Who Knew? Evangeline Lilly and Elisabeth Rohm

Sometimes, an actor can surprise me, often for the better. Here's two that have, recently. 

Evangeline Lilly

Lilly had the dubious honor of playing Kate Austen on Lost. Kate was a great character at first, as the female center of the primary triangle with a mysterious past. Who didn't feel for her when it was revealed she killed her abusive stepfather?  But as her story unfolded, it became evident that her storyline was half-baked. She robs a bank to get a toy airplane? She marries and then leaves Nathan Fillion because she doesn't do taco night? It doesn't help that her inability to pick between Jack and Sawyer seemed more like wishy-washiness than anything else. 

It was hard to tell whether a different actress would have made Kate more bearable. Lilly's Kate was a mopey sad sack. After a while, the character became a deadweight. And having never seen Lilly in anything else, I had no idea whether it was the actress, the character or both.

So I was a little bemused to hear that Lilly was starring as an elf in the Hobbit movies. Would she drag down that bloated series too?

Our first clue was her appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She was actually funny! Amusing! What? Who was this woman? Where was she during Lost?

Then, we finally saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  She stars as Tauriel, the created-for-the-movie Chief of the Guards of the Elven King in Mirkwood. She and Legolas are colleagues and good friends. Together, they are formidable foes of Orcs. She becomes enamored of a dwarf, Kili, and abandons Legolas to heal Kili from his Orc-inflicted wounds. 

So, it reads as soap operish, but somehow it works, in large part because of the charm Lilly brings to the role. She's happy in her life, except when being manipulated by Thranduil (but who wouldn't be?), and loves what she does. She's powerful, she's strong, and she doesn't get people killed so she can get a toy airplane out of a bank safe deposit box. 

Who knew Evangeline Lilly can act?

Elisabeth Rohm

Another revelation in the movies comes from Elisabeth Rohm. 

I first came to know Rohm from her morose turn as Kate Lockley in Angel. The character was justifiably a sad, brooding woman, so I was happy for the actress when she got a role on the original Law & Order as the second chair for the District Attorney. I was actually still watching that show when she started. I tried really hard to like her, I did. But the woman was so flat-affected, so unable to express an emotion, that I decided she just couldn't act. I gave up on her, and the show, and basically forgot about her. 

Then, I saw American Hustle, a fabulous movie. Great acting, a tightly developed plot, and a fun premise. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do. One of many characters I enjoyed was Jeremy Renner's wife, Dolly Polito. She was an over the top Italian woman who loved her husband and loved her life. She was loud and dynamic (and possibly shrill). Emotion and affect dripped out of her. She was a great character. And she seemed familiar. 

So imagine my shock when watching the credits to discover Dolly Polito was played by one-note Elisabeth Rohm. 

Who knew she could act? And good for her! Keep it up, Rohm. You've earned my respect, again. 

Lost Fan Alert - Evangeline Lilly was Kate Austen. Apparently her talents were wasted. 

Buffyverse Fan Alert - Elisabeth Rohm was perfectly fine as Kate Lockley, a potential love interest for Angel. 

And an extra....

Pushing Daisies Fan Alert - Ned's Lee Pace is weirdly warped as Thranduil, King of the Wood Elves in Mirkwood. Watch his scene with Tauriel. That elf has issues. 

True Detective

Tonight, you might be watching the Oscars; B and I will be watching this show. Yes, I know we could tape it or watch it On Demand tomorrow, but I can't wait to watch. I wanna throw a pair of three year-olds in bed and run downstairs to watch this. 

If you haven't seen this, get On Demand and binge, now. I'll wait for you. 

First, a confession. Although I've always thought Matthew McConaughey was a beautiful man, I also thought of him as more celebrity than actor. Part of this is due to his penchant for starring in mediocre to bad romantic comedies. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind an actor making a living in rom coms; everyone's got to eat. Just don't expect me to respect you. Especially if you don't rise above the bad scripts that are the source of most modern romantic comedies. 

My disdain for McConaughey had another root, however. See below. 

It doesn't help that for years I have detested Woody Harrelson. 

This show has radically altered my opinion of both men. 

This season of True Detective focuses on two Louisiana detectives. McConaughey plays the extremely damaged Rust Cohle while Harrelson plays his reluctant partner, Marty Hart. They've just become partners when they pick up a case that makes an impression on both of them. They seem to solve it, but years later, Cohle receives information that leads him to believe that more perps were involved, and more women and children are being murdered. He resumes his investigation, despite opposition from everyone, including Hart. Meanwhile, Hart's life is falling apart because of his self-destructive habits. 

There are a number of elements that elevates this far beyond your average procedural. There's the cinematography, lovingly directed by Carey Fukunaga. The six minute single take scene in which Rust and his hostage navigate a race riot in the projects to Marty's car is justifiably famous, but Fukunaga adds a movie-like quality, making the Louisiana bayous not just the setting but another character. 

The scripts by creator Nic Pizzolatto are fantastic. The lines he gives Rust are nothing short of brilliant. Here's an excellent example:

Rust Cohle: I know who I am. And after all these years, there's a victory in that.

And another:

Rust Cohle: I think about my daughter now, and what she was spared. Sometimes I feel grateful. The doctor said she didn't feel a thing; went straight into a coma. Then, somewhere in that blackness, she slipped off into another deeper kind. Isn't that a beautiful way to go out, painlessly as a happy child? Trouble with dying later is you've already grown up. The damage is done, it's too late.

And last:

Marty Hart: Can you imagine if people didn't believe, what things they'd get up to? 

Rust  Cohle: Exact same thing they do now, just out in the open. 

Marty Hart: Bull... shit. It'd be a fucking freak show of murder and debauchery, and you know it. 

Rust Cohle: If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then, brother, that person is a piece of shit, and I'd like to get as many of them out in the open as possible.

But enough of that. What really separates this show is the caliber of acting. And it is indeed top-notch. McConaughey, still skinny from playing an AIDS-inflicted man in his Oscar-nominated role in Dallas Buyers Club, plays Cohle in three different time periods: 1995, 2002, and 2012. Each version is different. In 1995, Cohle is tightly controlled, his arms held close to his body, distant from the world around him. Seven years later, he's looser, more involved and affected by events. By 2012, he's a shell of a man, burned out. Each iteration is distinctly drawn and cannot be confused with the others. I hope McConaughey has cleared room on his mantle for an Emmy. 

I don't want to leave out Harrelson, either. McConaughey's is the tour-de-force performance, but the role is also written that way. Harrelson's character is a self-righteous jerk who has difficulty adhering to what he believes are the ways all men should behave. So, he cheats on his wife, beats up his mistress's one-night stand, and and treats the women in the life as set pieces. At times he seems genuinely remorseful, but also completely unable to change. 

Tonight we find out whether Rust or Marty are involved in the killings that have afflicted Louisiana. I really hope neither is,especially Rust. Even with his many flaws, I think that Rust might be one of the most decent men on television. But if he is, I suspect it will be a delight to explore.