Underappreciated Actors & Filmmakers

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I was watching the "Crimson Rivers - Angels Of The Apocalypse" DVD the other day. I was reminded how good of an actor Jean Reno was by this movie. That's when I remembered about the thread "Hollywood's Most Overrated Actors/ Actresses". This thread is basically an opposite of that one with not just the actors, but also directors. In the "overrated" thread, "overrated" wasn't clear to some people(overrated as in successful? by the critics?, etc.), so I'm going with "underappreciated", and don't worry about the technicalities, too much.

Hope to get many opinions on cool actors and directors. Here's some to start with:

Jean Reno - Wonderful actor, who's very popular internationally, but still not a household name in America.

Moritz Bleibtreu - From "Run Lola Run", "In July", "The Experiment". He is a total unknown in the States. I wonder if he's pretty popular in Europe?

Pedro Almodovar - One of my favorite directors. Many great films he's directed. They are very funny, sexy and dramatic is usually perfect.

Christian Bale - People are starting to recognize him. He's done some major pictures, but the "Batman Begins" might finally make him a star.

Cillian Murphy - I really liked him in the "28 Day Later". He also was in the "Batman Begins", which I haven't seen yet. He's also in a new movie called "Red Eye", I believe.
 
one of the most underrated Directors and writers is Wes Anderson, most people watch about 10 mins of one of his films and they just turn it off. shame too as "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "Bottle Rocket" are very good films, infact what am i saying all for of his film are good, and very funny.

Christian Bale is a very good actor, and "American Psycho" and "The Machinist" are two of my all time great's. He has done loads of films. "Equilibrium" Ithought was poor tho.

Thomas Jane is a very good and under rated actor, I liked "Stander" alot, infact ive just got it on DVD. "Punisher" was good too for a Comic book film.

also Sofia Coppola, even though widly recognised as a writer and Director, most people forget she's and actress and also dose odd jobs on ther projects including "New York Stories" << directed by her farther.
 
Thomas Jane is a good actor, most people only know him from The Punisher which just wasnt a good film overall imo, but Jane can act and has proven he can few time, notably so in Stander as sprite said.

I suppose you could say Johnny Depp is underrated, sure he's very highly rated, but that doesn't mean he's not underrated :lol:.
Pete Postlelopodoodlewaite however you spell it is also underrated imo.
 
I liked the Punisher. Anyways, for the longest time, Thomas Jane kept on reminding me of some other actor and I finally figured it out today. Christopher Lambert! :D

Oh, I have another actor I think is underappreciated and he's Don Cheadle. He's always been a top notch actor, but he really impressed me in "Hotel Rwanda". 👍
 
Ashton Kutcher. That's right. Has anyone here seen "Butterfly Effect"? He does a surprisingly good job. Along with Natalie Portman and Jean Reno, I love that guy. And Joaquin Phoenix, too, I like him.

Isn't Jean Reno in a ninja game, too?
 
PS
Ashton Kutcher. That's right. Has anyone here seen "Butterfly Effect"? He does a surprisingly good job. Along with Natalie Portman and Jean Reno, I love that guy. And Joaquin Phoenix, too, I like him.

Isn't Jean Reno in a ninja game, too?
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I thought you lost your mind there for sec. Yep, I think he's in Onimusha 3? And yes, I agree with Kutcher in the Butterfly Effect. That was one gripping movie.

If you like Joaquin Phoenix, I'd suggest "Buffalo Soldiers", if you haven't seen it. :)
 
Jonathan Demme, I know he's won oscars for directing, but I still think he's underappreciated.
About 5 years ago I woulda said Philip Seymore Hoffman (sp?) for an actor but he's gotten more attention lately.
 
Leonardo DiCaprio. Very talented actor, but he's having problems losing the pretty boy image he had earlier in his career. He did an excellent job in The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can.

Brad Pitt also has the same sort of thing going for him, although many more people do respect him as an actor instead of just as a sex symbol.

And Crimson Rivers 2 kicked serious ass; I'm surprised the French could make such a good action movie! The production values were equal to, if not greater than a big budget hollywood movie. I have to see the first one when I get my hands on it. And I do agree, Jean Reno does deserve a lot more recognition in North America. Great actor.
 
Ev0
Leonardo DiCaprio. Very talented actor, but he's having problems losing the pretty boy image he had earlier in his career. He did an excellent job in The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can.

Brad Pitt also has the same sort of thing going for him, although many more people do respect him as an actor instead of just as a sex symbol.

And Crimson Rivers 2 kicked serious ass; I'm surprised the French could make such a good action movie! The production values were equal to, if not greater than a big budget hollywood movie. I have to see the first one when I get my hands on it. And I do agree, Jean Reno does deserve a lot more recognition in North America. Great actor.
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I totally agree on Leonardo and Brad Pitt.

I thought Crimson Rivers(both 1 & 2) were as good as anything Hollywood could dishout. I really liked the first one, and I hope you get to watch it soon. I'm currently trying to score both of those DVDs(there's a 2 pack available, also).

snoutromper
Jonathan Demme, I know he's won oscars for directing, but I still think he's underappreciated.
About 5 years ago I woulda said Philip Seymore Hoffman (sp?) for an actor but he's gotten more attention lately.
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Ah, the old guy from "Magnolia", right? I don't know how to spell his name either. I think it's Philip Seymour Hoffman. :D
 
DiCaprio can act circles around Pitt, with one hand tied behind his back. He was excellent in Catch Me If You Can, as well.

Don't get me started about Natalie Portman. I even watched some non-Star Wars movie where she played a rural Southern woman, to see if it was just the Amidala character holding her back. Even during a scene where Natalie was talking to her best friend (who had been beaten badly by her new husband after she caught him molesting her son) she was totally incapable of showing any emotion. If you can't bring out any feelings in response to that situation, you just can't act.

For old-timers, I'll say Robert Duvall is underappreciated. The man just fades into every role he plays. He's great, with a huge range and a great delivery that he tailors perfectly to every scene.
 
Natalie was a better actor when she was a kid than she is now. I agree with Kutcher, I think he's underrated, and I liked the Butterfly effect a lot, but overall, I still don't think he's a great actor, a single film doesn't do it for me. Leo is one of the best actors around, not quite THE best, but up there mingling with the other almosts.

Robert Duvall is superb, he blends so well into roles it's brilliant. From Days or thunder to Open Range, he plays his roles superb. Still not THE best though imo.
 
Natalie Portman in HEAT..that was her prime ! lol

as For underrated actors , Danny Trejo is great character actor, love seeing him in movies ! Also James Woods is one of them best guys to see on screen, he takes his roles so damn seriously, its amazing ! One of the Best underated actors of all time too has to be Paul Giamatti. The guy is so into his characters !
 
Duke
DiCaprio can act circles around Pitt, with one hand tied behind his back. He was excellent in Catch Me If You Can, as well.
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I do respect DiCaprio(I am a fan), but I think Pitt's a better actor. Here are some of his work I was impressed by(I'm sure I'll miss some):

  • 12 Monkeys
  • Se7en(IMO, Pitt and Freeman's best work ever!)
  • Meet Joe Black
  • Snatch
  • Legends of the Fall
  • Fight Club

And his charisma, presence is just unbelievable. That's important for an actor.

P.S. I used to love James Woods. I haven't seen him in any movies lately. :guilty:
 
Pitt is one of my favourites.. Very talented

Don't forget his important role in:
Oceans eleven and twelve..

But he's an actor who is appreciated for his work.
 
The only things he's done worth noting are Star wars and Indiana ones, thats two franchises. Thats a HUGE success storey, but he's not under-appreciated.
 
Maybe underappreciated due in relation to the HUGE impact he has had on 20th /21st century ? Sure, he gets lots of credit, but all of it ?
 
live4speed
The only things he's done worth noting are Star wars and Indiana ones, thats two franchises. Thats a HUGE success storey, but he's not under-appreciated.
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He is under appreciated for the work he's done since 1997. The recent Star Wars movies have largely been dismissed by the public and he has personally been tarred and feathered by the fans.

I think his last three movies have been grossly under appreciated.

But that's just me.


M
 
Well, I think he is rich enough, he should be able to get over it, buy himself an IMAX theatre and watch clips of JARJAR 24 hours a day for the rest of his life ! IN THX SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I guess you could say Lucas is underappreciated. It has lot to do with the high standard he and his fans set with his earlier work though. Will Spielberg and Lucas ever get their magic back? :)
 
Duke
Why, because he's so good at pretending to be a director?
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Because I think he's actually a very good director --brilliant, even-- just not the same kind of brilliant that everyone expects.

The number one complaint has always been dialog and delivery. True, it is decent at best, and pretty atrocious at it's worst. Sometimes is it quite good, when it is at it’s very best.

But when it comes to these films, dialog it just the tip of the iceberg. Lucas doesn’t just use dialog to tell the story. He is concerned also with light and color, and with mood and movement. In many interviews he has said that he was a visual storyteller and that all his movies are setup to be almost like silent films, in which the dialog is the least important aspect.

Let's take just one example from Revenge of the Sith.

Shortly after the rescue from Grievous' ship, there is a great scene in which Chancellor Palatine asks Anakin Skywalker to be his personal representative on the Jedi council.

It is a short scene and on the surface unremarkable. In it they talk about the council as they slowly exit Palpatine's chambers. That seems to be all.

But a closer look at this scene shows a very subtle but brilliant image narrative. It is in fact the TRUE beginning of Revenge of the Sith.

At the very beginning of the shot, Anakin is standing near the window. His face is well lit as he faces the expansive view from Palpatine's office. As they talk, Anakin is drawn slowly from the light of the window and towards Palpatine, who is standing at the top of a small staircase leading down towards the lower part of his office. Visually, you can see Anakin's face change from light to dark as Palpatine beckons him closer.

Then Palpatine drops the bait. He tells Anakin that he wants him to represent him on the council. As he delivers the line, Palatine turns his back and slowly begins descending the stairway.

His ego and desire for power intrigued by the promise of such a grandiose appointment, Anakin follows Palpatine, thus beginning his slow slide into darkness.

The imagery so expertly conjured here is of The Devil, tempting a man with promise of power and recognition and leading him down into Hell.

At the very end of the shot, both figures are completely covered in darkness. You can only see their silhouettes outlined in the light of the window and of course this image is a visual reflection of the Vader and Emperor you will see in ROTJ.

This is just one example of many dozens. I could go on for pages and pages of this kind of brilliance from just this movie alone. Later in the movie, there is shot of the Mustafar conference room where Vader murders the Seperatist leaders. The inside of the room, along with the windows, is a very errie mirror image of Darth Vader's mask as it decends on Anakin at the end of the film. COOL or WHAT?

I and II also has many great scenes, though not as many as in Sith. And his sort of storytelling is why I think Lucas is a much better FILMMAKER than many people give him credit for.


M
 
You make some very interesting points there, Mike 👍.

I have to confess to having being guilty of a somewhat dismissive attitude to Lucas, despite him being the progenitor of one of my favourite films of all time (Return of the Jedi).

You've made me re-think how I have been watching his recent output and allowing things like the massively irritating Jaja and Young Annikin to persuade me that Lucas'd lost his way and was making kids films now. In my defence, part of that was that I loved the first fifteen minutes or so of Episode One and then Jaja popped up, trashed the drama and my passion for Star Wars with it.

Now I'm going to have to go back and watch them again with new eyes.
 
Very interesting look on the scene with Anakin and Palpatine, I never realized that! Next time I see the movie I'll have to look out for more stuff like that.

But then again, Revenge of the Sith is by far the best of the 3 recent Star Wars movies (IMO).
 
Forgot to add one of the most underappreciated actors has to be Don Cheadle, the guys is so multi-faceted, utterly amazing performanced in anything he does !
 
Don Cheadle is very good, I thought he did especially well in Hotel Rwanda,
 
how about Billy Piper, ive just watched 25th hour again and hes very good in that, i also liked him in Saving Private Ryan.
 
sprite
how about Billy Piper, ive just watched 25th hour again and hes very good in that, i also liked him in Saving Private Ryan.
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I don't recognize the name, but I loved(and own on DVD) both of those movies you mentioned. I'll have to look him up on google!
 
How about Marg Helgenberger?
She played opposite Steven Seagal in one of his crap movies, but she was brilliant.
She's also very good in CSI.

Jennifer Aniston has more chops than she gets credit for. She gets noted for a lot of stuff, but she is pretty talented on screen as well.

Jack Elam, was one of the best "side-kicks" to ever show his ugly mug in a western.

Ernest Borgnine was/is also very wide ranging. From comedy, to action, to drama. He was a good good guy, and a better villan.

Jan Michael Vincent--before he fell into the bottle.
 

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