The one movie that proves Keanu Reeves is a good actor
Proof that Keanu Reeves is a good actor: the climactic scene from 'Constantine,' where Reeves exhibits great screen presence and subtle characterisation.
(Credits: Far Out / Nathan Congleton / Warner Bros / Summit Entertainment)
Film » Cutting Room Floor
Wed 15 January 2025 13:15, UK
Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has gone from being one of the most beloved men in Hollywood to one of the most maligned on more than one occasion. For those fans who have only known him for the last decade or so, where heâs been busting blocks as John Wick and regularly illustrating how heâs a swell guy in real life, it might be hard to imagine people looking down on Reeves. But there have been periods when the star couldnât buy a hit at the box office. Even worse, when he tried to expand his horizons and make films outside his comfort zone, he was widely derided. Just ask anyone who was around when he attempted an English accent in Bram Stokerâs Dracula or butchered Shakespeare in Much Ado About Nothing.
Naturally, these misfires, coupled with a public persona tied for the longest time to his beloved role as the dimwitted but good-natured Ted âTheodoreâ Logan in the Bill and Ted movies, contributed to a persistent impression that Reeves is a lousy actor. In fact, youâll still encounter plenty of cinephiles who may say they like Reeves and many of his movies yet will still tar him with the âbad actorâ brush. Is this true, though? Is Reeves actually a âbadâ actor? And if not, is there proof that he is, in fact, a âgoodâ actor?
Iâd argue thereâs plenty of evidence that Keanu Reeves is a good actor. In fact, any mistaken belief that he isnât likely stems from a flawed understanding of what âactingâ truly entails. When discussing the best actors, we often default to naming those who have demonstrated the broadest range in their careers. These exceptional performers seem capable of embodying anyone, from any era, in any situationâbringing authenticity, emotional depth, and realism to each role. When we think of âgoodâ actors in the classical sense, names like Brando, Streep, DiCaprio, and Day-Lewis naturally come to mind.
Is Reeves an actor who is in any way similar to Meryl Streep or Daniel Day-Lewis? No. As Iâve already alluded to, when Reeves has tried to shake things up a bit, heâs often fallen flat on his face. However, just because Reeves is unlikely to find himself vying with Day-Lewis for the next historical biopic that will require him to spend eight months living as a 19th-century blacksmith, it doesnât necessarily make him a bad actor. OK, Reeves doesnât tend to transform before our very eyes in his roles, but that ties into exactly why this âbadâ actor has thrived in Hollywood for so long. Reeves doesnât need to transform â he understands that actors can do a lot with a little in the cinematic medium, and when he gets it right, he nails it.
In Anjelica Jade Bastienâs 2016 piece âThe Grace of Keanu Reevesâ, Bastien argues, âKeanuâs power lies not in transformation or the ability to wrap his mouth around clever word play. No, Keanu is at his most powerful when film is at its most elemental.â In truth, in Reevesâ best performances in the likes of Speed, The Matrix, John Wick, and My Own Private Idaho, he demonstrates âimmense screen presence and a keen understanding of communicating story through physicalityâŠA simple glance or curled lip can unfurl lengthy character history or upend expectations.â
A great example of Reevesâ low-key power and gift with physical characterisation is the climactic scene of his 2005 comic book thriller Constantine â and I think itâs the perfect evidence of him being one of the best at what he does. In this sequence, Reevesâ supernatural detective has slashed his own wrists to draw his nemesis Lucifer â yes, the Devil himself â into trying to take his soul to Hell. However, John Constantine isnât just a surly, chain-smoking exorcist â heâs also a great con man, and heâs tricked Lucifer, who canât claim his soul thanks to a cosmic loophole. Then, right as Constantine is ascending to the pearly gates, Lucifer saves his life â by viciously plunging his hands into the manâs convulsing body and ripping the dripping black cancer from his lungs. This means Constantine will live, and the Devil can claim his soul another day.
Naturally, this is an incredibly heightened, far-fetched scene, and itâs easy to imagine other actors overplaying it. Not Reeves, though. He plays it sleepily and detached â mostly because his characterâs life is draining but with a low, gravelly, almost Eastwood-esque delivery. Thereâs something at work behind his eyes, though, which is why the dialogue with Peter Stormareâs Beelzebub has such a charge to it. It never feels like Reeves is trying to make Constantine âcoolâ, either. If anything, the scene shows a complete lack of vanity, as the detective looks like a drowned rat, complete with crooked teeth and flop sweat. With every inflexion, though, Reeves makes you believe that this guy would stare the Devil in the face, try his best not to flinch, and flip him off while floating towards Heaven.
Would a bad actor really be able to pull that scene off? I think not.
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ActorsKeanu Reeves
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