Happy Birthday Michelle Pfeiffer

Tags

Batman Returns, Birthday, Catwoman, Dangerous Liaisons, Michelle Pfeiffer, Scarface, The Age of Innocence, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Witches of Eastwick, What Lies Beneath

Today marks the 55th birthday of Michelle Pfeiffer, one of my favourite actresses. Over the years, she has been a beautiful and versatile presence on movie screens. She can be funny, touching, slinky and poignant. Her filmography is a cavalcade of varied roles that show the many facets of her ability and constantly surprise us with her range. Her many roles are too many to name, but I have chosen some to specially mention as a tribute to this wonderful woman and her career. Here they are:

 

 

 

As the dejected and cocaine-addicted wife of a drugs baron in Scarface.

 

 

 

As Suki, one of the three loved-starved Witches of Eastwick.

 

 

As the virtuous and naive victim in a game of lust and deceit in the period romance Dangerous Liaisons.She received an Oscar nomination for her work in this film.

 

 

Iconic as the slinky and dangerous Catwoman in Batman Returns. There have been many incarnations of this character, but in my eyes Pfeiffer is the ultimate Catwoman.

 

 

Sizzling across the screen as a seductive lounge singer who comes between two musical brothers in The Fabulous Baker Boys. A second Oscar nomination came her way for her work in this comedy.

 

 

 

As the ostracized countess who falls for her cousin’s husband in The Age of Innocence.

 

 

 

As a woman who comes to believe her house is haunted in the horror film What Lies Beneath.

There are many more roles I could list but I would need a lot of pages. So whatever your opinion, please give it. What is your favourite performance by Pfeiffer? What in your eyes makes her a great actress? Hope you enjoy the post.

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Belle de Jour

Tags

1960's, Belle de Jour, Catherine Deneuve, Drama, Foreign Language Film, Luis Bunuel, Psychological Drama, Surreal

Film Title

Belle de Jour

Director

Luis Bunuel

Cast

• Catherine Deneuve as Severine Serizy
• Jean Sorel as Pierre Serizy
• Michel Piccoli as Henri Husson
• Genevieve Page as Madame Anais
• Pierre Clementi as Marcel

Belle de Jour is one of Luis Bunuel’s most surreal films. Focusing on the fantasies of a bourgeoise housewife who has a double life as a prostitute, it boasts an excellent performance from Catherine Deneuve as well as a deft hand at revealing the surreal nature of hallucinations and entwining them with the everyday.  It is truly an example of world cinema that needs to be seen for movie buffs.

Severine Serizy is the beautiful wife of a successful doctor Pierre living in a chic apartment. Although in love with Pierre, she is frigid and unable to experience intimacy with him. Little does Pierre know that Severine has many wild fantasies going on in her head, many of which are masochistic. After hearing a friend of Pierre mention a brothel, a curious Severine goes to visit. It is there that she is given the name Belle de Jour by the Madame , the name translates  into English as beauty of the day. Her name comes from the flower of the same name and the fact that she begins work as a prostitute between the hours of 2 and 5. Although she is at first hesitant about her job, she eventually gains satisfaction from it. It is in the boudoirs of the brothel that Severine’s wild and strange fantasies come to life, and we watch her lead a double life as an icy, aloof housewife and prostitute. Her double life becomes complicated when she catches the eye of volatile gangster Marcel, who wants the beautiful woman all to himself.

Bunuel’s film is certainly erotic, yet never explicit, letting the audience think about the events in the brothel. As Severine’s fantasies begin to run wild, they become almost a reality. It is through this technique that Bunuel crafts this perverse fable, as the audience is left to wonder what is real and what is in the icy Severine’s mind. The many instances of her imagination are surreal and startling, as apparent in the famous opening sequence. In it, Severine and Pierre are riding in a horse-drawn carriage, when Pierre suddenly gets it to stop.  He instructs the horseman to tie Severine to a nearby tree and whip her mercilessly. The scene then cuts to a contented Severine in her bedroom, telling Pierre she was thinking of him. Was it a dream or not? That is precisely the point as Bunuel cloaks the film in ambiguity and enigmas, making the film one that can be read on various levels. Catherine Deneuve turns in a startling performance, revealing the inner desires of Severine through the tiniest gestures and facial expressions. She is by turns enigmatic, erotic and strange, all of this is a testament to her abilities as an actress as we are left to wonder what is really going on underneath her glacial exterior. Her performance is one that lingers long in the memory because of its effectiveness. Although the film can be read as an account of a warped mind, it can also be seen as a parable on the link between the respectability and debauchery. Colours are used effectively to convey Severine’s freedom and erotic desires that come alive when working and the various costumes worn by Deneuve are stunning.

Truly an iconic example of surrealism and sexuality, highlighted by Deneuve’s portrayal of the eponymous beauty, Belle de Jour is a strange, enthralling psychological drama that will haunt the memory like a refrain long after you’ve seen it.

Chocolat

Tags

2000's, Alfred Molina, Carrie-Anne Moss, Chocolat, Comedy, Drama, Joanne Harris, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Juliette Binoche, Lasse Hallstrom, Lena Olin

Film Title

Chocolat

Director

Lasse Hallstrom

Cast

• Juliette Binoche as Vianne Rocher
• Judi Dench as Armande Voizin
• Alfred Molina as Comte de Reynaud
• Lena Olin as Josephine Muscat
• Johnny Depp as Roux
• Victoire Thivisol as Anouk
• Carrie-Anne Moss as Caroline Clairmont

Based on the novel by Joanne Harris, Chocolat is a light-hearted fable to the power of food and tradition being threatened by change. Although it may be to sweet for some viewers, it still is a deliciously joy of a film to watch.

The year is 1959 and the setting is a small traditional village in France. The austere town is ruled over by the devoutly religious Comte de Reynaud, who instills the residence with a firm belief in tradition and strict values. One day, a blustering North wind brings with it a hooded stranger. She is Vianne Rocher, a mysterious drifter with her sweet-natured daughter Anouk in tow. She proceeds to open a chocolate shop just as the staunch village is preferring for a period of abstinence during Lent. The good-natured and bewitching Vianne soon becomes the talk of the cloistered community for this act of defiance, because of her refusal to attend church, revealing clothing and the fact that Anouk doesn’t know who her father is. The repressed and angry Reynaud abhors the idea of a confectionary and tries whatever means necessary  to put an end to the shop. Yet one by one the villagers are seduced by the shop and in a number of ways, Vianne awakens hidden desires within them and helps those around her who are in need of it.

Heading the cast is Juliette Binoche in a luminous performance, imbuing Vianne with a rebellious defiance that helps combat the opposition thrown her way because she is an outsider. Judi Dench(long one of my favourite actresses) is a joy to watch as the surly and eccentric neighbour Armande, who is won over by Vianne’s charm and chocolates. Dench shows a woman who knows that time is not on her side but is still up for having a good time before she is unable to. Alfred Molina is funny yet serious as the mayor who feels pressured by the change in his town and watching him react to the change is quite funny but also effective. Lena Olin is great as the downtrodden Josephine, who blossoms into an independent woman after leaving her abusive husband and moving in with Vianne. Other people to look out for are Johnny Depp as a traveller who takes a liking to Vianne and Carrie-Anne Moss as the pious daughter of Armande, who forbids her child from seeing her because she is a bad influence.

Visually, Chocolat is sumptuous featuring many scenes of chocolate being made( if it doesn’t make you feel hungry I don’t know what will) and the dedication that goes into it.  The cinematography greatly adds to the look of the town, cold and eerie from tradition and the arrival of the vivacious Vianne eliciting brightness among the lives of the townspeople. The music score featured adds a playful tone to the film, with finicky violins reminding one of the sinfully delicious temptation of Vianne’s chocolates. Taken as a comic fable from Lasse Hallstrom, it is an outstanding film but there are those that will find it cloying and sentimental. Love it or loathe it, it is hard not to be captured by this delicious story.

Dolores Claiborne

Tags

1990's, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Dolores Claiborne, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John C. Reilly, Judy Parfitt, Kathy Bates, Mystery, Stephen King, Taylor Hackford

Film Title

Dolores Claiborne

Director

Taylor Hackford

Cast

• Kathy Bates as Dolores Claiborne
• Jennifer Jason Leigh as Selena St. George
• Judy Parfitt as Vera Donovan
• Christopher Plummer as Detective John Mackey
• David Strathairn as Joe St. George
• John C.Reilly as Constable Frank Stamshaw

Based on the novel by Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne is a sombre and compelling mystery headlined by a superb performance by Kathy Bates. Evocatively scored by Danny Elfman and featuring an interesting flashback structure, Taylor Hackford has created a chiller that leaves you guessing till the very end.

On a coastal town in Maine, hard-working and tough-talking housekeeper, Dolores Claiborne is accused of murdering her elderly employer Vera Donovan. The chief detective, John Mackey, heads the investigation into the suspicious death and harbours a desire to imprison the woman as he believes she murdered her abusive husband Joe 20 years ago. Soon after, Dolores’s daughter Selena arrives to support her mother. Selena is a succesful writer struggling with a drink problem and suspicious of the events surrounding both Vera’s death and her father’s. Dolores hasn’t seen her daughter for years and attempts to get through to her, even though her daughter is unsure of her mother’s plea of innocence. Through the use of a flashback structure, subtle incidents in both of the women’s lives are revealed and we begin to understand more about them and their strained relationship with each other. Is Dolores innocent of the crime? Or is she in fact a double murderer? You’ll have to watch the film to find out.

Kathy Bates, starring in her second adaptation of a Stephen King novel after her Oscar-winning role in Misery, fixes the attention and steals the show as the title character. She at first appears to be a stony, bitchy woman, but as the mystery begins to unravel, she is shown to be something quite different. She is a tough woman, wounded by life but not beaten yet and Bates embodies the worn-down but still resilient spirit of the title character effortlessly. It truly is a testament to Bates’s ability that we are never sure if Dolores is well and truly innocent of the crime until the finale. Ably supporting her is Jennifer Jason Leigh as the suspicious and sullen Selena, who is never truly convinced of her mother’s innocence but forced to confront her own painful past in the process. Christopher Plummer savours his role as a resentful but motivated detective who will stop at nothing to make sure Claiborne is imprisoned. David Strathairn, seen in flashback as the abusive husband of Dolores , helps set the secondary conflict in motion because of his menacing presence. Also seen in glowing flashback is the excellent Judy Parfitt, as the overbearing rich woman who becomes an unlikely ally to Dolores before her mysterious death. John C. Reilly also appears in a small role as a sympathetic constable investigating the case.

Visually, Dolores Claiborne creates a chilling atmosphere, shading the Maine town in which Claiborne resides in blue and grey. This is counteracted by luminous flashbacks, bathed in an almost sepia tone, showing the ugliness that lies beneath a happy facade. Danny Elfman’s melancholy score accentuates most of the scenes with a sombre and evocative expression of suspicion and delving into the shocking past of the main character for answers.

Dramatic, enigmatic and enthralling, Dolores Claiborne is a mystery that grabs you from the opening frame and refuses to let go.

Wild At Heart

Tags

1990's, David Lynch, Diane Ladd, Drama, Grace Zabriskie, Harry Dean Stanton, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Road Movie, Surreal, Wild At Heart, Willem Dafoe

Film Title

Wild At Heart

Director

David Lynch

Cast

• Nicolas Cage as Sailor Ripley
• Laura Dern as Lula Fortune
• Diane Ladd as Marietta Fortune
• Willem Dafoe as Bobby Peru
• Harry Dean Stanton as Johnnie Farragut
• J.E. Freeman as Marcellus Santos
• Isabella Rossellini as Perdita Durango
• Grace Zabriskie as Juana Durango

Wild At Heart is a surreal, dark and strange road movie directed by David Lynch. Focusing on the intense courtship between a former prisoner and his girlfriend on a deeply weird road trip across America, it is essential viewing for fans of the surreal and Lynch in general.

Sailor Ripley is a rebellious, Elvis loving guy, who is sent down for brutally killing a man with his own bare hands. He is in a raw relationship with the sensual Lula Fortune, who is constantly bombarded by her scary and needy mother, Marietta to end the romance. Disobeying her mother’s orders, Lula picks Sailor up after he is released and together they embark upon a sex-fueled, sinister road trip across many states. All the while, the manipulative and unhinged Marietta has sent a private detective to find them, but also cunningly enlisted the services of a gangster friend as she wants Sailor dead. This signals the cue for the usual Lynchian staples of dreams and surrealism, and also many homages to Elvis and The Wizard of Oz as Sailor and Lula travel down their own sinister yellow brick road and meet many creepy and deranged characters along the way.

Though it is a film that will undeniably divide viewer opinion, the performances from the cast are excellent. Nicolas Cage, clad in a seriously cool snake-skin jacket, embodies the violent, unpredictable lifestyle of Sailor. Laura Dern shows a complex young girl who is confused and sexy, sometimes at the same time. The two actors keep the audience engaged as we watch the strange events unravel around them as they travel. Heading the supporting cast is Dern’s real-life mother Diane Ladd, who creates an unforgettably unstable and resentful  matriarch who surely ranks as one of the mothers from hell in the cinematic archives. Whether calmly plotting Sailor’s demise, painting lipstick all over her face or completely flying off the handle at her daughter’s defiance, she is certainly a startlingly original character. The always interesting Harry Dean Stanton is on scene stealing form as a most unlucky private investigator, drawn into this twisted mess Willem Dafoe also contributes creepiness to the narrative as a scary criminal, who has the strangest teeth I’ve ever seen on film. They are used perfectly to show a sinister side when he smiles with a snake-like glee. Also watch out for a sultry cameo from Isabella Rossellini as the bleach blonde getaway driver for criminals and a creepy performance by Lynch regular Grace Zabriskie as her crazed, murdering sister Juana.

Music plays an integral part to the film, cutting it to old school rock that the two lovers are often seen listening to or discussing. The use of the song Wicked Game is effective as the lovers drive at night and see eerie visions as the melancholy tune plays. Although the numerous references to Oz, especially in terms of visual style, may put off viewers, they contribute an almost darkly, childlike undercurrent showing how supernatural and creepy the road trip has become for the fleeing duo.

All in all, Wild At Heart is not a film for everyone’s taste, mainly because of graphic violence and macabre atmosphere. But if you relish strange, symbol-laden films populated by weird characters and striking visuals, Wild At Heart may just be the film for you.

The Straight Story

Tags

1990's, David Lynch, Drama, Richard Farnsworth, Road Movie, Sissy Spacek, The Straight Story

Film Title

The Straight Story

Director

David Lynch

Cast

• Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight
• Sissy Spacek as Rose Straight
• Everett McGill as Tom
• Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle Straight
• Kevin Farley as Harald Olsen
• John P.Farley as Thorvald Olsen

A simple, heartfelt and endearing look at the strength of the spirit, The Straight Story marks a change in direction for David Lynch, who is usually known for surreal and controversial films. Incredibly based on a true story and boasting a restrained Oscar-nominated performance by Richard Farnsworth, the film is both poignant and relatable in equal measure.

Alvin Straight is an old World War II veteran living in Iowa with his daughter Rose, who suffers from a speech impediment. He is in bad health, being told that he is going blind and that his legs are failing by his local doctor. He is also informed that his estranged brother Lyle, who lives in Wisconsin, has recently suffered a stroke. Knowing that time is not on his side and desperate to heal old scars, the stubborn Alvin decides to take a rather interesting trip to visit his brother. As he can’t drive, he uses a trusted lawnmower and decides to embark on the odyssey alone, despite the pleas of his friends and family. What follows on is a beautifully realised road movie, peppered by interesting characters and Alvin’s affect on their lives as he attempts to reach his brother .

The cinematography used is exemplary in showing the natural beauty of Alvin’s quest, bathing fields in a hue of gold and capturing the sun emerging from behind mountains. The screenplay should also be praised for not falling into cloying sentimentality or melodrama, rather focusing on the immensely personal journey of one man who won’t let his age beat him. Above all, the thing that anchors the film is Farnsworth’s poignant, subtle performance. He creates an eccentric character who is old in years, yet young in spirit, mind  and determination. Knowing that Farnsworth was ill during filming and that he died a year after the film’s release adds another level of pathos to his already outstanding portrayal. Many moments of his performance stick in the mind, such as his moralistic lesson he gives to young bikers, his fireside chat with a runaway teenager about the importance of family, his funny handling of two bickering twins who try to charge him too much for repairs to his vehicle and the quiet tears he cries when chatting with an old veteran. Sissy Spacek is also touching in her supporting role, both showing the caring side of her and the scarred other side that life has inflicted on her.

With The Straight Story, David Lynch has created a heartfelt tribute to the themes of redemption and coming to terms with the realisation of one’s age. Although the basic premise may sound like uncharacteristic material for him, he actually crafts an emotionally moving tale that is hard not to like. The slow-moving pace of the film may put off some, yet it also helps create a beautiful and evocative testament to Alvin and his undying determination to complete his journey. All in all, The Straight Story was heartfelt viewing and I advise people to see it.

Traffic

Tags

2000's, Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Crime, Don Cheadle, Drama, Michael Douglas, Steven Soderbergh, Traffic

Film Title

Traffic

Director

Steven Soderbergh

Starring:

• Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield
• Don Cheadle as Montel Gordon
• Benicio Del Toro as Javier Rodriguez
• Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena Ayala
• Luis Guzman as Ray Castro
• Steven Bauer as Carlos Ayala
• Erika Christensen as Caroline Wakefield
• Miguel Ferrer as Eduardo Ruiz

Traffic is Steven Soderergh’s gritty, up close and personal look at drugs from various perspectives. Boasting an excellent cast and kinetic camerawork that gives it a feeling of a documentary, it is a kaleidoscopic look at the effects of the drug trade on different people and the consequences and situations that occur because of them.

Robert Wakefield is a judge who is appointed the high-ranking job of drugs czar, in an effort to combat the drug war that is raging. As he begins to question his new job, he becomes aware of his daughter Caroline’s serious drug problem and finds that drugs lie closer to home than he thinks. He tries everything he can to convince his daughter to give up, but the situation becomes harder and harder the more he tries and his daughter refuses help.  Meanwhile in Mexico, a cop named Javier is trying also to counteract the ever-growing drug trade and supply, whilst trying to remain honest in a world where everything around him is corrupted. A further story set in San Diego concerns Montel and Ray, two undercover DEA agents attempting to bring down drug baron Carlos Ayala. After pressuring one of his friends who is on Carlos’ illegal activities, Carlos is arrested and brought to trial. His pregnant socialite wife Helena, who is at first oblivious to her husband’s job, finds out for herself. Rather than live without him and desperate, she takes matters into her own hands and goes to extreme measures as a way to free her husband.

The first thing that struck me about Traffic was the exceptional camerawork and lighting used. In order to distinguish each story, a certain colour or filter plays a pivotal part. In Robert’s story, blue is heavily used to symbolise his desperation at his daughter’s habits.  Javier’s story is filmed with a blinding glow, counteracting with the corruption he witnesses on a daily basis. Helena’s story is filmed with a gold hue to show how naive she has been towards he husband’s dealings. All of this gives the audience a subtle insight into the character’s minds and how they respond to the presence of drugs in their lives. The use of a handheld camera further reiterates the struggles and conflict each character experiences, catching them off guard and examining with an almost forensic detail the various ways drugs have infiltrated their lifestyles.

The acting in the film from the ensemble cast is outstanding, especially from Douglas, Zeta-Jones and an Oscar-winning Del Toro. Michael Douglas shows the confusion of whether to concentrate on his job or help his addicted daughter from slipping any further. Catherine Zeta-Jones excels at showing Helena’s naivety in the beginning and then her gradual emergence as a scheming woman, galvanized into desperate action to clear her spouse’s name whatever the cost. Benicio Del Toro is the standout performer in Traffic, subtly portraying a man trying to remain honest but struggling when in the face of danger. In this way, he becomes the film’s heart, exuding a quiet intensity as we watch him being torn between his morals and the temptation to commit violent acts.

Steven Soderbergh has created an exceptional look at a difficult subject, without becoming preachy or cliché. Traffic is a haunting, intense and personal look at the connections of drugs and society. If you haven’t viewed Traffic, I would definitely recommend it to you.

The Godfather Part III

Tags

1990's, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Crime, Diane Keaton, Eli Wallach, Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Mantegna, Sofia Coppola, Talia Shire, The Godfather Part III, The Godfather Trilogy

Film Title

The Godfather Part III

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Starring:

• Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
• Diane Keaton as Kay Adams
• Andy Garcia as Vincent Mancini-Corleone
• Talia Shire as Connie Corleone
• Eli Wallach as Don Altobello
• Joe Mantegna as Joey Zasa
• Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone

The third and final entry into the epic Godfather Saga, Part III is commonly seen as the weakest. It is true that it doesn’t live up to the incredibly high standard of the two films before it, but taken as a film by itself and as the conclusion of the saga it isn’t as bad as some make it out to be.

The year is 1979 , Michael Corleone is ageing and a shadow of his former self. He is haunted by decisions he has made in the past, most prominently ordering the death of his brother Fredo, and has been trying to make family as legit as possible as a way of redemption. But no matter how hard he tries to distance himself from the business, the more it keeps coming back to him. The first instance of this is the presence of Mafia boss Joey Zasa, a cunning, double-crossing man who has a bone to pick with a member of Michael’s family. The family member is Vincent, the illegitimate son of the late Sonny, whose temper and volatile actions are clearly are inherited from his father. Michael takes Vincent under his wing and sees potential in his young nephew to inherit the position as Don. The other instance that pulls Michael back into the crime game, is a deal with the Vatican Bank, that is in actual fact a concealed swindle of Michael’s money. Whilst having to cope with all of these events, the guilt-ridden Michael tries to patch up old wounds with his ex-wife Kay, and is further troubled by Vincent’s relationship with his naive, young daughter Mary.

As I’ve mentioned earlier there are flaws within the last part of Francis Ford Coppola’s film. For one, the plot involving the Vatican Bank Scandal is sometimes to hard to follow and certainly outlandish. Also, although I respect Sofia Coppola as a director, she is unfortunately miscast in the role of Mary, a  fact that many critics pointed out at the time. Sofia Coppola, despite this criticism has established herself as a respected director since this and good for her. Now I’ve spoken about the negatives, I will proceed to the positives.

Al Pacino effectively conveys Michael’s remorse for his past misdeeds and his reluctance to get involved in any further crime. His scene with Diane Keaton as the long-suffering Kay, in which both characters admit that the still care for each other is certainly a touching moment. Admirably supporting him is Andy Garcia, who is frequently electrifying as Vincent, capturing the violent nature of him but showing an undying loyalty and humanity when it comes to protecting his uncle from opposition. Talia Shire is equally as good, showing Connie’s metamorphosis from downtrodden, abused wife to master manipulator and right hand woman to her reluctant older brother. It is Shire’s best performance in the series in my opinion. As always, the music and stunning cinematography are up to an impeccable standard, showing the nostalgic glow of family ties and the savage brutality of the crime lifestyle. All of this builds up to a bullet-ridden and devastating climax to Coppola’s unbeatable trilogy.

This may be one of my most controversial reviews, but I personally think the film, because of the reputation of the other’s has been neglected to the sidelines.