"I like to try to do acting, I feel like I can do it to a certain extent... if I'm given the right part."
--Mick Jagger, 25 x 5: The Continuing Adventures of The Rolling Stones, 1989
In last week's film "sermon," I alluded to the fact that the film in question (2001's Enigma)
was co-produced by Mick Jagger. He can even be seen in it for about
three seconds. If I had been paying attention, I might have waited
until this week to recommend it, as today is Jagger's 82nd birthday,
something I only realized yesterday.
Obviously,
Jagger is best known as the front man for The Rolling Stones, my
all-time favourite band. And it would have been easy, being the fan
that I am, to recommend a Stones album or even his third solo album,
1993's Wandering Spirit (Jagger's one solo album that Keith
Richards didn't shit on in his memoir). But I like to be different and,
hopefully, unpredictable. So I thought this would be a better way to
go.
While
not well-known as an actor, he has appeared in a number of films over
the last half century, playing unique characters that, in hindsight, I
couldn't picture anyone else playing. I first saw him act in 1992's Freeejack in
which he played a bounty hunter trying to hunt down Emilio Estevez on
the streets of New York in the future (or at least it was in 1992--the
film is set in 2009). It's an interesting film, but I wouldn't call it
exceptionally good. But what I noticed is that in spite of that,
Jagger's performance still manages to stand out and distinguish itself.
I was delighted to discover that a new Criterion edition of his first film, 1970's Performance,
was recently released. I had never seen it, so I immediately felt
compelled to check it out. It's actually a really good film, but I
don't think it would have been as good had he not been in it. He exudes
a certain enigmatic magnetism, not just in Performance, but in everything I've seen him in--it must be the rock star in him.
I was going to make Performance this week's recommendation, but then I thought of a film he did around the same time he co-produced Enigma that
stood out to me because I genuinely thought he delivered some great
acting and absolutely held his own alongside some major acting
heavyweights. Even before I saw the movie, I was taken with Peter
Travers's review in Rolling Stone magazine in which he wrote,
"Jagger the actor is someone you want to see again. Eat your heart out,
Madonna." (Madonna had recently made a movie called The Next Best Thing which
was both a critical and commercial failure. I was just annoyed because
she had taken it upon herself to do a cover of "American Pie" for the
soundtrack.)
In
this movie, Andy Garcia plays writer Byron Tiller. Unfortunately,
Tiller is not very successful in his chosen field. He's struggling to
make ends meet and support his wife Dena (Julianna Margulies) and their
child while his last novel has been relegated to the bargain remainder
bins. He meets Luther Fox (Jagger) who runs an escort service catering
to lonely, rich women--in fact Luther himself personally caters to the
needs of Jennifer Adler (Anjelica Huston). He persuades Byron to come
work for him (of course Byron keeps this from his wife) and connects him
to Andrea Alcott (Olivia Williams). Her husband Tobias (the great
James Coburn in one of his final roles) is a renowned author on the verge of dying who is
struggling to write a final novel. Andrea convinces Byron to help
Tobias write it in an effort to secure his legacy after he dies. Of
course, this is where things get complicated.
The
movie debuted originally at the Toronto International Film Festival in
2001 and was released in America in 2002. Written by Phillip Jayson
Lasker and directed by George Hickenlooper, this week I feel compelled
to recommend The Man From Elysian Fields. Happy Birthday, Mick!
Until
next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember
that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for
you!
Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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