Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by afilado (A) on August 20, 2007 at 18:59:37

In Reply to: RE: Giant disagreement about Cooper: he projects an INNER posted by tinear on August 20, 2007 at 15:07:49

..that we have a giant disagreement. ;-)

LOL.

My remarks were made as singular response to your question about why "Breach" didn't have boxoffice legs. They weren't meant to frame any sort of comparison of careers or performances. I really don't think such comparisons are useful.

If you'll reread my comments about Cooper you'll see little but compliments. I didn't say he couldn't carry a movie; I said he could not alone carry "Breach" to the commercial success you brought into discussion. Big difference. And no grounds for "....Giant disagreement".

I'm not sure what you're saying about Burton. You say he excelled ONLY in "..Spy..", yet continue that "Hamlet" is superbe. Are you making a distinction between his film and stage performances?

Oddly, Burton in film was erratic. But, his career spanned 4 decades and 80-100 films. Altogether formidable. Stage, TV, public life....he did it all. You don't think he showed well in "...Virginia Wolfe" or "Night of The Iguana"? One of my favorite roles for him was in "The Medusa Touch".

Another "shortcoming" for "Breach", I believe, was the perspective from which the story unfolded. That of the Phillipe character. As a consequence, he became the defacto lead, casting Cooper's role into a slightly awkward distance.

What is this film story about? The clarity of the answer to that question is lacking in the telling. The story as told is a dilution of its powerful elements, not a concentration.

Hell, the story is Hansen. Period. And it was not successfully told, Cooper's performance notwithstanding.

As I said earlier its "failure" as a commercial success is its failure to translate the power of the real story to the screen. It did not sufficienly engage the imagination of its audience. Some wise film lover once told me that film is life. This film lacked sufficient life.

Welcome back, tin. Your comments from the road brought back wonderful memories from Jolly Old.

I sent you a package. I trust you received it. Thanks again.