Soundtrack Wednesday - Drive

Song: Under Your Spell
Artist: Desire
Movie: Drive

The Iron Lady

25/100 (105 min, 2011)
Plot: A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan (screenplay)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant

Blue lady and the high price of milk

I'm going to say this upfront - "The Iron Lady" is not only among the worst movies of the last year it has the script and editing so horrid, it's even worse than what was the worst part of last year so far - Keira Knightley's horrible performance in "A Dangerous Method" which was so bad it nullified everything decent she did in her career to this point. I can't watch "Atonement" anymore without fearing Knithley's jaw will start its freaky break dance any second.. Getting back to "The Iron Lady" - I'm not even sure what  I hated more - the awful script or the editing which prevented Meryl Streep to turn her acting efforts into actual performance.

I have never held a movie camera in my hands nor I ever edited a film but I believe even I would made "The Iron Lady" better. Instead of spending more than half of the movie on pointless Oscar-bait moments with older Thatcher which apparently worked since the movie's sole two nominations are for leading actress and make up. I would just keep the scene where she talks with her husband, who isn't there. If the director focused on linear narrative, showing first young Thatcher, then her time as Prime Minister and then just this one scene, where suddenly her husband is not there, making it the ending, the movie would not only be coherent, but also it would have a shot at being moving. Instead it's insufferable, dull, scattered and completely unengaging.

Late thoughts on SAG Awards Ceremony

Jean Dujardin and Natalie Portman

•  Biggest highlight of the show was Jean Dujardin winning for Best Actor. He was so adorable on stage, he seems not to know English too well, so he read his speech, but it was one of the best speeches of the night. Clooney kept his poker face on but I'm sure he was disappointed. I hope Dujardin wins Oscar, he deserves it!
• As much as I consider Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer's performances in "The Help" to be good, neither of them deserves all the praise that is given to them. When Davis won people actually gave her standing ovation. Are they kidding? Her performance in "Doubt" was far more deserving. On the plus side Jessica Chastain seems to be such a lovely person - she was genuinely happy when her costars won. But what makes those wins even worse than being undeserved is the speeches these women give, as if "The Help" were the most inspiring movie every made and as if somehow it was the voice of black people. Those speeches are so awful and filled with pathos I couldn't believe my ears. Same thing happened when "The Help" won for ensemble. Also - where is Bryce Dallas Howard? Out of all the women of the film she is one who gave one of the best performances there and she is being hideously under appreciated.

Saturday TV Special: Downton Abbey

Plot: Welcome to Downton, the glamorous estate in which the Crawley family leads their lives - Lord Robert, his wife Cora and their three daughters - proud Mary, insecure Edith and delicate and rebellious Sybil. When Titanic sinks and two heirs of the fortune drown with it, the family is forced to acknowledge new heir - a lawyer from Manchester, Matthew. To Mary's shock her mother Cora and grandmother, mischievous and energetic Violet try to convince her to marry him in order to secure her future. We also get to look at the lives of the servants - some very loyal and others quite indifferent when it comes to the family.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Take Shelter

Song: Storm Shelter
Artist: David Wingo
Movie: Take Shelter