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shadowkatWatched both the first episode of Mildred Pierce on HBO ON Demand (yes I found it finally, on channel 200) and the film Salt.
The first episode of Mildred Pierce was actually quite good. I felt for the characters and identified with the protagonist, Mildred's hunt for a job in the 1930s. She's a housewife, who makes cakes and pies and sells them, until her husband leaves her. They bicker constantly. And clearly want separate things. So it's not simple, but the fact that he leaves her with no income, and with two kids is somewhat low. Apparently she wasn't able to get alimony or child support. It is the 1930s, so the rules may have been slightly different back then. We aren't told that they are divorced. Just that he leaves and does not come back after their argument. The rest of the episode involves Mildred swallowing her pride and finding a job as a waitress, after trying several other options first.
The performances are stellar, and we have some top-notch actresses here - Melissa Leo, playing Mildred's best friend and confidante, Mare Winnham playing the waitress she works with, Ida, and Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce. Also the direction is quite and understated - fitting for this genre. Todd Haynes continues to demonstrate his skill. The colors are subdued. The music soft. And the performances understated. Sentimentality is deftly side-stepped, along with Melodrama - which distinguishes the HBO presentation from the Joan Crawford film of the same name or so I've been told. The film feels very similar to Haynes last effort in the genre - Far From Heaven, which is noir and hyper-realism. Life is bleak. We struggle, we hope, but our own pride is our downfall. In this episode we see Mildred lay the groundwork for her own destruction through her beloved daughter Veda. Even without knowing the gory details, which I don't, we can see it coming.
Mildred tells her friend that she wishes to protect her daughter from the things she must endure, that her daughter has a pride, a nobility, that she identifies with that is also in her. We are better than this. And indeed, Veda, states as much - criticizing another family as being so "middle class". Mildred begs her friend not to let anyone know, particularly her children that she works at such a low-class establishment that is clearly beneath them. Her friend tries to tell her that it is a worthwhile job, a job to feed her, to set her pride aside, but her pride chokes her making her vomit. The foreshadowing is subtle but there all the same.
Quite good, if you like this sort of thing. It's not to everyone's taste. Humor tends not to make much of an appearance, and there's a slow plodding weariness that parallels reality. We are meant to feel the mundane, and drab of Mildred's everyday life.
Salt - directed by Philip Noyce and starring Angelina Jolie and Lev Schrieber...is not what you think it is. I was somewhat surprised by it - I was expecting a sort of Jason Bourne drama, which in truth turned out to be a female version of The Punisher meets Jason Bourne. Quite a few chase scenes. Little dialogue. And there are bits that appear to come out of nowhere. I don't quite by Schrieber's character and he underplays the role to such an extent that you wonder...if he was just phoning it in. Schrieber can be quite good, but not here. Jolie does a good job with very little.
While I find the female revenge fantasy action genre rather cathartic at times, I admittedly struggle with suspension of disbelief. She survives things that make me roll my eyes. Also, the love interest, which is relatively minor - is hard to feel anything for. I had troubles caring about the people or Evelyn Salt.
Interesting tidbit - this was originally written for a man. They changed the script slightly when Angelina Jolie signed on. One of the items they changed was in the original Edwin Salt saves
his wife and child, the film-makers felt that it wasn't realistic for a woman to do that or it would turn off the audience. I find this odd, after watching the film, considering the other things she does - she literally is punched in the face and remains conscious and without a broken nose. The saving hubby and child is actually more believable. It's tempting to compare Salt to Bourne Identity and The Punisher tropes - where the avenger is usually male.
I wish I could say Salt was as good as the Bourne triology, featuring Matt Damon, but it's not.
The direction is sketchy and jarring in places. Also it is almost too abrupt. I found one scene a bit too over-the-top, to the point of being kitschy. Shame. If you want to watch this trope well done - go rent Luc Besson's original film La Femme Nikita - which remains the best of the spy woman avenger genre. Haven't seen the newest addition - Hanna.
Overall? Mildred Pierce episode 1 - A, Salt - C.
The first episode of Mildred Pierce was actually quite good. I felt for the characters and identified with the protagonist, Mildred's hunt for a job in the 1930s. She's a housewife, who makes cakes and pies and sells them, until her husband leaves her. They bicker constantly. And clearly want separate things. So it's not simple, but the fact that he leaves her with no income, and with two kids is somewhat low. Apparently she wasn't able to get alimony or child support. It is the 1930s, so the rules may have been slightly different back then. We aren't told that they are divorced. Just that he leaves and does not come back after their argument. The rest of the episode involves Mildred swallowing her pride and finding a job as a waitress, after trying several other options first.
The performances are stellar, and we have some top-notch actresses here - Melissa Leo, playing Mildred's best friend and confidante, Mare Winnham playing the waitress she works with, Ida, and Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce. Also the direction is quite and understated - fitting for this genre. Todd Haynes continues to demonstrate his skill. The colors are subdued. The music soft. And the performances understated. Sentimentality is deftly side-stepped, along with Melodrama - which distinguishes the HBO presentation from the Joan Crawford film of the same name or so I've been told. The film feels very similar to Haynes last effort in the genre - Far From Heaven, which is noir and hyper-realism. Life is bleak. We struggle, we hope, but our own pride is our downfall. In this episode we see Mildred lay the groundwork for her own destruction through her beloved daughter Veda. Even without knowing the gory details, which I don't, we can see it coming.
Mildred tells her friend that she wishes to protect her daughter from the things she must endure, that her daughter has a pride, a nobility, that she identifies with that is also in her. We are better than this. And indeed, Veda, states as much - criticizing another family as being so "middle class". Mildred begs her friend not to let anyone know, particularly her children that she works at such a low-class establishment that is clearly beneath them. Her friend tries to tell her that it is a worthwhile job, a job to feed her, to set her pride aside, but her pride chokes her making her vomit. The foreshadowing is subtle but there all the same.
Quite good, if you like this sort of thing. It's not to everyone's taste. Humor tends not to make much of an appearance, and there's a slow plodding weariness that parallels reality. We are meant to feel the mundane, and drab of Mildred's everyday life.
Salt - directed by Philip Noyce and starring Angelina Jolie and Lev Schrieber...is not what you think it is. I was somewhat surprised by it - I was expecting a sort of Jason Bourne drama, which in truth turned out to be a female version of The Punisher meets Jason Bourne. Quite a few chase scenes. Little dialogue. And there are bits that appear to come out of nowhere. I don't quite by Schrieber's character and he underplays the role to such an extent that you wonder...if he was just phoning it in. Schrieber can be quite good, but not here. Jolie does a good job with very little.
While I find the female revenge fantasy action genre rather cathartic at times, I admittedly struggle with suspension of disbelief. She survives things that make me roll my eyes. Also, the love interest, which is relatively minor - is hard to feel anything for. I had troubles caring about the people or Evelyn Salt.
Interesting tidbit - this was originally written for a man. They changed the script slightly when Angelina Jolie signed on. One of the items they changed was in the original Edwin Salt saves
his wife and child, the film-makers felt that it wasn't realistic for a woman to do that or it would turn off the audience. I find this odd, after watching the film, considering the other things she does - she literally is punched in the face and remains conscious and without a broken nose. The saving hubby and child is actually more believable. It's tempting to compare Salt to Bourne Identity and The Punisher tropes - where the avenger is usually male.
I wish I could say Salt was as good as the Bourne triology, featuring Matt Damon, but it's not.
The direction is sketchy and jarring in places. Also it is almost too abrupt. I found one scene a bit too over-the-top, to the point of being kitschy. Shame. If you want to watch this trope well done - go rent Luc Besson's original film La Femme Nikita - which remains the best of the spy woman avenger genre. Haven't seen the newest addition - Hanna.
Overall? Mildred Pierce episode 1 - A, Salt - C.
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 08:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 10:18 pm (UTC)(We don't even have humor in clothing.)
Love the icon though.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 08:14 am (UTC)Actually in this early episode, they aren't divorced; he just left her and moved in with his girlfriend.
I enjoyed all of it, the young girl that plays early Veda is especially good - and chilling.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 04:46 pm (UTC)[I'm admittedly watching mainly for Guy Pierce who plays her playboy lover. LOL!]
Agreed the young girl playing Veda is chilling in the role and brilliant. And they are doing a great job of exploring Mildred's complicity in greating Veda.