I’m shamelessly slow on the uptake. It wasn’t until I watched Scott Pilgrim vs the World that I finally put the pieces together regarding Johnny Simmons who’ve I’ve already seen in two movies this year – but didn’t realise. He was rather impressive in the relatively underrated Jennifer’s Body and I remember Ryan praising his turn in The Greatest. I kind of glossed over his performance in the latter, but despite the definite inadequacies in the script the acting in The Greatest really is all-round goodness and Simmons is a good addition. What with the trimester of Aaron Johnson (also in the The Greatest, then Kick-Ass and Nowhere Boy) it’s good seeing some good young men coming up in the business since they’re almost always overshadowed by the women.
People seem to be taking to Andrew Garfield recently and Josh Hutchinson seems like another one to watch out for. I’m still holding out that Shia LeBoeuf will someday impress me (though I used to think the same thing about Freddie Muniz, so who knows)? I’ve managed to come around on Michael Cera owing to him being perfectly casted in Scott Pilgrim vs the World even if I think he’s a cheap doppelganger for Paul Dano. I struggle to find good very young male actors – thespians like the Bens (Whishaw and Foster) and James McAvoy are already cemented as impressive actors for me – and they’ll soon be over thirty, whereas the younger women are constantly impressing from the very young like Saoirse and Abigail (even though I wonder if her turn in Little Miss Susnhine) was a fluke. I don’t care for Ellen Page or Chloe Moretz at all, but they’re both still considered a relatively valuable commodity. Mia Wasikowska is making waves, Evan Rachel Wood and Jena Malone (twins separated at birth) were impressing as children, though they’ve both been in slumps lately and Keira and Scarlett and Carey are still young despite each having done impressive work already.
I don’t know why the odds seem to be in favour of the women, perhaps I’m just prejudiced towards them...either way, let me return to my original point. I’m hoping Johnny Simmons has a strong career ahead of him (look at all that digression).
