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RIP Tom Wilkinson

TwiceHorn

By TwiceHorn
in Movies and TV

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LCHorn

LCHorn 2629

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That sucks, thanks for sharing.  He was on absolute fire in that film and also a terrifically fun Benjamin Franklin. 

I've never had the courage to watch In the Bedroom--after watching Michael Clayton I knew Wilkinson's performance of anguish could easily break my heart. 

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Braff Zacklin

Braff Zacklin 13650

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Not to derail this memorial too far down the Michael Clayton path, but my favorite scene is Wilkinson at his best.

At first blush, Arthur's a ranting lunatic with a bushel of fresh baguettes meandering his way home. But when he catches the gist of Clayton's challenge, he instantly morphs into an avatar of clarity and delivers a coldly perfect and rational response.

Wilkinson was excellent in many things, but I'll always feel this was his best work.

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19452

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4 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Not to derail this memorial too far down the Michael Clayton path, but my favorite scene is Wilkinson at his best.

At first blush, Arthur's a ranting lunatic with a bushel of fresh baguettes meandering his way home. But when he catches the gist of Clayton's challenge, he instantly morphs into an avatar of clarity and delivers a coldly perfect and rational response.

Wilkinson was excellent in many things, but I'll always feel this was his best work.

If we're all honest, even the best pieces of cinema are just pretty people saying words.  Every now and again, a scene will get into the fiber of your being.  I liked Tom in everything I ever saw him in, but would never seek out a picture because he was in it.  And in this scene, Clooney is Clooney.  Not good, bad, or indifferent.  But Tom tears me apart in this instant.  Michael Clayton is just being George Clooney which is fine.  But Tom goes from seeming like the defensive, mentally unstable person who he probably is, to calm and collected lawyer, to an inquisitor of the soul.  Right when you think he is about to break, he turns the tide and demonstrates that not only is he crazy, he is also the most grounded person in the whole damn web of lies.  As someone who has been tasked to handle people like this in the past, he elegantly shifts the deck in real time and becomes the calmer, saner one in the process.  It is so subtle, I still can't quite catch if after 20+ viewings over the years.  

He did other great stuff, and I'm sure will be missed.  But this particular scene.  When you walk away from someone who is brilliant, but mentally ill.  And you don't know if what just happened proves their sickness or their dominance, it can haunt you for a long while.  And Tom, fucking nailed it.  I often wonder, method acting and bullshit theater cliches aside, how he did this because it's not a tightrope he walked.  In fact, there was no rope at all.  I've only met a handful of people that can make you question yourself like this and Tom embodied them all to the letter.  RIP, Mr. Wilkinson. 

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UncleSonny

UncleSonny 6573

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15 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

If we're all honest, even the best pieces of cinema are just pretty people saying words.  Every now and again, a scene will get into the fiber of your being.  I liked Tom in everything I ever saw him in, but would never seek out a picture because he was in it.  And in this scene, Clooney is Clooney.  Not good, bad, or indifferent.  But Tom tears me apart in this instant.  Michael Clayton is just being George Clooney which is fine.  But Tom goes from seeming like the defensive, mentally unstable person who he probably is, to calm and collected lawyer, to an inquisitor of the soul.  Right when you think he is about to break, he turns the tide and demonstrates that not only is he crazy, he is also the most grounded person in the whole damn web of lies.  As someone who has been tasked to handle people like this in the past, he elegantly shifts the deck in real time and becomes the calmer, saner one in the process.  It is so subtle, I still can't quite catch if after 20+ viewings over the years.  

He did other great stuff, and I'm sure will be missed.  But this particular scene.  When you walk away from someone who is brilliant, but mentally ill.  And you don't know if what just happened proves their sickness or their dominance, it can haunt you for a long while.  And Tom, fucking nailed it.  I often wonder, method acting and bullshit theater cliches aside, how he did this because it's not a tightrope he walked.  In fact, there was no rope at all.  I've only met a handful of people that can make you question yourself like this and Tom embodied them all to the letter.  RIP, Mr. Wilkinson. 

Totally agree. The turn at “Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a rich and interesting life, but you’re a bag man, not an attorney” is like a lighting bolt that makes you sit up straight. And then it goes up from there.

Gilroy wrote the hell out of it, but Wilkinson’s performance takes it to another level. Perfect matches between writer and performer like that scene is what I love about movies. 

 

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notre dame joe

notre dame joe 195

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Sad.  I just checked the list of celebs lost on 2023 and thought we were clear.

Wilkinsin was a stalwart in many of the films I enjoy and will rewatch casually on tv such as, The Patriot, Exorcism of Emily Rose, Valkyrie.   Now he can chastise all of the heroes for eternity.

 

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HouTex

HouTex 1889

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Damn, I missed this over the weekend.  He was great in every performance.  I’ll rewatch John Adams and Michael Clayton soon.  He was fantastic in In the Bedroom, but Sissy Spacek was vicious.  “Did you do it?”

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19452

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Because he turned on his friends to cut a deal with the government.  ;)  

He was good in that.  I totally forgot about "In the Bedroom."  What a fucking gut-punch that movie was, and he was so brilliant in it.  I mean that movie makes "Manchester by the Sea" look like a Farrelly Bros. comedy.  Holy shit.  

Also, more props for "Valkyrie."  His role wasn't huge, but he toed that line so elegantly where when he pops up again at the end of the coup, you kinda forgot which side he was on for a minute and apparently so did he.  Really well done, next to Terrance Stamp, my favorite actor in the film.  Apparently he reached out to Texas-Ex, James Baker for his role as him in "Recount" and by all accounts, was a helluva nice guy in real life.  And don't sleep on his role in "Eternal Sunshine..."  

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