Rest in peace James Gandolfini

The man who gave us hours and hours of joy and happiness while we watched him invent the most compelling characters,the virtuoso who created the master-role Anthony Soprano,has passed way.

For years,there was nothing more important for me than the chance of enjoying the television art in its purest form,"The Sopranos".

And James Gandolfini was the center of  that magical world,the blaze that enlightened everyone around him.

He was and always will be,the actor who created the best character ever seen on television.

There was no doubt about his Soprano,ever,there was no hesitation,holding back,calculation or cajoling the audiences.And it wasn't easy since the character was so complex,so intricate,so profound ,that it took a master to create it.And Gandolfini proved to be a master,not only as Tony Soprano but also in every other character he portrayed in his successful and exigent career.

He was an excellent artist,his emotional range was very ample,he could be cruel or tender,omnipotent or a failure,passionate lover or endearing father,even his physical appearance did not limit his range of roles.His characters had all the human dimensions,from the best to the worst and even when they committed heinous acts,we couldn't stop loving them,due to Gandolfini's special magic.

The complexity of his most famous role was overwhelming,but Gandolfini never failed.Besides his acting skill,he had unbelievable strength of character and discipline that made the creation of Anthony Soprano so poignant.

Among many of the other  roles he played,my personal favourites are "In the Loop" and "Cinema verite".

"In the Loop" is a great smart movie and Gandolfini was excellent,he was funny and obnoxious as needed.In "Cinema verite" I liked something else about him,the great chemistry he shared with Diane Lane.
In every role he played  he had guts,he had heart and he had brains.His charisma and inner strength were incomparable and made him a legend.

And after seeing "Enough said" where he showed something completely different,a messy vulnerable middle aged man who can break Your heart in an instant,I could only sincerely say that he was one of the greatest actors I have ever had the privilege of watching.

His generosity and search for perfection made all his partners strive to be better and they all reached an  unimaginable level of acting skill and magic.

His creations set the highest standards for generations to come and  in 100 years from now,everyone will still admire the brilliant James Gandolfini as Anthony Soprano.He made history and all of us who were lucky enough to participate in it will be forever grateful.

So R.I.P.dear James and thank You for all the joy You brought us.

Expats in Hollywood:the best and the rest part I

Hollywood is swarming with expat actors these days.Movies,television,they are everywhere,they are hot,they are talented,they win many awards,so what is their secret?

Honestly, I don't know but I like the American generosity.They are good hosts even when they lose to their guests.So here are my favourite expats in Hollywood in random order,without the ones I already admired in my blogs.

1.Hugh Jackman,not only great actor and a nice man,he was also one of the best Oscar hosts ever

2.Mads Mikkelsen,powerful actor,especially in his Danish movies

3.Guy Pearce,brilliant but seriously underrated

4.Aaron Taylor Johnson,one of the best young actors in the world,with a few regrettable career choices

5.Demian Bichir,everyone should see him in "A Better Life"

6.Tom Hardy,another must-see in "Warrior",relentless

7.Idris Elba,grand in every one of his roles but needs to choose them more wisely

8.Ben Whishaw,excellent actor, underrated

9.Benicio Del Toro,great career

10.Jean Dujardin,even though I don't like any of his French movies,he was flawless in "The Artist"

11.Joel Edgerton,excellent in "Warrior" and surprising in "The Great Gatsby"

12.Colin Farrell -  magnificent performances in "Tigerland" and "In Bruges"

Game of Thrones : the dreamy casting

Casting directors are those lucky people who get to make the first choice of talents for a certain movie or tv project.Following the director's ideas and wishes,they have to look among hundreds of interesting talented artists and present their selection to directors and producers.

Every acting star is the result of the hard work that casting directors put into their selections .They must have many skills,perfect knowledge of talent's real capabilities,instinct,good eye,curiosity,passion about actors and a true sense of diplomacy to successfully navigate through minefields of directors,producers and agents.

They are coveted by agents,revered by actors, generally appreciated by directors and always underestimated by general public.

Casting creations can be masterpieces or sometimes horrible messes but in the end,they have to put their names on the credits and bear the consequences regardless of the tedious compromises they might had to endure.

There are some great casting directors around the world,let me mention a few of my favorites: Sheila Jaffe,Juliet Taylor,Joyce Nettles,Bernard Telsey,Frank and Nualla Moiselle,Gail Stevens,Beatrice Kruger,Nina Gold,Markus Schleinzer.

And when they get it right,You can see see a cast as magnificent as in "The Game of Thrones",casting directors Nina Gold and Robert Sterne.

Every role was perfect in itself and every entity homogeneous.There is no doubt that the Starks or the Lannisters are family,there is no asking why some couples are passionate about each other.Their attraction is palpable,their physical appearance flawless for their roles.When you like them,you are crazy about them and when you don't, you simply want to kill them.They are magical,irresistible,scary and odious and it is definitely the best acting ensemble seen in years.

There was no gaffe in that vast group of completely different people,they have reached every goal that a series of such importance asks for:

- a brilliant mix of newcomers and respectable names
- fantastic character actors
- consistency of every group,no disparities in couples or families
- no discrepancy in talent,not one inadequate actor in a significant role

And among so many perfectly chosen roles,here are my personal preferences:

Peter Dinklage,of course,brilliant actor,Emmy award winner

Charles Dance,a fantastic Tywin Lannister

Gwendoline Christie, the surprising Brienne of Tarth

Jerome Flynn, the insolent Bronn

Kate Dickie,a really weird Lysa Arryn

Emilia Clarke,the adorable Khaleesi

Nikolaj Coster Waldau,the irresisstible Jamie Lannister









Iwan Rheon,the brilliantly monstruous Ramsay Snow




John Bradley,the endearing Samwell Tarley

Henry Cavill : the perfect career move

I have seen Henry Cavill for the first time in  "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries", a solid British crime series.He was a beautiful kid,cocky and funny and he seemed interesting enough for me to continue following his career.

A few roles later,he became quite popular starring opposite a brilliantly maniacal Jonathan Rhys Meyers in "The Tudors".
The series was a feast for casting fans like myself with many interesting new faces,perfectly homogeneous cast and some striking roles.

Cavill was irresistible as Charles Brandon, he is a tall strong man,extremely good looking and at ease in his skin.His calm appearance was a welcoming break from Meyer's constant neurosis,he was very comfortable in many love scenes he had and all in all he did a very good job.

He is very sparing with his movements,it seems as if he knows less is more when one has great looks as he does.Nothing is exaggerated in his physical appearance,he is a self assured guy who knows how to play his assets.As different as they are,Rhys Meyers and Cavill make a good couple,covering for each other's flaws.

The roles he chose after "The Tudors" were eclectic,to say the least.Only one of them is worth mentioning and that is Woody Allen's "Whatever works".
His ease with his female partners was very obvious again,he seems a really nice and caring guy and Evan Rachel Wood was a great partner.There is a light in him that shines very brightly when his characters are in happy and relaxed situations and that is the mood that suits him the best.And he is discreetly funny,so I think comedies might prove to be a great genre for him.

For his sake I have endured a really terrible action movie "The Cold Light of Day" ( God how much money is spent every single day on really really bad movies???).Again,Cavill looks great,a bit older,with a curious haircut but still a beautiful guy.
He couldn't do much since the movie was awful but he was excused for all his shortcomings when I saw two superstars, Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver stumbling at his side.

And then he made a brilliant move,becoming Superman.
He has everything that the role needs: looks,vulnerability,decency and courage.

Like Tom Welling on tv,he might become a superstar through Clark Kent and I think this was the perfect career choice for him.Instead of enduring dozens of predictable action movies and risking many questionable roles,Cavill made a smart decision and it is a life time opportunity for this young actor.

He is lucky to work with extraordinary actors like Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon, and Amy Adams with her gentle beauty and amazing talent is a perfect partner.They are also very generous co-stars and if he is smart as I think he is, he will learn a lot from them.

And let's not forget that Clark Kent is a franchise that could make him a true super star.He deserves it and I hope he ll know how to use this fantastic chance prudently.

The Greatest: Meryl Streep and Daniel Day Lewis

Regardless of their technique,extensive preparation, method or no method,clever career choices or anything rational,these two artists operate in the same space of pure magic. Their talent is overwhelming and their ability to take the public on a mystical journey through layers and layers of depth and meaning in the roles they play is unprecedented.

I simply don't know nor do I want to know who they are outside of great performances they give me.I don't care about their private personas,their looks,their lifestyle or anything else beyond the final scene of the movie they are in.

All I want is to be inside the different characters they so magically create and every time I watch them on the screen I simply forget even their names.

They are not Mrs Streep or Mr Day Lewis, they are Sophie or Mrs Kramer or Karen Blixen or Margaret Thatcher.They are Lincoln,Christy Brown,Johnny,Danny Flynn or Daniel Playview. And nobody else.

No ego interferes with their ability to be someone else.They are larger than life but they allow the characters they play to be are larger then themselves.

Among all the wonderful roles they have created, here are my favorites:

- Meryl Streep as Sarah in "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and sister Beauvier in "The Doubt"

- Daniel Day Lewis as Johnny in "My beautiful laundrette" and Newland Archer in "The Age of Innocence"

Wiser people than myself have analysed their greatness,thousands of pages of praises have already been written so this is only my humble contribution to their glory.

I would like to thank them for all the hours of bliss they have given me and  I hope to see them in many more riveting roles.

The Great and The Greatest part II

More of The Great,some of them will  possibly become The Greatest and some choices will seem a blasphemy but these people are great for me,really great and still not the greatest.

1.Michael Fassbender - I hope to see him become The Greatest

2.Tilda Swinton - magnificent,very close to The Greatest

3.Joaqim Phoenix - very complicated greatness

4.Julianne Moore

5.Anthony Hopkins

6.Jessica Chastain

7.Philip Seymour Hoffman

8.Marion Cotillard

9. Javier Bardem

10. Rooney Mara

11.Dustin Hoffman

12.Tom Hanks











13.Lupita Nyong'o

The Great and the Greatest,part I

Thousands of people around the globe are debating every day about actresses and actors.Whom do they like,who is overrated,who is insufferable and who was cheated of his or hers award.Who is the best,the mediocre,the worst,who is the underdog or who is the wannabe. All of these opinions are perfectly legitimate since every single acting performance is intended for the public.

From the first Brando interpretation in front of someone's mirror to the Oscar acceptance speech, everything they do is dedicated to the audience.Without it,the actors and actresses lose their raison d'etre.And the audience has enormous powers,the power to make or break,to destroy or to glorify,the power to be completely selfish and subjective in their adulation.Sometimes that power is abused in the voices of malevolent few but mostly it is the expression of love,even when it is the tough love they practise.

I don't know a single actress or actor who is immune to the response of his public but when they are thanking everyone they ever met in their professional lives,they mostly forget the most important people,their public.Without those faithful spectators,they simply could not exist.

The reverse of the loving or sometimes hating fans are the critics.Whether they are competent or not,mean or nice,they have every right to express their opinions since from the moment a performer decides to appear in front of the public and even more importantly,earn his living depending on that same public,he or she has to accept the burden of public opinion and criticism.It goes with the territory and I think it's a small price to pay in relation to all the perks of the job.

In all these public discussions about thousands of acting performances,there is one permanent question:

- Is the actor we are watching convincing,credible,"natural",do we believe the character he is playing?

Based on this criteria I have come to divide the good actors in two categories: The Great and
The Greatest.

The Great are those actors who can always convince me about everything their character is doing but they are and always will be,before anyone else,essentially themselves.Every time I watch them I know exactly who they are.It doesn't diminish their ability to present a certain character,they have undeniable talent but their true force lies in adapting the character to themselves.It has nothing to do with technique since,as in sports,every hard working performer can learn acting techniques.It is talent+technique but that particular talent consists in absorbing the characters to their personal essence,soul,brain and physique.It doesn't diminish the authenticity of their efforts nor the results.I love most of them,dislike some,maybe hate a few but every one of them is a gifted artist and true professional.

And then there are the The Greatest,the Hall Of Fame,the Holly Grail.Those are the people we often call chameleons,the artists whose talent lies in adapting and immersing themselves into the character and losing their personalities,looks and their core in those new people they have created.Those are the performers who make you wonder who they really are but in the same time you simply don't care because you are fully  absorbed in their actual on-screen incarnations.They can do anything they want in front of the camera,they can be whoever they choose to be and that is the secret of their greatness.Don't ever be fooled,it is not due to their smart career choices or their teachers,it is simply a trait of genius like in any other profession.They are unique in their ability to erase their private selves completely for a greater cause.One may like or dislike the characters they create,but not even the harshest critic could ever call them overrated.

Among many of The Great I have chosen a few of my personal favorites,in random order but the list is a work in progress.

1.Robert De Niro - the greatest of  The Great but for me always essentially Robert De Niro

2.Helen Mirren - wonderful

3.Jack Nicholson - no one can be greater The Great than him

4.Cate Blanchett -  I adore her  and she is truly The Great

5.Al Pacino - same as for De Niro

6.Charlize Theron- fabulously The Great

7.Denzel Washington - great The Great

8.Halle Berry - so far The Great

9.Christian Bale - a younger The Great

10.Frances McDormand - love her,really and truly

11.John Malkovich - my personal favorite

12.Mia Wassikowska - The Great among young talent

13.Sean Penn - everything is crystal clear with this name

14.Kristin Scott Thomas - definitely deserving to be named The Great

15.Russel Crowe - even more versatile than we have seen in all his brilliant roles