The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Richard Day's picture

    A CRITIQUE

    By Richard Day on Mon, 11/18/2013 - 6:11pm |

    File:Reincarnation AS.jpg

    DEAN Spanley

    SEPTEMBER, 2008

    Oh it's Thursday; just the perfect way to keep Wednesday from colliding with Friday...

    It was not my loss, he's the one who got killed!...

    To ignore those things that it would have been better if they never happened.

    (O'Toole as Old Man Fisk)

    Old Man Fisk is visited regularly on Thursday of each week by his son (played by Jeremy Notham), his surviving son. His other son died in the Boer War and Fisk has problems confronting this loss.

    O'Toole (the actor) of course died a good three decades ago. I mean the guy lost his stomach for heaven's sake.

    He has looked like a corpse since My_Favorite_Year

    (One of my favorite films of all time. Hahahahahaha)

    Jeremy Notham (playing the younger Fisk) comes from a tradition of Hugh Grant and Colin_Firth however Jeremy is closer to Firth as far as acting abilities go. Firth is God in my book.

    Sam Neill plays an Anglican Priest (who is somehow a Dean) who somehow feels that he is the reincarnation of a dog. Hahahaah and he loves some strange brandy.

    What sort of a dog were you anyway? inquires Wrather (Bryan Brown).

    I beg your pardon! retorts Sam Neill's character. Hahahahah

    Nobody gets shot during this entire film.

    Nobody dies in a car accident during this entire film.

    Nobody has sex during this entire film.

    Nobody is catapulted off of a building.

    No zombies appear during the entire film. (Except for O'Toole of course)

    No meteors fell to the earth and no aliens attack our globe and no metal insects appeared from under the earth. Hahahahah

    Now Seinfeld likes to advertise that his show was something about nothing!

    But this movie is about a Dean who is sure he used to be a dog.

    And all these folks are interested in this subject; at least the folks characterized in the movie.

    Hahahahahah

    Netflix presents those things that might not ever be aired.

    Thank you Netflix.

    Eight bucks a month plus Minnesota State Sales Tax these days, not bad!

    Of all those animals that cause exultation while chasing, none exceed sheep.

    (Recalls the Dean)

    Now there is a moral of sorts in this fantasy.

    As the Dean recounts his death (as a dog) O'Toole is forced to face the fact that his other son died in the Boer War and this was the first time that his character felt the pain of that loss; rather than denying that loss.

    And Old Man Fisk comes to appreciate his other son, who always visits him on Thursdays; the only thing standing between Wednesday and Friday from colliding.

    There are so many wonderful lines in this film; the writing is exquisite and entirely non political, as it were.

    No movie critics were consulted during this process of writing this essay and no dogs or sheep were harmed!

    The end.

     

     

    Comments

    Pretty exquisite writing there, yourself.  I want to see this movie!  (Or is it a film?)

    "My Favorite Year" is one of my all-time favorites, too. I watched it again about a year ago and loved every minute of it.  Of course, O'Toole chews up every scene he's in, but he's O'Toole and he's perfect.

    But closer to the one you're critiquing here--have you ever seen Hear My Song?  Love that one, too.

    And Local Hero.  I wallow in that one, and I've probably watched it at least 10 times.

    Big Fish is a more current favorite.  I see they've brought it to the stage now.

    I tend to stay away from violent movies but for some reason I actually enjoyed Fargo.

    I think it's because it came from the Coen brothers.  I loved "Raising Arizona" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?".  Great.


    by Ramona on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 10:11am

    THANK YOU FOR THIS!

    Now I shall return to Netflix looking for Hear My Song.

    But damn, I have not seen Local Hero for a few years anyway. One of my all time favorites. Must have been close to Burt's last film. Hell I might critique that masterpiece sometime following my viewing.

    Big Fish was hitting cable three or four years ago? Really rollicking as they say. And of course there was Finney once again. An extremely strange film.

    Big Fish is one of those films you can easily watch every couple years in order to get the nuances.

    Of course, remembrances of things past, O'Toole playing Henry II in two different films.

    No one could ever forget those films but you reminded me that I must see them again, soon.

    Thank you for taking the time and giving me impetus to take another look at other films and to see for the first time Hear My Song (assuming Netflix has it)

     


    by Richard Day on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 3:30pm

    I hope you can find it because I think you would love it.  I'm going to look for it again, too.


    by Ramona on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 5:36pm

    I agree with Ramona; Hear My Song is a wonderful film.  Well worth seeking out, DD. I haven't seen it in a few years, but I recently listened to the soundtrack and it brought my memories of the film right back.  Ned Beatty has a lot of fun in the role.   I also love O' Brother Where Art Thou.  One of George Clooney's best roles.  And My Favorite Year? I LOVE that movie.  I even liked the musical that was made from it.   I'm going to check out the film you suggested and will let you know what I think. 


    by MrSmith1 on Tue, 11/19/2013 - 6:07pm

    A musical?

    My favorite film is now a musical?

    I cut off the Times for few months--I could not afford $34 x 2 (cause the price is every four weeks and sometimes there are two deductions in one month.)

    I have got to catch this musical sometime even though I detest most musicals. hahahah

    Brother Where Art Thou is a strange, strange flick. But Clooney has this comic 'look' sometimes and takes you back to the days of Arsenic & Old Lace for sure.

     


    by Richard Day on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 8:17pm

     

    It WAS a musical.  It was not a big hit, it opened in NYC in late 1992 and played only through early 1993.  It was written by the team of Flaherty and Aherns, who later wrote the more successful (and even more wonderful) Ragtime and Once On This Island. 

    The big draw for the stage musical was that Lanie Kazan reprised her role as the mother.  I think you can still find the Cast recording on Amazon or Itunes.

    Two things always tickle me about O' Brother Where Art Thou ... 1) The O' Brother title is the same one used by Joel McCrea's character in Sullivan's Travels for the movie he wants to make.   2) The Coen Brothers actually gave a screenplay credit to Homer, for the original story (aka The Odyssey.)  Following these naifs as they stumble their way to success is just a fun time and Clooney has never been funnier.


    by MrSmith1 on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 10:59pm

    I just got done watching season 4 of Downton Abbey.  I also have been watching The Paradise season 2 every week.  I will watch it again when Masterpiece shows it next year. My kids usually give me a pirate copy for Christmas of the summer and fall British costume dramas before they are shown on PBS.  Then give me the Christmas specials after Christmas. They keep handing me a memory stick as they get from friends at schools. I am also watching the Wartime Farm over again on You tube even thought I have a copy of it.  You tube keeps me company in the kitchen and makes my choirs seem to go faster.  I wonder what my mother would think of on demand because she loved TV. I remember how much trouble she had with the VCR and the remote.  

    I thought that when I got cable back in Sept that I would be watching more but I am not.  I DVR Hallmark movies for the holidays but I have only watched a few. It is nice to sit down when I can and watch something I want to watch.  


    by trkingmomoe on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 5:55am

      It may make me a girly man, but I really like the Hallmark Christmas movies. It's almost the last place you can still find wholesome entertainment.

      The Lion in Winter was too talky.


    by Aaron Carine on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 5:01pm

    I have to confess that I enjoy them as well. I was so grateful for them last week when I was staying with my in-laws. I was able to convince my mother-in-law to switch from Fox News to the Hallmark Channel.


    by Verified Atheist on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 5:08pm

    I hereby render unto Atheist (verified or not) the Dayly Line of the Day for this here Dagblog Site, given to all of him from all of me.

    hahahahahahahahah

    Anything to get anybody off of FOX News. hahahahahah


    by Richard Day on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 5:33pm

    Well Hallmark and PBS for sure.

    I dunno, but when I get down, I turn on Hallmark.

    Devane is in this Xmas film where some ghost of his son shows up in guise.

    I must have seen this film five times in the last few years.

    I cannot find it now but there are these sweet sweet films that make me cry and yet I want more. hahahaah

    There are masterpieces out there in the 'air' or on the 'air' that one must look for?

     

     


    by Richard Day on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 5:10pm

    The Christmas Visitor is the name of the movie.  They will show it Dec 2 at 2 pm on Hallmark.  I knew I set it to record.  My favorite is Home by Christmas it will be on Saturday at 2 pm on Life Time Channel.  It sometimes brings tears to my eyes. 


    by trkingmomoe on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 8:06pm

    That's the one Momoe!

    I cry every damn time I watch that film. hahaahaha


    by Richard Day on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 8:18pm

    Many of them are feel good movies.  That makes it a nice place to go when there is too much reality and drama going on in ones life.  It is like a mini vacation where you can forget yourself. 


    by trkingmomoe on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 7:35pm

    I saw this Australian movie a long time ago. A rough fellow with a white beard shows up in a little jerkwater town, and some kids think he must be Santa. I'd love to find it again, but I can't remember the name. 


    by Donal on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 8:36pm

    A work friend had recommended Trevor Howard in They Made Me a Fugitive, which was worth watching. Even when young, Trevor was homely as burlap, but he sure could act.

    That led to Netflix recommending The Golden Salamander with Howard, Herbert Lom and Anouk (later, Anouk Aimee).  In the Pink Panther flicks Lom was the twitchy superior of Clouseau, but in this he is convincingly menacing. It was filmed on location near Tunisia and would be fascinating for those scenes alone.

    There's a French police detective series called Engrenages, which means the gearing or the works, but they translate it as Spiral. I've seen two episodes, and I like it so far. But there is a very abused corpse at the center of the plot, and they don't shield the viewer like they do on CSI.

    Having worked through Foyle, Luther and Frost, I'm now watching George Gently. My wife likes the Miss Fisher Mysteries which stars a woman who puts me in mind of young Diana Rigg.


    by Donal on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 6:25pm

    How the hell you doin Donal!

    Ha. Good to see you.

    Foyle and Luther and Frost are soooooooooo much fun.

    And Gently, I am enjoying some Gently, thank you very much.

    Very fine indeed!

    Good to see ya Donal!


    by Richard Day on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 8:08pm