Read and then return to discuss if you're so moved. Unless your name is Russell Crowe and you're carrying something heavy. I don't have enough medical insurance.
(Plus: Last two days to vote in the latest actor poll. Do it)
tags: Paul Rudd, Alessandro Nivola, Russell Crowe, Chris Cooper, Morgan Freeman
Posts
12 comments:
I actually think Crowe is a little low. He has had a great 5 years.
I think Crowe's about right. My absolute favourite of his 2000s perfs would be in Master & Commander. I did like him in Cinderella Man. Not so much in A Beautiful Mind and as you say Gladiator was fine but hardly oscar-worthy. Remember The Insider and co weren't in the 2000s.
Can't argue with the others either. Except Allesandro - but that's purely because I haven't seen enough of his work. And the stuff of his I have seen (TimeCode which i LOVE, JP3 and F/O) I don't really remember him blowing me away.
Russell Crowe AND Sean Penn in the 40's. Orlando Bloom, despite being an actor of questionable talent, will make it higher. In fairness to Bloom, his early 00's record is astonishing (LOTR, Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Carribean). Of course, if Penn gets slammed for I Am Sam, I'd expect Bloom to suffer for Elizabethtown/Troy/Kingdom of Heaven as well. Poor Nathaniel, as everyone reimagines his list to their liking (I do it with the oscars. In my world, Ian McKellan beat Roberto Benigni, and there is no such film as Crash. Except the David Cronenberg one, which the academy accidentally nominates).
I'm still surprised, though, that Crowe is so low. It seems like graduating into stardom, winning an oscar, and being generally acclaimed as one of the great modern actors should
Glenn, have you still not seen Junebug? That will seal the deal for Alessandro... and my my, that pic of him in the blog post is HOT.
A more daring top 100 would leave Russell Crowe out entirely. Of anyone ever considered "the finest actor of his generation," he's by far the most limited.
I was about to call you crazy for leaving Mansfield Park off Nivola's resume, but I see it was released in 1999.
yeah, that's me. always playing it safe.
sheesh. ;)
Carolina (2003) with Stiles and MacLaine was fairly mediocre but Nivola was H.O.T. hot!
I agree with Nat on Crowe to an extent.The thing about Russell Crowe, is that he takes on middlebrow roles that ooze superficial "quality". Period pieces, sappy Ron Howard mood pieces, overcoming adversity mental illness pieces.
Crowe performs these roles fine (and on some occassions excellentlly), but these roles are designed to garner praise for any solid actor who plays them. Aside from having a good ear for accents, I don't see the challenge in much Crowe has done recently. It's not difficult to look good in the parts he plays.
To my mind, Crowe is not that much better an actor than Mel Gibson (both have a remarkably similar style and range). Yet Gibson is not particularly feted as an actor (maybe he was in the 80's, but not anymore), while Crowe is supposed to be some god of acting. Gibson is as good in his " epic Crowe-like" roles (ie Braveheart) as Crowe is in Gladiator or Master And Commander.
It's like Crowe's career path is being dictated by some manual called "How to be an acclaimed Hollywood actor in 5 easy steps".
The main difference between Gibson and Crowe, is that Gibson wasn't making Oscar grabs like Braveheart every single year, while Crowe does. Put Crowe in the sort of average genre movie Gibson knew how to enliven, like The dismal Proof Of Life, and his limitations get quickly expose
Adam, Junebug doesn't even have a release date for release here so...
Well, I would have expected Chris Cooper to be ranked higher. But since I don't know who the 40 people are, that are still to come, it would be stupid to say, he's ranked too low. ;)
"...these roles are designed to garner praise for any solid actor who plays them. Aside from having a good ear for accents, I don't see the challenge in much Crowe has done recently. It's not difficult to look good in the parts he plays."
Maybe the roles aren't challenging but I see the huge talent that Crowe displays in them. Personally, I always feel he is more than fine. It may be true that he is overpraised - but then I think anybody who is put on a pedestal is overpraised, no matter how good they are. I think Russell Crowe is a terribly good actor though, and I do believe he has more talent than a lot of guys out there. I don't at all agree that he and Mel Gibson are on the same level, or all that crap about "The main difference between Gibson and Crowe..." though I think Gibson is fine.
You have an outstanding good and well structured site. I enjoyed browsing through it » » »
Post a Comment