Penelope Cruz is a dynamic, exciting young actress. She’s got fire in her, probably because she is not a cookie cutter American actress. But I must note with disdain that her two most recent films are written or based on material by narcissistic old white Jewish guys.
The first, Elegy, intrigued me because it is directed by the Spanish director Isabelle Coixet. It stars Ben Kingsley as a professor who loses it when he meets a young woman played by Cruz. But, as I read more about the film, I discovered that it was based on The Dying Animal a novel by Phillip Roth, and if I saw the film I would have to break one of my basic tenents — I don’t do Phillip Roth. I tried years ago but just couldn’t do it. My ban on Roth was further confirmed when I read actress Claire Bloom’s account of her marriage to him and it made me sick.
Penelope also stars in the new Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona which is about two women obsessed with the same man (not Allen, thank goodness) and then to make it more titilating to the guys Woody throws a third woman into the mix. Sounds like a guy’s fantasy — not that I would expect any less from Woody Allen. Since Allen is basically a has been he threw in a girl on girl kiss between Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz which is enough to get the film some buzz.
Woody is another one on my banned list since way back when he screwed Mia (and her daughter). I’m too young to revere Allen for his 1970s movies. I like Annie Hall (and I still can’t believe WTF Diane Keaton saw in him) and Hannah and Her Sisters, but the fact that Woody Allen gets the money to make his narcissistic films each year makes my blood boil. Aren’t they are all about the same thing?
Give me a break.
WOW, I am SO on board with your view here, M. It’s fun to see that someone else shares my feelings about Woody Allen and refuses to support him and/or his films. He’s a sleaze in my book. As for Phillip Roth, I’m not a fan of his writing and always thought it was because I am a Western woman and just didn’t get the whole East Coast thing. I did see an interview on Charlie Rose with Cruz,Coixet, and some other guy (I can’t recall who, a supporting role). The claim is that Coixet has done something new and different with the old guy/young woman theme. Cruz developed this project according to the interview because she loved the characters in the story by Roth. Even after seeing the interview I didn’t place this film high on my list of “must see”–so I’ll be waiting to hear what YOU think! Rosemary Carstens – http://carstensFEAST.blogspot.com
I have no idea who Phillip Roth is.
the faux lesbian kiss in the new movie is so goddamned annoying. Can we just freakin drop the whole girl-on-girl fantasy phenomenon? I thought this is cinema, not some cheap Girls Gone Wild thrill for nasty old perverts.
It is so insulting, sexist and homophobic for females of all sexualities and for actresses.
read a Philip Roth story called The Conversion of the Jews, or his Goodbye Columbus.. Some of us feel he never should have got into novels but stayed with the short story genre. A writer may be a mean bastard as a human, yet still make fine art, is how it goes. Note, his work (and Woody’s) has never been tagged “autobiographical” or dismissed as “prick flicks” as has the work of notable women. The question of what you as a woman BECOME while battling for equality or recognition in the male-centric world of Show Business – is the subject for another day.
of course Ali McGraw played Brenda Potenkin the heroine, because as we all know there are no Jewish actresses who could have given iit that certain – je ne sais quois. See Millie P. as Anne Frank, see Natalie Wood as Marjorie Morningstar.