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Guys, Im worried about Mark Wahlbergs career.
We can tell hes up to no good, but we cant help but be drawn to the guy.
We share Witherspoons dilemma.
Its not just his hunkiness, though he certainly looks great.
Theres something hypnotic about this dudes presence.
As Eddie Adams, a.k.a.
Its hard to overstate what a lightning bolt this performance was.
A big, bright shining star.
Gradually, we understand that we are watching a genuine turning point in this young mans life.
One could argue that without Molinas flamboyance, this extended moment of restraint wouldnt work at all.
But without Wahlbergs close-up, the scene would have no anchor.
He gives the entire sequence its humanity.
Which makes some basic sense.
The actor came frommodest rootsand got involved in drugs and gang activity in Boston at a young age.
(But somehow, he was also briefly in New Kids on the Block, alongside his brother Donnie?
One day, somebody will make a real movie about Wahlbergs life, and itll be fascinating.)
Wahlbergs attempts at outright blockbuster star vehicles during the initial phase of his career often ended in dismal failure.
The comic-book flickMax Paynewas just ghastly on every level.
The resulting movie is underrated, but Wahlbergs still a problem.
(Dont ask; I still cant quite believe that movie exists.)
Without Phoenix, Wahlberg would just feel like a stick in the mud.
But without Wahlberg, Phoenix would feel like a bit of an overreacting clown.
(You know whatJokercould have used?A part for Mark Wahlberg.
[Ducks.])
The year 2010 found Wahlberg starring in two of his best movies.
Their chemistry is irresistible.
But thats not entirely true, is it?
Whatever you or I may think of them, these pictures are clearly deeply meaningful to the actor.
(He has even, at times,confused this idealized, movie version of himself with reality.)
It might have been a nice reset for Berg, too.
And yeah, I feel like something has been lost.
I also miss the earnest Mark Wahlberg ofI Heart HuckabeesandThe Fighter.
The question is whether he, like movies in general, will be willing to take some risks again.
