SEAN PENN

Posted by JOpinionated on September 7, 2005 in Film | 0 comments

Sean Penn is Mr. Serious. I don’t know if he has laughed on camera since We’re No Angels with Robert DeNiro. Of course I’m referring to Penn’s body of work post-Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His above-average talent stood out in movies as early as 1981, in Taps. I think it’s time we all forgive him for the Madonna period, which resulted in Shanghai Surprise. Only two years after that debacle, he was back in prime form opposite Robert Duvall in Colors. Penn was a busy man in the 90′s, and his best from that decade includes Carlito’s Way (for the hair alone!), Dead Man Walking (he should have won the Oscar), and The Game (an underrated thriller co-starring Michael Douglas). I am also drawn to Penn’s recent films, where he is displaying more vulnerability and raw emotion (Mystic River and 21 Grams).