10 Reasons to Love Patricia Clarkson

Today is Patricia Clarkson’s birthday. This list is in honour of that. For some reason, she is incredibly underrated and lesser known, so hopefully this list showcases to the world why she is deserving of much more recognition. Happy Birthday! 

1. She is long time friends with Stanley Tucci. And anyone who is friends with Stanley Tucci is a-okay in my books. 

                               

2. The “Motherlover” SNL short, which can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DeIqJm4vM&ob=av3e

3. It is impossible to take your eyes off of her in the beautiful film, Cairo Time. Her charisma and ability to light up a scene is breathtaking, especially for someone who isn’t typically a leading lady. 

                                  

4. She plays the coolest mom in one of the best movies of 2010, Easy A. 

5. Her versatility. Whether she is playing an eccentric hippie in Six Feet Under, a cancer patient in Pieces of April, or a shrink in Lars and the Real Girl, she always creates full, interesting characters. 

6. Her signature golden locks. If this isn’t a mane to be jealous of, I’m not sure what would be. 

                              

7. She certainly ascribes to the Stanislavsky philosophy of, “there are no small parts, only small actors.” She often plays small parts, but makes the most of each one. It keeps her current and in high demand. 

8.  She was inspired to become an actress because of Ingrid Bergman, who is equally as lovely, talented, and feminine. 

9. Most of her films are independent ones. She is a big supporter of indie films and filmmakers. 

10. She has an old Hollywood glam style that she perfects with ease and grace. Her beauty is natural. 

                                      

My Take on My Week With Marilyn

My Week With Marilyn follows a young hopeful, Colin Clark, as he falls in love with Marilyn Monroe while working on the set of her film “The Prince and the Showgirl.” He, like the rest of the world, becomes enchanted with her. The film is pitch-perfect as a period piece, capturing the late 1950s. The clothes were alluring, the hair and make-up were spot on, and the set design was encapsulating. 

The film is based on a diary account written by Clark during his time spent with Marilyn. This gives way to many private moments between the two of them. The director, Simon Curtis, uses this to its full potential. During many a scene, I felt like I was witnessing something that no one was meant to witness. It was all very seductive, just like Marilyn herself. The seductiveness was only interrupted once another character interrupted it. For me, these moments were the ones that made the film special. To add to this, the direction and cinematography were skillfully done.  A lot of soft light and appealing colours made the film very delicious eye candy. It is a true ode to the beauty that was Marilyn. 

There is a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding Michelle Williams’ performance. Albeit, it was good, but there was something missing. At times, I was completely absorbed, and other times, she missed the mark. It seemed wooden. On the other hand, this film had a strong supporting cast. First of all, WHERE did this Eddie Redmayne come from? He is the cutest thing. Wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, he was wonderfully cast as Colin. When he was excited, I was excited. When he was heartbroken, so was I. Perhaps he fell into his role more easily than Michelle Williams because he wasn’t the one playing Monroe, but at the same time, he deserves a lot of praise for his performance. Judi Dench and Emma Watson also give lovely performances. Their onscreen time is short, but memorable, which is often a hard feat to accomplish. 

For me, this film was less about Marilyn Monroe, and more about the questions the film left me with. Was Marilyn forced into her persona, or did she choose it? Did she do anything to stop it, or did she perpetuate it? Or maybe a bit of both? She wished to be thought of as a real actress, and not just a pretty face. This was something she never truly accomplished. Now, here we are more than fifty years later, and actresses still face these same challenges.  It is sad to think that not much has changed. 

homage to my hips by Lucille Clifton

these hips are big hips. they need space to move around in. they don't fit into little petty places. these hips are free hips. they don't like to be held back. these hips have never been enslaved, they go where they want to go they do what they want to do. these hips are mighty hips. these hips are magic hips. i have known them to put a spell on a man and spin him like a top

I spent a good part of the week writing an essay about this poem, comparing it to another. One of two things happen when writing an essay - you either end up hating what you're writing about, or you end up loving it. This time, it is the latter. There is something about this poem that is so simple, but it says so much. She doesn't skirt around the fact that she has big hips - she announces it in the first line of the poem and it is empowering. She is not ashamed of them, because there is nothing to be ashamed of. That is what more girls should realize.  Yes, she is talking about her hips, but she is also talking about being a woman. She will no longer conform to patriarchal society's ideas ("little petty places") about how she should look or act ("these hips are free hips"). I really can't help but smile by the end of this poem. It sends a great message and was written with so much precision and power. Good on ya, Lucille Clifton.