Who doesn't love Patricia Clarkson? What do you mean you don't know who she is? She's the lady that steals the show no matter what the show is, somebody who'll never be offered a role that Jennifer Aniston turned down but would certainly make that movie watchable. But she only really appears in indies and you'd be a very lucky film maker if you could persuade her to work on your indie flick that's for sure. She even got an Oscar nomination for her performance in a Katie Holmes film that was quite forgettable as a whole.
It took seeing her fantastically funny turn in a not so massive role in Welcome To Collinwood recently for me to realise just how versatile and always excellent she is. So here's five more films you should see her in:
An ensemble piece adapted from the A.M. Holmes novel of the same name. Clarkson stars alongside Justified dreamboat Timothy Olyphant and the girl who smelled so nice in that vampire movie before sleeping with a really old married man.
Probably my favourite movie of 2003 this is the sweet, funny and moving film that set Thomas McCarthy on the road to indie fame. Clarkson is the broken woman who finds a way to grieve thanks to two unexpected friends.
We all know about Ryan Gosling these days, he's a fantastic modern actor. Back when this quirky drama was released it seemed to fly under the radar a little but is definitely worth the watch. Patricia Clarkson has a very important role as his girlfriends doctor, the kind of role that could easily have destroyed the movie in the wrong hands but Clarkson brings the right level of humour and sincerity to it.
George Clooney astounds me, he is so damned good looking and much much more than a pretty face. He sells coffee for a living and occasionally makes fantastic movies. This one was nominated for six Academy awards and features very strong performances from the entire cast including Patricia Clarkson as Robert Downey Jr.'s wife. I know many women who would kill to be in that position. She looks fabulous in black and white too.
The smartest teen comedy in years featured Emma Stone as a pocketful of sunshine and a couple of scene stealing performances from Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as her parents. Comic gold. I enjoyed them as a couple so much that I am searching out the 2007 Stanley Tucci directed movie Blind Date.
I was laying bed last night and the idea for this post just jumped in to my head. Sadly this meant I had to get up and make some notes. For a (former) book dealer this should have been an obvious post a long time ago but I was trying to avoid my other love - movies and books shouldn't mix, I wish somebody would tell Hollywood!
A little google will bring up several other similar lists it seems and incredibly the initial four scenes I thought of were on these lists. Fresh ideas were needed otherwise what's the point? This required my superb memory (and asking Leah for help.)
10. When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Dir. Rob Reiner
One of my favourite movies from when I first started watching film, the mid 90's provided me with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan on one of only three VHS tapes in the house, lucky it was so funny and sweet and actually interesting to a teenaged boy.
The bookshop scene is the moment when Harry and Sally meet for the first time in years and actually start to become friends, so in the scheme of things it's a pretty important moment and has a few laughs, including visual humour such as being in PERSONAL GROWTH, I don't think I'll have what he's having.
9. Annie Hall (1977) Dir. Woody Allen
The Oscar winning film from master film maker Woody Allen, showcased the darker and the softer sides of the (at the time) renowned comedian features a memorable scene in which he introduces Diane Keaton to the pessimistic side of his personality. I'll let the clip speak for itself:
8. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002) Dir. Chris Columbus
I believe the shop is called Flourish and Blotts, which is a terrible name for a bookshop in my opinion. But it does have a lot of books, look at them all piled up everywhere, the sign of a book lovers dream come true. The great thing about the scene from this movie rather than when we return in later instalments is that it's the first appearance of my favourite character/performance of all 8 movies, Kenneth Brannagh as Gilderoy Lockhart.
7. Notting Hill (1999) Dir. Roger Michell
I can't help but enjoy Hugh Grant, the fact that he almost always plays the same character doesn't bother me because ever since I saw Four Weddings I've felt like I identified with his bumbling Englishness. Notting Hill is a nice movie, despite Julia Roberts and her giant face, it has a fair few laughs and a famous travel book shop that no longer exists apparently. I will not hold the fact that it is merely a travel specialist shop against it as the following scene contains several things that have happened in Elizabeth's bookshop in the past year or so; an unexpected celebrity arrival (see blahblahblahloves Emma Thompson for full anecdote,) the bookseller (me) making a fool of himself/the customer choosing to ignore the bookseller's intelligent recommendation, the removal of a book from a thiefs underwear (see review of Jen Campbell's book Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops for full anecdote,) and Dylan Moran. My friend Chloe returned from the little girls room to find a shop empty except for Bernard Black himself sitting behind the counter and she promptly freaked him out by hugging him. Go Chloe! Yes, we were all very jealous of her fortuitous bathroom break.
6. Before Sunset (2004) Dir. Richard Linklater
The beautiful sequel to Richard Linklater's brilliant Before Sunrise, this time in Paris, who could resist? The bookshop in question is none other than world famous, in real life, Shakespeare & Co. of Paris. The same bookshop seen in Woody Allen's recent charmer Midnight In Paris infact. The scene in question is the moment the pair of lovers from the Before Sunrise are reunited after nine years as Ethan Hawke is giving a reading from his autobiographical novel based on his experience of the first movie. The bookshop is important to the scene which in turn is important to the movie and Shakespeare & Co. should get at least one mention don't you think?
For lovers of Paris on film I also highly recommend Julie Delpy's directorial debut Two Days In Paris which co-stars the excellent Adam Goldberg.
5. Funny Face (1957) Dir. Stanley Donen
Things to know about Funny Face: Audrey Hepburn is the most beautiful bookseller I've ever seen. Fred Astaire is creepy looking and the relationship between the two of them is massively off-putting. The film itself is bizarre and features an even stranger 'bohemian dance sequence' in a Paris nightclub. The bookshop has a wonderfully ancient feel to it, despite the exceedingly cinematic spiral staircase, who wouldn't want to climb up those rickety old wodden steps to find the rare first edition of Graham Greene's first novel that was never reprinted with an incorrect price tag?
It was an OK adaptation, filled with some brilliant cinematography and featuring a crazed Nazi bookseller. There's always a place for Fritz Lang and noir here on blahblahblahgay. Check out the full review from our noir-a-thon.
3. Easy A (2010) Dir. Will Gluck
Emma Stone didn't win the Oscar, you may call me crazy but I would suggest that she should have. The bookshop in question is in real life the world's largest outdoor(!) bookshop Bart's Books and was privileged to find itself playing host to the following Q&A with the girl with the pocketful of sunshine:
Olive Penderghast: Do you have a religion section?
Bookstore guy: It's right over there. Can I help you with something?
Olive Penderghast: The Bible.
Bookstore guy: That's in bestsellers, right next to Twilight.
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991) Dir. Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise
It was Leah's major contribution to the post, personally I don't remember the scene but she assures me it is a major contributor to what people of our generation think of when they consider the typical antiquarian bookshop, especially those ladders on wheels.
1. The Big Sleep (1946) Dir. Howard Hawks
Phillip Marlowe at his best as played by Humphrey Bogart in this classic adaptation of Raymond Chandler's noverl. It actually features two bookshops across from each other. One the hideout for an illicit operation, the other an excuse for Marlowe to pass time with the bookish girl, ridding her of the unattractive glasses and ponytail and proving that She's All That had some noir class at it's core.
EDIT: The first comment caught me short, I realised the post wasn't actually finished. The pleasure of having put the list together seems to have caused a brainfart.
I should mention that I discounted Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind despite the creepiness of Elijah Wood in Barnes & Noble and Serendipity because it was just plain dull as far as movies go. And as for the following question just what the hell did I forget? Alan has got a head start, feel free to leave your complaints in the blahs.
So what you all been doing this week? Been watching movies? Of course you have. It's what we exist for isn't it. I feel like the recent Revelation Film Festival has revitalised me, in to seeing movies I would usually put off seeing due to their 'difficult' nature. By difficult I mean those movies that require a little more thought and are made with a little more subtlety than your standard blockbusters, or subtitled. Some subtitled films are made with as much subtlety as a brick in the face but I refer to those that are more art than film. Gosh I'm waffling a lot. A long week at work has left me feeling like the sofa is the best place for me this morning.
Of the other three films I managed to finish this week there was one more new viewing and it was another 'difficult' film, Hal Hartley's Trust. It was my first experience of Hal Hartley and I was completely blown away by his method of storytelling. I particularly liked the delivery of the dialogue, it was quite reminiscent of Brief Encounter, one of my all time faves so that kind of reference always helps. I'd been meaning to watch something from Hartley since I first saw Clerks, my VHS copy had a trailer for another of his films, Amateur, and the other trailer was for Before Sunrise. Having seen both of those highly entertaining movies I knew Hartley was going to be a director worth watching. It's funny and quirky, the performances from the entire cast were pitch perfect, especially Adrienne Shelley and Martin Donovan. It made me very sad to see the talented Shelley in this role of a young girl and think how her talent has been robbed from us and it also made me want to watch Waitress again. I could probably talk about this movie for a very long time it was that good but instead I shall share yet another review from Alex at Film Forager who clearly has a deep love of this film and all Hal Hartley movie for that matter. She's wonderful that Alex.
Two easy to watch, thoroughly enjoyable movies close out my week. Easy A and The Boondock Saints. I've seen them both before and laughed all the way through, both are perfect viewing for a lazy night on the sofa with no need to really think about what you're watching. That's not to say that they're not intelligent pieces of cinema because they are. I'm sure you've all heard (or seen) just how perfect Emma Stone is in Easy A so I won't bore you but I think she deserved at least a nomination at Oscar time, it's a hard task to carry an entire movie and have such excellent comic and dramatic timing. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as her parents are priceless. Stanley Tucci co-starred with Oliver Platt in The Imposters and this fact was brought to my attention by CS in his recent Oliver Platt post, I think this may need to be seen asap based on how much I love Tucci in Easy A. There were some great reviews of it back when it hit the cinema, for those of you wanting more info I suggest The Duke Himself, Constant Visual Feast, Cinema Romantico and Stevee's Cinematic Paradox.
As for The Boondock Saints, it's a cult movie for a reason, it's a seriously flawed film but has so many great attributes that you can't help but watch it and watch it, any time that Willem Dafoe is on screen in this movie is a moment you shouldn't take your eyes from. It's a shame the director proved himself an asshole hack and the Irish accents were so variable. See Boondock Saints 2 for proof of his average abilities behind the camera. Or the great documentary Overnight which has some amazingly self destructive moments featuring those lovable guys The Weinsteins.
I turned some movies off this week too. Free-ish time indeed. Oh sweet relaxation. But seriously I am putting up for dismissal from the movie race the following: Hoodwinked Too (the original was enjoyable enough but this was terrible right from the off, no wonder the original cast abandoned it,) Absolute Power (possibly a controversial dismissal what with it being a Clint Eastwood but jeez it was a tedious opening 30 minutes from which you could see the entire plotting laid out in front of you) and The Conspirator (Andy Buckle said it wasn't any good but I just didn't listen and I got right up to the start of the trial before switching off despite my brain wandering from sheer boredom about 2 minutes in.)
Share the blah below people. I know some of you have seen these films. Will anyone own up to not enjoying Emma Stone in Easy A?
