Get To Know a Benicio: Part 1
Get To Know A Benicio: Part 1
By Iris K./sleepall_day
I love werewolf movies, so when I first heard that the old 1941 The Wolf Man was going to be remade, I was very excited. Then, I remembered Benicio Del Toro: as the new Lawrence Talbot, my opinion of him, which at the time was limited to the coolness of his name, would inevitably change. My lack of opinion wasn't because he was unremarkable, but because I had such little exposure to him in the past. As the Febuary 12 release approached, I had an inkling that after I saw The Wolfman, I was just going to end up loving Benicio. I suddenly thought, why not get a head start? Starting Febuary 1st, that gave me a mere eleven days to watch as many of his movies as possible and embark on what I referred to as "The Benicio Del Toro Crash Course."
And what did I learn? I came away with the newfound knowledge that this man is beautiful, talented, full of surprises, and picked his roles well. He may not be conventionally beautiful to some, but a friend of mine put it so well: "There's just something about him..." Whatever it is, it worked on me. In the midst of the Crash Course, I even saw him in person. I was so enthralled that I just had to share the work of the amazing Benicio Del Toro with you guys.
It's a two-parter, with mini-reviews of each film in the order that I saw them, with an emphasis on Benicio's performance. I wished I could give some of these films a much more in-depth review, but due to the sheer number of movies I watched, I had to keep each one down to a snippet. If you would like to discuss any of the films further, however, feel free to leave a comment! I'd be happy to answer any questions or just talk!
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
One of the things I found most impressive about this film is that Benicio said that very little was improvised - "maybe a line, or a word or two." Just watch some of the really drugged-up scenes! They're wild, and Johnny and Benicio both look like they're just going crazy, when in fact, they say every word that was written. I felt a little embarassed at the end of the film about just how little I knew about the background of this movie -- I was vaguely aware that this was based on a book, but it came as a surprise to me that Johnny Depp's character Raoul Duke was the pen name of author Hunter S. Thompson, and only partly fictional. Benicio Del Toro's, Dr. Gonzo, was a persona based on Oscar Zeta Acosta, a great friend of Thompson's who mysteriously disappeared. (That sounded like fiction to me, and made the world of Hunter S. Thompson all the more intriguing.) This meant that Johnny Depp was allowed complete access to Thompson to learn his mannerisms and patterns of speech, while Benicio had to rely on secondhand accounts of what Acosta had been like.
The wonderful line at the end about Dr. Gonzo, "too weird to live, too rare to die" really struck me after learning a little more about this movie. I got the take-home message that the book by Thompson was in part to remember the friendship between him and Acosta. If this is one of the first movies that you watch that doesn't have a clear "point" to it -- great! You don't always have to have a clear conflict, or a good guy and a bad guy, to enjoy a movie. Sometimes you can simply immerse yourself in the atmosphere that it gives to you. I loved that it opened up my eyes to so many things - do a little bit of reading on Gonzo journalism, Ralph Steadman (Thompson's illustrator and close friend) or any of Hunter S. Thompson's other works if this movie interested you. But you don't have to if you don't want - you could just take the movie by itself and still have a good time!
Benicio screen time: High
Excess Baggage (1997)
It's honestly difficult for me to review this movie in a proper, unbiased manner. When I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a friend of mine told me "neither Benicio nor Johnny Depp are attractive in it, but both are wonderful." She was quite right, but then I watched Excess Baggage immediately following that. That might have been a mistake, and quite possibly the worst order in which to see Benicio's movies. I was not at all prepared for how gorgeous and charming he was going to be in this, so it hit me full-force, totally unexpectedly. This man is beautiful!
With a simple plot and characters, most actors would do just fine playing "themselves" in this and get away with it. It is essentially a romantic comedy and many leads in such movies are probably not too far removed from their own personalities. Benicio, however, never phones it in, and creates a whole new personality for his character Vincent. Big, furious hand gestures are his thing here, and a rather adorable accent that he never drops once in the entire film.
All in all, despite my bias, I will say that it's a very cute and funny movie that most people would probably be entertained by. I saw it with my best friend who said that Alicia Silverstone was "annoying" and that Benicio "looked weird" (because he was probably incredibly jealous of his good looks) but even he had a good time and had a few laughs! If you grew up in the '90s, too, it will definitely serve as a good hour-and-a-half of nostalgia, what with all the Dave Matthews Band, the fashion, and the fact that everybody had to rely on landline telephones!
Benicio screen time: High
The Hunted (2003)
This is an action movie, and it does well what it's supposed to do well - chase sequences, one-on-one fighting, and a single man eluding capture from dozens of armed officers. It's really easy to just turn your brain off for an hour and a half and enjoy the show. If that's what you're in the mood for, I don't think this movie will disappoint.
I found myself a little frustrated at the conclusion of this movie. The plot is interesting enough to hook you in, and the action sequences exciting to watch, but something still falls a little flat. You get enough of a feel for why Benicio's character, Aaron, behaved the way he did, but not much is exploration is done with him or Jones as LT. They tried to draw a parallel to the Bibical story of Abraham and his son -- but how was that going to work if we never felt an emotional connection between the LT and Aaron characters?
For an older man, Tommy Lee Jones was impressive in his fight scenes, and Benicio never held back, either. Those were well done, especially the knife fighting, which was made to be accurate as possible. The minimal use of music in some of the fight scenes adds to their realism. Even though this wasn't too commercially successful, I'm glad Benicio took on this project, because this is a side of him we rarely get to see. He was in great shape, looked athletic, and delivered on the fighting. By playing this role, he showed us that he is absolutely capable of taking the lead in an action or thriller movie that requires a lot of physicality. I really hope we get to see more of that in the future.
Also, I first noticed in this movie that Benicio has a "talking to children" voice. It changes just a little bit like a lot of other people's do when he's interacting with little kids. It's actually quite adorable and shows up again later in the Crash Course...
Benicio screen time: High
The Usual Suspects (1995)
The thing about Benicio Del Toro in this movie is: it's so much fun to see this guy having a good time. The movie is so old now that I don't feel bad "spoiling" this, but he dies in it. The reason I don't feel bad for spoiling is that he dies rather early on, and this, in fact, is the purpose his character Fenster serves - to show the other characters that something has gone wrong. Because of that, Benicio says that when he read the script, he felt that since everything spirals after that death, nothing Fenster says really matters! So, "does it really matter what I do?"
Here's what Matt Damon had to say about Benicio's performance: "He's killed early into the movie and he probably has, like, nine lines. But I found it the most memorable performance of 1995. The guy just goes out and thinks, 'No one's gonna understand what I'm doing except for me, but I'm a f***ing genius.' "
Okay, it's more than nine lines, really. But essentially, Matt Damon is very correct - this is a wonderful example of Benicio's work because he turned a throwaway character into someone that everyone remembers after seeing this film. It's a totally genius, unique performance that all came directly from Benicio himself - the slurred, mumbling speech was never a part of the script.
This is a movie that everyone should see. The image on the poster of five men standing in a lineup in front of a height chart is so iconic and immediately recognizable and, backed by its clever and original story, likely will be for generations to come.
Benicio screen time: Low to medium
Traffic (2000)
What I liked best about Benicio's role was that it felt so real and natural. How often do you see words like "emotionally charged" to describe award-winning performances? I don't dislike that sort of acting, nor am I trying to say that they feel fake because I called Benicio in this movie "real and natural." However, this Oscar-winning performance for Best Supporting Actor showed us that you don't necessarily need to be flashy, fake a handicap, or shout and cry the whole time. This is acting at its finest, in a movie that I believe showcases filmmaking at its very best.
Benicio's heroic character Javier Rodriguez does go through a lot of hardship and struggle, and while the emotion may not be displayed in tears and screaming, it's still clear and obvious. Gone is the wild hand-waving and gesturing from Excess Baggage and the wide smirks from The Usual Suspects. Warm, sympathetic eyes replace the hardened, cold stare he bore in The Hunted. Here, Benicio gives us a stunning performance through his facial expressions, much of it rather subtle. He and Don Cheadle, who was also excellent, really gave this movie the extra layer that made me go from liking to loving this.
With the huge cast that this movie boasts, it's surprising that for me, there wasn't a weak link. At first, I wasn't so sure about Topher Grace -- his face and voice are kind of comical and I couldn't quite take him seriously. But even he really got to me, and the way he delivered some of my favorite lines during his interactions with Michael Douglas was incredible. He was only a minor character, and even he was great. As leads, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Dennis Quaid all give solid performances. They each made you care about the separate storylines that you follow throughout the movie.
The final scene resonates so powerfully with me. No words are necessary, and no sweeping, orchestral score. Just calm, soothing music and an ordinary evening. The utter simplicity of this scene is beautiful to me. It is quiet, unassuming, and peaceful, just like Benicio's Javier as he sits unnoticed in the stands of a playing field with the private knowledge of how much he had to contribute and sacrifice for that moment. Maybe I just haven't watched enough movies, but this scene is just honestly one of the most poignant that I've seen in recent memory.
Benicio screen time: High
21 Grams (2003)
I heard so much about this movie -- mostly that it was terribly depressing. I think I tend to avoid depressing movies, so I deliberately never watched this in the past. I think I was even dreading coming to it in the Benicio Crash Course, but I just decided to go for it. Well, it was incredibly depressing, and yet when I was finished with the movie, I was a lot less down than I thought I would be. I think it was because they wrapped up the stories in a way that I felt made a lot of sense, and worked really well for the characters. I feel like the fate of each character was necessary and appropriate, the best way to leave our glimpses of their lives.
Be warned that this movie is not shown in chronological order -- I found it easy to follow, but I think I was just highly alert on lots of coffee. I can very well see how this movie would be confusing. The timeline jumps around the whole time, but conveniently, Naomi Watts is either doing okay or in near-hysterics so you can tell if she is "before the accident" or "after the accident", Sean Penn is sickly or not-so-sick. And as for Benicio? Well, his hair length changes. I don't think this film would have had as much of an impact if told in a linear way though -- the choppy storytelling shows you only bits and pieces at first and then unravels more puzzle pieces as you continue. Doing so makes certain revelations about the story even more jarring. There are no "twists," but due to the nature of the jumping timeline, there was a part where I was surprised by what happened and mistaken in what I thought was going to happen.
Benicio's portrayal of Jack Jordan's despair was heartbreaking, and earned him his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. (Oh, and his talking-to-childen voice reappears, although it's a little dulled by his depression.) Naomi Watts was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role here, and it's easy to see why - she performed so well that some of her scenes are almost painful or disturbing to watch.
I found myself surprised by how much I loved this movie. I don't believe that this was the main theme, but the one that I liked the best was the way it addressed fate: how many little things and pieces have to fall into place in exactly the right way for two, three people to meet? If a particular event had never happened, one person may never have fallen in love with another. This, along with the other themes of guilt, revenge, and loss, definitely leaves you thinking after the movie is over.
Benicio screen time: High
The Fan (1996)
As a die-hard baseball fan, this movie really creeped me out. I also think that this movie has to be every Major Leaguer's nightmare. (No, it isn't a horror movie, but rather more of a thriller/drama.) That's because Robert De Niro gives such a perfect performance as an crazy baseball fan, whose obsession takes him way too far. As insane as he was, the worst part about Robert De Niro's character was just how scarily real he was. When you go to as many baseball games as I do - or, really, even just a few! - you can and will encounter fans like him. Well, at least, the way he was in the beginning and middle!
I don't think I've seen Wesley Snipes in anything but Blade before this, so I didn't know much about his work. He really impressed me here though - he was perfectly cast and very believable as a famous athlete. A big-shot All-Star player, but still a decent person at heart, he played his character with a good blend of humility and haughtiness at the same time.
Next to Excess Baggage this is probably the most difficult film for me to tell you about fairly. I'm a huge fan of Major League Baseball, so seeing Benicio Del Toro in an MLB uniform, hitting several home runs and doing a home run trot was almost too much to take in at once. That combination was so perfect for me, I was overcome with emotion.
Benicio screen time: Low to medium
Sin City (2005)
It's all about the film noir/comic book style that they managed to very successfully bring to the big screen here. I have read some of the Sin City comic books, and the feel of this movie very well echoed them. It's a bit gory at times, so, not for everyone. If you can stand that sort of thing it's definitely worth checking out, even if you're not a comic book fan. The dark and moody soundtrack captures the feel of the comic book well, and with such a huge cast of characters I'm sure that there's going to be someone you're a fan of in it!
The noir dialogue sounds strange and clunky coming from some of the actors, but a lot more natural from Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, and Jessica Alba. Brittany Murphy fits easily into this atmosphere, too. Benicio has a weird fake nose in this movie and does not look like himself, and doesn't sound too much like himself, either! He uses a rumbly, low voice that still has hints of his own accent underneath it. All that really let him disappear into that role of Jackie Boy, bringing a great touch of creepy to that segment of the movie.
Benicio screen time: Low
Licence to Kill (1989)
I'm by no means well-versed in James Bond movies. I've seen a few of Sean Connery's and Pierce Brosnan's, as well as the two new ones starring Daniel Craig. As someone who hasn't seen too many 007 films, I tentatively say that Licence To Kill is rather "standard issue." There are gadgets provided by Q, beautiful women, Bond sleeping with said women, bad guys with pets and henchmen, and terrible puns about the way people died. It doesn't particularly stand out as a good movie, but for James Bond, it certainly does its job.
This was the first Bond film I saw with Timothy Dalton, and I was very pleased with him. I guess I grew up on the Brosnan films and even though he may not be the favorite of most, to me he looks like James Bond even if he's not the best one to play him. But after seeing this, I can now definitely see a lot of him in Tim Dalton, too. He's suave, good looking in a clean-cut way, and can handle the action scenes.
Benicio has told the story of how he got this role. The producer asked him "How much do you weigh? How tall are you?" Benicio answered him. The guy reflected for a second, nodded, and said, "You got the part." The funny thing about Benicio in this movie is -- look at him! He was only 21 years old when he filmed this, and to date, he still is the youngest person ever to have played a Bond villain. (I not-so-secretly hope it stays that way, to keep him special.)
Benicio screen time: Low
It's not unusual to feel a connection with an actor we come to appreciate. First your eyes are opened to their talent and attractiveness, and then you settle into a sort of familiarility with them as you get to see their various roles. I'm really happy to have found Benicio Del Toro -- he showed me so many different sides of him, and I realized what a cool guy he is, with a genuine talent for storytelling and a strange, compelling beauty.
And you, too, could have this rewarding experience! From here, we'll take an intermission, but I'll be back in a week to take you through the rest of the journey.
all screencaps by me.