OH, TO BE ON OPRAH!
When I finally finish my novel, I want Oprah to say warm and wonderful things about it. Trouble is, by that stage, Oprah will be in a retirement complex or interviewing the angels. On show this week are quite a few movies adapted from novels— and what an eclectic bunch they are.
JACQUELYN MITCHARD-ONE OF THE CHOSEN FEW
On of the lucky novelists highlighted on Oprah’s book club was Jacquelyn Mitchard, who wrote The Deep End of the Ocean [e.tv.Thursday.20.30], which later(surprise, surprise) became a movie.
OPRAH
At the core of the story is the horror scenario lying dormant in every mother’s heart— a child disappears without trace. Then come the months and years of searching, waiting until hope finally dwindles, shrivels and dies.
A FINE CHOICE
At this point, The Deep End of the Ocean takes a dramatic shift, just when lives are being painfully put back together, never fully repaired, the missing child is miraculously found. Can this be an instant happy ending, restoration after nine years of anguish? Not necessarily, a whole new set of adjustments must come into play, during the years between, people and circumstances have changed.
AN EQUALLY FINE PERFORMANCE FROM MICHELLE PFEIFFER
The movie is strong, well paced and fairly faithful to the original, with a gritty performance from Michelle Pfeiffer as the mother who never really accepts that her child might be dead. It’s thought provoking stuff that grips until the last frame.
NOT AS GOOD AS THE BOOK
Someone Like You [M-Net.Friday.11.00] is much lighter, based on a novel by Laura Zigman called Animal Husbandry, with Hugh Jackman and all the Judds: Ashley stars, Wynonna sings and mom Naomi has a tiny part.
WYNONNA WAGS THE FLAG
It’s a chick flick with pretensions; unfortunately, there is not much chic and the laughs are sparsely spread – the novel was sharper, and really was amusing.
HENRY CHINASKI-TAKE TWO
Charles Bukowski was a writer, much loved and revered in underground circles. His major creation was an alter ego, Henry Chinaski, a drunken womanizer, who we have seen on the screen before; Mickey Rourke played him in Barfly. This time around, Matt Dillon has a turn in Factotum [SABC3.Friday.23.30].
TAKE ONE- WITH POOR FAYE DUNAWAY IN TOW
Most writers of this type pass out over the typewriter during the second paragraph, give Buckowski his due, he stayed upright and wrote it all down. The only problem is, after the second bottle, the whole affair gets pretty tedious.
COLIN FARRELL AT THE TYPEWRITER
A film directed by Robert Towne, who most famously wrote Chinatown in the 70s, is Ask the Dust [M-Net.Wednesday.02.00],which, in turn, Towne based on a novel written by John Fante in 1939. This one examines the destructive/ creative ambivalence that exists in most writers.
FANTE IN SIMILIAR POSE- HE INFLUENCED BUKOWSKI
Despite good performances from Colin Farrell, Salma Hayek and especially Donald Sutherland, the narrative is stilted and the action is inclined to drag. If memory serves me well, some of the filming was done in Cape Town, I’m not sure, but look out for familiar landmarks, it might help to pass the time.
NEWMAN IS SUPERB
I have reviewed The Verdict [M-Net.Wednesday.11.00] before; it certainly is a fine drama, with standout direction by Sidney Lumet and superb performances from a sharply tuned cast, including Paul Newman and James Mason.
SIDNEY LUMET
One of the reasons that the movie dates so well, is an impeccable script by David Mamet who based it on the novel by Barry Reed.
SEXUAL CIGARETTE LIGHTING TO THE MUSIC OF MAX STEINER
Our movie for the buffs this week stars Bette Davis with a blue chip supporting cast; Hollywood stalwarts Claude Rains, Paul Henreid and Gladys Cooper in one of her definitive ‘mother from hell’ roles. The title, Now, Voyager [SABC.Sunday.02.30], comes from the poem The Untold Want by Walt Whitman
The Untold Want, By Life and Land Ne'er Granted
Now, Voyager Sail Thou Forth To Seek and Find
THAT'S PAUL HENREID, LOOKING SINCERE
The novelist, American Olive Higgins Prouty, long outdated and forgotten is now only remembered because of the movie, a definitive romantic drama, made by Warner Bros in 1942. The story is pure soap sud, with Davis getting to archly say these immortal lines just before the closing credits.
OH, JERRY,DON'T LET'S ASK FOR THE MOON.WE HAVE THE STARS.
POET SYLVIA PLATH
For me, the most interesting thing about Prouty is her evident empathy with poets and poetry. In her declining years, she was Sylvia Plath’s benefactor. In her only novel, Plath based Philomena Guinea on dear Olive Higgins Prouty.
HARRISON AND HECHE-A LIKABLE DUO
Romance and drama meld in a much more recent movie, Six Days, Seven Nights [SABC3.Friday.21.30] with very likable performances from Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The film is a real ‘true romance in pictures’ frippet, but enjoyable, nonetheless.
Some things come in twos, this week we have two Johns, two Julias and two James Bonds.
JOHN WITH DIANE
For no reason at all, John first. John Cusack is one of my all time favourites, remember High Fidelity and Being John Malkovich? He is up to standard in Must Love Dogs [SABC3.Friday.21.30] with Diane Lane, a very modern comedy, but with some old world charm provided by Christopher Plummer, quoting Browning and playing an unlikely cupid.
A LITTLE OLDER THAN IN GREASE
Nice to see Stockard Channing again; she was almost a star in the 70s, and deserves to have had a bigger career than she has had.
JOHN WITH KATE
Serendipity [SABC3.Friday.19.30] has one of the most complicated stories I have ever seen. Whatever happened to boy meets girl…boy loses girl… boy wins girl in the last reel? Anyway, with Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in the leads, a lot can be forgiven. They and the movie are well worth the concentration, popcorn and gloves, single or paired.
HUGH GRANT DOESN'T SEEM TO MIND LOOKING SILLY
Julia Roberts, too, finds love, again not without complications, this time with Hugh Grant in Notting Hill [SABC3.Saturday.19.30]. Somehow, it all feels terribly familiar, but the two team well and its easy eye candy with a neat light touch.
AS WONDERFUL AS EVER
Julia Roberts teams up again with Clive Owen in Duplicity [M-Net.Sunday.20.05], they sparked well together a few years back in Closer. This time, the plot noses around commercial espionage; with trimmings provided by the talents of Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti.
TOM
The movie is one of the cleverest yarns in years, and boy! Julia Roberts continues to prove that she really has that quality that stars are made of.
HALLE BERRY-NO OSCARS FOR THIS ONE
Die Another Day [e.tv.Sunday.20.00] sees the last time Pierce Brosnan starred as 007. Of course, Madonna did the theme song and did it very well too. The movie made a lot of money, and Brosnan always was a very worthy if unexciting James Bond.
DANIEL CRAIG
When Daniel Craig was cast as the ‘new’ Bond, feelings were mixed but when Casino Royale [SABC1.Sunday.20.00] came out, the reaction was positive. I’m not all that sure, Craig is nicely put together, and frowns in a sweetly sexy way, but my overall impression is one of cold aloofness.
I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED...
On Craig, I am outvoted completely, he is still the reigning Bond and the movie was the highest grosser of all the Bond outings.
LOCAL IS...
Cape of Good Hope [SABC1.Thursday.22.30] is set and made in South Africa, I haven’t seen it, but by all accounts, it is not bad at all. Well, any movie that co stars paws and claws must be worth a watch.
BETTE-BEFORE AND AFTER
In case this is the last one in the short classic movie festival and because I have always been devoted to Bette Davis, Now, Voyager [SABC3.Sunday.02.30] is my pick.
All those tired very old movies recycled and rehashed by e.tv, week after week, don’t count. I’m as sick of them as you are.