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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 21, 2018 3:28:00 GMT
Very good actor, but he seems to be on a pretty hefty losing streak at the moment. Double Razzie nominee for Mother! and Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The Last Face was one of the worst recieved films in Cannes history. The Gunman was poorly recieved (wonder if Bardem has been infected with the Sean Penn curse, because the last two films mentioned are Penn driven projects). The Counsellor was a dud.
And his latest Loving Pablo (where he plays Pablo Escobar, not that the world needed another Escobar project) is supposed to be not very good (27% on RT probably kills any hope of awards buzz). For one of the world's most acclaimed screen actors, he hasn't had a trimuphant film or even performance since Skyfall in 2012. And he's not Daniel Day-Lewis...he works very regularly. At least a movie a year, sometimes two.
He seemed pretty consistent for a period, but it's crumbled a bit. Can he get back on track?
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Post by Sharbs on Mar 21, 2018 3:32:19 GMT
He has Farhadi's next one.
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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 21, 2018 3:37:03 GMT
He has Farhadi's next one. Ooh that's interesting. Farhadi never really fails, at least with critics and on the festival circuit. If this project doesn't snap Bardem's losing streak, nothing will. Will be good to see him in something potentially utilising him to his best. |
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Post by stephen on Mar 21, 2018 3:42:14 GMT
Bardem's one of the very best in terms of raw talent, but yeah, after his all-timer of a performance in Biutiful and his strong turn in Skyfall, he's in one hell of a rough patch. There was a period of time where it seemed like every year, either he or Cruz would get nominated; they'd become Oscar royalty in the latter half of the last decade. But yeah, it seems every single decision he's made hasn't worked out. He's actually quite good in The Counselor (a role as far removed from Anton Chigurh as is humanly possible, really), but the film itself didn't coalesce properly and what goodness he brings to the project is largely lost in the translation. He's a non-entity in The Gunman (a film that contains one of Penn's best performances and is worth it for him alone, but Bardem is at sea in it). I didn't see either The Last Face or Pirates, but he was utterly miscast in mother! and had zero chemistry with the equally miscast Lawrence, although I guess I gotta give Javier points for trying something eclectic again. It's a real shame to hear Loving Pablo isn't faring well, but really, I didn't expect it to. He would've been a perfect Escobar in Joe Carnahan's in-development-hell Killing Pablo, though. And then there's the Dark Universe films where he's supposed to be playing Frankenstein's monster; I don't know if that's still happening or not, but for his sake, I hope it falls apart before then.
As to whether or not he can recover, I think he will. He's got a Farhadi film coming down the pike and I think he'll seek out more auteurs (and they, him). On paper, mother! wasn't a bad career choice.
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Post by stephen on Mar 21, 2018 4:11:57 GMT
Bardem's one of the very best in terms of raw talent, but yeah, after his all-timer of a performance in Biutiful and his strong turn in Skyfall, he's in one hell of a rough patch. There was a period of time where it seemed like every year, either he or Cruz would get nominated; they'd become Oscar royalty in the latter half of the last decade. But yeah, it seems every single decision he's made hasn't worked out. He's actually quite good in The Counselor (a role as far removed from Anton Chigurh as is humanly possible, really), but the film itself didn't coalesce properly and what goodness he brings to the project is largely lost in the translation. He's a non-entity in The Gunman (a film that contains one of Penn's best performances and is worth it for him alone, but Bardem is at sea in it). I didn't see either The Last Face or Pirates, but he was utterly miscast in mother! and had zero chemistry with the equally miscast Lawrence, although I guess I gotta give Javier points for trying something eclectic again. It's a real shame to hear Loving Pablo isn't faring well, but really, I didn't expect it to. He would've been a perfect Escobar in Joe Carnahan's in-development-hell Killing Pablo, though. And then there's the Dark Universe films where he's supposed to be playing Frankenstein's monster; I don't know if that's still happening or not, but for his sake, I hope it falls apart before then. As to whether or not he can recover, I think he will. He's got a Farhadi film coming down the pike and I think he'll seek out more auteurs (and they, him). On paper, mother! wasn't a bad career choice. Should he do TV?. Sure. |
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Post by stephen on Mar 21, 2018 4:23:29 GMT
How about a show about conquistadors on HBO? |
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Post by pacinoyes on Mar 21, 2018 9:46:10 GMT
He's the definition of a world class actor - there isn't a single current actor I'd say is "better" than him including DDL....and he's good in some of this stuff too - To The Wonder and The Counselor are worthy turns and let's be clear:
He's actually ok in mother! (and slyly witty too) - I was disappointed with how he was used there but put any other actor - ANY - in that material and they would go down hard and he doesn't really - its not his job to have chemistry with a punching bag which is what Lawrence is in the film.
Most importantly, he's mostly acting in his 2nd f'n language for Godsakes! He is our times equivalent of Depardieu only way more accomplished in English and anybody who knows how I feel about Depardieu knows I don't compare many to him in his astonishing, maybe the best ever in film history, 80s run.
He'll be fine, he's already a very major figure with a big world cinema footprint - 5 Goya awards, first Spanish actor nominated for BA (only male actor to do so?), etc., Cannes wins, Venice win, etc.
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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 21, 2018 10:07:23 GMT
Well, obviously I consider Denzel to be the best actor in the world currently. I don't put Bardem at his level (Bardem might not even put himself on Denzel's level), but when he's on, he can be special. But you could say that about almost any accclaimed actor in the biz. It does bother me somewhat how talented male actors can often fly under the radar for literally doing years of substandard, critically reviled or uninspired work and people are really quick to give them a pass, waiting for them to do something "great" again. But often with actresses, a years long run of substandard films or "lesser" performances, and they are often written off and have to reapply for "greatness". Anne Helen Petersen wrote an interesting article on the subject that's ostensibly about Nicole Kidman's career, but sort of talks about how male actors can survive for eons on past glories, while actresses cannot afford to. It's a good read. If Bardem was a woman, he'd probably be screwed; www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/female-actress-good?utm_term=.lrMz7LQk6#.fxvwLXGkD |
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Post by pacinoyes on Mar 21, 2018 10:45:31 GMT
Jesus I wish someone would write a defense of Pacino that passionately or let me write it at least lol
No seriously that was a good piece (particularly interested in the "cuts herself in half idea") and part of that is in the way actresses have always been treated in the Hollywood sense (still applies) even if you're not an American. Traditionally the male actor was judged as an actor first, the female was judged as a star - that goes back to the advent of sound even. If there were (pre-Streep) females who crossed over they were exceptions - Davis, Hepburn, Taylor somewhat - but in general the idea of the "female actress" regardless of looks still hasn't really or at least deeply happened.
There is the unsaid said for females - i.e. they don't get a Duvall or PSH of their own - why should they I mean there's always Margot Robbie! - and when they do it's a very big deal (McDormand). There's the implication, the male-centric perception that who else could have played the parts looking more beautifully than an actress of the moment - it's that kind of sexism that kills careers for female actresses and they are all fighting it - it's a tougher, more unfair terrain.
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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 21, 2018 11:05:08 GMT
Yeah, that article sort of covers why I consider someone like Kidman to be superior to most male actors who have been in the business. Even when she's faced the worst sorts of (unfair criticism) regarding her personal life or facial enhancements, she remains a consumate actor. Never going stale or running out of ideas. Delivering performances that could be described as "new career peaks" roughly every 2-3 years. She's got talent the level of Streep or Huppert (though in a slightly different manifestation, unique to her) and the application as well. It's why she'll be doing award level work for as long as she wants to. And it's why her career has been unkillable for over 30 years, despite some very strong efforts to kill it.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Mar 21, 2018 14:23:35 GMT
Bardem's one of the very best in terms of raw talent, but yeah, after his all-timer of a performance in Biutiful and his strong turn in Skyfall, he's in one hell of a rough patch. There was a period of time where it seemed like every year, either he or Cruz would get nominated; they'd become Oscar royalty in the latter half of the last decade. But yeah, it seems every single decision he's made hasn't worked out. He's actually quite good in The Counselor (a role as far removed from Anton Chigurh as is humanly possible, really), but the film itself didn't coalesce properly and what goodness he brings to the project is largely lost in the translation. He's a non-entity in The Gunman (a film that contains one of Penn's best performances and is worth it for him alone, but Bardem is at sea in it). I didn't see either The Last Face or Pirates, but he was utterly miscast in mother! and had zero chemistry with the equally miscast Lawrence, although I guess I gotta give Javier points for trying something eclectic again. It's a real shame to hear Loving Pablo isn't faring well, but really, I didn't expect it to. He would've been a perfect Escobar in Joe Carnahan's in-development-hell Killing Pablo, though. And then there's the Dark Universe films where he's supposed to be playing Frankenstein's monster; I don't know if that's still happening or not, but for his sake, I hope it falls apart before then. As to whether or not he can recover, I think he will. He's got a Farhadi film coming down the pike and I think he'll seek out more auteurs (and they, him). On paper, mother! wasn't a bad career choice. The Dark Universe is dead, so you don't have to worry about that. |
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Post by bob-coppola on Mar 22, 2018 18:28:10 GMT
The Razzi nod for mother! was really uncalled for. As divisive as it was (even thought it's more well-liked than we're lead to believe), Bardem and Lawrence were universally praised.
Anyways, the thing about Bardem is that he's easily typecast. That doesn't usually lead to good projects. But he's got a flick with Farhadi coming up next, which will probably be very good.
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Post by ibbi on Mar 22, 2018 19:30:17 GMT
If I married someone that hot, I wouldn't have time to invest in my craft either.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Mar 22, 2018 20:57:40 GMT
Despite The Counselor's reviews and Mother's silly razzie noms, he was good in both those films. People go through slumps. I remember people were saying the same thing about Kidman a few years ago before she made a resurgence in 2016 that's still running hot. Her talent didn't go anywhere, it was just a matter of getting the right roles. I assume it's the same with Bardem, because he's immensely talented too.
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Post by fiosnasiob on Mar 22, 2018 21:09:33 GMT
When you see the directors names he worked with during this bad streak (Malick, Scott, Penn, Aronofsky) you understand that it's just some case of bad luck working with esteemed directors doing some of their career's worst films. He trusted their names and previous works, unfortunately for him they all failed to deliver at the same period. Bardem will probably always have these esteemed directors to work with, I think he will be fine. Albeit younger (but can easily looks older with a beard, as he often does) but with his rise and hot success I wonder if Oscar Isaac can challenge Bardem as THE premier latino/hispanic actor in hollywood, plus he is working with the same directors (Coens, Scott, Amenábar) and may creates some links with them. He is even filming Triple Frontier right now (A Most Violent Year director's J.C. Chandor is behind the camera), Bardem was once considered to be in it. Time will tell.
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Post by FrancescoAbides on Mar 22, 2018 21:44:35 GMT
I would love to see him working with Iñárritu again
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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 26, 2018 23:06:27 GMT
Well, he's still in the game. As fionasiob said, there's certain advantadges to being among only a handful of elite Hispanic leading actors in the industry. He's still going to be high on the short list for any key Hispanic role. Bardem will be starring in a TV mini-series for Amazon about the Conquistator Hernan Cortes. Exec produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steve Zaillian (do not let Zaillian direct! All The Kings Men was a disaster. Great track record as a writer though).
/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fawardswatch.com%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3F45584-Javier-Bardem-to-Star-in-Mini-Series-From-Steven-Spielberg-Steven-Zaillian
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Mar 26, 2018 23:09:07 GMT
Doing a TV miniseries seems like a good way to build-up acclaim again. Great for Bardem.
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Post by pupdurcs on Mar 26, 2018 23:14:20 GMT
Doing a TV miniseries seems like a good way to build-up acclaim again. Great for Bardem. It's pretty insane how movie stars are consistently turning to TV to revive their careers now. Big Little Lies has a lot to answer for ( i know movie stars have done TV before this, but the zeitgiest level success of BLL feels like the catalyst for all of them to jump on the bandwagon). As soon as George Clooney's last movie bombed (Suburbicon), he immediately announced he'd be directing and starring in a 6 part TV adaptation of Catch-22. |
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Post by mikediastavrone96 on Mar 26, 2018 23:47:52 GMT
I feel like a good bit of it has to do with Hollywood not really knowing how to cast him. He's a star with presence, but not exactly a big box office draw and considering it's Hollywood, not like it helps matters that he's Spanish. With those qualities, it's probably easier for directors to cast him as a villain (Skyfall, Dead Men Tell No Tales) or as a supporting part of an eccentric awards hopeful to help elevate the film's prestige (The Counselor, mother!). Luckily seems like Bardem's taking on a different tact with his upcoming choices with Farhadi's next and Spielberg's Cortes series, both of which sound like they've got the potential to be home runs from directors consistent enough to at least come through with base hits.
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Post by stephen on Mar 27, 2018 0:57:24 GMT
Well, he's still in the game. As fionasiob said, there's certain advantadges to being among only a handful of elite Hispanic leading actors in the industry. He's still going to be high on the short list for any key Hispanic role. Bardem will be starring in a TV mini-series for Amazon about the Conquistator Hernan Cortes. Exec produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steve Zaillian (do not let Zaillian direct! All The Kings Men was a disaster. Great track record as a writer though). For real? How did I not know this was happening. I was merely speculating above about Bardem playing a conquistador in a TV series because it's a period of history I absolutely love and that has been criminally under-represented in media. The fact that this is actually happening (and with a solid crew behind it) delights me to no end. I do wish it had more of a directorial vision behind it, like Soderbergh did for The Knick or Fukunaga did for True Detective. |
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Post by Viced on Mar 27, 2018 1:01:40 GMT
How about a show about conquistadors on HBO? To bring back an old IMDb staple in a more positive context..... nice crystal ball you've got there. |
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Mar 27, 2018 1:06:35 GMT
Doing a TV miniseries seems like a good way to build-up acclaim again. Great for Bardem. It's pretty insane how movie stars are consistently turning to TV to revive their careers now. Big Little Lies has a lot to answer for ( i know movie stars have done TV before this, but the zeitgiest level success of BLL feels like the catalyst for all of them to jump on the bandwagon). As soon as George Clooney's last movie bombed (Suburbicon), he immediately announced he'd be directing and starring in a 6 part TV adaptation of Catch-22. It helps that channels like HBO, and sites like Amazon and Netflix are willing to fund these sort of thing, especially with big stars. The world of TV, is much different then it was a decade ago. |
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