Honest to Blog: "Juno," revisited

It was early Saturday morning, and I had to go to work. Blerg. So did my bf, but his car's in the shop, so we hastened ourselves to the west side together where I dropped him off circa the mall and proceeded even further west to Excelsior Drive, where I bank for a day job. You see, this anecdote does have purpose, because in my car's six-disc-changer, there's "Juno: The Soundtrack," and right around the moment I turned left on Old Sauk, as the slow strumming of Cat Power's "Sea of Love" rose from the speakers, it hit me: I miss Juno MacGuff, and I have to see her again. So, as usual, that morning's four hours of work were more like four ours of gossip, minimal customer activity, and movies on ABC Family. It all ended at noon, when I stepped outside into the (gasp!) midday sun and drove about four minutes to Point Cinema where I was able to catch a 12:30 viewing of "Juno." For SIX DOLLARS. After spending a fortune on holiday cinema at the Sundance, (ie: two tix to "Sweeney Todd," 7:30pm, opening night = roughly $25; now multiply that times...uh...several), this was a fabulous bargain. Granted the quality of a Marcus Theater when placed next to a place like the Sundance leaves much to be desired, I still sat through the previews in full anticipation--me and the two old ladies up front, the old couple near the door, a group of bookclub women in the back, and the duo of high school girls one row up. One cannot deny that "Juno" is approaching the end of its theatrical run, but when one considers what a tumultuous run it's had, one also cannot complain.

So anyway, "It started with a chair."

While not quite as titular as this year's Daniel Day-Lewis wonder-quote ("I drink your milkshake!"), it's a pretty good first line. I can't say I've read into "Juno" quite like I've read into "There Will Be Blood," but I have thought about Miss MacGuff and why she'd begin her story with such an odd and deadpan preface. The voiceover throughout the film is sparse, but when it happens, it's a mixture of reminiscence and daydreams. The first line begins "Juno" much as "Once upon a time" begins any fairy tale. We see Juno gulping Sunny-D. We flash to her and her prince sharing a moment. Then, in the scenic location of a convenience store, the situation at hand is presented. Junebug's pregnant. I never quite understood her willingness for attention on the matter, or even her sheer nonchalance as she presents the "plus sign of death" to a possibly random employee, but I've chalked it up to this: Juno is, while not fearless or stoic, hardened. There's about a five second montage illustrating her abandonment by mom at a very young age. While the whole thing may seem passing, it's quite evocative. Love's longevity is a theme brought up much later in the film, but Juno's feelings about the whole situation are never truly revealed. We do, however, know she's damaged. Ellen Page gives it to us through her sheer control of subtlety. Throughout the film, Juno is quick and sarcastic. This part we got. But while she's always smart and always witty, she also gets herself into this strange, tangled relationship with adopting-father-to-be Mark Loring. She's naive. And while she seems utterly immune to the high school scrutiny of her burgeoning belly, she's still vulnerable when it comes to Paulie. She's hurt and offended when he decides to take soup girl to Prom. She assumes all along that he's traded their mistake for a go at normal teenage life, but what she doesn't realize (even though we all do), is that, while Paulie may have a million billion uncertainties in his lanky adolescence, the one thing, beyond all shadows of all doubts, that he is certain about is Juno.

And even though I adore all things about this movie, the thing that I adore most is Diablo Cody's reverent regard for teenagers. She's written them, not as narcissistic airheads with no respect for authority, but as regular human beings with brains and guts and hearts. I have to say that, as far as moments go, when Paulie Bleeker notices Juno's absence in the crowd after his race (where he set a new district record, might I add), it becomes obvious that what matters more to him than winning, than normalcy, than soup girl and a trip to some classmate's cabin, is Juno MacGuff. Of course, as previously stated, we all know that Paulie has loved Juno all along, but it's this moment that brings it all to such serious light. And it's the seriousness that I truly love. The crust of "Juno" is whimsical and hilarious, but the characters all seem to know that, at the very core of everything that's happened, there's a lot at stake. It's an important movie, but it's not a message movie. It's anchored in by quirky dialogue, wonderful characters and, of course, its performances.

And the performance that I enjoy most, aside that from Miss Ellen Page, comes from Jennifer Garner. She was viciously overlooked in the award season, but that doesn't matter now. I think of the unwavering consistency Jen brings in her portrayal of Vanessa Loring. How she pains over everything. Her perpetual hesitance. The sad, jaded desire in her eyes as she kneels down to feel the baby kick, and then the frantic disappointment when at first, she does not. It's a very moving performance, memorable to say the least. I like that, even as all begins to unfold, Vanessa remains intact. She grows throughout the movie, shows us that even while she sports an anal desire for things to be in working order, she can weather change. She truly is ready to be a mother. And we're all happy when, in the end, she finally is.

Well, I'm happy. "Juno" comes to DVD April 15th, 2008. It's still playing in theaters nationwide, in some places, for as little as $6.

DVDs to Love 2

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (TV) - In a show full of characters who would become crack addicts simply to qualify for welfare, anything can happen. Perhaps that's why they call it "Seinfeld"...on crack. This show was produced for close-to-nothing by a couple of close-to-nobodies, and now it has become one of cable TV's nastiest little surprises. There's the gang: Dennis, Mac, Charlie, and Dee. And then, there's the bar: Patty's. Toss in a little Danny DeVito, the occasional abortion rally, a dumpster baby, hard liquor, maybe even a Jihad; then mash it all up with an INCREDIBLE amount of narcissism, and you've got the perfect concoction for a slap-happy night. Enjoy.


"Michael Clayton" - I reviewed this flick in January, just had another viewing on Saturday, and now I think I'll go buy it. This is an exquisite movie. It's a character sketch. It unfolds slowly, striking, so very poetic. There is this scene when Michael sees three wild horses on the side of the road. He goes to them, creating this moment of sheer, literary excellence. It's phantasmal, in a way. It haunts and haunts, and it's only about a minute long, just one minute out of the whole, evocative two hours that I never thought for a second I would fall so damn in love with. Had it been any other year, George Clooney would have been handed Oscar number two. Unfortunately, Daniel Day-Lewis, when he produces, is virtually untouchable. Either way, what an achievement.


"Jane Austen Book Club" - Greatest chick-flick since "Love Actually." There wasn't a moment of this film that I didn't enjoy. It's got decadence and (my favorite word) whimsy, hot guys and complex women. Basically, it's a room full of Elizabeth Bennets. There are no flailing Meg Ryan types or faux-empowered Kate Hudsons. To make a long story short, I picked up "Pride and Prejudice" for the first time in almost seven years the day after I saw "Jane Austen Book Club," and I've grown to appreciate it in ways I never knew possible.



"In the Valley of Elah" - This film is a thimble of sadness and truth. It's visceral. Tommy Lee Jones has a face like soft, malleable leather. I really appreciated Roger Ebert's review of this movie, because he spent so much time on the sheer gravity of Tommy's face. It's heavy and worn. Pockets of history fall from his eyes. His eyes--pebbles that have seen the maladies of the world; his hands--strong talons that have embraced them. I like this movie best of all the Paul Haggis gems. Even Million Dollar Baby. I feel that this film manages to be important without preaching anything. It's the only Iraq film that really did well in 2007--not in the Box Office, but in the critics' viewings--and for good reason. It approaches not with political agenda, but with a sickening sense of reality. I didn't feel anything after this movie, but that night, I awoke several times, dreaming of the sadness. But the film is well worth it. It's simple and straight forward. The direction and performances are seemingly unparalleled. Any other year it would have swept the Academy with ease.

"American Gangster" - Wow. I can't say I've ever been more surprised. I don't know what my deal was, but for whatever reason, I just underestimated this movie to the point that I would make up excuses for why I refused to see it. "I hear it's unrealistic." "I hear it's like black 'Godfather.'" But I was so, so wrong. Ridley Scott is in rare form for American Gangster. The film itself seems straight from the 1970s. It's saturated and raw. The lack of recognition for this film, I think, is preposterous. It's long, but it's perpetually gripping. The plot pushes forward with such a fulfilling tenacity. Russell Crowe is luckless, lovable, course as steel wool. Denzel Washington is like a sneer. A dark shadow. He's a business man, a family man. He's almost some modern version of Daniel Plainview. I'll go so far as to say that American Gangster is the most entertaining film I've seen in a while. Much like In the Valley of Elah, this film would have held the Academy captive in any other year.

2007 was just so freaking amazing.

The Academy of Whimsy

This year's Oscar ceremony was, while thin-feeling and almost haphazard, a sparkle nonetheless and also, completely uplifting. As the night unfolded, we witnessed countless surprises. We saw moments of sweet witticism and grace. With such a plethora of newcomers taking the stage, gratitude stole the evening, and even old friends to the handsome, gold statue came through with touching words of encouragement. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many winners reassure an audience that with the right kind of unyielding hope, anything can be done. Dreams of any level can be reached. I think of Javier Bardem in Spanish conversation with his mother, Marion Cotillard thanking love and life, Tilda Swinton's utter incredulity, and Daniel Day-Lewis's soft-spoken, humble words that seemed to fall from his mouth like rain. All of these things, even during a ceremony of too many montages and almost zero spectacle, made Oscar Night 2008 wholly satisfying to a girl like me. I like underdogs, and I like whimsy. I enjoy invocations of hope, especially in a place like Hollywood, which has a seething reputation for killing things like hope, and for once, I enjoyed a vast and spacious lack of politics, of any kind, on the stage, in the crowd, in the ballots, and in the mouths of stars.

I think that, after a year like 2007, which saw the box office failure of several Iraq war and current event films (Rendition, Lions for Lambs, and critically acclaimed films like In the Valley of Ellah), film audiences of all kinds, even those that comprise the Academy, made it perfectly clear: Less war, more whimsy. Juno showed us that much, and it was rewarded with four nods and one (big) win during last night's ceremony. Of the five films nominated for Best Picture, none of them had anything to do with true events, three of them were novel adaptations, and one was a comedy about a teenager. Zero biopics. Zero message films. Zero life's works. All from directors that are NOT old and crusty--those who deserved Oscars twenty years ago but receive them now from an Academy that must make up for a previous Academy's poor judgment. The one thing I can say for them all is this: they're art. I've never seen a more pain-stakingly literary film than There Will Be Blood. Juno is relentless in its dialogue, hopelessly modern, deftly un-romantic, yet completely sweet. Atonement is a sheer achievment in vision, one of the greatest adaptations I've ever seen and of a seemingly unadaptable book, no less. No Country for Old Men is, without a doubt, a personal best for the Coens (though I still believe their best is yet to come), who lifted a screenplay from the words of Cormac McCarthy and handled it with incredible mastery. And finally, Michael Clayton is a work for its actors, a chance to remind us all that great performances still exist, and that they don't have to be steeped in the poo of spectacle to gain notice. For so long, the Oscars have been a breeding ground for celebrity ego, massive glitter earrings, and speeches that invoke agenda. But last night was about the art. We heard celebrities pain over their art, greet it at the podium, thank it like a gracious child. I'm SO SICK of art for anything other than art's sake, and I think that, during a year when we're sick of a war, sick of so much time being demanded by tragedy, a little bit of ''l'art pour l'art'' is a good thing. I'm glad to have had film regarded as an art last night rather than as a vehicle for politics and cash. This type of thing is encouraging to me, because when I write film, I write it because I love it, and there's nothing that pains me more than when someone, writer, actor, critic, whoever, belittles that love by placing it below their agenda.

Unsurprises and Their Musings

Notes on a Carbon Cate: For sure...I'm not the only person in the world who is sick of Cate Blanchett. How many times can you be acknowledged as mean-Galadriel or Invisible History Girl until people start craving something else? Yeah, she's got conviction, but I, personally, would like to see more turns like the one she gave in last year's shocker "Notes on a Scandal." No more disappearing acts and magic costumes, please. We want some for realsies roles. The kind that come unadorned and sans the majesty of make-up and wigs.

Day for Day: Day-Lewis's win for There Will Be Blood also came to no surprise late last night. His humbling speech struck such a contrast to the role he gave it for that I, for one, felt prickles on my neck and a tear on my cheek. It's a terrifying reality that such a quiet, handsome man could unleash a monster like Daniel Plainview. This proves that movies still have the power to reveal things not only of their characters, but of their audience as well. As you can read in my earlier review, I've spent nights, I've spent days, I've spent way too long pondering the literary gravitas of There Will Be Blood. Much of it has made me rethink the idea of coincidence as a whole, and, well, it's rendered me utterly IMPATIENT to get back to school in the fall. For now, however, I plan to become obsessed with Day-Lewis for the next few weeks as I watch and rewatch the entirety of his works. Paul Thomas Anderson as well. I've analyzed Boogie Nights more times than necessary; however, I could always use another viewing of Dirk Diggler's legendary....member.

No Country for Anything Else: Sure, the awards pretty much scattered like shrapnel, but a good chunk of them went, as wholly expected, to the Coens. Even still...when it came to Best Supporting Actor, while I can't say I was surprised by Bardem's win (nor was I disappointed), I was left a little unsettled. I liked Javi in No Country, but I didn't like him as much as I liked Tom Wilkinson, and even as much as I liked Tom Wilkinson, it turns out that (gasp) I didn't quite like him as much as I liked Casey Affleck. Call it a crush, but Casey has chops. His creepy, unnerving rendition of Robert Ford haunted me well after the movie had flickered to credits, and that's saying a lot, because as a film, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is about as long and gratuitous as its title, and the only part that truly registered with me was, well, Casey Affleck. He was good. At LEAST as good as Javi Bardem. But whatevzies. He'll walk that stage once or twice in the future, I'm sure of it.

Anyway, the Oscars were fun this year. They felt a little undercooked, to be expected, of course, as the writers guild barely had time to catch its breath before show time. Jonny Stewart was, as always, priceless, whether he garnered crickets or stole our hearts. I enjoyed it, though I did have one large criticism. What happened to the Best Picture nominee montages they normally use throughout the show? I always look forward to those montages, and for whatever reason, they were dismantled this year. Oh well. To be honest, now that it's over, all of it feels so strangely insignificant. I'm too busy looking forward to this year to care. And I can only hope that 2008, as a year in film, will somehow come close to the skill, command, and, not to mention, whimsy (of course) of 2007. Peace.

The Under & The Over: Part I

The Under & The Over is a two part article dedicated to the underrated and the overrated people that work in film today. Right now, Hollywood, especially young Hollywood, is a place where the blade falls fast, and if you get chopped, you're chopped for good. Nowadays, a lot of film peeps find themselves so overwhelmed with fame, compliments, money, and invitations, that their craft takes a backseat to their pursuit of excess. Once your name is in lights, it's easy to make money, easy to spend money, easy make friends and to look fabulous and to sign your name for the little people on the street. These are the cats that find themselves on the chopping block. These are often the actors and actresses that find themselves part of a big break, and instead of rolling with the success, they seem to peak. They take boring, easy roles to make a quick and easy buck, and most of the time, they're forgotten as quickly as they're discovered. The same goes for filmmakers of all sorts. Once you forget about your craft, your craft forgets about you. But the public doesn't. So as an overrated artist, you still manage to steal the show, and you steal it from those that are underrated: those that place their craft first. Those that make wise decisions. And of course, it takes a rank role or two to find the one that truly suits, but that's not what's important. What's important is that after a great artist puts on that suit of success, he or she won't take it off. For Anything. These are the actors, the filmmakers that have it, and if they don't have it yet, they're moving slowly and steadily to that moment when they finally do.

Part I: THE UNDER

Underrated 1: Sienna Miller
Breakthrough: The rash and whimsical Katya in Steve Buscemi's Interview (2007)
You've Also Seen Her...: as tough, unyielding Francesca Bruni, opposite the late Heath Ledger in Casanova (2005)
Don't Miss Her In...: Factory Girl (2006); The film itself is a major flip-flopper, often intriguing, sometimes drab, but you won't be disappointed by Sienna. Her potent turn as tragic debutante Edie Sedgwick is so underrated that I'm not sure anybody even knows it exists. I didn't love Factory Girl, but I loved its title character. It really got me interested in the subject matter. I went on to do some major research on Andy Warhol and his poignant muse, and I must say, it's all because of Sienna.
Why I Think She's Underrated: Sienna got a weird rap after Jude Law cheated on her with his nanny. Most American audiences were disinclined to take her seriously at first, and many didn't know who she was, but after turns in US films like Casanova and Interview, I think they're starting to come around. She's plum-cheeked, sweet, almost so-cal but not quite. Sienna Miller has begun a quiet but moving career, and it has seemingly gone unnoticed until now.

Underrated 2: Paul Dano
Breakthrough: Lank and shifty preacher Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood (2007)
You've Also Seen Him...: as clunky hero Klitz in The Girl Nextdoor (2004)
Don't Miss Him In...: Little Miss Sunshine (2006); He barely speaks ten words in Little Miss, but Paul's commanding presence is one of the indie charmer's foremost quirks. His ability to roll with the likes of Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear were no doubt tranquil precursors to his 2007 work with trecherous Oil Man Daniel Day-Lewis. Some may call Little Miss Sunshine the philistine's Juno, but I highly disagree. Juno is apt, but it is sans Mr. Dano.
Why I Think He's Underrated: Paul Dano isn't exactly your run of the mill, every day looker. Sure, he's cute, but it's more of a "guy I knew in high school who used to play the trombone and send me flowers on Valentines Day" cute. In other words, Paul's got a look, and it's a strange look, and I'm not quite sure the world's ready to embrace it...yet.

Underrated 3: M. Night Shyamalan
Breakthrough: The Sixth Sense (1999)
You've Also Seen...: Signs (2002); As Shyamalan's best-reviewed film, Signs is the quick, funny, dangerous answer to the grim fairy tale called The Sixth Sense.
Don't Miss...: Lady in the Water (2006)...even if the critics told you to. Lady in the Water is not a Razzie-winning blip on the radar. It's rash, intriguing, and phenomenal storytelling. That is all.
Why I Think He's Underrated: The M. Night Buzz is a phenomenon I've written about many times in the past. Critics hate him. Audiences don't even give him a chance anymore. He's become a punchline, the clown shoes in a vast and pretentious community of film buffs. It's almost as if we've forgotten that M. Night Shyamalan has two Oscar nods under his belt. He became underrated when he became nothing more than an ending, a chess game. I think that's the fault of a quick and impatient audience, especially the critics. It's important to expect more from a film than it's ending. And I hope M. Night's new movie, The Happening, brings this to the front line.

Underrated 4: Paul Bettany
Breakthrough: sincere but somehow sinister, Charles in A Beautiful Mind (2001)
You've Also Seen Him...: as Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knight's Tale
Don't Miss Him In...: several other key roles in the lush, glossy adventure film genre. Paul gave a startling performance as gun-wielding monk Silas in Ron Howard's The Davinci Code, and I look forward with wide, excited eyes to the moment he walks into Inkheart as the fire-breathing matchstick-eater from the Inkworld: Dustfinger. Perhaps it's his lily-white skin or those strange, crystalline eyes, but, whether he's a poet from another era or a figment of John Nash's imagination, Paul Bettany just looks good in fantasy.
Why I Think He's Underrated: In fact, I don't think anything. I know I said he looks good in fantasy (he does. damn good.), but he also looks good in shifty-eyed thrillers. And romantic tennis movies. Especially romantic tennis movies. Paul Bettany has yet to win or even be nominated for an Oscar, but that doesn't mean he's gone undeserving. One of the most underrated performances in recent years, I truly believe, is his wild and unswerving turn as Geoffrey Chaucer in A Knight's Tale. Soon, I know he'll come to fruition. It's only a matter of time. And I'll just throw this in for kicks: Paul Bettany swinging a tennis racket and getting sweaty and winning the Wimbeldon tourney is, um, yummy:)

Underrated 5: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Breaththrough: Slightly crazed, utterly dutiful Lee Holloway in Secretary (2002)
You've Also Seen Her...: telling brother Jake to go suck a fuck in Richard Kelly's 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko
Don't Miss Her In...: Stranger Than Fiction (2006); Gyllenhaal plays Ana Pascal, the candid and sweet-centered baker who develops a weakness for tax man Harold Crick (Will Ferrell). I wanted to put SherryBaby here, but I couldn't bring myself to pass up the work Gyllenhaal did in Fiction. I think it's subtle and breathing, like a whole field of daisies, and it is central to developing one of the film's most crucial matters: acceptance.
Why I Think She's Underrated: Maggie Gyllenhaal is underrated because she does her best work in really little, itty-bitty unknown films. SherryBaby barely broke one copy at the local video store, and Secretary tip-toed so successfully under the radar that when Maggie garnered a Golden Globe nomination for the role in '03, the majority of America gasped and gaped, unsure of what to think of this sultry unknown. Maggie Gyllenhaal has made some bad films (The Great New Wonderful, Happy Endings...), but she's never made bad art. Many of the roles that she takes have swift, hostile under bellies, and I look forward to the shadow she'll bring to Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight.

Underrated 6: Keira Knightley
Breakthrough: Quick-mouthed Austinian beauty Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Predudice (2005)
You've Also Seen Her...: Gasping and flailing about in Pirates of the Caribbean as Miss Elizabeth Swan
Don't Miss Her In...: Atonement (2007); The film is heavy, heavy, heavy, just like the novel from which it derives. It's beautiful, even more beautiful than one can imagine, blessed with Keira's sweetest and most enticing performance to date. I think it's important to remember just how young she is, twenty-two, and the passion one experiences while watching her in Atonement is truly, truly a miracle. I love Keira Knightley. She's one of my favorite actresses. I think this is the movie that established that for me.
Why I Think She's Underrated: You might not believe me, mostly because she's so effing famous. But I think there's more to being truly respected than just being really, really famous. Many critics and, of course, members of that pretentious film buff community, have already written Keira off as this drab, one dimensional British beauty that should quit the silver screen and go eat a sandwich. Oh, how I disagree. Keira Knightley is one of the fastest-developing actresses of her age. Yes, she's made a hefty living, and will continue to make that living, off the success and royalties of the Pirates franchise, but who cares? Do you call Johnny Depp any less of an artist simply because once he played the drunken pirate captain of a ship called the Black Pearl? No. Or, maybe you do. I don't know. Either way, Keira Knightley is on a path to what is sure to be an indulgent and successful career. If Pride and Prejudice didn't make this clear, then the Academy did when they nominated her for an Oscar.

Underrated 7: Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Breakthrough: Snide swindler Chris Wilton in Woody Allen's Match Point (2005)
You've Also Seen Him...: running, sweaty and Irish and sexy, alongside Keira Knightley in Bend it Like Beckham (2002)
Don't Miss Him In...: August Rush (2007)...yes, I said it. Maybe it's true. Maybe the only two people in the whole world who actually fell for this movie were me and Roger Ebert, but I'm not ashamed. I think this movie is lush, musical, sappy, and it garners many twinkles in its mushy midst, the brightest of which is Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He's a gem. A big-eyed, slightly androgynous gem whose power to croon into a mic is matched only by his power to melt an audience, and he puts both talents to vigorous work in the schmultzy romance August Rush. He may, in fact, be the very definition of the word 'dishy.'
Why I Think He's Underrated: Jonny Rhys is definitely and up-and-comer. His latest gig as the glutinous and lustful King Henry VIII in The Tudors already garnered him a Golden Globe nod in 2007. Perhaps he's not as underrated as he is underseen. Match Point endured a slight box office debacle, and so did August Rush. The Tudors is appropriately stationed on scandal-heavy Showtime, which means more room for sex and blood, less for a super-wide audience. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as we saw in Match Point, is full of sneers and subtle nods. He's very good at making us believe that he's one person and then turning out to be someone completely different. Someone sinister, or even someone sweet. Either way, he's always a tender surprise, and that part about him is so, so underrated.

Underrated 8: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Breakthrough: Bumbling, romantic Cameron James in the faux-Shakespearian 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
You've Also Seen Him...: turning the tables of a botched bank robbery in The Lookout.
Don't Miss Him In...: Brick (2005); This movie is rad. It's modern. It's fresh. It's totally unique. It's authentic high school film noir. Gordon-Levitt plays Brendan Frye, a new brand of Roger Thornhill who finds himself in a situation a little to sticky to comprehend. He goes ballistic when his girlfriend turns up dead in a local drain pipe, and I know it might be difficult to imagine that kid from 3rd Rock kicking major ass, but wow. Throughout the duration of Brick, Brendan Frye goes from semi-ordinary mole for the high school principal to full-blown drug ring insider. You won't soon forget the scene of fruition, when Brendan and his sinister femme fatale meet for the last time in the middle of the high school football field. I'm telling you. Here is a version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt you never thought you'd see.
Why I Think He's Underrated: Joseph Gordon-Levitt chooses small, often stylish roles that hardly blip the radar. He can be clumsy. He can be forceful. He can pimp it out, thug it out, roll it out thick. All of these things are endlessly mapped in the brilliance that is Brick. The problem then? Nobody's seen Brick. It's got a blue cover and a woman's pale, dead hand. It's probably no longer a new release, but you'll find it in the dramas along with the rest of this country's film noir greats. Or, I own it. You can borrow it from me if you want. Just be sure to watch it for Mr. Gordon-Levitt. And give it back, because it's one of my faves.

Underrated 9: Zooey Deschanel
Breakthrough: mild and swooning Jovie aside Will Ferrell in Elf
You've Also Seen Her...: Shakin up the shit as Andy's weird gal-pal Kate on the acclaimed Showtime comedy Weeds
Don't Miss Her In...: Winter Passing (2005); It's a quiet movie, one of those rare gems in which Will Ferrell does NOT play some fictional hero with an I.Q. of eighteen. In this film, Zooey plays Reese Holden, actress and daughter of esteemed novelist Don Holden (Ed Harris). When she learns that her father's love letters to his late wife (and Reese's late mother) have garnered themselves a small fortune of worth, Reese heads home, only to find pops in a less than wanting condition, living with a Christian rock wannabe and an ex-grad student. Zooey is small in this movie, melancholy, course yet foolish not to change. She bewilders, deadpan as, slowly, she reveals herself to harbor not only indifference, but vulnerability as well.
Why I Think She's Underrated: Zooey Deschanel reminds me of Rosalind Russell or Donna Reid, or even Grace Kelly the way her eyelashes fall like quilts over glitzy discs of blue. She's an actress many people want to look at, or to look like, but because of her lack of commercial, starring roles, she's hardly ever taken seriously. She may not seem to hold commercial appeal, but I think that with the success of films like Elf and enough short but wistful turns like the one she gives in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Zooey Deschanel will gain some major regard in the future.

Underrated 10: Emile Hirsch
Breakthrough: trekking and tragic Christopher McCandless in Sean Penn's flick Into the Wild
You've Also Seen Him...: Wooing ex porn-star Danielle as Matt Kidman in The Girl Nextdoor
Don't Miss Him In...: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002); In this difficult, eerie teenager drama, Emile Hirsch plays Francis Doyle, daft and handsome Catholic school boy who invents a comic book with best friend Tim (Keiran Culkin) to escape the tedium of suburbia. This film comes layer after layer, always colorful, escapist, intriguing and often deeply upsetting. Its ending is abrupt and yet somehow inevitable. The film itself approaches one taboo after another, and is carried with deft innocence by the incipient unknown Emile Hirsch.
Why I Think He's Underrated: Emile Hirsch is young, an indie prince. He's appeared in quite a few movies, making notable appearances alongside names like Heath Ledger, Kevin Kline, and Jodie Foster. However, his looks, while devastatingly (DEVASTATINGLY) handsome, are dark and unrecognizable, boyish yet weathered and hard. He reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio, the Leo we saw in Titanic and The Man in the Iron Mask. Emile Hirsch drips into his roles, disappearing like rain into a puddle, and while this has proven him a great talent, it has yet to, for whatever reason, establish him. I think that Into the Wild was a great breakthrough, however, and it proves that the future holds a valuable place for him in the league of leading men.

Juno the Castrationist: "Hard Candy," Revisited

Hard Candy is, in the way of films like There Will Be Blood, something more than a mere quip of cinema. It's more of a life force--a series of heightened perceptions filled with fear and a cold sense of intrusion. Are we watching something we shouldn't be watching? Of course, it's the kind of scene work that makes an audience feel unwelcome, yet it screams a message, just screams it in our faces. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't troll for underage tram on the internet. You might find yourself sipping screwdrivers ala GHB one minute and then waking up duct-taped to a desk chair the next.

But it's not the GHB or the duct tape that draw the fear in Hard Candy; it's the acting. Ellen Page brings a certain level of sophistication to fourteen year old Hayley Stark, worm on a hook for internet sex preds, and she leaves us both wanting and shrinking away in disgust at the same time. Patrick Wilson plays the unsuspecting Jeff Kohlver with such unsurmountable precision, that one cannot, at first, tell whether or not his intentions truly are to violate the young Miss Stark. He thinks she's older. She looks older, acts older, and everything about Jeff Kohlver seems and feels sincere. Conversation borders too casual at times, almost creepily insignificant as the two throw around their interests and their witty oddities like tennis balls, until finally Hayley starts mixing drinks, and then things take a turn for the batty.

It turns out that Jeff's been up to something shifty, and it all has to do with a missing teenage girl whose face has been plastered to every wall in town. Hayley thinks she has the answer, and at some points we can't help but believe her. Perhaps she's right. I won't tell you how things wrap up, but even if I did, I'm not sure it would matter. Hard Candy is a film all about the rising action. The climaxes are copious, often misleading. They come wedged between masterful bouts of suspense, and Hard Candy becomes a nightmarish fairy tale. It becomes apparent how secluded Hayley and Jeff have become, how one visit from a neighbor can jeopardize it all, how sweet retribution comes with a price, how the most satisfying endings are often the most sinister, and how things like regret, remorse, total exposure can drive human beings to commit the unthinkable.

Ellen Page invokes nothing of Juno MacGuff in her turn as Hayley Stark. As Juno, Page is rough and unimpressed, hardened but jaded and endlessly accepting. As Stark, she is tireless and shrill, cold and unhinged but with a calm understanding of everything that human beings are capable of. While "Juno" will have gained Page commercial success, Hard Candy established, long before the days of Paulie Bleeker, that she is ready, raw and talented, here to take chances, the embodiment of what it takes to succeed in young Hollywood today. I look forward to following her career.