Happy Birthday to
John Lithgow
66 today
I can't help but think there's a certain sniffiness about audience opinion of Lithgow, his long running stint on TV's "Third Rock from the Sun" obscures the two dramatic supporting actor Academy Award nominations. Maybe his acclaimed turn in Rise of the Planet of the Apes will introduce him to a whole new generation of film fans. Next up is ensemble romantic comedy New Years Eve.
Showing posts with label John Lithgow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Lithgow. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
John Lithgow
Friday, 12 August 2011
Which side are you one? (Out this week - 12/08/12)
For the record I am unlikely to go to the cinema this weekend, busy busy busy with one thing and another and whilst there are three movies that look good enough to spend some dosh on it won't be me that does that. Hopefully my title links in some - admittedly loose - way to each of those releases. If I had to choose, and I suppose I should given the nature of this regular post, the film of the week would have to be Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within.
Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within
The clearest link goes to this pounding Brazilian police procedural which broke box office records in it's home country last year. Dealing with the battle against drugs in the favellas and corruption within the force even the trailer had my heart pumping.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I hope that British Wonderkid Rupert Wyatt, who's been handed the reins on this tentpole release on only his second movie, succeeds in winning the box office battle this week at least. James Franco and Freida Pinto are ostensibly the stars in this origin story but it's Andy Serkis - in full performance capture mode as Ceasar - who's taking the lion's share of the plaudits. John Lithgow also stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
The Salt of Life
None more French comedy about a middle aged (married) man desperately trying to become a philanderer and finding out the hard way that dating is a young mans game.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Beautiful Lies
More French giggles - is it that time of year - with Audrey Tatou reminding us how lovely she is by accidently setting up the local hunk (who has a crush on her) with her lovesick mother.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Devil's Double
Dominic Cooper - that nice one from Mamma Mia! - makes a bid to be considered a serious actor in this Iraqi Gangster movie playing both Uday (Son of Saddam) and his double Latif. Looks interesting enough, however seems to avoid the political and historic context in favour of making a good story.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Aarakshan
Bollywood drama with a really stirring Hindi trailer, which even though I didn't understand the words had a very clear plot regarding the political and cultural pressures on a large school.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Rowthiram
Less effective at marketing itself is this Tamil drama, which I can find no plot synopsis or trailer, but it appears to be a family affair with R.B. Choudary directing his son Jeeva in a major role.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Smurfs
The iconic blue figures have done surprisingly well in box office performance over in the States, indeed it appears to be one of the most high profile successes this summer. I just hope it doesn't steal any audiences from the Apes movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Taqwacores
American indie movie about the Islamic Punk scene, based on the memoirs of a convert, that unfortunately has seen poor reviews take the steam out of a fascinating topic. Maybe a documentary might have worked better.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Leap Year
2010. Dir: Anand Tucker. Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow and Neal O'Donovan. ●○○○○
I am, at last, returning to the shocking load of outstanding reviews. You could say I was perfectly entitled to procrastinate as job number one is the unenviable task of reviewing Anand Tucker's Leap Year. I suppose I could sum up my poinions of it by saying I want my money (and possibly the two hours of my life) back, but there were some - very minor - positives so here goes.
For those of you far more savvy to the dangers of rom-com hell than I am here is the back of a fag packet version of the plot: 20 something decorator (Amy Adams, looking more and more like an excited rodent - honestly she should join up with Renee Zellweger's squinty guinea pig and they could do a live action Wind in the Willows) in a long-term relationship (with dull Adam Scott, acting dull-ly) and desperate to marry follows her beau to Picture postcard Ireland to propose to him on February 29th. Only to land on the wrong end of the country. She gets a lift with hunky local barman (Matthew - actually quite - Goode) and craaazzeeee stuff happens.
Oh, where to begin. I will ignore the dodgy geography, the crude stereotyping and even the twee moralising as all of these are Hollywood Ireland tropes that have become as much a part of the legend of the Emerald Isle as the reality (and you only have to look at a film like The Quiet Man to know those factors aren't really an issue at all). In fact as an advert for Ireland it works very well - I know I want to go back to take another look now I've seen the rolling countryside and beautiful scenery.
Amy Adams is a very pretty and very talented actress, but I'm not sure if these work as a combination. If you look at her last two performances - in this and Julie and Julia she tries so hard to be likeable as well that she comes across as smug and grating. Perhaps the doe-eyed innocent really is the limit of her capabilities.
Matthew Goode fares slightly better, in a rogueish sort of way, but that's possible due to the set-up where you're comparing his devil-may-care live-life-to-the-full attitude to the practical Scott. Even so it's less of a performance than a caricature - and it pares horribly in comparison to A Single Man.
I'd also like to point out that John Lithgow was in this movie, as Amy's drunk Irish father. Of course you know he's in the movie because he's in the trailer - not that you'd know from watching the movie where his screen time is less than it is in the trailer. Really. It's a worrying trend of putting scenes in the trailer that don't make it to the film but I'll rant about that some other time.
The writing is fairly by the book, with every twist and turn coming a mile off and no cliche left unturned. Anand Tucker's direction is also terribly pedestrian, he appears to be regressing in his ability and all the majesty he created in Hilary and Jackie now seems like a very distant memory.
There were some nice moments - the kitchen scene was special and for the one moment in the film you felt there was some chemistry between the two leads - but on the whole these were too few and far between to make the slightest difference. It remains my second one star film for 2010. I hope to God [or at least I did at this point bearing in mind I've been to the cinema 4 more times since then] I start seeing better movies soon.
Monday, 19 October 2009
John Lithgow
Happy Birthday to
John Lithgow
64 today
As I've not celebrated the birthday of a man in over 3 weeks, I thought I ease myself back into it gently by saying happy birthday to a man oscar nominated for playing a transexual in The World According to Garp. Happy Birthday Roberta.
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