Description

From the celebrated film critic and author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film a fascinating look at some of the cinemas finest actors and how they approach their craft

Open to any page and youll become enthralled by thetales of forgotten film lore childhood memories sexy gossipPhilip Kaufman director

Meryl Streep Marlon Brando Anthony Hopkins Carey Mulligan When we watch these remarkable actors in a performance we see only Sophie Stanley Kowalski Hannibal Lecter or Cassie from Promising Young Woman How are they able to transform our world in this way How and why do they do what they do

In Acting Naturally David Thomson sheds light on the actors who have shaped the film industry He shrewdly analyzes these starsamong them James Dean Nicole Kidman Denzel Washington Louise Brooks Riz Ahmed Sir Laurence Olivier Viola Davis and Jean Sebergrevealing how a sly smile an extralong pause even a small gesture of the hand can draw in an audience And he takes us behind the scenes to examine casting and all the other moments leading up to Action

Through intimate anecdote humor and the insight born of a lifetime watching and analyzing film Thomson explores the real reasons why we go to the movies and looks at how they influence our lives This book is not only necessary reading for an insiders view of the industry but also a surprising investigation of the relationship between acting and living