Encore’s Greatest Voices: #20-#11

I was supposed to get this up weeks ago, but apparently I'm flaky and not to be trusted. This is the penultimate post so I'm really interested in what you folks think of my top choices. Obviously, I think a lot of them...

#20: Scott Weinger in Aladdin
as Aladdin

“I'm not worthless! And I don't have fleas!”

He doesn’t have many big moments, and true – Aladdin may not be the most layered character (though by Disney standards he is quite nuanced), but Weinger’s affable charm, voice-wise, is a big reason for the easiness with which the film flows.

        
#19: Kathleen Turner in Who Framed Roger Robbit
as Jessica Rabbit

“I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.”

I think I need to rewatch this because I don’t LOVE it as much as I think I should…but either way Kathleen Turner’s Jessica Rabbit is too good for words. She was popping up everywhere in the eighties (one solitary Oscar nomination be damned, boo) and this was a brilliant way to the end the decade…even if it was animated.

        
#18: Richard White in Beauty & the Beast
as Gaston

“Lefou, I'm afraid I've been thinking...”

His Gaston is one of Disney’s most interesting villains, but it’s fun to sit back and just enjoy him being a cad. His “let me through” in the opening number never fails to amuse. He’s just completely into the bravura and simultaneous stupidity of his character you can’t help but be interested. Even if you’re loathing him.

          
#17: Bernadette Peters in Anastasia
as Sophie

“Forget where your from; You're in France, Children Come”

This probably seems like a surprise. Anastasia is a fairly good animated film, but Bernadette’s almost cameo of the unbearably French (compliment) Sophie and her rendition of “Paris Holds the Key” is the film’s secret weapon. She’s always had a memorable voice (a normal sized, older Kristin Chenoweth) and she delivers the peppy character and essentially steals the show.

                           
#16: Paige O’Hara in Beauty & the Beast
as Belle

“Gaston, you are positively primeval.”

She has the perfect voice for the almost feminist Belle (a la Susan Egan). She’s soft and emotive but she’s also strong and hard as nails. She also gets extra points for being (probably) the best Disney heroine/princess.

             
#15: James Woods in Hercules
as Hades

“It's a small underworld, after all, huh?”

Another Disney villain, he is, but one that is often forgotten (just like his character). Hercules doesn’t get the credit it deserves for someone who’s essentially just a major asshole (as much as possible in a Disney film) Woods manages to make Hades ridiculously enjoyable. From the snappy one-liners to the deadpan line readings he sells it, completely.

                   
#14: Simon Callow in James & the Giant Peach
as The Grasshopper

“YOU, sir, are an ASS!”

Perfect in every way. He's a little uppity, but that's really his appeal and he just works so well with the dialogue.

         
#13: Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid
as Sebastian

“Who said anything about humans?”

Sebastian’s “Kiss the Girl” is the most scintillating number from the score, but Wright’s talent is in selling his dialogue. He’s the perfect (if reluctant) sidekick to our heroine and his relationship with Ariel and Triton present constant hilarity that is always well played.

                      
#12: Jennifer Saunders in Shrek II
as The Fairy Godmother

“C Minor; put it in C Minor.”

I consider Shree II to be just a smidgen worse than its predecessor (alas the same cannot be said for further instalments). Jennifer Saunders lascivious Godmother was an important part of that. From her wicked scheming ways to her occasional moment of odd hilarity she was the best in show – and what a show…

              
#11: Jason Schwartzman in The Fantastic Mr. Fox
as Ash

“There's a lot of attitudes going on around here... don't let me get one.”

In the larger scale he ends up becoming forgotten – because George Clooney is playing his father. But Schwartzman does something brilliant with Ash in The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It holds up as one of the funnier performances from the last year and definitely one of the most memorable voices for me.

             

Which of these ten was the surprising inclusion for you? Which was your favourite?

                  

PREVIOUSLY

#21-#30

#31-#40

#41#50 

Decade in Review, Revisited: Memorable Characters

Yes, I'm back with this again. It's really a never ending feature, though I wrapped up with my favourite casts, actors, actresses, music and costumes the sky is the limit and there's more I could ruminate on...and with nothing to do, why not?

           

Dan’s own list has inspired me to revisit my Decade in Review feature. I did have some categories I didn’t touch on, and what better time to reassess? The question of memorable characters is a tough one…my guess is as flawed as yours, but here goes…what makes them memorable for me? It’s not really the performances, though I’d say each performer does a good job. It’s really about how ready I am to recall the character as a complete entity with just the slightest hint – like a key phrase…or an article of clothing, a wisp of hair or an important weapon.

                

Runners Up: Fifteen (Aragorn, Elizabeth Bennett, Erin Brockovich, Deirdre Burroughs, Benjamin Button, Frank Costello, Bob Dylan, Robert Ford, Katharine Hepburn, Bridget Jones, Velma Kelly, Clementine Kruzinski, Mrs. Lovett, Tessa Quayle, Briony Tallis)

#10: Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz)

Key Token: Proficiency in language (and other things) which is, naturally, “a bingo”

See how objective I am? Though I’m neither here nor there on Inglourious Basterds, I’m not so fickle to leave Waltz’s Landa off the list. It’s difficult with recent characters to decide whether or not they’ll endure, and I suppose there’s a possibility he won’t. I was tempted to put Helen Von Bismarck on the list instead of him, but I knew that was just nepotism for Kruger’s excellent performance and not really any objective longevity precipitated by her character’s brilliance.

          

#9: Tom Stall (played by Viggo Mortensen)

Key Token: The gun (but, of course)

I find it so difficult to believe this man has been acting since the mid eighties. He just burst on to the scene with The Lord of the Rings and has just been improving consistently. Still, it’s this 2005 performance that stands above his other creations (and above a majority of actors). It’s two men, and yet it’s one man. They’re both deliberate, they’re both smart and they both have a way with guns.

           

#8: The Bride (played by Uma Thurman)

Key Token: The costume

Yes, Tarantino again. Ironic, since I’m less than fond of him. I will admit that I consider Kill Bill to be his strongest venture and a considerable amount of that lies in Uma’s Bride. Of course it’s more than Uma’s performance; the Bride has just endured as one of those iconic characters – from the jumpsuit, to the moves to the van.

        

#7: Sweeney Todd (played by Johnny Depp)

Key Token: The hair

Apparently the tuft of white hair was Depp’s decision, which doesn’t surprise me. From the guttural growl to the permanent scowl it’s all very individual (and judging from the videos I've seen unlike any characterisation of Sweeney Todd before). Depp is not as unoriginal performer as many have decided.

                    

#6: Bill the Butcher (played by Daniel Day Lewis)

Key Token: The voice

Perhaps it’s because I have not internalised There Will be Blood as much as Gangs of New York or perhaps it’s because Bill’s bloody ways scare me more than Plainview. Either way, I consider this to be Day Lewis’ most iconic role. The violence, the determination, the patriotism – no matter how misguided, and of course that voice. He played a lover, and then a butcher (both excellently) – I want a third Scorsese pairing.

           

#5: Satine (played by Nicole Kidman)

Key Token: The hair

Nicole back when she was a redhead. I was tempted to note the pale skin, or her long legs or perhaps even her voice but it’s the long red tresses that remind me of Satine the most...and I just love that look on Nicole's face above.

         

#4: Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp)

Key Token: Drunkenness

A bit of an obvious choice, but that’s why it’s iconic.

          

#3: Miranda Priestley (played by Meryl Streep)

Key Token: “That’s all”

Oh, Streep. Her ubiquity exasperates me, but she was served up a delicious role here and milked it for all it was worth. I do love my comedy subtle and though she’s not my favourite performance in the film, she is the character we return to time and time again. Whether we remember her well tended hair, her immaculate wardrobe or her imperious glance, she was a true woman of the ages. That’s all.

     

#2: Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers)

Key Token: Skin colour

Must I really justify this? A franchise that has worn thin? Surely. But Shrek is an iconic, not the best animated character of the last decade but easily the most memorable for me.

       

#1: Gandalf the Grey, then White (played by Ian McKellen)

Key Token: The hair

This was too easy really. I did cite the performance as one of the decade’s best, and after a while it became difficult to say where the brilliance of McKellen’s performance ended and the iconicity of Gandalf began. From his quotable lines, to his enigmatic stares, his magical prowess and his commanding voice no character from the last decade leaves such a lasting impression on me as Gandalf, whether he be Grey or White.

              

more on the decade in review...

Encore’s Greatest Voices: #50 - #41

The title may be a bit misleading, so I’ll explain. A few weeks ago Heather of Movie Mobsters wrapped up her excellent feature counting down the fifty screen villains she considered most dastardly. She did them in bouts of them until the final leg. The blogosphere is the only place where unoriginality isn’t reviled so I’m making my own list of 50, but not of villains and not exactly the best voices actors. I always wonder if voice-work alone will ever be able to constitute an Academy Award nomination…probably not. Herein I’ll be counting down the fifty voice performances that have impressed me the most over the years. Essentially it’s all animated (save for three live-action films, which we’ll get to). Now obviously this list is as subjective as can be, so I’ll depending on you to weigh in and tell me how off the beam some of my choices are.

                  

#50: Sacha Baron Cohen in Madagascar

as King Julian

“I like to move it, move it.”

I can’t confess any significant appreciation for Madagascar which is one of those implausibly successful children’s films that does little for me. In the midst of the most uninspired voice work and a turgid story Cohen’s insane King Julian was a delight. Cohen is known for his physical humour but he knows something about using his voice to full effect (see Pirelli) and his voice-work is easily the standout of the film.

              

#49: Joanne Woodward in The Age of Innocence

as The Narrator

“It invariably happened, as everything happened in those days, in the same way.”

Unlike many narrators, Joanne Woodward’s “character” is not a part of the film. She uses her voice only to give us little musings on New York society at the turn of the century. She is wry, she is affable and she is charming...really, she's almost a character herself.

              

#48: Woody Allen in Antz

as Z

 

“Actually, I generally just make belittling comments and snicker behind death's back.”

Woody Allen isn't noted for his voice and Antz is one of those animated films that has become easily forgotten. Still, Allen's dubious protagonist who (surprise, surprise) is just the slightest bit of a neurotic is an interesting change of pace for the icon.

                        

#47: Glenn Close in Tarzan

as Kala

“And you will always be in my heart."

I'm not overly fond of Tarzan, it's really all been-there-done-that (and better), but Glenn Close's performance as the maternal Kala is a brilliant piece of voicework. Yes, she's given a number of overly sentimental lines (see above), but she makes them work and finds the sincerity in this slightly convoluted (albeit, diverting) film.

                           

#46: Ralph Fiennes in Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were Rabbit

as Lord Victor Quartermaine

 

“You can hop, but you can't hide!”

When it comes to Ralph Fiennes talents, I remember him for his ability to act without using his voice. In that way he seems like an unlikely candidate for voicework, and I don't even like Wallace & Gromit. Yet, Fiennes carves a delightful stodgy villain (or should that be moulds) and provides the film with a good deal of laughs.

                 

#45: Eddie Murphy in Mulan

As Mushu

 

“Hey! Dragon. *Dragon*, not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing.”

Eddie Murphy’s brand of, usually, broad humour is hit-and-miss for me, but like so many great comedians his knack for using his voice proved invaluable to success of Mulan. Mulan is another Disney flick of the late nineties that’s become somewhat forgotten, but it was an entertaining (if inaccurate) romp through history. As Mishu Murphy was the perfect sidekick.

           

#44: Robin Williams in Happy Feet

As Ramón

“Just a moment. I hear people wanting something... ME!”

Really...what is there to be said? Williams has a talent for adept voicework and Ramón in Happy Feet is over the top, he is theatrical and he is everything that Williams can do, excellently. It's ridiculous, but it is still enticing. And those line readings!

                    

#43: Mike Myers in Shrek

as Shrek

“Donkey, two things okay? Shut... up.”
Shrek has reached a dismal end, and many forget the slice of delight it was back in 2001. I’ll admit, after the sequel, things headed down but Myers’ ogre was an amusing hero and Myers was able to bring the funny without going overboard. With an accent like that, it could not have been difficult but he kept Shrek realistic, but unbelievable at the same time.

#42:Eleanor Audley in Cinderella

as Lady Tremaine

 

“Above all, self-control.”

Incidentally Cinderella is often forgotten - part of that must be attributed to its mostly forgettable score. Still, within everything Audley gives a thoroughly chilling performance as the Step Mother. She's so scary because she's always so calm and her voice is just scary.

                 

#41: Peter Ustinov in Robin Hood

as King John (and King Richard)

“Mother... Mother always did like Richard best.”

Sure, this version is not Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland classic (or Men In Tights) but it's a diverting Disney romp and Ustinov's double role is a big part of that. Of course, it's the villianous John who gets those delicious one-liners and is responsible for showcasing Ustinov's talent. What is with villains?

              

There! The first round on the count to the top of memorable voice performances. What do you think of the first ten?