Under a Red Roof

Spotlighting: Lee Pace

August 22, 2008 in Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Greetings Gentle Readers,

I don’t remember where I first saw that written, but I have always loved it. Calling a reader gentle feels so kind and inviting, like home. When I think about it, this isn’t far from the truth. In this space, we are all Under a Red Roof.

Anyway, welcome to my very first formal category: Spotlighting. Each Friday, I will focus on some aspect of film-making, books and reading, or music. I might tell you about a movie (or, like today, an actor), a book that I love, or the soundtrack playing in my head. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts about topics that really get me jazzed. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Sincerely,

Colleen

The first time I saw Lee Pace was on one of my all-time favorite television shows to not get a chance – Wonderfalls. He played Jaye Tyler’s underachieving big brother Aaron. Despite being a “genius,” he lived with his parents, had no job, and a penchant for dirty movies. I liked his interactions with Jaye and the rest of the family, and found the character and the acting very authentic.

Since Wonderfalls, I’ve seen Mr. Pace in a host of other roles, representing a marvelously broad range of characters. He was rather creepy in Infamous, the second film about Truman Capote and his quest to write In Cold Blood. I recoiled every time his slimy murderer with scarcely a hit of remorse came on screen. In another film I saw with my movie buddy Bridget, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, he played the loyal and dedicated ex-boyfriend Michael Pardue. He’s the one who really loves the heroine Delysia Lafosse – plays no games, but does tickle the ivories and sing. He’s the one I’d want, too.

In another television series, which appears to have a chance – Pushing Daisies, he is Ned, the handsome and charming Piemaker, the man who can bring the dead back to life with a touch, but sadly, only once, or they are dead again. The show and his character are a little old fashioned (a Lincoln Continental with suicide doors! The height of coolness and sophistication, my friends), yet have a modern edge, with a streak of mischievousness and sentimentality – a bit like this writer.

Perhaps it was the magic of that evening, but until I saw him in The Fall last week, I did not take him very seriously. Yes, I thought he was fine and his work true, but that is all. Were it not for his great skill in this film, I would only have seen Lee Pace, the guy from those other things I like. Instead, I watched the broken Roy suffer through his losses, retreat into utter darkness and despair, and come out hopeful and willing to see the world with new eyes (and me to see this actor with new ones as well).

Well done, Mr. Pace, and thank you for a magical time at the movies.

p.s. You look great in eye-liner.

Yep, I’m showing you my toes…

August 19, 2008 in Making, Quoting, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Do you recall the heat I wrote about the other day? It was, “Hot, damn hot! Crotch-pot cookin’ hot!” weather. Remember who said that and in what movie? I’ll tell you at the end. The heat literally gave me a fever, had me spread out on the sofa with a fan in front of me, bemoaning global warming, watching bad telelvsion, and the Richard Donner cut of Superman II. I highly recommend it, as it is not just one of those, ooh we added a little speck of color over there in the corner, so it is a new and exciting cut. The story is different, as in, they never go to Paris or the Eiffel Tower, among other things. Watch it!

Anyway, rather than being crabby and unproductive the entire time, the hubby and I got smart and retreated to the cool of the basement and the nifty craft room he made for me. Good golly, what would we do without this space? It was bliss down there, me sewing, Gregory doing something very technical on his lap top (I rarely understand), all while listening to my favorite stitching soundtrack.

These slippers are what I made. Aren’t they cute? I used a felted wool blanket that I bought at the Goodwill last year. You can also see that I took advantage of one of those fancy stitches on my machine, as well. Too bad I’m not like Bernie Mac and don’t like people I don’t know touching my feet, cause those toes aren’t the prettiest sight.

Back to the slippers – The bias tape is a double fold iron on style that I bought at the Fabric Depot outdoor sale. I used some pleather on the bottom, along with two layers of the felted blanket. They are pretty floppy, so when I make some for Gregory, I think I’ll add some Timtex or something to firm them up. Considering I had no pattern and had never made a slipper before, I’m pretty pleased.

It’s cool here now, so I can actually wear them without sweating up a storm. As for the quotation, it is Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam.

Have a wonderful day…

When darkness brings no relief…

August 15, 2008 in Being, Feeling, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

My dear friend Bridget came home yesterday, after a two week vacation in California. As we are movie buddies, hitting the Academy Theater together about every other week, I was itching to go. Luckily, there was something we wanted to see, after a very unfortunate dry spell of lack-luster summer movies.

Since her house is on the way to the theater, I always drive, and so, I began to follow my usual route. It was an awfully hot day for Portlanders, 101 degrees, which I think changed the physics of the neighborhood somehow, or maybe it was just the music. I was playing a beautiful Andrew Bird song called Yawny at the Apocalypse, and felt, well, different, dreamy. Darkness was coming on quickly, yet the notes of the song seemed to prolong those last minutes of twilight, and I was acutely aware of all that was happening around me.

The handsome grey-haired man riding his bicycle, back light blinking to the beat of my heart. The sound of the Mini passing the myriad parked cars. The old man, back bent, eager to keep pace with his little dog. More cyclists riding silently, almost floating down 52nd. The world was slow and hot – the impending darkness bringing no relief from the fiery day. I arrived at Bridget’s and realized that the strange light from the heat made everything appear slightly blurred and soft – beautiful. It was idyllic and magical and lovely. We drove on, enjoying each other’s company after our long absence, eager to sit in a cool theater and enter another world.

The world we entered, that of The Fall, was a perfect match for the evening. It was an epic and surreal tale of how broken people become whole again – through story telling, friendship, and ultimately love. The cinematography was exquisitely beautiful – vibrant colors and intimate camera angles, painting a portrait that will reside in me for a long, long time. The cherry on top of a perfectly hot day.

I don’t need no posse!

August 12, 2008 in Remembering, Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

That is one of my favorite quotations from Bernie Mac, who sadly passed away on Saturday. From all I learned about him during his short life of only fifty years, it really sums him up. He was his own guy – irreverent and hilarious with a heart of gold – he didn’t need anyone to back him up.

While I was less keen on his stand-up – it being a bit racy for my taste, I loved his television show and his appearances in movies like Ocean’s Eleven and Bad Santa. The man could make me laugh – fully belly, grab a tissue, you better make sure you go to the bathroom first, so you don’t have an accident kind of laughter.

His show was definitely not your typical program about a guy raising kids. He wasn’t cute or silly in his foibles, which, for me, made it all the more real. He struggled with the idea of spanking, wanted to be a man, yet enjoyed a manicure from his favorite Korean lady and was always on the lookout for ways to keep his hands soft. He loved bubble baths, cigars, and a good game of poker. My absolute favorite part of the series was when he would sit in his chair and address the audience – mostly to explain himself, sometimes to ask us for advice, calling us “America,” calling us into his telelvision world. So very good.

I guess it was his turn to be called elsewhere. Thanks for the laughter, Mr. Mac, because, unless you actually knew him, he didn’t like to be called Bernie.

Sac en Plastique

August 1, 2008 in Watching by Colleen | 1 comment

Here’s another of my all time favorite movies, Amelie (hmm…wishing I could figure out how to make proper accent marks, tant pis).

Anyhoo, Amelie has all the elements I enjoy in film:

A good and believable story. Who hasn’t dreamed of ways to bring people happiness, make others behave with kindness, or fall in love? It is told with wit, charm, and occasionally, a sharp knife-edge! The characters are like people we know – eccentric, obsessive, dreamers, do-gooders, and curmudgeons, all with their own flair.

Beautiful cinematography – heavens to Betsy! The use of saturated colors, beautiful set decorations, ace camera angles all make this story a gem to behold.

Top shelf acting – every character fully embodied by the actor, no kidding. Audrey Tautou, the adorable Matthieu Kassovitz (he looks a little like the G-man), crotchety Serge Merlin as Mr. Dufayel, “et Lady Di…” Jammel Dubbouz, to mention a few.

A fine soundtrack – Oh yes, yes, yes! Yann Tiersen is quite good at making kiddie pianos and everyday sounds like flipping paper charming. I also love the old French standards like “Si Tu N’etait pas La.” I hum and sing along every single time.

Watch it and prepare to be charmed!

Tags: Movies