Acting is such a large portion of a movie. A great performance can elevate an average film and a lousy performance can ruin a perfectly good film. The following is a list of ten of my favorite lead actor performances. Check out Kyle's blog at www.EnterTheMovies.blogspot.com for his list, too!
NOTE: We did agree to limit our lists to one performance per actor, just to allow more variety. If not, my list might have included three or four Nicholson performances.
1. Tom Hanks in Cast Away
Ever since I first saw Cast Away, in the theater in December of 2000, it has been one of my favorite films and that's thanks in large part to Tom Hanks' stellar performances as Chuck Noland, a dedicated FedEx manager who gets stranded on a deserted island after his plane crashes. Cast Away is structured in such a way that Hanks is alone on screen for nearly an hour in the middle of the film. It takes a special kind of performer to captivate an audience for that long with very little dialogue, but Hanks succeeds where I'm sure many others would fail. Early on in the film, Chuck is slightly portly and out of shape. Hanks had purposely gained 50 pounds for the first part of the film and then production was halted for a year to allow him time to lose all that weight and grow out his hair and beard. This was a fascinating physical transformation, but that's not the highlight of the performance by any stretch. Hanks is also able to convey Chuck's emotional and mental transformation, from outgoing and full of life to broken and beaten, and then (slightly) back again. When Chuck discusses his failed suicide attempt, it broke my heart. There are many layers to Hanks' performance, from comedy and romance to dread and despair, and it all amounts to a marvelous, exhilarating experience.
2. Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove
Another favorite film of mine is highlighted by another phenomenal performance. This time, Peter Sellers (maybe best known for his Pink Panther series) plays three distinct and utterly hilarious characters in Stanley Kubrick's pitch perfect dark comedy about nuclear war. My favorite of the three is probably President Merkin Muffley, the slightly dim United States leader who spends the duration of the film in the War Room arguing with his advisers and, in perhaps the best moment of the film, in one notable phone conversation with the drunk Soviet Premier. In addition to the "Leader of the Free World", Sellers also plays Captain Lionel Mandrake, a British officer working on an American Air Force base when the crisis begins. He is pretty much the "straight" character during his scenes, but that doesn't mean Mandrake isn't funny. Lastly, Sellers adds the titular character, Dr. Strangelove - a German mad scientist type who alerts his US cohorts about the doomsday machine that could incinerate the entire world. All three characters are portrayed perfectly with different accents, speech patterns, mannerisms, and physicality. I've seen other actors attempt to play multiple characters, but none of ever reached the bar that Sellers placed so very high with Dr. Strangelove.
3. Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
That famous grin and wild glint to his eyes. Nicholson has become known for and parodied over those two traits over the years, but they've never been on display quite so magically as they were in 1975's Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress Award winner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Nicholson plays R.P. McMurphy, a statutory rapist who feigns mental illness to avoid the state prison and gets sent to a mental institution instead. Once there, McMurphy immediately begins to disturb the system and earns the ire of the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, who was played wonderfully by Louise Fletcher. Nicholson and Fletcher work tremendously well together and the tension and hatred between the two is palpable. Nicholson uses every ounce of his personality and charm (of which there are gallons, I believe) to get the audience to root for and love this malicious, mean spirited man. You can't help but love McMurphy, no matter what he says or does to Ratched, the other nurses, or even his long suffering fellow patients. One of my favorite movie scenes of all-time is when McMurphy wants to watch the World Series game, but Ratched doesn't allow the television to be turned on. Instead, McMurphy starts calling the game himself, imagining what is going on and jumping up and down with excitement. It doesn't take long for him to get the other patients (and viewers) jumping up and down with him.
4. Russell Crowe in The Insider
Russell Crowe is an actor of stunning range and technical skill. He's just as adept at playing a Roman gladiator as he is at playing a genius mathematician, but my favorite of all his performances is as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, a real life researcher for a big tobacco company who blew the whistle on his employer. For the role, Crowe gained 35 pounds, shaved back his hairline, and bleached his hair seven times to look the part of the mid-50's doctor when Crowe himself was in his early 30's. It's an impressive transformation and I imagine a lot of people who saw the film would have guessed the actor, if they didn't previously know Crowe, was actually in his 50's. Of course, physical changes aren't enough to really inhabit a character - you have to embody the soul and mind of them, as well, and Crowe does this beautifully. Wigand is a complex and layered character, at times meek and shy, but then exploding with anger. He is put in extremely tense and stressful situations and Crowe does such a good job balancing all the emotions, that you're always on edge, right along with him. It's a performance that drew me in from the very beginning and I love revisiting the film because I often find subtle nuances and moments that make me appreciate it even more.
5. George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
If you were to ask most actors, they'd say that comedy is much harder to pull off than drama. It takes a certain skill to deliver a truly memorable comedic performance. George Clooney is a talented actor in nearly any genre or style, but he's never been better than he was as Everett, an escaped convict seeking treasure and redemption in rural Mississippi in the 1930's. Everett is a vain know-it-all who actually knows very little and Clooney plays him perfectly, with no regard for how silly or obnoxious he may seem. For the majority of the film, Clooney's face and clothes are dirty and his hair is constantly getting messed up. Some big stars might shy away from such a character for fear of it diminishing their standing in Hollywood, but Clooney has no problems and dives right in. Thanks to the Coen brothers excellent, highly quotable script, there is a never ending litany of great lines for Clooney to deliver and he doesn't miss a step at any point during the 106 minute running time. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is my second favorite film of all-time and Clooney's performance is a big part of the appeal of the film.
6. Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
Al
Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest screen actors of
all-time and it's a reputation I can't argue against. He's certainly one
of my favorites and has been turning in spectacular work for over four
decades. Pacino has done so much great work that I had a difficult time
narrowing down my selection for this list. I nearly went with his work
in Serpico, Insomnia, or You Don't Know Jack, but his performance as the homosexual Vietnam vet who robs a bank in Dog Day Afternoon
won out, in the end. It's an immensely intricate performance and
Pacino's Sonny is a wonderful character. At different times in the film,
he's violent and prone to bursts of anger. At other moments, he's
quiet, reflective, and near tears. He's a showman in front of the crowd
and his hostages, but doubts himself in private. As his plans come
unraveled and the love of his life effectively dumps him over the phone,
Pacino shows amazing skill and grace. Sonny is never a caricature - he
is always a full fledged, realistic man with a complete range of
emotions. Pacino turns in one of the most brilliantly acted scenes in
cinema history during the aforementioned telephone conversation. It was
filmed in one long take and there are no tricks used here - just
Pacino's innate ability to capture our attention and heart, despite
playing a somewhat unsavory man.
7. Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer is my least favorite film on this list, but that speaks more to the competition than to any real fault of the film, which is an emotional and interesting look at divorce and child custody issues. In the film, Dustin Hoffman plays a husband and father who is distant and consumed with his work. When his wife leaves him unexpectedly, he's thrust into the role of full-time father to his young son. Hoffman completely nails the dual role of his character - he's brash, insensitive, and impatient but matures into a caring, thoughtful, and loving man. Hoffman has always been a gifted performer and has been displaying his skills for more than 40 years at this point, but I don't think he's ever been as good as he was in this film. It's a perfect mix of all the emotions that a parent goes through during the standard, day to day life of raising a child. Hoffman is especially impressive in two scenes. The first, when his son gets hurt at the playground and he has to carry him, running all the way to the ER and the second, near the end of the film when he refuses to allow his son to testify in court. As a father to a young son, maybe I'm more susceptible to being moved by these scenes, but I think they're wonderful, due mostly to Hoffman's extraordinary talents.
8. Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys
Michael Douglas may be the son of the legendary Kirk Douglas, but he's also carved out a career and legacy all his own. I'm a big fan of his, in general, but I especially love his work as Professor Grady Tripp, a novelist and dope smoker who's life is unraveling all around him. Douglas is known more for playing high powered types (think Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, or The Game), but he handles the somewhat slacker Tripp marvelously. He's funny, charismatic, and engaging, but not in the standard way. There's always an undercurrent of melancholy and regret, just bubbling under the surface. Douglas knows better than to allow it to dominate his performance, but it's always there. In a career spanning almost 50 years, Douglas has just 45 feature film credits in his resume. This is partly due to him being interested in other pursuits, but also because he doesn't just accept any role. I'm very thankful he took the role in Wonder Boys, as I can't imagine anyone else doing as great a job in his place.
9. Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski
The Dude. His Dudeness. Duder. El Duderino (if you're not into that whole brevity thing). Jeff Bridge's character, Jeff Lebowski, has many nicknames. No matter what he's called, there's no denying the talent on display when you watch Bridges completely inhabit this character. The Dude is a pot smoking, White Russian drinking, league bowling slacker who roams Los Angeles in his ratty and dirty clothes and gets mixed up in a classic film noir plot. Along the way, Bridges holds his own (and then some) against John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Sam Elliot, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare, and (in one of the funniest scenes) a water logged marmot. The Dude is a surprisingly complex character for a comedy and Bridges is marvelous in every scene. While most of the humor is derived from the dialogue, Bridges is also hilarious just with a look or the shrug of his shoulders. There have been rumors of a possible sequel to The Big Lebowski for years, pretty much since the film gained cult status, but it will probably never happen. I don't normally root for sequels, especially to one of my favorite films, as they're almost always unnecessary and disappointing, but I'd rush out to see The Big Lebowski 2, just to see Bridges back in the role.
10. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street
I know there are a lot of people who dismiss Leonardo DiCaprio's acting abilities, seemingly without even watching most of his films. I think a major reason for this was his meteoric rise to stardom thanks to Titanic. He was an accomplished actor before that and has proven time and time again since that he's surely one of the best actors of his generation. I didn't know if he'd ever top his roles in Catch Me If You Can or The Aviator, but then I saw his breathtaking performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. It seems he was born to play the role of Jordan Belfort, the sleazy, manipulative, adulterous, drug abusing stock swindler. Outfitted in expensive suits and fueled by an endless supply of drugs and sex, Belfort might be the showiest role DiCaprio has ever played, and he absolutely nails everything about the character. At the beginning, he's naive and innocent, but quickly morphs into something entirely different - a predator, taking advantage of everyone he comes in contact with. DiCaprio gives several long, engaging speeches throughout the film and they showcase his energy and enthusiasm. He's also able to play physical comedy beautifully, most notably in the famous Quaalude scene where he becomes temporarily paralyzed and has to crawl and roll his way along. Belfort is an awful, nearly inhuman man, but DiCaprio plays him with such zest and passion that you almost root for the guy to succeed. Almost.
There's my list. This was a very difficult one for me to compile as there are so many wonderful, memorable performances to choose from. These ten are my favorite at this moment in time, but if you ask me next month or next year, it could be significantly different.
What are some of your favorites? Do you love or hate any or my choices? Let me know and thanks for reading!
Next Friday's list: Part 3 of my 50 Favorite Films.
No comments:
Post a Comment