Nebraska, the first film Alexander Payne has made as a director that he did not write, or co-write, is a step away from the acceptance despite damnation history that marked an Alexander Payne film right up until The Descendants, even if it still deals with unlikable characters. Nebraska speaks more to the layers, that old onion thing, and the […]
Tag Archives: Alexander Payne
February
18
Nebraska – Alexander Payne and the perfectly painted character. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
February
07
The Decendants – The end of the unpleasant man and the start of the unpleasant film. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
It’s eleven yeas later in 2011, and we haven’t seen a new Payne film, and this absence of a much-loved film maker might account for the disproportionate worship The Descendants received when it finally hit the screens; immediately obvious is the absence of Jim Taylor who, we can now safely contend, was primarily responsible for […]
February
06
Sideways – Alexander Payne and the mid-life crises Odyesey. (Film review)
posted by lisathatcher
Alexander Payne’s second most successful film to date – his most up until Nebraska – is also arguably his funniest, if you like conversational wit over quirky charm, because its best competition is and always will be the titular Payne film (that incidentally is nothing like any other Payne film) Election. Now two films and […]
February
05
About Schmidt – Alexander Payne and the Odyessy of the anti hero. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
There are many images in Alexander Payne’s films that stick with his audiences, but it has to be admitted that Kathy Bates’ outrageously sexy BBW nudity is one of the most thrilling, being one of the most audacious and confronting acts of unashamed sexual drive in the history of American cinema, and earning that actress […]
February
04
Election – Alexander Payne finds his stride. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
Riding on the success of Citizen Ruth, the writing team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, and the film making success of director Alexander Payne, editor Kevin Trent and cinematographer James Glennon continues three years later with the arrival of the great film, Election, arguably both teams best work, most certainly one of Alexander Payne’s […]
February
03
Citizen Ruth – Alexander Payne and the trouble with women. (Film Review)
posted by lisathatcher
As a stand alone, Citizen Ruth has some interesting things to say about the abortion debate and, as Payne himself repeatedly assures, the problems of zealotry and extremism, in its depiction of the ways that ideology can cloud judgement and strangely end up committing the moral crimes it is trying to ensure against, but overall […]
