I started this post weeks ago.
Movie the First. Quiz Show
When I first heard Ralph Fiennes name, I thought the pronunciation was ridiculous, (I've since learned that his is a common pronunciation.) but after seeing this movie I decided he had done such a good job that he could pronounce his name anyway he liked.
The movie is, in one of my professor's words, not the kind of film you want to rent with your friends on a Friday night, but I watched it again a few weeks ago, and was reminded of how much I like it. I'm not very good at film reviews, so I'll just tell you what I like about it.
This isn't a suspenseful film, so I see no need to avoid giving away certain plot points. Maybe you're on pins and needles over what will become of the television industry, but considering these things happened more than fifty years ago, it's doubtful. Perhaps Robert Redford considered taking poetic license with the outcome (I'm sure he did to some extent), but surely that doesn't extend to pretending the grand jury investigation to place in an alternate universe (although that might have held a certain interest for me).
I like that John Turturro's character gets what he wants in the end, the exposure of Charles van Doren's participation in a fraud, but finds that what he wanted isn't at all satisfying. I like that it shows van Doren's reluctance to participate in fraud at first, though is reluctance is quickly subsumed by the lure of fame and popularity. I love the portrayal of Charles's father, Mark van Doren, who is crushed by his son's loss of his teaching job. I like that Charles is lauded for eventually telling the truth, but that he isn't ultimately allowed to avoid of the consequences of his dishonesty--because his conscience could never have been satisfied by getting away with it in the end. I don't love that these things happen, but I love what they show about reality.
The movie has its funny points, but it's that wordy sort of humor I like so much, like when the van Doren family quotes Shakespeare around the birthday table, or when Charles says that if they give him the questions but let him look up the answers on his own, it might be less egregious. Hank Azaria as Albert Freedman: "What's 'egregious'?"
Quiz Show is in my top movies.
Movie the second. Pushing Tin
Somehow my parents wound up with a copy of this film, no idea how. And I really can't put my finger on why I enjoy this so much. For some reason I am fascinated with Billy Bob Thornton in this film--deepset eyes and high cheekbones have something to do with it. His character is a melancholy one. He doesn't easily fit in with the social norm although he is excellent at his job. The risks he takes are somewhat juvenile, but in that terribly creative way that makes me feel protective of him as a fictional character. Weird, huh? Angelina Jolie appears with him in this film as his young bride. His acting in this film is only so-so, but we do get to hear him sing, and at one point in the film John Cusack's character literally kicks him in the butt.
The movie is cleverly written as John Cusack's movies generally are. Honestly, I don't always get the humor. The movie is about the destruction of a marriage, guilt, and the power of unrestrained obesession with being the best. Cate Blanchette is in this one too.
Eventually perhaps I'll figure out why I'm willing to sit through this film over and over again. Melanie once said that when Parker enjoys the same activity or book or movie over and over again it may mean he's trying to work something out about it in his mind, and I think that's what I'm doing with this film. Or maybe it's just about Billy Bob Thornton. I don't know.
Other movies I've enjoyed with him in them: Intolerable Cruelty and The Apostle.
One of the interesting things about Billy Bob Thornton is his versitility. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize him from film to film, The Apostle being a case in point.
1 comment:
I guess I can shed some light on how Mom and Dad ended up with a copy of "Pushing Tin." At least, can account for the VHS copy. If they have since acquired the film on DVD, I had no part in that.
Anyway, I happened to walk into Suncoast video at some point, which is pretty unusual for me since they're almost always very, very expensive. They had a bargain bin with VHS tapes, including "Hot Shots! Part Deux," and the movies were two-for-five dollars or $3.99 each.
I wanted to buy "Hot Shots! Part Deaux" for father's day or something because it is just excellent, and so I wanted to get another movie since it would essentially cost a dollar. I had never heard of "Pushing Tin," but it had a really good cast, and the other options were rather unappealing, so I picked it up and brought it home.
I think that was at the height of the Angelina Jolie/Billy Bob Thornton crazyfest, so that probably influenced the decision.
I only watched it once, and don't remember that much about it, or I'd comment.
On a side note, if you're thinking of seeing "Watchmen," I recommend reading the graphic novel first. Several elements of the film are rather poorly executed due to lack of time and insistence on staying so close to the source material. I enjoyed it, but Shannon described it as "meh."
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