New topic of discussion: underrated actors and/or actresses. We can also throw in there underused. The first one I'm throwing out there is Paul Giamatti. For ever since I can remember seeing him in something, I've always thought of him as a fantastic actor. He has the acting chops for quite a lot, but I mostly find him excellent in dramatic roles. This being said, I don't think he is praised highly enough, I don't think he is used for enough roles, and I don't think he is always cast properly in some of the roles that he has played in the past. One of my favorite roles I've seen him in is the HBO miniseries John Adams, in which he of course plays John Adams himself. He does a superb job from beginning to end. I have in fact rewatched that series a couple of times, having it on DVD, just because I can't get enough of him in that series. I tend to get excited about any role he plays, even if the movie is not quite tracking the best, just because I know that with whatever role he is given he is going to do an amazing job with it.
What about you guys? Are there any actors and/or actresses that come to mind when it comes to being underrated and/or underused?
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I think Paul G is very respected in film circles at least since American Splendor. Let's not forget he has been in stuff Like Big Mama's House though too which might cloud the issue. I agree though he is great and always worth a watch.
ReplyDeleteA guy I love and wish got more A list type work is Sam Rockwell. He's pretty versatile and can run from disturbed and weakened (Snow Angels) to over the top (Iron Man 2 or Hitchiker's Guide) to both at the same time in the same roll (Moon).
I also reserve the right to designate Nichols Cage as the greatest thing to modern acting since Marlon Brando. EVERY film he's in needs to be given a chance beause you just don't know if the Cage will be unleashed. Even his really bad films like Ghost Rider seem to allow him to bring something to the table that is intersting. He's frustrating because he will lay 3 or 4 turds in a row and then blast out a good one. I still am holding out hope that one day Quentin Tarrantino will write a roll just for him and cinematic wonder will ensue.
I guess this makes Matchstick Men like the most underrated film ever for me.
For actresses I'll throw out a name that most people seem annoyed by while acknowledging she has absolutely been typecast since Girlfight but I like Michelle Rodriguez. She's not always amazing but she has presence and I'd take a chance on her in the right roll to do something different and surprise some people. Having said that if Aliens gets re-made she is the obvious choice for Vasquez.
Also - I've alwas liked Sarah Polley and Rose Byrne. I like they take chances with genre films and can elevate material that could border on stereo-typical but can still be great choices for dramatic stuff although Rose may be better suited for television. Bonus points for Rose - she's Australian.
Along these same line let's flip it: Who's an overrated actor or actress that maybe gets too much work?
I agree on Nicolas Cage, wholeheartedly. I like Michelle Rodriguez, but she only ever seems to be good for one specific role. I hardly ever see her smile in any role she plays. Rewatching Lost right now, I think she does a fantastic job as Anna Lucia, but that's what that role calls for. She's a cop/ex-cop so she's supposed to be bad-ass and stoic.
ReplyDeleteToo much work...Zach Galifiniakis? Admittedly, I haven't seen him in his most recent movie, but the last role I saw him in with Paul Rudd, can't even remember the name of the movie it was that bad, he did not impress. Absolutely loved him in the first Hangover, so we'll see how he does in the second.
I could also probably throw Bradley Cooper in there. He's never been amazing to me, yet he gets so many roles nowadays. I haven't seen Limitless to comment on his acting chops in that, but he always seems to be kind of a one-trick pony as well.
What about any up-and-coming actors/actresses? With catching up on some Filmspotting lately, they have been big on Michael Fassbender and all the movies he's going to be in coming up even just this year. He is going to be Magneto in X-Men: First Class, Carl Jung in A Danger Method and a few others. He played Lt. Archie Hicox in Inglourious Basterds, Stelios in 300, he was in Jane Eyre, Fish Tank, Hunger and a slew of other things. I think he is going to be a well-known actor with broad chops and a prolific resume.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on Bradley Cooper. I get he's sort of handsome but I have never seen him in anything where he has even approached charisma. He's lucky he's been opposite a lot of mediocre co stars. Can you imagine him trying to hold onto some scenery wih George Clooney or Phillip Seymour Hoffman or something.
ReplyDeleteUp n Comers:
Jennifer Lawrence. Oscar nominated for Winter's Bone. She's Mystique in X Men First Class. She has 3 other films coming out next year. One of those The Hunger Game is some young adult super novel that is popular with the kids. Could blow her up.
Jeremy Renner? Maybe he's already arrived but he seems on the cusp on mega stardom.
Rooney Mara will blow up for being cast in David Fincher's remake of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Paul Dano is a guy I like. Maybe he has already arrived but I've liked him in everything I've seen him in. Cowboys and Aliens could put him on another level (or take him down a notch.) He's in a film called Looper with Joseph Gordon Levitt next year about a mob hit man of the future who recognizes one of his hits as his future self. Might be cool.