OK, changing gears (back to the manual transmission thread :
I know that she is good and strong and deserves all the love this world has to give. Can't you see that, how wonderful, how special she is?
Why can't you just love her? She's so easy to love.
Hint, admittedly a chick flick, but with a great cast in many of the roles (and even a surprisingly good effort by the male lead, whose acting talents vary generally from wooden to nonexistent). I've yet to meet someone who saw this movie and didn't like it (at least begrudgingly).
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Keanu Reeves was the primary male star of the film, which was filmed in northern California and some excellent cinematography. The other two male leads are well known and celebrated actors. the director had a highly acclaimed Spanish language film a few years later that was the highest grossing Spanish language film in the US.
Although I said everyone I know who has seen it likes it (even if they hate to admit it), the critics were divided; some (like Roger Ebert, who had it in his top 10 as I recall) loved it; others decried it as beautifully filmed melodrama (and I will admit it does have the feel of an opera about it).
And BSG has it; a movie which is not to everyone's taste, but best in class of the chick flicks IMHO. It boasts Anthony Quinn doing a Mexican version of his Zorba and Giancarlo Gianinni playing a very nuanced character for this sort of film. Reeves is good because his wooden style fits the bill for much of the dialogue, too much into it would make it laughable melodrama, and the female lead (Aitana Sanchec Gijon) reminds me of a young Sophia Loren in those films with Marcello Mastriani. And the cinematography is stunning.
The director later directed Like Water for Chocolate, a hiughly acclaimed Spanish language movie.
Yes, it does skirt the lines of melodrama (but melodrama in the grand opera fashion), but IMHO it works for the most; and as I said, I knew a few who were determined to hate it get won over, even if they hated to admit it. Worth a try for anyone who might be even casually interested.
I thought his style was well suited for The Day The Earth Stood Still too...
Personally I think you guys (and many others) are being a little to rough on Keanu...
First of all, from everything I've heard he's a very down-to-earth and decent guy, (which can't be said of most of his "Brat Pack" contemporaries...)
And as an actor, sure he's got a fairly limited dramatic range, but so did Clint Eastwood and John Wayne...
That doesn't mean he can't give an enjoyable performance...
In addition to TDTESS, I've also liked him in Speed, the original Matrix (the sequels really fell off in quality, but that was due mainly to uninspired writing, not Reeves) and I think his best performance was in one of my all time favorite flicks, The Devil's Advocate...
Last edited by Lord Jim on Fri Mar 17, 2017 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I have nothing against Keanu as a person, I just think he's one of the guys who for no apparent reason, won the acing lottery and gets offered a lot of roles he's really not that good in; sure John Wayne was pretty limited, but then hew was almost always cast in movies that used his range and didn't strain him--ditto for Eastwood (although he more excelled behind the camera) and Sinatra and a number of others. But recently people seem to cast solely on name recognition and not on how well an actor will perform in the role, and some, like Keanu, benefit greatly from this, even though I think the movies suffer.
FWIW, I liked him in this and Speed (I avoided the sequels, but I didn't think he was in them) and thought he was acceptable in Devil's Advocate (although think what it could have been like with, say, Sean Penn); I really didn't like the Matrix movies, but it wasn't because of him (or just because of him), ditto for the Day the Earth stood Still remake. Look, the guy is making a living and I don't begrudge him that, I just think there are plenty of more talented people who don't get the chance to excel because he has name recognition.
ETA: If you want to see an example of an abysmal performance of his, look at his role as Harker in Bram Stoker's Dracula; it almost ruined the film for me.
(although think what it could have been like with, say, Sean Penn)
I disagree with you about Penn in that role; I think he would have brought too much intensity to the part and the role of Kevin Lomax didn't really called for a lot of intensity...(until of course near the very end when he finally figures out what's really going on)
I think that's part of what made the chemistry between Reeves and Pacino so good in the film. All the intensity was in Pacino's character which made a good dramatic fit with Reeve's more reserved portrayal.
I don't think the film would have been anywhere near as good with two scene stealing over-the-top performances going up against each other...
(although think what it could have been like with, say, Sean Penn)
I disagree with you about Penn in that role; I think he would have brought too much intensity to the part and the role of Kevin Lomax didn't really called for a lot of intensity...(until of course near the very end when he finally figures out what's really going on)
I think that's part of what made the chemistry between Reeves and Pacino so good in the film. All the intensity was in Pacino's character which made a good dramatic fit with Reeve's more reserved portrayal.
I don't think the film would have been anywhere near as good with two scene stealing over-the-top performances going up against each other...
He was the first one I thought of; but what about Adrian Brody or Brad Pitt? They generally give much more reserved performances. And Penn can tone it down as the role demands as in Mystic River, U Turn, and Dead Man Walking.
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