Yes, fuck it, I am going to be contentious today, seeing as some narrow-sighted producer twat has decided to edit Kevin Spacey out of "All The Money In The World", a movie that is currently in production.
Yes, I really am grateful to Kevin Spacey.
Kevin Spacey is a great actor. He had me spellbound in American Beauty, K-Pax, Pay It Forward, Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, The Shipping News, The Life Of David Gale, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Beyond The Sea, Men Who Stare At Goats and many others. More than any actor I know, he has a consummate skill at picking high quality scripts and being part of films that are brilliant!
I don't know exactly what Kevin Spacey did. Nor do you! You only have the mainstream media's perspective to go on. And if you are casting stones, according to what you read in the Daily Mail or some other shit-stirring rag, then more fool you. Even if the MSMs account is true, then yes, Kevin Spacey is guilty of predatory behaviour, but how is it going to help the situation by deleting him out of a movie? I'm sure he wouldn't risk trying it on with a runner, now that the cat has been released from the bag. I understand, also, that Netflix is ceasing production on House Of Cards now.
I cannot help but feel these reactions are hysterical.... and I worry that we are reaching some weird tipping point when we will start purging the arts of all their bad boys and girls... and if we do, what will we be left with but candy-coated, saccharine, yes-men and yes-women.
So let me say this, to finish. Thank you, Kevin Spacey. Thank you for a compendium of brilliant films. You are one of the greatest actors in the world.