Last night while Norm Peterson my husband was upstairs working on our bedroom renovation/redecoration, I got sucked into several hours of the Biography Channel.  I’m pretty confident that I can now tell you just about anything you need to know about Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, or the upcoming special about celebrity encounters with ghosts.  Critical information.

One of the segments I really enjoyed was a program called “Johnny Cash America” and included all sorts of amazing video footage of his life.  In it, certain portions had voice-overs by Johnny himself, lending a rather eerie quality to the old film.  His unmistakable voice and larger-than-life persona made me hunger to know more about someone I had previously only encountered via Joaquin Phoenix in Hollywood’s Walk the Line.

One of the things Johnny said about faith got my attention, making me stop to grab a pen.  I rewound the DVR to get the words just right.  Maybe you’ll find them to be profound, as well:

“What is man if he doesn’t have a spirit, and what is man’s spirit if it cannot connect with the Master of Life?”

~

Later, in the Willie Nelson biography, Kris Kristofferson praised his friend as the kindest, funniest individual he’s ever known.  He lauded Willie’s “outlaw” style of blazing his own trail and not falling into the easy traps of sounding like someone else, dressing like other Nashville stars, or wearing his hair like most country stars of the 50’s & 60’s did.  But it was, again, one sentence that struck me as especially meaningful.  Kris said this about Willie:

“[Willie] wears the world like a loose garment.”

~

Both of these quotes have stuck with me today.  In particular, I’ve been thinking about the last one and about whether the same will ever be said about me.  That I was in the world, but not of the world.  That I engaged fully in this place, but was not tossed about aimlessly by the quickly-shifting winds of culture and expectations.  That I wore the world like a loose garment: draping myself in it, but not constrained by it.  Not confined or limited.  Not bound by the seams, stitches, whims of another.

To me, that’s a beautiful thought.

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Uns riem, outros desconversam. Uns fingem que não foi nada e outros acabam no hospital. O ponto em comum é que todos se espalharam ao comprido em plena actuação. O Pop Bit fez um top 5 das melhores quedas em palco.

5. Robbie Williams
Para a próxima, os saltinhos têm de ser mais bem ensaiados, Robbie. Boa reacção à queda, no entanto.

4. Joaquin Phoenix
O actor que afinal queria ser rapper. Na primeira vez que pisa um palco, Joaquin espalha-se logo ao comprido. Não deve haver muitos a conseguir tal proeza.

3. Katy Perry
Só pelo andar à desenho animado – por mais passos que dê não sai do mesmo lugar -, Katy Perry merece estar no top.

2. Steven Tyler
Ao contrário de Joaquin Phoenix, Steven Tyler demorou décadas para ter uma queda com estilo. Ah, foi ele que acabou no hospital.

1. Squeeze Theeze Pleeze
Nunca a máxima “O que é nacional é bom” fez tanto sentido. A melhor queda em palco é portuguesa e em directo para a televisão. Para a próxima, deixa os óculos escuros em casa, está bem?

Before the factoid, an off-topic tangent: It’s funny how inspiration comes from the strangest sources.  I was struggling for today’s factoid.  While thinking, I started listening to some songs from the “Walk The Line” soundtrack.  With my face down in the pillow, I thought about that stretch of 4 months in late 2005 and early 2006 where I was completely obsessed with the movie.  Then, it came to me.

In my 7th grade computer class, we were given a PowerPoint assignment to create a slideshow that utilized animation to bring up the lyrics to a song as they were being sung.  Other people in my class did artists like the Backstreet Boys and Sum 41.  What did my partner and I do?  Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon singing “Jackson” from the “Walk The Line” soundtrack.

I sometimes have these thoughts where Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck are sitting in an editing room snickering at all the footage they’ve shot around town of Phoenix’s new endeavors. His gruff Unabomber look along with his ambition in hip-hop music has to be a ploy for a project that will eventually lead to a ’surprise’ for the public… right? Well, hindsight is always 20/20 and if I’m wrong, then I will miss you Joaquin. You really should have kept your day job!

Since Phoenix transformed into a beast and went into hiding, I decided to watch Two Lovers last weekend. Phoenix portrays a man named Leonard who lives with his parents in Brooklyn. From the get-go, Leonard is troubled as he literally makes a splash in the first few minutes of the film. When good samaritans pluck him out of the water, the audience learns that he is not only troubled, but somewhat of a cad. He doesn’t even say ‘thank you’ to his saviors, but tries to walk away unnoticed. When he reaches home, his doting parents detects something is wrong, but their countenances explains that they’ve been through this before. Even his mother played by Isabella Rossellini tries to peek under his door to make sure her son is doing okay.

Although it would be easy to dismiss Leonard early on as someone who is socially awkward and in need of a few more therapy sessions, Leonard has many surprising elements about him that are revealed as the story progresses. While working for his Jewish parents’ dry cleaning business, Leonard drums on with his mundane life until one day he meets Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow) in the hallways of their apartment complex. Leonard and Michelle become fast friends and he eventually finds out she is dating a married man. However crestfallen by this news, Leonard still becomes infatuated with Michelle and clings by her side when she is in need. Michelle isn’t much of a likable character as even some would have expected, she is flaky and is driven more by her erratic emotions than rationale. But then again, so is Leonard.

Their relationship eventually becomes more convoluted as Leonard starts dating the daughter of his parents’ business associate. But that doesn’t stop Leonard from being there for Michelle when things become complicated with her married lover.

While watching this movie, I couldn’t help feeling beside myself about Leonard. There were times where you wanted to like him very much as he seemed to mesh well with those around him (he even has a great dance number!), but it also left me feeling uncomfortable because I couldn’t tell his sincerity one way or another. Phoenix and Paltrow performs well as expected in their roles. But by the end, the film left me at a loss as I didn’t see a point to this story. Yeah, people do suck. What else is knew?

Running Time: 110 minutes

Rated R – some profanity and brief nudity

Bottom Line: It’s worth a gander, but no hurry.

.cousin reginald catches the thanksgiving turkey painted by norman rockwell.

.thanksgiving day, nov. 28, 1986 read by william s. burroughs directed by gus van sant.

.rayman raving rabbids bunnies very useful scientific facts : bunnies can’t cook turkey spot.

.the thanksgiving visitor written and narrated by truman capote starring geraldine page and michaeal kearney.adapted for sell-a-vision by eleanor perry with capote.directed by frank perry.

.joaquin phoenix thanksgiving peta ad reminds us holidays can be murder on turkeys.

.johnny cash sings thanksgiving prayer on dr. quinn, medicine woman.

.a charlie brown thanksgiving.though it’s the great pumpkin, charlie brown is my favourite.

.that idaho-born sweat potato sarah palin.may your wretched body return to the dirt quite soon.

.thanksgiving trailer directed by eli roth.

.jibjab presents thanksgiving cranberry slaughter.

.christina ricci as wednesday addams telling it like it is.burroughs would be proud.

To Die For | Gus Van Sant, 1995

Leading lady Nicole Kidman has had many ups and downs in her career. Perhaps the downs outweigh the ups, but I’m sure the lady herself would quite rightly argue that she has kept two feet firmly in the Hollywood spotlight for many years now. Even today at 40 she is still heralded as one of America’s most bankable female performers. All of this tends to distract from the point I’m attempting to make – that Kidman has talent as an actress. It’s only six or seven years since her acclaimed show in The Hours scooped a best actress Oscar, though people seem to have already forgotten this feat. It was a performance that I believe was perhaps eclipsed a year later with her role in Lars Von Trier’s overlooked experimental effort Dogville. In To Die For Kidman easily matches these two renditions; she plays aspiring TV girl Suzanne Stone, a driven and dangerous young woman who will do just about anything to make it in the industry. The character is an extremely colourful one that makes an impact using a confident, almost arrogant attitude , that is offset with some well placed femininity to seduce if not intimidate entirely. Kidman plays this role perfectly, creating a ravishing woman of the world whose naivety is shown with the kind of subtlety I previously thought to be beyond the actress.

Kidman is backed up by the equally impressive and fresh-faced Joaquin Phoenix in one of his earlier roles. He plays Jimmy Emmett, an oppressed adolescent who falls for Ms. Stone and whom she eventually uses thoroughly to get what she wants from life. Namely the killing of her own husband Larry (Matt Dillon) who she believes is standing in the way of her own blossoming career. With To Die For, Gus Van Sant chose the curious and risky process of splitting up the storytelling into direct-to-camera rants from each character: an insightful choice, but one that ultimately falls flat in creating any kind of dramatic suspense whatsoever. Thus, we find it difficult to become embroiled in the plot – something not helped by the largely confused motives exhibited also. Despite the decent performances all round (look out for a young Casey Affleck as Jimmy’s oafish friend), To Die For fails on many levels thanks to a lack of truly involving the audience in the central character’s plight. Yes, she is a diabolically watchable personality, but one whose motive is truly lost thanks to Van Sant’s fumbling. Hence, while entertaining, her position is also rather a shallow one. An interesting overall concept that tries vainly to employ some kind of black comedy to distract from a conceited plot, in the end rendering it quite pointless.

Our Rating:

Two Lovers è un film del 2008, rifacimento di Luchino Visconti, Le Notti Bianche, che a sua volta si basa sul racconto di Dostoevskij, “Notti Bianche”. Il film è diretto da James Gray e interpretato da Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow e Vinessa Shaw.

Leggi altre notizie su: | James Gray | Joaquin Phoenix | Gwyneth Paltrow | Vinessa Shaw

RE: Your mental stability

I hope this is just a hilarious joke and that on April 1st next year when I wake up to get my morning coffee and daily online reads, there your face will be with a big smile giving the world the always reassuring finger guns as if to say “I fooled you all, you big bunch of foolio’s!” and oh how we will laugh and in 2020 we will look back on it and say “remember how you got us good 10 years ago?”

What are the chances of that happening? Can we ever get back to the status quo? Don’t answer these questions for I do not want to know.

You’re a darn good actor sir. You’ve been in a few masterpieces such as Return to Paradise and Murder, She Wrote, and some not so good productions like the Village (although you are not to blame for this as M. Night “I Think I’m The Man” Shyamalan is an overrated ass and doesn’t realise he hasn’t produced a quality film since Unbreakable).

Are you pissed that you didn’t win an Oscar for Walk the Line, is that what prompted this sudden lifestyle change? Because you should know that I was rooting for you. I mean Philip S. Hoffman, good bloke, but come on he was in Patch Adams! I am a true believer in holding films against award winners. That way we could be guaranteed that David Caruso and Elizabeth Berkley would never win an Oscar – I know they already have a very slim chance, but a chance nonetheless!

Now I’ve heard you “rap” and I’m not going to be one of those “haters” that make ill-informed decisions before being presented with the entire story nor am I going to pass judgment on the lives of others. Having said that you’re slightly shit. I know I said I wasn’t going to say that but I lied. You’re so shit that I would rather listen to that white guy in 5ive freestyle before I have to endure another listen of what you’re bringing to the table. Take it back and get a refund. Do not put all your eggs into this rapping basket, because you will need a fallback. If asked to do ‘Gladiator 2: Attack of the Zombies’ I say take it.

I will treat this as an open letter as I believe Joaquin would regularly Google the terms “Shyamalan”, “Overrated” and “Philip Seymour Hoffman is a tampon”. This post should be right up there in the searches.

Amantes es la cinta que marca el regreso de Joaquin Phoenix a la pantalla, y curiosamente lo hace con una historia de drama romántico. Esta película ha tenido excelentes críticas por la crudeza de su tema, pues no nos encontramos con la historia de amor edulcolorada que es tan común en Hollywood, sino que nos presenta la trama con toda la brutalidad que tiene el tema. Si bien pasó desapercibida mucho tiempo, la podremos tener en nuestras salas este 27 de noviembre, así que es mejor estar listos.

Haz click a la imagen para verla al detalle

“AMANTES” (TWO LOVERS) pelicula del original director James Gray llegara a la pantalla grande el proximo 27 de noviembre. En esta cinta el gran actor Joaquin Phoenix comparte creditos con la ganadora del Oscar Gwyneth Paltrow.

“AMANTES” (TWO LOVERS) estuvo nominada para la prestigiada Palma de Oro del Festival de Cannes y esta inspirada en la conmovedora e intrigante novela “White Nights” de Dostoevsky, en donde el concepto de amor es manejado como un trastorno maníatico. Su director recuerda: “A menudo es muy difícil tratar temas de amor con un toque de seriedad. Usualmente se aborda desde el formato de comedia romántica porque el estado del enamoramiento es en si mismo, casi absurdo. Frecuentemente estamos enamorados de una fantasía o una obsesión. De ahi partí para escribir un guion sobre el amor y sobre algo mas personal para mi”.

“AMANTES” (TWO LOVERS) esta protagonizada por Joaquin Phoenix, actor nominado al Oscar (“Gladiador” y “Hotel Rwanda” ), la ganadora del Oscar Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare enamorado”), Vinesa Shaw (“3:10 To Yuma” y “Eyes Wide Shut”), Moni Moshonov (“We Own the Night” y “Late Marriage”) y Isabella Rossellini (“Blue Velvet” y “The Accidental Husband”)

SINOPSIS

“AMANTES” es un drama romantico situada en el mundo de Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Narra la historia de Leonard (Joaquin Phoenix), un atractivo pero atribulado joven que se muda a su hogar de infancia luego de un intento de suicidio. Durante su recuperacion, y bajo la supervision de sus preocupados pero recientemente incomprensivos padres (Isabella Rossellini y Moni Monoshow), conoce a dos mujeres en rapida sucesion: Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), una bella y misteriosa vecina – exótica y fuera de lugar en el vecindario de Brighton Beach- que Leonard pronto comprende que también esta profundamente atormentada por sus problemas, y Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), con quien sus padres quieren que salga, pues es la adorable y tierna hija del empresario que esta interesado en comprar la tintorería de la familia. Renuente en un principio por la apariencia de Sandra y presionado por su familia, Leonard descubre gradualmente en ella algunos secretos en su interior.

Pero el potencial romance con Sandra se complica cuando Michelle le pide a Leonard que le ayude a enfrentarse a una destructiva relacion que tiene con otro hombre.

Michelle lleva una vida descontrolada y rapidamente se siente atraida hacia Leonard, pero dado que la familia de el lo presiona para comprometerse con Sandra, Leonard es forzado a tomar una decision imposible entre el impetuoso deseo y la comodidad del amor, con el riesgo de caer nuevamente en las tinieblas que estuvieron a punto de matarlo

- por Bernardo Brum

Começando com uma cena de sexo (repare: a deusa Eva Mendes desnuda nos primeiros cinco segundos) e terminando numa maré de incerteza e frustração, bastaram duas horas de projeção – e nenhum complemento extra, talvez, apenas assistir Amantes – para ter uma desconfiança – James Gray é, definitivamente, um nome promissor.

Em Os Donos da Noite, Gray mostra um domínio pra lá de eficiente do modelo clássico, para assim, contar a história de uma dolorosa e indesejada – porém, também necessária redenção – fica claro desde o primeiro momento que Bobby Green não quer seguir a carreira policial do pai e do irmão, quer apenas seu clube e sua namorada, e tudo isso desmorona simplesmente porque não pode mais andar na corda bamba de se inteirar com o submundo que seu estilo de vida e sua boate/casa de jogos representa e ao mesmo tempo ter a vista grossa da lei simplesmente pela questão da família.

Família esta que está presente a cada frame da obra. A todo momento, ela clama por ajuda, entra em discussão, explode, se desintegra e tenta, a todo momento, agarrar-se aos unicos laços, garantidos no período de sua formação, que talvez, e apenas talvez, consiga mantê-la de pé contra um mundo de crimes que não respeita nenhuma convenção.

Utilizando a jornada clássica do herói de forma totalmente anti-glamourizada, e que só parece existir, de fato, para que haja uma desconstrução de um protagonista que em momento algum quer embarcar nisso, mesmo depois de ver-se obrigado por alguma moral restante dentro de seu espírito “livre” a passar-se por traficante ou fazer parte de uma corporação, James Gray traça um curioso paradigma. Aqui, a corrupção da essência, a falência moral do personagem de Joaquin Phoenix se forma a partir do momento que ele têm de cooperar com um sistema que não acredita, não quer, não apóia. Só o sangue que o mantém preso a esse sistema, e implacavelmente, acaba tragando-o sem cerimônia. Tudo é dolorosamente pessoal – a perda do progenitor, por exemplo, não é vista de fora. O diretor e a câmera nunca saem do carro. Assim como Bobby, assistimos o mundo desmoronar de fora para dentro – e minar nossas esperanças. Esse tom extremamente pessoal guia o filme inteiro, por mais impiedoso e por mais que a alma, em algum momento, grite por algum distanciamento de toda aquela maluquice.

É curioso ver que, mesmo impregnando-se desse modelo antigo, assim como faz Clint Eastwood (certamente, uma das grandes influências do diretor), James Gray se utiliza disso apenas para jogar a todo momento com as expectativas do espectador em relação ao personagem e as expectativas do próprio protagonista, para assim, fazer uma história clássica, sim – mas sutilmente invertida e frustrante. O rei das festas, drogas e jogatinas agora está enfiado num uniforme de protetor da lei. Está de volta para casa, de volta para a família. Não resta dúvida que ele ainda ama o lugar de onde ele saiu. Então, por que tanto desconforto estampado no rosto?

4/5

Ficha técnica: Os Donos Da Noite (We Own The Night) – 2007, EUA. Dir.: James Gray. Elenco: Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Robert Duvall, Mark Wahlberg

Kanye West Heads 2010’s Official Celebrity Dead Pool

By Dagrolord Del Oro- Special to Baron Munchausen’s Beat

1. Kanye West – Nobody’s lobbied harder.  Kill it before it grows.

2. Octomom – 8 embryo enterprise?  Monstrous.

3. Dr. Phil – Shot through the heart. And you’re to blame.You give love a bad name.

4. Michael Jackson -  Once is not enough.

5. Stephenie Meyer – Creator of Twilight.

6. Lady Gaga – Capital crimes of fashion.

7. Madonna – Frightening kids with those Cryptkeeper hands.

8. Jose Canseco – Mourners will think how lifelike Jose looks in his size 48 rat jacket.

9. Jim Cramer – Much ado about nothing.

10. J.K. Rowling  – For making us go back and re-read that chapter where Ron Weasley stole Dumbledore’s magic gerbils.

11. Sarah Palin – You don’t have to go gently into that good night Sarah, but you do have to go.

13. Fidel Castro – Just to include at least one like really old person.

14. Paris Hilton – Neuro-trash.

15. Amy Winehouse – Makes Paris Hilton seem on good behavior.

16. Mickey Rourke – Stop teasing us, already.

17. Mary-Kate Olsen – If only to stop her photo mill.

18. John Travolta – Parenting?  Not so much.

19. Joaquin Phoenix – Hiatus calling itself ‘Quit’.

20. Oprah – Two words- 1. Doctor.  2. Phil.

21. Victoria Beckham – C-word’s Folly.

22. Johnny Depp – Publicist leaked one ginormous gratuity too many.

23. Isiah Washington – Might want to avoid that ‘Bash’ he just invited you to.

24. Simon Cowell – Let’s see that self-loathing redirected back where it belongs.

25. Michael Phelps – Swim goggles, yes.  Microphones, no.

Two Lovers, 2008 – Direção: James Gray – Elenco: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw.

Definir os melhores filmes desta década não é tarefa fácil, porém uma de minhas certezas é que Two Lovers estará posicionado numa das dez primeiras colocações, enquanto James Gray continuará expandindo seu talento e provando o por quê atualmente é um dos melhores diretores americanos.

Two Lovers é algo muito mais aproximado a um atacante do que um mero romance, quando desvia de tudo e todos para chegar aos sentimentos; atingindo-lhes como uma flecha molhada de amor e solidão – aliás, havia tempos que não via algo tão humano e profundo como a relação estabelecida no Cinema entre essas duas coisas. No ínicio fez-se o amor, e no final há a solidão – que por mais bem acompanhada que esteja, sempre será aquela solidão que permanece no fundo de nós; intocável e surpreendente.

Joaquim Phoenix está aqui em seu melhor papel, e transparece uma quimica com Gray excelente. É uma pena que deixará de trabalhar na carreira de ator.. realmente, uma pena! Em Two Lovers sua personagem é tão sincera e singela que fica dificil não transformar-se no próprio Leonard, e sentir a angústia do amor. Este é um dos poucos filmes atuais que você realmente sente como um arrepio cada escolha do personagem de Phoenix. E essa relação conosco é tão magistral quanto a melhor de todas – Alain Delon em 1972, com A Primeira Noite de Tranquilidade.

Muito maior que a própria pretensão, e porém inferior a We Own the Night, Two Lovers acaba sendo um tocante exercicio de Cinema, levado às relações, à angústia e ao sentimento de aprisionamento que ecoa dentro do protagonista. Onde, afinal, tudo é e sempre foi o Amor.

5/5

Some people have a knack for remembering names but for far too many other people names go in one ear and right out the other. Of course if the person has a unique sounding name or perhaps the kind of name that rhymes with something memorable then it may be a little easier to retain (names like actors Joaquin Phoenix, Keanu Reeves and Don Cheadle, model Famke Janssen and singer Shania Twain). I read an article recently about certain ‘tricks’ to utilize to help in remembering names, below I listed the ten things the article recommended.    

1. Repeat the first name or confirm the last name   

2. Ask a question or make a comment about the person’s name

3. Ask the person to spell his or her name

4. Associate the name with a picture in your mind

5. Ask how the person got their name

6. Tell the person what you have heard about them                                                                                           

7. Keep your energy level high- signal with your body language and tone of voice that you are trying to learn their name

8. Always say the person’s name again as you leave them                                       

9. Handle forgotten names with grace

10. If all else fails you can re-introduce yourself and ask their name, chances are the person may have forgotten your name too

 Speaking of  ‘list of ten’, I have also posted my ‘top ten list of French films’ this week. You can view this new blog post under recently from the blue couch. I have also listed a few other previous ‘top ten’ list blog postings below and the list of the ‘top ten’ most read blog posts to date!

‘top ten’ list blog postings

(archived) 10/18/2009—10-tips-on-how-to-be-more-photogenic

(archived) 07/24/209—10-money-saving-tips-for-dining-out

(filed under the Spirit page) Ten Basic Rules for Attaining Mental Peace           

‘top ten’ most read

The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 2

Why Go Vegetarian You Might Ask?

Phenomenal Famous ‘Hot’ Couples

You Asked and I Answered – Q&A

Phenomenal Famous Males-Living their best life Over 40

Ten Ways To Save Money When Dining Out

Phenomenal Famous Females

Couscous and Zucchini

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

Kabbalah-ism Celebrity trend, Religious fad?

Two Lovers (2008)
110 minutes
Rated – R
Directed by James Gray
Starring:  Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw

Grade:  A-

–

Two Lovers is an example for why I absolutely love well-made dramas.  It’s a wonder why studios don’t push for these more since they’re inexpensive to make and contain layers of power, but I guess I can understand the limited audience who actually enjoy these type of films.

The movie evolves around Leonard (Phoenix), a troubled and sensitive middle-aged man looking for something in his life to change for the better.  His tragic past resulted in suicidal tendencies that he supposedly passed.  But it’s clear that he’s far from being happy.

Enter Sandra (Shaw), a pretty and loving woman who has expressed her interest in Leonard.  She shows a concern to his evident depression and wants to help him get better.  She is exactly the kind of girl that Leonard needs.  On top of that, the idea of the two of them getting together is making both of their Jewish families overwhelmed with joy.  But even though this seems like a good thing, Leonard still doesn’t smile.

Until he meets Michelle (Paltrow).  Leonard is immediately fascinated by her beauty and adventurous personality.  His first encounter with her was inviting her inside his apartment, saving her from one of her father’s fits.  As one of his neighbors, she is easily accessible, which also affects Leonard as well.  But one thing is clear, even before he got to know Michelle well, you knew he wanted everything to do with her.

This desire results in a lot of pain and trouble for Leonard.  Her flirty and friendly personality misleads Leonard on until she spills the beans that she’s currently in a relationship with a married man.  But as the good friend who is hoping for more, he is always there for Michelle no matter how inconvenient the situation.  He’s there for her to talk to, to give advice to, to drive her to the hospital, stay by her side until she sleeps, and more.  There’s something poetic about these two damaged individuals that makes you think they could heal each others’ wounds if they were just given a chance.

Towards the conclusion of the film there are some very touching moments between Leonard and his mother (Isabella Rossellini).  The love Leonard has for his parents just shows how much love he has inside of him, begging to be released on someone he truly cares about.  In this case, this woman is Michelle.  And even with a better life with benefits staring right in his eyes with Sandra, he throws all his chips in and opts for the windy, unknown road.

Writer/director James Gray takes such a delicate love-triangle and allows the well-casted actors to shine in this film.  There isn’t a moment that drags since you’re completely invested in the characters and the continuing plot.  Joaquin Phoenix gives one of his purest performances of his career.  And the two girls are such opposites that it makes for such a compelling argument.  Paltrow’s Michelle is extremely needy and reckless, while Shaw’s Sandra notably soothes Leonard’s pain.

Two Lovers dives into and develops the theme of familiarity versus risk.  Should one be content with the safe choice?  Should one be willing to risk the comfortable choice for a possible better life… with a possible consequence of something worse?  That’s really where the phrase “all or nothing” comes into play.

The plot isn’t thick at all and the pace could be tiring for some, but within every frame is an observation on how the characters act and react to each other.  What they want is simple, but to achieve it is where the road is long.

(SPOILER ALERT!)
I think the ending of the film will give everyone a different feeling.  For me, it was a bittersweet conclusion.  The way Leonard is willing to throw away everything to create a new and fresh life with the woman he loves displays the passion he has for Michelle.  But inevitably, her chaotic lifestyle leaves him in the dust.  I want to believe that Leonard and Michelle would’ve crashed and burned in the end, just to give a positive reinforcement that everything happens for a reason.  The reason here is that Sandra is really the girl who was meant to save Leonard.

Over the weekends, I watched two movies back to back – one was “The Lost City” starring and directed by Andy Garcia and another was “Walk the Line” starring Joaquin Phoenix.

I have heard about Johnny Cash but never bothered to listen to his songs – I guess too oldie for me but the movie “Walk the Line” changed my whole perception about the man and the music from the 60’s onwards.

(Poster of the movie – source: http://christybharath.wordpress.com)

The Plot

Read the details of the plot here

(One of the opening scenes in the movie – Johnny Cash’s brother died after an accident with a similar saw)

Storyline

This is a story about the famous singer – songwriter Johnny Cash and how he ascended into the world of music and he struggled with his love life and musical life during the earlier years. It was interesting to note that much of the materials for the movie came from Johnny Cash’s own autobiography.

(Reese Witherspoon is so natural and talented here. She can sing and plays musical instruments too. She won Best Actress Oscar award for her role)

Acting

This film was nominated for five Academy Awards which included, not surprisingly Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) and Best Actress (Reese Witherspoon). Reese Witherspoon won the award. Interestingly for this movie, both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon learned to sing and play musical instruments. Whatever songs we hear in the movie is actually sung by them and it sounds so good.

An interesting trivia from IMDB:-

According to director James Mangold, when Joaquin Phoenix was learning how to sing and play guitar like Johnny Cash in the months following the start of filming, his voice was too high and the band had to learn how to play Cash’s songs in a higher key. But then just before they started filming, Joaquin’s voice dropped closer to John’s level and the band had to re-learn the songs in their original key.

Joaquin Phoenix also excelled in other parts of the acting and improvised certain scenes namely:-

The scene where Johnny Cash pulls the sink off the wall was not scripted. Joaquin Phoenix actually pulled it off the wall.

A very plus point for the movie is certainly the strong portray of characters and good acting skills

(Johnny Cash’s first shot of making a record. Sam Phillips who is the owner of the record company who is sitting down was clearly not impressed with the first attempt)

Music

What is a movie about a legend in music without the music itself? The movie, Walk the Line, have some of Johnny Cash’s early hits sang by Joaquin Phoenix himself. Listening to the songs, I thought at first Joaquin Phoenix was just lip singing to the original songs but further checking indicates that he is singing using his own voice and his own music.

One of the first songs to be heard in the movie – “Folsom Prison Blues” comes in after the record owner says to Johnny that he have heard many songs “just like that, just l like how you sing it”” and wanted something really refreshing. Johnny picks up courage and sings one hell of a song.

Final say

The plus points: strong acting by lead characters and mesmerising music

The negative points: A bit prolonged scenes on the Johnny Cash’s drug problem

(Click here for other movie reviews)

I think that I’m going to expand this list from 25 to however many performances there are that I feel are noteworthy. Here are five more performances from this decade that I’ve loved. Be sure to check out parts one and two of this feature, and feel free leave me some comments on what you think!

Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Not since Jon Favreau called the same girl’s answering machine six consecutive times in Swingers have we witnessed such an epic display of loserdom on screen. But while Favreau’s performance was played for laughs, the 2 hours and 40 minutes we spend with Casey Affleck’s bumbling Bob Ford is far from comedic. The movie itself is a complex character study of the two men in a battle of wits (Robert Ford and Jesse James, who is played by Brad Pitt), and their never-ending quest to be one step ahead of the other. At one point, James muses to Ford, “I’m not sure if you want to be like me, or to be me.” That sentiment kind of sets the tone for Affleck’s entire performance, which twists and evolves beautifully throughout the film. I found Affleck’s performance unexpectedly moving, in a way. This is best shown in the last half hour or so of the film, after Bob has killed Jesse and has to return to the real world – only to find that they don’t want him, either. It seems odd to say, but Ford is really the heart of this film. He’s annoying and egotistical, yet Affleck’s amazing performance made me pity and even sympathize with this bizarre character.

Leonardo DiCapprio – The Departed (2006)

2006 was a great year for Leonardo DiCapprio. Even though Blood Diamond was a very powerful movie, I found myself thinking more about Dicapprio’s performance in The Departed after the fact. In Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film, DiCapprio plays Billy Costigan, a conflicted young man working as an undercover investigator for the Boston police. When he’s assigned to get in with gangster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson, who, of course, is great here) he soon finds himself in over his head. One of the things that I liked most about The Departed is that they had two characters on either side of the law, who are crossing into each other’s turf for their work (a very clean-cut Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, who is a Costello’s rat in the SIU), and they flip our expectations early on in the film, when we find out who is working for who. DiCapprio is so convincing as a man with a questionable family history (which is the entire reason that he was chosen to be the mole), but who is essentially good, and strives to do the right thing. The conflict that Costigan feels is played so well, and the entire process that he goes through is really amplified by DiCapprio’s great work.

Joaquin Phoenix – Signs (2002)

I think this might be the toughest choice to justify, especially since it’s from a mainstream horror movie that got mixed reviews. Horror movies are generally not known for their great acting, but Signs was really more of a character-driven thriller, despite the fact that it’s about an alien attack. Phoenix plays Merrill Hess, a former baseball prodigy living with his brother, Graham (Mel Gibson), a former priest who’s struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife. It is a supporting role for Phoenix, but he’s in most of the scenes, and I found his work very compelling. Merrill reacts so naturally to all of the bizarre things that are happening, and every facial expression and stutter subtly gives away the brave act that he’s attempting. The climax of the film is Phoenix’s time to shine (story-wise), but his best acting comes in the quieter scenes with Gibson. That being said, he’s totally convincing in the “action” parts of the movie, and also has a few really funny moments. There’s more to this film than just a few cheap scares, and I think Phoenix is one of the few actors out there who could strike that balance between fun horror acting and drama.

Kate Winslet – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Everything about Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was quirky (well, it was penned by Charlie Kaufman. What did you expect?). And Kate Winslet’s role as rainbow-haired Clementine was absolutely no exception. She plays a unique, sometimes frustrating love interest for Jim Carrey’s Joel. The film starts off as an unconventional love story, and then becomes even more conventional when love goes sour, and Clementine and Joel decide that they want to erase each other from their memory entirely. The most memorable moments of Winslet’s performance come when Clementine gives glimpses of her emotional, raw inner self. This often comes during spats with Joel. While I loved Carrey’s moody, restrained performance, Winslet is the opposite. She’s fiery and passionate, and Carrey almost feels like the “straight-man” to her ultra-vibrant character. Yet the vulnerable moments are great too. And even the moments where everything is actually going right in Clementine and Joel’s relationship seem elevated from the usual romantic comedy fare. Without Winslet, much of the quirkiness, heart, and charm of this movie would be gone.

Sam Riley – Control (2007)

There were a lot of musical biopics released in the later part of this decade. My favourite of these biopics was Anton Corbijn’s Control, which chronicles the short adult life of Ian Curtis, and the rise of his band, Joy Division. It’s a pretty grim movie. Curtis cheats on his wife, has horrific seizures, struggles to find success with his band, and ultimately takes his own life. But Riley’s up to the role, clearly. In other high-profile biopics, I often feel very aware that an actor is trying very, very hard to portray every aspect of a famous figure’s persona correctly. Here, it felt like an incredibly natural performance. Riley’s Curtis is soft-spoken, withdrawn, and petulant. Yet when he steps on stage, everything comes alive in a bizarre, desperate kind of way. Riley switches between Curtis’ electric stage persona and troubled personal life with startling ease, and you can feel Curtis’ pain. At times, it feels much more like a documentary than the usual glossy biopic, and this is largely because of Riley unaffected performance. Curtis is a figure who is often romanticized in hindsight. But Joy Division was only on the cusp of success when Curtis killed himself. Riley portrays him as the real, troubled human being that he was.

Pelos meus andares pela rede, blogs, e sites como o da US Weekly me deparei com uma ótima listinha de antes e depois (amo antes e depois de celebs) que traz os famosos que em algum momento de suas carreiras, por motivos pessoas ou por algum papel no cinema resolveram aderir ao visual barbudo. Eu, particurlamente acho que depende muito da personalidade do cidadão pra cair bem, pois as vezes pode parecer um tanto o quanto desleixado. E por um lado tem uns rostinhos tão babys que fica quase um crime deixar a barba, caso do Brad Pitt ou do Matthew McConaughey.

Mas no caso do Tom Cruise, caiu super bem pra ele, e deu um ar bem mais másculo. Já o George Clooney ficou sexy, pra variar.

Em alguns, a barba fica um desastre. Caso do Daniel Craig, e principalmente Joaquin Phoenix, um exagero.

Eine Bekannte machte mich gerade darauf aufmerksam, dass man den preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm “Earthlings” hier auch kostenlos sehen kann: Link. Sprecher des Films ist Joaquin Phoenix, die Musik stammt von Moby. Höchst empfehlenswert, allerdings nix für schwache Nerven!