#estellaestella onlyastoryteller saradobiebauer choupistikfaitdesbetises alittlefrenchtree thebitetheapple mysteryofcharmie

[talkingwoman]

Wanted:  A Mentor for an Adorable Motormouth

GQ Timothee, a sobriquet I use to describe the unique version of this actor created by Dan Riley in what he modestly (??!) describes as his trilogy of articles on our favorite moptop, emerges as someone almost unrecognizable to his faithful fans in all but the truly wonderful photos included in each installment in GQ.  This man, Timmy,  is IMHO in serious need of a mentor, someone on the level of Kevin Costner in the movie Bull Durham was to the young, wild and crazy pitcher played by Tim Robbins:  “C’mon kid, it’s time for us to work on your cliches for interviews when you get to the Bigs.”   Especially necessary for our Timmy when he is at the mercy of a highly experienced interviewer who fancies himself a “Tim whisperer”, full of insider information and shrewd insights into the personality and character of his subject.  Since Riley does not share whether he tapes his encounters with Timmy on their “rambling walks around NY”, relies on notes, or bothers to fact-check with his source when he composes his article, we can only hope that he uses the best practices associated with celebrity journalism (did I just utter an oxymoron?).

To be clear, I am not impugning the ethics or talent of Dan Riley.  Do I think he exploits his continued association with Timmy to get what he wants for a cover article?  Yeah, that’s his job.  He did not achieve his journalistic reputation for writing puff pieces.  I note with some hypersensitivity that Riley always manages to insert a measure of snark into his descriptions of Timmy, e.g., in the article when Timmy was in Woodstock and smashed a collection of empty bottles and said to Riley something like “I just wanted to hear what that would sound like...” seemed to signify the persona of a young actor experimenting for effect, even if disingenuously.  In the current piece a certain amount of shade is thrown on Timmy for showing up late (uninvited, Mr.Riley?) at Riley’s apartment in the heat of a NY night dressed in layers, a cap, and a mask, which in case the reader didn’t get it, Riley proceeds to point out was an outfit  certainly more likely to attract public attention than avoid it.  He then seals that observation by describing Timmy’s  subsequent, somewhat reluctant interaction with fans who recognized their favorite star on the street.  

Mostly, however, Riley lets the comments attributed to his subject speak for themselves and it is here that our boy babbles his way into more disclosures than are prudent or of any value to his own image.  Language and anecdote trip up Timmy  with alarming regularity in his interviews.  I am not at all sure how caissons (as in rolling along in the Marine Hymn) fit into the idea of adultifying as a person,  bedeviled by his actor’s gift? Fame?  Even more confusing is his reference to the 27  club of famous folk who died too young as if their cases apply to his 27yr old self.  Note to Timmy:  these folks, including Janis, Amy, Jimi, Jim, et al were seriously addicted to dangerous substances.  The comparison of accidental overdoses to your existential identity issues really looks lame, even misguided.  Similarly, just joking about being a 17 yr old with the soul of an 81 yr old man comes off as way too self aggrandizing.  What does even a guy at the advanced age of 27 know about the souls of 81 yr olds.?  Wiser to let others describe you that way than to self appoint your status as  resident sage.

Qualifying his pronouncements is an area that Timmy needs much help with from that mentor we are recruiting for him.  Two simple words, “to me” would be such a help in discussing subjects upon which his opinions may well be suspect based upon limited experience or simply wrong-headedness. The discussion of “good” HW and “bad” HW is a stellar case in point.  Such broad and bald descriptions are likely to provoke sneers about Timmy’s entitlement to share his opinion as if it is fact, and further compound the issue by naming people who are part of one category or the other is quite audacious.  “Old” HW is likely to respond with hostility as they may indeed already did in denying Timmy an Oscar nomination for his acclaimed and elsewhere nominated performance in Beautiful Boy.  Recall that in 2018, Timmy took a very public stance announcing that he would never work with Woody Allen again and also donate his salary for RDNY to the MeToo movement.  Apart from attacking an industry icon for alleged events that took place before he was born, and for which Allen was never charged, Timmy allegedly told Allen’s sister, Letty Aronson, a producer with an impeccable reputation that he took his action to improve his chances to win an Oscar for CMBYN. Is it a certainty that the audacity or opportunism of his action cost him a nomination?  Obviously not, but the genuine surprise registered among film critics and fans alike when the Beautiful Boy performance did not receive a nomination invited a lot of speculation to that effect.  BTW, Timmy’s team did not dispute Allen’s account of these events in his recently published memoir.

Of course, to the Charmie community, nothing in the November issue of GQ is as arresting as Timmy’s comments regarding Armie Hammer.  I have much I might say about this portion of the interview, but am not yet willing to commit these ideas to a written, indelible format.  Yep, I’m still struggling with the how could you, why would you angst inducing content of Timmy’s comments. Maybe later, maybe never will I share this.

For any of you who have made it to this point, thanks for your attention (endurance?).  Obviously, these are just my opinions, but the article hit me hard. I still love Timothee Chalamet, respect his tremendous talent, and lament the uncertainty that Riley’s article thrust into my consciousness.  But, wow, are those photos of Timmy stunning, or what?