Clive Owen is #6 in the Actors of the Aughts Countdown, thus concluding a weird little mini-clump of scary heartthrobs (see also: Daniel Craig and Christian Bale) in the top ten Read the Rest...
The top five will begin on Monday June 26th and the countdown will conclude on Thursday, June 29th.
Previous TFE Notes on Clive
Closer review
FB Bronze Medal for Closer
2004 Oscar Race Supporting Actor.
Gosford Park review
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19 comments:
His performance in Closer is one of those legendary perfs that the Academy is going to wish it had honored someday (much like Heath this year). Can't wait to see what his next great role will be.
Agree, Morgan Freeman OWES Clive Owen; kinda in the same way that the Academy felt it OWED Morgan Freeman at the time.
I'll always most associate his swaggering screen charm with his early work in "Chancer". Which I recently re-watched, and it still holds up...
Rob
I've never really understood why people like Clive Owen so much. When I look at him I just see some guy with a deep, monotone voice and overly intense eyes...everytime I see him in a new movie I try to understand it but I can never see anything special about him.
But you make that 'Close My Eyes' movie sound interesting - maybe I should just keep giving him a chance until I finally see it. Or maybe I never will. Maybe I should rewatch/reexamine 'Closer'...
I'm sure Clive was second in the voting to Morgan, and probably a close second at that. But then the NYFCC award, globe, and BAFTA are nothing to sneeze at. In fact, that's more total awards right there than Freeman won for his perf that year.
As I expected...
5. Ewan McGregor
4. Tony Leung
3. Johnny Depp
2. Gael Garcia Bernal
1. Jude Law
I've never been smitten with Clive Owen. Nonetheless, I do recognize that his eyes are very expressive. The only movie where I really liked his acting was Bent, in which he played a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.
5. Johnny Depp
4. Tony Leung Chiu Wai
3. Ewan McGregor
2. Gael Garcia Bernal
1. Jude Law
OR flip Depp and Leung... not sure about that one... but I don't think Depp deserves even 5, much less 4... and (to DL) definitely not 3!
I'm actually kinda surprised to see Law #1 on so many people's personal lists. Not to say I don't like the man, because between you and me, I love him, but I'm just not understanding it. I feel he's been a tremendous supporting actor, but that's been about it. I still feel like he hasn't given that one revelatory performance which heralds the transition of a good actor into a great one.
I guess my entire point is I know Law has it in him; I'm just waiting for it to happen.
Jude was nominated for an FB Best Actor award for Cold Mountain and he WON Best Supporting Actor for I Heart Huckabees, plus AI, Road to Perdition, Alfie, Closer, Sky Captain, Enemy at the Gates plus his cameo in The Aviator. I think he more than deserves #1. I personally wouldn't have him at #1 but I can see why he could be (if he does indeed turn out to be #1)
Onto Clive, I've loved Clive since Croupier - thought he was great in that nifty little movie. I liked his small part in The Bourne Identity and thought he was masterful in Closer. I'm glad he got this high.
But to me all those movies you've just listed, kamikaze, are prime examples of exactly why I feel the way I do. Out of his performances in those movies, has there been anything extraordinary? Serviceable to good, definitely, but flat-out amazing? After watching Alfie, it wasn't Law's performance that made a lasting impression, it was his character's wardrobe, so I bought a new pair of shoes. After watching Closer, it was Portman and Owen who left speechless, not Law.
I dunno, maybe I'm just nitpicky. But like I said previously, I do love Law. And I definitely don't begrudge anyone from making him their #1, especially if Nathaniel chooses him to be at the top, and if he does, he'll probably make such a persuasive argument, that even I shall be extolling the virtues of one Mr. Law.
On topic: Clive Owen rocks. =o)
I don't think people are picking him as their own personal #1, they're predicting that Nathaniel will choose Law as his #1. And the reason is that he's been in a lot of movies, and Nathaniel has cited Law's performances in many of those movies in his FB awards, whether as a win, nomination, or honorable mention.
predictions for the top 5 (though I'm sure they'll all turn out to be wrong...):
5. McGregor
4. Leung
3. Depp
2. Bernal
1. Law
I'd argue that Law's performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley and AI are both extraordinary and his work in I Heart Huckabees is a thing of greatness. I'm wondering, though, why the fact that he's better as a supporting actor should affect his ranking.
The prediction makes sense when you look at how much he's been recognized in the Film Bitch Awards. I'm also fairly confident that Nathaniel has seen more Jude Law films of the new century than of the other top five contenders.
So, at least I got #6 right in my new predix.
5) Johnny Depp
4) Tony Leung
3) Gael Garcia Bernal
2) Jude Law
1) Ewan McGregor
I'm sticking with this until the end.
As for Clive, I've only seen Closer and Sin City with him. Definite props to him for both, but I still need to see more (Once I have money, it's all about Netflix)
5) Tony Leung
4) Johnny Depp
3) Jude Law
2) Ewan McGregor
1) Gael Garcia Bernal
I back Bernal for #1 (both for his films and for the performances) - but whilst Jude has been in some stuff I haven't warmed to, I can see why he will most probably come in first.
#1 Bernal
#2 Law
#3 Leung
#4 Depp
#5 McGregor
I agree that Law in Huckabee's was GREAT. Maybe his best performance ever. Shame both he and Wahlberg went right over the radar of oscar voters.
Law is at his best when he's exploiting his vain pretty-boy persona and showing the vulnerability within it (i.e. Ripley, Huckabee's)... and even better when he's doing an American accent at the same time.
I've heard he's kind of a pompous pretty-boy asshole in real life, though, too, which would be a shame. Hope it's not true.
That's funny, I've always read that Jude Law was actually a pretty nice guy in real life. Course, without knowing him myself, there's no way really to be sure. But the "pompous pretty-boy asshole" thing probably comes from people projecting onto him whatever they choose to see him as - you know, he is pretty, and very charming, and many of his perfs are as some kind of vain pretty-boy ass, plus you throw in the nanny thing - people don't always need good strong evidence in order to believe something is true, they only need to want to believe it. And I'm sure there are plenty to people out there who just want to hate Jude Law.
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