Sunday Similar Standards: Jesse Eisenberg

Welcome to a new semi-regular weekly feature here at Movies with Abe. On those weeks where reviews are sparse, I’ll be taking a look at an actor or actress whose body of work boasts many roles that may not be as diverse as those taken on by other actors or actresses. This is hardly a judgment on their abilities; rather an analysis of the kind of parts they play so well.

Jesse Eisenberg
This nerdy-looking New York native has been acting for exactly a decade now, and since his first appearance, he’s played a likeable young guy caught up in a situation far more complicated that he is prepared for, and despite some potential corruption along the way, he usually comes out the other side a good person. He got an Oscar nomination in 2010, and future attention is sure to follow.

Roger Dodger (2002): He was a nervous sixteen-year-old coming to see his uncle for advice on how to have sex, and his choice of mentor may have been suspect.

The Emperor’s Club (2002): He was a casual, overconfident student whose excitement got the best of him in a race towards a prize with his classmates.

The Squid and the Whale (2005): He was the awkward older son of two divorcing parents with plenty of his own insecurity issues.

Adventureland (2009): He was lacking motivation and drive as an amusement park employee unprepared for the wild world he was about to discover.

Zombieland (2009): He was a surprisingly put-together and competent survivor of a zombie apocalypse, whose social skills could still have used some work.

Solitary Man (2009): He was a student who once again chose a questionable mentor, Michael Douglas’ Ben, and is subject to considerable corruption.

Holy Rollers (2010): Though he was garbed in Hassidic clothing, he was still just as an awkward guy in over his head as he entered the drug smuggling market.

The Social Network (2010): His most recognized performance found him playing Mark Zuckerberg, the brilliant but socially awkward inventor of Facebook.

30 Minutes or Less (2011): His awkward act was just what was called for as he played a pizza delivery man outfitted with a bomb in this foul-mouthed comedy.


Anything different?

Not as of yet.

What’s next?

A supporting role likely in the same vein in Woody Allen’s forthcoming comedy “To Rome with Love,” due this summer. The thriller “Now You See Me,” coming out next January, may give him something new to do.

The verdict?

He’s just what the doctor ordered in all of the situations, and he’s found something that really works for him while still creating compelling characters whose dialogue and emotions feel completely real.