Here are 50 performances I can remember from the last decade of cinema that have really stood out for me:
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Ben Kingsley - Sexy Beast
Benicio Del Toro - Traffic
Bill Murray - Lost in Translation
Bruno Ganz - Downfall
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Charlize Theron - Monster
Chris Cooper - Adaptation
Christian Bale - American Psycho
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Clive Owen - Closer
Colin Farrel - In Bruges
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will be Blood
Daniel Day Lewis - Gangs of New York
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Ellen Burstyn - Requiem for a Dream
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Forrest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joaquin Phoenix - Gladiator
Julianne Moore - Far From Heaven
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Kevin Bacon - The Woodsman
Leonard DiCaprio - The Aviator
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Mathieu Amalric - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Michael Caine - The Quiet American
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Naomi Watts - Mulholland Drive
Nicholas Cage - Adaptation
Paul Giamatti - Sideways
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Rachel Weiss - The Constant Gardner
Russell Crowe - A Beautiful Mind
Ryan Gosling - Half Nelson
Sean Penn - Mystic River
Thomas Hayden Church - Sideways
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
I agree that Russell Crowe gave a great performance in A Beautiful Mind, but his Gladiator performance was fantastic and should be included. Also what about Cinderella Man,Crowe's James Braddock role was outstanding.I disagree with your inclusion of DDLewis for Gangs of New York.
ReplyDeleteRussell Crowe ´s performance in A Beautiful Mind was excellent but you should also have included Cinderella Man, too, in which Russell Crowe was even more brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments guys. I love Gladiator, but I've always considered his performance in a Beautiful Mind better, and he certainly should have won over Denzel for Training Day. I haven't seen Cinderella Man, but it sounds like I should check it out based on your praise for his performance here. First comment, you don't believe Daniel Day-Lewis' performance in Gangs of New York was amazing? It was the best part of the film in my opinion. Certainly no Daniel Plainview, but i believe still one of the decades best roles.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the feedback,
Andy
Andy,Both DDLewis and Russell Crowe are interesting actors with great range, subtlety and power.I have seen all of Lewis's films and TWBB and Gangs are not favorites.I prefer In The Name of the Father,Last of the Mohicans or My Left Foot. This is just personal preference.Maybe someday the movie gods would put Lewis and Crowe in a film together. Now I would stand in line for that ,beginning ,now. As for Crowe and Gladiator,well Crowe's Maximus is a compelling, hero, a man on an odyssey.This is not just a tough guy but a character of heart and soul. I do believe that is what made this character so appealing to millions of people around the world.I hope you enjoy Cinderella Man,Braddock is also a soulful character and miraculously Crowe manages to make him a regular guy hero. If you haven't seen Proof,the 1991 Australian film with Crowe and Hugo Weaving,well that's a good one as well.
ReplyDeleteThere Will be Blood instantly became one of my favorite films but I don't think DDL has ever given a bad performance. Loved The Last of the Mohicans and In the Name of the Father, and I believe his recent work in Nine was still solid, despite the film being disappointing overall. I'm looking forward to seeing Cinderella Man, and I've been looking for a copy of Proof for some time now...so I'll try and watch it soon too.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Andy
How come there's no mention of The Insider, surely a most genial, searing yet understated performance by Russell!
ReplyDeleteThe Insider was a 1999 release, so I didn't consider it for this post. But it's one of Crowe's greatest performances without doubt!
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to see Tim Roth and Edward Norton here, seeing as they're my favorite actors
ReplyDelete