Who Are Your Movie and Television Crushes?

Tags

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Crushes

I recently came across The Darling Buds of May airing again on television. And while I wasn’t born when the show was originally on, I remember as a kid upon seeing it developing a crush on a young Catherine Zeta-Jones. I mean just look at her;

And this got me thinking about movie and television crushes we have over the years. So who for you is a crush from movie or television? It can be a recent crush or one from years ago.

More of mine include;

• The four Charmed Ones in Charmed
• Buffy Summers
• Beyonce
• Jennifer Garner
• Jennifer Lopez
• Gemma Atkinson

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Ocean’s Twelve

Tags

2000's, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Caper, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Comedy, Crime, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Elliott Gould, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Ocean's Twelve, Scott Caan, Shaobo Qin, Steven Soderbergh, Vincent Cassel

Film Title

Ocean’s Twelve

Director

Steven Soderbergh

Starring

• George Clooney as Danny Ocean
• Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan
• Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell
• Catherine Zeta-Jones as Isabel Lahiri
• Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean
• Andy Garcia as Terry Benedict
• Don Cheadle as Basher Tarr
• Bernie Mac as Frank Catton
• Casey Affleck as Virgil Malloy
• Scott Caan as Turk Malloy
• Vincent Cassel as Francois Toulour/ The Night Fox
• Eddie Jemison as Livingston Dell
• Carl Reiner as Saul  Bloom
• Elliott Gould as Reuben Tishkoff
• Shaobo Qin as Yen

As a follow-up to the successful Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve is still entertaining in its own way. It just happens to fall short by becoming overly complex and not using the ensemble cast as well as it could. It’s not a complete mess, but it could have been better.

Ever since pulling off their audacious major heist on casino owner Terry Benedict, Danny Ocean and the rest of his crew have been living apart and quietly with their takings. Unfortunately, this state of anonymous bliss is broken( which for smooth talking Danny has included reconciling with his wife Tess) when the angry and well-connected Benedict locates all of them and demands that they pay back the large sum they stole from him plus interest. Assembling the group, who are short of paying their halves of the money, they head to Amsterdam where they are told of a potential heist could take place. The crew has two weeks to repay the ruthless Terry or else things could be fatal for all involved. The hitch of the plan is that there is a gifted, arrogant cat burglar known as the Night Fox who beats them to it, forcing the crew to reconsider something else to steal. Striking an uneasy deal with the slimy Night Fox whose real name is Francois Toulour and a very rich man, the group plans to steal a Fabergé egg that should cover their debt to the vengeful Terry. Another obstacle comes in the shapely and sharp form of Isabel Lahiri, an extremely determined Europol detective who is put on the case and discovers that her former lover Rusty is part of the crew, causing various complications with putting the plan in motion and finally executing it. The question is will Danny and his cohorts be able to successfully do this heist and get the money before it is their necks on the chopping block?

A complex and labyrinthine plot is what makes Ocean’s Twelve a step down as it becomes overly clever and twists too much. And while Steven Soderbergh once again contributes his stylish sense of film making to the proceedings, he can’t make it flow together because of how convoluted the script becomes. Saying that, there are still some killer one-liners and hilarity, but in terms of pacing Twelve drags in comparison with its quick-footed predecessor. I have to compliment the visuals in Twelve which can’t be faulted and put the glamorous locales in glorious colours and mood, not to mention some slick costumes. There is something almost tired about Twelve, like because the first one did well they should make it a bit more complicated, yet this idea doesn’t work that well in theory. This is most apparent in the non-linear structure which works in the very beginning as the story is set up, but then descends into over confidence and confusion. And unlike the first movie that had quite a good bit of tension going on as the merry band of thieves were slipping past danger and averting trouble, Twelve is strangely devoid of the suspenseful heist we witnessed first time around. It is still an audacious heist that they must take part in, but the handling of it feels clumsy at best. A suitably cool score, accented with lively jazz and Rat Pack attitude at least gives Ocean’s Twelve hints of classy caper and adventure.

The starry cast is back with some new additions this time and while many are excellent, the way the script is done leaves many on the sidelines and doesn’t give some characters enough time to make an impression. As always, George Clooney is suave and devilish as main man Danny, who knows that the stakes are high in this heist and how the lives of everyone he cares about are on the line. The same goes for Brad Pitt as the lovable Rusty, whose relationship with Isabel begins to complicate matters that are already mounting. Matt Damon is a hoot as the overly eager and slightly naive Linus, who wants a central role this time and does show his skills to everyone when they get in a jam. Among the newer cast members, the beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones makes the biggest splash as detective Isabel. Somewhat icy and passionate in her dedication, her resolve gets tested by former lover Rusty coming into the case. Jones makes Isabel a really intelligent character who shares many sparks with Pitt’s Rusty as she tries to anticipate what he and the gang are up to. Julia Roberts has a smaller role as Tess this time around, but has some real humour especially when she is drawn in to help by taking on a disguise that is knowing and a funny in-joke. The rest of supporting cast in Twelve, although talented are given less to do in terms of material, which is very unfortunate because they all added something to the past film with their individual idiosyncrasies and tics. It’s only really Vincent Cassel as the supremely arrogant Night Fox that makes any real impression on the story out of the underused supporting cast.

So while there is obvious style and camaraderie with members of the cast, Ocean’s Twelve falls more than a little flat despite potential.

Chicago

Tags

2000's, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago, Christine Baranski, Drama, John C. Reilly, Musical, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, Rob Marshall, Taye Diggs

Film Title

Chicago

Director

Rob Marshall

Starring

• Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart
• Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly
• Richard Gere as Billy Flynn
• Queen Latifah as Matron Mama Morton
• John C. Reilly as Amos Hart
• Christine Baranski as Mary Sunshine
• Taye Diggs as The Bandleader

A flashy, well-mounted musical based on the stage show, Chicago smolders with dark sensuality, exuberant, sensational music numbers and tons of smoky atmosphere. This jazzy film is a feast for the eyes and ears and full of scandal, sex and corruption to entertain all.

1920’s Chicago: meek housewife Roxie Hart desperately wants to be a vaudeville star. Although married, she is having an affair with a sleazeball who has been promising her a path to stardom, but has been stringing her along. When she finds this out, she flies into a passionate rage and shoots him dead. At first, a panicked Roxie tries to get her lovingly devoted husband Amos to confess to the crime, but the police see through the story as Amos becomes aware that his wife was having an affair behind his back. Subsequently arrested for her crime of passion, she is sent to the Cook County Jail to await trial. While there, she meets her idol Velma Kelly, an established star who has been imprisoned for shooting dead her husband and her sister/stage partner after discovering their affair. Velma is the queen bee of the spotlight and has no intention of giving it up. Meanwhile, Roxie is prompted by the corrupt but caring Matron Mama Morton to enlist smooth talking lawyer Billy Flynn to represent her in trial. Roxie accepts and soon becomes something of a sensation under the ruthless and manipulative tutelage of Flynn, and proves herself as equally cold-hearted and deceptive in her rise to the top. The media pounces on the story and it seems that murder and ensuing trials are just as much a form of entertainment as vaudeville. This sudden turning of the tables doesn’t sit well with Velma, who wants her stardom back. And with there only being room for one person at the top in the cut throat show business industry, it’s a fight for the spotlight indeed as music, celebrity and murder meet in glamorous fashion.

Rob Marshall invests Chicago with a dark heart and glamorous allure of stardom, complete with a stunning rendering of the scandalous 20’s and the decadent calling of the time. A whole lot of panache is thrown into Chicago that adds to the enjoyment, especially in the musical numbers. Crafted from Roxie’s point of view and filtered through a dreamlike gaze, these are stunning achievements that hark back to the classic musicals from Hollywood’s Golden Era. The opening number ‘All that Jazz’ is sexy and vibrant as sung by the brash diva Velma.  ‘Cell Block Tango’, in which female inmates narrate their crimes while dancing up a darkly seductive storm is a feverish delight. ‘Mister Cellophane’ sung by Roxie’s good-hearted but used husband Amos, dressed as a melancholy clown and reflecting on how he is looked over by everyone because he is unimportant. And my personal favourite ‘When You’re Good to Mama’ where Mama Morton explains the process by which she works known as reciprocity, all while performing a burlesque number with an ostrich feather. Everything comes together in the musical numbers and they really help expand the story and move it on. I couldn’t possibly talk about every musical number without going into extreme detail, so I’ll just say that they are knockouts. I was especially impressed with the portrayal of stardom in this film. A corrupt, dark but very entertaining business that can make you a star and then forget about you the next. There’s something amusingly cynical about this portrayal but also truth to it. And while some musicals rely too much on the numbers to carry them, Chicago has a witty script of catty one-liners and waspish remarks to boast.

In the lead role of fame-seeking Roxie, Renée Zellweger is very convincing, showing off excellent vocal skills and dance moves. She encapsulates Roxie’s naive attitude in the beginning and her rise to stardom which makes her a manipulative woman who cradles every ounce of that spotlight. Considering Zellweger had no prior training in either dance or singing, you really couldn’t tell from watching her fine work here. Yet while Zellweger is excellent in the lead, it’s Catherine Zeta-Jones who steals the show in an Oscar-winning performance. Sexy, bitchy and diva like, she is a marvel to watch whenever she is on the screen. And her sensational dancing skills and beautiful singing voice complete this impressive turn that deservedly won her many awards. Richard Gere is a natural fit for the role of the greasy, silver-tongued lawyer who turns his clients into stars. Queen Latifah is funny, sneaky and fabulous as the matron who will help you out if you provide money. John C. Reilly makes the most of his role of Amos, the neglected husband who is walked over by everyone. Reilly just has this knack for really wringing out deep emotion in this part as we witness how he is used by everyone around him simply because he is a decent person in a time of lies and schemes. Christine Baranski is impressive as the sensational journalist jumping on the scandal, while a mysterious cameo from Taye Diggs as a bandleader who introduces the musical numbers completes the impressive acting on show.

Flamboyant and exuberant, Chicago is a triumph of the musical genre that entertains throughout.

 

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.