cult film freak: lawrence olivier

Written by James M. Tate / 2/23/2016 / No comments / eighties , lawrence olivier , neil diamond , sully boyer

NEIL DIAMOND LOUNGES AROUND IN THE JAZZ SINGER

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>year: 1980</u></td></tr>
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To say the man some consider the greatest actor of all time, Lawrence Olivier, is a worse actor than crooner Neil Diamond is a matter of specifics…<br>
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In this particular case, THE JAZZ SINGER, a maligned 1980 remake of the Al Jolson classic providing Diamond a showcase, or in this case, a pseudo biopic that’s really an outright infomercial for his already established lounge-pop (not one bit jazz) music persona, Diamond’s self-aware inexperience is easier to take than Oliver’s immensely annoying overacting as we begin with a clever twist on the now infamous original JAZZ SINGER Al Jolson blackface as Diamond’s Yussel Rabinovitch, changed to Jess Robin, goes undercover as a black singer, along with fellow black background vocalists, performing at a Harlem nightclub...<br>
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Then cutting to Robin’s mundane life as the son of an intense Jewish cantor, who, unlike his stubborn father, knows his life has another path… And with a voice like Diamond, that’s a given. The suspense of whether Jess will make it in Show Business equals Mohammad Ali playing himself in THE GREATEST: watching an iconic superstar on the big screen, struggling for fame within their own field of expertise while lacking the intensity, youth and strength that made it possible in the first place, is like a millionaire buying a lottery ticket, and winning.<br>

eighties, lawrence olivier, neil diamond, sully boyer

NEIL DIAMOND LOUNGES AROUND IN THE JAZZ SINGER

year: 1980 To say the man some consider the greatest actor of all time, Lawrence Olivier, is a worse actor than crooner Neil Diamond is ...

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