MovieChat Forums > Chocolat (2001) Discussion > Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina

posted 15 years ago by chillysummers
10 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone else think that he was just brilliant as the Comte de Reynaud? I had never seen any of Alfred Molina's work up until this point, but I was really impressed with his performance. When I read the book, I was a little worried about whether or not Reynaud would be able to keep that multi-dimension onscreen. If performed by a lesser actor, he could have come across as too villainous. However, Molina was smart. He knew that, essentially, his character was extremely human in his beliefs and his mistakes, and made Reynaud seem like a very worthy adversary.

In the morning tide when the sparrow and the seagull fly...

[–] RiverWraith 15 years ago

I'm with you there. Alfred Molina is an extremely talented actor. If you haven't already, you should really try and see something else that he's done.

"David Warner, you are under arrest by order of David Warner!"

[–] rooprect 15 years ago

Alfred Molina is rapidly becoming one of my favourite actors. If it were up to me, he would've gotten a Best Supporting Actor award for his role here (especially the funny/scary/sad scene where he demolishes the window display. Greatest freakout in movie history). He was hilarious in "Coffee & Cigarettes". Can anyone recommend some other films of his?

[–] Nathan_Messenger 14 years ago

He indeed is among the most gifted actors of our time. I fully enjoyed his comical roles in "The Man Who Knew Too Little" (which is an absolutely underrated comedy classic in my opinion) and "Maverick", as well as his complexer ones in "The DaVinci Code" and of course "Chocolat".

[–] geezerbu 14 years ago

You should see him in Boogie Nights, best i've ever seen him, really on fire in that!

[–] brand78 14 years ago

Have you seen this actor in THE ENCHANTED APRIL? (1992) - perhaps his best performance (but I agree that he give an impressive performance in this movie also.

[–] mikekearn 13 years ago

I've seen Alfred Molina in a handful of movies and TV shows now, and I think he really shines any time he's on screen. He plays the villain in the sort of "I love to hate him" kind of way. It's genuinely creepy and diabolical, but just shy of being too over-the-top. Always entertaining to watch a movie and find out he's in it.

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"I will not succumb to temptation, unless she's cute."

[–] liquidsouther 13 years ago

Alfred Molina is an amazing actor. He's never dissapointed me. When I saw Spider-Man 2 I thought there could be no better Doctor Octavius.

[–] ambrosesmith 13 years ago

The firecracker scene in Boogie Nights is amazing. Molina is an incredible actor.

This is better than Darryl Starbird's Superfleck Moonbird!

[–] j1977 13 years ago

Just watched this film again last night (in a theater no less for Valentine's Day) and was especially impressed with Molina's nuanced performance. One of the earlier posters had it right, the character could have been too villainous with a lesser actor, but here he is a three dimensional character. I absolutely love the scene with him in the store window.

[–] osmundbullock 11 years ago

Fred (that's what we called him in the National Youth Theatre in the late 1960s) is a good actor, certainly, and played the part well. But actually I think he was miscast here - he's just a bit too soft, fleshy and well-fed for my taste. The Count should be thinner and more ascetic-looking, surely? His life is a constant struggle against the pleasure of the flesh, and I'd have liked that reflected in his appearance - both literally and symbolically.

Hard to think of a suitable alternative, mind you - Jeremy Irons, perhaps, but he's probably too attractive/charismatic (and not a big enough part to attract him). Ditto Day-Lewis. Bill Nighy's too eccentric. A younger Christopher Lee, an older Andrew Lincoln? Alan Rickman?? Best would have been a wonderful British actor called Patrick Malahide, but he's never really been on the Hollywood radar.

Great film, though.