MovieChat Forums > Miranda Richardson Discussion > Marissa tomei is far better than this pa...

Marissa tomei is far better than this pasty British ferret

posted 16 years ago by imbluzclooby
9 replies | jump to latest

For all those pissing and moaning that Richardson deserved the Oscar over Tomei:

Marissa was absolutely ravishing and sexy in "My Cousin Vinny" and still managed to hit the comic timing on the mark every time and in every nuance. That is quite an accomplishment for any actress.

Just because Richardson had a 3 minute kitchen scene where she emoted and wailed frantically fans will think she deserved the Oscar more. But Marissa has done that herself and sometimes better than Richardson did. I thought Richardson's performance was rather bland up until that scene. What made that scene so powerful was the circumstances and tragedy that befell the family. That is called good scripting and direction, not necessarily great acting.

Marissa also has better screen presence and can play a myriad of types from glib hottie to self -sacraficing wife.

Verdict: Marissa won and earned the win.

[–] ofumalow 15 years ago

You're right, in a sense--Richardson killed in essentially one scene, while Tomei was a delight throughout an entire film.

But let's face it, Richardson has proven herself (like many stage-trained British actresses) incredibly versatile, while talented as she is, Tomei has inhabited a much more limited range of roles largely defined by her sexiness. Which is presumably what the OP meant in saying she was "better than this pasty English ferret."

Was he talking about acting ability, or what he finds attractive? Tomei won a very lucky Oscar--she's a good actress but she's had very few standout film roles since. Unlike Richardson, who's been exceptional (and very different) in many film roles, albeit mostly in films that ("Dance With a Stranger," "Spider" etc.) were just too arty for Oscar attention.