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benj clews 
"...."
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 Posted - 01/08/2008 : 12:34:15
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quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
Theron was hysterical in her cameo on "Arrested Development"
I wouldn't say hysterical. Try 'painful'. I don't know- maybe it wasn't her, perhaps it was the writers but those episodes really were just awful in what, for me, had previously been a flawless comedy series.
Agreed about Kidman, though. Heck, she's even done BMX stunts! |
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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 13:18:58
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Range, for me, must include character-specific speech patterns, physicality, comic timing, believable in period roles, dramatic depth over a large number of roles. It's not about screen presence - that's a measure of star quality. So -- with some examples - not necessarily their best films, but the ones that show the range:
Contemporary Ranges
Meryl Streep - compare: Evil Angels, She-Devils, Out of Africa, Kramer vs Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Devil Wears Prada, Lions For Lambs
Nicole Kidman - To Die For, Batman Forever, Moulin Rouge, The Hours, Cold Mountain, Bewitched, Golden Compass
Rene Zelwegger - Jerry Maguire, Me, Myself & Irene, Bridget Jones + 2, Chicago, Miss Potter
Judi Dench - all the Shakespeares and Chekhovs, Mrs Brown, Chocolat, Bonds, Ladies in Lavender, Notes on a Scandal
Imelda Staunton - Peter's Friends, Sense & Sensibility, Bright Young Things, Vera Drake, Potter
Vanessa Redgrave - Blowup, all the Shakespeares, Isadora, Oh, What A Lovely War, The Devils, Steaming, Prick Up Your Ears, Julia, Agatha, Wilde, Atonement
Miranda Richardson - [Blackadder - UK TV], Dance With A Stranger, Crying Game, Tom & Viv, Paris, Je t'aime, yes - even Fred Claus
Robert DeNiro - Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Godfather, New York, New York, Last Tycoon, Awakenings, Heat, Wag the Dog, Marvin's Room, Casino, all the animated stuff
Paul Giamatti - Sideways, Cinderella Man, Lady in the Water, Shoot Em Up, The Illusionist, yes even Fred Claus
Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Agatha, Kramer vs Kramer, Lenny, All the President's Men, Wag the Dog, Meet the Fockers, Mr Magorium's Magic Emporium
Daniel Day-Lewis - My Beautiful Laundrette, Room With a View, The Insurance Man, My Left Foot, The Age of Innocence, In the Name of the Father, The Crucible, Gangs of New York, There Will Be Blood
Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects, Se7en, American Beauty, K-PAX, Beyond the Sea, Superman
All Time Range Rovers -
Marlon Brando - a completely different persona in every single film -whether you like him or not
Laurence Olivier - almost ditto
Jean Gabin - if you ever get a chance to see his screen development, you'll know why he's one of the most versatile actors ever born.
Judy Garland - comedy, drama, musicals
Doris Day - almost ditto
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Whippersnapper. 
"A fourword thinking guy."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 13:50:02
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I think there may be a difference here between the ability to interpret existing characters and the ability to self-create personae, as well as the ability to play different genres.
For example, I would guess that Peter Sellers would have made a lousy Hamlet (and did make a lousy James Bond  ) but had the most astounding ability to create his own disparate characters in comedic situations.
To your list of contemporary rangers I'd put in a word for Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchett, to name but three two. Must be Be Nice To Ozzies Week.
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Sal[Au]pian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 14:02:10
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
Marlon Brando - a completely different persona in every single film -whether you like him or not
Laurence Olivier - almost ditto
I don't agree with these two. I love Marlon Brando but I haven't seen much range in the roles where he's strong. In a lot of things he's caricatured or the role is simplistic.
Laurence Olivier is almost always the same in things that I have seen.
I'm also not sure about De Niro. Even his comic roles rely on that simmering menace. |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 14:36:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
Marlon Brando - a completely different persona in every single film -whether you like him or not
Laurence Olivier - almost ditto
I don't agree with these two. I love Marlon Brando but I haven't seen much range in the roles where he's strong. In a lot of things he's caricatured or the role is simplistic.
Laurence Olivier is almost always the same in things that I have seen.
I'm also not sure about De Niro. Even his comic roles rely on that simmering menace.
what can I say - you're wrong! 
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 14:39:45
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Oops, forgot both Cate Blanchett and Toni Collette for contemps.
Apologies, Sal, didn't mean to be so flippant. Just don't have time right now to prove my point ... but if you trace their work, you'll have to conclude I'm right!
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Sal[Au]pian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 14:47:48
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quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
if you trace their work, you'll have to conclude I'm right!
Well, I have, and you're not... |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 15:16:56
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my actors have more range than your actors ... nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!
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lemmycaution
"Long mired in film"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 15:24:09
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| Richard Dix had great range in Cimarron. |
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silly
"That rabbit's DYNAMITE."
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 15:42:53
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Jon Heder.
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TitanPa
"Here four more"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 21:15:46
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Why is it Catherine Zeta-Jones is being over looked? Shes an action Star, Romantic comedy star, Singer, etc. Sure she hasnt played an evil character yet. But I think she has a wide range.
I also think Sally Field has a wide range.
All time? I need more thought.
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damalc 
"last watched: Sausage Party"
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 22:43:18
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| how 'bout Helen Mirren, from Caligula to The Queen, and she's in the Mr. Skin Hall of Fame. |
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turrell
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 01/08/2008 : 22:48:00
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Talk about range - witness the first 3 major movie roles of Sean Penn:
Bad Boys (1983)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Taps (1981)
Then what he's done since. He is a blowhard to be sure but has tremendous range. |
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TitanPa
"Here four more"
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Posted - 01/09/2008 : 04:19:56
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| Charlize puts on a mask and you think she has range? She needs a mask or no make-up at all to be considered evil, bad, or poor. She is too cute. She cannot be hated. She has to not look like herself to play a mean role. I doubt she can sing. I just dont think she was a wide range. Sure she wins Oscars for her acting.....but look what she has to do get nominated. She doent have much action in her. I doubt she can hold a tune. She is just another pretty face in Hollywood. Dont get me wrong, I love her. But she doesnt have the range. Some who is another pretty face that I think can go far and get alot of range is Katherine Heigl. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 01/09/2008 : 10:57:51
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quote:
Originally posted by TitanPa
Some who is another pretty face that I think can go far and get alot of range is Katherine Heigl.
I thought about her, but I think its too early to determine if she has enough range to be considered in this list.
Bafta's right about Staunton, however - that woman outshines almost everyone mentioned so far.
Another actress to consider would be Allison Janney. With practically no make-up help, she looks different in almost everything she does. It took me ages to figure out who she was when I saw her in American Beauty and adored her work in "The West Wing", plus I thought her comedy timing in things like Ten Things I Hate About You is always spot on! She was even in Hairspray and again, it took me a few minutes to realize it was her. I call that range. |
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Range
