@mechajutaro said:

Pity, especially for the powerhouse talent that is Idris Elba. Not sure whether or not to ascribe responsibility for such misuse to an inept agent or Elba's own stabs at a solo career and forays into UFC distracting him for focusing on acting primarily.

Wow, I did not know he was involved with more than just acting. I will say however, I thought his acting was much better than hers. Or, maybe I just didn't like her part, and she did a really great job with her roll.

By the way I'm really looking forward (as I usually do!) to seeing two movies I haven't seen before in a couple of days! "Happy Death Day" (2017) and "Flatliners" (2017.)

Hollywood's attempt to make Elba a big movie star has been met with indifference.

Elba has had two big box office flops in a row. The Dark Tower and The Mountain Between Us. The audience don't seem to care about the guy. I don't think he's had a box office hit as the main lead.

@mechajutaro said:

Apparently, 'Dris's kickboxing career, silly premise("Can we turn a fella who's never stepped into the ring before into a world champion in less than a year?" Someone didn't learn from Black Swan's mangled marketing of Natalie Portman, it would seem)aside, was fun to watch, and he seems to have ultimately handled himself reasonably well in the matches he fought. Dude's got a voice, nonetheless he'd undeniably benefit from a more capable songwriter and producer.

Too bad, I really like Natalie Portman.

I think Elba was cast well here... He should play the sensitive types rather than being macho... He's a character actor...

We're just not used to seeing a survivalist version of a chick flick... Ridley Scott (please, bear with me) tried to do something similar with A Good Year, where he took the rom-com chick flick and cast an actual man as a lead rather than the manchild types, shot it cinematically and added the depth of a "son comes home" theme...

That movie was also misunderstood, but is emmencely watchsble and heartfelt for a film of it's genre... This one isn't on par with Ridley's but it is one of the better romance movies this year (can you name a better one?)...

Yes it's saccharine and sweet, but it also has a sensual and warm aftertaste if you stay with it... 😆 I'm glad the genrr is maturing... It's so seldom that we see adult humans on screen these days... Winslet had the more complex character, but played it with usch nuance...

I like that it was shot in colour as opposed to orange and teal... Also, made me want to finally buy a Leica film camera/lens.... 😎

I couldn't get through it all either. Dreadful stuff. I appreciate that the foundation of drama starts with someone doing something a sane person with options would NOT do, but there are limits. A tragic chain of events brought about by a succession of totally stupid choices isn't good drama; and that is basically what happens in this dross.

The two leads have zero chemistry or engagement. Frankly, I didn't want to spend time with either of them, let alone with them together.

The acting here is wooden and stilted. It has an almost improv feel about it that doesn't belong in a major feature. While I'm here, I can't be alone in thinking that Elba simply can't act.

@Damienracer said:

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

I couldn't get through it all either. Dreadful stuff. I appreciate that the foundation of drama starts with someone doing something a sane person with options would NOT do, but there are limits. A tragic chain of events brought about by a succession of totally stupid choices isn't good drama; and that is basically what happens in this dross.

The two leads have zero chemistry or engagement. Frankly, I didn't want to spend time with either of them, let alone with them together.

The acting here is wooden and stilted. It has an almost improv feel about it that doesn't belong in a major feature. While I'm here, I can't be alone in thinking that Elba simply can't act.

Elba can act, you clueless tit. He was given shit material to work with. Now when are you picking up your hooded robes from my launderette????

Grow up.

his character in the film is meant to be self repressed...

@mechajutaro said:

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

@Damienracer said:

@Jacinto Cupboard said:

I couldn't get through it all either. Dreadful stuff. I appreciate that the foundation of drama starts with someone doing something a sane person with options would NOT do, but there are limits. A tragic chain of events brought about by a succession of totally stupid choices isn't good drama; and that is basically what happens in this dross.

The two leads have zero chemistry or engagement. Frankly, I didn't want to spend time with either of them, let alone with them together.

The acting here is wooden and stilted. It has an almost improv feel about it that doesn't belong in a major feature. While I'm here, I can't be alone in thinking that Elba simply can't act.

Elba can act, you clueless tit. He was given shit material to work with. Now when are you picking up your hooded robes from my launderette????

Grow up.

Having had a run in or two with 'racer myself during my time here at TMDB, I wish you much luck in getting him to do as you've instructed above, Jac. Say this as someone who agrees with DR regarding Elba's talent as an actor, though not having seen the film in question, I don't find the prospect of his work here being lackluster either impossible or improbable. Even the most stellar operators in their respective fields perform weakly from time to time.

We're all entitled to an opinion on what is, after all, a website for expressing opinions about movies. I don't have any problem with contrary opinions and usually I just let an opposing opinion ride. What was absurd about that persons post was the gratuitous insult and the idiotic insertion of identity politics into a topic upon which such matters had zero relevance. I didn't want to dignify his remarks with discussion, but I thought a brief indication of his foolishness was warranted.

Script selection is part of the job of being an actor, or at least for any established actor. Saying an actor was hamstrung by the writing/direction/whatever, is, I think, a cop out. No one forces actors into particular roles. If an actor is a poor judge of a role or a script then that reflects on their abilities as an actor. Even great actors have taken bad roles, usually for money, but when it becomes a pattern it seems to me that the actor often overestimates their ability to command the role. A two hander set in a largely monotone void should tell even a vaguely skilled performer that they are going to have to REALLY connect in order to generate interest. The ability to make the most of what you have is what makes great actors. Any fool can look good playing Hamlet.

If Elba rings your bells as an actor then that's a good result for you. I, respectfully, stand by my own view.

I wasn't reducing it quite as far as 'being a poor judge of scripts or roles=a lousy actor'. I am saying that movie making is a collaborative form and that an actor's choice of project and personnel to work with are important.

Seems to me that this is a hangover from the old studio days when actors didn't choose their movies. They were contracted and did whatever they were told. This isn't the case today for established actors. Sure, sometimes things just go wrong. I am talking about patterns.

As for Elba specifically; I've now seen him put in three stinkers in a row: Prometheus, Pacific Rim, and now this rubbish. This isn't a case of an actor 'stocking the larder' as Olivier put his cash grabs later in life. These were bad choices in which he didn't put in credible performances. That has to be called for what it is. And if that isn't 'good acting' then what is it? In the end, your term 'weak performance', someone elses 'inconsistent' or my 'can't act' are really speaking to the same failure.

This isn't like criticising kids at a school sports day. These are celebrity members of the 1% club dragging down multi million dollar paychecks. With that big payday comes big expectations regarding performance. Being told an actor was good in something else won't do it for me, nor will it make me likely to search out their work. That is the long term cost of inconsistency.