Hey everybody, and welcome to Collaboration Week! This week I’ll be checking out the best director/actor collaborations of all time. (Not in any order.) The requirements are that the pair must have collaborated on at least three films, not in a series. So let’s get the ball rolling, with director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington.
Come November, Scott and Washington will have collaborated on five movies, them being Crimson Tide, Man On Fire, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, and Unstoppable. I obviously have not seen Unstoppable, as it has yet to be released. I have seen half of Crimson Tide, and the other three I have seen in their entirety multiple times.
One reason that this duo is so dynamic is that there is tremendous individual talent from both parties. Washington holds a Best Actor Oscar for Training Day. Scott, though never honored by the Academy, has created a unique visual style for is movies that is often imitated, though never duplicated.
Each part of the partnership was already an established name in Hollywood when they started working together. (Denzel less so.) So like any superstar tag-team, there is the worry that one may try to upstage the other. But in all of their films together, it always seems as though Denzel fits perfectly into every shot, while still commanding the attention of the viewer. What I’m trying to say is that each of them showcase their skills brilliantly without detracting from the performance of the other.
Man On Fire is easily in my top twenty films of all time, perhaps cracking the top ten, depending on my mood. That film to me represents a perfect combination of a superb dramatic performance with a spectacular visual experience that overwhelms you with both its beauty and power. (It’s also Dakota Fanning’s best performance, but that’s beside the point.) The point is that when these two powerhouses meet, you know that you’re in for one heck of a movie. And that’s why this collaboration is in my top five.
Until next time,
Harry
Come November, Scott and Washington will have collaborated on five movies, them being Crimson Tide, Man On Fire, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, and Unstoppable. I obviously have not seen Unstoppable, as it has yet to be released. I have seen half of Crimson Tide, and the other three I have seen in their entirety multiple times.
One reason that this duo is so dynamic is that there is tremendous individual talent from both parties. Washington holds a Best Actor Oscar for Training Day. Scott, though never honored by the Academy, has created a unique visual style for is movies that is often imitated, though never duplicated.
Each part of the partnership was already an established name in Hollywood when they started working together. (Denzel less so.) So like any superstar tag-team, there is the worry that one may try to upstage the other. But in all of their films together, it always seems as though Denzel fits perfectly into every shot, while still commanding the attention of the viewer. What I’m trying to say is that each of them showcase their skills brilliantly without detracting from the performance of the other.
Man On Fire is easily in my top twenty films of all time, perhaps cracking the top ten, depending on my mood. That film to me represents a perfect combination of a superb dramatic performance with a spectacular visual experience that overwhelms you with both its beauty and power. (It’s also Dakota Fanning’s best performance, but that’s beside the point.) The point is that when these two powerhouses meet, you know that you’re in for one heck of a movie. And that’s why this collaboration is in my top five.
Until next time,
Harry
No comments:
Post a Comment