Author(s): Douglas Reese
Location: Ohio
“The Hand of Maine”
Written and Directed by Mike Nichols
Produced by Salma Hayek, Barry Mendel, Mike Nichols.
Score by James Horner
Cinematography by Robert Richardson
Principal Cast:
Salma Hayek … Jackie Lewis
Ryan Gosling … Paul Lewis
Paul Giamatti … Paul Maine
Missy Crider … Whitney, the Blonde Prostitute
Synopsis: Jackie Lewis is a thirty-seven year old immigrant, fresh from Mexico and getting used to Ohio in a little suburb outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. She cannot yet speak English but is slowly learning. Married to English/Spanish speaking Paul Lewis, a successful and mildly unstable twenty-six year old, she wants a life in which she is happy to have somebody to care for her so that she feels loved, unlike her poverty home in Mexico Unfortunately, Paul married Jackie on hopes of having a child and sex is something Jackie is not too fond about. After weeks, the sexual problems become major, as Jackie at all costs avoids any mild sexual contact with Paul. Out of a sort of desperation, Paul leaves every night to pick up a woman out of a dark brothel deep into the city. After three months of marriage, Paul admits to Jackie that he is having an open sexual relationship with many different women. Jackie, feeling disgusted and betrayed, finds her own way of having a little happiness of her own. Using a Spanish-to-English dictionary, word by word she reads books about Maine, a state in which she finds beautiful and incredibly breathtaking and a way of seeing true beauty through Paul’s promiscuity. She even thinks about leaving Ohio for Maine only to understand that Paul, who is really demanding with what she does at all times, will in fact chase her. But, one night, Paul comes home with a blonde prostitute and decides he wants to make love to her on the sofa. Jackie becomes angry and forces the blonde out of the house and begins an argument with Paul. Paul wins after telling her he’ll take her back to Mexico to live with her incredibly rotten grandfather. But, Jackie refuses to leave without a final fight.
She flees. Running away by foot through the dangerous darkness of the city of Cincinnati in hopes of making it to Maine. She is stopped by a small minivan in which is driven by forty-seven year old Paul Maine. Maine doesn’t have the slightest clue of how to speak Spanish, but Jackie feels safe with him when he takes her to his house. They connect through facial expressions and the tone that is all in a tone of grief. Maine begins to take care of her, feeds her, finds her a spot to sleep on his sofa and lets her watch TV. He lives in a small apartment, almost empty, as if he’d just moved in. He seems depressed, talking on the phone with somebody he loves (the film does not mention who it is). The fact that he spoke English in a British accent didn’t bother Jackie. She felt safe. She felt that satisfying love she wanted from her slimeball good-for-nothing husband. That’s the love she was hoping for. In a matter at first seemingly sexual, Jackie walks into Maine’s bedroom and lies beside him, giving him a look of gratitude. She grabs his hand and neither one lets go for the rest of the night. But, after awakening from the peaceful sleep, Jackie finds Maine gone. Waiting for the rest of the day until late at night for him to return, he never shows back up. She knows something bad has happened. Sadly, she walks back to her “home” where Paul yells at her, screams at her, calling her a slut – but she lustfully, but uncomfortably caresses Paul and kisses him in which eventually leads to the unhappiness she knows she’s stuck with. In the film’s final sequence, we witness her endearing pain. In her eyes we realize that she’ll never forget about Paul Maine – her escape to her happiness.
What the press would say:
Salma Hayek gives a blisteringly powerful and authentic performance in The Hand of Maine, the new film written and directed by Academy Award winning director Mike Nichols (2004’s Closer). “Hayek is the reason why Oscar was invented,” says film critic Roger Ebert. “Not only should it be the second Best Actress winner for a foreign-speaking role, Hayek should go down in history as the Best Spanish Actress performance to come around in ten or so years!” Co-critic Richard Roeper adds on to Ebert’s review with: “it certainly is the best performance of the year, her performance alone sets the film a flying toward my top ten of the year.”
Ryan Gosling stars as Hayek’s evil husband in the drama. Following his critically acclaimed Oscar nominated performance in 2006’s Half Nelson, Gosling proves with his evil villain that he can actually make you hate him with the twitch of an eye, the pitch of his voice, and the way his character is performed with complexly. So complex that it’s at times hard to hate him like we’re supposed to. He is “ a great actor” (Roeper) and he makes a character so three-dimensional, we’re taken in by his wickedly demented mind.
In a performance not over twenty-five minutes in length, its absolutely breathtaking watching Academy Award nominated actor Paul Giamatti. “With such a small character,” says Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers. “He is fascinating to watch as he goes beyond the material the film gives to bring a complex and believable performance. Smelling Oscar for him this time!” He nervously but astonishingly portrays the character of Paul Maine to the point of where we forget its Giamatti and we believe it is Maine. Plus, his British accent is “wholly believable!” (Travers)
The Hand of Maine is splendidly scripted by Mike Nichols whose witty Spanish dialogue fills three quarters of the film. He fluently pieces together scene after scene – broadening Hayek’s loneliness, Gosling’s sneakiness, and Giamatti’s tenderness – into a fantastic drama, with the heart of a strong female character in its core. “A bold and unforgettable female masterwork showcasing Mike Nichols’ in his finest hours. There isn’t any greater foreign picture this year!” (Ebert)
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Mike Nichols
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Actress – Salma Hayek
Best Supporting Actor – Paul Giamatti
Location: Ohio
“The Hand of Maine”
Written and Directed by Mike Nichols
Produced by Salma Hayek, Barry Mendel, Mike Nichols.
Score by James Horner
Cinematography by Robert Richardson
Principal Cast:
Salma Hayek … Jackie Lewis
Ryan Gosling … Paul Lewis
Paul Giamatti … Paul Maine
Missy Crider … Whitney, the Blonde Prostitute
Synopsis: Jackie Lewis is a thirty-seven year old immigrant, fresh from Mexico and getting used to Ohio in a little suburb outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. She cannot yet speak English but is slowly learning. Married to English/Spanish speaking Paul Lewis, a successful and mildly unstable twenty-six year old, she wants a life in which she is happy to have somebody to care for her so that she feels loved, unlike her poverty home in Mexico Unfortunately, Paul married Jackie on hopes of having a child and sex is something Jackie is not too fond about. After weeks, the sexual problems become major, as Jackie at all costs avoids any mild sexual contact with Paul. Out of a sort of desperation, Paul leaves every night to pick up a woman out of a dark brothel deep into the city. After three months of marriage, Paul admits to Jackie that he is having an open sexual relationship with many different women. Jackie, feeling disgusted and betrayed, finds her own way of having a little happiness of her own. Using a Spanish-to-English dictionary, word by word she reads books about Maine, a state in which she finds beautiful and incredibly breathtaking and a way of seeing true beauty through Paul’s promiscuity. She even thinks about leaving Ohio for Maine only to understand that Paul, who is really demanding with what she does at all times, will in fact chase her. But, one night, Paul comes home with a blonde prostitute and decides he wants to make love to her on the sofa. Jackie becomes angry and forces the blonde out of the house and begins an argument with Paul. Paul wins after telling her he’ll take her back to Mexico to live with her incredibly rotten grandfather. But, Jackie refuses to leave without a final fight.
She flees. Running away by foot through the dangerous darkness of the city of Cincinnati in hopes of making it to Maine. She is stopped by a small minivan in which is driven by forty-seven year old Paul Maine. Maine doesn’t have the slightest clue of how to speak Spanish, but Jackie feels safe with him when he takes her to his house. They connect through facial expressions and the tone that is all in a tone of grief. Maine begins to take care of her, feeds her, finds her a spot to sleep on his sofa and lets her watch TV. He lives in a small apartment, almost empty, as if he’d just moved in. He seems depressed, talking on the phone with somebody he loves (the film does not mention who it is). The fact that he spoke English in a British accent didn’t bother Jackie. She felt safe. She felt that satisfying love she wanted from her slimeball good-for-nothing husband. That’s the love she was hoping for. In a matter at first seemingly sexual, Jackie walks into Maine’s bedroom and lies beside him, giving him a look of gratitude. She grabs his hand and neither one lets go for the rest of the night. But, after awakening from the peaceful sleep, Jackie finds Maine gone. Waiting for the rest of the day until late at night for him to return, he never shows back up. She knows something bad has happened. Sadly, she walks back to her “home” where Paul yells at her, screams at her, calling her a slut – but she lustfully, but uncomfortably caresses Paul and kisses him in which eventually leads to the unhappiness she knows she’s stuck with. In the film’s final sequence, we witness her endearing pain. In her eyes we realize that she’ll never forget about Paul Maine – her escape to her happiness.
What the press would say:
Salma Hayek gives a blisteringly powerful and authentic performance in The Hand of Maine, the new film written and directed by Academy Award winning director Mike Nichols (2004’s Closer). “Hayek is the reason why Oscar was invented,” says film critic Roger Ebert. “Not only should it be the second Best Actress winner for a foreign-speaking role, Hayek should go down in history as the Best Spanish Actress performance to come around in ten or so years!” Co-critic Richard Roeper adds on to Ebert’s review with: “it certainly is the best performance of the year, her performance alone sets the film a flying toward my top ten of the year.”
Ryan Gosling stars as Hayek’s evil husband in the drama. Following his critically acclaimed Oscar nominated performance in 2006’s Half Nelson, Gosling proves with his evil villain that he can actually make you hate him with the twitch of an eye, the pitch of his voice, and the way his character is performed with complexly. So complex that it’s at times hard to hate him like we’re supposed to. He is “ a great actor” (Roeper) and he makes a character so three-dimensional, we’re taken in by his wickedly demented mind.
In a performance not over twenty-five minutes in length, its absolutely breathtaking watching Academy Award nominated actor Paul Giamatti. “With such a small character,” says Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers. “He is fascinating to watch as he goes beyond the material the film gives to bring a complex and believable performance. Smelling Oscar for him this time!” He nervously but astonishingly portrays the character of Paul Maine to the point of where we forget its Giamatti and we believe it is Maine. Plus, his British accent is “wholly believable!” (Travers)
The Hand of Maine is splendidly scripted by Mike Nichols whose witty Spanish dialogue fills three quarters of the film. He fluently pieces together scene after scene – broadening Hayek’s loneliness, Gosling’s sneakiness, and Giamatti’s tenderness – into a fantastic drama, with the heart of a strong female character in its core. “A bold and unforgettable female masterwork showcasing Mike Nichols’ in his finest hours. There isn’t any greater foreign picture this year!” (Ebert)
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Mike Nichols
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Actress – Salma Hayek
Best Supporting Actor – Paul Giamatti
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