February 25, 2008
And the Oscar goes to…
Written by Shirley Karr in Jaunty PostTommy Lee Jones always plays basically the same character (The Fugitive, Men In Black), but I like that cut-to-the-chase, cut-the-crap kind of character. And he had the cajones to do a nude butt scene at age 53 in Space Cowboys. All the clips of No Country gave us views of Josh Brolin, someone I’ve been keeping my eyes on since he starred in Young Riders. He’s even in an episode of 21 Jump Street. He’s the son of James Brolin, Marcus Welby’s motorcycle riding sidekick, and both shows should be re-running somewhere. TVLand programming execs, are you there?
I first saw George Clooney way back when on a very short-lived sitcom called E/R (no, that’s not a typo), and he’s certainly improved since then. In many ways he reminds me of Cary Grant. A physical similarity doesn’t hurt. He’s fun to watch, exudes charm and hasn’t hurled his cell phone at anyone, but I don’t get the feeling he’s stretching all that much in the film roles he takes on.
Viggo Mortensen has certainly inspired his share of romance novel writers with his rugged good looks and performances in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Hidalgo. Unlike Tommy and George, it looks from the clips that he was playing a vastly different character in Eastern Promises. A stretch! But a guy I definitely wouldn’t want to spend any time with, though I might cast him as a villain in a future book.
I’m a fan of M*A*S*H and love the sly wit of Hawkeye. He’s nicknamed after a character in his father’s favorite book, Last of the Mohicans. An English teacher gave me a list of books everyone should read by the time they graduate college, and I spent high school working my way through that list, starting with Mohicans. When the movie version came out in ‘92 starring a handsome British actor named Daniel Day-Lewis, we rented it from Blockbuster. Great story and cinematography, but…
One scene in particular stands out, a heartbreaking shot where the young lovers are being torn apart, with a dramatic waterfall background and our heroic hero telling the girl “Stay alive! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you!” A stirring line to be sure but it was delivered with such over the top melodrama I couldn’t help snorting. That movie, or at least the impression it left on me, has not made me a Daniel Day-Lewis fan. He won an Oscar for My Left Foot and was nominated again so I must be in the minority in thinking he’s not a good actor.
All this is just so you know I’m not prejudiced and simply annoyed that the Oscar for Best Actor last night went to Daniel Day-Lewis even though (you did see this coming, didn’t you?) it should have gone to Johnny Depp.
C’mon, you know it’s true. We watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again a few weeks ago, and my husband’s only comment was “I can’t believe that’s the same guy who played Sweeney Todd.” Even my husband gets what a great actor Johnny is, how he’s always different in every role, how you can almost forget it’s him and only see the character. I aspire to write books the way Johnny plays roles.
I take consolation in Sweeney’s win for Art Direction and the knowledge that Johnny was spared the horror of having to go up on stage as himself in front of millions of people and give an impromptu speech. 
Okay, now it’s your turn. Post-Oscar discussion!
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Shana Says:
I only saw the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes of the show, but I think the Oscars are irrelevant. C’mon, who here saw more than one of the films nominated for Best Picture? How many of you saw none? I’m raising my hand. It always seems like they pick all these dark, depressing movies. It’s like the book award prizes–all these dark, depressing fiction books no one reads win. Of course, actors have more money than writers, so they can dress better. That’s why more people pay attention to movie awards than book awards.
Shirley, condolences on Johnny Depp. I’m sure, weird as he is, he wouldn’t have been as weird as Daniel Day-Lewis up on stage.
brownone Says:
Wow, I thought I was the only one mad about that
! I turned it off right after DDL gave the strange speech. I mean, this man can go from a pirate to an eccentric candy maker to a mass murderer and still make each of the characters believable! I have yet to be disappointed by a film he has done.
Rainy Says:
Well, my hand is way up as one of those who saw more than one of the movies. My husband and I go the movies every week and have been doing that since before we were married (let’s just say we rode on the back of dinosaurs to get to the drive-in).
Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance was brilliant. He turned the character of conniving, ambitious oil tycoon into a complicated and frightening man. I still scratch my head and wonder what he truly felt for his son. Nothing is black and white and that’s what that movie so compelling. He deserved that oscar for sure.
Of course, if I was giving them out I might give it to George Clooney just for a hug (anyone know where his Italian villa is…Sigh!)
Check out Tommy Lee Jones in The Valley of Allah, Shirley for a terrific performance. Again, he does seem to portray that “stick to it till the end” character, relentlessly pursuing something like a hounddog, but it works for me. In this movie, he’s got a heartbroken quality to his character that brings you right inside him.
I loved Johnny Depp’s performance in Sweeny Todd. I’d never seen or heard of that movie so it was all a complete surprise. Fans of the Broadway versions, however, didn’t seem to like Johnny Depp in this character because it had been played by a very different (older, portly) kind of characer. But he was demented enough for me.
And I’m even thinking of renting “La Vie de Rose” (maybe I’ll remember a few words from my high school french.
RobynDeHart Says:
Well, I was cheering for Viggo as much for Eastern Promises as for A History of Violence which was sadly overlooked come Oscar time (except for a supporting nod). But it was not to be. I have no doubt that DDL did a fantastic job and he seems like a really nice guy, but I think men like Viggo who are expected to go one way b/c of how they look and they end up with these brilliant roles well, he just deserved it. And Johnny, well, he’s deserved it several times over.
I had seen very few of the movies this year, which isn’t the norm for us. But I loathe the Coen brothers so that was an automatic out for me. And Juno we wanted to see, but since we went through 2 failed adoptions ourselves this summer we thought we’d wait for video so that we can react in peace.
We did see Michael Clayton and it was a good movie and well acted, but best picture worthy…I don’t know. Some years they seem to have a flood of great flicks to choose from and others the pickings are slim.
Amy Addison Says:
Shirley: I love Josh Brolin! First saw him as big brother Brand Walsh in The Goonies…that was his first film. You should see it, really. Excellent film.
And you’ve got me beat on George Clooney: I first saw him on Facts of Life.
Didn’t watch the awards and hadn’t seen any of the films nominated for BP. Too busy this year for much outside of family movie nights…
Mary M Says:
I saw all the movies nominated for BP except the winner, lol. Daniel Day Lewis gives a compelling performance in There Will Be Blood and I was happy to see him win. And I’m a Johnny Depp fan too!
La Vie En Rose is a beautiful movie. The winner for best actress, Marie Cotillard, is so convincing as fragile Edith Piaf that I was surprised to see that she’s such a vibrant, healthy woman.
I was just thinking that no one had a memorable dress this year. Did it seem like most of the dresses were subdued this year to anyone else?
Fedora Says:
Well, count me pathetically uninformed, Oscar-wise! I haven’t seen any of the Oscar-nominated films yet, and actually somehow missed the fact that the Oscars were last night… oops!! Boy, do I have a lot to catch up on!
catslady Says:
I miss Billy Crystal
catslady Says:
I miss Billy Crystal
catslady Says:
Of for goodness sake - sorry about that
catslady Says:
Okay I’m going for a record here - Oh not Of - this is what happens when I don’t have my coffee. I’ll shut up now
Sophie Jordan/Sharie Kohler Says:
DDL is fantastic in every film I’ve ever seen him in - including LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Melodrama?? C’mon! That line was romance at its best.
I always feel like I’m watching living art when I watch DDL. When I heard he was up for a nomination I didn’t think anyone else much stood a chance.
My first sighting of GC - The Golden Girls. =)
Sophie