Who I Love Right Now

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS

Said it before and I'll say it again - just watched Martin Scorcese's The Age of Innocence (though I watched it on youtube, which can't be a fair representation of his work) and Daniel Day-Lewis rocked in it!!! Honestly, the man rocks in everything he does because he is one of the best actors of his generation, goes completely method, living-in-the-part for every single one of his roles, and chooses characters carefully, on average only making one film every 2 years.

So why am I gushing about his now instead of 6 months ago when he won every conceivable acting award for his performance in There Will Be Blood and accepted them all with unparalleled graciousness (even giving George Clooney a kiss on the head at the Oscars)? Because I recently watched, and remembered, how much I freaking love him in Last of the Mohicans, a movie I can't believe didn't make my top 100 (and will need to be rectified immediately). I also watched My Beautiful Laundrette (also on youtube), one of the two films responsible for announcing his arrival on the scene in 1985. And of course, The Age of Innocence (have I mentioned that yet?) And watching all of these films within a 7-day period really drives home what an amazing actor he is. Each of these characters has a completely different accent, physicality, and emotional bearing, and yet they were all portrayed flawlessly. Freaking love this man! (And did you know he is married to Rebecca Miller, daughter of playwright Arthur Miller, whom he met when he starred in an adaptation of her father's play The Crucible in 1996? These are the things to know!)


JOHNNY DEPP

Yes, it's a twofer this time (look for that again in "What I Love Right Now", coming next week!) But just as I have rediscovered Daniel Day-Lewis by watching some of his older work, I also rediscovered Johnny Depp by watching Benny & Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Edward Scissorhands all on the same day. It was a work out. The truth is, I watch the majority of these films for the commentaries (another thing I love right now) but then rewatched the films without the commentaries immediately after because I had forgotten how much I love them. Benny & Joon especially I hadn't watched in years. It's one of Depp's best performances actually, and he precisely imitates an entire range of Buster Keaton gags, yet makes it his own without the character's emotional truth having to rest on these physical expressions. He's just so vulnerable and lovably odd in this movie. And to follow that with his wonderfully nuanced, ordinary, (and again, vulnerable), portrayal of Gilbert was very impressive. Also one of the best actors of his generation, it's not like this is news to anyone - everyone knows Depp is a great actor who specializes in oddballs - but it is fun to go back and rediscover an actor's work.