Part of the 3rd Annual Supporting Actress Blog-a-Thon - Class of 2008 - going down @ StinkyLuLu.Wong Kar Wai has a storied history of telling tales with a cool, hyper wit, and he always manages to create characters quirky or dispirited enough to be perfectly memorable. But last year's
My Blueberry Nights, while keeping a lot of his themes, was really a departure for him. His first English-language film, his first film starring a predominantly non-Asian cast, and his first film in almost twenty years not shot by Christopher Doyle, he couldn't really tell it exactly like in the past. So, his plan was to inject as much sultry jazz and trashy Southern accents into the screen as possible, and it drifted into his melancholy comfort zone.
One thing that stayed randomly intact, albeit in a stranger, more wacky form, was a strong ensemble. Choosing Norah Jones as his lead - playing a spurned young woman on a cross-country road trip trying to experience life - wasn't as big a mistake as it could've been. It's certainly interesting, at least. And backing her up is a slew of Oscar-nominated actors, including Jude Law and David Strathairn, DEFINITELY wasn't a mistake. The focus of this post, though, are the other two Oscar-endorsed headliners -- Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman. Both are emotionally damaged supporting players in segments that shine brighter than the lead. Maybe that defeats the point, maybe it doesn't. All I know is that they're a choice that I
know no one will do, and I'm damn grateful for it.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~
Rachel Weisz as Sue Lynne in My Blueberry NightsBy the point Sue Lynne comes into the story, Elizabeth (Jones) had made it to Memphis from New York, and was working in a diner by day and a local bar, drunk on neon, by night. One night, she meets Arnie (Strathairn), a depressed cop, who is almost comatose at the bar. He's sweet enough, and Lizzie likes him. Only, it becomes apparent he's a delusional alcoholic who still thinks he's married, and his now ex-wife? Sue Lynne, of course. Her intro, set to Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness", really sets herself in. Walking sort of clumsily into the bar, slow-mo and all, like a ghost of doom sent to destroy Arnie with one look. And that's pretty much what she ends up doing.
The greatest achievement about her performance is that Weisz manages to make an utterly over-the-top character viscerally
work. She screams more than is customary, but instead of feeling like it's just for the sake of "acting," she makes you feel Sue Lynne's heart break more with each yell. And then it breaks completely. Her roadside conversation with Elizabeth is one of the most devastatingly forlorn things I've seen in a long while - and all she does is talk about the past and stare at nothing. It's in career-best territory. I don't know how many people would agree with that, but whatever.
Incredibleness.~@~@~@~@~@~@~
Natalie Portman as Leslie in My Blueberry NightsAfter her adventures in Memphis, Elizabeth heads out west. Ending up working as a waitress in a casino somewhere in Neveda, she meets Leslie, being a sly smartass at the poker table. They meet again outside and Leslie needs money to play more, and asks to borrow Elizabeth's savings (which she wants to buy a car with) so she get back into the game - and she offers her Jag as collateral. She loses, and Lizzie gets her car, but she has to give her a ride to Las Vegas. As it turns out, her father taught her everything she knows, and he's dying. Leslie won't believe it, because she's two-faced and untrusting, and it wouldn't be the first time he conned her like that. Though she gets a crying scene out of it.
Now, I've always loved Portman more as a person than as an actress. I mean, she's rarely stood out. But I guess every fanboyish aspiration I've had for her exploded while I was watching, because this is the first performance of hers that I actually loved. It's trashy, overly one-note and simplistic, and to be fair Natalie doesn't do a lot that signifies a good performance. And her accent is dangerously embarrassing. Still, I loved her. I can't explain it as easy as I could for Rachel, but they're both excellent IMO. Which is why I chose 'em. Simple as that.
My previous entries, both @ JMC:
Class of '06 ~ Emma Thompson in Stranger Than Fiction
Class of '07 ~ Juliette Binoche in Paris, Je T'aime
Well, it's true. Probably.
