RL Cinema Series X
Oscar Winning Actresses
Presented by movie aficionado Alex Motter
Screening 1: Autumn Sonata
For the inaugural screening of Series X we watched Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata, a difficult film that examines the turbulent reunion of mother (Ingrid Bergman) and daughter (Liv Ullman) after a seven year separation. The choice to sacrifice one's family for the pursuit of artistic successes, unassailable feelings of regret, Ingmar Bergman's use of close-ups and theatrical staging, and the meta-connections between the actors and real life were all points of discussion throughout the evening.
Alex Recommends:
From Ingmar's filmography: Scenes from A Marriage, Bergman's serialized TV series also starring Liv Ullman (Eva) in an intimate portrayal of the beauty and challenges of romantic love. The HBO remake with Oscar Isaac and this year's Best Actress winner Jessica Chastain is fantastic as well, but I'd recommend the Bergman series overall more [Criterion, HBO Max]
From Ingrid's filmography: Gaslight Ingrid Bergman's first Oscar win and also featuring stellar performances by the late great Angela Lansbury and Old Hollywood legend Joseph Cotten [HBO Max, Roku Channel which everyone can access for free]
Video essay mentioned in the pre-film lecture about Ingrid Bergman's relationship to the Italian neorealist movement and subsequent 2nd Oscar win: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1ZZXW9fkLQ
Further exploring complicated mother-daughter relationships: Terms of Endearment the film which won Shirley MacLaine her Oscar is a deeply moving depiction of a mother's enduring tough love that will move even the most stoic amongst us to tears. Continuing in the series theme of 3+ time Oscar winners, the film also won Jack Nicholson his 2nd of 3 Oscars [HBO Max]
Mother-daughter relationships from a more comedic lens: Postcards from the Edge is the adaptation of Carrie Fisher's memoir growing up with Debbie Reynolds as her mother and features our next series spotlight Meryl Streep in the Fischer stand-in role. Similarly explores the challenges of having a mother who abandons her family in the pursuit of fame and stardom, but is more light than Terms or Autumn Sonata through Fischer's trademark wit [HBO Max]
Screening 2: A Cry in The Dark
We watched Meryl Streep's embodiment of Lindy Chamberlain in the Australian true crime film A Cry in the Dark. We discussed the extensive career of Streep, her enduring legacy/cultural position as someone considered by many to be our greatest living actress, the role of the media in shaping public perception of trials, and this film's role in predicting the sensationalism of cases like OJ in the coming years.
Alex Recommends:
From early Meryl’s filmography: I originally wanted to select The French Lieutenant's Woman, but much like this film it’s notoriously difficult to find on streaming. I opted instead for the Nora Ephron/Mike Nichols collab of Heartburn. A fantastic two-hander with fellow multiple Oscar winner Jack Nicholson, this film both memorializes Meryl’s more serious dramatic works and portends her contemporary career pivot to more blockbuster work. [Prime, Paramount+]
From later Meryl’s filmography: A tour de force of stage to screen adaptation, Doubt features award-worthy performances from Meryl, Viola Davis, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, three of our greatest actors. Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins also does incredible work as DP. [Pluto TV, Paramount+]
NYT video essay on the cultural impact of the case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwd0iomlM1Y
Interesting true crime adaptation: It’s impossible to turn on a streaming service without being flooded by true crime adaptations. Zodiac is by leagues and miles one of the best true crime adaptations and Fincher’s masterpiece. Similarly critiques the sensationalism of crime in the 24-hour news cycle, and adds an additional layer of scrutiny to the culture of true crime fanaticism that makes for a sublime watch. [VOD on most major platforms]
Films featuring a maligned/inscrutable female lead: Alex’s personal choice for his favorite living actress is Isabelle Huppert. If you’re speaking about auteur actresses with a history of working with interesting directors and playing a milieu of interesting characters, Huppert is it. Her most acclaimed performance is in Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher, emblematic of an unlikable and complex lead role. Brace yourself for this one, one of the hardest to watch movies. [HBO Max]
Screening 3: Suddenly, Last Summer
We discussed Joseph L. Mankewitz's cult classic Suddenly, Last Summer starring Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift. We covered the Hays code and the legacy of its views on censorship, the over half a century career of Hepburn, and the stage-to-screen adaptations of Southern gothic epics such as those of Tennessee Williams. As the first actor to win 3 Oscars and the only actor to ever earn 4 Oscars, Hepburn's indelible imprint as an empowered and enterprising pioneer of 20th-century Hollywood was one that prompted fascinating dialogue.
Alex Recommends:
From Katharine Hepburn’s filmography: You don’t need me to tell you to watch The African Queen or Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. However, it’s my privilege to amplify underseen movies from our greatest’s filmography. Stage Door, one of the films from the “box office poison” era of the 30s, was an unexpected collaboration with Ginger Rogers, whose star persona was the diametric opposite of Katharine’s. The film showcases a fount of up-and-coming RKO talent, including a young Lucille Ball. [VOD on most major platforms]
From Katharine Hepburn’s award-winning films: As stated before, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is a seminal film. However, I think On Golden Pond is a fantastic performance from 3 of Hollywood’s greatest actors and such a perfect meta-commentary on where each was in their personal lives. [Amazon Prime, Crackle free with ads]
For those interested in reading more about lobotomies: The Icepick Surgeon by Sam Kean is a fascinating read about the dubious ethical history of the practice and other notable scientific experiences throughout history. Each case study is examined with narrative nonfiction that escapes route historical retelling, and the questions of ethics with each are thought-provoking and sure to spark conversations.
Be Kind Rewind video on Hepburn’s tie with Barbara Streisand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5ly_iAmEOE
Mankewitz movies: A Letter to Three Wives is the story of three women trying to determine which of their husbands has run off with their friend Addie Ross. With such a unique and captivating premise, there’s nothing else I need to say to sell you on this. As an honorable mention, however, if you somehow haven’t seen All About Eve there’s a reason it is consistently cited as one of the best films of all time. Who knows, you may even see it in a future film series! [VOD on most major platforms]
Screening 4: Blood Simple
We watched both the Coen brothers' and Frances McDormand's debut film Blood Simple from 1984. This film marked a landmark achievement in filmmaking, being the Coen brothers’ directorial debut, Frances McDormand’s first acting role, and the first of many collaborations between the three. We discussed McDormand's non-traditional rise to stardom, the unique means through which the Coens financed the film, and the pulp roots that set the stage for future masterpieces like Fargo and No Country for Old Men.
Alex Recommends:
From the Coen brother’s filmography: Of the 2185 films I have seen, only 79 of them I have given five stars. Autumn Sonata and Tár are two of them, and Fargo is as well. With impeccable black comedy, a chilling score, perfect performances, and several sequences you’ll never forget, Fargo is the quintessential Coen brothers film. [Starz/Hulu via add-on]
From Frances McDormand’s filmography: Despite the heaping praise I heaped on Almost Famous during the lecture, I’m going to continue waxing poetically about it. Almost Famous looks forlornly back on a time long lost, both in music history and for each of its central characters. Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, and the deputy from Gone Girl all give some of the best performances of their career. [Paramount+]
Storyboarding Blood Simple from the Criterion Collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsGRhaPpGh0
Under-seen collaboration between the three: In the age of under-baked satire, Burn After Reading remains one of the best political satires of the 21st century. The story begins with two gym employees (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who inadvertently come into possession of classified federal documents. More topical than ever, and decorated with a supporting cast including George Clooney John Malkovich and J.K. Simmons, Burn After Reading is an underrated and must-see Coen Brothers film. [HBO Max]
Screening 5: Tár
After exploring the careers of the four women who have won 3+ Best Actress Oscars, we concluded this series with Cate Blanchett and her tour de force performance in Tár. We discussed the parallels in Blanchett's career with the other actresses in the series, depictions of power and power imbalances in popular media, the 16-year gap since Todd Field's last feature film, and Cate's positioning as the next potential actress to join these prestigious ranks."
Alex Recommends:
From Todd Field’s filmography: Todd Field’s directorial debut In the Bedroom has one of the great robbed Best Actress performances and one of the greatest performances from the great Sissy Spacek. A sweeping family epic set against the dwindling days of a coastal Maine summer, In the Bedroom, demonstrates both how the seeds of tragedy can dramatically coalesce and the enduring impact such events can have on their surrounding communities. If not for Spacek, appreciate Tomei’s heartfelt performance which only further validates her Oscar win a decade before for My Cousin Vinny. [Paramount+, VOD]
From Cate Blanchett’s filmography: Aching, poignant, showcasing dynamic chemistry between our greatest living actress (Blanchett) and one of cinema’s rising stars (Mara), Todd Haynes and Cate Blanchett’s second collaboration Carol is a generational accomplishment. Shot on 16mm film inspired by feminist photographers from the 1950s and set to a profoundly moving Oscar-nominated score by Carter Burwell, this is my personal holiday watch every year. [Prime Video, Tubi, Vudu]
Also from Cate Blanchett’s filmography: Another Patricia Highsmith adaptation, The Talented Mr. Ripley has the most attractive, most dynamic ensemble cast in film history (and Matt Damon). Amidst career-best performances from Jude Law, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Gwenyth Paltrow, Blanchett manages to not only hold her own but also excel in an early career supporting role. [Prime Video, Pluto TV]
Actors on Actors between Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QHvWpy2Nxc