How about Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant? He’s playing a character in bondage to every vice there is. Keitel does an amazing job portraying the anguish of addiction and a life that has long past spiraled out of control. The scene where he throws himself on the altar of the church and cries out to God is beyond any description I could attempt.
I highly recommend seeing the BBC productions of Richard II and Hamlet (the latter with Patrick Stewart as Claudius–reuniting the two, who were both in I, Claudius).
Of course, it’s an interesting juxtaposition when Jacobi himself plays Claudius in the Branaugh version of Hamlet.
A few more I would add:
Sian Phillips in I, Claudius.
Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Katherine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole (actually, the entire cast) in The Lion in Winter.
You are all naming the same actors that always get the awards. I think Eddie Murfey is one of the best actors I have ever seen,simply because he can play so many different
characters in his movies.
Julianne Moore: Magnolia* (I hadn’t cried in two years and her performance allowed me to let go of a lot of stuff. Of course i was a complet wreck for two hours after the movie but i needed it.)*
William Macey: Also Magnolia* (he has a lot of love to give, he just dosen’t know where to put it and he’s having corrective oral surgery in the morning.)*
John Ritter: Sling Blade (I think it is so cool to see an actor break out in a new direction and change everything about himself and Ritter did that with this role. Also he was funny, but not “funny ha ha”.)
Mel Gibson: Lethal Weapon 1 (When he had the gun in his mouth I believed it. Probably the only time i have ever seen a man in a movie nearly commit suicide and had me feel it.)
Willem DaFoe: Platoon* (Arms upraised as if to ask “Why?”. It’s just too much for me.)*
Christopher Walken: Things To Do In Denver (When You’re Dead) (The “Chugging cock” line just kills me. He is also the onle quadrapalegic ever to scare the shit out of me.)
David Duchovny: Playing God (His role as an autistic physician was incredible. He was supposed to be autistic, wasn’t he?.)
Thats about all I can think of off the top of my head. You might notice there is only one felale actor on the list. IMHO most women in the biz are there because of looks not ability. Men have it easy and are judged less on looks then women so you can get some less attractive men in film but unless a woman is thin and pretty her talent is usually not a factor. Ms.Moore is a rare gem in that she is lovely and incredibly talented.
[Edited by slythe on 12-12-2000 at 10:56 PM]
Edward Norton in Fight Club
Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys
Gary Oldman in everything
Jeff Bridges in The Contender
Alec Baldwin in GlenGarry GlenRoss
Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interupted
Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona
Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction
Don Cheadle and Delroy Lindo in anything they touch. Two of the best character actors in Hollywood, who unfortunately will never get any high-profile lead roles because Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson exist. (Not that Jckson and Washington are bad actors, but we all know there’s not exactly a plethora of juicy lead roles for black men.)
Standout roles, IMO, are Cheadle as Snoopy in Out of Sight and Lindo as West Indian Archie in Malcolm X.
Also, Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind. Amazing dignity.
I agree with the great DeNiro, Oldman, and Spacey performances that have already been listed.
But in my opinion, the single best acting performance goes to Nicholas Cage in “Vampire’s Kiss”. I saw this movie when very few people even knew who he was. I only picked up the movie because Jennifer Beals (one of the sexiest actresses I can think of) is in it. But Cage’s performance absolutely blew me away. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. The plot is adequate, but Cage’s acting is the best I’ve ever seen.
I didn’t see Out of Sight, but Cheadle impressed the hell out of me as Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress. He actually outshone Washington, which is tough because I consider Washington the best American actor in the business today.
I don’t think I’ve seen Lindo in anything except Ransom, where I thought he was good but nothing super-special.
I wasn’t overly impressed with Jacobi’s Hamlet, but I thought his Claudius was terrific, the best I’ve ever seen. He was the first actor to convince me that Claudius was actually in love with Gertrude, not just using her as a trophy wife.
Trying to name some that haven’t been named already (I may have missed a couple), but I agree with most of the choices here.
Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, The Godfather, and Last Tango in Paris.
Oh hell yes!
And I’m guessing you’re referring to Patton when you mention George C Scott?
John Hurt in The Elephant Man
Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro in Awakenings
Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter
Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda
Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Spencer Tracy in Captains Courageous
I’m sure I’ll be back as I think of some more.
I’m going to have to cast my vote for Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. He was absolutely amazing.
Vincent Cassel and Hubert Koundé in La Haine
The best acting performance I’ve ever seen, bar none, was Denzel Washington in “The Hurricane.” The supporting cast was horrible and the movie was otherwise cliched, but Washington was just astounding; I have never, ever seen an actor put on such a multifaceted, believable, perfect performance onscreen. I left the theatre with my jaw just hanging open. I’d never seen anything like it.
What was amazing about his performance was that his character was doubly dynamic. Normally a lead character starts off with attitude A and goal B, then grows to accept attitude B and goal B. Washington grows and changes, and then he grows and changes again, going from A to B, and then B to C. And he does it without ever saying it; there’s little direct dialogue-exposition of his character. He does it all through acting. Denzel Washington is truly one of today’s great masters of his craft.
Yeah, that’s my guess too. But that wasn’t the first role that came to my mind when Scott was mentioned. I’ll always remember him best as General Buck Turgidson. I don’t know if that was “great acting,” but is was an unforgetable performance.
Yes, I was talking about Patton. He was good as Turgidson too, all right, but Scott’s Patton was one of those epochal performances. He is one of the few men to effectively efface a historical character. Think of Lincoln, a picture of the Memorial or the five-dollar bill comes to mind. Think of Henry VIII, and Holbein’s portrait comes to mind. Think of Patton, and what comes to mind? Not any picture or portrait of the real man, but George C. Scott standing in front of that flag!
Let me fervently second DRY’s recommendation of the BBC Hamlet with Patrick Stewart and Derek Jacobi. Sir Derek (he is Sir Derek now, yes?) is wonderful, and Patrick Stewart scared the shit out of me during the “Mousetrap” scene. I would sell a kidney, and possibly parts of my liver, to get my hands on this video. (No luck yet.)
Umm, do you mean the BBC Hamlet? I believe it’s available in the States. I know of a place near where I live that used to sell it (I don’t know if they still do, but if you are interested, I can ask).
Not all of the BBC plays are available (I tried desperately to get Richard III, Richard II, and the Henry VI plays), but I’m fairly certain Hamlet is, or at least, was.
Seriously, if you’re interested, drop me a line (or post here) and I’ll make some inquiries.
I heard he actually ate that cockroach. Him and Shelly long are two thespians who are willing to go the extra mile for the craft, or, they are just sick bastards.
(If you don’t know what I mean about Shelly Long: She ate dogfood for her role in Outrageous Fortune)
I’ll try to throw in some more that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz
Piper Laurie in The Hustler
Michael Caine in Get Carter
Julie Christie in McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Shampoo
Sterling Hayden in The Long Goodbye
Robert Mitchum in The Friends of Eddie Coyle
Steve Martin in All of Me
Peter Sellers in Being There
William H. Macy in Fargo
Kate Winslett and Melanie Lynskey in Heavenly Creatures
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Magnolia and/or The Talented Mr. Ripley
John C. Reilly in Hard Eight or Magnolia
Philip Baker Hall in Magnolia (dang, that’s most of the cast by now)
Ok, enough…
Oh, jeepers, how could I forget:
Gene Hackman, The Conversation
Ok, really done now.
Pamela Franklin in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
You get to see her mature during the movie. She comes into her own person and is no longer just a student of Jean Brodie. Part of her development is out of bitterness and cynicism as she discovers Miss Brodie is full of shit.
At the end of the movie she is at once spiteful and confrontational with her mentor, but at the same time the realization that she has ended this woman’s career sinks in and she is genuinely concerned for Miss Brodie.
A truly complex and engaging performance. If you have not seen this thing I strongly recommend it. Oh and the posing naked for the painting part kicked ass too.