Michael Lonsdale : Underrated??
Re: Underrated??
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He was thoroughly amazing in Munich and just brings a tremendous presence to anything I've seen him in. He also bears a striking resemblance to Danish director Kristian Levring, I think its' in the eyes.
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I came here after watching Ronin on AMC to find out who that incredible actor was.2000 My first thought was that it was Frankenheimer doing a cameo because I figured a man this talented would be acting more. Clearly he acts a lot (188 films as of this post) just not many American films. So wow, this guy needs to boot the overplayed Ian McKellan and Brian Cox off the screen because I'd love to see more of him.
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Lonsdale's best performances-
Day Of the Jackal- Claude Lebel
Moonraker- Hugo Drax
Munich- Papa, the French intelligence broker
Ronin- DeNiro's friend, Jean Pierre.
Day Of the Jackal- Claude Lebel
Moonraker- Hugo Drax
Munich- Papa, the French intelligence broker
Ronin- DeNiro's friend, Jean Pierre.
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I particularly liked him as the French diplomat in Remains of the Day, one of the best films of the 1990s.
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I agree that Moonraker was terrible. But Lonsdale's Drax was miles better than the rest of the movie. One of my very favorite Bond villians.
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Re: Underrated??
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Lonsdale is a genius, one of the best actors our time.
His performances in Luis Bunuel 's le Fantome de la libert, in Jean-Jacques Annaud's the Name of the Rose, in Maurice Ronet 's Bartleby, an unknown masterpiece or in India Song, are simply astounding.
I agree with treksage, Michael Lonsdale is absolutly underrated.
His performances in Luis Bunuel 's le Fantome de la libert, in Jean-Jacques Annaud's the Name of the Rose, in Maurice Ronet 's Bartleby, an unknown masterpiece or in India Song, are simply astounding.
I agree with treksage, Michael Lonsdale is absolutly underrated.
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He's a great actor I first saw him in Moonraker, he was awesome there.
One of my favourite actors.
One of my favourite actors.
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I agreeI was watching The Day of the Jackal, in which he gives a wonderful performanceand kept thinking, why is that guy so familiar? Somewhat to my surprise I found that he played "Papa" in Munich, a film I saw just a few days ago. Wowthere are a lot of years separating those two films. What I find impressive is that he has appeared in very minor roles (in mid-career, not just at the beginning) as well as major onesa hallmark of a true actor rather than a "movie star."
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His best acting job? That was in Bertrand Blier's "Les Acteurs" where he plays himself, well a parody of himself so aloof and stupid that it borders on genius!
See "Les Acteurs" if you know all those great French actors, it's one of the most underrated films of the last ten years!
See "Les Acteurs" if you know all those great French actors, it's one of the most underrated films of the last ten years!
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GREAT ACTOR..TOO UNDERRATED AND VERY GREAT ACTOR.SPECIALLY GREAT IN MOONRAKER
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He is not underrated at all. It is just that he spent most of his career in France, making films that have not been widely seen in the English-speaking world. He is very well-known, and deservedly so, in his native land.
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Very, very special performance from Michael in the last episode of Smiley's People.
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He is my favourite actor. He is absolutely fabulous. I loved him in "The Day of the Jackal".
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Lonsdale does tend to get smaller roles in English-language films. I watched Behold a Pale Horse the other night and he appears for about thirty seconds at the end. He's also supposedly in Is Paris Burning? but I wasn't able to spot him.
I'm afraid that you underestimate the number of subjects in which I take an interest!
I'm afraid that you underestimate the number of subjects in which I take an interest!
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Tragically underrated.
He's all about subtlety; his role in DOTJ was functionally dramatic, but laced with comic undertones. Note his slightly unfocused, confused reaction to the meeting of dignitaries, coupled by his formidable address of the situation and his total control in researching. All the while he keeps a two-face on, one that says focused concentration the other saying where the heck am I.
He's all about subtlety; his role in DOTJ was functionally dramatic, but laced with comic undertones. Note his slightly unfocused, confused reaction to the meeting of dignitaries, coupled by his formidable address of the situation and his total control in researching. All the while he keeps a two-face on, one that says focused concentration the other saying where the heck am I.
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To my mind one of the great actors working today or perhaps of all time. His work seems so effortless that it's amazing. I think this performance in Day of the Jackal is nothing less than superb. Just watched him in Of Gods and Men and it's a great pleasure to watch him. I would love to see him on stage in English or in French. Bravo Michael.
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Really incredible in Day of the Jackal, playing a wonderfully austere, intelligent detective with shades of humor and class resentment. He almost steals the film from Edward Fox.
I haven't seen a lot of his work (Munich and Galileo come to mind) but he's invariably good, even in the smallest part.
"Haven't they replaced you with a coin-operated machine yet?"
I haven't seen a lot of his work (Munich and Galileo come to mind) but he's invariably good, even in the smallest part.
"Haven't they replaced you with a coin-operated machine yet?"
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Lonsdale has had a film career that started in 1956 with amazingly steady work through the present (he has appeared in 12 films since 2010).
I loved him as Inspector Claude Lebel in _The Day of the Jackal_ where he was physically much bigger than Lebel was in the novel but still managed to play him small, like an understated Joe Fridayone who just gets the job done without attracting attention to himself.
I loved him as Inspector Claude Lebel in _The Day of the Jackal_ where he was physically much bigger than Lebel was in the novel but still managed to play him small, like an understated Joe Fridayone who just gets the job done without attracting attention to himself.
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Yes, he's brilliantly under-stated in his style, so maybe that's why he is as you say under-rated.
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Oh Yes. I Just snored through The Bunker a 1981 TV version of Hitler's final days. Most of the acting is pretty pedestrian TV acting. Lonsdale as Martin Bormann Just pooped out at another level. loved him in Ronin and The Jackal. That he's 85 and still working is inspiring.
Underrated??
To begin with, he starred as the most incredible Bond villian EVER his career didn't exactly drop out of sight after that AND he's still starring in films!
Maybe we should start a Michael Lonsdale society! ;D