inexplicable leading men

[Colt McCoy]

[ QUOTE ]
What about Jeff Daniels?

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely. I meant to have him on my list.

[DrewDevil]

Let me amend to say that Leo is a superb leading man. He has been superb in the lead in all of these movies:

Titanic
Catch Me If You Can
The Aviator
The Departed

and I haven't seen Blood Diamond or Gangs of NY.

[evolvedForm]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


If it weren't for his parents, this guy would be working part-time at a car wash...

[/ QUOTE ]

wow, i disagree a million percent.

[/ QUOTE ]

He's proven himself since his free "gimmie" career, but wow he started out as a total nothing and got huge play despite it.

So you're both right in a way.

On another note, he hasn't proven that spectacular overall. I've kind of been waiting for the shine of his star to dull a bit. I think he gets a lot of credit for Something About Mary, but I'm not sure as much of the heat he got from that movie is really about his performance so much as being in the right place at the right time. I don't think he contributed a whole lot that I couldn't see being replaced by any other halfway talented comic actor.

[/ QUOTE ]

i thought he was really great in Dodgeball, which reminds me of how bad Vince Vaughn has been in everything besides Wedding Crashers and Made. It was like he wasnt even acting in Dodgeball, although there wasnt much he could do with the script I guess. I think Stiler did a great job in Envy, Meet the Parents, Duplex, Royal Tennenbaums and Something about Mary. Him and Luke Wilson are great at playing the normal guy in an absurd situation. Its hard to imagine that Meet The Parents would have been as good with another actor in the role, where as Deniro could have easily been replaced by anyone.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought Meet the Parents was absolutely terrible and completely crushed a good premise with awful phoned-in writing, which you have to blame the director for usually unless he had little control on the edit or writing, which actually happens quite a bit when dealing with big stars or fathead producers. But it was just a hugely disappointing, completely pedestrian movie that wasted the incredible, lightning-strike score of a Robert DeNiro appearance, without which the movie wouldn't have gotten a tenth of the buzz and marketability.

P.S. when mentioning Vaugh, you forgot what he's still riding hard, his really good performance in Swingers.

He's playing such different roles now, that it's like he has a separate career, though. He's pretty far from the skinny goofball almost-hipster he used to be. I wonder how long he's going to sustain his career at anything like its heights.

I think he reminds me of Chevy Chase a bit. Similar attitudes and charm, getting older, trying to cram childish roles into an adult face and a heavy body. Easy to see as having an uncertain future and going on endlessly despite never achieving anything even a little interesting every again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stiller was an excellent leading man in Permanent Midnight. He definitely has (or had) the ability to play a serious role, as the drug-addled, deeply creative creator of 'Alf'.

[DrewDevil]

I actually think the Vince Vaughn/Chevy Chase comparison is fascinating. Never thought about it before, but hmmm...

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]


and I haven't seen Blood Diamond or Gangs of NY.

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO he was awesome in both.

He can pull off a dialect as well as anyone out there, Depp included.

[Colt McCoy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


and I haven't seen Blood Diamond or Gangs of NY.

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO he was awesome in both.

He can pull off a dialect as well as anyone out there, Depp included.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was actually part of what impressed me in The Departed and Blood Diamond. Prior to those movies I thought his attempts at attempts at doing accents were just awful.

Depp should be on this list imo. Very good actor, but leading man? I don't get it.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Blarg,

did you just say that jack black was good in school of rock? thats kind of weird because i watched about 10 minutes of it on cable and it seemed like your standard really really lame movie for 12 year olds. im just curious what you liked about that film.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jack Black was great in School of Rock and yes it was a movie for 12 year olds. He was great in a movie made for 12 year olds. Just appreciate it for what it is, a light piece of silliness that's just fun. He has a talent for talking to kids without condescending to them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that was pretty much it. I knew going in that it was going to be completely silly. I didn't find it really lame, much less really really lame. Black's weird charisma carried the movie more than adequately, and I liked the business about him not really being a teacher at all. I even enjoyed smirking at the idea that those kids were really playing their instruments - sort of like a rehash of the Partridge Family baloney.

I guess it was sort of a "comfort" movie, like some food is comfort food. You know you're not getting anything outstanding, but just enjoy something pretty modest and familiar being done well.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Whoa there Trigger. Come back to the barn. Leo is a superb actor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to really, really dislike him. I thought he was absolutely awful. After watching Blood Diamond and The Departed recently, I've decided he's gotten much, much better. And believe me, as much as I hated him, it took some convincing. But being a good actor alone doesn't make him a "leading man". A lot of the actors I listed are good actors.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree on some of your choices. For instance, Samuel L. Jackson has been a good leading man for some time now, and he certainly has reliable acting chops. If by not being a good leading man you mean he doesn't have the looks that typically go with the role, I'd have to agree. It's hard to picture Sam as a romantic lead.

Re: Leo, he's a good example of the kind of guy who can be a good actor but have a tough time being a leading man. He's so conventionally boyish that he reminds me of Macauley Culkin. That kind of thing makes pulling off having the presence and gravity of a leading man extremely difficult.

It wasn't till Blood and Diamonds that I thought of him as less of a pretty boy and less ethereal(I can still see him playing an angel with wings etc. more easily than most roles). Maybe he can keep working around his boyishness successfully; he's certainly a giant star. But every time I see him, I wish he was more old-school Scorcese and less old-school Spielberg.

[TheDudeAbides]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What about Jeff Daniels?

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely. I meant to have him on my list.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
guys, choices like Jude Law, Ben Affleck, Sean Connery, and Harrison Ford are NOT inexplicable. They're all good looking with a bit of charm and/or personality. You might not like them or think they're no good, but they are still obvious leading men.

Richard Dreyfuss and Chris O'Donnel are good choices, though. Even though I love Dreyfuss.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no way Jude Law and Ben Affleck are "obvious" leading men. Affleck spends about 90% of his screen time with his mouth hanging open. Dumb-looking does not make someone an "obvious" leading man...and exactly what "charm" does he have?

Jude law looks like he weighs about 110 lb. soaking wet. He has beady little tiny eyes with bags around them and can't seem to figure out how a comb works. Whatever "charm" he posseses is solely due to his accent, and he whines his way through roles. For the life of me, I can't think of a single characteristic that makes him a leading man.

Your post sounds like you're saying anyone good looking with some charm is an "obvious" leading man. We're not talking about porn here, Dom. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you see that movie called I think The Talented Mr. Ripley -- whatever, it had Ripley in the title? Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwynneth Paltrow.

In the movie, Law was portrayed as wealthy and attractive and basically gifted by the universe. It was a perfect fit. He's a good looking guy. He's not a big bruiser, but lots of leading men haven't been. Heck, in the old days people like Alan Ladd were very common -- 5'6" and under. Even Stallone is about 5'7".