The “masterpiece” Javier Bardem saw 24 times at the cinema
A quick glance at the filmography of Javier Bardem doesn’t make it readily apparent that one of his favourite movies is an all-ages blockbuster sci-fi sensation, but the aspiring actor made a point of seeing the movie that became a personal favourite two dozen times in cinemas.
Following his debut in 1990’s erotic drama The Ages of Lulu, Bardem would spend the first decade of his career working in Spanish cinema before making his first appearance in an American film playing the lead role of Reinaldo Arenas in Julian Schnabel’s well-received biographical drama Before Night Falls.
With his foot firmly in the door of Hollywood, Bardem’s career reached new heights when he won an Academy Award in the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ category for his unforgettable turn as Anton Chigurh in the Coen brothers’ masterpiece No Country for Old Men. Fast forward a decade and a half, and he’s well-cemented as one of the most talented and well-rounded performers world cinema has produced in decades.
With four Oscar nominations to his name in total, Bardem began diversifying his output and appearing in studio-backed blockbusters, notching villainous outings in Skyfall and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in addition to supporting parts in Dune and the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel marked his most prominent work in sci-fi to date, even though it’s completely different from the genre bedfellow he truly adores. “I saw E.T. 24 times in the movie theatre,” Bardem told A.Frame. “For me, it’s a masterpiece, and it remains one of the most beautiful love stories of cinema history about two people that can see each other through the eyes of love rather than the eyes of fear.”
As well as becoming the highest-grossing release in the history of cinema when the titular alien crash-landed in cinemas in the summer of 1982, Steven Spielberg’s cultural phenomenon would go on to win four Oscars and secure an additional five nods, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’.
Much more than a movie, E.T. was a cultural phenomenon, and its impact wasn’t lost on a young Bardem. “That resonated with me in the time when I was a kid, and it still resonates with me as every time I see it, I just go break into tears,” he continued. “I think it’s a beautiful love story about two equals, two people who have been abandoned, one from his fellow aliens, and the other one from his own father.”
It must have been quite the financial undertaking from Bardem – who was only 13 years old when E.T. was in the midst of its theatrical run – but he was more than happy to fork out for 24 tickets to see the film as often as possible.
