What is good acting?

[Atelier]

There was a very underrated movie from around 2000 called "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin

 

[aniciete]

"The Shield" is up there with Breaking Bad and The Sopranos IMO.

 

[joaquin]

This is exactly how I felt about Breaking Bad. The acting, the story lines, the incredibly clever and smart writing, everything.

I haven't really watched a TV show in about 6 years (!). I tried the other month to watch shows that were still on my DVR from 6 years ago and YOW were they VAPID. I had a monumental ah-ha moment that I was watching these shows to pass time, to have something to do. Was watching them like "homework" that had to be done.

Haven't enjoyed a movie in about 20 years, other than the occasional re-watch of ones I like. I've tried watching what's "popular right now" and my god, not only are movies on average 30-60 minutes shorter than they used to be in the 70s and 80s and 90s, but there are no more story lines in movies anymore. They take 25+ minutes to just START any possible story. Up to that point it's basically people standing around talking. There's really no buildup to anything. It's time wasting.

A few movies I really liked:
Paper Moon
Breaking Away
Raising Arizona
Bound (watch this one with headphones - the cinematography and audio are part of the whole experience)

And I'm no highbrow person, if the writing is there, I don't mind campy acting with really good writing like Xena and Buffy, 2 of my all time favorite TV Series. Good/funny writing is good writing.

Breaking Bad was the best show that has even been put on television in the history of television.

 

[PeterLake]

I tend to look at things in terms of "movie stars" vs "character actors." Good movie stars tend to play the same character in everything. Think Burt Reynolds or Arnold. When it comes to this class of actor, you might be able to find someone whose schtick appeals to you, you might not. Character actors tend to be better craftsmen, but are rarely as famous. Off the top of my head, John Tuturro, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (RIP), Willem Dafoe. Some actors split the difference between these two categories and tend to be the super stars. Leo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Daniel Day Lewis, Christian Bale, etc.

I actually find myself watching a lot of British television lately. Those shows are populated with people you've literally never seen before, but they tend to be pretty good actors -- maybe because acting is viewed a little more as an art form over there than as a ticket to fame -- idk.

 

[Jennifer]

"The Shield" is up there with Breaking Bad and The Sopranos IMO.

That’s the show I was thinking of! Thank you for mentioning The Shield. I used to watch it with my mum and was telling my dad about it recently, but I thought it was The Commish and got confused when I watched an episode of it. I remembered having watched The Commish but the show I was thinking of was darker, and Michael Chiklis had a shaved head and wore a black leather jacket.

 

[aniciete]

That’s the show I was thinking of! Thank you for mentioning The Shield. I used to watch it with my mum and was telling my dad about it recently, but I thought it was The Commish and got confused when I watched an episode of it. I remembered having watched The Commish but the show I was thinking of was darker, and Michael Chiklis had a shaved head and wore a black leather jacket.

:)

 

[Jennifer]

:)
View attachment 49735

Now that’s the Michael Chiklis I had in mind.

 

[Peatress]

Rachel Griffiths is a pretty good actress.

 

[Herbie]

Yes, there are treasures in russian films!
I don't know about modern ones much, I've seen some occasionally.
But so many movies from the soviet era are great!
And all Mikhalkov movies.

Yes Siberiada is an epic, one of the best films ever made imo.

Mosfilm have a youtube channel and regularly post full films on there to watch. One from 2012 I really liked was White Tiger.

 

[Atelier]

Yes Siberiada is an epic, one of the best films ever made imo.

Mosfilm have a youtube channel and regularly post full films on there to watch. One from 2012 I really liked was White Tiger.

Thank you I'll check it out!
I know Siberiada only from the music by Artemiev, which I love. Thanks for mentioning, it's a good reminder to watch it.
It's been a long while I haven't been on Mosfilm.

Do you understand russian, or do you watch with subtitles?
One little movie I found by chance is named "Облако рай", it's very touching. But no subtitles.

How did you get into russian movies, just by taste?
I find it's too bad that we don't know much about russian culture in the west besides the writers and famous movie makers, it's so rich.

 

[Peachy]

Thank you I'll check it out!
I know Siberiada only from the music by Artemiev, which I love. Thanks for mentioning, it's a good reminder to watch it.
It's been a long while I haven't been on Mosfilm.

Do you understand russian, or do you watch with subtitles?
One little movie I found by chance is named "Облако рай", it's very touching. But no subtitles.

How did you get into russian movies, just by taste?
I find it's too bad that we don't know much about russian culture in the west besides the writers and famous movie makers, it's so rich.

Good to learn of some other Russian movies. One I liked was The Island. I remember not fully jibing with the message but it was a great film.


View: https://youtu.be/c4eOwnQZhSw

 

[Peachy]

There was a german show on Netflix called Dark. It ran for 3 seasons.. so good that maybe I should not have watched it because now I expect others to put forth an effort.

This one was mind bending.

 

[Atelier]

Good to learn of some other Russian movies. One I liked was The Island. I remember not fully jibing with the message but it was a great film.


View: https://youtu.be/c4eOwnQZhSw

I love that movie too!! The actors were great.
Unfortunately the main actor died not long ago, I really liked him
I was also impressed by the acting skills of the 'possessed' girl.

 

[Herbie]

Thank you I'll check it out!
I know Siberiada only from the music by Artemiev, which I love. Thanks for mentioning, it's a good reminder to watch it.
It's been a long while I haven't been on Mosfilm.

Do you understand russian, or do you watch with subtitles?
One little movie I found by chance is named "Облако рай", it's very touching. But no subtitles.

How did you get into russian movies, just by taste?
I find it's too bad that we don't know much about russian culture in the west besides the writers and famous movie makers, it's so rich.

Yes the soundtrack is amazing in the film.

I just read subtitles, I'll see if it works with auto subtitles. Thank you for the recomendation.

I was watching everything from "the imdb top 250" and was exhausting all Hollywood films back to the golden era then the film "Come and see" was high up in the ranking so I watched it online and it blew me away, at this point I realised that all Hollywood war films are propaganda to encourage young men to join the military. I watched heaps of Russian films since.

Yes I am curious about Russia especially how Ray spoke about Lenin, Stalin, the science and that Russia was the last hope for the west and had potential give birth to a golden area because of the orthodox church and the culture and philosophy of the people.

 

[LucyL]

Daniel day-lewis in There will be blood.

Daniel Day Lewis in just about anything

I think good acting is about believability, but that usually means the script, directing and producing have to support it.

Angelina Jolie was very good in the original Tomb Raider, because she put the time in understanding the nuances of her character. Like a proper "Lady" she never slouched when sat in the chairs, never yelled, was understated in her movements and speech. So even though it was an over-the-top action movie story/role and she was "eye candy" the character was meaningful.

 

[Atelier]

Yes the soundtrack is amazing in the film.

I just read subtitles, I'll see if it works with auto subtitles. Thank you for the recomendation.

I was watching everything from "the imdb top 250" and was exhausting all Hollywood films back to the golden era then the film "Come and see" was high up in the ranking so I watched it online and it blew me away, at this point I realised that all Hollywood war films are propaganda to encourage young men to join the military. I watched heaps of Russian films since.

Yes I am curious about Russia especially how Ray spoke about Lenin, Stalin, the science and that Russia was the last hope for the west and had potential give birth to a golden area because of the orthodox church and the culture and philosophy of the people.

Oh yes, "Come and see" is so powerful, I was blown away too.

I heard what Ray said about the current events only, I didn't hear I think what he had said about Lenin and Stalin, I'll look for it, I'm interested!
I was pleasantly surprised that he was not into a typical western view of the situation with eastern countries. Well not surprised in fact, but glad.

So many people in the west don't realize how the arts can be used for propaganda, they associate this word to anything russian only.
Artists themselves don't always realize that their thinking can be issued from propaganda, and conveniently think that they are "ahead of their society"... quite often the opposite, they can very well be products and tools of their society. Not all of them of course, it's up to each individual.