R.I.P. Barbara Harris

Posted on August 22, 2018 by sheila

In the final scene in Nashville, a homegrown truly American masterpiece, the ditzy hopeful singer Albuquerque, played by Barbara Harris, who has been haunting the periphery of the film, staggering around in her skimpy clothes, waiting for her shot at the big time, finally gets her moment. The film ends with her. It is one of the great scenes in American film, and Altman – who tended to find his films as he shot them – knew that he had found his ending, found the scene that would continue on through the credits roll. You may think all along that Albuquerque is silly, or delusional, or maybe just a starry-eyed floozy. It doesn’t seem like she could be a “player” at all among the Nashville elite. But when her “chance” appears … she’s ready. I have goosebumps just thinking about the scene, and what she does with it. Albuquerque’s moment in the spotlight is not an unadulterated triumph. Nothing in an Altman film could be. His view was too jaundiced and cynical for that. But he countered that attitude with love and curiosity about the characters, about the actors, about people in general. His “attitude” towards Albuquerque could have been cruel. In a less sensitive filmmaker, she would have been used as a joke, as a symbol for all the delusional singer wannabes who bomb out in their American Idol audition, and think they sound awesome. Instead, she emerges as a courageous hero.

It could be argued that Harris’ stage work was far more important and influential than any film she did. People talk about seeing her on Broadway – and here it is 50 years later and they still remember the impact of seeing her live. It’s amazing. I am sorrowful I never got to have that experience. Well-known to audiences mostly from the original Freaky Friday, she also was amazing in Family Plot, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? , and Plaza Suite. Nashville gave her an epic scope in which to do her thing, and she rose to the occasion. Her final credit was 20 years ago in Grosse Pointe Blank.

Harris emerged out of the brand-new (at the time) improvisation sketch-comedy scene. A contemporary of Mike Nichols and Elaine May (they were all in an improv troupe together), Harris made her real splash in theatre, appearing on Broadway in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Oh Dad Poor Dad, Mother Courage, and 1967’s The Apple Tree, for which she won the Tony Award.

She was a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.

But the first thing I thought of when I heard of her passing was that final scene in Nashville. Not only does her character get a long-delayed pay off, what she does in that scene is the payoff for the film entire. That’s not a job for an amateur. That’s a job for an actress who can BRING IT, and Harris did.

Posted in Actors, RIP | Tagged | 18 Comments

Review: We the Animals (2018)

Posted on August 17, 2018 by sheila

I recommend checking out We the Animals. Been getting a lot of buzz since Sundance. It’s not perfect, but there’s enough here to warrant giving it a shot.

My review of We the Animals is now up at Rogerebert.com.

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“My Grandfather.”

Posted on August 17, 2018 by sheila

I almost lost it.

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R.I.P. Aretha Franklin

Posted on August 17, 2018 by sheila

When you talk about Aretha Franklin, you really must – there is no other choice – use words like “transcendent,” “genius,” etc. It was palpable in everything she did, in her recordings, in her live performances. What you see in her live performances is someone who digs down into the deep well inside of her, her own history, the history of others, the down-dirty history of America, the history of her own time, and pours it back up and out of her mouth. That’s why she’s so powerful. There are very few artists who can do that … and the ones who DO are the ones we treasure most. In them, we hear ourselves, but we also LEARN about ourselves. She’s showing us, she’s leading the way. A pioneer. RADICAL. A game-changer. What would the 20th century – and the 21st – be without her? Our world is incomprehensible without her. There’s that great quote about how heroes are those who “displace” things, the way a gigantic ship displaces water. Aretha Franklin was a great “displacer.’ Before, she wasn’t there. And then … she was there. And she never went away.

It’s not enough, though, to say she had “talent,” or even that she was “gifted,” although those things are, of course, true. Many people have talent, many people have gifts. It’s how you use the gifts given to you that matters, makes an impact. But even beyond that … without her extraordinary voice, its multi-octave expanse, its clarity and then roughness, its rage and its tenderness … and her willingness to show us who she was through her voice … now we’re getting into the realm of genius. Genius is not a gift bestowed from above. You must commit to nurturing your genius, you must commit to sharing it. In every gesture, in every performance, in every note … USE it. To do this over 60+ years of a career is maybe what is most astonishing. She never burned out. She covered songs by younger artists. Adele. Celine Dion. Mariah. Whitney. She had more to give than other people did. It’s just a fact.

There are two obits I want to point you to:

First up, my friend Odie Henderson wrote a gorgeous (passionate and knowledgeable) tribute for Rogerebert.com: Aretha Franklin 1942 – 2018. You need to read the whole thing but this is one of my favorite parts:

In 1967, Re covered Otis Redding’s “Respect,” a paean to what he wanted from the woman he was seeing and supporting. Such a song was not uncommon, especially with the societal roles for men and women back then. In fact, Redding’s song was rather ordinary and familiar when sung by a man. A completely different story could be heard when it came from Aretha Franklin. She didn’t bother to change Redding’s lyrics, which put her—and women in general—in a position of power that was bold and enlightening. Plus she added that famous spelling bee of a retort that wrestled the song from Redding’s authorial hands forever: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me … ” It was highway robbery of the finest feminist order, and Redding later joked about the theft. He learned what many others would also learn: When Aretha Franklin stole a song from you, you let her keep it.

Speaking of “Respect,” here’s a pure and ferocious live version. She was so exhilarating live.

Odie’s obit led to a great discussion on Facebook about artistic “theft” and it made me think of one of my favorite stories involving Aretha. It was referenced in the New Yorker article about Aretha, but I’ve known it for years and I can’t remember where I first heard it. The great Etta James describes what happened. She was listening to Aretha Franklin’s version of “Skylark”. This was early on, before Aretha really “hit” although she was starting to make waves already. In the second verse, Aretha jumps up the octave. Etta James says:

“I had to scratch my head and ask myself, How the fuck did that bitch do that? I remember running into Sarah Vaughan, who always intimidated me. Sarah said, ‘Have you heard of this Aretha Franklin girl?’ I said, ‘You heard her do ‘Skylark,’ didn’t you?’ Sarah said, ‘Yes, I did, and I’m never singing that song again.’”

I love stories like this, about pure appreciation between artists. It’s another level. Talent is an aristocracy. All of these people have egos. They wouldn’t be who they are without gigantic egos. But at a certain point, you have to bow down to someone else who has the goods and say “Well played.” The greats don’t hesitate to do this. (Consider Barbra Streisand’s best-kept-secret tradition of reaching out to every new “diva” who arrives on the scene, inviting them over, chatting, sending them encouragement, showing up at their concerts. Beyonce. Mariah. Tiffany Haddish. Babs is ON IT. She is not threatened by up-and-comers. Only the mediocre are threatened by new people moving into territory they carved out.)

Here’s Aretha’s “Skylark.” She’s so young. Listen to where her talent is already at. She didn’t need “developing.” She needed a BREAK so she could share what was already there.

The second obit is from the great Stephanie Zacharek (my fellow NYFCC member). Aretha Franklin Sang Her Way Through America’s History. Her Passing Is the End of an Era. Stephanie writes:

Franklin emerged from the multiple paths that had already been forged by Holiday, Nina Simone, and Mahalia Jackson: Like Sam Cooke (who was a family friend), she melded Gospel with pop music so seamlessly that now it’s hard to think there was ever a time when the two ran on parallel, if often criss-crossing, paths. Without her there could have been no Donna Summer, Chaka Khan or Whitney Houston (whose mother, Cissy, was one of the Sweet Inspirations, who often sang backup for Franklin); nor would there be a Janelle Monae, a Rihanna or a Beyoncé. She was both a pioneer and a connecting link to traditional American music, looking ahead every minute even as she never lost sight of where she came from.

On Twitter, Elton John paid tribute to her “underrated” piano playing. “She was one of my favorite pianists.” (Again, I sob with the artistic appreciation, one piano player to another.)

In 1971, Aretha Franklin gave a now-famous concert at Fillmore West. The whole thing is on Youtube. Here is an 8-minute-long version of her great bluesy “Dr. Feelgood.” She plays the piano throughout. Her performance here is one of those things where you just have to submit to it. Aretha demands you submit. You have no choice. Ride the wave with her. Go with her. And watch where she starts and then where she ends up. The performance is 8 minutes but her journey goes to the Milky Way.

Mentioned by Odie in his obit, here is the famous moment when she replaced Pavorotti at the 1998 Grammys – last minute, last minute, people!!! – with no rehearsal – and sang “Nessun Dorma”, his signature aria.

Her music was in the air, in our world, in the culture at large. I absorbed her by osmosis at a very young age. When she showed up in The Blues Brothers (who doesn’t remember that scene?), I knew who she was instantly even though I was in grade school.

This is a huge loss and when I heard the news my first thought was, “What are we supposed to do now?”

I don’t have an answer.

R.I.P. to the Queen of Soul.

Posted in Music, RIP | Tagged | 8 Comments

For Criterion: On Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson

Posted on August 11, 2018 by sheila

The beginning of a series of videos for the Criterion Collection, written and narrated by Yours Truly, on Ingmar Bergman’s collaborations with actresses. This was a major project for me, and it was an honor to pay tribute to these genius actresses (four in total).

First up: His collaboration with Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, most famously in Persona, but in some later films as well, like Passion of Anna. He saw them as “like and unlike” each other, and used them in endless combination, obsessively.

Now live on the Criterion Channel on FilmStruck.

You need a FilmStruck account to see the videos, but hey, you should have signed up for FilmStruck anyway, so now’s your chance!

More to come.

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For Arrow Films: An essay on Robert Altman’s Gosford Park

Posted on August 10, 2018 by sheila

What a treat this project was! Another DVD booklet for Arrow Films in the UK (my first was an essay on the under-talked-about masterpiece Another Woman included in a Woody Allen boxset):

I wrote the booklet essay for their DVD release of Gosford Park, a movie I have always loved but never written about. This was another really fun project, which gave me the chance to re-watch as much Altman as I could. I feel so fortunate that I was actually alive while Altman was still working. A new Altman was always an EVENT, like a new Scorsese. Gosford Park deepens with each re-watch. I am always seeing something new in it.

You can pre-order a copy here.

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Review: Elizabeth Harvest (2018)

Posted on August 10, 2018 by sheila

Didn’t entirely work for me, although it has some good spots.

My review of Elizabeth Harvest is now up at Rogerebert.com.

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Review: Cocote (2018)

Posted on August 4, 2018 by sheila

This was a challenging film for sure but I am very glad I saw it.

My review of Cocote is up at Rogerebert.com.

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | 2 Comments

July 2018 Viewing Diary

Posted on August 1, 2018 by sheila

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 5 “Monster Movie” (2008; d. Robert Singer)
A movie-mad feast. Plus, my favorite one-night-stand-girl. (Piper is a close tie.)

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 6 “Yellow Fever” (2008; d. Philip Sgriccia)
An example of what the show does best, when everyone is operating at the highest levels: it’s hilarious, the conception is great and filled with possibilities (all explored), it gives both lead actors a lot to chew on … AND it manages to STILL operate at a depth-ful level, with a truly upsetting final exchange. My only criticism is in the cross-cut editing of the “Ka-Boom” sequence. It’s pushed a little bit. But other than that, perfect.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 7 “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester” (2008; d. Charles Beeson)
Member when Sam and Dean were hesitant to kill witches?

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 8 “Wishful Thinking” (2008; d. Robert Singer)
An all-time favorite. It never gets old. So hilarious and yet with that deep Season 4 undercurrent of Dean’s trauma and his growing inability to hide it. Such great stuff. Plus …

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 9 “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2008; d. Charles Beeson)
Maybe the butch-est this show has ever been.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 10 “Heaven and Hell” (2008; d. J. Miller Tobin)
I love Anna. This is not an easy role. Some of her dialogue … (“same bottom line”) … Oy. She does a phenomenal job.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 14 “Sex and Violence” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
This is some seriously deep fucked-up shit and I love it so much.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 15 “Death Takes a Holiday” (2009; d. Steve Boyum)
Oh, Pamela, NO.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 16 “On the Head of a Pin” (2009; d. Mike Rohl)
No matter how many times I’ve seen it, this episode fills me with dread. And yet I am able to maintain enough distance to be blown away – again and again – by the trust these two actors have in one another in order to create what they created. It’s one of the most intimate scenes in the show’s entire history.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 17 “It’s a Terrible Life” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
“You should see my decolletage.” “Ew. No thank you.” LOL.

Gauguin: Voyage de Tahiti (2018; d. Edouard Deluc)
The girl he “married” in Tahiti was 13 years old. Making her older is super sketchy. Did you think we wouldn’t notice? My review at Ebert.

A Very English Scandal Episode 1 (2018; d. Stephen Frears)
Hugh Grant is killing it this year (although he’s always killed it. But he’s really moving into a super interesting phase in his career, now that he’s older.) I’ve only watched the first episode but it’s really good and he’s doing some extremely specific character work which isn’t just skin-deep. He’s so good.

The Staircase, episodes 1 and 2 (2004; d. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade)
I’ve seen this before, recently re-watched with a friend of mine. It unfolds slowly, different layers and aspects revealed as we go. There’s something “off” about this guy. Doesn’t mean he murdered his wife (although I think he did) … but he’s a fascinating guy to watch.

Written on the Wind (1956; d. Douglas Sirk)
The hottest of hothouse Freudian melodramas.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 18 “The Monster at the End of This Book” (2009; d. Mike Rohl)
I’m not the biggest Castiel fan in the world but every time I watch this episode I am thrilled by Castiel’s moment of break-away, when he aligns himself with Dean, filled with fear, but also adrenaline, because he knows what he is doing is right. It’s major.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 19 “Jump the Shark” (2009; d. Philip Sgriccia)
Dean is so REVVED UP this episode, barely in control, dealing with so much trauma he’s spinning out into space.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 20 “The Rapture” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
This is a very painful episode. Misha Collins kills it. When he can’t pray at the dinner table? I can’t take it.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 21 “When the Levee Breaks” (2009; d. Robert Singer)
So good! I love how Mary shows up and VALIDATES Sam. Such an interesting and complex choice. I have to ignore what has been done to Mary since her return to enjoy these former appearances.

Eighth Grade (2018; d. Bo Burnham)
This is SUCH a good movie. Please see it. My review at Ebert.

The Tarnished Angels (1957; d. Douglas Sirk)
A terrific film. Same cast basically as Written on the Wind (sans Lauren Bacall). Rock Hudson, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone.

Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957; d. Richard Thorpe)
A good, if all-over-the-place movie, about a former pilot suffering from PTSD, estranged from his wife, who gets embroiled in a criminal racket in Madrid, because of course.

The Fast and the Furious (1955; d. John Ireland)
Produced by Roger Corman. Probably shot over a long weekend. It’s a lot of fun. Lots of cool race cars too. All of these Dorothy Malone movies were re-watches in preparation for my most recent essay on Film Comment, where I paid tribute to her spiky complex persona.

Supernatural, Season 4, episode 22 “Lucifer Rising” (2009; d. Eric Kripke)
Another truly thrilling Castiel moment.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 1 “Sympathy for the Devil” (2009; d. Robert Singer)
Continuing into the next season on very strong legs.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 2 “Good God, Y’All” (2009; d. Philip Sgriccia)
So good to see Ellen and Jo and Rufus again AND so good to live in the world of super competence, which they all show. They’re at odds, due to the effect of War (I love the 4 Horsemen SO. MUCH.) … but everyone is working at a high level, thinking, reacting, acting. And this location … they must have flagged this early on as a perfect spot, waiting for the right time to use it. Stunning. They’re DWARFED by their surroundings, a perfect spot for a “break up.” (This is what recent seasons have not had: some kind of ongoing conflict BETWEEN the brothers. It’s such a rich subject.)

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 3 “Free to Be You and Me” (2009; d. J. Miller Tobin)
I do like the Castiel-Dean dynamic – Castiel brings out funny things in Dean. I don’t like the “Bert and Ernie are gay” line. I could probably write an essay about why, but I’ll just leave it at that. I like the connective fabric between Cas/Dean and Sam/whats-her-name at the bar. It’s Dean and Sam trying to “date” other people after their break-up. These subtexts are fantastic and bizarre.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 8 “Changing Channels” (2009; d. Charles Beeson)
An all-time favorite. It always works for me. I mean, even the closeup on that poor girl’s camel toe … I could have lived without it, but still it’s like: GUYS, ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH THIS SHIT? And it’s FUNNY in a truly push-the-envelope way.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 9 “The Real Ghostbusters” (2009; d. James L. Conway)
I love the alternate Sam-and-Dean so much. They bring real heart to what could be jokey condescending roles. Both of them are terrific.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 12 “Swap Meat” (2010; d. Robert Singer)
There’s something off here and it took me a while to figure out what it was: I wish they had gone true Big with this, and had Jared actually play the 15-year-old virgin inside him. And then had the kid play a kid with a huge adult man trapped inside HIM. Seeing Dean interact with the kid, and having to suspend our disbelief that Dean is actually seeing his brother … is funny … but not AS funny as seeing Jared Padalecki actually play a 15-year-old kid, like he does in the teaser. The moment we get to see Jared in the mirror, flexing his muscles, is a case in point: it’s so FUNNY seeing Jared admire himself, pretending to be a teenager. MORE, PLEASE.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 13 “The Song Remains the Same” (2010; d. Steve Boyum)
Again, I have to ignore the travesty of what they’ve done to Mary in order to get the impact of these earlier episodes. She is so so good.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 14 “My Bloody Valentine” (2010; d. Mike Rohl)
Funny all around. And a shout out to those two actors who have to devour one another in the teaser. That CANNOT have been easy. You don’t know anyone, you don’t know each other, you come on set, and you have to play that scene. Hats off. Also: the concept of “Famine” here is so so brilliant. What an opportunity to explore what it is every character WANTS. It’s not literal. You get so much more of a payoff when you’re not literal.

Supernatural, Season 5, episode 16 “Dark Side of the Moon” (2010; d. Jeff Woolnough)
Jared’s face when he says this line makes me laugh every time.

Supernatural, Season 11, episode 8 “Just My Imagination” (2015; d. Richard Speight Jr.)
This could have been so dumb. That it’s not is a huge tribute to Speight. It’s hilarious, it’s touching, and it somehow manages to make all these “imaginary friends” – played by adults – not creepy at all. But sweet. PERFECT casting of ALL of them. Nate Torrence is quite brilliant. And Anja Savcic! My God, she’s good: she makes me cry every time. “I’m just still SO. MAD.” (sob)

Supernatural, Season 11, episode 11 “Into the Mystic” (2016; d. John Badham)
Very painful to watch. I’m pissed.

Supernatural, Season 11, episode 12 “Don’t You Forget About Me” (2016; d. Stefan Pleszczynski)
Hahahaha. This “family dinner” is high comedy. I have to watch it repeatedly so I can track each character, there’s so much going on. This episode is marred by one of the longest “here’s why I done what I done” monologue by a monster, but there’s lots here that’s great. I was not a “Wayward Sisters” person (I’m sorry!!) and I hope it doesn’t impact Jodie’s casual entry into the action, as well as Claire and Donna. Hopefully the next time we see Claire, she’s not as caked with makeup as she was in “Wayward Sisters.” I guess … that’s the look now for young women? Nice, Supernatural, nice. Applying pounds of foundation to fight monsters. Yup. I look back on Jo, yearningly.

Supernatural, Season 9, episode 13 “The Purge” (2014; d. Philip Sgriccia)
This whole Dean-Sam arc is one of my favorites in the whole series (they really draw it out, they let it be unresolved, oh my God I’m in heaven with unresolved issues), and the final shot of Dean in this episode is one of my favorite closeups of him. He is so lost. What’s so great about Ackles is he tracks the low-level depression Dean is managing at all times. His voice even changes. His “light” is under a bushel. His eyes are flattened out. Ackles is so good.

Morocco (1930; d. Josef von Sternberg)
I have been having fun with the new Criterion box-set of the movies Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg made in Hollywood. First up? Morocco. With that incredible final shot. 1930!! And, of course, Marlene in a tux kissing a woman on the lips.

Semi-Tough (1977; d. Michael Ritchie)
This movie would not get made today. Not because it’s offensive, or anything like that. But because this mid-level type movie, not really “about” anything, not swinging for the fences, just a light entertainment starring big honking movie stars, just aren’t financed anymore, and we are all the poorer for it. I love this movie, and yeah, there are some moments that wouldn’t fly today but whatevs, it was 1977. So here we have three gigantic stars – Jill Clayburgh, Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson – in a movie that appears to be about professional football but really isn’t at all: it’s one long spoof on self-help culture like Est and Rolfing and all the rest. It’s funny, it’s charming, Clayburgh and Reynolds are great together, what’s not to like?

Dishonored (1931; d. Josef von Sternberg)
So good. She’s difficult to talk about. You really just have to experience her. What she is doing is not what other people do. It’s … her own thing. Or von Sternberg’s thing, as performed by his perfect muse. Whatever it is, you can’t look away.

Paddington 2 (2018; dir. Paul King)
As of now, along with First Reformed and You Were Never Really Here, this is in my Top 10.

The Greatest Showman (2017; d. Michael Gracey)
Watched this with my nieces and nephews. Pearl knows all the lyrics. They all do. I was one of the only critics who loved this damn thing (my review here) and it holds up. It’s not meant to be a dark expose about exploitation. It’s meant to be a feel-good story about a makeshift family of people rejected by society. And it succeeds. Plus: they cast two leads – Jackman and Efron – who can actually dance. No La La Land grading-on-a-curve necessary.

Cocote (2018; d. Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias)
My review will go up this week.

Shutter Island (2015; d. Martin Scorsese)
I haven’t seen this since it came out. It is currently streaming on Amazon. Leo is so so so SO good. At this rate, he may become one of the most underrated of all time. Yes, he’s a huge movie star. But he’s also taken for granted, and his ability to suspend disbelief is unparalleled. Watch him in this. And remember they filmed out of sequence. When you remember that and when you watch his gradual deterioration over the film … bow down in awe at his gift.

Shampoo (1975; d. Hal Ashby)
This is such a good film. Like Semi-Tough, it wouldn’t be made today. It’s a sex farce, sparked with political despair. So 1975 you can feel the malaise licking at everyone’s heels. And yet it’s still beautifully funny. Everyone gets to be human. Pauline Kael described the Warren Beatty character as having a “pagan purity” and that’s just right. Criterion is releasing this and I am so excited.

Private Life (2018; d. Tamara Jenkins)
Review to come eventually.

Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

For Film Comment: On Dorothy Malone

Posted on July 31, 2018 by sheila

It was so fun to dig into the career of the wonderfully complex Dorothy Malone for Film Comment. Having a career that spans from The Big Sleep to Basic Instinct is nothing to sneeze at.

TCM Diary: Dorothy Malone Knows

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