Why Idris Elba hasn’t won an Oscar yet is a little confusing. Granted, his role in The Dark Tower wasn’t his best but it also wasn’t his worst. And aside from that he’s been in other films where he’s been at his absolute best and still he hasn’t reached that level yet. So what gives?
As of now he’s been leading man material for a while, but he’s always had to play backup or support to other actors that either flubbed their parts or are such powerful actors that he has to step down a bit and allow them to shine. One good example is the fact that he played a powerful part as Nelson Mandela and then had to go back to playing Heimdall in the Thor movies. He was, needless to say, a little disappointed since the role of Heimdall is nothing really when compared to shooting a film about a real life individual that was such a rich and diverse character throughout his life.
Elba could have been so much better as the gunslinger if the writers, YES, I am blaming the writers, had worked a little longer on his dialogue to make it believable and simple enough that it would have carried more meaning and less campy nonsense. Hey, I loved the Dark Tower series that was written by Stephen King, and even the comic books did a better job than the director and writers of the movie. Elba was a great gunslinger, but his dialogue really needed some work.
This guy can deliver a line better than a lot of actors and is capable of taking on high profile roles that others might be uneasy with. He deserves to be in the spotlight more often simply because he is that good. His many different roles have seen him do his absolute best and aside from The Dark Tower he’s been great in all of them. But it’s understandable that he wants to perform in more serious films, as it will allow him to showcase that enormous talent he has and grant him a much better chance of impressing those that need to be impressed that he is worthy of an Oscar.
Whether that will happen or not is always in question since it’s a little unlikely that he’s been seen as more than a supporting actor for so long. Those that run the Oscars don’t seem to realize real talent when they see it, as has been evidenced throughout the many years by the surprising upsets that have occurred and the travesties that tend to come when the awards are handed out. However the awards are decided the system need to start recognizing real talent and avoid the box office numbers as much as possible. Too much real talent gets ignored or wasted when those that make the most money are those that tend to get rewarded more often than not.
At this point in his career Idris Elba has earned the recognition that is due to him, and he’s more than earned his chance at an Oscar.
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