Blog number 188 14 June 2008
Saw a movie yesterday. I saw it once before several years ago, so this time I was able to notice things outside the movie. The movie is called, "City of God" and I am pretty sure it is a Brazilian movie, subtitled. It is about these orphans running the streets in Rio, dealing dope, killing, robbing, general mayhem. Real animals. Fascinating movie.
What I noticed the first time I saw it was that it was hard not to get caught up in the action. Something was always either happening or leading up to a happening. The first time I watched it, I kept thinking of it as a documentary.
The acting in unbelievable - especially since the actors are very young, and none of them really old, or even middle aged - except the victims.
One kid - and he was the norm as far as acting goes - seven to ten years old, he got shot in the foot and I tell you, I'm kinda of the idea that the kid actually got shot in the foot. He couldn't be THAT good an actor, could he? But would an international movie actually shoot one of the actors for realism? It reminded me of the acting of Tom Hanks in Castaway where he had to knock out a bad tooth with a rock. THAT was some good acting - and THIS was as good as that. Honest.
10 comments:
We hear a lot about actors receiving severe injuries performing their own stunts in their movies..Jackie Chan, for one. It's amazing he is still alive. Tom Cruise was great in "The Last Samuri." But I understand the horses were particularly catered to throughout the filming. However, shooting a child in the foot for the sake of realism? Please tell me this isn't true. ---angel
The movie I was in with John Ritter was about a polo player and before the shot of the polo players playing, the director told us extras that John was afraid of horses, so please not to laugh and hurt his feelings. And you could tell, with his horse racing around with the others, he was scared to death. I was pretty impressed with his courage. I don't know as I could have done that.
As far as shooting that child in the foot, I really couldn't say. I don't remember ever seeing a child actor that good. It looked so real. Se the movie for yourself and you'll see what I mean. It's a good movie, but a little rough. Not for the faint of heart.
I looked up your movie with John Ritter. I can see where he would be afraid of horses since it's about a college athlete who is paralyzed during a polo match by falling off a horse. Didn't this happen to actor, Christopher Reeves, about the same time in the 70's? BTW, Ed Nelson appears to be the only male actor still around from that cast. Would that be you, Bodhi? ---angel
My husband's nephew was an "extra" on the Georgetown University campus during the shooting of "The Exorcist." In fact, we once knew a priest who had actually performed the exorcism upon which the movie was based. It was a boy, not a girl, and the people humane society would like to report that no priests were injured in the making of the film. (smile) ---angel
I'd still like to be an extra, even at my advanced age. That was fun!
Hey...Why not? ---angel
If the chance ever comes up, I'll take it.
I like to watch what the extras are doing in a scene. Sometimes you'll see a bit of good acting from them. I think it a missed opportunity when something out of the ordinary happens in a scene and the extras don't react to it. This usually occurs in sitcoms.
So you are a "peripheal visionary" as Steven Wright, the comedian, calls himself. He says he sees into the future...but only sideways. (smile) Speaking of "extras," Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruis played off against each other in "Rain Man" when Dustin actually farted in a small telephone booth they were stuck in, and Tom incorporated it into the scene as if it were actually part of the script. ---angel
Speaking of comedians, have you ever heard Emo Phillips? You can catch him on Youtube. I think he is the funniest of all. He'll lead you down the garden path and then trip you up unexpectedly.
I BELEIVE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE MOVIE WERE REAL PEOPLE AND NOT ACTORS AS THIS WAS SO GRITTY AND EARTHY TOO MUCH SO FOR HOLLYWOODERS.
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