--- product_id: 12470950 title: "Why Acting Matters (Why X Matters Series) Hardcover – February 17, 2015" brand: "david thomson" price: "VT4549" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 14 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/12470950-why-acting-matters-why-x-matters-series-hardcover-february-17 store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Why Acting Matters (Why X Matters Series) Hardcover – February 17, 2015 **Brand:** david thomson **Price:** VT4549 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Why Acting Matters (Why X Matters Series) Hardcover – February 17, 2015 by david thomson - **How much does it cost?** VT4549 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/12470950-why-acting-matters-why-x-matters-series-hardcover-february-17) ## Best For - david thomson enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted david thomson brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Why Acting Matters (Why X Matters Series) Hardcover – February 17, 2015 - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51G2PCzUDgL.jpg) ![Why Acting Matters (Why X Matters Series) Hardcover – February 17, 2015 - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/317j5qgAqiL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐ OCCASIONALLY INTERESTING BUT . . . *by T***N on Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2015* This is an occasionally interesting look at film acting by a prolific film critic and historian whom I've always found to be only occasionally interesting. He makes much of the impact film has had on acting -- that it was the camera that scaled down the more theatrical acting styles of the past -- but doesn't actually say much about the impact of acting on film. And even at its meager length (not enough physical book for the price, by the way) it still managed to go on too long for me. Sorry not to be more enthusiastic. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Almost As Good as Theater *by A***N on Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2015* “I warn you the more strenuously ‘real’ a play or movie claims to be, the morebored I become The only honorable reality is that of pretending, but that is sufficient reason why acting matters beyond all differences in style, pay grade, or how ‘good’ the process is…” He goes on a page further “Acting is so essential or inescapable that Iteasily absorbs and welcomes bad acting. So let us toss out that old chestnut that the play or the actor may help us ‘to live better.’ There is no help…The purpose of acting is to evade such considerations.” And the actors? Thomson introduces them: “…actors must retain a child’s appetite for mimicry, for demanding attention, and, above all, for playing. They must see with a child’s heart, innocent of judgement.” This work is divided into four acts: Towards the End of the Day, Twilight, A Moment Later, and That Night plus Epilogue. These chapters contain such discussions as one of Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer, a play written for him by John Osborne and the”lowest life he had ever played.” Olivier made the role “supreme.” Thomson writes The Entertainer speaks “to a moment in British history when the imperial bedrock was cracking and a famous actor felt the appealing risk in discarding his own heroic aplomb. And when he bumped into a writer prepared to teach him a lesson.” This author is entitled to make such an observation with his many published biographies and histories of film and the theater folk which are listed in the opening pages of this work. From his analyses of the”empty splendor” of the smile of William Holden and his admission at one point thathis observations on Philip Seymore Hoffman were written on the day of his death, Why Acting Matters fascinates. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Not quite what I was hoping for *by E***E on Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2015* This book is a disappointment. One of the first things he mentions is an incident between Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, taken from Olivier's autobiography. Olivier clearly states that what happened was that Leigh told him she was no longer in love with him. But Thomson gets it backwards and says it was Olivier who fell out of love. He quotes Olivier to support his wrongheaded view. But of course the quote makes no sense since Thomson misapprehended what it refers to. This really cuts into my trust of Thomson's reporting and his ability to access what he sees. Also, reviews suggested the book is focused largely on Olivier and Brando but it isn't. I would find it more interesting if it was... --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/12470950-why-acting-matters-why-x-matters-series-hardcover-february-17](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/12470950-why-acting-matters-why-x-matters-series-hardcover-february-17) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*