Hi Friends,
I can't believe that a month has slipped by so quickly and we're already in the second month of the new year. Nevertheless I do hope that all the plans and resolutions you've made are progressing smoothly (or have at least made a head-start) at your end as you keep pace with the many expectations you have of yourself! I speak of resolutions because there are so many outstanding resolutions of the past year that I keep bringing forward which has become akin to a journal entry of accounts! :-) Thus,I'd love to hear from you on your approach towards a resolution and how you go about fulfilling them in a systematic manner.Do share your thoughts in the comments section below,it will inspire me and many others in this thought chain.
Anyway without wasting much time,let's come back to the topic of this month's post.Like many of you,I too have been watching a lot of English television series these days(of course I'm yet to watch Game Of Thrones though!) with the likes of Downton Abbey, House Of Cards,The Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy etc. and a few others.
But some months ago when I watched The Tudors,Elvis (Television mini-series) and read reports on the Dracula -Television series,I came to rediscover the fine acting prowess of a young,versatile and underrated actor,Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.Some of you might recall watching him play Joe,the football coach of the women's team in Bend It Like Beckham as well as rubbing shoulders with Tom Cruise and John Travolta in Mission:Impossible III and From Paris With Love respectively.But it is his career in television that takes the center-stage.Thus I thought,he was truly deserving of mention in this month's post for playing diverse roles which many of you would have been unaware of.From playing a fornicator,heretic and the tyrant King Henry VIII of The Tudor dynasty to the ever-so-loved Rock n' Roll icon and heart-throb of all generations,Elvis Presley to the ancient revenge seeking vampire,Count Dracula-to portray these three remarkably distinct roles and well-etched out characters with such ease,conviction and aplomb is definitely laudable!In fact, here's something I bet you didn't know-It was the Elvis mini-series that won him the Golden Globes Award for Best Actor.Remember,for an actor to fill in the shoes of Elvis Presley is like gambling away your money on a game of Poker.If the portrayal is loved by the masses then it's like hitting the jackpot but if it fails to live up to the expectations of the people on how they envision their idol,Elvis-then it's hitting the rock bottom.But Irish actor,Jonathan Rhys-Meyers proved it to the world that he was indeed Elvis Presley for he not only got his look and mannerisms right but even evoked just the right emotions from the audiences behind the making of Elvis and the world-wide sensation he rose to be! And Jonathan Rhys-Meyers didn't limit himself to just playing Elvis but he was also equally convincing as the ruthless King Henry VIII and the cold blood-sucking Vampire in love-Count Dracula (at least from the articles I read,I learned that he did a very good job)! I hope we get to see Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in many television series to come because it is in this medium that his true potential is realized (like I said earlier that it is through these television series I once again discovered him as an actor) as he continues to mesmerize us with some fine character portrayals in the future.We've seen him play a king,a vampire and a real-life persona...I now visualize him to take on the roles of a mafia/don,a crooked politician,a mythical character etc...these are just a few that come to my mind this instant.
Thus if the immensely talented,Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is the star of television who makes it top on the list of Sonyaa's Random Musings then there are two fine actors in films today who make it on the list of Sonyaa's Random Musings as well.In random order, the first actor deserving of mention is Joaquin Phoenix.Look at his body of works over the last one and a half decade-Gladiator,Walk The Line, Two Lovers, The Master, Her, The Immigrant,Inherent Vice are just to name a few and with three Oscar nominations under his belt...he is pushing the envelope with each film when it comes to showcasing his range and caliber as an actor! With the exception of Gladiator,none of his other films can be touted as a big budget or big studio film.Thus making a success of his career out of these unique choice of substance-driven,low budget but high-in-content films is truly commendable! Few paragraphs earlier I was talking about the challenge of playing Elvis Presley on television,then here's Joaquin Phoenix who takes it a notch higher in his portrayal of the turbulent life of singer,Johnny Cash on the celluloid.Look at films like Her,The Master,Walk The Line, Inherent Vice etc. Who is the driving force behind these films?Joaquin Phoenix of course-the name reckons!(Besides of course ably supported by a strong supporting cast and his recent collaborations with director and six time Oscar nominee,Paul Thomas Anderson in The Master and Inherent Vice.) I consider Joaquin's film, Her a masterpiece in terms of story-telling where the novelty lies in the originality of the concept,screenplay and direction.Pulling off a 126 minutes film that rests wholly and solely on the shoulders of just one actor is no mean feat and on top of that emoting with an inanimate object and getting the audiences so deeply involved in the happiness and sadness,tears and laughter of the character is the hallmark of a fine actor! (Even James Franco for the film,127 Hours is worthy of mention in the above context.)
Another immensely talented actor who keeps a low profile but whose works speaks volumes of his versatility is - Edward Norton. Like Joaquin Phoenix, this three time Oscar nominee is yet another brilliant actor with a lot of potential and seldom seen in big budget,big studio films but rather chooses to do films that has research, depth and detail to his portrayal.Just take a glance at some of his films-Primal Fear, American History X, Fight Club, The Painted Veil and the recent film,Birdman (where he is nominated for his third Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category).According to the latest Oscar buzz,J.K. Simmons is the popular contender to take home the trophy for Whiplash...nevertheless I shall be rooting for Edward Norton all the way! Though when I read the reviews of Birdman (I'm yet to watch the film though!),the critics have written in glowing terms about not just Michael Keaton who gives a towering performance of his career but they also go on to add that it is Edward Norton who steals the thunder! So there we are!
Anyway...so here's coming to the end of this month's post. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for all my dear readers.In the meanwhile do add the films of these fine actors I mentioned above to your watch-list and share your views,reviews,thoughts and observation on their works. I shall be looking forward to read them! :)
Till then take care and ciao until next month!
Love,
Sonyaa
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