Yes, many people are already writing their Top 10 movie lists for
2013. We're saving ours for the last week of the year. While we wait
for this terrific movie year to wind down, we're going to start
looking back at some highlights. Today, it's our favorite forgotten performances: These won't be rewarded come Oscar time, but they stuck with us nevertheless. Leitch: Julie Delpy, Before
Midnight. The brilliant, wrenching last half hour of Before Midnight has torn me apart the
three times I've seen it. It's
shocking and painful and full of the truth and nastiness that only two people
who have known and loved each other a very long time can muster. It also
establishes the secret of the whole Before
Sunrise franchise: These movies have been about Celine all along. In the first film, Ethan Hawke's Jesse seemed to be living
out every callow American pseudo-intellectual boy's dream: Traveling through
Europe, he spends a perfect evening wandering around Vienna with a beautiful
French girl who understands him, man, in a way that no one back home ever
could. It was moving and funny and real, but it also never pretended this was an
actual relationship that could last outside this one evening. In Before Sunset, the sequel, Jesse is a
successful author who still sort of thinks it's all about him, that all the
problems that adult life brings can be solved in one grand, dramatic gesture.
Celine is always present for these moments, simply being herself, calling Jesse
out for his bullshit but secretly dreaming herself, wondering if that vague
sense of dissatisfaction could possibly be extinguished by this coarse,
full-of-himself American. In Before Midnight, we
see the ramifications of the last two films, in the real world. Jesse and
Celine still love each other—the movie never wavers from that central fact—but we see clearly how so much of this relationship has been on Jesse's terms.
Jesse got his big dramatic gesture but lost his family for it, something he
secretly resents Celine for, which he'll never admit. (Jesse thinks that giving
up everything means that he should automatically win every argument after
that.) So he plunges forward in his life with self-regard, assuming that his
genuine love for Celine will allow him to keep getting away with everything. The fight at the end is Celine finally calling him out on it in the way that only someone who loves
him—and is exhausted by him—can. Celine,
a brilliant, ambitious woman who has put aside much of her life for Jesse and
their twins, notes that Jesse just gets what he wants all the time, without
paying for it. He doesn't know the name of the family pediatrician; he begs out
of the more strenuous parts of parenting; he falls into routines that benefit
him far more than Celine. She, basically, picks the relationship apart. As with
all fights, she's right about some things and wrong about others, but Julie
Delpy never makes us feel like Celine is just complaining, or is just trying to
pick a fight. This has always been her life too, and in the real world, the
fantasies of the last two films can crumble… and she's the one always having
to sweep them up. And yet: She still loves him, they still love each other,
and they'll keep moving forward. Both Hawke and Delpy have aged, obviously, but
Delpy still feels connected to the world; you can almost see Hawke (and Jesse)
receding into gruff older gentleman mode. Celine is still trying, still
believing, still fighting… and Delpy makes us feel every second of it. It's an
incredible performance. I can't wait to see what she comes up with seven years
from now, because she keeps getting better. And we keep loving her more. Grierson: Denis O'Hare, C.O.G. Denis O'Hare is
one of those great "that guy" character actors: You may not recognize his name,
but you know his face and love his work. A Tony-winner (for Take Me Out) and Emmy nominee (for American Horror Story), O'Hare has been featured
on television shows such as True Blood,
The Good Wife and Brothers & Sisters, and in movies
like 21 Grams and The Proposal. (He plays the doctor who
keeps Angelina Jolie locked up in Changeling
and the doctor who stands in the way of Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club.) But he's rarely
gotten the chance to shine on-screen like he did in C.O.G., one of the year's real buried treasures. Written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez (Easier With Practice), C.O.G.
is adapted from a David Sedaris story and stars Jonathan Groff as David, a
young East Coast snob who travels to Oregon to take a summer job at an apple
orchard, convinced he needs some real-world, regular-folks experience. David is
grappling with his homosexuality, but he finds himself becoming friends with
Jon (O'Hare), an older born-again Christian and Gulf War vet who wants to
spread the Gospel, unaware that David, his would-be new protégé, is gay. C.O.G. is a lovely
balance between comedy and drama—it's a slender film enlivened by its
collection of precise, multi-dimensional characters—and Jon is the person who
lingers longest in the memory. As played by O'Hare, he's a mess of
contradictions: He's a genuinely funny and thoughtful man, but he's also a
bigot with an incredibly short fuse, as if the sinner he once was and the saved
man he thinks he now is are fighting for supremacy. Jon is the kind of character that's easy to mock—a clueless,
hypocritical fool who clings to religion because he can't cope otherwise. But
O'Hare won't let us see him so simply. Instead, Jon is revealed to be an
empathetic man in real spiritual crisis, a well-intentioned soul trying to
convert David to Christianity who can't even control his own worst impulses. In
the process, O'Hare delivers something uncommon: a compassionate, nonjudgmental
portrayal of how flawed everyday people wrestle with faith, trying to aspire to
something greater than themselves even though they're cursed to be the screwed-up
individuals that they are. In real life, you probably would want to steer clear
of someone as angry and exhausting as Jon. But the beauty of O'Hare's
performance is how he draws us in, giving Jon the grace he'll never find
himself. Grierson & Leitch is a regular column about the movies. Follow us on Twitter, @griersonleitch.
Related Posts
Karim Benzema says he is enjoying life at Real Madrid so much that he would have no problem finishing his career at the Bernabeu.
The France international took time to settle in the Spanish capital but has nailed down a regular berth in Real s frontline this season and played a key role in the club s Liga triumph.
Everything is going super well for me now. We have won the league and we re all really proud of this team, Benzema said.
It is true that at first it was a bit tricky for me because it was the first time that I had been separated from my family.
But with patience and hard work everything got better. I had always intended to play for this team and today I am very happy.
Benzema also explained that France legend and current Real sporti…
Erik Ten Hag has branded the reaction to Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Coventry “embarrassing” and “a disgrace”.
Having let slip a 3-0 lead at Wembley with 20 minutes to go and then won on penalties after the Championship side had an extra-time goal disallowed for a marginal offside, United were heavily criticised by pundits and fans alike despite making it back-to-back finals.
Ten Hag met a question about whether he understood the response at a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Sheffield United with a feisty response, saying: “No, absolutely not.
The final details have been confirmed
Saturday 25 May 15:00 BST
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
“The question: ‘Is it embarrassing?�…
Chelsea s Brazilian midfielder Ramires says he would be more than willing to re-sign for former club Cruzeiro if given the opportunity.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge two years ago, the Brazil international has become a key component of the Chelsea team, with his energetic and bustling nature an important characteristic in the club’s run to becoming Champions League winners last season.
Ramires played for Cruzeiro from 2007 until 2009 when he moved to Benfica for a fee of around 7.5 million euros, and is optimistic he will play for them once again, but admits money could be an issue for the Belo Horizonte-based club.
If Cruzeiro are interested, it s possible for me to go back, Ramires told Sportv.
Although it s not a decision I can make and diffic…
Vincent Kompany has been rewarded for captaining Manchester City to their first Premier League title with a six-year contract.
Goal.com exclusively revealed the 26-year-old a key figure under Roberto Mancini and scorer of the crucial winner against Manchester United late in the campaign would be offered a new long-term deal at the club.
Kompany said he felt as though the Blues project was also his own and the Belgian insisted he never dreamed of moving away from the Etihad Stadium.
For me if you are good somewhere then there is no reason to look elsewhere, he told the official City website on Thursday.
Man City as a project is not just a project of the owners or the people employed by the club; it is also my project.
I have been here since the…
Victor Moses is loving life at Chelsea again after being converted into a wing-back under Antonio Conte.
The Nigeria international joined Chelsea from Wigan in 2012, but failed to live up to the high expectations at Stamford Bridge as a winger.
He has been shipped out on loan to Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham United over the course of the past three seasons, but was given a chance to prove his worth again following the arrival of Conte as the club s new manager.
Moses, 25, has impressed with a number of fine performances down the right and he is delighted with his new role.
I m feeling happy, I m feeling excited and right now I m looking forward to every game, Moses told Sky Sports.
I have not played there before but I have just got to liste…
United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes his team s wins over Netherlands and Germany in the past week will stand them in good stead for future World Cups.
Klinsmann s men stunned Germany 2-1 on Wednesday, ending their European tour with a perfect record, after they also surprised the Dutch 4-3 on Friday.
Having only won one knockout match at a World Cup since ending a 40-year hiatus at football s premier event in 1990, there has been a sense USA suffer from an inferiority complex when facing the world s best teams.
Klinsmann hopes that will not be the case anymore.
Results like this here and there give us confidence that we will win these games at a World Cup in the knockout stage, he said at his post-match media conference.
At last year s …
Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza has opted to snub Mauro Icardi for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers versus Chile and Bolivia.
Bauza recently travelled to Italy to hold talks with the Inter striker, fuelling speculation could make the cut for this month s internationals.
But Icardi made his senior debut for Argentina in October 2013, but has not featured for the national team since.
Lavezzi, meanwhile, remains part of Bauza s plans regardless of his underwhelming form for Hebei China Fortune.
The attacker has yet to find the net in an official game for the CSL side since joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain in February 2016.
E. Bauza dio a conocer la lista de convocados para los próximos partidos, ante y
— Selección Argentina (…
Barcelona are considering a move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld, according to the Daily Star.
Manchester United have also been linked with the Belgium international, who could be set to leave the North London outfit at the end of the season after contract talks stalled due to his demands.
His current deal isn’t set to expire until 2020 though he will be available for £25m in eighteen months time due to a clause in his contract.
Alderweireld signed for Spurs in the summer of 2015 following a season long with Southampton, where he first worked with manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Since then, he has racked up one hundred and eleven appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals.
Internationally he has been capped sixty-eig…
The Metro understands that it was Roma who pulled the plug on Edin Dzeko’s proposed move to Chelsea in the winter transfer window.
The soon-to-be dethroned Premier League champions were linked with a move for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international in January during their pursuit of a new forward, eventually securing a deal for Olivier Giroud.
Dzeko was on their list of targets though the Serie A outfit pulled out of the deal despite having agreed a fee with the Blues.
The thirty-two year old moved to Roma initially on loan in the summer of 2015 and has since racked up one hundred and twenty-seven appearances in all competitions, scoring sixty-six goals a tally that includes twenty-nine in the league last season which saw him finish as top scorer.
s Marcos Rojo has signed a new deal with the club. The contract should keep him at Old Trafford til 2021.
Rojo joined the Red Devils in 2014, and since then he has won an FA Cup, a League Cup, a Europa League trophy and a Charity Shield with them. that he is happy to extend his contract, that he came there to help them win trophies and that he s happy that the team has achieved that since his arrival.
The Argentine missed seven months of action starting in April 2017 with a cruciate knee ligament injury, and is being slowly reintroduced into the squad. He has not featured for Jose Mourinho s side since the start of February.
He thanked the fans and the manager for all the support and confidence he has been getting both on and off the pitch, and added that he i…