Jeremy Irons acting
Am I the only person who thought that Jeremy Irons overacted in this film? He reminded me of Malcolm McDowell when he plays a baddie.
shareOf course he overacted. He's Jeremy Irons.
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MovieChat Forums > Margin Call (2011) Discussion > Jeremy Irons acting
I've met a few CEO's. I'd say Irons accurately portrayed a fairly mild example of the species....
shareIrons was the only one who seemed interesting and convincing to me. If I were in the analysts' shoes, having this guy say "Explain it to me as if I were a cocker spaniel" would have me shaking in my shoes. Irons added real "grist" and zest to his character, while Spacey, et. al. played corporate ciphers we've all seen before in countless movies.
shareI agree with TARGA9 that Irons played the part brilliantly. Shrewd, sharp-minded, honey-tongued when necessary, fearsome when crossed. His eyes at times were reptilian. His performance at the dinner table, toward the end of the movie, was masterful. Few other actors could have captured the CEO's character the way he did.
shareI've met a few CEO's. I'd say Irons accurately portrayed a fairly mild example of the species....
Classic comment. share
I agree. Great portrayal.
I wonder if he was channelling Citigroup's ex CEO Chuck Prince when he said "As long as the music is playing, you've got to get up and dance"?
He's the British Al Pacino these days.
..I'd go to middle earth and look for Unspoiled Monsters. Then move to the country.
You mean Al Pacino when he was in his prime.
Al Pacino currently is just doing films for the paychecks, it seems.
Jeremy Irons is a good actor. Followed his career since his breakout performance in PBS' Brideshead Revisited.
Re Al Pacino - do you blame Pacino for doing films for the paycheck? When he was in his prime, he was rarely acknowleged with awards and NO Oscars for The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, etc. Only one Oscar for Scent of a Women which was given to him for his body of work. I do not blame him for doing films for the paycheck. At least he still is still working, producing and directing in his golden years. These days there are no more dynamic actors such as the Brandos, Pacinos, DeNiros, and Nicholsons - just movie stars who can't act.
Jeremy Irons is a good actor. Followed his career since his breakout performance in PBS' Brideshead Revisited.
Re Al Pacino - do you blame Pacino for doing films for the paycheck? When he was in his prime, he was rarely acknowleged with awards and NO Oscars for The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, etc. Only one Oscar for Scent of a Women which was given to him for his body of work. I do not blame him for doing films for the paycheck. At least he still is still working, producing and directing in his golden years. These days there are no more dynamic actors such as the Brandos, Pacinos, DeNiros, and Nicholsons - just movie stars/celebrities who can't act.
If he was any of the other characters in this film, I'd agree. But having dealt with a head honcho of a somewhat financial related firm before, he's pretty accurate. They're not that far from politicians really.
shareNope, he nailed it to the wall. Virtuoso performance from a virtuoso actor
shareJeremy Irons absolutely made this film. Brilliant.
The man made me wish I was a billion dollars, just so he would caress me.
(I should note I love Malcolm McDowell as well...)
Jeremy Irons was the highlight of the movie!
shareI wouldn't call his first scene (in the board room) overacting, i thought he played it brilliantly. His final scenes were perhaps a bit OTT (for a man with so much blood on his hands) he was perhaps slightly too relaxed for a man with all that chaos unfolding infront of him.
shareHis first scene (in the board room) is nothing but entertaining - extremely well written to start with ("Talk to me like a small child -- no -- talk to me like I'm a German Shepard"), but enlivened by his regal killer voice and a choice little array of physical bits (flipping the paper report with his thumb, running his finger across his nose a time or two, and waving it in the air like a dagger to point.)
There's one point where Irons asks the (literal) rocket scientist analyst (Zachary Quinto) a specific opinion on something. The analyst says -- loudly -- "sort of" and Irons murmurs the phrase back with light contempt ("...sort..of.") Its the one moment in Irons' exchange with the bright young man(otherwise a thing of respect) in which one senses the young man losing ground with Irons. Its that precise.
Another "actors tool" that Irons has in this scene is his handsome(though aging) slim and angled face, with his perfectly coiffed longish hair. The "main event" is Irons dialogue with young Quinto, but when Kevin Spacey finally gets his chance to go toe-to-toe with Irons , it is interesting to see how puffy, middle-aged and tired Spacey looks(and in something like LA Confidential -- 14 years previous -- Spacey was that slim and handsome) compared to Irons.
I like the fact that given how cool, calm, and collected Irons is as "the big boss" for most of the scene, he imparts the panic and gravity of the tale when he finally reveals a certain panic himself, to Spacey:
Spacey: Do you realize the impact this will have? Do you?
Irons: (Suddenly anguished) Do YOU?! This is IT!
Its as if the scene has a theme to it: Irons demanding information, remaining calm and friendly and diverting("I can assure you I didn't get to sit in this chair because of my brains), sometimes punishing ("We should confronted this weeks ago")...but finally revealing levels of panic that move him to drastic, authoritative action.
Great scene. Irons dominates it.