The Forum Is Dead

[jlucy]

You're pretty repetitive yourself as a lot of your posts criticise him in the same way over and over again. He's 37, he is who is, he's not going to turn into a dancing monkey or change who is now.

He is Irish.
He does live in London.
He loves music.
He is a private person.
He's just not that into celebrity and the fame game
and he really does care about his craft.
Sorry but that's who he is.

I like that he's mysterious as knowing too much about an actor can ruin their performance as you don't see a character but rather the celebrity.

He's an amazing actor as evidenced again by Peaky Blinders, which I loved BTW and that's all that matters to me. If you don't like him, that's fair enough but personally I don't care about his celebrity status, I just care about his work and from what I have seen he seems to be getting better and more interesting as he ages. I don't know what more you can ask of a serious actor.

[thehyacinthgirl]

Not sure how jumping from Inception to In Time, Retreat, Broken, bit parts in Batman and a TV show can be called improvement, to be honest, but that's just me.

Nobody's asking him to turn into a dancing monkey but a little bit of enthusiasm might not go amiss. If he's going to be doing these interviews rehashing the same stories over and over and over and over again is a pointless exercise. I will forever remember this interview as the one that made me wonder why we, as fans, should actually get invested in his work when he, as an actor, could not look less bored and disinterested:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=osh3YQupPRs

[jlucy]

I had a look at that interview, he seems very engaged to me. He answered every question in detail and his speech was quite rapid which shows he was really thinking about his answers and excited about the topic. I suppose you mean that he had his hand to his face. That's just a mannerism that I would actually interpret as shyness in this case rather than boredom. He often comes across as shy and self conscious but that is just a part of someone's personality and is not an easy thing to overcome especially in interviews when you have to reveal your thoughts and talk about yourself.

As for his work. He has done a lot of different roles and genres which shows to me that he wants to stretch himself and explore his craft from doing blockbusters like Inception and In Time, to indie films like Broken and Retreat, theatre in Mistermen and TV with Peaky Blinders. Some have worked and some haven't but that's the nature of taking risks. What's wrong with that?

[siamesedream]

I really like Cillian but I kind of see what Hyacinth Girl means. He does look bored in that video. Maybe he was having a bad day? Nobody can know for sure. But that's no a very good interview. I have seen better ones since then though. Maybe he's trying harder to come out of his shell.

[jlucy]

I suppose it must be frustrating for some fans who would like to get more from him in interviews etc. but it's probably best to just accept that he is not the self promoting type, so you won't and just enjoy the work.

I really enjoyed Peaky Blinders and I thought the Tommy character was complex and very well played by Cillian which could lead to some great storytelling if it gets commissioned for a second series. A lot of movie stars are doing TV work now as TV has become a far more interesting genre in the last few years.

[ashleyrose09]

I haven't been keeping up with Cillian's latest projects as much as I used to in the past but that is just me. I personally feel like Cillian has been really busy even if we haven't gotten to see much of his work, at least in the US. I've just gotten to where even if he is bored with interviews and says the same old stuff is OK with me as long as he still interests me with his acting choices, which so far he still has. Maybe the interviewers need to ask some different and more engaging questions? I feel like there are a few negative things I could talk about involving the fandom but I think that if an actor really matters to someone then other people's opinions shouldn't change the way you feel about him/her. I also feel like I shouldn't be a judge of his personality and actions when I am not in his shoes. He is free to do what he wants and I am glad that he isn't like those celebrity types, I've always loved that about him. I've been a fan of his for over 6 YEARS! That is a really long time for me since I started liking him when I was 16. I've grown as a person in that time and I'm sure he has too and I don't expect him to be perfect or that everyone else should see him that way.

[Pisces]

Here's the thing (and I promise not to bash - I really do have great respect for Cillian in terms of his talent):

There are many reasons fans seem to have evaporated. Facebook, Tumblr, interest in other actors, etc. But the factor that is most significant is indeed probably Cillian himself and the choices he's made. It's essentially a case of 'out of sight, out of mind.' Most if not all of Cillian's projects in the last two years have been of the 'limited release' variety - films that only opened in select cities, ones that barely saw release at all, or projects that are only viewable in the UK. That means far fewer fans are getting exposed to his work, and I don't see how that's a good thing when looking at the overall arc of his career. Again, not here to bash. There isn't any way to know if he's deliberately selecting less visible projects. What we do know is that people simply don't see much of him onscreen these days (a hefty portion of his fanbase is outside the UK and most won't see his recent miniseries). Out of sight, out of mind. When our favorite stars seem to disappear or become less accessible, we tend to forget about them. To say it's Cillian's 'fault' that fans are vanishing sounds as if I'm assigning blame, so I will word it differently - he's in charge of his career, and only he can choose projects that the public will be interested in, or ones that will even be seen. I'd like him to choose more visible work, but it's not the end of the world if he doesn't. He doesn't seem to worry much about having fans at all, so I doubt he has concerns about the deadness of forums dedicated to him. Anyway, I have the feeling that if he managed to land a lead in a good movie that made wide release around the world, we would see a hefty influx of new members here. It happened when he was in Inception, and to a lesser degree with In Time - both were wide release films that opened worldwide.

I do think there is room for improvement with his interview skills. But, again, what is going to have the greatest impact on his 'discuss-ablity' is his work. And if only a fraction of his former fan base are seeing his work, then only a fraction of them will show up to talk about it. Simple mathematics.

[ashleyrose09]

Totally agree. Also this might seem off topic but I think it fits in with this. Harrison Ford- big actor in the 70's and 80's right? 90's and early 20's didn't see much of him (although I'm not a huge fan so I could be wrong) but now it seems like he is in a lot of movies. I wonder if it was his choice to start doing more big roles again or if more directors just started wanting him in more stuff. Could this be a case with Cillian?

[thehyacinthgirl]

I never saw myself as bashing. I'm a jaded fan who is disappointed in the way he has pursued his career and see this as one of the main reasons for radio silence.

There is a difference between shyness and boredom. He didn't appear shy in that interview, he reminded me of a teenage emo boy slumping in his chair because he simply couldn't be bothered being there. He looked surly. He often does. That needs some work. If an actor appears bored (he often looked bored when promoting Inception too) how are WE meant to get excited?This interview is sadly one of many. I can count on one hand the number of times he has seemed like he genuinely wanted to be there. I myself am shy - but I'm professional enough not to let that show when in a public work related situation. I'm certainly not getting paid shed loads to be professional as I imagine he is. That video really made me see him in a less favourable light.

I have been a fan since 2002. Almost ELEVEN years. And I had such high hopes for him. The absolute, God's honest truth is that he hadn't reached anywhere near the level he should have and is capable of. Red Lights. Tron. Broken. In Time. Retreat. These are not the works of an actor of his capability. They're also not works which are going to engage new fans. The reason we have nothing to talk about is because he GIVES us nothing to talk about. Nothing new. No engaging articles where we learn something new. No widespread films that his US fans get to see. The reason forums go dead is because there is quite simply nothing to talk about.

I'm a disappointed long term fan. I would love to get excited and invested in a project but, other than Misterman, he's done nothing internationally noteworthy since 2010. Three years is a long time to be off the radar. Is it any wonder conversation has ground to a halt?

He needs to do better projects, promote himself getter and actually engage. Otherwise things will remain as dead as they have been. And for a man with talent that's a sodding travesty.

[polaris]

I think Peaky Blinders was a good choice for him. Loved him in the role, I enjoyed the show, and I hope it gets commissioned for another season. I'm glad he realizes that the better roles are no longer with film anymore. However, I do appreciate that he seems to be working constantly this year and I'm curious to see how things turn out.

[wikkleshamrocks]

Uhhh I think labeling me as naive is a bit harsh. Cillian is never going to be the shiny tooth Hollywood wh*re type actor who satisfies every popcorn shakers whim and want. That's not naive, that's observing the facts and accepting them, not that there is really anything to accept. Cillian makes art, not public relations. If it's a busy forum you want, try the trashy soap and reality TV forums. Forums tend to thin off when there are miserable posts or trolls looming about as well. This forum has had it's fair share, no different from others.

[thehyacinthgirl]

By your reasoning, all actors who do their job are wh*res. Are you serious? That's pretty narrow minded considering promotion is often part of the job description and can in fact increase an audience which, correct me of I'm wrong, is the bloody point? Not entirely sure how Broken, Tron, In Time or Red Lights could be considered 'art' and as for popcorn flicks, he's done his fair share of those. Let's not kid ourselves that the man is some artistic unspoken genius.

Let's put it this way, the best performance I've seen all year is from a good natured German lad who, along with his co-star Chris Hemsworth has done his job and promoted his film. He has, in turn, garnered himself an international fan base and a Hell of a lot of Oscar buzz. The general consensus is that he's a brilliant actor and a really engaging lad. I dare say that might not be the case if he had been as indifferent and blasé as Cillian often is. He's actually put me off some of his work because he couldn't have been less interested in it. There are also the interviews he *agrees* to do, is paid to do - and STILL comes across as an obstructive, shut off person who would rather stick pins in his eyes than engage. What's the point of turning up if you are going to act like that? It's not like he's averse to belittling journalists either. That's hardly going to win him any fans.

He's a good actor. I hoped and hoped and hoped for him for well over a decade. He is far too talented for BBC2 'dramas' that's for sure no matter HOW good they are. But, Jesus Christ, a fair percentage of the fans who have dropped off have done so because he can't even seem to be bothered to raise a smile for his work.

I think you'll find this forum used to be pretty active. That a lot of the long termers have disappeared pretty much coincides with the fact that he hasn't done anything worth talking about since 2009. And for those who have hoped for good things from him since 2002 that's pretty disappointing.

[wikkleshamrocks]

You have a very warped perspective on my post. You are very aggressive, why? I did not say all actors are wh*res, you certainly sound like you want them to be. I haven't even read your whole reply there my eyes glazed over after the first sentence. I have been on this forum a long time, since at least 2009, met some incredible friends and yes we are all in touch, away from this forum now, I tell you one good reason why this forum is dead, because people don't want to hear you crying on about how much you are fed up with Cillian etc. I have met the man a couple of times and I'm sure he doesn't give a flying sh*t about your thoughts and neither do I. I have no more to say on this forum. I shall continue to share positive thoughts and news with the other people who were the long termers, like myself, all abandoned this forum because of negative crap like the stuff you are spilling Hyacinth. What's happened to you? You were a good forum buddy to me. You are bashing the actor, you are bashing me. Lighten up. I come back to this forum to say hi to folk and now I see why I abandoned it too.

[Alisa]

I started this thread and in that post stated my reasons for possibly leaving the forum. After a while I actually did leave, but today I came to read the forum and noticed this conversation is still going on. For some the reasons for absence are Cillian's choices in films, for some he isn't a star big and shiny enough, some prefer other channels of communication... Am I really the only one who thinks the no spoilers policy is a heavy restriction?

While I'm deeply disappointed with films like Red Lights and In Time, I'm not ready to throw him into the 'yesterday's news'-labelled trash bin. Like Polaris said... " However, I do appreciate that he seems to be working constantly this year and I'm curious to see how things turn out. " ...I'm still optimistic.

Oct 18, 2013 12:28:21 GMT -5 ashleyrose09 said:

I've been a fan of his for over 6 YEARS! That is a really long time for me since I started liking him when I was 16. I've grown as a person in that time and I'm sure he has too and I don't expect him to be perfect or that everyone else should see him that way.

That's very well said.



@the Hyacinth Girl: I never chose not to respond to your posts in the Breakfast on Pluto-thread. I read them today. I was very touched by how you experienced the film, and the personal history you shared. I don't know why I missed your posts. You did comment on it about a month after me, and it might have been during my offline times, don't know. I noticed I haven't posted even a "one off two line post" there after you. Maybe that was an active time on the forum and the thread just drowned? You didn't seem bothered about spoiling there, but I suppose you assumed everyone's seen it?
There's something in your posts I don't understand. To begin with, when I say "If I was in a Chaplin forum I could never talk about the latest thing." you decide to reply by saying the same thing in different words. That's a thing you do a lot, rephrase yourself and post the same critique again and again and again, with different wording. Please note that I don't have anything against you. Your criticizing nature is refreshing. Without criticism not many things would evolve, but you can't change a person you don't know and that's something you just have to live with. Cillian is what he is and people just have to choose whether to like him / his work or not judging by all there is to see. Films, interviews, "descending line of career", whatever... If you choose not to like him and post about it and people reply to you with differing opinions, you don't need to keep pushing them the same comments in different forms. They have been noted in their original form and taken into consideration. Would you please believe that. Assuming everyone around you is stupid makes you seem exactly that, and I don't want to believe you're stupid.

[thehyacinthgirl]

Alisa, you complained that nobody was talking. I pointed out that a long, long time ago people were yet you chose not to get involved. If you missed it, fair enough, but it was on the first page of the films board. If you wanted to talk about BoP it was right there and there was discussion going on. Pisces and I explained that when there is nothing new to talk about then a forum DOES go dead. You wanted to come here to discuss work like BoP. The discussion was there. Whether or not a person participates is their choice - but it's a little unfair to imply that nobody had much interest in discussing old films when the discussion was there to be had.

Wikkieshamrocks, a question was asked, a discussion was had. When interest wanes and disappointment sets and a forum becomes dead its not all sunshine and roses. If you can't deal with people who have become jaded by an actor they're disappointed in then I'm very sorry. But as far as I'm aware a forum is a place for discussion that is both good AND bad.

I don't want them to be wh*res. I just want them to show enthusiasm in their work. It's not much to ask. And it makes a Hell of a lot of difference.