Good Persons

Not all actors who emerge from a serial success like E.R. become as well known as George Clooney. Having worked with Julianna Margulies in 'Paradise Road', I wondered where she had been for a while. Now I know. She took time off to have a family and then looked about for a suitable vehicle for her return. 'The Good Wife' is it and a worthy role it is too. Not in the Frank and Ernest tradition but in the 'this is what happens in life' tradition, with all the subtleties and challenges being a grown women in the professional world can present.

For her erring husband there is no one better than Chris Noth. He is every one's idea of a good sort, no matter how bad his roles make him and fits so easily into the various types of challenging partner most women have had that it is good to know he IS happily partnered and has a young child. Noth is also a poet, builder of log cabins and owner of several restaurants in America. No wonder he is known for his wide warm smile!

The episode last week showed a scene were the two as Mr and Mrs Florick had a 'conjugal' visit in gaol which was enough to put anyone off A. marrying a goal bird and B. being one.

This series is set in Chicago and boasts a really marvelous support cast including Christine Baranski whose attitude to the newcomer in her law firm is fabulously two faced. Superficially delighted to see another woman in the workplace she never the less wages a quiet war against her escalating success rate. There are no trite plot lines in this which may be the result of a husband and wife writing team, Robert and Michelle King.


I look forward to this every week and that's not easy to say these days!

To watch a trailer of 'The Good Wife' click here:

I Told You So!

I spent most of yesterday trying to avoid hearing Oscar news so I could watch it last night with some friends. Its a tricky act and I didn't make it. I knew 'Hurt Locker' came in as it is so extraordinary that it popped up in the main news sections on most media.

Of the film's Best Picture Award, Sandra Hall - film critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, told me 'The Hurt Locker' had almost been pulled for review, so little confidence did they have in it! These sort of upsets, when great blockbusters like 'Avatar' are raking in the dollars are quite unusual. Unusual for a woman director of a war film, unusual for a film without a major star and unusual for the editing, sound mixing and script writing to achieve such acclaim in this world wide forum for film!

I loved the 'The Hurt Locker' and I am still stunned at Kathryn Bigelow's achievement. What a world we live in when all those years of feminism have led us to this radiant woman and her muscular achievement illuminated with such wit and warmth that despite the hellfire, there is something infinitely beautiful about the story.

She had collaborated with Mark Boal on another story about war,'The Valley of Elah' which was a lot darker.They are a great combo and you only have to see their acceptance speeches to realise how shocked about their six awards they were themselves. Kathryn Bigelow looked as though she had to mentally keep herself upright! It was a delight to see her trio of lead actors line up arm in arm behind her too.

So...here's to you:

Kathryn Bigelow - Best Director
Mark Boal - Best Original Screenplay
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - Best Achievement in Film Editing
Paul N. J. Ottosson - Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Ray Becket and Paul N. J Ott0sson -Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
THE HURT LOCKER - BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR!
Click here to see a Kathryn Bigelow post Oscar interview: