'Laggies' trailer: Why do I dislike Keira Knightley so much?

Posted Thursday, July 17, 2014 at 9:58 AM Central

by Tim Briscoe

I don't like Keira Knightley.

There I said it. Everyone seemingly loves her movies but I do not care for them. I mean, she's a good actress -- one Oscar and two Golden Globe nominations to her credit. She has a current hit movie in Begin Again. I find Keira Knightley rather... blah.

It's probably an unfair opinion. My dislike is why I almost dismissed the trailer for her upcoming film Laggies. Knightley stars as a twenty-something who's going nowhere in life. She meets 16-year-old Annika, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, and her world starts to change. Take a look at the trailer:

The movie looks pretty good, right? Regardless of your tolerance for Knightley, it looks like a solid movie. It may be overly sentimental but seems like a good take on reluctant adulthood.

Let's make some more snap judgments based solely on this video. Imagine a different lead actress in Keira's role. It can any of her contemporaries, really. Natalie Portman, Kirsten Dunst, Mila Kunis, and Emma Stone could each fill this character as adequately. Now, trade Same Rockwell -- he plays Moretz's dad in the movie -- for someone else. I think that's harder to do. There are probably twice as many eligible candidates but I can't envision anyone better than Rockwell is in the trailer.

I'm sincerely not trying to be mean to Keira. She's just trying to do her job. I'm doing this to illustrate my personal dislike. She doesn't have the same screen presence as someone like Rockwell. It's a rare talent. Actors either have it or they don't. I argue that Knightley does not.

Am I completely off base here? (I probably am.) Am I just trying to rationalize my own tastes? Are there actors or actresses you do not like, and, can you describe why? I'm anxious to hear your thoughts.

Laggies hits theaters on Sept. 26.