Russell Crowe is a phenomenal actor. His films of recent years have been compelling, rich and memorable. But we don’t really remember him in those films. Instead, we remember stories of a courageous gladiator, a relentless navy captain, a schizophrenic genius, and now, a boxer that inspired a nation.
Tom Cruise is cute, looks good in just about any hairstyle, is set to wed Katie Holmes come Christmas Day, oh and I think he played a samurai once. Yes, that and the cop in the Mission Impossible franchise. And War of the Worlds.
You see, that’s the difference between Russell and Tom. Russell becomes the character, Tom is just, well, Tom.
Watching Cinderella Man last night, there were times when I swear I forgot it was Russell Crowe in there. Instead, I saw James J. Braddock – the Great Depression boxer that fought so his children could drink milk. I rooted for him, felt for him, and cried with him. I wanted Jimmy Braddock, as they called him, to win. And I watched spellbound, amazed at the strength of a human spirit.
Last night, I saw Mr. Braddock himself, right out of the 1930s.
Yuchun will not agree with this. He’s still in awe of Tom Cruise’s upside down aerial stunt in Top Gun. Yep, that one from the 80s. Sure, the guy is cute, and he does draw crowds. But something is missing, and now I know what it is: he’s too good-looking to be a good actor.
When Russell acts, you forget that he’s Mr. Crowe, husband to Danielle Spencer and currently in trouble for allegedly throwing a telephone at some New York hotel clerk. Because when Russell acts, you only see who he becomes on the screen. The reason he does that so well, besides the fact that he’s an outrageous talent, is because his looks are unassuming enough to be transformed into any character. He can be the fighter, the nerd, the downtrodden or the arrogant.
When Tom acts, you simply cannot forget that you’re watching Tom Cruise. He screams superstar when he’s on screen (just like he does when he’s off it). And I’m not making any comments about his acting prowess, but the man is just too damn good-looking. He reeks of Look-at-me-I’m-gorgeous-and-I-know-it.
Think about it. When you go to a Russell Crowe film, do you go because you know it’s going to be a good story, or because you want to drool over him? People watch his films because they know something magical is going to happen – I know I pestered Yuchun to watch Cinderella Man because I knew it was going to be a gem. Now think about a film that stars Tom Cruise. Do you go because you know it’s going to be a sterling portrayal, or because you just need some eye candy for a couple of hours (and I don’t blame you, we all need some of that).
Tom Cruise never done nothin’ to me, but my vote goes to Russell Crowe any day.
And just in case it wasn’t bleeding obvious, Cinderella Man is an awesome, awesome film.
