Do You Have a Problem Watching "Stars"?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 4:52pm

As in, do you ever have a problem watching a movie with an amazingly huge movie star in the lead role? The mystique and whatnot of the person will not be able to go away and allow you to see through the actor and just see the character. I bring this up because I was absolutely amazed that Jack Nicholson still had the power to do this in THE DEPARTED, especially since he has, perhaps, the most recognizable movie star persona of all time.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 5:09pm

I have hard time suspending disbelief with some larger than life actresses in love stories. Some actors too, they just get so typecast or super-famous it is hard to separate them from characters or personas. Amazing people like Charlize Theron can seemingly do everything. While I love Jennifer Lopez + Dolly Pardon, I have never been able to buy a love story from either. I was however pleasantly surprised watching Queen Latifa when she was paired with LL Cool J. He was like a perfect match for her.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 5:18pm

That is how I feel about Aniston. I can never get past her persona to enjoy her films. I think she was miscast in both "The Good Girl" and "Friends with Money" and ruined 2 possibly great films through no fault of her own other than overexposure in the media.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 10/11/06 at 5:43pm

I think it really depends on the role and the actor. I will give you my favorite mega-star, Cher. In movies like Jimmy Dean, Mask, Moonstruck and Tea with Mussolini, I get lost in the characters. Then there are others, like Faithful, where it just feels like Cher and Chaz Palminteri reading lines. That's just my take on her performances.

As much as many people like Scarlet Johanson, I think I look at her the exact same in every role. It just feels like, Oh, there is Scarlet, instead of the character she is playing. I think Aniston is much the same. Dolly Parton has never played anyone except Dolly Parton with different names. That's how she chooses her roles and I think they have all worked for her. (I didn't buy her falling for James Woods in Straight Talk, but whatever.)

Very few people out there have that amazing thing that Jack Nicholson, Glen Close and Meryl Streep have.