far.
Another point the film deserves - and that is in a later part of the film - is for the refreshingly joyful and lovely sex scene del Toro featured here - you really feel the joy of two characters engaging in the act. Another thing is that it is male nudity we see here, not female so that is del Toro breaking another tiresome pattern. And then in grand finale it is the women facing each other. The sheer brutality of that showdown was so much fun to watch and the entire sequence was truly very well done.
The gore feels realistic - the cuts, the blood, the brutality. The film opens with a stunning shot of Wasikowska, all in white and with her hand and half of face covered in blood and it just looks like what I imagine so much dried up blood looks like. 
Unfortunately for every good idea Guillermo del Toro has, a bad idea follows. Why insist on the presence of the ghosts? Wouldn't the story be far better if Edith was in fact the Sharpes first victim? It would make Thomas changing his mind so much more plausible. And wouldn't if be better if there was only one ghost - the mother - taunting Edith and leading her towards the reveal of Lucille and Thomas true relationship? As chilling and suspenseful all the ghosts moments in the movie are, this is the time that could have been better spent on developing the characters and the emotions the film only describes to us.
It's really not the issue that the movie is predictable - you know from Lucille's first scenes she is not normal. For the love of God, she rubs a dying butterfly on her face. You know very quickly that there is something seriously wrong with that tea she is giving Edith. The real problem is that even though the big plot points are filled with darkness, del Toro doesn't spend enough time exploring that darkness. 
Take for instance the baby - at one point of the movie we find out that Lucille had a child. But the film doesn't show us Lucille's grief after she lost something that was just hers and Thomas. It doesn't even try to somehow use the opportunity to transfer Lucille's feelings of grief and lost connection onto the house so that we truly understand why she wants to remain there. No. The sole thing that del Toro uses it for is to have a one quick scene with a ghost and a ghost baby - it feels so cheap. A betrayal to the committed actors, the story and most of all, the audience watching the film.
If there was ever a film in dire need of flashbacks it is this one. They should have shown us things Lucille was talking about, especially that, amazingly, given the run time, it really doesn't feel like the movie gave her and Thomas enough time to really make the audience familiar with them. Amusingly the one flashback the film has was absolutely not needed at all.
You're supposed to be making movies, Guillermo. Not cinematic gumbo from poor writing hell. 
Charlie Hunnam is surprisingly impressive as Edith's childhood friend - he had more charisma and character in his scenes here than he did throughout the entire Pacific Rim. And Wasikowska is so well suited for this type of role - her Edith is the complete opposite of Lucille, both physically and mentally. You could tell how much fun everyone had dressing Wasikowska in those white dresses and handling her a candelabra to hold and and run around this house.
But all of those doubts perish in the chilling finale which sees the culmination of Lucille's madness. I have not seen such pure rage and ferocity from a female character in a long time - Chastain simply grabs a blade and starts chasing Wasikowska all over the house, hacking at her. It's an insane sequence which she totally sells. This isn't the first horror for Chastain, but the less that is said about Mama - for which by the way del Toro was also kinda responsible for -the better, so I was totally surprised at her delivering such a performance - filled with rage and so much sinister energy.
Still even with all those story flaws, there is so much to enjoy here. In addition to the amazing production design the beautiful costumes are so detailed and clever - the people associated with ghosts often have something red on them. And Edith wears dresses with gigantic, puffy shoulder part that make her look like butterfly.
Yeah, so this is awkward - I didn't have the time to recap the episode last Thursday and then I kinda forgot to recap it. But I warned you it may happen. So we are doing the double feature today.
After Donovan gets dumped by Countess he hits the streets and feeds on some junkies. And then he is taken by my new favorite character this season already. 
Anyways, it turns out that Ramona, who was turned by the Countess, wanted to turn a man she loved for her and for that the Countess kills him. Ramona is now out for revenge and she tells Donovan she is coming after her precious children, the ones she abducted. Meanwhile, after Donovan tells her she means nothing to him and she should kill herself Iris wants to commit suicide with the help of Sally.
That storyline also featured her vampire kid, Holden, killing a dog. As if I didn't dislike that child already, now they do this. I really hope this whole family perishes as soon as possible. Sevigny is given such an annoying character to play and Bentley is absolutely bland in his role. A good pay off to that whole story would rescue it, but somehow I doubt anything good is coming.
The episode was very focused but it was one of the weaker ones of the season so far. The amount of time spent on Alex and John is taking that time away from far more interesting characters. I am impressed with Murphy still keeping many things a mystery, especially Sally. We don't really know what her deal is and it is mentioned in this episode that bringing that man to the killers buys her "a year of freedom".
Specifically to make m.brown smile - Alexandra Daddario on the set of AHS: Hotel 
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