More than just this meta casting gag, though, Phoenix allows Grant to scratch his comedic muscles in a way he hasn’t in decades.
Had director Paul King cast anyone else in the role, it may have felt a bit of a mean-spirited pop at actors who’d moved past their prime, and detracted from the overall sweetness of Paddington, something that would have no doubt earned King a hard stare from fans.Īnimated little bear! Best animated movie The joke’s made all the better by Grant being entirely in on the gag, chewing the scenery like a famished beaver in a lumberyard. Grant’s reputation as a slightly faded star (sorry, Hugh) allows the audience to immediately understand what this character’s about without the need to contextualise it in the movie’s script. Phoenix is the role Grant was born to play, essentially serving as an exaggerated parody of the ‘90s heartthrob. What I’ve seen less of, though, is a discussion of Hugh Grant’s scene-stealing performance as the pompous actor turned bumbling thief Phoenix Buchanan. The film manages the deft feat of being wonderfully funny, incredibly heartfelt, and like the best family movies, it works for viewers of all ages.Īgain though, you don’t need me to tell you this, Paddington 2 got excellent reviews when it was released, and fans have spent the last four years screaming to anyone within earshot about the film’s general greatness. Still, they’re wrong because Paddington 2 is a masterpiece. I do not doubt that a particular generation of people will roll their eyes at the notion that a kids movie about a CGI bear eating marmalade sandwiches can be good. Yes, I know that this is hardly the bravest thing a person can say these days, what with Paddington briefly topping Citizen Kane as the best-reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes, but I want to write about the little bear, so deal with it. Paddington 2 is Hugh Grant’s best movie, and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.