Loving and Hating

There are movie actors I would watch in absolutely anything, and there are actors that make me reluctant to see the film even if I find the idea or trailer very interesting -- and isn't everybody like that? Sometimes you can explain it, but I'll bet that mostly you can't quite put your finger on what draws you to -- or far, far away from -- any particular actor.

 

I just found an interesting article from a movie-goer who has mixed feelings about Russell Crowe. I understand this sentiment, because I think Crowe's performances have run the gamut between extraordinary (The Insider) to overblown (Proof of Life), sweetly humble (Mystery, Alaska) to uncomfortably sentimental (A Beautiful Mind), and then there's the brooding (L.A. Confidential) and the buffness (Gladiator) in between. No doubt: Crowe varies his work, which is a plus. And lately his projects -- 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster -- have been, in my opinion, moving in a good direction, more to his strengths. Crowe would fit into the category, for me, of an actor I have mixed but mainly positive feelings about.

And sometimes feelings can change: you could find yourself warming to an actor you'd previously avoided, or turn chilly toward someone you used to love. Sometimes it only takes one little thing -- a poorly chosen role here, an unexpected turn there -- to turn you off, or on. Does this sound like anything else in life? At the heart of this is the idea: aren't we all basically in a relationship with actors?

Who are the actors you would dig change out of your coach to buy a ticket to see? Which actors make you refuse to see a movie? And can you explain why?

--Anna Bengel