Monday, November 28, 2005

Who's That Guy?



Invariably when you start to notice an actor is in a lot of movies you see, it's not because you're happy to be seeing them so often. Jude Law and Nicole Kidman of late, Sandra Bullock in the 1990s and Michael Caine and Gene Hackman in years gone by all seemed like they never said no to a paycheck, and I'd be happy if I never saw any of them again.

So it's quite a treat to see Peter Sarsgaard working so much and repeatedly delivering outstanding performances, even when the films he's in aren't as good as he is. He's handsome without being distractingly good-looking and seems like the rare performer who is equally willing/equally good as a supporting player or leading man.

Last night we saw "The Dying Gaul" and Peter and the film were both wonderful. The movie is a love triangle (2 guys and a girl, minus the pizza place) set in the world of big-time Hollywood film productions and has a Hitchcock psychological thriller cum Greek tragedy feel to it. It is beautifully filmed, filled with surprises and is highly entertaining. Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson (whose face I couldn't place until I got home and discovered that she was fun Aunt Sarah on "Six Feet Under") make up the triangle's other vortexes.

If you don't know who Peter Sarsgaard is, he's the shining moment of the mediocre "Kinsey" and "Shattered Glass," and is also great in "Boys Don't Cry" and "Garden State" (all worth seeing).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And it's worth noting that Patricia Clarkson also delivered outstanding performances in "The Station Agent" and "Pieces of April."