don't ask me why: australia

So Australia, a Baz Luhrmann-directed epic romance, was basically eaten alive by critics, didn't do so great at the box office, and was widely considered to be very disappointing. Well - surprise! - I actually loved it. And, when people see it among my DVD collection, I inevitably get made fun of for it.

It's the love story of an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) and the Aussie equivalent of a cowboy, a drover (Hugh Jackman). The first half has all the trappings of a Western: dusty wilderness, a long & dangerous cattle drive, stampedes, life on the outback, etc. The second half depicts the beginning of the World War II and the role that Australia played in it. It's intertwines some valuable social and military history, such as the "Stolen Generation" (the removal of Aboriginal children from their families by the Australian government) and the Japanese attack on Darwin and Northern Australia.

I guess it's overly ambitious. It's quite long and attempts to be too many things. But watching it always puts me in a good mood: Kidman and Jackman are always delightful, the film actually provides some great insight into Australian history, and it features some gorgeous cinematography. Not to mention, it's a lovely romantic tale. So, even though it's goofy, it's also highly entertaining and a fabulous tribute to a fascinating part of the world. Here's the trailer:



Watch it! If you hate it, like a lot of people apparently did, then at least you tried. And if you adore it, like I do, then don't feel too guilty about it. After all, you can't help what you love.

my stint as a casting director

So I'm constantly hearing rumors about film/mini-series adaptations of Diana Gabaldon's amazing Outlander saga. For those of you who haven't read it, it's a romantic-historical-science fiction tale about a British woman who is transported back into the 18th century Scottish highlands. It's a wonderfully engrossing series that I highly recommend.

The downside is that, because the stories are so detailed, complex, and full of a wide variety of characters and locations, any filmmaker who attempted to take it on would have a huge task ahead of him/her. So I've decided to help them out by doing the casting for them:

Rachel McAdams as Claire Beauchamp:

Chris Hemsworth as Jamie Fraser:

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as "Black Jack" Randall:

Ionn Gruffud as Frank Randall:

Blake Lively as Brianna Randall

With all the fans out there, and the huge success that the series has enjoyed, I can't imagine that they won't make some type of film version of this. If I do say so myself, I think that I have chosen a perfect cast. A little red hair dye and that's that.

'celeb transformations!' (ugh can't believe i just typed that...)

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster

There is nothing I like more than a good old-fashioned story about pretty-girl-turns-ugly, skinny-girl-get-chubby, hot-guy-gets-hotter, girl-shaves-head. Hmmm. Okay what I'm really talking about are celebrities and the cool transformations they make for movies. Here a few of my very favorites example.

Natalie Portman shaved her head for V for Vendetta

Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones and now

???????

I love it when a beautiful woman isn't afraid to look bad (Charlize.) I also love seeing a woman embrace her curves and, slap on some red lipstick, and enjoy being boobylicious (Renee), although I'm not so thrilled with the near-skeletal proportions she's reached nowadays. I also know how weird and attached girls can be to their hair, and I think people can forget what a big deal it is to chop it all off (Natalie) - and, of course, she still looks gorgeous! And Gerard's transformation into Leonidas isn't so much a transformation as body paint, a costume, and special effects...But maybe I just wanted an excuse to look at him? Next up, I want to see Keira Knightly as Susan Boyle in a film biopic. She needs it.

love it: the piano

The Piano is one of the most eerily beautiful movies I've ever seen. It's the story of a mute pianist (Holly Hunter) who, with her illegitimate daughter (Anna Paquin), moves to 19th-century colonial New Zealand to be the wife of a British farmer (Sam Neil). She begins a bizarre, passionate affair with another man (Harvey Keitel). Intrigue and tragedy, of course, ensue.

A few reasons I love it so much:

• Hunter gives an amazing, Academy-award winning performance without speaking a word. It's also fun to watch nine-year-old Paquin (of True Blood fame) play the role that made her the second youngest Oscar-winner in history.
• It contains one of the most compelling film sequences I have ever seen...And I watch a lot of movies! (Watch it and you'll know exactly which one I'm talking about.)
• Way before Kathryn Bigelow there was Jane Campion, who wrote and directed The Piano and was only the second female director to be nominated for an Academy Award.
• The original score by Michael Nyman ranks among the loveliest ever made. It completely sets the tone for the film and sticks with you long after.
• It triggered my love affair with Harvey Keitel. (Weird, I know.)
• Against all odds, it does have a happy ending. And I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Rent it today. Then tell me what you think! (In case you need further convincing, here's the dated-and-cheesy-yet-wonderful trailer.)

love it: the history boys

Have you ever seen The History Boys? Well, you should! It's brilliant. It's one of those dialogue-heavy, category-defying British films that I adore so much. (Yes, that's an actual genre if you ask me. Consider it for a moment...You're thinking of a few right now.) The entire movie, in fact, is dialogue - Mainly musings about history, literature, and growing up. You can totally get how it was originally a Broadway play (which I'm now dyyyyying to see!). Here's the trailer: 




And a few of my favorite lines:

History is a commentary on the various and continuing incapabilities of men. What is history? History is women following behind with the bucket. 

Pass the parcel. That's sometimes all you can do. Take it, feel it and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day. Pass it on, boys. That's the game I want you to learn. Pass it on.


F**k the Ren-ai-ssance! And f**k literature, and Plato, and Michaelangelo, and Oscar Wilde, and all the other shrunken violets you people line up. This is a school, and it isn't normal! 

Now, it's not some happy coming-of-age tale. There's dark moments, there are some uncomfortable realizations, there are some unsettling observations about the nature of education and, yes, history.

See what I mean? Rent it. Today. Now.

daisy buchanan, the waif

In baz tackles gatsby, I discussed some speculation surrounding the casting of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrman's film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The verdict is in: Carey Mulligan will be playing Daisy. (This announcement is actually a couple of weeks old, but I've been away from blogging for a couple of weeks due to an end-of-semester homework deluge. I'm baaaack!)

I haven't seen Mulligan in anything other than a BBC production of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, in which she was stunningly unremarkable and pretty. Daisy is a very bubbly, dark, charming, ironic, complex character - I would've thought that an older, more experienced actress (like Natalie Portman or Rachel McAdams, grrrr) would be better. Or at least someone who doesn't so strongly resemble an adorable orphan wearing costume jewelery.

Oh, well. I hope it's good. Although I want to go on the record as being highly disapproving of this whole Carey Mulligan business.

snow white and the twenty-one dwarves

There are THREE Snow White films in the works as we speak.

the huntsman, a la disney in 1937

Snow White and the Huntsman: The Wrap reports that Johnny Depp has been offered the role of the Huntsman in this Universal film, slated for 2012. In this movie, the Huntsman will be a central Robin Hood-like character. He will act as Snow White's mentor, teaching her how to fight and stand up to her evil stepmother (who will likely be played by Charlize Theron - fabulous!). No word on who will be playing Snow White, but between Johnny and Charlize I don't think it will even matter.


Untitled (The Brothers Grimm: Snow White): Tarsem Singh has been confirmed as the director of another Snow White adaptation. The script for this one is going to more closely follow the original German fairy tale, which is verrry dark and much more interesting than the Disney version. (It ends with Snow White making her evil stepmother put on a pair of red-hot iron shoes and "dancing" until she dies.) Here's the trailer from Singh's The Fall, which is one of the most surreal, beautiful, and unsettling movies I've ever seen - I highly recommend it! If this is any indication of what his version of Snow White will be like, it's going to be amazing:

Snow White and the Seven: Disney has been planning its own re-imagination of Snow White. This version is a martial arts epic set in 19th-century colonial China, with seven Shaolin monks instead of dwarves, to be choreographed by the dude that did The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The project was first announced in 2005 and was shelved, but Disney is reportedly about to get cracking on it again. Hence, Snow White movie number three.

Wouldn't it just make sense for them to all pool their resources and make one REALLY crazy-good movie? I'm thinking Johnny Depp running around the forest with a bow and arrow looking all cute, with epic kung-fu-fighting dwarf monks and a slightly-maniacal Snow White? Yes, please. Or I'm cool with just going to see all three movies - That works, too.

ruth! ruth! ruth! baby? ruth!

Yesterday was the release of The Goonies 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray. Now this might be one of the most brilliant movies ever made, so I am tempted to buy it even though I think that these "Ultimate Collector's Edition" things are rip-offs.

Fellow Goonies fans might be interested to know that, despite rumors, there is no sequel being made (I think that's a good thing) - BUT a musical is in the works. Would you pay good money to see the Truffle Shuffle on stage? Yeah, me too.

baz tackles gatsby

gatsby and daisy (1974 film)

Baz Luhrmann (of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge fame) is making a new film adaptation of The Great Gatsby - yay! I am incredibly excited about this project. Luhrmann is an interesting director. I like to think of his style as exuberant; his critics might call it ridiculous. The fact that he is tackling Gatsby, a hallmark of American literature, is pretty gutsy of him. Luhrmann has gone on the record saying that he wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jay Gatsby and Topher Grace as Nick Carraway. They were in NYC reading the roles recently, and it's not official but the consensus is that they'll be the two male leads - Perfect!

if i were in charge

 Daisy Buchanan is another story. Luhrmann wants to see a wide variety of actresses read with DiCaprio before he makes his choice. Names like Keira Knightley, Scarlet Johansson, and Blake Lively are circulating. I want him to cast Rachel McAdams, personally. (Are you reading, Baz?) The most recent news places Natalie Portman in the mix. She would be fabulous, too. I have a feeling this movie is going to be amazing - I can't wait! And, for those fellow F. Scott fans out there, I will definitely keep you posted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

daisy?

oh, leo