Old Actors

I watched Million Dollar Baby today. I really enjoyed it. Sure some people felt duped into watching a movie that sold itself as a boxing movie and the slipped in a hefty opinion on euthanasia but that can be an entirely different post. It had a great story and it was a great movie. Clint Eastwood is an incredible actor and he is really getting to be a great director. Well Duh Garrett he did win Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture for Unforgiven. I wasn't so impressed with that, not to mention the competition wasn't so incredible that year(The Crying Game?!?!)That can be another post as well. I haven't watched many of Eastwood's earlier films but the more I watch him the more impressed I am. He has been acting since 55' and directing since 71''. He has also been composing music for his films as well as producing. I really thought that he did a nice job with the use of shadow in this film and his acting was top notch.
It saddens me that a lot of my favorite actors are starting to get up there in age. Paul Newman has officially retired from films. I fear the next thing I hear from that camp will be post mortem. Eastwood shows no signs of quitting but he is getting older and he is getting slower. Maybe that is just acting. I think it is forcing him to make films like Million Dollar Baby though. With him it's not what he says so much as how he delivers his lines. Kind of like Johnny Cash. I really think that his age is only contributing to this but its just a bummer to know that his career has to end some day.
A lot of them aren't making the sort of films that made them great either. I love Al Pacino but so many of his later movies lack the gusto of his earlier films. He still has it but the vehicles are weaker. I wish that there were people out there who could step up and make films like The Godfather, Scarface, or even Dog Day Afternoon. It's sad to have to watch films like Insomnia, The Recruit, or GIGLI to have to see him in action. There are a couple young actors out there that I do like but no one who really stacks up the same way.
It's getting pretty late and I am starting to lose my train of thought and ramble so I better head to bed.
To try and sum this up... A lot of new movies are fun but they lack the substance that was prevalent in so many older films. At least there are companies like Netflix with a huge library ready to ship. I guess I'm just disappointed that some of my old favorites seem to be fading out rather than quitting at the top of their game and I am discovering some of them so late in the game they only have a handful of films left.
I am gonna read this tomorrow and realize what a mess I made of something I have been thinking about and trying to organize into a postable form for about a week now. Hope this all makes sense. Goodnight!