The Birdcage : hurrah to the pause

It was late night and the only reason I lingered on a sad fag comedy was Robin Williams.


The movie was "The Bridcage" . Where Robin plays a gay drag club owner. His son wants to marry the daughter of a senator (Gene Hackman). After the thoroughly predictable scenes and cliched chaos the lovers unite and maybe live happily ever after as well. And with Robin having done all this in Doubtfire anyways, it was just another variation in the same opening.

But one thing I noticed (maybe for the first time), was the "method" used by Robin. He is so bubbly and over the top as a comic that I never expected anything else. till now most of his roles, comedy as well as serious, I always perceived him to be eager, over the top. Even in "Good will hunting".

But I discovered something new. His non-verbal acting is tremendous. He pauses, intentionally, and reflects before belting out his one liners and these pauses are full with meaning. Now that I look back, the compassionate-understanding pause of "Good Will hunting"; the maverick-I-am-always-right pause of "Patch Adams" and the ok-I-will-play-along pause of "The Birdcage".

They are filled to the brim with meaning and the words that follow them have better impact because of them.

Really the best way to learn acting (if there is any such way as learning acting, which I really doubt), is watching the masters, knowing what they are doing, why and how.