Nervous Excitment and Random Notes

My big day is dawning. My first film review, on Michael Clayton, should appear in tomorrow's Cento. Of course, for those of you off-campus, I will post my complete, unedited remarks on the film tomorrow. Be advised that my space limit for the piece was 600 words, so I'm sure I could have written more had I space, but I really do think I highlighted what made that film work for me. I'm quite nervous, and I ask all of you to supply me with some constructive criticism. Remember that this is a fluid process, and with any luck, my analytical and writing skills will improve over time. Please bear with me.

As soon as I see the general reaction to this piece, I'll start working on my next one, a review of Roman Polanski's Chinatown, released in 1974 and starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Of course, I'm always open to suggestions, as long as they can be found within the Centre College Library.

Random thoughts:
-I saw the trailer for the new Michael Mann film Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp (as John Dillinger), Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard (Best Actress winner for La Vie en Rose). Mann's digital camerawork, which really brought his Collateral to vivid life for me, looks beautiful here. Given the Academy's predisposition for a.) Johnny Depp and b.) real-life characters, I would not be surprised to see him in the running for Best Actor in less than a year's time. I think we're at a point where the Academy is no longer reluctant to give accolades to antagonists, as the past three years, major Oscar wins have gone towards devious characters. If there is a film this year that I don't want to fail, this is it.

-Watchmen, based on the graphic novel, is being released this week. I won't be able to watch it this weekend probably, but I do hope to see it (after I see certain Oscar winners that I have been unable to watch). I read the graphic novel last December, and it is very good....I just wonder how the transition from page to screen went.

-Horton Foote, two-time Oscar winner for the scripts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies, died today. I've not seen the latter, which won Robert Duvall his only Oscar to date, but Mockingbird is a great American film. I'm sure it's always difficult to adapt someone's work; you've got to make sure you get it to a point where the story is film-able, yet still remains true to the sprit of the original. Harper Lee, upon viewing the film version of her novel, sent a telegram to congratulate Foote on his adaptation. Rest in peace, Mr. Foote; thank you for your work. If there is a firmament of films, Mockingbird can be found there, and it couldn't have been done without you.

-I found out today that my British Literature II professor was once the Film Queen...interesting.

-I've been thinking about great biopics they've not made yet. Here are some I think I'd like to see:
1. Vladimir Nabokov - truly remarkable life; was able to write a novel in his third language that has since become one of the best English novels ever written (Lolita).
2.George Gordon, Lord Byron
3. Theodore Roosevelt
4. Dante Alighieri
5. Geoffrey Chaucer

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