The movie that sent Orlando Bloom into Hollywood exile
Orlando Bloom is one of the few actors whose career is defined by his involvement in some of the biggest franchises of all time, becoming inseparable from his iconic role as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings series as well as the swashbuckling Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean.
He is one of the ultimate leading men from the fantasy genre, with the actor becoming one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood after his on-screen adventures in the fantasy/adventure genre, joining forces with performers like Viggo Mortensen, Kiera Knightley and Johnny Depp against pesky pirates, monsters and dragons. After emerging into Hollywood after a small role in the 1997 film Wilde, Bloom had four years in which his career was less subdued before quickly propelling towards the top of the industry.
However, while the actor has had his fair share of success as part of the Hollywood elite, merging with other areas of celebrity after his marriage to Katy Perry, Bloom has also had some turbulent periods in the industry, with the actor being heavily criticised for one role in particular that took a while for him to recover from.
Cameron Crowe has a natural talent for creating some of the most life-affirming and glorious films of all time, with his 2000 film Almost Famous remaining as one of the most fantastic coming-of-age stories and love letter to the music of the seventies. This has become a common theme in his work, with the director also helming the 1989 film Say Anything…, frequently focusing on the pangs of adolescence and characters who are struggling to stay true to themselves while dealing with the emotional turbulence of growing up.
However, while Almost Famous is undoubtedly a modern masterpiece, with the story of William and his quest to enter the cult of cool while being surrounded by rockstars becoming a calling card to the genius of his work, he embarked on one project in 2005 that was less popular than his other films, with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst starring in the lead roles.
Elizabethtown follows a man called Drew Baylor who is, quite simply, going through the worst time of his life after his business loses millions of dollars, he is dumped by his girlfriend and his father dies. While the film has a certain level of charm and chaos that you’d associate with rom-coms from the 2000’s, Bloom was heavily criticised for his performance in the film, with the project coming right in the middle of his success in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, acting as an abrupt surprise at the height of his success.
The film was met harshly by critics and audiences alike, and it made people question Bloom’s acting ability away from the genre that he had become so positively associated with. After the ending of both franchises, Bloom has not been as present within the world of cinema, somewhat disappearing and living a life away from the silver screen, something that was perhaps sparked by his unsuccessful venture into new genres.
