Recently, i had the opportunity to watch Whale Rider & Something's Gotta Give; two movies whose leading actresses (Keisha Castle-Hughes & Diane Keaton respectively) are contesting for the Best Actress in a leading role award at the upcoming Oscars (held tomorrow morning, singapore time). Keisha is the thirteen year-old newbie who was discovered by the same agent who casted Anna Paquin in her oscar-winning turn in jane campion's The Piano in 1993. (Coincidentally, Anna Paquin is also a New Zealander & she won her Best Actress in a supporting role award at age 11.) At any rate, Keisha is the youngest ever to be nominated in the leading actress category but it still remains to be seen if she could actually win this award amidst such favorites like Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron. Diane Keaton, on the other hand, is a Hollywood veteran wif a string of hits under her belt, an oscar win in 1977 & a nomination in 1996. On top of that, Diane carried off the golden globe for best actress in comedy/musical for Something's Gotta Give only recently. However, both movies are entirely different in context & genre and to judge which actress has more talent would be such a great injustice...
Whale Rider
This is certainly one of the most charming and underrated films of the year & it is easy to see why it won such critical acclaim. Set in the rural villages of New Zealand where traditional Maorian values still have much influence, this is the story of a little girl, Pai, who has to overcome the strict prejudices of her culture & her own grandfather in order to win her place as tribal leader. Although often simplistic at times & even predictable, Whale Rider more than makes up for it with a rich cultural background, lush scenery, excellent cinematography & a cast of talented and competent actors. But of course, the star here is keisha castle-hughes who gives a mesmerizing and luminous performance as Pai; she exudes girlish vulnerability one minute & warrior-like tenacity the next.. it's no wonder she had been nominated~! Truly, only someone with a heart of stone will not be moved by her magnificient performance. Rawiri Paratene, who plays Pai's grandfather, Koro, is also a joy to watch. It is indeed very refreshing to see a movie which, though formulaic, had not been glossed over with Hollywood superficiality; Whale Rider is definitely a movie with plenty of heart. ~4.2/5 stars!
Something's Gotta Give
Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton headline this movie which addresses middle-aged dating & mating predicaments. While it's a nice change from seeing Hollywood romantic fluff which highlight nothing else but perfect nubile young things, it still takes some getting used to before i'm comfortable with seeing a couple whose ages add up to over a century-plus years in real-life, snogging passionately onscreen. Such is the case with this movie. Thankfully, Keanu Reeves & Amanda Peet are on hand to provide us with the sorely needed eye-candy. However, it is Diane Keaton who shines as the quirky, outwardly flustered yet ultimately very cool, fifty-plus writer, Diana. Nicholson too is in fine form as a shameless womaniser, Harry, who has a penchant for girls half his age. Both of them are sure to delight and charm audiences with their kooky humor and warm, credible onscreen chemistry. Keaton's role, however, wasnt much of a stretch (at the end of the day, this is a romantic comedy sans the requisite young couple); she has impeccable comic timing but there's nothing really awesome about her character. Nevertheless, this is a refreshing Hollywood comedy with big names & big talent although with not much depth. Perfect as a weekend treat after a hectic week. ~3.8/5 stars!
****
PS: i'm really abit sad because i havent got the time to watch some of the other oscar-nominated movies in time for the Academy Awards tomorrow (eg. cold mountain, mystic river, monster...). However, i'm still rooting for charlize theron.. ;p
