This is a plea to the trusted actors, producers, writer, directors, and other film craftsmen to not forget the wonderful performance given by Molly Shannon in Mike White's Year of the Dog come years end. Shannon plays Peggy, a lonely secretary and dog lover, when her beloved pooch Pencil dies, Peggy goes on a weird, metaphysical odyssey that's tragic and comic and strange. It's a credit to White's insightful screenplay, but mostly Shannon's outstanding, and un-showy performance. She never relies on histrionics or actorly tricks, there's no grandstanding her, which is why I fear that her turn her get lost in the crowd when this year comes to a close. Shannon nails the characters quiet aloofness whether she's debating the sexuality of fellow dog lover Peter Sarsgaard, quietly despising sister-in-law Laura Dern for her anti-animal awareness, or treading in pain while being romanced by a creepy John C. Rielly. The most joyous scene in the movie shows Peggy on her bed with a houseful of dogs running around destroying her place-- here Shannon exposes the passion and redemptive quality of giving a life purpose. BEST ACTRESS- Molly Shannon.
Showing posts with label YEAR OF THE DOG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YEAR OF THE DOG. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2007
For Your Consideration
MOLLY SHANNON IN YEAR OF THE DOG
This is a plea to the trusted actors, producers, writer, directors, and other film craftsmen to not forget the wonderful performance given by Molly Shannon in Mike White's Year of the Dog come years end. Shannon plays Peggy, a lonely secretary and dog lover, when her beloved pooch Pencil dies, Peggy goes on a weird, metaphysical odyssey that's tragic and comic and strange. It's a credit to White's insightful screenplay, but mostly Shannon's outstanding, and un-showy performance. She never relies on histrionics or actorly tricks, there's no grandstanding her, which is why I fear that her turn her get lost in the crowd when this year comes to a close. Shannon nails the characters quiet aloofness whether she's debating the sexuality of fellow dog lover Peter Sarsgaard, quietly despising sister-in-law Laura Dern for her anti-animal awareness, or treading in pain while being romanced by a creepy John C. Rielly. The most joyous scene in the movie shows Peggy on her bed with a houseful of dogs running around destroying her place-- here Shannon exposes the passion and redemptive quality of giving a life purpose. BEST ACTRESS- Molly Shannon.
This is a plea to the trusted actors, producers, writer, directors, and other film craftsmen to not forget the wonderful performance given by Molly Shannon in Mike White's Year of the Dog come years end. Shannon plays Peggy, a lonely secretary and dog lover, when her beloved pooch Pencil dies, Peggy goes on a weird, metaphysical odyssey that's tragic and comic and strange. It's a credit to White's insightful screenplay, but mostly Shannon's outstanding, and un-showy performance. She never relies on histrionics or actorly tricks, there's no grandstanding her, which is why I fear that her turn her get lost in the crowd when this year comes to a close. Shannon nails the characters quiet aloofness whether she's debating the sexuality of fellow dog lover Peter Sarsgaard, quietly despising sister-in-law Laura Dern for her anti-animal awareness, or treading in pain while being romanced by a creepy John C. Rielly. The most joyous scene in the movie shows Peggy on her bed with a houseful of dogs running around destroying her place-- here Shannon exposes the passion and redemptive quality of giving a life purpose. BEST ACTRESS- Molly Shannon.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Top 5 Films of 2007... Thus Far
5. THE LOOKOUT (Scott Frank)-- Intricately plotted little noir with an expert performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who's getting really good after Brick and Mysterious Skin; can't wait of Kimberly Pierce's Stop Loss).
4. WAITRESS (Adrienne Shelly)-- Sunny and sweet little screwball comedy. This is not normally the kind of movie I'd normally seek or rave about, but the writing and acting is so superior here, I found it difficult to resist. Keri Russell plays a pregnant waitress in a dirt Southern town and finds love in the arms of a doctor (Nathan Fillion) and redemption in her superior baking abilities.
3. GRINDHOUSE (Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino)-- It really makes me sad that this didn't really make any money-- it's possibly the most fun I've had in a movie theater all year. Rodriguez's Planet Terror is cheesy and winningly spirited in a grindy, bad movie sort of way, and Tarantino's Death Proof is the most articulate roadster movie ever made.
2. YEAR OF THE DOG (Mike White)-- A sublime dark tragicomedy with the best Molly Shannon performance of all time. It's hard to read this movie, but I like that, I think it should be seen because it's so divisive.
1. ONCE (John Carney)-- I previously gushed about this, so for more words, click down.
I apologize already because I have a fondness for lists.
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