The Strange and Wonderful Career of Hilary Swank

The newest issue of Entertainment Weekly hit my mailbox today, and in it was an interesting blurb by Sean Smith that I thought was relevant, as Amelia hits theaters today.
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"By many measures, Hilary Swank should not have a career. Despite two Oscars, she's almost impossible to cast in mainstream films. She doesn't play "the girl" opposite Will Smith or hop a pirate ship with Johnny Depp. She is not Megan Fox. "Her look and her demeanor are not soft," says one industry exec, "so it's hard to see her as vulnerable or as a love object." (Remember, P.S. I Love You didn't exactly rock the world.) And yet, Swank, 35, has scored some of the finest roles for women her age - a transgender murder victim in Boys Don't Cry, a boxer in Million Dollar Baby, and now aviation legend Amelia Earhart in Amelia. While other actresses are relegated to decorative roles opposite male A-listers, Swank - like Jodie Foster before her - is always at the center of her films. (And in the right project, she's capable of filling theaters: Baby brought in $217 million worldwide.) She's the hero, not the heroine. And that could keep her flying high in Hollywood."

I don't think Swank gets enough credit. Sure, Amelia is by most accounts a stinker, and Swank is probably part of the problem. She needs just the right kind of role to shine, and it's a lot easier to love an actress who's great in everything. But I have to give her a pat on the back for being courageous. She doesn't always have to look pretty onscreen, she doesn't need a conventional love story, and she's never relied on big, dramatic "Oscar scenes" to showcase her talent. Her best work is in quiet, subtle moments - something Amelia probably doesn't have a lot of. I have faith though. I think we'll see greatness from her again. Eventually.

Amelia Vanishes from Awards Radar

Yeeeeeaaaaahh. Well, Amelia isn't looking like a winner. It's sitting at a 20% over at RT, so I think it's safe to say we won't be seeing much of it come awards season. Ah well, there are always disappointments, and Fox Searchlight's been hiding it away like some sort of shameful secret, so it's not too big a loss. Hilary Swank's Best Actress hopes are shot, so there's still a bit of a race for the two slots that aren't filled by sure-things Mulligan, Streep and Sidibe.

Since you'll have some free time this weekend when you're not watching Amelia, check out this week's rental suggestion, Monsoon Wedding, a Mira Nair film that is all kinds of fantastic.

News Of Amelia

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As you might know, I'm a believer in Hilary Swank. I think she's a very talented actress who happens to make some really crappy decisions every once in a while. Okay, often. But when she's on, she is on.
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So I've had pretty high hopes for Mira Nair's upcoming Amelia Earhart biopic, which is out this Friday. It's been kept tightly under wraps by Fox Searchlight so far, but it seems like they're finally letting a few people get a look at the film, and word is mixed.
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The Hollywood Reporter had the following to say about Swank's performance:
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"Freckle-faced, prairie-voiced and fiercely independent, Hilary Swank's depiction of aviator Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biographical film "Amelia" is of a high order. It ranks with recent real-life portrayals of Ray Charles by Jamie Foxx and Truman Capote by Philip Seymour Hoffman and could be similarly awards-bound."
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But then there's this from Variety:

"But it's Swank who must shoulder the heaviest thesping burden, and her Amelia remains earthbound. An actress who does her best work in plain-spoken, contempo working-class roles, Swank is a decent physical match for her subject, and her slightly androgynous appearance here underscores Earhart's standing as a woman among men. But the character's passion hasn't been sufficiently dramatized (this Amelia likes to fly planes because the script says so), and every effort to transform Swank -- the close-cropped blonde hair, the '30s costumes designed by Kasia Walicka Maimone, the actress' wobbly Kansas accent -- ends up feeling like one fussy affectation on top of another."

So I'm not really sure what to think. I guess I'm still planning to catch it this weekend, but I hope to hear more good things than bad in the next few days.

October 2009

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October is here! The major festivals are behind us and now we really are in the thick of Oscar season. There are tons of titles out this month (though, sadly, no Shutter Island) that have me on the edge of my seat in anticipation.
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Tomorrow the Coen Brothers have A Serious Man, a film lauded by just about everyone in Toronto. At the very least we'll be looking for an Original Screenplay nomination, possibly more. You never know with those 10 Best Picture slots up for grabs. Drew Barrymore's Whip It, another film that got some love at Toronto, is out tomorrow too. This is one I will definitly be catching, even though I think it's safe to say it won't be getting much Oscar attention.
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I also have some interest in the Ricky Gervais movie The Invention of Lying, and Zombieland, the zombie-comedy starring Woody Harrelson.
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The most exciting release of tomorrow, for me anyway, is the Toy Story/Toy Story 2 double feature in 3D. It's only in theaters for two weeks, so get your tickets while you can!
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Next week will see the limited release of An Education, the film I've been beyond excited about since it stole the hearts of audiences at Sundance back in January. I don't happen to live in an area where limited releases are accessible, so I'll probably be making a four-hour drive to see this movie on opening day. Not kidding.
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The 16th brings Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze's film adaptation of the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak. This is probably the biggest fanboy title apart from Avatar, and will likely draw lots of families to the theater. I'm expecting this to be October's moneymaker.
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Amelia and Antichrist hit theaters on the 23rd. Both have been buzzy projects this year. Amelia hasn't been seen yet, so we don't really know how much of a player it will be this awards season, but I'm hoping Hilary Swank will hit yet another performance out of the park and land her third Academy Award nomination this year. I'm a sucker for a biopic, just like every member of AMPAS. Antichrist will likely be too controversial to garner much acclaim from the largely-conservative Academy, though.
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Lots of contenders to keep an eye on this month! This is the best time of the year to visit the cinemas. What are your must-sees this month, and what are you planning to skip??