Monday, March 4, 2013

[13] The Upcoming Adult Presents: 18 Most Surprising Peformances


Let me explain this: I honestly thought it was an ingenious idea to list 18 most surprising performances instead of the usual male, female, child and so on. Surprising is a positive word, but a less used one than "favourite" or "best" - at least in the blogging world. So off I went, opened Google, typed "most surprising performances" to get some input - and you can imagine what I found.

Just to make this very clear in case some people looking for something... else... this is simply a list of the most surprising acting performances I've seen. Actors or actresses that have surprised me with a performance of a character that was very different from what I had seen of their work, and what I had prejudiced them to be capable of....



EMMA Stone – Easy A
Because I had no real opinion on her after Crazy. Stupid. Love. And because she was funny.


ALAN Rickman – Love, Actually
Because he was so... modern!


ZACH Galifianakis – It's Kind of a Funny Story
Because there was depth to his character.


EDWARD Norton – Fight Club
Because again; I had no opinion on him. Except I thought he was one of the most boring looking actors in the world.



SALMAN Khan – Dabangg
Because this was the first time I understood why he is worshipped by the average Indian.


JOSEPH-GORDON Levitt – Mysterious Skin
Because he was never - before or after - more attractive than in this one. And devastating. As far as I know.


PENELOPE Cruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona
Because I finally found out what sexiness means.


QUVENZHANÉ Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Because it was the rawest, most brutal and most breathtaking child performance I have seen in my life.


KENNETH Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Because my picture of him was a blonde, handsome Hamlet. And yet that image disappeared as soon as Lawrence Olivier entered the scene.


JESSICA Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
Because she was so fragile, so angry, so wild, so smart and so lonely.


ZACH Efron – Liberal Arts
Because it was different with a capital D.


KEIRA Knightley – Bend It Like Beckham
Because it was so typical.


AAMIR Khan – Andaz Apna Apna
Because he really was an idiot in this one.


ROBERT Pattinson – Remember Me
Because he proved that shade of talent I had sensed beneath the glimmer to be true. 

PRIYANKA Chopra – Kaminey
Because you could finally see her expressions and talent without all the make-up.


KATE Winslet – Little Children
Because she wore no corset - and was still as wonderful as with it.


JIM Carrey – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Because of the haircut. No, I think it was more than that.


CATE Blanchett – I'm Not There.
Because in the first few moments, I wasn't sure whether this really was her.


12 comments:

  1. Love this! I could not agree more with your Alan Rickman note. So odd to see him play just a normal... guy.

    JGL is fantastic in Mysterious Skin. Check out Manic if you get a chance. He’s devastating in that. Wow.

    Also cool to see props for Chastain. Great list!

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    1. Thanks! Alan Rickman is kind of a male Kate Winslet I think... it's also always weird to see Johnny Depp play a regular today guy...

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    2. I was just rewatching Donnie Brasco the other night, and you're so right... it's crazy to see Depp play a "regular" fella.

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  2. I agree with many of your choices here, especially Salman in Dabanng, a movie that surprised me by making me like it too. I like Alan Rickman in "Love, Actually", but what did you mean that he was "modern" in it? That comment made me think of his medieval performance in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (he is, of course, the only reason to watch that film). When it comes to his "modern" roles, my favourite is still Hans Gruber. :)

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    1. Cool!
      With "modern" I mean just what Alex said - a "normal" guy. Not some one historical or a Potions teacher at Hogwarts, if you know what I mean.

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    2. Thanks for that - I didn't realise he was in the HP films.

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    3. Haha - I knew that confession would get a response. "18 least surprising movie blog moments" :)

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  3. You think Edward Norton is boring looking? :O I love the way he looks and talks and acts and everything.
    Great list :)

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    1. If you look at pictures only - yes. But if you've seen him acting (this was my first movie of his) then not.

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  4. Yes @ Edward Norton. First saw him in Hulk and thought he was bland. Boy, was I wrong. Lol @ Kate Winslet's corset comment. Also totally agree with Jim Carrey. Still need to see Cate's film.

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    1. I didn't even remember Norton was in Hulk when I wrote this - totally proves my point!
      I'm Not There is a... it's a hard film to judge or rate but at least a very unusual one.

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Let the discussion begin!