Down in the Valley Tagged Articles at Cinematical

It became as clear as day to me after watching American History X that Edward Norton was a real actor that I needed to pay attention to. I wasn't the only one who felt that way. It's not that The People vs. Larry Flynt or Rounders weren't on the top of my cinematic appreciation list, but his portrayal as a reforming skinhead -- the pure humanity that he exposed through the character -- remains unforgotten. His careful consideration of the roles he plays leaves him with a resume flowing with fulfilling roles both for himself and for his audiences. In a recent interview with the Guardian Unlimited the actor talked about everything from the digital revolution in filmmaking, to working with David Fincher, to the freedom that acting gives a person to experience their full range of emotional expression. Norton appears to be fearless ... he is not afraid that the accessibility of filmmaking materials will kill the art of creating cinema.

He's certainly not afraid of vulnerable roles that show the ugliness inside a person. Acting to him is "in some ways, a free pass to exorcise all kinds of emotional stuff without the consequences." In preparing for a role, Norton has no go-to method. In fact, he relies on no methodology but instead approaches each role with a new way of creating. "So in the beginning, I always feel like I'm fumbling for an entry point." It should be a relief to any actor that someone of Norton's stature still feels like a fraud the minute a new project comes to fruition.

He is also not afraid of choosing films because they are poignant to him at the time. In fact, that is the number one reason he has chosen to work on Fight Club, 25th Hour and The Illusionist. "Most of the films that I've ever really responded to are ones that I feel were really involved in their times. They were documents of a moment, or an exploration of what was dysfunctional, fucked up or painful about that moment in time." Those films spoke to him directly as reflections on what was happening around him. They also happened to be great scripts made by talented artists. This is what is responsible for the variety and range of the roles that he chooses. "I like a lot of things, I just like them well done."

As I stare at the picture of Brad Pitt above, knowing that, to some women, he is considered the hottest piece of hot to ever grace the planet Hot, I question what it actually takes to be that kind of man. A real man. With a gun at my side and an open field of opportunity before me.

I mean, is there a "Guide to Becoming a Real Man" manual that I can buy? If I don't follow the manual strictly, does that mean I'm a fake man? And if I did turn out to be a fake man, could I skip work and use that as an excuse? "Well, see sir, I'm not a real man. I'm fake. Yeah, even if I did come into work, nothing real would get done. Everyone knows a fake man cannot do real work. Right?"

Regardless of what your definition of a "real man" is, the following films all feature men with real problems. Okay, one of them is about teenagers, but the director is a real maniac -- so that counts. I think. While I go off to try and figure out whether or not a real man is allowed to crave his Mom's cupcakes, how about you stick here and check out the following real trailers? Welcome to this week's Trailer Park ...