MUScoop
MUScoop => The Superbar => Topic started by: MuggsyB on June 08, 2021, 10:18:11 PM
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Who ya got?
I think I'd go with:
5) Kingsley
4) Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L
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LeBron
Any 4 soccer players
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LeBron
Any 4 soccer players
I consider flopping a different skill-set. But he's top 5 for sure in that category.
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Who ya got?
I think I'd go with:
5) Kingsley
4) Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L
I would’ve guessed two of those dudes were dead.
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I would’ve guessed two of those dudes were dead.
Yes. I think people have forgotten how great Hackman in particular was throughout his career.
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Who ya got?
I think I'd go with:
5) Kingsley
4) Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L
Before I lock in my answer, are we talking best based on body of work, or based on currently, as several on your list are way past their prime.
Edit: I would put Christian Bale in there if we are talking about recent/current instead of Kingsley. Also, while going down this rabbit hole, I didn't realize Jami Gertz was a billionaire.
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Just my opinion:
Sidney Portier
John Malkovich
Margaret O'Brien
Clint Eastwood
Nehemiah Persoff
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Woj gave an Oscar winnin' performance as a basketball coach, hey?
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And as a flopper.
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Great list, Muggsy. I’d replace Kingsley with De Niro, but other than that I’m not sure I could argue against it.
The problem with De Niro and Pacino (and to an extent Nicholson) is that in the last 25 years, they’ve become caricatures of themselves. A lot of that has to do with poor career choices, but some of their performances have seemed lazy as well. That said, when I watched The Irishman, I was stunned at how good they both could still be if they wanted it. Especially De Niro.
Hackman’s my favorite of the bunch, and unlike Al and Bobby, he hung it up before he got too old. What a remarkable actor. The French Connection is one of my favorites, and its sequel is underrated.
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Tom Hanks
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Denzel
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Nicholson ... De Niro ... Streep ... Hoffman ... Hanks ... with shout-outs to Lithgow and Winslet.
Not sure if they're the 7 best, but they're in the team picture IMHO. Though I'll tell ya ... nobody cries on command better than Freddie Highmore!
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Gary Oldman is pretty dang good.
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Denzel
Denzel is awesome. I absolutely love the guy. However, I recently saw a Ben Kingsley performance that put him in my top 5. His versatility and range is off the charts. In fact when you look at his overall body of work he may be higher than 5 imo.
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I didn’t mention Streep because I wasn’t sure if there would eventually be a separate “actresses” thread. But her, Kate Winslet, and Viola Davis are all excellent in everything they’re in.
Denzel is also a great choice. Ditto Tom Hanks. He was effortlessly good in News of the World.
And even though he’s been cancelled, Dustin Hoffman is terrific as well.
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I didn’t mention Streep because I wasn’t sure if there would eventually be a separate “actresses” thread. But her, Kate Winslet, and Viola Davis are all excellent in everything they’re in.
Denzel is also a great choice. Ditto Tom Hanks. He was effortlessly good in News of the World.
And even though he’s been cancelled, Dustin Hoffman is terrific as well.
I didn't include actresses. Obviously Streep is among the very best to ever lace them up. I like Hanks but wouldn't slot him anywhere near my top 5.
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Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar
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Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar
It is known.
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Couple of names that were mentioned -- Gary Oldman and Viola Davis -- this goes to whether we are talking about all-time greats who still happen to be alive but might be doing little if any acting these days ... or great actors who are still doing their thing here in the 2020s.
So are we talkin' about Willie Mays ... or about Mookie Betts?
I mean, I really like Viola Davis. Always very good, often exceptional. I thought she should have won the Oscar for Ma Rainey. But is she really a top-5 all-time actor among those still alive? Is her body of work really up there with some of the other names we've mentioned?
A little more on Streep: Nearly 40 years after Deer Hunter, she is STILL incredible. All those fine performers on Big Little Lies, and she dominated every scene she was in. In 2008, she and Davis shared the screen in Doubt, and both were spectacular. Both were nominated for Oscars -- Davis even though she was on the screen for something like only 15 minutes -- and both should have won IMHO.
But many hadn't even heard of Davis before Doubt -- she was mostly a TV actor who hadn't come close to starring in her own series. By that time, the likes of Streep, Denzel, Jack, De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman, Hanks, etc etc etc, already were icons.
Fun topic, Muggs.
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Couple of names that were mentioned -- Gary Oldman and Viola Davis -- this goes to whether we are talking about all-time greats who still happen to be alive but might be doing little if any acting these days ... or great actors who are still doing their thing here in the 2020s.
So are we talkin' about Willie Mays ... or about Mookie Betts?
I mean, I really like Viola Davis. Always very good, often exceptional. I thought she should have won the Oscar for Ma Rainey. But is she really a top-5 all-time actor among those still alive? Is her body of work really up there with some of the other names we've mentioned?
A little more on Streep: Nearly 40 years after Deer Hunter, she is STILL incredible. All those fine performers on Big Little Lies, and she dominated every scene she was in. In 2008, she and Davis shared the screen in Doubt, and both were spectacular. Both were nominated for Oscars -- Davis even though she was on the screen for something like only 15 minutes -- and both should have won IMHO.
But many hadn't even heard of Davis before Doubt -- she was mostly a TV actor who hadn't come close to starring in her own series. By that time, the likes of Streep, Denzel, Jack, De Niro, Pacino, Hoffman, Hanks, etc etc etc, already were icons.
Fun topic, Muggs.
Great point, 82. I mean, Sidney Poitier is still alive, and his run in the 1960s is up there with anybody’s best, and as the first major black movie star, he’s one of the most important actors ever. But would anyone put him on a list of 5 best on the planet anymore?
I guess I chose Viola Davis because I feel like she could go toe to toe with pretty much any actor living or dead right now and match them. Ditto Frances McDormand. So many good actors!
But the person who said Nicolas Cage was probably right.
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Not seeing mention of these greats:
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins
Samuel L Jackson
Micheal Caine
Kevin Bacon
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But the person who said Nicolas Cage was probably right.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/bn0zlGb4LOyo8/200.gif)
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Nic Cage
Nick Cage
Nicholas Cage
N. Cage
Mark Paul Gosselaar
You forgot Nicolas Coppola.
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Who ya got?
I think I'd go with:
5) Kingsley
4) Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L
Any list of the greatest living actors that excludes Jeff Bridges is fake news.
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With the exception of Cage, no arguments with anyone previously mentioned. I'd add two additional names that warrant consideration in top 5:
Robert Downey Jr.
Sean Penn
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Not seeing mention of these greats:
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins
Samuel L Jackson
Micheal Caine
Kevin Bacon
I like all those guys ... but I don't think they're as great as those I named.
Others:
Sally Field, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Leo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Christian Bale, Joaquin Phoenix, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Russell Crowe, Jody Foster, Julie Andrews, Glenn Close, Halle Berry, Ralph Fiennes, Travolta ... so many others.
Many of the above had one or more incredible star turns but they aren't Streep and Nicholson or De Niro.
Gladiator is one of my all-time faves. Crowe and especially Phoenix were absolutely amazing, and both have done some other very good work beyond that. Where does either (or both) of them rank?
And, of course, Nikki Cage.
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Any list without Bobby Redford isn't much of a list either...
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It's an absolute dang shame that Chadwick Boseman was disqualified from contention.
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Before I lock in my answer, are we talking best based on body of work, or based on currently, as several on your list are way past their prime.
Edit: I would put Christian Bale in there if we are talking about recent/current instead of Kingsley. Also, while going down this rabbit hole, I didn't realize Jami Gertz was a billionaire.
damn, she's really moved on from her phone sex days.
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Who ya got?
I think I'd go with:
5) Kingsley
4) Pacino
3) Hackman
2) Nicholson
1) D-D-L
Took me a while to figure out DDL. Only ne I could come up with was Dom Deluise....😂
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Christy Canyon
Candy Samples
Chloe Vevrier
John Holmes
Peter North
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Took me a while to figure out DDL. Only ne I could come up with was Dom Deluise....😂
Lol Ziggy. You are forgiven as long as you drink someone else's milkshake.
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Not seeing mention of these greats:
Morgan Freeman
Anthony Hopkins
Samuel L Jackson
Micheal Caine
Kevin Bacon
I love Samuel L as much as the rest, but he’s someone who isn’t really diverse. He does a few things really well and he’s certainly endearing and a major portion of modern movie history, but putting him alongside the Michael Caines and Hopkins of the world seems kind of ridiculous. Like putting Vince Carter in the same breath as MJ, Lebron, and Kareem.
Gladiator is one of my all-time faves. Crowe and especially Phoenix were absolutely amazing, and both have done some other very good work beyond that. Where does either (or both) of them rank?
Russell Crowe is an odd one. He had a run from like 99-02 that was amazing. The Insider, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind…but the rest of his career has kind of been hit or miss. Given his weight gains and all the stories about his excess in his personal life, inconsistency doesn’t seem surprising.
(speaking of Gladiator and excess, the story of Oliver Reed’s untimely death during filming is ALL TIME)
As for younger guys, I’ll toss in Tom Hardy. He’s my personal favorite and someone who is remarkably consistent. Unfortunately Capone was a disaster, which is rare, cause his last decade since 2010 has been UNREAL. Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, lead in Mad Max, Bane in Dark Knight Rises, Legend, Dunkirk, and the Revenent. Starring roles in all those he didn’t have the lead. Plus Venom, for all the criticisms, is worth watching for his performance alone.
That’s not even mentioning his TV work on Taboo, which was his personal brainchild and was fantastic, and absolutely STEALING every scene from an incredible cast as Alfie in Peaky Blinders
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Christy Canyon
Candy Samples
Chloe Vevrier
John Holmes
Peter North
I thought the list had to include living actors??
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As for younger guys, I’ll toss in Tom Hardy. He’s my personal favorite and someone who is remarkably consistent. Unfortunately Capone was a disaster, which is rare, cause his last decade since 2010 has been UNREAL. Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, lead in Mad Max, Bane in Dark Knight Rises, Legend, Dunkirk, and the Revenent. Starring roles in all those he didn’t have the lead. Plus Venom, for all the criticisms, is worth watching for his performance alone.
That’s not even mentioning his TV work on Taboo, which was his personal brainchild and was fantastic, and absolutely STEALING every scene from an incredible cast as Alfie in Peaky Blinders
Great call. He's one of the few actors that I will go see something just because he's in it
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As for younger guys, I’ll toss in Tom Hardy. He’s my personal favorite and someone who is remarkably consistent. Unfortunately Capone was a disaster, which is rare, cause his last decade since 2010 has been UNREAL. Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, lead in Mad Max, Bane in Dark Knight Rises, Legend, Dunkirk, and the Revenent. Starring roles in all those he didn’t have the lead. Plus Venom, for all the criticisms, is worth watching for his performance alone.
That’s not even mentioning his TV work on Taboo, which was his personal brainchild and was fantastic, and absolutely STEALING every scene from an incredible cast as Alfie in Peaky Blinders
Nice call. Hell of an actor.
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Leo's consistency is tough to top. The guy is almost always excellent.
And I don't see him going the cash grab don't care route that DeNiro and Pacino went late.
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Leo's consistency is tough to top. The guy is almost always excellent.
And I don't see him going the cash grab don't care route that DeNiro and Pacino went late.
I think it’s too early to tell. When Pacino and DeNiro were Leo’s age, they were still not yet to some of their most acclaimed and iconic roles. Leo probably won’t get divorced like them, so that will help, but it’s not like the man doesn’t like spending money on fancy stuff. Will be interesting when he can’t sit back and pick tasty Scorsese roles to pad his resume and bank account every other year or so.
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Great call. He's one of the few actors that I will go see something just because he's in it
Same, and you can add Cillian Murphy to that list as well.
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1. Robert Duvall
2. Daniel Day Lewis
3. Robert Deniro
4. Tom Hanks
5. Christian Bale
Honorable mentions: Brendan Gleason, Morgan Freeman, Mark Rylance, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey
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I think it’s too early to tell. When Pacino and DeNiro were Leo’s age, they were still not yet to some of their most acclaimed and iconic roles. Leo probably won’t get divorced like them, so that will help, but it’s not like the man doesn’t like spending money on fancy stuff. Will be interesting when he can’t sit back and pick tasty Scorsese roles to pad his resume and bank account every other year or so.
It's unlikely. Everyone tries to get him on board their projects he doesn't need Scorsese, its just an asset since he became Martins new DeNiro.
Adam Mckay worked with Leo for months rewriting the main role in Don't Look Up just so that Leo would sign on.
And it's unlikely he will ever do anything close to War on Grandpa or any of that trash. This is a guy who won't even sign on with Marvel for money that would last 50 lifetimes.
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It's unlikely. Everyone tries to get him on board their projects he doesn't need Scorsese, its just an asset since he became Martins new DeNiro.
Adam Mckay worked with Leo for months rewriting the main role in Don't Look Up just so that Leo would sign on.
And it's unlikely he will ever do anything close to War on Grandpa or any of that trash. This is a guy who won't even sign on with Marvel for money that would last 50 lifetimes.
Sure, but again, at Leo’s age, DeNiro had just made Midnight Run and would be making Cape Fear, Goodfellas, and Awakenings and directing A Bronx Tale in the next 2-3 years. Nobody would have predicted he had Dirty Grandpa in his future.
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So the questions are, did the quintessential "DeNiro roles" just dry up for him as he got older? Has the movie industry changed to the point that those type of movies just aren't made as often? Does he really care about his legacy as an actor, or does he just want to stay busy and collect paychecks?
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Sure, but again, at Leo’s age, DeNiro had just made Midnight Run and would be making Cape Fear, Goodfellas, and Awakenings and directing A Bronx Tale in the next 2-3 years. Nobody would have predicted he had Dirty Grandpa in his future.
Definitely.
But more so to the point is I think Leo is being underlooked simply because of his age. He started much earlier. He has the resume with no signs of slowing down. And all we have to go off right now with him, is he turns down basically anything that isn't at least somewhat Oscar bait.
And even more my point wasnt really a Leo vs DeNiro both are legends and will forever be legends.
But we got people signing off on Tom Hardy. I loooooove Hardy and he is fantastic as an actor. Liked him more in Revenant than I did Leo.
But body of work? Leo has him beat pretty good with more diversity to his roles.
A topic like this is going to have a pretty wide range of opinions and criteria. You got the older legends winding down their careers and more of the current day stars.
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Yea, I guess the question is are we discussing Top 5 actor resumes? Or if we were going to shoot a movie tomorrow, who would we classify as Top 5 actors?
I’m not nearly well-versed in this to have much of an opinion. Matt Damon seems like someone who he had a diverse career that is usually pretty good.
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But we got people signing off on Tom Hardy. I loooooove Hardy and he is fantastic as an actor. Liked him more in Revenant than I did Leo.
But body of work? Leo has him beat pretty good with more diversity to his roles.
As one of the people who signed off on Hardy, he's not close to my top 5. I'm just recognizing a young guy who has the potential to get there. Hasn't earned it yet.
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As one of the people who signed off on Hardy, he's not close to my top 5. I'm just recognizing a young guy who has the potential to get there. Hasn't earned it yet.
Agreed. I think Hardy is someone who isnt quite there, but somehow remains quite underrated. Of note, DiCaprio was a child actor and on the radar and getting leading roles already in his early 20s. Hardy had a longer, more traditional route and didn't really break into starring roles into his early 30s, besides being a bit younger.
But we'll see. Hardy has shown a tendency to stick to roles that interest him, not necessarily Oscar bait, but certainly not run of the mill stuff. I don't expect him to ever be truly prolific.
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And, of course, Nikki Cage.
Duh! How could I miss that one. Well done sir.
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Hoffman and Spacey have a lot of strong performances over their careers. Of course they seemingly have major probs off screen.
As far as Leo D he's very good at what he does but he always gets the best parts. And that's to his credit. At the same time I see D-D-L and Nicholson at a completely different level. Here's a name I'll throw out there: Jeff Bridges?
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Hoffman and Spacey have a lot of strong performances over their careers. Of course they seemingly have major probs off screen.
As far as Leo D he's very good at what he does but he always gets the best parts. And that's to his credit. At the same time I see D-D-L and Nicholson at a completely different level. Here's a name I'll throw out there: Jeff Bridges?
Here's my unpopular opinion: The Big Lebowski is not a good movie.
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Here's my unpopular opinion: The Big Lebowski is not a good movie.
I love Coen bothers movies, but that one is at or near the bottom of the list.
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Here's my unpopular opinion: The Big Lebowski is not a good movie.
Thank you!
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Hoffman and Spacey have a lot of strong performances over their careers. Of course they seemingly have major probs off screen.
As far as Leo D he's very good at what he does but he always gets the best parts. And that's to his credit. At the same time I see D-D-L and Nicholson at a completely different level. Here's a name I'll throw out there: Jeff Bridges?
Bridges was thrown out. Hes awesome. Definitely an A-list talent.
Can't follow the Leo logic though. You get the best parts for a reason. Leo is a selective actor he isn't(at least to this point) going to take roles strictly for money grabs. He doesnt do Blockbusters/Comic book roles. DDL is actually very similar in this regard. He always worked even more sporadically than Leo. But both are selective in their own rights.
There are a lot of guys that have their pickings of roles. Thats why each year you see the same like 10ish names in the awards convo with a couple outliers joining the race.
Scorscese isn't casting Vin Diesel when he knows he can get Bale or Leo. Just won't happen.
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Great lists so far. I'll throw in Forest Whitaker. And for young people. Jared Leto.
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Here's my unpopular opinion: The Big Lebowski is not a good movie.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/9a/ba/eb9abafd27923715158d14de903d2579.gif)
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If you don't like The Big Lebowski you're wrong.
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If you don't like The Big Lebowski you're wrong.
(https://i.imgur.com/iB5xwIJ.gif)
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I love Coen bothers movies, but that one is at or near the bottom of the list.
The character is great. The movie is just OK.
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The character is great. The movie is just OK.
I'm down with that.
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Samuel L. Jackson
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Here's my unpopular opinion: The Big Lebowski is not a good movie.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/hzrvwvnbgIV6E/giphy.gif)
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The character is great. The movie is just OK.
I agree. Very well played by Bridges and extremely quotable. But overall I thought the movie was boring. It took me several tries to get through it.
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(https://media.tenor.com/images/2460e33f85c747245aaa854d81451f10/tenor.gif)
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I’d liken Brad Pitt to a modern day Paul Newman or Robert Redford. Pitt’s early career was all about his looks and “hunk” status, but he’s become a very well-crafted actor who’s made some interesting career choices in the last fifteen years. He’s been in iconic films and absolutely deserved his Oscar for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Leo was also excellent in that movie.
I’d liken George Clooney to a modern day Steve McQueen. He’s a better actor than McQueen was, but both are the very definition of masculine cool.
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I couldn’t believe George C Scott hadn’t even been mentioned - until I remembered he died more than 20 years ago.
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I couldn’t believe George C Scott hadn’t even been mentioned - until I remembered he died more than 20 years ago.
Tremendous actor. I loved him in The Hustler. The Color of Money was excrement btw.
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I’d liken Brad Pitt to a modern day Paul Newman or Robert Redford. Pitt’s early career was all about his looks and “hunk” status, but he’s become a very well-crafted actor who’s made some interesting career choices in the last fifteen years. He’s been in iconic films and absolutely deserved his Oscar for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Leo was also excellent in that movie.
I’d liken George Clooney to a modern day Steve McQueen. He’s a better actor than McQueen was, but both are the very definition of masculine cool.
Reasonable take on Pitt.
He killed it in Inglorious Basterds, and was great in Hollywood.
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I’d liken George Clooney to a modern day Steve McQueen. He’s a better actor than McQueen was, but both are the very definition of masculine cool.
I feel like Clooney is more a modern Cary Grant than a McQueen. McQueen was a more rough and tumble antihero who loved racing and doing his own stunts and had a large stable of action film roles. Clooney had one or two, but he was always the more suave debonair type. Manly and cool, but not overly macho IMO
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I feel like Clooney is more a modern Cary Grant than a McQueen. McQueen was a more rough and tumble antihero who loved racing and doing his own stunts and had a large stable of action film roles. Clooney had one or two, but he was always the more suave debonair type. Manly and cool, but not overly macho IMO
Yes, Cary Grant is probably a better comparison for Clooney.
Man, I loved all those “hard men” like McQueen, Bronson, and Lee Marvin. You don’t see movie stars like that anymore. Actually, now that I think about it, Liam Neeson has kind of turned into a modern day Bronson.