The chemistry between Dustin Hoffmann and Tom Cruise go far in making "Rain Man" a winner. Both beautifully complement one another, and their mutual respect as actors enhances their fascinating two-character interaction.
Focusing on Cruise a bit, his career work as leading man has always proved serviceable, and he's certainly played a wide variety of roles effectively. Thus, it was particularly interesting to see his interview on the tv series, "Inside Actors Studio."
The actor really put some staunch Method proponents "in their place" by asserting that he doesn't tend to draw painful memories from the past, and rather uses his fertile imagination in engaging himself forever in the present, in the moment.
What was amusing to me was that, although the moderator gently tried to curtail him from going too far along these anti-Method lines, Cruise persisted in detailing his own imaginative approach to roles, which includes writing out extensive histories of the character, that everything comes from the standpoint of character, and that he as actor seeks to imaginatively "become" that person.
It was a refreshing moment on this skewed series. For like many "movements," Method proponents can ultimately get too "big for their britches." In trying to push their particular agenda and ideology (which admittedly has achieved extraordinary success) they might just discover they've become ingrown and fundamentalistic.
In truth, there are a variety of ways to achieve success in the dubious and fickle field of acting (which remains a spurious profession) which pre-Strasberg history has proved. Thus, Mr. Cruise's comments effectively put into perspective what may be on the verge of becoming more artistic cultism than one of many technical approaches to the thespianism.
Hats off to Mr. Cruise. May he continue to engage us with interesting performances, like that in "Rain Man. "
Focusing on Cruise a bit, his career work as leading man has always proved serviceable, and he's certainly played a wide variety of roles effectively. Thus, it was particularly interesting to see his interview on the tv series, "Inside Actors Studio."
The actor really put some staunch Method proponents "in their place" by asserting that he doesn't tend to draw painful memories from the past, and rather uses his fertile imagination in engaging himself forever in the present, in the moment.
What was amusing to me was that, although the moderator gently tried to curtail him from going too far along these anti-Method lines, Cruise persisted in detailing his own imaginative approach to roles, which includes writing out extensive histories of the character, that everything comes from the standpoint of character, and that he as actor seeks to imaginatively "become" that person.
It was a refreshing moment on this skewed series. For like many "movements," Method proponents can ultimately get too "big for their britches." In trying to push their particular agenda and ideology (which admittedly has achieved extraordinary success) they might just discover they've become ingrown and fundamentalistic.
In truth, there are a variety of ways to achieve success in the dubious and fickle field of acting (which remains a spurious profession) which pre-Strasberg history has proved. Thus, Mr. Cruise's comments effectively put into perspective what may be on the verge of becoming more artistic cultism than one of many technical approaches to the thespianism.
Hats off to Mr. Cruise. May he continue to engage us with interesting performances, like that in "Rain Man. "