More Great Performances!

Movie: Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Nominated for: Actor in a Supporting Role
How I watched: Caught it before it left the theatre, the whole family went
When I fell asleep: Not at all
When it had me: From the Mr. Rogers-style opening
When it lost me: It did not
What I have to say: I really loved the storytelling style in this film, framing the whole movie as an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was brilliant and fun. Early on I felt like Tom Hanks was really just Tom Hanks rather than disappearing into the role. As time went on he embodied the feeling of the character well enough that it did not bother me that he didn't actually look like or sound like the real person. I'm trying to process the fact that Mr. Rogers really makes me feel uncomfortable. It's so odd to see someone be so present and so vulnerable and so open to connection It feels too intense, too intimate, too intimidating. I really hope I can continue to evolve and gain a greater capacity for kindness and authenticity at a full Fred Rogers level. Matthew Rhys turned in a beautiful performance as the everyman character trying as hard as I would to avoid the Rogers' soul-stare. My whole family really liked this film!





Movie: Bombshell
Nominated for: Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Make Up & Hairstyling
How I watched: In Theatres
When I fell asleep: I didn't
When it had me: The term "Anger Menstruating"
When it lost me: I don't think it did 
What I have to say: So this was fascinating and disgusting and overall a well told whistle blower story. I'm shocked every time I see a detailed account of how these predatory dirt bags work. I don't know why I'm still shocked but I am. It's not just shocking what they get away with, it's shocking how they create a culture around them where everyone assists, complies, coerces, protects and looks the other way in the face of behavior almost no one would condone out loud. It was so fascinating to watch these hyper conservative women struggle with the fact that they want to be treated with respect and a certain degree of equality in the work place and they want to (sometimes) be treated like humans instead of objects but they have to walk the line like expert gymnasts because they are terrified of being labeled feminists! Or terrified of finding out that when they really do have to fight for themselves, in their heart of hearts, they actually are feminists. Sometimes I felt sorry for them, and sometimes I felt like they deserved their inner squirming for not having thought through their own place in the world very carefully. At least this was a true story where the fat, white predator in charge of everything actually got fired! So that made for a happy ending.





Movie: Judy
Nominated for: Actress in a Leading Role
How I watched: Prime
When I fell asleep: I didn't but I did have to turn it off for a while and come back later because that's what happens when you watch at home
When it had me: The first song of Judy's London tour
When it lost me: I'm not sure
What I have to say: This movie starts with Judy taking the stage at some tiny show with her kids. I swear she says, "Hello, Altadena!" which I found so distracting because I live in Altadena and I could not imagine where there was a venue that Judy Garland might have performed and then I started googling whether there was a record of her ever playing here and couldn't find anything and then I thought maybe one of the Writers or Producers lives in Altadena so they put it in for them and then I realized I wasn't focused on the movie. But I got back in and remembered that everything about Judy's life was pretty heart breaking. Renee Zellweger pretty well disappears into this role. I saw everything I needed to in the scene of her first performance in London. She did so much with that song. She put pretty much everything she had into that performance; it was stunning. She plays Judy like a performance machine; she plays her vulnerable and raw, she plays her both present and far away, she plays her on the knife edge of unraveling, she plays her drugged out of her mind, she plays her innocent and hungry for love, she plays her desperate and in control of her instrument and out of control of her life. And she does it all in one song. I can't even judge if she actually looks like her or acts like her but she captured something very real and electric and layered and I was more impressed than I imagined I would be.