Why oh why is Mr Knightley so darn ugly? I like Northam much better, even tough he's not really a hottie. Okay, if he was only plain, but he is really ugly. Disguisting! Why does pretty little Emma want him?
One other thing. Emma's supposed to be a blonde. Baaaad filmmakers!
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Are you sure? I'm pretty sure she's supposed to have blonde hair and brown eyes. I have read the book, I own it. I guess I have to read it again.
¤ Taste is like the butt - divided! (old swedish saying) ¤
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Agree with him not being very attractive, at all really but he does have that masterful air and enormous dignity that inspires respect. Ok probably over the top there but he does have an edge if not the looks to go with it.
"I am woman hear me roar....meoww"
I disagree entirely, I think Mark Strong very attractive much more so then Jeremy Notham, but then again, like they say, we are all different, JN is handsome, but Mark Strong has that little something extra which I like exceedingly!!
shareWell, I have to say that I think Mark Strong is streets ahead of Jeremy Notham as Knightley. Better looking and better acting.
The more stuff I see Mark Strong in, the more I think that guy can make a mediocre film a lot better just by him being in it (I cite Elephant Juice and Superstition ).
Mind you, did anyone watch Long Firm recently? Great series, fabulous actor.
Why has that man not won more awards?
The wise man mocks the man. The mocked man mocks the mocker.
I totally agree... he was an ugly Mr. Knightly. I think he had hair plugs.
shareI think you have brain plugs... Mark Strong is perfectly handsom, and take into consideration that he was much older than Emma. Also, his eyes are intense which therefor helps to convey the jealousy he feels when Emma is with Chruchill, and the fury at her cruelty. The casting was a work of perfection, and no matter what all of you think, he's not ugly. He's just as he should be, and that is final.
Oh yes... The talking portrait was stupid... and FRank's smile was down right nausiating.
Other than that, have a wonderful day everyone... I'm off to watch "Persuasion".
SAMUEL WEST ROCKS!!!!!
GO MAJOR EDRINGTON! :) :)
Hurray for you! I love Persuasion. I thought Mark Strong was equally as good as JN, JN may be slightly better looking to begin with, but the whole point is the fact that Emma falls in love with the person, not the looks. I thought MS was a much more passionate Knightley as well.
I preferred this versions Frank Churchill as he was more charming to Emma and downright cruel to Jane, which was how I read the situation in the book.
With regards to the earlier comments about Emma's hair, it's not specified in the book, but Harriet Smith's is supposed to be blond, and Samantha Morton, I thought, played her to utter perfection. Hurray for Nottingham girls!
Mark Strong is a very handsome man but I must say I prefer Northam as Knightley simpley because I've found the character mush more charming ... that being said I prefer Mark Strong in his usual, bold state :D as I first saw him in Hnery the VIII ... He stood out in that movie and I've been on the look out for his work ever since.
shareI actually like both actors in their own way. Mark Strong was acting really well and he is not thát ugly (he's got a very strong look), although I must say that I think Jeremy Northam is ten times more handsome (but then again, I'm a fan - anyone seen him in Possession?).
I also have to disagree with whoever said Northam didn't act well, cause I think he did a great job. He can express a lot without words, just by putting his emotions in his looks. It is often in the background, but when you pay attention you can see he loves Emma, just by the way he looks at her.
Oh yeah, and I love it when he says "Try not to kill my dogs"...
On the subject of Frank Churchill, the one from the tv-version (can't remember his name) is indeed rather nauseating at some points (that smile is really freaky); I think Ewan McGregor did a better job, although he had a really bad hairstyle (which is strange for a movie with such beautiful costumes and styling in general)
That's all I have to say!
"I happen to have a very high regard for your wobbly bits" - Mark Darcy
Well, we KNOW why he had a bad haircut! He didn't really get it cut during that piano-buying trip to London! ;-)
shareI think beauty is a matter of choice and taste. What works for one might not work for another. That said, I think Mark Strong is a handsome man. I love Jeremy Northan as well but that does not mean that Mark Strong is less handsome. If anyone can find Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth, whom I love) handsome, then Mark Strong is way handsome. As much as I love Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy, his looks is regular. I think people get caught up in the role he plays rather than the man himself.
Mark Strong, imho, was the epitome of Mr. Knightley. He is tall, speaks exceedingly well, and is very handsome. He has the most beautiful eyes and his face is fashioned well. How any one can say this man is "ugly" is beyond my comprehension. I can understand "okay looking" but I cannot understand "ugly." Mark Strong is very handsome!!!
On the comparison of Colin Firth and Mark Strong, movie goers should check out the British version of Fever Pitch in which the two guys star as best friends. From the previews I've seen of the new American version of Fever Pitch, it's somewhat of a slapstick version of the book. The British film is, of course, about soccer not baseball, but the sport mania is the same.
Incidentally, I preferred almost all the casting in the TV version of Emma, including Mark Strong. I thought he was a great Mr. Knightly. If he were too handsome, Emma might have been romantically attracted to him sooner. It makes sense that she falls in love with the man, not the packaging.
that middle part of what you said:
"I think he did a great job. He can express a lot without words, just by putting his emotions in his looks. It is often in the background, but when you pay attention you can see he loves Emma, just by the way he looks at her.
Oh yeah, and I love it when he says "Try not to kill my dogs"... "
is right on.
even a blind person can tell his love for emma in just that one little line by the way he said it.
besides GP, i don't know any of these people, and the few GP movies i saw i didn't care for her. now after seeing both GP and KB, the guy in the GP one may be the best thing above all. only, a shame they didn't make him taller.
You definitely need your eyes examined,and be less shallow.Mark Strong is a very handsome man with a commanding presence and expressive eyes-the very embodiment of the mature,self possessed,attractive individual that Jane Austen envisioned.It is thanks to him and Kate Beckinsale especially,and to a lesser extent the other players,that this version is far superior to the Hollywood one.
shareI don't think Mark Strong is ugly in the least. I think he presents exactly the contrast with Frank Churchill that Austen intended--less charisma, more integrity--
Annie
I'm all for different opinions on things, but I just can't understand how someone can possible use the words "ugly" and even "disgusting" about Mark Strong. If you saw him on the street, you would never call him disgusting. Just cause he doesn't live up to your expectations of what mr. Knightley should look like, doesn't make him ugly. I, for one, think he's gorgeous, and I'm watching the movie again just because of him. He's intense, he has a fantastic smile and beautiful eyes.
shareWhere does it say she is blonde?
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Mr. Knightley is not meant to be a hottie. He's 37 years old, compared to Emma's 21 years. The whole point is that he has to compete with the younger Frank Churchill, who is handsome, charming and well, younger. Mr. Knightley is supposed to the last man that Emma would think of to fall in love with in the movie, and he stands on the sidelines alot.
I don't think he is ugly, he is exactly as you would think a 37 year old should look like, especially in that era. His eyes are intense, especially when he looks at Emma, (i am referring to the 1996 Jane Austen's Emma version starring Mark Strong as Mr. Knightley).
Well, thats just my opinion.
Whether we find him attractive or not, I hope we can all agree that he badly needed to shave! There were razors in the 19th century...
shareMr. Knightley is never ugly and Mark Strong made a great Mr. Knightley just like Jeremy Northam did and that actor who played him in the BBC miniseries from the early 70's.
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