MovieChat Forums > Meet Joe Black (1998) Discussion > Susan's facial expressions distracting?

Susan's facial expressions distracting?

posted 9 years ago by jmax7
22 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed the movie, although it would have been fine at 2 hours and 30 minutes. I think Claire Forlani is beautiful and an excellent actress, and I enjoyed her in this role.

But I wanted to ask if anyone else was distracted by the way she, as Susan, changed her facial expression 5-10 times in a single take. I understand that many different thoughts and feelings would be appropriate during the course of this film given the plot. But wouldn't it have been better to express them at different times instead of every feeling in every take?

Was this by direction? I was distracted by expressions of joy, wonder, sadness, disbelief, betrayal, curiosity, affection, surrender, resistance, all within 20 seconds.

Anyone else? I still liked the movie.

[–] abril_gza 9 years ago

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the movie and also think she is a great actress but those tons of changes in her expressions on every take where annoying!

[–] interestedparty2013 9 years ago

Agreed. Especially when she and Joe were intimate. There was one view from the top where one eye is sticking out from under Joe and darts, seemingly, erratically to the right. Made me wonder if she had some muscle problem involving the eyes.

[–] alpha-tango 9 years ago

quite frankly
it's what made me fall in love with her character.

I thought it was very endearing...

[–] chris55204 8 years ago

quite frankly
it's what made me fall in love with her character.

I thought it was very endearing...

I agree alpha-tango. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

[–] DreamsAgain 9 years ago

Claire is gorgeous, but in this movie, it was like she was teary eyed 95% of the time, even when she was happy! Yes, it was distracting.
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[–] amykersh 9 years ago

I came to this board specifically to see if anyone else was irritated by her face. To me it looks like she's purposely holding her eyes in a half squint for the entire film. And that is beside the near constant change in her facial expression. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

[–] Yabeina (185) 4 years ago

Yeah, it was cheesy overacting overemoting to show she was confused. I seriously doubt any doctor is in the habit of letting the mask drop that much, even after hours. Their training is to not engage and not reveal personal reactions. That made it all the more ridiculous and implausible. I get that she was confused, but so was I as her individual expressions were mostly not meaningful, unlike, say, HOpkins' in this movie.

[–] maraki_mant 9 years ago

Yes, yes, Thank you, YES! I mean her takes felt like 3 minutes each of "eye games". Great movie though overall, she had good chemistry with Pitt and that score of Thomas Newman... So beautiful and haunting! Unbelievable!

[–] purplish-1 8 years ago

I came in here to post this!!!!!

Her eyes were so DISTRACTING.

Why the F was she squinting the whole movie?! Ugh.

[–] IMDbeans 8 years ago

I can see the original poster's point. Her expressions were a little over the top sometimes.

[–] ppsantos 8 years ago

Just towards the end of the movie. But I loved her facial expressions early on.