Unpopular Opinions

[Shannon L.]

I just watched Wonder Woman for the 4th time.  In the past, I've been in the usual arguments about the character/Gal Gadot/Feminism etc, and usually by the time someone throws out that she was also a terrible actress, I begrudgingly accept that because the I'm not in the mood to fight yet another aspect of the movie.  However, I'll state here that I thought she was pretty good.  Not Oscar worthy, of course, but then it's not an Oscar worthy movie (except for some technical award nominations).  But, I found her charming, frustrated, angry, in awe and wonder, happy, sad....all when she needed to be.  I had no problem reading each of these emotions on her face and in her voice.  Is she good enough for a major dramatic role that needs these emotions to be amped up?  Who knows, but I don't think her acting for this particular movie was bad at all. 

And since I brought up the topic of super hero movies:  I'm tired of seeing Stan Lee shoehorned into every Marvel movie.  Every so often, one of his scenes comes across as cute/funny, but for the most part, for a while now, they've seem forced and shoehorned in because someone started it a long time ago and now it just has to be there.  For me, it doesn't. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

Considering that English isn't her first language and she has been acting for a comparatively short time, I thought Gal Gadot did a more than serviceable job. When Steve Trevor is talking about the war killing millions, I thought Gadot's facial expressions were affecting and heartbreaking. 

Quite frankly, I find the current standard of "good acting" completely warped. We applaud "understated" acting, but I think we've lost our way in regards to what "understated" really means. I think understated means you convey a range of emotion with the bare minimum of facial expressions or body language. Think of Sissy Spacek in Badlands, Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass, or Ingrid Bergman in Notorious. I do not-repeat, DO NOT- consider bland, vacant-eyed, slack-jawed, monotone, emotionally devoid nothingness "good acting" (Mia Wasikowska, I'm looking at you). Maybe acting in older films was a bit more stylized, but I never thought it was bad, and I'll take emotional acting over people imitating dead cellphones.

All I ask is a passing resemblance to how human beings behave, is that asking so much?

[amaranta]

3 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I think understated means you convey a range of emotion with the bare minimum of facial expressions or body language. Think of Sissy Spacek in Badlands, Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass, or Ingrid Bergman in Notorious

Amen.  I used to wonder about Julia Roberts win for Erin Brockovitch. Then a couple of years ago, I saw parts of it again, on TV.  There's a scene where she says almost nothing - she's driving and listening on the phone to how much her child has changed and grown.  It's being delivered in a cheery voice, all good news, etc.  But as she listens, conflicts over what's she's doing - bits of sadness, uncertainty - all flutter across her face.  I think that's the scene that gave her the win.

Even though I like Roberts, I am of the opinion she does have a limited range and is never able to quite disappear into a character.  But she knocked that moment out of the park.

Edited October 14, 2017 by amaranta

[Jac]

The best mob movie ever made isn’t The Godfather or The Godfather pt II. It is Goodfellas.  

[ChromaKelly]

On 9/14/2017 at 10:03 PM, kiddo82 said:

Here's a get off my lawn post: I don't really care about amenities in movie theaters.  I just read an article about the new "Ultra Lux" (yup, that's what it's called) theater coming to a location near me and all I could think about was "Most movies are what?  2? 2 1/2 hours tops?  Do I really need sushi rolls delivered right to my seat over that duration while watching Wonder Woman?"  And I get it, I'll go see a movie that looks interesting to me regardless but they want a hook to lure in casual fans.  And I don't hate that they do it, I just think it's unnecessary.  If I want a drink, I can get one way cheaper at the restaurant next door after the film.  Same thing if I'm hungry.  And the recliner seats are niiiiice but the rest does little to enhance the experience for me.

In MA and NH, there's a theater called Chunky's, not really a chain as there's only two of them. That's my favorite place to see a movie. They have long tables and old front seats from Cadillac's (I think? Or maybe they are all just that type of car, like big sedans). It's all woo-woo with the food, it's standard pub grub. They serve beer, I can't remember if they have mixed drinks.  My point is, I don't need a luxury experience, but I like a comfortable seat and I like the option of having a meal.

[WritinMan]

I thoroughly enjoyed King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. It was a lot of fun. Too bad we won't see any more of these.

But I also enjoyed Depp's The Lone Ranger.

[Blergh]

Sometimes I wonder why established performers accept roles with folks who are irrefutably despicable or just plain annoying. Case in point: John Lithgow has an impressive body of work and seems to be one of the nicest folks in the business (AFIK), but he signed up to play Will Ferrell's father in "Daddy's Home 2"? Why he want to work with either Messrs. Gibson or Walberg whom it's public record have said and done despicable things or Mr. Ferrell who just seems annoying? Would it have killed him to turn down that part? I just don't get it.

[cpcathy]

Yeah, it's tough. Either Lithgow thought it was a good script, or he just likes to work, or he just wanted the extra cash.

[HunterHunted]

23 hours ago, cpcathy said:

Yeah, it's tough. Either Lithgow thought it was a good script, or he just likes to work, or he just wanted the extra cash.

I assume that most of them just want the cash. My siblings and I refer to Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley as Sir Michael "I just put in a pool and built a pool house" Caine and Sir Ben "We need to remodel the kitchen" Kingsley.

Though it's been a while since Lithgow had done a comedic film. It's possible that was some of his motivation.

[starri]

Recall Michael Caine's comments about missing out on receiving his first Oscar because he was stuck doing reshoots in Jaws: The Revenge.

[UYI]

Don't forget: John Lithgow actually did a CAMPBELL'S SOUP commercial about a decade ago, with his status as great, well-known actor long past cemented. But, to be fair, the more a commercial is shown, the more money its participants receive. Even so, a lot of people, myself included, were shocked at the time to see him in a commercial that did NOT focus itself around a specific celebrity endorsement. 

Edited October 28, 2017 by UYI

[Ceindreadh]

2 hours ago, starri said:

Recall Michael Caine's comments about missing out on receiving his first Oscar because he was stuck doing reshoots in Jaws: The Revenge.

Is that the one where he says something like "I have not seen the movie, but I understand that it is terrible.  I have on the other hand seen the house that I bought with my fees and it is terrific!"

[starri]

Exactly that one.  For some of these guys, it's a paycheck.  And it's their job, so of course they might not always be picky.

And sometimes there's some quid pro quo.  Agreeing to do Speed 2 got Sandra Bullock financing to make Hope Floats.  

And I think sometimes it's just fun.  Cate Blanchett is chewing into scenery like a beaver in the previews for Thor: Ragnarok, and she looks like she's having a blast doing it.

[Athena]

I tend to give actors, especially ones with talent, slack on doing movies primarily for cash. The fact of the matter is, if you refuse people who want to give you money, actors are a dime a dozen so they will look elsewhere. Michael Caine and a lot of the old school actors from Britain did not really make any money until the 80s. They treat acting as a job; a creative one that they love but they need work. Caine and Sean Connery were on the dole in 60s because they couldn't get enough acting jobs.

 

1 hour ago, starri said:

And sometimes there's some quid pro quo.  Agreeing to do Speed 2 got Sandra Bullock financing to make Hope Floats. 

Keanu Reeves vehemently refused to do Speed 2 even after they offered him a lot of money. He admitted in an interview that Fox basically black balled him for at least 10 years because of that.

[Dandesun]

On 10/28/2017 at 1:57 PM, Ceindreadh said:

Is that the one where he says something like "I have not seen the movie, but I understand that it is terrible.  I have on the other hand seen the house that I bought with my fees and it is terrific!"

There's also a quote from him "First of all, I choose great roles, and if none of these come, I choose mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent."

I mean, I think there's the whole concept of 'doing it for the art' and all that but it's a fickle business filled with fickle people... trends change, new stars arise and all of that. At the end of the day, making a living is really what it comes down to.

[Crs97]

I think I remember someone saying they chose movie roles the Michael Caine way:  check the first page of the script and then check the last page.  Is your character on both pages?  Take the role!

[proserpina65]

22 hours ago, Dandesun said:

There's also a quote from him "First of all, I choose great roles, and if none of these come, I choose mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent."

I mean, I think there's the whole concept of 'doing it for the art' and all that but it's a fickle business filled with fickle people... trends change, new stars arise and all of that. At the end of the day, making a living is really what it comes down to.

It's a bit lengthy, but here's Laurence Olivier's answer about making Inchon:

“People ask me why I’m playing in this picture. The answer is simple: Money, dear boy. I’m like a vintage wine. You have to drink me quickly before I turn sour. I’m almost used up now and I can feel the end coming. That’s why I’m taking money now. I’ve got nothing to leave my family but the money I can make from films. Nothing is beneath me if it pays well. I’ve earned the right to damn well grab whatever I can in the time I’ve got left.”

Edited November 1, 2017 by proserpina65

[slf]

I did not like the third act of Split. I thought it was an interesting little film up until the big reveal. That kind of took me out of it. And I didn't care for Bruce Willis' appearance at the end. I know that M. Night Shyamalan conceived of the movie as a sequel to Unbreakable but with the third act being such a failure for me...eh. (I felt the same way about 10 Cloverfield Lane. The big reveal felt tacked on. (Which, in that movie, it basically was.) Would've worked much better if they'd just played it straight.) James McAvoy was terrific tho.

[Raja]

I like The Green Berets, even if John Wayne was too old and fat and the sun sets in the wrong direction

[Browncoat]

I probably have said this before, possibly even in this topic, but I hate John Wayne.

[Wiendish Fitch]

A UO that only classic movie fans (such as myself) will give a crap about:

I find it annoying how Nelson Eddy, to this day, is dismissed as "stiff" and "boring", but Joel McCrea, who I find genuinely stiff and boring, is lauded and praised. Am I missing something? At least Eddy could sing!

[AimingforYoko]

12 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I probably have said this before, possibly even in this topic, but I hate John Wayne.

I believe the great philosopher Flavor Flav had something to say on this subject.

[Blergh]

Why didn't Mr. Potter's wheelchair pusher pipe up and blow the whistle on the miserable old thief and con instead of letting George Bailey take the fall? And yes, he WOULD have deserved to have gone into prison for what he did to all those folks! HUMBUG!

[Lugal]

On 11/11/2017 at 7:05 PM, Browncoat said:

I probably have said this before, possibly even in this topic, but I hate John Wayne.

I remember twenty-some years ago or so I saw a Native American comic who had a hell of a lot of fun ripping apart John Wayne.

[kiddo82]

As someone who likes both trailers and big budget franchise films I couldn't care less about trailers for big budget franchise films.  Actually, I should say I don't care when a trailer for something that we're all going to hear about ad nauseam drops.  I'm going to see the Last Jedi and Black Panther and Infinity War anyway.  I don't need to look up the teasers on the internet months in advance.  If I happen to catch one before another movie or on TV then great, but I don't think of trailer day as some sort of national geek holiday.  Believe me, I've gone to see many a movie only because a trailer piqued my interest but theses were films I either had no opinion of or otherwise wouldn't have heard of or been inclined to see.  Everyone's gonna know when the next Marvel or Star Wars movie is coming and by this point, everyone already has an opinion.  

Edited November 30, 2017 by kiddo82

[proserpina65]

As someone who loved the original Star Wars trilogy (I turned 12 the summer the first movie came out), I can say with absolute certainty that I have no interest in seeing any of the new movies, especially now that Han Solo is dead.

[Browncoat]

You're missing out, @proserpina65!  I have lost count of how many times I've seen the originals (I turned 13 the summer the first one came out, but passed for 11 to get the kid ticket price!) because I love them so much, and I know how you feel.  After being burned by the Trilogy That Must Not Be Named (only saw each of those once), I was reluctant, but I absolutely loved the first of the new trilogy.  And I've requested the day off work on Dec 15 to see the newest installment. 

Side note:  I actually have the (almost) real originals -- "Episode IV" has been added to the crawl, but it was before Lucas got his grubby hands on CGI and wrecked them.  Han shot first!

[nodorothyparker]

22 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

As someone who loved the original Star Wars trilogy (I turned 12 the summer the first movie came out), I can say with absolute certainty that I have no interest in seeing any of the new movies, especially now that Han Solo is dead.

My husband has said the same thing.  I can enjoy the movies without having any particular attachment to the franchise one way or the other but he was raised on it and Luke and Han were his childhood heroes.  He's still incredibly bitter that the last movie brought back Han only to be killed by his shitty son and Luke for a few nonspeaking seconds at the very end.

[Crs97]

I can sympathize.  I will have to read the spoilers before I go; my family knows that if Luke even so much as glances at the dark side I am staying home.  So in essence they will be slightly spoiled as well.

[UYI]

I guess my UO is that I have little to no interest to ever seeing ANY of the Star Wars movies. I've gone my whole life without watching any of them, and while I've sometimes considered forcing myself to watch them, I have yet to do it. And part of me also feels guilty that if I ever do watch them, it will be after Carrie Fisher is dead (yes, I know that sounds weird). 

[ShadowHunter]

I don't care about Tommy Wiseau.

[Silver Raven]

40 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

I don't care about Tommy Wiseau.

I don't think that's an unpopular opinion.

[ShadowHunter]

Here is one lol posters above mentioned  Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass and speaking of that movie I think Hayden Christensen is good in it he was better then Peter to me.   I also like Hayden in Life as a House. 

He did get good reviews from critics for those two movies but I feel like I cant even say that he was good in them because people will scream back NOO HE SUCKS!!

[Joe]

3 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

Here is one lol posters above mentioned  Peter Sarsgaard in Shattered Glass and speaking of that movie I think Hayden Christensen is good in it he was better then Peter to me.   I also like Hayden in Life as a House. 

He did get good reviews from critics for those two movies but I feel like I cant even say that he was good in them because people will scream back NOO HE SUCKS!!

I've heard that Christensen is good in stuff other than Star Wars. I'm willing to believe it. Maybe he rises to the level of the material. I just have no desire to watch those movies.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, UYI said:

I guess my UO is that I have little to no interest to ever seeing ANY of the Star Wars movies. I've gone my whole life without watching any of them, and while I've sometimes considered forcing myself to watch them, I have yet to do it.

I tried with the original, two or three times, and never once made it through the whole thing.  I'm a child of the '70s, and sometimes it seemed like every single one of my contemporaries loved the movie that I'd always skipped over (sci-fi was never my thing, or my parents' thing, so there was no trip to the theater upon release, and no later home viewing on VHS, despite getting our first VCR in 1978), so I tried to watch it later in life.  On VHS.  Again on Laserdisc.  I gave up before DVD, never mind Blu-Ray; it does absolutely nothing for me, so I don't care to ever finish it, let alone watch any of the subsequent films in the franchise.

I've never seen an Indiana Jones movie in its entirety, either, which is another thing that makes me an oddball among my age cohort.

[Shannon L.]

9 hours ago, Bastet said:

I tried with the original, two or three times, and never once made it through the whole thing.  I'm a child of the '70s, and sometimes it seemed like every single one of my contemporaries loved the movie that I'd always skipped over (sci-fi was never my thing, or my parents' thing, so there was no trip to the theater upon release, and no later home viewing on VHS, despite getting our first VCR in 1978), so I tried to watch it later in life.  On VHS.  Again on Laserdisc.  I gave up before DVD, never mind Blu-Ray; it does absolutely nothing for me, so I don't care to ever finish it, let alone watch any of the subsequent films in the franchise.

I loved the three originals when they first came out (Star Wars came out when I was 10) because they were something different.  Now, though?  I can't sit through them at all.  I tried the three prequels and couldn't make it through them, fell asleep in the theater during the one that came out 2 or 3 years ago (the one where Han Solo died) and now I refuse to even try any of the new ones.  Liking a movie from the sci-fi genre has become a very rare thing for me. 

Raiders of the Lost Arc?  Meh.  The others?  Range from ok to bad. 

[MaggieG]

I recently watched Spiderman Homecoming and I thought Zendaya's character was incredibly annoying. I kept waiting for her to add something to the plot and she didn't. I have no idea why she was there, other than to make snooty comments to the rest of the characters. I'm putting that here since I went to the thread for the movie itself and everyone there seemed to love her character.

I don't like The Fifth Element and have never watched it all the way through. My husband and I were staying with a friend and her husband a few weekends ago and they wanted to watch that. I watched about 10 minutes and went to sleep. My friends could not understand why I don't like it. Sci fi normally doesn't bother me but that movie does not interest me at all.

[Shannon L.]

1 hour ago, MaggieG said:

I kept waiting for her to add something to the plot and she didn't. I have no idea why she was there, other than to make snooty comments to the rest of the characters. 

I liked her, but no, she didn't add a lot to the plot.  I think, given her last scene (her now being captain of the team and her saying "Call me MJ"), they were just establishing her character and you'll see more plot points with her in the next one.

I finally sat through the entire Matrix movie last night.  While the last hour was definitely better than the first hour and a half, overall? Boooring......

[Popples]

3 hours ago, MaggieG said:

I don't like The Fifth Element and have never watched it all the way through. My husband and I were staying with a friend and her husband a few weekends ago and they wanted to watch that. I watched about 10 minutes and went to sleep. My friends could not understand why I don't like it. Sci fi normally doesn't bother me but that movie does not interest me at all.

My best friend in middle school was obsessed with this film. His favorite part was the blue opera singer and he would call me every time that moment came up, and that's the only scene I've ever watched. It never looked remotely interesting to me.

[Raja]

21 hours ago, MaggieG said:

I recently watched Spiderman Homecoming and I thought Zendaya's character was incredibly annoying. I kept waiting for her to add something to the plot and she didn't. I have no idea why she was there, other than to make snooty comments to the rest of the characters. I'm putting that here since I went to the thread for the movie itself and everyone there seemed to love her character.

 

 

20 hours ago, Shannon L. said:

I liked her, but no, she didn't add a lot to the plot.  I think, given her last scene (her now being captain of the team and her saying "Call me MJ"), they were just establishing her character and you'll see more plot points with her in the next one.

 

That is exactly why she was there. Only to have the comic nerd class say "that is not MJ". The objection wasn't the actress' race but the character traits. My guess is that somewhere in a future movie some guy sees a supermodel tall MJ who seduces her away from the science school path and she takes on her stage name  as they MCU the origin story

[Hybridcookie]

While I didn't mind Zendaya, I was not a fan of Spider-Man: Homecoming, I didn't think it was that funny and me my friend agreed that there was so much forced comedy in it.

[SmithW6079]

I've seen Emma Stone in "La La Land" and "Battle of the Sexes," and I realized something -- I really, really, really don't like her. I think as far as talent goes, she's fine as an actress, but there's something about her that makes me hate her. I kind of want to punch her in the face, just because.

[Ohwell]

For me, it's those "who me?" eyes of hers.  Yeah, I want to punch her.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 5:20 PM, slf said:

So...yeah. I think Harrison Ford was the acting weak-link in The Force Awakens. I enjoyed seeing him as Han Solo again and I loved "THAT'S NOT HOW THE FORCE WORKS!" but overall it felt half-assed and it took me out of his scenes (especially because the new kiddos were so game and committed). (I also think there's a 50/50 chance he's the OG SW cast member that James Marsters said shit-talked BtVS for being "stupid" because Buffy is a woman and "no woman could defend herself like that".) It's weird though because even though he utilizes the same mannerisms in about 75% of his roles I've liked him in almost everything he's done. He seems to know his limits. I have no idea why revisiting Han didn't work and it has me a little worried for the new Blade Runner.

Harrison worked for me, although it killed me that he looked almost frail.  I know it's almost sacrilege to say this, especially now that she is gone, but Carrie was the weak link for me.  In that last scene when she tells Rey, may the force be with you, it hits an almost satirical note.  This is coming from a person who loved the movie and was very emotional at the end.

It's going to be hard watching the next SW movie, because I'm half convinced she lapsed back into addiction by trying to lose weight for Leia.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 9:21 AM, starri said:

Found Footage is a great genre.  It only suffers because while it's easy to do, it's almost impossible to do well.  The only ones who have ever stuck the landing are Blair Witch, the first and third Paranormal Activity's, the Spanish movie [*REC], and maybe Cloverfield depending on my mood.

It also worked for me in Quarantine - especially that last shot.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎7‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 9:38 AM, Shannon L. said:

I loved the movie, but there were a couple of things that bugged me and that was one of them.  I also disliked the characterization of the women in America when that young man got to Wisconsin (not that they loved his accent, though--I could buy that).  My UO about Love Actually is that, with the exception of the fat jokes about Aurelia's sister, her's and Jamie's story line was my favorite.

I love a lot of Love Actually, and I typically fast forward the SLs I don't care for.  I cannot stand the singer guy, and opening the movie with his repeated failures to sing the proper line was a risky move.  If I were simply flipping channels, no way would I stick around after that.  The character just oozes gross for me, on a Hugh Hefner level.

The porn stand ins are cute enough, and I may watch them if I'm in the mood.

I love Colin Firth, but I usually skip through a lot of his until that amazing ending because the actress bugs a little.  That entire family tagging along is hilarious.

The SL that really bothers me, and that many seem to adore, is the kid whose mother died.  The whole thing is bizarre to me.  Oh yes, mum died, whatever - I'm in LOVE!  I've always been turned off by the sexualizing of pre-pubescent children by indulging them to have "boyfriends" and "girlfriends", but this kid is worse than that, and they take it seriously!  Liam should have taken him to a therapist, stat! because he's probably deflecting his grief, and WTF with the hurry for Liam to move on when his wife has been dead a few weeks, and wow Emma does not now how to be supportive.   Just don't like that SL at all, BUT - I will watch the end scene in the airport.  Little guy turns with that smile on his face and goes into Liam's arms, and you know they're going to be okay now.

Laura Linney's SL is bitter sweet, as is Alan Rickman/Emma Thompson.  I can handle a bad Alan Rickman, as my first exposure of him was playing "an exceptional thief".

I fast forward Kyra's SL until the end.  It's all so awkward and Rick Grimes is just so sweet.  But I'm always left with - where do they go from there?  How in the world do they continue to socialize with this between them?  And she seemed a tad too pleased to know he has unrequited love for her.  And how obtuse is her husband?

PM story is cute and the depiction of the US president doesn't bother me.  In fact, it's a step up from reality at this point.  Anyway, it reminded me a little of the mocking of the American vs. British couples in A Fish Called Wanda.  Our president is an arrogant cowboy, and there's is a prissy, stammering, fuss budget.

Totally FF the guy coming to America.  

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 5:27 PM, kathyk24 said:

I think Robin Williams is underrated as dramatic actor. He was great in Awakenings and the Fisher King.

Roger Ebert once said that Robin Williams does best with a strong director who can rein him in.  I love him in Awakenings, Dead Poets, and Garp.  The Fisher King, however . . .  I once shared an apartment with a friend and both of us were too cheap to pay for cable.  We watched the same movies over and over again.  Her particular favorite was Fisher King, and I would absolutely cringe when I'd hear - I love New York in June.

[Shannon L.]

On 12/9/2017 at 7:45 PM, RedheadZombie said:

The SL that really bothers me, and that many seem to adore, is the kid whose mother died.  The whole thing is bizarre to me.  Oh yes, mum died, whatever - I'm in LOVE!  I've always been turned off by the sexualizing of pre-pubescent children by indulging them to have "boyfriends" and "girlfriends", but this kid is worse than that, and they take it seriously!  Liam should have taken him to a therapist, stat! because he's probably deflecting his grief, and WTF with the hurry for Liam to move on when his wife has been dead a few weeks, and wow Emma does not now how to be supportive.   Just don't like that SL at all, BUT - I will watch the end scene in the airport.  Little guy turns with that smile on his face and goes into Liam's arms, and you know they're going to be okay now.

See, that last sentence is why I loved this story.  It had little to do with a kid falling in love, and everything to do with how great he and his stepfather were together.  They'd really grown to love and trust each other in the time that Liam was married to his mother and I really enjoyed that aspect of the whole story line.

[katha]

"Natural", unobtrusive performances aren't necessarily "better". Just as "disappearing into character" isn't necessarily "better". That's why I don't trust many reviews of acting, since the reviewer often has dogmatic ideas about what constitutes "good acting" and if someone deviates, it gets a "fail". If it's right for the context and tone of a movie, that's when I enjoy performances. Perhaps my fave performance of all time is DDL in "Gangs of New York". And it's great because of its scenery-chewing hamminess. The movie is deeply flawed pulp fiction and DDL made the (IMO correct) bold decision to match the tone of the movie and basically produce slapstick. Bill the Butcher is both very funny and very scary. It's the ultimate comedy performance and at the same time makes the character even scarier. If he'd played it "straight" and more serious, he might have gotten the Oscar that year. But he did right by the movie and produced something pitch perfect for this concrete setting. Of course this kind of approach would have been wrong for a more low-key movie. But it wasn't a more low-key movie, so it was a great fit.

There are also all sorts of actors who "play themselves". If playing versions of their persona works for the movie, then I don't see the harm? There are many different variations of Cary Grant in his movies, most often perfectly suited to the role he's supposed to play and IMO therefore great performances. Julia Roberts has done her share of good work as "Julia Roberts". Morgan Freeman has been the "Morgan Freeman character" in plenty of films, and yeah, sometimes it's tiresome, but if it enhances the movie? Why not?

I can agree that someone like Katherine Hepburn gave very affected performances (even in the context of her time) and sometimes this is jarring because it goes against the tone of the rest of the movie. It's not a problem when it suits the movie IMO.

[kiddo82]

I don't hate The Phantom Menace.