"Doubt" Poster

Now this definitely look like an awards contender in a BIG way. You know when you see a poster and you can already imagine the FYC ads?

Julianne Moore is BLIND in love.

But you know she is not really!

The Blogging Blahs

As you may have not noticed I have been pretty quiet on the blog front. This is mainly due to some unexpectedly good weather here in London that just beckons me out doors.

I have been a social butterfly, going to various Pride events and parties and just basically letting my hair down, bank account be damned.

Also this is the time of year where the movie news, aside from a big trailer release, is just kind of blah. Oscar season starts picking up in September and that is when we will see some of the real contenders.

For those of you not familiar with Annamarina Marinca (Maffe Award nominee for 12008 for her superb performance in "$ Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), well you should be. Go out now and watch "Sex Traffik" now! In doing this you will see she is one of the best actresses going on the international scene. She carries this mini series on her back and you feel her every emotion. I cannot remember being this excited about an new actress in a long time.
Also in this wonderful show is John Simm who would make a great Bilbo!

Once my social life eases up and the movies start a-coming I will be back in the swing!

"Appaloosa" Trailer

Could this do what "£:10 to Yuma" could not, and that is get an acting nomination. Not so sure about Ed Harris, but Viggo could indeed do this (he is so good at those silent roles) and perhaps see Jeremy Irons return to the fold.

"Rachel Getting Married" Trailer

Now this does look good. I was not really sure as for Anne Hathaway's Oscar chances until I have watched this, and now she, and the rest of the cast are looking like they will be serious contenders.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Trailer

Ummm..........yeah. Totally excited now.

THE RUG RATS BLOG-A-THON!!!!!

It is hear....and I have been partying and almost missed it! Priorities MICHAEL!!!

So the turn out has been great, and I want to thank everyone for entering. I was expecting 3 entries so I am ECSTATIC with the all of you who participated. You will all be getting thanks yous!


Lets get started:

Firstly we have an entry from the fantastic blog 'Runs like a gay" written by Ben. He takes a closer look at Oscar winner (Special juvenile award) Bobby Driscoll. Did you know his voice was used for Walt Disney's feature Peter Pan (1953) and an actual "acting" performance was filmed, then rotoscoped for the animated character? I didn't. Andy Serkis eat your heart out.

Next we have the brilliant José of "Movies Kick Ass" who writes about those pesky little children who lie and make up stories. I always relish it when a child is a villain....they are so evil. Liar Liar pants on fire indeed.

Embarrassingly, James of "Rants of a Diva" has written a wonderful post featuring a child performance in a film I have never seen. And it is a classic. James, I am puting this on my lovefilm list immediately!

One of the most interesting takes was from Manuel of "A Blog Next Door" who aims his critical and loving eye on those unsung hero's, Child voice actors. I would definitely have to add to that wonderful list Daveigh Chase who was absolutely brilliant in "Lilo and Stitch"

We have had liars, cartoons, and child actors of yester-year. So of course we have to go into the freaky. Those actors scarred for life by staring in Horror films. The Culture Kid looks at Danny Lloyd.

Then there is a film that has been dividing the critics, yet all say the same thing about this young little actress. Scott from He Shot Cyrus casts his eyes over Catinca Untaru in Tarsem's "The Fall".

Then some strange little person decided to join. So let him. Michael Parsons worships at the foot of Sara Gilbert.

Last, but most definitely not least we have the lover of the Supporting Actress Stinky LuLu who of course stays true to form, and reminds us of the diversity of the young girls who have all flirted with Oscar.



Here is mine (part two)

Ariel: What are transvestites?
Christy: A man who dresses up as a woman.
Ariel: For Halloween?
Christy: No, all the time. All the time.
Ariel: Why?
Christy: It's just what they do here, OK?

When I decided to host my little blog-a-thon I already knew which child performances that I would write about. I knew I wouldn’t right a long essay, but I just wanted to watch the film again and be captivated like I was when I first watched it.

I want to right about the formidable talent of these two young performers.

Sarah and Emma Bolger in “In America”

In America is the story of an immigrant Irish family, who move to New York City to start a new life after the death of their youngest child (Frankie). They move into a rundown top-floor apartment in a seedy neighborhood. The father (Paddy Considine) is an actor trying to realize his dream. His wife (Samantha Morton) gets a job in an ice cream parlor. Their two daughters (Sarah Bolger & Emma Bolger) attend Catholic school, and make friends with everyone in the neighborhood.

This is the first, and since, only time I have lost the plot and blubbed in a movie theater. I blubbed within the first 20 minutes and didn’t stop until 2 hours afterwards.
This is mainly due to the realistic and moving performances of these two young sisters.

The Narrator, Christy (Sarah) is the quiet older sibling, viewing life through her camcorder while observing her fathers struggle with his grief and her mothers dignified despair. She plays with her sister Ariel (Emma) and makes friends with the sleazy people in the neighbourhood to keep the appearance of normality for her parents. However Christy wears her heart on her sleeve and her pain is constantly displayed on her face. She mourns the loss of her brother and feels her parents pain, yet tries to keep everything together for Ariel.


Her father has emotionally cut himself off since Frankies death, no longer playing with his daughters they way he used to. This hurts Christy to no end, and when she finally allows her tears to flow and her father asks “what’s wrong little girl” Christy finally taps into her grief and anger:

“Don't "little girl" me. I've been carrying this family on my back for over a year, ever since Frankie died. He was my brother too. It's not my fault that he's dead. It's not my fault that I'm still alive.”

Sarah Bolger carries the emotional weight given to her like a pro, never going for schlocky sentimentality and grounding the film when it attempts flights of fancy. Her watchful gaze as she sees all around her tells the story. It is her eyes, that although she is smiling, look tired and worn out. She has taken her families weight on her back, and you know she will continue to do so.
Long after the credits roll you remember her sad beautiful face and the movie she carried.

As good as she was, it must have helped having her real life sister playing her sister in the film. Of course the chemistry was fantastic, but Emma Bolger, who was no more than 7 when the movie was filmed is equally as superb.


Ariel is a free spirit. She has no fear and runs around making friends with everyone she meets, never prejudiced by anything. She plays and laughs and is your typical 7 year old, that is until she wakes up from a nightmare terrified and screaming.

Ariel: I'm scared.
Johnny: Don't be scared.
Ariel: Everyone's dying.

As she stands there screaming and crying, her father trying desperately to console her she says those lines, through a childs hysterical tears. I have no idea how an actress so young can tap into imaginary pain and make it so real. She, like her sister never once go for the Dakota Fanning “Lets act like I’m wise beyond my years” style of acting, and that is how this film works.

These two little girls are trying to deal with the loss of their brother while watching their parents slip away into sorrow and they make every moment of it believable.

Rug Rats Blog-A-Thon

Here is my entry - Part one.

The rest of the entries will be posted at 00:01 hours on the 28th! Thank you all for writing!

when it comes to child performances, people are very divisive. Some people HATE them, some people LOVE them. I am in the middle. There are some great child performances out there. But for every realistic and believable one there 5 Katrillion wooden or completely over the top ones.
Which is why, when one stands out it is cause to sit up and notice.

For my first entry I am going with an actress from a TV show, because I have been re-watching it on DVD and forgot how brilliant it really was.

"Roseanne" was a TV show I always loved, even the silly last season. Mainly because Roseanne Barr was such a fantastic actress, something no one ever remembers, due to her crazy private life. With her on screen family she got some terrific actors, but the one who sparred with her wise cracks the best and stole the show was always Sara Gilbert as Darlene Connor. The mother daughter relationship between the two actresses was completely organic and believable. This is due to Gilbert not playing a copy of Roseanne, but a hybrid of her mothers wit and humor and a sports loving tom boy.

The episode that totally sold me was "Brain-Dead Poets Society". Darlene has to write a poem for school, but doesn't want to. Roseanne is ecstatic because she get to re-live her lost dreams of being a writer through her daughter. When Darlene refuses to do it, it set up one of the cleverest jokes on the season.

Darlene Conner: (shouting) I don't want to be expressive! I couldn't care less about poetry! I just want to graduate high-school, so I can get on with my life, so I can get a job, and get out of this hell-hole town!
Roseanne Conner: But if you could be expressive, what would you say?

Darlene ends up writing the poem and it ends up being selected to be read aloud at an All Culture Night event, but opts out.
Roseanne, really wants to hear Darlene's poem and lays the pressure on. Much to Darlene's dismay, she winds up on stage at the Culture Night, to read her poem, a poem that would render Roseanne in painful emotions.


The acting from Roseanne in the last scene is impeccable, but it is Gilbert who stands out. Wise cracking and foul mouthed Darlene stands on the podium and stares out at nothing. She reads the poem in complete monotone, the way all kids do when public speaking. That dull emotionless voice that is only wishing for this moment to end.
If this wasn't impressive enough, the way her voice slightly changes during the heart breaking finale of her poem is. Getting ever softer and sadder she deals with the embarrassment of standing in front of peers and parents in an ugly dress pouring out her thirteen year old heart, by withdrawing into her head and her voice. Darlene as we know it has disappeared and the real one, with all her insecurities is left.

To Whom It Concerns: Darlene's work will be late, it fell on her pancakes and stuck to her plate.

To Whom It Concerns: I lost my assignment, maybe I'll get lucky, solitary confinement.

To Whom It Concerns: My mom made me WRITE this, but I'm just a kid, so how could I fight this?

To Whom It Concerns: Darlene's great with the ball, but guys don't watch tomboys when they're cruising the hall.

To Whom It Concerns: I just turned thirteen, too short to be quarterback, too plain to be queen.

To Whom It Concerns: I am not made of steel, when I get blindsided, my pain is quite real.

I don't mean to squak, but it really burns. I just thought I'd mention it:
To Whom It Concerns.

I dare you to watch it and not get just a little misty eyed.

It is no wonder she was nominated for a prime time Emmy. The acting praise was always heaped on Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman, but with episodes like this Sara Gilbert proven she was one of the best.

Mini review "The Dark Knight"

Wow.... what can I say... wow.

First the negative. Nolan does not write women well. That being said Maggie Gyllenhall did wonders with a paper thin character. You can understand Wayne falling for her over Katie Holmes portrayal.

Saw it at Imax, and unless you have a great seat at the back the action scenes look a little bit like a jumbled mess.

The good.

Batman has always been my favourite superhero because he is simply a man. True he is a man with a lot of cash at his disposal, but Nolan has created a world so gritty and real that most importantly, the viewer can relate. People are driven to do what they do because of the world they live in, and the way they choose to handle it makes them either villains or heroes. Sure the action never lets up, but the story was so intense that you didn't mind the roller coaster ride. I mean after 3 pints of beer before hand I was busting to pee from the beginning, but forgot about it 1/4 way through.

Obviously, for me, the best thing about the film was Heath Ledgers funny, frightening, intense and brilliant portrayal of The Joker. The Joker has always been this campy villain, but what Ledger does is strip him of the camp and just make him a bloody scary anarchist. I man so swathed in his own pain that he no longer feels it. He feels no remorse for what he does and does not fear his death. The ticks and mannerisms only add the the menace. You have no idea when he is going to go off.

If Javier Bardem can win an Oscar for his portrayal of a cold killer in "No Country For Old Men" the Heath should not have a problem with this. Out right brilliance. If I see a better male performance this year I will be so happy.

The Film A-

If there is one thing I would change it would be something that happens at the end. But I can't talk about it here because there are people who haven't seen it.

SPOILER!

Highlight below if you are curious.

When he two ferries are in the harbour. It would have been been shocking, and also play right into the Jokers point that people all have that dark side if the big tough black prisoner on the prisoner ferry has chucked the bomb detonator into the ocean, but the nerdy white man had gone ahead. Would have said a lot about society and the world we live in today. The corporate white guy playing God with peoples lives. It would not have been happy, but it would have made a valid point

Rug Rats Blog-A-Thon

Well it is nearly that time for you to start finishing off your pieces and to email your thoughts to me on Child actors!

If you still need to look at what you need to do, take a little view at the rules here.

I cannot wait to see what you all have written about!

R.I.P. Sophia.

"Body of Lies" Trailer

Meh.

F*** ME HARD!

Mmmm.. Sepia!

Summer Mix Tope volume 2

Well it me and mines 9 year anniversary tomorrow, and we are having friends around for a summer BBQ (weather permitting)

Here are some of the tracks we will be listening to. I love summer music!



Arrested Development - Tennesse (wow do I miss these guys. Groovy music with a message, should all rap be like this?
The Killers - When You Were Young - Jacques Lu cont mix (Stuart Price is a f*cking genius)
Gossip Folks - Missy Elliot (just love that groove)
Beats International - Dub be Good to Me (Such a classic)
En Vogue - Give it Up Turn it Loose (Driving around in the car with the top down good)
Bloc Party - Flux (Dancing drunk in the sun good)
Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You (Disco good)
All Saints - Pure shores (they never topped this)
Imani Coppola - Legend of the Cowgirl (This should have been MASSIVE)
Nelly Furtado - Powerless (Better than anything she did with Timberland)

The girls of "Sex and the City"

I love that show with a passion. It is simply wonderful and really captures the complexity of friendships. The bad times and the good times, the arugments and the laughter. What I also like is although the show is all about Carrie, you get to see how the other three women interact with each other, how there own relationships with each other work.

there are so many defining moment for each character, but there are some that speak to me so much, making me like them even more.

Charlotte was always the weakest character for me. I could never understand how she would be friends with the other three. That was until the episode in season four "All The Glitters". Charlotte's marriage is practically over and it hits home with her as she gets ready to have home and Garden come and photograph her 'perfect' life.

As much as I loved Samantha, she always seemed like the comic relief gimmick of the show. I could understand her friendship and there were so many touching moments with the rest of the girls, but it wasn't until season six "Let There Be Light". Sam leaves her boy toy Smith in the lobby as she goes upstairs with Richard for a good ole root. When she comes down, feeling awful, Smith is there waiting for her and she looks at him and cries "I don't know what's wrong with me" the most vulnerable moment for Sam and did it bring on the water works for me too.

Everyone loves Carrie. She is so pesky and fun, and so so flawed. But the episode that defined her for me was "The Drought" in season one. Carrie farts in bed with Big. Not only was it so funny, but watching someone so confident completely fall apart at the thought of a fart is so touchingly sweet, especially the hurricane she makes out of that tiny little 'ferp'.

My favorite will always be Miranda. She is probably the most complex, and funniest in the show for me. you can understand why she is friends with each of the girls and she always stays Miranda, even as she softens. The moment that she became a fully rounded person for me was in "Ex and the City" season 2. After running away from Steve on the street she has to confront him when he shows up at her apartment calling her shitty. She admits how she misses him and cries. The hard edges of her soften.