So You Weren't Happy with Who Won the Oscar
Peter O'Toole in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia What makes an actor great? How can we say certain actors are better than others when art is supposed to be subjective? As it is with directing, acting is in part a craft that can be "objectively" assessed as subjective as the experience it provides the viewers may be. The problem with writing this post, however, is I know very little about acting. Fortunately, I still know "enough" to articulate a few qualities that make for a great actor. Agility -- the ability to shift tones and mood serially with ease -- is one of those qualities. Notice the number of tones Diane Keaton goes through in just a few lines in this scene : "I know I could have been a better wife to you. Kinder. I could have made love with you more often. Or once even." She goes from guilty, apologetic realization to semi-detached observation to complete detachment. Different but another great example by Robert De Niro. ...