Generally, as a rule of thumb, typically, if I ever see a movie trailer and Denzel Washington is involved, I get excited - really excited. Similarly, when I receive word about a new Ridley Scott movie, I get excited. I have liked just about anything the man has done recently. Whether it is "Gladiator" which in hindsight is much better film than originally thought. Don't believe me, check out Roger Ebert, he agrees. Don't argue with a man that has a Pulitzer Prize. "Black Hawk Down" was inspired and fearless film making. It's a film that requires a disciplined viewing lest it overwhelm the viewer. And, I thought "Kingdom of Heaven" to be good work, yet it was panned not only in print but at the box office as well. These two men are enough to make anyone spend the money at the ticket booth.
Enter Russel Crowe - a man with his share of mixed opinions. But take a look at this body of work: "L.A. Confidential," "A Beautiful Mind," "Gladiator," "The Insider," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." Granted, there are some things on his resume that one needn't write home about, but every working person in this world has things on their resume they wish they could improve, so that's a wash.
I come to you with a confession. I have been denying Russell Crowe a place in my "good actor" pile. I have liked 99% of the films I have seen him in and for some reason had difficulty placing him in that pantheon. Russell, I have placed the welcome mat just for you. Now, whenever a movie comes out and you are in a starring role, I will take note.
Note to News Corp, Disney, AOL/Time Warner, General Electric (especially you!), SONY/BMG, Liberty Media, Vivendi/Universal, Viacom, and AT&T (the big ten media corporations): if you put Russell Crowe in a film, you can 100% count on at least $10 at the box office.
What Was the 20th Century?
10 months ago
2 comments:
Same thing regarding Russell Crowe happened to me after the new remake of 3:10 To Yuma. I loved his subtle villain so much that I realized from now on, I would anticipate all his films.
In fact, when you come to think of it, he was as subtle as the hero in Gladiator as he was in Yuma.
Gangster was great but not with a huge contribution from Crowe. He was good but being good with that role required a lot less than what he is typically challenged with.
I really like Crowe too and agree with Anil his villain role in 3:10 to Yuma may have been better than most of his hero roles.
Here is the top ten list of the best Russell Crowe movies from rankings of movie bloggers and others.
Post a Comment