'08
He’s worked with Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Judy Davis and of course Mia Farrow, so Woody Allen must know talent when he sees it. However, in a recent press event promoting his new film, “Vicky Christina Barcelona,” the iconic writer/director gushes about current obsession Scarlett Johansson, calling her “one of the great American actresses.” Hmm. Did I miss something?
For years, Scarlett Johansson has been dubbed Woody Allen’s, muse and while the veteran director greatly admires his “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” starlet, he made it quite clear that Johansson is not his central source of inspiration.
“It is silly — she’s in no way my muse, but she is one of the great American actresses,” Allen said at the film’s recent Los Angeles premiere.
I have to disagree with Woody on this one. It’s not that I dislike Johansson - she’s a fantastic looking woman and seems like a nice person. However, in every movie, she has that same, blank-stare expression and monotone speaking voice. Sometimes, it works for her character, as it did in “Lost in Translation” and “Ghost World,” where she played disaffected young women. But in “Girl with Pearl Earring” and “The Other Boleyn Girl,” she seemed way out of her league acting-wise, with her mouth hanging open and a robotic line delivery that was just too distracting. Maybe Woody is seeing something I don’t. If anyone can clear this up for me, please do- I just don’t get all the praise for her acting.
Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen and Rebecca Hall are shown at the LA premiere of “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” on 8/4/08. Credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
Written by MSat
Posted in Scarlett Johansson, Woody ALlen
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62 Responses to “Woody Allen calls Scarlett Johansson “one of the great American actresses””
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Wouldn’t worry about it, MSat. Just cos Woody (judgement issues, anyone?) Allen says it doesn’t make it so. She got hyped to death after LiT and despite proving since that she’s got fairly limited range, continues to be hyped because of how she looks. That’s all. And I like her too, just think there are far better actresses around.
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Yeah, I wouldn’t use the word “great” to describe anything but the size of her breasts.
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She is great for modeling but has the same character is every movie.
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I love her to death but I don’t think she is an American great
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Her breast seem to be the center of attention in that last shot too. I really don’t see her as being great, shes really pretty looking, but her acting ability… meh. I watched TOBG recently and I was really disappointed to say the least.
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ssssppputtering coffee all over keyboard
damn, now my shift and alt keys dont work
yes scarlett is one of the great american breastesses of all time
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To be honest, I think that she portrays vulnerability well and that is why she seems so type-cast into one role. I’m pretty sure if she were to take on a role that wasn’t supposed to emphasize her sexuality/innocence, she might just showcase other abilities besides the mouth-opened/tortured one that she showcases so well. That is obviously open for debate though.:?
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Hahahhaahha!!! Suuuure… They’re totally doing it or did it, whatever. And Woody Allen sucks so bad, I don’t understand how anyone thinks he is talented. I wouldn’t take any of his opinions seriously.
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Here’s seeing her breast. It doesn’t matter what comes out of her mouth, that’s the only place he’s looking.
I mean Woody is a genius, but we all know he’s a horny old man. Always has been.
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Definition of boring: put her and Keanu Reeves in a movie together. I don’t know which one is more wooden…!
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ScarJo has a very long filmography — she was a gifted child actress. Ever see Manny and Lo? Or Ghost World? She was great! I also liked her in Match Point, where her character even refers to the problem of looking overly sensual.
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A lot of men are turned on by that vague blank slate thing. I don’t understand it, but I do think that’s not an uncommon attraction. Woody is “thinking” with his nether-brain again.
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you are SPOT ON with your assessment of her acting skills. or lack of.
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She’s got two of the greatest American talents, and they’re called Thelma and Louise! Or maybe Wilma and Betty, depending on her pop culture preferences.
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Totally agree with cali angel. She plays innocent, sensual, ripe-for-the-plucking characters perfectly. Anything else is beyond her.
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I agree with Woody…she’s very talented and her performances are always great…She was superb in Match Point as well as Lost in translation..she the best actress of her generation.
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“One of the great American actresses”? I hope Woody doesn’t mean of all time. Even if he doesn’t, no one, NO ONE can honestly support that claim. Sara and texasmom, you’re kidding yourselves.
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Someone has to say it.
It’s not that she is not “great”- she is a horrible actress.She can’t act.
She pretty much ruined the past 2 films of Woody Allen’s films I have watched.She is always the same- cheap and boring, and makes sure her boobs are being noticed enough (which is the one thing she has going for her).
To be perfectly honest, I don’t even find her pretty.
Having said that, I am totally supportive and would like to encourage more women with her physique in films.
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Lecherous old goat.
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I seriously doubt Scarlett has ever crawled into the sack with Woody….He probably wouldn’t mind though as after their last film he said “Scarlett Johansson is criminally sexy”. She reminds me of a very ripe, juicy fruit hanging from the vine and bathed in sunshine.
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Nah, Woody seems to go for small chested women
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I love her, but I agree, she always plays the same part. A truly gifted actor/actress plays different roles and becomes a different character each time, convincingly. She always plays the same sort of girl, which really worked for Ghost World and Lost in Translation, but it was just the same character, essentially. I love her voice though. But I wouldn’t say she was a great actress.
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To respond to the title: was he looking at her face when he said it?
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Meh. She’s overrated and fat.
And people: it’s “breasts” not “breast.” She is not a breasticle cyclops. Geesh.
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So true! She can only do one particular character. She has no acting range at all. And what’s the deal about her boobs? They are so damn saggy?!? Why is everyone making a deal about them? Well, at least they must be real because no self respecting surgeon would have hung ‘em that low.
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I have a friend who likes to say, “Ms. Johannson ran the gamut of emotion from A to B.” Enough said.
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Is your friend perhaps Dorothy Parker?
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RUN Scarlett! RUN!
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Why does he think she is the best actress, Woody likes her breasts!!!!!
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No,sorry Woody she can’t act.Im so tired of them trying to sell Scarlett as a great actress,her acting is horrible.
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She is a terrible actress and I wouldn’t pay the price of a dvd rental to watch one of her movies. Lost in Translation was good b/c the movie was low-key, she didn’t have to do much.
I am not a Woody Allen fan either. Just never got the appeal of his movies. Blah!
Of course if I went to one of their movies, it might help with my insomnia!
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Scarlett is gorgeous, but as far as acting, on a scale, she’s only a 5 imo.
But I do enjoy looking at her sexiness. -
I think it’s a well-known fact that Woody Allen doesn’t always have the best judgement…
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I think she’s pretty and all but great my ass. Actress my ASS.
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Scarlett’s distracting due to being so overrated and needs breast reduction surgery. Her back must hurt.
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I do like her - and I think she’s funny, pretty, talented and very honest about her own strengths & faults. One of the greats? Maybe, maybe not. Give it a decade, then we’ll see.
My favorite of hers is Match Point. That’s her sexiest performance - but look who she was working with - my boyfriend Jonathan Rhys Myers.
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scarlett is this decade’s version of rosanna arquette: both have huge boobs, annoying voices, great bodies and pretty but vacant faces. and also both think they are much sexier and/or cuter than they actually are.
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yesm she is good..but great? Besides, this is a true story? It seems to have been modeled after the true threesome romance written about by a Harvard Grad, his crazy wife and real Romanian dancers in:
“Caribbean Dreams: TRUE STORY of an Ivy League Couple who Bought a STRIP CLUB in the Caribbean”
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@ Geronimo, impeccable call-out, bella! Although, to be fair, maybe April hadn’t ever heard of Dorothy Parker before, and just believed her friend had said this first.
I think my favourite Scarlett film was A Love Song for Bobby Long, anyone else here seen that little movie? It was good!
Woody’s an old-school artistic genius, but just because you’re a genius doesn’t mean you’re always right. Geniuses can have poor judgement & dumb ideas, too, you know. Scarlett’s a nice actress, and seems like a cool chick, but I sure as hell do not see anything phenomenal or brilliant or special about her. She’s just O.K., but she’s no “greatest” ANYthing of our time.
I bet that statement from Woody gave her ego an enormous shot of hot, fluffy air, though, she’s probably floating around up there high as fukk on this public nod of approval from one of film’s biggest genius director/producers.
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HIGHlarious! That girl has the range of a dishtowel. She RUINED Boleyn Girl. She is pitifully vapid and completely misinformed about her appeal to anyone other than straight males. woody is obviously confused about the difference between a GOOD actress, and one he wants to adopt and screw.
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Sorry snow…genius and pedophile are not the same thing, well, except to other pedophiles.
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Everyone would look 10x more prettier and sexier if they wear the most expensive designer clothes and have great make-up artists.
I can honestly say that most of the actresses today (with the exemption of Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron) are so average looking that I doubt they would be looked twice when walking down the street if they were not famous. That goes for most of the male actors as well.
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Sorry kink… where did I say that genius and pedophile were the same thing?
Never said such a thing, please don’t pick a meaningless fight with me, ‘k? Thanks! I just REALly don’t feel like getting in a bad mood here at CeleBitchy today. Can I ask you to please try not and put words into others’ mouths here, O.K., Kink?
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So having big boobs means you’e a great american actress. Damn. I need to get to Hollywood and audition because I’m a freaking gold mine of talent!
I think Scarlett is an awful actress. She plays the same character all the time. And they’re all boring. She ruined The Other Boleyn Girl, and I was soooooo excited to see that because I really liked the book. No range. Deer in headlights. Blah.
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Yeah, like Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow and Louise Lasser are great American actresses as well. Diane Keaton has always been, simply put–annoying.
La-dee-dah. -
woody allen is a creepy old… ok i wont go there.. how bout just a creepy old man
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Snow~ I LOVE that movie! Even icky John Travolta ia amazing in it! I was just thinking about it the other day
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He reeeeeeeally wants in her pants, doesn’t he?
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I dunno, is Woody really an “in your pants” kind of guy? Or does he just like to take pictures, maybe something else of the fetishist ilk? Never heard anything, but somehow he strikes me that way (no pun intended).
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he is a dirty old man…she is hot and that is what he likes. I saw her in his movie ’scoop’ the other day and she was awful in that.
his adoptive daughter/wife needs watch out.
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@snowblood, indeed, just didn’t want Parker’s scathingly delicious acidity to go unreferenced! Were she alive, can you imagine her take on contemporary celebs?!!
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Angelina Jolie and Scarlett are really the most talented young actresses in US…Woody worked with a lot of women, if he said about Scarlett something like that, it’s because this is truth..
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Scarlett was great in Lost in Translation (and in what I saw of A Love Song for Bobby Long), and good in Match Point, but beyond that…she’s limited, in my opinion. And Woody? Clearly past his prime. His heyday is long gone, so while we should honor him for past accomplishments, anything he says now is probably best taken with a big grain of salt, and a margarita. Just ask Soon-Yi.
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Okay….Scarlett is British. Woody is about as much plugged into reality as Hugh Hefner. And she is definitely not one of the best British actresses. Liz Hurley is a better actress than Scarlett and not so full of herself either. It would be like saying Gwenyth Paltrow is one of the best British actresses. Huh?!
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she isnt woody’s type.. he likes em young and flat… and asian..
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I like Scarlett well enough. But one of the world’s greatest actresses??? Meh. I think not, though she IS lovely and I did enjoy her record. I took a brave soul to do an album of Tom Waits covers. I’d be terrified to go there. Now there’s someone who qualifies for the “greatest” moniker!
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Scarlett’s not British. And she may not be great, but she’s certainly NOT WORSE than Liz Hurley. Puh-LEEZE.
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Liz Hurley a better actress that Scarlett Johansson??? What the hell are you smoking, Jeanne Clark??
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YOU WILL JUST HANG IN THERE.AS THE JEWISH PEOPLE SAY “SHE IS LEARNING”
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Im not sure woody knows talent anymore. I have seen better actresses.
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Woody knows talent, maybe not acting talent, but he knows talent.
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JoMansson looks like a dude in drag. Everytime I see her I cannot get over how masculine she seems (except the boobs - overkill). Her voice is even manly.
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