Anne Thompson talks about actors who can strike while the iron is hot and hang in for a while.
The only one in the zone for this summer? Will Smith.
It’s true, other than the sudden Scientology association, Smith can do no wrong, is all around beloved and people will see him in anything. And he knows what kind of films, good or bad, work for him. When he takes chances he’s still somewhat in the mainstream.
Apparently Angelina is making strides for the ejected females in the industry who can only go into the zone if they’re reading the diet book – and Streep adds class:
But Angelina Jolie is breaking the mold. While she is not in the Zone — “A Mighty Heart” proves that — she could be. Jolie is Hollywood’s first bona fide femme action star (“Alien” star Sigourney Weaver paved the way). Jolie mixes it up with the best of them. She can be tough, sexy, lethal, funny and heartbreaking, from her career-making Oscar turn in “Girl, Interrupted” to “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” in which she met her match and partner, Brad Pitt.
While Jolie’s output is uneven, she can open genre flicks, forging a path for ambitious actresses to follow. Universal paid her $15 million to return to action in the fantastical R-rated thriller “Wanted,” anchoring the pic with Morgan Freeman opposite the lesser known James McAvoy (“Atonement”). “She established the movie’s quality and legitimacy,” Universal Pictures co-chairman Marc Shmuger says.
A powerful character actress, Meryl Streep has never been a Zone star. But like Jodie Foster, she delivers something valuable: a stamp of quality (which means nothing with a movie no one wants to see, like “Lions for Lambs” or “Rendition”). Now 58, Streep proved her B.O. muscularity in “The Devil Wears Prada,” which scored $125 million at the domestic box office. This summer brings the Abba movie musical “Mamma Mia!” which may not be as pre-sold as the movie version of HBO’s long-running “Sex in the City,” but still has a sizable global following of women of all ages from the traveling hit show.
Angelina still has Original Sin & Life or Something Like It on her resume.
Its hard to forgive her for that.
Maybe after The Exchangeling I will be able to put those out of my mind.
Happyness was real special. Will Smith deserves his millions. He acts right in public which to me means the scientology did not go to his head yet. I can think of lots worst things I threw away $8 on. Legend should get more respect, outside of whatever was different from the book. Fine, respect the book by reading it, respect the movie by watching it. Sorry, just don’t like attacks on Will who never is lazy in his movies.
I was too focused on the relationship with his son to be concerned about that. He was a trainee broker and, if I remember correctly, did not get hired until the very end of the film. I’ve only seen it once, so take that with a grain of salt. Hey, different strokes, that’s how it goes. And yes, he was also great in “Ali.”
Dorothy, notice how Smith is never shown doing…whatever the fuck he was hired to do….in HAPPYNESS?
But the guy was cool in ALI.
Um…I enjoyed Will’s performance in “Happyness” and was quite happy with his well-deserved nomination.
And Ms. Streep is not only in the zone, but owns it, wears it, eats it, poops it, and scoops it. She *is* the zone. ‘Nuff said 🙂
RRA: You said it, although Six Degrees is one of the reasons I can’t stand WS as an actor….
Mama Mia sure is presold with me. I’m dancin’ already!
Will Smith is “in the zone”?
Well, he surely aint in the zone of making GOOD MOVIES.
Seriously, first he made Isaac Asimov roll in his grave (I know, I heard it) with I, ROBOT……….then I AM LEGEND, which pussied out in the 3rd Act (I would say it made Richard Matheson roll in his grave too, except he’s still alive)………
Nevermind those lame BAD BOYS movies or PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (come on my fellow ADers, did he deserve that Oscar nod?) or MIB 2 or the shitbomb that was WILD WILD WEST.
I don’t hate the guy, I mean I liked the first MEN IN BLACK, I liked him in ALI, and liked SIX DEGREES OF SEPERATION as well.
But fuck, he sorta pissed me off hard with I AM LEGEND. He could have made a cool-ass movie that’ll be dug 20 years from now by our kids like say Matt Damon’s BOURNE movies…..instead, IAL will be collecting dust, if we even have DVD stores in the future.
As for HANCOCK, whats sad is that the premise is a good idea: Fucktard has powers, and is an asshole of a mortal God…its good material to work with, and I quite enjoyed Peter Berg’s THE KINGDOM**.
But Smith, he’s like Nic Cage, except he dont make as many shitty movies a year. There are some movie stars you trust, and there are some…like Big Jiggy….that you don’t.
*=Which I haven’t seen since 1998. I need to give that and ENEMY OF THE STATE (i.e. THE CONVERSATION’s retarded ADD brother) another viewing to grade them fairly.
**=Of course, I got called a racist in the forums for liking it. I should have reviewed THE SIEGE instead. 🙂
True that, Tufas. Sad commentary on world cinema when we have to read a phrase like “the lesser known James McAvoy” but he’s only just begun.
As for the pre-sold audience for Sex and the City, there’s no denying that, but I’d say we might see the phenomenon extrapolated. Because after the success of SatC, something else has been pre-sold: the reminder to women how much fun they can have getting together for a “girls night out” at the movies. Even if it’s a relatively mediocre movie (something that never stops guys and fanboys).
So maybe now girls are primed to jump on the next opportunity to have another movie night event, and this could boost the box-office for The Women and Mama Mia!
May i just say McAvoy….. will have plenty of chances to turn heads in his already formidable career
And Streep… She’s usually the best thing in the movies she’s starring, Devil Wears Prada included
T