Stuck in Middle Earth

[mark12_30]

I read a kinder review, someplace... I recall that the reviewer was rather down on Burns. But what he had to say about Elijah was that he was "miscast". Although I haven't seen the film, that (theoretically) makes sense to me. <P>Wood shines best in roles where he plays somebody well-meaning but rather confused. (Bumblebee Flies Anyway, for instance. Or the older kid in Radio Flyer. Or that short pointy-eared guy... nevermind.)<P>The role in Ash Wednesday may not fit him that well; I haven't seen it, but he doesn't seem like a harsh Irish-Mafia city-kid-bartender-thug capable of murder, to me. So maybe he was miscast.<P>Or, maybe, the rest of the movie didn't come together around him, and he stuck out like a sore thumb because of his open, honest, vulnerable acting style. Which would again mean that he was miscast; not for the specific role, perhaps, but not fitting in naturally to the rest of the cast.<P>I also find myself wondering if he took the role mostly to get back on the set and back on the payroll. He does have a practical business-oriented side to him, and it's easier to get a job when you are employed than when you are not.