Clooney

Funny, I can't stand George Clooney as an actor except for the Coen Brothers movies he's been in. "O' Brother Where Art Thou" and "Intolerable Cruelty". Otherwise, he's just a perpetual smirk, an actor to rival Ben Affleck in talent limitations.

Somehow, the Coens manage to fit him into their parts. Maybe it's because his limitations as an actor are perfect for the roles they put him in.

The Coens, in my opinion, are masters of doing this with all of the leading actors in their movies. It's brilliant, really. Think Gabriel Byrne in "Miller's Crossing", Tim Robbins in "Hudsucker Proxy", Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski", Nick Cage in "Raising Arizona", Billy Bob Thorton in "The Man Who Wasn't There", Clooney in the two movies he's been in, and that guy (Jerry Lundergaard) in "Fargo". All of these roles are some of the best each of these guys has been in. Why? Because each is perfect for the role in his unique way. The limitations of each actor define the character he plays.

In some ways, its a sort of insult to that actor when the Coens put them in the role. I remember seeing an interview with Jeff Bridges, where he said his first impression of The Dude in "Lebowski" was that it was based on him when he was younger. And, he's perfect in the role. And now, after countless viewing of that movie, I can't get past Bridges as The Dude when I see him in anything else. The Dude abides...