Seems like the last good movie he was in was The Illusionist...maybe Down in the Valley...Pride and Glory was ok but then made The Painted Veil which was a good movie...just not really him.
I miss the dark, funny and suspenseful movies like American History X, 25th hour, Italian Job, The Score, Fight Club, Death to smooch, People vs Larry Flint... What happened ?
Birdman is a great film
shareI haven't particularly followed Norton's career --- Though he's an actor who I believe has real, honest talent, something about him tends too aggravate me at times. However, upon second and third viewings of some his major films, I usually really warm to him --- he definitely is cut from a different cloth than many of the actors in his age group. He has an in-your-face honesty and grittiness that stands out in that pack. Though his onscreen time in "Birdman" was limited, he brought added a lot of interesting energy to the film --- esp. in connection with his scenes with Emma
Stone.
I thought he his acting didn't quite 'work' in "The Painted Veil' but the whole movie was beautiful but had somewhat awkward casting choices.
There are numerous very talented actors who, for whatever reasons, don't wind up doing as many films as other less talented actors. Look at Marlon Brando or Vivien Leigh. The films they did do often becsme iconic and their performances often extraordinary in some respect.
I feel that way about Norton's body of films. Yet, he seems unusually well suited to do productions on and off Broadway/London stages as well. He seems to have serious 'chops' and, over the past several years, he's moved into my B+/A-
column. I look forward to seeing how he and his careere age.