Sunday, December 19, 2004
Sometimes the BBC will actually give you something for your licence money. Last night it was Stage Beauty, released only this year and famous for allegedly instigating 'Billy-gate' (one actor, two actresses, one of whom pregnant).
The only thing is, it's not that good a film. The acting is flawless but somehow it seems the film cannot decide whether it is a comedy, a drama, a historical account, a sociological exploration, a comi-socio-account or a drama-histo-exploration. The result is something oddly cold and disengaging, in spite of the obviously gorgeous Crudup. And Samuel Pepys, one must not forget, was not just kindness and light, as portrayed by the otherwise wonderful Hugh Bonneville, but was, remember, a man who beshat himself regularly.
This afternoon I've got tickets for a preview of The Aviator, which I am looking forward to with equal parts dread and joy. I just really, really want it to be a good film, mainly because of Scorsese and Di Caprio (Beckinsale reminds me of Blackpool and comparing her to Ava Gardner does make me slightly queasy) but suspect something rather overlong, overglitzy and just as disengaging as Gangs of New York - and Stage Beauty.
Update:
Yes, too long, but really rather wonderful.
Beginning: newsreel-like manner does nothing for depth but plenty for style.
Middle: a lot of talking.
End: definitely not as soppy as could easily have been although perhaps a bit unsatisfactory. Or not, as it did make me want to find out more about Howard.
I think Leo is lovely and a superbly gifted actor. I don't know why people dislike him so much.
And Blackpool: glitzy on the surface but quite superficial.
The only thing is, it's not that good a film. The acting is flawless but somehow it seems the film cannot decide whether it is a comedy, a drama, a historical account, a sociological exploration, a comi-socio-account or a drama-histo-exploration. The result is something oddly cold and disengaging, in spite of the obviously gorgeous Crudup. And Samuel Pepys, one must not forget, was not just kindness and light, as portrayed by the otherwise wonderful Hugh Bonneville, but was, remember, a man who beshat himself regularly.
This afternoon I've got tickets for a preview of The Aviator, which I am looking forward to with equal parts dread and joy. I just really, really want it to be a good film, mainly because of Scorsese and Di Caprio (Beckinsale reminds me of Blackpool and comparing her to Ava Gardner does make me slightly queasy) but suspect something rather overlong, overglitzy and just as disengaging as Gangs of New York - and Stage Beauty.
Update:
Yes, too long, but really rather wonderful.
Beginning: newsreel-like manner does nothing for depth but plenty for style.
Middle: a lot of talking.
End: definitely not as soppy as could easily have been although perhaps a bit unsatisfactory. Or not, as it did make me want to find out more about Howard.
I think Leo is lovely and a superbly gifted actor. I don't know why people dislike him so much.
And Blackpool: glitzy on the surface but quite superficial.
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