I recently wrote an article regarding Johnny Depp's career post-Pirates of the Caribbean for a website. They didn't publish it. It bummed me out. But, I though I wrote it with so much heart, so what the hell? I should share it. Here it is.
What’s happening to Gilbert Grape?
I am sure there have been plenty of articles on the internet this year lamenting the slow but steady downfall of one of the biggest movie stars that this planet has seen in recent years: Johnny Depp. Depp turned 50 this year, around the same time that his new movie, The Lone Ranger, a Western- action-adventure-buddy-comedy hit theaters. This gave the film journalists plenty of fodder to put forth their take on the trajectory of Depp’s career. I am pretty sure that he doesn't care what the internet thinks, but that doesn't mean that it is going to shut up about it. I wanted in on the conversation as well. I might be a bit late in weighing in my views, but being such a hard-core fan of Depp, I couldn't resist.
When the first installment in the now “over-stayed-it’s-welcome” Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, called Curse of the Black Pearl, hit theaters, the world was introduced to a new star: Johnny Depp. Sure, Depp was by then an established industry actor, working in the business for more than twenty years. He had been making movies that kept him out of the spotlight, while giving him the opportunity to fulfill his artistic ambitions. He gained a following from ardent movie lovers. But now the world took notice. He started getting recognition from mainstream cinema. He received an Academy Award nomination (for a movie based on a theme park ride!!). He followed that with two other Academy Award nominations, making him the first actor to get nominated for three lead Actor Academy Awards in the 21st century.
Sure, he wasn't an actor you cast in a summer blockbuster, but then again it was 2003 and the summer blockbuster as we know it today hadn’t taken form. One thing has to be considered here and that is: Pirates was not a planned success for Depp. Even if you look at the trailers for Curse of the Black Pearl now, you will notice that the focus was Orlando Bloom’s Will and not the morally ambiguous, rum drinking, bad smelling pirate Jack Sparrow. It was not until the audience responded incredibly well to the role that Depp gained the status that he did. Sure, it was a tremendous performance. One of the most fun, imaginative and beguiling performance of the 21st century. Depp was turned from an art-house, eccentric, oddball and strange actor to a global eccentric, oddball and strange actor. So, it is no surprising fact that Jack Sparrow’s shadow looms all over his future choices.
For me, Depp holds a personal, for lack of a better word, magnetism. I was 14 when I saw Curse of the Black Pearl, and I thought that this Jack Sparrow dude was the best goddamned actor in the entire history of film. I didn't know Bogart, Stewart, Brando, De Niro, Pacino, Nicholson, Hoffman. It was all Depp. It would not be an overstatement to say that I earnestly started watching movies after seeing Depp in Curse of the Black Pearl. Now, after all these years, I am stunned that a summer blockbuster had such an effect on me, but I was 14 and impressionable, and impress me it did. I am sure I am not alone. Most of Depp’s fans became his fans because of Curse of the Black Pearl, though later they (like me) realized that it was just tip of the iceberg. So, I guess I took Johnny’s fall from grace a little too hard.
I will be taking my view on Depp’s career, film by film, post-Curse of the Black Pearl, what worked and what didn't.
Note: Not included are his animated movies and his cameos.
Secret Window (2004)
This psychological thriller based on a Stephen King books features Depp as Mort Rainey, a writer suffering from the eponymous writer’s block, and haunted by his lover’s infidelity. This movie is a hit-and-miss kind of flick, with the twists and turns not entirely anything you haven’t seen before.
Depp’s role is also that of a traditional man trapped inside his own thoughts, a brooding man, slightly unhinged. It’s a performance that doesn’t leave you with anything after the movie has finished, remaining largely forgettable in a film that doesn’t do its star any favours. Depp turns the crazy and outcast down a notch for this one.
Finding Neverland (2004)
Depp plays another writer, this time playwright Jim Barry, in this sweet, and a little melodramatic, however mostly pleasant story of how Barry came up with the idea of Peter Pan. This was one of Depp’s most humane and subtle performances. He brought all his emotional dexterity to this role. He made us believe in Barry’s relationship to the Llewyn Davies’ boys and his melancholy at being stuck in a loveless marriage. It made audience see that Depp was an actor who didn’t always need to hide behind make-up and costume to deliver. His nuanced performance was the high point of the movie.
The Libertine (2004)
This movie has not been received well, apart from a select few. It is easy to see why the general audience doesn’t relate to this over-the-top, farcical, slightly cartoonish, highly risque period drama. Though it did manage to give Depp a lot of room to play with. Depp was his usual effeminate, charming self, this time disguised as the Earl of Rochester. Again, it’s his performance that gives the movie most of its delights, but it is a performance that doesn’t keep the movie afloat. Tended to jarring tonal shifts and a plot that plodded rather than moved swiftly, this was not a ticket the audience were willing to buy, even if it starred Jack Sparrow bringing his bags of tricks with him.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Depp was always at his best (and elusive) when he worked with Burton. They were the De Niro/Scorsese of misfits, eccentric yet lovable characters. Depp brought to life Burton’s vision like no one else could. Maybe it was because of Depp’s ability to transform himself wholly into the persona he was playing, to immerse himself into someone else; the man most comfortable when out of his own skin. These were the types of movies Burton made. So, with Charlie, they brought a beloved classic book, which featured a recluse at the time of crisis and change in his life. This was another of Depp’s colourful performances, where he loses himself into another self. While the movie was so-so (a visual delight, pretty great for kids, but a little too cartoonish and schmaltzy for adults). It was a huge commercial success.
These four movies, his immediate follow-ups to Curse of the Black Pearl, were as widely different as one could imagine. His versatility was beginning to gain traction. Words like “the actor of his generation”, “a man comfortable donning other people’s skins” and “a great chameleon” were thrown around to describe him. It looked as if Depp was up for anything, as always. The difference was that the audience was watching this time, too.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End (2006, 2007)
These two movies were shot together, so it makes sense to view them together as one as well. It is probably unfair to say that these two parts were made just for the sake of money. Sure, Pirates hit box office gold that no one was counting on, but it gave Depp his iconic role and Verbinski the room to create spectacles of epic proportions, something he is clearly fond of. They wanted to come back to this, it makes sense. But, on the flip side, these two movies were the opposite of what Depp had always stood for. He said on the episode of Inside the Actors Studio that aired in 2002, and I am paraphrasing, that he left 21 Jump Street because he did not want to become a product. Sadly, Pirates parts 2 and 3 made him just that. These two movies, though capturing the market with record numbers failed to reignite the magic of the original. The novelty had worn off. Jack Sparrow was a breath of fresh air in 2003. In 2007, he was merely repeating himself. Not for nothing, the intentional over-complication of the plotlines in the third part didn’t do the movie any favours.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Depp and Burton’s third collaboration in just three years (they made the animated movie Corpse Bride in 2005). This one was a musical which presented Depp with the challenge of singing. Sure, Depp had always been interested in music, but on the playing instruments side of it, not the vocal side. That didn’t matter. He faced the challenge head on and gave a blistering performance as the tragic anti-hero, one that earned him a third and to date his last Academy Award nomination. It was great to see Depp exerting himself, pushing himself to his boundaries and come out with flying colors.
Public Enemies (2009)
Now we come to what may be one of Depp’s last great performance so far in his career. He plays John Dillinger, Depression-era robber and America’s Most Wanted at one time. Directed by Michael Mann and co-starring Christian Bale, this movie drew huge amounts of hype pre-release. It even got compared to Mann’s Heat, in the sense that it starred to of the biggest stars going head to head for the first time, and also that it was a cops versus robbers’ story. Though it drew mixed response, leaning towards positive (most critics felt that it could have been great but just fell a little short), Depp’s performance was received with acclaim and to no surprise. He brought all the charisma he could muster for the role of a robber who at the time were thought to be the cool ones, the rebels, the ones fighting the corrupt and useless government who had plunged the country into depression. Depp’s presence on the screen was like that of an old school film star: towering, captivating and magnetic.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Depp teamed with Burton again, adapting another children’s beloved story. The result is a visually dazzling albeit slightly muddled and familiar movie. Depp plays Mad Hatter, not the center of the movie, though given Depp’s star status it feels so (more on that in The Lone Ranger). It is the kind of role Depp can play in his sleep. He dons a flashy wig, a big hat, make-up that covers his face, has a funny voice, throw in a little physical comedic moments, and you have a role that Depp has played before. This movie made a billion dollars on the box office and it still beats me what is so special about it. It is a by-the-books blockbuster with a killer cast (frankly which blockbuster lacks that now-a-days, save a few). So, it was Depp channeling the same old, same old.
The Tourist (2010)
Depp tries to play the straightest guy possible. He fails miserably. On paper this was a good movie: a thriller, with light moments, romance and exotic locations (think Charade or To Catch a Thief). Starred Angelina Jolie and was directed by the director of the fabulous The Lives of Others. What could go wrong? Apparently, everything. Depp’s performance is so wooden, so stoic, so lame that it feels as if he has forgotten to act without the aid of make-up or funny hats. It looks that he has stayed away from normal roles or so long that it isn’t in him anymore. That is probably a little too harsh. Let’s just say that Depp’s attempt to act by the books came out as a plea to show that he can live on both sides of the line: the line that divides the oddballs from the mundane. I can’t think of any other reason he could have taken this role (except perhaps to give Gervais material during Globes).
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
One of the best examples of those unnecessary sequels that come out of Hollywood. They changed the director to give the movie a fresher feel. They got rid of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom when it was clear that they were extremely superfluous to the plot once Jack Sparrow takes centre stage. So, we are treated to Depp being Depp. I have no idea when it became such a bore to see Captain Jack Sparrow on screen. I guess somewhere between movie 2 and 3. Too much of a good thing. This should not have happened. Depp was on auto-pilot mode. He had become the product he set out to avoid. It is clear that he feels strongly about the character, and it is no crime to play your beloved characters again and again, but in such unnecessary meant to make bucks for the studio, fare; that is not cool.
The Rum Diary (2011)
This was Depp’s attempt to go back to his roots. He had previously starred in adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Last Vegas to great effect. He turned the whacko to 11 in that one. This was pale in comparison. A huge financial disaster, this didn’t have the “shooting-on-speed” feel of Fear and Loathing. Nor did it have much in the way of plot, style, in fact it was a totally tone deaf, boring droll of a movie. It had moments of craziness but they felt out of place. Depp had tried to re-enact the magic, but he failed. This should have been a reality check for him.
Dark Shadows (2012)
Another of Depp and Burton’s collaboration, this time bringing an old gothic soap opera to the screen. Depp played a fish out of water character, something he was quite adept at, especially in Burton movies. But Dark Shadows suffered from the disease of trying to be a franchise starter: spent too much time setting up characters that the plot was left hanging in the middle. It did manage to feel campy and very gothic-y, something I am sure Burton was aiming for, but it also felt boring and tedious. Depp’s performance was mildly interesting but nothing you would not expect from him. His own versatility was working against him. The constant chameleon had become his weak link. This movie failed to capture an audience, which it meant to, nor has a sequel been announced, which it wanted to do.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Depp plays second fiddle to Armie Hammer (who plays the titular Lone Ranger) in this Western blockbuster. This movie got unwarranted bad press due to behind the scenes trouble (budgetary issues). Not to mention the bad press it got post-release (thrashing by the critics). It was expected. A 150 minutes long movie with no clear direction it wanted to take, without a clear lead (was Tonto the lead or the Ranger?), this became a huge flop. How can it happen? This was made by the team that made the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. I don’t claim to have the answer. Though it is clear that the rote formula, the familiar CGI laden set pieces, Depp as a whacky sidekick competing for the lead role didn’t help matters. This movie should remain an example for those who just open the book that teaches how to make a blockbuster and follow it word by word. You can’t expect the audience to fall for the same trick every time. Depp as Tonto was Depp as we know him. Much has been written and said about his role in this movie and I don’t have anything new to bring to the table, except my version which is that it was right up his alleyway. It was Depp, a thousand times over. It was a walk in the park for him, probably. It wasn’t magnetic.
Future:
Depp has Wally Pfister’s Transcendence in the making which seems a good science fiction movie, although I am not sure about Depp’s role. Also there is the star-studded musical Into the Woods, in which Depp plays a supporting character (truly) as the Wolf. Also, he has Pirates 5 and Alice in
Wonderland 2 in the works (why?!). But the one I am most excited for is Mortdecai. It feels like the fresh avenue he used to love: challenging, engaging and rebellious.
So, in conclusion, Depp has enough talent and charisma to make any role amazing, he just needs to make his choices more carefully. Instead of repeating what he did in the past, he should be playing more challenging roles. Plus he is 50 now. Time to stop trying to be a summer movie star.
What’s happening to Gilbert Grape?
I am sure there have been plenty of articles on the internet this year lamenting the slow but steady downfall of one of the biggest movie stars that this planet has seen in recent years: Johnny Depp. Depp turned 50 this year, around the same time that his new movie, The Lone Ranger, a Western- action-adventure-buddy-comedy hit theaters. This gave the film journalists plenty of fodder to put forth their take on the trajectory of Depp’s career. I am pretty sure that he doesn't care what the internet thinks, but that doesn't mean that it is going to shut up about it. I wanted in on the conversation as well. I might be a bit late in weighing in my views, but being such a hard-core fan of Depp, I couldn't resist.
When the first installment in the now “over-stayed-it’s-welcome” Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, called Curse of the Black Pearl, hit theaters, the world was introduced to a new star: Johnny Depp. Sure, Depp was by then an established industry actor, working in the business for more than twenty years. He had been making movies that kept him out of the spotlight, while giving him the opportunity to fulfill his artistic ambitions. He gained a following from ardent movie lovers. But now the world took notice. He started getting recognition from mainstream cinema. He received an Academy Award nomination (for a movie based on a theme park ride!!). He followed that with two other Academy Award nominations, making him the first actor to get nominated for three lead Actor Academy Awards in the 21st century.
Sure, he wasn't an actor you cast in a summer blockbuster, but then again it was 2003 and the summer blockbuster as we know it today hadn’t taken form. One thing has to be considered here and that is: Pirates was not a planned success for Depp. Even if you look at the trailers for Curse of the Black Pearl now, you will notice that the focus was Orlando Bloom’s Will and not the morally ambiguous, rum drinking, bad smelling pirate Jack Sparrow. It was not until the audience responded incredibly well to the role that Depp gained the status that he did. Sure, it was a tremendous performance. One of the most fun, imaginative and beguiling performance of the 21st century. Depp was turned from an art-house, eccentric, oddball and strange actor to a global eccentric, oddball and strange actor. So, it is no surprising fact that Jack Sparrow’s shadow looms all over his future choices.
For me, Depp holds a personal, for lack of a better word, magnetism. I was 14 when I saw Curse of the Black Pearl, and I thought that this Jack Sparrow dude was the best goddamned actor in the entire history of film. I didn't know Bogart, Stewart, Brando, De Niro, Pacino, Nicholson, Hoffman. It was all Depp. It would not be an overstatement to say that I earnestly started watching movies after seeing Depp in Curse of the Black Pearl. Now, after all these years, I am stunned that a summer blockbuster had such an effect on me, but I was 14 and impressionable, and impress me it did. I am sure I am not alone. Most of Depp’s fans became his fans because of Curse of the Black Pearl, though later they (like me) realized that it was just tip of the iceberg. So, I guess I took Johnny’s fall from grace a little too hard.
I will be taking my view on Depp’s career, film by film, post-Curse of the Black Pearl, what worked and what didn't.
Note: Not included are his animated movies and his cameos.
Secret Window (2004)
This psychological thriller based on a Stephen King books features Depp as Mort Rainey, a writer suffering from the eponymous writer’s block, and haunted by his lover’s infidelity. This movie is a hit-and-miss kind of flick, with the twists and turns not entirely anything you haven’t seen before.
Depp’s role is also that of a traditional man trapped inside his own thoughts, a brooding man, slightly unhinged. It’s a performance that doesn’t leave you with anything after the movie has finished, remaining largely forgettable in a film that doesn’t do its star any favours. Depp turns the crazy and outcast down a notch for this one.
Finding Neverland (2004)
Depp plays another writer, this time playwright Jim Barry, in this sweet, and a little melodramatic, however mostly pleasant story of how Barry came up with the idea of Peter Pan. This was one of Depp’s most humane and subtle performances. He brought all his emotional dexterity to this role. He made us believe in Barry’s relationship to the Llewyn Davies’ boys and his melancholy at being stuck in a loveless marriage. It made audience see that Depp was an actor who didn’t always need to hide behind make-up and costume to deliver. His nuanced performance was the high point of the movie.
The Libertine (2004)
This movie has not been received well, apart from a select few. It is easy to see why the general audience doesn’t relate to this over-the-top, farcical, slightly cartoonish, highly risque period drama. Though it did manage to give Depp a lot of room to play with. Depp was his usual effeminate, charming self, this time disguised as the Earl of Rochester. Again, it’s his performance that gives the movie most of its delights, but it is a performance that doesn’t keep the movie afloat. Tended to jarring tonal shifts and a plot that plodded rather than moved swiftly, this was not a ticket the audience were willing to buy, even if it starred Jack Sparrow bringing his bags of tricks with him.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Depp was always at his best (and elusive) when he worked with Burton. They were the De Niro/Scorsese of misfits, eccentric yet lovable characters. Depp brought to life Burton’s vision like no one else could. Maybe it was because of Depp’s ability to transform himself wholly into the persona he was playing, to immerse himself into someone else; the man most comfortable when out of his own skin. These were the types of movies Burton made. So, with Charlie, they brought a beloved classic book, which featured a recluse at the time of crisis and change in his life. This was another of Depp’s colourful performances, where he loses himself into another self. While the movie was so-so (a visual delight, pretty great for kids, but a little too cartoonish and schmaltzy for adults). It was a huge commercial success.
These four movies, his immediate follow-ups to Curse of the Black Pearl, were as widely different as one could imagine. His versatility was beginning to gain traction. Words like “the actor of his generation”, “a man comfortable donning other people’s skins” and “a great chameleon” were thrown around to describe him. It looked as if Depp was up for anything, as always. The difference was that the audience was watching this time, too.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End (2006, 2007)
These two movies were shot together, so it makes sense to view them together as one as well. It is probably unfair to say that these two parts were made just for the sake of money. Sure, Pirates hit box office gold that no one was counting on, but it gave Depp his iconic role and Verbinski the room to create spectacles of epic proportions, something he is clearly fond of. They wanted to come back to this, it makes sense. But, on the flip side, these two movies were the opposite of what Depp had always stood for. He said on the episode of Inside the Actors Studio that aired in 2002, and I am paraphrasing, that he left 21 Jump Street because he did not want to become a product. Sadly, Pirates parts 2 and 3 made him just that. These two movies, though capturing the market with record numbers failed to reignite the magic of the original. The novelty had worn off. Jack Sparrow was a breath of fresh air in 2003. In 2007, he was merely repeating himself. Not for nothing, the intentional over-complication of the plotlines in the third part didn’t do the movie any favours.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Depp and Burton’s third collaboration in just three years (they made the animated movie Corpse Bride in 2005). This one was a musical which presented Depp with the challenge of singing. Sure, Depp had always been interested in music, but on the playing instruments side of it, not the vocal side. That didn’t matter. He faced the challenge head on and gave a blistering performance as the tragic anti-hero, one that earned him a third and to date his last Academy Award nomination. It was great to see Depp exerting himself, pushing himself to his boundaries and come out with flying colors.
Public Enemies (2009)
Now we come to what may be one of Depp’s last great performance so far in his career. He plays John Dillinger, Depression-era robber and America’s Most Wanted at one time. Directed by Michael Mann and co-starring Christian Bale, this movie drew huge amounts of hype pre-release. It even got compared to Mann’s Heat, in the sense that it starred to of the biggest stars going head to head for the first time, and also that it was a cops versus robbers’ story. Though it drew mixed response, leaning towards positive (most critics felt that it could have been great but just fell a little short), Depp’s performance was received with acclaim and to no surprise. He brought all the charisma he could muster for the role of a robber who at the time were thought to be the cool ones, the rebels, the ones fighting the corrupt and useless government who had plunged the country into depression. Depp’s presence on the screen was like that of an old school film star: towering, captivating and magnetic.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Depp teamed with Burton again, adapting another children’s beloved story. The result is a visually dazzling albeit slightly muddled and familiar movie. Depp plays Mad Hatter, not the center of the movie, though given Depp’s star status it feels so (more on that in The Lone Ranger). It is the kind of role Depp can play in his sleep. He dons a flashy wig, a big hat, make-up that covers his face, has a funny voice, throw in a little physical comedic moments, and you have a role that Depp has played before. This movie made a billion dollars on the box office and it still beats me what is so special about it. It is a by-the-books blockbuster with a killer cast (frankly which blockbuster lacks that now-a-days, save a few). So, it was Depp channeling the same old, same old.
The Tourist (2010)
Depp tries to play the straightest guy possible. He fails miserably. On paper this was a good movie: a thriller, with light moments, romance and exotic locations (think Charade or To Catch a Thief). Starred Angelina Jolie and was directed by the director of the fabulous The Lives of Others. What could go wrong? Apparently, everything. Depp’s performance is so wooden, so stoic, so lame that it feels as if he has forgotten to act without the aid of make-up or funny hats. It looks that he has stayed away from normal roles or so long that it isn’t in him anymore. That is probably a little too harsh. Let’s just say that Depp’s attempt to act by the books came out as a plea to show that he can live on both sides of the line: the line that divides the oddballs from the mundane. I can’t think of any other reason he could have taken this role (except perhaps to give Gervais material during Globes).
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
One of the best examples of those unnecessary sequels that come out of Hollywood. They changed the director to give the movie a fresher feel. They got rid of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom when it was clear that they were extremely superfluous to the plot once Jack Sparrow takes centre stage. So, we are treated to Depp being Depp. I have no idea when it became such a bore to see Captain Jack Sparrow on screen. I guess somewhere between movie 2 and 3. Too much of a good thing. This should not have happened. Depp was on auto-pilot mode. He had become the product he set out to avoid. It is clear that he feels strongly about the character, and it is no crime to play your beloved characters again and again, but in such unnecessary meant to make bucks for the studio, fare; that is not cool.
The Rum Diary (2011)
This was Depp’s attempt to go back to his roots. He had previously starred in adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Last Vegas to great effect. He turned the whacko to 11 in that one. This was pale in comparison. A huge financial disaster, this didn’t have the “shooting-on-speed” feel of Fear and Loathing. Nor did it have much in the way of plot, style, in fact it was a totally tone deaf, boring droll of a movie. It had moments of craziness but they felt out of place. Depp had tried to re-enact the magic, but he failed. This should have been a reality check for him.
Dark Shadows (2012)
Another of Depp and Burton’s collaboration, this time bringing an old gothic soap opera to the screen. Depp played a fish out of water character, something he was quite adept at, especially in Burton movies. But Dark Shadows suffered from the disease of trying to be a franchise starter: spent too much time setting up characters that the plot was left hanging in the middle. It did manage to feel campy and very gothic-y, something I am sure Burton was aiming for, but it also felt boring and tedious. Depp’s performance was mildly interesting but nothing you would not expect from him. His own versatility was working against him. The constant chameleon had become his weak link. This movie failed to capture an audience, which it meant to, nor has a sequel been announced, which it wanted to do.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
Depp plays second fiddle to Armie Hammer (who plays the titular Lone Ranger) in this Western blockbuster. This movie got unwarranted bad press due to behind the scenes trouble (budgetary issues). Not to mention the bad press it got post-release (thrashing by the critics). It was expected. A 150 minutes long movie with no clear direction it wanted to take, without a clear lead (was Tonto the lead or the Ranger?), this became a huge flop. How can it happen? This was made by the team that made the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. I don’t claim to have the answer. Though it is clear that the rote formula, the familiar CGI laden set pieces, Depp as a whacky sidekick competing for the lead role didn’t help matters. This movie should remain an example for those who just open the book that teaches how to make a blockbuster and follow it word by word. You can’t expect the audience to fall for the same trick every time. Depp as Tonto was Depp as we know him. Much has been written and said about his role in this movie and I don’t have anything new to bring to the table, except my version which is that it was right up his alleyway. It was Depp, a thousand times over. It was a walk in the park for him, probably. It wasn’t magnetic.
Future:
Depp has Wally Pfister’s Transcendence in the making which seems a good science fiction movie, although I am not sure about Depp’s role. Also there is the star-studded musical Into the Woods, in which Depp plays a supporting character (truly) as the Wolf. Also, he has Pirates 5 and Alice in
Wonderland 2 in the works (why?!). But the one I am most excited for is Mortdecai. It feels like the fresh avenue he used to love: challenging, engaging and rebellious.
So, in conclusion, Depp has enough talent and charisma to make any role amazing, he just needs to make his choices more carefully. Instead of repeating what he did in the past, he should be playing more challenging roles. Plus he is 50 now. Time to stop trying to be a summer movie star.
looking pretty ep!c sci fi
