James McAvoy: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Johnny Martin/Max Champion - Penelope

29penelope 600 Penelope was a 2006 romantic comedy directed by Mark Palasnky, starring McAvoy alongside Christina Ricci, whose character has been afflicted with a nose that resembles the snout of a pig. The film goes on to covey the message of personality over appearance, and while it might be perceived as harmless fun to its target audience, the performances do not inspire any notion of critical acclaim. While the message of the film is admirable, the film has a very odd dynamic when it comes to its humour and pacing. Naturally, with the film€™s protagonist having a snout, jokes are directed at that particularly odd aesthetic touch, to the point where it becomes rather tiresome. McAvoy€™s appearance initially sparks intrigue, but in reality the movie just plods along a somewhat predictable path. The problem with the performance that McAvoy delivers is that there just doesn€™t seem to be any interest or real intent to portray the message confidently, and while the sloppy screenplay does nothing to help, McAvoy seems to drift idly by. It€™s a shame, but the film€™s target audience - children and teens, presumably - aren€™t necessarily going to care about the performances. It does well to provide a sweet piece of 90 minute-long entertainment, but is ultimately forgettable.
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Currently in my 3rd year studying for a BA in English Literature & Film at Edinburgh Napier University. Twitter - @niallmcloughlin