Mark Ruffalo – In The Cut (2003, Pathe Productions)
Despite being only six years younger than his co-star, Mark Ruffalo’s and Meg Ryan’s careers were at opposite places in 2003. Ryan had spent years as “America’s Sweetheart” when she found herself on the wrong side of 40 and with limited success transitioning to older, less cutesy roles. Ruffalo had been working in the lower recesses of the industry for a while and had just had a breakthrough with his role in You Can Count on Me. He was the hot new leading man.
Art House Director Jane Campion was brought in to bring some respectability and a feminist slant to what was essentially a ‘90s-style erotic thriller. For many, many reasons, the final product is simply ugly and borderline incomprehensible. Ruffalo’s star continued to rise, while Ryan has largely been absent from film since then.
