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.

[–] seekingallthetime 8 years ago

This is called overacting. Too obvious and annoying sometimes.

[–] ellennyc-1 8 years ago

Exactly

[–] !!!deleted!!! (64820750) 8 years ago

I felt the same way. I felt like she was trying way too hard.

[–] dcobbimdb 8 years ago

Her eyes bugged me at times. Though strangely they were sometimes mysterious and attractive and yet other times almost alien. Very strange combination of beauty and yet weirdness

[–] LifesWonderful 8 years ago

YES! She has gorgeous eyes, but what was up with all the squinting & looking away? Plus, she looked like she was about to cry in every scene.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jewelpandora 8 years ago

Yes I thought the same. She was overacting with her eyes. Very annoying!!

[–] MadRotaryOne_DDCgod 8 years ago

I'd reply to the OP, but it looks like he never came back once to reply to anybody.

So I get what you all are saying, HOWEVER.....

I think what you guys are missing is that she was playing off of Brad Pitt.
Brad was acting like a child almost, everything he did the entire movie was
like it was for the first time. So as he looked thoroughly confused the entire
time, she was also confused at his confusion. If anything I was more
distracted by Brad Pitt's direction than her.

[–] Prelude (1443) 7 years ago

She was incredibly annoying! Trying waaay too hard to show "Look, I'm acting! Look at my face show every passing thought in my head and then some! I'm gunning for that Oscar if it kills me, dammit!"

[–] huwdj (4563) 6 years ago

I think it's a style of the time. Reminds me of both Lindsay Wagner in her Bionic Woman days and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. You used to see it a lot in younger actresses but not so much these days - which I think is generally for the better.
I too like this film and love Claire Forlanni in it and guess I find it more interesting than irritating.

[–] Druff (1520) 3 years ago

Forlani constantly does that with her face in every single thing I've ever seen her in. (Which means Mallrats and this.)

edit: Oh, and Basquiat.

edit2: also in The Rock and Mystery Men apparently, don't remember her in either of those