REMND 0 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 (edited) Always curious about what other people think is the best ever. It is subjective. I was thinking of performances like Orson Wells in Citizen Kane, Brando in Godfather, Deniro in a bunch of movies, Liam Neeson in Schindlers list. There are a bunch to choose from. For me, the performance that floored me was Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot. I did not know who he was and couldn't figure how they found a guy with cerebral palsy do such a good job. It was acting! Best performance that I have ever seen. For Female Actors the choices are harder for me. I saw Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd and she was good. Meryl Streep (Sophies Choice) and Catherine Hepburn (African Queen) are the two best females actors I think. Still, the best job I recall is not that well known. Charliez Theron in Monster. She just did a great job of portraying a sociopath bouncing along the bottom of life and killing Johns in the process. I am surprised that she recovered from the gig. You have to get really twisted to pull that off. Edited June 21, 2013 by REMND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phony 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Daniel Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood Joaquin Phoenix: The Master Gary Oldman: Sid and Nancy; JFK; The Professional Marcello Mastrioanni: 8 ½ Marlon Brando: A Streetcar Named Desire Peter O’Toole: Lawrence of Arabia David Thewlis: Naked Max Von Sydow: The Seventh Seal Klaus Kinski: Aguirre, Wrath of God Dennis Hopper: Blue Velvet John Hurt: The Elephant Man Javier Bardem: No Country For Old Men Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; Chinatown; The Shining Ralph Fiennes: Schindler’s List Al Pacino: Dog Day Afternoon; The Godfather Robert DeNiro: Raging Bull; Taxi Driver Paul Newman: Cool Hand Luke Tom Hanks: Philadelphia Christian Bale: Empire of the Sun; Rescue Dawn Bruno S: Stroszek; The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Jeffrey Wright: Ride with the Devil Michael Fassbender: Hunger; Shame Robert Mitchum: The Night of the Hunter Samuel L. Jackson: Pulp Fiction Denzel Washington: He Got Game Clint Eastwood: The Man With No Name trilogy; Unforgiven Tom Hardy: Bronson Sean Penn: Dead Man Walking Montgomery Clift: From Here to Eternity Burt Lancaster: From Here to Eternity Eric Bana: Chopper Ben Kingsley: Sexy Beast Viggo Mortensen: Eastern Promises Anatoli Solonitsyn: Andrei Rublev Warren Beatty: Bonnie and Clyde; McCabe & Mrs. Miller Jeff Bridges: The Big Lebowski Steve Buscemi: Fargo George C. Scott: Patton Peter Sellers: Dr. Strangelove; Lolita; The Pink Panther films Ryan Gosling: Half Nelson Edward Norton: American History X; 25th Hour; Primal Fear Peter Greene: Clean, Shaven Stellen Skarsgaard: Insomnia Peter Lorre: M Orson Welles: Citizen Kane; The Third Man Nicolas Cage: Wild at Heart; Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call, New Orleans Harvey Keitel: Taxi Driver; Bad Lieutenant; The Piano Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now; Badlands Catherine Deneuve: Repulsion/Belle du Jour Anna Mangiani: Rome, Open City; Mamma Roma Naomi Watts: 21 Grams; Mulholland Drive Laura Dern: Inland Empire Shelly Duvall: The Shining; 3 Women Faye Dunaway: Bonnie and Clyde Julianna Moore: Boogie Nights Isabelle Huppert: The Piano Teacher Maria Falconetti: The Passion of Joan of Arc Kate Winslet: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Sigourney Weaver: Alien; Aliens Charlize Theron: Monster Natalie Portman: Black Swan Julie Christie: McCabe & Mrs. Miller Marilyn Monroe: Some Like It Hot Emily Watson: Breaking the Waves Deborah Kerr: From Here to Eternity; Black Narcissus Liv Ullman: Persona; Scenes from a Marriage Bibi Andersson: Persona Ingrid Thulin: The Silence Gunnel Lindblom: The Silence Holly Hunter: The Piano Sissy Spacek: 3 Women; Badlands Sally Kellerman: M*A*S*H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REMND 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) My god that is a heck of a list. The performances that leaped out for me were Jeff Bridges in Lebowski, Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking, and Ed Norton in American History X. I also thought Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves was an incredible job. Edited June 21, 2013 by REMND Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish4life 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 The best actors performances that first pop in my head in no certain order are.. Daniel Day Lewis: Gangs of New York Marlon Brando: The Godfather Ralph Fiennes: Schindlers List Christian Bale: The Fighter Tom Hanks: Forrest Gump There are plenty others but thats just quick off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishNYgirl 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 me...everyday of my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifth Horseman 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I'm pretty young, so bare with me, but I always thought Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight was amazing. People that are able tap into some sort of disturbing place, all for the sake of a movie role, are simultaneously impressive and horrifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REMND 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I'm pretty young, so bare with me, but I always thought Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight was amazing. People that are able tap into some sort of disturbing place, all for the sake of a movie role, are simultaneously impressive and horrifying. That was an absolutely awesome job of acting by Heath ledger. I think that is a great example of a truly memorable performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty88 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 off the top of my head... DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin in King of Comedy Meryl Streep in Deer Hunter great thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketsan 773 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Bruce Greenwood as Billy Ansel in "The Sweet Hereafter" Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum in "Mystic River" Tim Robbins and Dave Boyle in "Mystic River" Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey in "True Romance" Benicio del Torro as Fred Fenster in "The Usual Suspects" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REMND 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 me...everyday of my life I should have asked second best since I think we all have a claim to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corysold 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't watch a ton of movies, but I liked Edward Norton a lot in Fight Club and that courtroom thriller where he played a schizo (can't remember the name right now). Anthony Hopkins - Silence of the Lambs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VCDomer 68 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Daniel Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood Joaquin Phoenix: The Master Gary Oldman: Sid and Nancy; JFK; The Professional Marcello Mastrioanni: 8 ½ Marlon Brando: A Streetcar Named Desire Peter O’Toole: Lawrence of Arabia David Thewlis: Naked Max Von Sydow: The Seventh Seal Klaus Kinski: Aguirre, Wrath of God Dennis Hopper: Blue Velvet John Hurt: The Elephant Man Javier Bardem: No Country For Old Men Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; Chinatown; The Shining Ralph Fiennes: Schindler’s List Al Pacino: Dog Day Afternoon; The Godfather Robert DeNiro: Raging Bull; Taxi Driver Paul Newman: Cool Hand Luke Tom Hanks: Philadelphia Christian Bale: Empire of the Sun; Rescue Dawn Bruno S: Stroszek; The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Jeffrey Wright: Ride with the Devil Michael Fassbender: Hunger; Shame Robert Mitchum: The Night of the Hunter Samuel L. Jackson: Pulp Fiction Denzel Washington: He Got Game Clint Eastwood: The Man With No Name trilogy; Unforgiven Tom Hardy: Bronson Sean Penn: Dead Man Walking Montgomery Clift: From Here to Eternity Burt Lancaster: From Here to Eternity Eric Bana: Chopper Ben Kingsley: Sexy Beast Viggo Mortensen: Eastern Promises Anatoli Solonitsyn: Andrei Rublev Warren Beatty: Bonnie and Clyde; McCabe & Mrs. Miller Jeff Bridges: The Big Lebowski Steve Buscemi: Fargo George C. Scott: Patton Peter Sellers: Dr. Strangelove; Lolita; The Pink Panther films Ryan Gosling: Half Nelson Edward Norton: American History X; 25th Hour; Primal Fear Peter Greene: Clean, Shaven Stellen Skarsgaard: Insomnia Peter Lorre: M Orson Welles: Citizen Kane; The Third Man Nicolas Cage: Wild at Heart; Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call, New Orleans Harvey Keitel: Taxi Driver; Bad Lieutenant; The Piano Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now; Badlands Catherine Deneuve: Repulsion/Belle du Jour Anna Mangiani: Rome, Open City; Mamma Roma Naomi Watts: 21 Grams; Mulholland Drive Laura Dern: Inland Empire Shelly Duvall: The Shining; 3 Women Faye Dunaway: Bonnie and Clyde Julianna Moore: Boogie Nights Isabelle Huppert: The Piano Teacher Maria Falconetti: The Passion of Joan of Arc Kate Winslet: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Sigourney Weaver: Alien; Aliens Charlize Theron: Monster Natalie Portman: Black Swan Julie Christie: McCabe & Mrs. Miller Marilyn Monroe: Some Like It Hot Emily Watson: Breaking the Waves Deborah Kerr: From Here to Eternity; Black Narcissus Liv Ullman: Persona; Scenes from a Marriage Bibi Andersson: Persona Ingrid Thulin: The Silence Gunnel Lindblom: The Silence Holly Hunter: The Piano Sissy Spacek: 3 Women; Badlands Sally Kellerman: M*A*S*H FWIW. Al Pacino in Godfather II as opposed to the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VCDomer 68 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't watch a ton of movies, but I liked Edward Norton a lot in Fight Club and that courtroom thriller where he played a schizo (can't remember the name right now). Anthony Hopkins - Silence of the Lambs It was with Richard Gere in Primal Fear. Great movie and spectacular ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VCDomer 68 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Bruce Greenwood as Billy Ansel in "The Sweet Hereafter" Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum in "Mystic River" Tim Robbins and Dave Boyle in "Mystic River" Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey in "True Romance" Benicio del Torro as Fred Fenster in "The Usual Suspects" Great bit parts that were memorable beyond the movie. Tim Robbins in Mystic River over Shawshank Redemption? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty88 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey in "True Romance" His role in the Professional was excellent as well. So many great one-liners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DREWGOOSE 1 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 How about both Billy Bob Thornton and Dwight Yoakam (country singer) in Sling Blade. Great movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VCDomer 68 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 His role in the Professional was excellent as well. So many great one-liners. Agreed. He had that little pill box too. " I take no pleasure in taking life if it's from a person who doesn't care about it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Duke 0 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 in terms of pure acting (being able to pull off a complete metamorphosis into the character they played) i would go with: Robert DeNiro: Raging Bull Dustin Hoffman: Rainman Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest Tom Hanks: Forrest Gump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VCDomer 68 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 in terms of pure acting (being able to pull off a complete metamorphosis into the character they played) i would go with: Robert DeNiro: Raging Bull Dustin Hoffman: Rainman Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest Tom Hanks: Forrest Gump All best actor Oscar winners. Nice list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamshaBua 48 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Marlon Brando - "The Godfather" You should close this thread now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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