Ciaran Hinds

I'd forgotten how much I love Ciaran Hinds. I wasn't even aware of his existence until I started watching ROME on HBO. And in fact, when he first came on the screen as Julius Caesar, I remember thinking, "He looks nothing like Caesar - whether it be previous screen incarnations or his likeness from statues."

BUT, once you watch his performance, it's easy to see why he was chosen to play Caesar. It's rare to find an actor who can convey so much authority and presence from being as minimal as possible on-screen. Some people have an innate ability to exude strength and leadership and you have to be an amazing actor to do this without "acting." Good stuff, I tell ya. There was definitely a sense of loss when the Ides of March passed, so the turmoil that befell Rome and its citizens, especially Caesar's confidants was entirely believable.

So my obsession grew from here and I decided to delve into all things Ciaran Hinds. I picked up whatever bits I could get of him from the modern flicks: some parts in There Will Be Blood (good), Stop-Loss (inconsequential), Lara Croft sequel (meh - random bad guy), Margot at the Wedding (played a jerk - believably though), Munich (good).

However, I think his ability to be charming, whether as a good leader or for the "ladies" is his definite skill.

I like Frances McDormand a lot, but I had no desire to see Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day but seeing Ciaran Hinds, I snapped up a copy to watch at home. He was far from a main character, but I adored the way he charmed and was charmed by Ms. Pettigrew. (The film also made me appreciated Amy Adams for her singing as well as her acting; it's hard to be a likable airhead, but she was fantastic.)

The early role that got him some prominence was as "Captain Wentworth" in Persuasion. I had tried to read the book before, but it drags on. Even when I finally finished it, it wasn't the most memorable story of the Austen canons. However, I did enjoy his performance immensely in this movie. He again had such a quiet but powerful air about his performance and character, how can you not love him?

But for me, the best tortured romantic soul has to be his iteration of the classic "Mr. Edward Rochester" in A&E's Jane Eyre. When you read the books (and mind you, I read it first at a young age) unless you've been "of the world," it's hard to comprehend how a dark, brooding, and course man who is labeled as "not handsome" could possibly woo the heart of a young woman (even if she is also not conventionally handsome) with such a persona. But then you see how Ciaran Hinds commands the scenes - the way he barks at "Jane Eyre" is fierce, and yet a turn of his eyes makes you stop and reconsider. You totally believe that he is madly in love with her and that he cannot live without her. It makes the heart flip-flop (well, it does mine!). *sigh*

Hinds best portrays what it is about "Edward Rochester" that Charlotte Bronte was so enticing and exciting about such a man as to win any woman's affection regardless of non-conventional beauty. He has presence of being all man... what woman could resist?

p.s. Forgot to mention that I'm excited he'll be in the last two Harry Potter flicks. I missed seeing the last one in the theaters but I will definitely go see those so I can see CH on the big screen. Woo hoo!

p.p.s. "Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2" Written by Frédéric Chopin