"I can't stand still for long. And the truth is, the film industry doesn't have leading roles for 90-year-olds anymore". These are part of the statements made by Michael Caine himself as he made public his retirement from all means of acting; that includes theater, film and television. Honestly, this news has shocked me personally and therefore, I have decided to make this small tribute to one of the most important figures I have had the pleasure of enjoying in cinema. From my point of view, his legacy is so enormous, that I could not allow him to pass away like this, as if nothing...
Myself, I could only follow what Caine did in film from the mid 90's to the present day. Before that period, my knowledge of his work becomes more diffuse. Logically, as a matter of age, I can appreciate his work much more from the time I have explained than from a historical and total point of view. Not for that reason, his impact on my appreciation of cinema is less. Because what this man has done for the seventh art is simply unquestionable. You may or may not be able to place him in any film; you may not even remember him, but what you cannot do is say that the man acts badly. That, in my view, would be an infamous stain on his legacy.
Now, pay attention to the titles where Caine has acted and left his mark: Dunkirk, Interstellar, Nolan's Batman trilogy, Miss Congeniality, Inception, Tenet, Cars, Bewitched, Now You See Me, Austin Powers, Children of Men, Mr. Morgan's Last Love, The Quiet American, The Great Escaper, etc, etc, etc.... So, it is very likely, highly likely, that within the best made movies of the last 30 years (minimally) count with the participation of the protagonist of this post. A wonderful Englishman, a man who knows how to play any role and transmit the essence that each screenwriter prints for those characters.
A butler, a seducer in his later years, a suicide, a friend; the role of father, grandfather, villain; hero; scientist, a bohemian hippie; you name it.... I would be totally short of looking for a role that this magnificent actor has not played at least once. Dramatic, action, melodramatic, superhero, historical, period, any film you can think of, anyone at any point in time and space, the great Michael Caine has been able to do it and be the most notable, or at least be in the top of the best.
Actually, on YouTube there are countless interviews with Caine where he himself explains that his immersion in cinema was the accidental step of doing theater for so many years. That it is the creative atmosphere from which the genius of this majestic icon of contemporary human art originates. Perhaps, for that reason, we are so deeply impacted by what this subject is capable of doing in acting. Personally, I cannot remain indifferent to his way of capturing a close touch, which I find captivating and extremely attractive; I declare myself in love with his way of making films.
I will not conclude this post without mentioning the beauty in this man's character. "Do not go gentle into that good night..." So echoes the famous Dylan Thomas poem, heard multiple times in Interstellar. Recited by the wonderfully gentle yet familiar voice of the roles and roles Caine often embodies. Simply relating this poem to you is act enough to make my skin crawl. That is how powerful an influence this subject has on me. I know I am not alone, and that many, many people have him as their favorite actor; and even if I don't, I don't care: he is to me, and that's enough for me.
Everything has a beginning and an end. The natural dichotomy of biology, the unstoppable passing of the years plays against us all, including him. But oblivion is only possible when no one remembers you, when you cease to be "something" for someone. And I couldn't have peace with myself if I didn't do this. I don't know if it's the best, or if it's cinematically perfect, currently those characteristics don't matter to me. What does, is recognizing his precious influence and that cinema, as the life-changing art that it is, will miss him, as I will. We are left with his majestic filmography, his vast film career and the impact of his characters on all of us.
We share a love for cinema, for this precious and immeasurable art. Some actors change our lives for the better; this has been my personal case. Thank you for your talent and for your contribution, dear Michael Caine. Thank you for reading me...