June 19, 2012

Addicted: Helena Bonham Carter

Somehow, I've managed to watch three period films featuring Helena Bonham Carter in the last few days--I think that qualifies as an addiction of sorts. Yes, I love period films. No, I had NO IDEA HBC did so many of them early in her acting career!


I've always known her as Tim Burton's muse, and I have to say I love her in his films as well. Even if I don't love the film, her performances are enjoyable. And she kind of nails Bellatrix in Harry Potter. And, I sort of watched Fight Club for the five thousandth time last week and she was incredible in that as well.

Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club
What makes her so interesting? Well, she's a character. She's right on the borderline of believability. She seems like she's having you on one moment, but then delivers such subtle awesome emotion the next that you believe that her character is just a "character," too.

If you take anything from HBC's performances (oh yeah, Big Fish is another I love), it is how to convey emotion without words. She has such a range of expression, both facial and figurative. Watch that. Describe it to yourself. Use it in your own characters, and they just might come alive.

12 comments:

  1. She's very quirky and I like her characters. She's not boring, that's what I like about her. Not predictable, exactly, but you still know she is playing the character like a good actress and not like a natural extension of herself like Johnny Depp seems to pull off. I don't know if that makes sense, but anyway - I like her too!

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    1. I know--I think Depp keeps playing Jack Sparrow b/c he wants to BE a pirate living in the Caribbean!

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  2. Big Fish was a novel of mythic proportions. I met the author, Daniel Wallace - a handsome fellow. Then, of course, I watched the film adaptation by Tim Burton, and was not disappointed.

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    1. I am ashamed to say I haven't read it--I'll add it to my to-reads list today :)

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  3. Oh man, she is so freaking talented. You know an actress is amazing when you start blurring the line between her acting and real life. (Also, I totally agree with Debra... Big Fish was wonderful!)

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    1. If I met her I'd be surprised if she couldn't fly.

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  4. Thank God I'm not the only one with an HBC addiction. I do love it when she, Burton, and Depp get together, though. I call it the "holy trinity" of movie stars. But I have to disagree about Johnny just being an extension of himself (ewww--that sounded gross!). I truly think he seems to truly disappear into whatever character he plays. And he might be continuing with "Pirates" because, at this point, it's a multi-BILLION dollar franchise! LOL But if he wants to be a pirate, hey--who can blame him? :-)

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  5. I think she is pretty.

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  6. I love Helena Bonham Carter, particularly in Fight Club! That aura of weird and scary yet absolutely mesmerizing is something I haven't found in many actresses. Her interpretation of Marla is stuck in my mind forever, and sometimes comes out when I read too. There was one protagonist in particular that I couldn't imagine anyway else but "enacted" by Helena---Miriam Black in Chuck Wendig's debut novel Blackbirds.
    Oh, and I loved her in Harry Potter too!

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  7. Forgive me, but I'm hitting you with a whole different topic here - I've given you the Fabulous Blog Ribbon Award.

    Believe it or not, I've yet to see any of those movies. Guess I have some catching up to do.

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  8. She was absolutely amazing in Sweeny Todd: The demon barber of fleet street alongside johnny depp!! they've done a few movies together i think and make a great combination

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