Flashback: Something’s Gotta Give

For some reason I always find myself going easy on Nancy Meyer, and if I trace the reason I’d probably end up at Something’s Gotta Give - a film I’d easily place somewhere in my top ten of 2003. The thing is – I often feel as if I’m alone when it comes to appreciating the somewhat atypical romantic comedy. In retrospect Something’s Gotta Give’s sleight of hand (focusing on the mother of the romantic heroine instead of said presumed heroine) is not as inventive as it likes to think, but I’m damned if I don’t find it fresh and enjoyable nonetheless. A young woman brings home an older man and due to medical problems her mother ends up looking after him. The ending is probably obvious from the inception, but no matter - Something’s Gotta Give still has a whole lot to give (weak pun, I agree).

It seems like a non-argument to lament on it, but it’s a rare thing seeing two thespians, both over sixty, helming a film. It’s even less likely to see such a film that is not a drama focusing on inevitable loss of life (or parental woes). A romantic comedy for the aged? Unlikely. What’s more unlike her latest feature, which I just couldn’t love, Something’s Gotta Give doesn’t get its bearings from seeing older folks act like children. Sure, Nicholson’s playboy is still holding on to his youth – but he’s definitely an old chap and of course the always luminous Diane Keaton is wonderful just because she’s so mature. I think I’ve intimated as much before, but Keaton effortlessly stands out as my favourite female performance of 2003. Moreover, I’d find it difficult to say just what makes me so impressed with Keaton’s outing here. She’s a talented comedienne, that much is a given. She’s arguably the best of her era at comedy (even more than Dench and Sarandon and Streep and Mirren), but she’s so often in those horrendous comedies we tend to forget. The odd bits of subtlety in Something’s Gotta Give always surprise, and then Keaton is just doing so much to make her Erica deliciously interesting while still retaining that bit of weirdness.

It doesn’t take a genius to tell you that the third act of Something’s Gotta Give is not as tight as its previous too. Then, there’s just the slight feeling that Meyers solution to all the drama (albeit, comedic drama) is just a little too rote, but I will occasionally let those issues go because of the gusto with which the entire thing is created. Something’s Gotta Give probably started out as a foray in two Oscar greats working alongside each other, but it turns into a one woman show. Sure, Amanda Peet and Frances McDormand offer nice supporting bits, sure Jack Nicholson is surprisingly emotive at times and yes Keanu Reeves is shockingly on par with his cast – but this is all Diane Keaton. From the first shot we’re enamoured with this woman. Meyers is lucky she got such a talent; with her Something’s Gotta Give turns into more than the sum of its parts.

   

Am I too effusive with praise? What do you think of Keaton and Something’s Gotta Give?

“La de da. La de da. La la.”

One of my favourite scenes in Annie Hall happens some time into the film, although chronologically it’s somewhere near the beginning. Annie drives Alvy to her house after a game of tennis. They seem to like each other, but Alvy’s so antagonistic and Annie is such a ‘dweeb’ they’re uncomfortable. Annie starts telling him about a relative of hers that had narcolepsy. Diane’s Annie is there telling the story in all her affable weirdness, and halfway through you get the distinct sense that Annie doesn’t know where the story is going – or why she started telling it in the first place. It’s a weird moment, but I often think if you’re not a fan of this scene you’re not a fan of Annie Hall. For me, Annie Hall is one of those films that has become so lauded that I often doubt people who claim to “love it to death”. It’s not that I doubt the possibility of anyone else finding it to be good. But Woody Allen, a man who is on his known is known for delighting in the off kilter, crafted with Annie Hall one of the most perversely atypical, deliciously satisfying and irrevocably original romantic comedies. Annie Hall is an anomaly – in more ways than one.

It opens with Allen breaking the fourth wall. It’s one of my favourite conceits of the film, and in a film I love so much that’s saying something. In its way, Annie Hall is akin to private conversations with a neurotic. It’s almost as if retelling his story is a cathartic way for Alvy Singer to deal with his issues – and there are so many of them. Few filmmakers are as comfortable in their idiosyncrasies as Allen. Each director I admire has their secret weapon – Kazan has a knack for sympathising with the disturbed and disturbing, Scorsese has a gift of finding the broken and making them heroic, Ivory has the flair for making the past seem so real and potent and Woody knows to make the audience identify with the idiosyncrasies in his characters. It’s a love or hate thing, if you don’t like one Woody film chances are you won’t like most of them, but I do (on both counts). It’s easy to miss the cues while we’re caught up in the hilarity of Alvy’s return to his elementary class, or the comedy of his romancing of Annie. There are little things, like his inability to say “I love you”, or just his natural tendency to find the worst in any situation. But Allen never lays it on too thick, he never creates villains – his characters are always, completely, human. It’s one of the reasons I’m surprised at Annie Hall’s success – it’s not exactly escapism. In the face of its irreverent humour, there’s a mire of uneasiness to make you ponder…

Annie Hall hinges, completely, on the performance of the leads. Sure, the role was written for her – but that doesn’t make her contribution any less valuable. Like Woody, it’s her knack for being pleasant while being annoying that makes the performance such a treasure. Return to the earlier scene I cited, Diane gives one of my favourite quotes when she tells Alvy, “You’re what Grammy Hall would call a real Jew”. It’s a moment that I love not only for Alvy’s excellent reaction (more on that later) but for Diane’s ability to say so much while in reality saying so little. Acting is not just knowing what to do, but it’s knowing what not to do. Diane’s Annie is completely real (and she probably is) because she gives us those weird tics and the moments we’d least expect it, and at the moments that we’d typically expect it she holds back. (She reminds me of another deserving Best Actress winner in that way.) Annie isn’t a particularly nice person, but she has a quality that’s definitely inviting. It’s the same with Woody, though he’s not as understated as Keaton (but nonetheless excellent). I don’t know what it is about Oscar not wanting to give actors Oscar for acting and directing in tandem (Beatty and Olivier both had split decisions). His performance is just brilliant to me. He’s gifted with that brilliant dialogue, but it’s those smaller moments where he completely sells his emotions through his face that always get me. There’s a truthful whimsy that’s incomparable. He’s never been so in touch with his character.

I’m always surprised that Annie Hall won those Oscar. It’s one of those moments of lucidity (becoming rarer and rarer) where they give in to the less obvious. I suppose that Woody Allen is not for everyone. Just like all who gangster films won’t like Scorsese, or those who like epics won’t like David Lean and on and on. But I am in awe of the man, and I adore Annie Hall; it’s #22 on my list of favourite films.

(Thoughts I Had While) Seeing Reds

Do people ever remember that Warren Beatty is a good actor? I know it sounds like a silly question, and given. The man has done excellent work in Splendor in the Grass, Bonnie & Clyde, Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait and on and on. But I often wonder if we really remember that he’s that talented. Sometimes I wonder if he remembers. He’s now become an icon, and he doesn’t do much work. Sure, his directorial talents are impressive, but I always remember Warren as an actor before I think of him as anything else. Like so many of the good actors of his time, Beatty was excellent at playing a particular type, and in many ways this type was not too far from himself – the brash (young) man who eventually underwent an epiphany of sorts. I always accredit Reds with my favourite Beatty performance. It is a credit to Beatty (and the rest of the cast) that with all going on in Reds (fictional and authentic) that they never get lost beneath the mire of information. In some ways I’d call this my favourite Keaton performance too, even if I do prefer her generally as a comedienne. And has Jack ever been so good without being Jack? It’s a good question. The sole Oscar win (acting) for Reds was in Maureen Stapleton. In some ways the role was almost a cameo. It’s not the best performance in the film, but I never can dislike the win. Always a talented performer, Maureen shows up and does what she needs to do – and does it excellently.

I often wonder what drew Beatty to tackling a project like Reds. The film functions as a history lesson as much as entertainment, but unlike so many films with the same intent it never does it tediously. It’s difficult to put it in a box, and I often wonder if that’s the reason it’s become so forgotten. How many persons remember Reds today? Along with I think it represents the best of films from 1981 – I never was fond of eventual Best Picture winner Chariots of Fire. Reds did go on to win a director statue for Beatty (his only competitive Oscar win) – so it’s not like it was completely hated. Still, I always feel that something of this scope deserves more. Hopefully placing it at #36 on my list of favourites I’m doing my bit to level the playing field.

It’s Complicated

Nancy Meyers is not a perfect writer or director. She’s certainly no Jane Campion but her defence she’s no Nora Ephron either. I suppose she would fall somewhere in the middle. I remarked last year that I didn’t expect her latest comedy [of sorts] about the lives of the middle aged to trump her other comedy about the middle aged; and I believe I was correct.

                 

It’s Complicated is not a film that suffers from bad writing, as much as it’s a film that suffers from too much writing. This is a story that despite all it claims to be is quite thin on plot, and after 100 minutes it becomes so indulgent that it doesn’t know when to excise the extraneous and the make it’s point as quick [and effective] as possible. There isn’t a scene that particularly rings false, but Nancy Meyers seems to have missed that particular screenwriting class that insisted on murdering your darling. Her dialogue is good, but at times it’s dialogue for the sake of dialogue and doesn’t readily lead to the denouement of the film. The therapy sessions adds nothing new to the fabric, neither does that brief and quickly forgotten mulling over plastic surgery, the conference call she shares with her friends are surely filled with some interesting one-liners but what exactly do they do that makes them necessary? And that weed scene? Don’t even get me started. It’s Complicated is the type of film that could have benefited from some crisp script modifications.

[Minor Spoilers]

I can’t help wishing that Streep’s Jane would have just stayed single in the end instead of reiterating that tired old stereotyping of needing a man – regardless of age. I’ll be honest – I’m no Streep lover myself; but she’s thoroughly luminous here. But, I fear it’s more a luminosity from Streep being Streep than Streep being Jane. She’s just not as unmannered a comedienne as that other old broad; but It’s Complicated works because of her; not in spite of her. She’s the most effective of the adults actually, although Alec Baldwin seemed heading for that prize in the first half – by the end his character seemed so eviscerated that there wasn’t much for him to do. Still, the adults are commendable. But the actor that comes out guns blazing [as far as I’m concerned] is Jon Krazinski. I found myself waiting for him to appear on screen. It’s not that he steamrolls the other actors. Everyone’s [save for Kazan who almost spoils The Adventures of Pippa Lee too] is on an even keel; but Krazinski’s subtle comedic abilities are a definite plus to Meyer’s comedy.

                

In the end though, I go easy on It’s Complicated. It mucks up some things along the way but when it comes down to the essentials it’s strangely on point. The relationship of the siblings particularly felt so authentic to me [just like me and my two older sisters and divorced parents] and though I’d have liked a more vociferous response from at the end when it came to the state of affairs with their parents, the affiliation was there, even if the dreadful Zoe Kazan was getting on my nerves. It’s Complicated is not going to be remembered as a quality addition to cinema, it’s a trifle in some ways. But it’s a pleasant one.

         

C+, that's almost a B- [although Streep and Krasinski are B+]

COMING SOON: Whip It, Three Blind Mice, The Road

Anticipating 2010: Part 1

We’ve had lists of five, and we’ve had lists of ten. People are looking forward to what’s new in 2010. So, I’ve joined the conversation and am unveiling the films that I’m most looking forward to in this year. There are a couple that could have made the list, seeing that it’s so huge and all. Why not fifty right? But even though The Mad Hatter does have Kick-Ass in his five, I’m not really here or there on that. And you’d think I’d be anticipating Toy Story 3, but at the moment: nothing. I do hope that Hoodwinked 2 does better than its predecessor in terms of audience love, since the original was subtly funny, if flawed. I almost had Green Zone here, I do like Matt Damon and Amy Ryan, but something's telling me no. So, none are on my list. Take a look at the first ten.

          

#40 Wuthering Heights

This will most likely not be completed, but I’m including it just in case. Charlotte Bronte’s novel is one of the better pieces of its time, and even though it’s had a few incarnations on screen I’ve not seen any, and now’s as good a time to do a film version as ever. I always harboured hopes that Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Winslet would star in an Ang Lee directed version of this, but I suppose that’s down the drain – and they are too old. I remember Westick back from when I cared about Gossip Girl, and he does have potential. This could be good. Maybe.

       

#39 The Solitary Man

Michael Douglas and Susan Sarandon are the draws here, obviously. This hasn’t been released here, and as far as I know it hasn’t been released in the US either.I'm not sure if it veers more into comedy or drama but it concerns the protagonist coming to grips with the crap he's done in his life. Not exactly riveting stuff, but still. It's Douglas. Honestly, I'm not too hot on him but the added presence of Susan Sarandon and Mary Louise Parker does help..

           

#38 Nanny McPhee & th Big Bang

I was not a big fan of the last Nanny McPhee fan but it is Emma Thomspon and it at least warrants a place in the top 40. And with Ralph Fiennes and Maggie Smith, it may be lightweight but it's going to be good. I have a feeling it will be better than the first, which doesn't say much...but still. Maggie Gylenhaal also stars who has been coasting along for some time with me. I'm still looking for her to wow me, this probably will not be it. Still, we'll see.

#37 Repo Men

Well, it's Jude f***ing Law. What do you expect? Repo Men is a science fiction film about a man who buys a heart in the near future who is unable to finish making payments. He thus goes on the run before it's taken. Obviously Jude is the draw here, but I'm getting some Gattaca flashbacks which would be cool because I love that movie. Forrest Whitaker is always cool when he plays the sidekick, which he looks like here, so his involvement doesn't hurt.
                       

#36 Get Low

Robert Duvall, Bill Murray and particularly Sissy Spaceck are the draws here. It's a film based in the 1930s about a man who threw his own funeral. Interesting enough. I'm not sure if it's more drama or comedy, but with this cast and the somewhat dubious premise my interests are peaked. It's been a while since Sissy wowed us in In the Bedroom. Let's see what she has up her sleeves next.         

              

#35 Your Highness 

The film stars James Franco and Natalie Portman, too young up and comers I'm actually quite keen on. It's a fantasy comedy from medieval times centring on a lazy and arrogant prince who must go on a quest toe save his father's kingdom. The plot sounds less than riveting, but I suppose the dialogue will be snazzy. The presence of Zooey Deschanel doesn't hurt any either. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint. 

         

#34 Morning Glory

A comedy with Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams. Joy. I don't know, I'm really hoping that this turns out to be good because Diane deserves a good role. I'm not too fond of Rachel McAdams. The film centres on two feuding TV anchors [Harisson Ford and Keaton] and the aspiring producer who tries to salvage the situation [McAdams]. Patrick Wilson and Jeff Goldblum costar. I'm worried. It could be good, it could be bad...but Harisson Ford seems weird at the moment. Maybe, just maybe, it could be good.

            

#33 The Whistleblower

A true story. Rachel Weisz stars as a woman who uncovered a scandal in post-war Bosnia involving The United Nations and America. It's generic, I know, and I hated North Country which sounded vaguely similar. But Rachel Weisz has a charm which cannot be manufactured, so hopefully she'll elevate the material  and perhaps the film may even surprise. The presence of Monica Belucci and the legendary Vanessa Redgrave only makes this that more interesting

            

#32 Eat, Pray, Love

And another true story. Julia Roberts stars as a woman who decides to get more out of her life. It sounds oddly schmaltzy, but it's Julia. In fact, it's more than just Julia. Throw in Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, James Franco and Billy Crudup, and you've got a party. I expect to be entertained at least, and who knows maybe it could turn into something really poignant. I have complete faith in Ms. Roberts.

      

#31 Last Night [Tell Me]

This could go horribly wrong. It stars Keira Knightley, Sam Worthingotn and Eva Mendes. I'm not sure which title they're going with. It is the story of a married couple [Knightley, Worthington] who spend a night apart trying to resist temptation. I read the script which seemed good the first time, but the second time felt a little too heavy handed. I'm not sure, I should give it a third read. It has potential, but Mendes and Worthington to a degree are giving me doubts. We'll see...

                                                                     

Stay tuned for 30-21 and my thoughts on Up In the Air!!!

Shades of Diane Keaton

It's January 5th and today the original Annie Hall of them all turns 66. Yes, today is Diane Keaton's birthday. Diane Keaton is a whole lot of fun - as an actress and as a "star" though I don't like to use that word. So I'm going to zero in on five of her performances that I find most enthralling like I did on Scarlett's birthday. So wish Diane a Happy Birthday; and enjoy the list.

Theresa Dunn in Looking For Mr. Goodbar (1977)

"I'm alone, I'm not lonely. I'm depressed - you're depressing me."
               
Bessie in Marvin's Room (1996)

"Oh my goodness, just look at you. Are you really that old?"

                   

Annie Hall in Annie Hall (1977)

"La-di-da, la-di-da, la la."

                          
Louise Bryant in Reds (1981)

"No, you love yourself! Me, you FUCK!"

                       

Erica Barry in Something's Gotta Give (2003)

"I'm like the dumb girl that doesn't get it. I've never been the dumb girl before. It ain't so great."

2003: The Acting: Ladies First

I’ll just level with you now that I had some interesting acting choices, and by interesting I mean strange. Strange for the reader, of course, normal for me. So take a look and tell me how shocked you are at the omissions and inclusions.

              

Supporting Actress

Tier Three

Maria Bello, The Cooler

Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider

Kirsten Dunst, Mona Lisa Smile

Alison Lohman, Big Fish

Joan Plowright, Bringing Down the House             

Sure Keisha Castle-Hughes ended up with that Oscar nomination and all that. Whatever. I really didn’t see her as leading, and as good as it was there were a ton more deserving contenders – but that’s all old news.

                      

Tier Two

Shoreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog

Maggie Gylenhaal, Mona Lisa Smile

Jessica Lange, Big Fish

Miranda Otto, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Sarah Paulson, Down With Love

Arwen will always be my love, but I can’t deny the awesomeness that was Miranda Otto of I am no man fame. Awesome. Maggie Gylenhaal had a throwaway role in a throwaway movie and made it work, as did Jessica Lange. I wasn’t that keen on Shoreh, but I can see how she got nominated. Paulson is underrated, but it’s no surprise. Everyone hated Down With Love.

              

The Nominees

Helena Bonham Carter, Big Fish

Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April

Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River

Naomi Watts, Le Divorce

Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain

Yes, I like Le Divorce. I’m not even going to try to justify that. Not now, at least. But yeah, I was impressed with Watts’ performance in this quasi comedy of sorts. Of course my clear winner was Marcia Hay Harden for her turn in Mystic River followed by Clarkson in Pieces of April. I’m not certain about the third place finisher – either Zellweger or Bonham Carter, but I haven’t seen Big Fish in a while...

                          

Leading Actress

Tier Three

Jennifer Connelly, House of Sand & Fog

Katie Holmes, Pieces of April

Helen Mirren, Calendar Girls

Julia Roberts, Mona Lisa Smile

Renee Zellweger, Down With Love

2003 was actually a good year for the women. Roberts, Zellweger, Holmes and even Mirren took stock roles and turned them into something worthy of appreciation. Connelly’s performance was quite good, but stiff competition prevented it from going further.

                       

Tier Two

Jamie Lee Curtis, Freaky Friday

Kate Hudson, Le Divorce

Samantha Morton, In America

Uma Thurman, Kill Bill

Naomi Watts, 21 Grams

I know RC is a fan of Morton, but unfortunately she didn’t reach my top 5. Watts and Thurman were on the brink of the top 5. Jamie Lee Curtis had some incredible comedic timing in Freaky Friday, and as much as Kate Hudson is hated I thought she was fine in Le Divorce.

                  

The Nominees

Cate Blanchett, Missing

Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation

Diane Keaton, Something’s Gotta Give

Nicole Kidman, Cold Mountain

Charlize Theron, Monster

So I have two of the nominees here. Charlize was deglam at its best and she completely sold her performance, but she still was not my favourite. That was Diane. I really can’t deny how much I loved this performance, I think I even preferred to her Annie Hall. Scarlett was my third pick, and that was a hard snub considering she was getting so much momentum and stuff. Sure Kidman and Blanchett aren’t really hard up for Oscars and critic support, but their work in these films has been unfairly maligned, as far as I’m concerned. Kidman should have gotten her third nomination with this and Cate does some good work even when the script is all over the place.

              

So, who were your favourite women back in 2003?