Films starring Halle Berry that I've seen:
The Last Boy Scout
The Flintstones
X-Men
Swordfish
Monster's Ball
Die Another Day
X2: X-Men United
Catwoman
Robots
X-Men: The Last Stand
New Year's Eve
Movie 43
The Call
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Kevin Hart: What Now?
Best Performance: Monster's Ball (2001)
Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role and after finally checking out Monster's Ball earlier this month, it's easy to see why. She's a vulnerable, show-stopping powerhouse as the widow of a recently-slain death row inmate (Sean Combs) who develops an unexpected bond with the corrections officer that oversaw her husband's execution (an equally great Billy Bob Thornton). It's kind of a shame that her Oscar win didn't result in her landing more dramatic roles because she absolutely has the chops for it.
Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role and after finally checking out Monster's Ball earlier this month, it's easy to see why. She's a vulnerable, show-stopping powerhouse as the widow of a recently-slain death row inmate (Sean Combs) who develops an unexpected bond with the corrections officer that oversaw her husband's execution (an equally great Billy Bob Thornton). It's kind of a shame that her Oscar win didn't result in her landing more dramatic roles because she absolutely has the chops for it.
Worst Performance: Catwoman (2004)
This was a VERY easy decision. Berry's turn as the leather-clad crimefighter that possesses the magnificent attributes of a cat is an elite case of a performer stooping well below their talent level for a paycheck. Watching an Academy Award-winning actress meow in people's faces and be stirred into a frenzy over catnip is without question some of the most cringeworthy shit I've ever seen in a movie that was released theatrically.
This was a VERY easy decision. Berry's turn as the leather-clad crimefighter that possesses the magnificent attributes of a cat is an elite case of a performer stooping well below their talent level for a paycheck. Watching an Academy Award-winning actress meow in people's faces and be stirred into a frenzy over catnip is without question some of the most cringeworthy shit I've ever seen in a movie that was released theatrically.
Best Film: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
In an era where cape-clad heroes dominate multiplexes pretty much year-round, X-Men: Days of Future Past has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle. It wasn't a megahit by superhero movie standards (it only grossed $233.9 mil in North America) and since the rights to the X-Men brand aren't owned by the Marvel mothership, Days of Future Past has essentially slide into a realm of obscurity. This stunning level of anonymity paired with its stunning ambition makes Days of Future Past an underappreciated gem in my eyes. Bryan Singer's return to the franchise he helped launch back in 2000 features the heavy volume of excellent performances, inventive action setpieces and intimate character moments that you seldom see from other films in this densely-populated genre.
In an era where cape-clad heroes dominate multiplexes pretty much year-round, X-Men: Days of Future Past has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle. It wasn't a megahit by superhero movie standards (it only grossed $233.9 mil in North America) and since the rights to the X-Men brand aren't owned by the Marvel mothership, Days of Future Past has essentially slide into a realm of obscurity. This stunning level of anonymity paired with its stunning ambition makes Days of Future Past an underappreciated gem in my eyes. Bryan Singer's return to the franchise he helped launch back in 2000 features the heavy volume of excellent performances, inventive action setpieces and intimate character moments that you seldom see from other films in this densely-populated genre.
Worst Film: Catwoman (2004)
Over the years, I've discovered that the "worst movie of all-time" label often ends up working as a reverse hype train. A majority of the times that I've sat down to watch a film that has this dreaded label attached to it I've either found them to be not nearly as bad as advertised (Wild Wild West, Fifty Shades of Grey, Nine Lives) or ended up enjoying them (Freddy Got Fingered, The Room, That's My Boy). Catwoman marked one of the rare times where I felt that a film actually lived up to its horrific reputation. The level of incompetence on display in this Razzie-winning affair is almost impressive. Everything from the acting and writing down to the editing and camerawork feels like it was done by a group of people that failed out of film school after the first week. On top all of its glaring technical and creative deficiencies, Catwoman also happens to unfold at the pace of a snail marathon. While I've seen a dozen or so comparable piles of shit since it was released, Catwoman remains a very strong contender for the worst movie I've ever seen.
Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Flatliners" star Ellen Page.
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