Vamp Glenn, Crook Michael, and Killer Viola!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 3:45PM If The Film Experience were its own media empire the first thing we would do is some sort of annual gallery of celebrities a la Vanity Fair or the New York Times. For this year's New York Times video gallery ["Vamps, Crooks and Killers" (photos) "Touch of Evil" (video)] the Times has famous actors playing famous film baddies or villainous archetypes. We've mentioned we love this actors as actors business muchly before. It always thrills.
Here's Glenn Close as Theda Bara the vamp and Viola Davis as Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) for appetizers.
The Close image reminds us that Glenn has always been thisclose to being a cartoon character who just happens to be made of flesh and blood. That's how most iconic film stars and characters come across... at least after decades in the pop cultural air, though it didn't take Close that long to achieve it.
Doesn't the Nurse Viola Davis Ratched immediately make you want to see her in a villainous role? It hadn't even occurred to me before but it'd be super scary to watch her soulfulness curdle in some choice role. I bet she'd be great. On her performance in this video she says...
I tried to channel all the parts of myself that are probably not pretty. That are not necessarily nice."
Rooney Mara, Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Brad Pitt and Mia Wasikowska, after the jump...
Rooney Mara doing "A Clockwork Orange"
Kirsten as a siren (love the apple) and Brad Pitt as a mad man
Oh how I wish they had really surprised us and in the middle of this series of unexpected star/role pairings they had fucked with expectations and recast Brad & Kirsten together to reprise their vampires! Wouldn't that have been attention grabbing?!
Brad Pitt is labelled as Mad Man and he says he's channelling Peter Lorre and Kramer from Seinfeld but isn't this more Eraserhead?
The best thing about these galleries each year is that they allow us to see stars in a different light than we're accustomed to, like Viola up top. Last year I was surprised by which videos were my favorites and this year I'm surprised again. I wasn't really thinking "I can't wait to see Michael Shannon / Mia Wasikowska" but they're maybe my favorit pieces from the stars gathered.
Shannon is going full on Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) and I love that even his paperwork is, if you'll excuse the pun, hopping mad. My favorite, though, is Mia Wasikowska's homewrecker. Wasikowska has been ascending pretty rapidly and though her performances are sometimes just smashingly good (Jane Eyre, The Kids Are All Right) they're sometimes underworked or misses (Alice in Wonderland, Albert Nobbs) so I've been worried about her consistency. But she just aces this casually destructive narcissistic femme fatale. Totally sexy! Who knew?
The gallery also includes Jessica Chastain as a firestarter, Gary Oldman as a creepy dummy, Jean Dujardin as a hothead, Ryan Gosling as The Invisible Man, and George Clooney as Captain Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty) and Adepere Oduye from Pariah recreating a famous Bonnie Parker bit (Bonnie & Clyde).
Go watch.
Which is your favorite?
Reader Comments (33)
I had the exact same thought about Viola as soon as she first turned around. She needs to dig her teeth into a villainous role ASAP.
These are always so much fun! I think Mia Wasikowska's may be my favorite, but I also really loved Davis, Dunst and Oldman (soooo creepy!!). I'd love to see Viola tackle a villainous part, she'd be fantastic.
I loved Mia's the most ! and Viola managed to look totally captivating and sexy with bugs all over her! She is quite beautiful. I like Kirsten's too oh and Jean Dujardin = yum.
can i say gosling? he's just so nice to look at...
Why would anyone in their right mind choose Ryan Gosling as the Invisible Man?! Really?!? That beautiful man as a faceless character? Let's get real here...
That picture of Viola Davis is scaring the shit outta me. Damn, girl.
Viola would be awesome as a villain! I really love Mia and Gary Oldman was so creepy but I got a little awkward watching Jessica Chastain it was like ashton holmes in drag ( and i dont mean it in a bad way i really love chastain as an actress and a beauty)
Viola and Mia by far. And Glenn... oh, but I always love Glenn.
Viola as a villainess - absolutely!
My faves: Glenn, Mia, Viola.
Viola is so glamerous in real life version how broken down filmmakers continue to make her in the movies.
*versus not version
God, I love Rooney Mara. Everything about her is perfect, even when she's recreating such a hideous character.
Also, does anyone else think Mia Wasikowska looks a lot like January Jones in that clip?
I don't know but I just kept imagining Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska and Viola Davis playing these characters in the same movie. Scary..
My personal favourite is Gary Oldman's. The man is all about morphing into the character. Wow.
Amir - I'd say she looks like Kate Hudson.
Just finished watching them
My favourite clips are Oldman's, Mara's and Waskiowska's.
But the best characterization is Shannon's. I'd totally love to see him in that role.
Oh, right - Oldman too!
Gosling, Mara, and Davis were my favorites. But the whole series is just inspired. LOVE.
Dying to see Kirsten and Brad reunited again on something...I think the results would be amazing.
Viola Davis, so brilliant here!
This picture performance is almost better than her "The Help" performance.
Is Gary Oldman playing Robert De Niro from King of Comedy?
Love all the same ones everyone else loves. Sometimes you just can't fight consensus!
So interesting to know how Clooney would come across if a movie ever mussed his image as fully as this short video does. He looks so old and so bonkers.
Viola was a serial killer on Law & Order at some point, right? She has said many times how much she relished that rare opportunity.
Nick - Your commenting here made me think that I'd like to see Viola in a Haynes or a Cronenberg film. But that is true for virtually every actress I like.
Next Summer: Rooney Mara as...Alexa DeBarge in... A Femmefatalework Orange.
OMG VIOLA IS KILLING ME HERE!!!! I love it!!!! Gah, I just love her.
Villainous role for Viola ASAP! Freaking fantabulous actress.
Oh, that's awesome that the girl from Pariah (still trying to learn her name, lol) got featured here. Even if she just got shot lol.
MIA looks just like Jennifer Jason Leigh!
I thought Mia was January Jones for a hot second.
@Nick Davis: Viola played a rogue school police chief or some such on the "Criminal Intent" series about a decade ago and totally turned it out. I'm convinced she can do anything.
@Joey: Mia is completely giving off a JJ vibe, and I love it.
i think ryan gosling would be better as the invisible clothes man
My favorites are Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, and Mia Wasikowska.
Carl -- LOL.
Troy -- convinced she can do anything? I'm getting there too.
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