ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.

by Nate Lee 
 

BEST FILM:

Good Night and Good Luck...

Though he lends his usual solid craftsmanship to George Clooney’s brilliant look at Edward R. Murrow’s fight against McCarthy, his best performance has to be as the Little Tramp. His skill in channeling Charlie Chaplin is a mesmerizing feat and worth watching “Chaplin,” and definitely worth more than the mere Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. 

BLOCKBUSTERS:

Air America (opposite Mel Gibson)

Iron Giant 

THE REAL DOWNEY JR.:

Less than Zero...

The film is almost a documentary of the ‘80s West Coast cocaine crowd, and, as such, is almost a documentary of Robert Downey Jr.’s drug addiction. As Julian Wells, Downey pieces together a self-destructive yet charismatic friend and son that is truly heartbreaking.

Iron Giant...

The new Robert Downey, Jr. is, like his character in “Iron Giant,” a remodeled talented but flawed human being. 

GREAT PERFORMANCES YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN:

Heart and Souls (the guy four “spirits” choose to help them complete their earthly missions)

Wonder Boys (Michael Douglas’s book editor)

Back to School (the strange friend of Rodney Dangerfield’s son)

The Pick-Up Artist (his Brat Pack film)

True Believer (lawyer and protégé of James Woods)

Short Cuts (the best performer in one of Altman’s best)

Richard III (Lord Rivers)

Restoration (cuckolded physician to the king)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (a dense assistant to thief private eye Val Kilmer)

Zodiac

Iron Man

The Gingerbread Man 

ACTING STYLE:

Sensitive. Downey possesses an ability to pour forth immense feeling into even minor scenes. He wears his soul on his sleeve. It’s no wonder he admires Peter O’Toole; his gifts are similar to the British lord’s, and perhaps could some day equal them.  

BITS AND QUIRKS:

Loads of stuff that comes straight from his id. Puppy dog eyes, made questioning with a little more arched eyebrow. Flitting hands, and controlled jitters. An arched, more effete than effeminate walk. Much use of the thick lips, mostly to pout. Gaze off and then snap back to camera. Tilting whole head to side. Jittery moves, with the head shaking, even when he’s not playing addicts. 

GREAT SCENES:

LESS THAN ZERO - Confronting his father on the tennis courts > Trying to weasel out of his drug debt to James Spader

CHAPLIN - Incurring the wrath of J. Edgar Hoover by turning his bread into shoes and doing a little dance at the dinner table.

WONDER BOYS - Showing up with a transvestite in tow > Seducing author Tobey Maguire in more ways than one

HEART AND SOULS - “Walk Like A Man” sequence

GO TO THE... ROBERT DOWNEY JR BIO