Friday, April 25, 2008

French Villains

These are tough French guys. At least in Hollywood's hyper reality.
"Why is it that French actors always play bad guys in Anglo-Saxon movies?" asked a friend -- reflecting on the roles Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Lambert Wilson and the like have in Hollywood-style flicks. True, French actors often make it on this side of the pond, and across the Channel, as méchants. Even Mathieu Amalric, the affected lead in Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, will be the villain in the new James Bond. Is it anti-French bigotry, or could it be that French actors are sufficiently versatile and confident about their craft that they are not afraid to take on a diversity of roles, hero and anti-hero alike? Or simply that they have de la gueule?
screenshots of French actors from Google Images