MovieChat Forums > Heaven's Prisoners (1996) Discussion > Alec Baldwin in Heaven's Prisoners

Alec Baldwin in Heaven's Prisoners

posted 16 years ago by fpgunter
3 replies | jump to latest

AB is a fine actor, generally, but he falls way short in this flick because he's just not tough enough. As a jailhouse actor, that interests me as a prime illustration of the limitations inherent in casting; I know that movies are all about illusion, but acting/set dressing/photography, etc. can only do so much before reality peeps through.
Movies, by and large, are mostly made by people who never even got into a fight on the middle school playground, yet these people direct and portray, with the help of lots of smoke and mirrors, a huge plethora of violent action. In a gentler vein, check out Ryan O'Neal's lame portrayal of a man of his time in Barry Lyndon; as usual when an actor chops wood in a film, it's obvious that RO never chopped wood in his life. It's as believable as Richard Simmons would be in trying to play Jack Dempsey.
I guess that's part of why DeNiro is such a big star.

[–] bwiggins-1 15 years ago

Just watched "Heaven's Prisoners" and I have to agree with your take where Baldwin and director Joanou took the character of Dave Robicheaux.

Robicheaux comes across as so easy-going-mellow-suburban-guy, so comfortable in his skin, that the scenes when he does get tough seemed disconnected from the rest of the film. I never believed that HE believed there was much at stake for him. I think the character was well written; but the directing/acting choices didn't come across.

Compare Robicheaux to Baldwin's Robert Green in "The Edge," released one year later -- a much less substantial film but a much more compelling character performance.

Big budget or small, weak writing or strong, it ain't easy.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] davidtraversa-1 8 years ago

David Traversa To think that "Barry Lyndon" figures among my favorite movies of all times!!