The Agency's Posts

Dark Knight Rises: Michael Caine on Alfreds Final Scene: Dark Knight Rises: Michael Caine on Alfreds Final Scene Michael Caine as Alfred in “The....
Read More>

Do models need more rights?: Viewpoint: Do models need more rights? Sara Ziff (in blue) with fellow models Amy Lemons,....
Read More>

AUDITION WORKSHOP FOR KIDS: HOW TO BOOK THE JOB !!!: PALADINO CASTINGis offering audition technique classes which will enhance and improve your child's....
Read More>

Anne Hathaway on 'Les Mis' hair: 'I looked like my gay brother': Anne Hathaway spared vanity in taking the part ofFantine, thedying young mother abandoned by....
Read More>

'Liz & Dick' romance fizzles in graceless biopic: An epic love story, like a good horror movie, relies more on possibility than actuality.....
Read More>

Rolling Stones myth, fact swirl in 'Crossfire Hurricane': 'Crossfire Hurricane' on HBO has the Rolling Stones telling their own story in an energetic,....
Read More>

Review: 'Rise of the Guardians' gives the storybook an edge: It's Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny and more as never seen before in a tale of....
Read More>

Ken Burns' 'The Dust Bowl' a timely, exceptional endeavor: Ken Burns is at his storytelling best in PBS' 'The Dust Bowl,' a moving, four-hour chronicle of....
Read More>

Box office: How 'Twilight' and 'Harry Potter' are radically different: In many respects, the "Harry Potter" and"Twilight"movies have a lot in....
Read More>

The Contenders: Jake Gyllenhaal looks at his 30s, contemplates his 60s: With 20 years of screen credits behind him,Jake Gyllenhaalis a 31-year-old actor with a ré
Read More>

Gather moss? Not the Rolling Stones at 50: Rock's original bad boys are marking their unlikely milestone with another greatest hits album, a....
Read More>

In 'Lincoln's' beginning was the word: Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and Tony Kushner talk about the story, the voice and the....
Read More>

The Hobbit: Peter Jackson’s unexpected journey to three films: Nearly a decade after the New Zealand filmmaker concluded his massively successful “Lord....
Read More>
Should 'In Time' star Justin Timberlake cry himself a river?
Posted on: 10/31/11
Share/Save/Bookmark
 

Many things could be said of Justin Timberlake's nascent acting career, but one thing he can't be accused of is playing it safe.

Since Timberlake made the decision to put sexy back, or at least on hold, and pursue acting, the former bubblegum pop star has gotten far away from his music roots. He's played a swaggery Silicon Valley salesman ("The Social Network'), a fast-talking but sensitive paramour in an offbeat romantic comedy ("Friends With Benefits"), a passive substitute teacher ("Bad Teacher")  and, this weekend, an impoverished hustler-hero (Andrew Niccol's "In Time").

What he hasn't been especially good at is turning his movies into hits. The two live-action films that performed well, "Social Network" and "Bad Teacher," did so largely on someone else's back. The two movies that relied more on his presence to sell tickets, on the other hand, performed modestly. "Friends With Benefits" was part of the have-not section of the class of R-rated comedies this summer (though it did OK internationally). And, this weekend, "In Time" looked to be out of same with a middling $12 million in box office.

The most obvious conclusion is that Timberlake isn't a leading man. He could carve out a nice character-actor career, but the clock is ticking down fast on him enjoying any Will Smith-like crossover success.

A look at Timberlake's resume doesn't entirely negate the point; as some critics have pointed out, he's an appealing presence, but rarely a sophisticated or overpowering one.

But it's also far too soon to write the obituary on his non-melodic efforts. As he hits his 30s, Timberlake is trying to move out of his comfort zone a lot faster and more often than many of his pop-music contemporaries (Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, who star largely in tune-driven flicks), which will naturally up the flop quotient. In fact, even when Timberlake is starring in a music-themed movie, as he will in the recently announced biopic of record producer Neil Bogart, "Spinning Gold," he's doing it with a hint of the unexpected. (He did that in "Get Him to the Greek" too, where he also played the industry man instead of the performer.)

As "In Time" hit the shoals, it was hard to avoid a comparison to another actor who crashed this weekend. In the 1990s, "The Rum Diary" star Johnny Depp was also a teenage heartthrob seeking a film career. Like Timberlake's "Benefits" turn, he looked to break out with an offbeat romantic comedy (or three), and, weirdly, even made a commercial misstep in a chase-thriller with a ticking-clock conceit ("Nick of Time").

Depp became much more than the "21 Jump Street" kid by working with auteurs like Tim Burton, a move that's not dissimilar to Timberlake's collaborations with David Fincher and Niccol.

That's the part Timberlake seems to get right. What the actor hasn't done, to this point, is show anywhere near the chops of Depp, whose dark-but-sensitive persona seems miles ahead of Timberlake's innocuous nice-guy shtick. And that's the area where JT might get a little more in sync.

As his accolades for "Social Network" show (as well as early work like "Alpha Dog"), Timberlake is indeed capable of something more manipulative and sinister.

For Depp, the pinup-to-star track was greased by just that--his willingness to play people who, while sympathetic, were also tortured and weird. For a personality like Timberlake, who can seem harmlessly likable--understandable given his concert-stage roots, where it's all about likability--that may be the biggest lesson of all. The way we might embrace him a little more may be if he tries to win us over a little bit less.

 
COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal