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#1
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What makes a great performance to you?
When i watch a movie, i tend to get caught up pretty easy. I don't really sit there thinking about what kind of decisions the actors make or didn't make.
I can tell when i see a REALLY bad performance (which is obvious to everyone) and i can sometimes tell when someone gives an amazing performance, but still not often. This all despite being a theater major (in fairness, i was just looking for an easy one that let me play poker.) So what makes a really great (or bad) performance to you? How do you evaluate? What do you look for? Other thoughts? |
#2
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
I love Al Pacino for his performances. He draws you in somehow. I guess I'm not sure why, but he's just so damned intense.
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#3
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
subtlety. A single tear; not bawling. A smug grin; not a guffaw.
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#4
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
[ QUOTE ]
subtlety. A single tear; not bawling. A smug grin; not a guffaw. [/ QUOTE ] this somehow made me think of Julia Roberts, who I don't really like, but she is very genuine with her emotions and her movies are good because of that. Is that what you mean? |
#5
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
I think this is easier to judge when an actor is playing a real person. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman. Etc.
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#6
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] subtlety. A single tear; not bawling. A smug grin; not a guffaw. [/ QUOTE ] this somehow made me think of Julia Roberts, who I don't really like, but she is very genuine with her emotions and her movies are good because of that. Is that what you mean? [/ QUOTE ] Kind of, but I didn't have Julia Roberts in mind. I guess subtlety makes things more real, and there are very few "real" moments in the movies. I mentioned in another thread the scene from Royal Tenenbaums when Stiller starts getting choked up when talking to Hackman. Had he started bawling it would have killed the scene. |
#7
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
Leo DiCaprio. Blood Diamond is not a great movie by any means, but his performance makes it one of my favorites.
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#8
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
This is somewhat vague, but realism for me is big. Typically for me, whenever I'm watching a movie or a TV series, the characters who I get somewhat emotionally attatched to are the ones who give great performances in my mind. Guys like Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell from the Wire are awesome characters who really played the part so well.
Come to think about it, any character who I would be really impacted from their fictional death did a really good job. This doesn't always apply, but in pretty much every case where the death of a certain character really made an impact on me they gave a great performance, IMO. It's more prevlant in TV series than movies simply because TV series have way more time for character development. Kind of rambled a bit, but some actors seem to consistently give great performances and memorable movies. Leonardo Dicaprio is one guy who comes to mind when thinking about great performances in movies. |
#9
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
Good acting is when I do not get the feeling I'm watching actors. I want to experience a story, not see some people read lines. Also, I think my emotional commitment to a scene or character is also directly related to their acting. So if I tear up during a scene, the acting was good.
I also value actors much more if I've seen them perform various (very different) roles well. This is the reason I think Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio are great actors, especially the former. I've seen Robert de Niro do the same character for dozens of movies. I think he is great as that character, but I don't necessarily think he is an exceptionally good actor. |
#10
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Re: What makes a great performance to you?
[ QUOTE ]
This is the reason I think Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio are great actors [/ QUOTE ] this is why my favorite movie is What's Eating Gilbert Grape? awesome performances. |
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