Note of distinction: Because the Oscars are for film, I’m concerned only with the movie careers of these actors. Whether they went on to find success as musicians or painters or reality TV stars is not of issue.
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Nah, Berry and Brody are both hacks now. Brody has had some decent stuff, but not Berry. They deserve to be on the list.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's a tough call for me. But I do think they are both so talented. They just need to accept the right roles.
DeleteGreat choices man. If pressed, I'd say Berry is more deserving of that spot than Brody, given his body of work in comparison to hers. Plus, I think his performance in Detachment, which made my top 5 last year, is his redemption.
ReplyDeleteThanks dude. I wasn't a fan of that movie, but I did like him in it. He so deserves another great, big role, you know?
DeleteGreat choices, I agree with all of them. Jennifer Hudson will never give another performance like she did in Dream Girls. That role felt tailored to her strengths (singing) but she hasn't proved herself in anything else. Berry in my opinion didn't really deserve the Oscar. I think anyone could've played that role. Brody on the other hand, I feel bad for him because he's SUCH a good actor and he hasn't done much since. When I was watching Splice, and he was having sex with that alien, I couldn't help but think. "So this is what you're doing with your Oscar win." lol
ReplyDeleteThanks Brittani!
DeleteHa, yep, I thought the exact same thing while I was watching Splice. It really is a damn shame, you know? He's capable of so much more.
damn shame about Brody, damn shame. i did really like him in darjeeling, but other than that it's been rather bleak.
ReplyDeleteBleak indeed. I'd love to interview that guy and ask him what went wrong.
DeleteYeah, really salty about where Brody has gone from winning the Oscar for his breathtaking performance in The Pianist. I mean come on, Splice!? Predators!? I've seen High School! Come on man, you're better than that.
ReplyDeleteAnd the real bummer is that he seems to take these movies So. Seriously. You know? I wish he'd put his energy elsewhere.
DeleteThat's not even mentioning (what I would consider) his new career low, InAPPropriate Comedy. I mean c'mon dude.
DeleteOh god, I completely forgot about that one. Did you dare see it?
DeleteI watched the trailer - that was enough for me. "Go ahead. Make me gay." - it's like dude, you might not be Fassbender or Brando (or whoever) but c'mon, you can do so much better than this.
DeleteYeah, that trailer was just atrocious. He can do MUCH better.
DeleteThe name that pops up for me is Cuba Gooding, Jr. I think he is awesome, post Oscar especially and it's sad to see him kind of disappear over the years. Norbit? Seriously? That's not even .. I just.. why.. :(
ReplyDeleteYep, exactly. Why indeed. His career, before his win was amazing. And now...?
DeleteAll these actors that have achieved the awards, get them and then make bad movies. Some are good, and some just disappear.
ReplyDeleteYep. Kind of a bummer.
DeleteBrody can do better for sure. But still, I talked with one of my friends about him in The Pianist and he said something like this "Adrien Brody never needs to make a good role again, he was THAT great in The Pianist". And it's hard to disagree. I love his work in that film so much.
ReplyDeleteI like Life is Beautiful but fuck. The Academy lost all the respect I have for them in 1998. He wasn't better than Jim Carrey.
For Cuba Gooding Jr., meh, American Gangster,... The Butler,... Selma, maybe in Men of Honor and I love Rat Race. But Boyz in the Hood, A Few Good Men, Judgment Night, and Outbreak were much, much better performances then his post-Oscar work.
I'd add Kevin Spacey. When you see in what crap he was after American Beauty. Jesus. Some saving graces would be: Moon (though it's just voice acting), Margin Call (though the film kind of feels like it's by the numbers), Horrible Bosses (yeah, that's what I'm talking about).
I agree with your friend. Roles like Brody's in The Pianist earn the actor what I like to call a career pass. Whatever he does (or doesn't) do for the rest of his career, he'll always be great to me, solely because of The Pianist. Such astonishing work.
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