Best acting in a movie?

[Jimmy Higgins]

Did you ever see the film, I mentioned earlier, Glenn Garry Glen Ross? It has some of my favorite stars in it, including Jack Lemmon and Al Pacino.

GGG Ross is exceptional -- how many films can boast of a hand-picked cast with seven incredible actors, playing to their strengths? It is the definition of ensemble cast, just as Dinner at Eight was in '33 and Citizen Kane in '41. Al Pacino as smooth, sharklike Ricky; Jack Lemmon as Shelley, the oiliest salesman, the kind you hate to ask in; Alan Arkin as a man beaten down by anxiety and unable to cope; Alec Baldwin as the corporate hammer; Ed Harris as a man boiling with rage; Kevin Spacey as the heartless office manager; Jonathan Pryce as the hapless easy mark. Virtually every line reading is memorable. The only thing that keeps me from watching this more than once in two, three years is that the film has the heart of an ice cube. When you leave it, you've seen a couple of lives wrecked and the ones who prevail living hollow lives.

12 Angry Men had a great cast too. I rewatched it recently. Of course, being old, I have problems remembering all of the names. The only thing I found weird is that all of the jurors were men. Maybe it's time for a remake called: 12 Angry Women. Too bad we won't have 12 angry women on the jury at the Trump trial.

They did, has Jack Lemmon in Fonda's roll, I want to say Tony Soprano played Lee J. Cobb's roll. I can't remember anyone else, other than I think the salesman dimwit was replaced by a Malcom X wannabe. Though now that I think of it, I don't recall any women still. There is the Veronica Mars episode though in Season Three.

 

[southernhybrid]

I found some information about the 1997 remake, of 12 Angry Men. I never saw that one and doubt it was as good as the original. Anyone have an opinion on that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Angry_Men_(1997_film)

It was a remake made for tv, which is probably why I never saw it. I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I found some information about the 1997 remake, of 12 Angry Men. I never saw that one and doubt it was as good as the original. Anyone have an opinion on that?

It is good, but It isn't as good. It is a tad more modern, but that is about it. The original was simple, but very good, very well shot. The other issue is the evidence. We'd like to think it wouldn't be as easy to have the very circumstantial evidence be enough to convict someone of murder today. Which is why I think the Veronica Mars episode fills those gaps better to make it more modern, but obviously it is a shorter program.

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

Man, there are dozens of very bad responses to that line.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Then there is Meryl Streep. I don't know a lot of her films, but she is able to bounce around from character to character. Her portrayal of Julia Child was one of those 100% performances where every bone in her body is Julia Child. She isn't even acting, she just is Julia.

Then there is Legally Blonde and the movie where I started to respect Reese Witherspoon as a tremendous actor. I've probably mentioned it before, but the main character in that film isn't easy to play. She managed it so well, they made a sequel!

 

[ZiprHead]

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

They're all in the bathroom together.

 

[Playball40]

I think Williams doesn't get enough credit for his acting. He could play off the walls nuts and sensitive/awkward exceptionally well. He is in one of the Season Two episodes of Homicide Life on the Streets and he just slams it with his performance. But that is TV. Popeye, Hook, Good Will Hunting. Same guy.

Which then leads me to considering Robert DeNiro in Awakenings.

Don't forget his amazing performance in The Fisher King. I miss Robin Williams

 

[ideologyhunter]

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

They're all in the bathroom together.

And, for dessert, don't miss the spoof version, 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer. Even if you don't like Schumer, this one brings it. And it features Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti.

 

[southernhybrid]

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

They're all in the bathroom together.

And, for dessert, don't miss the spoof version, 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer. Even if you don't like Schumer, this one brings it. And it features Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti.

I do like her. Where would I find her spoof version? We dropped Netflix, but have Hulu and several other streaming services.

 

[southernhybrid]

Perhaps you have to be old or have taken care of older people or loved older people to fully appreciate, "On Golden Pond", but I love that movie and watched it again a few weeks ago. Jane Fonda, and her dad, Henry Fonda are great, along with Katherine Hepburn. It's such a good drama about family relationships and the issues we face as we age. I loved it when it came out and I still love it. Mr. Sohy loves it too. The movie was made in 1981. Damn how time flies, but the theme of the movie is still relevant today.

 

[ideologyhunter]

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

They're all in the bathroom together.

And, for dessert, don't miss the spoof version, 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer. Even if you don't like Schumer, this one brings it. And it features Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti.

I do like her. Where would I find her spoof version? We dropped Netflix, but have Hulu and several other streaming services.

It was an episode in season 3 of Inside Amy Schumer. I have it on DVD. (I am not a streamer.) I think the full episode is available on YouTube, though. It was filmed in b&w, by the way, and mimics the look of the '57 film.

 

[Thomas II]

Then there is Meryl Streep. I don't know a lot of her films, but she is able to bounce around from character to character. Her portrayal of Julia Child was one of those 100% performances where every bone in her body is Julia Child. She isn't even acting, she just is Julia.

Then there is Legally Blonde and the movie where I started to respect Reese Witherspoon as a tremendous actor. I've probably mentioned it before, but the main character in that film isn't easy to play. She managed it so well, they made a sequel!

 

[Thomas II]

Best acting by a cat in a movie...

 

[southernhybrid]

I'm still waiting for 12 Angry Women.

They're all in the bathroom together.

And, for dessert, don't miss the spoof version, 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer. Even if you don't like Schumer, this one brings it. And it features Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti.

I do like her. Where would I find her spoof version? We dropped Netflix, but have Hulu and several other streaming services.

It was an episode in season 3 of Inside Amy Schumer. I have it on DVD. (I am not a streamer.) I think the full episode is available on YouTube, though. It was filmed in b&w, by the way, and mimics the look of the '57 film.

OMG! Thanks for the laugh. My husband I found it on Hulu and were laughing our assess off at that episode. I think you did have to watch the original version of "12 Angry Men" to fully appreciate the humor and the fact that we watched the movie again a couple of weeks ago, certainly did help. We are going to try and watch a few more episodes of her show and if there is another one that you think is extremely funny, by all means share it, not that I want to derail this thread about best actors in movies.

 

[ideologyhunter]

We are going to try and watch a few more episodes of her show and if there is another one that you think is extremely funny, by all means share it, not that I want to derail this thread about best actors in movies.

12 Angry Men... is the only full-episode skit she did on the show (at least in seasons 1-3; I'm not familiar with later seasons.) I'll list my top 3 favorite short skits though:
Season One, 'A Porn Star Is Born': the title skit is done as a silent movie, and it tells the raunchy story of a 20s actress who gets dethroned as a silent sex goddess by a girl from the studio mailroom. They really nailed the look of late 20s films in this.
Season Two, 'Would You Bang Her?' has a skit where Amy gets herpes, prays to God about it, and Paul Giamatti shows up as God. Both of them give sharp comic performances -- just wonderful.
Season Three, 'Foam': the title skit is maybe the most creative skit in the series. It's done without dialogue, and it tells the story of a romance through designs in latte foam. Just see it, I don't want to spoil it.

 

[southernhybrid]

While probably every movie that starred Meryl Streep was excellent, oddly enough, my favorite one is "The Devil Wears Prada". It's well acted, very funny, with a great moral theme etc. The last of her movies that we saw was "It's complicated" with Alex Baldwin starring as an asshole, which he was always so good at and Steve Martin as the good guy. I've probably watched them both quite few times because when I like a movie, I tend to watch it again and again, instead of watching a more contemporary movie, which for some reason, just don't do it for me anymore.

 

[Thomas II]

 

[Thomas II]

This is a good movie...well acted...