#How Old Is The Actor Christopher Plummer?

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

María Félix (Doña Barbara, La Mujer sin Alma, Rio Escondido, La Cucaracha)—Maria Felix is still possibly the most well-known Mexican film actress. She turned down multiple-roles in Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in order to take roles in Mexico, France, and Argentine throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s. She was so famous and so respected as a dramatic actress that she inspired painters, novelists and poets in their own art--she was painted by Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, Bridget Tichenor. The novelist Carlos Fuentes used her as inspiration for his protagonist in Zona Sagrada. She inspired an entire collection by Hermes. In the late 1960s Cartier made her a custom collection of reptile themed jewels. She considered herself to be powerful challenger of morality and femininity in Mexico & worldwide--she routinely played powerful women in roles with challenging moral choices and free sexuality. But even still, years after he death, she is celebrated with Google Doodles, and appearances in the movie Coco, and holidays for the anniversary of her death.

Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins)—Oh where to start .... I'm not sure I even know how. She's just perfection. And it's not fair I can't bring post 70s work into this, because she just gets better and better, and her drag performance in to die for. But in the era I CAN talk about, she shows she has THE RANGE. Beautiful, feisty, funny, holding her own against Christopher Plummer, Paul Newman, Rock Hudson. Oh she's luminous.

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

María Félix:

She's Thee Hot Vintage Movie Woman of México. She's absolutely gorgeous and always looks like she's about to step on you. you WILL be thankful if she does.

"María Félix is a woman -- such a woman -- with the audacity to defy the ideas machos have constructed of what a woman should be. She's free like the wind, she disperses the clouds, or illuminates them with the lightning flash of her gaze." - Octavio Paz

María Félix is one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema. La Doña, as she was lovingly nicknamed, only had one son, and when her first marriage ended in divorce her ex-husband stole her only child, so she vowed that one day she’d be more influential than her ex and she’d get her son back. AND SHE DID! María Félix rejected a Hollywood acting role to start her acting career in Mexico on her own terms with El Peñón de las Ánimas (The Rock of Souls) starring alongside actor, and future third husband, Jorge Negrete. She quickly rose to incredible heights both in Mexico and abroad, later on rejecting a Hollywood starring role (Duel in the Sun) as she was already committed to the movie Enamorada at the planned filming time. Of this snubbing she said, quote: “I will never regret saying no to Hollywood, because my career in Europe was focused in [high] quality cinema. [My] india* roles are made in my country, and [my] queen roles are abroad.” (Translator notes: here the “india” role means interpreting a lower-class Mexican woman, usually thought of indigenous/native/mixed descent —which she had interpreted and reinvented throughout her acting career in Mexico— and what abroad was typically considered the Mexican woman stereotype, with the braids, long simple skirts, and sandals. This also references the expectation of her possibly helping Hollywood in perpetuating this stereotype for American audiences that lack the cultural and historical contexts of this type of role which would undermine her own efforts against this type of Mexican stereotypes while working in Europe) She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world of her time by international magazines like Life, París Match, and Esquire, and was a muse to a vast number of songwriters (including her second husband Agustin Lara,), artists, designers, and writers. Muralist Diego Rivera described her as “a monstrously perfect being. She’s an exemplary being that drives all other human beings to put as much effort as possible to be like her”. Playwriter Jean Cocteau, who worked with her in the Spanish film La Corona Negra (The Black Crown) said the following about her, “María, that woman is so beautiful it hurts”. Haute Couture houses like Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Hérmes, among others, designed and dressed her throughout her life. She died on her birthday, April 8, 2002, at 88 years old, in Mexico City. She was celebrated by a parade from her home to the Fine Arts Palace in the the city’s Historic Downtown, where a multitude of people paid tribute to her. Her filmography includes 47 movies from 1942 until 1970, and only two television acting roles in 1970. She has 2 music albums, one recorded with her second husband, Agustín Lara, in 1964 titled La Voz de María y la inspiración de Agustín «The voice of María and the inspiration of Augustín», and her solo album Enamorada «In Love» in 1998. Her bespoke Cartier jewelry is exhibited alongside Elizabeth Taylor’s, Grace Kelly’s and Gloria Swanson’s. In 2018, Film Director Martin Scorsese presented a restored and remastered version of her film Enamorada in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Festival and Google dedicated a doodle for her 104th birthday. On august 2023 Barbie added her doll to the Tribute Collection.

Julie Andrews propaganda:

"She has such a simple but amazing beauty to her. Not to mention her amazing and melodic singing voice!"

"Roles like nannies and governesses can make us forget how attractive she was! A perfect combination of elegant and adorable, with the most incredible vocal range to boot!"

"Besides having one of the most amazing singing voices ever to grace the silver screen, Julie always had an understated beauty to her that wasn't always shown off on screen. But it's there nonetheless because her characters managed to pull some of the hottest men ever to grace the screen."

"The juxtaposition between carefree Maria and stern but fun Mary Poppins shows the power of the acting of this HOT VINTAGE MOVIE WOMAN"

"Charming, genteel, incredibly charismatic, beautiful, and has an angelic singing voice to boot. Her screen roles as Maria in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins are absolutely iconic for a reason and she originated several well-known Broadway roles before those."

"the most beautiful woman 12 year old me had ever seen possibly"

"OMG OMG OMG she’s definitely been submitted before how could she NOT but!!!! I loveeee her so muchhhh rahhhh prebby!!!! cool!!!! mary poppins the beloved <33333 some people dislike it but I love jolly holiday so much because it IS a jolly holiday with Mary!!! no wonder that it’s Mary that we love!!!!!"

"I know many people who were taught in singing lessons "when in doubt, pronounce words how julie andrews would pronounce them." THATS CALLED INFLUENCE. THATS CALLED MOTHERING THOUSANDS."

[cinematicct]

Beginners (2010)

Written and directed by Mike Mills, this semi-autobiographical film is mainly focused on the relationship between a man named Oliver Fields and his aging father Hal Fields, who came out of the closet in his seventies.

Ewan McGregor plays Oliver while Christopher Plummer plays Hal. Other stars include Mélanie Laurent as Oliver’s love interest Anna and a Jack Russell Terrier dog that was once owned by Hal named Arthur.

Ewan McGregor manages to carry the movie with solid acting, even when his character is emotionally troubled at times. Christopher Plummer is the jewel on the crown as he delivers fresh dignity to an honest, ecstatic soul who shows no sign of self-pity. What’s more, the role won Christopher Plummer an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Mélanie Laurent plays a vagabond whose relationship with her father is more complicated than Oliver’s. The canine actor (whose real name is Cosmo) even proves to be quite the adorable scene-stealer who’s got subtitled communication on the screen so viewers can actually know what he’s thinking.

The film is partly based on director Mike Mills’ personal experience as his father was gay the whole time he was married, but kept his sexuality hidden until after his wife died. He then decided to enter a new phase as a homosexual. Although the revelation came as a surprise to Oliver, he tries to re-evaluate as he already sensed there was some distance between his parents. Five years into the gay community, Hal becomes romantically involved with a much younger man, only to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. Since his father wasn’t around much during childhood, Oliver tries to form a closer bond with him before he dies. Hal on the other hand doesn’t acknowledge the symptoms as he is overjoyed to live a carefree lifestyle at a convenient time.

Through a series of flashbacks, the film takes place in 2003, coupled with multi-generational images of the 20th century. Every overlapping scene depicts the growing changes of society. For example, homosexuality was originally considered a mental illness to the point where people might lose everything dear to them if sexual orientation of the same gender was found out. As such, Hal was able to open his heart to Oliver’s mother as they were old friends on friendly (but complex) terms.

What’s touching about the story is it gives the impression of looking at yourself in the mirror as you figure out how to move on from a tragic loss. Oliver is first seen in a sullen mood following several failed relationships. At the same time, his father’s happiness inspires him to pursue a new relationship.

The film puts comedy and drama together in a unique way to demonstrate the pros and cons of love. As Oliver and Anna’s intimate friendship blooms into romance, personal issues of self-doubt soon begin to prevent them from committing to one another. During those setbacks, Oliver would keep himself busy as a graphic designer while Anna (an actress) checks herself in empty hotel rooms with her earnings.

The soundtrack contains classical music and vintage songs within a modern timeline to reflect the ancient history of the 20th century. Some of those songs include: “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael and “Everything’s Made for Love” by Gene Austin.

Finally, the true significance of the movie is even though new beginnings can be life-changing, it’s never too late to achieve what your heart longs for. With all that said, I deeply recommend this poignant cinematic love story to everyone.

[iratesherlock]

* MURDER BY DECREE / ENGLISH / 2H 4M / 1979

— Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and James Mason as John Watson. — Directed by Bob Clark and distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures and Ambassador Film Distributors. — Favorite Quality: These actors did a fantastic job at recreating the characters and their relationships.

I am beginning to understand that I prefer older/elderly Sherlock and John over all other iterations of the pair; I find them far more enjoyable than younger interpretations. This movie delivered on that so much that I nearly burst into tears when I first saw them appear; they’re just two old gentlemen teasing each other about the royal family at the theater. Murder by Decree was another movie based on the concept of Sherlock Holmes solving the case of Jack the Ripper, but I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening until the end—even then, I don’t think the plot was the best part of this movie. It was certainly better than a Study in Terror, and I enjoyed the reveal of the killer, it was not the climax, and it made me very emotional. I think it could have done better with the concept, but I did not expect the turns or plot twists, and I feel like I would gain an even greater appreciation for this movie if I were to watch it again (which I will be doing). While I do show a bias towards the actors who play Sherlock in television series, I want to express how incredible Christopher Plummer was for this character; and how fondly I will think of him in this movie, he was just so good. It may also be that Christopher and James had phenomenal on-screen chemistry; it felt like they were dear and loving friends. I loved watching them interact; I didn’t care about the mystery; I cared about how enjoyable it was to watch these two try and solve it together. When watching these movies and shows, I take notes as my memory is faulty, and I try to take note of what’s happening, how it sounds, and what it looks like, but the page I have just talks about how much I enjoyed the characters. Well, that and how hilarious the predator vision sequences were, like Jack was an 80s alien on board a spaceship. If I can give this movie another compliment, it was how alive most of the scenes in London felt and how crowded it seemed to be even without a large crowd of extras. When it comes to older movies, I feel like there’s a certain level of realism that modern movies lose, and I can’t figure out if it’s because the scenes are different or the cameras. Aesthetically it was not incredible, but sometimes it felt like I could step onto the streets of Victorian London, and that’s always a fantastic way to get invested in a story. Murder by Decree is not a movie I think you should watch for the plot, but one watched for how charming the characters were; well, that, and the cute pea scene. I love the pea scene.

[weclassybouquetfun]

HOUSE OF GUCCI Gang

Adapted by Becky Johnston (PRINCEOF TIDES, SEVEN YEARS IN  TIBET) and Roberto Bentivegna (shorts THE LAST MAN  IN BROOKLYN and EL OTRO IADO) from the book HOUSE OF GUCCI written by Sara Gay Forden comes the  film of the same name based on murder-for-hire plot by  Patrizia Reggiani,  wife of Gucci scion Maurizio Gucci as well as the power struggle that took place within  the family over the fashion house. Directed by Ridley Scott (THE MARTIAN, BLADE RUNNER), Scott cast his THE LAST DUEL star Adam Driver as the ill-fated Mauricio Gucci with Lady Gaga as Patrizia. A more interesting and exciting take on a true story than Scott's 2017's ALL THE MONEY IN  THE WORLD detailing the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (I personally think the film only got acclaim due to Scott editing out Kevin Spacey and replacing him with Christopher Plummer and *still* meeting  his scheduled release date).

House of Gucci (no spoilers)

When 24-year old Patrizia (Lady Gaga) meets the shy and unassuming Maurizio (Driver) at a  party, she is immediately interested in him, even more so due to  his family's name. When Maurizio's disapproving father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) balks at his son's relationship with someone of a lower social and economic standing, Maurizio is willing to give his family's wealth up for love. But when  his uncle Aldo (Al Pacino) reaches out to draw him back into the fold, the power and wealth proves dangerously intoxicating  to Patrizia who inserts herself into the family's dealings and works to position Maurizo and herself to hold all the power. In a perfect world Driver and Lady Gaga will have another shot at playing a couple - a happier one - as the scenes early on in  their relationship shows the great chemistry the two with each other

Vamping it up at the London premiere.

(points to Adam Driver for having two films in the same year where he performs cunnilingus (Annette being the other). Added points  to the Rocco Siffredi level  of thrusting he also does).  The pair does a terrific job of tracking  the relationship from love to distrust to malice and obsession.

The real Patrizia and Mauri

There is a  lot of ink being spilled about  Gaga's dedication to getting Patrizia's accent down and how she stayed in the accent for nine months (other sources say a year and a half),  despite Salma Hayek's dialect coach going on record saying  that Gaga's accent sounds more  Russian than Italian,  at least she gives it a shot.  This  film is filled with wildly differing accents with Driver's going  in and out,  Iron's sounding more like his own British accent, Salma Hayek sounding like  herself; Pacino's Italian-American accent and Jared Leto -looking like a mustachioed Jeffrey Tambor

is wildly entertaining  as Maurizo's cousin,  the dreamer Paolo Gucci - doing a broad, stereotypical Italian accent.  Let's hope the American Italian Anti-Defamation League misses out  on this film.  But it's a small, trivial complaint, especially as this film barely features any Italian  outside of rudimentary words (grazie, prego, ciao, allora) and takes liberties with much of the inter-dynamics of the family. As much as this  film is one about ambition, betrayal and ultimately murder, it is also an homage to  the resiliency of  the Gucci  brand  as it takes the viewers through how the fashion  house began its emergence from the ashes of mismanagement and stale branding. As a fan of fashion I loved the scenes that focused on the fashion and  the names behind it (Gianni Versace,  Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour  and a wonderful introduction of the man who helped turn  the brand around: Tom Ford (portrayed by actor/singer Reeve Carney). Scott didn't get the blessing of the Gucci family for the film (as a matter of fact the children Aldo and Paolo are offended at the portrayals of their fathers and Patrizia is offended that Lady Gaga didn't meet with her about the role),  but I have to think they had the blessings of and assistance of Gucci's  current owners due to the casting alone. Salma Hayek is the wife of François-Henri Pinault  who is  the  current CEOof the Kering Group which was originally formed by Pinault's father and was then called Pinault-Printemps Redoute. 

Also, Jared Leto who has been a long-time Gucci brand ambassador, playing Paolo whose unconventional fashion  designs and  visions for new looks drew mockery from his family is inspired. The type of fashion  Paolo rhapsodized is in line  with the style Alessandro Michele brought to the fashion house.I

Never forget!

Overall great film,well worth every bit of  its 2 1/2 hours  runttime. Also, starring in the film is Jack Huston (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, FARGO) as Roldofo and  Maurizo's  consigliere Domenico De Sole. Huston knows all about dynasties: his great-grandfather was Oscar nominated actor Walter Huston, grandfather was Oscar winning writer/director John Huston, his father is Oscar nominated screenwriter Tony Huston, his uncle is actor Danny Huston (SUCCESSION) and aunt is  Oscar winning actress Angelica Huston.

[pennyserenade]

favorite movies and whyyyy right back at ya!

get to know me

hey skye! thank you for this question back lol!

i'm a really big fan of movies, so it's hard to condense it down to just a few. a few honorable mentions would be: everything everywhere all at once, down with love, 20th century women, ...and justice for all, back to the future, godfather part 2, bringing up baby, and harvey. i'm sure there is a thousand more i'm missing to be honest, but i have seen so many good movies lately it's hard to remember them all.

but, when people ask me my top favorites, i usually say:

beginners (2010) - its one the movies that got me through a really rough period of my life and it made me love a lot of the things i had abandoned before. it's a beautiful, beautiful movie inspired by the director's real-life experience of his father coming out as gay as an older man after his mother had died. ewan mcgregor plays the main character and christopher plummer plays the father, and it's funny and sad, and offers such beautiful insight into things like grief and death and love. it's so good and i will always speak so fondly of it. i've seen it like a billion times.

holiday (1938) - this one is one of my newer favorites, but it's definitely grown on me quickly. it's a lot of fun because anything with katharine hepburn and cary grant is bound to be, but it's also a very good critic on capitalism in a time where that was sort of dangerous to do, and it's got a very strong female lead in katharine hepburn. it's a story about a man named johnny case who falls in love with a woman who comes from money, and who expects johnny, once they are married, to be a man of business. however, johnny, who has worked since he was 10, wants to take the riches he has acquired and retire young to find out why he's working at all. it's so much fun and you get to see cary grant do some flips !

dog day afternoon (1975) - this movie is a movie i owe a lot to in the sense that it opened the door for me to not only see how good al pacino is as an actor, but also for me to understand that old movies can be good--like really good. i've made every single one of my best friends watch this with me and they all were quite blown away by it, which is insane because they are not fond of 'old movies' for the most part. this is probably one of the best movies ever made in my opinion. al pacino is at his very best in this, and the story itself really amazing and IT'S BASED ON A TRUE STORY. to see an lgbtq+ storyline being taken seriously in the '70s was so nice

inside llewyn davis (2013) - this is literally the most depressing movie i have ever seen in my life but i love it dearly. oscar isaac is an actor who deserves movies like this; movies that are good and serious and character-driven because he is good at it. i have said it a thousand and ten times, but i will say it again: oscar isaac is very much the al pacino/robert de niro/marlon brando of our generation. he's great and he really shines in this miserable little beauty. also, i am very fond of country folk/folk music unfortunately so this also swayed my opinion a little

[theluworld]

By Scott Campbell 2 hours ago

Things are continuing to go from bad to worse for Armie Hammer, with the career of the industry’s pre-eminent rumored cannibal appearing to be in complete free fall. It should be stressed that as of this moment, the 34 year-old has yet to be charged with any sort of offense, while he’s subpoenaing social media networks to prove that he doesn’t have a taste for human flesh, but things certainly aren’t looking good for his immediate prospects.

After exiting action comedy Shotgun Wedding and drama The Offer, or been asked to leave, The Lone Ranger star has since been dropped by both his representatives and his publicist. And depending on how the repeated allegations play out, the marketing teams behind the three movies that Hammer already had in the can could be facing some serious headaches.

He takes second billing behind Gary Oldman in this month’s ironically-titled thriller Crisis, and plays a small role in Taika Waititi’s undated sports comedy Next Goal Wins. The third project, meanwhile, is Kenneth Branagh’s mystery sequel Death on the Nile, with insider Daniel Richtman now claiming that Hammer’s part as Simon Doyle could be recast and reshot along the lines of how Kevin Spacey was erased from Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World and replaced on short notice by the late Christopher Plummer, who went on to land an Academy Award nomination for his performance.

As a Disney-owned sequel to a surprise hit that made over $350 million at the box office, there’ve been rumors that the Hammer situation was a concern for the Mouse House when Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptations could prove to be a lucrative adult-skewing franchise for the rebranded 20th Century Studios. Death on the Nile isn’t scheduled for release until September, so there’s still plenty of time for the ongoing cannibalism saga to play out before a final decision is made, but right now, it’s definitely not looking good for the actor.

https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/armie-hammer-replaced-recast-death-nile/

[sunfloweronthebeach]

Falling for an older actors/celebrities is kind of heartbreaking sometimes.

Like, you know them as a 50-something lead in a movie or whatever. They caught your eyes so you did the thing you always do. You googled them.

You made a list of their movies because hey guess you are a fan now so you better see their other works.

Then you found out they were in some of your favourite movies. Hey that guy was in Twilight before he put on angel's wings, or that other guy was the annoying little cowboy you didn't care much about. I love those tiny sparks of joy you got from these recognitions. It almost like getting back with an old friend.

And then you realised that, in fact, those movies you remember came out 5, 10, or sometimes even 20 years ago. You wonder how they are doing right now, or how could you sleep on their whole career.

So you googled them again.

Most of the time you found out they are married with kids and are living a happy life and sometimes accidentally bombing their sprouse's Instagram live asking if it is Myspace. And you are happy for them. You do wish one day you would find love like that. Okay maybe that's just me.

Sometimes you remember them. Oh they were that guy on the news abou the crash that one time. Or they were the one your parents were mourning, or your grandparents were. I remember how my grandfather (who has dementia and barely remembers any of us on his bad days) cried like one of his friends died when we told him about Christopher Plummer. Sometimes you feel the same, but decades too late, after everyone else has stopped mourning.

And sometimes you found out they weren't doing quite well and they were sad and you found out about their suicide attept and it was like when your mom told you that Genie was dead all over again exept they survived and that was decades ago and they seem fine now but you still want to cry for him even when it is 20 years too late and you aren't quite sure what to feel.

And you remember yourself in highschool, staring at a razor, wondering how much it would hurt. You remember how hard it was and you just want so desperately to give this twice-your-age could-be-your-dad stranger a hug, but it was so long ago now. They seem to be doing much better now, but for some reason your heart still breaks over him a little all the same.

[lilhawkeye3]

Hawk’s Movie Rec List🦅🎬🍿

Okay y’know what I’m actually just gonna put together a movie rec list because why not😂 This list will include my summary, a list of starring actors that you’ll recognize in the film, and where to (legally) watch it.

What We Do In The Shadows

Hawk’s summary: a mockumentary about a quartet of vampires living in New Zealand. Also has a spin off show focusing on a group of vampires from Staten Island, NYC. Hilarious and also like... just some great supernatural content. You can watch the show without seeing the movie and tbh it’s just as amazing, if not better.

Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh

Streaming on: Hulu (tv show), rental on Prime (movie)

Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl

Hawk’s summary: look all the characters are great, the plot is great, zombie skeletons pirates are great, idk what else to tell you. It’s just a fun time.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightly, Orlando Bloom, and that cute monkey lmao. Also the dog with the keys.

Streaming on: Disney+

Young Frankenstein

Hawk’s summary: this film is a comedy and parody of classical horror films and yet manages to be the most accurate Frankenstein film to the original novel in terms of understanding the theme of man vs maker etc. And it’s Mel Brooks, the king of comedy tbh.

Starring: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn

Streaming on: Starz/Hulu/Prime, but... you can find the full film for free very easily.

Blazing Saddles

Hawk’s Summary: another Mel Brooks comedy, this time parodying old westerns! Watch if you’re tired of racist characterizations and in need of some no barred laughs. Fair warning: they use the N word a LOT, but like... to show the absurdity of racists. Idk I saw it first when I was 8 (questionable parenting move lmao) but it’s one of my all time favorites.

Starring: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, and Mel Brooks still making fun of Nazis like he does best 🤩

Streaming on: rental on Prime and YouTube currently

Undercover Brother

Hawk’s summary: a parody of the spy genre and blaxploitation films. Follows Undercover Brother as he joins a secret Black organization that fights The Man, an unknown white dude who wants to erase the effect of Black culture on white America.

Starring: Dave Chappelle, Neil Patrick Harris, Denise Richards, Billy Dee Williams, Cris Kataan, and a great cameo by James Brown

Streaming on: Starz/Hulu/Prime

RED and RED 2

Hawk’s summary: watch a bunch of retired secret agents who are “past their prime” be total badasses. Lots of humor, some excellent and fun action scenes. Doesn’t take itself too seriously and is really just about having a good time.

Starring: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovitch, Brian Cox, Marie-Louise Parker

Streaming on: Amazon Prime & Showtime

The Man from U.N.C.L.E

Hawk’s summary: loosely based on a 60’s tv show about an American CIA and Russian KGB agent who are partners, but this time with a spunky German mechanic thrown into the mix as they look to stop nuclear launch codes from falling into the wrong hands. Guy Ritchie has a lot of fun with this OT3. Fun spy movie, great chemistry between the three leads, great action and humor!

Starring: Henry Cavill, Alicia Vikander, Armie Hammer, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, and that one white guy who’s always some sus dude (Jared Harris! Lmao)

Streaming on: rental on Prime or Youtube.

Sherlock Holmes & SH: Game of Shadows

Hawk’s summary: another fun series by Guy Ritchie (imo the first is much better though). RDJ and Jude Law have a great time playing off each other, and I love Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. Jared Harris is in these too so I think he’s friend with Ritchie lmao but he does a fabulous job being manipulative. And the MUSIC!! Love it.

Staring: RDJ, Rachel McAdams, Jude Law, Mark Strong, Jared Harris

Streaming on: HBO Max

Get Out

Hawk’s summary: okay tbh I see this more as a psychological thriller than horror but I think it just really depends based on your own life experiences. “I would’ve voted for Obama a third time” lmaooo yeah that boy should’ve turned his ass around the second he hit that deer. Jordan Peele really did a great job with this film and it’s always an interesting watch.

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield (he was AMAZING), Bradley Whitfield, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Caleb Landry Jones

Streaming on: another current rental (how obvious is it that I use alternate sources lmao)

[no gif for this one bc I know the movie does freak some people out]

Knives Out

Hawk’s summary: this movie really lived up to the hype. A fun mystery film with a few really good twists! Tbh idk who let Daniel Craig do the accent but it just works for the movie lmao. Also a good movie for the family bc each age group can relate really well to a group of characters.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, that girl from Netflix, and Lakeith Stanfeild is there too!!

Stream on: Amazon Prime

Galaxy Quest

Hawk’s summary: if you’ve ever watched Star Trek or been to a Comic Con... yeah you need to watch this movie. Good gracious it’s hilarious. A bunch of actors from an ended Star Trek show are abducted by aliens who took their episodes to be historical records... and they actually have to play their parts in real life to save the day.

Starring: Sigorney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tim Allen, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub, Missi Pyle

Streaming on: HBO Max

Let me know if y’all want a part 2! Stopping here for the night bc I hit the gif limit 😂

[msclaritea]

"Could this be Hollywood’s hot new thing – uncancel culture? The phenomenon whereby famous men once rendered unemployable in showbusiness due to a #MeToo campaign, but with no actual criminal conviction, sidle back into the limelight, testing the reaction, playing grandmother’s footsteps with social-media outrage? Of course, uncancel culture may not be new exactly. It could be as old as Hollywood itself.

When actor and director Kevin Spacey was accused in 2017 of alleged sexual misconduct by 20 men, he was widely shunned. His scenes in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World were reshot, replacing him with Christopher Plummer. And the last word on Spacey was said to have been delivered by comedian Dave Chappelle, with his devastatingly callous gag to the effect that if only Spacey’s victims had just borne their pain in silence for a month or so longer, we could have all found out how House of Cards ended. (As it is, that Netflix show had to be hastily re-scripted when Spacey was dropped.)

But now, having had no criminal charge and with civil suits pending, and having perhaps gauged the conversation around artistic freedom and the legal presumption of innocence, Spacey has placed a cautious toe in the tepid waters of public opinion. He has taken a small role in L’Uomo Che Disegnò Dio, or The Man Who Drew God, a forthcoming Italian movie from veteran director-star Franco Nero, with Nero playing a blind artistic savant who is wrongly accused of child abuse, and Spacey as the cop investigating his case. Spacey’s fictional role cleverly appears to address aspects of his own situation, the questions of abuse, guilt and innocence quibblingly transposed and absorbed into a story inviting interest and sympathy. And so his rehabilitation has begun. But then, the business has always been soft on alpha male stars."

This man cannot come back. Kevin Spacey is an evil bastard. I don't care how talented he is.

[blind-rats]

“He insists on writing, and overwriting, and overwriting, until it sounds terribly pretentious. You have to work terribly hard to make it sound real. And then he edits his films in such a way where he cuts everybody out of the story.”

Finally, Plummer said, “I had to write him a letter. I had to write Terry a letter. I gave him shit. I’ll never work with him again, of course. He won’t have me. I told him, ‘You are so boring. You get in these ruts. You’ve got to get yourself a writer.’ My career with Mr. Malick is over.”

— Christopher Plummer

It’s interesting to read the article about over pretentious Terrence Malick, and he reminds everyone of Rob Thomas, Joss Whedon, Jason Rothenberg, Marc Guggenheim, and many show runners and moviemakers who are so stubborn about their own visions that they neglect any kind of coherent storylines and character developments.

The massive egos that these creators have after being complimented throughout the years, they started to believe their own hype. But when they get criticized, they’d lash out and just cut everything because “my way or the high way”. Sometimes show runners/filmmakers forget that you are making something for the audience, not just for yourself. Yes, obviously you shouldn’t be a mindless creator that only writes for the critics/audience only. But you also shouldn’t make something solely for yourself if you are going to publish it. Balance is the key here, and if you refuse to do it because you think your work is the greatest and you can’t be told, then don’t expect praise again.

I think everyone knows what kind of creator Joss Whedon is especially with the allegation of abuse during the filming of Justice League and also Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel. His own ex-wife even penned a lengthy article about him, about how he presented himself as this feminist god while in reality he is a philandering abusive problematic writer/creator who butchered other people’s work (Zack Snyder’s Justice League) and then got angry when fans didn’t like the movie. He thinks that he is so great, when the fans criticized him, he immediately lash out.

George Lucas mentioned that he made the prequel of Star Wars that nobody asked and nobody wanted as a personal project. The result? His prequels mostly panned because of the incoherent storylines and stiff dialogues. He said that he wanted to make a homage to classic movies like Casablanca hence the old style dialogue and editing. But he made it using the franchise that have different style in order to get made by the studios and being watched by the Star Wars fans.

This happened with Rob Thomas as well as he butchered the show he built for more than a decade because he wanted to make a personal project for his own agenda, but using the franchise, the fans’ loyalty, the fans’ money, the studio approval, and so on. You cannot really do both ways, Rob. You were taking a short cut in order to get your personal project on the air.

And now everyone is wary of Terrence Mallick, George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney, Joss Whedon is exposed, and Rob Thomas lost his credibility. They may bounce back someday, but as for now, many are avoiding them.

[curriebelle]

Did you notice Knives Out playing one of the greatest marketing tricks Hollywood has ever seen?

All the trailers put Daniel Craig and his ridiculous accent front and center, with Chris Evans and Christopher Plummer as featured credits — and then the central character of Knives Out, surprise, is actually an immigrant woman of colour played by an all-but-unknown actress from Cuba*. I don’t think the film would have sold as well had it been honest about its central character. It sold itself based on its recognizable white male stars. And that was fuhking genius. Knives Out has a lot to say about race, gender, care work and immigration, but movies ABOUT those things don’t get popular unless they are brilliant. So Knives Out told us it was a campy detective film starring James Bond and Captain America, and it made a 700% return on its budget. People who never would have sat down for a movie about class discrimination sat through Knives Out.

I think it’s really fascinating to compare Knives Out with Parasite in particular, which came out the same year and is generally considered to be not only the best film of 2019, but possibly the best film of the entire decade**. I absolutely love both of these movies for what they are, and I think they’re both masterful and would happily watch them both again. The thing is that to me, Parasite is like...a medium-defining masterpiece, like an utterly perfect piece of cinema, and so it’s “better” than Knives Out in the sense that a 15/10 is better than a 10/10. They were both nominated for Best Original Screenplay and I’d have been delighted if Knives Out had won, except, you know... Parasite.

Both these movies are actually dealing with a very similar topic, which is the ever-growing class divide. Knives Out settles for a more classic yet still nuanced and pertinent depiction of the money-grubbing, backstabbing rich, while Parasite prefers to show the myopia and ignorance of the 1% and how that blindness sets the poor at each other’s throats. Unlike Knives Out, which can hide behind Kentucky fried Daniel Craig, Parasite can’t hide what it’s about: the actors are all people of colour, speaking a non-English language, and the mysterious blurbs for the film usually just say it’s about “a rich family and a poor family” to avoid spoiling the insanely brilliant plot.

Okay, so Parasite is a universally-lauded complete masterpiece while Knives Out is just an uncommonly good movie — but Knives Out’s box office gains still outstrip Parasite’s by about $40 million. Even more damningly, Knives Out made $165 million in North America while Parasite has grossed about $53 million in the same territory, with about $5 million of that coming from a post-Oscar Best Picture bump. $75 million of Parasite’s gross comes from within South Korea.

So, my point here isn’t that “North America is racist more people should see Parasite.” (Well, it’s not *just* that, because everyone should see Parasite.) My point is more complicated. So, we have two movies here with messages about class struggle. One of them was a very good movie that hid its messages through sneaky trailers, obfuscated its own diversity, sold itself as a detective romp, and made bank. The other movie is one of the best movies ever made, and even after it proved that by breaking Oscar records, by being so good that even the Academy couldn’t deny it Best Picture despite the notorious old boys’ club running the place, it still made considerably less money.

I’m not saying Parasite failed to reach its audience, because it IS a very culturally-specific movie — there’s a lot in there about language (who speaks Korean vs who speaks English and the power that reflects), history (North Korea comes into it) and even some jokes about the actors in the film that audiences outside South Korea wouldn’t get at first blush. And apparently like a fifth of South Korea saw it, so....yeah, that worked. But in order to reach beyond that, it had to be one of the best movies anyone had ever seen. Knives Out, meanwhile, was a genre movie that wasn’t afraid to lie in marketing to attract people who wouldn’t necessarily be receptive to its message. It reached the James Bond demographic despite carrying a much more socially critical message than Casino Royale. Parasite’s brilliance is something we can all learn from just by its utterly virtuosic filmmaking technique; but Knives Out’s trick is something we can all exploit just by thinking about our back-of-the-box blurbs, about how we pitch our stories, and how we hook people in. You could make a brilliant movie with diversity and social commentary — you could make Parasite (or Moonlight, or Carol). Or you could slip your diversity in, cover it with someone from the Famous White Chris Club, and reach people you wouldn’t otherwise. I really do think we need both strategies, and because I like genre fiction so much, I lean toward the latter. Going to Knives Out and seeing Ana de Armas at the middle of it was such a stunningly wonderful surprise,*** and I want that to happen to me again and again, until it’s not a surprise anymore.

Also, if you’re one of those people looking at famous people-on Twitter and just @‘ing every actor who liked Parasite with “mneh fneh you made a million on your last movie, you didn’t GET Parasite”, I hate to break it to you, but you didn’t ‘get’ Parasite either.

*okay Ana de Armas wasn’t completely unknown, she’d been in like four movies at that point — Blade Runner 2049 most notably — but tell me you would have recognized the name “Ana de Armas” in mid-2019 on sight.

** there are other contenders for this and it tends to depend on what you like in a movie. Mad Max: Fury Road, The Social Network, Moonlight — I think at that point the “best movie of the decade” comes down to what type of incredibly good movie you like best. I happen to like modern-Hitchcock black-comedy con-capers, so Parasite is my favourite... haven’t seen Mad Max yet though.

*** I went to see this film with my family, but we had to sit in different sections because the theatre was crowded. Apparently as soon as Marta showed up on screen, my mum leaned over to my sister and said “wow, she’s exactly [curriebelle’s] type....she’s gonna have such a crush on her”. She was right.

[autolenaphilia]

Murder by Decree

The passing of Christopher Plummer has made think about Murder by Decree from 1979 again, and how good a film it is.

The film is one of many “Sherlock Holmes hunts Jack The Ripper” stories that have been made. The pairing is of course almost irresistible for writers. The Ripper murders are perhaps the most famous unsolved crimes in history, and they took place in London during a time period when Holmes, the greatest fictional detective of all, was active as a detective.  And if you are playing the great game, the Ripper murders seem to pose a contradiction that call for interesting answers. Holmes must have known about the murders. And thus if he investigated them, why was no solution made public? Did Holmes fail to find the killer? And if Holmes didn’t investigate the murders, why did he not?

This is actually the second film made about Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, after “A Study in Terror” from 1965, which also had Frank Finlay as Lestrade and Anthony Quayle in a supporting part. But the 1965 film is mediocre, without any glaring flaws but not any outstanding virtues either.

Whereas “Murder by Decree” is one of the best Holmes films ever made in my opinion. One of the main reasons is Christopher Plummer as Holmes. He portrays an Holmes that is not only highly intelligent, but also emotional, deeply moved by the plight of the women that is victimized by the serial killings and the conspiracy behind them. He even cries in one scene.

This is not as contrary to canon as people would have you believe. The Holmes of the canon is more empathetic and emotional than later adaptations like BBC Sherlock and the Guy Ritche films would lead you to believe. Admittedly, the Holmes in the canon is not as outwardly emotional as the Holmes in this film is, but this is also presented as extraordinary events for him.

And Plummer makes it all work via his amazing acting, every emotion rings true. The film ends with a long monologue from Holmes explaining the case and the strength of the acting makes it riveting viewing. He won an award for this role, (the Genie award, which was awarded to Canadian films) and you can see why.

James Mason as Doctor Watson is really good too. He is way too old for the role (as is Plummer to be fair, most fan chronologies would put Holmes and Watson in their mid 30s in 1888,), but his acting makes any viewer willing to forgive that. Doctor Watson is depicted as intelligent and capable despite his age, and while Watson is a bit underused (his medical knowledge doesn’t come into play), he is a very good Watson.

The friendship between Holmes and Watson is very nicely depicted in this film, there is a believable chemistry between them (the friendship and chemistry between Holmes and Watson is an underrated part of any successful Holmes adaptation). The famous pea-squashing scene is especially well-done, illustrating the different personalities between the two men.

The supporting cast is great too, with outright luxury casting of great actors in small roles. Geneviene Bujold as Annie Crook, a victim of the conspiracy, is in basically only one scene, but it is a great performance in a very emotionally affecting scene. She also won a Genie Award for her role, deservedly so. Susan Clark is also moving as real life Ripper victim Mary Jane Kelly. Anthony Quayle as Sir Charles Warren and John Gielgud as Lord Salisbury both play historical figures, but they are depicted as villains in this film and work well as such, as does David Hemmings in the fictional Inspector Foxborough.

The most problematic part of the cast is Robert Lees (another historical person), but that is due to the script rather than the acting.Donald Sutherland plays him very well and makes these scenes watchable. But the subplot of his visions of the murders don’t really lead anywhere in the film. There is also a very non-canonical bit where Holmes seems to believe Lees psychic visions.

The film’s solution of the Ripper murders is based on the entirely discredited masonic-royal conspiracy theory that was popular in the 70s. It was part of the general popularity for conspiracy theories in the Western world during that decade, due to the mistrust of authority caused by real-life events like Watergate and The Pentagon Papers, which uncovered real, verifiable conspiracies in politics.

It was also a popular subject in film too, and while Murder by Decree has an historical setting, thematically it has a lot in common with other late 70s conspiracy thriller movies like “Marathon Man”, “Three days of the Condor”, “The China Syndrome” and “Capricorn one”

So the royal-masonic theory spoke to the popular mood. Back then, the theory actually rekindled interest in Jack The Ripper, but nowadays doesn’t even seem to be popular among the conspiracy theorist crowd. The foundational texts of the theory like Stephen Knight’s once bestselling book seem all to be out of print, which says something for the fall in popularity of the theory, when far more ludicrous books like “Chariots of the Gods” and “Holy Blood, Holy grail” have remained in print for decades.

The film’s reliance on an outdated conspiracy theory isn’t really a problem in my opinion. The royal/masonic conspiracy makes for a good story (in fact that is part of the appeal of conspiracy theories, they make for more exciting stories than the dry facts often do, and the believer gets to participate in the drama in the heroic role of the truth-teller for their belief).  And the film makes effective dramatic use of the theory. The script may be flawed, but is often genuinely well-written with some great dialogue. “We've unmasked madmen, Watson, wielding scepters. Reason run riot. Justice howling at the moon. “

The story, regardless of any factual inaccuracy, is rich with themes of the cruelties the rich and powerful’s perpetrate against the dispossessed poor and working class. There is the arch-victorian hypocrisy of the upper class men who condemn women who work as prostitutes while committing sexual infidelities and murders themselves. And in this film, literally murders these women to cover up the sexual indiscretions of a prince.

Holmes’s final speech is not just a presentation of the facts he discovered, but a moral condemnation of the men who perpetrated it. As Holmes so eloquently puts it, directly to the prime minister: “You create allegiance above your sworn allegiance to protect humanity. You will not feel for them, or acknowledge their pain. There lies the madness.“ The empathy that Holmes feels for the victims is what makes him a hero, and the callousness of the powerful conspirators to the poor people they consider expendable is what makes them “madmen wielding scepters”.

I don’t know how seriously the filmmakers took the conspiracy theory at the root of the film. While the film treats it seriously, it also fictionalizes some historical personalities, which possibly indicates the film is not intended to be a representation of the facts. The William Gull character is named Spivey for example. Either way, regardless of any intentions you can easily treat this film as pure fiction and the conspiracy as allegory for the evils of the Victorian British class system.

The film is carried by the actors and emotional story, but it is a well-made film in other aspects. The direction by Bob Clark, the music by Paul Zaza and Carl Zittrer and the editing by Stan Cole all won Genie awards as well. And it is all very good, with the film-making telling the story effectively, most of the time without drawing attention to themselves, with the exception of a few more expressionistic sequences to heighten emotion. The production design is great, and the recreation of Victorian London in studio sets looks great.

This film is of course not perfect and if you want to poke fun at it, there are lots of things you can point out. The plot is based on a discredited conspiracy theory, the entire Robert Lees subplot, the actor playing Watson is far too old or even minor outlandish details like Holmes committing the Victorian fashion faux-pax of wearing a deerstalker to the opera. But none of that matters, because it gets the important part of a film right: telling an emotionally affecting and thematically interesting story well. Among theatrically released films, it is second in my estimation only to “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” on my list of the best movies ever made about the great detective.

[twistedtummies2]

Ele-May-ntary - Number 18

Welcome to Ele-May-ntary! All throughout the month of May, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in movies, television, radio, and video games! Last time, I discussed Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes: one of the more prominent actors to tackle the role. Today, we’ll be talking about a somewhat lesser-known performer. Number 18 is…Ronald Howard.

No, not as in the guy who directed Jim Carrey’s Grinch. (Wouldn’t THAT be interesting…) Ronald Howard is an actor you probably know nothing about…which is fine, because beyond his performance as Sherlock Holmes, I don’t think I know much of anything about him, either. (Unless he’s been in some other shows/movies I’ve seen and just no recognized him in.) Howard played the character in the mid-1950s, in the first American television series based on the character and universe, simply titled “Sherlock Holmes.” The series wanted to present a take on the characters that was more faithful to Doyle’s work than the popular Basil Rathbone films of the late 30s and early-to-mid-40s…despite the fact that only four stories from the Conan Doyle canon were ever actually adapted even semi-faithfully out of almost 40 total episodes. Anyway, keeping this in mind, the first thing I want to say is that I admire the show’s decision to set things in period, during the Victorian era. This may not sound that strange at first, but prior to this, nearly every take on Holmes out there modernized things specifically for the sake of budgetary reasons: period pieces were often expensive, on many levels, so when a studio tackled Holmes and Watson, they usually had the pair solving capers in then-contemporary times. Despite having a shoestring budget, the 50s show bravely decided to bring Holmes back to his Victorian roots, a choice I greatly appreciate and respect. This creative decision is not the only one that I think is admirable: Howard’s portrayal of Holmes is equally delightful. Howard and the producers decided to portray a Holmes early on in his career; not so much a brooding, almost alien figure, but more a childish eccentric. Often distracted by his work, but not yet embittered by the ravages of time and great experience. He’s cocky, cool as a cucumber, dismissive, but also sincere and truly interested in seeking justice. He never lets much faze him, and more often than not, when he seems to be down and out, he’s already coming up with a strategy to get back on top. He’s the sort of Holmes who’ll blast bullet holes in his wall to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, but he’s also the sort of Holmes who will waive the fee for people who need help and can’t properly afford it. He’s the sort of Holmes who will become so excited when he comes across an escape artist cleverer than he is, that he’ll take the case just to figure out how the man keeps evading imprisonment…but he’s also the Holmes who takes things very seriously, and becomes darkly introspective, when going after a bizarre serial killer who leaves flowers at the scenes of his crimes. I also really love the relationship this Holmes has with both Watson and Lestrade. You really do feel the almost brotherly relationship he has with Watson, and the way they get along is really interesting. Howard Marion-Crawford’s Watson is arguably the first truly book-accurate take on the character ever put to the screen; while he can be very funny, he’s NOT a bungler nor a blowhard. He’ll get frustrated with Holmes, but he’ll also joke around with him; he’s highly protective of his detective associate, and admires him greatly, but when Holmes goes too far out of line, he’s quick to stamp his foot down. He’s even able to see past Holmes’ own facades at times, knowing when the master sleuth is lying or simply being evasive about matters. As for Lestrade, while he was often blustery and was NEVER right, and both Holmes and Watson frequently poked fun at him, he was not a clown. Holmes even admitted in one episode that he felt Lestrade would probably be able to solve a certain case on his own, and when Lestrade showed up with his tail between his legs in shame, he was sympathetic in how he helped the good inspector out. This is a very old but by no means dated interpretation. Admittedly, the other actors and performances are hit and miss, and the writing isn’t always top notch…and the fact the budget, again, wasn’t all that great does lead to some humorous moments of clear cheapness…but the way the main character and his closest allies are handled still manages to hold it above the water. This interpretation actually proved to be rather influential, as several other popular versions – most notably Disney’s “The Great Mouse Detective” – actually borrowed elements from the show, or used it to give them pointers along the way in their own renditions. A true “oldie but goldie,” both for Holmes and his world. The countdown continues tomorrow! Who will be next? Check in and find out!

[stellaseas]

I saw Knives Out a second time and it is definitely my favorite movie of the year! So well written, shot, acted, directed, it’s the whole package. 

Some things I noticed this time around (SPOILERS):

Just more of the decor details. Absolutely amazing. Honestly, that is dream house stuff right there especially for a writer, I mean that hidden study is all I’ve ever wanted. The clutter, the multiple lights, the comfy couch the firs place, just everything about it was perfect. 

The costumes too, Jamie’s suits, the sweaters (so many sweaters), the suits. This move better get some nominations!!!!

Christopher Plummer just flat out killed all of his scenes, I think, he understands better than any other older actor how to act his age. He’s the obvious patriarch of the family, but he still seems well...old and vulnerable in ways that only age can touch a person. Most older actors try to ignore it or play younger or try to be the exception to the rule Plummer plays up to it and it makes his performances stronger. 

Especially, okay that chunky white sweater will go down in infamy, but I love that it’s meant to throw you off the scent, how could ransom be that bad? Underneath the trademark asshole scarf and expensive coat he wears an unassuming chunky sweater! And then...later when he’s rifling through mail you can see a massive hole near the bottom, the hole in the donut hole’s hole! ;0) Wonderful use of storytelling through costumes

The shiner that Linda’s husband sports at the very end of the show, I love that we don’t see the altercation, just a swift cut when we see the understanding in her eyes and then cut back to a big ol’ shiner. Perfect. 

UGH! I feel like I had more and now I can’t remember them. Anyway, a killer movie, especially if you love film. Rian Johnson is a first class writer and director and no one can tell me otherwise. You could really see the thought behind every detail, the way he built tension, the way he allowed the actors to play and have fun with their roles. Really it’s as close to perfect as it could be. 

[nemainofthewater]

Dream Movie Challenge

@singledarkshade came up with the Dream Movie Challenge where we were given six main cast members, one wildcard actor, and one important item to appear in the film.

Happily Ever After

Synopsis: Fiona (Scarlet Johansson) and Matthew (Tom Hardy) Conte are working to achieve their lifelong dream; opening a Virtual Reality Experience based on classic fairy tales. Everything looks like it’s going to plan…until the day of the first test group. Because fairy tales are a warning, a lesson, a moral. And they might not make it out alive.  

Characters and more plot underneath the cut!

Tom Hardy as Matthew Conte

One half of the brother-sister team behind Ever, Matthew would do anything for his sister. Even learn how to run a business based on fairy tales, something that he’s secretly hated since their mother died. He is the eldest and believes that he has to protect his sister; he’s based his entire life around this philosophy. When things start to go wrong, he’s the one who volunteers to go into Ever to try and get their test, eventually taking on the role of Prince Charming-

-and he’s the one who sacrifices himself in the end to free the others from the programme, being engulfed by the Woods.

Scarlett Johansson as Fiona Conte

The other half of the brother-sister duo, she’s loved fairy tales since she was a child and their mother read her and her brother stories every night before bed. She is the driving force behind the company. She is equally devoted to her brother.

When things go bad, she stays outside Ever, desperately trying to figure out what went wrong as she watches the test subjects (and Matthew) on the computer screen. At the very end, once the others are back, she steps into the programme (taking the role of knight in shining armour) to be with her brother and she dies there with him.

Cate Blanchett as Christine Marburg

One of Fiona’s old professors from University, Christine is a computer programmer and the creator of the Ever programme. She is also secretly behind the majority of the funding that the siblings have received; she was the reason that their mother Regina died in a car accident and has felt guilty ever since.

When things go wrong she desperately tries to get both siblings to stay out of the programme, and eventually falls into a support roll, working with Fiona to try and end the programme. When arguing with Fiona at the end against her entering Ever to be with her brother, she accidentally reveals that she had been driving Regina and her back home from a party the night their mother died.

Ben Stiller as Jacob Anderson

Jacob is one of the three test subjects. He is quiet, intelligent, and a corporate spy from Google. He is incredibly sceptic when things start to go wrong; although he knows a lot about the practical side of things, he isn’t well versed in fairy tales.

He is cast in the role of Dragon when in the programme, and quickly finds that his new impulses outweigh his normal instincts. He escapes at the end of the film, and the post credit stinger is his meeting with his boss (The Storyteller) when he hands over a copy of the Ever programme.

Colin Firth as Geoffrey Hathaway

One of Christine’s colleagues, he decided to participate in the initial test as a favour to Christine. The only thing he knows about fairy tales is from the Disney films that his daughters watch on repeat.

He is cast in the role of the Benevolent King in the programme, but quickly gets trapped in the role when he starts to see visions of his daughters undergoing horrible fates (death, mutilation, knives stabbed into their feet) leading him to lock them up to try and protect them.

Julie Andrews as Ellen Villeneuve

Ella is the Conte twins’ estranged father (Christopher Plummer)’s new girlfriend; she hasn’t met the Conte siblings before and, if they have their way, never will; neither of them are interested in her at all. After a talk with a stranger, she decides to sign up as one of the initial test subjects for the Ever project.

She is cast in the role of Benevolent Queen, and dies in the first few minutes, forced to wear red hot shoes and dance until she drops dead in the programme and dying of a heart attack in the real world. Her death is the first thing that indicates that something is wrong.

Wildcard:

Judi Dench as The Storyteller/The Mother (Regina)/The Boss/The Wife/The Sympathetic Stranger

Playing many roles, Judi Dench pops up in almost everyone’s story, slowly nudging each cast member to the Ever programme. She plays:

-the Conte sibling’s mother, reading them bedtime stories

-The driver in the other car that Christine swerved to avoid

-Jacob’s boss at Google (glimpsed from the back)

-Geoffrey’s wife (voice only)

-the stranger who convinces Ella to sign up as a test subject

She also provides the narration and the voice over for entirety of the film. Judi Dench’s character represents ‘Fate’ or the ‘Storyteller’, inexorably drawing all the characters together.

Item:

A beautifully illustrated book of fairy tales. This is the book that the Conte siblings’ mother reads from and the book was pawned by their father once she died. The logo of their company is a stylised image of this book.

Judi Dench holds an exact replica of the book in all of her scenes; as well as using it to read to Matthew and Fiona, it is also in the backseat of the other driver’s car, placed on Jacob’s boss’ desk, on the bed of Geoffrey’s daughters, and sticking out of the Stranger’s bag.

[tcm]

My Life-Long Love of Julie Andrews by Susan King

I’ve missed Julie Andrews. She hasn’t starred in a feature since 2010, the same year her husband and frequent collaborator of over four decades, writer/director Blake Edwards, died. Andrews has supplied voice work on a number of projects, including Gru’s mom in the Despicable Me animated films and Karathen in 2018’s Aquaman. She also created and starred in a Netflix children’s series two years ago, Julie’s Room. Aside from those, Andrews has been relatively out of the spotlight.

But now she’s back in a big way with the recent publication of the second volume of her autobiography Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, as well as being named the latest recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award. Andrews is also supplying the voice of Mrs. Whistledown in the 2020 Netflix series Bridgerton.

And last but not least, she’s a co-host with Ben Mankiewicz on TCM this month.

I’ve been an unabashed Julie Andrews fan since my parents took me to see MARY POPPINS (’64) on January 31, 1965 at our local theater in San Mateo, California. In her Oscar-winning performance, my obsession began and continued 18 months later when I finally saw THE SOUND OF MUSIC (’65). I was so entranced that I decided I would become a librarian when I grew up and work in Salzburg, Austria. I know it sounds silly, but I was just 11 and the closest I’ve gotten to Austria is via my 3-D View-Master. Of course, when I saw the film again in 1973, I was more interested in Christopher Plummer.

Thanks to my profession, I have had the opportunity to interview Andrews six times and she has been everything you’d hope a childhood idol would be. I literally felt like I was nine years old again sitting in the balcony of the theater in San Mateo every time I’ve talked with her.

One of Andrews’ films my parents didn’t take me to is now one of my favorites: 1964’s THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY, a dark anti-war satire penned by the great Paddy Chayefsky, who won Oscars for 1955’s MARTY and 1976’s NETWORK and directed by Arthur Hiller. Set in London in World War II, Andrews plays Emily, a war widow who ends up falling in love with Charlie (James Garner), a self-proclaimed coward who is assigned to acquire steaks, girls and booze for his superiors. As she tells Charlie, “It is your most important asset, being a coward. Every man I ever loved was a hero and all he got was death.”

Considering she was known for her musical-comedy work, Andrews acquits herself nicely in this dramatic role, and she and Garner (whom she would go on to make two more films with) have a lovely chemistry. And the Johnny Mandel score is sheer bliss.

I was about 12 when my parents took me to see Andrews in 1967’s THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which was advertised as a film for the entire family. Yet, I do remember asking my mother what “white slavery” was. Watching the film recently, I do think it’s odd that a subplot for a musical comedy revolves around a white slavery ring taking place at a hotel for single women run by the great Beatrice Lillie. Still, this farce set in the 1920s is a lot of fun thanks to Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, James Fox, John Gavin and Carol Channing – who earned an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress as a daffy socialite.

Directed by George Roy Hill, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE was nominated for six Oscars, winning for Elmer Bernstein’s score. I adored the title tune penned by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn and played the soundtrack album over and over and over again much to my parents’ chagrin. I also played the soundtrack album of 1982’s VICTOR/VICTORIA over and over again, but at least I was grown up and on my own, so my parents didn’t go crazy. I saw Edwards’ delectable gender-bending musical comedy three times when it was released. And the framed movie poster decorated my wall.

VICTOR/VICTORIA has incredible slapstick moments, including the cockroach scene at a French restaurant that turns the patrons into madcap crazies. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton would have loved it. And the box-office classic also is a perceptive look at sexual identities. Andrews plays a poor soprano trying to etch out a career in Paris. Enter Toddy (Robert Preston), a gay entertainer who transforms her into Victor, a male entertainer who works as a female impersonator. Garner plays a wealthy gangster King Marchand who finds himself attracted to the performer.

Sumptuous and overflowing with good will, VICTOR/VICTORIA was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor for the lovable Preston and Supporting Actress for Lesley Ann Warren, a hoot as King’s showgirl gal pal. Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse took home the Oscar for Original Song Score.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about the films Andrews did with her husband. The 1970 overstuffed musical Darling Lili bombed; and 1981’s S.O.B., which featured Andrews’ highly publicized topless scene, is too cynical for its own good. And I wasn’t fond of 1986’s THAT’S LIFE!, an indie production shot at the Edwards’ former Malibu beach home starring Andrews, Jack Lemmon and members of both their families.

THAT’S LIFE! is a drama with comedic elements revolving around a famous singer, who may or not have cancer, throwing a 60th birthday week for her husband, a successful architect who hates himself and thinks he’s going to die.

The late Roger Ebert said it best when he wrote “THAT’S LIFE! has many moments of truth and good performances. But it’s not all of a piece; not every scene seems to have been thought through on the same level. Tone is everything in a film like this. Unless you establish one, how can you get laughs by violating it?”