Fair Enough

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On his website 30 Ninjas, Fair Game director Doug Liman describes Naomi Watts' Valerie Plame as a "truly challenging role because NOCs (government intelligence operatives who assume covert roles in organizations without official ties to their government) are wallflowers by nature...they want to learn about you without you learning about them, and [in so doing will sometimes attempt to be] the least interesting person in the room.

Fair Game star Naomi Watts (l.) director Doug Liman (r.) at the beginning of this morning's press conference -- Thursday, 5.20, 11:36 am.

"Traditionally, this is not the type of character whom audiences fall in love with, or want to follow. Audiences want emotive characters who are interesting to watch. This was a bit of an issue with the characters (Naomi's in particular) in Fair Game, especially with the producers who were more hell-bent on me doing more traditional emotion with her. I felt very strongly that I wanted her to keep the steel exterior that is so honest to that type of person in real life and the fact that I didn't have to relent is exactly why I think Naomi's performance is so extraordinary.

"I was able to be totally true to that steel facade and still create a character that is completely compelling, whom you empathize with and root for. And at the same time, you're infuriated by her because she just has this steely exterior and won't let you through it. We'll see from this point forward whether my choice to insist on this detail was it was the right call.

"It would have been easy to create a fiction that Naomi's Valerie is an emotional NOC (i.e., non-official cover). That she has this steely exterior but when she comes home and she's something else. In fiction you can make up anything, but I actually spent time around the real Val and found her completely compelling as a person and she kept that facade no matter what she was doing, and I wanted Naomi Watts' character to follow suit.

"In Fair Game though, it's the Joe Wilson character that is the more movie star role, because he is loud, colorful, charismatic and opinionated. It's no wonder that Sean Penn, after winning an Academy Award, picked this character over the hundreds of others he was offered, because Joe Wilson is an amazing character with the kinds of traits that are appealing to a masculine movie star. And Valerie is a little bit of a cipher and to make matters worse, Watts has to be on the screen with Penn while he's getting to play this incredibly colorful, charismatic character and she has to play the cipher and somehow still steel the movie because it is her movie."

Thursday, 5.20, 11:37 am

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 20, 2010 at 3:58 AM

comment #1

captain bligh says ...

What's going on with the lips? Lip injections are the DUMBEST thing women get done to their faces. Getting bigger lips than you ever had when you were younger defeats the purpose and looks fucking stupid.

Ugh.

Posted by captain bligh at May 20, 2010 4:40 AM

comment #2

Jeffrey Wells says ...

Intelligent and sophisticated comments like yours lend this site a certain dignity, so thank you.

You're correct about inflated lips being unattractive on women of a certain age, but I've been in Naomi Watts presence at different events over the years and I don't see what you're talking about.

Can we please, please not allow this idiotic subject to hijack this thread? Actually, forget "please." If anyone jumps in on bulbous lips I'm just going to delete.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at May 20, 2010 7:23 AM

comment #3

captain bligh says ...

Hahahaha rock on.

Posted by captain bligh at May 20, 2010 7:45 AM

comment #4

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

It probably helps the authenticity of the performance that Naomi is usually the least interesting person in the room in real-life.

I keed. So that 30 Ninjas site is really Doug's, eh? Anyone else find irony in the fact that it contains exactly the kind of "geek content" that Jeff seemingly rails against every waking minute of his life?

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 8:29 AM

comment #5

K. Bowen says ...

Watts was fantastic in Mother and Child. The best she's been in years.

Is it time to start wondering if she is the best actress of her generation? Watts vs. Blanchett vs. Winslet.

Posted by K. Bowen at May 20, 2010 8:30 AM

comment #6

Wrecktem says ...

An ageless beauty.

Posted by Wrecktem at May 20, 2010 8:50 AM

comment #7

Astrology Horoscopes says ...

naomi watts is one of my all-time favorite libras and movie stars. mulholland drive is forever stuck in my subconscious.

beautiful, talented, and a master of under-acting, she probably fits the part of plame as well as anyone in hollywood...and soooo kissable.

Posted by Astrology Horoscopes at May 20, 2010 8:59 AM

comment #8

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

"Is it time to start wondering if she is the best actress of her generation? Watts vs. Blanchett vs. Winslet."

You know, I like Watts just fine, but I'm not sure I'd put her in that rarefied company just yet. She definitely has a trademark performance in Mulholland Dr., but I'm somehow not entirely convinced she wasn't out-acted by Laura Harring in that film!

I think she probably belongs on the next tier with Farmiga, Cotillard (both of whom are rallying after late starts), Linney, Tomei (both of whom seem a lot older than they actually are...they've been acting for what seems like forever!), and Jolie (yeah, she still hasn't delivered that one lead performance that solidifies her standing, but all the pieces are there and she has arguably the strongest female screen presence of anyone in her generation).

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 9:10 AM

comment #9

LexG says ...

Cate Blanchett is a gay-camp hen with all the appeal of a stale doughnut and the sex appeal of beige construction paper. She's second ONLY to that fat ham Winslet as the WORST ACTRESS IN THE WORLD.

Watts wipes the floor with those those crones.

Posted by LexG at May 20, 2010 10:18 AM

comment #10

LFF says ...

Jolie should have gotten a nomination for A MIGHTY HEART. People had knives out over racial issues for her character, + general tabloid hate and that all got silenced when they actually saw the performance.

Jolie is the actress of 00's. I think she's also, in a weird way, underrated. You could probably say this about Watts, Blanchett et.al. also, but in the right role: Jolie can destroy you with how good she is. I think she's built a more interesting resume than Fonda in the 70's, Streep in the 80's or Winona Ryder in the 90's.

Watts is a very strong contender though who's made lots of interesting choices as well: the two David's, WE DONT LIVE HERE ANYMORE, haneke, tykwer, russell...

Posted by LFF at May 20, 2010 10:48 AM

comment #11

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

Lex, you're on a roll today.

Full of shit on every thread you post in.

Nice to see you're judging their acting talent on their sex appeal and bone structure. Pretty relevant stuff.

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 10:49 AM

comment #12

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

Totally agree, LFF, esp. on Jolie. She really is that good -- what she did with hardly any dialogue in Wanted was a wake-up call for me -- and with any luck at all, she'll actually get the "right" role pretty soon.

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 10:53 AM

comment #13

LexG says ...

Best actress IN THE WORLD is a tossup between Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Jolie is pretty high up there.

Jolie = endless charisma, something that Tubbo Winslet and Grandma Bland-chett know NOTHING about.

Posted by LexG at May 20, 2010 11:02 AM

comment #14

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

Fuck you talking about? Winslet gave the charming performance of last decade in Eternal Sunshine.... Blanchett can play fun and light, too...never seen Bandits or Pushing Tin?? As for charisma, she played a believable Dylan, for Christ sake, and even had a lot more juice than Ledger in that picture.

The fact that both choose to play such a broad range of characters -- many of which aren't always likable and charismatic -- is an argument for them being great actresses, not a strike against them.

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 12:05 PM

comment #15

bluefugue says ...

>Lex, you're on a roll today.

>Full of shit on every thread you post in.

Yes, he's outdone himself. I assume he's trying on self-parody as a new blog voice, but hard to be sure what's actually going on inside that little noggin.

Acting skill and hotness are not synonymous. When they coincide, it's nice, but true catholics can appreciate the former in the absence of the latter.

Posted by bluefugue at May 20, 2010 12:10 PM

comment #16

bluefugue says ...

>Tubbo Winslet

What's fat got to do with it? Kathy Bates outweighs her by gallons and is a fucking force of nature.

Posted by bluefugue at May 20, 2010 12:11 PM

comment #17

Hip Hop Homey says ...

LIev Schreiber is A GOD and my personal hero.

Posted by Hip Hop Homey at May 20, 2010 12:37 PM

comment #18

LexG says ...

I like how CitzenDouched throws up ETERNAL SUNSHINE, of all things, as a testament to Hambone Fatlet's acting chops.

A movie which ALSO features one of the seven hottest women in the HISTORY of the world, both barefoot and in LITTLE OUTFITS *and* hopping up and down on a bed as a young chick you can CONTROL. Of course I am talking about DUNST POWER, and up against her great hotness and acting, I didn't even notice Granny Winslet.

Posted by LexG at May 20, 2010 2:34 PM

comment #19

LexG says ...

I never knew what Liman looked like.

Apparently, a Siberian William Hurt.

Posted by LexG at May 20, 2010 3:08 PM

comment #20

CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts says ...

That's pretty funny re: Liman.

But seriously, if you walk away from TESotSM just remembering how cute Dunst -- who also can't act, btw (which is what the entire tangent to this thread is supposed to be about, remember?) -- is, there is something seriously wrong with the way you're digesting cinema.

The movie is absolutely heartbreaking, and it's mainly due to how delicately-written the heavy subject matter is, but also how indelibly unique the performances are (when's the last time you saw a female character anything like Clementine in a mainstream film?).

I think you're just being disingenuous by saying that you didn't even notice Winslet, but if you're actually being serious, your sheer denial at her acting chops, let alone the sheer force of presence she is in Eternal Sunshine (that movie goes down a black hole of personality during that Dunst segment, admit it already) is pretty fucking staggering.

Posted by CitizenKanedForPostingThoughts at May 20, 2010 6:12 PM

comment #21