March Bloodstones: Rita O’Grady, Lisa Hopkins and Barbara Caste in Made in Dagenham

I never reviewed Made in Dagenham. I got a screener copy of it one literally one day after I wrapped up my 2010 Year-End Awards, which was a shame because it would have featured in more than a few of the categories. The movie is a simply produced biopic covering the fight for sex-equality in England, and which such a garishly “feminist” evidence of courageous women are obvious, but the good thing about Made in Dagenham is that despite it’s faults and its very prosaic plot it’s a whole lot more fun than you’d expect it to be.

Made in Dagenham reminds me most of movies like The Women or Stage Door - not because it’s a slice of classic life, but because in its wide foray of females I almost don’t want to single out any one of them as best in show. Almost. I’m both surprised and heartened that despite picking up zero awards’ tractions Rosamund Pike was being so constantly fêted as a potential spoiler in the supporting actress race way back when. To say that the role is paper thin might be a little too harsh. The thing is, the role manages to be paper thin and hopelessly predictable at the same time but Rosamund sells it. She’s always so good opposite fellow actresses (perfect opposite Keira and Carey) and truth be told – one of my favourite moments of the film is the throwaway moment in the car when Lisa and Rita both band together to bring down a chauvinistic teacher at their sons’ school. It reads as a bit insular that this “small” act is indicative of their female bravery...but whatever.

Not that Sally isn’t good herself, I was no big fan of her in Happy-Go-Lucky but she’s so charismatic here constantly besting the material she’s given. She’s sort of brilliant opposite everyone in her sedateness, in contrast to Miranda who finds her brilliance by being explosive. My appreciation for Miranda flip-flops. She seems to be having too much fun playing Barbara that sometimes you can just see her being over-the-top for its very own sake. She knows when to rein it in, though. What Barbara does for the cause is no small feat, and that moment where she has her way with her boorish assistants is brilliant.

I figure, my backhand compliments make it seem as if the trio are good despite overreaching issues in Made in Dagenham...and they are. The film has its issues, but it’s so sensible and confident I can’t help but forgive its simplicity. And then, these women are so infectious in their coruageousness, more often than not surprising you with their characterisations. How can I resist?
      
previously: Shoshanna and Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds; Francine Evans in New York/New York; Deanie Loomis in Splendor in the Grass; Helen and Margaret Schlegel in Howards End
      
Were you a fan of Made in Dagenham?

“In Search Of A Good Role” : A Top 5 list

Damn, this is overdue. What was it...months ago....that Univarn published this fine list of actors who never get the love they deserve (Castor and Ruth followed with lists of their own). If you’re a good debater you can make a case for any number of actors not getting their due, but sometimes it’s especially piercing when some actors just never get that single role that you could point to as encapsulating all the talent they have....or worse the role will come and no will see the film (or care about the performance) – something as incidental as timing could be their downfall. These five actors immediately come to mind when I think of actors who don’t get their due. Some have already given brilliant performances, but they still have not reached that level of fame that their peers have....who knows why? More importantly they’re all relatively young thespians who seem to have so much potential but never get recognised for it. This is my shout-out to them...

                                      

Romola Garai

I was fascinated by Garai’s work in Atonement, she topped my supporting actress list that year...and yet of the five principal players she earned the least buzz for her performance. I’m still not sure why, because I still can’t think of anything in particular that’s off-putting about her performance. Saoirse’s Briony’s strongpoint was her eyes, Vanessa’s was her eyes – what Romola has is a countenance that you can’t help but find sympathetic (which is why she’s the perfect person to encapsulate the imaginary Briony of the middle act). It’s the same sort of thing she does in I Capture A Castle – a film I’m not fond of, but a performance that soars despite confinements from the script.

A 2010 Role She Could Have Tackled: Florence in Greenberg; don’t get me wrong – Greta Gerwig was lovely in Greenberg but wouldn’t that role be lovely for Romola? Effusively charming, adult and yet innocent and altogether winsome without being too perfect. I suppose that if she ever has a chance of getting the fame she deserves she might need to leave the British roles behind (which is a shame, because I think the British are just awesome).

                                    

Ben Foster

I’m still absolutely flummoxed as to how Woody Harrelson swept through being nominated for every important precursor last year for The Messenger when Ben Foster turned up at nary a one. Where is the justice? The Messenger remains as one of my favourite films from the 2009, and much of that had to do with the quiet intensity of Foster’s protagonist. What makes him so special, though, is his ability to play quiet and brooding and switch instantly to loud and explosive. And he’s been at it so long, surely he deserves to catch a break.

A 2010 Role She Could Have Tackled: It’s too easy, but I’m calling him for Jem, the role Jeremy Renner originated in The Town. Renner WAS my favourite part of the film, but I’d have loved to see Foster that irrepressible showboating sidekick. If there was one thing I didn’t like about Renner’s Jem was how lacking in personality he was, he was officious enough but never charismatic which is something I think Ben could pull off.

                                 

Kerry Washington

I don’t believe that I’m the only one who’s been championing for dear Ms. Washington to get more recognition. Truth is, it’s especially difficult being a black actress in the business – but Kerry’s as adept at playing in the typical black picture as she is in something more generically prestigious. Acting has many facets – voice, body language, facial expressions, but I’m particularly fond of Kerry’s speaking voice. It’s especially crisp and expressive, and she always does well with large bits of dialogue.

A 2010 Role She Could Have Tackled: I wonder what it would have been like to see Kerry take the lead in Veronika Decides to Die. That’s a movie that went by unnoticed (shame) but the quiet passion of Veronika is something I think Kerry could handle beautifully – if given the chance.

             

Ben Whishaw

Ah, Ben Whishaw. I’m a fan and Bright Star turned me into a raving fanatic. Someone tell me again why that movie went by with so little notice? Actually, don’t tell me – there’s no good reason. It’s clichéd, but Whishaw is like the epitome of the sensitive artist which is perhaps why his Keats’ doesn’t seem like acting – but that deliberate poignancy he puts into his performances (re Brideshead Revisited) is something brilliant to watch.

 A 2010 Role She Could Have Tackled: With all that sensitivity, isn’t he an obvious choice for Tommy in Never Let Me Go? After being floored by he and Carey last year, I’ve put the hopes of seeing the two in a film of things I want to happen...and as fine as Garfield is, Whishaw opposite Carey would have just been incredible.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike seems sort of ageless to me, since seeing her in Die Another Day all the way through Pride & Prejudice and An Education she never seems to age, if anything she seems younger. It’s weird how her characters seem to be on a mental regression from the steely to the quite silly Helen. It’s her talent as an actor, though, and she doesn’t come off like any of these characters in interviews. She’s able to embody a wide array of supporting players on the sidelines, which proably accounts for her being forgotten.

A 2010 Role She Could Have Tackled: How old is Cattrall’s Amelia supposed to be in The Ghost Writer? I love her in it, but I wonder what someone younger like ROsamund would have done with the role. We know she can handle the ice-queen role well and though the thought of her against Brosnan is not particularly appealing (because Brosnan is terrible) I like the idea of her playing this role.

                  

Which of these five is most overdue for some appreciation? Any roles they should have gotten it for? Any role they could have played?

The Spin-Off, Season One: Episode 1

When I mentioned a couple of months ago that I felt that there was eons of story beneath the characters in An Education it was Mrs. Mellor, played excellently by Cara Seymour, that stood out the most. Remember that moment when David stops in for a drink and Marjorie says, laughingly, of her past life “I’m trying to think what you missed. Nothing much comes to mind.” It’s little moments like that that get me thinking about Marjorie Mellor as a real person and not as a plotpoint in An Education of Jenny Mellor. And, really, wouldn’t that be a capital film. Sequels, spinoffs and reinterpretations are a big no-no right now, cinematically speaking. The thing is, the reason those end up doing so poorly is because there’s really nothing new to be seen. Same story, different protagonist. Sure, the convoluted action flick might be a moderate smash at the box-office…but it’s more than just about the money. Right?

It would be a whole other kind of An Education if we could see Marjorie as a young Briton in the forties. I did say she reminded me a bit of a Helen who’d taken the high road. Thus, who better than the actual Helen to play her? Rosamund Pike has been doing too many thankless supporting roles. She needs a leading role worthy of her brilliance. Bring back Lone Scherfig to direct and Nick Hornby to write the script and we could have a winner on her hands. How did Marjorie end up with her stick-in-the-mud husband? Granted, it’s anyone’s guess if Jack was always so uptight. And who to cast as the resident fuddy-duddy? Matthew McFayden, no less. He’s not as deliciously histrionic as Alfred Molina (who is?), but he’s a “safe” choice – the type of affable man who feels he is not good enough for his wife. Am I the only one getting the feeling that Mr. Mellor is well aware that he’s a lucky bastard for catching Marjorie? I love that moment near the beginning where Jenny’s asking for directions to St. John’s Smith Square and Marjorie says, “It’s in Westminster. Just around the corner from the Abbey.” Jack does the slightest of double takes, “How d’you know that?” Marjorie is unaffected, “I had a life before we were married, you know.” No passion – just a fact. Cara Seymour is just perfect in her role…and that only gets me wondering more, was Marjorie a prominent socialite?

I don’t quite know what the plot would focus on. Was she born in Twickenham? Did she always want to be a dutiful housewife? Perhaps she was a nurse during the war. Or perhaps she had hopes of becoming an actress in her day that were thwarted by a love affair with the amicable, if somewhat trite, Jack. Yes, my brain’s just hopping around but that’s one spinoff I’d pay good money to see.

Am I barking up the wrong tree, or would your interest be piqued at the idea of a prequel for Marjorie Mellor? Rosamund and Matthew…or someone else?

Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon: Rosamund Pike

This post is part of StinkyLulu’s Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon. Head over and feast on the posts.

          

2009 turned into something of a banner year for its women, regardless of what the precursors want us to think woman after woman meted out tremendous work. Judging Supporting Actresses is always a difficult task. Although I, like anyone else, appreciates when an actress gets a plum Supporting Role with good scenes served up on the platter; sometimes it’s all the more satisfying when a woman takes mere lines from a script and turn them into something completely human. It’s the most difficult task for any actress and in An Education we are privy to just that. Cara Seymour, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson all serve up delicious supporting tidbits. However, the supporting piece that really had me cheering when the credits had rolled was that of our most dubious character. None other than my favourite piece of arm candy all year long.

   

Rosamund Pike as Helen

True, of Seymour, Thompson and Williams, Pike does have the most screen time, but she also has the weakest story arc. After reading the script Helen is not perceptible as a significant person, but all that changes with Rosamund. The role is not exactly one of exceptional uniqueness – the blonde-arm candy-girlfriend role. Every gangster and every rich man has one and Dominic Cooper’s Danny is no different. It’s not difficult to be enthralled with Helen as much as Jenny is, even though we realise before she that Helen may just be a little empty in the head. Jenny and Helen’s first conversation is a golden example.

- Chelsea. C’est beaucoup trop cher pour moi.

- Sorry?

- I just said … it was too expensive for me.

- No you didn’t. You said something completely different.

- I just… well, I said it in French.

- In French. Why?

It’s a perfect way to let us know a little about Helen without beating it on our heads. She’s ignorant, but she’s the type dim person who doesn’t even realise her shortcomings – or perhaps, is too unconcerned to care. Notice, for example, on that Oxford trip when Danny asks Jenny to imagine spending three years there. Such a glorious future can surely not be lost on the audience, but it is lost to Helen who shudders in trepidation. I know, she says, as if she saw her own ghost. The old cliché goes that you have to get someone smart to play stupid and Rosamund known for her cold villainess in Die Another Day and her respectable Jane Bennett in Pride & Prejudice is not your typical ignoramus. Who’d have thought that she could do this role justice; more than justice even.

The thing is, as excellent as her line readings are what really sells me on Rosamund’s performance are her silent moments. They're done so subtly, and Lone Scherfig’s compact direction spend so little time on her, that sometimes it’s a case of blink and you’ll miss. Remember Helen’s confusion as to Jenny’s apparently superfluous use of French? I chuckle when her eyes go aghast when Danny bursts into a French lament at the dinner table. She’s probably wondering what she’s missing and it’s the subtlety of Rosamund’s acting choices that are so laudable. Notice too how her eyes go vacant at the Symphony, as the three are moved by the orchestra Helen knows not what to do and the discomfort in her eyes shows. By the time this is done it’s so easy to underestimate Helen but I read so much more into that scene where Danny and Jenny dance at the club and Helen gives David that look. Perhaps she understands all too well that Jenny’s thirst for knowledge may be something that even Danny wants to fill. But maybe I’m overestimating.

It’s a pity that Helen doesn’t have a good enough exit, but that would belie the importance [or lack thereof?] of her character. She is above all else the dutiful woman to her man and even as we sense a slight sadness at Jenny’s lot she still will obediently sit by his side as he says what he must. For all her dimness though we must note Helen’s accurate scientific analysis.

Most girls aren’t ugly, but most girl students are. So there must be something about these places that, you know, makes you fat, or spotty or short-sighted.

How can one argue with logic like that?

Appreciating An Education

There is a pivotal scene in An Education. It’s not obviously so, but I think the entire film comes down to that moment. It’s where we find the thesis statement, or whatever it is they call it in films. Jenny confronts the Head Teacher of her school and in an impassioned speech she questions the value of education for the girls at the school. Jenny focuses on women, but it can be a question for any confused scholar. What’s the point of an Education. Why not agree with Alfred Camus and agree that’s it’s all for nothing. It only makes you bourgeoisie and the end we all will die anyway. The Head Teacher doesn’t have an answer; in fact Lone Scherfig doesn’t seem to either. Instead the question is, if not an education, then what?

That moment in the film is Mulligan's. Up until that point she has delighted us. She’s made us laugh, sometimes even a little wistful. She’s done what she must, and done it excellently. But in this moment, the moment most unlike the Jenny we’ve come to know is also the moment where we see more of Jenny than we’ve seen before. It’s a beautiful moment for Mulligan, it’s a great moment for Emma Thompson, for Lone Scherfig and for the audience. Haven’t we all been there? Perhaps, not as students; but we do eventually start to question the things we’ve come to appreciate. Religion, family, life...? Maybe I’m projecting, but in being completely unselfconscious about it; without trying to make it more than one person it seems to be so much more. Every time Carey puts on that enigmatic face of hers, I’m never quite sure what she’s thinking. It’s the reality that we never completely know anyone, especially movie characters. I don’t see Jenny as a saint, although others have, she’s not that likeable anyhow. But she is appealing. It’s Carey Mulligan and those layers.

         

And yet, I’m not remembering Carey alone. I switch sides by the second when I think who’s the best in show. Mulligan? Perhaps, but isn’t that too obvious a choice; as is Alfred Molina. He’s perfect as Jack, Jenny's father. I’ve heard some calling him a hambone. ‘Tis a pity. I know a few quite like him. It’s sad really. It’s more than living vicariously through his daughter. That yearning, for something more while quite pedestrian is surprisingly poignant. It’s one of the strongest male performances I’ve seen this year, and it’s a pity no one’s taking any notice. Cara Seymour is sadly wonderful as his wife. She’s not a mouse of a woman, but it’s sad to watch her try to combat her husband. One can only imagine how much she hopes to accomplish with her one child.

And what of the three Musketeers? Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike and Peter Sarsgaard. I’m so grateful that the SAG have recognised this film. Rosamund lights up the screen every time she’s there, her line readings are among my favourite of the film and that constant vacuous look on her face is some exceptional acting. In my opinion of course. Sarsgaard is more than a slimy grease ball here. He just may be the most pathetic of the film’s characters. His desire to remain young is obvious, from his relationship with Jenny, to his car, his friends – it’s all very sad. And as much chemistry he and Mulligan have, the most romantic moment of the film is almost a throwaway as Cooper and Mulligan take to the dance-floor together. I was probably reading too much into it, but it was almost as if something was going on there. Cooper too, is a revelation here in an almost nondescript role.

                  

And the teachers? I feel as if I know them. Olivia Willaims' Mrs. Stubbs is as real as any of my professors. I thoroughly understand her desire for Jenny to succeed as much as I can understand Thompsn’s Head Mistress’ dilemma. The reverence, fear and glamour of that dreaded principal’s office. That I can understand.

But An Education is a bit of anomaly as far as I’m concerned. I’m not conceited enough to think that my thoughts are golden, but usually when I decide upon a film I whole-heartedly adore I can’t understand why others don’t. But with An Education I can easily understand why others wouldn’t find it that appealing, or honest even. Certainly the ending may just be a little too pat. But life is never that tragic as movies would have us to believe. I still want to go and out make everyone watch it though, even though I’m sure many may not be half as enthralled as I was.

           

But I’ve had An Education, and it’s been rich.

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