If one has seen Queen, Gothika, The Dorothy Dandrige Story, Monster's Ball, Losing Isaiah, Their Eyes Were Watching God--really any of Halle's darker dramatic roles it's apparent that she is more than capable of bringing true fire to any role. It's what's she known for. Even critics will give her "sheer feistiness" in their reviews of the debacle Catwoman.
Sheer feistiness? Give me a break. She was as bland as she usually is.
The way Storm was portrayed thusfar in the films is clearly in the direction and the script. The lines they gave her were terrible, and her delivery of them was directed to match.
Bryan Singer, so I've heard, does not work like that. He was unhappy with her performance in X-MEN, and only slightly happier with her job on X2. Halle Berry shouldn't have to have her hand held through a simple role like this. Anger is played as anger, Halle, not confusion. But Halle apparently only wanted to make Storm into a dramatic role. She also apparently forgot that drama doesn't always mean "sad". The script is well written. It is written so that Halle Berry has ample opportunity to SHINE in this role. She doesn't, and it's her own damn fault. Bryan Singer didn't stand behind the camera going "Meek, Halle. Meek. No, not meek enough. I need you to be softer in this "angry/intense scene"" Give me a break.
While I'm not in the Hollywood industry, I've studied it enough to know that actors--while able to bring some creative input to a role--are mostly at the mercy of a director when it comes to what kind of vibe they portray. Halle is well aware of the Goddess/Warrior/Leader that Storm is, and that's why she's constantly been at odds with Singer to get the character to be more in line with the comic's counterpart.
BUt she wasn't apparently aware of it BEFORE X-MEN came out and fans bashed her. Then she ran to the comics. Before, she supposedly didn't bother to research the role she was plahing, a beloved comic book character with a rich history. She did the same thing with Catwoman. Went into a role (not beloved, but CATWOMAN has existed) almost completely without research.
You might stop to consider: From day 1 Halle has said that she "admired the character because she is a strong Black Woman."(direct quote) Now, Halle has always played "strong black" female characters convincingly before and since X-Men. So why the hell would she abruptly stop doing what she does so well ONLY in the X-Men franchise?????? The answer?
"Strong black character" is the most shallow definition of what Storm is that an actress can give. Especially an Oscar-winning actress.
Director. Writing team. Simple.
No, because the director and the writing team were familiar with the comics. It's all down to Halle Berry herself. Watch her other "strong black female" roles. Jinx. Catwoman. Even her turn in SWORDFISH. Wonder of wonders, she's the same, meek, bland thing she is in X-MEN and X2 for the most part. Could it be because while she has talent, she has very little range? DING DING DING DING DING!
I've read the scripts...and they called for this "meekness", which shows that either the writers, editors, Singer--or all of the above--didn't understand the Storm character in the first place.
Where's this?
One that has seen Halle in dramatic roles outside of Singer's will readily agree that Halle herself was "out of character" when playing Storm.
If anything, she was IN character, doing her classic Halle Berry turn. She did something similar in GOTHIKA, despite having a completely different character. And MONSTER'S BALL, when she wasn't screaming or screwing.
From the articles in which she speaks of Storm, there's no reason to think that she doesn't know what Storm is now all about...Before and during X-Men 1, she only knew what they told her about Storm...Wasn't it Bryan Singer who told the cast not to go reading the comic books so they can learn more about their characters or somethin?
Why would Bryan Singer say that?
Back on topic: there's a reason why Halle is the one of the highest-paid and most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. There's a reason why critics and audiences are drawn to her. And there's a reason why she is the most successful black actress of our time. Somebody out there likes her. And something tells me that it's millions upon millions of "somebodies" too.
Because she's hot, fun to look at, and easy on the eyes. It's that simple. That's ALL the general public talks about when they mention her.
What I'll never understand is why people are so "quick" to assign alterior motives to this actress whenever she says something positive about the "Storm" character?
Because of her comments and actions regarding it in the past. Remember how she almost held up/pushed back X2 with contract demands or something along those lines? Remember how she flat out *****ed about her role, and badmouthed it being a comic character?
I see none of the other cast members being scrutinized this unfairly.
That's because they're conducting themselves like professionals for the most part. And didn't walk through their roles.
Because I think she's a no-talent hack who takes food off the plates of REAL actresses (of any and all races), and I think that for someone who decries "racism!" to whoever will listen, NO ONE has benefitted from being black more than Halle Berry. Not to mention anyone who would commit not one, but TWO hit-and-runs is trash in my book. And don't get me started on her perpetual "I'm so pretty that I can't get a good man" whining.
There's that too.
