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Post by Allenism on Jul 27, 2019 13:56:17 GMT
Thought this would be an interesting one since they both started out as child/prepubescent actors during the 70s/early 80s in their native Los Angeles.
I think Foster's peaks (Silence of the Lambs, The Accused) are near-unimpeachable but they can also be counted on less than one hand and sadly overshadowed by a collection of true embarrassments. Dern has fewer iconic roles to her name but she's also been a lot more reliable and over time has amassed a body of work which I think demonstrates a slightly greater breadth of innate performative talent. I couldn't see Foster slipping into the skin of a character like Amy Jelico with the same ease and emotional elasticity that way that Dern did. But similarly, it's also somewhat difficult to picture Dern commanding the screen for every second she was on it the way that Foster did in Silence.
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Post by TerryMontana on Jul 27, 2019 14:02:33 GMT
Foster for me. A wonder kid who grew up to become obe of the best of her generation.
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Post by Allenism on Jul 28, 2019 21:21:53 GMT
OMG YOU GUYS LEZ TALK ABOUT DIS
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Post by stephen on Jul 28, 2019 21:23:50 GMT
Dern stakes a strong claim of being one of the finest living actresses.
Foster is amazing when she wants to be, but for me it's no contest.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 28, 2019 21:39:58 GMT
I've said this recently, but Foster is a great actress whose reputation got elevated prematurely (2 Oscars, "Best Actress Of her generation" talk etc) before her generational peer group fully came into their own. She had that head start as an Oscar nominated child star in the 70's.
But once the playing field evened out, whilst still a great actress, several in her near age/peer group comfortably overtook Foster. Kidman, Blanchett, Moore etc. Dern is another one, though it's probably closer between Dern and Foster, than it is with Foster and the others. But I'd give the slight edge to Dern.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 28, 2019 21:40:57 GMT
I think this poll sort of symbolizes why comparing actors sometimes doesn't work. For example Laura Dern is obviously a beloved actress and not just on here - you never hear anyone say anything negative about her - I just covered her in the Stage/TV/Movie thread and I joked that she is in a position unique from any peer male or female. Foster though is something else - she mastered film acting in a way I would say very few females have. She knew how to gear performances for the camera in a very smart and very effective and also complete way - for a time she was something else and then I saw Carnage again and that performance is so smart and so precise I don't know that she can't just turn it on whenever she wants. So are we rating career or desire or (God forbid) "consistency"? Really tough for me, I lean Dern because she's more full blooded which is more my style but that's preference not talent and how long does someone have to do it for where they win an acting contest because Foster clearly won it at one time........... and I think maybe could win it over anybody if she didn't take herself out of the game (based on Carnage which like Winslet in the same film is masterful technique imo). I voted my preference ...........but I don't like it dammit  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2019 0:23:03 GMT
I think this poll sort of symbolizes why comparing actors sometimes doesn't work. For example Laura Dern is obviously a beloved actress and not just on here - you never hear anyone say anything negative about her - I just covered her in the Stage/TV/Movie thread and I joked that she is in a position unique from any peer male or female. Foster though is something else - she mastered film acting in a way I would say very few females have. She knew how to gear performances for the camera in a very smart and very effective and also complete way - for a time she was something else and then I saw Carnage again and that performance is so smart and so precise I don't know that she can't just turn it on whenever she wants. So are we rating career or desire or (God forbid) "consistency"? Really tough for me, I lean Dern because she's more full blooded which is more my style but that's preference not talent and how long does someone have to do it for where they win an acting contest because Foster clearly won it at one time........... and I think maybe could win it over anybody if she didn't take herself out of the game (based on Carnage which like Winslet in the same film is masterful technique imo). I voted my preference ...........but I don't like it dammit In don't think I've ever seen you discuss it, so where do you fall on Foster's performance in Nell? |
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 29, 2019 0:47:13 GMT
Quite good .........very few false notes and if you only see the clips from it you wouldn't get it without seeing it in its totality - you can't break the performance into small clips. The director of that picture Michael Apted is working at cross purposes from her - she is acting from a creation of her own design - there is no "right" way to play Nell - the right way is however Foster decides to play it and she's decided to go for broke - poetic and weirdly alluring.
Apted though has a film to deliver and cuts off scenes that a greater director may let play out longer and you'd get something even more amazing out of it. She's shaping the performance not him and not the editor - she's rather restrained BY him.
It's like the clip I posted for you once @tyler regarding Vanessa Redgrave (not sure if you recall that?) and actors who give you exactly what you want and actors giving performances you maybe don't want or can't get a handle on and that before your eyes might fail but are closer to true acting inspiration.
The latter is almost always better - and that's what she's doing in Nell.
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jul 29, 2019 12:23:28 GMT
Dern for sure. I do like Foster, and when she is on she is on fire. Still, Dern is far more interesting and on far more occasions.
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Post by futuretrunks on Jun 11, 2020 0:25:24 GMT
Foster in Inside Man is so hot!
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 11, 2020 0:31:36 GMT
Foster in Inside Man is so hot! I just watched it a couple of days back - it's that shark smile thing - she's smiling through the whole film. You try calling a woman a "magnificent c***" and see if she takes it that well   |
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Post by cheesecake on Jun 11, 2020 3:22:16 GMT
The one who wasn't in Nell.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jun 11, 2020 4:15:16 GMT
The one who was in Accused and Silence of the Lambs  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2020 4:37:21 GMT
Foster could absolutely never pull off something like Inland Empire. Dern by far.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Jun 11, 2020 4:49:20 GMT
The one who didn't win an Oscar for Marriage Story.
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Post by urbanpatrician on Jun 11, 2020 12:59:30 GMT
Laura Dern is seriously the most overrated actress on this board. What has she done to merit so many threads?
Shes like the Nicolas Cage for actresses but unlike Cage whos awesome and won an Oscar in his early 30s already and then kept cranking out more hits late into his career into the 2010s, Dern was thought of as mostly average and the face everyone ignored for high on 30 years before the last decade where shes suddenly some rock star? Not sure she had the hits that Cage has had in the last 10 years also so what am I missing?
Ok I guess I know shes in a lot of Lynch movies. Whoooooooppp. Then I guess Ryan O'neal is a superb actor too, he was in a Kubrick movie.
Just da faq man. So yeah....Foster easily. And im not even a huge fan, but Dern is not good at all imo.
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