When Less Is More…
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 14:20 by Emma Cochrane in Empire States
 There’s two very good films on this Saturday – Shakespeare In Love (ITV1, 10.15pm) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (C4, 7.30pm). But being a discerning Empire reader you already know they’re good films. Heck, you’ve probably seen them both a gazillion times. But the reason I mention them is they feature very good performances from good looking people who Hollywood tried to turn into leading men.
It’s something I like to call the ‘Good Looking Actor Fallacy’ or GLAF™. It’s the fallacy that just because someone is good looking, they can carry a film. Maybe, it’s just that some Hollywood execs are lazy and think, “Hey, there’s a good looking dude. We won’t worry about giving him anything like good dialogue or character motivation ‘cause all the slobs want to do it look at him and drool anyway…”
I’m talking about people like Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett and Orlando Bloom, Yes, they’re pretty. And in the films mentioned above they also deliver great performances but put them in a larger role and they seem to suck the air out of thing like a big vaccum cleaner. I have no objection to Orlando Bloom, with a huge gang of fellow fighters around him, shooting off a few arrows for the good of the cause. I do object to having to cringe through two hours of him trying to take centre-stage in a Cameron Crowe movie.
In the case of Ben Affleck, even way back when he was writing his own script, he knew less was more – he saved the killer speech in Good Will Hunting for himself. The “In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch The Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you.” Speech, but it wouldn’t have had so much impact if he’d been hogging up the screen for the previous 90 minutes. Check out Hollywoodland, the only recent film where he’s played a significant supporting role and see how much brighter he shines.
Rupert Everett stole the show to such an extent in My Best Friend’s Wedding, they decided to shoot an extra final scene with him and then offered him a spin-off movie…which turned into Madonna vehicle The Next Best Thing. Double Whammy.
Madonna’s another one who had shown promise in supporting roles (Desperately Seeking Susan, A League Of Their Own) but she can’t be a character actress – she’s Madonna! So bring on the leading roles. And yet the longer she’s on screen the proportional worse her performance seemed.
I’m not saying these actors suck, I’m saying that they’re being cast incorrectly because they’re attractive. So bring on the wrinkles! Then we’ll see what they can really do…
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Comments
| 1 |
ascohen01
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 14:50
I get what your saying Emma - But I did enjoy Kingdom Of Heaven Special Edition and thought that Orlando just about pulled it off....... Just !!! |
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| 2 |
dunkah
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 16:57
This is exactly the kind of attitude in Hollywood that almost scuppered The Godfather. |
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| 3 |
Revstar
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 19:56
Absolutely true about Ben Affleck: Look at Shakespeare in Love - one of the best things I've seen him do, stole just about every scene he was in mercilessly out from under the nose of that lump of two by four Fiennes, and got a good laughs in for good measure. Boy is a support part and does well at it! |
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| 4 |
DrZoidberg1974
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 21:23
Changing Lanes is a good example of a great Affleck performance, but it was more of a two hander with Samuel L Jackson as well.
Oh, and Affleck was da bomb in Phantoms!
(Had to be the first to say it!) |
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| 5 |
Mr Fox
Posted on Friday September 12, 2008, 22:33
I suppose the same can be said for Jack Black, really. He steals every scene in High Fidelity, but when he's driving his own vehicle the only response the audience can muster is a resounding "Mah..." |
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| 6 |
martindean1981
Posted on Monday September 15, 2008, 09:03
How can you say that Changing Lanes is a great Affleck performance? The movie sucks. Samuel Jackson is one too. He hasn't made a good movie since Pulp Fiction. Stop making bad movie choices Samuel! |
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| 7 |
BethN21286
Posted on Monday September 15, 2008, 13:41
I think it's unfair to lump Ben Affleck and Rupert Everett in with Orlando Bloom and his like.
Rupert Everett has good comic timing and a kind of nonchalant charm which endears him to people.
Ben Affleck has his exceptionally pointy jaw, nifty writing style and a quick-way-of-talking-that-makes-you-strain-for-every-word.
Orlando Bloom should sew his mouth up, and just stand there looking pretty. The man is a hottie, there's no denying that but to say he's as stiff as a board would insult the flexibility of boards everywhere. He was the weakest thing in POTC and Elizabeth town was achingly nauseating. Come to think of it, excepting moments where he argues with a dwarf over body counts he should stick to posters. |
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| 8 |
darko18
Posted on Monday September 15, 2008, 14:04
SIL was just a pretentious chick flick for Daily Made readers. Honestly, did you even remember it existed until this article? NO! |
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| 9 |
darko18
Posted on Monday September 15, 2008, 14:15
Made? Mail. |
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| 10 |
Ace Rothstein
Posted on Monday September 15, 2008, 22:17
Yeah, I'm sick of way too attractive actors. When Mean streets was made in 1973, Robert De Niro, wasn't made to look very attractive. He didn't care, we didn't, his performance was great. They also thought Al Pacino was unattractive for the godfather and you cannot imagine anyone else in the role. Don't forget Woody Allen. |
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| 11 |
leon_the_iguana
Posted on Tuesday September 16, 2008, 19:34
Hmmm... your 'Madonna is better the shorter she spends in a movie' argument is interesting, until you factor in Die Another Day - an average blockbuster, a bad film, a terrible bond film and made all the more worse with Madge reading from a script likely held up beside the camera. |
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| 12 |
DrZoidberg1974
Posted on Tuesday September 16, 2008, 20:17
martindean - Kindy elaborate on your "Changing Lanes sucks" arguement? The only thing wrong with this film was the trailer, which advertised the film as a bog-standard, Hand That Rocks The Cradle-style psycho-thriller with Samuel L Jackson as the psycho and Ben Affleck as the wronged do-gooder. The actual film is a great drama with no hero or villain, just two human characters who made very silly, spur of the moment decisions. And both lead performances were brilliant. |
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| 13 |
Balian of Ibelin
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 22:12
Orlando Bloom is a good actor but maybe he should be in a silent movie or something. He has presence but doesn't compare to the likes of James McAvoy who holds the screen with huge force when it comes to emotional scenes. Both are gorgeous but, one is greater than the other. The hotties are cast for being hotties and thats what I like.
As for short but sweet, Ewan McGregor in Miss Potter. OK film but what a performance from Ewan! I like Paris Je Taime because it's all short but sweet and every actor says just enough or in some cases, nothing at all!!!
Perhaps Scottich actors are better and more attractive!?
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| 14 |
Kittys_Gremlin
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 10:34
How about the other side of the argument tho. When people forget just how talented an actor/actress is because they're pretty?
Look at Brad Pitt as an example. Most people forget how talented he is because he's good looking. He receives more attention for his looks than his acting credentials. (I'm sure there's better examples but it's Mon morning & I'm tired) |
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| 15 |
PythonFan
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 17:36
I can't believe I'm about to stand up for Ben Affleck but I think he did a good job of carrying Chasing Amy. Granted, it was Jason Lee who stole the movie but I thought Affleck did a good job and always does with Kevin Smith. I think sometimes it's just down to the material and the characters.
Personally, I can't stand Orlando Bloom as an actor I think he is just a plank. Seems like a really nice guy generally tho! |
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| 16 |
KT Abbott
Posted on Wednesday October 1, 2008, 09:17
I have long held this belief on Ben Affleck and would also like to throw Mark Wahlberg's name into the mix as well... |
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