Monday 23 March 2015

Cate Blanchett

For our first MAP club meeting we watched two films starring Australian actress Cate Blanchett. Cate is famous for her diverse variety of screen roles, playing strong female characters in films such as The Aviator, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and her critically acclaimed stage performances, starring in numerous productions including Hedda Gabler and A Streetcar Named Desire. She first gained international attention in her role in the 1998 film Elizabeth, in which she played Elizabeth 1 of England. For this role she won Best Actress at the BAFTA awards and the Golden Globes, and was nominated for an Academy Award, but missed out on the gong. In 2013 she did win the Best Actress Academy Award (as well as the BAFTA and Golden Globe) for her role as Jasmine in the Woody Allen directed dark comedy-drama, Blue Jasmine. Elizabeth and Blue Jasmine were the two films we chose to watch for the MAP club.

The evening went very smoothly, with the exception of some subtitle issues in Elizabeth - this did make for some enjoyable commentary however. We enjoyed a fine cuisine of lamb, roasted potato and peas accompanied by fresh mango smoothies, with chocolate popcorn and TV mix choc-coated sultanas and nuts for dessert. We watched the films in chronological order, beginning with Elizabeth, and our thoughts on the films are below.



Billy on Elizabeth: "This is a wonderful film, truly enchanting and exact in it's portrayal of England in a period plagued by both internal and external conflict. Elizabeth is a fascinating character, tormented with internal debates about her identity, the state of religion in her empire, her loves, her legacy and how she intends to rule. I thought Cate was brilliant in this role and I love this film. She does some particularly lovely dancing. Play a volta!"

Lette on Elizabeth: "What an excellent choice to kick off the inaugural MAP club meeting. Elizabeth is Cate Blanchett at her very best propped up by a brilliant supporting cast, well deserving of the acclaim, praise and awards received. My verdict: Highly recommended. If you're extra keen there's also a sequel (not viewed on MAP club time). If you like Game of Thrones, you'll love Elizabeth." 

Billy on Blue Jasmine: "This was the second time I watched Blue Jasmine, and I must say I enjoyed it more the first time. I think it's an incredibly human film, and Cate is flawless in her execution of this role - she is fascinating to watch. But for me that's where the joy ends. There aren't many other standout highlights and I don't think it's Woody Allen's best work. You watch this film for Cate, and it is worth it for that."

Lette on Blue Jasmine: "Brilliant acting from our Cate in this one. Watching Blue Jasmine I am reminded that I have a huge crush on Alec Baldwin, I'd love to do a MAP club night featuring him, what a spunk, I digress. I agree with Billy that it's not Woody's best work but I think if you're a fan of his productions, you'll still thoroughly enjoy this film. My verdict: If you're late to the party and haven't seen this film yet, where have you been?"
The Cate Blanchett completion patches for our MAP club T-shirts.