Toni Collette is indeed one modern actress that should be getting !'s after her name every single time it is written. I thought I'd take a musical look at the wonderful Toni. We already knew she could sing, but now on October 7 (in Australia, anyway) she is releasing a CD. The single for "Beautiful Awkward Pictures" was released this week in Australia and you can have a gander over here. You can purchase it on iTunes too, i believe but that too may be Australian-only. I'm not entirely sure what the difference between tracks 1 and 3 are (the parenthesis is confusing), but whatever. Anyway, I just thought I'd go through Toni's musical past.
This is Toni's new song and video clip called "Beautiful Awkward Pictures", done with her husband's band The Finish. It's a quiet song, but it's really good. It reminds me of "Everything I've Got In My Pocket" from Minnie Driver's forgotten album (which apparently wasn't that bad. I wouldn't know, but I do like that one song). The video clip is awfully similar to Coldplay's "Yellow", but if you're gonna imitate...
This is Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin, Eartha Kitt and the cast of "The Wild Party" revival on Broadway performing a medley of songs at the Tony Awards (for which Toni was nominated for a Tony, I believe. Toni/Tony. LOL, simple things...) Toni sings real good here and it just proves that Toni should be cast as Liza Minelli in a biopic and not Zooey Deschenal (how can one actress play both Liza AND Janis Joplin and be believable as both?). Toni shows off her hoofing skills and she looks fabo.
This here is Toni performing "Stand By Me" in the Aussie flick Cosi from Mark Joffe in 1996. A pleasant if flawed film, it did reteam Collette with her Muriel's Wedding BFF Rachel Griffiths. But, even at the time when I saw it (probably 1997/98 on VHS) I recognised the highlight as being this scene. It was great. She is sooo good. And thankfully the scene isn't ruined by too many characters nodding there head in a culmunitive "Wow, she can really sing!" (the movie is about the members of a psychiatric ward performing "Cosi").
And for shits and giggles here is the trailer for Muriel's Wedding. I couldn't find single scenes from the movie so this'll have to do. There's a brief moment when you can see Toni and Rachel miming along to ABBA, which was such a great scene in the movie. Let's not forget (or, actually, lets do) Connie & Carla. Tellingly there isn't anything on YouTube about that movie that's over 30 seconds. I haven't seen that There is also Toni performing "Killing Me Softly With His Song" in About a Boy. I can't remember whether she actually sang that in the movie or just over the credits or something? The entire soundtrack is performed by Badly Drawn Boy (whatever happened to him?) and I don't remember the movie that well. I remember the kid singing it at the pageant but that's it. Hmmm.
BTW, it's her birthday on November 1. She turns, wait for it, 34!!! She's still a youngen!
Anyway, I just thought that would be a fun little thing to write up about. For more Toni Collette loving at Stale Popcorn check out my write up of Toni in Japanese Story from my Best of the 2000s countdown. She ranked #3 behind two other Aussie gals Nicole (Dogville) and Naomi Watts (Mulholland Dr. at #2 and #1 respectively).
2 comments:
Awesome post! Can't wait til I get out of work and can go home (where I can use sound on my computer) and watch all of these.
I know it may sound indefensible, but "Connie & Carla" wasn't that bad. There is a lot you have to forgive (or just ignore) but it is probably worth it, to see Toni belt out a showtune (or ten).
The opening airport-bar medly is actually very funny. (But yes, I'll concede the film kind of goes downhill from there!)
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