So I believe I promised this review about two years ago...........yeah, I'm sorry that didn't happen but knowing me I kept putting it off until I gave up on it. I wanted to bring it back today because I believe it is 4 years ago today that the Maria finale aired! In a way this is a goodbye for me to one great program! I still can't believe it's been so long!
Does anyone still remember the finale? I think the part I'm about to review could be my one of my favorite moments on the show ever, if not my favorite!! Two, stunning, beautiful performances from Siobhan, what more could I ask for?
The final moments of the show for Siobhan starts off with a montage of the final three in Salzburg. Where there's random shots of the girls recreating memorable moments from Do Re Mi and getting their pictures taken. It's adorable! I haven't watched this in a long time so they all seem so young here!!
As Connie says Salzburg is "absolutely breathtaking", and it is stunning! It's definitely on my list of places I need to see before I die. I wonder if it's anywhere near Fucking, Austria because that's another place that's needs to be visited! Mostly just because I want to take a picture next to the sign that says I'm in Fucking! Thanks Graham!
Anyways back on track the montage leads us to the girls at the Church gate where they're discussing where they have seen this place in the film. They're inching the faces into the gate so far to get a better look but what they find is something a bit more creepy! ALW walks into view and all you hear the next couple seconds is screaming! It's always a good rewind moment hearing all of them scream, I still can't tell if that was staged or not but Siobhan's laugh is so loud and......well a little sadistic that she sounds genuinely shocked! I love it! A lot of laughs make me laugh with them. A perfect example would be Natalie Portman's drunk laugh in Léon, (look it up!) gets me every time. Siobhan's laugh falls into that category, it's just contagious!
Andrew brings them into the church and my favorite version of Ave Maria is playing in the background so it goes well with all the crying. From a film kid's POV I really love this part for the great shots that I get to see and "freeze frame". There's great depth of field that make beautiful screencaptures. There's a few of Siobhan that are just lovely. At one point where they've got the camera full on in her face and she's crying, I'm thinking to myself, does this girl know how beautiful she is? She's showing herself to millions of people, all vunerable, ready to be smashed to pieces! And yet she's fighting back as much as she can, showing them what she can do! That's when you can truly see through someone, when they don't have their mask on. Siobhan seemed to be one of the few in Maria where I could see through them and know who they were deep down. Or at least as much as you can know from an 8-week reality tv show.
End of that segment onto the 2nd songs! The finalists are wearing .....CURTAINS! Actually I think they all look lovely! Siobhan looked like she could be a Disney princess in hers! Her hairstyle for that night was definitely different, but she looked really gorgeous. I'd say it's my second favorite hairstyle with Songbird being the best! Hah!
So Siobhan's up first getting ready to sing "My Favorite Things". I really wanted her to get The Lonely Goatherd so she could show off a bit more talent, but no that has to go to the one they wanted to win of course!! But that's ok, because she didn't get Do Re Mi! Phew!
So she gets ready, sitting down on the stage and she looks poised like she could be a Liesel! She sings adorably, every mannerism is gracefully ticked in the correct place! This performance is absolutely perfect for me! But to me it's not performed like Maria would, it's performed like a younger girl, possibly more Liesel. Still this performance is my favorite of the three. The voice, the look, the great use of the stage, it's perfect!! I use this performance in my videos all the time, when she makes a stage angel PERFECTLY! I love that moment too much. Or when the camera follows her up the stairs and follows her turn PERFECTLY again! Far away in the crowd you can see John swinging back and forth in his chair, you can practically see his smile 20 feet away. Zoe sweeping her hair from her face like she's heard this 100 times already (which she probably has). And David starts talking to Zoe about something, hopefully on the topic.
Then comes the "woof" of the dog, which is so ridiculously cute!! And quite fascinating as well! The little dance she does at the end is again wonderfully in sync with the song and I'm shocked she can do it in heels. Must take a lot of practice!!
On to the judges so she can be ridiculed! But right before that there's a shot of her brother decked out in a supportive red maria t-shirt! Which I think is pretty awesome! Go Bro!
Back to the judges where David Ian starts off, he makes one of his jokes that's slightly perverted but we get over it quickly. He goes on to say that she sung much better than her last performance since Cilla Black "ain't her style" and her voice is more suited for Julie Andrews. You can see Siobhan pulling on her fingers at this point she's probably just trying to calm herself, poor thing. I probably mentioned that before but she would do that a lot and it's completely normal, I would do anything to stop myself from crying. Hold my hands tight, bite my lip hard, make faces that aren't in the shape of someone upset. She did them all in these couple minutes. David says he's still waiting for that "emotional explosion" from her to give her the winning role. I think I understand what he means but then again I don't. Siobhan's the contestant who's showed the most emotion on that stage. I've seen her countless times pour her heart on it. But I guess that's not what they wanted. It's certainly what I look for in a performer but not a casting director. They wanted an actress. Some who can pretend better than anyone else. Not someone who actually becomes the character. That was the difference I saw in Siobhan from Helena and Connie. She hadn't learnt to pretend yet, not really.
John next spilling out the obvious, where they are on the subject of Angels. She looks like one, she sounds like one, she might as well sprout some wings! He then says she's putting up a fight where she nods and which says to me "yes thank you for noticing my struggle here John." She says "I'm trying" and I definitely noticed how much she is trying. Her two performances here are by far her best ones, for me at least. Yes, Songbird will always be remembered as her standout and most loved performance, but her acting improved so much in these last couple.
Zoe next saying she sang really beautifully, very high, very sweet, just like Maria. It's a sweet moment, she says thank you so thoughtfully. Siobhan at this point will take anything good thrown at her, simple or not.And then dun dun dun, Andrew's turn to finalize everything. Siobhan inwardly laughs as he calls her delightful and delicious and I love it as much as I find it creepy. The camera slowly inches closer to face while she suddenly realizes his praise stops there and the laugh stops. Andrew again repeats that he doesn't think she's ready for the role, that nerves will get to her. I now realize he was right. I commend her for being so brave trying to hold back tears, but at the same time it shows that she wasn't ready for this role. Four years ago I wouldn't have said anything of this. Four years ago I was angry at the result, (which I got to hear over the phone and then watch on youtube hours later) when I thought Siobhan was the best and none of the other contestants mattered that much. But it's taken a lot of re-watching to see the tiniest of details that have shaped my conclusions. Plus, I know these contestants 200% more than I did then, I like them all! Still only love one though ;)
I love the moment where he says "I'm not saying this because I don't think you're great, because you are!" It's poetic Andy! She is great, I'm glad you noticed.
Fast forward through Helena and Connie, they were both good both got great comments blah blah. Then it brings us to another montage in Salzburg where Andrew's final challenge for them was to sing The Hills are Alive in the Hills! I think this was the biggest disappoint for me with Siobhan coming 3rd. I never got to hear her sing this song at any point in the program! I still want to hear her sing this song one day, hopefully the world or whoever is listening will get to hear her sure to be beautiful version.
On to the results and it's intense with more red, orange, and hot pink!! The shot of Siobhan here looking down is one of my favorites. It's so symmetrical and serene, something that start's with S! So after we zoom in on everyone's faces at least three times each Helena's put through and everyone says "OH". This is where I said "bye Siobhan you had a good run!". I think she knew she was going home after her first performance but there's always that question in your mind that says "well what if?" Her thoughts were probably so conflicted with each other. One side probably just wanted her name to be called because she knew she wasn't ready and was so scared. The other part saying I've worked sooo hard for this, I think that I can do this! I know I can! It's a lot of thought in a few seconds but being that nervous makes your mind run a lot faster. The person I don't understand in this part is Connie. Her faces show that she thinks she's actually going home. It's kind of funny actually. At one point right before Graham calls out Siobhan you see Connie's eyes tighten so hard looks like it hurts. She's pleading! Poor girl didn't know she was going to win from the very beginning.
Siobhan's finally called. That's it, she ended up with 3rd. I'll just say she did absolutely brilliantly throughout and out of all 4 of these shows now she still remains my favorite. Definitely goes in the Top 10 of all Andrew's contestants for me. Probably a definite Top 7 as well. She hugs Connie while Connie says "she loves her", I'm doubting that Connie was saying that earlier in the program! But I'm glad they became friends from this. Graham asks her who should win and she preciously says "oh that's horrible I can't do that no, no, you do it!" and laughs again so adorably. She ends up choosing Connie only because they are roomies and they do their little hand signal to each other as only roomies do!
Andrew starts talking about major record deals and than asks her if she's interested in one. She's shocked beyond belief and laughs it off like "why would I ever want that?" It's another funny moment I love her for. That laugh again is so marvelous I can't take it! David and Siobhan say their goodbyes in the only way that they can. And for the first time David speaks true words when he says he hopes to employ her in the theatre one day soon! That soon being 3 years ago as one miss Patty Simcox!
Now here comes Siobhan's true moment to shine and say "look here guys, this is what you're missing!" She really delivers and it's seriously unbelievable! Music starts and she's singing, I notice she's the only one of the goodbyes to actually sing this in character. I like it! She's playing it off like she's one of the kids, well atleast for the first half! She winks to Connie and possibly to Helena as well.
Connie messes up on her goodbye hand signals and it's interesting to watch her stop herself and correct herself in all of 2 seconds. That's a pro right there. But also every time I see it, I can't help but laugh.
"I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye" I could listen to this all day no joke. The way she sings the "goodbyes" are outstanding! One for the audience, one for the judges, and one for the girls with a wave! The last goodbye is the most beautiful note I've ever heard. It's a great moment in television for me! It's captured pure beauty in every way.
And that's it folks! I've finally finished looking back at the past after all this time. I'm sure I'll talk about Maria again sometime but I won't again to this extent. I hope you enjoyed my rants of nonsense, I hope they made at least a little bit of sense!
In a way to finally say a goodbye I might make one last fan video for Siobhan but I'll just have to pick the perfect song. Until then go have a marathon of maria to have your own celebration! I might even kick back and watch a couple for old times sake:)
