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Post by Killer Rob on Sept 4, 2010 13:14:09 GMT -5
Many of us agree that there have been some sensational lead actor roles in many movies. I like Daniel Day Lewis in 'There Will Be Blood', many like his role in 'Gangs of NY'. Marlon Brando or Al Pacino are a lot of people's favorites in 'The Godfather', and ofcourse, there have been a host of many other great lead actor performances.
Last night, I watched the movie 'Monster' on sundance channel. I had seen it once before when it came out and enjoyed it, and I knew that Charlize Theron had won the best actress oscar for her lead role as the serial killer Aileen Wuoernos. So when I watched it this time, I wanted to really pay attention to it and really appreciate it.
Man! I was blown away by her level of acting in this movie! Just a really phenomenal performance. She was so good in 'Monster', that you really felt as a viewer that you knew exactly who Aileen Wuernos was as a person. -and I'm not just talking about being a serial killer, but how she socialized with people, what her mannerisms were, how she was in a relationship, how delusional that life had made her, etc...really great job by Theron. Getting to the actually serial killing part in her role, she was able to draw a slight amount of sympathy for actually committing her first murder, being that she was almost raped and murdered herself. So, throughout the movie, she had numerous kills, and it was really impressive to see how she went from drawing sympathy and a small amount of forgiveness from the viewer for her first kill, to watching her just lose control of what she was doing where you get disgusted by her actions and the way she convinces herself that everyone she killed was deserving.
So, as I watched Theron play this role and was massively impressed, I thought to myself, 'this might be the greatest lead role by an actress in a movie that I have ever seen...' I then started thinking about other movies that starred a lead actress to compare against Theron's role, but for the life of me I couldn't think of a single one? Is it because most movies star a man, with a lead lady as an afterthought? -always playing 2nd fiddle? Is it because maybe most of the movies featuring a lead actress are primarily chick flicks that I've never seen cause I'm a dude? I really wanted to compare something to Theron's role, but even today I'm scratching my head trying to come up with something.
So as of now, I'm ranking Charlize Theron in 'Monster' as the best performance starring a lead actress of all time. I have her ranked number one. So, does anyone have any movies they've seen starring a lead actress that can compare to Theron? Who is the greatest female actress to play the best starring role in a movie ever? Feel free to post as many Jenna Jameson punchlines as your witty heart desires, or give me something that compares or beats Theron's 'Monster'.
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Post by Neal on Sept 5, 2010 5:25:05 GMT -5
This is a good thread. Usually the actress in a film isn't a big deal to me, other than what they might look like.
I thought Hilary Swank was great in Million Dollar Baby.
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jlee
Corpse
Posts: 26
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Post by jlee on Sept 6, 2010 4:14:32 GMT -5
very good thread .. i gotta go with pam grier in jackie brown , not only was she sexy in it but she was great as that character
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Post by Killer Rob on Sept 6, 2010 16:36:22 GMT -5
ooh both good choices. I loved Pam Grier in Jackie Brown, and everybody talks about Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. I guess I gotta go back and watch that movie again just to check out her performance, cause I gotta say, that was one Eastwood movie that I really hated. I'm like the only one that hates that movie, cause everybody else loves it. Not sure why I hate it so much...maybe cause it's a movie based on a chick boxer? It's like, who the F cares about a chick boxer...just like who gives a crap about the WNBA? maybe that's why I hate it so much, but I gotta go back and suffer through it again just to reevaluate her performance. Loved Grier in Jackie Brown, she didn't take no shit from anyone, and I loved how she'd go back-and-forth with Samuel L. arguing where he'd be all like "damn woman!". haha that's some good stuff. The stoner chick, can't remember her name, was good too in that movie. Jackie Brown rules, I need to add that to my collection.
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Post by Killer Rob on Feb 5, 2011 15:27:12 GMT -5
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Post by Killer Rob on Feb 5, 2011 15:37:51 GMT -5
haha I just noticed some douchebag Justin Bieber troll hijacked the comments section. Seriously, I've heard the guy's name but never heard any of his music or seen any of his movies. I have no idea who this douche is but I hate him
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Post by Neal on Feb 6, 2011 1:01:45 GMT -5
Oh man Justin Bieber lol.
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Post by jhuddy666 on Feb 10, 2011 20:46:13 GMT -5
The girl from True Grit was gerat. Also Francis Mcdormand in Fargo was really good.
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Post by Killer Rob on Feb 25, 2011 12:53:22 GMT -5
The girl in True Grit played the best female lead role of any movie that I've seen in the past year. Thing is, I doubt they give her the oscar cause I heard it was her first ever movie. So I mean, the academy has got to be thinking, even if she did have the best performance, we can't give her the oscar because then it would seem like 'acting must be really easy and anyone can do it'. I think politics will keep her from winning.
I did hear that Natalie Portman is really great in 'The Black Swan', but I've stayed away from that cause it's a ballet movie in NY. That is a subject that I don't care much about at all, but the movie is directed by Aronovsky and I've read that the movie is much more than just ballet, so maybe sometime I'll check it out.
As for Frances McDormand in Fargo, that is exactly the kind of suggestion that this thread was made for. When I started this thread, I was thinking about women who were the lead character who played a phenominal part and carried the movie without a huge male role in the movie that would steal the spotlight away. I kinda got this feeling with the movie True Grit. While the girl in True Grit was great, and while she did indeed play the lead actress in the movie, her part to me kinda played second fiddle to Bridges character. Maybe she was the sole star of the movie, I dunno, but Bridges and his character to me ruled the movie with a 60/40 split. The girl's role almost seemed like a really heavy supporting role, and not the sole lead star of the movie. I've only seen it once, so maybe I'll change my mind with another viewing, but that's the initial feeling i get.
McDormand in Fargo was the sole, lead star in the movie and totally deserves her spot on this thread. She is so awesome in everything really, but Fargo is solely 'her movie' and she blew it out of the water.
I'm sure if Portman in Black Swan is as great as everybody is saying, she'll make the list on this thread too. That will be a good thing cause it's really a tough subject cause so many women are supporters in movie to a male's lead character. Maybe even a female in the lead role, the show might get stolen by Bridges in True Grit over his young female lead? So yeah, we need all the additions of these talented women who own their movie. So let's see who we got so far:
Charlize Theron in Monster Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby Pam Grier in Jackie Brown Frances McDormand in Fargo The girl in True Grit?
^So, out of the millions of movies, we got a list of 4 women and 1 questionable! How fucking pathetic is that?!? Hopefully someone watches Black swan and determines Portman is unbelievable so we can have a total of 6! haha
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Post by jhuddy666 on Feb 26, 2011 21:05:34 GMT -5
I watched Black Swan and thought she was amazing in it. It was also a masterpiece of a film.
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Post by Killer Rob on Apr 15, 2011 19:18:44 GMT -5
well, looks like we can add natie portman to the list too. Still haven't gotten around to checking out black swan, but it's on the to-do list.
I was also thinking about Nicole Kidman in "the others". I just got the dvd not too long ago to add to the collection and I watched it. I've always loved the movie, and was again impressed when I watched it about 2 weeks ago. Kidman plays such a good role as the loving but stern mother to the kids. The movie has the creepy tense feel to it that you can tell really starts to affect Kidman's character. Kidman isn't the hottest actress looks-wise that you'll ever come across, but she has something about her where you think she'd make a good wife for a family. That's what really makes this movie work I think, cause she goes from what you would imagine as the ideal wife to learning that she is really weak, and by the end of the movie you see how batshit crazy she is.
I don't mean to sound demeaning to women or anything, but I thought her performance really nailed what so many weak-minded women do in this world when life doesn't work out how they hoped, so they do something bizarre and horrible and kill there children. -and even after doing a horrible act, they deny it and would never believe that they would ever do something so monstrous or horrible...especially to their own precious children who they love more than anything in the world. Here in Florida, some bitch just shot her 2 kids and is in total denial. She looks like your average typical mom...'cept for the fact that she is super crazy and slaughtered her 2 children. Turns out she is a big religious nut as well...go figure...
Anyway, I thought Kidman really nailed that type of normal but weak-turned-crazy adult female mother. Like I said, in "the others" the movie starts and your thinking 'she'd make a good wife and mother', and by the end you're like 'oh wow! this bitch has got serious issues'.
The movie "the others" itself is really one of my favorite horror\thrillers, and I thought maybe Kidman deserves a spot on the list for her role in the movie.
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Post by fontanna on Apr 23, 2011 1:06:05 GMT -5
Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill series...I personally thought she was absolutely brilliant.
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Post by Killer Rob on Apr 26, 2011 20:23:56 GMT -5
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill rules!
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Post by Killer Rob on Apr 30, 2011 11:25:13 GMT -5
1. Charlize Theron -monster 2. Hillary Swank -million dollar baby 3. Pam Grier -jackie brown 4. Frances McDormand -fargo 5. Hailee Steinfeld -true grit 6. Natalie Portman -black swan 7. Nicole Kidman -the others 8. Uma Thurman -kill bill
we just need to come up with 2 more and we got a list of ten. I say fuck it, the girl from True Grit is in. I saw the original True Grit with John Wayne and the girl who starred in that movie got blown out of the water by this new chick. Is it just me or is John Wayne, while being a total badass in movies, not that great of an actor? The way he delivered his lines seemed a bit corny to me as far as top notch acting goes. I mean, he deliverred them all in his kinda cool 'John Wayne badass style', but man, I dunno...I know the guy is a legend, I was thinking maybe it seemed cheesy cause the movie is so old. By the end of it I was thinking how John Wayne is in that cinema legend badass category that includes guys like Clint Eastwood, and he is a legend so maybe I'm wrong and he is a good actor I don't know.
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Post by jhuddy666 on May 2, 2011 16:09:58 GMT -5
Eastwod blows Wayne out of the water. here are a few others I have been thinking about.
Sissy Spacek in Carrie Linda Blair in The Exorcist Jennifer Lawrence in Winters Bone- this one is great.
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