Favorite Thing #8: Ewan McGregor

Have you ever seen anyone as handsome in a tux before (besides Doyle?)

Oddly enough, I started this blog at work and then went home to watch Moulin Rouge! with the Trifecta....

My obsession with Ewan McGregor began in high school when a friend of mine and I watched Trainspotting. The movie itself was very well written and different from anything I had ever seen. Here was this amazingly gorgeous guy with an accent who was actually a really good actor. (And as an added bonus, this movie allowed me to discover that Ewan has absolutely no problems with nudity). Fast forward a few months, and I see on TV a preview for Emma. As I am a huge Gwyneth Paltrow fan (Sliding Doors anyone?) and an even bigger fan of Jane Austen, I immediately knew I HAD to see this movie. As I am sitting in the Niantic cinema back in the day when it cost $1.75 for a matinee, watching my movie, I gasp as who should be playing the character we all love to hate, Frank Churchill, but the guy I had seen in Trainspotting a few months before. It was at this point that my true obsession began. I had to see everything he had been in, so I rented The Pillow Book, and Nightwatch. I cursed the mainstream movie theaters in my area for not playing Brassed Off or Shallow Grave, but years later found them on Netflix. THEN, Ewan hit mainstream with A Life Less Ordinary. This movie was absolutely horrible, and not just because Ewan had no sexy accent. Cameron Diaz was abysmal and the story was lame. BUT, it gave us obsessed fans the first glimpse into Ewan's fantastic singing voice that would win him the adoration of many, many women in Moulin Rouge years later. He starred in a few other smaller movies that got critical acclaim but not many viewers (Little Voice and Velvet Goldmine where he dazzles us with his voice, and lack of clothes in the case of Velvet Goldmine). While I maintain the fact that he sold out to take the part of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three lame Star Wars prequels, he managed to nail the mannerisms and speech pattern of the original Obi-Wan perfectly. (Plus, how cool is it that his Uncle was Wedge Antilles in Empire Strikes Back). Also, due to this movie, there was a huge variety of merchandise that you could purchase. The year Episode I came out, I had a Ewan McGregor birthday party complete with plates, party hats, etc, a Ewan slap bracelet that I wore every day and even an air freshener . The thing I love about him is that he is able to take absolute cheese and make it good (see also: Down with Love). I would see anything he is in, just on the basis that he will at least put in a stellar performance. Rather than re-count every movie he has been in (and I have seen 95% of them), I figured I would list my top five favorite films based on his performance. If you haven't seen them, shame on you! You should immediately run out and rent them (or ask, as I probably own half of them).

5. Down With Love - While I do agree that this movie was pure cheese wiz, McGregor gives a perfect performance as Catcher Block, (ladies man, man's man, man about town). He oozes charm and sexiness in the roll. While it may not be the most though provoking movie in the world, it is definitely entertaining and features great music (including a song sung by Ewan and the horribly annoying Renee Zellweger).

4. Big Fish - This whole movie is amazing. It centers around a son trying to put together the stories his father told of his life and figure out what was real and what was a fictional story.

3. Velvet Goldmine - Unofficially based on the relationship between Iggy Pop and David Bowie, McGregor plays the fictional representation of Iggy Pop It also features the incredibly handsome talent of Johnathan Rhys-Meyers as the David Bowie character along with Batman himself, Christian Bale and the talented Toni Collette (who also stared with Ewan in Emma). This film has awesome music, with Rhys-Meyers and McGregor singing their own songs, and even more awesome costumes.

2. Trainspotting - the movie that started it all. It's kind of disturbing though, so don't watch it if you have issues with graphic drug use, hallucinations of babies crawling on the celling or swimming in toilet.

1. Moulin Rouge - singing, dancing and sexy accents. What more could you want?? Plus, everytime he cries when Satine dies, it gets me.

Runners up would have to include Brassed Off, Nora, and Young Adam.