Manhattan

This is one of Wood Allen's creations made in the 1979. Streep stated that she had not seen a complete script and was given only the six pages of her own scenes, and that she had not been permitted to improvise a word of her dialogue. As an actress myself, I get how frustrating that can be. However, to be fair technically that's what the script is for. to be interpreted by an actor for the writer and director. We are the tools. But it is fun to have the liberty to deliver a line freely as it comes to you rather than word for word no mistakes about it. This film was shot all in black and white, and also stars Dian Keaton looking very young. Meryl Honestly isn't the film more then ten minutes if that. She plays a bitter ex of Woody Allen who writes a book about there failed marriage. She also happens to be a lesbian. I thought she played the role perfectly because even though it was an evil thing to be doing to your ex, you manage to find an odd soft spot for her in the six pages she had on screen, and almost find an element of comedy. In a Woody kind of way. Honestly it took me three times to watch this movie and get through it. I started watching this movie years ago but fell asleep. I tried again recently, fell asleep. tried again, made it, and then couldn't understand why I kept falling asleep. My guess is the language or the way the script is written makes the actors talk in a very natural toned down and almost soothing way. Half the time you can't even hear them. They were very.....soft spoken. A lot of trailing off and getting quite at the end of sentences. It was weird. and sleepy. But overall I actually enjoyed the story and thought it was a cool concept for a film. But make sure to bring an espresso to stay awake!

Jaclyn Lassetter

p.s. Next is.....Kramer vs. Kramer! very excited, I've seen this movie but I love it!
p.p.s. speaking of Meryl Streep, GO SEE "It's Complicated!" in theaters Christmas! I saw a sneak preview in the theater with my cousin and we laughed our heads off. We loved it!

Holocaust

This miniseries was intense. I'm not gonna lie I was not looking forward to this one but then it ended up being quite captivating. Disturbing, awful, and heartbreaking of course, but captivating. This Mini was broken up into 5 parts all around 2 hours. It was long! which is partially why this has taken so long too. Meryl won a prime time Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a mini series. Having aired in 1978, Deer Hunter actually didn't come out in theaters until after this program. Of course after mourning the death of her fiance she performed in The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979) with Alan Alda, later commenting that she played it on "automatic pilot". Understandably of course. I couldn't get a hold of this film anywhere. So it'll have to wait for now. Manhattan is the next film and wouldn't you know it, I already watched it. Because Holocaust took 3 different DVD's to watch it and Netfilx sends only one at a time, I watched Manhattan in between. I'll talk about that after. Holocaust really started to show off Meryl's acting shops a bit more I think. There's a scene where she's running after the car that's taking her husband away to be tortured and she's crying and screaming because she has already gone through so much just to see him again for the first time in years! She plays an Arian girl married to a Jewish man (James Woods) so you can see how the conflict might ensue. This movie really made me think. I'm dumbfounded by the logic the Germans used to justify there actions. absolute madness. Meryl was quoted saying this project was "unrelentingly noble", and had taken the role only because she had needed money. Do I recommend this...I say watch it once. soak it in. and then never look back. Learn from it, don't dwell on it.

Jaclyn Lassetter