Kenneth Branagh

[abcdefz]

...yeah; Kenneth Branagh came up the other day on this board, and at least a couple of us agreed he's pretty disagreeable.

Flash forward to last night, when I open up my DVD from Blockbuster online: The Gingerbread Man. One of those Altman movies I never saw because it was supposed to be mediocre at best, plus Branagh was the lead as an attorney from America's southern states.

Well, his character's not particularly likable or unlikable, but his performance is actually really good. The accent is even nicely understated overall. So I figured I'd publicly eat a little crow. He's good in this, and it's a good movie.

Also, a good cast: Robert Downey, Jr., an unrecognizable Darryl Hannah, Tom Berenger, Robert Duvall. I only watched half of it, but it was good. (y)

[Auton]

I like Kenneth Branagh.

[MC Moot]

huh? I don't know,I dig him.....the only person who has done more justice to the bard's work on celluloid has been Akira Kurosawa....I have a deep fondness for "Hamlet" and "Henry V"...."Othello" was allright and I even enjoyed him in that Harry Potter movie....I find him very personable,like to have dinner him,fine chap,methinks.....I'll even forgive him for "Wild West"....:D

[thegoodmrbrodie!]

i know his niece. woo! go me. :)

[Gareth]

has no lips

[Schmeltz]

Kenneth Branagh is kind of obnoxious and uppity when he plays a comedic role like in Much Ado About Nothing, but he fucking nails a villain, like Iago in Othello. Fuck, you just want to stab him in the face when you watch that movie. What a jerk.

[na§tee]

it was me who implanted the kenneth branagh thought into his braaiiinnnnn.

i just strongly dislike how he tries to sell himself as the eternal englishman and therefore shakespeare guru when he's from northern ireland. i don't have anything against northern irish people, of course, but i do have something against people who are "ashamed" from where they are from and blatantly pretend to be a more culturally acceptable (read: upper middle class) type of person.

i also don't like how he thinks he is god's gift to women. helena bonham carter, emma thompson, alicia silverstone: WHY? WHY WHY WHY? the man is so conceited it makes my teeth itch. BLAH.

[Otis Driftwood]

Robert Downey, Jr.,Tom Berenger, Robert Duvall. > Branagh

[Auton]

Robert Duval > Branagh> Tom Berenger

and they all >Robert Downey, Jr.... can't STAND him.

[Otis Driftwood]

I like Downey's dream woman description:
"A mute nymphomaniac whose father owns a bar!" (y)

[Junker]

and they all >Robert Downey, Jr.... can't STAND him.

Fuck you! He's amazing in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!!! :mad:

[abcdefz]

huh? I don't know,I dig him.....the only person who has done more justice to the bard's work on celluloid has been Akira Kurosawa....




You need to see some Orson Welles' films. (y)

[Yeti]

Robert Downey, Jr.... can't STAND him.

I like him because he got so messed up on cocaine that he went in a neighbors house and fell asleep in their daughter's bed.

[abcdefz]

Downey is aces.

Less than Zero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, Wonder Boys, Good Night and Good Luck... are you fucking kidding me?

I'm even looking forward to Iron Man now. (y)

[Otis Driftwood]

What Downey as alcoholic Tony Stark? :eek: That's brilliant. Who's the bad guy?

[Yeti]

I really liked him in Less Than Zero.

I have a question about A Scanner Darkly.....is it good? Give me a couple details. I see it in the video store and never reach for the film. I have to return 2 movies today. It is going to snow and sleet all weekend so I will pick-up 3 movies. I was going to get the Illusionist, now A Scanner Darkly.....any suggestions for another?

[abcdefz]

What Downey as alcoholic Tony Stark? :eek: That's brilliant. Who's the bad guy?


Dunno. But Terrance Howard is cast as Jim Rhodes.

[abcdefz]

I really liked him in Less Than Zero.

I have a question about A Scanner Darkly.....is it good? Give me a couple details. I see it in the video store and never reach for the film. I have to return 2 movies today. It is going to snow and sleet all weekend so I will pick-up 3 movies. I was going to get the Illusionist, now A Scanner Darkly.....any suggestions for another?



A Scanner Darkly kinda sucked, I'm afraid. It's pretty limp, except for some of the animation and Downey.

[abcdefz]

never mind

[Yeti]

I just got back from the video store. I went ahead and rented A Scanner Darkly and The Illusionist. I already had the movie You, Me & DuPree so I am stocked up for the weekend in my bunker. Since the NFL playoffs are on I should be A-OK. I also qualified for a poker tourney on Sunday so the ice should not ruin my weekend. It is already sleeting and they did not expect it to start until tonight. It is crazy up here in the Northern Panhandle of Texas. It is supposed to sleet and snow all weekend. It was 70 degrees yesterday and it not supposed to break the 20 degree mark until Tuesday. This is already our 4th snow of the season and our 3rd ice storm.:eek:

[abcdefz]

Drive carefully. Ice can be tricky, I know.

[Auton]

Downey is aces.

Less than Zero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, Wonder Boys, Good Night and Good Luck... are you fucking kidding me?

I'm even looking forward to Iron Man now. (y)

well, we obviously have drastically different opinions on actors and directors

[Auton]

well, not directors actually. just spielburg.

[MC Moot]

You need to see some Orson Welles' films. (y)

And you need to be less condescending,pal.

[abcdefz]

Look: saying something like "the only person who has done more justice to the bard's work on celluloid (than Branagh) has been Akira Kurosawa...." is a pretty shakey thing to say. No Zeffirelli? No Olivier? And striking Welles' Othello and Chimes at Midnight and arguably his Macbeth is pretty nuts.

[MC Moot]

Look: saying something like "the only person who has done more justice to the bard's work on celluloid (than Branagh) has been Akira Kurosawa...." is a pretty shakey thing to say. No Zeffirelli? No Olivier? And striking Welles' Othello and Chimes at Midnight and arguably his Macbeth is pretty nuts.


And you could make a similar argument for Pacino,Hopkins or McKellen……If you so choose....however nothing can touch the imagination and vision behind “Throne of Blood” for example.....Olivier could throw on the tights and it was an easy lay,so to speak.....classical and cultural familiarity….but to recreate the plays set in feudal Japan….simply amazing,totally visionary.....my fave interpretations:

"Titus" with Hopkins

"Richard III" with McKellen

"Throne of Blood" Kurosawa's take

I have yet to see last years "Merchant of Venice" waiting for a push....

[abcdefz]

I have yet to see last years "Merchant of Venice" waiting for a push....




Pacino ruined it for me. His Shylock was all Pacino.