Al Pacino vs Keanu Reeves

[P@t_Mtl]

I know strange title for a thread but read on and you will see where I am going with this.

On Sunday afternoon I DVR Dog Day Afternoon that was playing on the classic movie channel I got here. I did not see this movie since I think 1996-97 or so, quite a while. It's not a movie that fall into my normal range of movie. If you take a look at my collection you'll understand what I mean. Also let me say right away here that I am not a fan of either Al Pacino or Keanu Reeves.

Last night I watched the movie and something came to me. Once again Al Pacino had that bored or maybe the same constipated expression on his face as almost every other movie in his in. As I was watching Dog Day Afternoon it was like I was watching him do Michael Corleone but this time with longer hair. It seem to me that Pacino as that same usual expression on his face in The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Author Author....It look's like the one movie where he seem to actualy have a wide range of expression is in Heat. Of course we all know how Reeves always have that same bored or maybe constipated expression on his face be it in My Own Private Idaho or The Day The Earth Stood Still. It sometime feel's to me the only time he actualy showed a wide range of facial expression was in the Bill & Ted movies, not saying much there.

Where I am going with this thread is, why one actor is considered one of the best actors of the past 40 years while the other is considered more of a joke in the last 25 years? They both have the same expression continualy in every movie they make as if they both trying to make their own private tribute to Mister Spock.

So I came up with the following three reasons:

A - Is it because Pacino as appeared in movies that everyone consider to be classics while Reeves as appeared in rather more forgetable movies?

B - Is it because ealier own Pacino was acclaimed by critics and Reeves was not and now everyone is just riding the waves?

C - Is it something else I am just not seeing?

I would be curious to hear what everyone think on this. For some reason I always see the same lame expression on Pacino as if he bored to death on the movie. Like I said neither one is a favorite of mine, far from it. Pacino more because he is usualy in movies that won't appeal to me very much, more drama and such. While for Reeves I just find him too stiff and boring must of the time as an actor.

I wish we can talk about this without resulting to name calling and by putting people intelligences because they don't agree with everyone. I think it's a interesting subject to talk about, so please let's be nice about it.