Beauty vs. Beast: Ben v Jennifer
Monday, March 21, 2016 at 5:30PM Generally speaking The Film Experience is not deeply invested in any celebrity relationship offscreen w/ a couple of notable exceptions. The larger media, quite to the contrary, doesn't obsess over acting but over famous actors. With Jason on vacation, it is left to me Nathaniel, to exorcize our annoyance over the media's ubiquitous obsession with the long breaking-up of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner (they've been divorced for nine months and somehow they're still showing up in every news feed daily). Ben & Jen are two of our most seemingly normal and thus dullest celebrities offscreen, so we're not sure why people care.
But since people do, let's use them for today's Beauty vs Beast and be done with them as a unit since they themselves are already done with them!
Speak now. Make your case in the comments or forever hold your peace.
PREVIOUSLY
We asked for a rematch between Bill the Butcher (Daniel) and Amsterdam Vallon (Leo) via those Gangs of New York. It was a landslide for glass eyed Bill, who buried Amsterdam with 91% of the vote. The prevailing sentiment was that it would be so. Squasher and BVR agreed:
This isn't a fair fight.
Please. It's not even a contest.
Reader Comments (30)
Jennifer didn't ruin Elektra. She might not have been the most accurate choice but I can see why they cast her since she was hot off Alias. She just got saddled in some bad movies. I thought she did a damn fine job using Elektra's signature sais.
I never watched Alias, or Electra, but Garner was good in Juno. Besides Affleck bugs me way, way more. He is so up himself. In this long tedious break up, Jennifer Garner outsmarted arrogant ass with that Vanity Fair interview. But I do long to hear nothing about them.
In the above post, it should read "Ben's arrogant ass".
I wouldn't say that Gone Girl is a pro for Ben - it is perhaps the most egregious example of him being the "worst thing in good movies". That movie could have truly been a marvel if someone even remotely close to Rosamund's caliber had starred opposite her.
Garner has always been on of those actresses that I was just waiting for to get a role that she would knock out of the park and everyone would be throwing roles at her. But then she finally got a meaty role in a good movie with Dallas Buyers Club and she was so flat. She was so great in Juno and Alias though.
I mean ehh on both of them but Jen seems like a nice person off screen and Ben like a jackass. As they're both gorgeous I will use that as my tiebreaker
Obviously Jen is the more palatable human. But Ben's aged so well. He looks a million times better than he did 20 years ago. (NB: I have not seen the giant back tattoo.)
@Sean Diego: I feel the opposite. Gone Girl works BECAUSE of Affleck. Fincher utilizes his lazy-but-handsome mannerisms better than anybody. He fits perfectly into the character of Nick Duane, who works hard to look serious and sincere, like a small kid who suddenly found himself in an adult body and is trying to compensate for it.
Amy is obviously a chewy role for any actress, but anyone could have played that part. Pike gives you exactly whats on the script, and only that. And she's clearly never comfortable with that fake American accent she has to adopt.
I will only vote for Jennifer if she agrees to do something for herself first--like stop doing those Capital One commercials!!!
Jeremy -- agreed except for the part where Pike isn't amazing in the role. But i think Gone Girl is the best Affleck's ever been on screen for exactly the reasons you state. second best: Chasing Amy.
I'm surprised Jenn is leading now because she makes such terrible movies!
Another blowout pending. No way Ben "feel sorry for me because I have an Oscar and didn't get nominated for another one like I expected" Affleck is winning. He's someone who I look at and think: "hmm... Really? People want to hire him? To act? No..."
Under "Ruined Elektra", I'd change that "until now" to "the first time". Yeah, Daredevil S2 isn't bad, but Elodie Yung's "Elektra" ultimately IS. Anyone who hasn't gotten past episode 7? You'll see why.
Team Ben, ever since "Good Will Hunting". He's just... my type.
I'm seeing a sneak of "Batman Vs. Superman" on Wednesday. Will mini-review if there's an appropriate place for it.
But, they'll get back together? Right? I don't want Ben to return to that puta bitch J-Lo!!!!
Team Ben. For showing me something I actually like and could get behind in Gone Girl.
Ben was serviceable in Argo and Gone Girl. And he's certainly not the worst thing in a good movie.
@ Volvagia: I thought Elodie also did a pretty good job with that character. She hit the mark closer then Jen Garner did.
Derreck: Yes, Elodie Yung is really trying, even with what ends up happening from the opening of episode 8 and onward. But at that point, everything about her (even the stuff that was previously kind of cool) becomes a textbook on "how not to write a female character" made flesh. Closer to the mark than Garner? Okay, I'll grant that. But that's not a high bar to clear.
Nathaniel - I'm surprised, too, but then again, you can always count on these polls to be the one place where the woman always emerges victorious!
Jennifer "I refuse to be the ashes" Garner
That interview! I hope she translates all the good will into some good roles.
@ forever1267
I feel you.
And I would include Hollywoodland, Shakespeare in Love and Dogma among his better performances.
Ben mande and was a major part in many films but Jennifer just seems like a nicer person.
If this was a non-movie site it's Jennifer. But here it's Ben.
Ever since Alias I have been in Garner's corner. She does seem like the nicer person, but just less of a star. I saw the picture and kind of imagined that she and Ben both did Gone Girl. Would she have gotten the Oscar nomination if she had been cast?
I do not think the two are divorced yet legally. You would think so buy apparently they are just separated.
Tom -- i doubt it. I know people really like her but her acting is not... well, she's not anywhere near Rosamund Pike's level is what i'm saying.
True, Pike is very talented. I was wondering if it is the performance that gets the nom or the part? Claudette Colbert was supposed to be cast as Margo Channing in All About Eve originally. Would she have gotten nominated even though we know Bette Davis gave the most incredible performance? Is the part so good that anyone would have been nominated?
tom -- maybe but Claudette Colbert was an EXCELLENT actress so that could have worked too even if they weren't judging by role.
chinoiserie - really? maybe i shoulda fact checked
Jen for Juno ALONE. Shoulda gotten an Oscar nom. Ben is totally WOOF-y, but more one-note in general (although Jen is giving him a run for his money on that recently, now that she's stuck with boring Mom roles). I choose to believe that now that she's at least away from Ben a little she will get back to the business of being the superstar she should be.
Nathaniel- while we are on the subject- have you ever done a post on What If Casting? What if Claudette had gotten Margo like originally planned? What if Rita Hayworth got the part in Born Yesterday as was the plan when the film got greenlighted? There are so many of these stories out there and I was wondering if you had ever commented on it.