Wilby Wonderful

[laylee]

I have a new favourite movie and it's wonderful!


It's simply adorable. There was hardly a sour note and even the ones there were, were hardly worth worrying about. I watched it twice last night, the second time with the director's commentary on. You've no idea how much I squeed when Daniel MacIvor described CKR as an angel with wings and armour.

OMG, Squee!

Okay, random thoughts:

- I'm loving Paul's smoke-husky voice. Despite the fact that I abhor smoking, I love what a twenty-year habit has done to the timbre of his voice.
- And while we're on the subject of the pretty one, it was nice to see him playing a character who was choc-full of confidence and who wasn't quite sure of what they wanted out of life.
- Sandra Oh was less annoying than I thought she would be. I felt sorry for Carol who was trying so hard to be superwoman that she's forgotten that it's okay to be human.
- Callum was simply divine. I love the stillness he brought to Duck; his inner calm that was only broken when something forced him into action. His scenes with James Allodi and Ellen Page were so full of tenderness and understatement. He truly can deliver a wealth of meaning and emotion with a simple look or gesture.
- Ellen Page was so sweet and vulnerable and made a great job of a teenager who was tacking her first uncertain step into an adult relationship, all the while afraid that she's going to make the same mistakes her mother did.
- Rebecca Jenkins was a revelation. On the one hand you have a woman who seems happy to keep living from man to man and not worrying about the consequences her life has for her daughter. But then you catch a glimpse of the woman who isn't so confident and who probably wishes that her reputation didn't always precede her.
- What can I say about James Allodi as Dan? Simply heartbreaking.

Ah, I'm sure there's more, but my brain is somewhat overloaded from all the squee. More comments later.

Comments

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

You liked it then? Just a guess.

That's really great - to get a movie featuring your objet du desir that doesn't suck. I've seen so many bad, bad movies in the course of my fannish career. In fact, I have one of Josh's on the shelf I've not yet dared take out of the shrinkwrap.

[laylee.livejournal.com]

That's really great - to get a movie featuring your objet du desir that doesn't suck.

It pretty much makes up for the three hours of my life that CKR owes me for sitting through Murder Scene and Trapped.

I have one of Josh's on the shelf I've not yet dared take out of the shrinkwrap.

Is it Crossroads or Pie in the Sky?

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

No, I've managed to watch both of those: Crossworlds only once, I admit (I spent the whole movie (a) sniping that there was, in fact, a perfectly good story trying to get out there, and rewriting it so that it actually made sense and (b) admiring Rutger Hauer's performance, which was the epitome of "I want me paycheque, so I'll show up on set, but Jayzus!"); I've been thinking of screencapping it, though, because Josh Is So Pretty. Pie in the Sky I've watched once all the way through, and watched parts-of many times. I can't screencap that, it's Region One. Phooey. No, this is Meeting Daddy. I just can't face it. This from a girl who has self-confessedly become quite fond of Threesome.

I really only have Sports Night as a pay-off for all Josh's bad movies. Maybe he'll make another good one. One day. Probably the day after I stop fancying him!

[laylee.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I've heard 'things' about Meeting Daddy that have stopped me from seeking it out. And I haven't seen SWAT yet, and apart from the dancing scene, I don't think I could sit through Pie again.

Aside from SN and maybe Dead Poets, my favourite Josh movie is Hairspray, and that's only because I loved it long before I really knew who he was. I'm

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

I don't really count Hairspray, though I do admire seeing tiny Josh doing the twist - cos it's less about the Josh and more about hurrah! The fat chick is the star! And gets the hero! And integrates Baltimore! To music!!

[laylee.livejournal.com]

Segregation never, integration now!

[lovekeller.livejournal.com]

OMG, Squee!

That just about sums it up entirely. Squee, squee, squee.

[laylee.livejournal.com]

I've been squeeing since it arrived. People are starting to look at me funnily, but I can't help it. There's just so much to squee about!

[threequarters.livejournal.com]

- Sandra Oh was less annoying than I thought she would be.

I agree. I went into watching expecting to dislike her greatly, and ended up quite fond of her at the end.

- Callum was simply divine. I love the stillness he brought to Duck; his inner calm that was only broken when something forced him into action. His scenes with James Allodi and Ellen Page were so full of tenderness and understatement. He truly can deliver a wealth of meaning and emotion with a simple look or gesture.

Every scene of his made me fall in love with Duck a little bit more. He really boiled the character down to the essentials, and the simplicity worked beautifully. He really had a quiet grace all his own.

And I loved Paul playing insecure, absolutely loved it.

Overall, I liked it much better than I thought I would. The few negative reviews I read cited 'lack of plot' as the biggest problem. But if the characters and the acting are as strong as they are here, I think it works to have something character driven instead of formulaic-plot driven.

When it ended I sat back and said "That was really great. How it just tangles itself up and then untangles again. It left me with no burning questions, no strong feeling of things left unresloved. Just a nice, complete story."

And then my roommate turned to me and said "Do you think Duck is Emily's father?"

Then I killed her.

But yes, I agree with you, it is wonderful and possibly my new favorite movie. I've seen it three times with various people, so I haven't had a chance to watch with director's commentary, but after that "squee!" moment, I'll get right on it.

[laylee.livejournal.com]

The few negative reviews I read cited 'lack of plot' as the biggest problem. But if the characters and the acting are as strong as they are here, I think it works to have something character driven instead of formulaic-plot driven.

I agree. You don't need plot points that hit you over the head when you have strong characters, well written characters. Daniel MacIvor obviously went to a great deal of trouble to ensure that his cast not only worked well together, but as individuals and that's what carries it along. We've become such lazy movie goers that I think it's good when you watch a movie that makes you think and question like this does.

[sprat.livejournal.com]

Yay! Wilby! Eeee!

What can I say about James Allodi as Dan? Simply heartbreaking.

YES! I loved James Allodi in this so much. I mean, I went into it expecting to go *heart heart* every time CKR was on screen, which I did, but I was kind of surprised by the Dan love.

::sigh::

[laylee.livejournal.com]

I was kind of surprised by the Dan love.

I felt so sorry for him. His entire life had collapsed around him and he truly believed that he had nothing to live for. Until Duck comes along, of course *g*