I wrote about Johansson's tenure as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow. Her roles in these films got better as they went along. After a shaky start in Iron Man 2, Romanoff came into her own in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Most likely, that film is the closest we're going to get to a Black Widow solo movie. In case you missed it, here's a link to Part 1 of my Scarlett J series.
I discussed in my previous blogs about Scarlett Johansson: The Misfit. One aspect that I didn't mention was how Scarlett Johansson often plays observant characters. While Johansson may often she the subject of a male gaze, she returns the gaze right back. In many of her films, she watches and learns. There's also an element of passivity to her characters, which often gets mistaken for her passivity as an actress. But the inertia is usually a conscious choice made by the actress.
Lost in Translation, "Charlotte" (2003)
Scarlett Johansson had been gaining some street cred as a child/teen actress with acclaimed roles in Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer and especially Ghost World. All she needed to truly break out was a film that would take her star power through the wormhole and into a completely different galaxy. That film was Lost in Translation. Her work in this movie is still considered one of her best and it's one of three films I can confidently say she was snubbed for an Oscar nom (Match Point and Her being the others). Charlotte is homesick, casually neglected by her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) in Japan and still trying to carve out her identity. As Charlotte walks around Tokyo, she's a misfit and she's isolated.
When she meets Bob (Bill Murray), she finds a kindred spirit. He's an isolated misfit, too--trying to find his way both in Japan and in life. Even though they differ in age, Bob and Charlotte are going through a similar inertia and listlessness. They bond because neither knows what he or she is doing and this trip to Japan feels like pause in their lives. Much like Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff, the bond is not sexual or overtly romantic. Scarlett Johansson's performance is subtle; she is charming and has some energetic moments but she also conveys deep pain and sadness. As much as she tries, Charlotte cannot overcome her isolation.
Bill Murray may have most of the iconic moments in the film, like the "lip my stockings" scene. But Charlotte says the line that defines the entire mood of the movie: "Let's never come here again because it would never be as much fun." The line is delivered with much more maturity and wisdom than you'd expect for a 19 year old actress. But what people do remember the most from Lost in Translation is the famous opening shot with Scarlett lying on her side facing away from the camera, her rear end in close-up. It's a shot that suggests isolation and really helps inform her character. But all everyone remembers is "OMGSCARLETT'SBUTTHOT." Doesn't that explain her media image in a nutshell?
The Nanny Diaries, "Annie Braddock" (2007)
Truth be told, I totally forgot this movie existed. But I saw that it was streaming on Amazon Prime and decided to watch it. I remembered it as a goofy comedy where Johansson messes up a lot nannying for a brat. But it's actually a sharp and sad satire of the one-percent. The movie uses a anthropological backdrop to make it unique, with Johansson narrating as if she is making a natural geographic documentary. Of course, Johansson does not fit into this world: she doesn't know the culture. There's a great bit where her employer Mrs. X (Laura Linney) tells Annie about something as if it's the 100th time she told Annie--even though it's the first time. That highlights Annie's outlier status. It's also a reminder of Annie's lower class status, compared to the wealthy X family. Her future Marvel co-star Chris Evans plays Harvard Hottie, and Annie is a misfit in their romance as well. The film even shows Annie as a misfit among other Nannies. She's a college grad, privileged in her own way because she chose this job unlike the others who have little options.
Annie becomes a nanny to avoid finding a "real" job (as stated before, Annie has her own privilege). The nannying gig is "anthropological" but it is also a way for her to stall her life. Her arc is similar to that of Lost in Translation but in this case, the inertia is self-induced. She's watching her surroundings as a way to avoid how clueless she is about her own life. Annie is a passive character and much of what Johansson does with her performance is reactionary. But I think her performance conveys that Johansson is active even if Annie is reactive.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this is one of Johansson's best performances. She's good in the movie but she's better in other stuff. The movie has its charms and can be insightful but it's very much a mainstream comedy. The script is a little sloppy, as if it was toned down to be more mainstream. And I was hoping that this movie would be one of the rare films with zero attention to Scarlett as sex symbol but then she gets ogled by Mr. X (Paul Giamatti). The Nanny Diaries is an odd movie, compared to other films in her career. But I can definitely see what drew her to the project.
Under the Skin, "The Alien" (2013)
Scarlett Johansson's career as an observing outlier is probably best summed up in Under the Skin. This film took about 10 years to get made and I believe it was shot in 2011. In the film, she plays an alien who comes to Earth--her "mission" is to seduce guys and...eat them? Dissect them? The movie has almost no plot exposition. It's the kind of movie where you have to concentrate and fill in the blanks yourselves. It's a film that isn't quite scary but subtly horrifying and unsettling. It's also one of the strangest movies Scarlett Johansson has ever done.
Much of film is The Alien driving around in a van; she meets some guys and if they're alone she will invite them back. What happens there is anybody guess; the film is more focused on eerie imagery than narrative. Johansson's gaze is piercing and calculating. She has to watch these guys and how they respond to her. Even when she is out of the van, she's walking around Glasgow--she looks at humans and their every day lives. Glazer's camera captures the subjects of her looking as if we're seeing them through her eyes. Human behavior--stuff people do all the time--seem weirds and alien to us as we watch the film.
Under the Skin is the first film for which Johansson did full nudity. And that's important because her role in this film is probably her least sexual. This is the film that truly tears down Scarlett Johansson: Sex Symbol. Here she is, people, in all her glory and it's more horrifying than sexy. Whatever charms Johansson may have, they're all gone for this movie. She's a blank slate, robotically seducing and flirting with people. The Alien figures out who she is, discovering humanity and her human form. There's a great moment where The Alien eats a piece of cake and there's a lot more suspense than you'd think. In this film, Johansson tries to transform from a misfit into something more human. Is she successful? That's for you to decide.
Stay tuned for Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star (part 4).
Like what you read? Please like my blog at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee. Also, follow me on Twitter @HippogriffRider. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!
Scarlett Johansson had been gaining some street cred as a child/teen actress with acclaimed roles in Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer and especially Ghost World. All she needed to truly break out was a film that would take her star power through the wormhole and into a completely different galaxy. That film was Lost in Translation. Her work in this movie is still considered one of her best and it's one of three films I can confidently say she was snubbed for an Oscar nom (Match Point and Her being the others). Charlotte is homesick, casually neglected by her husband (Giovanni Ribisi) in Japan and still trying to carve out her identity. As Charlotte walks around Tokyo, she's a misfit and she's isolated.
When she meets Bob (Bill Murray), she finds a kindred spirit. He's an isolated misfit, too--trying to find his way both in Japan and in life. Even though they differ in age, Bob and Charlotte are going through a similar inertia and listlessness. They bond because neither knows what he or she is doing and this trip to Japan feels like pause in their lives. Much like Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff, the bond is not sexual or overtly romantic. Scarlett Johansson's performance is subtle; she is charming and has some energetic moments but she also conveys deep pain and sadness. As much as she tries, Charlotte cannot overcome her isolation.
The Nanny Diaries, "Annie Braddock" (2007)
Truth be told, I totally forgot this movie existed. But I saw that it was streaming on Amazon Prime and decided to watch it. I remembered it as a goofy comedy where Johansson messes up a lot nannying for a brat. But it's actually a sharp and sad satire of the one-percent. The movie uses a anthropological backdrop to make it unique, with Johansson narrating as if she is making a natural geographic documentary. Of course, Johansson does not fit into this world: she doesn't know the culture. There's a great bit where her employer Mrs. X (Laura Linney) tells Annie about something as if it's the 100th time she told Annie--even though it's the first time. That highlights Annie's outlier status. It's also a reminder of Annie's lower class status, compared to the wealthy X family. Her future Marvel co-star Chris Evans plays Harvard Hottie, and Annie is a misfit in their romance as well. The film even shows Annie as a misfit among other Nannies. She's a college grad, privileged in her own way because she chose this job unlike the others who have little options.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this is one of Johansson's best performances. She's good in the movie but she's better in other stuff. The movie has its charms and can be insightful but it's very much a mainstream comedy. The script is a little sloppy, as if it was toned down to be more mainstream. And I was hoping that this movie would be one of the rare films with zero attention to Scarlett as sex symbol but then she gets ogled by Mr. X (Paul Giamatti). The Nanny Diaries is an odd movie, compared to other films in her career. But I can definitely see what drew her to the project.
Scarlett Johansson's career as an observing outlier is probably best summed up in Under the Skin. This film took about 10 years to get made and I believe it was shot in 2011. In the film, she plays an alien who comes to Earth--her "mission" is to seduce guys and...eat them? Dissect them? The movie has almost no plot exposition. It's the kind of movie where you have to concentrate and fill in the blanks yourselves. It's a film that isn't quite scary but subtly horrifying and unsettling. It's also one of the strangest movies Scarlett Johansson has ever done.
Much of film is The Alien driving around in a van; she meets some guys and if they're alone she will invite them back. What happens there is anybody guess; the film is more focused on eerie imagery than narrative. Johansson's gaze is piercing and calculating. She has to watch these guys and how they respond to her. Even when she is out of the van, she's walking around Glasgow--she looks at humans and their every day lives. Glazer's camera captures the subjects of her looking as if we're seeing them through her eyes. Human behavior--stuff people do all the time--seem weirds and alien to us as we watch the film.
Stay tuned for Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star (part 4).
Like what you read? Please like my blog at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee. Also, follow me on Twitter @HippogriffRider. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!
1 comment:
Watch movies online free on zmovie now. In response to these criticisms, Scarlett Johansson took the example of three stars Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman: "Tell them they can refer to the cases of Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman. " These are the "cisgender" actors (ie, the men) who play the role of women on the screen and achieve great success. Jeffrey Tambor won the Emmy for the lead role in the Transparent comedy series. Jared Leto won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers' Club and Felicity Huffman won an Oscar nomination for Transamerica. It's a rare thing for a heterosexual woman to have sex with men in Hollywood, while the opposite is more commonplace.
It is possible that even if the project was planned, both the film crew and the media were mistaken about the gender of the bear in Rub & Tug. Major foreign newspapers such as Deadline, Hollywood Reporter and Variety have described Gill as "a wealthy woman who relies on male-dominated business operations such as running massage parlors and prostitutes. " Rupert Sanders probably thought that this was a male-looking woman, rather than a transgendered man like what the criminal wanted to be recognized for. Dante "Tex" Gill spent his whole life fighting to be considered "Gill" (at the same time doing many criminal offenses such as prostitution and money laundering).
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