Paul Giamatti.
I thought he did a good job in this film.
Was a break from his usual, bumbling, loud character.
Yeah, he was excellant in this film. He's an awesome actor.
That's some bad hat Harry
MovieChat Forums > The Illusionist (2006) Discussion > Paul Giamatti.
He's a terrific actor, and I'm glad he's getting more high-profile roles than the dweeby characters he usually plays.
shareHe was great in "Lady in the Water", though you 'intellectuals' and 'action fans" need to hate on that movie.
sharei loved him playing bob zmuda in that Andy Kaufman movie... i dont usually think he is any skilled actor, though he was doing well here. his accent/manner of speech seemed vey appropriate and surprised me a little.
BUT... in the end, when he realises the trick, he made such stupid faces... oh man, i couldnt believe that, a small stain in a good performance i'd say.
im no intellectual, but Lady in Water was horrible in all aspects.
"BUT... in the end, when he realises the trick, he made such stupid faces... oh man, i couldnt believe that..."
Thank you, thank you, thank you for pointing this out! I was searching the boards to see if anyone else was bothered by his ridiculous facial expressions as he started putting the pieces together. It was either really bad acting or bad direction....or a little bit of both. Another problem could be the editing choices.....there was just no need to focus on his reaction as much as they did.
I disagree completely. Given the melodramatic tone of Sewell and Giamatti's characters, I thought it was totally consistent and appropriate.
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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
Yes it was even more ridiculous because the Illusionist's prank cost Giammati his job as police commission and future mayor job and all he got in return was a notebook on how to grow orange trees.
My favorite character in the film.
He has to walk the line between being an honest man and serving the prince, to whom he owes his position. You can see the struggle in him as he is forced to harass Eisenheim, a man he genuinely admires.
"...you're forgetting one thing- I just started using laser cats again!"
haha he looks like the poker player Andy Black hahaha
shareyeah, i really like him, and i think he did a great job in this movie!
share[deleted]
yes he was indeed superb, maybe the best in the movie?. The way his character was shown first, I thought he was evil but slowly he turns outto be a man who has values & principles.
sharePigvomit for the win!
(In case you're wondering: See the Howard Stern movie...)
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I didn't like the Godfather, so what?
Agree with the OP. I thought he was the best thing in this film - and that's with feeling the film in general was pretty damn great.
He always seems to stand out, no matter what the role asked of him.
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Wait a minute... who am I here?
A talented actor and real pleasure to watch.
shareSee him in "Shoot Em Up". I can't believe I am saying this but that movie was almost a guilty pleasure (kind of like watching a traiwreck if you know what I mean) and his performence was excellant.
sharePaul is currently working on 7 films according to his IMDB profile so we will be seeing plenty of him in upcoming months and years.
shareThe way he plays with acting, augments the quality of every movie I've seen him in.
shareOh yes, I love Paul Giamatti. He was fantastic in this film. He made the character sympathetic even while he was ruthless and obsessive.
"I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof!"
I've never been a Giamatti fan. And it's an unfair dislike, as the first time I saw him was in Sideways (what good is there about that movie?).
But he was terrific in The Illusionist. The highlight of the movie, for me.
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Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.