05-14-2018, 01:34 PM
L.A. Confidential. Sure, why not? Don't know why I hadn't seen this before, and it's very highly rated.
Loaded with big-name actors. A squirrelly plot sometimes compared to Chinatown. But I'm burned out on political corruption these days, so this didn't do much for me.
But it was good seeing Kim Basinger. I know there were some missteps in her career, and this role comes after a three-year hiatus for her. She won an academy award for this -- best supporting actress -- and I have to ask why. Not that I don't like her. She's got a look that makes my eyes watch. But when I think about what she actually did in this movie, well, she stood around looking gosh-darn gorgeous, and she kissed some leading men, leading to out-of-frame shenanigans instrumental to the plot. But ... there wasn't much for her to do. The script could have given her so much more to do. But maybe this was the times, where it was enough for an actress to tempt or motivate the actors. But it seemed an easy role to me.
By the way, Kim Basinger initially turned down the role. On three different occasions. She finally accepted on the fourth go.
What's fascinating to me are the other actresses who turned down the role: Lorraine Bracco, Kate Capshaw, Geena Davis, Melanie Griffith, Teri Hatcher, Anjelica Huston, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Amy Locane, Kathy Najimy, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Quinlan, Rene Russo, Meg Ryan, and Izabella Scorupco. Someone should do a documentary just interviewing them all and finding out why they turned it down.
My take: It was a weak female role. Still, Kim Basinger milked it for an academy award, using some mighty fine milk organs, and that look of hers that makes eyes watch.
Loaded with big-name actors. A squirrelly plot sometimes compared to Chinatown. But I'm burned out on political corruption these days, so this didn't do much for me.
But it was good seeing Kim Basinger. I know there were some missteps in her career, and this role comes after a three-year hiatus for her. She won an academy award for this -- best supporting actress -- and I have to ask why. Not that I don't like her. She's got a look that makes my eyes watch. But when I think about what she actually did in this movie, well, she stood around looking gosh-darn gorgeous, and she kissed some leading men, leading to out-of-frame shenanigans instrumental to the plot. But ... there wasn't much for her to do. The script could have given her so much more to do. But maybe this was the times, where it was enough for an actress to tempt or motivate the actors. But it seemed an easy role to me.
By the way, Kim Basinger initially turned down the role. On three different occasions. She finally accepted on the fourth go.
What's fascinating to me are the other actresses who turned down the role: Lorraine Bracco, Kate Capshaw, Geena Davis, Melanie Griffith, Teri Hatcher, Anjelica Huston, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Amy Locane, Kathy Najimy, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Quinlan, Rene Russo, Meg Ryan, and Izabella Scorupco. Someone should do a documentary just interviewing them all and finding out why they turned it down.
My take: It was a weak female role. Still, Kim Basinger milked it for an academy award, using some mighty fine milk organs, and that look of hers that makes eyes watch.
I'm nobody's pony.
