Ode to Nicolas Cage

Before I start things off here, I'd like to make an amendment to my latest post.  Having just watched Primal Fear (an utterly amazing movie), Edward Norton definitely needs to be included in my list of favorite actors.  I don't really know what to say about him, other than he's brilliant.  Oh and that it's an absolute crime that he lost the Oscar for Primal Fear to Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire.  Really Academy, that's what you went with?

Now, I know I promised a companion list in this past post, and I have every intention of keeping my word.  Just not right now.

Since I'm going on vacation tomorrow (you guys will sadly have to make due without me until the 26th) and have limited time as it is, I thought I'd post something I actually wrote a few days before my first day of college.

Don't ask me why, because I have absolutely no idea as to the logic behind it, but I had a strange craving to write poetry at the time.  Since I'm incapable of writing any particularly profound or serious poems, I figured I'd stick to what I know: movies, or, more specifically, my hatred of Nicolas Cage.

At the encouragement of a few friends (one of our bonds is a mutual loathing of this so-called actor), I give you my aptly named Ode to Nicolas Cage:

Dear Mr. Cage or, if I may, Nic,

You have an uncanny knack of making me sick.

"Wooden" best describes your horrendous acting.

Would a little emotion be that exacting?

Not many claim a more dismal resume than you.

Ghost Rider and Con-Air, to name just a few.

I really wonder sometimes how you get work.

Have all the studio heads gone completely berserk?

The conflicts in Darfur, Israel and Baghdad

Are all tragedies - just horribly sad.

Yet nothing sends me into a greater rage

Than the phrase "Oscar winner Nicolas Cage."

(I also have to mention that the photo I used was originally attached to the headline "Nicolas Cage's Success Proves There Is No God."  It's comforting to know I'm not alone.) 

To McAvoy, DiCaprio and Hoffman(x2), with Love

Just about everyone has a short list of actors they simply adore. Regardless of the movie's quality, they will make you pay the $10 theater ticket on opening weekend. You'll defend even their weakest performances to the death ("The script was just a mess," "He/she was sick throughout filming, you know," "Shut up, you're jealous!") and often smile at the mere mention of their names. You're probably also seen stalking their mansions every Tuesday around midnight.  

Oh, is that just me? Damn.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that we're all absolute fanatics when it comes to some select stars. Since I'm obviously no exception, I decided to make my following post a virtual love letter to certain celebrities. I'll be suggesting a movie of theirs to check out as well, with YouTube snippets for support. Hopefully, I'll have some converts...  

1.  Dustin Hoffman

I thought it only appropriate to begin with my all-time favorite actor. The way I see it, not only is Dustin Hoffman probably the most versatile actor in Hollywood history, he's also one of the most endearing, insightful and just plain respectable celebrities out there. Consider his 1980 Oscar speech in which he delivered the sincerest commendations to the losing nominees the Academy has ever heard, or an interview concerning Tootsie in which he tearfully lamented the fact that he had never given girls like Tootsie the time of day. Any other actor saying these things would sound nauseatingly cheesy, yet somehow it's not the least bit coming from Dustin.

Really though, the best thing about him is his boundless acting ability. Which is why it's so tough to pick just one performance to recommend. If I must though, it would have to be his iconic role in The Graduate. While I have yet to see Midnight Cowboy, Ben Braddock is just so hilariously awkward and hopelessly unsure of his life's direction in a way we can all relate to, making him truly memorable (though calling a Hoffman character "memorable" seems like a bit of an oxymoron). Enjoy the movie's most quoted scene here:

2.  James McAvoy

If there's anyone on this list who I'm also kind of in love with, it's James McAvoy. Honestly, is there anyone more charming than this guy? Pathetic crush aside, I think he is one of the few actors out there who makes any movie he's in infinitely better. Think about it: we probably wouldn't have cared half as much about Atonement's Robbie Turner if someone else had played him, and Lord knows he's the only reason I made it through Penelope. So what exactly is it that makes him fascinating onscreen? There are plenty of answers to that question, but what it all comes down to, if you ask me, are the facts that he's so wonderfully subtle, and you just know he's putting all he has into his roles, no matter their weight. 

I feel like it's my patriotic duty as a movie lover to urge everyone to see him in The Last King of Scotland. It's insane how underrated his performance is, as much as Forest Whitaker's terrifyingly good acting merits discussion. Unfortunately, YouTube seems to have forgotten his fantastic role in it as well, so hopefully this trailer will be convincing enough.

3. Philip Seymour Hoffman

There must be something about the name Hoffman, because it's attached to two absolutely phenomenal actors. This precise connection is actually the sole reason I was introduced to PSH. Back in 2005, I was reading early Oscar buzz and came across predictions of "Hoffman" winning Best Actor. I obviously flipped out and scrambled to find the latest Dustin Hoffman project only to discover my, in the end, marvelous mistake. After getting over my initial disappointment, I found myself somewhat intrigued by the premise of Capote. Once I finally got around to seeing it, well past the Oscar season's end, I could not have been more grateful to that rather unclear entertainment reporter.  

PSH, like Dustin, is just such an actor. Sure, he can knock it out of the park with a carefully crafted dramatic character (i.e. Capote, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) but he can also play comedic characters exceptionally well (i.e. Charlie Wilson's War, Along Came Polly - yes, he was in it and no, nothing about that movie other than him is worthwhile).  

I know I've already sung my praises for The Savages, but I think it might be my favorite performance of his. As Jon Savage, a middle-aged drama professor whose long-term relationship is crumbling and estranged father is dying, he creates one of those great flawed yet deeply sympathetic figures. Watch what I believe is his best scene here:

4. Leonardo DiCaprio

As much as I love Leo now, there was a dark and distant time in my past when I despised him. I guess the fact that I really only saw 20 minutes of Titanic when it first came out, thanks to my hyper-concerned mom, and that every irritating girl in my grade was so enamored with him really worked against the poor guy. Then, on one fateful day in the fall of '07, I saw The Departed and was completely blown away. After watching a few more of his movies, I came to the realization that, not only is he one of the strongest actors of his generation, but, contrary to popular belief, his talent didn't just emerge in the past few years; he's had it all along. (To all you nay-sayers: I dare you to watch What's Eating Gilbert Grape and not be baffled by the fact that Tommy Lee Jones won the Oscar that year instead of Leo.)

My pick, since most people have seen The Departed by now, goes to another Scorsese project,The Aviator. (Get excited, all you Scorsese-DiCaprio fans: their next project, Shutter Island, will premiere in October of 2009.) Leo brings his trademark intensity to the complex (to say the least) role with fantastic results, and, in an even more impressive feat, is not completely outshone by the fast-talking, remarkable Cate Blanchett.

I'm also giving honorable mentions to Jack Lemmon and Robert Downey, Jr. I'd love to give them a real spot, but I need to see more of their movies first. Since I mentioned him though, I have to briefly express my absolute joy at the news that Downey will play Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's upcoming project. It almost takes away the sting of that Will Ferrell atrocity. Almost. 

(Look out next week for my companion list of favorite leading ladies.)

Best Week Ever? Well, Parts of It...

Normally, I wouldn't write extensively about three unrelated, basic entertainment news blurbs from a random week.  Half the time it's stuff that everyone else already knows and it can get really boring, really quickly.  Heck, I'm boring myself writing this.  But the movie news from the past few days produced so many extreme mood swings in me that I felt it necessary to discuss the latest at least for my own peace of mind, if not also for the benefit of my (5) readers.  So strap yourselves in guys, because you're in for one crazy emotional roller coaster of a current events analysis (and yes, I just used the term "emotional roller coaster").

I'll start with the news that just plain brightened my day.  It looks like the Arrested Development movie, after months of hearsay, is finally official.  Jeffrey Tambor essentially confirmed it on Saturday at the Hellboy 2 premiere, following an earlier MTV interview with Jason Bateman in which the former Michael Bluth said that the only thing holding back production was money.  I know a lot of AD fanatics are skeptical about adapting the series into a film, but Bateman stressed in his interview that Mitchell Hurwitz's script was made quite specifically for a movie, not consecutive TV episodes.  And dammit, I just can't help rejoicing that the Bluths will be together again.  Now as for those stingy producers, to quote Gob: COME ON!

One of imdb's daily links was my next source of happiness.  I'm speaking, of course, of the premiere of the Quantum of Solace trailer.  In true Bond fashion, it was highly cryptic, and highly exciting.  So many things ran through my head as I was watching it (Jeez, is Bond going full-out rogue?  And what's he doing in an arid valley with a big-ass gun?  Oh look, his poker buddy's back!) yet I couldn't even begin to guess what will actually take place.  Kudos to those trailer makers, because I'm officially pumped.  (For any unfortunate souls out there who missed it, here you go.)

Now onto the news that almost completely nullified my excitement over the last two reports (brace yourselves, here comes the full-on rant): Judd Apatow, in his infinite wisdom, is producing a movie that will star Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Borat) and Will Ferrell as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively.  All I can say to that is WHAT THE HELL?!  Honestly, were the casting people trying to piss off Sherlock Holmes fans?  Because if so, congratulations, I don't think there are any two actors (and I'm using the term loosely here) that could be worse for the parts.  I was already terrified that Guy Ritchie was going to cast Jason Statham as Holmes in his own project, but at this point I'll welcome that criminally-inclined pretty boy with open arms over Talladega Nights 2.

Granted, Cohen could at least look a little like Holmes, but this beloved character is known for his wit and subtle genius.  I don't think even the most extreme Cohen fan could argue that the man is subtle.  And Will Ferrell??  That choice is even more infuriating.  He hasn't had a decent movie (or a different character) since Stranger Than Fiction and, hate to say it, but from the looks of Step Brothers, it doesn't look like he'll be making a glorious comeback anytime soon.  True, he was surprisingly calm in Fiction, but having another outrageous comedian competing alongside him for audience attention is only going to make him more irritating and obnoxious.

Poor, poor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Thank goodness he isn't alive to see this.  Unfortunately, I am, so excuse me while I go cry.