Now I'm surprised. Never thought twice about him, and when I did, it was only to notice how unfunny he seems to me. And just a couple of days ago, I stumbled into a "Lost in translation" trailer. Much to my surprise, Murray was absolutely brilliant in the moments they shown. And then I noticed that that very night they were passing on TV "Mad dog and glory", a strange twisted comedy starring DeNiro, Uma Thurman and Bill Murray. Strange mixture, isn't it? I watched it and it blew me away. It is a surprising blend of noir and dramatic comedy. Murray plays a gangster who lets a woman (Thurman) to a lonesome policeman who saved his life during a robbery (DeNiro), only to become furious when they both fall in love. It is a brilliant film, and to my surprise, again, Murray was fantastic, passing from threatening to pathetic in a matter of seconds whenever it was required.
So, the questions are: am I the only fool not to realise he was a good actor? b) Maybe he should have tried to play dramatic roles before? It was the result of a good direction? Has Murray taken some badly needed dramatic art classes in the recent years?
And while you decide, why don't you rent "Mad Dog and glory"? I promise it is a terrific film.
Murray did try dramatic roles earlier in his career. The Razor's Edge comes to mind. It wasn't particularly well received. I haven't seen it myself, but I suspect that had more to do with audience expectations. Comics often make great dramatic actors, but few are given the chance. Their fans get p**sed off when they aren't funny, and other people won't take them seriously. Robin Williams had the same problem with some of his early dramatic roles.
Murray is one of th egreatest underrated actors ever. the man deserves better.
I don't think Bill Murray is underrated. Many of the reviews I have read over the years have generally praised his work, certainly more so than the work of Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and some of the other SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alumni. As for his popularity, younger audiences may not be able to relate to him, so he may not be a huge box office draw these days. Those of us who grew up watching him probably think he's far more talented than those of us who didn't.
murray was absolutely brilliant in Rushmore...brilliant...
i can't wait for wes anderson's next flick which stars murray as a jacque cousteu type oceanographer/adventurer
i also think Groundhog Day is fantastic. murray plays the sad sack smartass to perfection.
Comics often make great dramatic actors, but few are given the chance.
Very true, too bad they dont get any awards for being a great comic...
John Candy in "JFK" was so good... that he should of gotten better roles...
Rodey Dangerfield was very creapy in Natural Born Killers...
Bill Murray was one of my favorite comedian/actors in the early 80's. STRIPES comes to mind. RAZORS EDGE is a good movie and it's neat to see Murray do a dramatic role. I first remember seeing him in MEATBALLS and of coarse CADDYSHACK. GHOSTBUSTERS was one of his last great comedy movies. I've seen his other films, but they never reach the ones mentioned above. It's always nice to see him in any film. Oh, another one I liked him in was WHAT ABOUT BOB. He is good in KINGPIN, but he is the co-star and kinda a bad guy.
Well, Murray's always been a master of being the smarmy, sarcastic guy. An acquired taste, to be sure. It's only lately that he's been able to follow that persona through to a sort of personal pain and make it mean something. Most notably in roles such as RUSHMORE and GROUNDHOG DAY.
Still, it wouldn't mean much to me, but he's still able to make it very, very funny.
What I always though was underrated was his directorial debut QUICK CHANGE. I laughed like a madman at that movie, and it's my dream that it will one day be released with commentary.
Plus, he has uttered what I hope to one day make my personal credo: "Back off, man. I'm a scientist."
Wow, it's really scary that it took quite a few posts before anyone mentioned the work that Murray has done for Wes Anderson. He was brilliant as the business man who falls in love with Jason Schwartzman's fantasy woman.
And there is the character of Raliegh St. Claire from The Royal Tenenbaums. To me, it seemed that this was a character that Murray really got into. You can only tell that it is him if you are really concentrating.
As for Wes Anderson's new movie that Mr. Henry mentioned, the name of it is The Life Aquatic. It revolves around Murray, who is a renowned diver. He has lost touch with his son over the years and now plans to mend their relationship.
I'm seriously looking forward to Lost In Translation. Although it will never hit the theaters in my area, I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
I took your advice and rented Mad Dog and Glory last night and it was pretty good.
I would say 3/4 of all my movie rental choices come from references on this message board. Thanks for keeping it going Andrew!
Problem with actors like Murray and Chase is that they have a schtick that is funny but can get really annoying if overused and too often directors are not smart enough to use it properly. Excess is easier than subtely, but subtely carries better
Bmeansgood wrote: "I took your advice and rented Mad Dog and Glory last night and it was pretty good. "
I'm glad you like it. It is a great film, but it is so low-key and (sometimes) bitter, that certainly it is not likely to please everybody. I read Roger Ebert's review after I saw the film and I agree it gets better and better with repeted viewings. I even like the ending, which many people seem to find inapropiate.
mad dog and glory is fantastic, it's always great seeing an actor play a very different role, and murray seemed kinda like the type of guy i would trust and get friendly with until he'd frell me over and break my legs in an angry rage.
but also speaking of underrated actors, i think too many people think steve buscemi is just a blabbering moron thanks to his cameo's in happy madison films, yet he is fantastic in films like ghostworld and con air, where he doesn't play fast talking idiots. also, many people seem to think he was bad in the big lebowski, and whilst i understand the point, i think he played the role perfectly.
me gots lotsa respect for the buscemi, and anyone who starred in ghostbusters is a god in my books.
yes, even rick moranis.
Personally, I'm a fan of The Man Who Knew Too Little.
Hey, this is a bad movie fan site, isn't it?
Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors, but The Man Who Knew Too Little was painful to watch. It is hands down my least favorite Bill Murray movie, no comparision, not even close. If I had the choice to watch it or study something like Tax Law I would probably turn off the TV and hit the books.
But, as a lover of crappy movies I am curious to know why you like this movie. Maybe I missed something the first go round.