In which I'm slightly bitter and mostly twisted

Captain's log: 15 February
Last movie watched: P.S. I Love You
Song currently stuck in head: Galway Girl, from the above.


Ever had one of those evenings when you feel like the opening credits of Bridget Jones' Diary? You know, the mental equivalent of listening to sad pop music and rocking back and forth in your pajamas while quaffing (hi bethini!) glass after glass of wine? No? Me neither. But that's why you shouldn't send job applications off without proofreading and then watch P.S. I Love You. Live and learn.

I don't honestly know why I hated this film so much in the day, and suspect I need to re-watch it, but that would mean three hours in the desert. Literally. Yes, it's Sandfest '96, the late Anthony Minghella's Tribute to Sand, 1996's The English Patient. What's it about? Sand, mostly. Also about Kirsten Scott Thomas falling in love with Ralph Fiennes, and this all being told to Juliette Binoche by a very crispy burns victim. I know, harsh, but see the above paragraph for the mood I'm in right now. Binoche won an Oscar for her Supporting Actress work, and I lost 3 hours of my life. I really need to see this again.

We're going to take a break at this point to talk about the awards given to Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. I know I've said a couple of the other awards are my favourite categories, but I really mean it this time. I always think the supporting actor categories have more tension and possibility for upset in them. Little people can get through with these awards, and I kind of like that aspect. This year, of course, Heath Ledger is ALL BUT a lock to take out the Supp. Actor Oscar. I'm not saying he's a lock because there's ALWAYS the possibility that it'll go to someone else. I'll be discussing an example later on, but for now let's just look at Daniel Day Lewis, the year he (and his yellow trousers) were nominated for Gangs of New York. He won just about every award there was in the lead up, but come Oscar-time and BOOM! They put him in the wrong category and Adrien Brody swoops in and wins (justifiably) for The Pianist. So while I think it's likely Mr Ledger will win, I'm not betting the house on it.

Next! A movie that started off being everyone's favourite, and now is loudly criticised, it's 1997's Titanic. Just as big as Ben-Hur, it won 11 Academy Awards. And you know what? I loved it. Its script is admittedly one whose dialogue could have used some substantial work, and the song, which seems to garner the most hatred, had some shocking lyrics but was otherwise quite beautiful. And the rest? Very impressive. It's massive, and touching and downright heartbreaking towards the end. I defy anyone to say they didn't at least tear up. It's one of those movies I am happy to enjoy, without picking at its flaws. So ner. I maintain that anyone who can make a 3 hour film about the world's most famous ship sinking suspenseful is doing rather well.

The next year Spielberg was back with Saving Private Ryan, but it was the witty-yet-Paltrow-hampered Shakespeare In Love that walked away with 1998's Oscar. Tom Stoppard is at his lovely best writing a clever and often hilarious take on what might possibly maybe could have happened when young William Shakespeare sat down to write Romeo and Juliet. It makes no claims to historical accuracy, and indeed barely anything is known about Shakespeare, so these filmmakers can pretty much go hell bent for leather. It was the first comedy to win Best Picture since Annie Hall, which is a sad state of affairs. There's a lot of fun to be had watching this, even if it's just for the little bits and pieces of Shakespeare they've thrown in. And when all else fails, Geoffrey Rush is awesome. And Judi Dench, who won her Oscar (though we all know it was really for the previous year's Her Majesty Mrs Brown) for 8 minutes on screen, has one of the best lines:

"I know something of a woman in a man's profession. Yes by God I do know about that."

In addition to this, Ms Dench apparently had to wear such high heels (one supposes to keep the dress off the ground) that the director nicknamed her "Tudor Spice". Best. Nickname. Ever.


And as the last Best Picture Winner of the 20th century, we come to 1999's American Beauty, Sam Mendes' love letter to the despair and emptiness of the American dream. It says on the net that Robert Altman apparently "hated" this movie. Which is kind of harsh. What's most impressive is that this was Sam Mendes' first film directing job EVER. He was a theatre director, made a movie, won an Oscar. Pfft! Nothin' to it! So it's about a family, mostly a man, who finds himself in the ruttiest rut that ever rutted. Its his (often odd, occasionally perverted) attempts to dig himself out and into the life he actually wants. It's not my favourite film, but I wouldn't agree with Altman either. I'm certainly an admirer of the artistry that went into making it. What else can I tell you about it? Apparently there was an Hungarian film made called Hungarian Beauty, which was, shot for shot, a copy of American Beauty. This was evidently fine with everyone, and won a major Hungarian film award. Wish I knew this was ok. Think I'll go out and shoot The Departed in my backyard.

I'm out! Time for more sad music.

Brad: "Got a minute?"
Lester: "For you, Brad, I've got five!"
--- Barry Del Sherman, Kevin Spacey - American Beauty ---