guilfisher-1

I have anticipated this film for sometime now as a Ledger fan since I found him with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, a role he certainly deserved the Oscar for. Not the sad imitation of Truman Capote by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I still doubt the Academy's choices for awards and think the size of the studio has a lot to do with the number of votes, etc. So, although Heath earned, to me, another Oscar for THE DARK KNIGHT, the studio system will probably give it to the likes of Robert Downey Jor for playing a black man. Ledger's Joker was original, dark, twisted with that evil sense of humor that makes it a distinguished performance. I couldn't take my eyes off him. In every scene he held the reins in his hands. You could see the tension between he and Christian Bale, also a terrific actor, and the joy they had in working together. I should also like to thank director, Christopher Nolan, for his inspired casting. Unlike BATMAN BEGINS, which I thoroughly enjoyed and turned me on to the Batman series, this one had depth and incredible genius connected with it. Now you take these two powerhouse actors, Heath and Bale, and you spice them up with some of the most distinguished supporting actors you can dream up. With the likes of Liam Neeson, Aaron Eckhart, veteran Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, (terrific), Morgan Freeman, Anthony Michal Hall (far from those teeny boppers), Eric Roberts, Nestor Cabonell, from Brooke Shields TV sitcom, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, so much better than one level acting of Kate Holmes. When you look at Heath's work of the past, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, the gay man caught up in the guilt of his feelings, KNIGHT'S TALE, beautifully played as a simple man with dreams of glory, MONSTERS BALL, as the young rookie idealistic cop, TWO HANDS, a young man who attempts to find a better life yet falls into bad hands, CANDY, a disturbing look at the world of drugs and a guy who is fighting to survive, NED KELLY, a young rebel who is only fighting for his existence and defending his home against a corrupt militia, THE ORDER, a modern day priest who must find truth in a dark world of terror in the clergy, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, a gem of a sweet movie about love and giving Heath a chance to sing and dance which he loves. When you look at all this work in the short number of years he has been on earth, you think how much more we have missed by his early death. I can only imagine what heights he could have gone to. For he certainly was on his way. Life sometimes is cruel and unthinkable at times. I only hope they will honor this young actor this year with the Oscar he certainly deserves and for those roles we all will never see him play. Heath Ledger, you are a star in Heaven now.

This movie belongs to the photographer and director, Greory Holbit. My problem is that it was miscast. Sir Anthony Hopkis always comes off as the English Gentleman. Perfect speech and diction but not much else. After a while you get tired of hearing and watching him. Other than SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and LEGENDS OF THE FALL, he is boring. Add to this Ryan Gosling and his James Dean impersonation. Sometimes hard to hear and understand his diction. He scratches he grunts and most of the time seems totally wrong for the part of anyone who could pass the bar exam. Put these two together and there's no chemistry. There was more between Hopkins and Pitt in JOE BLACK. Then you have Rosamund Pike as the rich one on the make for the kid. Looking like his mother, the best line is when someone says with her hair down she's on the make. when it's up she's the boss. The sex scenes were embarrassing but thank heavens they were short and mostly shot in the dark. That fine actor David Strathairn has a small role and is wasted. He was wonderful in THE FIRM. Embeth Davidtz and Billy Burke, not Billie Burke, were the star crossed lovers and both did very well, although not enough of them. Too much Hopkins and Gosling who also reminds me of Edward Norton and John Cusack.

Can someone tell me why all these supposedly heroines of LMN are blonde? Are there no brunettes? Lovely redheads in the acting world? Must they all look like they came out of a factory of bleached blonde hair, too long for their age, and stringy hanging over their eyes. It seems that todays look is just that. Actress Nicolette Sheridan is no different. I know I reviewed her before and there is still no change. She is too old for the likes of her leading men, all who could pass for her sons. She roams about in skin tight jeans and too tight sweaters. Even with a hat on, her stringy hair is protruding in her face. Is this hair in the face and over the eyes meant to distract us from her real age? The director must have a crush on her as she seems to be in almost all the shots. The supporting cast, all of whom are so much better actors than she, consists of Andrew Jackson, the lover, Robert Seeliger, the husband, Leni Parker, the friend and Amanda Tilson, the daughter. Mom looks like she's competing with her daughter most of the time.

The plot is dumb and story weak. The ending is very disappointing and most unbelievable. Don't waste your time with this.