Ryan Gosling has been absent from the big screen since his quirky appearance in 2007′s great Lars and the Real Girl, which makes me blue. I’m glad to see he has a couple of projects finally lined up though, one which is in post-production and aiming for a release later this year (All the Good Things – a detective drama co-starring Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella), the other which just began filming, titled Blue Valentine.
Co-starring Michelle Williams, the only plot description so far for Blue Valentine – which just began filming in New York and Pennsylvania – describes the low-key indie drama as one that centers on a couple “whose marriage is failing. As their relationship hits the rocks, they recall better days.”
So, sort of like Eternal Sunshine, plus the marriage and minus the dreams. Maybe a bit of Revolutionary Road in there? Ah, I’ll save the comparisons. I enjoy a well-made relationship drama and with these two great actors on board, it could be a mediocre script and I’d probably still enjoy it. While I’ve always liked Gosling, I remember there was a time when I didn’t care much for Michelle Williams. Maybe it was the Dawson’s Creek connection, I’m not sure, but I had an irrational dislike for her, but now I can’t find myself getting enough of her (what stellar work she did in Wendy and Lucy).
Are there any other actors or actresses that you once disliked greatly – perhaps irrationally – but then flip-flopped on in such a way? Williams’s late husband Heath Ledger is another example. I used to mock him considerably (like I know many did) until the sickeningly impressive couple of years he had before his death that included Brokeback Mountain, Candy, I’m Not There and The Dark Knight changed my mind completely.
Source: Coming Soon
I have to confess a massive attraction to Michelle Williams that is in full bloom right now. I understand she is not your typically gorgeous woman, but there is something to her look, and the way she carries herself in film that I am mesmerized by. Needless to say I am all over this movie when it comes out.
I bought Wim Wenders’ Land of Plenty from the bargain bin last week and watched it. Had a weird reaction to the film, I was constantly in a state of dislike of the hit you over the head storytelling that it does but I could not turn it off, and I guess a lot of that had to do with Michelle Williams. But by the end I sort of liked the film even though I know how terrible it is, strange conflict there.
and Wendy and Lucy is still my #1 film of 2009.
I dug LAND OF PLENTY (got a review somewhere in my screening blog). I really liked Williams in that one. She also rocks in Prozac Nation, another film that went direct to DVD in North America (it’s from the guy who made the original Vanishing)…
I still haven’t got around to my Naomi Watts marathon, but right after that, Michelle Williams and then Veronica Lake.
I’m excited for this film. I’m not a big fan of Williams but from all the good things I’ve heard about Wendy and Lucy I think it will change my mind.
Have you seen The Baxter, rot? Williams at her cutest.
have not seen the Baxter, is it good, outside of the aesthetic value of Williams?
There is this other film I am tempted to buy used on blu-ray, always see it in my regular place, has Williams and Hugh Jackman, called Deception… anybody know if this is any good?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R86WZgLyvJ4
I adore the Baxter, but I have no idea if you’d like it.
Are you familiar with Stella? Michael Schowalter? Eugene Mirman type of dry comedy? Wet Hot American Summer?
Its a romantic comedy, and the humor comes from how over the top unfunny, innocent and lame Schowalters character is. And not necessarily in a Napoleon Dynamite way, just a suit and tie boring way, not a zillion light years off from a Kids in the Hall businessman.
It’s ridiculously sweet though. Anyone I know who likes it, likes it a lot. its a 5/5 from me easy, but I honestly have no idea what you’d think. The scene I posted may give a good indication.
The Baxter is outstanding. It skewers the conventional romantic comedy yet manages to be one itself without ever seeming hypocritical or tired.
also it has Justin Theroux, who is really good in it. He’s awesome in everything and needs more work.
Matt, yeah, and yet its not really winking or self aware either. The characters are goofy but all things considered they play it pretty straight.
Definitely in agreement with The Baxster and anything with Michelle Williams, I adore her.
Deception is unbelievably trashy, but if you can let go of any hang-ups you may have over the ridiculous plot and just have fun with it, it’s worth a look. I wouldn’t pay more than $5 to own it, but it’s worth a rental if you’re a fan of the cast. How could anyone not like a movie with McGregor, Jackman, and Williams? I’d love to see them do something again together, but with a good script next time.
I can’t think of any actors off the top of my head that I’ve switched from not liking to liking, but I can go the other way. I was had a huge fan girl crush on Orlando Bloom back during the LOTR craze and first Pirates. His poster is still hanging in my childhood bedroom at my parents house. :S
as Kermode calls him, Orlando Bland.
Ok I am sold on both, I am going to have a Michelle Williams marathon this month.
Baxter
Deception
Wendy and Lucy
Land of Plenty
Prozac Nation
can anybody vouch for:
Imaginary heroes
Imaginary Heroes did nothing for me. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, but I remember it was ridiculously melodramatic, awful script that went nowhere, and William’s didn’t have that big of a role I don’t think. Stick to the other five, that’s a solid line-up for a marathon.
Orlando Bland, hahaha, I completely agree!
sounds good, I have already watched Land of Plenty, so if inspired I may do posts on the other three Williams films as part of the marathon. Wendy and Lucy I have already dissected enough.
Call me gay, but I’m a much bigger fan of Gosling than Williams. Nto to say she isn’t great, she is. But I’ll see anything with Gosling’s name attached to it. I think the two of them will have unbelievable chemistry together. I guess we’ll see. But a well put together, indie drama is always right up my alley.
The only question is the director, Derek Cianfrance, who has basically done nothing. Good. Fresh blood. Hope it pans out.
So I saw The Baxter. First off, the movie is bad in that it is as amateur as all hell, both script wise, directing, cinematography this looks like a student film. Anyone who thinks otherwise is really really wrong.
That said I enjoyed it despite its imperfections. And it was genuinely funny at parts, but as many times as it was funny it was at others, excruciatingly unfunny.
But all is forgiven because Michelle Williams is at her cutest in this film, and also in it a lot, and that totally made it worth watching.
I also rewatched Wendy and Lucy and I liked it even more than originally. Its now a 4.5/5. I was wrong about it being devoid of an aesthetic, there is an aqua blue brownish-yellow colour scheme carried throughout the film that I never noticed the first time. And the Wendy hum is carried over into the grocery store as muzak, but besides that this is as sparse a film as one can get with style. This hits that spot for me that Gerry does, I can watch this over and over, I just get lost in the world depicted, and its all about the smallest details, not about plot, or aesthetics, or anything, just this zen experience.
“Anyone who thinks otherwise is really really wrong. ”
I dont dispute this, but maybe the script to some extent, because so much of it is intentionally cheesy and bad. That’s the Stella humor for sure. I can look past those imperfections and give it high marks for many of the same reasons I can look past a lot of the problems with The Man From Earth, or a number of sloppy 70s movies I enjoy that make up for in charm what they lack in modern innovations and techniques.
in parts yes, but the pink underwear gag? really? Although I loved Peter Dinklage hamming it up. The beginning of the film is pretty awful, but it does get better and like I said I did laugh several times. It definitely passed the time.
holy cameos, Paul Rudd, Justin Theroux, Peter Dinklage.
@Rot, I liked W&L a lot, but kinda put it out of my mind afterwards. Your enthusiasm makes me want to revisit the film!
“in parts yes, but the pink underwear gag? really?”
I dont think that scene was very well executed, but you were able to get that the gag wasnt about the underwear itself, but about the romcom/sitcom misundestanding cliche, right?
also, Theroux is much more than a cameo. He does a great job in that movie.
@Goon, yeah but for me a film can coast only so far on its meta context, I am not the type of person that will accept the argument that because a film is entirely tongue and cheek about what it is doing it forgives its faults.
Why isn’t Theroux as big as Rudd is now. He is due.
@Kurt I thought the film may suffer from rewatch but it is truly better, it seems effortless the first time through but the second time I can see how well the pieces are put together.
The film isnt entirely tongue in cheek. Like I said, it is often genuinely sweet and by the end earnest about acheiving that love story thing.
I’d be interested though to see what you think of Wet Hot American Summer, which is pretty much tongue and cheek and meta from minute one to the very end. and it again stars Showalter with cameos galore.