Monday, December 04, 2006
Dear Zippy
Stranger than Fiction was a good movie. Rich and I both enjoyed it a lot. It's sweet and it's funny and it's intelligent. If you want a more worthwhile review, you should check out Ebert who gave it 3.5 stars. If I know you, I know that you're an Ebert fan and will respect his review, more than mine. Love, Michelle
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7 comments:
hmmmm....
i'm not too much of an ebert fan. so i will have to trust your judgement.
to me, will ferrel doing any kind of movie that is even remotely NOT slap-stick, is like when jim carrey tried doing pseudo-drama roles in the "truman show" (one of the worst movies ever made) and "the majestic" (slightly better, but still really, really bad).
why dont you have a blog entry on movies you like and maybe some reviews?
enquiring zippies want to know!
Well 'Stranger than Fiction' has gotten mixed reviews this side of the pond....I've seen a couple of lukewarm ones but it's recommended by reviewers I'd normally agree with so it's definitely on my list of movies to see...
I'd be a bit worried about WF in serious role but Jim Carrey was very good in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind so I guess I can give WF a tryout too :)
Ah yes, Zippy. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a great movie and therefore your theory is proven wrong.
hmmmm.... interesting take. while i agree that 'eternal' is an excellent film (and one of my personal favorites), i still think that my theory holds true since i wouldnt consider eternal to be a drama. i think i would consider it a science fiction piece that sets up good conversation. it was a commercial flop that gained critical success and has amassed a huge cult following.
i think that the comedic tones of the film far outweigh the dramatic feel of the movie... by a longshot. and i think that most people would tend to agree, hence it being in the "Comedy" section of a typical rental shop (including Blockbuster), as well as the comedy section of Netflix. i simply cant agree that Jim Carrey played a "serious role" in eternal...dont get me wrong, he had his moments, but i wouldnt even come close to considering that a dramatic role.
So, that being said, while i agree that eternal is an amazing movie, that doesnt even come close to proving my theory wrong.
just for clarification...
my above comments are not meant to imply that i feel that a comedic actor is not talented... as most actors would be the first to tell you that comedy is a much tougher challenge (as a role) than drama...and very few actors can successfully pull off both (tom hanks comes to mind as one that can)... i just dont think that jim carrey, or will ferrel for that matter, has proven themselves able to do it. not yet anyways...IMHO.
and please, PLEASE, dont bring up that awful andy kauffman flick, man on the moon.... as that was just horrid.
Zippy-D-Doodah ,
(Joining you on soap box) Will Ferrel was actually quite good in Stranger Than Fiction and it certainly would not be the first time I liked a comedic actor in a serious role. Yes, of course there is Tom Hanks , but Will Smith (he is supposed to be fantastic in his new serious role), Robin Williams (LOVED Dead Poets Society and the obvious Good Will Hunting and Jamie Foxx also come to mind. And as powerful as your blockbuster example was (not so much), I do not think you can argue that Eternal Sunshine was not a massive departure from his Ace Ventura roles and that he's a talented versatile actor.
Additonally, Rich and I saw Bobby two nights ago, but you have tired me out and you will have to hold out for a review. Later Zip.
ahh... a couple of points.
i agree on pretty much all of your points. will smith and robin williams are excellent examples of the comedic actor that is also a good dramatic actor (along with the obvious and aforementioned tom hanks)... i definitely agree on all of them.
for the record... i never said jim carrey wasnt a talented and versatile actor... he is definitley one of my favorites! i just think that i wouldnt consider him a success when it comes to those roles (dramatic)... whereas i would consider the others mentioned as successes.
how is success measured in this instance? well, how about box office receipts and accolades (not just critical acclaim, which hanks, smith, and williams beats out carrey anyways, but in "hardware")... the "dramatic" roles that carrey has undertaken have all been box office flops (when compared to his other movies, as well as when compared to other movies that he is competing with at the time of release), whereas the others have all had large commercial successes, as well as oscar nominations (wins in the case of williams, foxx, and hanks) for their dramatic roles: williams for "good will hunting," "fisher king," "good mornign vietnam," and another mutual favorite, "dead poets society" (i still choke up when i hear, "captain my captain!".... but anyways, i digress)..foxx for both "Ray" and "collateral," and smith for "Ali."
also, i think that the blockbuster example, even though you attempt to down play it, brings up a valid point.... if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck....its a duck. eternal was marketed as a comedy, it is categorized by the general movie going public as a comedy (hence the aforementioned categorizations via blockbuster and netflix)...
just because it isnt all out slapstick (like that ace ventura crap), doesnt mean that it isnt a comedy. some comedies cant be compared to eachother simply because of diffences in style...like "airplane" and "when harry met sally" both are obvious comedies, but they are very different stylistically... if that makes any sense...
oh well... anyhoo. for the sake of arguement, i would, at best, MAYBE consider eternal a dramedy. even that is a stretch as far as i am concerned.
that being said.... omigosh. i have totally been wanting to see "Bobby" does it live up to the hype?!?!?!? i would love to see one of the "brat pack" from my youth (breakfast club anyone? heh heh), emilio estevez win an oscar...(or even worse, i may be dating myself with this one: st. elmo's fire? its so bad that its good!) though i am nervous that they are going to give a stinking oscar to that over-hyped scorsese for "the departed".... but that is fodder for another entry i suppose! :)
please.... when you can, i would love to hear your take on "Bobby"
also, there is room for both of us up here on the soapbox! nice view from here, huh?
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