I've been a fan of Nicole Kidman's work since her 1995 film, To Die For. Nicole Kidman is an excellent actor, and she makes interesting choices regarding her projects, as seen by the range presented in this collection, a collection which includes a ghost story (The Others), a family drama (Rabbit Hole), a Civil War period piece (Cold Mountain), and, well, a film that defies categorizing (Dogville).
The best of the bunch is Lars Von Trier's Dogville (2003). I've said it before, and I'll say it again here: Lars Von Trier is the most interesting and creative filmmaker alive. And Dogville is a perfect example of his creativity. I'm so glad it's included in this collection, for some people who might otherwise not see it will get a chance to enjoy this extraordinary film. And in fact, I'd rather not say much about it, for fear of giving anything away. I will say that the entire cast is wonderful, but Nicole Kidman really does shine in this film. This is a film that will slowly sink its teeth into you. The first time I saw it, I was intrigued, and thought it was pretty good, but not amazing - until a certain point when I realized I was completely engrossed in it. It's a long film, but there is absolutely not a single unnecessary moment.
The DVD includes a commentary by writer/director Lars Von Trier and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, as well as the theatrical trailer.
The next-best film in the collection is The Others (2001), which is an excellent ghost story. The setup for this film is perfect. It takes place in a mansion in 1945, where three servants show up after the others mysteriously left. Living in the house are a woman named Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Anne and Nicholas, who are allergic to light. Thus, the house must be kept in perpetual darkness. The film has a great creepy atmosphere. Grace's husband is absent, having fought in the war and not been heard from in a year and a half. And Anne tells her new nanny that her mommy had gone mad before. Grace tells the servants, "My children sometimes have strange ideas, but you mustn't pay any attention to them." Nicole Kidman's delivery of that line is perfect. It's a strange movie because it's hard to get one's bearings; for the servants, the house, the children, Grace herself - all have the potential of being scary. So while viewing it, you are constantly on edge. And this film has some genuinely frightening moments, like the scene in the children's bedroom when Anne tells Nicholas that a boy named Victor is there. The children - Alakina Mann as Anne and James Bentley as Nicholas - give excellent performances.
This DVD, unfortunately, has no special features (other than some trailers).
The third film, Rabbit Hole (2010), is about a couple, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart), who are trying to put their lives back together after the death of their four-year-old son. As you might guess, there are scenes in this one that will tear you apart emotionally, and that's due primarily to Nicole Kidman's honest performance. There are some great shots, like when Becca gives their son's clothes to Good Will. The shot is from within the donation box, looking at Nicole Kidman's face, which is in light looking into darkness. There are some good supporting performances in this film too, particularly the always-wonderful Dianne Wiest as Becca's mother. Based on the play written by David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole was directed by John Cameron Mitchell. I can't believe this is the same director who gave us Hedwig And The Angry Inch and Shortbus. Clearly, this guy has some range that was not immediately apparent.
The special features include a commentary track by director John Cameron Mitchell, writer David Lindsay-Abaire and director of photography Frank G. DeMarco. There are also three deleted scenes, including a scene with Debbie, a character who is often mentioned in the film. And, of course, there is the trailer.
The only film in this collection that I don't like is Cold Mountain (2003), an episodic and dull Civil War drama about a soldier (Jude Law) who is trying to make it home to the woman (Nicole Kidman) he spent a few days with before the war. And meanwhile, the woman is being taught by Ruby (Renee Zellweger) how to run a farm by herself. There is an awful scene where Nicole Kidman is running around after Renee Zellweger, writing in a little book everything that Renee tells her. And of course there are some completely unbelievable villains - law enforcers on the constant lookout for any army deserters or those who might have even thought about helping a deserter. Basically any time they show up, someone is going to die.
Anthony Minghella, who wrote the screenplay and directed the film, is a somewhat overrated filmmaker. His films are pointlessly long and meandering, like the not-nearly-as-good-as-people-think The English Patient. He made one fantastic film (when he had no budget): Truly Madly Deeply. But since then (until his death in 2008), large budgets were actually a detriment for him. I attended a screening of his 2006 film Breaking And Entering, and during that Q&A afterward he spoke about how the low budget for Truly Madly Deeply forced him to meticulously prepare each shot beforehand, but that since then he'd had the freedom to decide on the day how he was going to shoot a certain scene. And, unfortunately, it shows in his films. Cold Mountain has only one honest moment, and that's when Natalie Portman shoots a soldier in the back.
This set is four discs, which is the way it should be. There are no double-sided discs here, and no squeezing two films onto one disc.
The Nicole Kidman 4-Film Collection was released on April 3, 2012.
0 PC Beasts Commented:
Post a Comment