13 thoughts on “MCM: Paul Bettany

  1. Perfect timing, since the WandaVision trailer just dropped!

    I’ve liked Bettany in pretty much everything I’ve seen him in. I think it’s a pity most of these are either more minor roles or lesser-known movies. He could absolutely play the lead in more classic period flicks.

  2. I am also on team Master & Commander. It’s a great movie (with a gorgeous score), and while I have seen a few others of these, the only other one on this list which immediately brings him to mind is A Beautiful Mind (nice job on the caption for that, by the way…). Otherwise, I forget all the men in Young Victoria and delight in Emily Blunt, and even Sharpe’s War, which I haven’t seen.. well I was distracted by Sean Bean. Apologies to Mr. Bettany, who is in fact a talented and enjoyable actor.

    The WandaVision trailer was interesting–looks like some costumes may be FF eligible, but also they’re kind of fantasy-ish. We’ll see!

  3. If we stumble on Master and Commander when surfing around during Saturday lunch, the rest of the afternoon is lost. We love that movie, and I love the doctor!

  4. I love him as an actor. I can’t stand A Knight’s Tale (2001), despite loving most of the cast, and actually disagree with the faint praise it’s been given. I thought Master and Commander (2003) was great and appreciate that the internet is reevaluating it. Does Gangster No. 1 (2000) fall outside of your time frame? I was looking forward to it, but having seen it, must admit it was unfortunately paint-by-numbers for British gangster flicks.

    I have seen Dogville (2003). It has novel staging and well done performances, but it does fall into the category of disturbing/emotionally wrecking films. It is done for a purpose and shows craftsmanship so it doesn’t fall into exploitative films or ones with nothing to them but controversy. I’d say it’s mid-tier on disturbing, alongside movies such as Man Bites Dog (1992) or The Piano Teacher (2001), but not as bad as the eerily believable The War Zone (1999). So it really depends on how well you handle those types of movies. I’d also highly advise against reading anything about it. The whole point is not knowing these things going in and discovering them as they occur.

  5. I was a reader of the Patrick O’Brien books loooong before the Master and Commander movie was made. I’m here to tell you that Dr. Maturin in the film is astronomically far in a physical sense from the literary character, but I DON’T CARE. Because Paul Bettany.

  6. I wouldn’t mind a Frock Flickers’ take on “Creation,” which I found enjoyable and fairly accurate re. Charles and Emma Darwin (Bettany and his wife Jennifer Connelly). I can’t speak to the costuming, but I don’t remember thinking, “OMG, hair down on a grown-up female!” or whatever; the production values in general felt right.

  7. The thing I remember most about The Reckoning (which I believe I watched under its alternate title ‘Morality Play’) is that a young Tom Hardy, now usually cast as a macho man, plays a member of a traveling theatre troupe considered so pretty that he is given all the women’s roles.

  8. I always thought he would have been a good Henry De Tamble from The Time Traveĺlers Wife or even Reacher

  9. I watched Dogville once many years ago. I mostly remember the minimalist staging, a couple of the horrible things that happen to the main character and the ending. I don’t think I’d ever choose to watch it again i recall there being a fairly bleak/miserable feel to it overall

  10. Oh, yes, he is yummy! Faves: 1. Master and Commander 2. The Reckoning 3. A Knight’s Tale. I’m loving those looks from Sharpe and The Young Victoria…gotta watch those now!

  11. Um, he texted with Johnny Depp about sexually assaulting Amber Heard’s dead body? Why the heck is he on your blog at all? Three years ago you mercilessly ripped Carey Mulligan to shreds for the crime of being boring but this actual awful man gets a pass from you? He is a terrible person but he is a man I guess so you just ignore that fact?

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