JRM

This is my latest obsession. Okay, obsession is *far* too strong a word. This actor is my latest interest, the latest thing that I can't seem to get out of my head. Intrigue has made me watch several of his films in a short period, and I still can't quite decide is he's a) a great actor, or b) really beautiful. He may be both, but this sort of ambivalence I have toward him had made him utterly fascinating to me lately. (that and the fact that he is just two years older than me...I feel I can get a better grasp on him than on older actors)

Oh, right-his name, you ask? Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, from Ireland. You may not remember him from such film as: Velvet Goldmine, Ride With the Devil, Titus, The Governess, BBC's Gormenghast (which I really wanna see), and the upcoming Prozac Nation and The Magnificent Ambersons.

I think JRM has the potential to become a really great actor. And apparently, from some of his interviews, he thinks so, too. He's interesting to me, because he doesn't come from the tradition of well-trained, theater-hardened actors from the UK and Ireland. From what I've read, he grew up fairly poor, and dropped out of school at 15 or somewhere around that age. He was discovered in a pool hall, and has been working fairly steadily since he was, I believe, 17 or 18. He's 24 now, I think. In fact, he's taken nearly everything that has come his way, it seems-including some dodgy Spanish horror flick. But he appears to be very unassuming in a way, as well. A great interview I read described him as being extremely fidgety (not suprising in the least, given the frenetic delivery of some of his work), rarely making eye contact, and refusing lunch at a lunch interview (preferring, instead to chain-smoke, i think). the interviewer reports that when he got up to make a phone call, his pocket contents (all of what he had with him) were strewn on his chair: a passport, a few crumpled money notes, etc. Also included in that interview was his disappointment at not getting a couple of roles he tried out for, and thinking he was finished (i thinkg I identify with that mindset). Apparently, he was given the script for Boogie Nights, but the role went to Mark Wahlberg. And I say, THANK GOD. I was totally underwhlemed by that film, and I think Mark Wahlberg was perfect in the role. I think I am also fascinated by this guy because i can watch his career develop, and see how his talent evolves. He's had no formal training, from all that I've read, and that makes him even more interesting to me-he has terrific instincts, which will probably serve him well as he gains more experience.

Pictures here are courtesy of either The JRM Fansite or Dee-Dee.net/Jonny

JRM in Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil

This was not a great film...it was oddly unentertainiing, and it seemed unfocused, ie, I wasn't sure what the point/message of the story was, if there was one at all. If there wasn't supposed to be one, then it failed as a historical record, as it was not very detailed.
JRM's performance will not go down as one of his best, I fear. From the first time he's onscreen, shaking out his hair like it was a Miss Clairol ad, to the hip-shwishing walk he gave his character, you are left a bit confused. But he succeeds in his twangy American accent, and certainly has the potential to be a great villain, as well as having a great physicality of movement.

JRM (and below left, as well) in Julie Taymor's Titus. He plays Chiron, one of the Empress' sons, and he is quite good in this. From my observation, JRM seems to lack credibility in loud, angry sorts of scenes, ie when the Goth family first appears, or when he and Demetrius are arguing over Lavinia). I wouldn't say he is overacting (indeed, I've heard there's no such thing), but he could use a little restraint-which really, the director should provide.
However, he does a fairly good job with the Shakespearean dialogue, and he embodies the frenetic, hormonally driven, bored young man very well. And he plays extremely well with the cast, which is incredible considering the caliber of talent there. And he looks simply fetching in blonde pigtails.
The below photo (sorry for the poor quality) is of Chiron posing as Rape, in a sequence to trick Titus. He looks great in thigh-highs, too :)

A photo from The Daily Mail (right). I have this here, because it helps tip the scales toward the "yep, he's gorgeous" side.

And JRM in the role he will always be remembered for (above), his break-through role, if you will, as Brian Slade (aka David Bowie) in Velvet Goldmine. VG is also not a really great film. It is slow-paced (esp in the beginning) and lacks focus. However, it is a lot of fun to watch, especially for most girls I know. ;) JRM is actually quite good. Through about a million costume and hair changes (the blue Ziggy 'do is clearly the best) he carries a lot of the film on his own. He sings a bit, moves a bit, guitar-mimes a bit, appears in some totally surreal makeup jobs, and kisses Ewan MacGregor (aka Iggy Pop)...but that only once. The problem with the film is, it doesn't tie up some of its loose ends, and we really don't get a feel for any of the characters. We never understand why Brian decided to become a star, or what was behind his marriage, or whether or not he had a "real" relationship with Curt Wild. I understand this was supposed to be a Citizen Kane story (right down to the structure and some scene setups), but with CK we heard from more people about the mystery man, with less focus on the journalist. But that doesn't take away from JRM's work here. He carries it all off, somehow.