MovieChat Forums > The Reckoning (2004) Discussion > Matt Macfadyen will be massive and Ewan ...

Matt Macfadyen will be massive and Ewan B. question


So good in Spooks, now movies will be his focus and he will be superb. But a question is how old is Ewen Bremner?

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According to his biography at www.imdb.com, he was about 32, when he appeared in the film.

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[deleted]

Looks like you missed the boat on predicting his movie career...

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Let's not be too hasty on that. It's only been three years since this movie came out. Who knows? A lot of "great" actors spend years doing crap movies, and getting no recognition. Did you see Pierce Brosnan in Robinson Crusoe?

Then there are those who have a huge blockbuster movie, and everybody loves them, and they can't do anything afterwards.

Really, I can't for the life of me remember what either of these guys did in this movie right now, but if they're going to be huge, then I'm happy for them, because despite how much I like this movie, I saw a lot of wasted talent going on.

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I thought Macfadyen was remarkable in this smallish though pivotal role. What an amazing voice. He quite stole his every scene, no mean feat being that memorable with Bettany in the same frame.

Being a Yank, when I saw The Reckoning in theaters I had no inkling of Spooks and I've still never seen it (though it made it across the pond finally this year.) However, having seen him in this and in The Way We Live Now, Macfadyen's casting in Pride & Prejudice didn't surprise me a bit. I would love to see him in more good, mainstream movies, and he's probably headed there eventually, if not in the next 90 minutes.

Actually, I dunno that Macfadyen particulary wants a "massive" big-screen career. You could certainly say Pride & Prejudice gave him a leg up in the recognition department. And he was quite a wonderful Darcy.

But even though he was apparently sent lots of scripts after P&P, he's been taking his time on new projects. For one thing, his family is the most important thing in his life. He and his wife apparently don't take jobs at the same time, or jobs that will take him away from home for months at a time while their children are toddlers. It would have to be a special project indeed to entice Matthew away from Keeley and the kids for a protracted period. (He reportedly turned down Bond.) Secondly, he's committed to performing theater regularly. Thirdly, he's got a nice income from his TV, movie and stage work in old Blighty so he doesn't have to scramble for any movie role just for $$$. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, I think casting directors and filmmakers (even Macfadyen himself) see him more as an interesting character actor rather than a leading man type.

I would guess at his relatively young age (33), Macfadyen is less insterested in being a movie star than he is in acquiring enough traction to gain access to interesting roles with good directors in quality projects.

That said, I personally think Macfadyen is a wonderful and appealing actor, and I suspect we haven't seen his best work yet. His career in films will probably be a more of a sustained journey, rather than a meteoric rise, with lots of small, quality movies along the way. I hope to see him on big screen and small for many years to come. In fact, Macfadyen's making his first American film with Ron Howard in LA even as I type this (Frost/Nixon, and adpatation of the Tony Award winning play, also starring Frank Langella). So I wouldn't give up on him yet.

Who knows - Macfadyen could still land in a blockbuster some day - look at Sam Neill. But he remains a great talent, whether he's ever a superstar or not.

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I. Love. You.

You hit the nail on the friggin' head! Matthew is amazing...so superbly flawlessly amazing that I can't even explain how just hearing his name makes me all giddy!

Forever Mine:
http://www.freewebs.com/sharanealvarez/index.htm

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Me too!

"Your husband ain't dead lady. He's hiding."

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Hehe, me too! :)

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