MovieChat Forums > Notorious (1946) Discussion > Bad acting by Cary Grant

Bad acting by Cary Grant

posted 14 years ago by rochelle-rochelle
30 replies | jump to latest

Cary Grant just seemed to read his lines off cue cards or something. His facial reaction and gestures are the same throughout the entire movie. He doesn't look in love with Alicia. He is just a handsome man, that's all he was hired for. He didn't make his character Devlin anything rememberable or anything. Anybody could have played that role. At least Bergman tried to act, Grant just showed up to work and read his lines. This movie is over-rated. Grant's performance was weak. Bergman and Grant had no on-screen chemistry in this film.

If CTU would let Jack Bauer do his job, the show would be called 12.

[–] bon22 10 years ago

I agree with Angela-35, npaxton-3, Jim-500, et al. Grant's performance is subtle & nuanced.

T.R. Devlin is one of the most unlikable characters Cary Grant ever played....He's not playing charmer Johnnie Aysgarth (Suspicion). He's playing a cold, often heartless, SOB - who just happens to be the good guy.

Great illustration, Angela-35. Loved Cary in Suspicion.

[–] DracTarashV 10 years ago

Compare to Bergman (who I thought was great), he was weak. But I think he did a "serviceable" job overall.

Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

[–] Last_Entrance 8 years ago

Agreed.

[–] Degree7 8 years ago

Well he started off as a cold, calculating agent, but over the course of the film his icy exterior begins to crumble and his passionate love for Alicia shines through, to the point that he literally goes in and risks his life to save her.

Grant brought a steely intensity to the role. Watch the way he goes about securing the evidence in the wine cellar: cool, calm, yet determined. And his little quip to Alicia when she asks what if Sebastian comes down for more champagne; "That would be unfortunate," as he acts all unperturbed, scooping the ore into the bottle he broke. With lines like that, it's clear that Carey Grant was the best James Bond actor that never was.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] 7 years ago

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