Sean Penn

[Tillius]

Does anybody else find him to be one of the greatest actors there is?

[OnePartHarmony]

Aye. I Am Sam is the last movie I saw that made me shed a tear.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

I dislike him.

[ThePatient]

I don't like him either. The guy hasn't made a happy movie since Fast Times... Being a total douche loses points in my book too.

[OnePartHarmony]

I don't like him either. The guy hasn't made a happy movie since Fast Times... Being a total douche loses points in my book too.

Making sad movies and being a douche doesn't take away from his acting. Jeff Daniels is a total jerk when you meet him, but his movies are (mostly) good.

[ThePatient]

I don't like him because he annoys me. I also don't like any of his movies besides Fast Times. It just happens to be that all of his other movies are the type that ruin your day.

[Tillius]

Even if they ruin your day....you can't deny his incredible acting skills....and if you do....well then you're an idiot.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

or his acting skills aren't all that incredible.

[ThePatient]

I never questioned his acting skillz. Though I think "incredible" is a bit of an over-statement. Save those kinds of accolades for DeNiro, Pacino, and Hopkins. He wasn't anywhere as good as Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, but he was ok in I Am Sam.

[infinate_ammo]

Carlito's Way is good, he is just like that guy from Vice City, the lawyer guy who uses coke

[Incognito]

Carlito's Way is good, he is just like that guy from Vice City, the lawyer guy who uses coke


or...the guy from Vice city is like Sean Penn in Carlito's way...you got your sentence backwards...it's like saying... "hey, Tony Montana's mansion looks just like the one in Vice city!"

it's all wrong, Anyway, Sean Penn is a decent actor, not the best, better than average, but he does have some really good movies under his belt.

[infinate_ammo]

Tont Montanna's mansion does look alot like Versitties mansion

[Kurtz]

He's nowhere near the same ballpark of the greatest actors out there. Hell, he's even the
same pastime. He was good in Mystic River though.

Has anyone else notices he's looked exactly the same ever since Fast Times?

[BlindWriting]

He's a good actor, but nowhere near the best or most unique.

I actually just finished watching 21 Grams about an hour ago, and performance wise, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts dominated the movie.

[JohnXDoe]

I tihnk he's fantastic. One of my favorites.

The Sweet & Lowdown
The Thin Red Line
The Game
State Of Grace
U-Turn
Carlito's Way
Casualties Of War
Colors
At Close Range
Racing With The Moon
Dead Man Walking
Mystic River
I Am Sam
The Indian Runner

I don't know how anyone can look at that fine list of films, consider his performances in them, and not consider him among the better actors of his generation. :confused: And he ain't done yet.

[infinate_ammo]

He's nowhere near the same ballpark of the greatest actors out there. Hell, he's even the
same pastime. He was good in Mystic River though.

Has anyone else notices he's looked exactly the same ever since Fast Times?
Yeah I agree he's no where near one of the greatest actors, he is probably about DeNiros standard, which is pretty average these days.

[OnePartHarmony]

Yeah I agree he's no where near one of the greatest actors, he is probably about DeNiros standard, which is pretty average these days.

I hope you mean DeNiro's latest movies when you say average.

[Kurtz]

Yeah I agree he's no where near one of the greatest actors, he is probably about DeNiros standard, which is pretty average these days.
Yeah, De Niro is getting out of it.

But De Niro in his prime might only be comparable to the absolute greatest.

[infinate_ammo]

I hope you mean DeNiro's latest movies when you say average.
I'm thinkin more the older ones, taxi driver, godfather part 2, goodfellas.
De Niros new films are absolute class, meet the parents, meet the phuckers, when will his reign end?

[ThePatient]

Yeah I agree he's no where near one of the greatest actors, he is probably about DeNiros standard, which is pretty average these days.
How in the world did you come up with that? :confused:

Granted, he's not making movies like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Untouchables, Goodfellas and Heat nowadays, but he's not a young guy anymore. Even if you didn't like the movie, you have to admit that he was great in Meet The Parents/Fockers. He shows he can do comedy now, which is something you haven't seen from Penn in over twenty years. The only thing Penn has shown he can do is raise tension and be a tear jerker.

[JohnXDoe]

Yeah, De Niro is getting out of it.

But De Niro in his prime might only be comparable to the absolute greatest.

Is he really getting out of it? As in the acting business? Where did you hear that? And I tihnk De Niro is still great. An actor of his caliber never loses it. He's taken some crap roles and made some crap movies in recent years, but that doesn't diminish what he has done or his immense talent, IMO. Brando was better, but that goes without saying. No many more can match De Niro. though.

[Kurtz]

Is he really getting out of it? As in the acting business? Where did you hear that? And I tihnk De Niro is still great. An actor of his caliber never loses it. He's taken some crap roles and made some crap movies in recent years, but that doesn't diminish what he has done or his immense talent, IMO. Brando was better, but that goes without saying. No many more can match De Niro. though.
Nah, I meant that his selections in roles aren't what they used to be, and I see him retiring in 5 years or so. He's obviously getting to the point where his future roles are probably going to be grandfather stuff, you know, older roles. And yes, his movies from his prime really make the crap roles irrelevant.

He's a living legend, of course.

[Robert Crumb]

The Assassination of Richard Nixon was a torpid piece of ****. Sometimes Sean Penn is ok, though.

[Dave de Sylvia]

I enjoyed the Assassination..., but I like everything so I'm not the best judge. I'm a big Penn fan though, I think he's fantastic. His politics, on the other hand...

[infinate_ammo]

I was joking about that DeNiro thing, DeNiro is the second greatest actor, Pachino is first. I think DeNiro will make something big and great agin before he retires, infact I hope he doesn't retire, I hope he keeps making films till the death.

[JohnXDoe]

I was joking about that DeNiro thing, DeNiro is the second greatest actor, Pachino is first. I think DeNiro will make something big and great agin before he retires, infact I hope he doesn't retire, I hope he keeps making films till the death.

I think you are right about him making something big, or returning to more substantial roles. He has children now, so obviously he has to think of there well being for the future. And of course he can make a lot of money for that future with lightweight roles such as Showtime and Hide And Seek. Not to mention his "Meet The" films and Analyze This stuff. Which I think are decent comedies. Even the sequals. I also think he has tried and been successful in throwing off that heavy weight of greatness people came to expect of him. And for awhile he got criticized for only taking tough guy roles or gangsters or pychopath stuff. And then he starts doing comedies and he get's crap for that, as well :confused: . Sometimes you can't win, I suppose.

But yeah. I think he will return to doing substantial work in time. As it is in more recent things like Jackie Brown and City By The Sea and that one with Cuba Gooding Junior where he played a bigot military officer, he was very good. And Let's not forget Ronin and The Fan. None of those are his most recent work, but they are recent enough. Heat is another. And this is very good work. For any other actor there would be Occar buzz in the air for those performances. But when it's De Niro people just take it for granted. I think he got tired of that.

He'll be back to his old stuff. He can still do pretty much any thing he wants. Rocky & Bullwinkle 2, anybody?

I love that movie. :lol:

[EightMilesHigh]

I don't think he's gone downhill since Fast Times, but he's just chosen a different career path. I thought Mystic River was great.

[Kurtz]

I don't think he's gone downhill since Fast Times, but he's just chosen a different career path. I thought Mystic River was great.
Yeah, I actually think it's his best performance [yes, over Spicoli]

I really didn't like his character though. For some reason I didn't sympathize with him on anything that happened to him.

[JohnXDoe]

Yeah, I actually think it's his best performance [yes, over Spicoli]

I really didn't like his character though. For some reason I didn't sympathize with him on anything that happened to him.

I don't think we were supposed to. At first the film let's you give him the benefit of the doubt. But very quickly he turn's into the ex con that he really is. And because he's the big man in his house and respected in his little world, those around him support and encourage him. The final scene with him and his wife in the bedroom says it all. What a heartbreaker. He was not the good man he had hoped to be. And she was just fine with it. He was hers. That's all that mattered.

So far as where Sean has gone with his acting, he left Jeff Specoli behind a long time ago. He's an older guy now and he plays men. I find the characters he draws to be complex and involving, and his performances to be challenging and on the mark. Particularly since Casualties Of War. Although his true maturation as an actor probably started before then with At Close Range, in which he held the screen with Christopher Walken frame for frame. And that was a great Walken performance. I really don't understand the POV that Penn can't act or is overrated :confused: I think he can do just about anything, and do it well.

[Kurtz]

Oh, that reminds me. I totally forgot about At Close Range. That might just be his best. I don't think he could do anything. For instance, I can't picture him in any more comedies or musicals.

He's a very good actor, plain and simple.

[Badmoon]

Sean Penn compared to Robert DeNiro?! WTF!

Rupert Pupkin > All

Sean Penn was pretty good in 21 Grams, but Benicio owned the movie.

[Tim Bisley]

the assasination of richard nixon was pretty good i saw that recently but the interpreter was all less enjoyable than watching a 2 hour show only containing the likes and larks of dr fox and timmy mallet

[incubliss]

The Assasination of Richard Nixon is f*cking amazing. I really do rate him up there as one of my favourite actors.

21 Grams.
Mystic River.
The Interpreter.
I Am Sam.

I can't get enough of him.

[IbanezSamurai]

He's a good actor but bit of an *******