O'Toole performance is filled with charisma, honestly one of his most charismatic turns in his post-60's career, as we see the power of the man. O'Toole wields the personality beautifully and is extremely entertaining here. O'Toole has this infectious kind of mischief quality within his performance. He finds this fascinating kind of combination between a brutal darkness and a sense of fun with the material. O'Toole's eyes suggesting the coldest of killers while his delivering suggests something else. There is something within him as he directs his film. A kind of savoring quality in producing the manipulations. I particularly like one moment when his crew is talking about how the film will end up being cut in the end by the studio. Eli Cross though says he knows they will not cut his film, or else he will kill him. O'Toole delivers this line with such insane glee, that is both hilarious and brilliant in showing the intensity of the man's particular ego.
Eli Cross rules the film set within the film, while O'Toole rules the film itself. This as whenever he is onscreen it comes to life. This as O'Toole brings so much relish in showing the man getting so much out of crafting his vision. This as there is the genuine thrill of it all even beyond his moments of cruel dictatorship. O'Toole is fascinating in the way he really approaches any given scene as he actually treads around a singular note. This as he wields the darkness of the character. There are the moments where he speaks as though he's just having fun in messing with his actors, his crew and his stuntman. O'Toole creates a terrific enigma in this. This as he'll shade the moments of fun with a strict killer's intent suddenly within his face. O'Toole is wonderful by playing with every expectation. His delivery is particularly fascinating as his vocal adjustments is masterclass in how a slight change in emphasis makes a man seem a mad genius one moment and a hideous monster the next. O'Toole is utterly unpredictable here and it is beautiful. Although I wish this performance was in the film more, because whenever O'Toole is onscreen it works, that cannot be held against O'Toole who is great here and runs away with a truly great supporting turn.
4 comments:
Yeah, I always felt this was more of a supporting performance, and always waited for O'Toole to be on-screen, the rest of the movie be damned.
Yeah, I thought he bordered on supporting too, but I liked him regardless.
Would you have given him a higher ranking if he was in placed in Supporting?
Well that is a pivotal question in one's Oscar ranking philosophy. I still am not quite sure how I stand, although I must come to terms of this when I do Supporting and lead 1944, but I must say I would give him 4 in supporting as well at the moment. Although I do view supporting and lead performances in different manners, so perhaps I would give him higher I am not quite sure.
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