Jane Campion might not want this one in her reference library. In The Pocket Essential Jane Campion, by US film critic Ellen Cheshire, Campion's work — with one exception — is roundly dumped on. The Piano, which won several Oscars, including best original screenplay, in 94 is described as "dull and dispassionate," Sweetie, as "an odd film with considerable flaws", and Portrait Of A Lady as "akin to watching the paint dry." Her last film, Holy Smoke, is said to be ultimately pretentious "as it tries to be more than it is." However, remembering what her mum said — that if you can't say anything nice about someone then you should say nothing at all — the author does praise An Angel At My Table, Campion's adaptation of Janet Frame's autobiographies, as "extraordinarily successful in conveying the full range of emotions — the tenderness, humour, and heart-wrenching raw emotion of Janet's experiences."
The book is one of a series on Hollywood film-makers, including Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Sam Peckinpah, Woody Allen and David Lynch. Cheshire says she finds much to admire but not much to like in The Piano in which Ada, played by Holly Hunter, is bartered for sexual favours or chattels. "It seems hardly an appropriate subject for what has been lauded as a feminist masterpiece. Just by dressing a film as an art-house costume drama does not necessarily mean it is a great film. It is a deeply disturbing film, but one that is strangely detached ... it is hard to care for the characters or the situation, and thus ultimately this created a dull and dispassionate film."
And the author says of Campion, "She falls into a number of fashionable minority groups that instantly mark her as different: a woman, Antipodean, feminist, artistic and fiercely independent." Ouch.
BLACK LIKE EM: The bad language boy Eminem just goes from strength to strength. Despite being encouraged to stay away from the Grammys in case he says something offensive, he looks set to appear at the forthcoming Brit awards and this week was the only white artist nominated for the 15th annual Soul Train awards, a key showcase for black American music. He's up for R&B/soul or rap album of the year and best music video. The awards will take place on February 28 and Soul Train executive producer Don Cornelius says Eminem is welcome at the show "if he's available and he's interested and he respects our system."
The 28-year-old Detroit rapper has sung that he does not "give a damn" about the Grammy Awards, where he will compete for four of the music industry's top prizes on February 21. A coalition of religious, gay and women's groups will hold a protest rally at the Grammys against what they perceive to be Eminem's hateful lyrics. Cornelius rallied to Eminem's defence, saying: "If gays are damaged, let's call in everybody who gets damaged by a rap artist, from the Government to Orientals, to the celebration of the word 'nigger,' constantly." That's telling them. Unfortunately some people might think that's not a bad idea.
THE TOWELS, NURSE: Reality television is getting a little more real. The ABC network plans for a live broadcast of childbirth on Good Morning America next week. The morning talk show hosted by Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer has arranged with obstetricians at three hospitals — in Boston, Dallas and Houston — to televise any of several births expected on Tuesday.
"It's something unique and exciting, and with all the human drama of the everyday miracle," said executive producer Shelley Ross.
It's also a risky enterprise for live television given that something as unpredictable as childbirth must occur within the show's two-hour time slot on the day of the broadcast.
As for questions of taste, Ross said, "We're not going to be graphic," adding that deliveries will be shot from the mothers' point of view.
"I think good taste will prevail, and concern for the safety of everybody," she said. "But [medical correspondent] Dr Nancy Snyderman has guaranteed me we will have a lot of yelling."
It is perhaps no coincidence Good Morning America, which trails in the morning viewership behind the CBS Today show, has scheduled its televised birthing stunt for the ratings period that starts this week. Ahh, that explains it. How soon before we here follow this fine example of reality television, we wonder?
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