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« Women's Pictures: Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark | Main | Oscar Contender "The Assassin" Leads the Golden Horse Nominations »
Thursday
Oct012015

Welcome Back Andrew Garfield

Murtada is happy that Andrew Garfield is no longer a superhero. You?

Vince Vaughn and Garfield in the first picture from Hacksaw Ridge

Andrew Garfield recently started production on Mel Gibson's World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge in Australia. The movie is based on the life of Desmond T. Doss, the first conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor after saving dozens of soldiers during the Battle of Okinawa.

Hacksaw Ridge will mark Andrew Garfield’s third post Spider-Man film. Coming in 2016 is Martin Scorsese’s Silence and he’s currently in cinemas with 99 Homes. From 28 to 31 years of age, Garfield was only the web-slinger. Some think he squandered the promise he showed in Boy A and The Social Network. Garfield himself was torn about what he had accomplished, saying in a recent interview:

I never felt like I was able to do enough. And I couldn’t rescue those films…even though I didn’t sleep. [laughs]. And I wanted to…not to say that I needed to rescue those films, but I couldn’t make them as deep and soulful and…life-giving as I could ever dream. And I’m never gonna be able to do that, with any film. It was especially difficult in that situation because…well, just because. And it was especially important because that character has always meant so much to me.

Garfield in 99 Homes

If 99 Homes is any indication there’s no reason to worry. Playing a construction worker who loses his home in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis, Garfield is effortlessly affecting as he deals with the shame and grief of losing everything and hitting rock bottom. While he is overshadowed by Michael Shannon’s blistering embodiment of “Americana”, the movie works because Garfield grounds it with a natural soulfulness that reminded this viewer of Mark Ruffalo at his best.

Garfield is obviously someone who feels a lot. Read that quote above again. Doesn’t the story of a heroic conscientious objector seem like a perfect fit? To prove the point about all the feels he feels, we’ll leave you with what he said about working with Emma Stone.

"Working with Emma was like diving into a thrilling, twisting river and never holding on to the sides. From the start. To the end. Spontaneous. In the moment. Present. Terrifying. Vital. The only way acting with someone should be."

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Reader Comments (10)

"life giving"

I got my life when she said that, hunny.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterHayden W.

Surprised more people aren't talking about Mel Gibson's directorial return?

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered Commenter/3rtful

He's bouncing back thankfully and you can't get better than working with Marty S,i think he is a gr8 talent.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterMARK

Excited to see him back on the docket.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterBrian Zitzelman

99 Homes looks decent, even if I don't see it, but after that, it's back to a probably CRAPPY 2016. First up is a Martin Scorsese movie written by Jay Cocks (how his version wasn't discarded after the second delay and replaced by a John Logan or even William Monahan treatment, I may never know) and then he's following it up with an appearance in Mel Gibson's not at all awaited return to the director's chair.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterVolvagia

I'm just glad he got rid of that beard and GOD-AWFUL man bun.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterChris

Okay. I felt exactly the opposite way about Garfield's presence in 99 Homes.

To be fair, it's not a bad performance, he's just jarringly miscast. For one, he looks like he was 12 when his kid was born. But more importantly, he looks like he's never even been near a construction site, much less worked at one. And his methody stylistics just become offensive when they're in the same scene with the raw, very moving acting done by non-professionals.

And it's funny you should mention Ruffalo. He looks exactly like he's channeling Ruffalo (or Joaquin Phoenix) through the whole film! As opposed to, you know, channeling a real person.

None of these things however, apply to Laura Dern. As always, I just wish she was in more of the film.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered Commentergoran

Love him, and actually liked him as Peter Parker but not enough to watch Amazing Spiderman 2, and it's definitely for the best that he's moved on. He's got too much talent to use it all up on franchise tentpoles.

October 1, 2015 | Unregistered Commenterlylee

/3rtful - I don't care for Gibson so I chose to ignore him instead of being unkind.
Goran - always more Laura.

October 2, 2015 | Registered CommenterMurtada Elfadl

why the hell is andrew garfield working with a known anti-semite?

May 19, 2016 | Unregistered Commenterkris
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