Significant Child Performances

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ShogunRua
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by ShogunRua »

martryn wrote:
mattorama12 wrote:
Midaso wrote:Can't believe that arguably the most famous child performance in world cinema hasn't been mentioned. What am I thinking of?


Of course that would be Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon. I was also surprised it hadn't been mentioned yet.


I entered the thread to say this.

The two other ones that come to mind immediately (that I haven't seen mentioned) are Christian Bale (Empire of the Sun) and that hot chick from Spider-Man in Interview with the Vampire.


You're the first person I have ever come across who referred to Kirsten Dunst as a "hot chick". Yuck.

Stewball
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by Stewball »

ShogunRua wrote:You're the first person I have ever come across who referred to Kirsten Dunst as a "hot chick". Yuck.


Well, goin along with the digression, I gotta fess up.... I mean she ain't top ten, but as long as you don't get too close to her personality, hey, smokin'! But of course as everyone on Criticker knows by know, we're on the opposite sides of the universe for idealistic feminine qualities.

I think this is pretty steamin':
Image

I know, I know, with the right photographer even a horse can be made to look like a goddess. Still....
Last edited by Stewball on Sun Sep 20, 2015 2:52 pm, edited 3 times in total.

ShogunRua
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by ShogunRua »

Stewball wrote:
ShogunRua wrote:You're the first person I have ever come across who referred to Kirsten Dunst as a "hot chick". Yuck.


Well, goin along with the digression, I gotta fess up.... I mean she ain't top ten, but as long as you don't get too close to her personality, hey, smokin'! But of course as everyone on Criticker knows by know, we're on the opposite sides of the universe for idealistic feminine qualities. Maybe it has something to do with..........um, never mind.


I'm not saying Dunst is ugly or utterly unattractive. And I can appreciate certain women as beautiful even if they're not personally what I prefer in a woman. (Audrey Hepburn, for instance) Dunst is a completely average-looking, generic white girl in terms of both face and body.

Stewball
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by Stewball »

Anyway, back to the thread. HEY MIDASO! you there? I take it we still haven't mentioned your mystery child actor. You gonna keep us in suspense, or you thought better of it, like too old, too obscure....too obnoxious, what?

I nominate Jay North (Dennis the Menace) for excelling at obnoxiousicity. He then actually "acted" in 8 films through 2008, only one of which has a rating on R/T, 23%. If you're ever in the mood from some mental masochism, YouTube yourself some Dennis the Menace. There must have been a lot of people like that back then--masochists that is. The show went on for 4 seasons. :?

ShogunRua
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by ShogunRua »

Stewball wrote:Anyway, back to the thread. HEY MIDASO! you there? I take it we still haven't mentioned your mystery child actor. You gonna keep us in suspense, or you thought better of it, like too old, too obscure....too obnoxious, what?


Did you seriously miss the reply by midaso with the 400 Blows poster?

As for Dunst, you never learn, Stewie. How many times have I mentioned air-brushing to you, and how it can't be used in accurately assessing anyone's looks?

Image

Stewball
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by Stewball »

ShogunRua wrote:
Stewball wrote:Anyway, back to the thread. HEY MIDASO! you there? I take it we still haven't mentioned your mystery child actor. You gonna keep us in suspense, or you thought better of it, like too old, too obscure....too obnoxious, what?


Did you seriously miss the reply by midaso with the 400 Blows poster?


I saw that, but no name was given, French with subtitles, 1959. Not saying anything about the quality of the performance, but it would have to be in the at least semi-obscure category offered up as a "most famous" child performance in world cinema history?--which is a hell of a statement even if you excluded the US. In France maybe, but then they think Jerry Lewis hung the moon.

As for Dunst, you never learn, Stewie. How many times have I mentioned air-brushing to you, and how it can't be used in accurately assessing anyone's looks?


Air brushing only helps with the skin, which even from your picture she doesn't really need help with. With orthodontistry, however, you may have a point--which in some later pics, appears to have been corrected. And good photographers can either make you as well as bust you.

MacSwell
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by MacSwell »

I saw that, but no name was given, French with subtitles, 1959. Not saying anything about the quality of the performance, but it would have to be in the at least semi-obscure category offered up as a "most famous" child performance in world cinema history?--which is a hell of a statement even if you excluded the US. In France maybe, but then they think Jerry Lewis hung the moon.


The 400 Blows is, like, super famous, brah.

paulofilmo
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by paulofilmo »

Leaud's audition is wonderful. I know you don't like subs, but it's only 90 seconds.

Bojangles
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by Bojangles »

Lucas Black in Sling Blade - he delivers his line with a certain...stiffness?--but I still find the performance as a whole to be earnest and satisfying.

Linda Manz in Days of Heaven - perhaps the greatest example of naturalistic voiceover narration, child-actor or otherwise. Her performance convinces me that Terrence Malick would've handled a Catcher in the Rye adaptation better than anyone else.

Sami Gayle in Detachment - for those who can stomach a more highly expressive (i.e., "over the top") and melodramatic cinematic style.

Hunter Carson in Paris, Texas - naturalism in child actors is a rarity. This kid was able to just chill out and deliver his lines in a believable fashion, which is more difficult than it sounds. Plenty of bona fide film stars have made solid careers out of nothing more than compelling line deliveries, without really succeeding in the realms of high-difficulty emoting or "chameleon-like transformation"s. I'm thinking of guys like Kevin Spacey and Sam Jackson.

Bailee Madison in Brothers - my main takeaway from this movie was that Tobey Maguire got professionally outclassed by an adolescent girl.

Elle Fanning in Super 8 - I dunno I just liked her...I'm running out of stuff to say. Maybe I should take this opportunity to bring up the fact that I've always found Kirsten Dunst hot. Shogun, I don't think you can call her generic when people constantly bring up how flawed her looks are. You posted a pic of her funky teeth--that's not generic. She's a flawed beauty. Or, she's ugly, depending on your viewpoint. "Generic" seems like it would fit someone with more conventionally perfect features. Nothing exaggerated or off-center. An inexpressive countenance. Like--I dunno--say, Kate Beckinsale. btw, Norm Macdonald has a bit about this. Certain classic Hollywood starlets that people claim are the "most beautiful"--but don't they all look the same? Same snow-white complexion, identical hairdos. So you just people's word for it: "I guess she's the most beautiful one." I mean, have you seen those silent movies? I can't tell ANY of those broads apart.

VinegarBob
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Re: Significant Child Performances

Post by VinegarBob »

Stewball wrote:Not saying anything about the quality of the performance, but it would have to be in the at least semi-obscure category offered up as a "most famous" child performance in world cinema history?


Seriously? The 400 Blows is one of the most famous films in world cinema. It's known as one of the very best directorial debuts ever, and launched Francois Truffaut's (you know - the French guy in Close Encounters of The 3rd Kind) career as a world renowned director of considerable note.

Speaking as someone who finds almost all children in films extremely annoying this is one of the few child performances that I would classify as fantastic, and is certainly one of the most famous I'm aware of (from France or anywhere else).

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