Bojangles wrote: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.
Definitely Lucas Black. And I've mentioned Sami Gayle as well. But what about
Detachment is over the top? I guess a lot of people would say "the ending", but without that, the whole thing was brutally pointless. I don't know about you, but I know some people just want their depression validated. 'Bout as gritty as it gets with an absolutely stellar cast. "Can I see your nipples?"
I know what you mean about how so many beautiful actresses, and beautiful women in general, look so much alike--but not all, at all. I wonder how much of that difference is the melding in our minds of looks and intelligence/personality, vs. blond and ditz.
