From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2009 #40 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Wednesday, February 4 2009 Volume 2009 : Number 040 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: The United States of Tara/ now film musings (NJC) [Joseph Palis Subject: Re: The United States of Tara/ now film musings (NJC) Apologies if this thread is already a week old. I can't keep up with the Joni discussion much these days. B Vince (and all the others who contributed), thanks for your insights on TV viewing, United States of Tara, Diablo Cody and the films she wrote the screenplay for. It was a fun read for me (remind me to send you the Hercules and Love Affair CD as promised -- I always forget) B I didn't like 'Juno' as much myself. Partly because I was distracted by the too-clever dialogue and the stylistic acting of Ellen Page (who is flat-out magnificent in 'Hard Candy'). I did like parts of it, especially her conversation with Jason Bateman about horror films. The character that is believable for me is Jennifer Garner. I thought she is like the equivalent of the performance of the supporting cast in 'Doubt' (except Meryl Streep) -- they stayed true to their characters without self-parody (Meryl is, in my opinion, miscast in 'Doubt' but obviously I am in the minority.) I like the Kimya Dawson connection in 'Juno'. I had the rare privilege of speaking with KD when she went on tour to support the album. She appears genuine, sincere and committed to her art -- something I cannot attribute to the Diablo Cody-penned 'Juno'. B By the way, I like 'The Wrestler' a lot and urge some cinephiles in this list to watch it knowing that might be scenes that relishes masochistic pain. But if you get the chance, try watching two really good American films from 2008 - -- 'Ballast' and 'Frozen River'. Don't expect a 'Slumdog Millionaire' ending though. B Joseph in North Carolina np: Melinda Doolittle - Dust My Broom - --- En date deB : Ven 30.1.09, Vince a C)critB : De: Vince Objet: Re: (NJC) The United States of Tara C: "Randy Remote" Cc: joni@smoe.org Date: Vendredi 30 Janvier 2009, 12h07 I thought Little Miss Sunshine was not all that believable but had great characters rooted in real human typologies and was funny as hell (best use of Proust and Rick James ever...) so I accepted the conceit of the concept (conceit there used in the artistic sense, ot a bad term here) and laughed and laughed. Juno was so over hyped and just way too much, too cute, although I liked Juno as a character and I liked Bleeker as a character and I liked their little song (by the Moldy peaches IIRC) they sang at the end but I didn't buy the conceit of that concept because the adults were all so crated just to mock midwest or middle class or working class values - every adult in juno was reduced to a sit com idiot to be laughed at. But there was something about Juno that I liked one the less, and I do like Ellen page and Michael Cera as actors. Ellen Page blew me away in An American Crime and Cera was great in Superbad and the best part of Arrested Development So I am not a Diablo Cody fan although at least in Tara she respects adults more but it is still a mock of values that Cody thinks are beneath her - but what is the show about? It is about nothing and I don't mean that in in Seinfeld sense because that was a show that was a running commentary on culture, or a Larry David sense since that is show that is little hilarious slice of life commentary on culture - I follow the Gene Siskel philosophy - I want to see something new, something I have not seen before. I have seen brilliant portrayals of multiple personality disorder that Joanne Woodward and Sally Fields did that took us into understanding sme depth there - but Tara is like My Mother the Car - let's find a funny concept for a sit com where we can swear and have sex and drugs and we got Toni Collette! I mean, the Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a show that usually bores me but at least is an exploration of a life that we haven't much reflected on in a unique way and there have been occasional great insights given - the issue of sex as just sex when her male friend got involved in the "swapping, that was brilliant. For pete's sake, Tara even has the same opening at Juno. Characters merging into cartoons, ok we got that. Do something insightful, new. Vince On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Randy Remote wrote: > I've been watching it because it's sandwiched in with L Word > and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, both of which I enjoy. I have > yet to warm up to "Tara" but will give it more time. > Loved Juno and LMissSShine. The Juno character made me > say "young people today are different than we were". I think > there was a ring of truth to her, precociousness and all. > Also just saw "Burn After Reading" (Coen Bros) and this Lebowski fanatic > recommends it. > RR > > Anyone else watching this on Showtime? LOVE IT. Toni Collette should be >> nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Tara and her "alters." >> Lori >> Santa Rosa, CA ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2009 #40 **************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------