Like so many of you, I've been captivated the last eight week with HBO's The Mare of Easttown. Just when you think you have things all figured out, the show throws another twist your way. Is the town priest, the victim's baby daddy or Mare's best friends creepy brother-in-law? Most likely, it's none of them.
The entire cast is stellar and I especially enjoyed the performances from Kate Winslet, Jean Smart and Evan Peters. It was also a nice surprise to see Winslet again paired with Guy Pearce. Guy played Monty Beragon to Winslet's Mildred in HBO's 2011 adaptation of Mildred Pierce. I loved the original movie, and had some issues with the mini-series, (especially Evan Rachel Wood) but Pearce was great as Monty, likable, even when the character was not.
Seeing Pearce in Mare of Easttown had me reflecting on some of his past roles, especially the ones with a little skin. Many remembers Pearce's butt baring scene in Memento (2000) and the talented actor also bared his butt briefly in both Mildred Pierce and 1994's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Pearce's first nude scene however, was in 1993, just a few years after his turn on the Australian soaps Neighbours and Home and Away. Although Pearce had a few supporting roles, Flynn (My Forgotten Man) was the actors first leading role in a film. The biographic film spotlighted Errol Flynn's early life before his Hollywood fame. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a box office hit.
Mare of Easttown
'A young Errol Flynn (Guy Pearce) foretells his wicked ways in Hollywood with exploits in New Guinea and Australia.'
'From a dazzling nude scene in the first few minutes FLYNN gets off to a fairly robust and interesting start. Sadly, FLYNN runs out of steam after about the first 35 minutes and with the entrance of hammy Steven Berkoff in a detour to New Guinea). The film starts to resemble a tele movie rather than a major cinema biography. Believe it or not, by about the 70 minute make, it is boring and you are glad to see it over.'
IMDB
Thankfully, we do have that nude scene, although I'm not sure I'd describe it as dazzling... It's a bit dark, but director Frank Howson doesn't do a quit edit and cut away and keeps the camera on Guy's glutes for about 20 seconds.
