Warm Bodies...

I saw Sara's blog post about Warm Bodies so I figured I should blog about it as well. The three of us (Sara, Caitlin, and I) saw it last friday. I loved it. I think it might be the best Teen Romantic Comedy I've seen in a long time. It was so good. The reason I know it was good is as I was watching it I found myself trying to find things wrong with it. This always happens when I'm watching something truly brilliant. It's a combination of believing it's just too good to be true, and not trusting my own instincts. It's extremely annoying, but it really is how I know if something is good or not. So I guess we've established that it was good. So, why was it good? Well, lets start with the acting. Nicholas Holt was phenomenal. He played a love struck Zombie slowly becoming human again as he falls further and further in love with  a girl. For the majority of the film his only dialogue is grunting, moaning, and the words "Keep. You. Safe." Yes, you hear a voice over of his thoughts through out the film, but really everything was portrayed through his body language. I really don't know how he did it because he was playing a zombie, and I think by definition a Zombie is an emotionless creature? The "externals" (yes I am using vocabulary from Donald's workshop) like his zombie walk and his blink-less eyes were so believable and realistic. He did not allow himself to get distracted by such strong and some what binding externals. My new found interest in externals is due to How to Succeed. I am playing Hedy La Rue and she has a plethora of externals to work with. Her walk, her stance, and don't forget that oh so lovely voice. She's even drunk in one scene. This has been extremely challenging for me. It's awfully distracting. I find myself just focusing on the voice or the walk or the "drunkenness". The key for me is, like the book said, is to make these characteristics habitual. Then I'll be free to put my focus on the other actors and actresses. This is what made Nicholas's performance such a success. His zombieness was second nature for him. He didn't have to think about it. So all I have to do is not think. Easy enough.