Praise for Willem Dafoe

It’s time to praise Willem Dafoe

for his work as Vincent Van Gogh.

Watching At Eternity’s Gate,

we see painting as Vincent’s fate.

Lush with color and shapes unique,

such artistry for one to seek!

His brother and Gauguin knew this,

while others the big prize did miss.

So painting for eternity

became Vincent’s true destiny.

His sunflowers and starry skies

now please most everybody’s eyes.

A film like this may move too slow.

And yet for me it seems to glow.

Scenes touch something down deep inside,

seeing how Vincent lived and died.

Nightcrawler Wins Seven Awards from SDFCS

As a founding member of the San Diego Film Critics Society, I am happy to report that Nightcrawler came away the big winner in the 2014 awards, which were voted on this Monday. Below is the complete list.  

BEST FILM
NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST DIRECTOR
Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST ACTOR
Jake Gyllenhaal, NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mark Ruffalo, FOXCATCHER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rene Russo, NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST ADAPATED SCREENPLAY
Gillian Flynn, GONE GIRL

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
FORCE MAJEURE

DOCUMENTARY
CITIZENFOUR

ANIMATED
THE BOXTROLLS

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Robert Elswit, NIGHTCRAWLER

EDITING
James Herbert, Laura Jennings, EDGE OF TOMORROW

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pincock, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

BEST SCORE
James Newton Howard, NIGHTCRAWLER

BEST ENSEMBLE
BIRDMAN

BODY OF WORK
Willem Dafoe – JOHN WICK, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, A MOST WANTED MAN & NYMPHOMANIAC 2

The 18-member San Diego Film Critics Society composes print and online journalists and was started in 2000.

Way to go, SDFCS!

Willem Dafoe: Early Oscar Contender?

It's only April, I know. But after watching Willem Dafoe's splendid performance in The Hunter, I can't help thinking about the 2012 Oscar race. If Dafoe isn't nominated for Best Actor, I will be very disappointed. Yes, he's been nominated twice before -- for Platoon and for Shadow of the Vampire. Those were both supporting actor nominations. This time, he deserves recognition in the Best Actor category.

In The Hunter, Dafoe seems to transform himself into Martin Davis, a mercenary hired by a bio-tech company to find a supposedly extinct animal. He excels at drawing us into this secret mission and makes Martin a likeable character despite the nature of his job. It's one of Dafoe's best performances ever! Although released on a limited basis this month, The Hunter will probably be available on DVD later this year. So if you're a Dafoe fan, be sure to watch for the DVD.

I Love Films about Movies!

My favorite movie of all time is Singin’ in the Rain, a wonderful musical about silent movies changing to “the talkies.” Behind-the-scenes shenanigans, studio politics, self-absorbed stars, frustrated directors and ambitious screenwriters make terrific fodder for cinematic treatment, and I definitely enjoy seeing these situations and characters depicted on screen. Here are a few of my other favorite flicks about movies:

America’s Sweethearts. Everything about Hollywood gets lampooned in this amusing romantic comedy starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack as a famous movie couple who can’t get along in real life.

Chump Change. Pursuing showbiz fame has never been filmed more hilariously than in this clever mockumentary written by, directed and starring Stephen Burrows

Lost in La Mancha. This remarkable chronicle of the catastrophes that sunk Terry Gilliam’s ambitious Don Quixote production held me spellbound from beginning to end.

Made-Up. In Tony Shalhoub’s impressive directorial debut film, some very confused and funny camera crew members attempt to understand what’s going on with the people they’re filming.

The Majestic. Jim Carrey’s laid-back performance as a studio yes-man and writer of B-movies who becomes a man of integrity is a joy to watch in this sentimental, nostalgic drama.

Shadow of the Vampire. Willem Dafoe goes triumphantly over the top as a real vampire hired to play an actor portraying a vampire in the classic silent horror movie, Nosferatu.

S1MONE. The illusions of Hollywood receive good-natured spoofing in this provocative film about a director (Al Pacino) who finds the perfect actress. The only problem? She’s an image coming from an electrical socket, and he must keep that a secret.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! While poking fun at the cult of movie stardom, this entertaining romantic comedy also celebrates the importance of true love and the value of friendship.

I think most of these films deserve more than one viewing. As megastar Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) put it so eloquently in Singin’ in the Rain, “If we bring a little joy into yer humdrum lives, it makes us feel as though our hard work ain’t been in vain fer nuthin’.”