Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Paul Newman, one of my favorite actors and my ultimate celebrity crush, passed away on Friday night. He was an amazing actor, a true humanitarian and a man married for fifty years (!!!) to Joanne Woodward. To celebrate his life and work, here is a top ten list of his best performances (my favorites... what have you).

10. The Towering Inferno (1974) - Newman plays architect Doug Roberts who returns home to celebrate the opening of the tallest building ever in California which, of course, he designed. Newman rival Steve McQueen may take center stage, but Newman is fantastic as well. The cast is all-star, the dialogue is cheesy but it sure is fun.

09. The Color of Money (1986) - The film that finally won Newman an Oscar! He plays Eddie Felson, no longer the cocky young man he was in The Hustler. Though not as strong as The Hustler, obviously, it's still a pretty solid film anyway, directed by Martin Scorsese and co-starring Tom Cruise - back when he wasn't crazy. Newman may have been in his sixties when he made this movie, but he was still in his prime and he was still a brilliant actor, perfectly capturing the old restlessness and competitiveness that creeps back into a hustler who never really retires.

08. Road to Perdition (2002) - Another Oscar nomination for his work as an elderly Irish mob leader who is a surrogate father figure to a hit man (played by Tom Cruise), Newman proved that he is a better actor than most thirty somethings. Newman proved that Marlon Brando wasn't the only one who could play a powerful Godfather type.

07. The Young Philadelphians (1959) - Here, Newman plays a young lawyer who abandons his values and morals in order to gain success. Newman is wonderful - at first wide-eyed and innocent becoming more intense and conniving as the film progresses. His entire life is more or less a source of scandal and he's not above using the bedroom to get what he wants.

06. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - Holding your own with the force of nature that is Elizabeth Taylor is probably difficult - but Newman does it. His performance is less flashy and more subtle. It's not until a choice scene in a basement that we really see what he can do. Newman is hard and tough, immovable but he still has a little dignity and love. Newman's portrayal is deeply internalized and he conveys volumes with those gorgeous blue eyes.

05. The Hustler (1961) - Newman's first time playing Fast Eddie Felson. He's self-destructive but probably the best pool player in the country. Newman's character is a born loser and, again, Newman says it all with those beautiful eyes. He doesn't have to say a word. You can just see the trouble his character is going through. He loves the girl but he is unable to express himself. He knows nothing other than playing pool and hustling people.

04. Hud (1963) - The tagline was "No one gets out of life alive." Ain't that the truth. Hud is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Newman plays Hud as the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for fun with no regard for the consequences of his actions. He's a hell raiser and a rebel. Newman is perfect with the cynical, cold manner and the sly, insinuating smile. Perfection.

03. The Long, Hot Summer (1958) - While the supporting cast (Joanne Woodward, Orson Welles, Lee Remick, Angela Landsbury) is quite superb, the film belongs to Newman. He's macho, sexy adn handsome. His Ben Quick is angry, determined, manipulative and disturbing... with a hidden vulnerability. His scenes with Woodward sizzle and it's easy to see the chemistry they had in their first of many films together.

02. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - I can't think of any two actors who had chemistry as great as Newman's and Robert Redford's. The film has the right mix of comedy and adventure and the script is perfect for arguably the greatest team in Hollywood history. Newman is spontaneous in this film and his hopelessly ridiculous optimism is uplifting. His delivery is perfect. Just trying getting the image of Newman riding a bicycle to the song "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" out of your head.

01. Cool Hand Luke (1967) - No one has ever been or will ever be sexier than Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. End of discussion. Newman stars as Luke, a war hero who gets himself in trouble with the law. He is repeatedly beaten both physically and mentally but refuses to conform to the rules of the prison where he's being held. Luke is a typical rebel and he has a certain aura that everyone loves. It's not just a prison movie. It's a near perfect film about not conforming in a world that requires and demands it. This is arguably his most memorable performance - and the best - in a long distinguished career. It must not be easy to play someone who goes from being a sincere individualist to a man who is so beaten and defeated, yet in the the end still not willing to accept it. Newman is perfect.

Coming soon...
Reviews of Eagle Eye and more

Updated Oscar picks

Halloween celebration - top ten horror movies / sequels / performances / more!

Mini Reviews...

Lakeview Terrace - Not exactly a bad movie, perse, just terribly trite and unoriginal. It's more a think piece about interracial relationships than a thriller about clashing neighbors. And, really, it just seems out of place in 2008. I mean, I know people are still prejudiced but do they really take it to this extreme? I find it hard to believe. It was probably the second most fun bad movie of the year (after Mamma Mia, of course). It was entertaining, if nothing else. And, you know, Patrick Wilson is so very nice to look at.
Grade: C-

My Best Friend's Girl - What the hell happened to Kate Hudson? I remember the days when she made good movies like 200 Cigarettes and Desert Blue and, you know, Almost Famous. Now she's trying too hard to be the romantic lead. She is charming as hell and it's hard not to like her but she's letting her talent go to waste with terrible scripts like this. I think there were about three times I laughed. Dane Cook is not funny. Jason Biggs is not... anything. Alec Baldwin was the saving grace of this disaster.
Grade: D+

Burn After Reading - Near the end of the film, J.K. Simmons tells a lackey, "Report back to me when this all makes sense." That's sort of how I felt as well. Lucky for the Coen Brothers (and their wonderfully outrageous cast), I like movies that are confusing and silly and often don't make much sense. John Malkovich is amazing in his role as a CIA agent who quits his job, writes his memoirs and has a sort of nervous breakdown. My favorite moment of the film is him walking off a boat wearing a robe and carrying an axe. John Malkovich is right up there with Eric Roberts as one of the coolest guys in the whole world. Brad Pitt is hilarious. I often dislike Pitt in films (because I dislike him in real life) but he was actually fun to watch here. George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand (worst. hair. ever.) and Richard Jenkins round out a really great cast who made an enjoyable, funny, entertaining film.
Grade: B+

The Life Before Her Eyes - Melodramatic to say the least. Almost unbearable to watch.
Grade: D-

Snow Angels - What a beautifully tragic desperate and ultimately devastating film. Director David Gordon Green has sure shown his versatatily this year. First he makes this tragic depressing little film (which released in February) and then he follows it up with one of the funniest movies of the summer (Pineapple Express). I don't want to tell you too much plot because it's really worth watching. There are a lot of twists and a lot of really great linear storytelling. The cast is phenomenal. The ladies - Kate Beckinsale (she can act!), Olivia Thirlby and Amy Sedaris - are just fine but it's the men - Sam Rockwell and Michael Angarano - who steal the show. Rockwell will break your heart.
Grade: B+

Married Life - Not necessarily bad. Anything starring Patricia Clarkson is automatically "not bad" in my book. Still, it's boring as hell. I didn't care about any of these characters or any of the ways they slept with each other. If it wasn't for Patricia, I don't think I could have even finished it. Maybe it's my hatred for Rachel McAdams. Maybe it was the lousy script. Who knows.
Grade: D+

Vicky Cristina Barcelona + mini reviews

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Directed and written by Woody Allen
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson
Plot: Two American friends, the neurotic, engaged, grad student Vicky (Hall) and the free spirited artist Cristina (Johansson) travel to Barcelona to spend their summer. While there, the friends both become involved with a charming painter (Bardem) who has a very volatile ex-wife (Cruz).
Review: It's kind of funny. Woody Allen spent the majority of his career making brilliant, classic movies about loving - and falling in love in - New York City. Annie Hall is one of the most romantic break-up movies ever made. Manhattan is a gorgeous love letter to the city. So, it's funny then that Allen has found his creative resurgance by going overseas. First he made his come back picture with Match Point in London. Then he did his solid slapstick comedy Scoop in London. Then he made the strong Cassandra's Dream in London. Now he's in Spain and Vicky Cristina Barcelona is everything a Woody Allen movie should be - it's smart, it's funny and it's poignant. Woody Allen has a lot to say about love. He asks a lot of questions and knows that there are no answers. While Cristina deals with her entangled relationship with a painter AND his wife, she tries to define love - but Allen knows there is no way to define it. Instead, his new film tells a simple tale about two girls and the romantic entanglements they encounter in a foreign country. And Barcelona looks beautiful! The cinematography is gorgeous (witness the amusement park and the bike riding scenes). It's also nice to see how Allen has grown as a film maker. Years ago, he would have stock piled as many jokes in the film, no matter how silly. Here, there is a particular moment where a character is set to tell a joke he warns is bad... and Allen cuts out of the scene. He's more interested in character development know and not just getting a cheap laugh. He doesn't need cheap laughs. His writing is as crisp and witty as it was thirty years ago.
Best Thing About It: Well, Woody's sharp writing, for one. [Witness the scene when Cruz' Maria Elena admits to going through Cristina's luggage because she does trust her. She explains, "I didn't know if you wanted to harm me. After all, I've had thoughts about killing you."] Also, Cruz is a force to be reckoned with. The film is great from start to finish but when Cruz comes on screen, the movie really ignites. She's violent and aggressive and romantic and tragic and volatile and exhausting and straight up hilarious. I've never seen her this way before. She's very impressive here and heading for a second Oscar nomination. (For the record, Hall was surprisingly strong as well.)
Worst Thing About It: The narration takes a while to get used to but it's not bad per se. Other than that, Woody needs to move on to a new muse. Johansson just doesn't have the acting chops that his previous muses did (Farrow, Keaton, Weist).
Summary in Ten Words or Less: Woody is as funny and intelligent as ever!
Grade: A-

Mini Reviews

Bangkok Dangerous - Brainless and pointless. Nicolas Cage needs to stop making movies. It doesn't get an F because of the Asian actor who was actually quite interesting. Grade: D

Son of Ranbow - Great little British movie about a boy who can't watch TV or movies and his sudden desire to make his own version of Rambo. It's funny and charming although a little uneven. Grade: B

How to Rob a Bank - Stars Nick Stahl who I adore beyond words. It's an interesting concept but I'm not sure it's executed well enough. I mean, sure it's flashy but it's more style than substance. I know it's trying to make a point (the government is nickle and diming us into the poor house) but it's not really a point that needs to be made. Believe me, we're aware. Grade: C+

An American Crime - Great acting from Catherine Keener and Ellen Page. Keener plays a suburban mom struggling to make ends meet who locks Page's character up in a basement and tortures her (or approves while her kids and the neighbors torture her) for a few months. Based on a true story. It was interesting enough - it just could have been... edgier. Plus, not sure if I loved the ending. Or the fact that it took the majority of the movie to get to where it was going. Grade: C-