Critics Club II: 03 - Jack Nicholson

[Neon Ignition]

Third time out and we're looking at the work of Jack Nicholson

Vote for the movie you feel is their best

Whilst also discussing their other work, your reasons for voting and thoughts on what is their weakest.

Some will have very long lists so some trimming will be required to focus on the key entries but broadly the main selection will be available each time.

[QualityChimp]

I'm not a massive fan, tbh.
He always seems to be really pleased with himself, no mattter the role.
I find that smugness off-putting.
I find most of the films I like him in is despite him being in them.

However, The Shinning* is the anomaly and he is just astonishing in that.
The little nuances as his already fragile personality gets chipped away by the hotel are brilliant.
It helps that Shelley Duvall was genuinely on the edge too. Kubrick made her redo the baseball bat scene 127 times, red-eyed from genuine tears and she gave Kubrick a clump of he own hair at the end of the take, showing how close to the edge she was.

[Neon Ignition]

This is one where I don't know what to go for. I'm the same in that despite several well considered films being on the list there's little I personally have a liking for. Batman is probably the most liked but I never liked Nicholson's Joker, not because of him, I just think the storyline and Burton's interpretation and use of the character was poor.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Best: The Shining

Honorable mention: one flew over/as good as it gets.

Worst: Wolf.

[Atticus]

Yep, I've got to go with The Shining. I just can't imagine any other actor carrying the weight of that film. By the time I see that pic at the end I believe he was there, at that party all those years ago

[Neon Ignition]

I think everyone's right. I don't rate the film that much but Shining probably is his bets performance.

[Dogg Thang]

I haven't seen a lot of these. I feel (like with Brando only less so) that I was too young to get a lot of his movies so only really encountered older Nicholson with the exception of a few classics. But yeah, The Shining for me too. It felt like the perfect match.

[Blobcat]

I've not seen enough of his films to have much of an accurate critique of the guy. He seems to play pretty much the same type of character in most of the films I have seen.

Shining is a brilliant film and I couldn't see anyone else play the role. As good as it gets is another film I like him alot in but there is nothing overly special in his performance that lodged in my memory, more the film than his performance.