The Essence of Bay

[redqueenar]

I think the key to a good character is more on the actor's shoulder than the writers. I mean, if a performance is awful it doesn't really make any difference his character is so fletched out that I could write a four paper essay about him. Critics are mostly very hypocritical on this subject; how much character development has the characters in Alien? Clint Eastwood's character in Sergio Leone's Dollar Trilogy is one of the most memorable characters of all time but where's the character development? It's obvious Clint created that character and not the writers. Critics who put down a movie like The Island because the characters (who in this case doesn't even have anything but a made up history anyway I might add) weren't fletched out only makes them look like fools.

The only movie I can really fault the characters in a Bay-flick is in Pearl Harbor and that's mainly because the characters are in center more than in a movie like Armageddon or The Rock. The two main characters aren't developed at all except for the angle about them being friends forever and have a love for flight. But if Affleck and Hartnett were replaced with much better actors with better screen presence they could probably have brought more to the character than was on the page and that is the key.

Armageddon doesn't have that much character development but it's got enough; take Will Patton's character Chick for example. He's only got a few scenes where his history is brought up but we can still pretty much connect the dots and find out that he's a fairly lonely guy, has a fucked up relationship behind him, never met his son, is married to work, is probably a gambler, had done something so bad that he got a restraining order against him and his best friends with Bruce Willis' character whom he seem to have much stuff in common with. Bruce also got a failed relationship behind him, a so-so relationship with his daughter and is a guy that's married to work. Billy Bob's character isn't fletched out much on the page but Billy Bob created a real character of him. I still think it's among his best works; he hasn't really played another - so straightforward - character like this before or since. I still think Armageddon is pretty fuckin' underrated when it comes to characters and acting; it's a fine ensemble that one. The Rock I shouldn't even have to mention in terms of acting. Fuckin' all around great performances in that one be it leading role or supporting character. Hell, Michael Biehn comes in for 15 minutes and pretty much owns the screen. David Morse doesn't got that much to do but you can feel his presence.

ChemicalSuperfreak's comments about watching Clockwork Orange brings up some message board memories. I once had heated arguments with a Bay-hater on IMDB and when I said I of course like other films than Bays he proceeded to name movies that he thought I haven't even heard of, and among those were various Kubrick, Fellini, Kurosawa-films that I very much had heard of and some of them I had even watched. When I said I'd seen La Dolce Vita by Fellini and actually enjoyed it he pretty much laughed in my face and went on I only said that to get some credit and there was no way in hell I had watched that and actually appreciated it. He also said people that enjoy Michael Bay-films should stick to that then; "You don't deserve other films. You don't deserve Stanley Kubrick-movies". I tell you, I take pride in being a Bay-fan because 1) I love his movies and 2) I'm convinced the most extreme religious Bay-haters are fuckin' a-holes... both on the net and in real life.

I swear the reason they're so feral in their hatred is because they're just jealous of him and his success. Completely and utterly jealous. What pleases me so much about Armageddon isn't just that the performances are believable, it's that those characters are recognizable. I know guys just like the guys in that movie. A lot of Bay's films are like that. The circumstances may be wild, but the people are real. (and real people *are* funny and strange!)

The actors are vital. Actor who take these blockbuster gigs thinking they'll just get a lot of exercise and won't have to do any "real acting" are doing themselves and the project a huge disservice. These films are completely character-driven.

[sora]

I once had heated arguments with a Bay-hater on IMDB and when I said I of course like other films than Bays he proceeded to name movies that he thought I haven't even heard of, and among those were various Kubrick, Fellini, Kurosawa-films that I very much had heard of and some of them I had even watched. When I said I'd seen La Dolce Vita by Fellini and actually enjoyed it he pretty much laughed in my face and went on I only said that to get some credit and there was no way in hell I had watched that and actually appreciated it. He also said people that enjoy Michael Bay-films should stick to that then; "You don't deserve other films. You don't deserve Stanley Kubrick-movies". I tell you, I take pride in being a Bay-fan because 1) I love his movies and 2) I'm convinced the most extreme religious Bay-haters are fuckin' a-holes... both on the net and in real life.

Maybe that Bay-hater guy has the wrong idea that a man is defined by the movies he has been watching.
Usually I tend to like wordy and depressing films, but I enjoy seeing Bay films as well. And remember, even Mozart was pop music in the 18th century.

[sora]

What pleases me so much about Armageddon isn't just that the performances are believable, it's that those characters are recognizable. I know guys just like the guys in that movie. A lot of Bay's films are like that. The circumstances may be wild, but the people are real. (and real people *are* funny and strange!)

I second that. What I like about his movies are not just actions/explosions.

[devonnewberry]

I think critics and Bay-haters don't watch his films for the right reasons. He doesn't make a movie to make you cry. He doesn't make a movie to to get deep into the characters. He makes a movie to entertain an audience. He make ACTION-driven action films, rather than character/story-driven action films.

And I love it.