Best ACTING in film

[Matt]

I'm not talking about acting that necessarily won any awards...Lord knows that campaigns and 'flavor of the month' campaigning influence voting, and lesser-known films get unjustly overlooked.

My favorite acting performance of all time:
Jeremy Irons: 'Dead Ringers'.

He plays twin gynecologists in this film, both with very distinct personalities. Some of the differences are very overt...different tastes in clothing, a slightly different part to the hair...but most of the differences are subtle. Posture, a twinkle in the eye, cadence of voice. It's utterly fascinating to watch the descent into drug-induced madness that the twins go into. It's masterful work.

[V]

Peter O' Toole in 'Lawrence Of Arabia'.

I dare you to find a better portrayal of a man divided by his loyalties, and a horror/ lust for violence.

[Matt]

Peter O' Toole in 'Lawrence Of Arabia'.

I dare you to find a better portrayal of a man divided by his loyalties, and a horror/ lust for violence.

I'd argue that 'The Stuntman' is the performance of his that comes the closest to equalling (or exceeding) his work as TE Lawrence.

[Nathan]

Peter O' Toole in 'Lawrence Of Arabia'.

Still need to see this.

[V]

Still need to see this.

?

I are a

[B_Metal]

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Guy just pours his soul out there all raw for the world to see. I know the subject matter probably gets giggles from some but his performance was one for the ages. Hell Sean Penn felt the need to acknowledge Rourke during his own acceptance speech.

[Matt]

Still need to see this.

Everything that you've heard about 'how awesome' this film is? It's all true. God I wish I could have seen this in a huge, panoramic theater.

[Nathan]

I am shamefully behind on cinematic classics.

[Nathan]

Everything that you've heard about 'how awesome' this film is? It's all true. God I wish I could have seen this in a huge, panoramic theater.

See, now this is what I would like to see instead of re-makes. Re-releases.

[Ben Thomas]

Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood and Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross. Probably the two finest performances I've ever seen, both somehow humanising pretty awful people. The depth and breadth of the work on display in both cases is astounding and operates on a different level to almost any other performers you could mention.

I'd throw Ellen Burstyn's performance in Requiem for a Dream in there too, I reckon.

[Matt]

Another favorite: Jack Lemmon as Shedon Levine in 'Glengarray Glen Ross'. Want to see RANGE? Here it is. You're not just watching acting, you're watching a character 'act': look at the scene where he's helping Al Pacino try and keep his sale...he's playing Sheldon Levine 'playing' a part for Pacino. It's stunning. In a film full of career best performances, his really stands out.

[Matt]

*JackLemmonFist* to Ben.

Jesus, I'm typo man today.

[Ben Thomas]

Cool that we both thought of it at the same time, Matt.

I love when an actor pulls off their character 'acting', as you say, successfully. Another great example of this (don't laugh) is Bill Paxton in One False Move. The look on his face when he gets busted over-hearing the feds mocking him and he pretends to be fine with it is heartbreaking and oh so real - its a feeling we've all had and is nigh impossible to explain, and Paxton conveys it beautifully.

[B_Metal]

Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood and Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross. Probably the two finest performances I've ever seen, both somehow humanising pretty awful people. The depth and breadth of the work on display in both cases is astounding and operates on a different level to almost any other performers you could mention.

I'd throw Ellen Burstyn's performance in Requiem for a Dream in there too, I reckon.

DDL and Lemmon in those roles were aces. Total commitment from both. <3 it.

[Matt]

Another favorite: Susan Sarandon in 'Thelma and Louise'. She's got the harder role: the gal with the secret who doesn't have 'the big scenes' (like Geena Davis) but the film wouldn't work without her rage. The scene where she shoots the rapist is frickin' SCARY, but it's surpassed by the moment when Geena finally figures out WHY Louise won't enter Texas. The way that Louise sets Thelma straight on the matter is totally hardcore.

I'm pretty hit or miss on Susan Sarandon, but she was absolutely perfect here.