Irrationally Excited for this Duet

Stone & Phoenix in first still from Irrational Man

We are feeling this will be more Blue Jasmine than Magic in the Moonlight. Just a hunch. Of course Stone is a favorite here and something about Phoenix working with her and Woody Allen characters and dialogue spells magic to us.

We hear this has a Crimes & Misdemeanors vibe. And Stone and Phoenix are such opposing actors, extreme intensity vs effortless charm. It might be dynamite.

Hope we are right. Come at us July 24th.

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.

How I learned to love Magic in the Moonlight trailer

Blue Jasmine is absolutely one of my favorite 2013 movies. Not only for the huge and emotional performance from Cate Blanchett, but because it just works as a movie. It is endlessly watchable and I kept discovering gems and falling in love more as I re-watched.

With all this I was looking forward to Woody Allen's next, Magic in the Moonlight. Not to mention that it has the delightful Emma Stone. I have to say I was a bit deflated after watching the trailer. Shades of Curse of the Jade Scorpion. I wasn't expecting that. But I decided to look again and I found a lot to be excited for :

- Emma Stone is still in it and it looks like she knows how to deliver the Allen dialogue.
- it looks gorgeous, from sets to light to costumes.
- it has a lot of charm and looks like a funny zany romantic comedy.
- Jacki Weaver sighting! Yes, yes and yes again. I can't get enough of Jacki.
- Colin Firth looks OK and has nice rapport with Stone.

Bring it on I say now. I'm ready Woody. Take a look and tell us what you think in the comments.

Cate x Scorcese / Woody = Oscar

Golden Cate in the January 2014 issue of Vogue

(Post was updated to reflect the results of 2013 Oscars)


Let's talk our favorite actor, Cate Blanchett as she accepts her first award of the film year for Blue Jasmine tonight at the New York Film Critics Circle dinner.

Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are two iconoclast directors whose movies have been seen and acclaimed for decades. They are also known for getting their actors Oscars - nominations aplenty and a few wins. However never has an actor been nominated for work with both directors. That could change this year. Woody's latest has won rave reviews and much acclaim for its leading lady, Cate Blanchett. She of course won an Oscar in 2004 for Scorsese's The Aviator.

Since its release in July everyone has been talking Oscar and Cate. If indeed she is nominated and wins as everyone expects, she will be the only Oscar crossover between the two quintessentially New York auteurs. There have been few actors who worked with both and even got nominated, but never for both directors. Actors like Juliette Lewis (Husbands and Wives and Cape Fear), Sharon Stone (Stardust Memories and Casino), Leonardo DiCaprio (Celebrity and take your pick from the last decade of Scorsese).

Let's compare all the actors who received nominations for both directors but first a few observations:

- While Woody Allen is lauded for writing parts for women and Scorsese not so much, both got the most nominations for their actors in the best supporting actress category. 8 for Scorsese and 10 for Woody. Cate is the only winner in that category for Scorsese but Woody has 4 wins including 2 for Dianne Wiest. Allen has 3 nominations for Best Actress while Scorsese has 2.  Maybe Scorsese hasn't done so bad for his women.

- It makes sense that Scorsese would get 7 lead actor nominations as his movies are usually about men while Woody gets more in supporting as his movies are mostly ensembles.

- Overall Woody got 7 actors (Keaton, Wiest, Caine, Wiest, Sorvino, Cruz and Blanchett) an Oscar and Scorsese 5 (Burstyn, De Niro, Newman, Pesci and Blanchett).

Cate as Katharine Hepburn

Martin Scorsese

Academy Award for Best Actor:

• 1976 Robert De Niro Taxi Driver
• 1980 Robert De Niro Raging Bull (won)
• 1986 Paul Newman The Color of Money (won)
• 1991 Robert De Niro Cape Fear
• 2002 Daniel Day-Lewis Gangs of New York
• 2004 Leonardo DiCaprio The Aviator
• 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio The Wolf of Wall Street

Academy Award for Best Actress:

• 1974 Ellen Burstyn Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (won)
• 1995 Sharon Stone Casino

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor:

• 1980 Joe Pesci Raging Bull
• 1990 Joe Pesci Goodfellas (won)
• 2004 Alan Alda The Aviator
• 2006 Mark Wahlberg The Departed
• 2013 Jonah Hill The Wolf of Wall street

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress:

• 1974 Diane Ladd Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
• 1976 Jodie Foster Taxi Driver
• 1980 Cathy Moriarty Raging Bull
• 1986 Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio The Color of Money
• 1990 Lorraine Bracco Goodfellas
• 1991 Juliette Lewis Cape Fear
• 1993 Winona Ryder The Age of Innocence
• 2004 Cate Blanchett The Aviator (won)

Cate in Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen

Academy Award for Best Actor:

• 1977 Woody Allen Annie Hall
• 1999 Sean Penn Sweet and Lowdown

Academy Award for Best Actress:

• 1977 Diane Keaton Annie Hall (won)
• 1978 Geraldine Page Interiors
• 2013 Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine (won)

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor:

• 1986 Michael Caine Hannah and Her Sisters (won)
• 1989 Martin Landeau Crimes and Misdemeanors
• 1994 Chazz Palmimenteri Bullets Over Broadway

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress:

• 1978 Maureen Stapleton Interiors
• 1979 Mariel Hemingway Manhattan
• 1986 Dianne Wiest Hannah and Her Sisters (won)
• 1991 Judy Davis Husbands and Wives
• 1994 Dianne Wiest Bullets over Broadway (won)
• 1994 Jennifer Tilly Bullets Over Broadway 
• 1995 Mira Sorvino Mighty Aphrodite (won)
• 1999 Samantha Morton Sweet and Lowdown
• 2008 Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona (won)
• 2013 Sally Hawkins Blue Jasmine

More on Blue Jasmine

Cate, Sally and Andrew

Now that we've got how great Cate is out of the way, here are a few other thoughts on Blue Jasmine :

- The movie is zippy and fast and at just over an hour and half reaches its conclusion quickly. A definite advantage in this age of the over-long movie.

- This is a fantastic ensemble. Sally Hawkins shines brightly all earthiness and brittle edges. Andrew Dice Clay is a revelation and carries the heart of the movie, his is arguably the only "good" character. Bobby Cannavale does his usual shouty Pacino thing but then surprises in a very raw and emotional scene. Even Peter Sarsgaard does the best he can with an underwritten part.

- Yes it's n obvious riff on Streetcar Named Desire, but it's also much more. Only takes the premise and builds other layers and tell what I thought was an original story. Cate's performance is certainly different than her Blanche; more modern and on full throttle from beginning to end as opposed to the crescendo building emotional breakdown that was her Blanche.

- Question to Woody; who says "make love" in 2013? OK maybe Jasmine since she puts on airs but then Sarsgaard's character says it too. It sounds so fake.

- Also what is up with the learning the computer sub-plot? What is Jasmine exactly learning? It looks like she has a laptop and I assume she has at least used it a couple of times. So confusing Woody.

- Sally Hawkins has a very cute and endearing moment early on : she courtesies when she meets Alec Baldwin.

- Also cute Alden Ehrenreich. More of him please, Hollywood.

Alden not in character but still cute

- The scene with Jasmine babysitting her nephews at Chuck e Cheese and dolling out life lessons while sipping her wine is fantastic. It is without a doubt Cate's Oscar clip. The most quoted bit is "There's only so much trauma a person can withstand before they take to the streets and start screaming". I really like the bit where she advises them to be kind to the service industry ending with "Tip big, boys".

"Tip big, boys"

Along with Stories We Tell, Before Midnight and The Spectacular Now Cate and Woody made summer movie going bearable.

Love Letter to Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is my favorite actor. I can't get enough of watching her.So you can imagine my joy when I heard that not only is she in Woody Allen's latest but in fact gives a performance for the ages and completely dominates the movie. She has been away for a long time and small parts in The Hobbit and Hanna do not count. I'm glad she's back full throttle in this and upcoming movies with Todd Haynes, David Mamet and George Clooney. She's even playing the evil stepmother in the new Cinderella and might pop up in Terrence Malick's next.

I've seen Blue Jasmine 3 times now. And each time I've watched with my jaw dropped to the floor the whole time at the beautiful and precise marvel that is Cate's performance. I couldn't have it said better myself so I am quoting Mick LaSalle's review for the San Francisco Chronicle.

"But when we're talking about "Blue Jasmine," we're really talking about Blanchett, who - and this is no exaggeration - gives one of the greatest screen performances of the past 10 years. To say that she is Oscar worthy would not do her justice, not when we remember what actually wins Oscars. Blanchett's performance is one for the books.

First of all, there's the technical precision of it. Aided immeasurably by Gretchen Davis' makeup and Suzy Benziger's costume design, she is often playing some degree of chemical impairment - the nature and degree of which are always perfectly clear.

In terms of emotion, it's best to keep in mind that Jasmine's story, though told out of sequence, has a sequence nonetheless, one inhabited by Blanchett with preternatural intuition and nuance. We see that Jasmine was weak to begin with. And later, we see the guilt, the disgrace, the pain, the self-delusion, not as emotions in sequence, but as elements ever-present and threatening to bubble to the surface, threatening the magnificent facade. The facade itself is a splendid creation, paper-thin and yet seductive, the manners and references suggestive of all the good things money can buy - and has bought.

Blanchett in "Blue Jasmine" is beyond brilliant, beyond analysis. This is jaw-dropping work, what we go to the movies hoping to see, and we do. Every few years."

It's not a review, its a love letter. I whole heartedly agree. I'll leave with the fashion girl Cate, she was a vision in Balenciaga at the New York premiere.