Film directors generally don’t suffer the stigma that non-heterosexual actors experience when they are ‘out’ to the general public. In the United States at least, we are still ways away from accepting queer identified actors in mainstream cinema, to the point where many actors will either pretend to be heterosexual or just refuse to disclose their sexuality.
But this begs the important question: if the all the queer identified actors chose to come out to the public, would you accept it and believe their performances when they are romantically involved with the opposite sex on screen? Or would the knowledge of their sexuality forever cloud your perception of them, affect their performance, and result in a tampering of your filmgoing experience?
Yes, of course an actor’s job is to portray a spectrum of characters, no matter what their sexuality, but at the end of the day, in the back of your mind, can you truly divorce your knowledge of their sexuality from their performance, no matter what? Could you suspend what you know about Rupert Everett and believe him if he portrayed a married protagonist with kids, who has a healthy sex life with his wife? I ask this out of genuine curiosity (and only use Rupert because he happened to be the first ‘out’ gay actor who popped into my mind).
Yes, I understand that actors don’t owe the public a thing other than offer a believable, well-crafted performance. But ultimately, is it better that closeted actors participate, perpetuate, and thus promote heteronormativity in their films?
I love The Room. Me and my friends tried to go to a screening the other day but of course it was sold out. Tommy Wiseau himself was supposed to be there…ugh…
I recall reading that Quentin had shot extra footage with Nikki ( the daughter of Vivica A. Fox’s character) that he’d implement in the third installment. I’m assuming this will be flashback footage. There’s little to no doubt that the third film will concern Nikki, now grown up, trying to avenge her mother… by killing Uma.
While I don’t care for his films and think that they’re generally embarrassing , I can’t help but admire his success story (literally rags to riches, this one) and determination. I also think it’s great that he’s catering to a (large) audience that Hollywood power players have long ignored.
Will he get better as a film director? Only time will tell. He apparently is currently adapting the 1975 play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” and wants an all star black actress cast for the project. Rumors of Angela Bassett and Halle Berry being attached are already swirling.
Films I consider cinematic prostitutes because they are so transparently made, marketed and ‘pimped out’ for the award circuit.
Off the top of my head:
A Beautiful Mind
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Forrest Gump
Cold Mountain
Chariots of Fire
Slumdog Millionaire
On Golden Pond
Frost/Nixon
Driving Miss Daisy
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Seabiscuit
Changeling
Bugsy
Gangs of New York
Chicago
The Shawshank Redemption
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Miniver
Chocolat
The Reader
Julia is amazing. Just watched it. Gritty, non-formulaic, and great acting all around. It’s been a while since I got so caught up in a film and felt my heart pound like that.
We should all consider ourselves lucky that we have actors like Tilda Swinton; actors who are game for anything and take great risks with their performances. She’s the best.
I do like Nava. While I think he’s been generally hit or miss, El Norte, despite some over sentimentality, was one of the first films to seriously impact me as a teen.
And btw Tarantino’s father is Italian American and his mother is of Irish and Cherokee Native American ancestry.
Very underwhelmed. Carey is indeed something special to behold, but it all just felt a little rushed. I couldn’t believe they just chose to show that extra year fly by in a montage. Jenny throws her book in frustration, and a year has gone by. Ticked me off. Actually, I felt the whole movie takes the easy way out in general. However, because it’s such a weak year, Carey will indeed get nominated. Good for her.
Anyone seen this gem of a film? Made on a budget of $24,000, Special Jury Prize winner at Sundance in 2002. Amazing portrayal of two Dominican brothers in Queens. I’ve been watching and rewatching it lately as it’s so captivating…
Just goes to show that you don’t need too much money to tell a good story with a lot of heart.
The Aviator indeed…ugh.. Oscar bait at its most shameless.. I can’t believe it won Best Cinematography over A Very Long Engagement and House of Flying Daggers.
Anyone else think the 00’s have been the weakest decade in Scorsese’s career? Leo has a lot to do with it. Leo is not a bad actor, he is simply utterly average. The roles he takes require more than a competent actor, thus Scorsese’s films suffering.
If this has already been made a topic, my apologies. If not, then I think it’s high time we discuss the situation at hand.
As the title makes clear, I believe Scorsese’s collaborations with actor Leonardo DiCaprio have been fruitless, disappointing endeavors.
Martin Scorsese is an American icon, a symbol of Americana itself, a legendary director regularly cited as the “best living director.” His canon of work include groundbreaking, controversial films that have since become a part of the collective American psyche.
In 2001, Scorsese helped relaunched DiCaprio’s career. Let’s be honest here. Leo was indeed ‘A list’ after Titanic (1997), but his following films floundered. Anybody remember The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), The Beach (2000), and Don Plum (2001)? People these days simply forget that there was indeed a time when DiCaprio’s career was stalling and fast before Scorsese handpicked him as the lead role in Gangs Of New York. DiCaprio gave a serviceable performance (he was outshone by an over-the-top Daniel Day Lewis), but none of that mattered: DiCaprio was A-List again.
Since the release of Gangs of New York in 2002, Leo has been the lead in every film Martin Scorsese has directed. The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2009), and now the talk of DiCaprio portraying Frank Sinatra in a biopic directed by Scorsese. Just please god no.
How did DiCaprio become Scorsese’s new muse, the position last held by Robert De Niro, the most explosive actor of his generation? Don’t get me wrong. Leo is by all means NOT a bad actor, not a terrible actor at all. He is, as I stated in another post, simply an adequate actor. His best work, I believe, is long past him, best encompassed in his performances in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and even The Basketball Diaries (1995). But being an adequate actor is simply not enough to play the lead in a Scorsese picture…continuously. And clearly, Scorsese disagrees with my opinion, hiring Leo over and over again, telling the world " This is my this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."
That Scorsese truly believes Leo to be the absolute, best choice for every lead role in his latest film is simply bewildering. Leo does not have the range to encompass so many varied characters. And to see him portray Frank Sinatra would be nothing short of an atrocity.
This whole charade just needs to stop. I speak for many Scorsese fans when I say that as much as we love him, and will continue to (try to) love him, he just needs to take a break from Leo.
And yes, I fully anticipate Leo’s fans to defend him, and perhaps even to eat me alive. That’s fine. My bottom line is this: Leo is unworthy of Scorsese.
I’d love to hear your opinions.
(P.S. Shutter Island is utterly disappointing and I agree full heartedly with A.O. Scott’s review. )
“Fellini, Kurosawa and Bunuel move in the same field as Tarkovsky. Antonioni was on his way, but expired, suffocated by his own tediousness.”
- The Magic Lantern
“He’s done two masterpieces, you don’t have to bother with the rest. One is Blow-Up, which I’ve seen many times, and the other is La Notte, also a wonderful film, although that’s mostly because of the young Jeanne Moreau. In my collection I have a copy of Il Grido, and damn what a boring movie it is. So devilishly sad, I mean. You know, Antonioni never really learned the trade. He concentrated on single images, never realising that film is a rhythmic flow of images, a movement. Sure, there are brilliant moments in his films. But I don’t feel anything for L’Avventura, for example. Only indifference. I never understood why Antonioni was so incredibly applauded. And I thought his muse Monica Vitti was a terrible actress.”
Your opinions on Scorsese's and Woody Allen's last great film. over 3 years ago
By ‘great’ I mean what you consider 10/10s. I’d love to hear what you all have to say.
My choice for Scorsese would be The Age of Innocence, and Bullets over Broadway for Allen.
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Actors, their sexuality, and their films over 3 years ago
Film directors generally don’t suffer the stigma that non-heterosexual actors experience when they are ‘out’ to the general public. In the United States at least, we are still ways away from accepting queer identified actors in mainstream cinema, to the point where many actors will either pretend to be heterosexual or just refuse to disclose their sexuality.
But this begs the important question: if the all the queer identified actors chose to come out to the public, would you accept it and believe their performances when they are romantically involved with the opposite sex on screen? Or would the knowledge of their sexuality forever cloud your perception of them, affect their performance, and result in a tampering of your filmgoing experience?
Yes, of course an actor’s job is to portray a spectrum of characters, no matter what their sexuality, but at the end of the day, in the back of your mind, can you truly divorce your knowledge of their sexuality from their performance, no matter what? Could you suspend what you know about Rupert Everett and believe him if he portrayed a married protagonist with kids, who has a healthy sex life with his wife? I ask this out of genuine curiosity (and only use Rupert because he happened to be the first ‘out’ gay actor who popped into my mind).
Yes, I understand that actors don’t owe the public a thing other than offer a believable, well-crafted performance. But ultimately, is it better that closeted actors participate, perpetuate, and thus promote heteronormativity in their films?
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Disgrace Starring John Malkovich over 3 years ago
I’ve been wanting to see this film for a bit now.
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Is "The Room" the funniest movie of all time? over 3 years ago
I love The Room. Me and my friends tried to go to a screening the other day but of course it was sold out. Tommy Wiseau himself was supposed to be there…ugh…
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Is "The Room" the funniest movie of all time? over 3 years ago
The Room trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCj8sPCWfUw
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KILL BILL 3 ? over 3 years ago
I recall reading that Quentin had shot extra footage with Nikki ( the daughter of Vivica A. Fox’s character) that he’d implement in the third installment. I’m assuming this will be flashback footage. There’s little to no doubt that the third film will concern Nikki, now grown up, trying to avenge her mother… by killing Uma.
Go to Comment
Tyler Perry - What do you think? over 3 years ago
While I don’t care for his films and think that they’re generally embarrassing , I can’t help but admire his success story (literally rags to riches, this one) and determination. I also think it’s great that he’s catering to a (large) audience that Hollywood power players have long ignored.
Will he get better as a film director? Only time will tell. He apparently is currently adapting the 1975 play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” and wants an all star black actress cast for the project. Rumors of Angela Bassett and Halle Berry being attached are already swirling.
Go to Comment
Your most hated 'Oscar Bait' films over 3 years ago
Films I consider cinematic prostitutes because they are so transparently made, marketed and ‘pimped out’ for the award circuit.
Off the top of my head:
A Beautiful Mind
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Forrest Gump
Cold Mountain
Chariots of Fire
Slumdog Millionaire
On Golden Pond
Frost/Nixon
Driving Miss Daisy
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Seabiscuit
Changeling
Bugsy
Gangs of New York
Chicago
The Shawshank Redemption
Revolutionary Road
Mrs. Miniver
Chocolat
The Reader
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Erick Zonka's Julia over 3 years ago
Julia is amazing. Just watched it. Gritty, non-formulaic, and great acting all around. It’s been a while since I got so caught up in a film and felt my heart pound like that.
We should all consider ourselves lucky that we have actors like Tilda Swinton; actors who are game for anything and take great risks with their performances. She’s the best.
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Asians in European films over 3 years ago
I also instantly thought of Maggie Cheung in Irma Vep.
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how many of you wants to go back in history and wanted to meet heath ledger ? over 3 years ago
Robert Altman and Ingmar Bergman….sigh…
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Best American Director who is Latino? over 3 years ago
Born and raised in the US, of Latin American heritage. Opinions?
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Best American Director who is Latino? over 3 years ago
I do like Nava. While I think he’s been generally hit or miss, El Norte, despite some over sentimentality, was one of the first films to seriously impact me as a teen.
And btw Tarantino’s father is Italian American and his mother is of Irish and Cherokee Native American ancestry.
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The Satanic Mr. Fox over 3 years ago
‘’Chaos reigns’’
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Do you think you're destined for greatness? over 3 years ago
Yes or No.
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"All About Eve" or "Sunset Blvd." : Which do you prefer? over 3 years ago
Sunset Boulevard. Always. Though I own them both.
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SPIKE JONZE VS. WES ANDERSON over 3 years ago
…..Jonze…
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Do you think you're destined for greatness? over 3 years ago
Norma Desmond was most definitely destined for greatness.
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ANYONE ELSE DISAPPOINTED over 3 years ago
Very underwhelmed. Carey is indeed something special to behold, but it all just felt a little rushed. I couldn’t believe they just chose to show that extra year fly by in a montage. Jenny throws her book in frustration, and a year has gone by. Ticked me off. Actually, I felt the whole movie takes the easy way out in general. However, because it’s such a weak year, Carey will indeed get nominated. Good for her.
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A Single Man over 3 years ago
I’ve been wanting to see a Single Man for a bit now. Can’t wait.
It will be fun come awards time when A Single Man and a Serious Man are up for awards, and people become confused.
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Your most hated 'Oscar Bait' films over 3 years ago
Around the World in Eighty Days! I forgot about that P.O.S.
I tried watching Yi Yi and could barely make it past the first hour..
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Which directors have the worst fanboys? over 3 years ago
Fincher, Tarantino, and Wes Anderson.
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Thanksgiving Films over 3 years ago
hahahaha The New World… thanks for that.
btw I love Q’orianka Kilcher, what a gifted young actress. Can’t wait to see her in more films..
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Manito: A film by Eric Eason over 3 years ago
Anyone seen this gem of a film? Made on a budget of $24,000, Special Jury Prize winner at Sundance in 2002. Amazing portrayal of two Dominican brothers in Queens. I’ve been watching and rewatching it lately as it’s so captivating…
Just goes to show that you don’t need too much money to tell a good story with a lot of heart.Go to Comment
Your most hated 'Oscar Bait' films over 3 years ago
The Blind Side: Made for Oscar Bait or mainstream crowd-pleasing fluke that happened to be nominated for Best Picture and Actress?
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Your most hated 'Oscar Bait' films over 3 years ago
The Aviator indeed…ugh.. Oscar bait at its most shameless.. I can’t believe it won Best Cinematography over A Very Long Engagement and House of Flying Daggers.
Anyone else think the 00’s have been the weakest decade in Scorsese’s career? Leo has a lot to do with it. Leo is not a bad actor, he is simply utterly average. The roles he takes require more than a competent actor, thus Scorsese’s films suffering.
Go to Comment
The problem with Leo and Scorsese over 3 years ago
If this has already been made a topic, my apologies. If not, then I think it’s high time we discuss the situation at hand.
As the title makes clear, I believe Scorsese’s collaborations with actor Leonardo DiCaprio have been fruitless, disappointing endeavors.
Martin Scorsese is an American icon, a symbol of Americana itself, a legendary director regularly cited as the “best living director.” His canon of work include groundbreaking, controversial films that have since become a part of the collective American psyche.
In 2001, Scorsese helped relaunched DiCaprio’s career. Let’s be honest here. Leo was indeed ‘A list’ after Titanic (1997), but his following films floundered. Anybody remember The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), The Beach (2000), and Don Plum (2001)? People these days simply forget that there was indeed a time when DiCaprio’s career was stalling
and fastbefore Scorsese handpicked him as the lead role in Gangs Of New York. DiCaprio gave a serviceable performance (he was outshone by an over-the-top Daniel Day Lewis), but none of that mattered: DiCaprio was A-List again.Since the release of Gangs of New York in 2002, Leo has been the lead in every film Martin Scorsese has directed. The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2009), and now the talk of DiCaprio portraying Frank Sinatra in a biopic directed by Scorsese. Just please god no.
How did DiCaprio become Scorsese’s new muse, the position last held by Robert De Niro, the most explosive actor of his generation? Don’t get me wrong. Leo is by all means NOT a bad actor, not a terrible actor at all. He is, as I stated in another post, simply an adequate actor. His best work, I believe, is long past him, best encompassed in his performances in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and even The Basketball Diaries (1995). But being an adequate actor is simply not enough to play the lead in a Scorsese picture…continuously. And clearly, Scorsese disagrees with my opinion, hiring Leo over and over again, telling the world " This is my this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."
That Scorsese truly believes Leo to be the absolute, best choice for every lead role in his latest film is simply bewildering. Leo does not have the range to encompass so many varied characters. And to see him portray Frank Sinatra would be nothing short of an atrocity.
This whole charade just needs to stop. I speak for many Scorsese fans when I say that as much as we love him, and will continue to (try to) love him, he just needs to take a break from Leo.
And yes, I fully anticipate Leo’s fans to defend him, and perhaps even to eat me alive. That’s fine. My bottom line is this: Leo is unworthy of Scorsese.
I’d love to hear your opinions.
(P.S. Shutter Island is utterly disappointing and I agree full heartedly with A.O. Scott’s review. )
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Love, The Auteurs over 3 years ago
I’m only in like with The Auteurs.
How do I let them down politely?
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how do people feel about this assessment comparing Bergman to Antonioni about 3 years ago
Some Bergman Quotes on Antonioni:
“Fellini, Kurosawa and Bunuel move in the same field as Tarkovsky. Antonioni was on his way, but expired, suffocated by his own tediousness.”
- The Magic Lantern
“He’s done two masterpieces, you don’t have to bother with the rest. One is Blow-Up, which I’ve seen many times, and the other is La Notte, also a wonderful film, although that’s mostly because of the young Jeanne Moreau. In my collection I have a copy of Il Grido, and damn what a boring movie it is. So devilishly sad, I mean. You know, Antonioni never really learned the trade. He concentrated on single images, never realising that film is a rhythmic flow of images, a movement. Sure, there are brilliant moments in his films. But I don’t feel anything for L’Avventura, for example. Only indifference. I never understood why Antonioni was so incredibly applauded. And I thought his muse Monica Vitti was a terrible actress.”
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Your most hated 'Oscar Bait' films about 3 years ago
Ah yes, Cinderella Man and The Aviator…ughhhh
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