Filmsy - Movie Reviews Blog

Actors who Always Play the Same Role

Ever notice how some actors play themselves in every movie that they star in?  This occurred to me last night as I clicked through an endless sea of movie channels and found Matt Damon on every channel at once.  And in each movie, to his credit, MD was playing a completely different character.

Brilliant and undirected in Good Will Hunting.
Scared yet resolute in Saving Private Ryan.
Resourceful shitk*cker in The Bourne Identity.

Unique roles, good acting = Matt Damon.

But there are other actors who are revered for their skills who seem to take on the same role on an annual basis. [Read more…]

The Bridges of Wonder Boys

Last week I was re-reading the novel Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon and I was once again struck by what a good job was done adapting the story from book to film. In this author’s humble opinion, the book is brilliant. Chabon’s descriptions not only of his characters but of the city of Pittsburgh and outlying areas is truly what makes the story come to life. The reader really gets a sense of location and how that location weaves in and out of the lives of Grady, Sarah, James, Terry, and pretty much everyone else in the novel.

Although the film can’t be categorized as your classic “road movie” it definitely has that feel as the characters spend a good amount of time traveling, whether it’s to a lecture on campus, a party at the chancellor’s house, Grady’s in-laws, or to rescue James Leer (from his parents/grandparents and himself). Wonder Boys takes us on a journey, exploring with richness and depth the relationships between men, women, generations, and even pets. [Read more…]

Movie Friends You Wish You Had

Sometimes when I watch a movie, I often wish that the characters were real, and if a movie is done well, the characters are real. For those 2+ hours, they live and breathe and take up space in your subconscious. Simply put, they exist. Many times, I wish I actually knew them, that they were my friends in real life! Below are just a few “movie pals” that I wish were real.

Chris Chambers – Stand by Me
Chris was the ultimate friend; fiercely loyal, honest, and flawed. You know he’d have your back in a fight and even if it scared the heck out of him, he’d go into battle with you. Once you earned his trust you know you had a friend for life. He was the type of guy that commanded respect without asking for it and yet he was also sensitive and insightful. [Read more…]

5 Movie and TV Show Worlds I’d Like to Live In

So I’m at work and kind of bored and wondering what it would be like if I lived a different life, in a different place. It’s not that I’m unhappy in my current situation – but when my mind is bored it tends to wander into that creative no-man’s land straight into my imagination. Next stop ladies and gentleman, the Twilight Zone!

Below are just a random sampling of some movie and TV worlds I would occasionally like to inhabit. [Read more…]

Actors Who Phone It In

There are some pretty bad actors out there who, lets face it, are only up on the big screen because they’re nice to look at (not that I’m complaining mind you).  On a boring Sunday afternoon I’m sure there are plenty of ladies who would gladly give up some brain cells to ogle the likes of Ashton Kutcher , Adrian Grenier , or (dare I say it) Zac Efron – but can these boys act? I’m sure many of you Entourage fans will disagree but when you compare the aforementioned to the likes of Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, and Tom Cruise, there really is no comparison.

It’s forgivable when a bad actor is in a bad movie (i.e., The Guardian with Ashton and another of his ilk, the always wooden Kevin Costner).  It’s not forgivable however when a good solid actor with some real chops, phones it in. You know what I’m talking about – the actor who you know only took the job because of the paycheck (or maybe something more sentimental like the movie was filming in Aspen and he wants to be close to his family during their ski vacation). I guess I can sort of understand those reasons but something about a good actor slumming it makes me a little sad. Below is a list of just a few said actors and the movies they would have been better off without. [Read more…]