I missed out on some performances this year that are bound to get attention (both The Kids are Alright and Winter's Bone will wait until DVD) and some I did see failed to live up to expectation (hello Sandra Bullock and Helen Mirren) but these five actresses were all at the top of their game:
1. Gabourey Sidibe as Precious in Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. Both inexpressive and natural the subtlety of Gabby's work could easily have slipped through the net, but it's a wonderfully committed performance as her character falls further and further into a spiral of despair.
2. Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill in Brothers. Next year I expect I'll view this as just a precursor to her work in Black Swan but as the lost and confused wife of Tobey Maguire in this remake she stole my heart. 
3. Maribel Verdú as Miranda in Tetro. Many women fell for the wrong man at cinemas this year but few seemed to be as aware of this as Verdú in Francis Ford Coppola's Soap Opera. A former psychiatrist who now lives with a patient Maribel balanced the resentment and motherly instinct extremely well.
4. Lesley Manville as Mary in Another Year. An alcoholic harridan; it would be easy to lose all sympathy for Mary as she spouts vicious innuendo and desperately tries to hide her age, but Manville manages to show what lies behind the cracks. 
5. Alicja Bachleda as Ondine in Ondine. Is she a mermaid or just an illegal immigrant? The beauty of Bachleda's performance is that she keeps you guessing right until the final credits of this modern fairy tale.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
2010 in Review: Best Actress
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Ondine
2010. Dir: Neil Jordan. Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Stephen Rea and Alison Barry. ●●●●○
For those of you who read all of my reviews you will know that coming out of Leap Year I was considering giving up on cinema altogether. Luckily the next film I went to see was the dreamy and delightful Ondine.
In the film Colin Farrell's recovering Alcoholic fisherman, Syracuse, discovers the titular semi-naked lady (Alicja Bachleda) in his net. Her accent is indistinguishly foreign, she is nervous about meeting new people and she has no memory from before she was in the water. Naturally his daughter, played precociously but pitched perfectly by Alison Barry, starts to believe Ondine is a type of Mermaid.
From this deceptively simple premise builds a complex story where you, as the viewer, must choose whether you believe that Ondine really is a mermaid or whether there is something darker behind her mysterious appearance. As it's a fairy story at heart the various sidelines in the plot, which include Barry's kidney disease, chronic alcohol abuse and strangers in the village all fold into that main question.
Colin Farrell gives a superb performance here, as he always does when in loveable rogue territory, clearly portraying the pressures and conflicts he faces as a result of his latent addiction and the tough decisions that need to be made by a parent. As a result you completely believe everyone of his relationships with his family and community. Whilst Bachleda has less to work with, essentially playing a cypher, she retains the mystery throughout her performance, and her physicality is such that you just don't know the answer to that central enigma.
The rest of the supporting cast is fine, rather than good, although Stephen Rea's priest is a sardonic delight.
Neil Jordan is an assured hand directing this sort of adult fairytale and he fully takes us to a semi-fantastic alternative worldview. There were times I was so caught up with the action that I wanted to shout at the screen - always a good sign - especially when Farrell slips off the wagon.
I would also like to heartily recommend the cinematography, not that Christopher Doyle (Rabbit-Proof Fence, Paranoid Park) needs my praise, but it's truly invaluable to maintaining the mood. As was Kjartan Sveinsson's original music.
Overall this was a beautiful mood piece, only let down by the slightness of the tale and perhaps a inconsistency of tone (it's for young adults, not children).
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Out this week (05/03/10)
As film fans we face a common dichotomy with regards to the quality of films. On the one hand we hope for many high quality productions to entice us at the cinema, on the other there's only so much money you can spend. Which is why it's an awful shame when more that 1 decent-looking project is released in the same week. However a decision must be made on the film that most looks best, and I have chosen Ondine.
Alice in Wonderland
For a short while I was beginning to wonder if we were going to get a chance to see Tim Burton's Alice remake in the UK. Disney's headlining grabbing tousle with the major cinema chains about the release window almost meant this would have a limited UK release. Eventually the major chains bowed down under commercial pressure, so I should be poppoing out one evening next week.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Angardi Theru
The trailer for this Tamil production looks both cheaply produced and confusing. I suspect it's an unhappy love story about a couple working in an opprsive factory setting. If anyone knows better please let me know.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Atithe Tum Kab Jaoge
Hindi comedy in the vein of You, Me and Dupree where a distant relative arrives unannounced at the house of surburban couple Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen, and then never leaves. The trailer has a whole section devoted to fart gags so don't expect this to change comedy forever.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Case 39
Renee Zellweger is a social worker whose charge turns out to be more dangerous than the family she's "saved" her from. Horror movie that's been delayed more times than I can remember and probably best avoided.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Chloe
Suspecting husband Liam Neeson of a clandestine affair Julianne Moore hires high-class prostitue Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to meet up with him and see if he goes for her knowing she's available. Sexual boundaries get pushed in Atom Egoyan's latest thriller.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Father of my Children
French film that covers twin subjects of grief and financial failure when a producer sees his latest project, along with his personal accounts crumble away. Loosely based on a true story.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Legion
My first one blob film of 2010. Congratulations. If the thought of Paul Bettany facing off against the hordes of angels send by God to wipe out humanity excites you, then I envy you completely.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○
Motherhood
Love poem to modern motherhood with Uma Thurman in the lead role as a stay-at-home Mum in New York with adorable but quirky kids. I expect this has an audience, and the trailer looks unoffensive. Bonus points for having Jodie Foster in a cameo.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Ondine
Colin Farrell catches a Polish girl who could be on the run from smugglers, or who could be a mermaid in Neil Jordan's supernaturally tinged drama. It missed an audience at last years Toronto festival, but hopefully it will be worth spending a little time with.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
1234
Low key british film about the forming of an indie band and a tentative romance within the band's membership. It's refusal to glorify the music business (or demonise it) as well as embracing the mundanity of call centre jobs taken to finance dreams has won a lot of praise among critics. Should be qworth catching.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Shouting Men
Somehow Gillingham football club are drawn against premiership team Newcastle United in the FA Cup Quarter final. The result may be obvious, but this film is about the journey of a few eccentric fans. And is probably the worse for it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
And a couple of films I missed on their 12 February release:
Eamon
Irish drama focussing on a boy with behavoural difficulties and his struggling parents during a half-term week to the beach.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Recap Ivedik 3
Third movie in popular Turkish series. Doesn't look like they're getting any better from looking at the comment pages on imdb.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Tuesday Trailers - Ondine
In spite of having a good pedigree (from the director of The Crying Game and starring Colin Farrell) Ondine didn't set the world on fire at it's Toronto premeier. Nevertheless the trailer below nicely sets up the tale of a fisherman who catches a mermaid and, providing it steers clear of whimsical naval-gaving, this could be worth the ticket price.
Ondine is released on 05 March 2010.
