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margotlefaye (margotlefaye) wrote,
@ 2007-08-18 23:55:00

Current mood:

impressed

Short, sweet, movie madness
So, yesterday the spouse and child and I spent the day at the movies, taking in Ratatouille stopping for lunch, then seeing Stardust. My comments below contain no real spoilers, though they do contain a couple of references.

About the first, I shall only say, Steamed Rats, OMG fucking hilarious. We very much liked the film.

About the second...if you have enough in common with me to be on my flist, it is highly likely that you don't want to miss this one on the big screen. Just a perfect jem of a fantasy/romance/adventure/comedy/drama kind of thing. The climactic sword battle between the hero and the villain...brilliant both for its choreography and for the acting on the part of the villain. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. The writing is very smart, completely cohesive logic on the one hand, and still some interesting twists that you might not see coming until they are upon you.

Now, I have been a Claire Danes fan since at least My So Called Life and she was absolutely perfect as Yvaine.

But.

For the sake of her career, I wish Sarah Michelle Gellar hadn't turned the role down. It's not that I think she would have done a better job than Danes, or that Danes did a better job than SMG could have done. Both actresses are extraordinary, and though SMG's portrayal of Yvaine would have been different, I'm sure it would have been every bit as compelling. It's just that I think this film is going to do well, and I think it would have brought SMG the kind of attention her career seems to need. It's a different role from what she's done in the Grudge films, or the scream films or Scooby films, and it is different, as well, from Buffy. It would have showcased both her dramatic and her comic talents, and...well. I just wish she'd been able to take the role, even though I adored Danes in it.

That is all.

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tangofic
2007-08-19 01:29 pm UTC (link)

Since I don't have cable, often the only trailers I see are in the movies while seeing another one. Ratatouille looked amusing, but I hadn't heard of Stardust. I googled it and watched the trailer. It looks great! I'm glad Claire Danes got a good role. I really have loved her since My So Called Life too and I was worried since she hasn't had a lot of roles in the last few years.

As for SMG, I'm a little worried about her too.

*hugs* I hope you're doing well, Margot.

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	margotlefaye 2007-08-22 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	Ratatouille is amusing, but if you can only see one...it's gotta be Stardust SMG does have some other projects in the works, and we can always hope one of them hits. But, I'm not holding my breath. Sigh. Smooch, and I hope things are going well for you. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	ljgould 2007-08-19 04:49 pm UTC (link)
	Glad to know that Stardust is worth the money. I've been watching the ads and hoping it was worth seeing. I don't know what SMG is thinking regarding her career. She really needs to do something other than horror and kid-flicks if she wants to survive as an actress. It's too bad because she's extremely talented. (Reply to this) (Thread)

margotlefaye
2007-08-23 12:10 am UTC (link)

We found it very well worth seeing. I'm actually thinking of going to see it again. I enjoyed it that much.

And, amen to the thoughts about SMG. If she'd taken Stardust she'd have had the opportunity to work with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro, which would have been brilliant. Ah, well. At least she seems to be happy with Freddie, and if they can keep that going...I guess career really is secondary.

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theantijoss
2007-08-20 06:45 pm UTC (link)

I'm looking forward to seeing both of those flicks when they come out on DVD.

I'm afraid SMG has made some serious mis-steps in her career thus far, and turning down this role is one of the biggest. Stardust is the first fantasy film I can recall in... a really long time that has gotten almost universally positive reviews from my friends. (I'm glad you guys had such a blast, btw.) This could have really been the boost her career needed and has yet to get since Buffy was over.

It's funny that when Buffy was over and my friends and I were playing "Who'll have the biggest career/will never work again/fade into relative obscurity/be relegated to crap horror?" SMG was at the top of the first list, and some of the others that have done okay were on others. I just hope her time hasn't passed.

*smooch*

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margotlefaye
2007-08-23 12:35 am UTC (link)

I think she's got a few years left, especially since she is continuing to get work. She's got Suburban Girl with Alec Baldwin (and Richard Dreyfuss, it seems) coming out in October, and I have to admit that the plot outline for Possession, which is scheduled for release in February, looks intriguing (though it isn't another take on the A.S. Byatt novel of the same name which was made into a film a few years ago.)

SMG is a phenomenal actress, but I have yet to see her in a big-screen role that really lets her shine. No pun intended, because the character is a star and literally glows and shines in the film, at key moments, but Stardust really would have let her do that.

Smooch!

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theantijoss
2007-08-23 07:04 pm UTC (link)

I haven't heard anything about her upcoming stuff, to be honest. I lost track of what was going on with her around the time Southland Tales got laughed out of Cannes. I feel so bad, because, as you say, she's an awesome actress, and just needs the right vehicle to get somewhere.

I see a lot of people criticizing her for turning down Stardust to be near Freddie while he's working, and while I hear where they're coming from, I also can see why she would do it. Compromise and all that. I've read about them. *G*

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margotlefaye
2007-08-25 01:26 am UTC (link)

Southland Tales got laughed out of Cannes? Oh, dear...

Only SMG herself can decide if the compromise is worth it. When I turned thirty, I was in an Off-Off Broadway (which has to do with the size of the theater, not the geographical location) theater company, and really had to think long and hard about what I wanted. I knew that in order to make a living as a character actress, I would have to give up the idea of having children. Given where I was, and what I would have to do, children would simply not have been an option. I decided to leave the theater and marry, because writing was more of a love than acting, and didn't require the same kind of sacrifice...though people who aren't writers don't realize what a strain dedication to writing can be on a marriage, which is a topic for another day...

Anyway, my point is, I made the choice of family over acting and it was absolutely the right choice for me. One of my best friends made the opposite choice, and she has an Emmy award to show for it, so she made the right choice for her. If SMG never gets another acting gig again, we may regret that, but if she remains happily married, she may not regret it, at all.

I just hope she can have both.

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	theantijoss 2007-08-25 02:44 pm UTC (link)
	Me too, definitely. But as you say, it is ultimately her choice. Did you read my nervous breakdown the other day? (Reply to this) (Parent)

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