A Special Performance Profile: Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween (1978)

Because one of my very favorite holidays is just around the corner, I felt that there couldn't be a better time for this very profile...and it is overdue in many ways. You see my love for all things horrifying, creepy, grotesque, and disturbing in film latched onto me when I was kinda young (hell, I am still very young!) and it fascinated me like it has done for so many others. It's something that I discovered within my growing knowledge of movies that today remains as indelible and intact as it could be for anyone who's a horror junkie. Then along came a very special cinematic "horror" entry. My history and love with this one film continues to grow and expand and I belong to a large group of individuals who find it (along with the whole franchise) to be some seriously awesome stuff. It just so happens that this film's popularity has risen to extreme heights in terms of appeal, and within all of it, a new discovery was made during its casting A young, fresh-faced performer starting out in the shadows of her very famous mom and pop was cast as the lead. Her star continued to grow thereafter, and she won the deservedly awarded title of the "Scream Queen" -- which became a permanent phrase within pop horror culture, all thanks to the legendary, character defining, breakthrough performance given by...

...Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween (1978)
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Jamie Lee Curtis plays Laurie Strode, a young simple teen living in the beautiful suburbs of Haddonfield, Illinois, who's begins her Halloween day heading off to school and running into Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews), the little tyke who she plans on babysitting later that night.

Unlike most teenage girls her age, Laurie is most assuredly established as a warm, intelligent, and understanding young woman -- the kind that actually appreciates talking about Halloween plans with the nine-year-old who becomes giddy at the thought of the fun they will have. For her, this is just another day of school, friends, and babysitting (like most teen girls would have as a daily routine) -- a day that just happens to fall on this holiday where pumpkins are lit, decorations are hung, and kids run around in costumes looking for candy. Little does she know that this seemingly standard path will forever be drastically altered on this very day.

It all begins when she's asked by her realtor father to drop off a key at the haunted, spookified Myers House on her way to school. Everyone knows the legend of the brutal murder which took place in that very house fifteen years ago on Halloween night. A young boy stabbed his older sister to death that night, only to be placed away in a sanitarium, and then to escape mear hours before this very moment. Laurie casually places the key under the mat, says her goodbye's to Tommy, then proceeds to school.

As she walks down the sidewalk, singing a little tune to herself, she doesn't notice the dark, ominous figure lurking over her; watching her go from afar. The shape that's in the human form of the personification of evil: Michael Myers.

But then, while taking notes/day dreaming at the back of her classroom, something catches her eye; a pale-faced figure from outside across the street, quietly and motionless stares at Laurie as she uncomfortably glares back until he disappears in a flash. John Carpenter's beautifully haunting staging in this simple scene in this simplistic movie sets the eerie, moody tone for this boldly woven thread in the film's elegantly crafted narrative; setting the stage for deeper, darker waters to come crashing down.

The film and the actress don't so much feed us exact details of who Laurie, but instead use places, situations, and people to craft the character as in the infectious scene(s) when Laurie meets up with her two besties Annie and Lynda (the witty Nancy Loomis and the "totally" awesome P.J. Soles, both giving fresh, vivid performances in roles which most horror characters usually plunge into ridiculous caricatured cliches) as the three gals walk and talk. This sequence (while infused with verve) also begins a visual representation of Laurie's "disconnection" from what's happening around her. Her geeky wardrobe complete with an unflattering sweater/skirt and knee-high cotton socks, compared with her laid back, cool and casually dressed friends marks along with the fact that they date, smoke, and are promiscuous, sets Laurie at a different unidentified level from her BFF's despite the fact that they are all close. They talk of boys, Halloween pranks, chemistry books (well, at least Lynda rambles on about it), and a mysterious station wagon being driven by the unknown Michael Myers.

As her friends blow it off as some frivolous joke, Laurie just somehow knows that something isn't quite right, and it's Curtis who lets us see this from here on out; she quietly conveys the searing flickers of foreboding dread as they instinctually meld with Carpenter's richly drenched atmosphere.

It's quite remarkable, really. Carpenter stages these tense beats between a distanced Laurie and Michael to show how this is a match between them (notice how Annie nor Lynda never really identify this shape or comprehend that he's pure evil) and the others are merely pawns in his sick, twisted game. Michael continually plays mind games with Laurie -- is she really seeing him behind the hedge? Will her friends ever believe her and not consider her some form of an outsider like Michael has become? These psychological conundrums add a subtle, but haunting layer which register's in both the characterization and the overall narrative.

But there's still that something; the lingering feeling in the pit of her stomach which she can't seem to brush off today. Laurie also has her on going deeply etched worries of typical teenagedom

In a sense, both literally and figuratively, Laurie is still a girl whose innocence and sweetness emanate with a luminous touch. She cherishes childhood memories and traditions of wide-eyed wonder and excitement of enjoying the simple things life has to offer, yet she's being secretly tugged into a darker territory that's she's never known.

It's clear from this point in the film that Jamie Lee's Laurie provides Halloween with two absolutely essential entity's: the original, established "horror" character staple of the "Final Girl", and a palpable, pulsating emotional core.

At every moment of her performance, Curtis sculpts the simplicity of Laurie Strode while crafting the emotional infrastructure, and it's why she stands out among the many copied but never equaled "Final Girl's" that horror films to this day offer up in pathetic, weak servings. She does all of this while never for a second losing sight of the character's likability and easy appeal, especially while being this iconic babysitter. It's kinda interesting how well Curtis understands Laurie, and how well Laurie understands and relates to kids like Tommy and Lindsay; through Laurie's warmth and kindness, she jokingly assures Tommy that there is no boogeyman and that she will protect him. It's a childhood fear that is ever so quickly catching up with her, though she has yet to even recognize it.

As her night of babysitting goes on she makes popcorn, watches scary movies, carves a pumpkin, reads comic books, and wonders what might have been ("everybody's having a good time tonight") if she was more like her friends, though she steadily backs away from the typical teenage norms, as when she begs Annie to cancel her dance dates with Ben Tramer. She's a nicely packaged bundle of repressed feelings and nerves that seem like they'll never come undone...

...that is until she makes a trip across the street to the Wallace House to check up on her pals when that sinking feeling surfaces once again...

....and this time instinct proves her right when she discovers the hacked up bodies of her friends in the house...

...then she becomes face-to-face with 'ol Michael Myers herself as he sets out for her as she runs off in a frenzy...

....and reaches the house panicked after losing her keys, but is finally let in.

But what never quite struck me before is just how much Curtis' performance and layered characterization amplifies this tense, heart-stopping climax.

The emotional core she has consistently provided the film becomes channeled directly through the heart of these scenes, where Curtis brings out the bravery and strength of a character we thought was so meek. Had Curtis of just played the role right into bland, cliched, generic territory these final scenes wouldn't of had the same impact as it does when she makes them so emotionally engaging.

These scenes also mark a new growth and change in Laurie's tensely building arc, the beginning of her transition from innocent child to a scarred and weary woman. But Curtis always keeps it real and grounded in a situation where any other actress might have come off as shrill or downright silly.

It's some pretty haunting stuff, folks.

Halloween is a film that lovers of it (like myself) can't say enough good things about it. It's surprisingly wide appeal, popularity, and success which continues to this very day is largely due to Jamie Lee Curtis' indelible, larger-than-iconic performance as the unforgettable babysitter Laurie Strode. Her creation of a heroine with so much texture, strength, warmth, and humanity set the bar pretty damn high for all of those future copy-cats to come within this genre, and she's never ever been matched. This Halloween, do your self a favor...watch this movie with the lights off and revist a performance and film of pure perfection.

HorrorCineBites: Jennifer's Body (+) - 2009

"★ ★ ★ ★ ★"

   A more surprising Friday night flick that does so much more than what was expected of its proudly absurd premise. The film is one of those wickedly fun cinematic experiences, that even though the studio's marketing campaign fell through, I'm surprised this pretty much failed at the box office. The idea of a sexpot/symbol being transformed into a man-eating, scary demon sounds ridiculous and silly, for sure, but it totally and shockingly works on many levels; more than I or any one else ever thought. The film is designed as a horror/comedy, but it's no question that Jennifer's Body functions at a much higher and effective level as a black comedy that has the "horror" action filling the rest of the narrative spots. Not that those scenes are ineffective, but the whole movie really comes alive around those gory patches.

Diablo Cody's screenplay is a genuine winner; her cleverly plotted situations and dialogue snap, crackle, and pop with infectious verve and original, fresh wit. She mixes her own unique "pop" style into would-be cliched plot scenarios and banal conversations (which is a tired running trend throughout teen horror/comedies these days) and hooks us onto every word. Cody's widely praised, Oscar-winning script for Juno actually pales in comparison to what she's done here -- it's still the same Cody, but the words don't come off as pushy or pretentious but instead as natural and modestly relevant. Juno sounds like a smart-ass script, Jennifer's Body recalls more of a self-aware feel that never gets wrapped up in its own quirky ambitions. But also what Cody's writing here does is that it delves deeper to a core and grounds the film in a startling and powerful emotional reality.

While maintaining its light edge, the film explores the depth of humane relationships; not simply just for teenage girls or feminists, but in a universal kind of way that any person can feel and comprehend to. Cody (and the director) don't squarely target the depths of these bonds solely between women, but the two main characters just happen to be women. One moment in particular stands out to me; when "Low Shoulder" begins their song at Melody Lane, and Jennifer grasps Needy's hand and gives her a look that she genuinely appreciates having Needy in her life at this moment. Needy flashes her best friend a warm smile until Jennifer lets go...of not just her hand but the bond both want to hold strong. It's a quietly beautiful, touching moment given its poignancy by the films two superb main performances: Megan Fox as the demonized Jennifer Check and Amanda Seyfried as her loyal BFF Needy Lesnicki.

Fox displays a real sense of commitment, understanding, and sharp comic timing in her strange role. She's sexy, seductive, bitchy, and oddly but consistently, very funny. However she's almost completely under the shadow of the brilliant Amanda Seyfried -- her Needy undergoes the greatest dramatic character arc in the film and Seyfried nails each beat so well. Her deep, cavernous eyes convey the confusion, terror, desperation of a young women who's experiencing something so rare and frightening that she can't control. Seyfried is utterly essential to the emotional effectiveness of the film, and she pulls off such a tragic and deep character that it goes beyond the film that she was completely robbed of an Oscar nomination for this stunning performance.

My only "issue", truth be told, with the film is that director Karyn Kusama is never quite that apt at melding the horror tone with her poppin' comic piece; there's a strong presence of creepy dread in the air, but we don't see much of it on screen. The only scary moment for me was the jump scare of a possessed Jennifer popping up in Needy's kitchen, and then of course her line reading of, "are you scared?". There's blood and guts aplenty which pleases the cheap, gory fun we like to see occasionally, but the blend/transition from the scary stuff to the witty comedic facet isn't all that nuanced or complete.

But that aside, Jennifer's Body is very much accomplished with a distinct, vivid individuality which is a refreshing reminder that movies are still capable of spark in such wierd genres. It's no surprise that the film is another entry in my grand collection of favorite films. I recently saw it for the sixth time and it's just as "salty" as the first time, months ago. Jennifer's Body is cool, fun, hilarious, compelling, sexy, and emotionally resonant.

What more do you want in a film?  

Halloween Stuff!

This week I'll be having some Halloween-themed posts on my favorite's and such, 'cause you guys know I love this time of year! I'll also be introducing my new film review series "CineBites" that I'm working on...oh and a very special Performance Review!

Stay Tuned!

SA 2001 Note

You might notice that somethings are missing from the "Outcome" post, like my zinger on Jennifer, and blogger was starting to f-up on me and to go back and change anything is a pain (like annoying fonts and crap). So just know that I did give Jennifer three stars.

Best Supporting Actress 2001: The Outcome!

The 2001 nominees are...

Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind

ROBERT - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Even though a large part of her performance is quite unineresting, Connelly gets better and better as the movie goes on, doing a beautiful job of showing her Alicia's love for her husband despite the difficult circumstances. I also give her great props for doing such a convincing job with the really bizarre and random histrionic scene she was given.

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Connelly is a bit boring at first with her characterization, but as the film goes on she gets better. I felt she worked fine with Crowe and although their original courtship is not that amazing her dealing with mental condition later on is well handled. A mixed performance but one I felt was good most of the time, and just a bit boring when not.

FRITZ - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Jennifer Connelly plays the Academy’s favorite character – the loyal wife, supporting her husband despite all the suffering she has to endure because of his illness. She isn’t able to bring anything new to this stock character but she plays the second part of her performance, where she dominates the proceedings with a touching dedication and successfully shows a woman who doesn’t know how she can go on any longer, just right and creates some wonderful scenes with her outstanding screen partner Russell Crowe. Unfortunately there is also the first part of her performance where Jennifer Connelly is supposed to be charming and lively, a bubbling but also intelligent young woman who can get the love of an introverted professor but she ends up boring, lifeless and incredibly annoying. A very mixed performance with some high -- but also low points.

Helen Mirren in Gosford Park

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I actually barely noticed Mirren until the final scenes of the film. She disappears in the background most of the time. When she has not disappeared she just is a very stern and to the point servant. There is absolutely nothing amazing about her performance her. She has one big acting scene at the end which she handles well, but still it is not that much.

ROBERT - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Even though I was a bit "iffy" right at the beginning of the movie, I soon grew to adore Mirren's fabulous performance. She's a woman with so many secrets that cannot be revealed due to the devotion she has to her job, and she just nails her last scene. A truly beautiful performance.

TWISTER - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ In what is easily Gosford Park's most compelling and complex character, Mirren artfully digs deep to the darkest places of this woman's soul and quietly conveys every feeling, emotion, and impulse of her cavernous inner life with vivid precision. Crisply underplayed work which culminates in a emotionally devastating final scene -- communicating a whole lifetime of sadness and pain while providing both Mrs. Wilson and the film with a haunting, deeply moving coda.
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FRITZ - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ In Gosford Park, Helen Mirren does what she does best – playing an apparently emotional cold and distant woman while also showing a whole life of grief and sorrow in the most subtle way. Her Mrs. Wilson dominates the downstairs parts and characters of the house but she also influences the upstairs rooms and lives in the way only a perfect servant can – without letting anybody notice. That way Helen Mirren becomes an almost ghost-like presence, a woman who seems to know everything and who has put her own feelings second behind her duties for her whole life. But when the past suddenly comes alive for her, she takes action, but again according to the dictated rules of her lonely life. And her final breakdown? A completely heartbreaking and unexpected moment, for the viewer and for Mrs. Wilson herself.
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JOE - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ms. Wilson is the most interesting character in Gosford Park and Mirren delivers a fascinating, subtle portrait of an isolated, tortured woman. Her best performance.

Maggie Smith in Gosford Park

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Smith again is not always front and center in this ensemble film, but she stands out well enough. Her character is that of an acid tongued Countess, who makes rather blunt statements throughout the film. Smith makes her character standout and she adds the right over properness to the role, and they way she says the Countess’ remarks at perfectly handled.

TWISTER - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Maggie Smith does her Maggie Smith-thing here; her broad levity nicely contrasting with the stuffiness around her, elevates the surrounding dullness. With perfect comedic timing and some downright hilarious line readings, Smith keeps the shrilly written character inviting and engaging. It's a thin role, but I'll be damned if Maggs doesn't wave her comic wand and sprinkle magic. Snobby, playful, delightful, and just really fun.

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Smith again is not always front and center in this ensemble film, but she stands out well enough. Her character is that of an acid tongued Countess, who makes rather blunt statements throughout the film. Smith makes her character standout and she adds the right over properness to the role, and they way she says the countess’s remarks at perfectly handled.

FRITZ - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Just like Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith does what she does best – playing the sarcastic eccentric who makes life hell for everyone around her but thanks to her talent for comedy and show-stealing becomes a real treat for the viewers. She throws her insulting one-liners with a refreshing lack of self-awareness around and that way makes Constance’s claim that she hasn’t a snobbish bone in her body so hilarious and pathetic at the same time – Constance is a woman so caught up in her own world that she doesn’t see anything that happens outside her own points of views anymore. At the same time, Maggie Smith effectively shows Constance’s worries about her future and money but in a very entertaining way that both saddens and amuses the viewer. A wonderful balance of comedy and drama that only Maggie Smith can do!

ROBERT - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As the aging Constance, Maggie Smith is just wonderful. She hams it up (in the good way!) in every single scene that she's in, and when she gets a chance to show the wealth of feelings lying beneath the surface of her character, she pulls it off brilliantly. A great comedic performance from a legendary actress.

Marisa Tomei in In The Bedroom

JOE - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Marisa Tomei's role as Natalie could have been boring and simple, but she makes her such a sad, flawed person and plays all her scenes so well that she leaves a strong impact on In The Bedroom. We both feel sympathy for and hate her character, but Tomei is always perfect.

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Tomei is very strong here, creating a rather interesting character here who is not nearly as simple as she first seems. The only mistake I would say in her performance is that her accent is a bit off, but that really is not enough to distract from the incredibly strong emotional strength of her performance. She gives an emotionally powerful performance, with a complex character that adds a whole lot to the film.

TWISTER - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Tomei's performance is a marvel of distilled tragedy, that's admirably simple in its approach. The film nearly fails her at the end, but what the actress does with her face and eyes is extraordinary; both capturing the flickering ranges of depth, despair, and sadness with rich emotional clarity which takes us into Natalie's wounded soul. A sweet, tragic, refreshingly humane performance that becomes an indelible portrait of human devastation.

FRITZ - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Back in 2001, Sissy Spacek and (to a lesser extent) Tom Wilkinson received the buzz, the attention and the awards for their performances as grieving parents in In the Bedroom but it is Marisa Tomei’s unforgettably tragic turn that breaks your heart. She believably shows a divorced woman with two children who could win the heart of a young man but she never turns Natalie into some kind of sex-bomb but instead creates a very earthy and realistic character, caught between her new love and her violent ex-husband. Natalie, unwillingly, gets the tragic story going and that way will have to live with the guilt for Frank’s death for the rest of her life. Marisa Tomei flawlessly handles all the different aspects of Natatlie’s character which results in a haunting and unbelievably sad performance. Her overwhelming guilt is a heartbreaking contrast to the joyful woman from the beginning. And even though the movie suddenly drops Natalie’s character and forgets about her fate,the viewer never does.

Kate Winslet in Iris

TWISTER - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Though competent, Winslet's lack of clarity and misreading unhinges young Iris from Dench's older woman and never melds a consistent path of a lifetime. On of top that, Winslet rarely conveys the detailed, vibrant complexities that the role crucially requires and the result is a dull, vacuous, and disappointing outing for such a talented performer.

LOUIS - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As the younger Iris Winslet is not very convincing. She and Judi Dench as the old Iris make no connection and I felt I was looking at two different characters. Another problem was Winslet played her as a wild free spirit and that was all. Just more of the idea of what a free spirit is rather than an actual person that is a free spirit. She never seemed convincing to me, and this has to be one of her weakest performances.

ROBERT - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Winslet is one of my favorite actresses, and she does well in this role. However, besides being uncannily similar to Judi Dench's character, there's nothing really remarkable or unique about this performance. Fine, but nothing special.

FRITZ - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Kate Winslet sparkles like almost never before in the part of the free-spirited and life-loving poet Iris Murdoch before Alzheimer and Judi Dench take her over. Kate Winslet’s performance is of immense importance to the success of the picture as she is laying the foundation for both Iris’s character and Judi Dench’s central performance as the older Iris – if Kate Winslet wouldn’t show such an energetic, strong and independent woman it wouldn’t be half as moving to witness the old Iris lose all the traces of her own life. Kate Winslet uses her intelligence as an actress to create an intelligent character and mixes it with an unexpected amount of charm and likeability. A very engaging and winning performance!

JOE - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Iris is a boring, depressing film and the acting ranges from terrible (Broadbent), to just okay (Dench), and then to fabulous and of course, that title belongs to Winslet. She brings Iris so thrillingly to life, and makes her so engaging, and is able to show her vulnerable side as well. She's by far the best thing in Iris, to me.


Oscah' picked.... Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind...

But the gang disagree's as the overall vote comes down to...

Maggie Smith in Gosford Park!

Wow, I did not see this coming! But it's all good!

What do you guys think?!

Performance Profile: Kate Winslet in Iris (2001)

Finishing up the year, comes one of the many nominated performances given by a special actress who has made a real name for herself as being one of the top performers of her generation. Ranging from sadly little love (Titanic) to widely admired praise (The Reader, Spotless Mind), there remains another that has gotten stuck in between that spectrum; the critically acclaimed work of....

....Kate Winslet in Iris (2001)

Kate Winslet plays Iris Murdoch, the younger version of Judi Dench's Iris who is suffering from Alzheimer's in the late stages of her life.

Based on true events, Winslet's Iris is a young British writer/philosopher who's starting out a strong career and having her works being admired by many for there unique, diverse quality that have a powerful, captivating hook, a special quality that the woman herself emanates towards others.

Iris mingles with all sorts of important, dignified people and its how she stumbles into the life of John Bayley, an awkward, bumbling young writer himself who becomes strangely fixated and attracted to Iris, for in her, he sees someone who he could for once possibly relate to. Iris' unusual personality welcomes knew ideas about the world through John, as both seem to have the same thoughts but just on different tracks.

She enjoys her life for the youth she embraces and takes advantage of; her sharp wit and intelligence anchor her wildest desires and feelings when they cease to remain in order of conduct for a woman who is no longer a child.

Though as far as her intelligence takes her, Iris still remains uneasy about herself and her thoughts as she seems to simply go with whatever comes her way. Within herself, she's almost lost and she doesn't have the compass to find her way clear of what right. She keeps secrets, has a whole bed-hopping past, and lives her life at a peculiar distance from those to which she does not relate.

The film's narrative constantly jumps back and forth between the past and present, and its this dominant facor that seriously brings down Winslet's performance.

It's more to fault Winslet, for she never seems to be fully "with" the character and her motivations. Watching the film jump back and forth, I couldn't help but notice the shocking distance between Winslet's Iris and Dench's Iris. Winslet's rarely understanding the complex and vibrant early years of Iris Murdoch and to be able to make that connection between how she has grown and changed. It's as if I was watching two different people with the same name at different times, and it's due to Winslet's inability to meld and comprehend a consistent path for this unique individual.

Instead of displaying Iris as a engaging, multi-faceted woman, Winslet plays her as really just a one-note, low-key free spirit that stunts any complex development. Where's the mystery, the vibrancy, the imagination, the spark, the captivation that young Iris should all have in spades? It's seems buried under Winslet's dull characterization and her lack of clarity that distances and disappoints.

Considering this could have been a true sparkler, especially in the hands of such a pro, it's sad to tell that Winslet's emotionally and intellectually vacuous performance lobs every which way without much thought or reason.

I Know...I Know...

Okay, so Kate will be done for tomorrow and then the Smackdown right after! I'm also going to to be doing some Halloween/horror movie related things, so if your a fan of either stay tuned!!

Hey Y'all

Sorry for how long the 2001 profile is taking (though nothing beats what I did with 1988) but I partially blame school for the slow down with the results I know you guys are anticipating. I just finished my College Essay draft so that's load off my mind for the week, and so far the year is going real smooth, and I pray it stays that way! Anyway, I hope to screen and review Winslet later this week so hold on just a 'lil while longer!

Performance Profile: Marisa Tomei in In The Bedroom (2001)

Of the fresh faces in cinema the 1990's memorably established, they're have been those who captured their glimmer but only to have it fade, and those performers who have embraced it and continued to let it soar. This next nominee can rightfully and thankfully placed in the latter category, and after infamously but deservedly winning in 1992, it took Oscar and the public by surprise when a knock-out punch of a performance was given by....

...Marisa Tomei in In The Bedroom (2001)

Marisa Tomei plays the Natalie Stout, the young, single mother of two who's caught up in the middle of a divorce while balancing a romance with a young college student on the beautiful landscapes of Maine.

The film opens with Natalie and her lover Frank (the subtle, effective, and sadly unnominated Nick Stahl) --enjoying a sunny afternoon and basking in their giddy love for one another -- as both seem to cherish and appreciate each individual moment in time that is spent in the mind and gaze of each other.

While Frank has his own issues to deal with; whether to go to grad school or to stay in Maine with his girl and his parents (the powerful Tom Wilkinson and the disappointing Sissy Spacek), Tomei's Natalie has her own fair share of problems that she is in the midst of solving herself. She's stuck battling a nasty almost ex-husband who she wants finally break away from, she has two young children to devout her loving time to, and she's beginning to realize that her love life with Frank is not so sturdy as she may have thought, as his parents and others around them scoff at the idea of the two as a couple.

Yet, even as they are being preyed apart from each other by the world around them, the two find solace and a special place within each other.

A place where Natalie can feel important and secure and she's so certain that she desperately needs both...but at the same time Natalie is not really even sure what she wants or how to get it. In short, she's simply confused and mixed up in a life she wants become a grounded reality. Tomei punctuates these early scenes with a sense of uncertainty and real happiness she finds in the humble pleasures of living a good life. The actress, with her sweet charisma, also emanates a light, lively hood which amplifies the goodness, positivity, and appeal of a woman who's intentions are decent, but still hang in the air and haven't yet fallen together.

Unfortunately everything falls apart and the shit truly hits the fan when Richard, her ex-husband, viciously attacks her home and throws her into a state of panic.

With her mind racing and her heart pacing she gets Frank by her side, and with his loving embrace, she thinks that maybe everything might have a chance of being alright.

That is until a gunshot to Frank's head and the loss of a lover, a protector, and a friend have passed away with Frank's kind soul, and stirs up something devastating beyond words for Natalie. Tomei cranks up the tension and believability of this scene with natural, painful simplicity -- something which elevates her performance to come.

Now struck with a heavy sense of grief while her life slowly crumbles away, Natalie is again stared down into a dark corner of desperation by those around her and connected to Frank and his murder. The happy, steady existence which she tried her hardest to maintain has snapped and shattered, and it looks like she just doesn't have the glue to make things right. The once cheerful mask of hope and optimism has faded to reveal something simply heartbreaking.

Tomei brings Natalie's tragic arc from page to screen with vivid, almost beautiful simplicity which fits the mold of this mostly engaging film. Her approach to this tricky, complex role is held with a consistent ease and nuance, a big accomplishment is her precise, subtle underplaying -- when she could have easily mired Natalie into a shrill, frantically overwrought state, thus creating an obvious emotional vaccum.

But what I came to admire the most in the performance are the subtle, magnificent ways Tomei uses her face to etch a unforgettable portrait of human devastation.

She totally works her gifts as a dramatic actress to their core; her distinctly expressive face is a sound board of deeply moving, rich emotional clarity that conveys every flickering thought and feeling building up within Natalie; her eyes -- the way she slowly moves them and such -- take us into a sad, troubled life of regrets, dissapointment, and failed dreams. Both take us beyond the confinement of the narrative and widen the scope and demension to create a real woman who could be anywhere in our world. 

Now if only the film respected the character as much...what am I talking about? I'm talking about the way In the Bedroom lazily never wraps us Natalie as written; her final scene is heartbreaking as tries to extended her warmest apologies to Spacek's Ruth, but only to get bitch slapped in rejection. She walks out even more of a mess, and that's it. But I do find some sort of redemption to these problem -- Tomei's performance had already established everything we need to know about Natalie, so maybe she just never recovers from her desperation, forever to be haunted by those demons. The character is given a detailed inner/outer life and maybe that's the point: that she is to linger throughout the air, just as she had before, and extended beyond the limits of the film. Either way its still completed, full work.

With this performance, Tomei proved her versatility and range as a solid, interesting, engaging actress that could nail dramatic acting, to those stuffy naysayers who dissmissed her earlier work as a "confection" or "fluke". Her accomplishment in In the Bedroom is astonishingly genuine, human, and moving; a standout in a wide, underrated career of shining gems.