Natalie Portman was a fine actor in AOTC, BUT....

....Her voice completely killed her performance.

It was fine to her in TPM because she was only supposed to be 14, but there were many times in AOTC where she sounded like a 20 year old American girl in the GFFA. That Senator business requires a bit more gravity. Carrie Fisher pulled that off quite well in the OT.

Now, I know a lot of people like to rag on the dialogue, but there is a way to make that work and she never really got it.

Ben Burtt should have dropped her voice a few octaves like he did in TPM.

 

I didn't know Burtt edited her voice in TPM. As far as I know, Natalie simply deepened her own voice when playing the Queen - listen to her speak in-character on the "The Beginning" documentary. I think it's simply that Padme uses a deeper voice when she is the Queen, but her own voice the rest of the time.

 

It's easy for Fisher, because she's an alto. LOW alto. Natalie is a soprano. Even so, I think Natalie does a good job sounding like a senator in the scenes where she's working as a senator. Most of her scenes, though, are private moments with Anakin, which is why we mostly hear her talk with a more casual voice.
In AOTC, we get to see more of what she's like as a person. I like it the way it is.

 

Hmm...

Not only was she one of the many talented actors in Episode II (pretty much everyone excluding Hayden Christenson of course), but her voice was eloquent and fitting. She saved just about every single scene between her and Anakin. I like the tone she used even if it wasn't QUITE loud enough. She was very soft (and hard on some places on her body) and supple and motherly and beautiful. I think the reason she was just a LITTLE soft-spoken was because she was supposed to be portrayed (at times) as a compassionate care-giver to lil' Ani.

 

I agree, her voice was her weakness during AotC. Her mannerisms were fine.

 

"Natalie is a soprano"

She is involved with the mafia.

 

deleted senate scene:

padme:wake up senators... that was laughable.

 

Yeah before seeing the deleted scenes I was angry that "Padme Adresses the Senate" was not included in the movie immediately following "Return to Naboo." But when I actually saw the deleted scene, I was relieved it was not included in the movie. She came across very immature and stiff in that scene.

 

Not only was she one of the many talented actors in Episode II (pretty much everyone excluding Hayden Christenson of course)

Please don't put words in my mouth

 

Hayden did just fine. *rolleyes.gif*

I personally rather disliked Natalie at first...then I started paying attention to her body language a viewing or two ago, and she became much better. Watch the ways she stands and moves, it adds volumes to what she's saying.

 

She came across very immature and stiff in that scene.

I guess you don't know many adults. She was wonderful in that scene. It didn't need to be in the movie, though, so I don't want it back.

Watch the ways she stands and moves, it adds volumes to what she's saying.

That's what watching movies is about. You can't just sit there and listen to the voices, expecting to hear a radio drama.

 

I thought Natalie did a good job in TPM, but a terrible job in AOTC.

Ciao!

 

I can intellectually accept why some people don't like Natalie Portman's performance in "Attack of the Clones", but there is more there than people have seen, and so therefore I must categorically disagree. Let's consider a few of the principle actors: Hayden Christensen, despite what others may choose to believe, gives the best performance in the film - his character is the richest, deepest, and most conflicted of any in "Clones", and Christensen plays it beautifully; Ewan McGregor is focused and commanding as Obi-Wan Kenobi - he channels Alec Guiness perfectly; Ian McDiarmid is excellent as usual - despite his 'small' role, notice how he quietly nibbles on the edges of the scenery, without ever allowing himself the indulgence of a large bite; ultimately, while she has what could be considered a more thankless role, Portman is the heart of the picture. Her voice, while not as deep as Carrie Fisher's (smoking), is gentle and seductive in a way which conforms not only to her declarative verbiage, but is suggestive of a sensual being trapped within her more civic duties. We understand, apart from her physical attractiveness, why Anakin would be in love with her. One of the main issues that gets overlooked with Portman's character is that she, like Anakin, is essentially a child trapped in an adult body. Padme is obviously more mature than Anakin, but when considering their respective maturity as it pertains to matters of love, they are essentially (yet not quite) on even terms. Yes, Padme had a fling with some guy named Paolo. But let us just say, for the sake of argument, that she is inexperienced. What Portman is able to do here is successfully negotiate the more tremulous aspects of Padme's jejeune interior, with the assertive, formal qualities which define her external presence. As we watch her struggle with the conflict concerning her wish to give in to Anakin's advances, Portman convinces us that her character contains such complexities, in way that is both understated and elegant. That quality, which is more abstract, rests specifically in her eyes and in her voice.

 

She's got a good shot at a BSA Oscar. I don't think either actor messed up the love story and if they did it was more Hayden than Natalie. I always hate how I can barely hear her when she says "I've been every day since you came back into my life."

 

soft voice = confession of feelings she's not suppose to have; an acknowledgement of willingly heading into deep water - she's not going to shout it out. it's a private, intimate moment.

 

i thought both hayden and natalie were awful in their scenes together. the acting/dialogue in that dark room on naboo was terrible on both sides, and when they're like "i'm not afraid to die". everything sounded so forced.

In the PM, liam neeson was great, and ewan was great in AOTC.

we all know the best actor is the guy who plays jar-jar...oscar worthy.

 

I never really paid any attention to Natalie's acting, but now that it's been mentioned, I'd say she did a fair job despite the "wonderful" dialogue they forced out of her mouth. Her voice was fine though, although it had a very Earthly tone to it, unlike Carrie Fisher's who had a voice MADE for Star Wars, but I can let it pass. But I did notice something about the voice deepening process. If you watch the official trailer of TPM, exactly where she says "I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war", and compare it to the same line on tape or DVD, you're gonna find that it's noticably deeper than in the trailer.

The other actors in the movie were good, especially Ewan and Ian, but as for Anakin I'm not quite sure if I hate Hayden or his character or George Lucas, I just know there's something about him that I hate. And Dooku is still a mystery to me so I can't really judge the actor's performance. But he was definetely not bad.

 

appmaster, i promise you that dooku (christopher lee) is the most skilled actor to ever work with george lucas. historically, he has more screen credits than any other actor, living or dead. the fact that he's 81 may help that along.

he's starred as dracula in more movies than bela lugosi and is probably the most famous screen villain ever.

 

Lee did a great job as the charismatic Dooku and sinister Tyranus.

 

and we're not biased because we have saruman/dooku icons...

EDIT: emoticon

 

Perhaps you're right, but somehow I felt his role did not really show off his acting talent, or maybe his character was just so complex that it was hard to make out exactly who he is. Either way, it's George Lucas's fault.

But anyways he did play Saruman and that showed him off a bit, so I agree about him being a good actor.

 

i just don't think his role was large enough to showcase his talent.

 

He was introduced pretty late in the movie, just adding to his mysterious character. But his appearances are great, whether he feigns sadness over Qui-Gon's death (thus confusing Obi-Wan about his motives) or is incredibly smug when Mace confronts him.

EDIT: Of course I'm not biased.

 

Yes I agree Christopher Lee was the best actor in AOTC. I think Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman tie for second. Hayden shouldn't even get recognized, coming in at last place.

Yes Lars_Maul, I do know a lot of adults. In fact I know several politicians and I know they don't give speaches hunched over in a very demanding tone: "WAKE UP...YOU MUST WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!" The dialogue in that scene was rough; I'm trying to remember the exact quotes:

"Vote DOWN this ammendment, which is little more than starting a war" or something stupid like that.

I think her voice rapidly fluctuates from LOUD AND DEMANDING to soft and inaudible in that scene.

 

i don't think that christopher lee was necessarily the best actor, as his role was too small, but that he's the best actor that GL has worked with in general. ewan did a superb job and so did mcdiarmid (sp?). lee was great despite the small role he played, no contesting that.

about natalie portman...

i wonder if people are forgiving her terrible dialogue in the anakin/padme scenes just because she's natalie portman.