Can anyone settle an argument for me regarding Bill Nighy please?

[matticus]

[Hugh Grant] Also excellent in paddington, a world away from the floppy haired loveboat some folk still seem to see him as (in their dreams?)

 

[matticus]

Going back to Bill Nighy; yeah, he's no Gary Oldman. But I do credit him with some actual "acting" skill, in that he can at least do different tones. He's done wacky prog-rock has-been, and sombre political father-figure type convincingly enough; but in no way does he transform into a different character.

(Yes, I admit I'm a fan!)

 

[matticus]

But back to Love Actually ... what an absolute turd of a movie. I used to think it was harmless cheery nonsense, but recently I sat and watched 10 minutes and was reminded of the astonishing Kris Marshall sub-plot:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/love-actually-is-the-worst#slide-3

You've gotta have some nerve to film that and put it in cinemas.

 

[cisamcgu]

I love "Love actually" actually !

 

[Joffey]

Lots of actors do the same, James Stewart, John Wayne, Hugh Grant...................

Not Hugh Grant - see his latest performance in The Gentleman - it took me 30 mins to work out it was him!

 

[Blue Hills]

I love "Love actually" actually !

I too thought it pretty decent, though I know it was fashionable in some quarters to sneer at it.
If I recall correctly it has several parallel plots and there is a (to me) great scene where someone from one plot opens the door to find someone from one of the other plots on their doorstep - then they leave. Might seem to be a coincidence too far, but to me that is real life, particularly in London where you can get the oddest overlaps even amongst milliions of people.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

So quick as a flash I say, 'oh hello I'm Ricky Gervais, and in my latest film I'll be playing Ricky Gervais, the same as I do in everything I've been in.'
So quick as a flash I say, 'oh hello I'm Roger Moore, and in my latest film I'll be playing Roger Moore, the same as I do in everything I've been in.'

Clint Eastwood's another. (And I say that as a fan of his films.)

 

[figbat]

And Ryan Reynolds. And Nicholas Cage.

 

[IaninSheffield]

How many of the following fall into the 'Bill Nighy' category?

And how many of these?

 

[MichaelW2]

He put in a good turn in The Undoing too.

Bill Nighy did a good job in the Pirates of the Caribbean where he was arguably not Bill Nighy.

Every great Actor does pantomime season just for a bit light relief from another bloody Chekhov play at the Donmar.

 

[matticus]

How many of the following fall into the 'Bill Nighy' category?

View attachment 563592

And how many of these?

View attachment 563593

Phew! Well, that's a lot of people to categorise, so I'll make a rough guess:
15 & 17?

What do you think?

 

[matticus]

'oh hello I'm Bill Nighy, and in my latest film I'll be playing Bill Nighy, the same as I do in everything I've been in.'

Am I right?

I'm going to slightly change my answer to this:
Surely you'd have to meet Bill in real life to know for sure?

 

[CanucksTraveller]

But back to Love Actually ... what an absolute turd of a movie. I used to think it was harmless cheery nonsense, but recently I sat and watched 10 minutes and was reminded of the astonishing Kris Marshall sub-plot:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/love-actually-is-the-worst#slide-3

You've gotta have some nerve to film that and put it in cinemas.

From that link:

Lesson: sexy women have no brains or feelings so are ideal for passing around like chocolates.

But that's not what Curtis is saying, only the most humourless, literal minded personality vacuum of an over-analyser could have read that intent into that scene and written that line.

There are many threads running through Love Actually, some have a serious message, some don't. Kris Marshall's thread is a comedy one, and it's poking fun at men like him, in particular the old blokey trope belief of "my accent would make me irresitible in the US". We know that it doesn't and this scene lampoons how ridiculous the concept is.

You're not meant to take it literally as that reviewer did.

 

[Archie_tect]

Almost every actor does that. When has De Niro ever played someone who's not De Niro?

You talking to me?

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

How many of the following fall into the 'Bill Nighy' category?

View attachment 563592

And how many of these?

View attachment 563593

Daniel Day-Lewis for one!