Tag Archives: Cate Blanchett

CAROL (2015): The Thing I Liked…

Carol (2015), Cate Blanchett
Carol (2015), Cate Blanchett

Set in New York in the 1950s, Carol is a story of the romantic love between an aspiring photographer and an older woman.

Directed by Todd Haynes and starring Cate Blanchett plus Rooney Mara, I enjoyed Carol quite a bit, thanks to the musical score, makeup, the look of 1950s New York and the costume design.

Carol has some well-executed tense moments, especially considering the forbidden and often unspoken nature of the love between Blanchett and Mara’s characters. I admit to finding myself feeling a little detached from the story, something I blame on the film taking too long to reveal the true cause/nature of the tensions between Carol and her husband.

I detached phase eventually ended, particularly as the feminist theme was more apparent. By which point, I felt terribly sorry for Carol and Therese, given their circumstances and society at the time.

Watch Carol for the story, because it’s beautiful, and you never know, you may be enlightened to some things. You may also be inspired to try harder with your personal style after looking at the memorable attire worn by the key characters. I was certainly inspired. That is, until the next morning when I awoke and remembered my to-do list and priorities.  

Happy Film Loving,

G

THOR – RAGNAROK (2017): New Trailer From Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba…

Thor Ragnarok (2017), Tom Hiddleston
Thor Ragnarok (2017), Tom Hiddleston

Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are back for the next Thor movie instalment.

Directed by Taika Waititi, in Thor – Ragnarok,  Thor, the hammer-wielding god of thunder, lightning, storms, etc., must face the Incredible Hulk in a gladiator match, and save his people from the ruthless Hela (Blanchett).

I haven’t watched any Thor Movie’s since Hemsworth’s first because Thor generally isn’t my favourite Marvel superhero. However, this undeniably cool new  trailer may just have pulled me right back in.

There’s also another reason… my favourite acting queen! Cate Blanchett, of course.

Thor  – Ragnarok Release Dates: October 27th, 2017 (UK) November 3rd, 2017 (US)…

Jamie Alexander and Tessa Thompson also star.

Happy Film Loving,

G

MANIFESTO (2015): New Trailer From Julian Rosefeldt & Starring Cate Blanchett…

Manifesto (2015), Cate Blanchett
Manifesto (2015), Cate Blanchett

Manifesto is the latest drama from writer/director Julian Rosefeldt. One that has Cate Blanchett delivering manifestos as 13 different characters.

A key highlight of the film experience, for me, is brilliantly gripping dialogue that holds you completely as you wait for every word to come out of an actor’s mouth.

Since Manifesto is essentially Cate Blanchett (one of my absolute favourites) delivering numerous monologues, I’m looking forward to a memorable experience. After all, Blanchett has delivered some of my favourite pieces of dialogue over the years.

There’s also Julianne Moore at the pharmacy in Magnolia (1999) and Meryl Streep/Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt (2008) – to name just two others.

Manifesto Release Dates: January 23rd, 2017 (Sundance Film Festival)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

VOYAGE OF TIME (2016): New Trailer From Terrence Malick, Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt…

Voyage Of Time (2016), Terrence Malick Documentary
Voyage Of Time (2016), Terrence Malick Documentary

Terence Malick’s new documentary, Voyage Of Time takes a look at how our world came to be, featuring breathtaking images and narration by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

I’m in because of the visuals. Maybe by the end, I’ll have a better understanding of the universe, which would be a welcome bonus.

Voyage Of Time Release Dates: October 7th, 2016 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

TRUTH (2015): For Blanchett’s Performance…

Truth (2015), Cate Blanchett
Truth (2015), Cate Blanchett

TV news producer Mary Mapes, news anchor Dan Rather and the events that led to very harsh scrutiny, especially aimed at Mapes (Cate Blanchett) is what Truth is about. It is also a movie worth seeing especially for Cate Blanchett fans.

Directed by James Vanderbilt, I appreciate Truth as a film that features a few good people  who make decisions based on factors including how easy it will be to live with themselves afterwards. I enjoyed the dialogue towards the end, especially since I want to believe that I would perform as well as Mapes – should I ever find myself in a similar high pressure predicament.

I watched Truth because I knew it would be worth it for Blanchett’s performance alone -and it is. By the end I was also happy to learn a few hard truths about the world of news journalism.

John Benjamin Hickey’s portrayal of a dedicated, thoughtful and unflinchingly supportive husband is another personal highlight. I always love such stories of great friendships. Joy (2015) comes to mind as a recent example that features a great friend played by Dascha Polanco.

Robert Redford, Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid, David Lyons, Stacy Keach and Elisabeth Moss are all good in their roles, of course. But watch it for the main performance. I’ve seen Blanchett in many films, and picking a favourite still proves impossible.

Happy Film Loving,

G