Thoughts: Rev Road, Bruce, and Oscar
I just watched Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band play Halftime at the SuperBowl. I have been a fan for years now ever since Rachel O’Leary introduced me to The River double album back in college. Along with Billy Joel and Elton John, I don’t think there is a performer alive that matches this guy’s absolute talent and genius for live rock ‘n roll. It is just music that makes you feel alive and after dancing the whole set, I am now a bucket of sweat. Might have been the two cups of coffee I had before that, but I don’t think so. There isn’t anything more joyous than dancing to any music that guy makes. I must go see him in concert again somewhere. And he’s 59!!! for cryin’ out loud. All you lightweight contemporary, hip-hop, alternative, whatever bands out there, learn something. There’s nothing like that blue collar rock ‘n roll. But I give myself away as an unrepentant middle-class, Detroit girl. Los Angeles lacks the rock ‘n roll edge. I mean, really, Sheryl Crow? God bless her but it doesn’t translate.
Last night I saw a phenomenal film. In every aspect, this film was amazing, from direction, acting and writing to cinematography. Revolutionary Road just rocked my world. Okay, I get a little emphatic but isn’t that what the art of cinema is supposed to do? What a tragic, beautiful story of lost hopes and interrupted dreams and mistaken ideals of love and life. Kate Winslet is a genius. That’s all there is to it. I’ve always enjoyed her work but after seeing both The Reader and this, I have to admit that this gal has a long wonderful career ahead of her if she doesn’t go the Annette Bening route of giving everything up for “a family.” Really, you can do it all, just try. A gift is meant to be used not given up for your husband who’s 20 years older than you. What’s up with that? I digress. Back to the flick. Sam Mendes did a terrific job and Haythe wrote a fine adaptation. Not a false move in the piece and Shannon is so good as the voice of truth. I could pick apart this flick in oh so many ways but I’ll spare you just to say that every flick that Mendes does he gets better and better and every film has more heart. American Beauty was a fine debut but it lacked heart and emotion and I still haven’t forgiven the Academy for giving it Best Pix over The Green Mile. Road to Perdition was terrific storytelling and heartbreaking. And this one, Rev Road, is just as fine and wonderful and I may have to forgive Mendes for his Oscar for direction over Frank Darabount. I still am rooting for you Frank.
So now, the Academy Awards: Leo DiCaprio was robbed of a nomination for Rev Road, that’s all I’m going to say. I haven’t seen Ben Button because I can’t stand Fincher films, no heart or soul, all technical, pretentious filmmaking crap. But, I still need to see it yet, I know. That said, I still don’t think I would have given Pitt a nomination. He almost never knocks me out with anything he does. What I think he should have been nominated for: Burn After Reading, in a supporting role. He was hysterical in that and terrific. I honestly think he’s a better character actor than leading actor and I wish he would get that. He would rock. I don’t know what the Academy has against Leo but I wish they’d get over it already. Titanic, Ti-schmanic.
Kate Winslet should have been nommed for Rev Road in leading actress, not The Reader. She actually has a character arc in Rev Road and in Reader she is really a supporting role and doesn’t really learn anything. Reader is a terrific film too. The only beef I have in this category is Jolie who like her counterpart, Pitt, never knocks me out in anything she does. I’m too busy looking at her lips. In fact, I think she was nommed for this role because of her thick, raging red lipstick she wears in Changeling. I don’t get it, here’s a woman whose son was kidnapped and she finds the time to put gobs of makeup on her eyes and lips every day when she goes to work as a lowly telephone operator manager whatever and to see the police and to the grocery store. She’s supposed to be this unassuming, single mom in 1930-something Los Angeles and she’s made up like a movie star/hooker every day to go to work? When I’m depressed and stressed, the last thing I’m thinking of is hey, I better look pretty today. Or, for that matter, when a member of my family has been kidnapped!! And the other telephone operators look like regular women with almost no make-up? Can you say, hey, I’m the star and I need to stand out and be made up? That was the only element of that film, which was otherwise disturbing, yet well-made, that I didn’t believe and thought both Jolie and Eastwood should have known better. So maybe Spike Lee does have a point, eh, Clint?
Rourke is the whole movie of The Wrestler, love Tomei in anything, but the film itself is not that great of a story. Good for Rourke and the hearing aid, great “Method actor prop.” Hey, Darren, pay attention, we’re not all looking at your fancy film-school camera shots. It’s called, the story! So get over yourself already.
Slumdog is it. I don’t care what anyone says, I really enjoyed this film and it’s one of three films I saw this year that I could see again and walked out of the theater feeling really good. The other two were Rachel Getting Married and Frozen River. They didn’t give the slum kids money, they did, whatever. Really, these are movie-making Hollywood liberals even if they are from England. Do you really think they’re not going to pay these kids and take care of them? C’mon, get a clue. Anyway, India needs to get a clue. If that’s how millions of their people live, I’m horrified, and a few filmmakers aren’t going to really change anything are they? Aren’t you putting the blame in the wrong place?
I gotta say I’m making great creative use of my time off here and am in no hurry to start back at the job grind. Talk to me in a couple weeks though when my bills are due.
Finally, I’m hittin’ Thunder Road because I’m Workin’ On A Dream to resurrect my Glory Days when I was Born To Run….
I tell ya, next relationship I have, the big test: he’s gotta love Bruce otherwise….Niagra Falls.
Last night I saw a phenomenal film. In every aspect, this film was amazing, from direction, acting and writing to cinematography. Revolutionary Road just rocked my world. Okay, I get a little emphatic but isn’t that what the art of cinema is supposed to do? What a tragic, beautiful story of lost hopes and interrupted dreams and mistaken ideals of love and life. Kate Winslet is a genius. That’s all there is to it. I’ve always enjoyed her work but after seeing both The Reader and this, I have to admit that this gal has a long wonderful career ahead of her if she doesn’t go the Annette Bening route of giving everything up for “a family.” Really, you can do it all, just try. A gift is meant to be used not given up for your husband who’s 20 years older than you. What’s up with that? I digress. Back to the flick. Sam Mendes did a terrific job and Haythe wrote a fine adaptation. Not a false move in the piece and Shannon is so good as the voice of truth. I could pick apart this flick in oh so many ways but I’ll spare you just to say that every flick that Mendes does he gets better and better and every film has more heart. American Beauty was a fine debut but it lacked heart and emotion and I still haven’t forgiven the Academy for giving it Best Pix over The Green Mile. Road to Perdition was terrific storytelling and heartbreaking. And this one, Rev Road, is just as fine and wonderful and I may have to forgive Mendes for his Oscar for direction over Frank Darabount. I still am rooting for you Frank.
So now, the Academy Awards: Leo DiCaprio was robbed of a nomination for Rev Road, that’s all I’m going to say. I haven’t seen Ben Button because I can’t stand Fincher films, no heart or soul, all technical, pretentious filmmaking crap. But, I still need to see it yet, I know. That said, I still don’t think I would have given Pitt a nomination. He almost never knocks me out with anything he does. What I think he should have been nominated for: Burn After Reading, in a supporting role. He was hysterical in that and terrific. I honestly think he’s a better character actor than leading actor and I wish he would get that. He would rock. I don’t know what the Academy has against Leo but I wish they’d get over it already. Titanic, Ti-schmanic.
Kate Winslet should have been nommed for Rev Road in leading actress, not The Reader. She actually has a character arc in Rev Road and in Reader she is really a supporting role and doesn’t really learn anything. Reader is a terrific film too. The only beef I have in this category is Jolie who like her counterpart, Pitt, never knocks me out in anything she does. I’m too busy looking at her lips. In fact, I think she was nommed for this role because of her thick, raging red lipstick she wears in Changeling. I don’t get it, here’s a woman whose son was kidnapped and she finds the time to put gobs of makeup on her eyes and lips every day when she goes to work as a lowly telephone operator manager whatever and to see the police and to the grocery store. She’s supposed to be this unassuming, single mom in 1930-something Los Angeles and she’s made up like a movie star/hooker every day to go to work? When I’m depressed and stressed, the last thing I’m thinking of is hey, I better look pretty today. Or, for that matter, when a member of my family has been kidnapped!! And the other telephone operators look like regular women with almost no make-up? Can you say, hey, I’m the star and I need to stand out and be made up? That was the only element of that film, which was otherwise disturbing, yet well-made, that I didn’t believe and thought both Jolie and Eastwood should have known better. So maybe Spike Lee does have a point, eh, Clint?
Rourke is the whole movie of The Wrestler, love Tomei in anything, but the film itself is not that great of a story. Good for Rourke and the hearing aid, great “Method actor prop.” Hey, Darren, pay attention, we’re not all looking at your fancy film-school camera shots. It’s called, the story! So get over yourself already.
Slumdog is it. I don’t care what anyone says, I really enjoyed this film and it’s one of three films I saw this year that I could see again and walked out of the theater feeling really good. The other two were Rachel Getting Married and Frozen River. They didn’t give the slum kids money, they did, whatever. Really, these are movie-making Hollywood liberals even if they are from England. Do you really think they’re not going to pay these kids and take care of them? C’mon, get a clue. Anyway, India needs to get a clue. If that’s how millions of their people live, I’m horrified, and a few filmmakers aren’t going to really change anything are they? Aren’t you putting the blame in the wrong place?
I gotta say I’m making great creative use of my time off here and am in no hurry to start back at the job grind. Talk to me in a couple weeks though when my bills are due.
Finally, I’m hittin’ Thunder Road because I’m Workin’ On A Dream to resurrect my Glory Days when I was Born To Run….
I tell ya, next relationship I have, the big test: he’s gotta love Bruce otherwise….Niagra Falls.
posted by Maria @ 6:52 PM
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