His performances are always hammy, campy and so transparently over-the-top. He peaked with dead man walking and it was all downhill from there. You know you're in trouble when a 7 year old Dakota Fanning can give a more grounded, human-like, non-caricature performance than you. He needs to return Bill Murray's and Mickey Rourke's Oscars like Yesterday.
So Natural and Subdued. The smallest gestures signal a wave of comedy. A masterclass in subtlety. Sean could never.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | July 3, 2023 6:54 PM |
His Mystic River performance is the most over the top and wretched excuse for acting that I have ever seen. It is revolting.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | July 3, 2023 6:59 PM |
I agree the Mystic River performance should not have won, but he was perfectly cast as Harvey Milk, and his superb performance made the film worth seeing. An over-the-top actor can carry off playing a historical personage who was himself over-the-top in public life, and Penn added lots of delicate shadings by showing how warm and sweet and funny and gentle Milk was in his private life.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | July 3, 2023 7:02 PM |
R3- I am okay with that win- and I am not a fan of this guy's at all.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | July 3, 2023 7:04 PM |
I’d argue he deserved his Oscar for Mystic River, but the Oscar he (Oscars—he and Dustin Lance Black) won for Milk…completely undeserved.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | July 3, 2023 7:05 PM |
I wouldn't say his acting in Mystic River was revolting, but it was the first time I realized how he chews up the scenery. You're so aware of him acting.
In contrast, his brother, Christopher Penn, blended into the scenery. He was so natural, you just thought he was being himself all the time. Chris gained a lot of weight and had struggles. The author of this article reminds us that Chris was beautiful, better-looking than Sean.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | July 3, 2023 7:09 PM |
The trouble with almost all Method actors is they eventually become hambones. Look at Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Walken... they just get lazy after a while, and realize the audience will react to them whenever they're over the top.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | July 3, 2023 7:12 PM |
R6, you are so right. Chris Penn was an excellent actor and way better looking than his brother. What a sad loss.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | July 3, 2023 7:14 PM |
OP = Billy Murray.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | July 3, 2023 7:35 PM |