October 2nd, 2009
Penelope Cruz returns in November to North American screens in Pedro Almodovar’s “Broken Embraces.”
Tim Murphy of New York Magazine finds “Precious” star Gabby Sidibe “living the life.”
Lars von Trier — the vuvuzela of world cinema — arrives stateside later this month with the graphic and divisive “Antichrist.”
The Vancouver Sun’s Randy Shore asks, “Did you hear the one about the first nations’ comedy?”
One Film Wonder: Barbara Loden was a celebrated stage actress who only appeared in three films, most notably as Ginny Stamper, the older, promiscuous sister of Warren Beatty’s Bud in 1961’s “Splendor in the Grass, directed by her future husband, Elia Kazan, whom she married in 1968. She won the Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in 1964 for her portrayal of Maggie in Arthur Miller’s “After the Fall.”
In 1970, Loden wrote and directed “Wanda,” her only feature-film work behind the camera, and starred in the title role. In his March 1971 review, The New York Times’ Roger Greenspun remarked that “Loden’s film, by the time you are through with it, has, rather surprisingly, some of the look of classical moviemaking.” Thirty-five years later, Dave Kehr in the same paper lauded the film a “masterpiece” which
“had the bad luck to be doubly ahead of its time. Politically, it was guilty of premature post-feminism. The story about a youngish housewife (played by Ms. Loden) from Pennsylvania coal mining country who walks away from her husband and two children to take up with a mean-spirited petty thief (Michael Higgins) is hardly a parade of positive role models. And formally, the film — shot in 16-millimeter by Nicholas Proferes, using the lightweight equipment that was then driving the cinéma vérité documentary movement — goes far beyond the jittery, performance-centered style associated with that era’s independent films, like John Cassavetes’s 1968 “Faces.”
Barbara Loden died of breast cancer in 1980 at the age of 48.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Antichrist, Arthur Miller, Barbara Loden, Broken Embraces, Dave Kehr, Discussing Mr. Darcy, Elia Kazan, Faces, Gabby Sidibe, John Cassavetes, Lars von Trier, Michael Higgins, New York Magazine, Nicholas Proferes, One Film Wonder, Pedro Almodovar, Penelope Cruz, Precious, Randy Shore, Roger Greenspun, Splendor in the Grass, The New York Times, The Vancouver Sun, Tim Murphy, Wanda, Warren Beatty |
Comments (0)
April 10th, 2009
In Vanity Fair, Mark Seal chronicles the byzantine backstory of the greatest crime film of all in The Godfather Wars. Warren Beatty as Michael Corleone?
Alec Baldwin chats about 30 Rock, evangelical brother Stephen and his roles as star and producer in the independent “Lymelife,” first-time director Derick Martini’s suburban drama set in 1979 Long Island which opens this month across the country.
“Gomorra” director Matteo Garrone delves Inside “The System” with Cineaste’s Richard Porton.
Pedro Almodovar’s latest work, “Broken Embraces,” starring Penelope Cruz, has just opened in Spain, will reportedly compete at Cannes in May, and then appear on U.S. screens much later in the year. The director kept a fascinating and fun multilingual blog during the making of the film.
One Film Wonder: As the crew of the Erebus journey deeper up the Nung River, “Apocalypse Now” becomes more harrowing, trippy and surreal; when they reach the Do Long bridge, they encounter crystalline anarchy.
Herb Rice — who has only one other role in his entire resume, as a “pool player” in “Rumble Fish” — is the intensely tranquilized and badass Roach who lets Captain Willard know exactly who’s in command.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Apocalypse Now, Broken Embraces, Cineaste, Derick Martini, Gomorra, Herb Rice, Lymelife, Mark Seal, Matteo Garrone, One Film Wonder, Pedro Almodovar, Penelope Cruz, Richard Porton, The Godfather |
Comments (0)