Still listening, so I don’t know if you cover this, but one moment I love is from It’s a Wonderful Life, on the train platform, when Jimmy Stewart has just learned that his newly arrived and engaged brother, who was supposed to take over for him at the savings & loan so *he can finally take that long trip abroad he‘d been longing for since he was little, has the opportunity from his new father-in-law to start a great job with a future. Oh, the range of thoughts and feelings you can see on his face when he holds back a moment, absorbing the news, and then rejoins the happy group!
Just earlier today I was watching Red Letter Media’s review of “Midnight Mass” in which they complained about people complaining about monologues. I like Mike Flanagan’s movies, but I agree with you on those bloated limited series, and in particular how monologue-heavy that was.
Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain: Their second night together. Ennis is supposed to go up to the sheep but instead he quietly goes over to Jack in their tent. He doesn’t say a word, he just holds his hat in hand and is barely even able to look at Jack. His whole body language just reads like an abused dog that is scared to accept affection.
Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind: A single line reading. Ryan Reynolds asks Mendelsohn who he owes money to. He kind of looks around with half a smile, lifts his hands, then immediately chokes up on the word “Everyone”, tries to hide it in nibbling his thumb, just barely keeping it together. I don’t think I’ve even seen a better representation of that moment when someone asks you a simple question and an honest answer forces you to come face to face with the full weight of your troubles.
Still listening, so I don’t know if you cover this, but one moment I love is from It’s a Wonderful Life, on the train platform, when Jimmy Stewart has just learned that his newly arrived and engaged brother, who was supposed to take over for him at the savings & loan so *he can finally take that long trip abroad he‘d been longing for since he was little, has the opportunity from his new father-in-law to start a great job with a future. Oh, the range of thoughts and feelings you can see on his face when he holds back a moment, absorbing the news, and then rejoins the happy group!
Just earlier today I was watching Red Letter Media’s review of “Midnight Mass” in which they complained about people complaining about monologues. I like Mike Flanagan’s movies, but I agree with you on those bloated limited series, and in particular how monologue-heavy that was.
A couple that came to mind.
Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain: Their second night together. Ennis is supposed to go up to the sheep but instead he quietly goes over to Jack in their tent. He doesn’t say a word, he just holds his hat in hand and is barely even able to look at Jack. His whole body language just reads like an abused dog that is scared to accept affection.
Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind: A single line reading. Ryan Reynolds asks Mendelsohn who he owes money to. He kind of looks around with half a smile, lifts his hands, then immediately chokes up on the word “Everyone”, tries to hide it in nibbling his thumb, just barely keeping it together. I don’t think I’ve even seen a better representation of that moment when someone asks you a simple question and an honest answer forces you to come face to face with the full weight of your troubles.