About Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker’s Dracula…

I think we all owe Keanu Reeves an apology for shitting on his Jonathan Harker performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I never understood the hate. And the hate comes from people I respect (I’m lookin at you RLM). Like I get it, but I mean… Look Keanu once said about the increased criticism of his performance, “I don’t know, I think I play in it. It’s a wacky movie.” It IS a wacky movie. And c’mon he does play. There’ve been bigger train wrecks. I always thought Keanu held us own (as in didn’t get in the way) against some of the greatest actors of our all time, Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins. What more did we want from that role. He’s too wooden? (It’s a fantastical period drama, amiright?) His accent doesn’t work (neither did Al Pacino’s in Scarface, amiright?) I think the role of Harker is a thankless role, really. And Keanu’s sort of stiff manner and surfer resonance feels perfectly at home in this brilliant and bizarre masterpiece. His freaking out over witnessing Dracula’s three “vampire brides” feasting on baby infant is the stuff of nightmares. Reeve’s got a bum rap. Shame on us. We should take it back.