In Character: Peter Greene

Peter Greene is the ultimate creeper. In the mid-‘90s, Greene dominated popular American cinema with his dark eyes, skinny frame and sinister sneer. All of his best characters are subtly terrifying, mostly because they’re played by a man who isn’t physically imposing. Greene’s terror is all about the attitude. His characters have this relentless confidence that is impossible to ignore. When Peter Greene walks in a room, you pay attention, probably because you know something bad is about to happen.

Debuts Blogathon: David Gordon Green's George Washington

The fantastic Debuts Blogathon, co-run by Three Rows Back and Terry Malloy’s Pigeon Coop, asked for film bloggers to review the first films from filmmakers they admire. I chose to discuss David Gordon Green’s tiny (and best) movie, George Washington. The link below directs you to my post about the film, where I critique the film itself, and inquire as to whether or not the David Gordon Green I love is in fact, back.

Click here for my post on George Washington

A Career Retrospective: Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin is one of the best, most iconic living writers we have. He’s one of the few screenwriters that many know by name, and, more importantly, by content. Say what you will about Sorkin’s deliberate style, when you watch a Sorkin show, you know you’re watching a Sorkin show. The snap-crackle-pop dialogue, the walk and talk, the blend of comedy and humor, the intellect – I’m certainly an admirer of his work, but I’m also the first to admit that his career has been far from perfect.

Below are brief thoughts on each piece of material Sorkin has written for the big and small screen. For the films, my grades are solely based on the strength of Sorkin’s script. For his TV shows, my grade is based on the overall power of the show, all aspects included. Enjoy!

Top 10 Supporting Actors Not Nominated Alongside Their Leads

Similar to my list yesterday of neglected Supporting Actress performances, here are 10 Supporting Actor performances that deserved to be nominated alongside the leading men from their films.

Top 10 Supporting Actresses Not Nominated Alongside Their Leads

In the weeks I’ve spent reflecting on the acting power within Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, one nagging thought refuses to leave my mind: My God, I hope Sally Hawkins is nominated alongside Cate Blanchett. Blanchett is a lock for a Lead Actress nomination, but Hawkins equally deserves to fight for Oscar gold in the Supporting Actress category. I just hope she’s given the chance.

Some lead actresses are made better because of the women who support them. Other supporting roles stand out on their own, separate from whoever earns top billing. Either way, here are 10 supporting actresses who should have been nominated alongside the Oscar nominated leads for their films.

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

The primary beauty of David Lowery’s new film, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, is the way it manages to devise its story around such a familiar plot, but is executed in such a unique fashion. An outlaw is sent to prison, leaving his wife and child behind. Years later, he escapes and does everything in his power to find his family. That’s a plot description we’ve seen on screen dozens of times over. And shortly after the film began, I feared that I would be shown nothing new in the subsequent 90 minutes. How wrong could I be?

Top 14 Werner Herzog Films

Werner Herzog is my favorite living filmmaker. I love his films. All of his films. But moreover, it’s his attitude that I’m drawn to. The way he’s driven by a sort of nonchalant necessity to make films. He’s compelled to tell stories that no one else is telling, and he doesn’t do it from the comfort of a studio lot. He goes to the jungle, pulls ships over mountains, puts his life in jeopardy, all in an effort to achieve a greater truth.

Herzog has made many films, both in fictional narrative and documentary form. I’ve seen nearly all of them (only a few short films remain) and here, on the man’s 71^st birthday, are my favorite of his wildly eclectic oeuvre. 

Short Term 12

Short Term 12 tells the story of a handful of young, dedicated people who supervise a foster-care facility for very troubled youths. At the center is Grace (Brie Larson), a strict but compassionate floor supervisor who works alongside her boyfriend, the goofy but reliable Mason (John Gallagher Jr.), and an innocent new guy, Nate (Rami Malek). Through a series of quick and amusing vignettes, we meet the staff of Short Term 12 before we are introduced to the kids who define them. And what an introduction the kids have.

Some are violent, others are angry. Some scream and shout and run, others sit quietly, waiting to explode. Grace and Mason are trained to handle anything these kids throw their way, but we, the audience, are not. Writer/director Destin Cretton knows this, and instead of exploiting our naiveté, he guides us steadily – never shocking, but consistently leveling us with brutal truth.

Top 20 Road Movies

Who doesn’t love a good road movie? The meditation, the self-discovery, the journey for truth – there’s power on that road. Below, I’ve mixed it up between movies of the road in which characters seek introspection, and road movies in which characters are on the run from the law. Believe me, I am well aware that there are many, many, many films that constitute as a road movie. These are my personal favorites, which doesn’t mean I forgot any of yours. So here, in their own words, are my favorite films that tackle the open road.

In Character: Joan Allen

There’s a popular critique that many women share about the American film industry. Females play characters whose only purpose is to enhance the lead actor’s motivations. Female characters exist as exaggerated background, act as aimless creatures unequipped without original thoughts or intentions. And while that certainly isn’t true of all films, it’s an argument we hear often.

So then I look at Joan Allen. Joan Allen, a woman who, on the surface, has made a career out of playing such women. Women who exist to propel whatever narrative their husbands are offering. Wives who sit in the corner, saying little. But look closer. Watch what Allen does. With a sharp stare, convincing line delivery and a trademark look of utter devastation, Allen has managed to make all the women she plays matter. She makes every character essential, and every role greater.

the Directors: Gus Van Sant

One of the best parts about watching a Gus Van Sant movie is being aware that you’re watching a Gus Van Sant movie. His best films are so distinctly spawned from the same man, that they remain a joy to rediscover time and again. Whether it’s through subtle humor, stark photography, bold material or raw execution, American independent cinema is seldom more accomplished than Gus Van Sant at his best.

Another distinguishing factor of a Van Sant film: he often chooses to shoot his characters from behind, following them on their journey. This is a very purposeful shot (one that I absolutely love in films), and lends a different perspective than if the camera acted as the character’s eye. Gus Van Sant doesn’t want us seeing his films through his characters’ worlds. He wants us to see it through his. Which, for better or worse, I will always welcome.

You're Next

I’m not at all sure what kind of movie You’re Next is. Which is fine, it can often take a while to definitively label a film. But the problem with this new horror/comedy/torture porn/romp/satire/whatever is that I’m not sure it knows what kind of movie it is either. And therein lies the problem.

You’re Next opens with a pretty groovy and rather freaky double murder that has (unfairly and lazily) drawn comparisons to Drew Barrymore’s introduction in Scream. (In fact, scanning some early reviews, it seems like many people are jumping at the opportunity to label You’re Next as the next Scream. That’s reaching. Way too far. Scream, my friends, this is not.) Anyway, from there, we meet a married couple spending their wedding anniversary in their massive vacation home secluded deep in the woods. Joined for their celebration are their children and their children’s lovers. A few days of festive merriment, with those they love.

Top 10 Directors Who Released Two Great Films in One Year

In today’s cinematic landscape, I think we’re lucky if we get one truly great film a year. So it speaks rather well of the filmmakers below that, at least once in their careers, they managed to release two great films only a few months apart. A prolific work ethic paired with incomparable skill. Not that’s saying something.

In Character: James Cromwell

If you’ve turned a television on and flipped through the channels at any point during the past 30 some odd years, there’s a chance you came across a show or movie featuring James Cromwell. Seriously, this guy has been in everything. From mainstream television series to blockbuster action films to Oscar-winning indies. Thing is, he’s always good. In everything. Despite (or because of) the material he’s working with, James Cromwell always delivers a performance of sheer power. He’s one of the most recognizable characters actors we have. A sturdy presence of confidence.

The Spectacular Now

There’s a common tale people like to tell. It’s a stereotype, but one that fits this review appropriately. The tale goes like this: the jocks peak in high school. If they’re not jocks, then they’re the most popular guys in the school. The guys who party hard, get laid often and enjoy proclaiming that these are the best years of their lives. But the tale continues. When you jump ahead five to 10 years, the tale dictates that those once popular guys never left their hometown. They stayed, clinging to the glory days.

Now, whether you believe in that tale or not, it perfectly describes who Sutter Keely is going to be. When Sutter is all grown, tending bar with his old man, wondering where all his buddies went. Wondering what happened to that one girl he used to love. This is utter speculation on my part, as The Spectacular Now only captures Sutter (Miles Teller) for a few months of his life as a high school senior, but that is certainly where he’s headed. A pathetic drunk, clinging to the best of times, wondering What If.