Oliver Stone's vision shines through with gravity defying momentum in a film that many historians say is one of his five or six Masterpieces. I agree with the Masterpiece status of this film, it's a truly great piece of Cinema.
Michael Douglas stars alongside Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen. Charlie Sheen delivers a good Performane in this film and he keeps up with his Martin Sheen and Michael Douglas, which is saying a ton. Many Actors would overreach trying to keep up with Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen, but Charlie Sheen reaches just enough without crossing the line to deliver a good performance.
Martin Sheen is such a crafty Actor, he has dynamic subtleties as an Actor that make him so commanding, unique and interesting to watch. He really performs great in this film and the 'hospital bed' scene is the kind of scene that College Drama Professors would show their class as of how to Act while pointing out how incredibly hard it is to deliver a scene as such.
Michael Douglas also is a Screen Commanding Actor, and you can't take your eyes off of him and the fact that he has the 'it' factor in most Films he's in. He's the kind of Actor, much like Martin Sheen, that you know you're watching greatness, but you can't quite put your finger on the why, but you know you're seeing it right before your very eyes on the screen; and this Film is no exception.
In smaller roles, Terence Stamp puts on an extremely good performance that not many could do as the part called to basically be as or more commanding than Michael Douglas, and Stamp has the talent and craft to do it, and the scenes with Stamp and Douglas flat out work; and as with all of these scenes, Stone captures it almost perfectly.
Also in smaller roles, James Spader performs good in a part that many Actors would've over or under reached; Spader does neither and delivers. Hal Holbrook's scenes work, flat out, and quietly as he so often does. John C. McGinley performs extremely well as he almost always does, and without stealing scenes, he performs with a high level of energy bordering on a 'live' performance; it works, no question.
Michael Douglas stars alongside Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen. Charlie Sheen delivers a good Performane in this film and he keeps up with his Martin Sheen and Michael Douglas, which is saying a ton. Many Actors would overreach trying to keep up with Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen, but Charlie Sheen reaches just enough without crossing the line to deliver a good performance.
Martin Sheen is such a crafty Actor, he has dynamic subtleties as an Actor that make him so commanding, unique and interesting to watch. He really performs great in this film and the 'hospital bed' scene is the kind of scene that College Drama Professors would show their class as of how to Act while pointing out how incredibly hard it is to deliver a scene as such.
Michael Douglas also is a Screen Commanding Actor, and you can't take your eyes off of him and the fact that he has the 'it' factor in most Films he's in. He's the kind of Actor, much like Martin Sheen, that you know you're watching greatness, but you can't quite put your finger on the why, but you know you're seeing it right before your very eyes on the screen; and this Film is no exception.
In smaller roles, Terence Stamp puts on an extremely good performance that not many could do as the part called to basically be as or more commanding than Michael Douglas, and Stamp has the talent and craft to do it, and the scenes with Stamp and Douglas flat out work; and as with all of these scenes, Stone captures it almost perfectly.
Also in smaller roles, James Spader performs good in a part that many Actors would've over or under reached; Spader does neither and delivers. Hal Holbrook's scenes work, flat out, and quietly as he so often does. John C. McGinley performs extremely well as he almost always does, and without stealing scenes, he performs with a high level of energy bordering on a 'live' performance; it works, no question.