Best performances by non-professional actors
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Threshers_Flail
Well-Known Member
Another one could be pretty much the entire cast of The Battle Of Algiers.
ska invita
back on the other side
Sam, from I Am Legend
Turns out, Sam was played by two dogs: Abby http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2869646/ and Kona http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2869725/ - neither of which have other acting credits to their name!
Amazingly both dogs have lots of messages on their message boards with titles like "What a great dog!" and "She deserved a whole movie for her!"!
ska invita
back on the other side
Another good one is Dr Haing S Ngor in the Killing Fields, who out acts the entire cast of professionals, including Sam Waterston, John Malkovich and Julian Sands. For once justice was served and he got an oscar for it.
Supposedly though, he had lived through pretty much a similiar experience in Cambodia, so he did have personal experience to draw from. But when I watched this just recently after it got given away with a paper,it wasn't just the war drama bits that he was good at acting in. Even tiny gestures and subtle smiles and looks were done to perfection.
Tragically he got murdered in his house years later, with people supsecting it was for his life long work against the Khmer Rouge.
I was talking about this with a friend and she pointed out that although he got the oscar, he ony got the best supporting actor oscar, despite being the lead character in the story. Also in the US he won the Godlen Globe for best supporting actor. Subtle racism. In Britain he got the BAFTA for best actor.
Also El Perro, wonderful Argentinian film, a genuinely heartwarming film about a man and his dawg, with an amazing performance from Juan Villegas as the man character Coco. the dog was a good actor too
It's Bombom, El Perro that one. I loved it too!
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Paddy Considine in A Room For Romeo Brass
the kid from Come & See
the kid from Come & See
I know before he did The Sopranos, Steven Van Zandt hadn't acted before, but what a performance even if he's not the lead.
"Jus' when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
Guitarist in the E-street Band iirc.
I love that picture
ska invita
back on the other side
Good one - great film and thank god it didnt have euan macgregor in it pretending to be irish or summint.
A new film that uses 'unknown actors' is the new Brian De Palma hatchet job on the US in IRaq - 'Redacted'. This looks like an Iraq film worth seeing, unlike most of the Hollywood IRaq filmd which are pretty dull attempts at worthiness.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/
subversplat
writer of wrongs
I was gutted when I found out he wore a wig
ska invita
back on the other side
This looks great - funny to think that this was made by the guy who did The 120 Days Of Sodom - I guess its a fucked-up Cathlic thing.
But yeah, you could stick in all the neo-realist movies (De Sica, Rossellini, Visconti, Zavattini).
...just thinking, what about Lars Von Trier (and other Dogma 95) films? Does they use non-professionals?
ska invita
back on the other side
Another good one is Dr Haing S Ngor in the Killing Fields, who out acts the entire cast of professionals, including Sam Waterston, John Malkovich and Julian Sands. For once justice was served and he got an oscar for it.
Supposedly though, he had lived through pretty much a similiar experience in Cambodia, so he did have personal experience to draw from. But when I watched this just recently after it got given away with a paper,it wasn't just the war drama bits that he was good at acting in. Even tiny gestures and subtle smiles and looks were done to perfection.
Tragically he got murdered in his house years later, with people supsecting it was for his life long work against the Khmer Rouge.
Dith Pran, on whose life the Killing Fields was based died today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7321560.stm
ska invita
back on the other side
Haven't seen this yet, but looking forward to checking it out soon...
The Class (Entre les murs)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068646/
From the clips Ive seen the kids do some great performances.
Also havent seen slumdog millionaire, but it looks like theyve got lots of scene-steaing non-actors in there too
The Class (Entre les murs)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068646/
From the clips Ive seen the kids do some great performances.
Also havent seen slumdog millionaire, but it looks like theyve got lots of scene-steaing non-actors in there too
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
Bruno Schleinstein in the Enigma of Kaspar Hauser.
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
no picture.
ska invita
back on the other side
I really dont like tV drama, and have never watched tv police shows, save a couple of Crackers as a kid, but I have got addicted to the Wire, and for me the real highlight of the show are the performances, particularly by periphery characters, most of whom are non-actors. The finest example of neo-realsim on TV?
one of the more prominent bit parts is real life Baltimore kingpin Melvin Williams
one of the more prominent bit parts is real life Baltimore kingpin Melvin Williams
The Octagon
Stop...Hammertime
It's been said, but City of God for me as well, those kids were just incredible.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
The cast of "After Life"
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
I watched it on Saturday whilst in Cambodia. Amazing film. And amazing how resilient the Cambodians are.
Mrs Magpie
On a bit of break...
A lot of the actors in Heimat were just locals in the area where it was filmed. There were professional actors in it too though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimat_(film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimat_(film)
ska invita
back on the other side
Never heard of this - looks greatThe cast of "After Life"
Hadnt heard of this either - looks heavy - one to watch back-to-back on a Saturday, followed by back-to-back Shoah on the Sunday
Black cat white cat was full of non-professional actors.
Probably Time of the Gypsies and Underground too (dont know for certain)
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
The retarded guys in The Ringer:
the kids from ladro di bambini. it's fucking scary how well non proffessional actors aged about 12 manage to deal with child abuse in such a sensitive and believable way.
the dad from bicycle thieves as well, like someone said, the italian neo realist stuff is full of amazing performances
the dad from bicycle thieves as well, like someone said, the italian neo realist stuff is full of amazing performances
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