It's about time to get this show on the road. Even with the extension, I didn't get as many comments or ballots as I would've liked, but have ultimately decided to go ahead with the postign anyway. If you have yet to send a ballot, but wish to send your thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment. Over the next few days, I'll be posting the bests and worsts, along with the runners-ups to each.
HOWEVER. To warm up to the occasion I'm going to post the names of those ladies that were untouched by our voters, good or bad:
Alice Brady - In Old Chicago (1937)
Mary Astor - The Great Lie (1941)
Katina Paxinou - For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943)
Ethel Barrymore - None But The Lonely Heart (1944)
Anne Revere - National Velvet (1945)
Anne Baxter - The Razor's Edge (1946)
Josephine Hull - Harvey (1950)
Wendy Hiller - Separate Tables (1959)
Eileen Heckart - Butterflies are Free (1972)
Lee Grant - Shampoo (1975)
Olympia Dukakis - Moonstruck (1987)
Marcia Gay Harden - Pollock (2000)
Any objections to these unvoted ladies? (I'm personally surprised that Dukakis remained untouched for both best and worst, though I would put her in the latter if I were to vote for her.) Is there anybody here that you think gave an awful performance? Or anybody that really deserved to be voted for? Feel free to leave a comment!
Come back tomorrow for the Runner Ups for the Best!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Reader (2008)
Kate Winslet = A.
Right off the bat, I'm not going to say that this is Winslet's best performance, but it would be in her top five. I'm also going to say that she should have won the Oscar for this, it's at the right time, the right performance, the right movie. Now, onto the actual performance. I must admit that it's hard to review, but I will say that Winslet avoids so many easy pitfalls for her character, she doesn't condescend to making Hanna just a victim and endearing herself to the viewer. Throughout the entire film, Winslet aims for the ambiguous treatment of the entire movie by not playing Hanna as though she is outright a villain or outright a victim. She is always the woman who is flawed and either not sure of the brutality of her crimes or not willing to accept it. I also give her massive kudos for not needlessly complicating Hanna and clinging to the simple concepts of shame and complicity in a way that only illuminates the darker shades of the character. And some of those small moments where her face just breaks are what kills me; such as at the train station when she learns of her promotion and at the trial, where she has one decision to make. It's just proof that Winslet is one of our greats and she's only going to continue improving.
David Kross = A-/B+.
Kross shares a great many scenes with the formidable Winslet, but he never cedes them over to her. Even though the spotlight is clearly on Winslet, Kross never forgets that his character is at the centre of the piece and it is through him that we gain a very crucial knowledge of Hanna; Hanna the human being and lover, as opposed to Hanna the criminal. For such a young actor, Kross gets some of the much subtler comic beats of his character nailed down pat and even the difficult transition of his character from wide-eyed youth to jaded college student is handled with a mature grace and clear knowledge of the craft. Like Winslet, he grips the viewer's heart and gut with a vice in some of his scenes, "Do you love me?" being the best momment of any of these. An actor to watch in the future.
Ralph Fiennes = B.
Fiennes got the short end of the stick in terms of plot and character; he has the most difficult and least actor-friendly parts of the movie. And when he doesn't have those, he has the some of the most cliched parts, such as the very tacked on ending. However, when he does hit the right notes, such as in his scene with Lena Olin, he does hit it. But it's merely a competent performance of a role that really exists for other actors to bounce off of.
Lena Olin = A.
Olin is a chronically underappreciated actress who sadly very rarely appears in projects and roles worthy of her distinct talent and clarity, so when she does appear in anything, I eat her right up. The Reader is easily her best performance since her season-long role in Alias, not that there's a lot of competition. She has two distinct performances that are so different, so we get more Olin for our buck! In her first scene, she does a similar thing to Viola Davis in her role, lacking perhaps the same sumptuous dialogue and emotional hooks provided by the screenplay that Davis had. She still manages to bring up massive amounts of previously sealed torment and heartbreak without being overly loud or direct about it. In her second scene, she crucifies Michael with questions that leaves the film a lot more complex and interesting than it would be if the character hadn't graced the movie, or if the actress hadn't layered this character with that same scathing lack of sympathy and empathy with our troubled 'hero'. Two beautiful performances from an actress who plays from the edges superbly.
Other Notable Performances:
Alexandra Maria Lara - Maria Lara has practically no screentime in this movie, but I found her to be vivid in her brief appearences, and her wink towards Michael took me aback a little and I wondered if the movie was trying to suggest anything by it. Still, an actress to watch out for.
Linda Bassett - It took me a while to remember where I recognized this actress from; Daldry's previous film, The Hours, but she delivers even more of an impact this time around with Daldry; she paints a regrettably but unavoidably sparse portrait of a woman just doing her job and trying to do the best for a woman with literally nothing left. Made me wish that this actress was given better parts.
Overall Movie Grade = A/A-.
Right off the bat, I'm not going to say that this is Winslet's best performance, but it would be in her top five. I'm also going to say that she should have won the Oscar for this, it's at the right time, the right performance, the right movie. Now, onto the actual performance. I must admit that it's hard to review, but I will say that Winslet avoids so many easy pitfalls for her character, she doesn't condescend to making Hanna just a victim and endearing herself to the viewer. Throughout the entire film, Winslet aims for the ambiguous treatment of the entire movie by not playing Hanna as though she is outright a villain or outright a victim. She is always the woman who is flawed and either not sure of the brutality of her crimes or not willing to accept it. I also give her massive kudos for not needlessly complicating Hanna and clinging to the simple concepts of shame and complicity in a way that only illuminates the darker shades of the character. And some of those small moments where her face just breaks are what kills me; such as at the train station when she learns of her promotion and at the trial, where she has one decision to make. It's just proof that Winslet is one of our greats and she's only going to continue improving.
David Kross = A-/B+.
Kross shares a great many scenes with the formidable Winslet, but he never cedes them over to her. Even though the spotlight is clearly on Winslet, Kross never forgets that his character is at the centre of the piece and it is through him that we gain a very crucial knowledge of Hanna; Hanna the human being and lover, as opposed to Hanna the criminal. For such a young actor, Kross gets some of the much subtler comic beats of his character nailed down pat and even the difficult transition of his character from wide-eyed youth to jaded college student is handled with a mature grace and clear knowledge of the craft. Like Winslet, he grips the viewer's heart and gut with a vice in some of his scenes, "Do you love me?" being the best momment of any of these. An actor to watch in the future.
Ralph Fiennes = B.
Fiennes got the short end of the stick in terms of plot and character; he has the most difficult and least actor-friendly parts of the movie. And when he doesn't have those, he has the some of the most cliched parts, such as the very tacked on ending. However, when he does hit the right notes, such as in his scene with Lena Olin, he does hit it. But it's merely a competent performance of a role that really exists for other actors to bounce off of.
Lena Olin = A.
Olin is a chronically underappreciated actress who sadly very rarely appears in projects and roles worthy of her distinct talent and clarity, so when she does appear in anything, I eat her right up. The Reader is easily her best performance since her season-long role in Alias, not that there's a lot of competition. She has two distinct performances that are so different, so we get more Olin for our buck! In her first scene, she does a similar thing to Viola Davis in her role, lacking perhaps the same sumptuous dialogue and emotional hooks provided by the screenplay that Davis had. She still manages to bring up massive amounts of previously sealed torment and heartbreak without being overly loud or direct about it. In her second scene, she crucifies Michael with questions that leaves the film a lot more complex and interesting than it would be if the character hadn't graced the movie, or if the actress hadn't layered this character with that same scathing lack of sympathy and empathy with our troubled 'hero'. Two beautiful performances from an actress who plays from the edges superbly.
Other Notable Performances:
Alexandra Maria Lara - Maria Lara has practically no screentime in this movie, but I found her to be vivid in her brief appearences, and her wink towards Michael took me aback a little and I wondered if the movie was trying to suggest anything by it. Still, an actress to watch out for.
Linda Bassett - It took me a while to remember where I recognized this actress from; Daldry's previous film, The Hours, but she delivers even more of an impact this time around with Daldry; she paints a regrettably but unavoidably sparse portrait of a woman just doing her job and trying to do the best for a woman with literally nothing left. Made me wish that this actress was given better parts.
Overall Movie Grade = A/A-.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Supporting Actress Oscar Survey: A Visual Aid
A neat little thing I found on YouTube. Keep those e-mails (and plugs) coming, people. Just one more week left!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Supporting Actress Oscar Survey Announcement
To allow for some more ballots to be posted in, I'm extending the survey until the 24th! Please keep sending them in or telling your friends who would have an interest in sending one in or pimping this on your blogs. Thanks!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Rebecca Hall = B+
I was pleasantly surprised by Hall in this performance, when I had expected a dull and lifeless performance, aka Johansson. However, Hall proved herself to be much more adept than her blonde co-star at making Woody Allen's dialogue spark with both flair and a naturalistic delivery. However, she is struck with a slightly unbelievable plot twist but she even manages to make that come off as believable for her character. Ultimately, this is a performance that is an achievement and bodes well for the rest of her career. For somebody who is such a novice to the screen, she adapts herself well to the role of the lead lady and shines with movie star-esque charisma. (She was also alarmingly underused in Frost/Nixon this year.)
Javier Bardem = B/B+
In a total turnabout from his Oscar-winning turn, but not so much from his previous Spanish roles, Bardem makes his character believable. He's not asked to do much else, but with a character as ridiculous and ludicrous as Juan Antonio, that's a big ask. Even so, Bardem graces his scenes with a kind of serenity and sexuality that is alarmingly alluring and plays very well off Hall and the superlative Cruz. The only time he seems dull is when he is with Scarlett Johansson; not even he can sell that this man would be attracted to this wash of a woman and it seems like an awkward way of Allen writing his current muse into a glamorous part. However, for the most part Bardem is a gift to the film that adds a much needed male presence that many Allen films lack due to his own participation in them.
Scarlett Johansson = C-
Out of all of Allen's muses, Johansson isn't necessarily the least talented, even though she probably is, but she's definitely the one who has flourished the least under his direction. Prior to her movies with him, she was reviewed very well in Lost in Translation and Girl With A Pearl Earring, but while her career has blossomed and bloomed, her talent has only decreased. Interestingly, while her talent has decreased, Cruz's has increased. Just a thought. His next film makes it seem as though he's kissed goodbye to Johansson and moved onto a muse who has shown her talent in a few projects; Evan Rachel Wood of thirteen, Across the Universe and The Wrestler fame. Let's hope he's hit gold again with this one. If you're wondering why I'm not talking about her actual performance here, it's because there's nothing here. She's bland and lifeless here. She's not even appealing on the basest physical level. She says the lines and goes through the motions and that's it. It's not detrimental to the film in particular for some reason, but there's no way I can endorse this performance in any way.
Penelope Cruz = A+
Penelope Cruz, one of my favourite actresses of recent year. Granted, I liked her even before Volver but it was the film that gave me a good reason to legitimately liked her. In a move that nobody expected, she actually improved as an actress since then, with this performance and a dramatic performance in Elegy. Even more amazingly, she crosses the language barrier with little difficulty now which seemed to be her largest hurdle, (Sahara, Vanilla Sky, Gothika), to give a great performance here. And if her next films are anything to go by, another Almodovar film and the Academy Award winner and nominee studded Nine, she's becoming more discerning with her projects.
However, she is a jewel in a film that I already like a lot. She enters the film just as it's beginning to lag and gives it a much needed energy that Allen's flims have lacked since Mira Sorvino won her Oscar. There's just so much to love in her performance here, her constant defiance to speak English, some of her perfect line-readings and the sheer crazy physicality of the role. It's one that is almost played to the rafters, but always in the service of the character; Maria Elena is the kind of character who does this just because that's how she is, not because she thinks anybody is watching. However, she also knows when to downplay the role, like at the table scene, with her hand rubbing against her face in sheer intolerance for Cristina and everything she embodies. It takes a good actress to keep the fires burning at full tilt throughout a performance, it takes a truly gifted and talented actress like Cruz to know when to dull them down in a way that it is service to the performance, character and movie. Absolutely amazing work from an actress that will only continue to improve over time.
Overall Film Grade: B/B+
I was pleasantly surprised by Hall in this performance, when I had expected a dull and lifeless performance, aka Johansson. However, Hall proved herself to be much more adept than her blonde co-star at making Woody Allen's dialogue spark with both flair and a naturalistic delivery. However, she is struck with a slightly unbelievable plot twist but she even manages to make that come off as believable for her character. Ultimately, this is a performance that is an achievement and bodes well for the rest of her career. For somebody who is such a novice to the screen, she adapts herself well to the role of the lead lady and shines with movie star-esque charisma. (She was also alarmingly underused in Frost/Nixon this year.)
Javier Bardem = B/B+
In a total turnabout from his Oscar-winning turn, but not so much from his previous Spanish roles, Bardem makes his character believable. He's not asked to do much else, but with a character as ridiculous and ludicrous as Juan Antonio, that's a big ask. Even so, Bardem graces his scenes with a kind of serenity and sexuality that is alarmingly alluring and plays very well off Hall and the superlative Cruz. The only time he seems dull is when he is with Scarlett Johansson; not even he can sell that this man would be attracted to this wash of a woman and it seems like an awkward way of Allen writing his current muse into a glamorous part. However, for the most part Bardem is a gift to the film that adds a much needed male presence that many Allen films lack due to his own participation in them.
Scarlett Johansson = C-
Out of all of Allen's muses, Johansson isn't necessarily the least talented, even though she probably is, but she's definitely the one who has flourished the least under his direction. Prior to her movies with him, she was reviewed very well in Lost in Translation and Girl With A Pearl Earring, but while her career has blossomed and bloomed, her talent has only decreased. Interestingly, while her talent has decreased, Cruz's has increased. Just a thought. His next film makes it seem as though he's kissed goodbye to Johansson and moved onto a muse who has shown her talent in a few projects; Evan Rachel Wood of thirteen, Across the Universe and The Wrestler fame. Let's hope he's hit gold again with this one. If you're wondering why I'm not talking about her actual performance here, it's because there's nothing here. She's bland and lifeless here. She's not even appealing on the basest physical level. She says the lines and goes through the motions and that's it. It's not detrimental to the film in particular for some reason, but there's no way I can endorse this performance in any way.
Penelope Cruz = A+
Penelope Cruz, one of my favourite actresses of recent year. Granted, I liked her even before Volver but it was the film that gave me a good reason to legitimately liked her. In a move that nobody expected, she actually improved as an actress since then, with this performance and a dramatic performance in Elegy. Even more amazingly, she crosses the language barrier with little difficulty now which seemed to be her largest hurdle, (Sahara, Vanilla Sky, Gothika), to give a great performance here. And if her next films are anything to go by, another Almodovar film and the Academy Award winner and nominee studded Nine, she's becoming more discerning with her projects.
However, she is a jewel in a film that I already like a lot. She enters the film just as it's beginning to lag and gives it a much needed energy that Allen's flims have lacked since Mira Sorvino won her Oscar. There's just so much to love in her performance here, her constant defiance to speak English, some of her perfect line-readings and the sheer crazy physicality of the role. It's one that is almost played to the rafters, but always in the service of the character; Maria Elena is the kind of character who does this just because that's how she is, not because she thinks anybody is watching. However, she also knows when to downplay the role, like at the table scene, with her hand rubbing against her face in sheer intolerance for Cristina and everything she embodies. It takes a good actress to keep the fires burning at full tilt throughout a performance, it takes a truly gifted and talented actress like Cruz to know when to dull them down in a way that it is service to the performance, character and movie. Absolutely amazing work from an actress that will only continue to improve over time.
Overall Film Grade: B/B+
Monday, January 19, 2009
Doubt (2008)
Meryl Streep = A.
I'm going to preface my comments on Streep's performance by saying that this is Streep at the top of her game, which is sort of redundant; you hand Streep a great script and character and you're guaranteed a great performance. Which is exactly what she gives here. She haunts the movie from the first frame and her presence lingers even throughout those few scenes where she isn't presence, you feel she could be lingering under any one of the many black habits seen throughout the film. I have no Cherry Jones with which to compare, so I'm judging the performance on it's own significant merits. Occasionally Streep is a bit too forthright, though never hammy; you genuinely believe that this is Sister Aloysius just losing her grip on the situation just a little whenever she yells. I give immense credit to Streep for not simplifying her character as the final scene attempts to do, she layers Sister Aloysius with her trademark knack for a character tic and movement; you see the both the compassion and irritability when she gives Sister Veronica the fork, she refuses to embrace one part of the character while excluding the other. A full-bodied and perfectly aligned performance from an actress that has been at it for three decades.
Amy Adams = A-.
In the space of three years, Adams has reinvigorated herself from an actress of an insane amount of charm to hold up a character to a talented actress with a knack for playing doe-eyed innocence. However, to dismiss her performance as being similar to those in Junebug and Enchanted is an immense disservice to her performances in those, which were completely different plays on somewhat similar characters, and an insult to this performance. Yes, Sister James is an innocent nun, but she's not a pushover. Adams imbues James with a noticeable spine and individuality that breaks away from the innocence, she stands up to Aloysius in a way that Father Flynn doesn't even succeed at; she attacks what may be at the core of Aloysius' accusations. I don't blame Adams for the odd scene in which James tries to assert herself in class, but she tries her best to make it believable. Still, Adams turns in a performance of clarity and believability where she could have quite easily glided on her natural gifts.
Viola Davis = A.
I don't know what I can say about this performance that hasn't been said. Davis throws a massive wrench in the workings of the film with a completely heart-rending performance, that tugs and flays at any certainty that you may have had while watching the movie. Davis conveys the moral dilemma within Mrs. Miller, but also the guilt that she clearly has in seeing that, the self-inflicted ignorance. It's an incredible role that Davis gives an incredible reading of. She's breathtaking and powerful, nearly taking her scene away from Streep. An Oscar win would not be amiss.
Philip Seymour Hoffman = B+.
I don't like Hoffman. I know this much. I don't think he's ever given a performance which is in service to the film; he serves only himself as an actor, grabbing every scene and holding the camera so that nobody else gets a fair shot. How Keener managed to get a nomination opposite his most grabbiest performance is something that I won't understand. However, I find Hoffman to give a very delicate, if not particularly subtle performance. He's never actually quiet, even in scenes that might call for it; the scene in the gym. He's always acting and everything, but I think that works for the character of Father Flynn, he's constructing himself as a priest, a teacher, an opponent to Sister Aloysius, a friend to Sister James. It's a very canny performance of the most difficult role in the film; he has to inspire doubt without particularly asking for it. He never quite steals his scenes away from Streep, and there are certain moments during their more heated scenes where he achieves quite a tortured and genuine expression of hurt and hopelessness. My favourite performance by the man, who really needs to do this kind of subtle character work more often. (In saying that, I feel that the role would have been served by somebody who could have inspired doubt much easier. There's something inherently misanthropic about Hoffman that I couldn't get past even from the first scene.)
Notable Performances:
All The Little Actors - There's a lot of names to look up here, but I felt that all the little bit actors did their part well, sometimes making Shanley's sometimes hamfisty symbolism that more profound and heartfelt. Special notice to the boys who may or may not be overlooked victims of Father Flynn; aptly played reaction shots without being obvious about it.
Overall Film Grade: A-B. I flucuate from day to day.
I'm going to preface my comments on Streep's performance by saying that this is Streep at the top of her game, which is sort of redundant; you hand Streep a great script and character and you're guaranteed a great performance. Which is exactly what she gives here. She haunts the movie from the first frame and her presence lingers even throughout those few scenes where she isn't presence, you feel she could be lingering under any one of the many black habits seen throughout the film. I have no Cherry Jones with which to compare, so I'm judging the performance on it's own significant merits. Occasionally Streep is a bit too forthright, though never hammy; you genuinely believe that this is Sister Aloysius just losing her grip on the situation just a little whenever she yells. I give immense credit to Streep for not simplifying her character as the final scene attempts to do, she layers Sister Aloysius with her trademark knack for a character tic and movement; you see the both the compassion and irritability when she gives Sister Veronica the fork, she refuses to embrace one part of the character while excluding the other. A full-bodied and perfectly aligned performance from an actress that has been at it for three decades.
Amy Adams = A-.
In the space of three years, Adams has reinvigorated herself from an actress of an insane amount of charm to hold up a character to a talented actress with a knack for playing doe-eyed innocence. However, to dismiss her performance as being similar to those in Junebug and Enchanted is an immense disservice to her performances in those, which were completely different plays on somewhat similar characters, and an insult to this performance. Yes, Sister James is an innocent nun, but she's not a pushover. Adams imbues James with a noticeable spine and individuality that breaks away from the innocence, she stands up to Aloysius in a way that Father Flynn doesn't even succeed at; she attacks what may be at the core of Aloysius' accusations. I don't blame Adams for the odd scene in which James tries to assert herself in class, but she tries her best to make it believable. Still, Adams turns in a performance of clarity and believability where she could have quite easily glided on her natural gifts.
Viola Davis = A.
I don't know what I can say about this performance that hasn't been said. Davis throws a massive wrench in the workings of the film with a completely heart-rending performance, that tugs and flays at any certainty that you may have had while watching the movie. Davis conveys the moral dilemma within Mrs. Miller, but also the guilt that she clearly has in seeing that, the self-inflicted ignorance. It's an incredible role that Davis gives an incredible reading of. She's breathtaking and powerful, nearly taking her scene away from Streep. An Oscar win would not be amiss.
Philip Seymour Hoffman = B+.
I don't like Hoffman. I know this much. I don't think he's ever given a performance which is in service to the film; he serves only himself as an actor, grabbing every scene and holding the camera so that nobody else gets a fair shot. How Keener managed to get a nomination opposite his most grabbiest performance is something that I won't understand. However, I find Hoffman to give a very delicate, if not particularly subtle performance. He's never actually quiet, even in scenes that might call for it; the scene in the gym. He's always acting and everything, but I think that works for the character of Father Flynn, he's constructing himself as a priest, a teacher, an opponent to Sister Aloysius, a friend to Sister James. It's a very canny performance of the most difficult role in the film; he has to inspire doubt without particularly asking for it. He never quite steals his scenes away from Streep, and there are certain moments during their more heated scenes where he achieves quite a tortured and genuine expression of hurt and hopelessness. My favourite performance by the man, who really needs to do this kind of subtle character work more often. (In saying that, I feel that the role would have been served by somebody who could have inspired doubt much easier. There's something inherently misanthropic about Hoffman that I couldn't get past even from the first scene.)
Notable Performances:
All The Little Actors - There's a lot of names to look up here, but I felt that all the little bit actors did their part well, sometimes making Shanley's sometimes hamfisty symbolism that more profound and heartfelt. Special notice to the boys who may or may not be overlooked victims of Father Flynn; aptly played reaction shots without being obvious about it.
Overall Film Grade: A-B. I flucuate from day to day.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Hysterical Blindness (2002)
Uma Thurman = A
Thurman gives her first Gena Rowlands performance, appropriately in a movie that features the actor. And by that I meant hat she is playing a woman who is quite tangibly on the edge, a woman who is so damaged for whatever reason that she can't even hold down a boyfriend if she tried. Thurman achieves grand, dizzying depths with the character of Debbie Miller, although the character isn't as layered as some of the Cassavetes 'heroines'. From the very first frame she's in, Thurman inhabits the woman, and she controls and dominates this sometimes uneven and messed film. She's awkward, she's too forthright, she understands far too little and she's pretty much an elegant mess. She doesn't achieve the same kind of greatness that Rowlands did with Cassavetes, but there's a lot to love here and Thurman does more than what the film asks of her. There's a tragic pathos in her second meeting with Rick that is so tragic, restrained and simply heartbreaking that it speaks volumes of what this woman can do on the screen. And nothing, nothing in this movie beats her much delayed and much needed realization: "What's wrong with me?" Can people start giving her more roles like this? (Kudos to director Mira Nair for using Uma Thurman's height to her advantage; Thurman has never looked so beautiful and yet so awkward on screen.)
Gena Rowlands = B+
For the majority of the film, Gena Rowlands is a non-factor; merely radiating warmth from the edge of the frame and providing welcome support to Thurman's antics. It's not until a plot turn late-game that Rowlands comes into her prime and transmits to us a harrowing scene on the telephone. (A lot of actors do some of their best work on the telephone. Streep in Adaptation, Leung in Happy Together. Just a note. Not that this ranks among Rowlands best work, but her best work in the film definite.) It's a perfect example of why Rowlands is still one of the best working actresses of her generation that continues to deliver very subtle and nuanced performances even in roles that are are almost barely there.
Juliette Lewis = C
Lewis is a weak link in this film only because she shares her scenes with Thurman and cedes every one up to her star, which works for the film but not her performance. Lewis is never overtly bad, but there's very little to cling onto here. It's a paper-thin character and one that you can hardly remember after the credits roll.
Ben Gazzara = B
Gazzara doesn't have a great deal of scenes or a great deal of time within those scenes to make an impact, but he manages to transmit just as much warmth as Rowland's does and his closing scene in the film is a very warm and fuzzy moments in which he plays off Thurman well and almost steals a scene from her. But, this isn't a performance of greatness and it does what it needs to.
Overall Film Grade = A
Thurman gives her first Gena Rowlands performance, appropriately in a movie that features the actor. And by that I meant hat she is playing a woman who is quite tangibly on the edge, a woman who is so damaged for whatever reason that she can't even hold down a boyfriend if she tried. Thurman achieves grand, dizzying depths with the character of Debbie Miller, although the character isn't as layered as some of the Cassavetes 'heroines'. From the very first frame she's in, Thurman inhabits the woman, and she controls and dominates this sometimes uneven and messed film. She's awkward, she's too forthright, she understands far too little and she's pretty much an elegant mess. She doesn't achieve the same kind of greatness that Rowlands did with Cassavetes, but there's a lot to love here and Thurman does more than what the film asks of her. There's a tragic pathos in her second meeting with Rick that is so tragic, restrained and simply heartbreaking that it speaks volumes of what this woman can do on the screen. And nothing, nothing in this movie beats her much delayed and much needed realization: "What's wrong with me?" Can people start giving her more roles like this? (Kudos to director Mira Nair for using Uma Thurman's height to her advantage; Thurman has never looked so beautiful and yet so awkward on screen.)
Gena Rowlands = B+
For the majority of the film, Gena Rowlands is a non-factor; merely radiating warmth from the edge of the frame and providing welcome support to Thurman's antics. It's not until a plot turn late-game that Rowlands comes into her prime and transmits to us a harrowing scene on the telephone. (A lot of actors do some of their best work on the telephone. Streep in Adaptation, Leung in Happy Together. Just a note. Not that this ranks among Rowlands best work, but her best work in the film definite.) It's a perfect example of why Rowlands is still one of the best working actresses of her generation that continues to deliver very subtle and nuanced performances even in roles that are are almost barely there.
Juliette Lewis = C
Lewis is a weak link in this film only because she shares her scenes with Thurman and cedes every one up to her star, which works for the film but not her performance. Lewis is never overtly bad, but there's very little to cling onto here. It's a paper-thin character and one that you can hardly remember after the credits roll.
Ben Gazzara = B
Gazzara doesn't have a great deal of scenes or a great deal of time within those scenes to make an impact, but he manages to transmit just as much warmth as Rowland's does and his closing scene in the film is a very warm and fuzzy moments in which he plays off Thurman well and almost steals a scene from her. But, this isn't a performance of greatness and it does what it needs to.
Overall Film Grade = A
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