A Gay Defence of The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game is a movie about a gay man. Naturally there is interest from gay audience as well as gay critics. Can it stand as its own story or must it represent a gay culture that is fast changing with both more gay rights in some countries and more gay persecution in others? How can one objectively write about it as a gay person.


The Imitation Game is one of my favorite films of 2014. I love it because it tells a great story and tells it well. It takes a historical anecdote and weaves a thrilling yarn out of it while shining light on the people involved.It is a story about a heroic man whose heroism went unnoticed for many years.

Alan Turing is someone whose name we should know. However because of the secret nature of his mission during the war and because the world is full of homophobia, he was vilified into suicide and died in obscurity. This movie reverses that and tells his extraordinary story.

The movie shows us Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch as an adult) during three periods in his life. During the War where he led a group of scientists in breaking the German Enigma code and helping win the war for the Allies; after the war when he was arrested, convicted and driven to suicide for being gay; and when he was a teen in boarding school and fell in love for the first time with a classmate.

The movie so far has gotten average to good reviews and is pegged to be a major Oscar contender. The critique about it the drives me crazy is that it is not gay enough, that while outwardly against homophobia it doesn't show enough of Turing being gay or even being persecuted for being gay. I can understand the latter to a certain extent but definitely not the former.

I get the disappointment. I had expectations too going into the movie. I thought Matthew Goode was playing Turing's love interest. I thought we might get a grand tortured love story at the center. But that is not Turing's story. The movie tells the stoy of his accomplishments without diluting the fact that he was gay. A central theme throughout is that he's a man of secrets trying to solve the biggest secret of all. And Cumberbatch delivers in his performance, this is a man very uncomfortable in his skin because of the secret he's carying around. The weight of that is evident in every frame he appears in. I didn't need to see more. I complety related as someone who carried their own secret for many years. Any inappropriate glance or whisper might have meant a life on the margins or even worse for Turing.

The Guradian reviewer claims the movie "doesnt allow him to be gay". What did they want? A fabricated love story? A quick romp in the hay? He was deeply closeted, I don't think that would have fit his personality nor the time he lived in. Other reviewers have made the same claim. The movie doesn't shy away of showing him fall in love. Yes it's a very chaste one sided infatuation from a love struck teenager but there's no evidence that he had a greater love in later years.


I wish the movie had shown a bit more of the homophobia in 1950s Britain. Did we need a sympathetic policeman at the time of showing his persecution? Probably not. Did we need to see the "lewd action"he was arrested for. Maybe. I wanted more hammering of the injustice that the British government and judicial system levelled against Turing. But I get it. The balance is there. Yes I would've liked to see more time devoted to how he dealt with the last chapter in his life. But maybe that would have taken away from spending more time showing us how he got to be a hero in the first place,

Maybe in this day and age we should expect more. I'm all for Alan Turing's name heard around the world. And I think this movie represents him well while thrilling and entertaining the audience. It is not the movie everyone wanted; but it's a great movie on its own terms.

I ask all these gay nayasers how many gay heroes with compelling stories that are not about coming out do we have? Let's celebrate this one. Should we question and ask for more? Absolutely. However this has enough virtues to be celebrated. Its merits as a movie are subjective and in the eye of the beholder but its celebration of Turing is undeniable.

Vibes of Macbeth : A Most Violent Year Trailer

Hey Marion and Fassbender, you've got competition. The new trailer for A Most Violent Year has echoes of the ambition of a married couple that recalls Macbeth. So before we see that film version we get Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Feast your eyes,





It's a great trailer selling the drama and the chemistry between the stars. And maybe after the sort of failure of her Oscar chances somewhat with both The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Interstellar, Chastain might have found her vehicle for this year. Also I got a J C Chandor feeling in Original Screenplay.

Maybe 2014 is not going to be that underwhelming after all.

Short Notes on Whiplash, Birdman and Nightcrawler

Here are shorts reviews of the last three movies I watched.

Whiplash

I was not looking forward to this movie. Thought it would be a hyper masculine, "what it means to be a man"story. I was burned pretty bad by a few of those. Yes I'm looking at you Lone Survivor and Out of the Furnace. And yes it was exactly that, but I loved the shit ot of it, and that's mainly because of Miles Teller. What an actor; he grounds the story in a nakedly emotional place that is a joy to watch and react to. He's a student drummer trying to become great while being bullied by his profanity spewing teacher (J K Simmons). Teller, who was also great last year in The Spectacular Now, is going to have a long career.

Birdman

I saw Birdman twice. First I wasn't impressed. I was too distracted by the intruding jazz score that I could not get into the story. I went back because I've liked every movie Alejandro G Innaritu has directed and because I suspected I might have missed something. Stories about actors are totally in my wheelhouse. And yes I liked it much better the second time around. Mainly a story of an actor in crisis about his position in the world and his legacy; its ideas about the pull between art and commerce are simplistic and nothing new. However the actors are great. And of course you've heard about the one take gimmick. That's pretty great too and definitely new and opens the story in spectacular ways allowing the scenes to breathe and the dialogue to settle. Michael Keaton in the lead is good and is matched mano a mano by an excellent Edward Norton as his nemesis. My two favorite scenes were when they both try to one up the other by showing what great actors they are. I wish the women had much to do. More women than men in this movie but they literally play : girlfriend, girfield, ex-wife, daughter and crazy old bitch critic. I enjoyed it more the second time once I accepted its heightened flights of fancy that were hard to swallow first time around. Fun but not profound.

Nightcrawler

Easily my favorite of the three. An insightful satire about the false American values of striving for success, it is also a hugely entertaining movie. The movie is bolstered by a bristiling committed performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as a man desperately needing success who finds work as a LA gonzo reporet specializing in videotaping crime scenes. He's matched by an on fire Rene Russo as a TV news reporter. They both come blazing at each other and a fantastic scene where they match wits is so good people will be talking about it after the movie ends. A lot of the drivel Gyllenhaal's character spews reminded me of many a nighmarish conversation I had in the hallways of corporate America. It sent a shiver down my spine. Nightcrawler brilliantly succeeds at what The Wolf of Wall Street tried to do last year; provide a biting critique of some of the values that make us lose our way. And in 2 hours no less; no excess with this movie.

It's Always Carol

I'm thinking of changing the name of this blog to Carol: The Most Anticipated Movie in History of Cinema.

The lovely Miss Belivet has created the swooniest Gifs ever. For those anticipating, enjoy!

These images are better than I ever imagined. Looks like the movie will have the romantic scope, lush visuals (not just the actresses but also costumes and design) that I had hoped for. Swooning.

Updated Oscar Predictions

So much has happened since our last update. Toronto put Julianne Moore at the top of the best actress category. Fury opened and proved it won't compete for Oscar. Gone Girl became a HUGE hit. So let's dive in.

(All predictions in likelyhood of getting nominated).

Best Film

Fury is out, added Into the Woods since the featurette dropped today is to die for. Gone Girl soldified its spot. I'm iffy about Foxcatcher but I'll keep it in for time being.

Boyhood
Birdman
The Imitation Game
Gone Girl
Interstellar
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Into the Woods
Selma
Foxcatcher

Alternates:
A Most Violent Year
Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Actress

Pike is rising with the huge box office of Gone Girl. Sight unseen so is Moore based on the HUGE buzz out of Toronto. Witherspoon is quiet till the movie opens in early December where she'll pick up more heat. Blunt is apparently the lead in Into the Woods. My vote - and hope - goes to Cotillard who is again fantastic in Two Days One Night.

Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Jessica Chastain - A Most Violent Year

Alternates:
Marion Cotillard - Two Days One Night  
Amy Adams - Big Eyes

Best Actor

Who's #4 and #5? I can't stand Eastwood and the premise of that movie is so macho and ra-ra Americana that I'm hating sight unseen so I'm not adding. Yes I have biases. I'm certain on my top 3 and despite all pundits saying it's a stacked year I can hardly find 5 to get excited about. Wishing Jake Gylenhaal or the guys from Love is Strange had a chance.

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Michael Keaton - Birdman
David Oyelowo - Selma
Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher


Alternates:
Channing Tatum - Foxcatcher    
Ralph Fiennes - Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Supporting Actress

Our Grand Lady Meryl is getting nominated. For now I'm keeping her in this category since that's how she'll be campaigned but I think they'll want their favorite in the more prestigous category.

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Meryl Streep - Into the Woods
Emma Stone  - Birdman
Laura Dern - Wild


Alternates:
Jessica Chastain - Interstellar 
Carmen Ejogo - Selma

Best Supporting Actor

Boring as usual. Who is Miyavi? Maybe getting an answer to that question will make this category interesting. 

J K Simmons - Whiplash
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
Ed Norton - Birdman
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Josh Brolin - Inherent Vice


Alternates:
Miyavi - Unbroken       
Robert Duvall - The Judge

Best Director

Will we have 2 women in the category for the first time? Not ready to call that yet.

Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Christopher Nolan - Interstellar
David Fincher - Gone Girl
Alejandro G Innaritu - Birdman
Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game


Alternates: 
Angelina Jolie - Unbroken       
Ava DuVernay - Selma

Fall Expectations Are High But Tempered

The Fall movie season is always eagerly expected because of the plethora of exciting options it usually provides. As the Toronto Film Festival unspools we think of all the movies we are eagerly expecting.

Been Waiting So Long We're Kinda Over It

Foxcatcher

We were excited a year ago. The raves came way back in May from Cannes. I guess we'll see it.

Cautiously Optimistic Because of Source Material

Into the Woods

Stephen Sondheim. Meryl Streep. Emily Blunt. Anna Kendrick. Christie Baranski. Billy Magnusson. Those songs. It would be our most anticipated but unfortunately we've seen Nine.

Career That Might Jumpstart

Jack O'Connell in '71

Starred Up. Unbroken. '71. Three major movie just might make a movie star. Two of them already seen with critical kudos, he's on his way.

Career Possibly Reinvigorated

Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler

The marketing has been aces. The campaign to tell us about his commitment and weight loss has already started. He's been on a roll of edgy interesting movies. We have faith.

Suspect Because of Terrible Trailer

Men, Women and Children

It seems it is trying to say something profound about the way we live now. Only that something looks and sounds very obvious. Hoping for the best but our gut says it's a turkey.

Suspect Because Tim Burton Has Been Lost For Years

Big Eyes 

Maybe Amy Adams will save it. Hoping for the best.

Known Entity But Still Eagerly Awaited

The Imitation Game 

We've seen it. It's fantastic. We love Benedict Cumberbatch in it. Who knew we'd ever say those words? We can't wait to see it again. Mostly we can't wait to discuss it over and over. The conversations are going to be good.

Meh Feel We've Seen Before

The Equalizer 

It looks like every other Denzel movie. Get that Fences adaptation going. And hire Viola Davis as your co-star.

Most Eagerly Awaited

Birdman 

The stellar reviews. Throwing about the "M" word. As in "masterpiece". We can't contain ourselves.

Wish It Was Opening This Fall

Carol

Not many movies starring women. This would've been the ultimate with some of our best actresses. As we mentioned before this might be our most anticipated movie ever.

What are you most excited about this Fall? What do you think of the movies we've mentioned? Agree? Disagree? Tell all in the comments.

First Stab at Oscar Nominations

As the Telluride Film Festival kicks off in Colorado, here is my stab at first guess Oscar Nominations. Presented in likelyhood to be nominated.

Best Film

Boyhood
Birdman
The Imitation Game
Gone Girl
Foxcatcher
Interstellar
Selma
Unbroken
The Theory of Everything
Fury

Alternates - A Most Violent Year, Into the Woods, Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Actress

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Jessica Chastain - The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
Amy Adams - Big Eyes
Meryl Streep - Into the Woods

Alternate - Julianne Moore - Maps to the Stars

Best Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Steve Carrel - Foxcatcher
Michael Keaton - Birdman
David Oyelowo - Selma
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Alternate  Channing Tatum - Foxcatcher

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Jessica Chastain - A Most Violent Year
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Emily Blunt - Into the Woods
Emma Stone  - Birdman

Alternate - Laura Dern - Wild       Carmen Ejogo - Selma

Best Supporting Actor

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
Ed Norton - Birdman
Josh Brolin - Inherent Vice
Tom Wilkinson - Selma
J K Simmons - Whiplash

Alternate - Robert Duvall - The Judge

A Birdman walks Into the Woods

Blunt with James Corden in Into the Woods

These two movies have nothing in common except they both dropped trailers today. And they star two actresses we are very fond of around these parts and who we think have yet to show their best. We are talking about charm machines Emily Blunt and Emma Stone.

Blunt is first up. We fell in love hard after The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Eight years later that remains our favorite performance of hers. Yes she was a charismatic and believable action star just this summer in Edge of Tomorrow (2014). But no movie has yet built on that promise in Prada. She's the number #1 reason we are excited about Into the Woods (2014). And that's a tall order since we consider Sondheim and Streep Gods. She's not in much of this teaser trailer, but we remain optimistic since The Baker's Wife is a plum part.



And now it's time for another lovely lady, Emma Stone.

Love this shot of Stone in Birdman

Stone has also not delivered on the promise of her early work in Easy A (2010). But at least she has become a global superstar thanks to the Spiderman reboot. She even made us watch those 2 movies just to see her. Stone is the type of actress whose snappy line delivery, warmth and chemistry with co-stars (she sizzles opposite Andrew Garfield) makes us wish Billy Wilder was still alive. Give us that The Apartment (1960) remake we don't need but would love if it starred Stone.

We are hoping her 1-2-3 punch of collaborating with Woody Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Cameron Crowe will gave her the showcase she deserves. Well #1 didn't quite work out. While she was charming and got her own way with Allen's lines in Magic in the Moonlight (2014), the movie was minor Allen at best. Still there's his next movie in 12 more months. #3 was postponed to next year. So Mr. Inarritu our hopes are on your very capable shoulders.

Below is the second trailer from Birdman  and Stone gets to yell at Michael Keaton. Reportedly she's playing his recovering addict daughter. So maybe she gets to show range? Maybe she even gets her first Oscar nod? Hopes are high over here.




We have faith in both Blunt and Stone. Do you? Are you looking forward to these movies? What did you think of the trailers? Tell all in the comments.

A Few Stray Thoughts on Get on Up

Boseman as James Brown

Opening this week is the James Brown biopic Get On Up (2014) from the The Help's Tate Taylor. Now I loved The Help and thought it a throwback to 1940s "women's movie" that I love so much. So many actresses, actressing. I was in heaven. Here are a few things I had in mind after catching Get on Up.


- Chadwick Boseman is great as James Brown. Ferocious and committed. He's got the moves and he's got the spirit. This should be a star making role. While it's Brown we hear singing, Boseman brings the energy and it never looks like he's lip syncing. He will definitely contend for a Golden Globe in the comedy/musical category and be in the long list for an Oscar but I think will not be nominated.

- The movie is very entertaining. While the jumping in chronology was irritating at first the story moved fast propelled by Brown's songs and Boseman's performance that after a while I didn't mind.

- While the movie was entertaining I don't think it will be as popular as The Help. It's a bit more idiosyncratic and less emotional. But nice to see Tate Taylor stretching and trying something more than a straight through biopic.

Davis as Brown's mother, Susie

- Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis have tiny parts. Spencer's is tinnier. At least Davis' character gets an emotional arc and a fantastic scene with Boseman later in the movie. Both of them raise the emotional stakes and it pays off in drama. And no Davis doesn't outright win the battle, Boseman is her equal so we are the winners.

- The other actor who shines besides Boseman is True Blood's Nelsan Ellis as Brown's confidant Bobby Byrd. It is a subtle sweet performance fitting the second fiddle role Byrd played in Brown's life.

- The movie does well with historical context. Fitting in Vietnam War and Dr King's assassination into Brown's story in a linear illuminating way.

- Brandon Smith appears in a couple of scenes as Little Richard. He brings with him a jolt of energy and a wild sexiness. I wanted more!


All in all an enjoyable couple of hours. Did you see it yet? What did you think? Are you planning on catching it? Tell all in the comments.

GIF

Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler

Wow. The marketing for Nightcrawler (2014) is genius. Look at that poster. Fantastic.  Retro, modern and enticing all the way.

And that wasn't even the first piece of marketing that we saw. This past weekend a one of kind clip of Jake Gyllenhaal in character looking all scrawny and desperate while trying to find a job, surfaced. Check it out below. "Hard Worker Seeking Employment" indeed!!




And riffing on the same theme we get the first teaser. Astonishing. Good job marketing people.



Everyone is talking Reese Witherspoon comeback this year. Rightly so with Wild and Inherent Vice coming later this year. But the biggest comeback story might be her ex, Jake. He has been steadily choosing excellent showcases for his talent the last couple of years. I loved both End of Watch (2012) and Prisoners (2013), liked Enemy (2013) but he was great in all three. Could Nightcrawler be the one that finally brings him back to bonafide stardom. Judging by this evidence it just might be. He's come a long way from Prince of Persia. We want the Brokeback Jake!!

What do you think? Tell all in the comments.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Under The Skin

I'm on record saying Under the Skin (2014) is the best film of the year so far. I've seen it twice and loved it each time. The cinematography is amazing and gives the movie a unique and other worldly look. So it was hard to choose just one shot. But for The Film Experience's series "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", I had to do my best.

I chose this shot because this scene was my first indication that this movie is going places I can't anticipate. Scarlett Johansson's unidentified alien has just undressed this dead woman, whom she might have killed,  and wore her clothes. Yet she takes a moment to take her in. What is she thinking? What is she going to do next? Did she just appropriate something more from the dead woman than just her clothes by that look? The last question in particular came to me because I thought Johansson played both of these characters. In some shots the dead woman looks just like her, in others she does not. What is happening? Something so sinister and foreboding yet exciting about the silhouettes in shadow juxtaposed against the stark white background. Again what the fuck is happening?

So many questions and no answers. This will continue until the very end of the movie. And that's what makes it singular and inventive. Man I love this movie.

Get Ready for The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game (2014) is coming, people. Everyone is going to flip for it when it opens this Fall. A real life tale about WWII with themes that resonate with contemporary audiences; it has the making of a movie that people will be talking about all Fall into the new year and beyond. The movie is about Alan Turing; the genius British mathematician who cracked the German Enigma code that helped the Allies win the war. He was also persecuted by the British government after the war for being gay. 

Already announced as the opening film of the London Film Festival. That was billed as a European Premiere which means it will appear somewhere in North America first. It was billed as a Canadian premiere in the Toronto announcement this morning which means it is probably going to Telluride. We know what that means : Oscar. I'm betting that it will be The Weinstein Company's major Oscar movie. 


Now for a full disclosure. I'm not betting blind. I have seen The Imitation Game in an early screening. While I do not want to review it this early, I'm very excited for its release. It delivers. Big Time. Get ready for Oscar Nominee Benedict Cumberbatch. And possibly two time Oscar Nominee Keira Knightley.

Let's start the excitement rolling with the two trailers that were released yesterday. The first is for the US, giving us more information about the Enigma program and a British one that sets up a framing device. Enjoy!!







How excited are you for The Imitation Game? Do you think all the Oscars are in ts future? Tell all in the comments.

Boyhood (2014) - Review

Ellar Coltrane as Mason Jr.

What can I say about Boyhood (2014) after the whole world has proclaimed it a masterpiece. I was skeptical about it before I saw it. Called it condescendingly a "hipster" movie. Can't even define what that means. But I guess it's a movie for a certain kind of audience. I shouldn't have been dismissive and form opinions without watching the movie. But when something is universally lauded the contrarian in me comes alive.

Now after I've seen it I have to admit that I enjoyed it. Some moments were very moving. Do I like it? Yes. Do I consider it a good movie? Probably. A great one? Absolutely not.

Boyhood is the story of a divorced couple and their two young children (Ellar Coltrane as Mason Jr, and Lorelei Linklater as Samantha) as they grow into young adulthood while living with the mother (Patricia Arquette) and getting frequent visits from the father (Ethan Hawke). The bold audacious stroke is that it was shot over a period of 12 years so we get to the passage of time as these characters, and the actors playing them, grow older.

That's obviously a unique way of telling this story that immediately gives it heart and pathos beyond its simple light beats. It is very moving to watch the passage of time; to see people grow up and come into their own, to see hope and disappointment and the curves life throws. It is doubly moving when presented this way. However beyond this admittedly genius stroke there was not a lot to the story. It is clearly a Linklater movie in that it is generous to most of its characters, well observed with nothing overtly dramatic happening. However we get a tender movie, a 'slice of life" narrative.

And this should be enough for a good movie. But I wasn't convinced. I was moved, I enjoyed it and despite the almost 3 hour length was never bored. But I wanted more. A more profound look at life. A more nuanced attempt at interpreting this story. More visual flair. Something more. I wanted the movie to floor me, amaze me, shake me. But that is not Linklater's style. That is not this movie. And so I resigned myself and decided to enjoy what was on offer.

Arquette

And there's much to enjoy. Every scene is beautifully observed and flows naturally and seamlessly. Arquette is given a complex character and she dives in whole heartedly and delivers beautiful work in spades. While I think the movie is a bit hard on her character - giving her all the hardship and stupid decisions to deal with while Hawke's character roams freely being "cool" - it also gives her the dramatic arc and her performance is never less than engaging. Coltrane is fine within the parameters of the story but he's not a vivid presence on screen.

I highly recommend Boyhood. It is a unique movie experience and for that it should be applauded. I just wish there was more to it.

Have you seen Boyhood? What did you think? Tell all in the comments.

Tribute to Barbara Stanwyck on Her Birthday

I love Barbara Stanwyck. She is one of the most alive and sexy actresses on screen.Her presence is a great gift to movie fans. 107 years ago Stanwyck was born. We are lucky to live in a time where we can watch and enjoy her brilliance. Let's look at a few examples.

This is the classic she's most associated with, Double Indemnity. "How fast was I going?" Can you blame him. It's Barbara and her anklet. Credit also goes to Billy Wilder for the snappy zippy dialogue.



This is from her later years. The TV mini series The Thorn Birds. Earthy, vibrant and sexual even in her later years.



Let's end with her singing in Ball of Fire. It's not a great movie but she's great in it.



What's your favorite Stanwyck performance? Tell all in the comments.

To Chiwetel Ejiofor on his 37th Birthday

Dirty Pretty Things

I saw Chiwetel Ejiofor for the first time in Dirty Pretty Things (2002). He has been one of my favorite actors ever since I saw him in that movie. So it was lovely to see him rise to prominence last year as the star of 12 Years A Slave (2013).

12 Years A Slave

If you were given the impossible choice of which of these 2 performances do you prefer? Can you choose 1? I can't. Which is why I'm asking you. Tell me by choosing one in the poll below or if you can't tell me why in the comments.

 

   
 

online poll by Opinion Stage

The Baby Jane of Our Times

I was watching Notes on a Scandal (2006) again the other day with a friend. We were both enjoying the performances, the highly quotable dialogue and of course the marvelous actresses. When it occurred to me, this movie is the Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) of our times. It is destined to be a "hagxploitation" or "Grande Dame/Guignol" classic. Baby gays everywhere will discover it, fall in love with the "over the top" aspects and start quoting in their everyday lives. Oh how glorious.

If we look closely there are similarities between both movies. Both are about a complex lonely woman who is presented as a villain (Barbara in Notes played by Judi Dench and Jane in Baby Jane played by Bette Davis). However as we get to know this villain we find ourselves empathetic to her plight and understanding of how she got to where she did. Both movies' other woman (Sheba in Notes played by Cate Blanchett and Blanche in Baby Jane played by Joan Crawford) is presented as a victim of our villain but as we get to know her she shows herself as selfish and someone who is willing to let others suffer for her desires.

There is also the dodgy politics. Yes both movies present women front and center but they are about a predatory Lesbian and a delusional crazy has-been. A stereotype and a cliche. While a lot of good dramas are about anti-heroes, the tone of both these movies is not flattering to their protagonists. But they are still fun to watch.

Another major similarity comes in terms of Oscar. Both Davis as Jane and Dench as Barbara were nominated for Best Actress. They lost to Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker and Helen Mirren in The Queen respectively. But they should've won. Both performances are classics. And of course all 4 fantastic actresses are Oscar Winners with careers that will stand the test of time.

Let's relive some of the most delicious moments from both classics.

"You are not young. I say this to help you"

"But you are, Blanche. You are in that chair"

"I gave you EXACTLY what you wanted"

"I didn't bring you breakfast, because you didn't eat your din-din!"

" You think this is a love affair? A relationship? What, sticky gold stars, and - and a strand of my hair? A sticker from Pizza Express? It's a flat in the Archway Road and you think you're Virginia frigging Woolf!"

"Oh really, did she like it." "Oh really did she like it"

" Do you want to fuck me, Barbara".

"Here come the local pubescent proles. The future plumbers, shop assistants, and doubtless the odd terrorist too. In the old days, we confiscated cigarettes and wank mags. Now it's knives and crack cocaine. And they call it progress".

"People like Sheba think they know what it is to be lonely. But of the drip, drip of the long-haul, no-end-in-sight solitude, they know nothing. What it's like to construct an entire weekend around a visit to the launderette. Or to be so chronically untouched that the accidental brush of a bus conductor's hand sends a jolt of longing straight to your groin. Of this, Sheba and her like have no clue"

"You could've been better than all of 'em. But they didn't want that. They just didn't love you enough. Do you know that? They just didn't love you enough"

I'll leave you with a couple of indelible images from both movies. Sheba's memorable "Here I am" outburst and Jane slapping Blanche. Of course there is a corresponding slap in Notes (Sheba slaps Barbara to start their big climactic confrontation) but couldn't find a picture of it.

What are some of your favorite quotes? Did I miss any? What other "hagxploitation" classics do you like?