movies and other forms of reality escapage
Watch Instantly Wednesday: TIN MAN
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
So, I'm pretty sure most people have Netflix these days. I normally use it for the Watch Instantly feature that allows you to watch uninterrupted movies from your computer. Honestly, the actual, tangible DVD that I have from Netflix has been sitting in a drawer for 2 years. Thank God for the no-late fees policy! Anyway, I've been stuck in the house a lot recently with sickness followed by the snowpocalypse the country endured last week so I've gotten caught up on my reading, cleaning, laundry, and movie watching! Thought I'd recommend some of them so this may or may not become a regular feature.
TIN MAN (2007) starring Zooey Deschanel, Alan Cumming and Neal McDonough
The Syfy mini-series that possesses the same quirky, quasi-steampunk charm of the network’s 2009 mini-series, Alice, caught my bored, cabin-fevered eye because I love Zooey Deschanel. However, I hate to say that she was the only actor in the entire movie that appeared to have no acting skills. She maintained virtually the same vapid facial expression for the entirety of the three 1.5-hr installments, her reactions were badly timed, and her lines were delivered as though she were reading them on the spot. I don’t mean to be unnecessarily harsh, but I so admire Ms. Deschanel’s own quirky charm that it was noticeable how unbelievable her performance was. I would have thought she’d be the perfect pick for this little parade of eccentric characters. However, she stood out even further as everyone else seemed to throw themselves into their roles so distinctly, they had me believing that “The O.Z.,” as they called the magical land in this adaptation, was a real place accessible by a mystical transport tornado.
Alan Cumming played the non-traditional scarecrow character named Glitch, while Neal McDonough tackled the title role of Wyatt Cain, the “Tin Man.” Raoul Trujillo was aided by makeup in such a convincing depiction of a lion-man creature, I was forced to google him to grasp what he would look like in human form. Kathleen Robertson commanded presence as Azkadellia, the evil witch, and Richard Dreyfuss dropped in as the Mystic Man, who some call a wizard. This team of personalities brought this off-beat version of the brick-road adventure to life in unexpected ways that left no room for the archetype’s musical interludes.
For these reasons, I recommend this Netflix pick to anyone who enjoys sci-fi; fantastical voyages in make-believe lands; the proverbial good vs. evil battle; the original Wizard of Oz; or, despite the disappointing portrayal, Zooey Deschanel. She brought us (500) Days of Summer and the template for the perfect indie-talent union in her marriage to Ben Gibbard. I think we can forgive her this once.
TIN MAN (2007) starring Zooey Deschanel, Alan Cumming and Neal McDonough
The Syfy mini-series that possesses the same quirky, quasi-steampunk charm of the network’s 2009 mini-series, Alice, caught my bored, cabin-fevered eye because I love Zooey Deschanel. However, I hate to say that she was the only actor in the entire movie that appeared to have no acting skills. She maintained virtually the same vapid facial expression for the entirety of the three 1.5-hr installments, her reactions were badly timed, and her lines were delivered as though she were reading them on the spot. I don’t mean to be unnecessarily harsh, but I so admire Ms. Deschanel’s own quirky charm that it was noticeable how unbelievable her performance was. I would have thought she’d be the perfect pick for this little parade of eccentric characters. However, she stood out even further as everyone else seemed to throw themselves into their roles so distinctly, they had me believing that “The O.Z.,” as they called the magical land in this adaptation, was a real place accessible by a mystical transport tornado.
Alan Cumming played the non-traditional scarecrow character named Glitch, while Neal McDonough tackled the title role of Wyatt Cain, the “Tin Man.” Raoul Trujillo was aided by makeup in such a convincing depiction of a lion-man creature, I was forced to google him to grasp what he would look like in human form. Kathleen Robertson commanded presence as Azkadellia, the evil witch, and Richard Dreyfuss dropped in as the Mystic Man, who some call a wizard. This team of personalities brought this off-beat version of the brick-road adventure to life in unexpected ways that left no room for the archetype’s musical interludes.
For these reasons, I recommend this Netflix pick to anyone who enjoys sci-fi; fantastical voyages in make-believe lands; the proverbial good vs. evil battle; the original Wizard of Oz; or, despite the disappointing portrayal, Zooey Deschanel. She brought us (500) Days of Summer and the template for the perfect indie-talent union in her marriage to Ben Gibbard. I think we can forgive her this once.
