8 Milestones in the Evolution of Gary Oldman
The Fifth Element (1997)
The epitome of the kind of role Gary Oldman played during this time period and, to a certain extent, today. That's certainly not a slam on The Fifth Element or Oldman. Actually, I don't think it would be possible for any other actor to play the role Zorg -- the evil, strangely Southern-accented (?) industrialist who made a pact with the Great Evil. The mid '90s to early '00s were an evil genius oasis for Oldman -- some better than others -- with Element, The Professional, True Romance, Lost in Space, Air Force One and a grotesque turn in Hannibal. So grotesque that Oldman probably was looking for any role that didn't involve flesh-eating boars in the future. Perhaps that can explain...
Friends (2001)
Proof that, if he wants to, Oldman can do comedy. This appearance further cemented the fact that he can step into any genre and steal scenes, even if it's on an established sitcom like Friends. Oldman plays Richard Crosby, an actor who spits when he pronounces his lines, prompting Joey to return the favor. I almost feel sorry for poor Matt LeBlanc in this scene, having to go head-to-head with his former Lost in Space co-star in an over-acting demonstration.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
In the third chapter of the Harry Potter series, Oldman plays Sirius Black, an escapee from the titular prison. The thing about Oldman's performance in Azkaban is that he uses the manic energy reserved for his more villainous characters on a character that is relatively good. Oldman, with this role, proved that he could still bring his style of acting to a character not hell bent on world domination -- at least, the major studios thought so...
Batman Begins (2005)
It's not a total surprise that Oldman could pull off the part of -- at the time -- Sgt. James Gordon. It is a surprise that Oldman could pull it off without his usual flair for the dramatic. He's used to playing the over-the-top oddball, and this (as well in The Dark Knight) is quite possibly Oldman's most straightforward role yet. Though in a strange twist of fate, being completely surrounded by over-the-top oddballs makes Oldman feel peculiar once again. He's too normal for Batman! Not to worry, however: As roles in Book of Eli and Red Riding Hood can attest, there's still room for Gary to twirl his imaginary mustache for the sake of evil.
Pages: 1 2
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
"Frightening version of the fairy tail classic Red Riding Hood"? Frightening? You got to be kidding Mike. Saw a screening last night. It was an eye-roll fest. An Oldman (who already tends to overact) is particularly bad in it. And not Al Pacino-bad. Bad-bad.
Why not jump into the comment thread with a counter to Steph's review, Mike. Be kind of fun to see a good movie discussion occur there.
Ya gotta love his over-the-top performance in The Professional, tho. Crazy scary at its best!
To be fair, I was just using that as a word for the intended tone of the film, not really a statement on its merit at what it's trying to accomplish.
Track 29!
You know, I wanted to include that. But, alas, all the Youtube clips wouldn't let me embed. Which is kind of a problem for posts like this when it's not a 100 percent necessary inclusion. But, I agree, that's pretty great. Track 29 is the first movie trailer I've ever found on YouTube that won't allow embedding.
_Romeo is Bleeding_ FTW. It might be his best role (or at least I consider it to be). He's an antihero, yes, but there's something also just so desperate and pathetic about the character that he plays so brilliantly, and it's not as showy a role as some of the other roles (as it has been indicated, Oldman can be a bit of a scenery chewer). Side note: how can you not be thrilled by Lena Olin as Mona Demarkov? Okay, maybe I'm not going to the movies this weekend. Maybe I'm just pulling _Romeo is Bleeding_ off the shelf and microwaving some popcorn.
Why don't you post what you really thought of the film in the comment thread of the review. It'd be nice to see a good conversation there.
Gary Oldman can do no wrong.
I remember seeing him years ago in Criminal Law and how he took the straight leading man role to Cage-esque hights and thinking "Oh, He's going to be THAT kind of actor". He was also one of the great Draculas ever.
Which Cage?
He was great in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Not sure where that places in the evolution - maybe just exists in its own space as a dead-end.
It's evident nobody saw Oldman's performance in The Contender as Shelly Runyon. Definetly his greatest work to date.
You left out 1995's "Immortal Beloved", in which Gary Oldman proved he could play the role of Ludwig van Beethoven as well as any classical actor.
Still the most talented actor alive. He just does what he wants to do. I mean the guy turned down Schindler's List because he did not want to spend six months in the cold. At least he has a few coming out that will possibly challenge him again. It makes me sick seeing all fo these untalented, over hyped people win oscars when they have no true talent to become people like Gary does. Only one on his ability level is Day-Lewis in becoming characters. Then again he does what he wants to do and stays near home with his kids.
My personal favourites are Arthur Dimmesdale (The Scarlet Letter), Jackie Flannery (State Of Grace) and Dracula (Bram Stokers Dracula).
I really believe Jackie should have been included.