chicken: (Default)
[personal profile] chicken
Unconditional Love is the best film I've seen this week.

I liked Love Actually quite a bit in the theatre, then rented and enjoyed a vacuous two hours unashamedly ogling Angelina Jolie (for the second time, I actually paid to see it in the theatre as well) in the horribly badly written Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, and then slothed my way through two pointless hours watching the awful Keanu Reeves flick, Hard Ball.

Last into the DVD player was Unconditional Love, and we definitely saved the best for last.


First of all, P.J. Hogan has an amazing knack for creating a wonderfully surreal reality. I know that makes no sense, but his films "feel" quite unusual to me. Not as odd and amazing and unusual as Van Sant or Aronofsky, but still. Mind you this applies to Unconditional Love and Muriel's Wedding, but not so much to My Best Friend's Wedding, which had a more commercial feel to it (but which has more *Rupert*-ish characteristics in common with Unconditional Love).

Next, P.J. Hogan really loves Rupert Everett, to which I say, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES. (Not that anything will ever top Another Country in Rupert's body of work.)

On to the rest of the cast ... Kathy Bates never disappoints me. There are no words to describe her marvelous performance. And Hogan and Danny DeVito (in Death to Smoochy) are nearly alone in being able to write a part for a little person/"dwarf" that comes across as non-patronizing, witty, and full of acting challenges. Dan Akroyd was surprisingly good, too.

The plot itself is unconventional, hilarious, surpising, and exciting. That's enough adjectives, though. I highly recommend it.

unconditional love

Date: 2003-12-02 04:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-automatik.livejournal.com
I really want to see that movie. Isn't that the one with Patricia Clarkson?

God, I still have my pictures of Rupert Everett from the 80s! I too, can remember a time when every actor I liked was British. Oh, the days of young Cary Elwes and Julian Sands! Oh, and Richard E. Grant in How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

Re: unconditional love

Date: 2003-12-02 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chicken-cem.livejournal.com
Nope, Patricia Clarkson is not in it, sorry. :-)

I love the fact that both Cary Elwes and Rupert Everett have played gay roles.

Re: unconditional love

Date: 2003-12-02 06:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-automatik.livejournal.com
Okay, then I am thinking of another movie with a midget or a dwarf then.

Rupert used to call himself "ambisexual" back in the day, but I think he's fully come out now.

Re: unconditional love

Date: 2003-12-02 06:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chicken-cem.livejournal.com
Of course he is. He and Ian McKellan are the main two out British actors.

Profile

chicken: (Default)
chicken

April 2009

S M T W T F S
   1234
56 78 9 1011
12131415161718
192021 22232425
2627282930  

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags