CINEMA. CHOICE OF THE WEEK

From the Desk of Laura Mezger

SHALL WE DANCE?

When pop culture historians look back at the celebrities who dazzled in the early 21st century it’s a good bet that J-Lo will loom large. But will she be remembered as a woman who entertained through the melodrama of her private life or because of her talents as an actress and chanteuse? Now that she has a new film out it’s a struggle at the centre of her life, as Laura Mezger found out when she went to meet her.  It’s been a bumpy few years for Jennifer Lopez. Her personal life is constant fodder for the tabloids and her last few films didn’t exactly inspire the critics. Now she’s starring alongside Richard Gere in the romantic comedy 'Shall We Dance?' - can this remake of a 1996 Japanese film bring some lustre back to Lopez’s checkered track record? Lopez kicked off her Hollywood career playing the title role in 'Selena', and she earned high marks for her crackling chemistry with George Clooney in 'Out of Sight'. But then there was 'The Cell' – a sci-fi thriller where Lopez’s outrageous outfits got more press than her performance. Two romantic comedies and two mediocre dramas later, critics still had faith Lopez could act if she was just given decent material. Sadly next up for J-Lo was 'Gigli'. The heavily hyped romantic comedy starring Lopez and her real-life lover Ben Affleck was called: "A grade-A misfire, fantastically uninvolving, a cinematic train wreck."

Q: "When you read reviews about films that you’ve done do you dismiss criticism, or do you try and take something away from it?"
Jennifer Lopez: "I haven’t read a film review of mine since 'Selena', and those were pretty good so I just figured I’d leave it at that. Selena' was a big role for me at a time in my life that really was a turning point, but I feel like there’s another big moment coming. I really do feel like it’s a new beginning and I’m excited about what lies ahead."  That new beginning isn’t a reference to her third trip down the aisle, this time with Marc Anthony. But it could be about her latest role playing a heartbroken dance instructor opposite Richard Gere’s bored businessman in 'Shall We Dance?'

It’s a return to her roots for Lopez, who prior to acting was a back-up dancer on the American TV series 'In Living Color'. I love dancing and I started off as a dancer, so anything that has dance in it is going to be fun for me and a plus." But her part in 'Shall We Dance?' is really a supporting role and it may not get Lopez back on track – a goal that some say is hampered by all the focus on her private life.
Q: "Do you ever worry about the media attention being in some way a liability to you and your acting career?"
Jennifer Lopez: "Absolutely, it’s very scary - the attention and weird fascination with your personal life, the media attention that it gets. It really takes the focus off why you’re in the public eye to begin with, which is the fact that you’re an actor and a musician and a dancer."

 

 

CINEMA                                               From the Desk of  T. Brooke

"P.S." ACCORDING TO LAURA LINNEY 

Two years ago novice director Dylan Kidd brought us 'Roger Dodger', which followed the exploits of a mean-spirited, clever, cynical New York male brilliantly played by Campbell Scott. Now the filmmaker has moved into softer territory with a romantic drama based on an older woman-younger man relationship.  The film is called 'P.S.' and once again Kidd has placed a powerful actor, this time Laura Linney, at the centre of a romantic drama he adapted from a novel. Linney plays a Columbia University admissions officer drawn to a young applicant because he reminds her of her first love.

Laura Linney explains the whole story:  "I think she’s deeply trying to work her life out, and she’s deeply, deeply lonely, and she’s missing, as many people do, the sort of passion and connection and desire that you have from a first love."
In this picture Linney seems in full possession of her prodigious acting skills. Early on she startles the audience with an energetic sex scene that is raw, not Hollywood glossy. The young man who’s the object of her lust is played by Topher Grace. The clips handed out to promote the film don’t show the scene, but you get the feeling that it was extremely uncomfortable to shoot. I think everybody’s always apprehensive about a sex scene. But I think the thing that is interesting about this one is that it’s extremely sexy - and we’re both clothed! There’s no nudity in this sex scene. Topher doesn’t have a shirt on but other than that, there’s no nudity and yet it’s an extremely sexual scene. You always feel so awkward, you feel so awkward when you do it. But I think that between Topher, the director, Dylan Kidd, and myself, I was the one who most relaxed because I’ve done them before. The two boys, they were nervous wrecks!" The unusual romantic coupling is at the core of this film and it’s nicely portrayed, but Kidd’s screenplay has some side stories – a relationship with a divorced husband and a best friend – that don’t quite work. But what is very effective is Linney’s performance. From 'The Truman Show' to 'You Can Count on Me' to 'Mystic River' to the forthcoming 'Kinsey', she’s got a very, very good track record.

Q:  "How much freedom do you have right now to choose the kinds of roles that you want to do?"
Laura Linney: "Well, everyone has the freedom to say no, everyone has that freedom. And sometimes you have to say yes, just because you’re an actor and you have to pay your bills, and sometimes that happens. But do I have great power? No. I think that’s a big myth. Nobody does."
Q: "Would you like to get to the point in your career where you do have the power to dictate the kinds of films you’d like to make, in terms of creative control and content?"
Laura Linney: "I wish I was a little more ambitious in that way, in terms of wanting to do my own projects. I’m just not that way, I wish I was. It would make a lot of people I work with much happier if I was a little more motivated in that direction. I’m just not. I’m really quite happy."