Glamour! Big Acting ! An Accent! A few hallmarks of Cate Blanchett's performances that we love are present in Sally Potter's The Man Who Cried (2001). It's a commanding star turn that shows Blanchett at her best, and for that the movie is a must-see for every Blanchett fan. We discuss the film and performance. Plus revisit Mrs. America and the show's chances at the winter TV awards (Golden Globes and SAG). Hosted and produced by Murtada Elfadl with guest Nathaniel Rogers of The Film Experience. ...
Jan 10, 2021•54 min•Season 3Ep. 32
This week we discuss Galadriel, Cate Blanchett's most iconic role. We delve into the enduring populariy of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and what diffrentiates them as excellent action adventure films, what makes Galadriel so special within Blanchett's filmography and even ask Peter Jackson for a Boromir / Aragon rom-com. For this conversation Murtada Elfadl welcomes filmmaker Conrado Falco , co-creator of the show Wormholes and host of The Criterion Project podcast . Produced and Edited by Murt...
Jan 03, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 31
It's time for another delicious villian from Cate Blanchett. The Wicked Stepmother in 'Cinderella,' the 2015 live action Disney remake, directed by Kenneth Branagh. For this conversation Murtada Elfadl welcomes writer and podcaster Manish Mathur , host of It Pod To You and Queer and Now podcasts. Produced and Edited by Murtada Elfadl . Support the show...
Dec 27, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 30
This week we are take a brief detour from the films of Cate Blanchett. Instead we are discussing a current film, out on release now, Ammonite. Plus the career of Kate Winslet and in the latter part of the podcast we discuss a few other queer films out this season. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest queer writer-performer, producer and filmmaker Ren Jender , whose work has appeared in The New York Times, NPR , Slate, Bandcamp and The Village Voice. Produced and Edited by Murtada Elfadl . Support...
Dec 20, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 29
We kickoff the 3rd season of the podcast with the last film we saw in theaters for Cate Blanchett. Richard Linklater's Where'd You Go, Bernadette. For this conversation Murtada Elfadl welcomes Dan Mecca and Connor O' Donnell , hosts of the The B Side podcast . Produced and Edited by Murtada Elfadl . Support the show...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 28
The podcast will be coming back from hiatus soon. Season 3 arriving wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl . Support the show
Nov 08, 2020•2 min
For the 2nd season finale of the podcast, we return to 1998. Elizabeth was Cate Blanchett's international breakout and the first time many people saw her on screen. Hence it deserves a revisit. To discuss the film again, along with Blanchett's first Academy Award nomination and the 1998 best actress Oscar race, Murtada Elfadl welcomes Izzy from Be Kind Rewind . Produced and Edited by Murtada Elfadl . Support the show...
Jun 14, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 27
It's not Maid Marian but rather Marion Loxely, a more modern take on Robin Hood' s paramour, played by Cate Blanchett in Ridley Scott's 2010 version of the folklore tale of the legendary outlaw and his merry men. For this discussion Murtada Elfadl welcomes back Teo Bugbee. Support the show
Jun 07, 2020•56 min•Season 2Ep. 26
To review the last two episodes of Mrs. America Murtada Elfadl welcomes back writer and filmmaker Tayler Montague . The TV miniseries about the fight to ratify the equal rights amendment in the 1970s is created by Dahvi Waller and stars Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly, the right wing polarizing organizer. Produced and Edited by Murtada Elfadl . Support the show...
May 31, 2020•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 25
The costumes are green, the hair is red and Cate Blanchett is the Wicked Witch in Hanna (2011). Ostensibly a thriller about a teenage assassin, it reveals itself to be a fairytale with a modern twist. For this disscussion, Murtada welcomes back Gavin Mevius , co-host of The Mixed Reviews Podcast . Support the show...
May 24, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 24
We continue recaping and reviewing Hulu's Mrs. America starring Cate Blanchett. This week we will tackle episodes 6 and 7 of the series about Jill Ruckelshaus played by Elizabeth Banks and Bella Abzug played by Margo Martindale. Also in this episode an interview with Bria Samoné Henderson who plays activist Margaret Sloan on the show. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest Andy Stewart. Support the show...
May 17, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 23
We continue recaping and reviewing Hulu's Mrs. America starring Cate Blanchett. This week we tackle episodes 4 and 5 dealing with Betty Freidan (Tracey Ullman) and Brenda Feigen Fasteau (Ari Graynor) debating Phyllis Schlafly (Blanchett). Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest staff writer at Backstage , Casey Mink . Support the show...
May 03, 2020•49 min•Season 2Ep. 22
We are going back to the early 1970s to recap the first three episodes of Cate Blanchett's first major TV role in the FX on Hulu show, Mrs America as polarizing right wing figure Phyllis Schalfly. We discuss her performance, the all star cast, the costumes and review the show. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest writer and filmmaker Tayler Montague . Support the show...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 21
After last week, we stay with Cate Blanchett during WW2. This time as an Australian nurse in a Japanese internment camp who becomes part of a voice choir with her fellow prisoners of war in Paradise Road (1997). Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest Nathaniel Rogers of The Film Experience. Support the show...
Apr 12, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 20
For this episode we visit with Cate Blanchett among the ruins of 1945 Berlin in Steven Soderbergh's re-creation of a 1940s drama, The Good German . A film and performance we consider to be Blanchett's most underrated. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest Megan McGurk , host of Sass Mouth Dames podcast. Support the show...
Apr 05, 2020•53 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In Truth, Cate Blanchett plays journalist and TV news producer Mary Mapes in the story of the fallout from the CBS investigation into George Bush's military service, that led to the resignation of Dan Rather. The performance was warmly recieved even if the film wasn't widely seen, we examine why in the latest episode. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest Kevin Jacobsen host of And The Runner-Up Is podcast. Support the show...
Mar 29, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode we discuss another Cate Blanchett foray into playing a villian in a big blockbuster; as Hela the goddess of death in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Other topics discussed include the Marvel cinematic universe, who's the best Chris and Taika Waititi's singular comedic vision. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest writer and critic Joi Childs , host of The Color Grade podcast. Support the show...
Mar 22, 2020•56 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In the 3rd and final part of the Blue Jasmine miniseries, we discuss Jasmine and her sisters. Annie Hall , Helen St Clair in Bullets Over Broadway , Maria Elena in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Cecilia in The Purple Rose of Cairo , among others. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with returning guest journalist and theater critic Jose Solís , of Token Theater Friends podcast. Support the show...
Mar 15, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In part 2 of the Blue Jasmine miniseries, we discuss the similarities with Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire , the character of Blanche Dubois, clearly is the blueprint for Jasmine. The many actresses who played Blanche or were inspired by her from the women in Pedro Almodovar’s movies to Gena Rowlands in A Woman Under the Influence to most recently Carey Mulligan in Wildlife . Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest TV and Film Journalist Candice Frederick . Support the show...
Mar 08, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In the first of three episodes about Blue Jasmine , we discuss Cate Blanchett as the real auteur of Blue Jasmine, and the many ways her performance makes her the author of the film. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with guest writer and critic Matthew Eng. Support the show
Mar 01, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 14
That heart wrenching closeup. That iconic buzzcut. That performance many think is one of Cate Blanchett's best. This week Murtada Elfadl welcomes Kyle Stevens to discuss Heaven (2002), directed by Tom Tykwer. Support the show
Jan 05, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 13
No new episode because of the holidays, however we are looking back at our first 12 episodes and what we learned about the films of Cate Blanchett so far. Support the show
Dec 29, 2019•29 min
We are going avant garde because "art is supposed to be radical." Murtada Elfadl welcomes Shelley Farmer to discuss Waiting for the Artist (2019), an episode of Documentary Now, and the film Manifesto (2017) which started as an art installation, two Cate Blanchett projets that grapple with what it means to be an artist! Support the show...
Dec 22, 2019•49 min•Season 1Ep. 12
A sea expedition to find a killer shark. A riff on Jacques Cousteau. Cate Blanchett enters the quirky and unique world of Wes Anderson. Murtada Elfadl welcomes producer and filmmaker Erica Mann to discuss The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). Support the show
Dec 15, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This week Murtada Elfadl welcomes Kate Halliwell to discuss Ocean's 8 and the period post Carol (2015) which they both consider to be Blanchett's peak celebrity and pop culture power. Support the show
Dec 08, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We are going big this week. Big movie. Big performance. Murtada Elfadl welcomes Gavin Mevius , co-host of The Mixed Reviews Podcast to discuss Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Support the show
Nov 24, 2019•55 min•Season 1Ep. 9
One of Cate Blanchett’s earliest films finds her working in Australia with Gillian Armstrong and Ralph Fiennes. It's an odd, eccentric but very feminist tale. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with Andy Stewart . Support the show
Nov 17, 2019•58 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Perhaps Cate Blanchett's least seen film, at least in the United States, Litte Fish (2005) is gritty and scrappy and unlike anything in her filmography. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with Valerie Complex . Support the show
Nov 08, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This week we discuss one of the most popular films Cate Blanchett has ever been in, yet oddly unrecognized as one of her signature parts. It's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher and co-starring Brad Pitt. Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with Andrew Kendall . Support the show
Nov 03, 2019•51 min•Season 1Ep. 6
What happens when an icon of cinema takes on another icon? Well an Oscar for starters. This week we discuss Cate Blanchett's performance as Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004). Hosted by Murtada Elfadl with Manuel Betancourt . Support the show
Oct 27, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 5
