One movie is a total disaster, the other is just plain cheesy

Has anyone else ever had that experience where you see an actor for the first time and you’re just absolutely floored by them, but then you catch one of their later movies and it’s just a total letdown?

For instance, that happened to me for the very first time with Viggo Mortensen.

I first saw him in The Lord of the Rings and I was just like, "Wow, okay, this guy is incredible."😲

But honestly, after that, almost every movie he’s been in since has left me feeling disappointed—not even because of his acting, necessarily, but more because of how he looks and the kinds of roles he chooses to take on.

I mean, maybe some people find that clean-cut, perfectly groomed Viggo really attractive, but personally, it’s just not my thing.👎

Matthew McConaughey. He isn't exactly my type, but I have to admit he carries most of his films quite well. Except for Dazed and Confused 🤣

I think Sandra Bullock is absolutely brilliant, but I can't quite figure out what happened with her latest film playing the mother of that American football player... :-(

Honestly, what was she even doing chasing an Oscar-winning role? It feels like a waste. She should have just filmed Miss Congeniality 3 instead.☕

Betty Gray84 said:I think Sandra Bullock is brilliant, but man, what was she thinking with that last movie where she plays the mother of that football player? It was rough... :-(

Well, I guess you're the exception then. Everyone else raved about her in that role and she even snagged an Oscar, while everyone else was just okay. Personally, I can't stand Sandra; she’s never really been my thing. I don't know, she just has a vibe that rubs me the wrong way.🤷

neonsurfer6 said:Honestly, why did she even need an Oscar-winning role? She really should have just filmed Miss Congeniality 3 instead.☕

I honestly don't get the skepticism. It isn't even about her performance; it’s just about her being in the movie at all.

Given her massive filmography, she always seemed to feel more at home on screen than here. I don't know, maybe it's just because I find myself missing that maternal touch she brings to her roles.

If people are going to start questioning her performance in Blind, then what does that say about All About Steve (2009), which received so much criticism?

Betty Gray84 said:: -) I don't get the cynicism. It’s not about the acting itself; it's just her being in that specific movie.

Given how many broad roles she has under her belt, she always felt more natural to me than she does here. I don't know, maybe it's because I just don't see that maternal vibe in her...

Look, saying "why would she even want that role" regarding a performance that won an Oscar is just missing the point. We all know how much an Oscar matters to actors (and everyone else in the industry), regardless of how much we personally value those trophies. Personally, I don't respect someone any more just because they have an Oscar on their shelf, but Sandra absolutely nailed that part and earned that award. The achievement is actually more impressive when you consider it was one of her few truly grounded roles—let's be honest, before this, she wasn't exactly being hailed as a serious dramatic actress.

mrak



That's just repulsive.

Timothy Hutton

I remember the first time I saw him in Beautiful Girls, and honestly, he was just so incredibly cute—he had that shy, awkward vibe that totally melted me.



And honestly, after that, he just felt totally bland in every single movie I watched.

Wait, are we actually critiquing acting performances here, or just dissecting how the actors look 😕

Heh, this reminds me of what Hanek once said about Juliette Binoche,
that she might manage to look beautiful in other movies, but definitely not in his ☕.

It could be about their look or maybe just the role itself. Like, you know how it goes when an actor picks a part that just feels totally wrong for them, or when they’re clearly brilliant in one specific thing—like how I feel about Timothy Hutton
.
But hey, take the topic however you want, no big deal😁😁

neonsurfer6 said:Look, saying "why would she want that?" regarding a role that earned her an Oscar is just missing the point. We all know how much an Oscar means to actors (and even those outside the industry), regardless of how much I personally value such awards. Personally, having an Oscar in the trophy case doesn't make me respect someone more, but Sandra absolutely nailed that performance and fully deserved the win. It’s actually an even bigger achievement when you consider it was one of her rare, truly grounded roles; let's be honest, she wasn't exactly viewed as a serious dramatic actress before then.

Well, props to the prestige of the Oscar and all that, but I still can't quite wrap my head around why she won for this specific movie...
It just goes to show she has a great sense for business by picking roles that could lead to an Oscar. It wasn't necessarily about her acting being anything extraordinary in the film, but rather the sheer momentum of the whole project.
Personally, I found her more convincing in Murder by Numbers, even if that movie itself wasn't anything special.

I don't want to derail the conversation, but that performance just didn't click for me, plain and simple. 😉

To add someone else to the mix.
Keanu Reeves—who is usually great across various genres—just didn't work for me in that rom-com with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.

Betty Gray84 said:Look, I respect the Oscar status and all that, but I still can't wrap my head around why she actually won for this specific role...
It just shows she has a sharp eye for business—picking a role that would land her an Oscar. It wasn't about her acting, which was nothing special in this movie, but rather her ability to leverage the prestige of the entire production.

Sure, Oscars aren't some objective yardstick, and more often than not, the winner is decided by factors that have zero to do with actual talent. But you know when it clicked for me that she actually nailed the part? When I watched a few interviews with the real Ms. Tuhoy. Bullock did an eerie job of mimicking her. The mannerisms, the way she spoke... everything was spot on. She’s easily the strongest link in what is honestly a pretty mediocre film. And as for her business sense, let's not even go there. I mean, the woman signed on for Speed 2🤣

Betty Gray84 said:I don't want to derail the conversation for no reason, but I just didn't connect with her performance in this one, plain and simple. 😉

I give it a 5 out of 10. The only thing that really bothered me was that feeling of, "Wait, why would she even want to do this?"🙂

neonsurfer6 said:I agree, an Oscar isn't exactly an objective benchmark, and winners are often chosen based on things that have nothing to do with acting talent. But I realized how great her performance actually was when I watched some interviews with the real Mrs. Tuhoy. Bullock captured her perfectly. The mannerisms, the way she speaks... everything was spot on. She’s easily the strongest part of what is honestly a pretty mediocre movie.

I haven't seen those interviews, so I can't say for sure. From what I've heard, though, they changed quite a bit from the actual events just to give the audience what they wanted to see.

neonsurfer6 said:And let's not even get started on her business sense. I mean, the woman actually agreed to a role in Mach 2.🤣

Honestly, maybe that was all just a strategy for this moment. 😁 You make a few questionable choices, then pivot to more diverse roles, and suddenly the Academy is surprised and decides to honor you, thinking you've learned your lesson. We shouldn't be shocked if Mach 3 follows this. 😁 😂

neonsurfer6 said:I'd give it a 5, though that one line about "what she needed" really rubbed me the wrong way.🙂

Oops, I think I phrased that a little poorly, but I'm glad we're on the same page now. 😁