lion in winter, master and commander
Nov. 30th, 2003 03:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fearlesstempSaw two great movies today – the first, The Lion in Winter, was one I've been meaning to see for ages and ages. It was just as great as I'd expected and hoped it would be, the dialogue often so funny and sharp that I had to rewind several scenes to get the full effect. As with nearly all films about the monarchy, past or present (Roman Holiday included), it reminded me how fortunate I am not to be a princess. For instance, through most of The Lion in Winter, the character I identified most with was the hunched-over young son with poor hygiene – not for those oh-so-attractive physical characteristics (though, come to think of it, I do have poor posture – but I do bathe regularly) – but because he had about as much finesse with and understanding of the complex royal dealings within the movie as I do or would. Half the time I had to pause the movie to go over things with my mother ("So, okay, this whole Acquitaine thing? What's the deal there?"), and ended up going up to our mass of outdated Encyclopedias after the movie to get a better background of the events it described.
That said – Katharine Hepburn? So awesome. To be expected, of course, since I knew she won an Oscar for the role and I've always loved her stuff anyway, but oh, must state the obvious, she was so fantastic in this. One of the things I love most about Katharine Hepburn is how she never – in her life or in her roles – seemed to ask for pity. Which is not to say that she was cold, or remote; in fact, it's the opposite to me. She always came across as a person to be respected, as someone who knew who she was and was willing to bear the burden of it, but still human enough to occasionally have moments where she let the weight of loneliness or sadness or pain show, often in spite of herself. Even in her sillier movies, like Bringing Up Baby or Holiday, where she played ridiculous characters (especially in the first), she was always so self-assured about her silliness, so confident and brave about it, that you couldn't help but love her and want to be like her and ache for her when she suffered.
I know, it's all stuff hundreds of people have said before and better about Kate, but there's my contribution.
The second movie I saw just came out in the theaters, so it gets a cut tag –
I was kind of "whatever" about the previews to this movie, never thinking I would see it in the theaters since I'm not a Russell Crowe fan, nor am I a particularly big fan of seafaring adventures (my love for Pirates of the Carribbean notwithstanding – and anyway, that was more of a fun, popcorn movie love [with a side of Johnny Depp affection and Orlando Bloom infatuation]). Though to say I'm not a fan of Russell Crowe really isn't fair, since I've only seen two of his movies, and one of them I quite liked (L.A. Confidential). The other one kind of seriously annoyed me (A Beautiful Mind), but the annoyance wasn't really Russell's fault. I'm having some Russell Guilt here, having been all dismissive of him in my head, thinking he was kind of "eh" and overrated and whatever, only now to realize – holy crap! He *is* pretty good!
Which is to say: I loved this movie. I mean, I *loved* it. I surprised myself with the love I had for this movie. The truth is, there are some movies where I set the bar rather low for success (romantic comedies and teen comedies, I'm lookin' your way) because I love the general formula, and therefore am more likely to enjoy them, but there are very few types of movies I genuinely dislike or will try to avoid – I like foreign films, independent films, documentaries, big action movies, goofy comedies (I'm the only person I know who wants to see the Greg Kinnear/Matt Damon Farrelly Brothers movie Stuck On You) – just about anything except horror, mostly because I'm a big wimp. But even those I can take and have enjoyed. That said, judging from the previews and pre-release articles on the movie alone, I had written this off as the kind of movie I just wouldn't like, like Westerns; who cares about a bunch of guys sailing to and fro on a boat to fight Napoleon?
The answer is, of course, when the movie's done well, me and everyone else in the audience (or just about). And that's what Master and Commander was to me – a movie done extremely well, a movie that respected its audience enough to expect them to follow along without the Exposition Fairy explaining things every five minutes and respected its characters enough to make them difficult at times but always human and sympathetic. And there are few movie experiences that are more rewarding to me than when a movie exceeds my expectations, takes a form I thought I'd found annoying or irrelevant or boring in the past and made me feel excited and thrilled and moved. It was fantastic.
Russell Crowe was great in this, so great that I take bad all the mean thoughts I've had about him. It's kind of cliche to talk about how gruff and masculine he is but, well, it's kind of true, and it really worked here. And the best part was that he went beyond that and let some warmth and humor shine through, so that it was clear why the crew of almost two hundred not only respected him, but also loved him. All this and also allowing him some flaws – pride, occasional misguided bravado – that made him human. Paul Bettany was great too, as the surgeon and friend of Russell's Captain Jack Aubrey, and their friendship in the movie was something beautiful.
Perhaps the most ringing endorsement of the movie is this: they had a young, blonde child actor who had to bear a number of awful things while still remaining brave, sweet, kind, and occasionally brilliant, and he wasn't annoying at all. Now that's an accomplishment.
And holy crap, it's almost 3:30 in the morning. My whole plan was to go to bed early so I would get up early tomorrow and Get Stuff Done because I have a presentation in class Monday night and work is going to be hellacious this week, I just know it. But I have to remember that my new thing is not caring. Wait, that sounds bad. What I mean is: My new thing in life is not stressing, and enjoying things more. How often have I said this? But this time I really mean it!
Bedtime now.
That said – Katharine Hepburn? So awesome. To be expected, of course, since I knew she won an Oscar for the role and I've always loved her stuff anyway, but oh, must state the obvious, she was so fantastic in this. One of the things I love most about Katharine Hepburn is how she never – in her life or in her roles – seemed to ask for pity. Which is not to say that she was cold, or remote; in fact, it's the opposite to me. She always came across as a person to be respected, as someone who knew who she was and was willing to bear the burden of it, but still human enough to occasionally have moments where she let the weight of loneliness or sadness or pain show, often in spite of herself. Even in her sillier movies, like Bringing Up Baby or Holiday, where she played ridiculous characters (especially in the first), she was always so self-assured about her silliness, so confident and brave about it, that you couldn't help but love her and want to be like her and ache for her when she suffered.
I know, it's all stuff hundreds of people have said before and better about Kate, but there's my contribution.
The second movie I saw just came out in the theaters, so it gets a cut tag –
I was kind of "whatever" about the previews to this movie, never thinking I would see it in the theaters since I'm not a Russell Crowe fan, nor am I a particularly big fan of seafaring adventures (my love for Pirates of the Carribbean notwithstanding – and anyway, that was more of a fun, popcorn movie love [with a side of Johnny Depp affection and Orlando Bloom infatuation]). Though to say I'm not a fan of Russell Crowe really isn't fair, since I've only seen two of his movies, and one of them I quite liked (L.A. Confidential). The other one kind of seriously annoyed me (A Beautiful Mind), but the annoyance wasn't really Russell's fault. I'm having some Russell Guilt here, having been all dismissive of him in my head, thinking he was kind of "eh" and overrated and whatever, only now to realize – holy crap! He *is* pretty good!
Which is to say: I loved this movie. I mean, I *loved* it. I surprised myself with the love I had for this movie. The truth is, there are some movies where I set the bar rather low for success (romantic comedies and teen comedies, I'm lookin' your way) because I love the general formula, and therefore am more likely to enjoy them, but there are very few types of movies I genuinely dislike or will try to avoid – I like foreign films, independent films, documentaries, big action movies, goofy comedies (I'm the only person I know who wants to see the Greg Kinnear/Matt Damon Farrelly Brothers movie Stuck On You) – just about anything except horror, mostly because I'm a big wimp. But even those I can take and have enjoyed. That said, judging from the previews and pre-release articles on the movie alone, I had written this off as the kind of movie I just wouldn't like, like Westerns; who cares about a bunch of guys sailing to and fro on a boat to fight Napoleon?
The answer is, of course, when the movie's done well, me and everyone else in the audience (or just about). And that's what Master and Commander was to me – a movie done extremely well, a movie that respected its audience enough to expect them to follow along without the Exposition Fairy explaining things every five minutes and respected its characters enough to make them difficult at times but always human and sympathetic. And there are few movie experiences that are more rewarding to me than when a movie exceeds my expectations, takes a form I thought I'd found annoying or irrelevant or boring in the past and made me feel excited and thrilled and moved. It was fantastic.
Russell Crowe was great in this, so great that I take bad all the mean thoughts I've had about him. It's kind of cliche to talk about how gruff and masculine he is but, well, it's kind of true, and it really worked here. And the best part was that he went beyond that and let some warmth and humor shine through, so that it was clear why the crew of almost two hundred not only respected him, but also loved him. All this and also allowing him some flaws – pride, occasional misguided bravado – that made him human. Paul Bettany was great too, as the surgeon and friend of Russell's Captain Jack Aubrey, and their friendship in the movie was something beautiful.
Perhaps the most ringing endorsement of the movie is this: they had a young, blonde child actor who had to bear a number of awful things while still remaining brave, sweet, kind, and occasionally brilliant, and he wasn't annoying at all. Now that's an accomplishment.
And holy crap, it's almost 3:30 in the morning. My whole plan was to go to bed early so I would get up early tomorrow and Get Stuff Done because I have a presentation in class Monday night and work is going to be hellacious this week, I just know it. But I have to remember that my new thing is not caring. Wait, that sounds bad. What I mean is: My new thing in life is not stressing, and enjoying things more. How often have I said this? But this time I really mean it!
Bedtime now.
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no subject
Date: 2003-12-23 12:52 pm (UTC)Russell Crowe was great in this, so great that I take bad all the mean thoughts I've had about him.
Hee! I loved him very, very much in L.A. Confidential and in Aussie films he's done like The Sum of Us and Proof. Then his real-life personality really started to leave me cold, and I've been pretty turned off him. But this movie totally made me like him again. He and Paul Bettany had amazing chemistry.
The blonde kid in the movie was just outstanding. He had such dignity and grace and yeah, wasn't annoying at all.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-11 08:13 pm (UTC)Anyway, yes, wasn't L.A. Confidential great? I'll have to check out those Aussie films you've mentioned (am still in Russell Fangirl Mode here, weeks and weeks after seeing the movie). And, you know, maybe go see Master and Commander again -- it's funny how many people I've run into who have had the same reaction, completely loving this movie they never expected to. It's so nice when that happens.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-12 08:00 am (UTC)Hee. No worries! :)
L.A. Confidential is totally one of my fave movies, and I finally saw A Beautiful Mind last week. So good! My other fave Russell movies (aside from the ones I mentioned) are: Heaven's Burning and For the Moment. The Quick and the Dead is also worth seeing, despite Sharon Stone.
I definitely want to see M&C again, but it's not playing at many theatres anymore. I'm hoping the DVD will be out sooner rather than later.