Picture Moment - Parks and Rec

I shocked.

Liv Tyler (Part V)

“Super” 2010

It is a totally hardcore and fucked up film in the negative sense of the word.

A too regular, ordinary, insignificant dude is left by his wife, she dumps him. What does he do? He whines and then goes after her. That doesn’t work so he disguise himself as a super hero (designed and created by himself), but that doesn’t work either. At the end, even if he stays with his soon to be ex-wife for a few more months, he is left alone with a pet. End of story.

In a certain way, it’s hateful. Being disgusting and stupid most of the times, I have to say I take consideration on the effort for being bold and do whatever the director James Gunn wanted to do; whatever fucked up bloody scenes he wanted to do (even if it hurts looking at it), that’s why the film is independent, I guess. Because at the end, who gives a fuck?

Well, I do give a fuck! Ellen Page was awesome, hilarious, but at the same time…utterly creepy, a really disturbing creepy. And Liv Tyler? She’s high all the time, which was kind of funny…but no.

“The Ledge” 2011

I’m sure at the end of the screening, the Sundance audience was like, looking at each other awkwardly, “Ok…”

This film is about religion, Christians and destiny in a very hardcore way and when awkwardness takes a whole new meaning. The story also takes love to a really new meaning of depression.

There’s a Christian couple, they were basically heavy sinners before they converted themselves to religion and to each other. They were either alcoholics or drug addicts. We have another couple, Gavin and Chris. Gavin is a man who doesn’t believe in a religion and in someone as Christians as his neighbors because he lost his young daughter (this is my interpretation). He shares an apartment with his gay friend, Chris.

It’s hard to interpret this film. People believe what they want to believe and they act with forces they didn’t knew they had them in first place. One thing gets in my throat about this film, I don’t believe someone would jump of a building and kill himself over someone he/she loved, ever; and much less in this character’s position. I also get really tired to watch a scene where a normal guy who works, pays his bills and who happens to be gay gets to hear from a Christian guy asking for God’s forgiveness and God’s strength to clean his sins. I want to call him an asshole fuck face, because he’s not the one beating his wife and getting drunk. Who does he think he is to have the right to say such things to other people, a Christian? Please. It’s hard for me to understand these religious worlds where people believe and take their faith according to definite morals.

This is a depressive film with a depressing approach on two different depressing lives.

From very early on she was known for being down to earth, mature and kind. New York always has been her place and it seems that her personal and quiet life comes always in first place or she simply doesn’t want to work much.

I had a hard time thinking what to say about Liv Tyler’s film career. She’s certainly not Meryl Streep or Daniel Day Lewis. One sure thing is that she’s not a method actor. Her career is also something unusual; if you notice, she only has films. There are no small participations in series (actually not even in films taking the exception of “U-Turn”), any guest appearances, TV movies, TV-series. She only has 24 films. She always had a significant role in every film she was in. It is literally a film career. Obviously many projects didn’t work out or were cancelled or went to other actresses. She actually turned down the role in Armageddon twice; she was playing a role in ‘August Rush’; she was playing the role of Katie Holmes in ‘The Romantics’ but dropped out. But this happens with any actor. She also worked with some actors in early stages that later won Oscars like Renée Zellweger, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Connelly and also nominated like Joaquin Phoenix.

Her career can be defined within two extremes, a very defining and tremendous moment with The Lord of the Rings and the independent films participation (and very bad and irrelevant films).

This actress is to me a very off Hollywood example. Sure she started as a model (for only a year) like millions of other actors, sure she has famous parents,  sure she’s in red carpets and sometimes glamorous events, sure she’s an outspoken for a cosmetics brand, sure she’s followed by paparazzi everyday but she doesn’t show off and that I’m absolutely sure.  So I don’t think she’s a Hollywood star, or at least not as common or not as often a Hollywood star.  She’s Liv, a very New Yorker girl. So why talk about Liv Tyler film career? I have no clue…

My favorite film starring Liv - Cookie's Fortune

She couldn't get more beautiful in - Stealing Beauty

My Favorite Mark - her profile

Favorite Co-Star - Aragorn, by Viggo Mortensen

The end.

Liv Tyler (Part IV)

“Lord of the Rings" Trilogy 2001-2003

This is obviously the moment of her career. It was a rare opportunity and she was able to take it. This kind of challenge in an actor’s career happens once in a life time, if they are lucky enough to be a part of one.

For three years she went around the world, being pretty much The Girl from the Lords. This was necessarily her moment because it wasn’t only about being in a blockbuster film; it was about being in a World wide success, it was about a great trilogy that stayed in the memory book for its unprecedented work in the Visual Effects, marking cinema history, and also the eleven Oscars. It’s difficult to forget.

“Jersey Girl” 2004

It was filmed around 2001/02 but only premiered in 2004.

A film written and directed by Kevin Smith, he tells the story of a man being a father.

From conventional work to personal work, this film is then a very pleasant mix of a romantic comedy and drama.

“Lonesome Jim” 2005

Back to a truly Indie drama directed by Steve Buscemi.

I only saw this film once; I remember being a tough approach upon someone lost in life. It could be a more ‘luminous’ film.

This was shot in early 2004 and Liv gave birth to her first son at the end of that year. She then took a break of two years.  Then she made a positive comeback.

“Reign Over Me” 2007

Written and directed by Mike Binder this is one of the fewer films Adam Sandler decided to play a ‘serious’ character. Liv plays a physiatrist. It’s an interesting drama.

“Smother” 2008

In this comedy a mix of different actors jumps into an uninspired and irrelevant piece of work. It was a really weak film.

“The Incredible Hulk” 2008

This Incredible Hulk appears in a time when the Comics are taking a step forward in quality and not just another blockbuster film. And this one takes the trail. Liv Tyler is back to a hit film, playing a known role, Betty Ross.

“The Strangers” 2008

I guess this was her first horror film; I rarely watch a horror film so I didn’t knew what to expect, I guess being scared, which I was a little. With simultaneous hits at the box office, it was a pleasant year.

But it was time to take another break.

To be continued...

Liv Tyler (Part III)

“Armageddon” 1998

Liv Tyler’s first blockbuster.

Everyone knows about ‘Armageddon’, I won’t even start talking about it. I remembered at the time I saw it I really enjoyed it and I fell in love for the girl who plays the daughter of Bruce Willis.

This is 1998 and she was preparing for something much bigger that she could never imagine. Between 1998 and 2000 she would choose and have one of her better and worst films, but definitely interesting choices.

“Plunkett & Macleane” 1999

A period action film that didn’t work out much but for me was still funny to watch. It’s crazy and a little out of place, just a little. This was her first period film.

It’s impossible that every choice an actor makes to be a hit. It’s as simple as that.

“Cookie’s Fortune” 1999

I loved this film. Personally, I really enjoy Robert Altman’s films. There are always a very large group of actors and wicked stories that makes you stay looking at the screen for three hours straight.

Cookie’s Fortune has everything that characterizes Altman’s ways. It’s a warm and wittily portrait of a small town, where the most unexpected things can happen. It’s extremely amusing.

Liv Tyler cuts her hair shorter after twenty one years of a long dark hair.  

“Onegin” 1999

Directed by Ralph Fiennes’ sister, Martha Fiennes, this was Liv’s second period film.

Ralph Fiennes plays Onegin and Liv Tyler plays Tatyana, the girl who falls for him. There’s consistency, with its own slow pace and darkness approach but it wasn’t satisfying enough.

“Dr. T and the Women”

Liv is in another film by Robert Altman.

This time the feelings towards this one are completely different from the previous “Cookie’s Fortune”. It deals with a man, gynecologist, and the other hundred females crossing his way; family, patients, lovers. Something we need to do in Altman’s films is to pay attention to the little details. Through the chaos he creates in each different scene, he makes us be looking carefully at everyone’s little move and becomes a joy to look at. The film is all about this. So it was really entertaining to watch, but the last part wasn’t so satisfying. Young people like I was when I saw it can become pretty uncomfortable with the final scene (an explicit child birth)!

I don’t know if I should consider Liv’s role as a secondary one (since it’s an Altman’s cast) but anyway her character is really funny, part of those who brought the laughable moments to the story. Liv plays a quiet and sensitive girl that takes Kate Hudson from the altar!

“One Night at McCool’s” 2001

I must consider this film her worst. I will be straight up; I think it’s completely stupid. It’s so stupid. It’s really bad.

Liv plays the leading role (maybe in an attempt to stand out as a leading actress), a whore named Jewel (that’s how I describe her) who puts pretty much every guy horny and senseless. Described as a dark comedy I would say more like a tragic comedy. I will not even go and blame the originality or the actors; I will just stand out for the horrific color work. Jesus Christ, the car wash looked like a nasty video clip. If that was the point, they succeeded.  If you go for it, can be hilarious at times; but even if you go for it, the funny and mess can’t uncover the whole.

I think she took a risk with this role and fail to succeed. I mean, she’s so beautiful that kills but not for this role.

And after all this little films came a trilogy and all she would do for the next three years was to premiere the phenomenon of the Twenty First Century.

To be continued...

Liv Tyler (Part II)

“Stealing Beauty” 1996

This film by the acclaimed European Director Bernardo Bertolucci was the breakthrough moment of this young actress.

She plays the American cousin Lucie that travels to Italy to have her picture painted. It’s about a young girl wanting to know more about her past and also her future.

She takes her first leading role in a film with the tagline being “The most beautiful place to be is in love”.  It certainly wasn’t the greatest work of Bertolucci but it was definitely a beautiful film, with beautiful landscapes, beautiful images and with a beautiful young girl, in an already great cast, leading the film. It really is a film about beauty.

She is the leading girl at Cannes Film Festival.

“That Thing You Do” 1996

A film directed, written and performed by Tom Hanks about a rock band, based on a true story.

It’s funny, it’s enjoyable, there’s music and romance and at the end you are surprised with the likeableness of ‘That Thing You do’.

Tom Everett Scott is full of life, Steve Zhan is always funny, Tom Hanks also plays a role in the film and at a time when Liv Tyler is playing the luminous role between these group of guys, Charlize Theron is having her first appearances in Hollywood Cinema.

Well, the film had good reviews and even got an Oscar Nomination and other awards for the Original Song, ‘Do that thing you do’. It was really good.

“Everyone Says I Love You” 1996

Another legend, this time Woody Allen. Unfortunately her scenes were cut from the final version. The experience stayed.

“Inventing the Abbots” 1997

A drama settled between middle class brothers and their connections with three daughters of a local aristocrat.

There are good performances where actors like Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connely were proving their talents and Liv Tyler was going on a steady road. 

“U-Turn” 1997

I don’t know what I should say about this; some sort of gasp or something. I will tell you what she does in this film – Sean Penn is all stressed out and about to buy a ticket; meanwhile a girl enters the place and wants to buy a ticket but Sean Penn’s character jumps ahead of her. This is her work in U-Turn, for about twenty seconds.

To be continued...