Go back to previous topic
Forum namePass The Popcorn
Topic subjectthe combination made my eyes bleed (c) Raekwon
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=6&topic_id=274524
274524, the combination made my eyes bleed (c) Raekwon
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 11:07 AM
Examples of movies w/ leading actors supposedly romantically linked but showing no chemistry.

This started out as a Matthew McConaughey-with-anyone post, or maybe it was a Nicolas Cage post, or maybe Julia Roberts. Anyway, can you think of more examples (films / actors)?

Jada Pinkett w/ Cheadle in Reign Over Me was a little questionable, even given where their characters are supposed to be for most of the movie.

I also think this is one of Christian Bale's weaknesses as an actor.
274536, Leonardo DiCaprio & what's her name in Blood Diamond
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 11:32 AM
I didn't believe that for one hot second.
274539, Her name is Jennifer Connelly, you will respect at least that.
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 11:38 AM
:)

She's in my top five all-time, but I haven't seen Blood Diamond so I can't say either way (though it is a weird combo at first). However, she has managed chemistry with even the likes of Billy Campbell, Jared Leto, and a stripper's ass, so I'm gonna pre-emptively blame it on the character.
274541, nice tits but
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 11:39 AM
tits a relationship do not make
274543, That's the love of my life. She just doesn't know it yet
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Wed Apr-18-07 11:45 AM
274545, if you took her brains and added them to Scarlett Johannsen's
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 11:50 AM
you might get half a brain

lol
274556, Hey, she's actually intelligent!
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Wed Apr-18-07 11:55 AM
But, from what a hear, a former Reinassance Faire geek. Not sure if I approve, but I can forgive her.
274560, HA I believe it
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 11:58 AM
she's got that look in her eyes, lol
274547, mr hood
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 11:51 AM
what's a mope?

I mean, I know what it is, but what's it short for?
274567, Someone's been watching Mean Streets
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Wed Apr-18-07 12:03 PM
I don't really think it's short for anything. I think it's kind of descriptive of how a guy looks: uneducated sad sack or whatnot.
274580, they say it ALL through The Wire
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 12:23 PM
it's constant!

lol
274643, There I just took it to be like another way to say "perp."
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:00 PM
274645, Yeah, but what I mean is that "perp" is short for "perpetrator"
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 02:02 PM
"Mope" MUST be short for SOMETHING...
274650, Isn't it just the word mope but placed in a criminal context?
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:10 PM
So that when continually used by police to refer to criminals it takes on an association like perp or perpetrator? I'm sure crazier things have happened in the history of the English langauge.
274652, hmmm although I don't disagree about crazy jargon
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 02:23 PM
it seems counter intuitive that a verb about being sulky or depressed would transmute into a noun about suspects and their alleged illegal behavior, lol.
274656, maybe it's a play on a mope's aimlessness.
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:25 PM
274660, Stringer Bell sure ain't aimless
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 02:30 PM
I need further data. I'll report back when/if I learn.
274668, But the term predates the show
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:52 PM
or I'm not sure
274669, I should hope so
Posted by janey, Wed Apr-18-07 02:57 PM
I would be embarrassed if I thought that these guys were making up jargon, lol.

I just emailed hbo to see if they would explain. I don't expect an answer immediately, but I do kind of expect an answer ultimately.

Maybe Simon & Burns explain it in The Corner.

We'll get to the bottom of this.
275022, LOL. In how many posts did you ask this? n/m
Posted by kurlyswirl, Thu Apr-19-07 01:10 PM

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


kurly's Super-Duper Awesome DVD Collection:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=kurlyswirl
275026, I kept asking until I got an answer lol
Posted by janey, Thu Apr-19-07 01:14 PM
or I mean until I found out that there is no answer

yet




~~~~~

It is painful in the extreme to live with questions rather than with answers, but that is the only honorable intellectual course. (c) Norman Mailer
275027, I think she's been asking since Monday
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Thu Apr-19-07 01:15 PM
275035, anyway I think I only asked in three places
Posted by janey, Thu Apr-19-07 01:40 PM
I thought bignick was ignoring me, but I think he was playing possum so as to hide the fact that he doesn't know, either.


~~~~~

It is painful in the extreme to live with questions rather than with answers, but that is the only honorable intellectual course. (c) Norman Mailer
275043, I figured he thought it was a non-sequiteur
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Thu Apr-19-07 01:57 PM
Or that you had been watching "Mean Streets."

Wait, no, that's a "mook."
275044, he hates me
Posted by janey, Thu Apr-19-07 01:59 PM
he hates everyone though so I'm not surprised

here's a non-sequitor for you:

I told my therapist that I had dreamt about Six Feet Under for two nights running after I finished watching it. He didn't even try to interpret the dreams. He's a Jungian and way into dreams, but he's also seen the whole show, so I guess he thinks that it's just normal to dream about it after the finale. lol
274544, Humphrey Bogart w/ every woman except Hepburn in African Queen
Posted by Wordman, Wed Apr-18-07 11:49 AM
I'm sorry, I just don't buy a single second of it.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274558, Wow, even with Bacall?
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Wed Apr-18-07 11:57 AM
I could buy it "To Have or Have Not."
274634, I've never seen this movie actually
Posted by Wordman, Wed Apr-18-07 01:34 PM
So I gotta claim ignorance.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274636, Laruen Bacall's first acting role
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Wed Apr-18-07 01:37 PM
She has a great entrance scene and another famous bit of dialogue.

It was where Bogart met her before marrying her.
274651, even w/ Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca? really?
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:12 PM
274673, Really
Posted by Wordman, Wed Apr-18-07 03:06 PM
He looks old enough to be her father.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274692, The age difference is sixteen years.
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 03:41 PM
Regardless, age difference automatically assumes a lack of chemistry?

But I don't know how to convince you otherwise, because you saying the relationship between Bergman and Bogart doesn't work is akin to saying the movie doesn't work. Like, that's a large large part of why Casablanca is *Casablanca*
274894, RE: The age difference is sixteen years.
Posted by Wordman, Thu Apr-19-07 07:52 AM
The movie has A LOT less to do with their relationship than it does Rick's feelings for her. Their relationship has what, a three minute flashback montage? It's Rick's moping about over her that's got everything to do with it.
I happen to love this movie. I could literally sit and watch it all day.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274667, you seen in a lonely place?
Posted by DrNO, Wed Apr-18-07 02:52 PM
274674, Damn, no I haven't.
Posted by Wordman, Wed Apr-18-07 03:06 PM

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274563, Jesus and Jennifer Lopez in Angel Eyes
Posted by Ceej, Wed Apr-18-07 12:00 PM
274654, re: Lopez
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:23 PM
She basically defines chemistry with Clooney in Out of Sight but couldn't get a spark going with either Jesus or Wooderson, nor, presumably, with Affleck. I think a lot of chemistry has to do with the character(s)* / director but also who one actor is playing across from. I'm sure Clooney could have chemistry with a pair of tennis shoes, so that's probably why the deficiency elsewhere in her career.



*Her character in U-Turn has plenty going that she is able to bring out well enough.
274895, co-sign the Clooney point
Posted by Wordman, Thu Apr-19-07 07:53 AM
I don't think I've ever seen him not pull it off with another actor.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274575, jet li & aaliyah in "romeo must die"
Posted by zero, Wed Apr-18-07 12:16 PM
the big love scene was a handshake and a hug

i guess they were never really "in love" or in a relationship, but that was some of the most leaden on-screen "chemistry" (i hestitate to deem it chemistry) i've ever seen
274658, Chinese action stars and American leading actresses
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:29 PM
Maybe there's something there with how male-female relationships are usually (cripplingly) portrayed amongst the two, because Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt now comes to mind. Maybe it's an inadequacy in how American cinema represents Asian masculinity. I don't know, it's too early for a thesis.
274630, Aka the star wars prequels thread
Posted by jigga, Wed Apr-18-07 01:14 PM
274646, I've never seen Garden State or Closer
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 02:05 PM
So I don't know if Natalie Portman was able to end her winless streak in either place, but in her other work and personal life even, she strikes me as all around vapid and flat. Matter fact, I guess the only time she really struck any chemistry with a leading man was with Jean Reno, which is a whole other post.
274694, I thought she was pretty good in Closer. Garden State not so much
Posted by jigga, Wed Apr-18-07 03:44 PM
>So I don't know if Natalie Portman was able to end her
>winless streak in either place, but in her other work and
>personal life even, she strikes me as all around vapid and
>flat. Matter fact, I guess the only time she really struck
>any chemistry with a leading man was with Jean Reno, which is
>a whole other post.

Interesting chemistry in V for Vendetta as well. Terrible accent though.
274896, I thought she did a good job in Garden State
Posted by Wordman, Thu Apr-19-07 07:55 AM
I think there's more in that performance than most people notice.
But she does have a tendency to play flat.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams
274678, Deniro is weak here too.
Posted by Arch Stanton, Wed Apr-18-07 03:15 PM
He always shakes people he's supposed to care about. Like the woman in Heat and even little Michael in Godfather II. Everytime I watch that scene after he kills the neighborhood boss, it bothers me how he shakes that baby.
274705, I'll have to rewatch Godfather II for that.
Posted by genius.switch, Wed Apr-18-07 04:13 PM
I guess he is known less for tender roles, and maybe when he tries 'em, they come off as kinda hard-bitten still (which works to a wonderful degree in Raging Bull, for instance.) However, I don't think it's a big knock on his career. I mean, he had a weird kind of anti-chemistry chemistry with Bridget Fonda in Jackie Brown, and I recall his scenes with Uma Thurman in Mad Dog working well enough (despite the limitations of the script--and Uma Thurman).
275049, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in Babel
Posted by rorschach, Thu Apr-19-07 02:12 PM
Something about that pairing didn't seem right to me.
275050, Fat Butt and Pancake Head in "Gigli"
Posted by alias for mrhood75, Thu Apr-19-07 02:17 PM