Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star (part 4)

In Part 3 of Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star I discussed how Johansson played characters who didn't fit in but were watchful and observant. In Lost in Translation, The Nanny Diaries and Under the Skin, we got to see her see other people and make her own conclusions about life. Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2 of my Lady Scarlett series.

Here's the thing: even if Scarlett Johansson played the outlier, she was still the main focus of the film or at least her plot. But one thing I noticed about some of her films is how she sometimes gets pushed to the side. Her characters are misfits and so she gets relegated to the side for the real protagonists. It's interesting how a movie star can be so comfortable in what turn out to be supporting roles. I like that she uses her A-list status (or A-list potential in some cases) to play these supporting roles.

Summer Indie Round-Up #1

The summer is known for major blockbusters, franchises and tentpole features. While those movies get a lot of press, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the smaller movies that are coming out either in theaters or on demand.

Far from the Madding Crowd
Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan stars in the latest adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel. The film is directed by Thomas Vinterberg (the Oscar nominated The Hunt). Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene, a woman who inherits a farm and discovers that running it satisfies her independent spirit. Though she is pursued by three different men, Bathsheba tries her hardest to maintain her liberated self. Far from the Madding Crowd is a romance but one that is understated and keeps its feminist themes intact throughout the entire movie. Bathsheba makes mistakes, learns from them and moves on. The film looks really gorgeous--many of the scenes are outdoors and shot beautifully by Charlotte Bruus Christiansen. Matthias Schoenaerts is excellent as Bathsheba's equally prideful true love. I can easily recommend this film to those who don't like stuffy and overcookedperiod dramas. The movie is alive and vibrant.

Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star (part 3)

Previously on Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star:

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.

From Chaplin to Madonna: Why You Must Listen to "You Must Remember This"

I have been really getting into movie podcasts lately. And each new podcast sort of leads me to the next one. Two weeks ago I became obsessed with You Must Remember This, a podcast "dedicated to exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood's first century" as told by the host Karina Longwoth. I have devoured 30+ episodes in that time. I discovered this podcast when Longworth was a guest on another show I listen to called The Canon where she passionately defended The Godfather Part III's place in the canon of important films.

You Must Remember This chronicles the history of Hollywood. Longworth dedicates an episode (or series of episodes) to one subject and details their life and Hollywood legacy. These episodes will often interact with each other, contradict each other and complement each other in interesting ways. The show is amazingly researched. Longworth uses biographies, news stories, gossip, interviews and film clips to tell each story. Because these stories are so old and often clouded by legend, Longworth finds herself telling multiple versions of one story. Sometimes we'll never know what really happened.

Scarlett Johansson, Misfit Movie Star (part 2)

Last week, I took a look at 3 of Scarlett Johansson's films and how they fit into her career. Match Point had her deconstruct the femme fatale, showing us the tragedy behind being a male fantasy. He's Just Not That Into You took that arc and placed it in a generic, mainstream rom-com. Finally, Lucy gave Johansson superpowers and she was alienated to the extreme.

In honor of the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, I decided to look at Scarlett Johansson's three previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films: Iron Man 2, The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. These are Scarlett Johansson's three highest grossing films both domestically and overseas (Lucy sits at #4). If anyone had any doubts of Scarlett being an A-list star, these films definitely erased those doubts. But luckily for us, her performances as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow aren't just cash-grabs. She's not doing a franchise solely as a retirement plan, although perhaps it started that way...