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fannishlissChristopher Eccleston has just received a nomination for an International Emmy. What a great honor and so very well-deserved -- even though I've only seen clips, it's the kind of role he cares about, and when he cares about a role he knocks it out of the park. All you friends who are wondering, why is Liss in such a rage of Eccleston Marathoning -- I know his work is hard to come by in the US, but he is simply FANTASTIC. And he has an amazing body OF WORK. body of work!!! :D
I'm currently in the middle of Anchoress (1993, dir. Chris Newby, wr. Judith Stanley-Smith and Christine Watkins). Overall, the film is strikingly beautiful to watch. It is filmed in black and white in an old-fashioned, art film style. I read someplace that the film might be regarded as an homage to Carl Theodor Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928) and it does remind me strongly of that film, which I remember way back from auditing a film course in college. The landscape and the huge sky dominate the film (it was a Belgian co-production and may have been filmed in Flanders?). The story goes that a girl, Christine, begins to fixate on a statue of the Virgin, and falls into symbolic reveries while contemplating Her. The Priest, played by CE, offers to wall her up as an anchorite.
Once again, I can't believe that this film is not raved about more often! Halfway through, I guess there could be some stunning turn of events that would derail it, but I don't find that likely.
The Priest is a mixture of good and bad -- just the kind of character Chris excels at playing. As a Medieval Priest -- he is condemnatory of anything that seems to smack of witchcraft, and he hates Christine's mother, Pauline, whom he regards as a witch. In one exemplary scene, he denies Christine food because she won't make confession, and of course, she experiences her ecstatic visions of the Virgin in a loaf of bread or a cup of water or the sound of birdsong. Her spirituality is remarkably pagan and earth-based, which infuriates the Priest. He asks her what color are the Virgin's robes in her visions, and she says Red, and he's like NO THEY'RE BLUE BECAUSE SHE'S THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN!!!. So it's very much an interesting and feminist take on women's spirituality in medieval times. I'm looking forward to learning more about the real-life Anchoress of Shere -- her cell, connected to a village church in Surrey, is still there today!
For fans of Chris-- he is absolutely gorgeous in this movie. The black and white format, the lighting, his priestly robes -- everything conspire to highlight his dramatic bone structure and the ferocity of his eyes. And then, his lines are so fierce and Chris simply rocks in this movie, villain (as I suspect) or not. OM NOM NOM. The Priest would say I am such a foul daughter of Eve! Yay, I SO AM. :D It's so awesome when Pauline, the mother, totally PISSES AT HIM. \o/ Her actual piss is foreshadowed when she says "I piss at him" and THEN SHE DOES. one of the best feminist f* you moments ever.
Wow: The Shadow Line.
Okay, so, Chris is perfect as Joseph Bede. But this is not my kind of thing. Spoilers under cut.
EVERYONE DIES. EVERYONE. EVERYONE BUT THE ONE GUY WHO I LONGED TO STRANGLE WITH MY BARE HANDS. AND THEN KICK THE REST OF THE WAY TO DEATH. AND POSSIBLY STAB. OR ELECTROCUTE - NO, HE LIVES!!! AND EVERYONE ELSE DIES. EXCEPT MY OTHER FAVORITE CHARACTER, WHO-------- BETRAYS. ahhhhhhh.
ALSO, BABY DEATH!!!!! /o\ egad, DNW!!!!
This is the sort of show that makes me avoid drama. The whole thing is very convoluted and plot heavy. All the acting is stellar, I will say that, and I'm glad I watched, because I'm also a fan of Chiwetel Ejiofor.... though I do recommend Dirty Pretty Things above this for sheer intensity on his part. I did not have actual nightmares, but there was some loss of sleep. Sigh.
The way Joseph Bede came SO CLOSE, but then again TOTALLY NOT CLOSE AT ALL was so very heartbreaking. When he dies at the end, it's almost a relief, because you know it's an end to his suffering that was tearing him apart. And then, you wonder, how criminal was he before he found out about his wife's illness? It just makes me wonder if he didn't go crooked right when he found out. We don't have enough information, only that he's been completely clean except for this one deal that's been five years in the making..... and then the whole Pension Reveal kind of bothered me. Pensions are a huge problem in this country too.... just yesterday someone said on NPR that like in some city in California they could see the day coming when there's only one city employee, whose job is to pay pensions. :( And of course, the Post Office going down is largely due to pensions..... but still -- is counterpoint really valid social commentary?? I was left feeling somewhat unconvinced.
Let him Have It arrived on DVD, and Jude is still on order, and I think I'll try to watch "The Accused: Willy's Story" next which earned Chris the Emmy Nom. I am so happy for him!!! My other boy, Jensen Ackles, was shortlisted for an emmy nom, and we exploded with glee on that account. :)
I'm currently in the middle of Anchoress (1993, dir. Chris Newby, wr. Judith Stanley-Smith and Christine Watkins). Overall, the film is strikingly beautiful to watch. It is filmed in black and white in an old-fashioned, art film style. I read someplace that the film might be regarded as an homage to Carl Theodor Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928) and it does remind me strongly of that film, which I remember way back from auditing a film course in college. The landscape and the huge sky dominate the film (it was a Belgian co-production and may have been filmed in Flanders?). The story goes that a girl, Christine, begins to fixate on a statue of the Virgin, and falls into symbolic reveries while contemplating Her. The Priest, played by CE, offers to wall her up as an anchorite.
Once again, I can't believe that this film is not raved about more often! Halfway through, I guess there could be some stunning turn of events that would derail it, but I don't find that likely.
The Priest is a mixture of good and bad -- just the kind of character Chris excels at playing. As a Medieval Priest -- he is condemnatory of anything that seems to smack of witchcraft, and he hates Christine's mother, Pauline, whom he regards as a witch. In one exemplary scene, he denies Christine food because she won't make confession, and of course, she experiences her ecstatic visions of the Virgin in a loaf of bread or a cup of water or the sound of birdsong. Her spirituality is remarkably pagan and earth-based, which infuriates the Priest. He asks her what color are the Virgin's robes in her visions, and she says Red, and he's like NO THEY'RE BLUE BECAUSE SHE'S THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN!!!. So it's very much an interesting and feminist take on women's spirituality in medieval times. I'm looking forward to learning more about the real-life Anchoress of Shere -- her cell, connected to a village church in Surrey, is still there today!
For fans of Chris-- he is absolutely gorgeous in this movie. The black and white format, the lighting, his priestly robes -- everything conspire to highlight his dramatic bone structure and the ferocity of his eyes. And then, his lines are so fierce and Chris simply rocks in this movie, villain (as I suspect) or not. OM NOM NOM. The Priest would say I am such a foul daughter of Eve! Yay, I SO AM. :D It's so awesome when Pauline, the mother, totally PISSES AT HIM. \o/ Her actual piss is foreshadowed when she says "I piss at him" and THEN SHE DOES. one of the best feminist f* you moments ever.
Wow: The Shadow Line.
Okay, so, Chris is perfect as Joseph Bede. But this is not my kind of thing. Spoilers under cut.
EVERYONE DIES. EVERYONE. EVERYONE BUT THE ONE GUY WHO I LONGED TO STRANGLE WITH MY BARE HANDS. AND THEN KICK THE REST OF THE WAY TO DEATH. AND POSSIBLY STAB. OR ELECTROCUTE - NO, HE LIVES!!! AND EVERYONE ELSE DIES. EXCEPT MY OTHER FAVORITE CHARACTER, WHO-------- BETRAYS. ahhhhhhh.
ALSO, BABY DEATH!!!!! /o\ egad, DNW!!!!
This is the sort of show that makes me avoid drama. The whole thing is very convoluted and plot heavy. All the acting is stellar, I will say that, and I'm glad I watched, because I'm also a fan of Chiwetel Ejiofor.... though I do recommend Dirty Pretty Things above this for sheer intensity on his part. I did not have actual nightmares, but there was some loss of sleep. Sigh.
The way Joseph Bede came SO CLOSE, but then again TOTALLY NOT CLOSE AT ALL was so very heartbreaking. When he dies at the end, it's almost a relief, because you know it's an end to his suffering that was tearing him apart. And then, you wonder, how criminal was he before he found out about his wife's illness? It just makes me wonder if he didn't go crooked right when he found out. We don't have enough information, only that he's been completely clean except for this one deal that's been five years in the making..... and then the whole Pension Reveal kind of bothered me. Pensions are a huge problem in this country too.... just yesterday someone said on NPR that like in some city in California they could see the day coming when there's only one city employee, whose job is to pay pensions. :( And of course, the Post Office going down is largely due to pensions..... but still -- is counterpoint really valid social commentary?? I was left feeling somewhat unconvinced.
Let him Have It arrived on DVD, and Jude is still on order, and I think I'll try to watch "The Accused: Willy's Story" next which earned Chris the Emmy Nom. I am so happy for him!!! My other boy, Jensen Ackles, was shortlisted for an emmy nom, and we exploded with glee on that account. :)
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-06 03:58 pm (UTC)But tell you what - I always knew he hated GI Joe.
Congrats, you beautiful man! Win that award!!
no subject
Date: 2011-10-07 01:54 am (UTC)I haven't watched GI Joe yet but folks seem to like Destro. :P
no subject
Date: 2011-10-07 02:31 am (UTC)I don't think CE has ever recorded a line where he didn't know exactly what he was doing. There is always purpose behind his performances, for better or for worse.
Sometimes he does just take the paycheck and walk away. I must say he looked pretty damn hot in that suit as Destro though!
no subject
Date: 2011-10-06 11:52 pm (UTC)As for the SL. It is a must see for any CE fan as his performance is top notch. He drags you into the life of his character from almost the first moment he is on screen. There are times you completely forget he is a criminal intent on bringing illegal drugs into the UK. You care so darn much about what he is going through in his private hell. He is shredding from the inside as his whole future is being torn form him. You know, the usual CE character. It was like watching a train wreck, where you knew that he was not going to come out of this alive. I was just so relieved when he died. I don't usually feel that way when a CE character passes on, but Joseph needed to be released from his pain. The scene, near the end, in the hospital where Julie was asking Joseph to let her go *grabs a tissue* It was all tears from that point on...
Now about the SL as a whole. Movies with high body counts are not my thing. I was shocked when at the child killing (we need to talk about Jude before you watch it). I believe that was the point, to shock. There were a lot of shocking moments right up until the very end of the film. This was the anti-thesis of "everybody lives" to be sure. The characters were a mixed bag, but all turned into wonderful performances. The cinematography was on par with feature films. The writing tight, if a little slow and wordy in places. I kept thinking if we would see something like this broadcast in the US and doubt it very seriously. It is a different world over here.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-07 02:02 am (UTC)Oh, and plus! The woman who plays Blon Slitheen has a speaking part in it! the acting world in Britain is so small. :P
We're going away for the weekend, so I probably won't be in the gutter much after tomorrow night-- have a great weekend!
no subject
Date: 2011-10-07 04:03 am (UTC)My copy of "The Anchoress" is on it's way to CA. Thanks for the review. It sounds like it is right up my alley.
The more British television you watch, the more you will recognize the actors ;)
no subject
Date: 2011-10-16 08:04 pm (UTC)More later as I must digest the film and let it sink it a bit before I just start blabbing everything that comes to my mind. I got a little antsy in the beginning and figured out it was the lack of a sound track. Then I settled in and let the sounds of nature carry me into the film. It was beautifully shot.
I will say how much I loved the 'piss off' scene. The loudest f*you I have ever heard!
no subject
Date: 2011-10-17 11:33 am (UTC)I think this movie could've been quite flat if not for the incredible performances from Chris and the woman who played Pauline. That's the difference between his intensity on screen and for example that guy who played the Reeve -- he was perfectly strong as an actor and very striking -- but nothing compared to Chris!! (said Liss, wildly fangirling)
Have you started marathon training yet in order to get a place next to him in some run?? :P I adored the Top Gear interview, esp. where he challenges the guy to race him through London! :D
no subject
Date: 2011-10-17 11:00 pm (UTC)William was completely overcome with terror at the thought of going to Hell for his wife's animalistic ways. The film depicted an interesting transition of power from the herbalists rituals to religious teachings. A tug of war for the position of power in society.
I thought it interesting that even after Christine escaped, the Priest wanted her life spared, but Reeve wanted her punished and put to death. I would have thought that their desires would have been reversed at that point as Christine had rebelled against the Priest's authority and Reeve had finally earned the love of her sister.
You were so right about how CE glowed the entire film. He was the only character that didn't look grungy and sweating. Of course he was not bound to the Earth like the villagers were. He was so shrewd, he even had the villagers do away with Pauline for him. Pauline certainly got him a good one though! Amazing!
no subject
Date: 2011-10-17 11:10 pm (UTC)The end, when she goes into the grotto, blew my mind. I just love how she literally "goes to earth" and evades both Priest and Reeve. What magnificent symbolism! Despite the fact that her mother was killed, she gets to emerge from her tomb and live on.
Also, I really liked her boy-friend, the Drover. I loved how together they slept in the dove-cot and then how she buried him in sand and he led her to the City and they spit swore!!! Just, such an awesome movie in so many ways.
Yes, and I think they made it clear what a step backward it was - how the Church was actually more deeply rooted in superstition at that time than the pagans were.
The music that was used in the film was from the old albums that were released in the 90s of "Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares" -- do you remember those albums? I was like "I know this song!" and then I saw it in the credits as the Bulgarian National Women's Choir (I think). As a traditional singer, I love that sound!!! I was just at a Bulgarian Women's Choir concert a few months ago. They followed it with ShapeNote and Americana singers. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-10-19 01:40 am (UTC)Oh Shadowline, urgh I put off watching the final episode for weeks once I found out Joseph died. Then I sobbed my heart out.
I want to see somethig happy from CE soon but there is no denying that the man can act and steal your heart no matter whether he's good or bad.