Indy.com
Today:
The Best of Keanu
Posted: Apr 08, 2008 in Movies, TV and Celebrities
Tags:
Keanu Reeves' new film "Street Kings" opens this week, and I thought it a perfect opportunity to revisit the best Keanu has had to offer in his long and illustrious acting career.
Feel free to chime in on what I've missed, or go the other way and throw out the worst of Keanu.
Speed: As Jack Travers, this was Keanu's breakout role as an action star, and effectively introduced the world to Sandra Bullock. Probably Keanu's most effective role, as he manages to not come off like a slacker or surfer dude, and actually has some spark with Bullock and his partner, played by Jeff Daniels.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: One of the first post-Cheech and Chong slacker/stoner duo films, whose popularity sparked imitators like Wayne's World, Beavis and Butthead, and eventually Harold and Kumar and even influenced Napoleon Dynamite to a degree. It's also deceptively educational and has an underrated sequel, where Bill and Ted pal around with the Grim Reaper.
Point Break: One of the better action films of the 90s pits Keanu's undercover FBI agent against a team of bank-robbing surfers led by Patrick Swayze. Has a host of quotable lines and very good action. Has a good cast that also includes John C. Reilly (of "Scrubs" and "Office Space"), Tom Sizemore (who can act when he's not doing drugs and beating his wife) and the immortal Gary Busey.
The Matrix: Keanu's defining role that allows him to both break out of and inhabit his blank-eyed slacker persona. An incredible mindbending story that only gets more complicated with the befuddling (and increasingly bad) sequels. And it has great kung-fu action, plot-twisting betrayals and leather BDSM costumes.
Best of Keanu? That's a pretty heavy oxymoron. Probably my favorite scene with him in it is in "Dangerous Liasons" when John Malkovich's character finds Keanu in bed with Glenn Close. Malkovich has a flash of hate in his eyes finding Keanu there, supposedly because he intruded on his territory. But I think it's more likely that John was just mad that Keanu couldn't act.
Best of Keanu? That's a pretty heavy oxymoron. Probably my favorite scene with him in ...
That's part of the reason I chose this thread today was for the irony of it all. :)
It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed Keanu in My Own Private Idaho.
Another old school movie he was in that I liked a lot was River's Edge. Crispin Glover's performance in that one was more entertaining than Keanu's though. Dennis Hopper's too.
It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed ...
Awesome...and of course Dennis Hopper would go on to lose his head in Speed!
o.k. - but the guys a hunk!
A hunk of wood.
A hunk of wood.
Let's hear about the worst, then. What Keanu movies do you hate?
Oh, no. I just remembered him in the Paula Abdul video "Rush, Rush."
Ha! I tend to avoid his movies like the plague of poop they generally are, but his complete inability to act was utilized well by Gus Van Sant in My Own Private Idaho. That movie suited him somehow. I don't think his lack of ability is really a detriment given the roles he chooses. I mean, it wouldn't take Laurence Olivier to play Neo. He just had to clench his jaw and monotone the lines.
I particuly enjoyed his riviting role as Shane Falco in The Replacements....jokes, his 5hit's weak!
But I recently met him in Hollywood, and he seemed to be a nice enough guy...so if monotone is paying the bills, who am I to hate?
I have to say my favorite is him in Parenthood with Steve Martin. Still to this day one of my all time favorite movies!
i think his lack of acting ability is what is actually cool about him. he doesn't pretend to be DeNiro. he knows he's a good looking guy with a cool vibe about him. Bill & Ted, River's Edge, that stuff is awesome! perfect in the Matrix and was really good in that James Spader flick (The Watcher?).
I just like to stare at him, he is better in roles where he has limited lines.
A great performance is a marriage between and an actor and just the right role. A good actor is usually defined as one who can believably play a large variety of roles. Robert Duvall, Meryl Streep, etc.
But sometimes an actor is only effective in a limited range of roles. Look at Cary Grant. He basically played the same character for 30 years. But few people deny he was a great film actor. Harrison Ford is another exceptional actor of limited range.
People laughed at Kevin Costner in "Robin Hood," but check out "A Perfect World" or "Bull Durham" and tell me he's not a compelling screen presence in those films.
Keanu has an inexpressive face and a tendency toward stilted line readings. But when he's cast the right way, that can actually be a strength. He comes across as a dip in "Dangerous Liaisons" because that's what his character is -- innocent, naive, easily swayed. It worked in the "Matrix" flicks because he played an archetype in a fabulist realm.
Keanu's best performance is probably "River's Edge," as Ben points out. Worst Keanu movie/performance? I'd have to go with "Little Buddha."
"River's Edge" is the one.
Let's hear about the worst, then. What Keanu movies do you hate? Oh, no. I ...
I wish I could "Rush, Rush" that song out of my head now. Thanks, Joe.
Seriously, though, I'd say his best role was in Dangerous Liaisons, because his role as the ridiculous dimwit who was haphazardly thrown into the center of an unfortunate scheme devised by smarter, more manipulative, and essentially soulless people is the perfect metaphor for his silly career.
Don't get me started about Winona Ryder and how perfectly her role in The Age of Innocence mirrors what an inconsequential but still essentially noxious career she has had (excepting, of course, movies involving Tim Burton).
"River's Edge" is the one.
Looking at a couple clips on YouTube makes me realize how much I loved that movie. Here's a clip of Keanu in River's Edge but it's NSFW unless you have your headphones on.
Oh, and here's a scene with Crispin Glover. This one has some f-bombs in it too.
Wow, no one mentioned "The Devil's Advocate" easily Keanu's best acting, and I'm sure he got acting tips from Al Pacino.....2nd is easily "River's Edge."
BTW, anyone hear that they are remaking Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? Maybe Keanu will cameo as the dad ha ha.
An update on the Bill & Ted saga? Imdb says it could be so in 2010: Check it out here. WOW.
2010? What the heck? why can't they remake the really bad movies and leave the good and decent movies alone?