For me, the most iconic Michael Douglas role was easily Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. He distilled the 80’s down to an instantly unlikable but extremely charming mogul that cemented him the minds of many. He had performed numerous roles before of course, but his performance as Gordon Gekko really crystallized for tons of viewers.
I’ve always liked Michael Douglas’ performances, but while he’s widely considered a marquee name, he doesn’t have the draw and I suspect that it’s because of the film roles he chooses. From the philandering husband in Basic Instinct to his performance as Gekko, he normally chooses unlikable roles - a very brave practice for an actor.
So when I saw Wonder Boys I was fully expecting to not like Michael Douglas’ character, but I was wrong. True, he (again) plays a philanderer, he drinks heavily, he is a chain-pot smoker, he’s fairly self-indulgent - but I can’t help myself. I loved that character, and for me - his performance as Grady Tripp almost outweighs his work as Gekko.
The film centers on Tripp and his relationship with one of his pupils, played by Tobey Maguire. Over the course of a single evening, Tripp’s life (while caring for his student and keeping him out of trouble) gets turned upside down, and he makes some life altering realizations.
I also wasn’t expecting a film with quite so much rumination from Curtis Hanson, the director. Again, someone whose work I have enjoyed, but not on this level. Downey Jr. and McDormand round out the cast with their stellar turns. All of the actors play to their strengths, but fill their roles with such quality work that it’s remarkable.
And while she doesn’t exactly shine, Katie Holmes doesn’t really mis-step. She’s just out of her depth with these performances, and she kinda gets drowned out. There is a performer in there somewhere, she just needs a director who’ll make her WORK and get rid of her habits and patterns that plague all of her performances.
On a strict realistic level, the film is fairly remarkable. One of those “how many bad things can happen to a single person in a single 24-hour period” but - meh. You can’t really blame the film for that… that is a problem that has plagued drama from eons. It’s a very enjoyable film filled with some wonderful performances, strong writing, and focused yet loose direction.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Originally posted on:
john's blog