Ebert Defends the Reader

Some critics are saying that this was not a great year for film and reference their disapproval of some of the 5 Oscar nominated films to support their argument.

In the last few years there has been some dissent against the Oscar Best Picture nominations or Oscar winner. A huge uproar occurred when Crash came from behind to beat out Brokeback Mountain. In my mind Crash was the best picture. I'm prejudiced though as I predicted it to win as soon as I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival that year.

Last year Juno was unfairly dismissed as not worthy due to its lighter comedic tone as compared to the heavy hitters No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Dramatic comedies get no respect. We have to go all the way back to 1960 and Billy Wilder's wonderful The Apartment to find a Best Pic winner that is classed as a comedy (in this case a dark dramatic comedy - All out comedies will almost certainly never win a Best Pic Oscar).

This year quite a few critics are upset that Wall-E and especially The Dark Knight were omitted from the list of Oscar Best Pic nominations. The two films that get the most heat for being on the list are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Reader.

Here's a fine article by Roger Ebert on The Reader with many interesting side discussions. The article again shows why Ebert won a Pulitzer Prize for his film critiques. NOTE: Beware if you have not seen the film. The article concludes with significant spoilers so you may want to stop when Ebert indicates the spoilers follow and catch the movie before continuing. There is still plenty to read up to that point.

Ebert's article supporting The Reader

In my opinion, Kate Winslet will win best actress this year for her amazing performance in The Reader. She is a phenomenal actress and this is already her sixth nomination (she has yet to win). She is ahead of the pace set by the marvellous Meryl Streep who received her fifteenth nomination this year. Winslet was also superb in Revolutionary Road in 2008 and many predicted that she would be nominated for best actress for that film and also receive a supporting nomination in The Reader. Her performance in the latter film was a lead performance though and she was nominated in the proper category but that precluded her from that strong possibility of receiving two nominations.

Go Kate!

Julian D.

NY Times Multimedia Feature on Great Performances

Every year at Oscar time, the NY Times has an extensive feature on Great Performances from the past year. This year they've offered a multi-media presentation which includes evocative photographs by Paolo Pellegrin, informative and personal audio commentary by Lynn Hirschberg and wonderful supplementary articles from interesting Americans who have had personal connections with the actors profiled.

To view the Presentation click here.

Click on each performer and then click on Play Commentary to begin the presentation. You then have the option to click on the article to read it. Make sure to click on the Next tab on the right side of the screen to see each photograph.

Julian D.

Charlie Rose Listens

Charlie Rose is one of the best interviewers on television. Not only because he writes good copy and asks interesting and probing questions but also because he then listens allowing the interviewee to speak.

Around Oscar time Charlie interviews leading candidates. His website is filled with his excellent interviews from past and present. Recently he interviewed critics David Denby of the New Yorker and A. O. Scott of the New York Times right after the Oscar nominations were announced.

Here is the Scott/Denby interview.

Check the article on Sean Penn in Milk on this blog for the interview with Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn and others from the cast and crew of Milk.

And do not miss this interview with Mickey Rourke. What a turn-a-round for Mickey Rourke as an actor and as a person. A very different side of him from the side the media has been portraying based on some of his so-called faux-pas during his acceptance speeches.

Interview with Rourke

Julian D.

Kristin Scott Thomas Astounds in I've Loved You So Long

I've Loved You So Long was the directorial debut for author / screenwriter Philippe Claudel. Claudel spent 11 years teaching in prisons in his early adult years and the characterizations in the film grew out of his experiences during that time. The cinematography, which focused on numerous closeups, highlighted Claudel's desire to show in Kristin Scott Thomas' face that she was, in a sense, still imprisoned. In Claudel's words to Kristin, "I want to destroy your beauty, to compose with you, the real character of Juliette, to read 15 years of prison with your face."

The performances of Kristin Scott Thomas and Elsa Zylberstein, as two sisters reconnecting after a lengthy separation, were outstanding and those of the supporting cast, especially Lise Ségur as the curious and gregarious older daughter, were also very strong. Kristin Scott Thomas has lived in France for 25 years, is fluent in French, and has recently made a number of films there but this was her first leading role in French. Out of respect for Kristen's creative acting ability, Claudel allowed her to decide how she would act each scene giving her complete freedom on each first take. The result: one of the best performances of the year.

The music was sensitive and emotive and highlighted by the recurring song A La Clair Fontaine. The title of the film was taken from a line in this song. This song also featured prominently in a previous film of ours - The Painted Veil. (Thanks to one of our members for noting this).

Here is a link to this beautiful song from The Painted Veil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFOliIVUXHw&feature=related

Ultimately I've Loved You So Long is a poignant story of sisterly love, compassion, forgiveness and healing. One of the best pictures of 2008.

Interview with writer/director Phillipe Claudel

Interview with Kristin Scott Thomas

Julian D.

Sean Penn Embodies Harvey Milk

Milk, directed by the accomplished American indie director Gus Van Sant, stars Sean Penn in the eponymus role and chronicles the political rise and subsequent death of Harvey Milk in the tumultuous 70’s. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected public official in the U.S. serving for just one year as supervisor in the San Francisco area. The story is quite factual and the performances especially by Sean Penn and those who portrayed Milk's aides are exceptional. Penn embodies the Milk character so perfectly that you quickly forget that a major star is on the screen acting a role and get caught up in the riveting story. The casting director did a superb job of finding look-a-like actors for all the major roles

Sean Penn demanded they shoot in San Francisco and they eventually shot on location on Castro Street and even in Milk's original camera shop where the art producers recreated its look and feel from the 70s.

Director Gus Van Sant had a special connection with the Harvey Milk murder as he himself came out of the closet after Milk was killed. Van Sant, like many others, was influenced by Milk's political fervor and moved by his comment that “If a bullet enters my head may it also knock down all the closet doors.”

Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter, is from San Antonio and on reading about Milk's life was moved to write the biographical screenplay. Ironically Milk had also said "There's a kid out there in San Antonio who's going to hear my story and it's going to give him hope." Black, did not have rights to any of the previous biographies, and so spoke to many friends and foes of Harvey Milk to try and capture the real human story. In particular, Cleve Jones, Danny Nicoletta and Anne Kronenberg, who were part of Milk's entourage, contributed tremendous detail.

Originally, around 1992, Oliver Stone was going to do the film with Robin Williams in the lead but when that fell through Rob Epstein, the director of a documentary on Milk, suggested to Van Sant that he take it on; Van Sant approached Warner Bros and entered the project.

Van Sant changed the focus of the film from 'Why did Dan White shoot Milk and the mayor?' to 'Who was Milk and what did he die for?' Initally Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon were all considered for the Dan White role which Josh Brolin eventually played.

Deservedly, Milk is nominated for eight Oscars and though it will not likely win best picture or best director it has an even chance of winning best actor or best original screenplay. A great biopic and a must-see film.

Video Interview with Gus Van Sant

Interview with the screenwriter Dustin Lance Black

55 minute interview session with Charlie Rose

Julian D.