Natalie Portman vs. James Franco
We pit this year's most overexposed stars against each other. Who survives, and who gets fed to the lions?
By James Brady Ryan
The Contestants
James Franco and Natalie Portman: two Ivy-league-educated, prolific, and high-profile emergent actors, at once awesome and annoying, talented and over-hyped, discerning and up for whatever. In honor of their recent collaboration in Your Highness, we thought we'd pit this year's most overexposed stars against each other, to weigh who's given us more. We're focusing on the three best and three worst roles they've each played, because these people have been in too many damn movies.
The Best
The Professional
A proto-Hanna, the godmother of Hit Girl, Natalie Portman's Mathilda paved the way for our current crop of tiny female assassins. The thirteen-year-old Portman's own precocity made it believable that this child could pick up a gun and teach her friendly neighborhood hitman how to read.
V for Vendetta
Natalie Portman always works better when she roughs herself up a little bit, as proven by V for Vendetta. When the film begins, her Evey is mousey, complacent, and a bit boring. But once she comes into contact with the titular anarchist, surviving imprisonment and head-shaving, her quiet citizen becomes a hardened freedom fighter, a transition that the sometimes-dainty Portman manages to sell with surprising credibility. Even V for Vendetta doesn't quite reach the heights of its source novel, Portman fulfilled all the promise of that shorn head.
Black Swan
Some alleged that Portman's performance in Black Swan came closer to self-torture than acting. But whatever you call it, Portman tore through the film like an animal, her natural sweetness sharpened by months of real-life training and unpredictable moments of twitchy rage. Even if she never wins another Oscar, you won't forget the bloodshot saucers of her eyes for a long time.
Freaks & Geeks
The underappreciated Freaks & Geeks launched many careers, but in terms of sheer Hollywood success, James Franco's gone the furthest of its cast. Maybe it's because he so perfectly captured the spirit of that elusive high-school bad boy, the one who you wished would acknowledge your presence even just for a moment. They say people spend their whole lives trying to prove something to their former high-school classmates. Maybe that's why we're all so into Franco.
Pineapple Express
Franco's non-professional pursuits have overshadowed his acting roles at times, but something about his turn as the affable pot dealer Saul really stuck with him. In lesser hands, the spacey, grungy half of this buddy comedy could have come off as supremely annoying, but Franco's charm made him a guy you wouldn't mind spending a whole day on the couch with. And would so many people be so sure he was high at the Oscars if he hadn't given such a convincing performance?
127 Hours
In many ways, this is Franco's Black Swan: a grueling, physically torturous performance that garnered him an Oscar nomination, if not a win. But while Portman plumbed the depths of paranoia, Franco gave his Aron Ralston moments of surprising and convincing liveliness for a man with his arm trapped under a boulder. And good thing, too — the movie wouldn't be watchable if Franco were weeping the whole time like the rest of us would have been.
Commentarium (83 Comments)
I think Garden State is an excellent movie!
I liked it, too. I could see someone not being in love with it, but to say it was one of her worst is pushing it.
i don't usually like to judge people's tastes too harshly, but honestly, if you don't recognize garden state as a manipulative music-video-montage celebrating the lives of assholes, then I think you're just a bad person (or thirteen; if you're thirteen I apologize)
I haven't read this yet, but if it continues Nerve's tradition, it will be overwhelmingly in Franco's favor.
God, I hate Natalie Portman.
and so you shall be smoten.
HA! Even though she is terrible, HA!
well, Sunday, February 27, 2011 was the date that one of them would never forget while the other one wish it never happened. it remain to be seen the long term consequence of that night: would Franco rebound? or would Portman be the next overexposed best actress winner who went on to have her career fizzle out (there seem to be a trend for some winner to follow their award with some lame superhero movie, and gasp, she has Your Highness AND Thor coming soon).
oh, did someone forget Annapolis? it should be up there with Tristan & Isolde and Flyboys.
How is Closer not on this list? She was so good in that even if it wasn't a huge blockbuster.
S, I did have a hard time choosing between V for Vendetta and Closer. She was a standout in both.
Fair enough. Good piece.
Would much rather have Closer than V for Vendetta - don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie and liked her in it, but her accent was painful for me (as a Brit)...
agree with closer, it should justifiably be at the top. . . she was ah-mazing.
As for Garden State, anything that unfunny guy from Scrubs touches sucks. It's like comedy for bored housewives. (Aka not comedy.)
What about Milk for Franco?
Agreed! Loved the piece, but Franco was outstanding in Milk.
It hurt me not to include Milk, because I truly love that film, but I felt like I had to go with 127 Hours, since he really carries most of the movie.
Agreed with everthing except one: Garden State was a good movie with a killer soundtrack.
I'm gonna hop on board with all the Garden State love, if only because the movies Anywhere But Here and The Other Boleyn Girl exist. It's not really Natalie's fault that Zach Braff wrote a female lead who was one-dimenstional. I feel that she did what she could with a movie that ends with her crying in a phone booth.
word
actually GS was a shitty music video for a killer soundtrack.
can't stand natalie portman
I'd only fuck Natalie Portman again if you're wondering
Natalie Portman makes Julia Roberts seem almost human.
Star Wars Episode 1 is one of the best Star Wars movies. Natalie Portman does not have a single bad movie.
I hope to God you were joking about the Star Wars bit...
what a useless article... who cares
I wish I could apply thumbs up here.
solid feedback. thanks for coming out.
I wish I could hate on Natalie Portman, but I can't. Sure, some of her performances may come across as calculated attempts to "humanize" her or counter her dainty persona, but that's fine. I like to see actors playing against type. Natalie Portman takes her work seriously. She even tries to spread the word about worthy causes and other women doing interesting work in the film industry. I respect that.
yeah, seriously, while I am sometimes taken aback by the near perfect hollywood image that portman and franco have cultivated for themselves, ultimately their fame and accolades are well-deserved. They've done great projects and crappy projects, but at least their fame comes from doing projects and not from reality shows/sex tapes/being famous offspring/leaked nude pics/some other irrelevant crap
I disagree with Garden State. That movie is classic. She portrayed the character so well, and it was just a complex role. Actually I also agree, Natalie hasn't done a bad movie (at least yet). They usually do one after they let themselves go from winning an Oscar (think Halle Berry).
I wouldn't say that. She's made bad movies. I'm surprised No Strings Attached didn't make The Worst list. Anything Ashton Kutcher touches....
Garden State was one of her best performances and one of the best romantic comedies which doesn't follow your typical storyline and stands out from the rest. I doubt you even watched the movie.
why would you doubt that?
i just don't think anyone of them is bad. i loved tristan and isolde (maybe because the book is one of my absolute favorites!) and i also loved garden state. however, none of those perfomances were in near of black swan or 127 hours so none of them performed their best.
i think they're both amazing performes, i just hope none of them cracks under the pressure.
You are aware that Tristan and Isolde is a medieval legend and the most famous interpretation is the opera by Wagner, Tristand Und Isolde, right? Several people have probably written books based on the story but "the book" is not really a concept. Unless you're referring to the unfinished 13th century work by Gottfried von Strassburg, Tristan, but again, not really a book. Glad you enjoyed whatever whatever random book you read though, and the film as well, I guess.
I know what the "real version" is like, but I've read different versions of it, and my favourite is the one written by Jospeh Bediér because the language is written in "old" english. That book is nothing like the movie, but I like them both.
I didn't enjoy Pineapple Express, but I did like Where the Heart Is for the girly let's-watch-this-movie-while-getting-progressively-drunker experience that it was. Maybe I should have taken my own advice and gotten high for Pineapple Express? The Star Wars trilogy was a disaster, but I've never seen a franchise die so fast as after Spider Man 3, and Franco was one of the worst offenders in my opinion. I would probably call it a draw before I'd declare him the winner, but I love Natalie, bad movies and overexposure and all.
Pineapple Express is not any better high, unfortunately
/agree
I liked Garden State, and it was because of Portmann. She handled her role with skill and charm. I essentially find little fault with her, although I haven't seen any of the "Stars Wars" movies she did because I am over 15.
Franco has made a lot of shit. I mean, he smirks in half of his movies and comes across as if he is trying too hard. And with all of his fancy degrees, it really just proves that acipting has little to do with intelligence.
You missed of of Portman's best early but under the radar films - Beautiful Girls. It was a killer!
Someone once told me that I shouldn't like Annie Hall because she's a MPDG.
Pretty sure Garden State on the 'worst' list is just a joke/wind up. Stop taking things so seriously people.
I know, I liked "Garden State" too! But, the article makes a good point about her character.
awww I absolutely love Where the Heart Is!!! :( such a good movie...
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