I love this guy but no matter what role he's in I can never take him seriously enough to be able to tell if he's actually acting well, apart from Man on Fire where he toned down his goofy a bit. So does he actually act well, or is he just extremely goofy?
shareThat's the fun of Walken.
shareI highly suggest you go watch the Deer Hunter.
shareI think he's just been getting these "written for Walken" parts for a long time, so it seems like he's always doing the same thing.
He is a strongly idiosyncratic person but good acting is not about shape-shifting anyway. It's about making a character come to life, and he achieves that even with the crappiest parts.
I highly suggest you go watch the Deer Hunter.I concur & I would add The Dead Zone, Around the Bend, and the Sarah Plain & Tall trilogy. Also, I'm told his recent performance in A Late Quartet is outstanding as well - looking forward to seeing that one myself.
He's an amazing actor. I don't feel like he's goofy, not in his dramatic roles. Maybe it's only me, but I feel like he just commands your attention every time he is on screen. No matter who else is on screen, I find myself focused on him.
shareHe's Christopher Walken! He doesn't need to act. It's enough just to be himself and we're still gonna pay to see him
shareYes. Walken is unconventional, but a fine actor. I think that the subtext of reading of lines, along with his unusual delivery sometimes elicits surprise.
In my opinion, there are at least two things to look for with actors: a) are they in control of their material, b) do they add or annotate something to it. Walken always looks in control to me and he is always self-aware. Nothing meandering about his acting.
In all the films I remember him by, none of them did he come off as goofy. Great actor. One of a kind.
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