Remembering the campaign: Geffen on Obama

Now that we are betwixt the election and the Inaugural, this seems like a good time to look back on the historic campaign we have witnessed. One of the earliest defining moments was way back in February of 2007, when Maureen Dowd wrote a column in which she quoted David Geffen making disparaging comments about Hillary Clinton. Geffen had been close to the Clintons, but he was seriously disenchanted, and believed strongly in Obama. Of course, you don't get to be one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry unless you have a world-class ability to spot talent before anyone else. It's even more helpful if you can actually commit to helping that talent reach their goals.

It was a key moment in part because Geffen was not subject to pressure from the Clintons; he's in his own league. As powerful as Bill and Hillary are, there's not much you can do to affect a billionaire with decades of building allegiances. Geffen was one of the few people who could have challenged Hillary's frontrunner status with impunity, which is what he did. Patrick Goldstein reminisces with the man himself in today's LA Times.

Fallen icons - De Niro and Pacino

Patrick Goldstein in the LA Times wrote an article that is painful to read, but had to be written. The title of the column is "How The Mighty Have Fallen," and by mighty, he means Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The impetus for the critique is Pacino's latest, 88 Minutes, which scored a horribly miserable 7% on rottentomatoes.com. That puts it in the running for one of the worst movies of the year. Goldstein's sad thesis is that they've decided to run up their bank accounts while they still can, and that means they take just about whatever comes their way, quality be damned. I liked De Niro in Meet the Parents, but I can't remember the last Pacino performance that I cared for. Goldstein contrasts them with most of their compatriots, who have either gotten fairly selective (Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine), or have dropped out (Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman). And then there's Clint Eastwood, who is doing such great work as a director. He doesn't mention Morgan Freeman, but he could - his name attached to a movie is still a draw for me. It's sad to see great actors, who presumably don't need the money, selling themselves short.

It's also a strange contrast with the status of older actresses. Maybe women are weirdly lucky in this respect - there aren't that many roles for them, but the ones that are there can be memorable. Judi Dench could play M from a wheelchair in a nursing home and I would watch her. And Gloria Foster will always be The Oracle. I know she spent a lifetime preparing for that role and that 15 minutes of fame, but I am grateful. It's too bad De Niro and Pacino probably won't leave with that kind of role.