Letters to the Editor
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Chill out, King of Chill
and speak for yourself. Crowe's talent and charisma are almost chiche by now, they are so obvious. He can play anything not just thugs. Have you seen "Cinderella Man"? The humility and tenderness he displayed in that role could break your heart. Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand was beautifully nuanced.
But it's his face I go to see. Actors these days seem incapable of acting with their faces, but Crowe has mastered the art. What other actor do you know of who can seem an innocent boy in one instance and a ravening satyr the next? Behold the scene in "Gladiator" when Commodus is taunting Maximus with descriptions of how his family died. The subtle and fleeting but unmistakable look of excruciating pain for himself mixed with compassion for his family was a brave choice for an actor-most would evince a cartoonish furrowed brow vengeful rage. That singular moment is probably the reason producer Douglas Wick, who, upon accepting the best picture Oscar for “Gladiator,” thanked Russell Crowe, adding, “You filled a whole arena with the force of your face.”
Russell Crowe's face-one of the best of many reasons to go see "American Gangster",Ms. Zacharek's disdain notwithstanding.