MovieChat Forums > Stonehearst Asylum (2014) Discussion > You can see how Kate Beckinsale saves J....

You can see how Kate Beckinsale saves J. Sturgess' scenes sometimes.

posted 9 years ago by gorkee
4 replies | jump to latest

Sometimes the male lead's (Dr. Newgate) acting is weak in some scenes.

He simply doesn't look either on the same quality lever either he does his parts over the top or over sentimental. Sometimes his acting seems somewhat unconvincing.

Then, when camera switches to Eliza, if they share a scene, she shores his dialogue up as legitimate and credible - as "I saved your (acting) ass right now, didn't I ...".

In the last third of the film she did it more than a few times.

Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine are two classes above everyone else. Then Kate Beckinsale follows.

Sturgess' parts are the weakest IMHO.

I think she'd never be with him as a woman IRL, although she does her best, as Eliza Graves, to show affection and attraction towards him.

So the "chemistry" between their characters works, but its obvious that their acting is like "teflon" shield - almost impossible to penetrate and to see their real side. Almost ...

So I'd bet my money on Kingsley (or Caine) to have much more chance at winning her heart IRL than Sturgess.

[–] djj93312 9 years ago

He is kind of a poor man's Keanu Reeves, isn't he?

[–] dunyadoom 8 years ago

Yes, the chemistry wasn't believable :/ And his acting was strange, especially when expressing his emotions to her, it seemed pushy and abrupt. It was so uncomfortable watching him always grabbing her somehow, while knowing she gets a bad attack from physical contact. I mean, dude.
Also, he kept looking differently and his face was never clear from the moustache and the glasses and the hair....
She probably did save him in those scenes and I agree with your hierarchy on the actors. Caine didn't get much space here, though. Ben K. was superb as always.

[–] LordManhammer 7 years ago

You're right that they had no chemistry, and to me Eliza didn't seem to be attracted to the guy. It seemed she wanted to help because she's a good person, and she was truly taken aback that this man wanted to possess her. Strange that a movie about cruel doctors and an asylum overthrow has to end with a romance!

Sturgess must be my least favorite actor. I just watched him in "Upside Down," and I see bits of his super-annoying character here in Newgate. The lack of confidence in general, and particularly around women.

__ __ __
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"--Pres. Merkin Muffley

[–] HarlemEagle42 (16175) 4 years ago

Sturgess is a poor man's Aaron Taylor-Johnson which is saying something.