What the Manolo is…
Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…
Sadly, after watching Dr. Zhivago for the first time in many years, the Manolo concludes that it is the exceedingly beautiful movie, but also ponderous and ultimately unconvincing.
Laying aside the ridiculousness of the plot, and the sudden and inexplicable manner in which various characters act in ways that are contrary to their essence, the biggest fault is that Omar Sharif, although dreamily handsome, is strangely inert. His standard response to any complication or problem is bewilderment, the charming little half-smile and cocked head of the stupefied man.
Rage, man, rage against the manifest injustices of the new order! Don’t just stand there looking like the handsome idiot.
Sadly, the ridiculous plot does little to help Sharif make the most of his meager talents, as by the end, one is forced to conclude that Zhivago, the character, is also the idiot.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:55 am
The Manolo is in love!
March 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Def in love
March 4th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Well, I don’t know about love.
As the Manolo notes, Omar Sharif was absurdly beautiful in his prime, but there was always a certain lack of acting there. Standing around looking quizzically lovely does very well in a certain sort of movie, but a three-hour-plus monster like Dr. Zhivago requires rather more alertness and resolve (on everybody’s part).
It did have Julie Christie, who was absurdly beautiful and could act. But she’s not enough to salvage such a long and, as the Manolo notes, basically silly movie.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
But ahh–Julie Christie in her beautiful coats.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I’ve never seen this movie, but my mom used to have the sheet music for the theme song. It was so weird - tons of classical European music and then Dr. Zhivago.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
My late brother (age 31 at his death) loved the scene where Dr Zhivago suffers the fatal heart attack, trying to catch up to a woman on the street who looks like Lara. I think he always enjoyed scenes/stories of men going forward while dying or injured; manly death stuff, I guess.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:07 am
In his defense, Sharif did improve over time. He was quite good in Hidalgo, if somewhat less decorative. And he writes a pretty fabulous Bridge column.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I am in violently strong agreement about the Carpenters.
Karen Carpenter came along at the wrong time. Ten years earlier, just before the Beatles, she would have been queen of the world of pop. as she truly was and truly deserved to be. Instead, in the hippie era, she was treated as a contemptible young, female Lawrence Welk. Richard Carpenter is a great pop producer, but he too is forgotten or maligned.
Those hit records are timeless gems. The public loved what the arbiters of hipness derided. “Rainy Days and Mondays” is a joy forever. What a voice.
The hippie / druggie era was attacked from the Left, if I may, by punk rock. And amen to that, and hey, ho, let’s go!
This same pathetic era was attacked from the Right, so to speak, by the unironic sweetness of the Carpenters.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I always thought Dr. Zhivago was a tool and the women in his life could have done better. Ha!