ROTTEN TOMATOES: Five Favorite Films with Djimon Hounsou

Five Favorite Films with Djimon Hounsou

The Push loves Martin Scorsese and David Lean.

by Jen Yamato | February 05, 2009

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After giving critically-acclaimed performances in Oscar-nominated films like Amistad, In America, Gladiator, and Blood Diamond, Benin-born actor Djimon Hounsou finally gets to play a villain in this week's science fiction thriller, Push. Rotten Tomatoes spoke with Hounsou about his Five Favorite Films of all time and discussed the two-time Oscar nominee's philosophies on the nature of acting, the perils of creating a signature style, and more.

In this week's Push, Djimon Hounsou strikes a menacing pose as Carver, the ominous head of a secret government agency working to cultivate an army of telekinetics, psychics, shape-shifters, and others endowed with unique powers. It's a bit of a departure for Hounsou, who came to attention as the leader of a slave rebellion in the Oscar-nominated Amistad only a little over a decade ago, but achieving variety, it would seem, is Hounsou's intent. Read on as Djimon Hounsou takes us through his favorite films -- classics of their respective generations -- and shares his thoughts on filmmaking, acting and creative versatility.

"I'd like to think that when a story changes, your vision changes." -- Djimon Hounsou

Raging Bull (1980, 98% Tomatometer)

What a scope of a film for Martin Scorsese. To really dig into the humanity of that character, Jake La Motta. And what a portrayal by Robert De Niro! What an amazing talent. How he was able to really touch into this organic moment...it was just unbelievable.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962, 98% Tomatometer)

Just the scope of the film. The journey the film takes, the journey the character takes. Doing that film today you couldn't get your head around it -- it was such a massive undertaking. It leaves so much room for imagination, to escape. I escaped with that film.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, 95% Tomatometer)

I think it was a beautiful, well-told story. If you're learning to know how to direct a film, it's a great subject film to study.

The Usual Suspects (1995, 89% Tomatometer)

Obviously it has to do with the story and how complicated it was. [Bryan Singer] was an impressive young man, to be able to draw that.

Taxi Driver (1979, 100% Tomatometer)

I thought its arc of character was beautifully captured. [Martin Scorsese] has got so many dramatic views -- men fed up with life, the situation, the system. These days people are more experienced [as filmmakers] but we've just been poorly making movies lately. We used to tell beautiful, humane stories. We used to care about characters instead of just blowing some f***ing building down.

Next: Hounsou talks about Push, as well as formenting a personal style in the movies.

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(1-20 of 47 posts) | Reply

Books writes:
on Feb 05 2009 06:29 PM

Not my cup of tea

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 05 2009 06:34 PM

In reply to this comment (#2303348)
LOL WHA?!?! Please tell me you aren't talking about those films he listed, those are all masterpieces! He is a really good actor but I think he makes to much pop corn crap.

(Reply to this)

NerdForLife writes:
on Feb 05 2009 06:38 PM

Loved his picks. "Taxi Driver" to this day, is one of my favorite films.

(Reply to this)

ledawg1138 writes:
on Feb 05 2009 07:18 PM

I like almost everything. I don't like "The Usual Suspects". But everything else, great. I feel like seeing "Bridge on the River Kwai" again, and I think I will.

(Reply to this)

Mr. Bo Ziffer writes:
on Feb 05 2009 07:29 PM

"Taxi Driver" and "The Usual Suspects" are two of my faves. "Raging Bull" is excellent as well. I agree that Hounsou has been in way too much crap lately (like Push!!!), but he was great in "Amistad", and "Blood Diamond" wasn't too bad either.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Feb 05 2009 07:38 PM

I like his list, but his reasons, for the most part, are lame. Scope. . . Scope. . .

Maybe he's going to do what a lot of actors seem to do. Make absolute CRAP films like PUSH with horrible horrible directors but a nice pay-day, then have the ability to do real serious acting work like Djimon's flawless portrayal from "In America."

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 05 2009 07:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#2303391)
You don't like The Usual Suspects?

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Feb 05 2009 08:27 PM

"We used to tell beautiful, humane stories. We used to care about characters instead of just blowing some f***ing building down. "
-Djimon Hansou

HA HA HA. . . oh the IRONY of him doing PUSH then. . .

(Reply to this)

harrismonkey writes:
on Feb 05 2009 08:31 PM

"He is a really good actor but I think he makes to much pop corn crap."

I agree, but I sympathize with him. Unfortunately, there's only so many roles in great films that are open to big black men with heavy accents. (that probably sounds racist, unfortunately)

When he gets those roles, he's AMAZING!!! Unfortunately, the rest of the time he has to go with what he's offered (and he says as much in the interview).

The man is one of my absolute favorite actors. I really hope I get the opportunity to work with him someday.

(Reply to this)

Kokushi writes:
on Feb 05 2009 08:33 PM

Great List, and yes he need to start doing better movies.

Raging Bull 9/10 - De Niro was amazing.
Lawrence of Arabia - Have it but need to see it.
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Same as LoA
The Usual Suspects - 10/10
Taxi Driver - 10/10, my #2 in my top ever and again De Niro was amazing.

(Reply to this)

Mister_Prophet writes:
on Feb 05 2009 08:43 PM

Djimon Hounsou is awesome. Unfortunately like Jean Reno (the last featured actor), He's is as many bad movies as he is in good ones.

(Reply to this)

ledawg1138 writes:
on Feb 05 2009 08:48 PM

In reply to this comment (#2303433)
Nope, sorry. Characters grumbled way too much making a muddy plot even muddier. I couldn't even finsh it. I heard a lot of good things, but I ended up agreeing with Roger Ebert. Mysteries should keep me guessing, but if I don't know what's going on at all, it has no purpose. But Djimon has good crime films and historical epics so it's a good list.

(Reply to this)

tgibfo writes:
on Feb 05 2009 09:35 PM

You can have great taste, talent and charisma, and that's not going to help you land quality films all the time, nor will it help you eat. Raise your hand if you'd turn down doing PUSH 2 for a $4 million paycheck just because you knew it would suck. This guy's a class act.

(Reply to this)

~*Admiral Snowstorm*~ writes:
on Feb 06 2009 03:44 AM

Great picks except The Usual Suspects. Glad to see somebody else actually likes Raging Bull as much as I do.

I like Djimon. He and Leonardo DiCaprio were the only good things about Blood Diamond, and, indeed, Djimon ends up being the only good thing in most of the movies he's in. I agree with everybody else, though, he needs to pick better roles.

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Feb 06 2009 07:31 AM

In reply to this comment (#2303458)
Man, you haven't seem Lawrence of Arabia and A Bridge to the River Kwai... what are you doing with your life

(Reply to this)

willpower writes:
on Feb 06 2009 07:38 AM

Great pics here. Love River Kwai and Lawrence, similar style but different films.

(Reply to this)

kaike_67 writes:
on Feb 06 2009 08:42 AM

This dude can act, that's a fact. Seriously, just take a look at his Oscar-nominated performances in "In America" and "Blood Diamond". His choices are all well-known films that are widely considered masterpieces, myself included.

Now, it's also a fact that he's also been in lots of crap.

(Reply to this)

vitajex writes:
on Feb 06 2009 09:14 AM

All good films, but this list has no surprises.

Seems like he played it pretty safe. Half-expect to see "Citizen Kane" and "Gone With the Wind" on there...

(Reply to this)

Islander writes:
on Feb 06 2009 09:27 AM

I EFFING HATE RAGING BULL! When are people going to realize that Raging Bull is a vacuum of talent-talent-talent-and-yet-more-talent, but an absolute waste of celluloid? When are people going to realize that there's absoeffinglutely NOTHING good about Jake LaMotta's character, and that nobody should sympathize with such a loser? Yes, Robert DeNiro nailed that role. Yes, he deserved the Oscar he got. But it's such a waste! Jake LaMotta should be quietly forgotten. He's a brutish boor who's stupid and misogynistic. He devotes his whole like to his work and ignores his family, and in the end he loses both. He's left with nothing, just as he deserves. So who the effing hell cares about him? He's a loser who got what was coming to him. There's no need to devote a 2-hour film to his pathetic life!

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Feb 06 2009 11:26 AM

Jake Lamotta was gay.

Probably.

Seriously.

Yup.

(Reply to this)

Raging Bull (1980, 98% Tomatometer)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962, 98% Tomatometer)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, 95% Tomatometer)

The Usual Suspects (1995, 89% Tomatometer)

Taxi Driver (1979, 100% Tomatometer)

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