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Both George Clooney ("The Descendants") and Neeson are excellent actors and Clooney is up for 'Best Actor.' Apparently "The Grey" was not released on time to be considered for this year's Oscars, but it will be re-released in October so that it will be considered for the 2013 ceremony. In the meantime I would like to compare "The Descendants" and "The Grey." If Liam Neeson were included in this year's category for 'Best Actor' my choice would be to pick him over George Clooney. I thought that in "The Descendants" Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller (the actresses who played Clooney's daughters) stole the show. In fact, they almost relegated Clooney to the background of the movie; it is not until the end where we see him display his acting talent. Hollywood tends to have a soft place in its heart for these type of performances.
I hope that this doesn't prevent it from realizing how great a performance Neeson gives in "The Grey." His character is a solitary, rugged, hard-edged soul who has to lead his team through hell to stay alive following a plane crash in the remote wilderness of Alaska. His facial expressions alone show his acting demeanor and embodies what playing a role is all about. And the ending.....wow! For me it epitomizes the human spirit when it faces its darkest moment and I can honestly say I cannot think of any other actor who can do it better than Liam Neeson. For me Neeson's character displayed all the attributes that I aspire to: leadership, self-assuredness, no tolerance for bullshit and understanding of and empathy of opponents/antagonists. It seems that Hollywood does not take actors who star in survival movies seriously. That is a mistake. A true sign of a great actor is the ability, through a portrayal to touch on our humanity, to connect with us. During the film, I found myself rooting for Liam Neeson. I think certain qualities that he represented and endured resonated with me: the loneliness, solitude, dealing with adversity, support of colleagues, searching for meaning and worth in life....all valuable lessons.
Both Clooney and Neeson give excellent performances, but for me, Liam Neeson's stands out as being much more powerful.
Wake up, Hollywood.
