Peter Dinklage has been a scenestealer in movies and television for two and a half decades,
and the decorated actor is still impressing audiences with his skill.
Dinklage's latest take-notice performance can be seen in J. Blakeson's new dark comedy
I Care a Lot, which features him as Roman Lunyov.
Roman is mysterious, powerful, and dangerous, but he faces an unexpectedly formidable foe
in the film.
Though Roman prefers to keep a low profile, he has to step out of the shadows to find
and protect his mother after she's targeted by a fraudster who leeches from the elderly
with her crooked long-term care company.
Dianne Wiest stars as Roman's aging mom, who goes by the name Jennifer Peterson but has
a dark secret.
Meanwhile, Rosamund Pike portrays Marla Grayson, the ruthless money-grabber who takes control
of Jennifer's life and finances through her scheme.
In a movie full of standout performances, there's one scene in particular that shows
why Peter Dinklage is an acting force to be reckoned with.
Peter Dinklage's facial expressiveness has long been a hallmark of his career.
Though the actor has certainly been celebrated for his excellent way with words, he also
manages to say so much more with just his eyes and a poignant grimace or grin - like
in this scene in the bakery, where he conveys exactly what he wants without saying a word.
Dinklage's ability to speak without speaking has been strong since the very beginning of
his career, of course.
In his breakthrough role as the very reserved Finbar McBride in the 2003 drama The Station
Agent, Dinklage's gift for quiet communication was a big part of why the character fit him
so well.
And even though his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
featured plenty of the character's trademark verbosity, sometimes it was what he didn't
say out loud that echoed the most in key scenes.
Here, Dinklage portrays Roman as a man who chooses his words carefully and gets the message
across in other ways, ensuring that we're left hanging onto every single syllable when
he does decide to speak up.
In addition to presenting some silent drama, the scene also shows just how well Dinklage
can lean into the humor of a moment while keeping a straight face.
Consider how absolutely serious Roman is about those piles of pastries.
Then, after he finds out his mother's house has been taken over by strangers and that
she's nowhere to be found, he offers a perfect comedic response:
"I don't understand.
What people were in there?
Where is she now?"
"Oh, I don't know.
I came straight here."
"You didn't think to ask, even though you know how important this is to me?
You didn't think to get some basic information on the situation?"
"Sir, if I…"
Dinklage's ability to slip some comedy into otherwise very serious situations is something
he has also become known for over the years.
Remember how solemn his expressions remained when his character beat the Christmas spirit
out of Will Ferrell's Buddy for disrespecting him in Elf?
And who could forget how stony-faced he managed to be in his utterly absurd shakedown scene
as the mullet-wearing convict Eddie in Pixels?
Dinklage truly is the master of deadpan comedy.
On top of being both contemplative and funny in the scene, Dinklage also manages to make
Roman seem like a truly tough cookie at the exact same time.
Once his pastry is put aside, Roman replaces it with a steely sidearm to ensure that his
minion gets the message that he's now personally responsible for finding Roman's mother.
"Please, sir, please, I figured, I..."
"You fucked up, Alexi.
I love my mother very much.
And these days, these rare days we get to spend together are a blessing for me."
"Yes sir, of course."
"So you find her, and bring her to me.
Now."
It's clear from Alexi's reaction that Roman's discontent is something he takes very seriously.
Alexi clearly has great respect for his boss, and he knows exactly what the man is capable
of.
At this point in the movie, Marla has yet to find out that she has messed with the wrong
woman by setting her sights on Roman's beloved mother.
But Roman's expression here makes it very clear to the viewers that things are about
to take a rather dark turn for Marla and everyone involved in her cruel scam business.
Dinklage's ability to both delight and intimidate in equal measure is incredible, and he pulls
it off beautifully here.
Thanks for watching.
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