For those who don’t know it yet because you’re still not on Tumblr or Twitter, Richard Armitage just made #2 on IMDb’s StarMeter.
Maybe that’s a not biggie for some actors, and yes, the likes of the Twilight stars have made #2 and even #1. But for our guy to do it when he is still almost a complete unknown in America is fantastic. Now he needs to reach #1. Yes, I’m greedy. Sue me. :D
Not long ago a body was unearthed from its burial place under a car park in the UK. It may be the corpse of King Richard III, the last monarch in the War of the Roses. Various tests have been done to help determine the identity as a small group of zealous supporters longing for the king to gain his rightful place in history have watched the world become aware of him. Despite confirmation, Richard III will still be confined to a villainous image. He will still be seen by a significant number as the man Shakespeare portrayed as a scoundrel who callously killed his nephews and anyone else who stood in the way of what he wanted. And if he really has been unfairly maligned by the Bard, few will appreciate the fact. Such is the effect of a drama with a powerfully developed character — its ability to drown out anything that would give lie to it.
Richard Armitage in The Hobbit is also an unearthing. It is a star emerging to all but a few rabid fans who have waited for several years for the public to recognize it. Despite this rise to the larger public’s notice, will Richard, like his namesake, also remain confined to an image? I hope not. I hope his Thorin Oakenshield will be sufficient to give lie to the notion that he’s only a heart throb. But when I consider the effect of his portrayal as John Thornton in North and South followed closely by Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, and hear the current rhetoric about the hot dwarf, it’s hard not to see him remaining in the box marked tall, dark, handsome man who is extremely masculine and sensitive and must be a romantic figure.
When women in the U.S. alone get hold of the almost Svengali like appeal of his, the marketing of his roles will be narrowed to romances. Much like was done with Colin Firth and Gerard Butler only they aren’t Richard Armitage. He goes way beyond them in sex appeal. Yes, I’m biased, but I’m also not blind. Some women I know have never seen the likes of Richard Armitage, and those who have really watched him are blown away. One told me, “I laughed at your reaction. I really did. I thought you were just having a mid-life meltdown with all that’s going on in your life. Phew! I was wrong! I have never seen anyone like that!” To which I said with as much humility as possible, “I know.”
But for a good long while I’ve been finding that a trap. He’s too capable to be left to roles as a mere love interest, only useful for awakening desire. Granted, he does love interest so well, but how long can we dwell there? Doesn’t it get passe’? Or is our need as women so intense we must continually feed it with characters who engender passion? I can only answer for myself. I’m bored with this. And I’m way past the place where I wrote about his characters’ effects on me. I was actually past it when I wrote the piece but was compelled to capture the phenomenon so I wouldn’t forget. Now I want what I always want — a good story and characters that move me but without the added noise of squeeeing.
I’m all squeeed out for now. And it’s only my snark gene that continues on with the appearance of it yet with a twinkle in my eye hoping some of you catch on to my mirth at the manipulation we receive as fans.
I long for more from Richard Armitage. I long to see him leverage his ability as a chameleon and apply his fine sense of a story. When do we get to see that without the pr machine pandering to women? Playing them like a fiddle? Harsh words you say? What else to make of this? LOL!
Yes, I know I’m whining, but really, I just hate to see Richard getting in the box however big it may appear. A little Armitage Protection Mode at work? No question. And my control freak dictates this:
Dear Richard,
I hope once you get past all the hype for The Hobbit that you can really sit back and consider what’s next and do not feel compelled to give people exactly what they want. You once said of a character that he was only interesting when he didn’t get what he wanted, and it would be over if he got it. The same logic could be applied to you and your fans. Please don’t give what it seems we want. We don’t know what’s good for us. Yes, I am a capitalist, but not when it comes to art. Ignore my capitalist, please. Go with your heart.
Just please stay out of the box, or at least don’t let the marketers close the lid on you.
Other than all of that, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Signed,
One of your crazy fans who knows you have much more in you in than tall, dark, handsome cotton mill ownerP.S. Maybe a little chat with Viggo Mortenson might be helpful. Yes, I’m a control freak. Now listen to your mother, er, big sister. :D
The rant is done, and I want you all to know I am emphatically not against his being cast as a romantic figure, and I’ve been thinking about what I would like to see in that respect. More coming up on that and on Richard III. I’m not even close to being done with the “good” king.
edit: I am not down on Richard Armitage. I think he’s a great talent, which I would like to see succeed as some other great talents have succeeded. Neither do I begrudge him making money. Money is necessary to live.
But I had to say something about what I am seeing. More later on contributing to facilitating this. That’s the post where I admit my guilt. LOL!
I was waiting until New Year’s Eve to post this because I thought Richard Armitage wouldn’t beat 52 until the movie had been out at least a week or two. But I was so wrong, and I’m glad. He just reached number 4 on IMDb:
Someone needs to make a new graphic! All of you Photoshoppers out there need to get busy so we can have another picture with a toast. :D Tanni?
Some of you have been wondering about my absence. It’s a two-fold issue. There is a lot going on with my family and my business. It’s all good, but it’s time consuming. I also had to step away from The Hobbit full court press machine in order to preserve enjoyment of the movie. That’s not a knock on the PR. I understand they had to do it for the general public who hasn’t been following along. But with over two years of immersing myself in information about it and then going to New York and being bombarded by its presence, I knew the movie would be ruined for me if I didn’t step out of the fray.
Okay, enough of my excuses for not being here, I’m ready to review this puppy. Unfortunately, I suck at analysis of movies and books, so I will be deferring to SO for most of this.
We saw the 48fps 3D version. Honestly, I loved this version. It was very clear but not in a buffoonish way as was suggested about 48fps 2D. Most noticeable to me is I came away without the slight headache and nausea I usually get from 3D. With the negative space severely restricted in the higher frame rate, my eyes were not continually straining to focus, and it made for a very pleasant experience. So I think 48fps as the basis for 3D is a big win and here to stay for those who will take the time to try it.
Our 12 year old and one of her buddies went with us, and thankfully, they sat at the very back so we could perhaps escape being subjected to their muffled giggles and their incessant need to go to the restroom. Such is the life of middle school girls. Oy. Despite my sometimes distraction by the two girls, I enjoyed the movie. Mostly, I wanted to know what SO thought since he’s the writer, he’s the movie connoisseur,and he hadn’t been biased by an avalanche of information about The Hobbit!
We had not even reached the exit door after the movie was over when SO announced with a surprised grin, “I really liked that!”
I cut my eyes at him and wanted an explanation, “Really? What did you like about it?”
“It was fun!”
After all of the time talking on and off about The Hobbit, I was hoping for a bit more from him. He continued, “Yeah, it was fun. I was 12 again, and I loved the adventure.”
“So nothing beyond it being an adventure?” I asked still hoping for an examination from him. C’mon give me something I was thinking.
He said, “Well, it was too long, but then that’s Peter Jackson, and I’m sure he has an eye toward people watching this at one sitting when the series is out on DVD. Something to be savored over and over. Isn’t that what Ringers do?”
Yeah, it is. “But why do you think it was too long?” I persisted.
“The whole Frodo part was extraneous. The time in Bilbo’s house with the dwarves was also too long and too much singing. They should have kept it to one song and then sung the one about the mountains later. But then that may just be me.”
I had felt the song was out of place as well, but I was curious about his thinking. “Why do you think the singing was a problem?”
“It did little to develop the characters or the story. I knew it was supposed to move me, but it did not. When I read the book about a hundred years ago, I didn’t care for the singing then either. It seemed disjointed from the rest of the story. A bit lame. At least that’s how I remember it. As I think of the movie now, part of the problem was that your guy was not developed enough for me to really get the significance of the Misty Mountain song. I did notice the other dwarves were in awe of him when he came to Bilbo’s door, but that wasn’t really enough to show me why they were in awe. Yes, he was the leader, but all I knew of him was he was a deposed prince and angry at the Elves for not helping his people. What in all of that should generate awe? What made the audience really care to know about him? It wasn’t until Balin told more of Thorin’s past and the maiming of the Pale Orc that I understood he was a badass who deserved the reverence from the others. This should have been near the beginning.
The Badass Dwarf
“And of course none of this is Richard Armitage’s fault. I think he did a good job, but the writing failed there.”
I was stunned. Not by his breaking down the story but at the use of Richard Armitage’s real name. LOL!
He continued, “Then again, Peter Jackson was slow to develop Aragorn, and your guy [yeah, I noticed Richard no longer had a name. :D] is very much like that character in the sense that he is really the Man as it became evident that Aragorn was the Man.”
“But what about Bilbo?” I asked.
“Sure, he’s the physical conscience whereas Gandalf is the spiritual conscience, but the story is about Thorin. He is ultimately the center of this piece. And I did not realize how much Armitage was going to be the central character in this movie. This is Thorin’s story! I guess I kept thinking about the last thing I saw with him — a five minute bit in Captain America and didn’t realize he was essentially going to have the starring role in The Hobbit.”
“Oh, but he’s not the star!” I corrected.
SO laughed, “Yeah, right. Although he didn’t have many lines in this segment, he’s going to be Aragorn at the end. Hide and watch.”
“But the story isn’t the same as the Lord of the Rings,” I said still trying to set him straight.
“No, it’s not, but Thorin is an Aragorn in the sense of the pivotal character.”
I agreed with everything he said and was compelled to keep asking questions, “What did you like best about the movie?”
“Too much to narrow it down, but the ending was fantastic. I’m ready for the next installment.”
“Wow. You really did like it.”
“Yes, I did.”
I have more thoughts about it, but I’ve added it to another post. For now, just know that the movie was worth $12.50 a person, and more important the almost three hours investment of time.
And the biggest plus to me personally is SO now wants to watch other pieces with Richard Armitage. Thank you, Peter Jackson. :D
I’ve been busy which should be obvious; otherwise, I would have been here fangirling with the rest of you! Life does have a way of intruding. This week it came in with a vengeance, and in the wee hours of the night and the morning, I wrote about it. It would be a wonderful release to publish, but I’m not sure this is the place for it.
Nevertheless, I have plenty to publish for this blog, and those of you who have worked with me for the last few weeks know what I mean. I’m getting to it! But hang on while I throw a few other things at everyone today. I have SO’s review of The Hobbit, and I’ll intermingle mine with his. I have another post with thoughts on the New York premiere, which I wasn’t going to post, but I feel it needs to be said. Last (or maybe not :D), I have a post I’ve been sitting on since the day I started this blog. It may actually go up late tonight or very early tomorrow, which I realize is relative given many of you are not in the U.S. Whatever. It’s going up last and quite a few hours from now. And of course all of this is subject to change if I get a wild hair or we get a bombshell about Richard Armitage dropped on us. Just sayin’.
And I did not forget about SO’s Ode. He asked me not to publish it. The rat! He thinks it will offend, and although he’s not above being offensive on occasion, he doesn’t want to offend the Army. Don’t worry. I’m working on him. ;D
That’s all for now. I’ve got to head to church. Yes, I said church. Amazing that someone like me could darken the door of a church, but God has a sense of humor.
I’ve been surveying the landscape again, and it’s hard not to wonder how Richard Armitage’s advent in America is going to play out. The Captain America promotion didn’t count. It was a blip. This Hobbit press machine is the real thing, and its invasion is formidable. Walking around New York has made that clear. Ads for this movie seem to be plastered on every available surface, so that I can go nowhere without being met by the Hobbity bunch, even on the steps leading in and out of the subway.
I thought I was ready for this, but I’m not so sure now. Last Saturday was already my saturation point, which wasn’t a problem because I just did what I always do when I’m full up to the eyeballs on information about Richard Armitage — go AWOL for a few days. But as I try to rejoin the march, something is in jeopardy — my voice on this blog. I’m feeling the need to refrain from sharing as many of my thoughts about show business. A little Armitage Protection Mode trying to kick in.
Perhaps this post is a commitment to remain honest. Yes, I’m putting myself out here for some accountability. Please note I’m not accountable to share everything I’m thinking. If I did that, your hair would curl. But this need to remain honest is my bullshit detector coming to my rescue, and thankfully, it makes me draw back and take note of what’s going on around me, and if I’m feeling too hemmed in by conventional thinking, I want to get loose. Mostly, I fear becoming homogenized — oohing and aahhing and generally just saying the same old claptrap I find so prevalent and uninteresting.
For now, I’m hanging out with my girls, loving that, and trying mightily to forget The Hobbit exists. It’s a little hard to do sometimes:
Ali at RichardArmitagenet.Com has put up a two part video covering The Hobbit Premiere in Japan:
Richard Armitage is having a blast, and I’m having a blast watching his joy.
I am embarrassed to admit I had not seen much of Elijah Wood speaking as himself until this recent spate of interviews. He is thoughtful and articulate. It’s been a pleasure to listen to him as well.
A few screencaps that should put a smile on your face:
Screencaps are mine. :D
At The Hobbit Press Conference in Japan, Peter Jackson seemed to speak with a reverent tone when he described the power of Richard Armitage’s character portrayals. It was certainly a succinct description of what has drawn me and so many others.
‘Quiet Honor’
Yes, that describes it. Sir Peter goes on to explain Richard’s ability as an actor, “He has a stillness and quietness that draws the eye when he’s on screen…You want to watch what he’s doing. A very rare abiltity.”
Then Martin Freeman spoke of Richard the person, and his demeanor also conveyed a respect that bordered on the reverent, “He brings as a person — quiet determination, respects himself and others. He holds onto a strong core of himself. The least arrogant person you would ever meet… He is essentially a decent person, a good human being… I like being around him.”
I have much more I want to say, but I can’t tonight, and honestly, I probably won’t get to it on this blog. It would be wonderful to do so, but I’m too slow a writer. Picking out words doesn’t come as naturally to me as picking out notes on a piano. But I had to at least give some commentary on this press conference as Peter Jackson’s words struck such a chord in me.
Now will someone get that in video STAT! I’m traveling and can’t do it! Or I would. Oh, I would.
edit: RACentral has put up a five part video of The Hobbit Press Conference in Japan I’ve made a playlist. First up:
How many are still recovering from last night’s drunken stupor of fangirling?
A little hair of the dog is always helpful to get back to your daily routine:
Oh yeah, look at those eyes. I mean really look because if you really look, you won’t be able to stop yourself from gushing, and now you have a place to relieve it by sharing your thoughts with Glamour UK about Richard Armitage’s Red Carpet appearance. Besides, this is what the Army does so well, and really, we need to get back at it. :D
So while you’re not love bombing RA’s charities, go over and tell Glamour what you think.
Also, I’m thankful to Ilaria Urbinati for her lovely work in dressing Richard Armitage. Damn! How do people get these jobs?! Should have been a stylist! Only one problem. I am short on knowing how to create a style. I just know what I like when I see it.
Don Draper eat your heart out!
Thanks to Ali at RichardArmitageNet.Com for the heads up.
RAFrenzy 