Yesterday I watched (surprise!) two more films of my dear Susan Sarandon. Both an improvement over the previous I mentioned here. In both she plays a (relatively) supporting role and she plays it to a hilt:
- "The January Man" is a Kevin Kline showcase, a mystery comedy about a police investigator who is brought back to find a serial killer. Susan is gorgeous in a Linda Gray kind of way (sure Sarah knows what I mean!), especially in her first scene at a fundraiser. Also in this one are Rod Steiger, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harvey Keitel, Danny Aiello and Alan Rickman. So you can see the cast is more than good. Not thought-provoking, but I found it a terribly charming movie. The trailer doesn´t make it justice though...
- "Romance & Cigarettes". How to start with this one? In one sentence, it´s a weird musical about a low-class family of NY. A makeup-less Susan plays the cheated wife of a James Gandolfini who is having an affair with an uber-bitchy Kate Winslet (with an accent...!). It´s directed by John Turturro, clearly inspired the style of Woody Allen for "Everyone Says I Love You". The songs are already well-known, the sense of humor is hilarious, and the characters relatable. And everyone dances here!!!! Kate´s first appearance dancing and singing inside a house on fire (sic) must be seen to be believed!
Both are recommendable though the latter is not for everybody for the musical touches.