SOPHIES CHOICE (1982)
The first thing my husband David said when he watched about 12 seconds of this film was "This woman is a chameleon! She can do anything!" I said "I know, she even laughs with an accent!" This movie won Streep an academy award for Best Actress. Undeniably because she transforms her self into a scared polish woman who has so much baggage from her "choice" she made during the holocaust, which later we learn is her decision to choose between which of her children would live under force of a Nazi. She delivers a vulnerable performance that leaves no room for improvement. Of course Kevin Kliene her costar and brilliant actor himself portrays a schizophrenic and together they form this sad love story. This is a movie I won't see again for a while simply because of it's weight. It's heaviness. I loved it. I was mesmerized the whole time, but it was a downer and is one to be appreciated. studied. remembered, more than watched over and over. lovely lovely film.
Monday, February 22, 2010
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANTS WOMAN
A story within a story. It took a moment to understand but soon we realize that Streep is actually playing an actress. We become attached to her fake story which seems real. and her real story which is still fake if you think about it. She's an adulterer in one and a....crazy woman in the other. She has some beautiful moments in the end of her "screen" character that her character is playing in the movie. She giggles slightly at the end when her ex lover she seduced into ruining his reputation by sleeping with her while engaged to another woman comes to visit, or rather finds her after she disappears with his reputation is shatters. She giggles in this take they used and it's said that she didn't giggle in any other take because it's a serious moment, but for this one take she did because she bumps her head and she was inspired as her character to find this funny. The point is, even when she's breaking she's not breaking (character). Over all I don't think I watch this movie again honestly. Of course I can always find something worthwhile about Streeps performance that will entertain me, but the over all movie was slightly slow and rather over done. The whole story with in a story thing has been done 23048 times. So I applaud the effort but you can tell this is an early career choice.
A story within a story. It took a moment to understand but soon we realize that Streep is actually playing an actress. We become attached to her fake story which seems real. and her real story which is still fake if you think about it. She's an adulterer in one and a....crazy woman in the other. She has some beautiful moments in the end of her "screen" character that her character is playing in the movie. She giggles slightly at the end when her ex lover she seduced into ruining his reputation by sleeping with her while engaged to another woman comes to visit, or rather finds her after she disappears with his reputation is shatters. She giggles in this take they used and it's said that she didn't giggle in any other take because it's a serious moment, but for this one take she did because she bumps her head and she was inspired as her character to find this funny. The point is, even when she's breaking she's not breaking (character). Over all I don't think I watch this movie again honestly. Of course I can always find something worthwhile about Streeps performance that will entertain me, but the over all movie was slightly slow and rather over done. The whole story with in a story thing has been done 23048 times. So I applaud the effort but you can tell this is an early career choice.
Kramer Vs. Kramer
This is one of my favorites and I yes I've seen this one before but watching it again, it just doesn't get old. The acting is phenomenal and of course Streep completely deserved her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win. This film came out in 1979 and probably was the real catapult for Streeps career. Streep even wrote her ending speech she gives in court about why she deserves to keep her son. Coming from her own life as a working mother and dealing with those stresses she was able to find some decent inspiration for the speech. If you haven't seen this movie it's heart breaking but heart warming all at the same time. Even though this blog is obviously geared toward Meryl Streep, I have to mention the stellar performance dustin Hoffman gave as her husband she abandons. Speaking in terms of story line, you should be rooting for Dustin H. the whole time. The little boy they found to play their son wasn't too shabby either. It was a good depicting of struggling parents, divorce, and all the emotions attached.
This is one of my favorites and I yes I've seen this one before but watching it again, it just doesn't get old. The acting is phenomenal and of course Streep completely deserved her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win. This film came out in 1979 and probably was the real catapult for Streeps career. Streep even wrote her ending speech she gives in court about why she deserves to keep her son. Coming from her own life as a working mother and dealing with those stresses she was able to find some decent inspiration for the speech. If you haven't seen this movie it's heart breaking but heart warming all at the same time. Even though this blog is obviously geared toward Meryl Streep, I have to mention the stellar performance dustin Hoffman gave as her husband she abandons. Speaking in terms of story line, you should be rooting for Dustin H. the whole time. The little boy they found to play their son wasn't too shabby either. It was a good depicting of struggling parents, divorce, and all the emotions attached.
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