So this one is going to be about one of my very favorite movies. It is one of the first horror movies I ever watched from start to finish, although many would argue it isn't really a horror movie. It has a good cast, great script, and the special effects were pretty good for the time. The movie is called Lord Of Illusions written and directed by Clive Barker and starring Scott Bakula and Famke Janssen. If you haven't ever heard of this movie before, I'm honestly not at all surprised. It gets ignored by many people as either being nothing special, or for Barkers other bigger name films.
Clive Barker took one of his characters from one of his short stories in the book The Books Of Blood named Harry D'Amour. The character is a deeply troubled man who constantly comes to the very edge of what is referred to in the movie as "the darkness" but never quite crosses over into it. He is the main character and is a private detective that gets pulled into a string of events that started years before he became involved as we find out in the first 20 minutes of the film. The main antagonist of the movie is a man named Nix who has long since crossed through the barrier between illusion and true magic. He is first seen juggling an actual ball of fire from hand to hand and speaking about what the fire has said to him. He sounds crazy as a loon right away, and that part of him doesn't really change. He is running a Manson like cult in the desert and has recently kidnapped a young girl. A man who was his former protege named Swann has taken a group of people who all escaped this cult to come back and rescue this girl and to effectively bind and bury, literally, Nix. Nix tells Swann that he has so much to show him, and shares some of his power with Swann, stating that Swann is the only one worthy of his true wisdom. As Nix is distracted giving Swann some of his power, the girl shoots him in the back, and this gives Swann and his allies their chance to bind Nix. After this is done the characters seperate and we flash forward about 13 years later. This is when we first meet Harry D'Amour, our main protagonist of the story.
Harry, as I said, is deeply troubled, and has just come off of a case where a young boy was possessed by, as Harry puts it, "Oh you know, the usual." He gets put on a case by a friend of his in California to catch a guy trying to scam an insurance company out of their money. He goes out there, and inadvertently gets mixed up in something he doesn't fully understand. Now this is where I am going to end the plot synopsis, so as to not create any spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen this underrated gem of a film.
Now as for the visuals and overall story and directing. I put all of these in with one another because Clive Barker did write and direct this film, and he always makes a point of being very hands on with how the visual effects come out. First of all, the story, just fantastic. Exactly what you would expect from a man who makes his main living off of writing horror novels. It is a clean, distinct, no nonsense script that doesn't play around with a lot of useless words or events. Each event and each line is in turn meant to either enhance the tone of the film, or is there to help move the plot forward. The direction is fantastic as well. Barker really shows off how he can make certain his actors give him all that they can and make you believe that they are their particular characters. He also does something most horror movie filmmakers could learn from. He uses color to help enhance the film. See many horror filmmakers do the opposite of this, they would prefer to use the lack of color and light to set tone or to frighten you. But the thing with this film is that color is very important to how you see things. The main actress of the film is never seen in anything but bright scenes in order to help you understand that she is the light of the film. Whereas Swann is usually her stark contrast and is always shown in darker scenes with slightly less color or with reds and browns in order to show he is a man tormented by his past. While Harry is in between you see him in both settings and see him fitting well with them both. Almost like he straddles the two worlds and is a bridge for them. Than there are the actual special effects of the film. They aren't Earth shattering by todays standards, but they are quite good for when the movie came out. I can't really go into detail about them without giving away certain parts of the movie, but they are quite good.
So if you're looking for a good popcorn flick, a good horror movie, or just a good detective sort of movie and don't mind a little blood (it is, afterall, a Clive Barker movie, you know there is going to be some blood and a bit of gore), than you can't go wrong with Lord Of Illusions. Just make sure you're watching the directors cut. This way you can see the movie the way Barker meant it to be seen. Enjoy kiddies.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
My continuing countdown of the Top 5 Most Underrated Actors Today
Drum roll please..... My NUMBER 1 PICK!
Sam Rockwell
So yes I do know this guy has done very few movies where he was a major actor in them. He is mainly known for being a character actor. But guess what? He is HUGELY underrated and has been in some excellent movies and he himself always brings a lot to the screen with his performances. So without further ado I am going to jump right into this one.
The first movie I want to talk about with this excellent actor is a film called Choke, based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk (the author of Fight Club as well). This one is kind of an odd choice for me to put on here, or to even mention I liked really. In fact, when I first heard about it, I thought I'd hate it. First of all, before even getting into this one, if you've read the book Choke and expect this to be an exact translation of it, skip to the next movie. Nothing I can say can make you like this movie if you want it to be exactly like the book. It is very little like it, sorry Palahniuk fans. The premise of this one is weird, but I'll do my best to explain it without giving away anything. Rockwell plays a man who is a sex addict who works as a "historical interpreter" (thats tour guide at one of those crappy places schools take trips to to learn about colonial times). By night though, he goes to restaurants, makes himself choke, and tricks the person who saves him into sending him money when he needs it. Kind of like that old adage of if you save a persons life you are responsible for them forever. As if this wasn't enough to entertain you, he also has a mother who has alzheimers in a very expensive hospital who lets it slip that he may or may not have divine heritage. That is where the movie gets a little weird, but a lot more interesting. The reason this movie is so great is because Rockwell starts off as this character that you couldn't care less for honestly. He is a liar, a con man, mean, and a degenerate. However, as the movie goes along, you start to see a different side of him, and he begins to become endearing, and actually have some depth in him. You start to not only care for him, but actually root for him to become this changed man that he is trying to mold himself into becoming. So check this one out, you might enjoy it.
Next up we have probably his most famous film to date, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. This one is just plain great. It is about the infamous Chuck Barris (played wonderfully by Rockwell), based on his autobiography. It starts off with a shot of Rockwells ass, unfortunately, and with him narrating. It goes on to shine some light onto his childhood, his middling years, and than his early years as an NBC page. Than it goes into how he got into TV and game shows in general. It goes through each of his various game shows and how he created them, how he became this legend in television and how he sort of disappeared. Oh, and it also gets into him being an assassin for the CIA. Did I forget to mention that? Yes, this movie goes on the assumption that that rumor is true, and that Barris was a killer for the government. This is really where the real meat of the film is in all honesty. His career in television is definitely expanded upon a lot more than I ever knew about it, however, it is just a background for the rest of his escapades. He was a womanizer, he cheated on his girlfriend for years. He also lied to everyone around him constantly, became extremely paranoid that everyone was going to kill him, and finally ended up leaving that end of things after everyone around him was killed. There is a great performance brought in by George Clooney (the director of the film as well) as Barris' handler. But Rockwell is the one who shines all throughout this movie. He never once fails to steal the scenes he is in, and always successfully makes the scenes that other actors may have made tragic or boring into comedic pieces and makes them work better that way as well. With the scenes that may have otherwise been farcical and boring he brings life and a certain level of tragedy to them. This movie never fails to stay interesting, and always brings you back into it when you might have started to lose interest thanks to Sam Rockwell's wonderful performance. Definitely a must see for anyone who is a fan of the spy genre, the black comedy genre, or remembers when Chuck Barris was releasing all of his insane gameshows.
Well now its time for my honorable mentions. The Heist (fantastic heist movie, Rockwell has a small part, this one is really Gene Hackman's movie though), Gentlemen Broncos (this one really defies explanation, just watch it and enjoy it especially if you ever wanted to write a science fiction novel), Galaxy Quest (just a great comedy that does for Star Trek what Sean Of The Dead did for zombie movies), and Safe Men (great little indie flick with Rockwell and Steve Zahn as inept thieves that have more luck than brains, just a great comedy). Thats all for now folks, hope you enjoyed my list and perhaps you'll agree with me after seeing a few of these films I've mentioned in this one and the others that these all are extremely underrated actors. You keep reading them, and I'll keep writing them.
Sam Rockwell
So yes I do know this guy has done very few movies where he was a major actor in them. He is mainly known for being a character actor. But guess what? He is HUGELY underrated and has been in some excellent movies and he himself always brings a lot to the screen with his performances. So without further ado I am going to jump right into this one.
The first movie I want to talk about with this excellent actor is a film called Choke, based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk (the author of Fight Club as well). This one is kind of an odd choice for me to put on here, or to even mention I liked really. In fact, when I first heard about it, I thought I'd hate it. First of all, before even getting into this one, if you've read the book Choke and expect this to be an exact translation of it, skip to the next movie. Nothing I can say can make you like this movie if you want it to be exactly like the book. It is very little like it, sorry Palahniuk fans. The premise of this one is weird, but I'll do my best to explain it without giving away anything. Rockwell plays a man who is a sex addict who works as a "historical interpreter" (thats tour guide at one of those crappy places schools take trips to to learn about colonial times). By night though, he goes to restaurants, makes himself choke, and tricks the person who saves him into sending him money when he needs it. Kind of like that old adage of if you save a persons life you are responsible for them forever. As if this wasn't enough to entertain you, he also has a mother who has alzheimers in a very expensive hospital who lets it slip that he may or may not have divine heritage. That is where the movie gets a little weird, but a lot more interesting. The reason this movie is so great is because Rockwell starts off as this character that you couldn't care less for honestly. He is a liar, a con man, mean, and a degenerate. However, as the movie goes along, you start to see a different side of him, and he begins to become endearing, and actually have some depth in him. You start to not only care for him, but actually root for him to become this changed man that he is trying to mold himself into becoming. So check this one out, you might enjoy it.
Next up we have probably his most famous film to date, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. This one is just plain great. It is about the infamous Chuck Barris (played wonderfully by Rockwell), based on his autobiography. It starts off with a shot of Rockwells ass, unfortunately, and with him narrating. It goes on to shine some light onto his childhood, his middling years, and than his early years as an NBC page. Than it goes into how he got into TV and game shows in general. It goes through each of his various game shows and how he created them, how he became this legend in television and how he sort of disappeared. Oh, and it also gets into him being an assassin for the CIA. Did I forget to mention that? Yes, this movie goes on the assumption that that rumor is true, and that Barris was a killer for the government. This is really where the real meat of the film is in all honesty. His career in television is definitely expanded upon a lot more than I ever knew about it, however, it is just a background for the rest of his escapades. He was a womanizer, he cheated on his girlfriend for years. He also lied to everyone around him constantly, became extremely paranoid that everyone was going to kill him, and finally ended up leaving that end of things after everyone around him was killed. There is a great performance brought in by George Clooney (the director of the film as well) as Barris' handler. But Rockwell is the one who shines all throughout this movie. He never once fails to steal the scenes he is in, and always successfully makes the scenes that other actors may have made tragic or boring into comedic pieces and makes them work better that way as well. With the scenes that may have otherwise been farcical and boring he brings life and a certain level of tragedy to them. This movie never fails to stay interesting, and always brings you back into it when you might have started to lose interest thanks to Sam Rockwell's wonderful performance. Definitely a must see for anyone who is a fan of the spy genre, the black comedy genre, or remembers when Chuck Barris was releasing all of his insane gameshows.
Well now its time for my honorable mentions. The Heist (fantastic heist movie, Rockwell has a small part, this one is really Gene Hackman's movie though), Gentlemen Broncos (this one really defies explanation, just watch it and enjoy it especially if you ever wanted to write a science fiction novel), Galaxy Quest (just a great comedy that does for Star Trek what Sean Of The Dead did for zombie movies), and Safe Men (great little indie flick with Rockwell and Steve Zahn as inept thieves that have more luck than brains, just a great comedy). Thats all for now folks, hope you enjoyed my list and perhaps you'll agree with me after seeing a few of these films I've mentioned in this one and the others that these all are extremely underrated actors. You keep reading them, and I'll keep writing them.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
My continuing countdown of the Top 5 Most Underrated Actors Today
Number 2: Ryan Gosling
So this one is a little hard to explain why I believe he belongs on this list. My main reason is because everyone assumes all he should be, and is known for is the movie The Notebook. Well that is what got him into mainstream cinema. It is what officially launched his career, but it is not at all what shows his skills as an actor. He has done many movies that are very diverse, and very interesting. Most of his movies make you use your head more than anything, and are very cerebral.
I am going to start this list with one of my favorite movies Ryan Gosling has done, and also probably his most controversial film. It is a movie called The Believer. What it is essentially about is a man who is in his 20s who is a rabid anti-semite. But the real kicker to that isn't just that he is anti-semitic, but he is also Jewish himself. He plays this angry, confused, and torn young man. He constantly explains his hatred of the Jews, and wants to prove he hates them and wants nothing to do with them. At the same time, as we delve more and more into Goslings troubled figure we begin to see that his hatred may not be as complete as we first supposed. He begins to be forced to face who he is, and why his hatred may be wrong. I can't explain much more as to why this movie is a great film without giving away quite a lot, but trust me when I say it is worth watching. Gosling shows his acting chops in this one in a big way.
The next movie I'd like to showcase in his diverse career is a film called Lars And The Real Girl. This one is an interesting movie, and can, at times, make you downright uncomfortable but at the same time makes you truly love it for that very reason. Lars (Gosling) is a quiet, private man who works a very menial job, he lives in the garage outside of his brothers house where his brother and his pregnant wife live, and he is essentially very alone, but by his own design. Everyone in the town tries to bring him into their world and to try and get him out of his own little world, but he fights it, and finally, in an act of desperation to get people to leave him be, he orders a mail order life like woman doll. He gives her a name, backstory, and even has conversations with her. So what does everyone in town do? They accept it, and try and help Lars continue to keep his act up without missing a beat. Everyone welcomes her with open arms, and with the help of the town doctor, Lars begins to change and open slowly to the idea of people being in his life. This one is a wonderful and ultimately uplifting movie. Ryan Gosling is a delight as Lars, and a huge surprise that you want to like his character so much.
So those are the two main movies I recommend watching with Ryan Gosling in them. He has done a few others worth a brief mention though. They are, Fracture (great main stream movie with Gosling as a hot shot lawyer trying to put Anthony Hopkins in jail for murder), Stay (an interesting movie that is hard to explain and best left to be said that it is worth watching), Half Nelson (a fantastic little independant movie that almost got Gosling an Oscar nod with his wonderful performance as a teacher/basketball coach in the inner city and also a drug addict), and Blue Valentine (a new movie he is in with Michelle Williams basically a disection of a courtship and marriage that seems destined to fail despite its wonderful beginnings). So check out these films, and enjoy the great underrated actor that is Ryan Gosling. Honestly, do not see The Notebook if you haven't already unless you have a wife or girlfriend who just loves romantic movies. If you do have one of those though, get her to watch it with you, guaranteed points in her book. One other thing to keep in mind, The Believer and Half Nelson are NOT for the faint of heart. They are dark movies that have strong themes in them that honestly if you aren't keeping an open mind and trying to think as you watch them, you won't enjoy them. So hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Tomorrow, number 1.....
So this one is a little hard to explain why I believe he belongs on this list. My main reason is because everyone assumes all he should be, and is known for is the movie The Notebook. Well that is what got him into mainstream cinema. It is what officially launched his career, but it is not at all what shows his skills as an actor. He has done many movies that are very diverse, and very interesting. Most of his movies make you use your head more than anything, and are very cerebral.
I am going to start this list with one of my favorite movies Ryan Gosling has done, and also probably his most controversial film. It is a movie called The Believer. What it is essentially about is a man who is in his 20s who is a rabid anti-semite. But the real kicker to that isn't just that he is anti-semitic, but he is also Jewish himself. He plays this angry, confused, and torn young man. He constantly explains his hatred of the Jews, and wants to prove he hates them and wants nothing to do with them. At the same time, as we delve more and more into Goslings troubled figure we begin to see that his hatred may not be as complete as we first supposed. He begins to be forced to face who he is, and why his hatred may be wrong. I can't explain much more as to why this movie is a great film without giving away quite a lot, but trust me when I say it is worth watching. Gosling shows his acting chops in this one in a big way.
The next movie I'd like to showcase in his diverse career is a film called Lars And The Real Girl. This one is an interesting movie, and can, at times, make you downright uncomfortable but at the same time makes you truly love it for that very reason. Lars (Gosling) is a quiet, private man who works a very menial job, he lives in the garage outside of his brothers house where his brother and his pregnant wife live, and he is essentially very alone, but by his own design. Everyone in the town tries to bring him into their world and to try and get him out of his own little world, but he fights it, and finally, in an act of desperation to get people to leave him be, he orders a mail order life like woman doll. He gives her a name, backstory, and even has conversations with her. So what does everyone in town do? They accept it, and try and help Lars continue to keep his act up without missing a beat. Everyone welcomes her with open arms, and with the help of the town doctor, Lars begins to change and open slowly to the idea of people being in his life. This one is a wonderful and ultimately uplifting movie. Ryan Gosling is a delight as Lars, and a huge surprise that you want to like his character so much.
So those are the two main movies I recommend watching with Ryan Gosling in them. He has done a few others worth a brief mention though. They are, Fracture (great main stream movie with Gosling as a hot shot lawyer trying to put Anthony Hopkins in jail for murder), Stay (an interesting movie that is hard to explain and best left to be said that it is worth watching), Half Nelson (a fantastic little independant movie that almost got Gosling an Oscar nod with his wonderful performance as a teacher/basketball coach in the inner city and also a drug addict), and Blue Valentine (a new movie he is in with Michelle Williams basically a disection of a courtship and marriage that seems destined to fail despite its wonderful beginnings). So check out these films, and enjoy the great underrated actor that is Ryan Gosling. Honestly, do not see The Notebook if you haven't already unless you have a wife or girlfriend who just loves romantic movies. If you do have one of those though, get her to watch it with you, guaranteed points in her book. One other thing to keep in mind, The Believer and Half Nelson are NOT for the faint of heart. They are dark movies that have strong themes in them that honestly if you aren't keeping an open mind and trying to think as you watch them, you won't enjoy them. So hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Tomorrow, number 1.....
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
My continuing countdown of the Top 5 Most Underrated Actors Today
Number 3:
Guy Pearce
This guy, no pun intended, is one actor who I truly do think is HUGELY underrated, maybe more so than even all the others. He has been everything from a time traveling scientist to a French nobelman to a man who is seeking revenge for his dead wife bu can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago. He has been a lover, a villain, a genius, and a sympathetic sob story. So here is my run down of a few reasons why this actor should be considered a true force in film.
Well I am going to start with my favorite movie of Guy Pearce's, and also the one that first showed me the great acting skills of him. This is a film called Memento. The easiest way to explain this movie is to say that it is about a man who the same night he and his wife were attacked he was injured in such a way that he no longer can make new memories. After this his wife is dead, and he wants to find her killers, and also the men who caused this injury for him, whom he assumes are the same ones. How does he do this? Notes. Lots and lots of notes. He tattoos notes on his body, he writes them down on paper to a certain degree, he uses polaroids to keep track of important things, people, and places. If he talks too long with someone he might forget what the conversation was about. If he wanted to alter his own recolections all he would have to do is tattoo one thing on himself that said something different that what he wrote on paper. So this is where you might be asking yourself, "Well what about all of this makes Guy Pearce so great?" Well I will tell you. He never once tries to make you feel sorry for him, or at least not for long. See this movie isn't about his search for the killers, or for his search for the truth even. Yes, it is what seems to be central to the plot, but really this movie is about the importance of memory, and how fragile it really is. The most wonderful line in the movie, that essentially explains the whole central theme is this, "I ahve to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe my actions still have meaning even if I can't remember them. I have to believe when my eyes are closed the worlds still here. Do I believe the worlds still here? Is it still out there? Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselve who we are. I'm no different." Essentially, see this movie if you like movies that could still be called cinema, and that make you actually use your brain a bit.
This next one is a great movie based on an old classic, The Count Of Monte Cristo. I don't think this needs a lot of introduction or explanation considering how old it is. So I will get right to it. Guy Pearce plays the villain in this one who frames the central character (played by Jim Caviezal in a wonderful role, showing he can play someone other than Jesus) for conspracy with Napoleon. He than steals his friend who he has framed's girlfriend and his life. He squanders his money, and his title, and essentially gets what is coming to him. But he plays the part perfectly. Never once do you remember that he is an actor playing a part. It is an excellent adaptation to the classic book, and excellent performance in a complex role, that is as classic as villain roles get.
This next one is a movie that was not well received, was not well played, and was only a fan for the critics. So why am I mentioning it? Because it is a damn fine movie, and a damn fine part. It is called The Proposition and it takes place in Australia during the time when Australia was first being settled and was essentailly still full of criminals and was very much like the United States old west. Pearce plays the middle of three brothers. The oldest is such a horrendously evil man that the local law when they catch Pearce and his younger brother offer Pearce a deal even after Pearce and his younger brother have raped and killed people. Bring in your older brother and we let you both go unharmed and your crimes forgotten. Pearce than has to make a choice. Either let pretend to take the deal, run off, and let them keep his younger brother and eventually hang him. Or catch up with his older brother, bring him in, and let the law hang him instead. Pearce agrees to the proposition and heads out after his older brother. You can almost feel the tension all throughout the film of Pearce trying to make a decision as to what he is going to do. The movie keeps you guessing as to what his ultimate decision will be right up until the end. This one is a must see for western fans, and fans of great old time cinema really. The whole feel of the film is more of a time long forgotten in movies. There are a few scenes that are a little rough getting through, but otherwise, just an excellent movie showcasing our number 3 here.
Well a few honorable mentions and that will do it for number 3. First of all, The Time Machne, a reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells book. Check this one out if you don't mind them monkeying with the story a bit. L.A. Confidentail, honestly, if you haven't seen this one yet, what are you waiting for? It has been out since 1997, was nominated for several Oscars, and is just a great movie about Hollywood of the 1950s. It has Guy Pearce, Russel Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Kim Basinger. With a cast like that you know it has to be good. Traitor and The Hurt Locker are also good ones, but not really his movies, and in fact in The Hurt Locker he has a very tiny role. These two are just worth mentioning because they are just great movies.
There you have it, our number 3, Guy Pearce. Someone with some very different roles under his belt. Most people don't even know his name, they only know him as "that guy in that movie that I liked." Be sure to check these ones out when you can. You won't be sorry.
Guy Pearce
This guy, no pun intended, is one actor who I truly do think is HUGELY underrated, maybe more so than even all the others. He has been everything from a time traveling scientist to a French nobelman to a man who is seeking revenge for his dead wife bu can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago. He has been a lover, a villain, a genius, and a sympathetic sob story. So here is my run down of a few reasons why this actor should be considered a true force in film.
Well I am going to start with my favorite movie of Guy Pearce's, and also the one that first showed me the great acting skills of him. This is a film called Memento. The easiest way to explain this movie is to say that it is about a man who the same night he and his wife were attacked he was injured in such a way that he no longer can make new memories. After this his wife is dead, and he wants to find her killers, and also the men who caused this injury for him, whom he assumes are the same ones. How does he do this? Notes. Lots and lots of notes. He tattoos notes on his body, he writes them down on paper to a certain degree, he uses polaroids to keep track of important things, people, and places. If he talks too long with someone he might forget what the conversation was about. If he wanted to alter his own recolections all he would have to do is tattoo one thing on himself that said something different that what he wrote on paper. So this is where you might be asking yourself, "Well what about all of this makes Guy Pearce so great?" Well I will tell you. He never once tries to make you feel sorry for him, or at least not for long. See this movie isn't about his search for the killers, or for his search for the truth even. Yes, it is what seems to be central to the plot, but really this movie is about the importance of memory, and how fragile it really is. The most wonderful line in the movie, that essentially explains the whole central theme is this, "I ahve to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe my actions still have meaning even if I can't remember them. I have to believe when my eyes are closed the worlds still here. Do I believe the worlds still here? Is it still out there? Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselve who we are. I'm no different." Essentially, see this movie if you like movies that could still be called cinema, and that make you actually use your brain a bit.
This next one is a great movie based on an old classic, The Count Of Monte Cristo. I don't think this needs a lot of introduction or explanation considering how old it is. So I will get right to it. Guy Pearce plays the villain in this one who frames the central character (played by Jim Caviezal in a wonderful role, showing he can play someone other than Jesus) for conspracy with Napoleon. He than steals his friend who he has framed's girlfriend and his life. He squanders his money, and his title, and essentially gets what is coming to him. But he plays the part perfectly. Never once do you remember that he is an actor playing a part. It is an excellent adaptation to the classic book, and excellent performance in a complex role, that is as classic as villain roles get.
This next one is a movie that was not well received, was not well played, and was only a fan for the critics. So why am I mentioning it? Because it is a damn fine movie, and a damn fine part. It is called The Proposition and it takes place in Australia during the time when Australia was first being settled and was essentailly still full of criminals and was very much like the United States old west. Pearce plays the middle of three brothers. The oldest is such a horrendously evil man that the local law when they catch Pearce and his younger brother offer Pearce a deal even after Pearce and his younger brother have raped and killed people. Bring in your older brother and we let you both go unharmed and your crimes forgotten. Pearce than has to make a choice. Either let pretend to take the deal, run off, and let them keep his younger brother and eventually hang him. Or catch up with his older brother, bring him in, and let the law hang him instead. Pearce agrees to the proposition and heads out after his older brother. You can almost feel the tension all throughout the film of Pearce trying to make a decision as to what he is going to do. The movie keeps you guessing as to what his ultimate decision will be right up until the end. This one is a must see for western fans, and fans of great old time cinema really. The whole feel of the film is more of a time long forgotten in movies. There are a few scenes that are a little rough getting through, but otherwise, just an excellent movie showcasing our number 3 here.
Well a few honorable mentions and that will do it for number 3. First of all, The Time Machne, a reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells book. Check this one out if you don't mind them monkeying with the story a bit. L.A. Confidentail, honestly, if you haven't seen this one yet, what are you waiting for? It has been out since 1997, was nominated for several Oscars, and is just a great movie about Hollywood of the 1950s. It has Guy Pearce, Russel Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Kim Basinger. With a cast like that you know it has to be good. Traitor and The Hurt Locker are also good ones, but not really his movies, and in fact in The Hurt Locker he has a very tiny role. These two are just worth mentioning because they are just great movies.
There you have it, our number 3, Guy Pearce. Someone with some very different roles under his belt. Most people don't even know his name, they only know him as "that guy in that movie that I liked." Be sure to check these ones out when you can. You won't be sorry.
Part 2 Top 5 Most Underrated Actors Of Today
Number 4:
Well faithful readers this next one is someone who is greatly underrated, and thought of mainly as a bit actor, or as one part. His name is Viggo Mortensen, and if you don't know who he is that may not be a huge surprise. Most people really only know him as Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings movies. If you know him from anything else it more than likely is from one of the movies that shows just how underrated he must really be. That movie is David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence. This one is an excellent character film with Mortensen playing a man who after defending some of the members of his sleepy small town in his diner he becomes the subject of media attention and than the attentions of a mob heavy hitter. However, Mortensen really wasn't the star of this in a lot of ways. Honestly, the people around him are the ones who shine more so than him. Ed Harris in particular delivers a powerful performance.
But one of his next movies truly does show how wonderful and stoic an actor our Mr. Mortensen is. This movie is a little film called Eastern Promises, and was again directed by David Cronenberg. It is about a woman who is the midwife during a delivery of a baby from a young teenage girl one night in an England hospital. She begins to try and learn about this girl through her journal that is in Russian being translated by her uncle, a Russian immigrant himself. This than brings in the Russian mafia into the picture, and mainly our man Mortensen. He truly shines in this one as the driver/buttonman for the local Russian mob. From start to finish Viggo steals every scene he is in, even when he isn't speaking. His body language alone speaks volumes for him in the film. The film takes many twists and turns, and does not end even close to what you would expect. Mortensen truly deserved some award for his performance in this one. If you haven't seen it, I definitely strongly recommend seeing it.
Our next one by Viggo that we will discuss is a film by the name of G.I. Jane. Now I know this one isn't his movie at all. I also know a lot of people have seen this one and probably didn't even enjoy it that much. But if I am going to talk about this mans body of work, I have to talk about this. In this one he shows how much of a badass he really is in films honestly as the Navy Seal bootcamp drill sargent. He is down right nasty to the recruits he has in his camp, and in particular to Demi Moore's character. Honestly, if you haven't seen this already, I'd be surprised considering how long it has been out. So I don't think i need to dwell on it, it was more of a reminder that he was in it and played the horribly mean drill sargent.
One last film I want to be sure and mention his performance in is Apalossa. Once again our stoic character actor shows his chops in this modern-ish western with Ed Harris. All throughout this one he is the narrator, and the rock to Ed Harris' slightly foolish character. He quietly and continually tries and pushes Harris' character into the right direction when he would have otherwise self-destructed. Essentially, if you like old western movies or modern westerns you should see this one. The two actors in this one take a story that honestly would have been predictable and even a bit boring and turn it into an excellent and intriguing story with characters you actually care about.
So that is my number 4. He has done quite a few bit parts in his career as well, and he also was in all three Lord Of The Rings movies. If you'd like to see him in a rather small part the movie Carlito's Way has a great scene with him and Al Pacino in it (also just a great movie in general), as does the movie The Prophecy (he plays the devil in it trying to help the humans stop the renegade angel played by Christopher Walken). Hope you enjoy the movies if you haven't seen them and go watch them.
Well faithful readers this next one is someone who is greatly underrated, and thought of mainly as a bit actor, or as one part. His name is Viggo Mortensen, and if you don't know who he is that may not be a huge surprise. Most people really only know him as Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings movies. If you know him from anything else it more than likely is from one of the movies that shows just how underrated he must really be. That movie is David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence. This one is an excellent character film with Mortensen playing a man who after defending some of the members of his sleepy small town in his diner he becomes the subject of media attention and than the attentions of a mob heavy hitter. However, Mortensen really wasn't the star of this in a lot of ways. Honestly, the people around him are the ones who shine more so than him. Ed Harris in particular delivers a powerful performance.
But one of his next movies truly does show how wonderful and stoic an actor our Mr. Mortensen is. This movie is a little film called Eastern Promises, and was again directed by David Cronenberg. It is about a woman who is the midwife during a delivery of a baby from a young teenage girl one night in an England hospital. She begins to try and learn about this girl through her journal that is in Russian being translated by her uncle, a Russian immigrant himself. This than brings in the Russian mafia into the picture, and mainly our man Mortensen. He truly shines in this one as the driver/buttonman for the local Russian mob. From start to finish Viggo steals every scene he is in, even when he isn't speaking. His body language alone speaks volumes for him in the film. The film takes many twists and turns, and does not end even close to what you would expect. Mortensen truly deserved some award for his performance in this one. If you haven't seen it, I definitely strongly recommend seeing it.
Our next one by Viggo that we will discuss is a film by the name of G.I. Jane. Now I know this one isn't his movie at all. I also know a lot of people have seen this one and probably didn't even enjoy it that much. But if I am going to talk about this mans body of work, I have to talk about this. In this one he shows how much of a badass he really is in films honestly as the Navy Seal bootcamp drill sargent. He is down right nasty to the recruits he has in his camp, and in particular to Demi Moore's character. Honestly, if you haven't seen this already, I'd be surprised considering how long it has been out. So I don't think i need to dwell on it, it was more of a reminder that he was in it and played the horribly mean drill sargent.
One last film I want to be sure and mention his performance in is Apalossa. Once again our stoic character actor shows his chops in this modern-ish western with Ed Harris. All throughout this one he is the narrator, and the rock to Ed Harris' slightly foolish character. He quietly and continually tries and pushes Harris' character into the right direction when he would have otherwise self-destructed. Essentially, if you like old western movies or modern westerns you should see this one. The two actors in this one take a story that honestly would have been predictable and even a bit boring and turn it into an excellent and intriguing story with characters you actually care about.
So that is my number 4. He has done quite a few bit parts in his career as well, and he also was in all three Lord Of The Rings movies. If you'd like to see him in a rather small part the movie Carlito's Way has a great scene with him and Al Pacino in it (also just a great movie in general), as does the movie The Prophecy (he plays the devil in it trying to help the humans stop the renegade angel played by Christopher Walken). Hope you enjoy the movies if you haven't seen them and go watch them.
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