Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Oscar Hopefuls, Winners, Might Have Beens
Winners, losers, never quite got that hoped for nomination after that "For Your Consideration" campaign -- these are nevertheless a
batch of fabu-lush, winning films in my not so humble estimation.
Winners, losers, never quite got that hoped for nomination after that "For Your Consideration" campaign -- these are nevertheless a
batch of fabu-lush, winning films in my not so humble estimation.
Everyone who reads my stuff regularly knows how much I love the films of gay film auteur
Pedro Almodovar. And Volver was no exception. Not only did the film re-establish
Penelope Cruz as an actress to contend with (along with an Oscar nomination) but it once
again affirmed the enormous writing and directing skills of Almodovar. Volver, the
complicated story focusing on mother-daughter relationships (albeit one involving murder
and ghosts!), is now out on DVD from Sony Pictures. The disc has a nice assortment of
extras (including an extremely welcome commentary from Almodovar and Cruz),
interviews with Cruz, Carmen Maura, and Almodovar, along with a variation on the usual
Making of Featurette. This one is entirely to the florid, lush music from the film by
Almodovar’s usual collaborator Alberto Iglesias. There’s also a poster and photo gallery
and a wonderful, informative 20 minute featurette in which an emotional Cruz is
interviewed prior to a screening of the film in New York.
The Last King of Scotland was another film that re-established an actor’s standing in
movies. That would, of course, be Forest Whitaker, who won the Oscar and just about
every other film prize for his riveting portrayal of Idi Amin in this fascinating movie that’s
now out on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment. Whitaker’s performance is just one
aspect of a very well written movie that also features wonderful acting from its supporting
cast along with the film’s true leading character, a naïve Scottish doctor played by James
McAvoy (previously known as Mr. Tumnus the fawn in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe).
Fox has loaded the disc with a lot of very nice extras including an insightful commentary
track by director Kevin Macdonald, a few deleted scenes (again with Macdonald’s
commentary), a featurette on Whitaker, and a Fox Movie Channel promo piece on the
casting of the film. Best is a documentary titled Capturing Idi Amin that makes for a
wonderful, scary comparison to Whitaker’s portrayal in the film (and also serves to
underscore Whitaker’s brilliance in the part) while providing a frightening look at the
dictator himself.
Next we have another batch of Oscar nominated performances – those of Dame Judi
Dench and Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal. This wildly entertaining tale of
intrigue involving two English schoolteachers is a thrilling exercise in the art of acting. In
another year both Dench and Blanchett would have walked with Oscars for their tour de
force work and the movie made my top ten list for GLBT themed movies for 2006. The
disc, also from Fox Home Entertainment, has the usual assortment of featurettes on the
making of the film and I especially liked the inclusion of an interview with author Zoë
Heller, whose book was the basis for the film.
At long last I’ve seen The History Boys and the wait has been worth it (I detailed my
attempts at trying to see the movie and interview the film’s gay director Nic Hytner
HERE). The movie is based on the long running, award winning play by Alan Bennett. It
revolves around a group of brainy high school lads who might – emphasis on might – just
have a chance to get into the big time scholastically if they can pass their Oxbridge
exams (for admission to either Cambridge or Oxford – British equivalents of Harvard and
Yale). In addition to their idiosyncratic teacher of “life” Hector, (Richard Griffiths) and the
more traditional history instructor Dorothy (Frances de la Tour), the headmaster brings in
“insurance” in the form of a young tough tutor Irwin (played by Stephen Campbell Moore
who starred in Bright Young Things). The lads are a canny group who don’t mind the
occasional grope by Hector and it seems no big deal that one of them has a crush on
another (the Elvis look-a-like leader of the group). It also doesn’t bother them when they
figure out that Irwin also has a crush on the heartthrob. In fact no one seems bothered
by the gay students or teachers other than the pedantic headmaster who uses a
complaint against Hector on that score to get rid of him.
The material is extremely familiar but addresses the sexual undercurrent that was present
but unspoken in Dead Poet’s Society – which is welcome indeed. The movie, yet another
release from Fox Home Entertainment includes a featurette on transforming the play to
the screen and a lively documentary shot by the cast as they toured the world with the
play (ending up a smashing, Tony Awarded success on Broadway). Though the film didn’t
make a lot of waves in a very crowded theatrical field during Oscar season, it will find a
much wider audience on DVD.
Pedro Almodovar. And Volver was no exception. Not only did the film re-establish
Penelope Cruz as an actress to contend with (along with an Oscar nomination) but it once
again affirmed the enormous writing and directing skills of Almodovar. Volver, the
complicated story focusing on mother-daughter relationships (albeit one involving murder
and ghosts!), is now out on DVD from Sony Pictures. The disc has a nice assortment of
extras (including an extremely welcome commentary from Almodovar and Cruz),
interviews with Cruz, Carmen Maura, and Almodovar, along with a variation on the usual
Making of Featurette. This one is entirely to the florid, lush music from the film by
Almodovar’s usual collaborator Alberto Iglesias. There’s also a poster and photo gallery
and a wonderful, informative 20 minute featurette in which an emotional Cruz is
interviewed prior to a screening of the film in New York.
The Last King of Scotland was another film that re-established an actor’s standing in
movies. That would, of course, be Forest Whitaker, who won the Oscar and just about
every other film prize for his riveting portrayal of Idi Amin in this fascinating movie that’s
now out on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment. Whitaker’s performance is just one
aspect of a very well written movie that also features wonderful acting from its supporting
cast along with the film’s true leading character, a naïve Scottish doctor played by James
McAvoy (previously known as Mr. Tumnus the fawn in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe).
Fox has loaded the disc with a lot of very nice extras including an insightful commentary
track by director Kevin Macdonald, a few deleted scenes (again with Macdonald’s
commentary), a featurette on Whitaker, and a Fox Movie Channel promo piece on the
casting of the film. Best is a documentary titled Capturing Idi Amin that makes for a
wonderful, scary comparison to Whitaker’s portrayal in the film (and also serves to
underscore Whitaker’s brilliance in the part) while providing a frightening look at the
dictator himself.
Next we have another batch of Oscar nominated performances – those of Dame Judi
Dench and Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal. This wildly entertaining tale of
intrigue involving two English schoolteachers is a thrilling exercise in the art of acting. In
another year both Dench and Blanchett would have walked with Oscars for their tour de
force work and the movie made my top ten list for GLBT themed movies for 2006. The
disc, also from Fox Home Entertainment, has the usual assortment of featurettes on the
making of the film and I especially liked the inclusion of an interview with author Zoë
Heller, whose book was the basis for the film.
At long last I’ve seen The History Boys and the wait has been worth it (I detailed my
attempts at trying to see the movie and interview the film’s gay director Nic Hytner
HERE). The movie is based on the long running, award winning play by Alan Bennett. It
revolves around a group of brainy high school lads who might – emphasis on might – just
have a chance to get into the big time scholastically if they can pass their Oxbridge
exams (for admission to either Cambridge or Oxford – British equivalents of Harvard and
Yale). In addition to their idiosyncratic teacher of “life” Hector, (Richard Griffiths) and the
more traditional history instructor Dorothy (Frances de la Tour), the headmaster brings in
“insurance” in the form of a young tough tutor Irwin (played by Stephen Campbell Moore
who starred in Bright Young Things). The lads are a canny group who don’t mind the
occasional grope by Hector and it seems no big deal that one of them has a crush on
another (the Elvis look-a-like leader of the group). It also doesn’t bother them when they
figure out that Irwin also has a crush on the heartthrob. In fact no one seems bothered
by the gay students or teachers other than the pedantic headmaster who uses a
complaint against Hector on that score to get rid of him.
The material is extremely familiar but addresses the sexual undercurrent that was present
but unspoken in Dead Poet’s Society – which is welcome indeed. The movie, yet another
release from Fox Home Entertainment includes a featurette on transforming the play to
the screen and a lively documentary shot by the cast as they toured the world with the
play (ending up a smashing, Tony Awarded success on Broadway). Though the film didn’t
make a lot of waves in a very crowded theatrical field during Oscar season, it will find a
much wider audience on DVD.
