Perhaps you missed SOLARIS, a wonderful and incredibly underrated movie that Soderbergh directed and Clooney did a terrific job without relying on the tilted head with smile act. A lot of people didn't like it because it was slower and required more from the audience than a typical science fiction movie. If you're a patient viewer, SOLARIS is a very rewarding experience.

I do like George Clooney. I had a thing for him when he was still in ER. But like your observations Rich, he hasnt been in too many films where you can see his acting range, if there is indeed any. But he is fun to watch nonetheless, and I pay to see some of his films. And this looks like a good combination, Clooney and Blanchett going back in time- murder mystery and romance. I am so into films like this, especially if its done in another timeline. One of my favorite guilty pleasure films is "Shining Through", with Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith, if they can come up with something better than that oh my goodness, count me in now!

John N - You got me. Yes, I have seen Solaris and it was totally out of my head when I was writing this. Why? Well it is so unlike his usual performance. You're right though, terribly underrated film, but very good.

Simone, you're a WWII romantic! Just imagine Clooney in Doctor mode in a field tent in a war!

Richard says, "Simone, you're a WWII romantic!"

Rich, for goodness sake, dont say it out loud!!! LOL

I devour books on WWII, even fiction works about it. I particularly find the spying business to be very good at this time. It was indeed a very torubled time and that to be able to weave romance with it, it comes out really passionate and very stirring as it is also a question of survival.

I like George Clooney's work too. I thought of another non-typical performace by him. In O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? he channels Clark Cable and gives a hailarious performance as a buffonish but lucky man who escapes prison life to accidently becoming a bluegrass hit.

Solaris was good. You should also see Three Kings, or come on...you have to have seen O Brother Where Art Thou. Talk about a different persona.

Why is everybody forgetting "Batman and Robin"? LOL

One of his worst moments eh?

I havent seen too many of his films, but I thought "Intolerable Cruelty" was cruel! I mean, oh dear what has he sunk into? Who hasnt done forgettable films in their lifetime? I missed the other films you guys mentioned though and will check it out.

He still does the trademark Clooney throughout Three Kings, not that it isn't a good film, but that's Clooney through and through.

Haven't seen Brother, but I might give you that since he has to put on an accesnt and a moustache.

So...we're up to two decent non-stock-Clooney performances?

Haven't seen Solaris, but I don't really like that much about Clooneys work in any movie. His maners suck, and althoug he is always pretty decent, he's never great. Or even close.

But in the other hand, while Ocean's 12 totally sucked being worst movie of last year (no, haven't seen Catwoman), I still got strong belief in Soderbegh. Traffic was great film, and lonely showed up to me that Soderberg can be make great dramatic movies. Blanchett is always plus points for movie. So, with this casting and director I'm looking forward to this movie. Storyline sounds pretty nice, and can be really good movie with litte romance and lots of thriller. Can be good, but can also be totally grap movie. See Pearl Harbor if you don't know when I say: too much romance in wrong movie makes it horrible.

It is funny how "taste in movies" can change from person to person. I think that Clooney is not an actor like De Niro, Brando or even Edward Norton. Clooney is a bit like Cary Grant. He is an actor playing with his charms. His acting ability comes from little gestures, a little smile, like john said in his post; “head tilted to the side and down slightly, look up with raised eyebrows, smile ever so slightly and open the mouth”. Everything is on the outside. They keep a very close relationship with their audience. And while method actors have to steam up their emotions before a shoot, George is probably making jokes on the set, laughing with the actors who need time to prepare. But they also have limitations. Don’t put them alone in a scene too long. They are pretty good where they have to dance with other actors, interacting with them. But when they are alone and you go into close-up, you see “nothing”. I love George Clooney and the worst film for me is probably “Solaris”, which was visually very attractive but also totally sterile. He is a great actor but this movie was just not his cup of thee. Just compare it with the original ‘Solaris’.

It's Richard, not John!!

Yeah, Solaris with Clooney is nothing on the original, but out of his films I think it's one of his best.

Interesting you bring up the Grant link...I agree and it's something that I struggle with. He is very much of that mould, and I love Grant, but him and his acting style really do belong to another era, and I don't know if there's a place for that nowadays. We've seen with many remakes and even with Clooney in the lead, and they've not done that well...or even failed. It's a sad thing too, because I love those movies...

...anyway, I'm rambling, but thought of an interesting topic for a long ranting post! Thanks Dave!

"It's Richard, not John!!"

It's taking the mick is it Rich?? LOL

I noticed that and wanted to correct it and thought let's see if Rich can show us some great acting range here and not just some "head tilted to the side and down slightly, look up with raised eyebrows, smile ever so slightly and open the mouth".

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Peace Rich!

sorry for that Richard, but John paid me good money for this name-switch!

Am glad I could be at service for your next post.

I didn't mention the Tarkovsky version of SOLARIS because I don't think of Soderbergh's version as a remake. I see them both as 2 different versions of the book (which I admit I haven't read). I love both movies made from it. Tarkovsky and Soderbergh were trying to achieve different aims with their versions, and although it's fun to compare them, I won't say whether one is clearly better than another. I will say Soderbergh's version is heads and tails better than any other science fiction film that came out that year (or most years).

Hell no ! "Minority Report" to name one is far superior in approach, acting and story than the Soderbergh version of Solaris.

Even the low budget film "28 Days Later" was sharper than Solaris and "Equilibrium" had a lot more spirit!!!

Compared to the rich metaphysical content in Solyaris, we have an empty jar in Soderberghs version. It put all its content into a simple storyline about 'love' and 'second chance' and thus stepped on the mystery of the original. Solaris doesn't even make a moral reflexion or not even an esthetic statement. I seriously doubt that he had any idea in what kind of movie he got into.

This only proves one thing. Talented directors, like Soderbergh can hit and miss.

Dave, it was Soderbergh's intention not to make a statement with Solaris (moral or otherwise), but to leave it open to the viewers own interpretation. For a George Clooney role that will be entirely unlike anything he has ever done before, and certainly not a Cary Grant type role, see the upcoming Syriana.

Written by Stephen Gaghan and done in the same format as his film Traffic, with many intersecting story lines that all come together to tell the story.

Clooney plays the real life CIA agent Robert Baer whose book "See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism" the script is very loosely based on.

http://www.clooneynetwork.com