imogen.chiv

It was a great film in every way. In that Tom Hanks can play a serious person as well as having a light touch. He is here to cheer us all up, he really is. Nobody else can do that, like he can. BUT I do wish that whoever did Julia Roberts hair was severely reprimanded. Would it have spoiled some great eternal plan if she had nice dark brown hair. Dark hair really suits her. Those fluffy big heavy curls, blonded as they were, did her no favours at all. And she can look really good, she really can.

I was quite happy to watch this film again, some films are like that. Getting more from it, a second time around. Actors were hand picked, absolutely. Not that you noticed them acting because they all did their stuff seamlessly. Of course it's no crime to have a voice that is low, dead, and no lilting tones whatsoever to speak of, but Gwyneth Paltrow as a nightclub singer is a magnificent piece of acting. She really does manage to convince that she is part of a nightclub setup. I thought it was a little too indulgent when she "forgets herself" and the band seems to know but hey ho the director must have liked it. Toby Jones was a revelation, fantastic, as Capote. Though I should have known, he has been great in other work too, including some Charles Dickens stuff. Sigourney Weaver, Sandra Bullock, I loved those two ! It all seemed to be right in that era, those times. I have a photo of Truman Capote dancing with Marilyn Monroe in a New York nightclub. She is looking away and Truman is hanging on to her hands for dear life! because she brought something to him too. He could show her off and she could meet new people to the ones in California, having had Daryl Zanuck shout at her :"You'll never work again !" So they were both happy to be seen around town. It's uncanny how much Toby Jones managed to look just like him. And the personna he put across, he was right into it. It was a joy to watch and to follow the high jinks. There was some humour too even though it could be a sad subject. I feel he will rightly be proud of the result.

As I remember it, this was an exciting movie of the day and it still stands up to the test in my opinion. Steve Cochran was still the right age to look good and so was Anne Baxter. His character has caught up with her again, and they have some history together. She has got a job in a circus with a high diving swimmer. I remember the diver for his unique soft voice. He was the "goody" in the film. Anne Baxters character doesn't want to take up with him again and Steve Cochran sort of become a stalker, hanging around the tent at night and giving a low whistle. The dim witted strong man of the circus is a little in love with her himself and will do anything to protect her. The three main characters are all good looking people which puts this film at it best. There is also the technical and interesting stuff of climbing a high ladder and looking down at a drum of water that looks like you are going to dive into just a teacupful of water for you are seemingly so high. Anne Baxter is also expected to learn how to do this. Steve Cochran is bothering her... And watch out for the Big Wheel. A wonderful film.