MovieChat Forums > The Forest (2016) Discussion > The main actress: Unlikable?

The main actress: Unlikable?

posted 9 years ago by RollingInTheAngst
58 replies | jump to latest

For some reason, I had a very hard time watching this movie, not because of its content, but because of the main actress.

For the most part, I thought Natalie was pretty bad in this movie. I never heard or recognized her before, but her acting was just... flat, wooden, and awkward. Maybe she was miscast, because she couldn't really carry this film and deliver the emotions.

Plus, she looked incredibly rough, and I found her facial expressions to be a cold-hearted you-know-what, but like as if she was a recovering druggie. In general, and this may sound bad, but I found her face to be incredibly annoying.

Anyone agree???

[–] olinse 9 years ago

I agree, but she is always like that, not only in this movie.

[–] gamer_12 9 years ago

She's kind of ugly for a Hollywood actress.

[–] crashdummy35 9 years ago

She's not [I]ugly[I] ugly.

Just...weird looking. Like a praying mantis kinda.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

Praying Mantis...???!   

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] zumaondeki 9 years ago

I am stunned, I thought most contributors here would know their Movie Facts.
Natalie Dormer is Just short of Drop Dead Gorgeous as far as I am concerned and is Not Hollywood...READ from IMDB profile/Bio of her.
Natalie Dormer born 11 February 1982 is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Anne Boleyn on the Showtime series The Tudors (2007-10), as Margaery Tyrell on the HBO series Game of Thrones (2012-present), Irene Adler on the CBS series Elementary (2013-15), and as Cressida in the science-fiction adventure films The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015). She has been nominated for Best Performance at the Gemini Awards for her work in The Tudors. She has also been nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild Award for her performance in Game of Thrones.

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

I am stunned, I thought most contributors here would know their Movie Facts.

Cha! Thats a good one! Most contributors here havent even seen the movie they are commenting on!

---------------------------------------------
Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

More like 'Dropped on her face' gorgeous... 

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] randyraysadberry 8 years ago

Funny a bit, haha Speaking of looks, the Japanese girl going to forest initial trip, is she Yuriri Naka? I had never seen before and was mesmerized by her beauty, my goodness, spectacular looking girl... Randy

[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

Ah yes, quite lovely!

Some Japanese girls have such an otherworldly beauty... 

... enough to make you quite 'Randy'... DOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] randyraysadberry 8 years ago

Thanks my Man... Know about Japanese beauty, stationed at Ft. Buckner for a few, way back when. This girl is beyond beauty, as you stated, otherworldly... And yes, "Randy" indeed, haha x 2

[–] guanzilla 8 years ago

Ew, no. Maybe 4/10.

[–] xystophoros 8 years ago

More like 'Dropped on her face' gorgeous...

Her name is Natalie Dormer, and she plays Queen Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, and previously played Anne Boleyn in The Tudors.

The former is a role that specifically calls for a young, radiantly beautiful woman, and the latter is the role of a woman the King of England became so infatuated with, he literally changed the religion of his entire country so he could marry her.

Obviously looks are subjective, but there are two things to keep in mind here: 1) Clearly, plenty of people find Natalie Dormer attractive, otherwise she wouldn't get the roles she does, and 2) British actresses tend to have a natural beauty as opposed to the synthetic ideal of American women.

In other words, while you make like platinum blondes with plastic breasts and half a ton of makeup caked on their faces, there are those of us who have much different tastes. I'd take a naturally beautiful British actress over some uptalking C-list American reality TV girl any day.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

"2) British actresses tend to have a natural beauty as opposed to the synthetic ideal of American women."

"In other words, while you make like platinum blondes with plastic breasts and half a ton of makeup caked on their faces, there are those of us who have much different tastes. I'd take a naturally beautiful British actress over some uptalking C-list American reality TV girl any day."

Fully agree... 

'Subjective' is right... honestly, (and I originally just said this mainly to 'play' on the other guy's comment) she truly, in my lowly and wretched opinion really does indeed look like she's been dropped on her face... my humble apologies... Just different taste, I know... BUT... if it makes me at least seem just a TAD more genuine, please let me throw out to you a few actresses who a LOT of people probably think are either plain or very unattractive and yet I personally find them either somewhat or very attractive. And you will see that in principle I COMPLETELY agree with you.

1. Rebecca Hall - English actress who sort of looks like a bit plainer Molly Ringwold - NOT gorgeous and progressively not improving (in my taste - getting skinnier and rougher looking as opposed to more 'girl next door' like I felt at first) BTW, she is frigg'n AWESOME in the British film 'AWAKENING'!

A good, natural example I think:

http://viewingworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Transcendence-2014-09.jpg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah Silverman - I kind of have a weakness for Jewish looks

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kalw/files/styles/medium/public/201510/sarahsilverman.png

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer Grey (pre-nose job) - again, kind of Jewish looking...

https://impeccabletablemanners.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/anigif_enhanced-buzz-17304-1381261448-17.gif?w=474

... etc, etc, etc...

So, you see... absolutely NO blonde bimbos in site... 

Cheers mate! 

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] rlwremo 8 years ago

Agree with you Zumaondeki. Have liked Dormer since I first saw her (all too briefly) on Elementary and then of course on Game of Thrones.

Actually I thought this movie was decent. Wouldn't have given it a shot except that Dormer was in it ("scary" movies are not my style, so many bad ones over the years).

[–] bobpike 9 years ago

[bWell, I wouldn't go as far as call her ugly and I wouldn't go as far as call her pretty.....so that would make her pretty ugly! 😁][/b]

[–] lathe-of-heaven 8 years ago

DOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...!

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] bobpike 9 years ago

Well, I wouldn't go as far as call her ugly and I wouldn't go as far as call her pretty.....so that would make her pretty ugly! 😁

[–] droidX 9 years ago

I don't think she's very good looking at all. I know a girl that has a bit of a similar face to her but she's much younger and looks a bit better. I'm sure she'll end up looking just like Dormer.

[–] coldplayfairy 9 years ago

How funny! I couldn't get over how beautiful I thought she was. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. I liked her.

[–] caligirlbr323 9 years ago

I know right? I didn't think she was beautiful, but cute/ pretty ! And my husband thought she was ugly!

[–] SilverSpring86 9 years ago

I didn't love her in this role, but I blame the script more than anything. If anyone has questions about her talent watch her on Game of Thrones.

[–] olinse 9 years ago

Um? In GoT Dormer demonstrates, like, zero acting skills, and I don't blame her, because her character always sits on her butt and literally doing nothing.

[–] realkillerthing 9 years ago

She actually plays her GoT character very well and has some very good scenes nailed down, especially in season 5. This is the problem however, like most of the other GoT made stars she can only play 1 character.

I agree that Dormers came across as very dull and unconvincing in this film. But saying she demonstrates zero acting skills as Margery is a complete lie and you should rewatch a few GoT episodes...

[–] olinse 9 years ago

Sorry, but I find her Margaery utterly inert and boring. The only role where Natalie somehow demonstrated acting skills was Anne Boleyn's role. In all her subsequent appearances she is pretty much the same.

[–] zumaondeki 9 years ago

Found all this trivia on IMDB and Its easy to see so far she is a no talent actress:>
Trained at the Webber Douglas Academy in London whose alumni include Rupert Friend, Matthew Goode, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth Knowelden and Minnie Driver.
Enjoys fencing as a sport, and is a member of the London Fencing Academy.
Is a mezzo soprano singer.
On the basis of her performance in Casanova (2005), Natalie has a 3 picture deal with Disney/Touchstone.
Her role in Casanova (2005) was originally written to be much smaller. But Natalie so impressed Director Lasse Hallström, he expanded her part, and also injected more humor into the role once he realized how well Natalie handled comedy.
Has played the mothers of both of England's "Queen Elizabeths". She portrayed "Anne Boleyn" in Showtime's series, The Tudors (2007), opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and was later cast as the "Queen Mother" by Madonna in her film, W.E. (2011), which was based on the romance between Duke of Windsor and his twice-divorced American mistress/wife, Duchess of Windsor.
Participated in the 2014 London Marathon [April 22, 2014].

[–] richard.fuller1 9 years ago

I think the direction was off.

Twins, as well as siblings, can have a bond, yes, but the disregard she had toward the forest's history made her very unconvincing.

[–] Sania696 9 years ago

She does have RBF, lol. I watch her on GoT and The Tudors years ago so I had no issue with liking her.
I can see her come off that way for someone who hasn't seen her work prior.

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged." -Red

[–] Cinema_Love 9 years ago

She looks like Tara Reid... with less boobs and some acting skills..

Last Movies: - The Forest: 7/10
-The Revenant: 9/10
- Sisters: 7,5/10
- Joy: 3/10

[–] darwinwap 9 years ago

I thought she was awesome! or maybe im biased cuz shes super popular as cast on game of thrones and hunger games series...