ManWithPez

Now, that's a damn beautiful man right there!

Before I begin, yes I questioned the wisdom of putting up a mancrush who had passed on.  The truth is that most of the people I find attractive have been dead for some time.  Wait, that didn’t sound right.  Anyways, at one time, I felt that Christopher Reeve was just a one trick pony who only had a supercard up his sleeve.  I was very happy to have been proven wrong on that account.  So, let’s take a look at Mr. Reeve, shall we?

Of course, everyone…EVERYONE knows him as Superman.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.  I think he would have been pleased to know such a thing.  And, let’s face it, his performance as the man of steel was nothing short of amazing.  He gave us plenty of boy scout, yes, but he also came across as a confused young man who was given to acts of rage when prompted.  It’s odd that you would find depth in such an iconic part, but for me, he redefined the character in such a way as to make him interesting.  At least in the first two movies.  After that, gimmicks and stunt casting seem to bog the whole thing down.  But, he gave it all he had, and gave life to one of America’s beloved comic book heroes, setting a standard against which all other actors who touched the part would be judged.  Also, while there may be people better at playing Superman…NO ONE is better at being Clark Kent (my favorite part of the character.)

In the movie Deathtrap, Christopher shows us some of his evil side.  If you’ve never seen this movie, I can’t recommend it enough.  I thought it was a nasty little thriller, and Reeve shows us his nasty, manipulative side.  The boy scout from Superman is not in evidence here, and it’s sad to me that he didn’t play more parts like this.  He had a lot of help from Michael Caine, the penultimate scene stealer…but, this is really a two man show, and when all was said and done, it’s Reeve, not Caine who comes off looking the better for his performance.

Of course, I can’t mention the man without mentioning his turn in Somewhere in Time.  He put such earnestness, such love into the part, that it would seem he kept finding parts to play that he genuinely cared for.  And, he made us care for Richard Collier, the man who falls so in love with Jane Seymour that he bridges time itself to be with her.  When it appears that he can no longer stay by her side, he affects a melancholy so entire that it is easy to feel as sad as he appears to.

The remains of MY day don't have any damn Nazis in it, thank you very much!

If you want to see just how funny Christopher Reeve can be, check out Noises Off…pairing him again with Michael Caine.  This movie about the comedic drama that goes on backstage as well as onstage during a play is brilliant, but Reeve’s performance as Teddy outshines even John Ritter’s performance, I thought.  The character is just so good natured (indeed, his nose bleeds when even the threat of violence is introduced) that you root for him, though this movie houses a hugely talented ensemble.  Find this one, if you can.

I enjoyed John Carpenter’s remake of Village of the Damned, and mostly for Reeve’s performance in it.  It would seem that when you want a character who is stalwart in his convictions, Reeve was the man to call.  While I probably had at least a small problem with almost everyone’s performance in the film (and, trust me, the original is vastly superior) I had none with Christopher Reeve’s.  You honestly believe that he’s the only one who can block out the thoughts of the Cuckoos. 

He may not be the only Superman...but he's MY Superman.

Finally, it was refreshing to me to see an American turn up in Merchant Ivory and not be some boorish caricature.  As an American opposed to the Nazis in The Remains of the Day, his part is so small that it might be overlooked, especially since he’s barely in the movie.  Make no mistake, however…he’s amazing in this film.  His impassioned denigration of the Nazi party, especially since his host seems to like them so much is one of the things you will remember after seeing this film. 

So, hot nerd mancrush, he gets to be, and not because he played one of comics’ iconic roles.  ThatCostumeGirl tells me that at some point in her childhood she was certain she was going to be married to him, and that speaks volumes about his appeal to me.  He was an awesome actor, and one hell of a talent even after his crippling accident.  In all ways, it would seem, he was just a beautiful man, and it wouldn’t do, I think for us to forget one of the better actors we’ve been presented with.  So, here’s to you, Christopher.  May flights of angels take you to your peace.

Tags: Man, Nerd

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:29 am and is filed under Celebrity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.