MovieChat Forums > Trumbo (2015) Discussion > The Two Biggest Flaws... So Far - Robins...

The Two Biggest Flaws... So Far - Robinson and Wayne

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

It's a decent biopic.

Good story. Cranston is great as usual. However, my beef is with Stuhlbarg (who played EG Robinson) and David James Elliot (Wayne).

They didn't look like Robinson and Wayne nor sound like them. With all of Hollywood's time and resources, I don't know why they didn't find actors who could really capture the essence of these two Hollywood giants. Neither actor sounded like their acting-legend counterparts. Elliot had mild inflections of Wayne's character, but it was too subtle.

I think that takes away from the film. If you know the people they are portraying, their portrayels should be convincing. I shouldn't have to hear another character say "Robinson" to know that the actor is playing Edward G. Robinson. I should know because the actor is doing an impeccable job of portraying him.

Beautifully shot. Great story. Well-paced. But these two actors distracted me to the extent that I will likely be giving this flick a 7/10. It's lazy on the part of the talent scout and the directorial decision to miscast these two actors. Not to mention the actors themselves for failing to really try to encapsulate the nuances of these two legendary Hollywood powerhouses.

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[–] casch0101 9 years ago

I fully agree on the Wayne and Robinson ill-casting. The film, however, emerges nevertheless by its own means. Cranston and Goodman are impeccable and powerful as usual.

[–] Gobobo 9 years ago

Goodman was impeccable, Cranston blew the doors off! What a great performance by him.

[–] gargantuaboy 9 years ago

It is far better to be subtle when portraying a famous figure than to give a hammy over the top impression. You don't want Edward G Robinson to walk into a room saying "Where's your screenplay now? see!!!" It's nice to get a nice balance in the middle which I think they did. The guy who played Kirk Douglas did a fine job too.

[–] stephenpaultaylor 9 years ago

They should also be convincing portayels. That was a garbage portrayel. And yes, Kirk was great.

[–] spud-boy 8 years ago

I agree with gargantuaboy. You can't expect the actor playing Robinson to imitate the "Little Ceasar" stuff. Robinson was actually very good at downplaying his parts, if you see him in the right movie. Also, the first time we see him, they're shooting a scene, and right away I thought, "That's Edward G. Robinson!" Granted, he was putting on "the voice" and the lighting was very shadowy.

I also bought the John Wayne and Kirk Douglas characters. To expect a dead on impersonation with heavy make-up, etc. is ridiculous.

[–] Acid_Reflex 9 years ago

What takes away from the film is that Robinson never named any names and got more wrapped up in this as collateral damage than Trumbo who was preaching Stalinism but he needed a cape in this movie.

This wasn't even sort of as good as Warren Beatty's REDS

*All they make are unwatchable movies from unreadable books.

--Clarence Worley

[–] jim-2512 9 years ago

Robinson's naming of names has already been quoted from the original transcripts elsewhere on this forum. It was almost verbatim as presented in the movie.

[–] Acid_Reflex 9 years ago

Yes, I am sure someone on this forum has the original transcripts. You're an idiot

*All they make are unwatchable movies from unreadable books.

--Clarence Worley

[–] hammerbutt 9 years ago

That's the thing about official transcripts they are in the public record anyone can look them up. Every time you open your mouth you just prove how stupid you are.

[–] Acid_Reflex 9 years ago

Right, but no one has. They just post BS that suckers like you believe

*All they make are unwatchable movies from unreadable books.

--Clarence Worley

[–] allisonarf 9 years ago

I agree with the OP. Those two actors did a terrible job portraying two Hollywood legends. They weren't convincing at all in their roles.

The actor who played Kirk Douglas, on the other hand, did a very good job.

[–] parker-j7 8 years ago

I could almost hear Wayne belly laughing at this guy's impression of him.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] parker-j7 8 years ago

Regardless, I'm sure John had a sense of humor and would have found it amusing. Considering how many people tried imitating him over the years.

[–] Dan2108 8 years ago

What leads you to believe he had a sense of humor? Everything we know about him shows he was very thin-skinned, and that he got worse as he aged.

[–] franzkabuki 8 years ago

Stuhlbarg wasn't ideal, but I did recognise him as EGR right off the bat - in part because they kept calling his character "Rocco", I'm sure. As for John Wayne though... well, that really wasn't him, was it? And the guy who played Douglas had more or less the looks, but surely not the presence.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan