by Matthew Allen Dowd
Jennifer Jason Leigh is a creative artist of the highest ideals that mark virtuosity. Her work is characterized by extensive devotion to development of both talent (gifts) and each human being that she breathes life into (roles), extraordinary intelligence, unusual sensitivity, profound emotional depth for dramatic genres, un-clowning authenticity in humorous genres, impecable tempo-rhythm, irreproachable voice modulation, inscrutable ability to work with lighting as if it were another actor on the set, an awareness of the whole (filmed one scene at a time, day after day), a nearly-shamanistic ability to incite compassion, technical mastery of simultaneous actions (including multiple emotions), evidence of enjoying her work without ever breaking character, endless versatility, and paradox in the following areas: intensity vs. subtlety, charismatic presence vs. vanishing elusiveness, unreqiteable yearning vs. enlightened serenity, fact or fiction; I could go on forever in the area of paradox. If she were to meet with a director who wouldn't let her create the character by way of her contempation, there would be no point in signing the contract for that film. Fortunately, directors have enough on their hands without having to over-coach. Those who may differ with my opinions are likely to agree with one thing: Ms. Leigh has never indulged in over-acting; that style is pre-Moscow Art old-school.
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