Would the PT have been better without Natalie?

I don't think shes brilliant at all but you have to attribute some of the blame to Lucas and his notoriously crap direction. Ewans a pretty fine actor though a lot of his lines fell very flat.

Saying that, as I said I don't think Portmans particularly talented and you can't defend a persons abilities based on one performance that they gave as a child.

Shes very wooden and needs to inject some real emotion into her performance if EPIII is going to work.

 

I think the actress who played Corde would've made an excellent Queen Amidala/Padme. She has the beauty, and she's physically taller which makes her look more regal and headstrong, and she can actually act like a human being.

Natalie should've been some extra in the background. She just doesn't seem into it. She said she didn't even watch the Star Wars films before when she made TPM. And I'm not sure if she has even seen them since.

 

Yeah, we can sure blame Lucas' "notoriously" crap direction, especially in light of films like American Graffitti and Attack of the Clones (sans Natalie ).

Ewan's lines are fine, I think his only problem is that he's pigeon-holed into mimicking enough of Alec Guiness' Obi-Wan that we believe he is Obi-Wan, while at the same time trying to inject some of his own personality in. Sometimes it works, many times it doesn't.

EDIT: I'm partial to Dormé (Rose Byrne), actually

 

Rose Byrne is a "fine" actress, but she is still suited for Corde's role in these films. I think that Natalie plays the part well, even those some will disagree.

 

I really think Carrie Fisher was horrible in ANH. Oh darn you blew up my planet...

 

Yeah, I don't think Portman's acting was all that BAD in the movie, it just wasn't good, she was just sort of there.

She wasn't really ACTING that much to begin with for her performance to be called bad acting. She was just line reading and looking pretty.

Whoever said that she seemed to just be going along for the ride while the other actors were having fun pretty much summed up the feeling I had watching the film.

Ewan was having fun, Sam Jackson was having fun, Temura was having fun, Christopher Lee was almost perfect, some people were having a blast.
Overall, the actors took what material they had and made the best of it. They enjoyed the moment.

The other actors were caught up in the moment, where with Natalie it was like she was just spitting out her lines to get the job done until the next moment.

In the OT, each moment was special, each actor seemed to be enjoying the moment, but in AOTC Portman was sort of a downer to the whole experience (except her ripped clothes, ugh, we really have to stop mentioning that).

To be fair, I don't think it was just the delivery of specific lines by Portman that was bad.
ALOT of the lines from alot of the actors fell flat in AOTC. It just didn't matter because they more than made up for it by their overall performance.
Everybody spits out at least a few flat lines in Star Wars, but they usually make up for it overall by convincing performances in important scenes.
Or they make up for it playing around and having fun.

Portman was unconvincing in some pretty important scenes, and I would say she was wooden for the majority of the film.

I'm glad they cut her dialogue in the confession scene with Anakin, I'm sure on second viewing there's other stuff I would cut as well.

I think Lucas should computer generate some concern in her eyes for some scenes, or maybe some emotion in her face.

And for those that compare her to Carrie Fisher's bad acting in ANH or ESB, if Carrie's performance was bad at times, AT LEAST it was inspired. The bickering between Han and Leia was great. Carrie Fisher was definately having fun with her performance (not ROTJ so much).

Again, I think Portman was miscast. She just doesn't suit the part, and it seems as thought ALOT of people and alot of SW fans among them have a problem with her performance now.
The other thing to blame is Lucas' directing, he can't bring out a better performance out of an actor.

It's funny, in the latest Insider, Lucas says that now that he has complete control over everything (as opposed to the OT), then the only person he can blame the mistakes on is himself.

 

Carrie Fisher was crap yet believeable. I honestly don't think Portman carries this off most of the time.

EDIT: Wizard - good post!

 

See my earlier posts... I'ts not fun acting against a blue screen, not knowing what Lucas and his wizards are compositing around you...

 

I think that Natalie is fine. I don't have any quibbles with her acting. You guys need to calm down.

 

I agree, though Fisher's performances were flat at times, she had a definite chemistry with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. Natalie Portman doesn't even have any chemistry with Hayden, who she spends nearly the entire film with. Her lack of caring makes scenes like the fireplace bizarre, since Hayden performs really well while Natalie sort of sits there and gives a deadpan reading of her lines.

I think Lucas should computer generate some concern in her eyes for some scenes, or maybe some emotion in her face.

If only technology could replicate a Natalie Portman who cared about her job

 

Yeah, that kiss on the cheek is AWFUL !

Yes, I know it's a throwback to ANH, but it felt so forced... another example of zero devotion...

She's going to Harvard for a reason. Acting isn't even on her mind anymore...

 

What's wrong with the kiss on the cheek? That's what a quick kiss would look like.

As for the scenes on Naboo I think she was supposed to look uncomfortable.

 

Actually I liked the kiss! Thought that was one of the better bits!

 

Considering that alot of scenes on Naboo were set in natural environments with digital images added in later, I don't think the blue screen argument really works on the side of Portman's performance.

Alot of her scenes had enough in them for her to react to, Anakin was real, she didn't really have to react to too many CGI creatures in the film like Ewan had to.

Man, Ewan performed really good in those respects, as did Christopher Lee. Even is some of Sam Jackson's lines were banal and flat, I never once questioned his conversations with Yoda, it all seemed completely real.
Jackson and Yoda had a bit of chemistry to them, and that's quite an achievement considering only one of them is real.

Rose Byrne, that's the actress that started crying when Amidala was leaving, right?
Yeah, she was convincing.
I've seen her in another aussie film with Heath Ledger and she was very good, far better than anything I've seen from Portman.

In fact, ALL of the aussie actors in the homestead scene were convincing.
Maybe there'll be an aussie actor take over in Hollywood films.

I just bought Mullholland Drive on DVD and australian actress Niami Watts gives an amazing performance in that film, she's got an impressive range that just blew me away. She's totally schizophrenic in that film, it's like watching 2 different actors, it's the last third of the film where she really shines. She's very versatile and very well trained, she has potential to be a huge actress.
There were some really gut wrenching moments in that film.
I could see her transforming into an evil Ms. Darth Vader in Episode III.
LOL

 

"If only technology could replicate a Natalie Portman who cared about her job."

I'd say give Lucasfilm 10 years and the technology will be there.

 

Someone in another thread mentioned how her opening lines in Palapatines quarters when Yoda greets her sound like they are being read from an autocue. She also looks for the other actors to deliver their lines prematurely.

I also thought she was terrible in this scene and this is a good example of a poor performance if anyone needs a reference.

 

What bugs me is what she said about TPM. She "whined" about not enjoying herself. She gets paid $3.5 million per film! [face_shocked] It's her job, and she's complaining about things like that? Not to mention the fact she's never touched a SW film in her life. (prior to TPM) Sorry, but it's starting to make me wonder if she was really "the girl" for the job. I tried to forgive her in TPM, and in AOTC, she's better in some parts, but it's inconsistent and that ruins any attempt at sustained believability in her character. I have a hard time worrying or caring about her when I'm bored or laughing (unintentionally) at her at the same time.

---

[b]
Portman Talks Acting
Mon, May 13, 02 09:57:35 AM EDT

The Calgary Sun talked to Portman about the differences in her performances in the two sequels:
"Until Episode I, everything I'd done was for fun. It was my summer break and I just wanted to have a good time and it wasn't fun."
She confesses: "At a certain point, I just gave up and it shows in my performance."

Portman said she was reduced to fits of crying.

"Basically, between scenes I'd go somewhere and cry. When you watch the film, you can actually tell because my eyes are red. It showed on the film and I learned my lesson."

Portman says Episode II -- Attack of the Clones was so much more fun because there were several people her age, including co-star Hayden Christensen on the project.

"We weren't, like, crazy partying, but we definitely hung out at each other's apartments and did things together."[/b]

---

Gee, thanks for "throwing the film away" Nat. (rollseyes) I'd appreciate it if you "gave up" for some other minor film (Where the Heart Is) and NOT on a SW film, perhaps the most-watched films on the planet.

 

I said this in another thread:

It's not her acting that bugs me...it's her voice. She sounds like a little girl. In the OT, when Leia speaks, it's with authority...strong...self-assured...some maturity in her tone. When Padme speaks (other than her robot-like Queen voice) she's using an I'm-just-a-helpless-woman voice. She reminds me of some of the women in my office whose voices get an octave higher whenever men are around.

Maybe it's just one of my weird pet peeves.

As far as who else could have done the job? How about Anna Paquin? She a year youger than Hayden, but makeup and lighing can do wonders.

 

Sounds like most people here want a Meg Ryan-style actress for the role...lots of screaming, crying, giggling, perkiness and cutesy behavior. Sorry, that's not Star Wars and that's not Natalie Portman.

 

I don't know, Anna Paquin seems kind of young.
I've only seen her in X-Men and the Piano. She's good, but still comes across as a kid. I don't know if I've seen her in anything where emotionally she just lets it out.

In Lucas' hands, she'd probably be a dud.

Still, maybe someone has seen her in other films where she shows alot of talent?

Y'know, other actress like Thora Birch (haven't seen Ghost World) and Kirsten Dunst may be wooden in SW too.

Alot of it is Lucas' (lack of) directing and dialogue.

You have to think of someone that would have fun with the part. Kirsten Dunst would have fun with it, but I don't know how suited she would be. Doesn't seem right.

Portman definately LOOKS the part.

Did I say that I thought her and Hayden were ok in the meadow scene?
(commence firing rotten tomatoes at my icon now)
Maybe it's because I expected that part to be really bad.

 

Who said anything about SCREAMING?!

Not totally balling, but yeah, a few more tears beginning to well up would be nice.

More stuff like the beginning of the arena sequence.

Maybe a little more voice inflection, more emotion.

She doesn't need to stick her hand in a blender.

Why do the blindly devoted always think when we talk about a more emotional and enthusiastic or at least realistic performance means "screaming like a banshee with mouth frothing and tears and snot dripping everywhere while running in circles with arms flailing?"

Nobody ever said that.

Just a little more emotion would be nice.

BTW, Carrie Fisher was pretty perky. And she did bark alot too, at just about everybody: Vader in the beginning of ANH, Tarkin, Han... she had a comeback for everybody. She was pretty strong.

 

There was a big movie where the director punched one of the actors in the gut to get a more emotional performance out of him. I think he cried.
Anybody remember the director/film?
I think that's hilarious.

I've heard stories of directors sticking little pins into actresses to make them cry and get upset.

"Hang on.." director walks up to actor/actress, smacks them across the face and goes back to his chair,
"...and...ACTION."

Some directors are really desperate to get better perforances out of their actors.

 

Um, because I think she gave a good performance I'm "blindly devoted"? Because I think those who call her performance in AOTC "flat" are missing the subtlties of her performance, I'm "blindly devoted"?

You compared her to Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive and how she "shines" in the last third of the film...the character is schizophrenic at best, completely insane at worst, engages in murder-for-hire, lesbian sex, nightmarish visions and suicide. How much more "hand in the blender" can that be? It works wonderfully for Mulholland Drive not for Star Wars.

I've personally known several of strong, successful women in high-profile positions. When they are "on-the-job" -- like the Padme character when she is acting as Senator -- don't expect them to show weakness in public. Behind the scenes are different...that's when Padme shows emotion. You didn't see the looks in her eyes? The occaisional quiver in her chin and mouth? The smiles? You didn't see expressions on her face? The emotion in her voice when she is with Anakin? Didn't see her eyes widen and jaw slacken in horror as Anakin talked of the Tusken slaughter? If not, the we must've been watching different movies.

 

"I've heard stories of directors sticking little pins into actresses to make them cry and get upset."

And I've heard of directors who said, they were doing everything they could to keep their actors from crying and getting upset...specifically George Lucas in TPM.

 

I agree with whoever said that Natalie was just reading her lines rather than acting. Sure, you can argue that she's a politician so she shouldn't be overly emotional but there are many other politicians in the SW and I have no problem with their acting. Natalie's voice sounds too young and she's not authoritative when she speaks. Her range of facial expressions is limited. She mostly has either a stern or emotionless look on her face, even on Naboo and Tatooine where Padme is not acting as politican.

I would rank Natalie as the worst actor in the SW movies. I think she is escaping a lot of criticism because of her looks. Male SW fans outnumber female fans and since they find Natalie hot that's good enough for them. As a girl I find nothing redeeming about Natalie's performance. I'm completely ambivalent about the character of Padme although she's one of the few female characters in the movie and I should identify with her somewhat.

I think any of the actresses who played Padme's handmaidens would have been more authoritative and able to convey some emotion as the role of a politician permits. Perhaps Natalie has talent but she hasn't shown it in the SW movies.