Having some downtime, I should be catching up on all the errands and stuff around the house that need to get done (e.g., painting the bathroom with the paint from the paint can that has been standing outside the bathroom door since September 2006). Instead, I am catching up on my Netflix DVDs that I have been holding onto for way too long.
I know I'm risking turning this blog into a fansite for the guy but I just finished watching a great little film with Alex O'Loughlin called The Oyster Farmer. I am a fan of small independent films and of films from Australia so this movie fit the bill. Plus, I was curious to see what O'Loughlin was like as an actor when he wasn't playing a vampire detective on TV. (OK, and yes, he is not too hard on the eyes, to boot!)
This was a real gem of a film. At first, I didn't really know what to expect and that is part of what works in this movie. Its charm just creeps up on you slowly. It's the story of this young guy who comes to live in this river community to be close to his sister, who is recuperating in a local hospital after being injured in an accident. He gets work with an oyster farmer in the area but his main objective is to commit a robbery so he can get money to pay for his sister's care. He commits the robbery (using fruit leather, of all things) but then a series of mishaps prevent him from getting the money.
The characters in this movie are all wonderfully idiosyncratic and they create situations that are comic and at the same time, full of deep felt emotion. The story is about making connections, being human, and finding family. And it is all so beautifully and subtly portrayed through the acting and the director's vision.
I also am now firmly in the camp of admirers of O'Loughlin's abilities as an actor. His character, Jack Flange, comes across at times as bit of a rough, unfeeling bloke but O'Loughlin slowly reveals the vulnerability that Jack strives to keep hidden especially when it comes to his concern for his sister. He is also great at playing comedy (loved the scenes with the dog and the poisonous remote control). And as to his ability to emanate sexual intensity, I can only say that I found his scene with Kerry Armstrong to be incredibly erotic (in fact, much more erotic than the scene where he pretty much strips naked--just threw that in for those who don't appreciate the "less is more" approach to sensuality). I'd say what I appreciate overall about his acting in this film is that it is very subtle, almost as if it all came so naturally and was not the result of any sort of learned technique.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Oyster Farmers
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Am I the Only One Who...
is relieved that the holidays are almost over? Feel like I am committing some grave sin in saying so but the holidays haven't been the same for me since I was a kid. I guess that should be no surprise and one of the reasons why being an adult can be such a pain sometimes.
I also think that for me the whole over-the-top commercialization of the holidays has just taken the meaning out of it. This year, I made a concerted effort not to go overboard with the gift-giving but probably at the risk of alienating a bunch of people who expected them. Whatever happened to having holidays that just meant being with and enjoying the people you love? That was the best part of the holidays for me, and hanging out with my 2 crazy little nieces was probably the best gift I received.
Now I just have to get through New Year's where I will resist the temptation to make resolutions I never keep. Except for one, that is. That 2008 is the year that I turn my life on its head, or else! Not asking for much, am I? Maybe that's why I am so bad at this resolution business...
I also think that for me the whole over-the-top commercialization of the holidays has just taken the meaning out of it. This year, I made a concerted effort not to go overboard with the gift-giving but probably at the risk of alienating a bunch of people who expected them. Whatever happened to having holidays that just meant being with and enjoying the people you love? That was the best part of the holidays for me, and hanging out with my 2 crazy little nieces was probably the best gift I received.
Now I just have to get through New Year's where I will resist the temptation to make resolutions I never keep. Except for one, that is. That 2008 is the year that I turn my life on its head, or else! Not asking for much, am I? Maybe that's why I am so bad at this resolution business...
Monday, December 17, 2007
Addicted to Actors
When I was in high school, I was convinced I was going to be an actor. My sophomore English teacher was also the drama teacher and I was enthralled with her because she introduced me to the magic of creative writing. So I came to the first drama class totally prepared to become the next great actress of our time.
Imagine my horror when our teacher instructed us to remove our shoes and socks and engage in an exercise called "Happy Feet." To this day, I am convinced that a promising thespian career was nipped in the bud by "Happy Feet." There I was, prepared to play Juliet in the balcony scene or Desdemona struggling to convince her husband of her fidelity! Instead, I was being asked to wriggle my toes and kick my heels in some pathetic display of faked euphoria. Needless to say, I switched to stage crew immediately. (At least, it still got me into the cast parties.)
Maybe that is why actors really get to me. Every time I see a great performance by some actor, whatever emotion I'm feeling (be it sadness, happiness, anger, etc.) is always accompanied by a painful twinge of envy. Yes, I am jealous of the power that actors, well the really good ones anyway, have of reaching into your heart and gut. Lately, I've definitely been turning positively green from that deadly sin because of a number of newly discovered (at least by me) actors.
Take for instance, James McEvoy in Atonement. I went to see the movie totally expecting that it could not possible live up to the book. Well, I was wrong on that count. I also did not expect to be so overwhelmed by McEvoy's performance. He is able to express so much through nuanced changes in his expression and in the look in his eyes that absolutely took my breath away. The haunted look in McEvoy's eyes as the movie progressed spoke volumes about the damage and disillusionment that he had experienced. (McEvoy's performance reminded me in some ways of Richard Armitage in the PBS series, North and South. I had to watch that series over and over again just to take in the wonder of his acting.)
I'm also adding to my list the actor who played the lead in Juno, Ellen Page. Although the character Page plays is a bit too hip and flippant in the beginning, Page is able in a very subtle way to eventually reveal the true vulnerability and emotional depth of this young girl who is going through a life-changing event in her life. Without giving anything away, there is a moment when Juno's facade starts to crumble and Page does an incredible job of portraying how scared and unsure of herself Juno really is. As an aside, it was also nice to see how great Jennifer Garner was in this movie. I was always a big fan of Alias and really thought that she was a better actor than the role in Alias demanded. The Juno performance and her success on Broadway in Cyrano seem to confirm that she really can act.
Speaking of TV actors, my list is also going to have to include Alex O'Loughlin, I think. Moonlight has become a guilty pleasure for me even though the show does have its issues (like uneven writing). Being the tragic romantic that I am, I was totally taken in by the last episode, "Sleeping Beauty". Talk about unfulfilled desire and tainted love! On top of it, O'Loughlin's character went through the gamut of emotions from anger, grief, rage to sweet playfulness. His portrayal of grief over the loss of a friend was brilliant. I don't think it can be easy for a man to weep. O'Loughlin made you feel that here was a man who is broadsided by the depth of emotion he was experiencing. At one point, he almost loses total control but then struggles to regain his composure. Definitely made me want to take him in my arms and comfort him! See for yourself (crying scene is at 2:03 but the whole thing is worth seeing) (property of CBS):
Yeah, so I will add O'Loughlin to the list and confirm my admiration by watching some other work of his that I have Netflixed. I kind of doubt I will be disappointed.
All in all, I guess I will just have to live with this bad case of actor envy as long actors continue to thrill and move me like they do. It may be painful but oh, so, worth it!
Imagine my horror when our teacher instructed us to remove our shoes and socks and engage in an exercise called "Happy Feet." To this day, I am convinced that a promising thespian career was nipped in the bud by "Happy Feet." There I was, prepared to play Juliet in the balcony scene or Desdemona struggling to convince her husband of her fidelity! Instead, I was being asked to wriggle my toes and kick my heels in some pathetic display of faked euphoria. Needless to say, I switched to stage crew immediately. (At least, it still got me into the cast parties.)
Maybe that is why actors really get to me. Every time I see a great performance by some actor, whatever emotion I'm feeling (be it sadness, happiness, anger, etc.) is always accompanied by a painful twinge of envy. Yes, I am jealous of the power that actors, well the really good ones anyway, have of reaching into your heart and gut. Lately, I've definitely been turning positively green from that deadly sin because of a number of newly discovered (at least by me) actors.
Take for instance, James McEvoy in Atonement. I went to see the movie totally expecting that it could not possible live up to the book. Well, I was wrong on that count. I also did not expect to be so overwhelmed by McEvoy's performance. He is able to express so much through nuanced changes in his expression and in the look in his eyes that absolutely took my breath away. The haunted look in McEvoy's eyes as the movie progressed spoke volumes about the damage and disillusionment that he had experienced. (McEvoy's performance reminded me in some ways of Richard Armitage in the PBS series, North and South. I had to watch that series over and over again just to take in the wonder of his acting.)
I'm also adding to my list the actor who played the lead in Juno, Ellen Page. Although the character Page plays is a bit too hip and flippant in the beginning, Page is able in a very subtle way to eventually reveal the true vulnerability and emotional depth of this young girl who is going through a life-changing event in her life. Without giving anything away, there is a moment when Juno's facade starts to crumble and Page does an incredible job of portraying how scared and unsure of herself Juno really is. As an aside, it was also nice to see how great Jennifer Garner was in this movie. I was always a big fan of Alias and really thought that she was a better actor than the role in Alias demanded. The Juno performance and her success on Broadway in Cyrano seem to confirm that she really can act.
Speaking of TV actors, my list is also going to have to include Alex O'Loughlin, I think. Moonlight has become a guilty pleasure for me even though the show does have its issues (like uneven writing). Being the tragic romantic that I am, I was totally taken in by the last episode, "Sleeping Beauty". Talk about unfulfilled desire and tainted love! On top of it, O'Loughlin's character went through the gamut of emotions from anger, grief, rage to sweet playfulness. His portrayal of grief over the loss of a friend was brilliant. I don't think it can be easy for a man to weep. O'Loughlin made you feel that here was a man who is broadsided by the depth of emotion he was experiencing. At one point, he almost loses total control but then struggles to regain his composure. Definitely made me want to take him in my arms and comfort him! See for yourself (crying scene is at 2:03 but the whole thing is worth seeing) (property of CBS):
Yeah, so I will add O'Loughlin to the list and confirm my admiration by watching some other work of his that I have Netflixed. I kind of doubt I will be disappointed.
All in all, I guess I will just have to live with this bad case of actor envy as long actors continue to thrill and move me like they do. It may be painful but oh, so, worth it!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Politics of the Absurd
I think I read too much. I think my friends read too much. They definitely read too much and keep sending me more things to read, especially about current political events. My friend from Chicago sends me countless articles from the Financial Times because we both like the British viewpoint--incisive, witty, slightly snarky. Plus, who better to point out the foibles of the American political system than the country we revolted against because we thought we could do it better?
Well, the latest FT articles don't paint a pretty picture of how we're doing. One article pointed out all the myriad ways in which all the current presidential candidates have resorted to name-calling and insults for the simple reason that it is the only way they can differentiate themselves (otherwise, everyone would realize that none of them really stand for anything). My overall impression after finishing the article is that we're doomed because the maturity level of the next president running our country will not have progressed much beyond junior year in high school (I'm guessing even student council elections exhibit more sophistication.)
The next article pretty much questioned why the US is so intent on exporting democracy to other countries when we pretty much should be ashamed of how badly it works in our country. For one thing, we have political candidates who cater to the folks who can pay $2000 a shot for a breakfast with, say, Hilary (who is pleased as punch to be among "friends") or who have decided that meeting with minorities just doesn't give them the same bang for the buck. Then let's get on the subject of the electoral college where we all get to have our the final roster of candidates decided by a bunch of guys in Iowa (who are they and do I have anything in common with them??) and our popular vote is meaningless. Wonder why no one bothers to vote anymore?
After all this, I have come to the conclusion that it really does not pay to keep up with all this unless you really enjoy getting outraged on a regular basis. Plus, you have to learn to enjoy living with the frustration that the system is so screwed up, there is probably nothing you can do about it. And it leads you to being even more PO'd as you start to think that if we tallied all the money that these candidates are frittering away on campaigns, we could probably plug a few holes in the deficit. Maybe even fund a national health care plan so we wouldn't all be working our asses off to save money in order to make sure we die well (rather than penniless because we had the misfortune of getting ill).
I wonder if the solution is to limit my reading to copies of People and US Weekly? I mean, how upset can I really get about Paris and Britney, right? The only problem is my friend...he really loves his FT...
Well, the latest FT articles don't paint a pretty picture of how we're doing. One article pointed out all the myriad ways in which all the current presidential candidates have resorted to name-calling and insults for the simple reason that it is the only way they can differentiate themselves (otherwise, everyone would realize that none of them really stand for anything). My overall impression after finishing the article is that we're doomed because the maturity level of the next president running our country will not have progressed much beyond junior year in high school (I'm guessing even student council elections exhibit more sophistication.)
The next article pretty much questioned why the US is so intent on exporting democracy to other countries when we pretty much should be ashamed of how badly it works in our country. For one thing, we have political candidates who cater to the folks who can pay $2000 a shot for a breakfast with, say, Hilary (who is pleased as punch to be among "friends") or who have decided that meeting with minorities just doesn't give them the same bang for the buck. Then let's get on the subject of the electoral college where we all get to have our the final roster of candidates decided by a bunch of guys in Iowa (who are they and do I have anything in common with them??) and our popular vote is meaningless. Wonder why no one bothers to vote anymore?
After all this, I have come to the conclusion that it really does not pay to keep up with all this unless you really enjoy getting outraged on a regular basis. Plus, you have to learn to enjoy living with the frustration that the system is so screwed up, there is probably nothing you can do about it. And it leads you to being even more PO'd as you start to think that if we tallied all the money that these candidates are frittering away on campaigns, we could probably plug a few holes in the deficit. Maybe even fund a national health care plan so we wouldn't all be working our asses off to save money in order to make sure we die well (rather than penniless because we had the misfortune of getting ill).
I wonder if the solution is to limit my reading to copies of People and US Weekly? I mean, how upset can I really get about Paris and Britney, right? The only problem is my friend...he really loves his FT...
Monday, December 3, 2007
Avoidance, Television and Moonlight Vampires
So my job has been sucking the life out of me lately (forgive the pun, you'll see why) and I have fallen into a stupefied state of total inertia. I cannot even think about what I need to do the change my job, career, hell, my life. Instead as part of my old, "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" routine, I have started watching television again. Perfect brainless activity guaranteed to stop the pain associated with taking any meaningful action.
I really needed TV sedation by Friday when the cumulative mind-numbing effects were too much. Yes, that bad. I won't even go out on Fridays for the most part because, well, I'm just not much fun to be around. The pickings were slim but one show, "Moonlight" caught my attention. I've always been a fan of the vampire genre although the fact that it was on CBS didn't hold out much hope (couldn't be dark enough for my tastes).
To be honest, I stuck through the first few episodes due to the attractiveness of the male lead, Alex O'Loughlin. No denying that I can be shallow in that way. But as time went on, the episodes improved and there is a great film noir aspect to the production that appealed to me. Some of the episodes have included mini-homages to certain movies, like Body Heat and The Conversation. Kind of fun and clever!
Going back to the actor O'Loughlin, I am starting to think his good looks might be a problem. It could lead you to overlook that he's a pretty fine actor. As is his co-star, Sophia Myles. It might have something to do with his being an Aussie and her being a Brit (more later on my predilection for non-US actors). They have some great scenes between them but this one is one of my favorites (property of CBS).
Aren't they fantastic?? This is why I love good acting and am envious of actors who can take on imaginary characters and actually make you care about them as if they were real people. Not to mention I love all the angst about being human versus immortal, and the show and these actors can deliver on angst!! Instead of sedating me, it's reminded how much I love the creative process and that maybe I need to dust off those old short stories and half-finished novels. So go figure and all this from network TV? Hope CBS knows a good thing and keeps the show on the air.
Oh, and I heard that O'Loughlin was a contender for Bond, but lost out to Daniel Craig. In some way, I hope that doesn't become a possibility for him in the future. Not that I don't wish him well but just think that he definitely has the breadth of acting ability to be the next great character (and not caricature) actor.
I really needed TV sedation by Friday when the cumulative mind-numbing effects were too much. Yes, that bad. I won't even go out on Fridays for the most part because, well, I'm just not much fun to be around. The pickings were slim but one show, "Moonlight" caught my attention. I've always been a fan of the vampire genre although the fact that it was on CBS didn't hold out much hope (couldn't be dark enough for my tastes).
To be honest, I stuck through the first few episodes due to the attractiveness of the male lead, Alex O'Loughlin. No denying that I can be shallow in that way. But as time went on, the episodes improved and there is a great film noir aspect to the production that appealed to me. Some of the episodes have included mini-homages to certain movies, like Body Heat and The Conversation. Kind of fun and clever!
Going back to the actor O'Loughlin, I am starting to think his good looks might be a problem. It could lead you to overlook that he's a pretty fine actor. As is his co-star, Sophia Myles. It might have something to do with his being an Aussie and her being a Brit (more later on my predilection for non-US actors). They have some great scenes between them but this one is one of my favorites (property of CBS).
Aren't they fantastic?? This is why I love good acting and am envious of actors who can take on imaginary characters and actually make you care about them as if they were real people. Not to mention I love all the angst about being human versus immortal, and the show and these actors can deliver on angst!! Instead of sedating me, it's reminded how much I love the creative process and that maybe I need to dust off those old short stories and half-finished novels. So go figure and all this from network TV? Hope CBS knows a good thing and keeps the show on the air.
Oh, and I heard that O'Loughlin was a contender for Bond, but lost out to Daniel Craig. In some way, I hope that doesn't become a possibility for him in the future. Not that I don't wish him well but just think that he definitely has the breadth of acting ability to be the next great character (and not caricature) actor.
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