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Critics Club II: 33 - Kevin Spacey

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    Critics Club II: 33 - Kevin Spacey

    For the first time we find ourselves wading into more controversial territory with the disgraced actor next in line for the polls. This is something of an awkward one to an extent but given that up until the scandal broke he was still considered to be an acclaimed modern day actor and that these threads are solely focused on the marriage of the film quality and the actors performance within the role it still seems relevant to look back at the acting career of:

    Kevin Spacey




    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.
    6
    Rocket Gibraltar
    0%
    0
    See No Evil, Hear No Evil
    0%
    0
    Dad
    0%
    0
    A Show of Force
    0%
    0
    Henry & June
    0%
    0
    Glengarry Glen Ross
    0%
    0
    Consenting Adults
    0%
    0
    Iron Will
    0%
    0
    The Ref
    0%
    0
    Swimming with Sharks
    0%
    0
    The Usual Suspects
    0%
    2
    Outbreak
    0%
    0
    Se7en
    0%
    1
    A Time to Kill
    0%
    0
    LA Confidential
    0%
    0
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    0%
    0
    The Negotiator
    0%
    1
    Hurly Burly
    0%
    0
    A Bug's Life
    0%
    0
    American Beauty
    0%
    2
    The Big Kahuna
    0%
    0
    Ordinary Decent Criminal
    0%
    0
    Pay it Forward
    0%
    0
    K-PAX
    0%
    0
    The Shipping News
    0%
    0
    The United States of Leland
    0%
    0
    The Life of David Gale
    0%
    0
    Beyond the Sea
    0%
    0
    Edison
    0%
    0
    Superman Returns
    0%
    0
    Fred Claus
    0%
    0
    21
    0%
    0
    Telstar: The Joe Meek Story
    0%
    0
    Shrink
    0%
    0
    Moon
    0%
    0
    The Men Who Stare at Goats
    0%
    0
    Father of Invention
    0%
    0
    Casino Jack
    0%
    0
    Margin Call
    0%
    0
    Horrible Bosses
    0%
    0
    Inseperable
    0%
    0
    Horrible Bosses 2
    0%
    0
    Elvis & Nixon
    0%
    0
    Nine Lives
    0%
    0
    Rebel in the Rye
    0%
    0
    Baby Driver
    0%
    0
    Billionaire Boys Club
    0%
    0

    #2
    He's been in some great films and delivered some fine performances, particularly Se7en and The Usual Suspects.
    The final reveal was brilliant and it's got my vote.

    It's really tough to talk about somebody who has fallen from grace though.
    It's fitting that his last show was House of Cards, because that's what's tumbled down around him.
    His last film, Billionaire Boys Club, took just $126 on its opening night in US cinemas in August.
    He was cut from All the Money in the World and the part was re-shot.
    HoC re-wrote the ending of the season to kill his character off.

    The last thing I saw him in was Edgar Wright's Baby Driver, which I've wanted to see again, but been hesitant because of the Spacey factor. A bit daft when he's just one person in an ensemble cast and a crew of thousands, but it definitely affects how you think of it.

    I thought it was just one allegation, but it's 15+ from various places like The Old Vic, House of Cards, Norwegian Royal Family, and a massage parlour.
    So although he's not been charged with anything, it's pretty clear that he's abused his position of power.

    I think this is the thing that's hard for us normal people to get our heads around.
    If somebody tried to drunkenly sexually assault us, we'd probably clock them one.
    If somebody used racist slurs, we'd have words.
    If somebody was a bully in the workplace, we'd either stand up to them or go to HR.

    Yet, it's taken this first event at The Old Vic for one person to speak out and then loads of allegations come forward.

    Last edited by QualityChimp; 08-11-2018, 09:25.

    Comment


      #3
      I see a vote for American Beauty. Going to go all-out here and say that movie's pretentious ****e. Ditto for Magnolia, another movie which was made around the same time (I think?). 21 Grams came out years later too, and had a similar feel. Slow-paced, wonderfully shot, with "nice" slow piano music and lots of scenes of actors feeeeeeling...

      As a kid part of me felt that it was quite deep, that it was thought-provoking... But as an adult, I find it almost "funny for the wrong reasons".

      Not that I dislike movies that are predominantly about people talking, and their humdrum problems. I think Glengarry Glenross is one of the greatest movies ever made. Just I think these movies need either super-powerful performances or they really need to be mining somewhere new, but I don't believe any of those three movies did that.

      Comment


        #4
        American Beauty is genuinely one of the best films I've ever seen, and at the very heart of it is Spacey's turn as Lester Burnham. It's such a brilliantly written and honest character, with his feelings of inadequacy and irrelevance bubbling under the surface, then that punch-the-air sudden drive to rebel against it all. But beyond the writing it's brought to life by Spacey in a way that makes you want to root for a pretty flawed and controversial character. His voiceover at the end always brings a tear to my eye, especially the line about the first time he saw his cousin's brand new Firebird.

        Comment


          #5
          He does push that issue where people sometimes decide they won't watch things with disgraced performers in future as it's some high quality work to turn your back on.

          It's not the film I'm going to vote for but one role that's always marked out for me is his turn as Lex Luthor. Casting him was always everybody's vote for an obvious move and when the film makers announced they'd got him it felt like such a slam dunk and yet... it didn't quite work. A lot of it comes down to the film itself, Spacey was always good at looking like a fairly ordinary guy with a dark undercurrent (probably because it's true to life) and two scenes marked him out in the role, the first is the scene on the boat with Lois when he asks her to say that Superman will stop him. It's slightly cringey and hokey but it works because of that snap 'Wrong!' that he channels in a way that cuts through to cheesy character. The other is when he has Superman beaten and dragged through the rocks late in the film before knifing him, that was the Luthor he should have been allowed to channel through the whole film.

          Comment


            #6
            Glengarry Glen Ross. When he tells Jack Lemmon he doesn't like him. Intense.

            I've always felt like Kevin Spacey in real life was like the character he plays in GGR and as a result I've never really liked him, though he is great at playing smug tossers. Will agree American Beauty was good.

            Still gotta say, guy's a paed, good friend of Bryan 'X-Men' Singer as well, pool parties n stuff...

            Comment


              #7
              American Beauty is very good it’s well shot with a good cast and Spacey and central to that but it bangs the gay drum a little too loudly.
              Glegarry is tremendous, great cast and performances with a tight script.

              Comment


                #8
                I'm currently going to go for one not on the list until I can decide.

                Austin Powers in Goldmember as "Famous Dr. Evil in Austinpussy"

                Comment


                  #9
                  I bet I'm the only person on this forum who's first name is *actually* Austin. Though my surname isn't Powers.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    But your middle name is Danger though?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I have never really been a big fan of his. He has always been 'Kevin Spacey' in all his roles. I don't think he can carry a film on his own and I tend to avoid anything with him in. I don't think he's terrible or anything, perfectly watchable, but not 'Star Quality'. Controversial I know.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by CMcK View Post
                        But your middle name is Danger though?
                        I had 2 patients (2 brothers) come into work who's middle names were Danger and Adventure.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          That’s tremendous! I wonder if their parents gave them those names or they picked them when old enough to do so? I worked with a young engineer a few years back that legally changed his name to Captain Awesome. He was wired to the moon that one.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            The closes thing to a suitable thread:

                            In a surprise court appearance, the not guilty pleading Oscar winner is trying to get the felony count against him dismissed or a more timely trial


                            Spacey's lawyer has requested that the assault case against him be dismissed as there may have been potential evidence tampering on the accusers side

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Sounds like the evidence isn't the only thing that was fiddled with.

                              Actually, it's interesting that this is the only case against him.
                              In my mind, everyone he's ever worked with is taking him to court, but this is the only one and it looks like the phone had texts deleted before it was handed in to the police.

                              Comment

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