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Blogs: Random Ranting - Keanu Reeves

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  1.  (2899.1)
    As you no doubt noticed, I like making my opinion clear about the movies I watch and I use this blog feature to do so. It's merely a hobby, an excuse to write. And I feel - for no good reason - that I should come clean to the people who read my reviews:

    I don't hate Keanu Reeves.

    Yes, yes, I know. It's shocking. But I don't. I'll go farther: I think he's a decent actor and that his fame of being "wooden" is more because he was chosen to be picked on than his actual fault. Don't faint yet. Let me finish.

    You see, every time Reeves does well in a role, what do most critics say? "He was perfect for the role". Sorry? Uh? What? Come again? "Perfect for the role"? What role is perfect for Hayden Christensen or Orlando Bloom? A fucking tree?

    Is it so hard to admit Reeves is a convincing actor? Sure, he's not very expressive. That's one of his weaknesses. You think he's the only one? Okay:

    Jack Nicholson - too strong persona. He's always Jack Nicholson.

    Paul Giamatti - terrible at choosing good films to act in.

    Naomi Watts - ALWAYS plays a depressed woman

    Mark Wahlberg - he was once known as Marky Mark. Also, he's intense but not very expressive.

    Tom Cruise - let's forget he's nuts for a second: he can act. But he's hardly remarkable.

    And so on and so forth. You see, Reeves is far from being the only actor in Hollywood with weaknesses like lack of flexing face muscles. Flexing face muscles are not always a good thing. Remember some of Jim Carrey's work (although I usually like him, especially in dramatic roles).

    People like to "forget" Reeves' good works so they can keep picking at him for no good reason other than cheap hate. Did everyone just forget the scene in "Devil's Advocate" where he desperately punches a door trying to save a character? Or the scenes in which he acts with Al Pacino - with AL PACINO - and manages to make the audience remember he's still in the scene even while Pacino is acting? Or the scene in "The Matrix" where he wakes up from the simulation and finds himself immersed in red liquid and amidst thousands of other people still asleep? Or his bitterness (and hilarious sarcasm) in "Constantine"? I mean, I'm a fan of "Hellblazer" and even I liked the movie partially - PARTIALLY - largely because Reeves was capable of evoking the "essence" of John Constantine (but he was sabotaged by the script, which turned Constantine into an American - unbelievably).

    Do I need to go on? You must be asking why I'm taking the time to defend Keanu Reeves. Well, simply because I like to give credit where credit is due, and Reeves isn't, in my opinion, worthy of all this hate. He never lowered the quality of a single movie I watched, unlike Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Jessica Alba and other ACTUAL bad actors. He has charisma, he is convincing and he's a very dedicated actor. He has weaknesses? No doubt. Do they really bring him down? No.

    So I feel he became a cheap target. And I feel that's not fair. When I read review excerpts on rottentomatoes.com of films he was in, it's hilarious to see critics struggling to admit they actually liked Reeves' work. "Even Reeves isn't that bad", "Amazingly Keanu Reeves is well", etc.

    So there. I've put my actual thoughts on Keanu Reeves out instead of resorting to the typical "wooden actor" cliche. I feel better now.

    Really.
  2.  (2899.2)
    I do enjoy Keanu Reeves from time to time, I've always seen him as a very precise physical actor, but watching him try to be slapstick in Sweet November was just embarassing... But you could say the same about Rebert De Niro...

    I think at times his acting appears a little contrived (sometimes you can really SEE what it is he's trying to do, and not pulling it off) but yeah, I would also say he is overly chastized compared to other actors who sucka whole lot worse...
  3.  (2899.3)
    This is something that I've thought for a long time about Keanu Reeves. He also has trouble with his tone of voice.

    Despite his short-comings as an actor, he manages to be a million times more likeable than other actors like Tom Cruise (smugness just oozes into everything he does, even when it shouldn't be there) and Tom Hanks (he is somewhat banal).


    Will
    • CommentAuthormunin218
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2008
     (2899.4)
    Constantine?

    *shudder*

    Don't even go there.

    I want to forget that piece of celluloid ever existed.
  5.  (2899.5)
    I don't hate Keanu Reeves.
    I don't either! I always defend him. He was great as Ted (Ted is supposed to sound like a stoner), Neo (Neo is supposed to be afflicted with Ahedonia), and Jack from Speed (Jack was supposed to be cool, calm, and collected). Plus I agree that he shows a solid capacity for range in Devil's Advocate. People pick on him because his voice can make him sound slow. However, he always seems to be completely competent in interviews. I despise people that are afraid to admit that he is never a bad thing about a movie (except for Bram Stoker's Dracula because his accent was so laughable).
    Jack Nicholson - too strong persona. He's always Jack Nicholson.
    Waaaaaay not true. Well...okay I can't think of an example...but Jack Nicholson is so awesome who really cares?
    Paul Giamatti - terrible at choosing good films to act in.
    I'd think he is just unlucky with his choices...btw are you saying Sideways was bad?
    Mark Wahlberg - he was once known as Marky Mark.
    You look to be around my age...surely you can get over that if I can.
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      CommentAuthormister hex
    • CommentTimeSep 2nd 2008
     (2899.6)
    I see what you're saying, I get why you're saying it but I just can't agree. He just sounds like such a dumb-ass. In the Matrix, when he says "Whoa. I know kung-fu.", the entire theatre howled with laughter.
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      CommentAuthorLazarus99
    • CommentTimeSep 3rd 2008
     (2899.7)
    Paul Giamatti - terrible at choosing good films to act in


    I agree, not everything he's in sucks. Cheesy though it was, Shoot 'em Up was fantastic. The actionest action movie I've ever seen.

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