acting Tagged Articles at Cinematical
How Surprised Should We Be By Good Acting?
Filed under: Fandom »
While watching House the other day, I was once again struck by just how great Hugh Laurie is. I'm not the only one -- he's been nominated for a bunch of Emmys and won a few Golden Globes. People rave about his talents, and the way his accent seems to disappear without a trace. We're mesmerized.But should we be? I mean, how much shock and awe should we feel towards actors who are simply doing their jobs well? The more I think about it, and about Hollywood in general, the more it seems like we've been conditioned for badness. Pull off a halfway decent accent and we'll be pleased. Cry in a realistic way and we'll buy it. Make everything look real and we'll be putty in your hands. But wait ... isn't that their job?
Of course, entertainment is an emotional business designed to push our buttons, whether those buttons be happiness, sadness, madness, fear. Something done well will appeal to us on a deeper level for this very reason. You can't not feel inspired and drawn to a perfect performance. But emotions aside, should it? The nuances of a talented actor should be praised, without a doubt. But where do you draw the line?
It's impressive when someone pulls off an accent, cries convincingly, morphs themselves in particular ways, or carries off a particular presence. But where is the line between basic job requirements and praiseworthy work? Have we, as moviegoers, come to expect too little of our actors?
Note: Hugh is merely a launchpad for this discussion. I am, in no way, implying his talents aren't notable enough for recognition.
Interview: Jim Carrey
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », New Line », Movie Marketing », Interviews »
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I recently got the chance to sit down for a brief one-on-one with Jim Carrey during a press junket (translate: press torture simulator) for The Number 23. If you've never seen a junket before, they're pretty brutal. They invite dozens of members of the press to show up, give them interview slots with the talent, and then stick to their schedule tighter than KFC sticks to their secret spices recipe. Seriously, if they put the people in charge of scheduling these things in some sort of high-ranking position at the airlines, there would never be a late flight again. It's scary how efficiently they are run.
Now, keep in mind that this wasn't going to be the Ace Ventura Jim Carrey, or the Bruce Almighty one, but the darker and more brooding Jim Carrey -- closer to the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Carrey than any other. I wanted to ask him why his dramatic roles don't perform as well as his comedic ones, but I was worried that he might respond to the question by leaping across the room and tearing my throat out. Of course, this nervousness resulted in me kicking his foot, and finding out that if he was Tommy Lee Jones, I might have been worse for wear.
At any rate, I was ushered into the mysterious hotel room that was decorated in dark motifs for the film, and sat down with what turned out to be a genuinely nervous Jim Carrey. (Because of course, I'm so famous and all, it must have been slightly intimidating for him.) I found him to be real and honest, and he didn't give "canned" Hollywood answers, which I actually half-expected. Maybe the foot-kicking loosened him up. By the way, the Jenny McCarthy questions were "off limits," so I didn't bother asking those. Check out the video, and Jim's long hair, after the jump.
Causes and Criticisms -- Actors Speaking Out
Filed under: Documentary », Awards », Celebrities and Controversy », Family Films », Politics », Oscar Watch »
I love when celebrities speak their minds, because 1) it is interesting to hear what they have to say, and 2) their minds are often filled with controversial statements. Actors especially are given crap for giving their opinions, but really how is it different for them to advertise a cause or point of view than to sell fashion or goods? Is it different because they aren't getting paid for their thoughts? Is it okay for them to support charities and causes through events but not through interviews? And shouldn't Susan Sarandon, who is well known for being one of the more outspoken celebrities in the world today, find another way to attempt communication with more conservative-minded people than by way of her own voice? Here are the latest in celebrity causes and criticisms:- According to the Daily News, Sarandon is one of a few celebrities trying to get The Ground Truth seen by members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and subsequently one of a few now slamming the military for lack of interest. On Veteran's Day, the actress joined Cher, Paul Haggis, Olivia Wilde and others for a special AOL event, during which they spoke with war veterans and promoted the documentary. Now, apparently Cher has made 5,000 copies of the film's DVD for American soldiers to view, but Army, Navy and Marine Corps bases are not showing any thanks. An Army spokeswoman responded via the newspaper, saying that the film is an activist piece, not a documentary, and says that it, "has a definite point of view," adding that the military isn't encouraging soldiers to boycott the film, but it isn't interested in promoting it to them (what does she find more suitable for the troops? Sahara). While it is obvious that The Ground Truth has a bit of a slant -- it would be impossible for it not to -- I found it mostly unbiased, actually. You can read my review of the film here.
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