Sunday, October 17, 2010

Blue Sky (1994) (2nd time)


It tells the story of an Army officer whose outspokenness and his wife's mental illness have made him an outcast among his fellow soldiers. [wiki]

Nominated for 1 Oscar:

Best Actress: Jessica Lange (WINNER)

The trivia behind this movie might be more interesting than the film itself. Blue Sky was completed in 1991, but because of the studio's money trouble it wasn't released until 94. And how could I not ask myself: what if? Had it been released in 91 or 92, Lange probably would've gotten nominated, but wouldn't have standed a chance against Foster or Thompson for the win. And still this would've made room for Sarandon or Ryder to take the 94 gold instead!
But getting back to the film: it's a basic drama, with no big complications, I mean secrets plot-wise. In a way, I appreciated that, because it has a clear structure and doesn't get too lost along the way. I wasn't excited to see it again, but it also didn't bother/bore me as much as I expected it would. Of course, the last part is too optimistic and idealized and the ending not so good; yet again: it could've went much worse.
The element that kept my interest must be Jessica's engaging performance. It's not a brilliant one, nor a very good one, but there IS something attractive about the character and she is the spark of color in the rather dull ensemble. I think she would've easily missed the win in any other year, but considering the weak field of 94, her victory isn't/wasn't that much of a surprise.
My rating for the film: 6.5/10. It should've been a 6, but there is something comforting about the structure of the story.

3 comments:

  1. I LOVE Jessica's performance. It's quite confusing, but it's very haunting.

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  2. I just watched Blue Ksy for the first time a few weeks ago, and it really is a movie that grew on me as the minutes went by. It's a fairly solid performance from Jessica Lange, and there really is something about the film that urged me to like it.

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  3. yes, it's a pleasant little film. Strangely enough I both appreciate it and underrate due to its simplicity and standard structure. Maybe a different last couple of minuted would've helped... I dunno.

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