Actor Spotlight: Hugh Jackman
The Australian star returns as Wolverine this weekend
After claiming he was done playing Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is back as the superhero that changed the Australian actor’s career in this weekend’s Deadpool & Wolverine. In X-Men movies, musicals, period dramas, and much more, Jackman has compiled quite the resume. For this week’s recommendations, we gave him the spotlight treatment by writing about Jackman’s last Wolverine appearance and a lesser known sports dramedy. Thanks for reading and following!
Drew recommends…
Logan
The perfect sendoff is not all that common in comic book movies. In a genre geared toward sequels and spinoffs and franchise-building, not every character gets a feature-length swan song. But, after 17 years as the Wolverine, Hugh Jackman got the chance to bid farewell in Logan, his grim, bloody, and heartfelt swan song to the iconic character with which his career will be forever intertwined.
For his ninth appearance as Wolverine, Jackman plays an older broken-down version of the superhero taking care of a sick Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) when a young mutant named Laura enters the picture. Set on the Texas-Mexico border, Logan merges the X-Men movie with a dusty Western milieu, in addition to its uber-violent R-rated carnage.
Almost everything about Logan feels different from typical superhero fare, including the serious talent in front and behind the camera. Jackman and Stewart headline the cast with Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Merchant, and gifted newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura rounding it out. Lauded screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Minority Report) teamed up with director James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) to craft the bleak and harsh yet surprisingly emotional story.
Even viewers that have little familiarity with Wolverine, Professor X, and the gang will find plenty to invest in, due to the strong focus on character and finality. Jackman, for his part, rises to the occasion by delivering one of his best performances in one of the best superhero movies ever made. In contrast with the modern comic book film that attempts to juggle a few dozen balls all in one movie, Logan is a golden example of committing to a striking vision of a singular character.
Streaming on Disney+
Billy recommends…
Eddie the Eagle
This movie came out at a fascinating time in Jackman’s career. At the height of his powers and showing he could carry these mid-budget hits outside of his superhero persona. Real Steel, Les Miserables, and Prisoners were all moderate to massive hits. Movies that don’t feel like they should make money, but show his power as a box office draw. Performances that prove his range, but don’t seem to show the type of person he is off screen, or at least seems to be. Hugh Jackman is an everyman off screen it seems and in his attempts to be the everyman on screen since this nice stretch from 2011-2013 have been middling successes at best. Eddie the Eagle still leaves me confused why it wasn’t a bigger hit.
Here in Eddie the Eagle he finds a happy medium. His more natural charisma with a hardened exterior that only a naive British long ski jump Olympian hopeful can soften. Hugh’s “everyman” aesthetic that he has off camera fits perfectly for a generic sports movie. Eddie the Eagle is as cliche as it gets, but the beats that we know all too well are well done at most turns. Jackman, or as I call him, Hugh, gives a Denzel in Remember the Titans or Kurt Russell in Miracle attempt here. Be the movie star that helps carry the energy and emotional weight throughout. While this is a lesser version of those two examples, I really like what Jackman is doing here. With the most likely success of Deadpool & Wolverine, I hope he doesn’t forget that he is great at this type of role too.
Streaming on Max
From the DYLA Archive
DYLA Podcast
We took this week off the podcast, but we’re currently planning the next couple months of episodes and the excitement level is rising. For now, maybe it’s a good time to catch up on those episodes you’ve missed? Listen to our discussion on the best movies of the year so far with guest Katie Carter, our conversation about favorite Westerns, or our Ryan Gosling movie draft.
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
Links
We got our first look at Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan in the teaser for A Complete Unknown, in theaters this December. Timmy delivers a pretty good rendition of “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” but expect the Dylan fans out there to have some opinions when the movie comes out.