Two 80s Ladies and their Boys- Mini Reviews of "Broadcast News" and "The Fabulous Baker Boys

Broadcast News- Set in the realm of high-powered and fast-paced network news, “Broadcast News” plays as both workplace love triangle but also a comedic, cannily-detailed indictment of that late 80s news climate. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the film presents the lives of the pretty boy anchor Tom (William Hurt), the principled yet abrasive reporter Aaron (Albert Brooks), and the basket-case producer Jane (Holly Hunter) and how they try to balance work, personal relationships, and the behind-the-scenes network shuffling.

                Back in the 80s, Brooks really could do no wrong. His timing, his ability to find comedy and pathos in such different situations was really superb, and “Broadcast” is his best. Here he writes these three characters with such distinct dynamics. They can have dialogue that’s intelligent and not solely based on their relationships; work can be interesting too. It’s a refreshing adult romantic comedy.

Holly Hunter, in her breakthrough role, is a wonder as Jane. Watching her try to grasp desperately onto her set-in-stone workplace principles despite her heart being pulled another way is as captivating for the audience as is it excruciating for her.

 Brooks does his best to find his dark sardonic humor in the material and his prickly self-deprecation fit right in to the milieu.  Hurt, riding his mid-80s career high, does small nuanced work as the slightly out-of-touch Tom who’s willing to do anything to get ahead. All three leads play well off of each other too. Whether it’s the oil and water like Brooks and Hurt, or the rising heat between Hunter and Hurt, the sparks fly between every duo. The open-ended conclusion to this tale does feel a bit hasty, but that’s probably more a credit to Brooks for moving the story along so swiftly. Grade: A

Michelle Pfeiffer and her Bridges Boys after the cut.

Focus unleashes "Anna Karenina"

     I was already excited, but now, I'm nearly foaming at the mouth.

     Focus Features has unveiled a first look at their giant adaptation of Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." Featuring some awe-inspiring pomp and circumstance, it seems the novel is going to be given the lush and expansive treatment it richly deserves.

     Directed by Joe Wright and adapted for the screen by god-among-men Tom Stoppard, from what we can glean from the trailer, the film detailing the search for love and happiness of a young woman and her embattled affair amongst Russian's aristocracy is going to oscillate between real live sets and a limbo-like set with a stage, amphitheater, and gilded ballroom. If the ambition on display pans out as well as it looks in these two and a half minutes, audiences are in for a real treat. (Plus it'll be absolute catnip for the Academy.)

Trailer after the jump

Spectacular! Spectacular! To Nicole on her 45th Birthday....

      To the risk-taking redhead from the land down under, Happy Birthday!

     In the last twenty-three years, she moved from fiery exotic, to the woman behind the man of the biggest power couple in Hollywood, to A-List star with ambition to burn.

In such varied work as "To Die For," "The Portrait of a Lady," "Moulin Rouge," "The Hours," "Dogville," "Birth," and "Rabbit Hole," amongst many more, she has continued to work with big name directors trying to push herself creatively. She's admittedly made some poor choices along the way, but she continues to be wiling to fall flat on her face.

Happy Birthday Nicole! Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

What are you favorite Nicole Kidman moments? Films? Performances?

After the jump are some of my Nicole moments including television appearances, film clips etc.

She's Not There- "My Week with Marilyn" Review

      It seems like every few years, whether we want it or not, we're inundated by some new, apparently big revelation about one of our favorite stars of classic Hollywood yore.

     Katharine Hepburn was bisexual!

     Bing Crosby was an abusive drunk!

     Cary Grant dabbled in LSD!

     A new author always seems to be chomping at the bit on the Today Show with their newest and juiciest bit of dirt to unearth for all to see a truer and more potent side of who (insert celebrity name) really was.

     So in 1995 when Colin Clark, in his memoir "My Week with Marilyn" detailed his affair with the titular bombshell during the making of her film "The Prince & The Showgirl" in the summer of 1956, it was an instant success. Fans clamored for as much new and scandalous information as they could about the star that many still don't feel like we knew very well at all.

     Unfortunately, for all of it's talk of these missing pieces to the Marilyn Monroe puzzle, the frothy film of "My Week with Marilyn" ends up a slow and shallow attempt that never really reveals much of anything at all.