I thought this article (below) was very interesting, and I wish more like it would appear. I first noticed the damage this super popular wrinkle eliminator does to a performance, years ago in Cold Mountain. In all the hype about the movie no one seemed to notice what a wax-works dummy Nicole Kidman's appearance had started to resemble. With her frozen, swollen face she looked more out of place in the old South than Linda Evan's "Audra Barkley" did in The Big Valley! I beileve she is the actress alluded to in the article, but not mentioned by name.
The writer compares actresses like Marilyn Monroe and even the latest Oscar favorites from England, to the Hollywood A-listers who are sacrificing their main "tool" as performers: the ability to convey expression (and this includes actors---men are increasingly resorting to Botox injections as well, with always scary results):
http://tinyurl.com/2c8rj7
Is Botox "Paralyzing" the Close-Up?
-
MissGoddess
- Posts: 5072
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:01 am
- Contact:
I tend to collect films by genres and actors, but usually pick even among those. Margaret Rutherford and Charles Laughton are two that I don't discriminate against - if it's on DVD and they're in it, I'll get it. If they're in it and it's on TV or at a film festival, I'll see it.
No matter how minor or bad, I'll appreciate their work.
And most of it is their expressiveness. Pure and simple. Their ability to convey a TON about the scene, the story, their character or the action is all in their face. Flabby faces that show 100% expressionism that is more compelling to my eye, forcing me to watch them regardless of Beauty Shop marketing.
Bette Davis was never a great beauty to my eye, but she delivered a memorable face in all of its ages. The old-woman TV interviews with her castigating Dick Cavett - just a wonderful face still, as funny and scathing as ever.
I hope modern actors will remember that greatness comes with time, not single performances or a single face. I think we the audience lose much when actors feel the Looks Pressure to retire too early on that basis alone (the Garbo's and maybe the Cary's who said he couldn't play the Young Cary anymore - I love his old Cary as much). I hope those people actually may use that as an excuse but leave for far better reasons - "I'm TIRED of doing this!! Go away!!"
Elsa Lanchester - what a beauty, but she charmed her way thru another 60 years of films, and I love those appearances, too. Silly, benign, but I can always think, "There's Elsa - again and again!"
No matter how minor or bad, I'll appreciate their work.
And most of it is their expressiveness. Pure and simple. Their ability to convey a TON about the scene, the story, their character or the action is all in their face. Flabby faces that show 100% expressionism that is more compelling to my eye, forcing me to watch them regardless of Beauty Shop marketing.
Bette Davis was never a great beauty to my eye, but she delivered a memorable face in all of its ages. The old-woman TV interviews with her castigating Dick Cavett - just a wonderful face still, as funny and scathing as ever.
I hope modern actors will remember that greatness comes with time, not single performances or a single face. I think we the audience lose much when actors feel the Looks Pressure to retire too early on that basis alone (the Garbo's and maybe the Cary's who said he couldn't play the Young Cary anymore - I love his old Cary as much). I hope those people actually may use that as an excuse but leave for far better reasons - "I'm TIRED of doing this!! Go away!!"
Elsa Lanchester - what a beauty, but she charmed her way thru another 60 years of films, and I love those appearances, too. Silly, benign, but I can always think, "There's Elsa - again and again!"
Last edited by Ollie on February 7th, 2008, 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
movieman1957
- Administrator
- Posts: 5522
- Joined: April 15th, 2007, 3:50 pm
- Location: MD
Miss G:
What a wonderful article. I've noticed the phony smiles on so many actresses, and couldn't understand why they would actually choose to look that way, but I guess a lot of them are mistakes that can't be altered. But I thought Botox was a temporary thing that needed to be re-administered every 6 months or so. I guess I'm wrong though, right? It it, after all, a permanent thing?
He's right about Melanie Griffith, her entire lower half of her face has been messed up, her lips, cheeks, and chin are nothing like normal. Liv Tyler is another one whose mouth looks like she was in a fight the night before and has swollen lips from it.
Anne
What a wonderful article. I've noticed the phony smiles on so many actresses, and couldn't understand why they would actually choose to look that way, but I guess a lot of them are mistakes that can't be altered. But I thought Botox was a temporary thing that needed to be re-administered every 6 months or so. I guess I'm wrong though, right? It it, after all, a permanent thing?
He's right about Melanie Griffith, her entire lower half of her face has been messed up, her lips, cheeks, and chin are nothing like normal. Liv Tyler is another one whose mouth looks like she was in a fight the night before and has swollen lips from it.
Anne
Anne
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *
]***********************************************************************
-
MissGoddess
- Posts: 5072
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:01 am
- Contact:
-
MissGoddess
- Posts: 5072
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:01 am
- Contact:
-
Mr. Arkadin
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: April 14th, 2007, 3:00 pm
Interesting article. One thing I'll also say might be contributing, is the fact that many "popular" actors and actresses of today have stock moves and expressions in their vocabulary that they continue to use in all kinds of situations instead of emoting and reacting to the person they are supposed to be engaging with (or the camera).
Some of this can be blamed on the extraordinary amount of cuts instead of longer takes, but some of these people clearly do not have stage experience or the depth of some of their predecessors.
There is one actor who I will not name that I have seen for years in films who does the same facial expressions and body movement he's done since he was 20 (he's in his 50's now I think). Why should I watch him? I know all his tricks. I would liken it to a musician who plays the same three licks over and over, mixing them around, not listening to his accompaniment or where the music is going.
There are many truly great actors and actresses today and I certainly don't want to blame all of them for a few bad apples. Unfortunately, these bad apples are usually sitting on top of the cart, giving viewers little inclination to dig deeper and find the great recent performances on film.
Some of this can be blamed on the extraordinary amount of cuts instead of longer takes, but some of these people clearly do not have stage experience or the depth of some of their predecessors.
There is one actor who I will not name that I have seen for years in films who does the same facial expressions and body movement he's done since he was 20 (he's in his 50's now I think). Why should I watch him? I know all his tricks. I would liken it to a musician who plays the same three licks over and over, mixing them around, not listening to his accompaniment or where the music is going.
There are many truly great actors and actresses today and I certainly don't want to blame all of them for a few bad apples. Unfortunately, these bad apples are usually sitting on top of the cart, giving viewers little inclination to dig deeper and find the great recent performances on film.