Sentences with phrase «playing against type»

Efron here is also playing against type in beginning the film as a straight - laced corporate lawyer who is far more conservative and respectable than his horny grandfather.

Emily Blunt also puts in a sterling performance playing against type as Officer, Rita — aka «Full Metal Bitch».

This month there's a chance to catch the actress playing against type in two dark dramas.

Jude Law has always been one of my favorite actors, so it's great to see him playing against type here as the larger - than - life criminal, much in the same way that Pierce Brosnan shocked audiences in «The Matador.»

For what it's worth, James Spader does nice work playing against type as an intellectual nebbish, and Russell incorporates what could've been an albatross — the death of his character's young son — into his every delayed gesture without seeming merely thrown by the film's premise, whose machinations are so befuddling as to deter one from inspecting Stargate for political and allegorical angles.

Aside from The King's Speech, I think I only truly enjoy Firth when he's playing against type.

In this Deep South fairy tale, McConaughey is paired for the first time with fellow rom - com darlin» Reese Witherspoon, who similarly relishes playing against type.

His latest effort is for one of his biggest movies yet (the Shrek blockbusters excepted), Tony Scott's Man on Fire starring Denzel Washington playing against type as a vigilante determined to avenge the kidnapping of a young girl he was guarding.

Nancy Kwan, an international star at the time, does a good job of playing against type as a marine biologist who was Taylor's girlfriend.

This time last year, clean - cut Jersey boy Geraghty was along for the ride as the most undersung member of the «Hurt Locker» ensemble; playing against type in Kyle Patrick Alvarez's intriguing if problematic debut, however, he makes a thoroughly convincing bid for indie leading - man status.

He's playing against type here as the threatening male presence, but he's equally hilarious.

Aniston (definitely playing against type) and Spacey both look good, but the parts I laughed at the most were those involving Colin Farrell.

Surprisingly, Reynolds fares better than Bateman playing against type, with the former competently mimicking the latter's mechanisms in his return to comedy.

Damon and Moore are particularly good, with the former exorcising his pent - up rage like a man dispossessed, and clearly enjoying playing against type.

It is a quality ensemble: James McAvoy playing against type as dogged, tightly wound police detective Max Lewinsky; Mark Strong playing to his strengths as career criminal Jacob Sternwood; Andrea Riseborough as Max's tough - cored but supportive partner; David Morrissey doing the dour boss thing; and Johnny Harris putting his terrifying, pebbly glare to terrific use as a twitchy assassin.

Hathaway and Sudeikis do a fine job of playing against type; she's a damaged woman with a drinking problem and he's a seemingly nice guy who harbors a dark and nasty side.

It seems like the creators opted for a wide range of humor so that everyone could get something out of this, but the movie works best when it's playing against type.

In a way, he's playing against type: Normally, Dafoe would be your go - to choice for one of those eccentric motel dwellers!

The actor's experience playing against type as Commissioner Gordon in Chris Nolan's «Dark Knight» trilogy has apparently rubbed off on him; his Churchill never outsizes the other characters in the room and he makes Churchill's dialogue seem as considered as it probably was.

It's a stunningly gorgeous film packed with strong, earthy performances from a starry cast playing against type.

Again playing against type in Stanley Kubrick's antiwar movie, Douglas brims with decency as a French colonel in World War I who fights against an unfair court martial of his men.

It's amusing to see Messrs. Craig and Ford playing against type, but 10 minutes of their charade are enough to make you wish Mr. Favreau had cast Viggo Mortensen and Sam Elliott instead.

Employing a workshop format to cast the film, he ended up with quite the impressive roster; working with DiCaprio again for the first time since his take on «Romeo & Juliet,» he also has a galaxy of stars in support, including Maguire, and, playing against type, Mulligan as the materialistic, sometimes simple - minded Daisy Buchanan; curiously, it's her first leading role in a big Hollywood production.

Dan doesn't trust the accident scene, its arranged quality, and yet, even when subsequent corpses turn up, the local coroner (Jack Albertson («The Man» in TV's «Chico and the Man»), playing against type) discourages an investigation, while the locals are a largely apathetic bunch.

Fassbender is narcissistic magic as the megalomaniac titan of industry and the supporting cast surrounding him, from an excellent Kate Winslet to a scene - stealing Jeff Daniels and Michael Stuhlbarg and Seth Rogen playing against type, is aces.

Pederson (best known as the brooding cop in Ivan Sen's Mystery Road, and here playing against type to great effect) and Glenane are both terrifying with their respective characters» urges, which demand only sparse explanation and analysis in the film.

«Frank or Francis» pivots around a vain filmmaker (Steve Carell) who represents half the title (he writes, directs and plays every part in his opus, «You»), a bitter, but sharp online film commenter (Jack Black), as well as a failed comedian with a resume of unflattering fat - baiting time - wasters, including «Fat Dad» (playing against type, it's Nicolas Cage).

Actors playing against type included, once again, Charlize Theron, who won for «Monster» in 2004 by playing a serial killer who looked nothing at all like the glamorous actress, and was nominated again this year as a hard - working Minnesota miner in «North Country.»

The real charm with Jumanji comes from the cast seemingly having so much fun playing against type.

After making his name playing straight - arrow good guy — from Elliott Ness to Robin Hood to a certain pee - drinking man - fish — Kevin Costner has taken to playing against type in recent years, as he does here in Criminal, where he plays a remorseless, unfeeling killer.

Though the actor is clearly enjoying himself playing against type, his talents are wasted in a role that consists mainly of him watching from the sidelines in amusement as others royally botch up their criminal plans.

Bates is brilliant, and so is David Strathairn, playing against type as abusive white trash husband and father.

Playing ineffectual New York talent agent Danny Rose, Allen leads a film that has a little bit of everything: a wronged man, car chase, lounge singers, mobsters, adultery, and Mia Farrow playing against type as a smoking, brash «other woman.»

This Friday, «Mirror Mirror» presents a comedic spin on the Snow White story with Lily Collins as the titular princess, «Social Network» actor Armie Hammer as Prince Charming, and Julia Roberts playing against type as the wicked queen.

Dan Stevens is a standout within the main group, playing against type as a hapless rich kid nerd that was always picked on by the other three in high school.

It becomes playing against type - casting with what should have been a standard, rote role.

Bernthal charms playing against type and spilling over with tenderness.

All four leads are having a ball, being awkward with their own bodies and playing against type.

The casting of Colin Firth as our debonair spy fits right in with that up - ending attitude: playing against type, he's visibly having a ball as Harry Hart, a man who lectures a pub full of geezers on the importance of manners, before beating them up with an umbrella.

Or, playing against type, the youthful - looking Chinese star Zhang Ziyi.

Brooks is particularly memorable, playing against type so confidently it might shock many who know him mostly for his more recent roles in fairly average comedies like The In - Laws.

Don't get me wrong, they deliver typically fantastic performances, but all the same I wonder if they only took on the characters just «cos they were playing against type (and probably paid a heck load of money).

The Change - Up does give us the chance to see its two stars playing against type with obvious relish — after all, Bateman does his most scene - stealing work when he's adorably sleazy, and Reynolds is a lot more appealing when he's not in asshole mode.

Affleck fares a bit better playing against type as the smooth, Gatsby - type running a potentially illegal gambling operation.

While I can understand why people do nt like Michael Cera, I thought he did very well in the role and I was glad to see him playing against type, since movies like Youth In Revolt have shown that Cera is more than capable of playing characters other than the stereotypical nerdy, awkward guy.

Both are playing against type, and they say they avoided rewatching the 1960 version, although they did make a point of sitting down to see the original 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai.

-- playing against type as Joe Bang, the demolitions expert the Logan boys wrangle into the mix.

His adolescent's lot is compounded by the presence of his mother's boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell, playing against type), a passive - aggressive bully with a daughter from a previous marriage, Steph (Zoe Levin).

Yet it's still not quite Oscar - winning caliber (but still worthy of a nomination), and Stiller's playing against type doesn't come off as honest a performance as, say, Michael Keaton, in Clean and Sober (1988), that comic's first dramatic role.

It's nice to see Will Smith playing against type without making a big deal of it, and Robbie's performance does have a gleeful quality which sets it apart.