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Comments 9

thingsunseen June 8 2005, 19:13:45 UTC
Orlando kickin' ass on the big screen is a wondrous thing.

Amen, sister! *g*

One thing that really got me this week was a blurb in Entertainment Weekly slamming Orlando's Balian and praising Russell Crowe's Maximus. Now, I love RC. I loved Gladiator. But KoH and Glad are TWO DIFFERENT MOVIES. Maximus was motivated by his quest for revenge. Balian was motivated by his quest for forgiveness. So for reviewers to keep harping on KoH as not being Gladiator-ish enough is (a) lazy, and (b) kinda stupid. It's like comparing Hamlet to Richard Gere's character in Pretty Woman. Hey, both characters are men whose fathers have died...close enough, right? :P *thumbs nose at lazy, snarky reviewers*

*looks around sheepishly*

Sorry.

*climbs off soapbox*

I'm glad you had a chance to see this wonderful movie again. :) *zips lip*

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brightstar61 June 9 2005, 00:47:56 UTC
You are so right...I am tired of those reviews, fed up to the back teeth with them. Orlando Owned Balian, as shriney said, and it would have been so wrong for him to have been stomping round, cursing God for his woes. I doubt I would have enjoyed it that way as much as I got into his introspective grief. I've seen it four times and would go again in a heartbeat. We're down to one session a day, at 1.50pm and the kids are out of school at 2.30. Hmm...maybe I'll leave Dad to keep them occupied on Saturday and treat myself to an afternoon at the movies ( ... )

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shrinetolust June 9 2005, 11:22:22 UTC
*giggles over your icon ( ... )

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shrinetolust June 9 2005, 11:11:29 UTC
heee...no need to climb off the soapbox, just make room for me!! That's funny, 'cause cruisedirector just told me that Russ himself praised Orli in EW recently, so that puts an interesting spin on things!! (It must be mentioned, of course, that Orli and Russ have the same publicist, but I can't imagine Russ being so transparently manipulated by PR into saying something he doesn't mean about another actor. He's never had a problem ripping into anyone, including Nicole Kidman...heh.)

I read an intelligent review that said that Orlando had a difficult task because he's playing someone whose big change is spiritual, and he has to play an earnest man of religion and be heroic in that way. He said it's a much harder sell to audiences who are used to Russ' Gladiator character just ripping people to shreds for revenge. I've said before that I think it says a lot about us as a society that people criticize a film where the main character's greatest moment was a surrender. They think nothing of the fact of how many lives he saved, on both sides. It's still ( ... )

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dissident_dream June 9 2005, 01:51:25 UTC
Hey - I'm new obviously so just wanted to say hello :)

Loved KOH probably a little too much as I saw it *cough* 4 times but I agree with your mini review about Orlando in the part. Its a shame that it didn't do as well as expected but I think in part thats got a lot to do with the magazines who kept slamming it as a poor immitation to Gladiator, when in fact the only common factor was Crowe, they probably never even saw it which is annoying.

Anyway just a quick ramble :)

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shrinetolust June 9 2005, 10:48:47 UTC
Hello, new person!! *rolls out red velvet carpet* You may have already seen it but I slobbered more extensively over KOH *here*!

I've seen it three times now and if it sticks around in the big theater or hits one of the smaller ones later I will try to see it again. The whole "Gladiator" comparison is verrrry frustrating, though I've just been told that Russell Crowe actually praised Orli's performance in KOH so Ha! to the critics who said Orli didn't measure up (so ludicrous, anyway, since they're *completely* different films. May as well compare Orli to Demi in G.I. Jane, then...I mean, please! Argh). Granted, Orli and Russ have the same publicist...hee...but I'm not sure how well PR people can manipulate Russ so I'd tend to fall on the side that he meant it.

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dissident_dream June 9 2005, 13:42:33 UTC
Just off to look now!

Half the time I just think reporters follow a trend and don't think for themselves so if the 'in thing' is to say Orli is too weak or whatever to be the leading man then thats what they will say.
I have read a few favourable reviews though, I just hope that it makes up the money in dvd sales.

Yes I heard that Russ said that and I don't think anyone could manipulate him into saying anything he didn't want to which is a good thing - he's suddenly gone up in my estimation!

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piperbelle June 9 2005, 03:01:25 UTC
Have I mentioned to anyone lately how much I LOVE Orlando?

Why yes! *g*

I love him to : )

And just for the record, I am in my 30's. I don't like when reporters insinuate he has only young teenybopper fans. I believe he has many 'older' fans as well. To downlaod an adorable interview where the female reporter (and the camera woman and male reporter to) squees all over him go here: http://www.ka-bloom.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=11185&st=0&#entry337018

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shrinetolust June 9 2005, 10:42:42 UTC
heee...so I *have* mentioned it. Prolly why there're so few comments on this post. "Oh there she is again, slobbering all over Orlando...*sigh*"...hee. My poor flist. :P ( ... )

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