MovieChat Forums > Ballet Shoes (2007) Discussion > Everyone talks about Emma being a bad ac...

Everyone talks about Emma being a bad actress

posted 16 years ago by roxist
32 replies | jump to latest

First of all, I don't understand WHY do you say she isn't believable as an actress??

I think she's totally doing her job, and still, doing it well!
Second of all, do you think the directors of Harry Potter or any other movie she played in, would accept a take in which the actor / actress did not act well?

I would understand a comment like "she doesn't know how to act" if most of you would be some kind of a cinematic genius but you aren't! And still, this film wasn't supposed to be the biggest drama on earth, nor a serious movie, I think it was supposed to be a movie that makes you feel good afterwards like "Miss Pettigrew lives for a day" or "Penelope".

I think Emma did a great job portraying the spoiled girl in the group. And by the way, anyone who's going to watch this movie because Emma Watson is in it, isn't gonna watch it for her acting (that's for sure), so stop being so mean!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] byatt_lover 16 years ago

I second that she overacts in Harry Potter. She is the worst out of the entire cast. I'm hoping as she trains with RSC she'll get better. Otherwise she'll just be a pretty face they stick in movies.

Every Heart Makes a Wish,
Mine Thought of Only You

[–] atresphere 16 years ago

I've not notice hat Emma Watson always takes a huge breath before she talks in every harry potter. the diectors in my opinion aren't letting them do their own thing, but making them say their lines exactly how the directors wan them to be said.

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[–] ForksForLovers 16 years ago

I'm sorry but have you all read the Harry Potter books??

Hermione is breathless half of the damn time.

It is written into the script for Hermione to exaggerate what she says. That is her character. She usually blows things out of proportion. Hermione yells quite a lot. There are exclamations after almost everything Hermione says.

I'm not saying Emma is the greatest actress...but she isn't as bad as you guys are making her out to be.

I think her eyebrow movements need to go though lol

F'ck you WB

[–] HermioneFan2008 16 years ago

It is written into the script for Hermione to exaggerate what she says. That is her character. She usually blows things out of proportion. Hermione yells quite a lot. There are exclamations after almost everything Hermione says.

You are right! People are calling Emma a bad actress for doing things she is supposed to do as part of her job. Directors bear the full blame for performances, not the actors. The actor only says the lines, and performs the actions, as the director tells them to. If Emma says a line a certain way (and yes...moves her eyebrows) it is because the director wanted the scene performed in that manner. If they did not want Emma to move her eyebrows, they would simply say "Cut" and then tell her to NOT move her eyebrows, and then re-shoot the scene. What you are seeing when you watch Emma Watson is what the director wants you to see. It has nothing at all to do with bad acting.

There is nothing at all to read here, but thank you very much for the click.

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[–] ReenieLeigh 16 years ago

I agree. The eyebrows convey nearly all of her emotion.

[–] Mmmmm_What 16 years ago

Second of all, do you think the directors of Harry Potter or any other movie she played in, would accept a take in which the actor / actress did not act well?

Yes, I really do think that a Director will accept a take that an actor has not done well. It's all about money and time is money.
Maybe what we see is the best take they have. Who knows how many takes they have to do.

We all know, especially with the recent rescheduled release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, has proved that the Harry Potter produciton people are very interested in money.

I really believe that Emma is cast in other movies more for her name then her acting talent. As someone else pointed out, she is the weakest actress out of the three girl in Ballet Shoes.

[–] African_Safari_Guy 16 years ago

Oh my God yes, the eyebrow thing is the worst in Harry Potter from Emma. I haven't seen this yet, but if someone is defending her "acting" they're delusional. Even when she's not speaking, if the camera hits her she takes a larger fake bite of food (while moving eyebrows dramatically). But the way those things go up and down with every word she says... Horrible.

[–] louise-nicole 16 years ago

so technically there is no need for talented character actors like daniel day lewis - as it is the director that makes all the decisions - movements/ facial expressions? somehow i don't think that is quite accurate.
emma isn't bad, she is certainly cliche and not particularly versatile. and a bit ott. ok, not worth the reputation.

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[–] trizd 16 years ago

I wonder if she really wants to be an actress, hasn't she said about wanting to head off to Uni?

I thought she was much better at acting in Ballet Shoes than she is in Harry Potter, but then I think that's the case with Daniel Radcliffe too - he seems better in projects outside of HP.

The directors have a big part in getting the kids to portray emotions etc, so they have to be at least partly responsible for the acting.

I am 100% in agreement over her eyebrows though - they make me twitchy just watching them

[–] pete-293 16 years ago

Her eyebrows moved in Sorcerer's Stone. They moved in Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. They move ed on Jay Leno and David Letterman. They moved in Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. Strange they never became an issue until GoF. Stranger yet is that they are issue at all. They move. So what. It's not important. Seems to me some people are simply using the eyebrows to rationalize their dislike for Emma.

Incidently she is planning to go to Cambridge. But she recently completed a course from a very highly restigeous acting school. I'd say she is serious about acting. Ialso see someone who can go far in the film industry as an actress and perhaps later on as a actress/producer/director.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup

[–] pinketty_punketty-1 16 years ago

Lol, in the first Harry Potter movie I was devastated because none of them were really that good, but out of the lot I thought Emma was the best :) People are right, she does get very over-excited in the books, and while I couldn't pick a favourite HP character, she's up there :)

[–] batgirl1415 16 years ago

Her acting was acceptable for the first two or three Potter movies, but she never got any better after that. She grew up, but her talent did not.
She over-acts big time. I've read the books. Just because Hermione is a strong character who exaggerates, doesn't mean we all can't tell how much Emma just over-acts.

By this time, she shouldn't NEED a director to tell her what to do all of the time.

And of COURSE directors will hire an actor that isn't very good. It's all about their name and the money benefits.

Daniel Radcliffe is O.K., but Rupert Grint, I think, is the best of the three, hands down.

[–] pete-293 16 years ago

In my opinion Emma has captured Hermione very well and has improved with age. You see over acting. I see Hermione of the books. But this idea that directors are not needed makes no sense. When a film enters production, the director is in control. This is true for all films no matter what actors or actresses are involved. The performance given is partly based on the talent of the actor/actress but is the performance the director demands. It took Daniel and Katie 30 tries before Yates was satisfied with the kiss scene in Phoenix. The director is in control and no one does anything that does not meet his approval.

For more info on what a director does and how some directors operate check out the following link. Note that some directors are very dictatorial. Others are not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_director

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup

[–] fhi_786 16 years ago

i think she is bad for the role hermione

[–] pete-293 16 years ago

You're entitle to think what you wish. I am entitle to think what I wish. You might find it interesting what JKR thinks
http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm
Hannah from St Malachy’s Primary School - Armagh: Did you feel the actors suited the characters of your book when you met them?
****SCHOOLS COMPETITION WINNER****
JK Rowling replies -> Yes, I did. Emma Watson in particular was very, very like Hermione when I first spoke to her, I knew she was perfect from that first 'phone call.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup

[–] bishoujo 16 years ago

All movies should be taken serious, even if they weren't made for big audiences. You never know who sees the film, it could be a big breakthrough

[–] DarthBill 16 years ago

Emma is a bad actress, plain and simple. She doesn't have an ounce of acting ability in her entire form. She was basically lucky to be cast in a popular franchise, but doesn't have the talent to match her paycheck, she just coasts on a cheap "girl power" attitude and her Barbie Doll looks. Once Harry Potter fades away, her popularity will most likely fade away with it, since she has no talent or substance to keep herself aloft.

[–] MissLilyEvans 16 years ago

ok here it goes:

back then it was find the talent create the image(example judy garland)

today its find the image then create the talent. Even if talent is something ur born with

she isn't the worst but not so good
Dance me into the night

[–] bardia-bardu 12 years ago

she just coasts on a cheap "girl power" attitude and her Barbie Doll looks

Then she was cast perfectly as Pauline because as per my understanding, Pauline is a character who gets chosen over other, more talented girls because she 'looks right for the role'. :)

[–] DarthBill 12 years ago

Then she was cast perfectly as Pauline because as per my understanding, Pauline is a character who gets chosen over other, more talented girls because she 'looks right for the role'. :)

And she still gave a bad performance.

[–] Tomatish 8 years ago

Well, she is probably like her character in that aspect, but that doesn't mean she will give a good performance. Because she still needs to play the character when she (i.e. the character) is not on stage.

[–] theobsidiandude 16 years ago

She IS a bad actress. In every Harry Potter film she has the same old look, as if she just ate a lemon and has to go to the bathroom horribly. She not only plays one emotion the whole movie(s), she does it poorly.

[–] pete-293 16 years ago

This is what one critic has to say.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/09/25/072227.php
I must make special mention of Emma Watson, because in her first role outside of the comfortable confines of Hermione, she makes you completely forget that she was ever anybody else but Pauline. It helps somewhat that they've given her platinum blond hair, but she's taken great pains to make sure that she has created a different character. Being a sucker for the work of Shakespeare I have to admit that she won me over completely when she did a magnificent job with a speech from A Midsummer's Night Dream while auditioning for a role.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] pete-293 16 years ago

It's has been ages since I've read any Shakespeare. I did enjoy the Kenneth Brannagh version of Henry V though. I haven't seen "Ballet Shoes" yet. I have the DVD and hope to watch it this weekend.

I think Emma can go far if she wishes. I'm not sure about Daniel. He might become another Luke Skywalker. Rupert reminds me of Harry Andrews a bit. I think he could go far in character roles.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup

[–] kakrol 16 years ago

It is hard to judge any of the three HP kids on their skills in those movies because we expect too much from them and the roles. But regarding Emma Watson, she sold me as a good actress in her Puck recitation. The way she smiled with her eyes, she definitely was awesome.!