Anatomy of the Performance
This week I witnessed the artful, quiet power of two absolutely masterful jobs of acting. Two knockout performances that prove one does not have to push over-the-top to convey fury and joy. Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke in MILK and THE WRESTLER, respectively, show us how it's done with their utterly focused, seemingly natural work.
For Rourke, it's well known that his fantastic turn as aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson owes much to the actor/real-life former boxer's own angst. He's likely "just" channeling the demons he's doubtless lived with for decades. Penn's take on gay activist Harvey Milk is a well modulated riff on a man who proved, in the words of a wise fellow film buff, that history is bigger than any one person. Both actors convey the appropriate emotion without ever chewing the scenery, remarkable considering that both these performances could have gone far in the opposite direction. The embiodiment of their characters always looks and feels right, without being "acted."
I will discuss these performances at length in their respective full film reviews. I just felt compelled to write a tiny ode to these two thesps, and how their impressive work has wowed me all week.
For Rourke, it's well known that his fantastic turn as aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson owes much to the actor/real-life former boxer's own angst. He's likely "just" channeling the demons he's doubtless lived with for decades. Penn's take on gay activist Harvey Milk is a well modulated riff on a man who proved, in the words of a wise fellow film buff, that history is bigger than any one person. Both actors convey the appropriate emotion without ever chewing the scenery, remarkable considering that both these performances could have gone far in the opposite direction. The embiodiment of their characters always looks and feels right, without being "acted."
I will discuss these performances at length in their respective full film reviews. I just felt compelled to write a tiny ode to these two thesps, and how their impressive work has wowed me all week.
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