New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Max Braden: At this point they both seem to be at a plateau. For Clive Owen it depends on whether producers look at his box office or his reviews. The message the Duplicity box office sends is that Clive Owen was riding Julia Roberts' name recognition, and she didn't really deliver either. But I think most reviews of his acting abilities are strong. He's just going to have to find the project that lets him perform and also has box office appeal.

Daron Aldridge: I agree with Josh's latter comment but disagree with the former. I think that the studios are still enamored with making Clive Owen a star (must be that intriguing British accent) but if he doesn't attach himself to a hit, whether he is the reason for its success or not, they will probably abandon him. He needs a tentpole summer movie that he can ride the success of to other box office gold. Is there a British member of the Avengers that he can portray? But in five years, Julia Roberts will still be the same Julia Roberts in people's minds today and I don't see anything Owen being able to do that will let me eclipse her starpower.

Kim Hollis: I think that Owen has his fans and they'll continue to be a small and dedicated bunch. In the right movie, though, Roberts still has a lot of credibility and allure. I don't think she's in any hurry to take on a major project. She can afford to be discriminating. Owen, on the other hand, probably can't, much as I'd like to say otherwise. Movies like Inside Man and Sin City haven't done much for him, even though they should have. I still like him best in Closer and Croupier, so I wish he would just do small, quality stuff.

David Mumpower: I like this debate a lot. I think Tim has it drilled in that we need to shave with Occam's Razor here. Julia Roberts has attained a level of celebrity few actresses ever have or will. That cannot be taken away from her unless there is an OJ Simpson moment in her future. Meanwhile, Clive Owen is the industry's biggest enigma of the moment. Almost all of his films are good and several have been great with Children of Men being an instant classic. He has a reputation for reliable performer who will offer a fine performance in any role. People like that are a rarity and they offer a rare element of control to the fundamentally mercurial nature of movie productions. Despite all of this and the fact that most people seem to either like or love him, his movies don't make much at the box office. If we don't count his small but memorable role in The Bourne Identity, Owen has never had a $100 million domestic earner. Inside Man and Sin City are his only two titles to make at least $55 million in North America. There is a strange and confounding disconnect between what his career is and what it should be. Would I be surprised if that had changed in five years and he were considered a draw? No. Do I expect that to happen, though? Of course not. If Children of Men doesn't break out on the heels of Inside Man, I fear he's missed his window.

Pete Kilmer: David and Kim hit the nail on the head. People under 25 don't care about Julia. She has no real draw for that crowd. And the fact that Julia was away for five years having a family really made most people kind of forget about her. And her audience is much more likely to Netflix her movies these days then to go out to the theater and deal with that hassle of going to a film.

Continued:       1       2       3       4