Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Movie Afternoon: "Flight"

 

I played hookey this afternoon and went to see Denzel Washington – knowing there would be scary scenes on an airplane and aware that my fear-of-flying self would go nuts. That’s how much I love Denzel as an actor (he’s not bad looking either).

He was as brilliant as always, only even more vulnerable than usual. As an alcoholic pilot wrestling with conscience and guilt, he showed a side I hadn’t seen before.

That said, I was less enthusiastic about the movie itself.

I found the love story a distraction rather than an interesting plot point or character reveal. I didn’t buy the ending at the NTSB hearing (I won’t spoil it). And there were at least two “Hey look – he’s drunk again” scenes that could have been cut. But the acting all around was first rate; Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood and Don Cheadle were all great.

Will Denzel get another Oscar nom? It’s a very tough field, but I hope so.

So Much For The Oscars

What a coma-inducing show that was.

(Courtesy: tsgquickdishing.com)

I was briefly hopeful at the very beginning when Hathaway and Franco were digitally inserted into the Best Picture nominated films, but I knew soon enough that I and the rest of the viewing audience were in for a looooong night. Were the dresses pretty? They were gorgeous. Were there any surprises in terms of the awards themselves? Not a one. Did everybody behave? Sure, except for Melissa Leo’s F-bomb. This is what you get when you don’t hire comedians to host the Oscars: a boring, boring broadcast. You want funny? Get funny people as your MC’s.

Herewith some other suggestions:

  • Don’t bother telling the winners not to thank everyone. They will anyway. They can’t help themselves.
  • Don’t try to make the show shorter by cutting the stuff we actually enjoyed – like the clips of previous winners.
  • When you do the “dead people montage,” let the audience clap if they want to.
  • If you’re going to bring back Billy Crystal, have him hang around for more than 10 seconds.
  • Persuade Sandra Bullock to present more than one award; she’s entertaining.
  • Ditto: Tom Hanks.
  • Where were Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton, not to mention the others on my “women of a certain age” list?
  • Find a new writer for the show – someone who can actually write jokes.

    Michael said after the final award was given out, “That’s it. I’m never watching the Oscars again. It was such a waste of four hours.”

    He says that every year, but this time I can hardly blame him.

    More Oscar Countdown

    OK, we talked about Natalie Portman and Christian Bale in yesterday’s post. Now it’s time to focus on Melissa Leo, who wowed everybody in “The Fighter” as Mark Wahlberg’s kick-ass mom (even though she’s not that much older than he is).

    upi.com/Jojo Whilden)

    I thought Leo was sensational in “Frozen River,” the indie film for which she received a Best Actress nom, but she was equally good in “The Fighter.” Will she win this time? Apparently, she turned off members of the Academy by taking out her own “For Your Consideration” ads in the Hollywood trades. I thought the move was pretty gutsy myself.

    (Courtesy: nymag.com)

    Want to know why she did it? Check out this interview with The Daily Beast’s Jacob Bernstein . Here’s an excerpt about the ad campaign.

    “I’ve been busting my ass, trying to get the movie sold and seen, and now I show up where they ask, get put into hair and makeup that they pay for, so I can promote this thing [and campaign]. So I’m a little confused. I thought this is what we’re doing. This is what all the girls are doing.”

    I love her for not playing the game. Or for playing it her way. She’s unique in Hollywood – an actress who finally achieved stardom in middle age, which is usually Death Valley for women – and I’m rooting for her to win. She’s in a tough category, but I think she’s plenty tough enough to take home the little man in gold.

    Now I Know Why Jacki Weaver Was Nominated

    When the Oscar nominations were announced the other day, I looked at the Best Supporting Actress category and thought, Who’s Jacki Weaver? Her movie, “Animal Kingdom,” sounded like a documentary about gorillas in Africa or something. I was baffled. So I figured I’d better see what all the fuss was about.

    First of all, here’s who Jacki Weaver is.

    (courtesy: parade.com)

    I guess it escaped me that the 63-year-old Australian actress was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Anyhow, she’s been working in her native country for years but has only now achieved international recognition for a role that was, apparently, written just for her.

    And what a role it is. I saw the movie last night and she’s just about the scariest movie mother since Faye Dunaway in “Mommie Dearest.” Come to think of it, there have been quite a few monster moms at the movies this season – from Barbara Hershey in “Black Swan” to Melissa Leo in “The Fighter.” But Jacki Weaver tops them all. Why? Because she plays the matriarch of an Australian crime family with the sweetness of a ’50s mother in a Betty Crocker commercial. Her sons are killing cops and getting killed by cops, and she’s either cooking for her boys or kissing them and acting like it’s just another day in paradise. But underneath all that sweetness is a cruelty that makes Tony Soprano look like a neighborhood minister. Here’s the trailer.

    I didn’t love the film. I found it slow in parts and difficult to follow, primarily because the Australian accents are so thick; I’m sure I missed key dialogue. What I didn’t miss was the electrifying performance by Weaver. She won’t win the Oscar (my money’s on either Melissa Leo or Amy Adams, as I’ve said), but I’ll pay attention the next time I see her name in the credits.

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