still life: 'the hours'

The Hours, 2002

Director: Stephen Daldry

Cinematographer: Seamus McGarvey

Courtesy of filmgrab.

new painting

"Lila Crane," Jeffery Berg (Acrylic), 2017

julianne at cannes

via Celebrity Red Carpet

7 (new) things i love about gus van sant’s 'psycho': a post by justin lockwood

Psycho (1960) is one of my favorite films, so I’ve always had a love hate relationship with the notorious shot-for-shot remake; on the one hand, it’s interesting and fun to see what they did with Hitchcock’s classic, but on the other it’s so slavishly “faithful” that it’s largely pointless—one wonders what a gory visual impresario like, say, Rob Zombie would have done with the decidedly old fashioned chiller had he gotten his paws on it.  Still, I find there are several new touches added by Gus Van Sant that actually work rather well…

Rita Wilson as Marion’s coworker.  As played by Hitchcock’s daughter Pat, Marion’s office mate was clueless and self-absorbed.  But Wilson—aka Mrs. Tom Hanks—revels in the character’s underlying bitchiness, making the tension between her and Marion (Anne Heche) flamboyantly obvious.

The bird outside Marion’s window.  In the original Psycho, Marion’s fate is foreshadowed by the shower nozzle visible in the background when she agonizes over the cash she’s stolen from her boss.  But Van Sant added another eerily prescient background touch: a live bird that alights outside the apartment, suggesting the stuffed ones Marion will soon encounter at the Bates Motel.

The costumes.  Beatrix Aruna Pasztor’s costumes for this movie are amazing.  The women, and several of the men, wear colorful, form fitting garments that flatter their figures and make bold statements about their characters.  P.S. I want Vince Vaughn (Norman Bates)’s blue pants in this movie, and his haircut, too.

William H. Macy’s eyes. Seriously, his piercing green eyes are incredible.  Kudos to Van Sant for framing them so brilliantly in his interrogation scene with Vaughn.

A moment of hesitation.  The scene in which Norman unknowingly tosses Marion’s stolen money in her trunk along with her corpse was always a delicious bit of irony.  But Van Sant, or perhaps Vaughn, added a nifty bit in which he hesitates for a moment before dropping it inside, as if he wants to open up the paper but thinks better of it.  Of course the swamp gets the money because—altogether now—“these were crimes of passion, not profit.”

Wink wink.  Lila was always a firebrand, but as portrayed by Julianne Moore she’s tough and smart as hell.  Maybe that’s why, when she and Norman lock eyes at the motel counter, she deflects suspicion by winking flirtatiously at him.  An amused (aroused?) Norman winks back.  (On a side note, Heche suggests on the entertaining DVD commentary that Moore plays her as a lesbian.  Let the debating begin.)

Man to man.  Hitchcock exploited the resemblance between Anthony Perkins and John Gavin for the scene in which they have an increasingly heated conversation in the office.  But in the remake, the tension starts the moment they come face to face in the doorway—and it’s decidedly sexual.  Considering Van Sant’s sexuality, and the heartthrob status of both actors at the time, the homoerotic undertones could easily be deliberate.


-Justin Lockwood

10 film gems of the 1990s: a guest post by glenn dillon

Glenn Dillon provided one film gem from each year of the 90s!  I love all his choices.


The Grifters (1990)

An under-seen thriller with a powerhouse cast including John Cusack with Oscar nominated performances given by Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening. The film explores the gritty underside of the lives of a trio of con-artists, each of whom is trying to excel in their field but exit before suffering the consequences.


Thelma & Louise (1991)

An American feminist classic that explores themes through the intimate lens of the film’s two leading ladies played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, both of whom were nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress. Harvey Keitel gives a subtle yet gripping portrayal of an FBI agent with a conscience.



The Crying Game (1992)

An enticing thriller by director Neil Jordan exploring themes of race, sexuality, nationalism and integrity set against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles.


The Age of Innocence (1993)

A beautiful and emotional tale of love and sadness by director Martin Scorcese set amidst the Gilded Age of New York City. Winona Ryder gives an Oscar nominated performance among her strong co-stars Michelle Pfieffer and Daniel Day-Lewis.


Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

Woody Allen’s mid-career comedy about mobsters funding the success of Broadway creates a comic masterpiece for the cast. Dianne Wiest won an Oscar for her role in the film, while stars Chazz Paliminteri and a hilarious Jennifer Tilly were both nominated.


Safe (1995)

A chilling, anxiety-ridden film about the dangers of pollution and the enigma of “environmental illness,” where one’s body reacts against one’s living environment. Julianne Moore’s performance as unhappy California housewife Claire is both vulnerable and terrifying.


Citizen Ruth (1996)

It’s a real challenge to turn the U.S. political battle over abortion into a successful comedy but it works perfectly in Alexander Payne’s breakout feature. Laura Dern gives one of the best performances of her career and Burt Reynolds appears in a funny supporting role.


The House of Yes (1997)

This film version of the stage play provides a breakout starring role for Parker Posey that includes some of the wittiest dark comedy I’ve seen on film.


High Art (1998)

A moody and intimate slice of hyper-realism focused around a NYC photographer who becomes romantically involved with a lesbian artist who is addicted to heroin. Ally Sheedy and Patricia Clarkson both deliver subtle yet powerful performances. This film is the ultimate 90s heroin-chic flick.


Being John Malkovich (1999)

Ending out the decade, Malkovich remains one of the most original, hilarious and surprisingly introspective films of the 90s and perhaps the best acting work yet delivered by both John Cusack and Cameron Diaz (who was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress).

game change

Game Change is one of the flippin' scariest films of the year.  It's based upon Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's bestseller about the riveting and epic 2008 election of Barack Obama.  But it's only a sliver of that account (which had many fascinating and sad things to say about John Edwards), focusing instead upon Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore in her finest performance in some time).  Even though the movie tries to make you root for Palin in certain scenes (inspiring music swells during her nasty convention speech which the media largely, and inexplicably, praised), it's quite frightening to see how little she knew about world history and current affairs while in the race.  Yet even more inept and destructive is John McCain's staff, spearheaded by Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson), who chose Palin for the ticket without vetting her properly or testing her knowledge.  Directed by Jay Roach who did HBO's Recount, the film is a patchwork of high-intensity scenes and moves quickly like a disaster picture with Palin simultaneously destroying and reviving McCain's contemptible campaign (those racist rallies are difficult to watch again).  John McCain (Ed Harris) comes off as more of a softie as he did in the book and as he does in real life.  Showing a lack of control over matters, he's incredibly aloof from the campaign and the drama concering Palin.  Sarah Paulson is excellent as former Bush communications chief Nicolle Wallace (read her somewhat terse response to the film here), especially in the scenes where she laments her Election Day choice and when she tries to prep Palin for the disastrous, but illuminating Katie Couric interview.  But this is Moore's film.  Playing such a recognizable character satirized already with such brilliance by Tina Fey must have been no easy task.  Not to mention that I would never think of Moore playing Palin, but she disappears here, and the result is both subtle, vulnerable and terrifying.  Roach's direction is pretty derivative (I cringed at the use of Shania Twain's "Up") and I'm not really sure what the point of the movie is but it's quite entertaining and well-captured.

the kids are all right

Director Lisa Cholodenko (High Art) certainly gives us a rare portrait of family life in her film The Kids Are All Right. The family is crowned by two very different women--the controlling, perfectionist OB-GYN Nic (Annette Bening, in one of her fiercest performances) and a laid-back, somewhat aimless Jules (Julianne Moore). Their two children are Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and the jockish Laser (Josh Hutcherson) who decide to contact their mother's sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo). Once the family meets the affable, motorcycle-riding, organic farmer Paul (the antithesis of Nic), Jules, Joni and Laser begin to feel a certain kinship with him. These new bonds test Nic and Jules and the family they have worked so hard to shape.

For many reasons, The Kids Are All Right is disarming. The cast is small and it moves along in a laid-back way, carefully observing behavior. The appealing but admittedly canned quirkiness of the film's setup (catching Laser and his friend watching gay porn, etc) is undone by a sometimes funny but an emotionally resonant second half. So few films have captured a contemporary lesbian couple trying to raise children so brilliantly. Because well-drawn gays and lesbians characters are absent in many films, there will be those who may criticize when one finally appears and the implications it may have for a mass audience. Though progress has been made, the two heated LGBT issues still floundering are DADT and gay marriage. While efforts to appeal to straights over why these two issues should so obviously be non-issues have been sluggish, the institutions of military and marriage are derided by many within the community. Some may gripe that Nic and Jules aren't positive images of lesbians because they strive for monogamy and mimic a hetero-normative lifestyle that many believe aren't sustainable or healthy. Yet the very real, flawed, loving family portrayed here thwarts any political attacks from the right or left. They are as silly and obvious as the knowingly bad judgements Nic and Jules fling at National Geographic specials. It's refreshing to see this family bicker and love each other in intimate, emotional ways without the tidy, sitcomish resolutions that tatter away at many maudlin domestic dramas of today (i.e. the wan, sans-conflict Blind Side). The Who song informing the title also describes the grounded and smart children of Nic and Jules, one of which, sets the breezy, casualness of the film with the film's opening on skateboard. The changing social mores reflected in the lot's wry attitudes (Jules and Nic drink from twin World's Best Mom coffee cups) is a welcome breather in the midst of an exhausting, ongoing struggle for LGBT rights in America. Cholodenko peppers the soundtrack with 70s staples like Bowie and a devastating rendition of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" by Bening (the only and last time Nic and Paul connect) but also contemporary pop rock: over the closing credits is MGMT's melodic and somber "The Youth" an anthem of sorts for generational shift.

The writing is strong but really the cast brings this unique and intricate family portrait alive. We are used to seeing Annette Bening as flashy, larger-than-life characters, emoting with rapid fire dialogue (American Beauty and The Grifters) but with Nic, she does a lot without speaking at all. She has some funny moments with scripted daggers (a rant against organic foods is one of them) though an acting class could be devoted to the way she sits at a table, drinking wine, and simply reacts to those around her. And yet, watching the film, Nic is so real that Bening doesn't seem "actorly" at all. It's just fine work. Moore is usually good, but I don't think we've ever seen her with such acute comic timing nor have we seen her hit the emotional register she hits in a monologue towards the film's end. It breaks some rules by summarizing much of the theme but is so wonderfully and organically delivered, I couldn't help but cry at her character's heartfelt passion. Wasikowska and Hutcherson have quieter roles but make lasting impacts. Ruffalo, who was so great as a similar character in You Can Count on Me, again shades his role with many layers. There is something aching and quietly wrenching about the way he is so dismissive of donating his sperm (he quips that he did it because it was less painful and more profitable than donating blood) and so regretful of being unable to establish his own relationships on a deeper level. Perhaps it's a spoiler to recall this scene but I can't help but end this review on one of the saddest moments in the picture. After fighting with Nic, alone, from an outside window, Paul observes the clan at the dinner table. When he smiles at Laser, Laser turns his back on him. It's all fleeting but because of the steady hand of Cholodenko and all involved, so apt and so very poignant. ***1/2

-Jeffery Berg

Great interview with Lisa Cholodenko on NPR and one on Towleroad.

Spot-on review by David Edelstein in New York Magazine.

Lesbian perspectives on the film: LezGetReal, Jezebel, Interview with Julianne Moore on Goodkin