Friday

 

 

  • * Yellow asterisk: funny (maybe).

  • * White asterisk: expanded format.

  • * Blue asterisk: not mine.

  • No asterisk: it probably sucks.

OTHER CRAP:

Catch the deluxe version of Other Crap in real time, with all the bells and whistles, here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End of the Affair

1997

Julianne Moore film clips

Raw screen grabs

 

Scoop's notes:

SEVERE SPOILERS: 

On the human side, this is a very subtle and complex story, written by Graham Greene about the experiences of a writer during the bombing of London in World War Two. On the other hand, it combines the understated human elements with some spiritual or mystical overtones which seem far larger than life.

Ralph Fiennes, playing the writer who bears a remarkable resemblance to Graham Greene, wanders though London on a rainy night just after the war when he chances upon an old acquaintance who also happens to be the husband of Fiennes' ex-lover (Julianne Moore). She was the great love of Fiennes' life, but broke off their relationship two years earlier - suddenly, unexpectedly, and apparently without cause. The husband, unaware of Fiennes' real relationship with her, confesses that he suspects she is unfaithful to him, and is considering using a detective service. Fiennes', still racked with a sense of loss, jealous of the husband for still having her,  jealous of the presumed current lover, and still curious about why she left him, agrees to act as the husband's surrogate in hiring the detective, thus placing him back in her life, after a fashion.

The lovers soon re-unite, and when they do, Moore explains why she had left Fiennes in the first place. During one of their assignations, Fiennes had apparently been killed by a bomb. Moore went into her room, got on her knees to God, and promised Him that she'd end the affair if He would only spare Fiennes. When Fiennes miraculously seemed to come back to life, Moore kept her promise to God and walked out of Fiennes' life "forever," or tried to.

Now we have two difficulties:

  1. In the course of the investigation, Fiennes and Moore come together again, which means that Fiennes himself is now being investigated by the operatives of the very detective agency he hired to follow Moore. Since the street detective and the representative in the office are two different men, nobody is aware at first that the man they are reporting to and they man they are reporting about are the same man! 
  2. More important, when Moore got back with Fiennes, she thereby broke her promise to God. God is not particularly happy about this. Not content simply to let her be tormented by her guilt, he decides to strike her down immediately with a fatal disease, even though she is obviously a good person. 

The final act of the play occurs when Moore dies. The detective who had been following Fiennes and Moore met Fiennes at Moore's funeral, and told him an amazing story. One day, the detective's son had been helping him tail Moore. The boy fell asleep at his post, and was actually awakened by Moore herself, who gave him some money and led him to the Underground. The boy had a severe skin disease on his left cheek. Moore touched him gently on the left cheek, and the boy was cured!

Obviously, God knew that Moore was a saintly and good person despite her broken promise.

I'm not really into the whole guilt and punishment and miracle part of the story, but what I liked were the subtle and human touches. When the husband found out about Fiennes' real relationship with his wife, they all worked it out sensibly. Moore was obviously a deeply religious person, racked with guilt over her adultery, and she still loved her husband even though they had no passion together, and she still loved Fiennes deeply after they broke up. When Moore got fatally ill, the husband and Fiennes took turns caring for her. When she died, the two of them became best of friends, joined by something more powerful than that which separated them. 90% of the film carries a mood of resigned sadness, loss, and spiritual pain, and who better to play the husband than Steven Rea, that infinitely world-weary actor who specializes in resignation. I also enjoyed the performance by Ian Hart as the deferential but determined detective.

The movie is beautifully photographed, and was nominated for an Oscar for best cinematography. 

This tear-jerker is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is a beautifully mounted interpretation, beautifully acted, and I liked everything about it except the damned miracle. By the way, there was a 1955 movie made from the same popular novel, which was written in 1951. 

This film is a C+ on our scale. Excellent period romantic drama. If you like weepy-ass dyin' woman movies, bring out an extra box of Kleenex for this one, because it is the state-of-the-art in that sub-genre. Constant rain and fog, kisses under umbrellas, innumerable farewells, achingly beautiful images, hangdog expressions, punishment from God himself, and Steven Rea. Nearly the perfect recipe for a severe depression, lacking only Juliette Binoche to complete the great mandala of sadness.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Death Becomes Her

1992

Another short page today as I am still feeling rotten. I will be taking some time off.

The Time Macine goes back 20 years for a very young Teri Hatcher in "Tango & Cash". No nudity but she looked very sexy. Caps and a clip.
 

 

TV LAND

Over in TV Land Amy Robach is back with those hot legs. Caps and a very short HD clip which also includes Meredith Viera.
 

 

 

Pics

Jennifer Connelly in Toronto for the film festival. She's aging magnificently

Megan Fox in Toronto for the film festival. She may have a few screws loose, but she's an incredibly beautiful woman.

Luz Beato in Something is Killing Tate

Lady Gaga being her usual self

Here's that Mathilda May pic we've been waiting for. I'd say she is very well preserved.

Samantha Noble in See No Evil

Jenny Spain, playing the title role in Deadgirl

   

Jenny Spain in the special features on the Deadgirl DVD

 

Film Clips

Drew Barrymore, young and sexy in Bad Girls

Nastassja Kinski in Exposed. No nudity. Just a spirited, sexy dance.

Angela Molina in Las Cosas de Querer

Vahina Giocante in Le premier cercle

Isabelle Adjani in Possession