30 Day Movie Meme - Day 29 – A movie that changed your opinion about something

[elrhiarhodan]

Day 29 – A movie that changed your opinion about something

Restoration



This was one of those movies that I'd never heard of (it didn't get a wide release), and I probably wouldn't have seen in the theater anyway, because of the lead (although the subject would normally have sent me running to the nearest art house cinema). Who would have thought that Robert Downey, Jr. could convincingly play a social-climbing English doctor in the court of Charles II during the time of the Plague and the Great Fire?

Back in 1995, certainly not me.

When I did see it, I was completely and utterly blown away. I had been putting clean sheets on my bed and had turned the television on – more for some noise than for entertainment. I'd sat down, pillow on my lap, pillowcase in hand, and became absolutely riveted by the story. Two hours later, the pillow was still on my lap, the pillowcase still in hand, and tears were streaming down my cheeks as the movie ended.

Before this, I never really considered Robert Downey, Jr. as a truly top quality actor – and by that I mean an actor who loses himself in a role so deeply that you forget who you're watching. Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Robin Williams, Robert DiNiro, Al Pacino, Idris Elba are on this list.

But I never expected to include RDJ.




Day 1 – Favorite Movie
Day 2 – Last movie you watched
Day 3 – Your favorite action/adventure movie
Day 4 – Favorite horror movie
Day 5 – Favorite drama movie
Day 6 – Favorite comedy movie
Day 7 – A movie that makes you happy
Day 8 – A movie that makes you sad
Day 9 – A movie that you know practically the whole script of
Day 10 – Your favorite director
Day 11 – Your favorite movie from childhood
Day 12 – Your favorite animated movie
Day 13 – A movie that you used to love but now hate
Day 14 – Your favorite movie quote
Day 15 – The first movie you saw in a theater
Day 16 – The last movie you saw in a theater
Day 17 – The best movie you saw during the last year
Day 18 – A movie that disappointed you the most
Day 19 – Your favorite actor
Day 20 – Your favorite actress
Day 21 – The most overrated movie
Day 22 – The most underrated movie
Day 23 – Your favorite character from any movie
Day 24 – Favorite documentary
Day 25 – A movie that no one would expect you to love
Day 26 – A movie that's a guilty pleasure
Day 27 – Favorite classic movie
Day 28 – Movie with the best soundtrack
Day 29 – A movie that changed your opinion about something
Day 30 – Your least favorite movie

Comments

[cookiegirl]

Ohh, I loved this movie! I didn't expect to - I only watched it because I was going through a RDJ obsession after seeing him in Ally McBeal - but it's beautiful. I had a framed still of it on my bedroom wall when I was about 18! :) Haven't seen the movie for years though, I'll have to seek it out again, thanks for the reminder!

[elrhiarhodan]

You are most welcome! It's definitely worth a rewatch.

And so is Chaplin.

I do wish RDJ would take on meatier roles like this. Iron Man and Sherlock are fun, but not really challenging. Imagine him in Long Day's Journey into Night?

[cookiegirl]

I wish that too. I like seeing him in the fun stuff but he's capable of more. I want him to have Oscars!

[elrhiarhodan]

Exactly! He came SO close with Chaplin.

[tjs-whatnot.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I remember seeing this and having ~feelings~ but I can't for the life of me recall any of it. Time for a re-watch I believe.

I can't remember a time when I didn't think RDJ could do anything (Less Than Zero was the first thing I ever saw him in), which is why what he went through in the 90s and 00s was so very painful.