Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? - 1966 - Dir. Nichols

I have to admit, this isn't my favorite Albee play. Although, that's like saying this isn't my favorite delicious hamburger. In the end, I'm lucky to have it. I actually think that perhaps I like the film more. WAIT. I never saw this staged. But I enjoyed seeing it. I think Taylor and Burton are incredible. It's basically a film with just incredible acting. Everyone is ABSOLUTELY mesmerizing. I feel like any of the performances on their own would have made a movie, but all of them together. It's awesome. Nichols makes a choice of making them leave the house for a little bit which is interesting. I don't mind it so much. I suppose it breaks it up a little bit. It's kind of a funny thing, because I feel like the play is Albee running on medium. He's not busting out the stuff he's REALLY good at. He's just making an almost normal play. It really is the acting that picks it up. It's neat because for a while I feel like we're all about Richard Burton, who really does seem to get the most attention, but then all of a sudden, Elizabeth Taylor comes out of nowhere with some really incredible moments that change the perspective completely. I also have to say, the scene by the tree with George Segal and Burton is AWESOME. Segal is NUTS AWESOME in that scene.

No one has a bad time when George Segal is around!

Wolf - 1994 - Dir. Nichols

You know, if you told me that this movie ended with a Werewolf battle between Jack Nicholson and James Spader, I would have walked through you to get to a copy of it. I might have been a little disappointed with the final product... but only a little. It's still hard to not enjoy seeing these actors in "attack mode" as they a lifted by wires with their arms and legs splayed like an X. I have to say, the first act is great. I do appreciate a good visual metaphor and the movie manages to stay silly without getting to ridiculous. I mean, anytime a movie compares book publishers to werewolves, it's gotta have a little bit of humor. James Spader is appropriately wormy, and Nicholson actually comes off as a little timid, something you don't see very often. I think the more of a werewolf Nicholson becomes, the less exciting the film gets. Nichols doesn't direct horror, and he continues his trend in this. The scenes are more suspenseful and that's... that's really giving them a lot more credit than they deserve. A LOT MORE. By the time we get to the werewolf battle, the movie's deflated a little bit. OH! But Richard Jenkins is absolutely awesome as a lazy-ish cop. And David Schwimmer has a bit part as a cop. MAN! That's like casting David Schwimmer as someone with tons of charisma.

Sigh...

Primary Colors - 1998 - Dir. Nichols

John Travolta as Bill Clinton?! I remember as a young fella I thought this was the most incredible idea. And in 1998?! I mean, the man was still President at the time! Take THAT W. you're not the only one! Anyway, I suppose I thought the movie would be pretty corny and sensational considering the time of its release. It's actually got a little bit more thought in it than I was expecting, although Travolta is in way less of the movie that... well, the cover would lead you to believe. IN FACT, the cover doesn't even HAVE the lead on it. Well, some of them do. But it's the young African-American fella joining Fake-Clinton's campaign. It's sort of a classic story of somewhat naive dude realizing Politics is corrupt and awful as hell. I suppose, it's pacing and it's handling made it a step up above from the rest. Naturally the film isn't ALL about Clinton, it's all thinly veiled. But the way it depicts the Clinton couple is fascinating. Especially by the end when Kathy Bates, whose AWESOME in this, is screaming at the two of them about how much they've changed. That is the climax of sorts, and the movie allows for the slow boil. Nichols, a man who never really got on my bad side to begin with, has really begun to win me over. OH, and the movies has a nice chunk of goofy small time actors. OH! And I thought "JR" from Dallas was awesome in it as a Calm and Honest Politician. As was Emma Thompson as "Hilary Clinton."John Travolta's Penis AS Bill Clinton's boner.

Charlie Wilson's War - 2007 - Dir. Nichols

I don't know why, I was feeling in a terrifically political mood this morning and decided I needed to be charmed and amused at the same time. Charlie Wilson's War hit the spot like nobodies business. The press for the film made it seem like I was going to watch Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks be romantic at each other for an extended period of time. Thankfully, their relationship is rather understated and, at best, professional in a very PARTICULAR way. We see way more of Hanks hanging out with Hoffman. Which is awesome. Their first scene together is hilarious and has all the timing of... well... something very well timed. The story moves along well enough. It's subtle in it's insinuations of 9/11... or... maybe not so subtle as I think about it. They do anything but come right out and say it. Clearly, Wilson worried about the power vacuum that would form but not nearly enough. The movie felt somewhat un-biased, although it seemingly attributes numerous achievements to the Democrat Wilson that he may not have earned, but it also does not spend much time demonizing although I must consider the amount of characters talking about killing Russians without a blink of the eye. Nichols is a sly dog, we know that though.

Watch out Tom! Ned might lead you into a room and have a great monologue at you!