Why not try acting?

This is a fairly well-known story within the acting world and beyond. During the filming of Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman, who was starring alongside Sir Laurence Olivier, in order to enhance his performance and being a true Method actor, stayed up for three nights, to make his character more believable. When, on the the day of the shooting, Mr. Olivier asked him why he looked so tired, Hoffman explained the theory behind his actions. And the ever-so-exquisite Mr. Olivier dryly replied "My dear boy, why not try acting?"

Dustn Hoffman being cheeky and Sir Laurence Olivier NOT entertained.

Acting is a fascinating art. One could say that acting is like a living organism. Ever evolving. It goes back thousands of years, all the way to ancient Greece, where the first plays were written and the first roles were born. Even the word "thespian", which is a term used to describe actors - sometimes the more serious ones - derives from that time, where a man named Thespis took the stage and for the first time in history spoke words in character instead of as himself. Since then, acting has evolved and changed and progressed and has seen dark days and glory days. But none more glorious than the past 120 years, give or take five, when the first movies were created. And hence, movie stars were born.

Georges Mellies: the father of VFX.

Movie stars are fascinating creatures. I mean, there you have Dustin Hoffman, one of the truly great actors, being told off by the even greater Sir Laurence Olivier, probably the greatest stage actor ever. And there are so many greats. Character actors, method actors, stage actors. Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, Sean Penn, Judi Dench, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchet. Generation after generation producing acting prodigies that leave audiences in awe. People who live several lives in one lifetime and yet, most of them cannot enjoy the one life that has been given to them. Always under the limelight. Always under scrutiny. Stalked, envied, adored, idolised, carrying a burden many of them never asked for. Living the life most of us dream of. And what we always tend to forget as fans is that it's just a job. A beautiful, creative, cutthroat, cruel yet awarding line of work that has these people constantly worrying if and when they will ever work again. Worrying if they are still good looking enough. Young enough. Fit enough. If their next movie will flop or succeed. If what they said in an interview will be misunderstood or not. When all they should really be worried about is whether they performed well. Because, after all, that is what they are. Actors.

Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn

Who is the best actor ever? Who is better, Robert De Niro or Al Pacino? Is Daniel Day Lewis the male equivalent of Meryl Streep? Why hasn't Leo won an Oscar still? (Hopefully, this last one will soon be rectified.) Which acting method is best? Are British actors better than Americans? Has Shia Labeouf lost his mind? Is the star system destroying actors? Are the Oscars fair? One quick search on the internet, will leave you even more confused and dumbfounded than before.

We fans, tend to take the art out of acting just by posing all these questions. I could even say, it is really unfair to do so. But, I reckon it is the nature of the art that does it. After all, we are the judges of their work. Fair or not fair. For now, the only thing I am going to say is that between him and Pacino, Bobby De Niro is by far the better actor.

You're killing me, man...

Phillip Seymour Hoffman... What an utter shame... I am such a huge fan!! I was just about to write "was" but the fact that he passed does not make me not like him anymore. I have loved him ever since I first saw him in The Talented Mr.Ripley. Obviously, not his first film. But that is the first time I saw him. An awkward-looking blond guy, who dies so unceremoniously. So like life, it turned out...

Then came Flawless. And I was hooked. How could I not be? Doubt. Captivating, mesmerising, unforgettable. Capote.  The winner. Because he deserved nothing less. And it was not just the dramatic roles. In Along Came Polly he was hilarious. And my personal favourite, Mary & Max. A clay-animated film, where he lent his voice to Max, delivering such a touching and heartwarming performance that made your eyes well-up. The list is long. Many films, many parts and all worth watching just because he was that good.

He was not about the appearance. The machismo. The action-packed roles. The picture-perfect looks... He was simple and natural. Your every day Joe. He was OTT and extravagant. He was disturbing and menacing. Sad. Happy. And oh so tormented... But above all, he was all about the acting. The performance. And what a performance it was. And how soon did the credits roll.

His talent was immense. His work beautiful. His future, in our eyes, was bright. And the legacy he leaves behind should be untainted. He was one of the greats and one of my favourites. And he will be sorely missed....

The Reality Games

I am a huge fan of massive, explosive, super-hero, robot, elf, dragon, battle and magic laden blockbuster films. I am... People, who consider themselves cinephiles frown upon that and think of me as being shallow and immature. Or something... I don't really care. But the truth is that these films take me away, to different dimensions, universes and realities, far from my own everyday, mundane life. They are so over the top that you have to watch them with a childlike disposition or else you miss the entire point... Pure, unashamed entertainment.

These films should not be made to resemble reality. Or at least, they sure not be compared to reality. Sure, many of them carry meanings and messages that oppose oppression, racism, violence awkwardly enough but if you seriously try and watch Man of Steel with the notion that Superman is a surrogate for JC, then you will definitely miss out on all the fun. 

You, or I to be more precise, don't want the down-to-earth element in my fantasy film. I watched Thor: The Dark World the other day. You have characters like Heimdall, who can see tens of trillions of souls just by standing on the Bifrost. Loki, my favourite, god of mischief and upper-lip stiffness. Thor, the flying lightning manipulator and all around panty dropper. And then you have the mortal but very bright physicist Jane Foster and the not-so-all-there brilliant scientist Erik Selvig. And the big climax arrives. (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT AHEAD)

Loki has given his life to avenge his mother's death and Thor is once again sacrificing himself to save humanity and the nine realms, like a true king. And who saves the day? The earthlings. BANG. Anticlimax. And a stupid one-liner. Utter disappointment. 

I don't want physics to save the day. I want fantasy to save the day. It's a comic, for crying out loud. I want fake. I want Batman to save the day. And I want to marry Peeta Mellark. I want to be Arwen. But then again, that's just me...