![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarahmichiganThe two most recent films I've watched are "The Constant Gardener" and "Something Wicked this Way Comes."
Gardener
Watching the first, I was thinking that the screen play, and presumably the novel by John LeCarre that the movie was based on, had a tricky problem with the main character. The main character, Justin, was kind of a milquetoast and wasn't very interesting until after his wife died at which point he sort of came alive and became impassioned. That's all fine and good in that characters should change and grow over the course of a story. But, his wife Tessa was a firecracker from the start, and it leaves you wondering what she saw in him BEFORE his transformation, no?
The other thing I noticed was how absolutely beautiful Ralph Fiennes is. This is not a new observation for me, but I do think it's funny that the Harry Potter films take this gorgeous specimen with his resonant voice and luminous eyes and boyish charm and turn him into this no-nose taloned freak of evil. You don't even get the full effect of his lovely speaking voice because of the way they obscure his nose with makeup. The eyes are still there, though.
Something Wicked
Why had I not seen this movie before now? I absolutely LOVED this film. It's weird and wonderful and feels nothing like the Disney film that it is. I attribute that to the fact that they had the foresight to have Bradbury adapt his own novel for the screenplay. They did have some good special effects for 1983, but I was just convinced that the actor who played the barkeep with only one leg and one arm was indeed a disabled actor and that wasn't a special effect. I looked up his bio on IMDB, and it's quite a trip! It's like the book "Fortunately" by Remy Charlip (a great children's book you should read and/or buy for your favorite kid).
Fortunately, James Stacy was able to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor.
Unfortunately, he was in a car crash caused by a drunk driver and lost one arm and one leg.
Fortunately, his friends rallied to his side and he went on to act again, as well as directing.
Unfortunately, he was convicted of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl.
Fortunately, he got out early and is now quietly living with his family.
Egad!
Gardener
Watching the first, I was thinking that the screen play, and presumably the novel by John LeCarre that the movie was based on, had a tricky problem with the main character. The main character, Justin, was kind of a milquetoast and wasn't very interesting until after his wife died at which point he sort of came alive and became impassioned. That's all fine and good in that characters should change and grow over the course of a story. But, his wife Tessa was a firecracker from the start, and it leaves you wondering what she saw in him BEFORE his transformation, no?
The other thing I noticed was how absolutely beautiful Ralph Fiennes is. This is not a new observation for me, but I do think it's funny that the Harry Potter films take this gorgeous specimen with his resonant voice and luminous eyes and boyish charm and turn him into this no-nose taloned freak of evil. You don't even get the full effect of his lovely speaking voice because of the way they obscure his nose with makeup. The eyes are still there, though.
Something Wicked
Why had I not seen this movie before now? I absolutely LOVED this film. It's weird and wonderful and feels nothing like the Disney film that it is. I attribute that to the fact that they had the foresight to have Bradbury adapt his own novel for the screenplay. They did have some good special effects for 1983, but I was just convinced that the actor who played the barkeep with only one leg and one arm was indeed a disabled actor and that wasn't a special effect. I looked up his bio on IMDB, and it's quite a trip! It's like the book "Fortunately" by Remy Charlip (a great children's book you should read and/or buy for your favorite kid).
Fortunately, James Stacy was able to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor.
Unfortunately, he was in a car crash caused by a drunk driver and lost one arm and one leg.
Fortunately, his friends rallied to his side and he went on to act again, as well as directing.
Unfortunately, he was convicted of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl.
Fortunately, he got out early and is now quietly living with his family.
Egad!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-05-17 01:22 am (UTC)