Ruby

"The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within - strength, courage, dignity." - Ruby Dee (Photo and quote from The Academy on Twitter)

I had the pleasure of seeing Ruby Dee and her husband Ossie Davis at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture sometime in the early 2000s. I don’t remember what they were there to speak about. It may have been part of the 100th birthday tribute to Langston Hughes the center was doing in 2002. In any case, I remember Ms. Dee was not in the best of health at the time, and when I went up to shake Mr. Davis’ hand after the presentation, he was polite but clearly pre-occupied with how his wife was doing, frequently looking over at her and hurrying off to join her as soon as he finished his pleasantries with me. I admired him for that and envied Ms. Dee. In that brief moment it was clear how their relationship lasted so long. They truly loved each other and apparently knew well enough how to live with the fact.

It turns out Mr. Davis was the one who was not long for this world at the time. He passed away three years later, and Ms. Dee went on to star in a few more movies, like Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” – which earned her a supporting actress Screen Actors Guild award and an Oscar nomination. She also continued to be the great civil rights activist and inspiration she had been throughout her life.   

Her performances that stand out for me are probably the same ones that stand out for most of her fans. She was beautifully devoted to and desperate for her husband, played by Sidney Poitier, in “A Raisin in the Sun.” Opposite her real-life husband Mr. Davis on the screen, she was a doting and peace-making wife and mother in “Jungle Fever” and a cross and no-nonsense life-long neighbor in “Do the Right Thing,” both directed by Spike Lee. And in “American Gangster” she humbled her son – a powerful, shrewd, and ruthless criminal played by Denzel Washington – with passionate common sense to try to save him from himself.

She had beauty, grace, talent and spoke truth to power. And though it is a great loss for this world, I’m sure she is thrilled to be reunited with her Ossie.   

'Chinatown' turns 40

Last week, the Roman Polanski film noir classic “Chinatown” celebrated its 40th year in existence. If you haven’t set eyes on this mercilessly stylish and well-plotted masterpiece, make it a priority to do so. The film features Jack Nicholson as a disillusioned private eye in the tradition of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade. (If necessary, please read and/or watch “The Maltese Falcon” post haste.) As he investigates what he thinks is a routine job, he finds himself involved in a power play for water rights in 1930s Los Angeles and falling for a troubled femme fatale played by Faye Dunaway. The trail also leads to uncovering the dark deeds of John Huston as the stunningly effective villain of the piece. Speaking of Sam Spade, Huston made his directorial debut with “The Maltese Falcon” in 1941, so he knew his way around a film noir.

The script was crafted by famed screenwriter Robert Towne, although the ending was not what Towne intended. He lost the fight with director Roman Polanski on the resolution of the movie’s events, which I won’t give away here. But Towne won an Oscar for the screenplay nonetheless. The sets and costumes (Richard and Anthea Sylbert) as well as the cinematography (John A. Alonzo) were all spot-on.

I had the pleasure of writing an intro and outro for the film that will be delivered by Ben Mankiewicz on Turner Classic Movies Aug. 15 as part of the network’s Summer Under the Stars Film Festival. That day will be dedicated to the work of Faye Dunaway, who managed to turn out a series of iconic performances in a short space of time, including “Chinatown,” “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Network.”

Nicholson actually had to fight for Dunaway to get the part in “Chinatown.” Producer Robert Evans originally intended to cast his then-wife Ali Macgraw. After Macgraw ditched him for Steve McQueen, Evans offered the part to Jane Fonda, but she turned it down. Thus Dunaway landed one of her best parts and delivered one of her best performances. She and Polanski butted heads early and often during the production, but everybody came out a winner in the end. The movie was a runaway hit and was nominated for 11 Oscars (winning only the one for best screenplay, unfortunately – it was the year of “The Godfather, Part II"). Dunaway, incidentally, lost the best actress award to Ellen Burstyn for “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (another great movie and great performance).

So celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Chinatown” with a rental or a purchase ASAP. It does not disappoint.

And the Oscar goes to ...

I somewhat shamefully admit I have not seen most of the Oscar-nominated films this year. As a movie blogger who is about to offer her opinion on the nominees, I admit I should have tried to do better – perhaps see at least half of the nominated films before commenting on them. My only excuse is that I was not terribly inspired by the 2013 Oscar fare, so I’ve been content to wait for them to be released on DVD or on-demand. I’m not saying they aren’t worthy and remarkable movies. In fact, in some cases, I’m confident they are. So I plan to see them from the comfort of my home (except for “Gravity,” which I have promised to see on a big screen in 3-D ASAP), but it won’t be in time for the Academy Awards telecast Sunday. And I didn’t want to let the small fact that I haven’t seen most of the nominees stop me from filling out an Oscar ballot for my Oscar party and giving my opinion on which ones I want to win and why. To wit …

Best Picture

I have been forced to come to the conclusion that the Oscar race is primarily a PR contest. I don’t agree with it, and frankly I don’t understand why voters allow it to be so, but it is. It seems fairly simple to pick out the most well-crafted film, the most believable performance, etc., or at least narrow it down to the top two or three. But much to my dismay, it often comes down to a popularity contest.

For reasons I’ve already explained, I can’t say which film I thought was the best of the nominated films this year, but I can say that it seems “American Hustle” has positioned itself as the frontrunner. I like David O. Russell’s films (especially “Three Kings”), and I like all the primary actors in “American Hustle,” but I suspect the overall film is not as good as “12 Years a Slave” or “Gravity.” And based on that suspicion alone, I’m pulling for any of the nominated films except “American Hustle.”

Best Director

I believe Alfonso Cuarón is going to win this one, and he probably deserves it based on all the raves about the technical achievements in “Gravity.” I’m a fan of his former work – “Y Tu Mamá También” and “Children of Men” in particular – so I know he can craft a traditional tale with flesh and blood people (vs. outer space and physically isolated people), and that’s enough for me to be OK with him winning. Besides, I think Academy members are not going to give it to a rookie nominee like Steve McQueen.

Best Actor

I’m truly at a loss here. I could see the Academy giving it to Leonardo DiCaprio or Matthew McConaughey, both popular dudes. Some believe DiCaprio is overdue (well-deserved nod for “The Aviator” and overlooked for “The Departed”), and McConaughey’s performance looks like it has bravura written all over it. But I’m pulling for Bruce Dern – understated, exacting while seeming effortless, plus he’s due.

Best Actress

OK – obviously Cate Blanchett has this category on lock, and rightfully so. I’m a huge Amy Adams fan going back to “Junebug,” and word is that everybody’s pal Sandra Bullock does some solid work in “Gravity.” But I did see Blanchett’s performance, so I know it was impressive, and she has the momentum, which usually counts for a lot with Academy voters.

Best Supporting Actor

Another category all wrapped up by one nominee. In this case, it’s Jared Leto, and I’m rooting for him. I have no noble reasons that will further the arguments of cinematic authenticity other than he seems magnificent in the clips I’ve seen, the critics have all gushed themselves silly about his performance, and I’ve had a slight crush on him since I saw him in “Switchback” in 1997. (I never watched “My So Called Life.”)

Best Supporting Actress

I’m pulling for either Sally Hawkins or Lupita Nyong’o here. I saw Hawkins performance, and she crushed it as usual. I’ve been a big fan of her since I saw her in “Happy Go Lucky” and then in “Layer Cake” (which was actually released before the former). But even though I haven’t seen Nyong’o’s work in “12 Years A Slave,” it’s hard not to root for her, too, just because she’s received so much acclaim for her performance and she’s an Academy rookie with such style and grace.

Original Screenplay

I’d be OK with any of the nominated screenplays in this category winning, but I think they are going to give it to Spike Jonze for “Her.” It seems original and timely enough to stand out from the pack.

Adapted Screenplay

My heart is with “Before Midnight” because I saw it so I know how good it is. Plus I have been on the journey with those characters throughout Richard Linklater’s trilogy and loved every minute of it. But “Philomena” has raked in quite a few wins on the awards circuit, and it is a more predictable pick, so I think the Academy voters will probably go in that direction. And that’s cool – Steve Coogan is a talented guy.

Animated Feature

I can’t imagine how any modern animated film could be as good as any animated film created by Hayao Miyazaki. That is all.

Foreign Language Film

I really have no business even messing about in this category because I haven’t even seen clips from any of the nominated films. However, based solely on the noise in the machine, I’d guess it will go either to “The Great Beauty” or “Omar.”

Original Song

Fortunately, I was able to make time to listen to all the nominated songs. It was tough carving out 15 minutes, but I had to do it to maintain my credibility as a movie blogger. Oh yeah – I’m committed. Anyway, if the Academy voters remain their predictable selves, then the winner will be the U2 track “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” Like nearly everyone else in the world, I love U2, but I love Pharrell too, and I love his song “Happy” even more than that. So there you go.

I have every intention of revisiting my unfounded ravings in this post after I’ve seen all the movies to reassess my choices, but until then, please take my humble opinions as grist for the Oscar mania mill, which is all they are. Enjoy the show Sunday night! Go Ellen!

Words to images, page to screen

"Entertainment Weekly" cover shot by David Fincher

I’m so excited about the upcoming film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel “Gone Girl,” an unusual thriller about a husband suspected of murdering his missing wife. I enjoyed the book, but I’m probably most excited about the movie because it will be directed by one of my favorite modern directors – David Fincher. Fincher has a way with dark stories of murder and mystery (see “Zodiac,” “Se7en” and “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), and I’m confident his take on “Gone Girl” will not disappoint.

The anticipation of Fincher’s “Gone Girl” adaptation got me to thinking about some other books I’ve read that I would love to see interpreted on the big screen.

Another Country by James Baldwin

Published in 1962, this incredible novel is about several friends in New York City and how their lives change after one of them commits suicide. It deals with issues of race and sexuality at a time when those issues were just being discussed openly and challenged in mainstream society. I found it interesting that Baldwin covered the loneliness and devotion that arises from both single and traditional family relationships with such shattered bitterness and candor but also with such hope and longing. It would be quite a challenge to get this one right on film, but perhaps there are some screenwriters and directors capable of doing it justice. If only Eric Rohmer were still alive.

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

I’m a huge mystery/thriller fan, and this popular 1994 novel ranks right up there with “The Silence of the Lambs” for me in terms of intriguing characters and suspenseful writing. The story is set in 1896, long before psychological profiling was taken seriously, and pairs a New York Times crime reporter with a psychologist (alienist) and a police department secretary, all working at the behest of the forward-thinking police commissioner who happens to be Theodore Roosevelt. They are seeking a particularly brutal serial killer of adolescent boys, both disturbing and controversial, and arguably one of the reasons it has never been adapted for the movies. Whatever your take on whether audiences can handle the subject matter, it’s a great story that would make a great film in the right filmmaker’s hands.    

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Ah, that Gillian Flynn again. I’ve already declared my love for mystery/thrillers, so naturally at least one of Flynn’s earlier books would make this list. It can only be one because she only has three books to her credit, and two of them – “Gone Girl” and “Dark Places” – are already in production. The one I would love to see most is her first novel, “Sharp Objects” (2006). The heroine, Camille, is a journalist who returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two adolescent girls. But her homecoming is rife with potentially damaging consequences due to her passive-aggressively abusive mother (one of the best villains of recent literature). Camille’s childhood wounds have led to her inflicting physical wounds on herself; she is a cutter, someone who cuts herself to deal with her emotional pain. And apparently that type doesn’t fly with producers looking to green light a major motion picture. But here’s hoping a capable producer and filmmaker can prove that audiences can handle a damaged heroine who solves the crimes committed against herself and others.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

In Toni Morrison’s 1974 novel, Macon Dead Jr., better known as Milkman due to his delayed weaning, is a young man coming to terms with his dysfunctional family and limited opportunities in his small Ohio hometown. The richness of the book comes from the portrait of Milkman’s conflicted ambitions and his single-minded family and friends, particularly his enigmatic and sagacious aunt Pilate (yes, named after Pontius Pilate). It doesn’t have a standard plot. There are plenty of conversations, but things happen mostly through internal musings and revelations, much like in William Faulkner novels, so it could be tricky to capture it fully on film. But again, in the right hands (Ang Lee? Kasi Lemmons?), it could live up to the masterpiece of a book that inspires it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I have to echo Stephen King’s description of this rapturous 2001 tale by calling it a gothic novel. I’ll leave it to you to look up what that means, but it captures the makeup of the story completely. I can’t begin to go into all that happens, but here’s a spare synopsis: Set in 1945 Barcelona, a young boy discovers a rare book and soon decides to find the author’s other works. His decision leads him into a great adventure replete with lost loves, political intrigue and unsolved mysteries. It’s an adult fairy tale I couldn’t put down, and it would make an epic movie. I’m thinking we would need no less than Steven Spielberg on the case, here.

I’m always impressed by directors and screenwriters who can stay true to a novel’s spirit as they bring it into a new life on film. I post about some of my favorites (and not so favorite) in the By the Book section of the blog. Here are a couple of links to articles and posts from other sources for book-to-movie enthusiasts.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51251/5-books-probably-wont-be-adapted-movies

http://www.criterion.com/explore/194-novels-on-the-big-screen