THE JACK BLACK REVIEW

by Nate Lee

BEST FILM: School of Rock... Though “The Holiday” continues to be a favorite, Black is not the sole proprietor of that film as he is this personal tribute to all the riffs, bands, licks and fans of his favorite music.

OTHER GREAT PERFORMANCES YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN:

Nacho Libre (monk turned wrestler)

Bob Roberts (a crazed fan)

Jesus’s Son

Cradle Will Rock

The Jackal (a greedy supplier of Bruce Wills’ assassin) 

BLOCKBUSTERS:

Year One (a disaffected caveman)

King Kong

Enemy of the State 

IF YOU LIKE HIM, YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T LIKE:

Envy

Saving Silverman 

ROCK N ROLL JACK:

The School of Rock (a music teacher, Golden Globe-nominated performance)

High Fidelity (a prima donna, insulting employee of a record store)

Tropic Thunder (an actor)

Be Kind, Rewind (an unlikely filmmaker)

Walk Hard (Paul McCartney)

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny 

ROMANTIC JACK:

Shallow Hal (under a spell, sees past physical beauty, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow)

Margot at the Wedding (Jennifer Jason Leigh’s fiancé)

The Holiday (a film scorer, opposite Kate Winslet) 

THE REAL JACK:

High Fidelity/School of Rock...

Both films helped catapult his career and rightly so. These honest tributes to music, particularly rock music, though, portray Black as more of a wannabe than the real rocker that he is. 

ACTING STYLE:

A lovably obnoxious loser who either refuses to admit his own frailties or desperately works to succeed in spite of them. From his naturally angry face to an angry voice, Black  portrays more hues of anger than any other actor. 

BITS AND QUIRKS:

His many whines and scowls and uses for his pudgy physiognomy make him one of the most imitatable performers. He’s also as entertaining talking about music as he is performing it. 

GREAT SCENES:

THE HOLIDAY -

Ranting about film scores for Kate Winslet in the video store > Angsting over his old girlfriend

HIGH FIDELITY -

Kicking a customer out of the store > performing “Let’s Get it On”

SCHOOL OF ROCK -

Composing songs with his students out of their anger > Performing at the competition > Snowballing the other teachers

NACHO LIBRE -

all of the wrestling scenes > the date, where he shows off his white pants and gets beaten up > singing at the wrestler’s house

THE JACKAL -

The guinea pig for Bruce Willis trying out his weapons

 

GO TO THE... JACK BLACK BIO