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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Author(s): AJ (TN)
Death of a Salesman
Directed by Sidney Lumet
written by Kelly Masterson
Main Cast
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Charlie Fogler
Julianne Moore as Harriet Fogler
Paul Dano as Arthur Fox
Jim Caviezel as Toby Fox
Mark Wahlberg as Long Island Mike
Heather Graham as Natalie Cage
Ethan Hawke as The Guy
Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: 11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler walks up to his car and gets in.
He locks the doors and prepares to put the key in the ignition when he
feels a gun barrel put to his head........
<Earlier that Day>
7:30 a.m - Charlie Fogler is an independently wealthy salesman of
electronics. He is unhappily married to his wife, Harriet. He goes off
to work, believing this will be a normal day, just like any other. He
gently leans towards his wife before he departs...
<He gives her a kiss>
8:30 a.m. - Harriet Fogler's husband has been at work for an hour, so it
is time for her weekly affair with Arthur, a college student whom she
met online. She believes she is falling in love with him, but her
husband stands in her way.....
<She gives him 10,000 dollars>
11:30 a.m. - Arthur Fox visits his brother's place looking for help.
Arthur tells his brother that they have it set. They can have all the
money they will ever need as long as they kill this salesman so Arthur
can marry his wife. Toby, Arthur's brother, says he will take care of
it.
<He gives him the 10 grand>
1:00 p.m. - Toby Fox only knows one dangerous guy. His drug dealer, Long
Island Mike. So Toby stops over there. He asks Long Island Mike how much
it would cost, and who they could have do it. Mike says his girlfriend
knows a guy......
<He gives him the ten grand in a duffel bag>
5:15 p.m. - Long Island Mike drives over to his girlfriends house to
find out about the guy. When he gets there, she is doing lines of coke
on the bathroom floor. She is completely messed up, but he doesnt care.
He tells to get a hold of the guy, or he is cutting her off........
<He gives her the 10 grand, and a gram of coke>
8:30 p.m. - Natalie Cage, still messed up on cocaine, calls up the guy.
She tells him to meet her at the Teddy Bear Park. When she meets up with
the guy she tells him the name of who he is supposed to
find.......Charlie Fogler.
<She gives him the 10,000 in the briefcase>
11:58 p.m. - The Guy sits in the backseat of a car he just broke into,
holding a silenced Desert Eagle. He ducks down when he sees a salesman
walking towards the car.....
11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler feels the cold steel pressed against his
neck, waiting for the end. 12:00 a.m. - The Guy walks out of the car,
putting the unused gun back into his coat.........
<He gives him his life>
What the press would say:
Sidney Lumet's new masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, is an intricate web
of lies, betrayal, and violence following and investigating all the
characters involved in the death of an innocent man. By the time we get
to the end, all the characters except for a few are so detatched from a
person they help kill, that this is as much a social commentary on
violence, as it is a moving, and dramatic character-fueled story. Lumet,
who's latest collaboration with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
screenwriter Kelly Masterson, is a true american classic, taking only
its name from the classic play. It creates a totally new and original
story, and keeps you glued to the screen as each new character is
introduced. The cast does an incredible job during the whole of the
film, each having their own story that is only connected because of a
singular goal. starting off the cast is Philip Seymour Hoffman. This
Oscar Winner gives a surprisingly soft performance as the title
salesman, unknowingly betrayed by his wife, played by Julianne Moore, in
an incredibly sexy and seductive role. She wants to leave him for a
younger paramour, played with bravura from Paul Dano, in one of his most
mature roles. Her idea is to kill her husband, and have her young man
take care of it. He accuires the help of his coke head of an older
brother, played terrifically by Jim Caviezel. He enlists the help of his
drug dealer, probably the best performance in the film, portrayed by
Mark Wahlberg. Now Wahlberg was nominated for an Oscar for playing a
cop, but he is twice as good as the other side of the law. His fast
mouth, added to his constant violence make him a fearful, and yet
comical character. He contacts his girlfriend, the heartbreaking Heather
Graham. And finally she contacts "the Guy", a mysterious and thoughtful
Ethan Hawke. "The Guy" is supposed finally take care of the salesman,
but has an epiphany about killing someone he doesnt even know, taking
the life from an innocent man. He cant do it, and thus walks away. Lumet
casts and directs terrifically, Masterson's script is fierce and moving,
and the ensemble is one of the best in years. The must see movie of the
year!
AWARDS POSSIBILITIES
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor - Mark Wahlberg, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jim
Caviezel
Best Supporting Actress - Julianne Moore, Heather Graham
Best Original Screenplay
Author(s): Connor
Campbell (TX)
The House on Mango Street
Directed by Alfonso
Cuaron
Written by Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki
Score by Yann Tiersen
CAST
Ivana Baquero- Ezperanza Cordero
Tony Plana- Papa
Judy Reyes- Mama
Raquel Castro- Nenny
Selena Gomez- Rachel
Victoria Justice- Lucy
TAGLINE: “You live there?”
SYNOPSIS:
“We didn’t always live on Mango Street… I knew then I needed to have a
house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house
on Mango Street isn’t it.”
Esperanza and her family never stayed in the same place long, often
shifting between Mexico and Chicago. She was 15 and her little sister
Nenny was 13 when they moved to Mango Street, quite possibly the worst
neighborhood in Chicago. It was the first time they had ever lived in a
house rather than an apartment, but it still wasn’t anything to be proud
of. During the short time they spent in the house on Mango Street,
Esperanza began to develop into a young woman. She dreamt of going to
college and becoming a writer, but her father would discourage it
because she learned that Mexican culture, like the Chinese, likes to
keep their women weak. She understood this fully. She didn’t honestly
think that a little Mexican girl in 1966 from Mango Street would ever go
to college. Nobody on this street would.
The other residents of Mango Street were much like her family, people
who drift in and out of America. There were her best friends, Rachel and
Lucy. Sally, who would marry at the age of 16 to a man who might have
been 3 times as old as her. Marin, who was quite simply a whore. Alicia,
who saw invisible mice and Elinita who told fortunes. Mango street would
change Esperanza. She was tortured by her development into a woman that
she was in no way ready for. She was even sexually assaulted at a
carnival. But mostly Mango Street showed her the life that she wanted to
avoid at all costs. She didn’t want to become her grand-mother; tricked
into marriage and left to stare out the window watching her life go by.
She would leave Mango Street. She would go to college. She would show
everyone that she could do whatever she wanted.
“I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I
write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes. She does not hold me
with both arms. She sets me free. One day I will pack my bags of books
and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her
to keep me here forever. One day I will go away."
Awards Campaign:
The House on Mango Street, the newest film by Alfonso Cuaron delves into
1960’s Mexican-American culture. We witness the growth of young
Esperanza who fights her pre-destined future. Through a series of short,
seemingly independent stories we witness the maturing of Esperanza.
Alfonso Cuaron captures the essence of ethnic Chicago brilliantly by
using shades of red, orange and brown, a very brassy and latin score and
letting us see what Esperanza sees as apposed to just seeing Esperanza.
Sandra Cisneros who wrote the series of vignettes that the film is based
on writes an equally poignant script. Those who have read the book might
find a film adaptation impossible but Cisneros and Cuaron’s script
proves otherwise.
Ivana Baquero is the highlight of the film as Esperanza, the aspiring
writer who longs to be someone else. Baquero, who made a name for
herself in 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth, shines in the lead role. She shows us
innocence and childishness in the beginning which morphs into maturity
and wisdom almost effortlessly. Baquero gives the best performance of
the year in the best film of the year. This brilliant coming of age film
is a must-see for everyone. ****/****
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director- Alfonso Cuaron
Best Actress- Ivana Baquero
Best Adapted Screenplay- Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
Author(s): Douglas
Reese (MI)
The Juke
Directed by Tamara
Jenkins
Written by Robert Dillon
Produced by Brad Grey, Keith Gordon, Tamara Jenkins, and Marc Turtletaub
Edited by Curtiss Clayton
Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus
Original Score by Brian Reitzell
Cast:
Ryan Gosling … Robert Grooms
Jena Malone … Brianna Kirker
Alan Arkin … Jimmy
Tagline: “Pain Only Helps”
Plot: Sitting steadily in the chair, Robert recollects all the things
that Dr. Reed would tell the whole class. The same words would be
forcibly ripped from his personal insides: “Hi, I’m Robert and I am an
alcoholic.”
He never began to drink away his guilt until May 3rd of that year; when
guilt actually took its first assault on him. The sheriff would arrive
and call in the life squad – an unnecessary action when her lifeless
body would just still be hanging from that tree. The guilt would come
mostly from Robert’s unwillingness to grasp onto his wife’s dilemmas.
But most of all would come from his own difficulty of dropping his
womanizing addiction.
And now the women have become stale, and the alcohol - the compulsion.
When the bottle is not to his lips, Robert picks at his guitar and sings
those old countryside songs his dad used to play. Every song fueled
without joy and instead - presented with an enthusiastic voice of grief.
To pay off his crummy apartment and for his alcoholic necessitates,
Robert works at The Jukebox – a bar packed with every town drunk and
party girl, booming with business although hidden behind the looming
woods of Southern Ohio. He is well loved by the crowds there and when he
sings, most of the members stop to stare at his performance. Robert also
finds cherishment in an old friend of his, Jimmy. A 72-year-old legless
Vietnam veteran, Jimmy is a stubborn man but a father figure to Robert.
But things turn for the worse as Robert has to say goodbye to Jimmy, who
travels to Florida in order to find tranquility.
But it is not long until one particular person arrives at “The Juke”.
One that Robert brings a higher state of emotion into his lyrics as he
sings one night.
Brianna Kirker, Robert’s high school girlfriend from Charleston , West
Virginia . An unusual run-in miles and years away from a past romance
that faded down the road. Robert chats with Brianna who states how she
is heading for Chicago to get away from her abusive boyfriend and the
reminiscences of her 4-year-old son whom was found murdered at the
school park. She is blunt with her personally affecting issues, and for
the Robert acts in both surprise and in appreciation; this action raises
confidence for Robert to be open about his fiancé’s suicide.
She had been staying in her car, parking in alleys and store lots,
hoping to sleep away her painful memories that she wishes would stay
back in Charleston . Memories so hard to forget that they torture her
more the farther she tries to flee from them. Robert offers his help,
allowing her to stay in his apartment. Although the rooms are trashed,
bottles scattered endlessly around the floors, he only thinks about how
she would need the help. His helping hands aid his own haunting feelings
of losing someone.
The next morning, Brianna wakes up. No more oceans of bottles floating
around, the apartment is cleaned up in a manly, “still-dusty” kind of
way. Robert sits in his La-Z-Boy, a smile, a beer in his hand. The two
go out for breakfast at The Juke and begin to talk more about what they
have lived through for the long nine years since high school. The
relationships, the losses, the commitments, and the forgotten. But the
two also look back on their own high school experiences, laugh over the
times when he sung and she danced for public fans of their old band, and
then become moved by the thoughts of how things may have actually
worked. But Robert declares to himself that he may not be able to love
again. Brianna says she understands.
To carry on the day, Robert shows Brianna around the town. Showing the
beautiful country landscape, sitting by the creeks where the two
remember moments alone by a creek in Charleston . It was at that time
that the two would share their first romantic experience and while
Robert doesn’t want to admit it, this moment still sparks a cherishment
deep down in his soul.
After the day goes by, it finally becomes nighttime. The two return to
The Juke, where Robert plays a few songs, ending with a completely
happy, bubbly tune that only helps bring forth positive vibes between
both Robert and Brianna. She walks on the stage and dances in front of
the drunken audience, smiling. A performance that holds the two close;
played on a night at The Juke, where two friends relive each other’s
happiest times.
After the performance, the two walk out to Brianna’s car. She doesn’t
want to, but she knows she has to go. Robert is aware of why, and he
hugs her. She cries, offering him a ride home. He’d rather stay at the
bar longer. She gets into the car and rolls down her window. Robert
smiles, and she returns one back. She starts the car and pulls out onto
the road as she drives away. Robert returns to the bar. Offered a beer,
he just smiles.
What the Press Would Say:
With “The Juke”, Tamara Jenkins heads in another destination unlike any
of her previous films. Taking on a dramatic human story with some of the
wry and gritty horrors of life itself, Jenkins also fixes the film up
with dark comedic moments, mainly focusing on the humor of human nature.
Jenkins beautifully takes Robert Dillon’s masterfully done script and
turns it into a wonderful movie lesson about finding hope through the
good memories when stuck in a world of regret. The film also manages to
pull together a powerful theme of how a man can be trapped by his own
uncontrollable emotions, and still manages to show a wonderful story
that enthralls its viewers to relate to, and be touched by, these two
human beings who help one another through each other’s personal horrors.
And to illustrate this tale, Jenkins casts Ryan Gosling as Robert
Grooms. The sometimes quiet, sometimes bouncy performer that waddles
through his life day by day, regretting his unfaithful behavior to his
fiancé, and finding calmness in a cold bottle of booze. And Gosling’s
performance is all so subtle that once his character meets up with
Brianna Kirker, he begins to find that she is a much better remedy to
his problems that any drop of alcohol.
As Brianna Kirker, Jena Malone brings humanity and trust to the screen.
A wonderful mixture that she portrays so exceptionally that when she
talks to Robert, you can see why he finds bliss in her, she is a very
down-to-earth girl, even though she is obviously emotionally-scorched
just as much, although in a different way, as Robert is. A bravura
stand-out scene comes from both Malone and Gosling when the two recall
the night they lost their virginity to one another. A very soft-spoken
but emotional conversation by the creek, in which brings so much depth
to the past connection between both characters. Jenkins masterfully
directs the scene to where we feel that old emotion seeping through the
screen, and we feel, understand, and connect with Robert and Brianna’s
relationship.
A small cast, but one ecstatically acted, Alan Arkin finishes the list
off as war veteran Jimmy. The man in the wheelchair that lives next door
to Robert, and the man that helps Robert fend off to losing his sanity.
But also a man that has to leave Robert behind for his own peace and
freedom for himself. A father-like figure to Robert and a willful man in
need of finishing his life with his own dream, Jimmy is a kind soul, but
immovable. Small, but powerful, Arkin leaves an impression of the viewer
as much as the impression he leaves on Robert when Jimmy hops into a van
with his “woman” and drives away for Florida, a place Jimmy has always
dreamed of fleeing to.
Tamara Jenkins tells this simple story with high doses of honesty. Never
does the film back down from being too realistic, and never does it want
you to take it as a life-changing experience. The film instead works on
making the viewer realize that for many, living through these
occurrences is relevant. Sometimes they are tough situations to dig out
of. But also, there can be hope for many, sometimes in another person
who is scarred with the same emotions. Robert Dillon (2000’s “Waking the
Dead”) brings a surreal screenplay to help give the film its true
emotional center. Sprouting realistic, sometimes edgy dialogue and
telling the story in straightforward fashion, not showing anything but
the present and only seeing the emotional moments in the past through
the characters’ own words. A truly wonderful comedy-drama, without
sentiment, “The Juke” is a daring example that Tamara Jenkins is a
sensational director whom fuels her movies with pure emotion, and brings
the viewer a beautiful connection, without playing it too bold.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Tamara Jenkins
Best Original Screenplay – Robert Dillon
Best Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Actress – Jena Malone
Best Supporting Actor – Alan Arkin
Author(s): TD (TX)
Miles Away
Directed by Steven
Soderbergh
Written by Stephen Gaghan and Susannah Grant
Produced by Laura Bickford, Michael Shamberg, and Steven Soderbergh
Distributed by Focus Features
Cinematography by Steven Soderbergh (Peter Andrews)
Editing by Stephen Mirrione
Music by Thomas Newman
Principal Cast
Joaquin Phoenix as PFC Eric Sanders
Bahar Soomekh as Saman Al-Rashid Sanders
Wes Bentley as Pvt. Michael Dempsey
Zooey Deschanel as Clara Dempsey
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn as Kelly Dempsey
Tagline: “Two lovers. Two places. One goal: to see each other again.”
Synopsis:
Dear Saman,
I hope you’re doing well at the Dempseys’ home in Amesbury. Everything
here in Iraq is not looking to well at all. Yesterday our battalion had
lost three more of its soldiers, and I’m not sure how long I can’t take
this. Everyday I get sick of seeing my friends dying in the streets and
watching innocent civilians get attack by both our soldiers and the
enemies’ men. However, I am glad that Michael is still alive and here
with me. Today, he and his squad were in a bombing accident, and lucky
for him he was the only survivor. I don’t know what I would do if he was
dead now. I may be still fighting for our country or hopping on the
first plane home to you. Saman, I want to come home and see you badly,
and I know you wanted to stay here in Iraq , but your family and I felt
it was best for you to move to Massachusetts away from the horror and
violence here. Don’t worry for me, Saman. I’ll be home in about a month
and I hope I’ll be alive until then. I love you, Saman, and I can’t wait
to see you again.
With Love,
Eric
Dear Eric,
Life here in America is different from Iraq . I’m not sure what it is,
but the people here in Amesbury have been acting strange towards me and
some wouldn’t look at me at all. It’s been nearly a week since I’ve
arrived at the Dempseys’ home, and it’s been quite difficult to get
along with Clara. Ever since I arrived here she looks at me with disgust
and treats me like I’m her servant. Last night she had a party and I was
forced to stay in my room because she said I would embarrass her and
little Kelly. And today I told her I will not cook for her and she threw
a fit at me and locked me in my room. I thought you said she was a nice
woman, but it appears both you and Michael were wrong. I am glad,
however, that Kelly is nothing like her mother. She is very kind and
caring to me, and I’ll admit she’s the only friend I have in this
hateful country. Eric, I do hope you and Michael come home soon. I truly
miss you a lot, and once you come home I want to leave this place. If
the people here in Amesbury are truly like others in America then I
don’t want to be here. Eric, I love you with all my heart, and I hope
you come home safe and soon.
With Love,
Saman
What the press will say:
War is a cruel thing. Not
only does it take away the lives of others, but it also separates the
lives of others. For both Eric and Saman, this is the case they both
suffer from. In Soderbergh’s newly acclaimed film, both of these
characters are miles away from each on different continents facing
difficult situation. Soderbergh’s film “Miles Away” is a deeply moving
film that excels above his previous films and will become a hit this
month. Not only does his brilliant directing in both an American scenic
town and a Middle Eastern desert helps carry the film, but so does the
script, which is written by two of Soderbergh’s previous film writers.
Stephen Gaghan, who wrote the script for “Traffic”, and Susannah Grant,
who wrote the script for “Erin Brockovich”, team up to work with their
old friend to write this thoughtful and war-inducing script that’ll be
hailed by all critics and audiences alike. The cast of “Miles Away” is
perfect and every actor does an outstanding job in their role. Leading
this wonderful cast is Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the main character
Eric Sanders. Eric is a soldier who loves his country, and he joins the
army to fight in the war against terrorism. While being in Iraq he sees
that everything he’s fighting for is not worth it and all he wishes to
do is leave and go back home with his best friend Michael Dempsey. Upon
arrival in Iraq he meets a beautiful woman named Saman Al-Rashid, who is
played by the wonderful actress Bahar Soomekh. Saman is an Iraqi woman
who lost her parents in a bomb attack, and Eric heroically saves her
from the attack. The two deliver outstanding performances as they go
through their secret affair and marriage, her secret escape to America ,
and the struggle to live far away in a place he can’t stand and in a
town that doesn’t accept her. Eric suffers through the horror of war,
watching a lot of his friends and innocent civilians get killed in front
of his eyes, while his wife suffers racism and hate in the small
Massachusetts town.
Not only were the two leads great, but so were the supporting cast.
Every good film with great leads needs a great supporting cast to back
them up, and this film has it all. Wes Bentley, who plays Eric’s best
friend Michael, is the only supporting male in this film, but he does an
amazing job in his role. Michael is a young, optimistic soldier with a
passion for wars and joins the army to fight in it, but after getting
injured in the attack he realizes that losing his life at a young age is
not worth fighting for a war that has no cause, and throughout the rest
of the film he fights for his life on his death bed with Eric by his
side. However, his wife Clara and his young daughter Kelly doesn’t know
about his incident or that he’s dying. Instead the two must deal with
Saman. Clara, who is brilliantly played by Zooey Deschanel, is a loving
young woman taking care of her daughter while her husband is away at
war. When she received the news about Michael offering to let Saman stay
in their home, her loving attitude begins to fade away. Once Saman
arrives, Clara begins to treat her differently by locking her in the
guest room after dinner is over and she treats her like dirt. At times
she would bring her out of the house, but Saman faces hate almost
everywhere she goes, and Clara is ignored by all due to her being with
Saman. However, the only person in Amesbury to treat Saman with love and
care is Kelly, the Dempseys’ daughter. On days when she’s bored or
lonely, she would talk to Saman and treat her as if she was her best
friend. During the film Kelly is Saman’s only friend, and she doesn’t
take her for granted.
“Miles Away” is a
powerful and moving war drama film that’ll leave many in tears and will
once again establish Soderbergh as a great director. With it’s intense
cast, hard-pounding script, clear camera work by Soderbergh, careful and
detailed editing by Stephen Mirrione, and a sad but sweet harmonic score
by Thomas Newman, this is a film that’s sure to sweep the Oscars in
June.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director – Steven Soderbergh
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Bahar Soomekh
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Wes Bentley
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Zooey Deschanel
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Best Original Screenplay
Author(s): Jeffrey
(Long Island)
Miss Saigon
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Bill Condon
Lea Salonga as Kim
Jonathan Pryce as Engineer
John Lloyd Young as Chris
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Ellen
Taye Diggs as Johnand
Laurie Cadevida as Gigi
Tagline: The heat is on in Saigon.
Synopsis: The Vietnam War is coming to an end. Kim, a Vietnamese bargirl
at a club owned by a French-Vietnamese Engineer, gets ready to put on
her first performance for the soon-departing American marines. Two of
the marines are Chris and John, the latter of whom encourages Chris to
persue one of the bargirls at the club. It is then that Kim and Chris
meet for the first time. One of the bargirls, Gigi, wins the "Miss
Saigon" raffling to one of the marines. When he refuses to take Gigi
home to America with him, she and the other bargirls lament over their
harsh lives in Vietnam and wish that they could go to America. John
decides to buy a room for Chris and Kim from the Engineer, though Chris
is reluctant to spend the night with her.
Chris and Kim develop a close bond that night and begin to fall in love,
but Chris will be returning to America soon. Chris tries to buy Kim from
the Engineer, who will only agree to let her go if he too can leave the
country. After threatening the Engineer, Chris is allowed to take Kim to
come to America with him. Kim is deemed by Gigi to be the real Miss
Saigon and throws a fake wedding party for the lovers, but the party is
interrupted by Kim's bethrothed cousin, Thuy. He has a confrontation
with Chris and vows to take Kim from him.
3 years later. Chris is in America without Kim. He now has an American
wife named Ellen who is haunted by his dreams of Kim at night.
Simultaneously, Kim in Vientam and Ellen in America swear that they will
be the true captors of Chris' heart. John works for an organization that
tries to reunite American soldiers with their half-bred Vietnamese
children, and is the bearer of ambivalent news for Chris when he informs
him that she's still alive and living with his son, who she has named
Tam. They reluctantly decide to tell Ellen about Kim and Ellen
accompanies them to Bangkok, where Kim has relocated. Meanwhile, Thuy
sends the Engineer to find Kim. Thuy's anger drives him to attept to
kill Kim's son, but in a desperate attempt to save Tam, Kim shoots Thuy
and begs the Engineer to help her. The Engineer decides to help Kim
because it seems like a good way into America. Kim swears to her son
that she will do all she can to protect him, even if it means giving up
her own life.
John, Chris, and Ellen arrive in Bangkok days later. When John manages
to track down Kim, she is overly enthusiastic about Chris having arrived
and her emotion convinces John not to break the news of Chris' marriage
to her. John promises that he will bring Chris to Kim, but the Engineer
and the ghost of Thuy both contradict John in saying that Chris does not
want to be with her anymore, and he will not come to see her unless she
takes the initiative to see him. Kim has a flashback to the night that
Chris left Saigon: amidst mass chaos and flustered Vietnamese refugees,
the Americans are being transported by helicopter out of the city. Chris
tries to take Kim with him; however the Vietnamese are being denied
access. Chris and Kim are separated, and as the helicopter takes off,
Kim cries out to Chris that she loves him, while he shouts back at her
his own sorrows about leaving her in Saigon.
Kim and the Engineer are optimistic about living in America, but Kim's
world is shattered when she embarks on her search for Chris and comes
across Ellen instead. Ellen is sympathetic towards Kim, but is very
clear in saying that Kim and Tam will not be returning with Chris to
America, because Ellen is Chris' wife now. Kim leaves Ellen and finds
the Engineer. She insists that they will make it to America, which
brightens the Engineer's day and he makes preparations for his life in
America. Back at Ellen and Chris' hotel rooom, Chris is mortified to
hear of Kim's encounter with Ellen but ensures his wife that they will
not be bringing Kim and Tam back with them to America.
Kim continues to lie to the Engineer about going to America, however he
eventually finds out from Chris that this is in fact a lie. Before
anybody can speak with her, Kim launches a plan that she has undoubtedly
been considering all along: she wishes Tam a good life, and shoots
herself with Chris' gun from 3 years ago. When they find her, Ellen and
John are horrified and Chris is hysterical. Chris and Kim pledge their
love to one another one last time, with Kim dying happily knowing that
Chris will be forced to take her son with him back to America.
After Kim dies, Ellen is so distraught and destroyed with guilt that she
agrees to take Tam with her and love him as her own son.
What The Press Would Say:
From martial arts to gay cowboys to espionage thriller to Jane Austen to
the incredible Hulk, you might think that Ang Lee has done it all. Now
there can be no doubt however; Ang Lee is the most versatile filmmaker
working today. He has added a musical to his resumé- an extraordinary
one at that. Ang Lee's "Miss Saigon" is the most emotional and
heart-tugging film of the month. With the help of Bill Condon and a
flawlessly talented (vocally and acting-wise) cast, Lee has crafted the
most beautiful film in ages.
Musical fans will know "Miss Saigon" as the critically acclaimed Vietnam
War musical featuring Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce in Tony
Award-winning roles. Thankfully, due to Condon's miraculous script,
Salonga and Pryce were able to reprise their roles in the feature film.
Condon's screenplay is one of the most important contributors to the
film's greatness. He has taken remarkable steps to ensure the realism
and entertainment value of "Miss Saigon". His first step was to re-age
the main characters to make the portrayals more realistic, avoiding the
need to cast younger, inexperienced actors. Those problems had been seen
with The Phantom of the Opera, and the reverse (keeping the age the same
in the script, but casting older actors) contributed to the downfall of
Rent. The removal of tedious songs and the translation of them into
dialogue is an always-necessary component to movie musicals, and Condon
has managed to do it without threatening the novelty of the story.
As a director, Ang Lee shines through in quite a foreign concept to him.
But who could have been better for the job? Lee has done a superb job
incoporating both Asian aspects into the Vietnam-themed musical and
taking new artistic liberties. There is an evident but unseen natural
chemistry between Lee and his cast in all films, and "Miss Saigon" is
surely no exception. The fact that Lee's characters are so masterful in
their approaches to the story shows Lee's expertise in direction.
Most people who know Lea Salonga know her as one of Broadway's biggest
Asian stars (she won numerous awards for her work in "Miss Saigon"
alone), the Phillippines' pride and joy, and the singing voice of Disney
characters Mulan and Jasmine. Now however, she is sure to become a
household name. Her performance as Kim is synonymous with perfection.
Once you get over being blown away by her superior singing voice, you'll
surely have to appreciate her subtle acting ability as well. "Miss
Saigon" is sure to be Salonga's breakthrough as a filmstar, a deserved
distinction for her. If anybody is the sure-fire favorite come awards
time, it is sure to be Ms. Salonga.
Her male co-stars, John Lloyd Young and Jonathan Pryce, are surprisingly
never overshadowed by Salonga throughout the film. Pryce is another
musical legend who has already had his fair share of mainstream
attention after his appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean. John Lloyd
Young won a Tony Award for his work in Jersey Boys, but has now stepped
into something completely different as Chris in "Miss Saigon". Young
never misses a beat as a tormented, guilt-ridden Vietnam War veteran
haunted by love and committment. Pryce also does not disappoint. His
scenes of despair (and hope) and his constant ill-fated schemes are as
admirable as they are ambiguously detestable. Pryce takes a character
who could be viewed as villainous and unlikeable and makes him
relateable and heartbreaking.
A strong supporting performance is given by big-name Taye Diggs. Diggs
is gloriously believable, first as a raunchy soldier, then as a
transformed, giving man. No doubt affected by the images of the
Vietnamese people vying to get on the helicopter as it takes off, Diggs'
character is a desireable role for an actor due to his status as one of
the most dynamic and changed characters in the story. Zeta-Jones is
strong and memorable as Young's stubborn wife who also experiences one
of the most heart-felt and tearjerking changes when she accepts Kim's
child into her family in spite of her initial reluctance. Having
previously won an Academy Award for Chicago, Zeta-Jones is no stranger
to movie musicals. It would be a crime to look over the brief Laurie
Cadevida as well, whose raved performance in the Australian tour of
"Miss Saigon" landed her the gut-wrenching film role of Gigi. Cadevida's
role is short and sweet, but effective nonetheless. She plays her
heartbreaking and frown inducing role so well that it's safe to say that
she gives one of the best performances by a rising star this year.
"Miss Saigon" has all the characteristics of a box office and critical
success. Tied in with its astoundingly deep music is a literary
sensation. Ang Lee has become the captor of yet another movie genre:
this time, the Asian-themed musical in Saigon.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director - Ang Lee
Best Actress - Lea Salonga
Best Actor - Jonathan Pryce
Best Supporting Actor - John Lloyd Young
Best Supporting Actor - Taye Diggs
Best Supporting Actress - Catherine Zeta-Jones
Best Supporting Actress - Laurie Cadevida
Best Adapted Screenplay - Bill Condon
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