Beyond The Sea was his best acting so far.

I think my favorite is still John Doe in "Seven".
He has the best line about the dead dogs: "I didn't do that." Love it!!!

I know it's a little mainstream, but I loved Kevin Spacey in Seven.

He plays a great serial killer.

I just read your article on Kevin Spacey. I have two favorites. LA Confidential. The reason I liked this was it was totally unexpected when his character got shot. That was just ot of left field for me. I did not see that coming. Also my other favorite is his character Chris Sabian in The Negotiator. Seven was excellent as well Those are my favorites.

I really liked him in "L.A. Confidential," he played a key role between more-mercurial types; and I think I was one of oh, 12 people who liked "The Shipping News" a lot; that one took him far from his usual roles, very down, very subdued, which I think isn't always easy. I think that especially stage actors want to be "big" and Lasse Hallstrom (spelling?) almost made him disappear in "Shipping." Saw a very small movie the other day called "Lonesome Jim" in which Casey Affleck did the smae thing very effectively -- very shy, very quiet, very low-energy, and if you stick with an actor in a performance like that, it's ultimately pretty rewarding, I think. Not exactly summer blockbusters, but cool movies.

(possibly one of my fav. Spaceys)

Shipping News:
(total chick film, but an excellent total chick film... NOT as 'chick film' as 'Message in a Bottle,' (yes, I'm secure in my masculinity to admit that I adore that one too, (cry every time.)
Spacey in 'News' goes through astonishing transformation of character... Amazing story, Amazing performances and cast, Possibly the 'perfect-tidy-intricate-film,'
This had lotsa good EVERYBODY in terms of cast, and they all showed up for work, (even the ocean and sky.)

Negotiator:
Still one of my fav's. a good suspense without being a tourniquet. Believable actors, and the film catches Spacey's subtlety (the man is all about subtlety) while still bringing on great action and genuine emotion... (unlike Nicholas Cage, who in some performances can only manage two expressions 'mannequin stare,' and 'dorky 'take control of the situation outburst,' -at the oddest of times.)

the turkey?
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil...
I don't know what happened here but it's, like the second time Eastwood 'ran out the clock' until the final credits once the openning scenes happened.

(I sat there thinking: 'self? this thing has got so many good elements, good story, great actors, amazing setting, it should really catch fire and 'work,'
-Sadly, it never did.
It wasn't the Burma Road viewing experience of 'Maverick,' but it was close.

Best way I can describe it?
Let the people who bring you 'Internatinal Male' team up with 'Antique Roadshow,' and set it in NewOrleans, --throw in some shoddy RuePaul flava -and roll up one of the poorest excuses for a first generation Camaro 'hotrod,' ever...
(god what a yawn.)
---oh yeah, it had actors in it too...

Kent and Wet Towel, I'm with you guys on "The Shipping News." Although Spacey doesn't physically look like the main character, I thought he did a superb job as a guy who internalizes so much as he tries to find his way. It was a different kind of Spacey role but worth more attention than it received.

..ahaaaaaahhh, but therrrrrre,

Ms. Matlosz,
is where the secret is...

(ready?)

'Shipping News' is a 'chick film' where the targeted viewer is not a chick... (!)

(mea culpa in using 'chick' so many times in a non-agricultural setting.)

--best way I can describe it?

-you know those video games where you're the one walking around shooting stuff, or exploring a house or driving?
---you don't see the main character there either... (why?)
-because more visual character (displaces/challanges) the participant being properly involved.

See,
When a girl watches Kevin Spacey in Shipping News?
--she says '..hmmm, where did the leading man go?'

When a GUY watches Kevin Spacey in Shipping News?
-we BECOME Kevin Spacey... (geddit?)

(..we get to sort out things with one's stronger older female mentor/relatives,
-improve one's writing skills,
-get drunk,
-bust up a boat,
-and finally
(despite a LOT of frumpy sweater wearing?)
we get to MAJORLY boff with Julianne Moore,
(you know, after winning her heart and honesty, saving our little girl, and all that stuff...)

(sometimes we even go out in our 'spacey' suits and put good example ta use...)

It's the 'male version' of 'Oxygen Channel.'
This is the 'superhero movie' for guys with hair starting to recede, and middles starting to, erm, pudge.

(Don't tell anybody, or you'll ruin it...
-and if any other men ask you who told you?
I was never here...)

Wet Towel, your secret's safe with me.

Ah, my Wet Towel!

How lovely it is to see I'm not alone in my disdain for Nicholas Cage!!!

We shall have Paris after all...

And Midnight in the Garden is definitely more Gethsemane than Eden. Ugh.

..ruh-roh

I sort of was hoping that my remark on the (now old) young St. Nick would not come across as 'disdain..'
(though yes Suzannya, we'll always have Paris, (and pierogies too... 'hope. :)

I love some of his work... (seriously.)

(lemme 'splain,)

I think it was (Sean Penn?) who summed it up best, like ten years ago, about Cage, -it's like he gave up acting after a while, -and just went into entertaining or retreading.

Some of his stuff weren't so deep ('Valley Girl,' 'Raising Arizona,' even that Christmas thingie he did with whatzerface...)
--he pulled it off and was credible, (deep as the films go, and they're good films.)
--Then the deeper stuff: (with it's own 'oxygen channel' appeal,) 'Leaving Las Vegas,' 'City of Angels'...

Onto the 'Bruce Willis' aisle, ('Con-Air,' 'the Rock...')

But, I noticed this one night watching 'Arizona' (shows it's age, but holds up,) --he has more depth, color and 'feel,' in that
-Whereas 'Rock?' --it's these weird outbursts meant to convey '..That's it, I'm fed up, I'm strong and in charge...' (am more than the sum pound puppy eyes (and brows,)
'hear me roar.'
(does this up against Connery, and Ed Harris, and I felt embarassed for all of them...) I kept hoping a potted palm on the set would dope slap him back to sanity...

But Penn was right... the guy clearly has the ability to do stuff that is meaningful (even if a tall tale,,)
-and he veered into performances that were not even full-color xeroxes, and was totally phoned in.
(I saw Gone in 60 seconds for the lines behavior, and moves of only one beauty (the Mustang)... the acting could have been done by trained gophers.)

I don't think everybody has to Brando 'so deep that black holes look perky.'
But it just sort of bums me out to watch a healthy pattern plow right past 'typecast,' to become cartoon, --or worse, total flatline.

(Others with this affliction?
DeNiro, Paccino, Quaid, R. Williams, W. Smith, (maybe) Harrison Ford... --and don't get me started on John C. Reilly, THAT's just a crime...(I think he has Will Ferrells syndrome, poor buggar.)

Fortunately Spacey is kind of avoiding this.

Pierogies?
*le sigh*
Absolutely!