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To have and have not - The Spark

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ednbarby:
This may at first seem way OT, but bear with me.

I saw "Invincible" today - the story about Vince Papale, the regular guy who actually got a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles in the 70s when Dick Vermiel had open tryouts.  Good movie.  But not great.  Why?  Story was good, inspiring, and decently written.  The reason why was Mark Wahlberg.  It's not that he can't act.  His readings are always pretty good.  It's that he has no spark.  There is no light in his eyes.  They're dead.  I wanted to care about the character - how could you not?  But I couldn't.  Not really.  At the end, they showed a few clips of the real Vince Papale.  And this guy has about a million times more charisma (as much as I hate that word, it fits) than Mark Wahlberg.  Hell, a head of butter lettuce has a million times more charisma than Mark Wahlberg.  I just watched "Miami Blues" with Alec Baldwin for the second time ever tonight - it was on one of the movie channels just now.  I'd forgotten how much I thoroughly enjoyed that movie the first time I saw it.  That's a great movie.  Well written, interesting character.  But in another's hands it would have fallen flat.  Like or hate Alec Baldwin (and I don't particularly like him, come to think of it), I could not look away from his eyes every time he was on the screen.  They were on fire.  Didn't matter how each scene was lit, what he was doing or saying - that spark, hell, inferno, was always there.

I don't mean to take away from the craft in any way - of course you've got to have some talent.  But you've got to have heart, too, and that comes through in your eyes.  And you can't act that.  When Greg Kinnear (who has it in spades, by the way) said to one of the other coaches about Papale, "He's got heart," it fell flat for me.  I know Vince Papale really did/does, but this guy playing him doesn't.  Donnie Wahlberg's got it in spades, too.  I don't for the life of me understand how Mark keeps getting these roles that he'd run circles around him playing.

Too bad about "Invincible" - it could really be something special with the right person playing the role.

OK, enough of my rambling.  For now.  ;)

RouxB:
Barb! How can you say that?! I must have seen an entirely different movie!
Oh, wait, I did see an entirely different movie-never mind!  :laugh:


 O0

ednbarby:

--- Quote from: RouxB on September 03, 2006, 11:12:57 pm ---Barb! How can you say that?! I must have seen an entirely different movie!
Oh, wait, I did see an entirely different movie-never mind!  :laugh:

O0

--- End quote ---

 ::)

(You had me going there for a minute.)

delalluvia:
Thanks for the review barb.  While I love and will defend to the death Marky Mark in any of his Calvin Klein ads, I've never been impressed by his acting.  You're right, the acting has to reach every part of an actor.  Some brilliant actors can even act simply with their eyes, their feelings come out.  Some actors however, don't ever get to that level.  I'd put George Clooney in the same category.  Unless he's playing a part that's close to his own personality - a prankster or someone always on the cusp of a clever quip - he has dead eyes, shark's eyes.

ednbarby:

--- Quote from: delalluvia on September 04, 2006, 12:04:10 pm ---Some brilliant actors can even act simply with their eyes, their feelings come out.  Some actors however, don't ever get to that level.  I'd put George Clooney in the same category.  Unless he's playing a part that's close to his own personality - a prankster or someone always on the cusp of a clever quip - he has dead eyes, shark's eyes.

--- End quote ---

I like that - shark's eyes.  That's exactly it, and exactly the problem I have with George Clooney.  It's interesting how people are still loving "Invincible" in spite of Mark Wahlberg.  I've talked to several people who've said, "Oh, yeah, that was a really good movie."  But not a one of them has said, "That Mark Wahlberg was excellent."  I can believe the physicality of him required for the role, since he's built like a brick shithouse.  But I never once saw a single spark of light in his eyes.

It surprises me no one's ever cast him as a serial killer.  He'd be perfect for it.  And I don't say that facetiously.  He must have backers who just desperately want him to be likable.  And it's not that he isn't.  He just isn't anything special.

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