026. Semi-Tough

026. (22 Jan) Semi-Tough (1977, Michael Ritchie) 42



Semi-Tough is at its best in its first hour, playing as a genial buddy comedy with Burt Reynolds experiencing a midlife crisis about his love life and masculinity. Then this makes the odd decision an hour in to spoof self-help programs as Jill Clayburgh questions if she loves fiance Kris Kristofferson or Reynolds. It's still an oddly amiable film through all this, but it's wildly unfocused, coasting on its stars' likability.

240. Homage to Chagall

240. (07 Oct) Homage to Chagall (1977, Harry Rasky) 19



This is for professional scholars of Chagall and not, in any regard, for a layperson. I willfully admit my ignorance of his work and can say definitively now I'm not impressed. In any case, Homage to Chagall is close to impenetrable since it takes such a nonlinear approach to his evolution and inspiration as an artist. Pretentiously spouting Bible verses between montages of his art, even James Mason's spirited, melodramatic narration can't breathe life into this.

238. Union Maids

238. (06 Oct) Union Maids (1977, Jim Klein, Miles Mogulescu & Julia Reichert) 51



Three women from very different backgrounds talk about their experiences in factories and their roles in the workers' movement in the 1930s. Each has an interesting narrative, but this is a run-of-the-mill talking head documentary. It's aesthetically unremarkable, reliant on archival footage and photos, but moves briskly and has enough character to make a slight impact in 50 minutes.

Double Feature: A Touch of Class (1973) & The Goodbye Girl (1977)

A Touch of Class:

This lighthearted film features Glenda Jackson in an Oscar-winning performance as a fashion designer who gets involved with a married man (George Segal). Having met in London, he invites her to vacation with him in Spain, which she agrees to for the physical aspects of their relationship. However, his producer friend is meeting his wife and kids in Spain, causing all sorts of problems with their plan for a secret getaway. After getting back to London, the pair continue to see each other, even renting a flat to use for their rendezvouses. All of the hustle and bustle of their affair takes it toll on them, and they must decide whether to keep seeing each other, or go their separate ways.

The film received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song. Glenda Jackson's win for Best Actress was her second Oscar win (after one for 1970's Women in Love).

The Goodbye Girl:

Written by playwright Neil Simon, this romantic comedy stars Richard Dreyfuss in his own Oscar-winning performance as Elliot, an actor who's just moved to New York City. His new apartment, it turns out, was sublet by his friend, who ran out on Paula (Marsha Mason) and her daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings). Under the circumstances, Elliot agrees to let them live there, even though he is the rightful owner of the place. He's charming and funny, but has his share of quirks. While he practices for the role of Richard III, Paula tries to get back into dancing and Lucy takes a liking to Elliot. She even tries to sway her mother into liking him, which Paula can't help but do. But Paula's heart has been broken, and she has to find out if Elliot is like the others, or if he will stay with her and Lucy.

The film received nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Cummings), and Best Original Screenplay. This was actually one of two Best Picture nominees directed by Herbert Ross that year, the other being The Turning Point.

148. Exorcist II: The Heretic

148. (10 Aug) Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977, John Boorman) 35



With an all-star cast and competent director at the helm, it's astounding just how wrong everything is in Exorcist II. Harkening back to the first film exclusively for plot points, the film's reluctance to exploit iconic imagery initially seems brave. But it eventually becomes inexcusable as the film offers not a single scare or even any atmosphere. What's especially burdensome is explaining why Ellen Burstyn's character isn't present, introducing a new ensemble that includes Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher and James Earl Jones at their least remarkable. In terms of story, there are too many issues to enumerate. Parapsychology, lazy demons, locusts and an African subplot were the last thing an Exorcist sequel needed, and yet The Heretic has them all.

The Last Wave (1977) *1/2

As the world debates the issue of climate change it is somewhat interesting to watch a film like The Last Wave (1977), which touches on the idea of a cataclysmic weather pattern wiping out humankind.  Still, I was very underwhelmed by director Peter Weir’s would-be apocalyptic endeavor.  I enjoyed both Weir’s Gallipoli (1981) and Dead Poets Society (1989), yet the unresolved ending of this movie did not sit well with me. Perhaps this is my own short-falling,  but I like my conclusions to be less perplexing than what I got at the end of this. 

Richard Chamberlain plays David Burton, an Australian lawyer assigned a legal aid case involving the murder of an Aborigine by a group of other Aborigines. As Sydney becomes deluged by torrential downpours, David finds himself having both dreams and visions of a coming apocalypse.  Hail, black rain, and even frogs fall from the sky as David attempts to wade through both his legal and personal trial, all the while trying to uncover the tribal secrets that led to the murder in the first place.  Along the way he develops a spiritual relationship with one of the defendants, Chris (David Gulpilil), who sheds light on the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime (when spirits created the world).  David also becomes the main adversary of the tribe’s shaman, Charlie (Nandjiwarra Amagula), who knows David is a Mukuru, which is some kind of prophet from another world.  To fully understand what he is envisioning David must descend into an underground tribal shrine which explains the origins of the world.  By the end of the movie, it is difficult to know if David is in a state of reality or Dreamtime. 

It’s not everyday that you get to see a film cast with actual Aborigines.  David Gulpilil is probably the most well-known Aboriginal actor ever, appearing in such films as Walkabout (1971), The Right Stuff (1983), Crocodile Dundee (1986), Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), and Australia (2008). In all of his roles, this one included, he exudes an unusual presence.  His gaze is always steady and his bearing seems almost otherworldly.  His Aboriginal counterpart, Amagula, is a  virtual unknown except for his work in The Last Wave.  He was a clan leader that the then-Aboriginal Cultural Foundation director told Weir was the “one man who has enough wisdom, enough breadth, enough understanding” to play the role of Charlie.  He brings a highly unusual element to the film—he is both creepy and ethereal.  While I am not a fan of the overall production, I did enjoy watching the work of these two men.  I am always fascinated to learn more about other cultures, and I think with their help, Weir did enlighten his audience about some Aboriginal practices. 

There’s another reason I didn’t like this film besides the ambiguous ending: Chamberlain. He’s sooooooo boring!  He does not do well in films with extended pauses, and there are many in this. In my opinion, he lacks the necessary charisma to do non-verbal scenes.  His stares off into space just seem void of any emotional depth, and when you are the star of a film with countless dream sequences you kind of need to be able to express something more than a look of vapidity. 

In the end, I just can’t get past, well, the ending of The Last Wave. Head scratching at the conclusion of a film is just not a good sign. 

Review: New York, New York (1977)

Jimmy (De Niro) tries to get Francine's (Minnelli) number.

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Produced by Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff
Written by Earl Mac Rauch and Mardik Martin
Starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro

****

Set during the post-World War II era, Scorsese's underappreciated work stars Robert De Niro as Jimmy Doyle, a budding saxophonist who meets little-known singer Francine Evans (Minnelli) on V-J Day and subsequently teams up with her. The pair enjoy an odd romance, as they fight, kiss, and makeup on a regular basis. But they have their music and, for what it's worth, each other. When Francine becomes pregnant just as their band is taking off, the couple must reevaluate their lives together and choose whether or not to go their separate ways. The end leaves something to be desired, but the journey to it is quite marvelous.

Two key ingredients contribute to the success of this wonderful film: Jimmy's and Francine's relationship and the music itself. As the dynamic duo, De Niro and Minnelli turn in some of their best work, with him being hotheaded and tender and her being strong and submissive. He dominates her, and she undermines him. Yet, they still love each other. Their chemistry is fantastic, and their acting talents depict this torrid relationship superbly. As for the music, which features the famous Sinatra-covered theme, it creates some of the best moments of the film, as Jimmy plays his heart out and Francine sings hers out. Now, the film is honestly too long (163 minutes), but the charm of these performances, the delightful musical numbers, and the film's rich colors make it a fabulous viewing experience. Although it is not considered to be one of Scorsese's best films, I thoroughly enjoyed this overlooked classic.

Oscar Tally: None (Deserved nominations for De Niro, Minnelli, Art Direction, and Original Song at the very least.)

Annie Hall

Annie Hall, 1977
Directed by Woody Allen
Up Against: The Goodbye Girl, Julia, The Turning Point, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Woody Allen directs and stars in this film. While it's only the second Woody Allen film I've seen (the first being Midnight in Paris- yes I'm behind on things), it's the first film I've seen him act in.

Allen plays a wonderfully dorky, intelluctual, neurotic comedian, living in New York City. He's been married twice already, and opens up the film telling us that life is full of loneliness and it's over too quickly, and that he'd never be a part of a club that has a member like himself. Right off the bat we get an idea about who Alvy Singer is and what he's about. He's not like most guys.

Alvy is in love with a woman named Annie Hall. She's slightly ditsy, and a different kind of neurotic. She's flighty and simple-minded, while Alvy is a deep-thinker who's always pinned as being slightly hostile, obsessed with death and paranoid. The story of their love is told in a narrative that jumps back and forth between present and past, and is riddled with captions stating what they're thinking, their present selves visiting their past selves, and frequently addressing the audience with their thoughts. It's a quirky love story, but it's utterly charming.

The film tells us about how Alvy and Annie were introduced (playing tennis), how they got together, the good times, the bad times, the break-ups, the other one-night stands and the getting back together. And the circle continues. While the story doesn't have too much of a plot, it's interesting. It's more of a documentary of 2 lovers in New York, living life.

In a way this film reminded me of (500) Days of Summer. Not so much what the film was about, but more how they were both told in quirky, unique ways, and focused on how different they both were (Tom and Summer, and Alvy and Annie). Had this film been told how regular movies are told, with little voice-over narrative, few flashbacks and a definitie plot, this film would've been a lot less charming than it was. Alvy is cooky but you feel for him, and you love his quirks. Annie is erratic, but you come to love and care about her too.

I loved Woody Allen playing Alvy. Yes I know he wrote the screenplay, but I thought he was perfectly dorky, and carried the part so well. He really understand Alvy (duh), but really portrayed him well too, with great timing and perfect awkwardness. Diane Keaton was also great as Annie. She was the perfect balance between being erratic and simple-minded. She brought passion into the part, and played Annie well. Hence her winning the Oscar for the role.

Of course, the screenplay was great. Woody Allen seems strongest suit really seems to be writing. Many times I wished he'd write novels, while watching this movie. They would be incredibly interesting.

The only few flaws of the film was many-a-times, a flashback scene would be shown, and I'm never really sure if it's ended, or if we're back in the present. It's easy when we're seeing flashbacks of Alvy and his ex-wives, but his flashbacks with Annie are less defined, and the scene at the beginning of the movie, I'm never sure if after that we went completely to the beginning and went chronologically, or if we came back to that point and did present time then flashbacks, alternating.

But overall, I really enjoyed the film. It's so different from other Best Picture's I've watched so far. It was a cute movie, it was funny and sarcastic, and it was enjoyable to watch!

8/10

021. The Hazing

021. (14 Jan) The Hazing (1977, Douglas Curtis) 35



One of those falsely marketed horror movies, The Hazing is more of an uncomfortably extended gag. A young man is led to believe his friend died and, forced to help cover it up, in the film's finale he learns it's all a joke. That mean-spiritedness doesn't particularly bother me, but it does overextend the film. There is at least a redeeming scenario where the hazed college students have to run through the woods for close to ten minutes in jockstraps.

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1977

1977

The much anticipated ranking:

5. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point

On the one hand, Shirley MacLaine's presence is not strong enough, doesn't fight against the weakness of the screenplay and she doesn't give the work of a lifetime. On the other hand, she has some very strong and well-acted scenes, which may not make up for the rest completely.

4. Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point

Anne still gives the best performance of her movie, adding real depth to the character of Emma. Although she doesn't have much screentime and that catfight scene was just not for her, I still appreciated this performance and I was certainly very impressed by Anne Bancroft.

3. Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl

Marsha Mason may be neither amazing nor groundbreaking in The Goodbye Girl. She may not have huge dramatic moments or huge breakdown or even hysterical comedy, she gives one hell of a performance, which is entertaining, moving, lovely and so damn natural.

2. Jane Fonda in Julia

People don't rave about this performance as much as they do about, say, Klute and They Shoot Horses... even though they should. It's one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking peformances every by this beautiful (who's never been more beautiful than here), superbly talented actress.

1. Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

Some consider Diane Keaton's win for Annie Hall a love letter to Diane herself, the character and the movie and they think that the Best Actress Oscar win wasn't about the actual performance. While I agree with the first part, I still have to add something: her win and my review is indeed a love letter to Annie Hall (the character and the movie) and Diane Keaton's brilliant, hilarious, radiant, beautiful, heartbreaking, luminous, fantastic and unforgettable performance.

So I can proudly announce

that my winner is...

Diane Keaton

in

Annie Hall

La-di-da-la-di-da; la-la

Final thoughts: A great year. I did it probably because I wanted to write the 100th review about an iconic performance (Diane that is). I mean, this is not a legendary year but it's indeed special and I'm happy that I covered it. The ranking was the easiest one I've ever had to do and I don't think it's surprising at all (I knew it already before I started). The overall standard of the movies was rather high. Although I hated The Turning Point for the first time, I enjoyed it now. Same goes for the performances: I enjoyed all of them, some more and some less. Shirley was the weakest link though she wasn't bad. Anne was quite good, Marsha was great, Jane was fantastic and Diane is... All things considered, this year was lovely.

And the winner of the predicting contest is Louis Morgan. Congratulations! :-)

Omissions: Wow, I haven't seen Gena Rowlands in Opening Night, but she's said to be amazing. I should check that performance out. Also, Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar must be also great. Hmm, both sound interesting. But there's an unbelievable, unbeatable performance in a Hungarian movie given by one of my favorite actesses and that's Erzsi Pásztor in The Devil Beats His Wife. AMAZING. 

The ranking of the already reviewed years:

1. 1969
2. 1974
3. 1989
4. 1959
5. 1939
6. 1977
7. 2010
8. 2009
9. 1980
10. 1941
11. 1963
12. 1966
13. 1973
14. 1990
15. 1978
16. 1954
17. 1948
18. 2002
19. 1940
20. 1998

About the next year: I wanted to do 1964, but there's no The Pumpkin Eater, damn. However, it seems that I might get it (the chances are getting higher and higher, so keep your fingers crossed), so if I have it, I'll do it instead of this mysterious next year (I'll announce the next year when I'm sure and next weekend is gonna be about this year, so I have still some time to get The Pumpkin Eater). The other year came quite suddenly to me but it seems to be interesting. There's only one clue with the next year but a help: The main principle is simplicity.

• Friends forever

What do you think?

P.S.: Could anyone help me with getting Wild is the Wind, The Rainmaker or Some Came Running (any link is fine)? It's a shame but I can only do one year from the 50s (1950) and I promised myself to leave that one last.

Diane Keaton in Annie Hall

Just as a start, I'd just like to say that it's an honour to write my 100th review about a really iconic performance. So the 100th reviewed work is...

Diane Keaton received her first Best Actress nomination and only Oscar to date for playing Annie Hall, the love interest of a neurotic comedian in Woody Allen's classic, Best Picture winner movie, the fabulous Annie Hall. I think that Diane Keaton's win in 1977 was pretty much what we call nowadays a lock. She had the support of the critics, the audience loved her and the movie, she won the Globe, she gave two acclaimed performances in 1977, she was the star of The Godfather movies. In short, 1977 was Diane Keaton's year, like with Kate Winslet in 2008 and yes, Sandra Bullock in 2009.

What can I say about it Annie Hall? Maybe that it's my favorite movie of all time or that it made both Woody Allen and Diane Keaton icons. Or that it's full of brilliant lines, it has a fascinating story, brilliant directing and great acting. It received five nominations and I don't think that it had a sure Best Picture win. I'm glad it won, though. Sometimes the Academy can get it really right. And they made one of their best decisions here. Woody Allen gives an excellent performance that might be annoying but I think that was the point.

Diane Keaton as an actress is such an interesting case. On the one hand, she's superbly talented and she's always such a radiant, luminous presence on the screen. I just couldn't imagine Father of the Bride without her smile (OK, so what? I love that movie) and eyes. I mean there's a scene there when she goes down the stairs on the wedding day of her daughter. Steve Martin says that she's just as beautiful as she was when he met her. And I totally believe that she's the most beautiful person for him. Sweet Diane has this luminous, unique personality which shines through the most shallow scripts. On the other hand, we have her later works and awful choices but she's still able to put on a great performance once in a while. I'm feeling towards Natalie Portman feels about her. She can do anything as she's the best.

Who can deny that Annie Hall is Diane Keaton (she's indeed Annie Hall)? However, an interesting thought came to this time: isn't it that we just identify this character with her because she just totally became Annie Hall. I've already written about this in my review about Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata. The actress inhabits the role so much that it becomes her after all and one just cannot decide which part is the actress and which part is the character. This kind of brilliance is so dazzling and it gives a certain kind of mystery to the role.

As I'm writing this review, I'm just trying to really consider my words. I want every word and sentence to become perfect (which is impossible) and I just don't want to sound phony. Not for a second. I don't want to be the guy in the line at the cinema. I don't want to use these huge and very noble words because Diane's performance is just so damn natural and it lacks every phoniness. It's just so full of almost ridiculous honesty. This performance is just like a masterfully composed concerto. There's no false note in it and some little touches are so evocative in it. I love that whenever I look at Annie/Diane, something good comes to my mind and I just really forget everything that bothers me. It can be anything, Annie Hall and Diane stands there firmly and she's there to catch me when I want to jump and she does so with her loveliness, charm and optimism. Like me, like all of us, Annie has her ups and downs and Keaton does so very well at showing all the changes of this fascinating, beautiful character made of pure love. As she is made of love. Woody Allen wrote Annie with love, Diane played her with love. I feel that Diane certainly enjoyed the part of Annie and it's so wonderful to see someone so cool and confident on screen. Diane is NEVER a phony for one simple reason: she cares about Annie, she loves Annie enough to avoid the traps. Because Annie deserves it.

I don't know if there's anyone in this world who can resist her when she sings la-di-da. I mean, the whole beginning of her performance is so ditzy and crazy and every once in a while we all love being a little crazy. And anyone who's not cracked up by the driving of Annie is a totally humorless human being. Diane's comic delivery is just golden here. OH MY GOD! THERE'S A PARKING PLACE! And you just hear the breaks. It's so impossible not to fall in love with Diane here. Diane made the impossible happen: we are amazed by her because we don't become her. Instead, we become Alvy Singer and we fall in love with Annie along with Alvy over and over again, every time we watch her. And after that it's just impossible not to love her. Wheter she says that we are what Grammy Hall would call a real Jew or when she's laughing at the death of her uncle. Who the hell cares? Who cares if she's singing and no one else is listening to her? We actually DO listen to her. I might add that Diane's singing is simply the best: I mean she's no Édith Piaf, but still. It's just her.

And there comes the best delivered line ever on the silver screen. "There's a spider in the bathroom. There's a big, black spider in the bathroom." Diane was able to deliver the most inappropriate and crazy sentece about chocolate milk fit so properly as if it was the most important piece of news. Nothing (and by nothing, I really mean NOTHING) forced comes out of Diane's mouth. Although it's true that she works with the best screenplay ever written, she still nails every nuance in it. Everything is just dead on.

Diane developed the character of Annie so perfectly (I think it should be taught in acting classes. Or it is probably). Annie becomes a free-thinking, independant woman from a naive, free-spirited, ditzy Chippewa Falls girl. Annie becomes educated and she simply outgrows Alvy. Diane shows the most heartbreaking and dramatic aspect of this character so thrillingly that it almost gives me tears: Annie loves Alvy but she simply doesn't need him anymore. I think that many people do not give enough credit to that Los Angeles scene with her. She's criticised that she isn't great as a Californian girl. But damn it, she doesn't have to be a Californian girl and she really feels like a fish out of water. Diane is so heartbreaking there: somehow I always felt that she wanted to go to New York (later she moves back to New York). Or I just really cared about the character. That's possible. However I still stand firmly by the opinion that Diane's performance is not only that funny, luminous acting you experience for the first time. There's a certain bitterness to it, which I haven't recognised before but having scene the movie at least fifteen times, I still have a lot to explore in Annie as Diane Keaton added millions of layers to her. She's just so complicated.

Some consider Diane Keaton's win for Annie Hall a love letter to Diane herself, the character and the movie and they think that the Best Actress Oscar win wasn't about the actual performance. While I agree with the first part, I still have to add something: her win and my review is indeed a love letter to Annie Hall (the character and the movie) and Diane Keaton's brilliant, hilarious, radiant, beautiful, heartbreaking, luminous, fantastic and unforgettable performance.

A rating would be so pathetic in the end. I don't want to do it this time. This experience was nothing that I can measure with my Meryls.

I've done it! 100 reviews!

But still. Just to ruin everything, down here as my mistake:

Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl

Marsha Mason received her second Best Actress nomination for playing Paula, a struggling single mom in Herbert Ross' romantic comedy, The Goodbye Girl. I'm quite certain that Marsha got the third most votes in 1977. She had previously won the Golden Globe in a tie with Diane Keaton and she starred in a movie, which was quite popular, I think. She might even have been second if they had been that crazy about the movie, which is not very probable. She did not win and she went on to receive two other unsuccessful nominations.

The Goodbye Girl is an OK, very entertaining movie. I really enjoyed it though a second viewing was a bit boring. The charm that was so grabbing for the first time was not that strong now. Nevertheless, I still had quite a good fun with it and I would gladly re-watch it if I had to. Neil Simon is one of the greatest comedy writers and I love his style. Although Out of Towners is unbeatable, this was is quite excellently written. An Oscar over Annie Hall would have been a bit absurd, though. Richard Dreyfuss' Best Actor win still baffles me. I just don't get it how they could choose him over two later iconic performances and two veterans. Quinn Cummings is quite cute and a nomination was deserved, I think.

I have basically experienced three types of attitudes towards Marsha Mason's career: some just love her and some say she's overrated and she was only nominated so often because her then-hubby wrote great roles for her. And there's a third one (which I also feel). According to that, Marsha Mason is indeed a very good actress, but there have been many better ones. And I experienced that from her movies: although Cinderella Liberty was a bit underwhelming and boring when I watched it, her performance somehow stuck with me. I really can't get it out of my head. However, the role of Paula (and Marsha's performance here) is so different from what she showed in Cinderella Liberty.

I felt that Mason was so much more confident this time around. Cinderella Liberty was like moving into a new house. Everything is new and one has to experiment with the possibilities. In The Goodbye Girl Marsha felt much more comfortable and easy. It might have been that she worked easier with a role that was written by her ex-husband. It also might have been that the material itself was rather lightweight and easy to handle. However, I don't think that either of them are true. Marsha simply gave a very good performance as Paula. That's it.

What really helps Marsha is the character, who's instantly likeable and sympathetic. I mean anyone who doesn't feel sorry for this poor woman has a heart made of ice-cold stone. It's a mainly comic role, but Marsha injects a bit of drama into it and yet it asn't anything depressing. Although Paula is not really an optimist, the movie itself is and (also thanks to Marsha) we just feel good because of that. Whenever we see this adorably ordinary character, we can say "that could be me". Marshe dealt with the hardest scenes quite well, the ones that are difficult to play because they are ordinary. For example, it's such a heartbreaking scene when Paula's purse is stolen with all her remaining money in it and then she runs after the thieves. When she falls, it's so heartwrenching.

Moreover, Marsha's chemistry with Richard Dreyfuss is just excellent. They work excellently together or to put it more accurately Marsha works well with Dreyfuss. Whenever Dreyfuss is too much and too annoying, there's Marsha who's the perfect balance and she saves the scenes as a result. Their scene on the roof is so lovely and romantic and deeply human. I might be sentimental but I really fell for it. These scenes are the best ones and they are so utterly loveable. Although sometimes I was quite bored, whenever it was close to ruining the whole thing, Marsha gained some strength again, so I had no serious problems with this performance.

So, to sum up, Marsha Mason may be neither amazing nor groundbreaking in The Goodbye Girl. She may not have huge dramatic moments or huge breakdown or even hysterical comedy, she gives one hell of a performance, which is entertaining, moving, lovely and so damn natural. As I said, it may not be the best one ever, but it's still great.

What do you think? It's time for the final predictions! :-)

And tomorrow... The moment we have all been waiting for... THE 100th REVIEW! Sweet Diane goes 100th. And the day after tomorrow... The Final Conclusion.

Jane Fonda in Julia

Jane Fonda received her third Best Actress nomination for playing Lillian Hellman, the famous playwright in Fred Zinnemann's Best Picture nominated drama, Julia. I think Jane Fonda was the only one who threatened Diane Keaton's Oscar win as dear Jane was THE star, she had previously won the Golden Globe for her performance and Julia seems to have much more Oscar potential in itself than Annie Hall since it's a huge, political drama. So I think Jane was a close second in the voting and I think this loss also contributed to her Oscar win the following year.

Julia is an intelligent, old-school political drama, which (like The Turning Point) doesn't have the innovative nature of the 70s movies. It's excellently written, directed, acted and made altogether. Actually, at the time, I would have expected it to take Best Picture. I'm glad that Annie Hall won eventually. Jason Robards and Vanessa Redgrave give truly outstanding and effective supporting performances and I tend to say that their Oscars were deserved (especially Vanessa's). I don't get the nomination of Maximilian Schell, though.

Jane Fonda is someone I deeply love as an actress and she's also a terrific person (very much, after we wished Happy New Year to each other). OK, to put everything personal aside, she's a brilliant-brilliant actress who's so extremely versatile and she's a living legend. Jane's contribution to the cinema is greater than most Oscar winners(!) can ever dream of. She plays everything: the bitter, poor and desperate woman in They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, a hooker in Klute, a reporter in The China Syndrome and the list could go on. One just isn't surprised that she can do a role like Lillian Hellman and she really nailed it.

Playing real-life people always pays off with the Academy. When Al Pacino won the Golden Globe for his performance in You Don't Know Jack, he said in his acceptance speech that it's always a real gift to play a real-life person, even though you cannot be really sure that you played it well. Actors want to capture even the thoughts of the characters. However, I never felt that Jane wanted to imitate Lillian Hellman the way Meryl Streep did in Julie & Julia. Jane uses her own style and therefore I never felt that the performance was forced in any way. She approached this very interesting character with so much subtlety and confidence. I mean it's so great that the bigger, effective emotional scenes are not loud and over-the-top, but rather quite and very intimate.

After all, this whole story might be fiction. It's based on Lillian Hellman's work though I'm not sure of it happened in real life. Jane Fonda made Lillian very mysterious and it made the performance so dazzling. Is this a part of Lillian's imagination? Is this reality? How is it? There are so many beautiful layers in this character and Jane so brilliantly revealed all of them. Lillian seems to be very naive in the beginning. In my opinion, Jane nailed these scenes (they are so brilliant, I think) though one day I might be understand why some people criticise it.

First of all, Jane's brilliance is so obvious when we see the anxiety of Lillian. Lillian feels like a fish out of water in Paris, she doesn't feel like partying and I could really get her problems. After that, there are those scenes on the train that are truly unforgettable. Jane shows so many emotions there: fear, worry, but also courage and confidence sometimes. It's so great when she's talking to the officer at the border. Her nervous ticks are so brilliantly executed and well-delivered.

Later on, there comes the scene at the café, which is one of the most emotionally strong scenes I've ever seen. It's just brilliant to watch these two beautiful actresses (Fonda and Redgrave) act together. Their collaboration was certainly collaboration and not rivalling. They are supporting each other and they don't try to outact each other. Their chemistry is simply perfect. I feel that they are just like sisters and they really love and care about each other. Most people are more impressed by Redgrave, but I will have to go with Jane Fonda. Her face is so full of admiration and love for Julia. I think Julia might just be the better self of Lillian, something Lillian really wanted to be. SPOILER That's why those scene where Lillian looks at Julia's body is so painful. Jane made those scenes really heartbreaking. Lillian lost her better self, but she has a chance of finding her again if she finally finds Lilly, the daughter of Julia. Jane's huge breakdown scene in the bathroom is simply breathtaking. She so brilliantly executed those moments, there are no false notes in it, everything is pitch-perfect.

So, to sum up, people don't rave about this performance as much as they do about, say, Klute and They Shoot Horses... even though they should. It's one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking peformances every by this beautiful (who's never been more beautiful than here), superbly talented actress. It's really no surprise that Jane Fonda is still one of the most celebrated performance. Excellent.

I gave this 5 easily and with such joy.

What do you think?

Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point

Anne Bancroft received her fourth Best Actress nomination for playing Emma Jacklin, an aging ballerina in Herbert Ross' movie, The Turning Point. Although Anne Bancroft was the one who received awards and nominations for this role, I think she received less votes than Shirley, simply because Anne was a previous winner and she wasn't an extremely big star. She was the fascinating, respected, 100% actress who gave excellent performances in movies, on stage and TV.

I've already mentioned a lot of things about The Turning Point in my review about Shirley, so I won't say much else here. It's an enjoyable, entertaining and a bit boring and slow. Other than that, I liked it very much now.

Anne Bancroft was such a huge talent that I admire so much. She was truly one of the most gifted actresses on this planet andher death's a huge loss for all of the movie lovers. Anne's roles covered such a huge rane: she could play the almost blind teacher of Helen Keller, the broken down wife in The Pumpkin Eater, the original, sexy and bitter cougar in The Graduate. She had this deep, beautiful voice that had such a huge power. It gives me chills whenever I hear it. And she uses it so well. Could you imagine somebody else saying "Hello Benjamin!" or "Do you want me to seduce you?" Anne's performances are so manipulative but in the best possible way. You always see the character and if she says seduction, you're seduced at once.

Even if you read the synopsis of The Turning Point, you'll instantly see which part is the better one. Naturally it's Emma, the aging ballerina, full of pain and loneliness. She's not a very sad person, there are no huge tears of loneliness there, she actually acts quite casually and kindly with everyone and yet we feel some bitterness in her. Bancroft brilliantly added a touch of this bitterness to this role, which is instantly captivating. Audrey Hepburn admitted wanting this role badly but I really have to try to imagine her in the role. I'm sure that she would have been brilliant as always but that Emma would be so different. Anne totally inhabited this character and made it her own right away.

Emma is a very interesting, multi-layered and Anne did not fail in showing all of her emotions. Emma is someone very old-fashioned, soft and fragile on the outside, but inside she's not afraid of hard word and competition. There's a scene where she talks to that elderly Russian lady in French. Anne is just fantastic there. I got to know so much about her character there and I was utterly fascinated by Anne. I so love these nuances in performances. I'm sure that 90% of the people who saw this movie did not think it was that great but I was crazy about it.

Although she doesn't have much screentime (in fact, this might be one of the shortest nominated leading performances ever), she's still the leading force in this film. Very much like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, I was always so impressed by her that I did not notice that she did not have that much time to work with. However, the main difference is that the 80% of Anne's performance is in the first half and therefore she disappears for some time and unfortunately that time is enough to ruin her effect a bit. Everything becomes a bit weaker and I was a bit disappointed in the end. If I was observing it as a supporting performance, that wouldn't be a big problem but here it bothers me a bit. She's great anyhow but the whole thing wasn't as powerful as it could have been.

However, Anne easily outacts Shirley (though I don't see the effort in Anne to do so). In their scene at the bar, there's so much force in Anne which Shirley really lacks. And whenever they had a scene together, Anne stole the spotlight. I just couldn't NOT look at Anne as she was so interesting and Shirley wasn't much of interest for me unfortunately. I must tell, though, that although the catfight scene works for Shirley, it somehow doesn't fit Anne's performance. Anne was so gracious and dignified (just like Emma), then she plays Joan Collins. It was a bit disappointing.

All things considered, Anne still gives the best performance of her movie, adding real depth to the character of Emma. Although she doesn't have much screentime and that catfight scene was just not for her, I still appreciated this performance and I was certainly very impressed by the immense talent and presence of Anne Bancroft.

A strong 4. I know that this was a bit fast but I thought it was best to write both reviews when the experience is fresh.

What do you think?

Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point

Shirley MacLaine received her fifth Oscar nomination (fourth in the Best Actress category) for playing Deedee Rodgers, a former ballerina and a housewife in Herbert Ross' Best Picture nominated movie, The Turning Point. It's interesting to think about Shirley's Oscar chances here: on the one hand, she was considered overdue, on the other hand, her performance was not big and celebrated enough and did not sweep the precursors. She was pretty much like her sister-in-law, Annette Bening this year. I guess she was the fourth in the voting.

The Turning Point is a fine, if a bit boring movie. When I first saw it, I thought it was horrible with horrible writing and awful performances. Now, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't know it might be my Black Swan mania but I found The Turning Point quite good. It was nominated for not less, than 11 Oscars and won NONE of them (just like The Color Purple). However, I think that 2 nominations were just jokes: although Mikhail Baryshnikov and Leslie Brown show some fantastic dancing, their acting is mediocre at best. No wonder they lost to real actors.

Ok, I don't know if I have previously mentioned this, but I just can't stand Shirley MacLaine. Although everyone seems to be so crazy about her Oscar speech, I think it was very big-faced and it did not show any humility or grace. It was funny for sure but it wasn't very appropriate. Moreover, I did not really like her remarks about her loss to Elizabeth Taylor. However, I always try to overcome my dislike for her personality and I want to concentrate and focus on her work in certain movie as I think she's a very good actress.

It's very rare when two performers from the same movie are nominated together in a leading category. In the supporting categories, it's much easier not to compare them. However, when you have two lead nominees, the comparisions are inevitable. You see, have you heard any discussions about F. Murray Abraham without Tom Hulce being mentioned at once? You always hear: he was terrific but Hulce was just as good. Same goes for Thelma and Louise, Terms of Endearment (Shirley again) and the ladies from The Turning Point. Especially, The Turning Point and especially Shirley MacLaine in it. There's one reason for that: I think that Shirley is so dependant on the role of Anne Bancroft and she also relies on Bancroft and the other actors very much.

I know that I should put this a bit more kindly but here's the truth: Deedee's role is boring and uninteresting. There I said it. There isn't much in the screenplay for her and although there are big moments for Shirley, there is no real top of the whole performance. Let's face it: Deedee is an unhappy woman who regrets her decision (which she made a really long time ago) and she's jealous of her old friend and acts in a very bitchy way with everyone. This is pretty much only the top of the iceberg but Shirley somehow added some real humanity to this real. She portrays all the emotions of Deedee extremely well though she's not required to do much.

The first (and biggest) problem with this performance (and the reason why it cannot really work) is that Shirley let herself be a victim of the weakness of the screenplay. She sank into it without trying to swim. She gets into the background too often and even though she has almost twice as much screentime as Anne Bancroft, Shirley seemed to be much more supporting than Anne. Shirley doesn't have much time either and quite frankly, when she wasn't on screen, I did not really miss her and not because I could still feel the strength and radiance of her presence but because I wasn't interested in her. I was like "OK, here she is, she's good and then she's gone. OK, there are other actors here." Shirley's performance was never very fulfilling and substantial.

Also, I don't think that Shirley gave her best here. I never felt that she tried hard enough to be something really great. She has some very intense moments, like the confrontation scene between her and her daughter. Deedee reacts so badly to confrontation and she instantly starts accusing others. The greatest achievement of Shirley was that she was able to show that there's some kind of an emotional bubble around Deedee and she's just unable to express her emotions in subtle way. She just immediately starts being bitchy. That huge catfight scene between her and Anne Bancroft would have been quite ridiculous (like something from Melrose Place or Dynasty) if they hadn't laugh in the end. I was a really honest reaction which was nailed by Shirley (more on Anne later). It totally fit Deedee's character. Those scenes are extremely memorable and might just make up for the rest.

So, to sum up, Shirley MacLaine's performance in The Turning Point is a bit mixed bag. On the one hand, her presence is not strong enough, doesn't fight against the weakness of the screenplay and she doesn't give the work of a lifetime. On the other hand, she has some very strong and well-acted scenes, which may not make up for the rest completely but they're quite good.

I go for this strong 3,5.

What do you think?

The Next Year

1977

The nominees were:

• Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point
• Jane Fonda in Julia
• Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
• Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point
• Marsha Mason in The Goodbye Girl

I figured it would be nice to take a break from this year's Oscar talk and take a look at a field with these great actresses. What do you think? What are your predictions?

And why am I doing this year? Scroll down to the ranking for the answer. :-)