Tag: Actors

A tribute to Natasha Richardson (1963-2009)

Emma1 Comment

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I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  -On acting

Theaters on Broadway and London’s West End dimmed their lights Thursday night in honor of 45 year-old British stage/film actress Natasha Richardson.  Not only was she strikingly beautiful- with a great laugh- she had an interesting body of work and a lovely family.  Natasha has two sons w/ her husband of nearly 15 yrs, Irish actor Liam Neeson.  

We talk all the time.  We are very close. -On her relationship w/ her mother

Natasha at 17 (1978)
Natasha at 17 (1978)

I thought this photo was interesting b/c she looks just like a typical teenager.  Natasha is from a respected acting family; she was the daughter of the renowned Vanessa Redgrave, niece of Corin and Lynn, cousin of Jemma, and sister of Joely Richardson (currently seen on the TV series Nip/Tuck).  AmFAR was one of the charities Natasha supported; her father Tony Richardson (a director) died of AIDS in 1991.

The Comfort of Strangers

I think I first saw Natasha in The Comfort of Strangers; it’s a indie thriller-type film where a young married Brit couple get involved with another older, manipulative pair while vacationing in France.

Classing up Disney's The Parent Trap

Another unusual, yet though-provoking, film she starred in was The Handmaid’s Tale.  It’s based on a sci-fi novel, and co-stars Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway, and Aidan Quinn.

Dancing w/ Marton Csokas in Asylum

In Asylum, Natasha plays the impeccably-dressed/upper-crust/bored wife of an asylum supervisor who gets entangled with one of the patients (played by Aussie actor, Marton Csokas).  Though she knows he’s in the asylum for killing his wife, she begins a torrid affair with him.

The main reason to watch Asylum, aside from Natasha’s risk-taking/emotional performance, is Sir Ian McKellan.  He plays a smart/cunning psychiatrist who relishes in manipulating people around him.

Trying to figure out Sir Ian in Asylum

I cannot imagine a world without her wit, her love, her mischief, her great, great talent and her gift for living. I loved her very much. She was a supreme friend. I shall miss her deeply.

–Ralph Fiennes at Natasha’s funeral

With good friend Ralph Fiennes - The White Countess

Natasha worked with good friend Ralph Fiennes on Maid in Manhattan (Oh, that was just for fun!) and The White Countess, a period romance filmed in China.  (Vanessa and Lynn co-star as well.)  As with other Merchant Ivory productions, The White Countess has gorgeous cinematography, exquisite costumes (esp. for Natsha), and intelligent dialogue (it’s based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s book).

 …the enormous depth and emotional force of a great actor on the one hand, and the intelligence and objectivity of a great director on the other. She was a one-of-a-kind, a magnificent actress.

-Sam Mendes (film/theater director)

The White Countess has gorgeous costumes.

Sofia, a former Russian countess, her young daughter, and her extended family live in a seedy part of Shanghai in the 1930s.  Sofia works as a taxi dancer in a bar where she meets a wealthy/blind American named Todd (Fiennes) who’s recently opened a posh nightclub.  The lonely Todd offers her the job of main hostess in his club, and begins to confide in her.

Natasha and Liam met while working on Broadway.  They both became naturalized US citizens, and lived in both Millbrook NY(where they held big dinner parties) and on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (where a grad school friend of mine spotted Liam and his sons one Saturday ordering breakfast.)

This pic below is from a holiday ep of Top Chef on Bravo.   Natasha served as a guest judge; she was said to be an accomplished chef.

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Though they came from very different backgrounds- she attended private schools in France and England- he grew up working-class/Catholic in a Protestant area of Northern Ireland, Natasha and Liam seemed to have a solid marriage.

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They have two sons, Micheal and Daniel.   I admire how this classy pair kept their most of their private life out of the public eye (no small feat in Hollywood.)
 
…incredibly luminous quality that you seldom see, and a great sense of humor. I thought she was a really great actress and seemed to simply shine in both film and theater.
-Judi Dench
 

With John C. Reilly in Streetcar

Natasha was best known for her stage work; she was a Tony award winner. The above pic is from summer of 2005 when Natasha played Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway.  This revival received many accolades.

The term ‘life force’ seems trite but that is what she was: a woman who powered through life and fascinated everyone she encountered. I have been thinking about the times I spent with her since I heard the news of her tragic accident, and the strongest memory I have is of her laughter, her unmistakable throaty laugh. I think that’s a great way to remember someone.
– Alan Cumming (on his personal blog)

Hanging out here… cable TV offline today!

Emma2 Comments

Pics of Today:

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At least it’s sunny…

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but I’m in a LOUSY mood!

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I heard MANY DC ppl didn’t go to work yesterday!

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My lunch: tuna salad sandwich, baby carrots, & roasted red pepper hummus.

Recent iTunes Downloads:

Hindi Songs:

Haule Haule – Salim-Sulaiman & Sukhwinder Singh (Saavn Presents: Bollywood Hits 2008)

Jashn e Bahaara – A.R. Rahman (Johaa Akbar film soundtrack)

Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)

Nachley – Daler Mehndi & Kunal Ganjawala (Lakeer soundtrack)

Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte – Salim Sulaiman & Sonu Nigaam (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)

Ringa Ringa – A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)

Country Songs:

Never Loved Before – Alan Jackson & Martina McBride (Alan Jackson, Good Time)

Sweet Thing – Keith Urban’s new single

Things a Mama Don’t Know – Mica Roberts & Toby Keith (Mica Roberts’ debut CD)

Quick Movie Reviews:

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I had to be careful where I went because I was a Jew, because I was young and because I was handsome. It made me wiry and erratic and paranoid, which is what I still am. Always on guard.  –Tony Curtis

Trapeze (1956)

Two gorgeous guys in tights- what’s not to like?  This film stars Burt Lancaster (gymnastics kept him off the streets as a kid) and Tony Curtis (who didn’t have the required skills at first, but was very enthusiastic).  Curtis’ willingness to learn impressed Lancaster very much.  The two men did most of their own stunts in this film- wow!

This classic pic is set in Paris, and focuses on the working relationship and friendship btwn an older, injured former trapeze star Mike Ribble (Lancaster) and his energetic, young protege Tino Orsini (Curtis).  Tino came all the way from NYC to learn a difficult/dangerous trick on the trapeze (that only Mike can teach him).  But an ambitious/manipulative  young woman, Lola, also in the circus, has her eyes on Tino.

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Tony Curtis has always been an actor who has refused to play it safe, and has devoted his working life to performing in a vast array of characters… Yet what stands out about all his performances in the inner vulnerability and humility he finds in his unsympathetic characters and the never-say-die attitude of the heroes he plays.  -IMDB bio

Life is to be lived within the limits of your knowledge and within the concept of what you would like to see yourself to be.  –Burt Lancaster

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Another pic w/ Lancaster & Curtis, BUT there are few nice guys here!  J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) is a powerful, much-feared gossip columnist.  He doesn’t feel guilty about ruining careers, marraiges, and his sensitive little sister’s budding romance.  (You can see the blemishes on Lancaster’s skin in this film; that suits the flawed character he plays.)  Sidney Falco (Curtis) is his ruthlessly ambitious publicist.  Friends worry that working w/ J.J. has corrupted Sid.  Just how far will Sid go to get a taste of success?

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A Soldier’s Story (1984)

This is a very thought-provoking ensemble fim based on a successful Broadway play; a young Denzel Washington playing a key role here.  It’s set in a Southern army camp during WWII; soldiers were segregated by race at that time.  They spent a lot of time playing baseball (many hailed from the Negro Leangue), waiting for a chance to fight.  The recruits may have clashing personalities, but they share a hatred of their drill instructor, Sgt. Waters (Adolph Caesar).

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Though Waters is black, too, he is very hard on his men.  His moods go up, down, and every which way.  Waters is not hesitant to use the “n” word to refer to those men he sits as “bad for the race.”  Waters takes no excuses from anyone, so no recruit is too upset when he meets w/ a mysterious death.  The white officers are worried, however, and call for assistance from Washington.

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Washington sends down Capt. Davenport (Howard Rollins from the TV series In the Heat of the Night); he’s a black officer/lawyer.  It’s not an easy case- Davenport quickly discovers.  The rag-tag group of recruits do a double take when they see an articulate/strong black officer, and the white officers fear that Davenport is the wrong man for the job.  “Folks around here won’t talk to you!” an older white officer exclaims.  But Davenport remains calm and professional, determined to find the truth.

Did You Know?:

– Burt Lancaster turned down the lead in Ben Hur (and the $1 million salary) b/c he thought it would be awful.  He set up his own production company (rare for an actor of his time) to do his own projects.

– Both Lancaster and Tony Curtis are native New Yorkers.  Who can mistake Curtis’ strong Bronx accent?

– Lancaster admitted to being nervous when working w/ Montgomert Clift in From Here to Eternity:

The only time I was ever really afraid as an actor was that first scene with Clift. It was my scene, understand: I was the sergeant, I gave the orders, he was just a private under me. Well, when we started, I couldn’t stop my knees from shaking. I thought they might have to stop because my trembling would show. I was afraid he was going to blow me right off the screen.

Awe & Ardor (TV’s Top Cops)

Emma3 Comments

Vincent D’Onofrio (Det. Bobby Goren, Law & Order: Criminal Intent)

 

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The good actors that I’ve met – I’ve met some of the best actors that we’ll ever see – and I know for sure the one thing that we all have in common when we all look in each other’s eyes, is that we’re all struggling to achieve 100%. That’s all I see when I see another artist. All of us are trying to achieve 100% in our work. That’s all we struggle to do. We never do, but we never stop trying until the day we die. It’s that struggle to achieve 100%, that’s where our performance lies, that’s what the audience gets. They get the struggle.

 

The last 2 seasons were FULL of Goren-related drama on L&O: CI (currently shown on the USA network).  Bobby lost his fragile, schizophrenic mother (played by the fabulous Rita Moreno) and learned that his biological father Mark Ford Brady (Roy Scheider) was a serial killer.  Then his older/former junkie brother Frank (Tony Goldwyn) was found murdered- pushed out of his apt. window.  He made some uncharacteristic decisions, and took a BIG risk to help Frank’s son- his new-found nephew.   Wow, that’s a LOT to take in!  Bobby had to leave the job for a while, too.

 

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Bobby is NOT your typical cop (unlike Eames)- he’s a criminal profiler with a genius IQ.  He can get into a perp’s mind; he’s very much concerned with the “why” of a crime.     

 

 

Goren is based on Sherlock Holmes but, instead of relying upon physical evidence like Holmes, D’Onofrio’s character focuses on psychology to identify the perpetrators, whom he often draws into confessing or yielding condemning evidence.  –IMDB

 

 

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D’Onofrio (seen above in The Whole Wide World co-starring Renee Zellweger) has taken on MANY quirky roles over the years.  He’s known in the industry as an “actor’s actor.”  With Det. Goren, character is revealed bit by bit.  Bobby is not a “people-person,” so he keeps a LOT to himself.  But he’s not ALWAYS in control.  Because of his unstable childhood (including an often absent/distant father), Goren has learned to be self-sufficient.    

 

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What a CUTE nose!  The towering 6’3″ D’Onofrio (seen above at a 1996 movie premiere) is an interesting actor to watch b/c he pushes himself to become a character.  Sometimes it may be TOO much- several years ago on the L&O: CI set, he was hospitalized for exhaustion.  D’Onofrio is a “method” actor.  (He gained weight for a movie re: Orson Welles.)  Zellweger thanked him in her Oscar speech- how cool is that!?   

 

Did you know?: D’Onofrio was born in Brooklyn, so he’s a REAL New Yorker!

 

 

Chris Meloni (Det. Elliot Stabler, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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A city like New York has clashing cultures and clashing ideas and big ideas, but these sorts of things weren’t being thrown in the air and bandied about where I came from.

 

Meloni has played a great cop (Stabler) AND a great criminal (Keller on Oz).  Both characters are intimidating, unpredictable, an have a strong physical presence.  Come on- that’s an AWESOME bod! 

 

 

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When it’s mid-February, and it’s bitterly cold outside, I am really glad that I’m not working in construction anymore.

 

 

 

The above pic is from Oz, where Meloni played a sociopathic killer.   Unlike the manipulative Keller, El (as partner Olivia Benson calls him) has a VERY strong sense of right and wrong.  I’ve been watching SVU since it started!  I missed a FEW eps here and there, BUT am catching up.              

 

 

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Elliot is especially affected by cases involving children/teens; he has gone through trials w/ his family as a result of his tough job.  He is a very loyal partner to Liv.  Meloni is an actor that you can’t pidgeon-hole into “good” or “bad” character; he’s in the gray area.  This makes him fun to watch! 

 

Did you know?: Meloni is half-Italian and half-French Canadian.  He’s often mistaken for (another fine actor) Elias Koteas.

 

 

 

Chris Noth (Det. Mike Logan, Law & Order / Law & Order: Criminal Intent)

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The original L&O series has had MANY strong actors: Michael Moriarty, Jerry Orbach, and Sam Waterston to name a few.  But who looks and acts like a real-life cop?  It’s Chris Noth; he’s played Det. Mike Logan on 2 L&O shows.  

 

 

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Wow, what a great profile!  I liked the longer hair, too.  Through the years, Mike has slowly matured and softened (somewhat) as a person and as a cop.  But, he’s still got a petulant/abrasive side.  Mike has worked w/ many partners, but will be leaving the L&O: CI soon.  (Jeff Goldblum will take over in the coming season.) 

 

 

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I don’t know the politics of Hollywood. Am I hungry for great material? Every actor is. How I can get to it, that’s another story.

 

Noth achieved even greater success/notice when he got the role of “Mr. Big” on SATC (above pic).  Hmmm… I wonder what Big would think of Logan’s wardrobe?  Noth and Sara Jessica Parker had GREAT chemisty together!

 

 

Did you know?: Noth, unlike Logan who’s Irish American, is Jewish.

 

 

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Related Links:

 

 

The Reel Vincent D’Onofrio (a fan’s blog):

http://www.thereelvincentdonofrio.com/reelblog/reelblog.html

 

Trailer for The Whole Wide World (an unconventional love story based on real events):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpUe7UBsWBk&NR=1

 

Chris Meloni’s Official Web Site (a VERY cool site!):

http://www.christopher-meloni.com/frame.html

 

A VERY cool desktop wallpaper design:

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http://surreal-art.com/files/vincentcollage.jpg

Movie Review: “Room at the Top” (1959)

Emma2 Comments
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The English factory town is dreary, but Joe Lampton has landed a job with a future.  To have something to do at night, he joins a theatrical group. His boss’s daughter, Susan, is playing ingenue roles on stage (and in real life). She is attracted to Joe, and Joe thinks about how much faster he will get ahead if he is the boss’s son-in-law.  This plan is complicated by his strong desire to be with an older woman who also belongs to the theatrical group.  Alice is French and unhappily married to a wealthy and powerful older man.  Joe believes he can get away with seeing both Susan and Alice.

–IMDB synopsis

Hey readers,

It’s ALMOST Valentine’s Day- good or ill, depending on how your personal life is going!  Don’t look for good clean romance in this controversial (for its time) Brit film!  The anti-hero (Hey, some women LOVE bad boys!) is played by an intense, enigmatic, and engaging actor- Laurence Harvey (who I’ve seen in The Manchurian Candidate). 

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I learned that Laurence Harvey was born in Lithuania; this explains the sharp features.  He grew up in South Africa, and eventually came to the English stage.

Harvey was born to play Joe Lampton, if not in kin, then in kind. Lampton was a working-class bloke who dreams of escaping his social strata for something better. It was a perfect match of actor and role, as the icy Harvey persona made Joe’s ruthless ambition to climb the greasy pole of success fittingly chilling.

 -Excerpt from IMDB  bio

25 y.o. Joe (Harvey) has recently gotten a job as an accountant in a factory in a small industrial town.  He shares a small flat (as the Brits call an apt) w/ a co-worker, and is friendly with the guys around the office.  The audience slowly learns that there are MANY layers to Joe, though he seems quiet and guarded at first. 

From the moment he glimpses his boss’ bubbly young daughter, Susan, he can’t keep her out of his head.  He eyes her hungrily- a prize to be won.  Though she has a steady man in her life, the inexperienced Susan is quickly drawn to Joe.  “I’ve never met a man like you,” she says with wonder in her eyes.  While Susan ponders what Joe is REALLY like, another woman catches his eye.  

Alice (Simone Signoret- an Oscar winner for this role) is a blonde, buxom, older woman w/ a sad look in her eyes.  When Joe snaps angrily at another man for mocking his working-class roots, Alice goes to console him.  From her expressions, you can see that she relates to him.  Soon they are a VERY hot item!  (This movie contains dialogue and romantic scenes QUITE different from other ’50s films.)

Though Susan wants to see Joe, her family and friends treat him like an interloper to their moneyed circle.  Joe replies politely to these snobs, but his anger is bubbling underneath.  George, another man who likes Susan, mentions his own war record.  We learn that even during wartime, not all men were treated equal! 

Joe lets the rage out when he’s with Alice, but it doesn’t scare her.  Alice stands up to him, saying that he is a “coward.”  Joe is insecure about his background.  He holds double standards, too.

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Joe shares some tender and happy moments with Alice, giving his calculating side a rest.  You may wonder if he really DOES love her!  Signoret does a terrific job of portraying a passionate, vulnerable, yet also strong woman.  Her character really pops off the screen; she kept it “real” (as the kids would say).  Harvey has a strong physical presence and a sense of danger about him- fitting for this role.  He makes Joe a very compelling young man!  Both actors handled some great/snappy dialogue and played emotional scenes very well. 

Check this film out if you want something different, multi-faceted, and intelligent.  Room at the Top is about ambition, lust, love, morality (different for men than for women), and above all- social class. Accent is sometimes tied to class; Joe switches to his Northern accent (Sean Bean has one!) when he’s angry or talking with family.  But at other times, that accent is much lighter.   The posh set don’t have such an accent, or they hide it!  (Joe is NOT the only one in the town w/ a contradictory nature.) 

Morality is underlying everything, too.  Joes’ roommate/friend warns him that flaunting an affair in this little town is dangerous.  People start to talk- Alice does NOT escape unscathed.  Susan’s patience and virtue are also tested by Joe, but she thinks they can live happily ever after.  Go see for yourself what happens!

Movie Review: “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1961) starring Paul Newman & Geraldine Page

EmmaLeave a comment

Hey readers!

Are we all ready for MORE Paul Newman?  He’s not a straight-shooting hero in this picture- he’s immoral, ambitious, and even… desperate.  He still looks SUPER-HOT!

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I saw this film last week on TCM; it’s based on a Tennessee Williams play, but not as well-known as say A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on aHot Tin Roof, or The Glass Menagerie.  This film is a MUST-SEE for anyone who likes snappy dialogue, complex characters, and SMART classic stuff!

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Chance Wade (Paul Newman) drives into his little hometown (a tropical Southern locale near the sea) with drunken/depressed actress Alexandra Del Lago (Broadway star Geraldine Page).  At a large/fancy hotel, he checks her in as “Princess.”  He has to carry her up to the room; the staff starts to gossip about them (of course).  Then Chance sets off to locate his boyhood love, Heavenly Finley (a very blonde and thin Shirley Knight; you may’ve seen her in As Good As It Gets).

But getting together w/ Heavenly is NOT easy; her father Boss Finley (a wealthy/powerful politician) keeps tabs on her every move.  Her older brother Tom (Rip Torn- back then he didn’t have red hair) is a violent thug in a suit.  Heavenly’s maiden aunt is the only sympathetic one in the bunch.  Even the servants on the Finley estate warn Chance to stay away.

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We learn (via flashbacks) that Chance was very friendly with the Finleys growing up.  He and Waverly fell in love, and planned to marry.  But her father had other ideas… 

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Chance: I had my picture on the cover of Life magazine! Woo-ha!  And at the same time I was… employing my other talent…

Why is Chance with Princess if he STILL can’t forget Heavenly?  What does he want from her?

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Chance: I like you. You are a nice monster.

I pondered on these questions as I watched:

Why do we find it odd when men use their handsome faces/great bodies to get ahead? 

Why can’t women be in charge of their own bodies?  

How does aging affect women, particularly beautiful ones? 

How/why is a daughter’s behavior tied to family honor?  

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Chance: This is pretty high-class pot. Where’d you get it?
Alexandra: You beautiful, stupid young man. That is not pot.  It’s hashish, Moroccan, and the finest.

Yes, they’re talking about drugs.  This movie deals w/ difficult ADULT matters; it’s NOT a feel-good film. But you definitely MUST check it out!

Best to all, EMMA.