Subject:  I agree wholeheartedly...why? |
Author:
Gina
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Date Posted: 05:55:01 08/01/10 Sun
Why must AJ constantly refer to her home/private life?
Very rarely do I hear AJ discuss a film project seriously or professionally - without first mentioning her own personal life. At first, I thought this was somewhat refreshing and 'honest' but now it is becoming tedious and, I think, quite disrespectful to other actors and film industry professionals who work hard and enjoy what they do. For all her posturing on world issues, you get the impression she thinks acting is beneath her. As though she regards acting as a lowly profession and she only uses it to fund her humanitarian work. Whilst on one hand, I think her contribution to UNHCR is valid and useful, I do also think the way she speaks about acting is offensive to aspiring actors or well established, less commercially successful actors. Its as though she wants to impress upon the film-going public that being an actor means nothing to her professionally, and that she only does it as a hobby. Although I would describe her approach to acting as a therapy session rather than a hobby. Let me explain:
During her press interviews (which she is paid to do in order to promote the film) she openly declares that "throughout the filming", she is a, "mother first-and-foremost" . She frequently claims that her personal life is the sole motivation or deciding factor when she chooses film projects. Most recently she described her multi-million dollar role in SALT as an exercise in self indulgence, e.g. "After I had the twins and was living at home with the babies, I was feeling all soft/quiet/gentle. I wanted to balance those soft feelings with something active, agressive and energetic - so thats why I did the film".... ME ME ME. We hear it time and time again. "My mother passed away so I wanted to do this film"... "as a mother who loves her children, I felt I wanted to tell this story".... "Brad makes it all possible, we just love our kids - we don't talk about our careers, its not important"..."being an actor is not important to me. I get paid a lot for what I do and I want to use my career to draw attention to world issues" ... "It must be romantic for the kids to watch the film where mommy and daddy fell in love"... "I'm blessed with an amazing family, they are the most important thing. Acting is just a hobby. I'm fortunate I can pick and choose my scripts"... "I have a lot of love around me, I have a warm home-life. I wake up playing with my children - I think my happiness speaks for itself" etc etc etc. It really begins to grate. Does she endorse the idea that women are validated only by having children? Validated by having a male partner? Can't she ever talk about her career with pride? - afterall, she has worked to get where she is. But maybe her "acting career" was always about her personal life and never about being a professional actor.
Occasionally, a brief reference to one's personal life might add useful information to a professional discussion, but when AJ does it everytime it becomes almost offensive. She speaks so objectivley about her acting career, as though she uses it as a private therapy session. Every single film she makes is about her 'personal' desire to "balance my own emotions" or "explore my ability to love as a mother".
Okay already, we get it. She wants everyone to believe that she is a mother first and foremost (I mean, what mother isn't??? I'm a mother and I don't make a point of telling everyone that!!), a humanitarian second and ... an actor if and when she feels like it - and only if the film connects to her own life or offers her some personal indulgence.
She has never been a genuine actor. She can only work on films which allow her to explore sides of her own personality. People confuse that with good acting. But unlike Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Helen Mirrem, Julian Moore, Nicole Kidman, Niamoi Watts and, of course, countless unkown female actors ... AJ cannot genuinely act. And by that I mean 'become' someone else and remove her own personality from the character. From Girl Interrupted to Salt, Angelina Jolie just plays herself. I think she even admits to that in earlier interviews. Her whole 'acting' career is an ego trip - she is obsessed with and fascinated by her own emotions, they are her only motivation for taking on certain roles. She openly calls herslef an 'artist' but I don't think she creates anything new. She is a humanitarian with a personality disorder, not an actor. I cringe when she describes herself and her family as 'artistic'. She should just work at the UN full time, and get on with it.
What do you think of AJ's constant reference to her home/life as the sole motivation in her film roles?
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