Sunday, May 05, 2024
Sideways
- Commentary: Under construction.
Yep, I've seen this movie, a couple of times, since it came out early in this century. I've often been reminded of it and, when I am, I always think, "Oh, yeah! Delightful movie! I must add that to my collection!" And then I go on to think of something else and I forget. Well, now, I've remembered for sure. It'll be here in a couple of days. I'm really looking forward to watching it again. And again. I was, you see, involved in a friendship very much like the one depicted. We fell into friendship in high school. We even went on a road-trip, of sorts, except it was a move to a city with which both of us were unfamiliar. We are, by the way, still friends, very comfortable friends, although quite distant, at the moment, being involved in unlocked and very busy separate lives. I expect that at some time before we die we will come together again. In the meantime, I'll watch this movie. Maybe, some day, we'll watch this movie together. She's not a movie person, so she may not relate to it as I do, but I think she'll appreciate it.
More later.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Giamatti Miles Raymond Thomas Haden Church Jack Cole Virginia Madsen Maya Randall Sandra Oh Stephane Marylouise Burke Mrs. Raymond Jessica Hecht Victoria Cortland Lee Brooks Ken Cortland Missy Doty Cammi MC Gainey Cammi's Husband Alysia Reiner Christine Erganian Shake Tukhmanyan Mrs. Erganian Shaun Duke Mike Erganian
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2004
Directed by Alexander Payne.
Labels: dramedy3, paul-giamatti, road-movie
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Cradle Will Rock
- Commentary: Under construction.
Keep in mind, this movie could be said to have "a cast of thousands". That, of course, is an exaggeration: It only has a credited/uncredited actor cast (over at IMDb) of 140, or thereabouts. It is, as well, more than a movie. It is an attempt (some say successful, some not) at an historical and contemplative presentation of the fate of the depression era Federal Theater Project production The Cradle Will Rock. At any rate, in the table below I've included actors/roles that seem to me to be important in the play, those I recognize and those who play themselves. Take a deep breath. This could take awhile.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Hank Azaria Marc Blitzstein Rubén Blades Diego Rivera Joan Cusack Hazel Huffman John Cusack Nelson Rockefeller Cary Elwes John Houseman Philip Baker Hall Gray Mathers Cherry Jones Hallie Flanagan Angus Macfadyen Orson Welles Bill Murray Tommy Crickshaw Vanessa Redgrave Countess Constance La Grange Susan Sarandon Margherita Sarfatti Jamey Sheridan John Adair John Turturro Aldo Silvano Emily Watson Olive Stanton Bob Balaban Harry Hopkins Jack Black Sid Kyle Gass Larry Paul Giamatti Carlo Barnard Hughes Frank Marvel Barbara Sukowa Sophie Silvano Steven Tyler Lehman Engel John Carpenter Power - William Randolph Hearst Gretchen Mol Marion Davies Ned Bellamy Paul Edwards Lynn Cohen Silvano - Mama Dominic Chianese Silvano - Papa Gregg Edelman Blitzstein - Dream Larry Foreman Carrie Preston VTA - Administrator Karen Lynn Gorney Dancer (uncredited) Tim Robbins Voice On Film Reel (uncredited) Franklin D. Roosevelt Self (archive footage) Haile Selassie Self (in pith helmet)
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1999
Directed by Tim Robbins.
Labels: §6, goflexA, historical4, john-turturro, paul-giamatti, period7, political5, tim-robbins
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
American Splendor
- Who's watched: M & G, both more than once
- Mentions: *1* *2*
- Commentary: My relationship with Harvey Pekar began through a former boyfriend of mine who was a rabid fan of his comics. He introduced me to the wonderful world of adult comics, but, more than that, he was sure I would have an affinity for American Splendor. He was right. He is also long dead as I write this, but, when I watch this movie, I imagine him looking over my shoulder approvingly and say, "I knew this was movie material! I knew they'd make a movie of it!" He did. And he was right.
Mom 'caught' me watching this the afternoon I purchased it when she was napping. I was surprised that she was as seduced by it as I am. I think his character displays a sensibility that she learned well during her young-to-middle adult years, having been born in 1917.
Update 11/17/2021: This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Giamatti Harvey Pekar Hope Davis Joyce Brabner Judah Friedlander Toby Radloff James Urbaniak Robert Crumb
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
Release Date: 2003
Directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini.
Labels: animated, biography2, dramedy2, female-director1, film-art2, hope-davis, me-favorite4, paul-giamatti
Friday, July 30, 2021
The Illusionist
- Commentary: I watched this movie last night, 8/20/21. As with most of the movies I acquire, I'd seen it before, only once, as I recall, with my mother, and have been intrigued by it ever since. Not with the magic. Although I find watching magic immensely entertaining, it's not an entertainment upon which I've much ruminated.
That's what I realized, last night, I enjoy about the movie. It does my ruminating for me, sparks questions in my mind about illusion, suggests answers, asks more questions, swirls all this around a romance story that could go either way, around the character developments of all the principal participants in the movie, all of which could go any way, and then comes to a satisfying but still mysterious end.
I've called the end "mysterious" because, well, I had trouble following Inspector Uhl's (played masterfully by Paul Giamantti) summation at the end of the movie. At first I thought it was me, but as I considered the movie further after watching it and then replayed the scene containing his final summation, I realized that I think it was meant to be confusing, as, the magic of illusion is that everyone sees something different because considering any illusion has different consequences for each person who sees it. Some don't even consider an illusion illusory. Prince Leopold certainly didn't, and look what happened to him.
Which brings us to the resolution of the romance. By the end of the movie it seems inevitable that Sophie and Eduard come together, something they've both been fighting for all their lives. But the final scene of them together has an otherworldly quality about it, as though, somehow, their lives were ended and their romance takes place in some sort of afterlife.
Which I found satisfying to contemplate. It's as though, well, you don't get what you're striving for until you can no longer strive for it.
'Nuff said, I think.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Edward Norton Eisenheim The Illusionist/Eduard Abramovich Aaron Johnson Young Eduard Abramovich Paul Giamatti Chief Inspector Walter Uhl Jessica Biel Duchess Sophie Von Teschen Rufus Sewell Crown Prince Leopold Eddie Marsan Josef Fischer Jake Wood Jurka Tom Fisher Willgut
The Wikipedia write-up for this movie is here.
Release Date: 2006
Directed by Neil Burger.
Labels: dramaD, edward-norton, fantasy4, historical4, paul-giamatti, period6, romance4
Friday, April 10, 2009
John Adams
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: Yet another one of those teaching videos, for Mom. The Mention says it all. Yes, we made it through the entire series before she died. Yes, she was shocked and intrigued at the vaccination and breast cancer episodes; worthy of pauses and further discussion between us. During the breast cancer surgery (which wasn't completely displayed), she speculated, aloud, how lucky MCS (who is a breast cancer survivor) was that "we" weren't living during "those days". The surprising aspect of this was that my mother remembered that MCS had breast cancer several years ago.
Update 8/2/21: Well, Whad'ya know! The Washington Post is still allowing access to it's movie reviews, at least. Old ones, anyway. Thanks, WP! Just for that, I'll bold your reference and link to you!
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Paul Giamatti John Adams Laura Linney Abigail Adams Stephen Dillane Thomas Jefferson David Morse George Washington Tom Wilkinson Benjamin Franklin Rufus Sewell Alexander Hamilton Justin Theroux John Hancock Danny Huston Samuel Adams Clancy O'Connor Edward Rutledge Željko Ivanek John Dickinson Ebon Moss-Bachrach John Quincy Adams Sarah Polley Abigail Adams Smith Andrew Scott William S. Smith Mamie Gummer Sally Smith Adams Samuel Barnett Thomas Adams Tom Hollander King George III
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2008
Directed by Tom Hooper.
Labels: david-morse, drama7, historical2, laura-linney, paul-giamatti, period3, political3, presidential, tom-wilkinson, TV1, war1, željko-ivanek
Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Truman Show
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: The first time my mother watched this she said, enthusiastically, that she enjoyed it. The second time I watched it in her presence, she paid no attention to it. The third time, not too long ago, she stared at the screen in a daze but insisted on sticking with it, then announced at the end that "...it doesn't seem to have much of a point." In some ways, I consider this movie a barometer of my mother's mental acuity on the day she happens to see it.
This is, by the way, one of my favorite Weir movies.
Once again, the title for this post is linked to an alternate source.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Jim Carrey Truman Burbank Laura Linney Hannah Gill/Meryl Ed Harris Christof Noah Emmerich Louis Coltrane/Marion Natascha McElhone Sylvia/Lauren Garland Holland Taylor Truman's Mother Brian Delate Truman's Father Paul Giamatti Simeon
Here is a link to the Wikipedia article on this film.
Release Date: 1998
Directed by Peter Weir.
Labels: coming-of-age1, drama8, fantasy3, laura-linney, me-favorite2, paul-giamatti, peter-weir, popcorn-and-soda4, satire2
Sunday, February 13, 2005
My Best Friend's Wedding
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: When we are in the mood to be perfectly delighted, we watch this movie. Before we owned it, I even went out of my way to rent it when I thought we needed a shot of what it offers. It worked for us last night when we watched it.
Update 5/9/2022: I still find myself needing this movie, enjoying this movie, watching this movie. The comedy and hilarity is this movie is so well done, so deadpan. Julianne's reaction to hearing her best friend, Michael, is getting married? Priceless. The scene where one of the bridesmaids accidentally freezes her tongue to an ice sculpture? Priceless. The I Say a Little Prayer scene? Priceless. And then, and then, the movie wraps up in a sweet, realistic, dignified manner. Priceless.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Julia Roberts Julianne Potter Dermot Mulroney Michael O'Neal Cameron Diaz Kimmy Wallace Rupert Everett George Downes Philip Bosco Walter Wallace M. Emmet Walsh Joe O'Neal Rachel Griffiths Samantha Newhouse Carrie Preston Amanda Newhouse
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1997
Directed by P.J. Hogan.
Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, buddy, comedy2, julia-roberts, paul-giamatti, romance3, shared-favorite
