Movie Star Blog

I like Russell Crowe, too, but I think actors like Denzel Washington and Kevin Spacey give good performances in a variety of roles, too.

Carey and I went to see Cinderella Man last night. It was a really enjoyable experience. I thought when Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti were in their first scene together, "One could make a worse casting choice than these two." These two actors fall into my phone book list, meaning I would watch them read the phone book to each other. The acting of the film is one of its strengths. This could have had over the top sentimentality, but the quality of the actors keeps it grounded. (I realized when I watched this film that I have a bias against Renee Zellweger for some unknown reason. My tendency is to think that she is not a good actress, but I've actually thought she has done a good job in every movie I have seen her in -- even those films I did not care for like Chicago or Cold Mountain.) Crowe is, well Russell Crowe, i.e., he embodies a character with such ease that one believes he is the person. Crowe is one of those character-leading actors. Not to take away from the likes of Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, and Kevin Spacey, but when I watch them in a movie, there is something similar to all their characters. When Crowe takes on a character, I do not feel like I am watching Russel Crowe. Instead I am watching Jeffrey Wigand, John Nash, Jack Aubrey, or in this case, Jim Braddock. Maybe this will be the film that finally earns Giamatti his Oscar nomination after being snubbed for Sideways and American Splendor. By the way, if you have not seen American Splendor, go rent it right now.