Would the PT have been better without Natalie?

[forget it... this would only detract from the conversation]

RB

 

I agree with Darth Joe...the first post.....Natalie is just not that good. she takes away from Hayden's performance. As i said before...he is too good for her. She is emotionless and doesnt look like she enjoys being in star wars.

Leia was brought to life by Carrie Fisher, whereas Amidala breaths no life at all.
She does well in the picnic scene, that is all. Other than that, she is flat and boring. No one cares about what she thinks, which appears to be nothing at all. She takes away from the movie and steals hayden's glory.

 

I thought she was good in AOTC and adequate in TPM and personally I wouldn't have anyone else play Padme but her.
But I will say this, I don't think she has enough imagination. Afetr all she has said she isn't really into sci-fi/fantasy films, and in my experience people who are into sci-fi/fantasy are the most imaginative people around (as I'm sure most of us are). Someone with a wilder imagination would have really gotten stuck into the role and the situations and I'm sure that their performance would be greatly enhanced as a result. look at the scene between Obi-Wan and Dex, Ewan is great init casue he gets stuck into it, and Alec Guiness in ANH. To me it is asif Alec Guiness knows and experienced everything that happened in the PT even though he probably didn't have a clue at that time.
I'm a big Nat Portman fan so I'm not bashing her at all, but I feel she should really push herself for EP III cause that needs to be a performance of a life time IMO.

 

I agree with Lord_Tice...

To me it will be interesting to see what she does with Padme in ep3. I like Natalie. I just don't like to see ppl bash her... remember... She has never seen the star wars films before...and so... y'know...maybe... that might had something to do with it. So...don't get your hopes down. 3 more years to go...

 

Cheers Anakin,
I would also like to add that I think Natalie should re-watch the OT quite a few times before they start filming EP III next year. I can see how that could be a bad thing to do, but personally I think it would be for the best. Also I read in the latest Offical SW mag in the UK that Natalie dosn't watch herself after her takes on the monitors because she feels it will make her too self-conscious, I can't blame her for that but maybe she should start watching them for EP III, especially for any really emotional driven scenes.

 

if thats true, then she has alot of work to do for episode 3. Watch the prequels 10 times each to see her faults. Watch the OT ten times each to watch Carrie Fisher bring emotion and fun to the screen. Watch yourself after each take to see what your doing/or what your not doing.

She hasnt convinced me yet that she wants to be in star wars. She has one movie to make it all go together.

Everyone on screen is great, but to me, she is the only sore thumb. Her saying shes not into sci-fi, star wars, etc.. should show people why she isnt very convincing..its almost as if she sees it as a job, just a paycheck and leaves. She doesnt seem to care about the role....just look at her and carrie fisher....tell me you see a difference, one who cares and one who doesnt.

 

yes, I agree. Natalie should re-watch the OT, but... what if she doesn't?? We'll have to send Lucas an email or something... heh..anyways... She was fine in AOTC.

 

Natalie was fine in AOTC... and she acted well too.

RB

 

I dont see eye to eye with you on that. She does fine, good enough to pass. But watch her carefully, she does NOTHING. just stands there, walks on a track, very unnaturally. Talks in monotone, the list goes on. She isnt having fun with the role. Its really really obvious. Look at Hayden, and look at her. He has so much presense and emotion you care about what he is saying and can imagine what he is thinking, you dont have the same connection with her character and that is the Biggest fault the movie has.

 

Then perhaps its the character she plays... I find her role hard... y'know. Its tough...She's a senator... she's not supposed to fall in love. She has her duties...she was trying to avoid Anakin...and she didn't want to leave Coruscant b/c of the creation act..vote thing-she was in a grumpy mood. heheh Some of the crap Anakin was saying to her made her feel uncomfortable...and didn't want to be in a situation...that was so...tough..and hard...and what not..but anyways... She was fine. but its not over yet, Ep3 still to come!!!

 

How much more carefully can I watch her? I have seen the movie 13 times. It doesn't get any more careful than that.

No amount of demanding that Portman was bad in the movie is going to make it a fact (at least for me).

She played the character as Lucas intended. I am certain of that.

RB

 

i see the light in some places...dont get me wrong...but look at carrie fisher's leia. Shes a senator, moreso, one of the figureheads of the Rebel Alliance...therefore falling in love would be a problem moreso than Amidala, but at least she gives the character a human face.

I'll look at it this way to make myself feel better. Amidala has a depressive personality, she is very conservative, has ADD and always walks in a straight line for fear of stepping on cracks.

Bottom line, Natalie needs to kick it up for episode 3..shes gonna have some $h!t to deal with in that movie and if she is not convincing it could throw alot of movie's impact out the window.

I dont want to turn this into an arguement cause it is too opinionative.

 

So you want Fisher's melodramatic acting over Portman's subtle straight acting?

Well... to each his own.

RB

 

its not straight acting...its flat and boring...if you want that over excitement (the heart behind star wars)....

to each his own.

 

Padme is a senator, and playing a senator can be hard... as for Leia... we didn't see much of her as one... she's a princess... er atleast thats what luke and han and vader and others referred to her as... all we saw her was kicking butt. but anyways... back to Padme. im running out of things to say... I don't think its nat's fault. lucas probably...but... i don't care!! The OT had its flaws so..?? Ugh... Razor!!! help!!

 

haahaha.....I dont want to fight about it .....I love AOTC just as much as you do!

Its just an opinion...to tell you the truth..it doesnt even bother me that much. I just think she needs to show alot of emotion for episode 3 and should get on that..

Trust me..respect you guys, and always ask YOU for help when defending AOTC against bashers.

 

its not straight acting...its flat and boring

Your perception of it is flat and boring. The acting is straight and intentional. More important, it is what Lucas wanted.

The same goes for Anakin, Windu, that robot in the corner... etc etc etc.

RB

 

awww JBFett. thanx... but I do agree with you. I mean...ep3 is dark and dark and dark and its gonna have a lot of emotion in it too... and I mean A LOT. More than it had in AOTC. Save the Good Emotions for EP3!!! it'll be interesting to see what nat does with padme... lol...

 

well then.....everything is wrapped up in a neat little package.

 

That thats settled... now...anything else?? okay..I have one thing to add...or to say.. I don't see no one else as Padme... Nat was fine.

 

I'll agree with that,
I cant see another actress in her role. ESPECIALLY kirsten dunst.

 

One other thing... Lets not give up hopes. ep3 will come. and it'll be the last I hope hayden talks to her...and ewan.. too. lol anywho...what else do ya wanna talk about?? besides Natalie...

 

well.....I never give up hope in star wars...and look what it gave me AOTC...among the best! its my second fav with ANH...and that means my second favourite movie ever!

 

Actually, after seeing AOTC a few times, I'm convinced that the girl who played Dorme would have been a FAR better choice for Padme in the long run. The girl has basically one significant scene and a handful of minor ones, but even in that short span of screen time she shows that she's far more capable of emoting and breathing actual life into a character than Natalie Portman is.

Too many times, Natalie seems almost like she's a stand-in for another actress and is just reading lines while the rest of the actors ACT. Now... bear in mind that after having seen The Professional years back I was psyched to hear that Lucas had cast Natalie in the role of Luke's mother in the PT. Unfortunately, Natalie just seems bored with Star Wars, and has from the beginning. It's a bummer, because I know she's capable of much more.

Yes, the character is supposed to be all official and reserved in her capacity as Senator. But I'm sorry... when she's "off duty" and dealing with friends and a new lover, she needs to show some fire... some emotional hunger, even if it's just a little bit. The character of Leia was in a similar boat... bound by duty, always focusing on the Rebellion and what had to be done, playing the role of a leader. But when the sparks started flying between her and Han, there was suddenly a living, breathing, wanting person behind the cold mask, and when she kissed Han there was no question that she had it bad for the guy.

When Natalie kisses Hayden in AOTC, it just looks to me like she's doing it because somebody told her to.

Granted, the romantic dialogue is pretty bad in AOTC. But Hayden is at least trying his ass off to get something happening in those scenes. Natalie comes off like she's preoccupied with what brand of bottled water she's gonna have with her rice cake when the scene is over.

She's not a horrible actress... in fact, having seen her in other things I know she's a very GOOD actress when she wants to be. I just find her dull as old gravel in AOTC. Sure, she LOOKS good... but there's really no fire in her gut, even when the scene requires it.

 

...Her acting does suck.