A villian should be villainous and oddly likable. - Misery (1990) Discussion

[–] rascal67 9 years ago

.. no Oscar deserved for a planned mechanical performance.
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In Bates defense, she did have Rob Reiner as a director. From what I have heard, he acts out scenes for his actors, showing them how he wants it done. He did this for Tom Cruise in A FEW GOOD MEN-92'. Spielberg also does this. The lack of some spontaneity and realness in Bates's performance, may have been more to do with how Reiner directed her and she was preoccupied thinking about how he wanted it done, rather than how it should be delivered. It can come over as contrived. This does come down to the actors own skill though. Bates was a stage performer and MISERY was a big cinema breakthrough for her. The film also had a confined setting like a stage. Bates may have well been habitually acting for a theater audience.

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[–] jacobcan 9 years ago

Nah. Bates was amazing. Watching it now. When she's a bit happy, she is pretty likable and then becomes absolutely terrifying in an instant. Outstanding performance.

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[–] kya1 9 years ago

Yeah, I did find her a little bit it likeable at times with her child-like mannerisms, and found myself wanting her to be happy.

It was an astounding portrayal of a complex character.

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[–] bastasch8647 9 years ago

The character is likeable in the film and in the novel in that small circle of truth shared by reader, filmgoer, Annie and Paul: the truth of, and in, good storytelling. Annie's objection to the "cheating" cliffhangers meets Paul's own understanding of honest storytelling. In the novel he can see Annie approaching literature and literary criticism in her own layperson's way, and he sympathizes and respects her for it ... that is, in that small circle of narrative truth. Of course, the novel explicates this much further than the film, but even the film preserves a bit of that odd moment of intellectual alliance between Annie and Paul, and Bates expresses it quite well. And as others have said, when she's not being violently crazy, Annie does have a certain amount of strange charm.

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[–] InherentlyYours 9 years ago

'Nah. Bates was amazing. Watching it now. When she's a bit happy, she is pretty likable and then becomes absolutely terrifying in an instant. Outstanding performance.'

That is not necessarily difficult to do for an actor, which is what I meant by mechanical. So, I don't think it's amazing. The more challenging part for an actor is make a short gradual transition from happy to terrifying, which is how just as many psychotics behave. I see the word "amazing" on the board alot, yet the word means that which cannot be believed.

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[–] Cult_of_Kibner 9 years ago

Whatever a villain "should" be, Bates was it.

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[–] rascal67 9 years ago

Whatever a villain "should" be, Bates was it.
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Compared to who or what? I like Bates, I just didn't find her as believable as she could have been. Glenn Close gave a more layered performance in FATAL ATTRATION-87' a few years earlier which should have seen her nab the Oscar from Cher. I didn't feel the same pity for Annie Wilkes, as I did for Alex Forrest and that is key. Did Bates show glimpses of her insanity when she had clarity or appeared normal, or was it just a quick shift in mood without much nuance? As Kathy Bates became more prominent after Misery', I though her acting skills improved upon what she gave us here. I think she is so much better in Dolores Claibourne-95'. There appears to be more going on under the surface.

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[–] Cult_of_Kibner 9 years ago

Compared to who or what?

You're missing my point. Contrary to OP's assertion, there is no one way a villain "should" be portrayed.

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[–] rascal67 9 years ago

Yes, but there is a way that it can be delivered to make it all the more believable. This can also be said for any performance that might have missteps.

Exorcist: Christ's power compels you. Cast out, unclean spirit.
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[–] InherentlyYours 9 years ago

Cult_of_Kibner
If you're a film connoisseur, I assume you have seen 71's Play Misty for Me, with Jessica Walter as the "original' Alex Forrest. Her performance is a knock-out, and was worthy of an Oscar nom. Along with her victimizing, comes a pathos about her character, which Walter enacts with unnerving results. I didn't get that from Bates. Walter never appears self-conscious or stagy. It's one film that Ebert gives 4*, and for a reason.

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[–] Cult_of_Kibner 9 years ago

I've seen Play Misty for Me, although that doesn't make me any connoisseur. Jessica Walter was great but I didn't see anything any more impressive than Bates in Misery. Same deal with Fatal Attraction.

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[–] rascal67 9 years ago

I haven't seen Misty in quite sometime, but if I was to make a compare to Bates, or even Close who I think gave a better performance than Bates, Walter's performance didn't appear as sensationalized or hyped. She was very real and in the moment and managed to make her crazy unhinged character sympathetic, alive and yes even strangely likeable. I think Bates' performance was an attempt to infuse her portrayal with a blacker sense of humor about it ala Stephen King; but this sly wink came over as more of a parody, than a believable real character. The madness and shifts in mood weren't as apparent when she appeared calm or vice versa. The devil is in the details and it was an erratic portrayal of a person with extreme psychotic tendencies—if that is what it was—rather than a portrayal of an erratic mood disorder that had to belie Wilke's demeanor at any given time. Being white one moment and then suddenly black the next is not skilled or even subtle. Where was the grey?

Exorcist: Christ's power compels you. Cast out, unclean spirit.
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[–] I_Love_Hutch 9 years ago

Her performance is a knock-out, and was worthy of an Oscar nom. Along with her victimizing, comes a pathos about her character, which Walter enacts with unnerving results.
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Wow. Nice.

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[–] I_Love_Hutch 9 years ago

I didn't feel the same pity for Annie Wilkes as I did for Alex Forrest.
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Yes, Rascal, Alex Forrest was so pitiful and sad. The scene where she is by herself, sitting on the floor, listening to that haunting melody from Madame Butterfly, switching the light on and off was heartbreaking. 😭

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[–] I_Love_Hutch 9 years ago

I think you make a good point and I am mostly in agreement.

Some memorable movie villains...

Norman Bates - likeable, check.
Jane Hudson - likeable, check.
Blanche Hudson - less likeable than her sister
Maleficent - too scary to be likeable, but fun to watch
Beaulah Ballbricker - likeable, heck yeah!
Vincent and Ida - likeable, very!
Noah Cross - likeable, not in the least bit. But pretty terrifying.
Cousin Miriam - (HHSC) I was glad to see her die.
Alex Forrest - likeable, yes.
Harriet Craig - likeable, no.
Bonnie and Clyde - likeable, check.
Martin and Sissy - (Badlands) likeable, yes.
Carrie White - likeable to the nth degree, check.
Margaret White - likeable, hmmmm... gosh, I don't know. She was looney tunes!
Chris Hargensen - likeable, no.
Dr. Elliott - (Dressed to Kill) - likeable, check
Franklin Hart, jr. - likeable, yes! (Dabney Coleman was such a good sport!)
Francis Dollarhyde - likeable, yes.
Lillian Farmer - likeable, no.
Nurse Ratchet - completely hateful wretched wench, singlehandedly blows the "likeable villain" theory out of the water

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[–] rascal67 9 years ago

Nurse Ratchet - completely hateful wretched wench, singlehandedly blows the "likeable villain" theory out of the water
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😄 She is one of the foulest and the thing is, she is so darn subtle and nice about it.

Exorcist: Christ's power compels you. Cast out, unclean spirit.
Destinata:💩

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[–] I_Love_Hutch 9 years ago

You get bad vibes from Kathy Bates? Seriously?

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[–] Puvwall (1460) 2 years ago

Who is my wife? Alex
Bates was awesome. I see bits of the worst part of me and the worst parts of my wife in her character.

Watching it as a married man is darkly humorous

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