“Forgotten Hollywood”- 21st Century 50 Fav Films (#16, #15)…
Manny P. here…
“`Let me provide the next chapter of my favorite cinema over the last two decades. The biggest surprise when compiling this list? A personal interest in films made by the talented Sam Rockwell. He is the one actor appearing in four of my entries: Jojo Rabbit, Richard Jewell, Frost / Nixon and a bit of celluloid I chose as #16 on my countdown. Rockwell has a knack for blending into his work and becomes almost unrecognizable as a character. This makes him a consummate professional.
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~ #16 – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017)
“`My longest titled film might also be considered the one with the fewest manners. Political correctness is ignored in most satire and Three Billboards is not an exception to the rule. Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, and Sam Rockwell are feisty as they challenge civil rights, victim’s rights, disease and disability, and even the MeToo movement.
“`While traveling through the Southern Midwest in 1998, writer Martin McDonagh came across accusatory billboards about an unsolved crime alleging the murder of a woman in Vidor, Texas. These billboards highlighted the incompetence of the police work. This incident, combined with his desire to create strong female characters, inspired him to write Three Billboards.
“`McDormand took inspiration for her character from John Wayne; and Rockwell responded by drawing parallels from Lee Marvin, Wayne’s co-star in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Both took home Oscars for their efforts. Harrelson captured a nomination for his work and the film received attention for Best Picture, Best Score, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.
“`Advocacy groups across the globe have been inspired by the mural-like qualities of asking more from people of authority while protesting for immigrant rights, gun safety, and against domestic and political violence. McDormand and McDonagh have responded positively to the protests. Three Billboards truly reflect signs of our times.
~ #15 – THE IMITATION GAME (2014)
“`Alan Turing was a main contributor who cracked the Nazi enigma code that helped defeat Hitler. In the process, he was single-handedly responsible for the origins of the mechanized computer system. He is widely considered as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. His tale was recounted in the motion picture The Imitation Game.
“`Based on the 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges, the movie title is based on a question the mathematician ponders: Can machines think? Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turing. Kiera Knightly, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, and Allen Leach offer dependable support. Nominated for eight Oscars, it won for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Production Design, and accolades for Cumberbatch and Knightly.
“`Turing was arrested in 1952 in Britain for homosexual acts, considered lewd at the time. The British court system ordered chemical castration, which he accepted to avoid prison. However, he committed suicide two years later and his theories would take decades to decipher.
“`Queen Elizabeth II granted Turing a posthumous pardon. Following the Royal Pardon granted in 2013, filmmakers released the first promotional photograph of Cumberbatch as Turing. Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Jessica Alba, Stephen Fry and Bryan Cranston, among others, joined a petition demanding pardons for victims of anti-gay laws. In 2017, the Alan Turing Law in the United Kingdom retroactively pardoned thousands convicted of so-called homosexual acts. He championed LGBTQ rights, and for purposes of this discussion, he laid the groundwork for the creation of the modern computer.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021 at 9:14 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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