by Bob Martin | Aug 27, 2012 | Actors, Film
English: Ryan Gosling at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If we didn’t before, we know now that the world is full of psychopaths and psychopaths are often the main characters we cheer for in the films we love. Ryan Gosling in Drive plays a well meaning, super hero psychopath or an insane person doing insane things that we cheer for because of their warped sense of honor. Think Batman without the mask.
As an actor Gosling is consistently good (better than good) and I am impressed with the diversity of the acting roles he has taken on and just how good he is in each of these films. Some of his credits:
Film is a directors medium, I believe, and actors don’t have much input in what eventually shows up on the big screen. Being consistent is not only about hard work, it is also about a gift that some artist have in being able to deliver a creditable and powerful portraits of imaginary people.We identify with flawed characters even if when they are despicable. Actors give us the chance to understand something about ourselves and to get over it.
Director, writer Terrence Malick whose work I admire has a film in production which features both Gosling and “Christian Bale”, another actor who often plays a confused hero or psychopath, and he too is very convincing.
by Bob Martin | Jul 26, 2012 | Actors, Art
Sherman Hemsley
There was a time when African Americans were seldom seen on television. Early on, they were basically backdrops, like the guy in the train station shinning someones shoes while the main characters rushed by to catch the train. This was a time when one of the most influential recording artists in the United States, (Nat King Cole) would have to wait until the last 4 minutes of the Ed Sullivan Show (I’ve heard that Sullivan would have preferred that no blacks performed on his show) to perform or in the case of the iconic Jerry Lewis Telethon, African Americans like Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr. and many others could only be seen “After Midnight” (J.J. Cale), usually around 2AM.
With the exception of Amos ‘n’ Andy, Sanford and Son, Julia and I Spy, early TV in the States was pretty much void of Asian, Latino/Hispanic and the most populous minority, African Americans. We did not exist in prime time. The before mentioned shows had in common a lack of depth and no back story that I can remember. There was little acknowledgement of the true adventure of the African in America, nothing about their hard won contributions or accomplishments that made America be what it became.
Tyler Perry
George Jefferson, as portrayed by Sherman Hemsley, got a lot of heat. (Similar in a way to Tyler Perry). “The Jeffersons” was seen as degrading and a return of the Minstrel Shows. Some of what was overlooked was that the series was a sitcom and Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, Gracie Allen, and Dick Van Dyke all played the buffoon and none of them got any heat. The “Jeffersons” in my recollection was the first African American portrayal of an intact African American family on TV, who had achieved the “American Dream” with a well written undertone of “I did it my way”. George Jefferson was black, uppity and funny. This must have been startling to its white viewers, and there were many.
Unfortunately, Sherman Hemsley will never get the credit he deserves for just taking the job and giving it his best. Peace to his family and friends.
by Sandy | May 4, 2012 | Blogroll, Directors, Film, Movies
I was reading a movie review and the writer described the film as “Felliniesque”. No reference to the director, for whom the term was coined, just – “Felliniesque”. I got it. 
Federico Fellini (Dec. 1924 – Dec. 1976) was one of the most influential Italian writer/directors of his day.
His films were character driven, people and plots sometimes bizarre and outrageous, but the inhabitants of his pictures were closer to the reality of the everyday world than what was usually seen on screen during the 50s and 60s.
Four of his films won the Best Foreign Film Oscar: La strada (1954), with his wife Guilettea Masina and Anthony Quinn, Le Notti di Cabiria (1957) (Nights of Cabiria), 8½ (1963) and Amarcord (1973).
But, his film La Dolce Vita (1960) with Marcello Mastroiannibrought him worldwide fame. The famous/infamous frolick in the fountain scene with Marcello and Anita Ekberg seemed such wild decadence in the 60’s, but, pretty tame now.
BTW : “Felliniesque” is often used to describe films that put a character’s inner thoughts/memories into dreamlike sequences, and/or scenes that move backward/forward in time. (Ya gotta pay attention with his movies)
Federico Fellini films to find on DVD:
by Bob Martin | Apr 3, 2012 | Art, Cable, Directors, HBO, Movies
Simultaneously, as we began to understand the characters and their dynamics on the HBO series “Luck” we learned that the series had been cancelled, because of the concern for horses that might be used in the production of the series. Ironically the series was beginning to paint a bleak portrait of the “sport” of horse racing, the people associated with the sport as well as the care for these magnificent animals once they are no longer able to race, leaving some people to wonder if the heat that HBO felt (and reason for cancellation) was about the death of 3 horses or the exposure given to the seedy side of this sport.Unfortunately races horses die from racing and not from being filmed. So the cancellation of show is about politics and not horses, so ending the series did do much for the horse.
Growing up in an urban area, I’ve had a fascination with horses and believed that they were always treated like “Scout” or “Trigger” the always appreciated sidekicks of the Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers, respectfully and that the people surrounding the “sport” of horse racing were the type of people you see at the Kentucky Derby, woman with flowered hats, and owners in white linen suites. “Luck” put to rest this fantasy.
Like everything that turns out to be worth watching, the series “Luck” was about more then just the horses and any one single thing. A well acted, written and directed portrait of people whose background story we seldom hear about. It was the bazaar and conflicting human story that was just beginning to unfold and there just didn’t seem to be enough time (episodes) to tell the whole story. Like the “Sopranos” and “Deadwood” it would have been the second season (I believed) that would make the series a hit.
I am sorry to see the series end. Maybe the next time they will use puppets.
by Bob Martin | Mar 30, 2012 | Directors, Film, Movies
Art awakens us to the truth.
When I first viewed White Ribbon I overlooked one element that the film highlights, that was “privilege”. Privilege came with blue eyes, fair skin and Christianity in the 1930 and 40(s). It’s now 2012 and hope for ending the discrimination of people who comprise of over 80% world population has remained just a hope.
Recently with the murder of a young black man in Florida, the people responsible for the murder, its investigation and prosecution, all claimed that they were not racist or bigots and therefore the killing of a young man on his way home could be justifiably ignored. There was no deeper consideration and that is the sad and sickening part. The young dead man was left with the burden of proof.
We all have become so comfortable with telling ourselves lies, that we let the obvious escape us.
White Ribbon” is wonderful and disturbing movie. “Like the truth.
Some movies are best filmed in Black and White. The lack of color gives the story a factual realness and solemness that suggest violence. No need to see the gore. White Ribbon is an elegant movie wonderfully directed and shot that got great reviews when it was first released.
Most of the reviews that I’ve read speak to how the director Michael Haneke may have painted a picture of the origins of Nazi Germany and World War Two. I on the other hand thought about what is it that is being preached today, disguised in bright glorious colors and apocalyptic rhetoric, that might be leading this world toward another horrific adventure.
by Bob Martin | Mar 12, 2012 | Film, Writers
John Le Carré
Le Carré’s depiction of intelligence operators or “spies” is that they are people who are for the most part not physically gifted and deal with their work as if they were sitting at a giant chess board. They like puzzles and believe if they stare at something long enough it will begin to make sense. Le Carre focuses in on flaws in his characters. They are people who have practiced and perfected telling lies about themselves and others from the earliest stages of their lives. Their only loyalty is to anyone who they believe loves them. Patriotism is not the important thing. The movie “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” remains true to what I think about a Le Carré novel and people in general. There are very few if any superheros in this world and when one does turn up they are remarkably ordinary looking creatures.
It’s in the eyes, that’s were all action is. Pay attention to the eyes and the small gestures, that is were the spectacular happens in this movie. Brilliantly!
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – due out on DVD April, 2012
