Higher Love/At Sachem Farm/Uncorked

[rueful]

After watching I was what you could call smitten and then made it a point of searching out other things

Smitten is a great word, robbiesheik! That's how I feel--he has smited me!

And I think this is also a good film on its own, non-rufus merits. But I already rambled on about that above.

[lizap]

I received my VHS copy of this in the mail today, purchased on eBay. It looks pretty beat up and was a rental copy, so I hope it plays ok!

[lizap]

I watched this last night and was so taken with it, though after a shaky start. The sound on the tape was bad at the beginning, with Rufus' voice very soft and Driver's very loud (that didn't last long), and then I felt dismayed quite quickly at what I took it to be bad chemistry between the actors and a forced, contrived feeling about their interactions. I've never before had the slightest awareness of inadequacy before when watching Rufus, so you can imagine how unnerving this was, and I thought, 'oh, no, I'm not going to like this movie'. Gradually, of course, I realized that this had been intentional, because the characters weren't meant to be together and she didn't really love him (fool!).

I was immediately irritated with the Driver character because she was so unethusiastic about Rufus. I thought, 'why aren't you all over him, you stupid woman?!' And by the time she delivered her line about the diver's every word being memorable while darling Ross was was so 'chatty', I was ready to slap her. In retrospect, though, I think it was a very clever and generous performance. She really had to allow us some way to distance ourselves from her, in order to cheer for the proper outcome.

By the time Mr. Tang showed up to purchase the wine, I was at ease, and by the time the wine was let loose I was completely enthralled and fairly squirming in my seat to see what would happen (that's the point at which I would have murdered the uncle -- drowning him in the wine, perhaps). The moment that thrilled me the most in the whole movie, I think, in terms of acting, even though at the time I could not grasp its full significance, was at the dinner scene with Mr. Tang, when he is tuning the guitar, and Ross says something like, 'There you go, that's it' to indicate he'd got the pitches right. This brought me up very sharply, and I rewound the tape to watch it again. It was as though for that moment and those few words, Ross was a different person from the bumbling, hesitant man we've been seeing -- confident, authoritative, comfortable with himself. I thought, 'hmm, what's going on there?' Looking back, I understood that in fact Rufus had essentially conveyed the whole movie right there with his delivery of those lines. Just wonderful!

The music scene might have been a bit awkward, except that the music was so beautiful, I didn't mind. I really enjoyed the casting of Laurie and the brother -- what a sweetheart! And the sweet irony, both times Ross said, 'I think my brother is some kind of genius', not realizing that he, himself, is some kind of genius. As for the casting of the diver, a total mystery there. It really is not plausible in my view that anyone would choose him over Rufus, so I think they should have chosen someone more charismatic and attractive, but I don't think it's a major point.

As the movie went on, and while enjoying it immensely, I began to feel rather sad on another level. Because this is the movie I had longed for and didn't realize existed (large amounts of Rufus being a contemporary, relatively normal and likable person), and it led me to what I felt was an inescapable conclusion. It's not that Rufus had never had the opportunity for this kind of role (principle male character, sympathetic, modern setting), it's that he did have the opportunity and evidently the Powers That Be decided he wasn't bankable as a leading man. 'Dark City' could be discounted because it was challenging and esoteric, and 'Dangerous Beauty' could be discounted because it was period, but here was the type of movie I had thought Rufus only needed the opportunity to do to be recognized, but afterwards he got smaller, more eccentric kinds of roles rather than more leading roles. So I began to feel like wringing some collective Hollywood necks. Maybe, as people were discussing in another thread, 1998 was just a really bad year to try and get noticed because of Titanic and the only name on anyone's lips was 'DiCaprio'. Although wasn't that also the year of 'LA Confidential', and Russell Crowe certainly found opportunities after that (of course I realize that 'Sachem Farm' is no 'LA Confidential').

The one scene I didn't get and that took me momentarily out of the movie was the murderous nighttime pillar scene. It didn't seem real to me; I mean, I understood the brooding in the house and the intense anger, but its manifestation in that way seemed contrived, and I honestly wondered if they'd only done it just to allow Rufus to demonstrate his range and intensity. But perhaps on repeated viewings I will understand it better.

I think this will be my favorite Rufus movie to watch. He seemed to get more and more beautiful as the movie went on, and finally to be kissed by someone who appreciated him as he deserved -- so satisfying.

Can't wait to view it again and notice more of the performance nuances that others have commented on!

[tipou]

a very good take on the movie, one more challenging my general dislike of the movie. i will have to see it again - oh, what a chore.

i think the fact that rufus is not yet considered a "leading man" is due to
a) his own choices
b) hollywood's preference for more classic male beaty and resume
c) his lack of ego
d) the fact that he wants the roles, not the hype

in other words, he is not the hollywood type. thank god for that.

[dirtygirldiva]

exactly. He doesn't do roles for the money...It seems like if he doesn't like the role, he won't take it...regardless of how much money he'll possibly make.

[rueful]

Lizap, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your wonderful review. I love your point about Ross's confidence during the tuning scene. That never occurred to me (probably because I was so focused on the adorable stifled giggling a few minutes later), but now that you point it out, I'm sure it was a deliberate acting choice. Amazing.

I don't mind the "murder" scene, even though it is kind of an abrupt change in tone, because I think they develop it pretty well. When Uncle Cullen dumps the wine, Ross's immediate response is to go banging as hard as he can on the lock at the mine, I'm sure as a substitute for his uncle's head. When Cullen goes to the mine, Ross begs, "Go away from me, PLEASE," as if he's not sure how long he can control himself. Then he broods and broods all day and thinks about how his whole life has been one of frustration, and how he finally (he thinks) was going to succeed, and how his uncle has blown his chances. I could see how at that point he might become enraged, but the moment he sees his uncle he is snapped back to reality, because of course he's not really a killer.

Or, it might just be that they wanted to set up the use of the walkie talkies for the rest of the movie

[lizap]

I'm not saying I'd want Rufus to take Hollywood roles for the fame or the money just so we could see more of him, but rather, that I think he has been underappreciated and not given the range of offers/choices that he deserves. Of course, I have no way of knowing if this is true. Perhaps he has turned down scads of leading roles that eventually went to lesser actors because he didn't like them, or wanted to avoid the attendant hype.


edit: I see I cross-posted with rueful

Thank you, rue, for your comments and excellent insights on the lock scene and aftermath. Can't wait to watch it again with that in mind!

[rueful]

Thanks, lizap. Glad to have given you an excuse to rewatch.

[lizap]

I wonder if someone could help me out with a bit of dialogue. After the wine has been emptied, and after the banging on the lock scene, the scene with Driver and Roof talking, right after she says, 'there is no bottom', he pauses and then says he needs to borrow her car. Then ' ____ _____ ______ _____ I have to go into town' (or some such).

Thanks!

[rueful]

"Jeep's run out of gas and I have to go into town"

[lizap]

Thanks so much, rueful!

I thought I might be hearing the word 'jeep' in there, but couldn't quite make it out.

[rueful]

Ross was a bit of a mumbler sometimes, not too self-confident (except as you pointed out during the tuning scene).

[peach]

He has the most lovable expressions in this movie. I love when Minnie Driver meets him at the quarry and he's been laying on the ground, she tells him that he's a mess, then she clears those curls from his face. So sweet in this.

[rueful]

Peach, that is one of my favorite parts too. He's like a little boy in that scene, just so lost and in need of a hug (which I will provide, if so desired).

[sunshineprincess78]

Again, I watched this movie on the FLIX cable channel and recorded it.

I didn't hesitate to watch this movie because I'm familiar with the work of Nigel Hawthorne, because I've watched him in Yes Minister/Prime Minister.

This movie was very moving, had it funny moments, especially when the Japanese man plays the guitar, if you call that playing.

I, however, did not like it that Minnie's character perfered that other guy to Ross. Yeah, ok, he was damaged and confused but if your in a relationship with someone, for 4 years too, you should stick by them. Oh well, that's just my feelings.

Loved the movie despite it's faults.