Lee Kemp

When I watch films I haven’t seen for years two things usually happen. I realise the film isn’t as good as I remember which is a shame but it does happen more often than I like. But I also spot actors from early parts of their career. I’m pretty good with actor’s names so I tend to go “oh look, it’s…” rather than “isn’t that…?”

I know that makes me an insufferable smart arse. Even worse, it’s a cross I bear with nothing even approaching dignity I’m afraid. But it is a fun game to play. As well as spotting Richard Branson in movies (Superman Returns, Casino Royale) and other little oddities that i’m convinced other people don’t quite spot.

The best example of this is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover cleverly projected at a certain point in Almost Famous (if you haven’t spotted it, i’m not telling you).

Yesterday it was Paul Giamatti in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

When I watched Rock ‘n’ Rolla I had a reverse “oh look, it’s…” moment. Given that i’ve seen Toby Kebbell in a smaller, far, far, superior in every single possible way kind of movie; Dead Man’s Shoes. He played Anthony, mentally handicapped brother of the protagonist Richard. If you haven’t seen it please go and buy it. It’s probably dirt cheap in HMV, it’s British in a way that doesn’t need a cultural test to prove it (yes Potter, I’m looking at you). It’s got the mighty, mighty Paddy Considine and it’s directed by Shane Meadows. Both of whom score very highly in the “who would you have a lock-in down your local with” stakes.

Then there’s Good Will Hunting. “Oh look, it’s Casey Affleck“. I haven’t yet seen The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford but I have seen Gone Baby Gone and it’s excellent. Casey Affleck just nails this character and here’s when you know it: there’s a moment that Patrick (Affleck) gets into a scrape in a nasty bar and escapes through a combination of being insanely ballsy and knowing when to pull his gun and smack someone with it. The biggest part though is being ballsy and he knows it. He gets back outside, the gun goes back in his pants and relief is pouring out of every sweaty pore as the camera circles around him. Just as we start to fade, just at that final moment with the sun behind him, he cracks the tiniest, slightest relieved smile. It’s a smile that just says “fuck, I can’t believe I pulled that off” and it’s just glorious acting made even more perfect by the editor’s timing of the fade.

So next time you watch Good Will Hunting you can go “Oh look it’s Casey Affleck” because he’s proper famous now, and hopefully on the trajectory he deserves, like Toby Kebble.

*33.3% of the title of this post is punctuation. I’m not sure that’s ever going to be a good thing.