#more drama less focus on phil and forever

[cosmic-d1ce]

Dramatising the qsmp is one of my favourite things to do so, festa junina maxo & forever wedding

It is honestly very much the plot of a soap opera, to marry someone you don't love in hopes that the person you do love will stop you. Marrying someone that does truly love you because you love someone else

And I'd imagine if this was a drama show, Maxo and Forever would have already been established as a couple, maybe they got together because Forever wanted Phil. Maxo having lost his son and his late husband (Dan) it would make it hit that much harder.

Forever proposing to Max after seeing Phil with Missa again after months of absence. Forever proposing because in his mind, Phil needs to see that he's serious about Maxo before he realises his feelings.

When it comes time for an objection, Forever looks at Phil, desperately hoping for him to speak. But he's not even listening, he's showing Chayanne something on his phone. He doesn't care.

Maybe at the wedding, when it comes time to throw the bouquet, Phil catches it. Forever watches Phil give it to Tallulah with a laugh, he's not getting married anytime soon, thank you. It's a silly tradition, it means nothing but it still serves as a bitter reminder that his affection will not be returned.

And when Phil catches Forever alone, upset on his own wedding night, he says it again. He's glad Forever found Max, he's glad his flirting will stop because he could never love him back. It hurts.

But Phil doesn't know that. Phil still fixes his hair for him, slips the yellow rose from his pocket into the braid and smiles at him when Fit calls him over for a dance.

It's then, at his wedding, that he realises how lovable Phil really is. How much he really, really doesn't want to be married to Maxo. He wanted Brunim.

He wants Phil.

Phil doesn't want him back.

When Maxo inevitably notices something is wrong, Forever can't say anything. He can't do anything. He's dug this grave and now, he must lay in it, but just because he has to doesn't mean it's any less scary. How could he tell Max? How could he ever explain this? He won't. He can't.

His plan has failed and now, he's stuck married to a man he never loved.

[philhoffman]

This week’s Monday Philm is God’s Pocket (2014), John Slattery’s directorial debut (and Phil was one of the film’s executive producers, too).

Definitely... feels like a directorial debut. Based on Pete Dexter’s 1983 book, great cast (PSH, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks), some good cinematography (despite much of the film looking too dark). God’s Pocket is a comedy/drama that struggled to find that balance. It was hilarious in a quirky way at times and yes the ending made me cry, but the overall tone lacked consistency. Like it couldn’t commit to both, so it committed to neither. Had me thinking back to The Savages last week — also a dramedy, but one that fits the two styles together in a more natural way.

I felt like something was missing from the narrative, too... It opens with the ending, so we know what ultimately happens (sort of), which lowered the stakes and sucked some of the tension out of the film. Several characters were poorly written — Hendricks’ Jeanie and Jenkin’s Richard Shellburn felt one-dimensional and they just... did whatever, without any vaguely realistic rhyme or reason.

But thankfully Mickey Scarpato was one of the better-written characters with a more coherent story. I’m glad his was the central focus of the film. This is really understated but full work from Phil here. Mickey’s voice is low, lower than Phil’s already-low voice normally is, beaten down, exhausted. Filmed in the summer of 2013 when Phil was going through some shit himself but he’s fully dedicated to this role — every movement of his face, the physical comedy (“I’m not mad, I’m just running!”), lifting the film beyond what the script probably deserves. Also funny/cute/nice etc. to see certain shots of Mickey where pure Phil jumps out for a second — quick expressions, turns in his voice, mannerisms that remind me of him, or his much different/earlier performances, etc. Like there he is!!! :)

I read that John Slattery said they did half a dozen takes of the bathroom scene and he was just in awe of Phil’s ability to break down again and again. Gahhh, that scene.

I’m not surprised that people don’t talk about this role more often because it’s a quieter performance in a less-than-amazing film, but he’s still demonstrating what it looks like to be at the top of your craft and worth a watch (if not for the first few minutes alone...). Really just lovely to see him acting, existing in all of these scenes that I had no idea existed until two hours ago. On an episode of P.S. I Love Hoffman I listened to recently, one of the guys described a random scene like this: “It’s simple, but it’s beautiful, because it’s one more shot I get to see of Philip Seymour Hoffman.”

That’s been a wonderful part of this journey, watching all of Philip’s screen work and approaching every moment as a discovery waiting to be made. And we’ll have them, him, forever, but there’s something special about the first time you see it. Three weeks, three films left.