Defamer
Welcome to Ellen Page Dump-and-Run Week, when even today's news that America's ambiguously-persuasioned sweetheart is attached to star in yet another adaptation of Jane Eyre is slightly overshadowed by the two "new" Page releases you may not have known to look for. Like An American Crime? You know this one? No? Page stars as Sylvia Likens, the Indianapolis teen who was beaten, tortured and murdered by her caretaker (played by Catherine Keener) in one of the most notorious homicides in American history. We saw it at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, when someone reportedly passed out at the premiere — probably the producer who realized his high-caliber drama (starring two Oscar nominees!) was headed straight to Showtime oblivion this Saturday at 10 p.m. We feel him, but that's not the half of it.
A day earlier on May 9, Page's other hibernating indie, The Tracey Fragments, arrives on-screen and under the radar in limited release. We're checking it out in the next few days, but we've heard mixed things about the story of a runaway (Page) looking for her brother — in split-screen! Really! It's amazing, then, that we should hear Page is now dialed in as the title character in the umpteenth adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel Jane Eyre, which Miramax is rumored to be hopping aboard alongside BBC Films. No director is yet attached. Meanwhile, the thriller Peacock — Page's first new film since Juno's Oscar run — starts shooting this month in Des Moines. From here on out, it's nothing but the best. Seriously. We think.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
Comments
I can't imagine that anyone involved in "An American Crime" expected it to be a blockbuster. Just reading the story induces nausea ... not sure who exactly thought it would be a great idea to bring mutilation! and child abuse! and starvation! to the big screen.
Ellen is so amazingly good in An American Crime and the Tracey Fragments even though the storylines in both are hard to watch. I really hope a lot of people see them because then the "Juno stereotype" will go away.
Those two films along with Hard Candy, Mouth to Mouth and, what I'm sure will be an awesome performance in Peacock, really show her range. Ellen actually plays against her type in Juno (it's pretty much her only comedic role).
Thirteen, The Upside of Anger, Running With Scissors, Bronte - Say "Hello" to the next Evan Rachel Wood.
I saw The Tracey Fragments a few months ago. Didn't like it.
The movie isn't just "split-screen", it's "fragmented-screen", with an ever-changing mosaic of multiple shots. I'd heard about it before and (naturally) assumed Bruce MacDonald (famous hash-rock-buying Canadian director) was going to only do it, you know for effect. No. He does it the whole fucking time.
Plus the narrative itself is fractured, mixed up, told out of order, to keep us interested right to the end in that now familiar how-did-this-all-get-started sort of way. The acid test for a fractured narrative like that is to ask: is it still interesting if you tell the story straight? Does it still fill the ninety minutes (without incessant repetition of story points)? Do you still care at all? The Tracey Fragments fails.
And with all the random split-screen, it's actually hard to tell if Ellen Page is any good in it, at all.
She's so cute! ^_^
I want to eat her fuzzy apricot face.
@Benovite: That's a film that would REALLY show some range.
@Roots500: What did Ellen eat for breakfast today, oh and can you ask her what her favorite color is...?
@Roots500: The first place I saw her was as Treena Leahy in 'Trailer Park Boys' in '02. Certainly a comedic role
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