Jack Nicholson (times five)

I don’t like Jack Nicholson very much. At the same time I’d be immediately read to assert that he’s probably one of the 30 best actors alive at the moment – perhaps of all time if you only include American and British. As far as the males go he’s the closest thing to Oscar royalty, what with his record breaking twelve Oscar nominations and whatnot. Despite my feelings, though, he’s always fascinated. One undeniable fact about Nicholson is that he’s charismatic. I remember when I was watching The Departed with a friend of mine and she was positively repulsed by Nicholson’s Costello. “The man’s hideous,” she said. And yet he’s built a career as a sort of atypical ladies man, more than a ladies’ man though something that never fails to intrigue me about Nicholson and his Oscar wins is the fact that each time he won the Oscar he was accompanied to the podium by the leading actress in his film – namely Louise Fletcher, Shirley MacLaine and Helen Hunt. The only thing close I can think of in Oscar history is Katharine Hepburn winning her final three Best Actress slots for films that went on to win best screenplay (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond). In celebration of CS' LAMB Feature, I'm doing a shoddy attempt at profiling....grading five performances of his.

R. P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest B+

There’s a slight irony that this is the film Nicholson is most remembered for since I feel the same way about the film as I do about him. It’s brilliant, no doubt, but I feel little for it. Looking back at the category that was a relatively good year for men, but it was Jack's "time" as they call it and going crazy is a good way to win Oscar. What's more he's obviously the best in show, I'm very sceptical about Fletcher's Actress win but that's a conversation for a whole other day....

                   

Garret Breedlove in Terms of Endearment B/B-

The eighties weren’t a horrible decade for film, but it was a poor one for Oscar. Save for Amadeus and depending on my mood maybe Out of Africa I’m more often than not confused by their choices for Best Picture. Terms of Endearment is one of those films which I’m constantly trying to find the appeal of. Sure, Shirley MacLaine is brilliant and Debra Winger, Jeff Bridges and Nicholson offer up good performances but it’s resounding acclaim always leaves me feeling a little out of the loop. Jack is fine here, definitely playing Jack but of the three wins it’s the one I’m most surprised by. Considering that none of the gents from The Big Chill made the lineup (WTF?) I suppose Oscar weren’t thinking too clearly in the category.

Melvin Udall in As Good As It Gets B/B+

I don’t hate Helen Hunt as much as many do, though I’ll say she was easily the least deserving of the nominees that year. But the movie belongs to jack irrevocably. The crazy antics are Jack’s but it’s more than just him being an automatons. Even when he's playing drama Nicholson still has the tendency - exasperating at times - to be a comic, so something like Brooks' antihero works wel on him. I will say that Greg Kinnear gives him a good run for his money, but really it's the Jack Show. Shameless hamming at times, but it works...

Incidentally one of the two Jack performance I’d single out as his crowning achievement is one that’s generally quite forgotten. His Eugene O’Neill in Reds is the performance I’m always somewhat miffed he lost the Oscar for. It’d get an A in a heartbeat from me. the thing is Reds has got to be one of the most underrated films of the eighties, sure it’s 3 hours long and an epic about communism; but it’s freakin’ brilliant. It features Warren Beatty’s best work (writing, acting and directing) Diane Keaton’s strongest dramatic work, Nicholson’s strong work (says me) and an excellent supporting turn from Maureen Stapleton. 

The thing is, Jack is fine when he’s hogging the camera but I always like him when he’s supporting and you have to wait for him to turn up – that’s when the appreciate grows a little more like in The Departed. His performance in Chinatown is another one I'm quick to laud. Like his performance in Reds he doesn't put too much Jack in it, even though he still has all that charisma. Maybe it's  because Chinatown is so tightly focused on plot with little interest in becoming a character study so he's forced to act as succinctly as possible, or maybe it's one of the treasures of having a scene partner as brilliant as Faye Dunaway. Either way, this would get another A from me. And once again this is a performance that's defined by its leading lady. 

(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.

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."