BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR?
Some of the biggest clunkers ever at the Oscar awards have happened in the Best Supporting Actor category. Here are a few of the worst:
1965: Martin Balsam wins for his 5-minute shtick in A Thousand Clowns. Nothing against Mr. Balsam, who has done much better (and longer!) work. But this year the academy ignored Tom Courtenay’s terrific performance as the unremitting Strelnikov in the classic Dr. Zhivago. Courtenay’s intensity as he hunts down the hero perfectly mirrors that of the fervent revolutionaries newly running Russia.
1954: Edmond O’Brien wins for The Barefoot Contessa, a studio potboiler that has been deservedly forgotten by most everyone. And the Academy ignores not one but three better performances, all in the iconic On The Waterfront. Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger all are miles ahead of the winner, as is their movie.
1962: Ed Begley wins for Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth. It is a good performance. But check out a performance for the ages by young Terrence Stamp as the angelic, and doomed, Billy Budd. And Peter Ustinov as the conflicted captain, and Robert Ryan as the villainous sergeant-at-arms are very good, but Stamp carries the movie and never came close to this performance again.
1966: Walter Matthau wins as a crooked lawyer paired with Jack Lemon in The Fortune Cookie. This may have been one of those “it’s his turn” things, but my vote would certainly go to Robert Shaw’s soaring performance as Thomas Beckett in the enduring A Man For All Seasons. His speech about the rule of law versus the rule of man resonates through the ages and is still one of the best in films.
1946: Harold Russell in his one and only performance in a movie, wins as the disabled veteran of World War II in The Best Years of Our Lives. Well, he is pretty good, but frankly I think he won because he really did lose both hands in the war. My vote would be for the old pro Claude Rains in Hitchcock’s Notorious. Rains always matched the role they put him in, and here he does a bang-up job as a sleazy Nazi.
1961: George Chakiris wins for West Side Story. Not bad. But this year’s stunner was Jackie Gleason, up til then only known as a comedian, as Minnesota Fats in The Hustler.
And finally, a nod toward getting one right: Last year Mark Rylance won this statue for his marvelous low-key performance in Bridge Of Spies. As Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy who is exchanged for American Francis Gary Powers, Rylance is just perfect. Everyone predicted a win by Sylvester Stallone for Creed. He was good, but I think the Academy nailed this one. (Trivia Note: This same guy, Mark Rylance, plays the giant in the current release BFG !)
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD and for streaming. All are suitable for 10 and up, keeping in mind the boredom factor.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
GREAT MOVIES YOU PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF
Part 2
Here’s another batch of wonderful films you may never have even heard of. (Yeah, ending with a preposition again...) Any you haven’t seen are sure worth a look.
The Company Of Strangers (1980) is a quirky but greatly satisfying Canadian film about a group of eight women on a bus tour. The bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere and they are stranded in a deserted cottage. While waiting for help, each tells some of her life story. These are not professional actors and they worked with a minimal script, then padded it out with improvisation. If you don’t like this movie, don’t tell me!
Day For Night (1973) is a movie about making a movie. It is directed by the French icon Francois Truffaut. The title is the movie term for shooting a night scene when it isn’t night. The film shows how this is done. But the fun part is all the alliances and problems that develop among the cast and crew. Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Aumont head the cast. And Monsieur Truffaut himself has a big part in this, one of his best films.
Diabolique (1955) is simply one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. There is not one drop of blood. Michel runs a second-rate boarding school owned by his wife Christina. The main teacher is Nicole. Michel is hateful to both women and the children. Nicole and Christina decide to murder him and hide the body. But the body somehow disappears. Then a group picture of the school seems to reveal Michel standing in the back row. That’s all I’m telling, but I will say the 1996 remake is a pale imitation. Don’t watch this one if you have a weak heart!
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) is a Taiwanese film directed by the great Ang Lee before he came to America to make such films as Live Of Pi (2012) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). The main characters are a very traditional Chinese father, who is a master chef, and his three very non-traditional daughters. Every Sunday he prepares a magnificent meal for his children, who then vent all of their problems and prospects. They annoy him but he loves them. The culture-clash is very entertaining.
Educating Rita (1983) is, I think, the best film ever made about women’s liberation. Julie Walters is a clever working-class wife who wants to better herself through education. Michael Caine is her sodden professor. Her rosy personality and enthusiasm starts to pry him out of his funk. Ms. Walter is just luminous in this part and the film has a wonderful ending you will not see coming!
All of the films in this column are available on DVD and for streaming and all are for grown-ups. Do I have more of these? You bet!
Part 2
Here’s another batch of wonderful films you may never have even heard of. (Yeah, ending with a preposition again...) Any you haven’t seen are sure worth a look.
The Company Of Strangers (1980) is a quirky but greatly satisfying Canadian film about a group of eight women on a bus tour. The bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere and they are stranded in a deserted cottage. While waiting for help, each tells some of her life story. These are not professional actors and they worked with a minimal script, then padded it out with improvisation. If you don’t like this movie, don’t tell me!
Day For Night (1973) is a movie about making a movie. It is directed by the French icon Francois Truffaut. The title is the movie term for shooting a night scene when it isn’t night. The film shows how this is done. But the fun part is all the alliances and problems that develop among the cast and crew. Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Aumont head the cast. And Monsieur Truffaut himself has a big part in this, one of his best films.
Diabolique (1955) is simply one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. There is not one drop of blood. Michel runs a second-rate boarding school owned by his wife Christina. The main teacher is Nicole. Michel is hateful to both women and the children. Nicole and Christina decide to murder him and hide the body. But the body somehow disappears. Then a group picture of the school seems to reveal Michel standing in the back row. That’s all I’m telling, but I will say the 1996 remake is a pale imitation. Don’t watch this one if you have a weak heart!
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) is a Taiwanese film directed by the great Ang Lee before he came to America to make such films as Live Of Pi (2012) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). The main characters are a very traditional Chinese father, who is a master chef, and his three very non-traditional daughters. Every Sunday he prepares a magnificent meal for his children, who then vent all of their problems and prospects. They annoy him but he loves them. The culture-clash is very entertaining.
Educating Rita (1983) is, I think, the best film ever made about women’s liberation. Julie Walters is a clever working-class wife who wants to better herself through education. Michael Caine is her sodden professor. Her rosy personality and enthusiasm starts to pry him out of his funk. Ms. Walter is just luminous in this part and the film has a wonderful ending you will not see coming!
All of the films in this column are available on DVD and for streaming and all are for grown-ups. Do I have more of these? You bet!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
BEST ACTRESS?
In several years the Motion Picture Academy has stubbed its toe selecting the Best Actress. 2006 was not one of those years; Helen Mirren was an absolute lock for her portrayal of the Queen. But, alas, it has not always been so.
Let’s start with the worst goof. In 1952, Julie Harris was just brilliant as gawky, coming-of-age Frankie, a reluctant Member of the Wedding. This wonderful film still fills us with emotion today. And yet, she was bypassed for the very pedestrian Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba.
I am not a huge Katherine Hepburn fan, and she did win a fistful of Oscars (four). Heck, Cate Blanchett won an Oscar just for portraying Hepburn in The Aviator (2004). And yet, I think Hepburn was obviously slighted at least twice. All the way back to 1935, Bette Davis won for Dangerous, not really her finest hour. Ms. Hepburn was just luminous as Alice Adams. She will absolutely break your heart. Then in 1955 the screeching Anna Mangnani won for Rose Tattoo, when Ms. Hepburn should have won for her role as the American schoolteacher on a romantic holiday in Italy in Summertime.
One year when Ms. Hepburn did win, in 1967 for the stale and cliched Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, there were at least two better performances. I would go with either Anne Bancroft as the legendary Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, or Faye Dunnaway as the trashy female killer in Bonnie and Clyde.
There was a very strange result in 1994, when Jessica Lange won for the very mediocre Blue Sky. This is a bad movie and not a good part for Ms. Lange. Perhaps this was one of those “it’s her turn” deals. Anyway, the Academy by-passed Jody Foster’s remarkable performance as Nell. And yes, I realize Ms. Foster had already won twice by then.
The most recent Oscar gaffe in this category occurred in 1999, when Hillary Swank won for Boys Don’t Cry, a pretty good performance in a really hateful movie. I would go with Annette Benning as the feral real estate agent in American Beauty.
Last year Brie Larson won as the imprisoned mother in Room and I don’t really have a problem with that. But- Saoirse Ronan’s performance in Brooklyn is just a miracle of acting. If you haven’t seen this great film, well, you should!
A couple more Oscar boners: 1943- Jennifer Jones for The Song of Bernadette instead of Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver; 1941- Joan Fontaine for Suspicion over Bette Davis for The Little Foxes (check out the scene in which Ms. Davis just sits there while her dying husband cries for help!).
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD and for streaming. All are for mature audiences.
In several years the Motion Picture Academy has stubbed its toe selecting the Best Actress. 2006 was not one of those years; Helen Mirren was an absolute lock for her portrayal of the Queen. But, alas, it has not always been so.
Let’s start with the worst goof. In 1952, Julie Harris was just brilliant as gawky, coming-of-age Frankie, a reluctant Member of the Wedding. This wonderful film still fills us with emotion today. And yet, she was bypassed for the very pedestrian Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba.
I am not a huge Katherine Hepburn fan, and she did win a fistful of Oscars (four). Heck, Cate Blanchett won an Oscar just for portraying Hepburn in The Aviator (2004). And yet, I think Hepburn was obviously slighted at least twice. All the way back to 1935, Bette Davis won for Dangerous, not really her finest hour. Ms. Hepburn was just luminous as Alice Adams. She will absolutely break your heart. Then in 1955 the screeching Anna Mangnani won for Rose Tattoo, when Ms. Hepburn should have won for her role as the American schoolteacher on a romantic holiday in Italy in Summertime.
One year when Ms. Hepburn did win, in 1967 for the stale and cliched Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, there were at least two better performances. I would go with either Anne Bancroft as the legendary Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, or Faye Dunnaway as the trashy female killer in Bonnie and Clyde.
There was a very strange result in 1994, when Jessica Lange won for the very mediocre Blue Sky. This is a bad movie and not a good part for Ms. Lange. Perhaps this was one of those “it’s her turn” deals. Anyway, the Academy by-passed Jody Foster’s remarkable performance as Nell. And yes, I realize Ms. Foster had already won twice by then.
The most recent Oscar gaffe in this category occurred in 1999, when Hillary Swank won for Boys Don’t Cry, a pretty good performance in a really hateful movie. I would go with Annette Benning as the feral real estate agent in American Beauty.
Last year Brie Larson won as the imprisoned mother in Room and I don’t really have a problem with that. But- Saoirse Ronan’s performance in Brooklyn is just a miracle of acting. If you haven’t seen this great film, well, you should!
A couple more Oscar boners: 1943- Jennifer Jones for The Song of Bernadette instead of Greer Garson for Mrs. Miniver; 1941- Joan Fontaine for Suspicion over Bette Davis for The Little Foxes (check out the scene in which Ms. Davis just sits there while her dying husband cries for help!).
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD and for streaming. All are for mature audiences.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
CELEBRATING AMERICA
While it’s true that some folks still see America as The Great Satan, the fact is that most of them like us individually and we are still the hope of the world. Let’s indulge in some movies that celebrate our country!
Never doubt that America has The Right Stuff (1983). This celebration of the early days of the space program and the heroism of the astronauts and the ground staff justifiably fill our souls with pride in our country. Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Sheppard and Dennis Quaid lead a stellar ensemble cast in the true story of one of mankind’s greatest adventures.
It’s hard to pick just one war movie, but my choice is The Great Escape (1963) a prison camp film featuring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner and James Coburn. The ingenious methods concocted to escape and the indomitable will to do so carry this excellent adventure. McQueen topped his career in this one. Also highly recommended is The Big Red One (1980), showing the unique qualities of the American soldier.
It would be hard to find a sunnier, happier, more American story than Oklahoma! (1955), Rogers and Hammersteins love song to our country, brought gloriously to the screen. Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones are in wonderful voice, leading the cast in one of the best scores ever written. What an upper! And in this category, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) with James Cagney as the legendary George M. Cohan, is another winner.
Somewhat off the beaten track, but a stunning portrait of what’s right with America, is Grand Canyon (1991). Danny Glover, Steve Martin, and Kevin Cline headline a fine cast in Lawrence Kasdan’s entertaining study of some of the problems we have and how we help each other through them. This is a life-affirming love song to America without overt sentimentality.
One of the greatest things about America is our talent for innovation, our ability to break through patterns and find new ways. In Apollo 13 (1995) those abilities are sorely needed in this gut-wrenching, true account of a lunar mission that almost jumped the tracks. Both the engineers and the astronauts broke the mold and found a way to deal with unprecedented problems. The fact that you know how it turns out doesn’t detract one whit from the suspense; this is a real white-knuckler. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Gary Sinise head a good cast.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All are suitable for kids 10 and up.
While it’s true that some folks still see America as The Great Satan, the fact is that most of them like us individually and we are still the hope of the world. Let’s indulge in some movies that celebrate our country!
Never doubt that America has The Right Stuff (1983). This celebration of the early days of the space program and the heroism of the astronauts and the ground staff justifiably fill our souls with pride in our country. Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Sheppard and Dennis Quaid lead a stellar ensemble cast in the true story of one of mankind’s greatest adventures.
It’s hard to pick just one war movie, but my choice is The Great Escape (1963) a prison camp film featuring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner and James Coburn. The ingenious methods concocted to escape and the indomitable will to do so carry this excellent adventure. McQueen topped his career in this one. Also highly recommended is The Big Red One (1980), showing the unique qualities of the American soldier.
It would be hard to find a sunnier, happier, more American story than Oklahoma! (1955), Rogers and Hammersteins love song to our country, brought gloriously to the screen. Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones are in wonderful voice, leading the cast in one of the best scores ever written. What an upper! And in this category, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) with James Cagney as the legendary George M. Cohan, is another winner.
Somewhat off the beaten track, but a stunning portrait of what’s right with America, is Grand Canyon (1991). Danny Glover, Steve Martin, and Kevin Cline headline a fine cast in Lawrence Kasdan’s entertaining study of some of the problems we have and how we help each other through them. This is a life-affirming love song to America without overt sentimentality.
One of the greatest things about America is our talent for innovation, our ability to break through patterns and find new ways. In Apollo 13 (1995) those abilities are sorely needed in this gut-wrenching, true account of a lunar mission that almost jumped the tracks. Both the engineers and the astronauts broke the mold and found a way to deal with unprecedented problems. The fact that you know how it turns out doesn’t detract one whit from the suspense; this is a real white-knuckler. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Gary Sinise head a good cast.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All are suitable for kids 10 and up.
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