Bogie

Before there was Harrison Ford, before Mel Gibson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, even before Sean Connery, there was Bogie, the greatest of them all. the prototype, the true star. No one was better than Humphrey Bogart at balancing sheer masculinity with stirring sensitivity. The Leopard's favorite Bogie performances - Dixon Steele in A Lonely Place, Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon,  Fred C. Hobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre -- all featured tough, weathered men who always had a  certain vulnerability.

Bogart's best known role - Rick Blaine in Casablanca -- showed this unique talent most eloquently. He was a man's man and a woman's man at the same time. Something that very few actors have been able to achieve -- and he did this without conventional movie star good looks. He didn't look like Montgomery Clift, Gregory Peck or Cary Grant.  He didn't have to. His beautiful, sad, face was all he needed.

The Leopard List : 2009 Movies

The Leopard hasn't posted a movie list in a while because I haven't had much chance to go to the movies. And specifically, I'm not particularly interested in a critical list of new films. Just one that spotlights recent movies that I reccommend you go see. Unfortunately, there's been precious few lately.
Having said that, here are couple of recent releases that I enjoyed and I think are definitely worth a look.

1. Inglourious Basterds
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
There has been a general mixed reaction to this film, but I am of the opinion it's one of Tarantino's best. Sure, it's loaded with homages to many past films, grade A through grade B. Sure, it's outrageously violent, and yes, it's relentlessly historically inaccurate and sort of pointless, but so what? It's greatly entertaining and full of terrific performances. Newcomer Christoph Waltz is simply brilliant as a charming but sadistic nazi; Brad Pitt is hilarious as hell bent soldier bent on relieving the SS of their scalps; and Melanie Laurent is wonderful as an escaped jew who exacts revenge.

2. I Love You Man
Directed by John Hamburg
A light and vulgar little comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jason Siegel which also somehow manages to be surprisingly insightful. Rudd plays a guy so devoted to the women in his life he neglects to have any kind of relationship with a someone of his own sex. Awkward and charming, Rudd is in his element.

3. Coraline
Directed by Henry Selick
Selick, a wizard of the stop motion technique and the man behind Tim Burton's wonderful "Nightmare Before Christmas" from a few years back, creates a truly magical and special film about a little girl who finds a secret door in her old house and travels to an alternative dimension. The visuals, which are breathtaking, are enhanced by the 3D treatment.

4. Tyson
Directed by James Toback
Toback's no-holds-barred documentary about troubled boxer Mike Tyson is nothing less than revelatory. In his own words, Tyson lays out his violent, tumultuous life. The champion boxer's story is just as contradictory as this compelling film.

5. Star Trek
Directed by JJ Abrams
A wondrous, exciting, and forward-thinking reimagining of the beloved TV show, the new Star Trek movie is a giant leap forward for the franchise. All the actors are beautifully cast, especially the lightly lisping Zachary Quinto who, in his brilliant portrayal of Mr. Spock, steals the film.

Janeane's Dilemmas

The Leopard recently had the good fortune to visit The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Manhattan to attend a one-on-one interview with the comedian/actor/commentator Janeane Garofalo. In a wonderfully enlightening and entertaining conversation, Garofalo discussed her career with a sly wit.

Probably most attractive about Garofalo's persona is her candidness. she mentioned how at the ripe old age of 44, what an extraordinarily tough time she's had finding roles, which is a result of the sexism and ageism of Hollywood. She also spoke about how even at her peak, many of her past movies regrettably came out just plain bad. She even called probably her most well known film, The Truth about Cats and Dogs, "Sentimental crap", and her most recent show, Fox's 24 "Preposterous". She spoke without fear about Ben Stiller, whom she's worked with many times, saying that she was once fired by him, and the only way she could get along with the star creatively was to simply "Do what he wanted".

This was refreshing, especially considering all the BS that movie stars spout about how wonderful they all are, afraid that they may blow a chance at a gig if they don't keep their mouths shut. Hey, the Christian Bale incident is probably more the norm than the exception. It's just that usually no one's dumb enough to blow their stacks while the audio is still running.

Garofalo just seemed to be a genuinely nice person. In a quick Q&A with the audience at the ended the interview, someone shouted out that they'd like help getting some lame show idea produced. Instead of blowing the person off, she invited them backstage and offered them her managers' number. Now that's class.