Tag: Emma Thompson

‘Cruella’: A film to behold rather than enjoy

Jeff Mitchell

“Cruella” – Cruella de Vil is one of Disney’s most feared villains, right up there with Maleficent, Ursula, and Scar.  The Hunter in “Bambi” (1942) won’t win any Man of the Year awards, especially from this critic.  “Bambi” was my first movie experience in 1975, and I remember crying my eyes out when the title character’s mom died.  I haven’t watched that film since, so yea, Disney antagonists sometimes leave a mark.  In that case, a permanent one.  Of course, Cruella originates from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961). She…

Just Because Wednesday, Movies at Home: ‘The Remains of the Day’

Jeff Mitchell

Happy Birthday, Emma Thompson!  Yes, Emma turns 61 on April 15, and to celebrate her day, let’s look back at our favorite Ms. Thompson role in one of our favorite movies…”The Remains of the Day” (1993).  Now, Thompson won a screenplay Oscar for “Sense and Sensibility” (1995) and garnered the Best Actress top prize for “Howard’s End” (1992), but she perfectly plays the sensible but curious and kind housekeeper Miss Kenton in director James Ivory’s masterful work. During the 1930s, Miss Kenton and head butler Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) run…

Thompson, Tucci lead ‘The Children Act’ but the script needs discipline

Jeff Mitchell

“The Children Act” – “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela Judge Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) faces difficult decisions every day.  With stacks of high profile cases and judgments piled up in her well-documented history, the work refuses to slow down in her present.  On any given weekday, one can find Judge Maye quietly stewing in her chambers, pouring over documents, making phone calls, and wrestling with conflicting – and sometimes explosive – particulars. From…