Karen's Top Ten Male Movie Performances
Jul. 29th, 2009 02:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iwaskirsdarkeSo. Back when Iran was starting to blow up and I was spending a lot of time at [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], someone posted a link to the blog of a podcast called TV On The Internet. I became hooked. One of their more recent podcasts was "Top Ten Dramatic Performances of the Decade." Being a lover of all kinds of countdown lists, I decided that would be a good way to distract myself for a while. So I put together a list of my Ten Favorite performances in four different categories.
Then I forgot about the list for awhile. Today, I decided to make a couple of edits and finally post it. Here's Part One.
1.) Yes, the male categories tend to feature that imaginary harem whose members I refer to as "My Boys." Don't mistake the cause and effect of this. They are not on the list because they're my boys. They're my boys because they're great actors who happen to be ridiculously handsome. I promise, the performances mentioned are here on their own merit.
2.) Yes, there are more male performances on the list than female. I don't know why. Maybe it's true that it's hard to find really good roles for women. Maybe I'm just sexist. Either way, I apologize.
3.) Yes, I cheated and included 2 performances in 1 slot sometimes. Whatev. It's my list. :-P
10.) Will Ferrell as Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction
"I'm an IRS agent. Everybody hates me."
Harold Crick is very un-Will Ferrell-like. He's a normal man who lives a very quiet, unassuming life. He's an IRS agent, and very good at his job. Like many people, I was amazed by Ferrell's performance and how touching it was. He's a simple, quiet man trying to find out if he's in a tragedy or a comedy and gradually learning to enjoy his life. You find yourself truly invested in his journey and rooting for him all the way. I wish Ferrell would do more roles like this, now that we know he can.
9.) Steve Zahn as Fuller Thomas in Joy Ride and Mr. Freeman in Speak
"Yeah, I miss Mom's chocolate-chip cookies, playing football with Dad on Sundays, going to...Oh, wait, that was somebody else's childhood. What I meant was 'Nooooo.'"
Fuller Thomas is the older and more screwed-up of the two Thomas brothers. He's a jack-ass who we first meet when his younger brother bails him out of jail. It's his cruel and childish prank on Rusty Nail that puts the characters in danger in the first place. And yet, you like him, because Steve Zahn mixes the humor with a kind of sadness.
"Welcome to Art. The only class that will teach you to survive."
Mr. Freeman is not a comedic role and Zahn doesn't make it one. He's an responsible adult, a teacher who gives Melinda an outlet for her pain. He sees potential in her and, I think, sees that she's been through something traumatic. He's a sort of father-figure for her. In the book, the character is the one she finally tells about the rape. This was changed in the movie, but it doesn't make the role any less important, and the performance is beautiful.
8.) Jeremy Piven as Paul Spericki in Grosse Pointe Blank and Laurence Green in Runaway Jury
What's interesting about these two performances, and Jeremy Piven himself, is that they're relatively small in the context of the films, yet he makes the most of them.
"Paul Spericki, I'm in real estate. What do you do, Martin?"
Paul Spericki doesn't do a lot in Grosse Pointe Blank. He shows a house to a couple, takes a ride with Martin, helps him get rid of a body and then is never seen again. In theory, the movie could work without him, but in reality, it would not be as enjoyable. He's a great comedic element and personally, one of my favorite parts. With another actor, one with less comedic ability and less chemistry with Cusack, I don't think that would be the case.
Similarly, Laurence Green is a background character in Runaway Jury. He's a stand-in for the audience and an exposition fairy. Maybe the movie could work without him. He's a small part, but an important one. Besides, in a movie called Runaway Jury, you need a jury consultant.
The moral of the story: Jeremy Piven needs more work, and more movies need Jeremy Piven. Why not a leading role for a change?
7.) Casey Affleck as Patrick Kenzie in Gone Baby Gone
"I lived on this block my whole life; most of these people have. When your job is to find people who are missing, it helps to know where they started. I find the people who started in the cracks and then fell through."
When you first hear that Ben Affleck's directorial debut stars his young brother Casey, "nepotism" is probably the first thing that pops into your mind. That's understandable, but don't let it stop you from watching, because the younger Affleck's performance is so much more than that. Like the Affleck brothers, Patrick Kenzie is a born and bred Boston boy. He's a realistic mix of cynical and naive. When the aunt and uncle of a missing girl ask for help, he takes the case, even knowing that he may be in over his head. When he solves the case, he does what he believes is the right thing, even as everyone tells him differently. Watching Affleck's performance will dispel any doubts about how good he is from your mind.
Also, he appears shirtless. So there's that.
6.) Billy Crystal as Harry Burns in When Harry Met Sally...
"You know, I have a theory that hieroglyphics are just an ancient comic strip about a character named Sphinxy."
Harry Burns could be a very unlikable character. When we first meet him...okay, when we first meet him, he's making out with his girlfriend. But when we first get to know him, he's a frat boy with a depressing, chavanistic personality who pries into Sally's sex life. As he grows up, he's less depressing and more likable. Seeing him fall for Sally is a wonderful experience, because Billy Crystal mixes cynicism, humor and relatability perfectly.
5.) Matt Damon as Jason Boune in The Bourne Identity (and Supremacy and Ultimatum)
"I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred and fifty pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?"
Before the Bourne movies, nobody thought of Matt Damon as an action star. And maybe he isn't. Really, he's just an actor who happens to be playing a bad-ass assassin who's lost a part of his life and is trying to get it back. The performance isn't just brawn. It's intelligence and strength and quiet emotion. Identity is still my favorite of the trilogy because of his relationship with Marie, when he's trying to piece everything together while protecting a woman he barely knows. It brings the entire thing down to a truly human level. Between the action, Damon's performance is surprisingly simple and quiet and that seems to be precisely why it works.
4.) John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything... and Martin Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank
"I'm looking for a 'dare to be great' situation."
I want to marry Lloyd Dobler. You know, if he wasn't a good twenty years older than me. Cameron Crowe and John Cusack created the quentissential teen romantic comedy with one of the most likable and lovable heroes ever. He could've easily been annoying in the hands of a less capable actor, but Cusack hit all the right notes.
"I just honestly don't know what I have in common with those people anymore... or with anyone, really. I mean, they'll all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they'll have made themselves a part of something, and they can talk about what they do. And what am I going to say? 'I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How have you been?'"
On the other end of the spectrum is Martin Blank, professional killer, who, in an effort for better mental health, goes to his ten-year high-school reunion. It's fascinating to watch him deal with the choices he's made and the chaos he finds himself in with a mix of emotion and dark humor.
3.) George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Michael Clayton in Michael Clayton
"Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speakin'. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated."
George Clooney is both a huge goofball and a tremendous actor. I chose the performance in O Brother Where Art Thou? because it's just so hilarious. The character is a two-bit con man who thinks he knows everything and won't shut up about it. It is, IMO, one of Clooney's best comedic roles simply because he's not afraid to look like a total jackass. In fact, he seems to love it.
"You're so fucked. Here, let me get a picture while I'm at it."
The title role in Michael Clayton could not be more different. The character is a man who does know it all and is paid very well to cover it up. When his colleague and friend seems to go off the deep end and begins working against a huge client, Michael is caught between the right thing to do and what he's been hired to do. It's a complicated plot and character and Clooney owns it.
2.) Robert Downey, Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man
"I'm just not the hero type, clearly. What, with this laundry list of character defaults and all the mistakes I've made, largly publicly."
I didn't know anything about Iron Man before seeing the movie, other than the fact that the trailer looked fantastic. (Which is saying a lot considering I was watching it on the TV in the theater lobby, with no sound.) And in a movie full of awesomeness and great performances, Robert Downey Jr. holds everything together as Tony Stark. He plays a character whose eyes are opened to the horror that he has created and must fix, with a perfect blend of snarkiness, humor, humanity and drama. All while looking fabulous and sporting an awesome beard.
1.) Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight
"Why so serious?"
I know, The Joker has been so hyped and praised that a lot of you might be rolling your eyes. I don't care. I think it's truly an amazing perfomance and the best part of the movie. It was easy for me to forget that there even was an actor in there. It seemed like The Joker just appeared, which, is exactly how the character is supposed to be seen.
And this has little to nothing to do with the performance, but the make-up was amazing. It doesn't even look like Heath Ledger.
Honorable Mention: Jim Carrey as Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Like Harold Crick and Will Ferrell, Joel Barish is the opposite of a normal Jim Carrey character. Shy, sweet, unassuming. Even as his relationship with Clementine makes them both look not-so-great, Carrey and Kate Winslet sell the happy, sweet moments so perfectly that you want them to be together, no matter how short a time it lasts. His performance is one of the cornerstones of a great movie and a great love story and he completely pulls it off.
Honorable Mention: Shia LaBeouf as Kale Brecht in Disturbia- Disturbia is a hybrid of teen comedy and thriller, so it makes sense that it's leading man would be a mix of comedy actor and action star. They hit the jackpot with Shia LaBeouf. He embodies the normal teenage boy, spying on the new girl next door, waging war with mischevious neighborhood kids, hanging out with his best friend and trying to not get killed by the creepy lawn-obsessed guy behind him. You know, normal teen stuff. LaBeouf pulls off Kale's sense of humor, grief over his father and raging teenage hormones, making him into much more than a troubled teen or a creepy voyeur.
Honorable Mention: The Cast of Ocean's 11 (and 12 and 13 and Infinity and Beyond)- Beyond the headliners of the Ocean's trilogy is a fantastic ensemble cast. One of the best things about 12 and 13 compared to 11 is that they all had more time to shine. 13, especially, highlighted the comradere and friendship that had only gotten better along the way. To only focus on the "leading men" is a crime to the rest of the hugely talent cast. Individually, the characters weren't as developed as they could've been, but all three films are still joys to watch.
Keep in mind, this is all my (highly uncultured) OPINION. I've only seen so many movies. Please, let me know what you think.
Hopefully will put together my other four lists soon. I should probably get some actual work done at the moment.
<3
Then I forgot about the list for awhile. Today, I decided to make a couple of edits and finally post it. Here's Part One.
1.) Yes, the male categories tend to feature that imaginary harem whose members I refer to as "My Boys." Don't mistake the cause and effect of this. They are not on the list because they're my boys. They're my boys because they're great actors who happen to be ridiculously handsome. I promise, the performances mentioned are here on their own merit.
2.) Yes, there are more male performances on the list than female. I don't know why. Maybe it's true that it's hard to find really good roles for women. Maybe I'm just sexist. Either way, I apologize.
3.) Yes, I cheated and included 2 performances in 1 slot sometimes. Whatev. It's my list. :-P
10.) Will Ferrell as Harold Crick in Stranger Than Fiction
"I'm an IRS agent. Everybody hates me."
Harold Crick is very un-Will Ferrell-like. He's a normal man who lives a very quiet, unassuming life. He's an IRS agent, and very good at his job. Like many people, I was amazed by Ferrell's performance and how touching it was. He's a simple, quiet man trying to find out if he's in a tragedy or a comedy and gradually learning to enjoy his life. You find yourself truly invested in his journey and rooting for him all the way. I wish Ferrell would do more roles like this, now that we know he can.
9.) Steve Zahn as Fuller Thomas in Joy Ride and Mr. Freeman in Speak
"Yeah, I miss Mom's chocolate-chip cookies, playing football with Dad on Sundays, going to...Oh, wait, that was somebody else's childhood. What I meant was 'Nooooo.'"
Fuller Thomas is the older and more screwed-up of the two Thomas brothers. He's a jack-ass who we first meet when his younger brother bails him out of jail. It's his cruel and childish prank on Rusty Nail that puts the characters in danger in the first place. And yet, you like him, because Steve Zahn mixes the humor with a kind of sadness.
"Welcome to Art. The only class that will teach you to survive."
Mr. Freeman is not a comedic role and Zahn doesn't make it one. He's an responsible adult, a teacher who gives Melinda an outlet for her pain. He sees potential in her and, I think, sees that she's been through something traumatic. He's a sort of father-figure for her. In the book, the character is the one she finally tells about the rape. This was changed in the movie, but it doesn't make the role any less important, and the performance is beautiful.
8.) Jeremy Piven as Paul Spericki in Grosse Pointe Blank and Laurence Green in Runaway Jury
What's interesting about these two performances, and Jeremy Piven himself, is that they're relatively small in the context of the films, yet he makes the most of them.
"Paul Spericki, I'm in real estate. What do you do, Martin?"
Paul Spericki doesn't do a lot in Grosse Pointe Blank. He shows a house to a couple, takes a ride with Martin, helps him get rid of a body and then is never seen again. In theory, the movie could work without him, but in reality, it would not be as enjoyable. He's a great comedic element and personally, one of my favorite parts. With another actor, one with less comedic ability and less chemistry with Cusack, I don't think that would be the case.
Similarly, Laurence Green is a background character in Runaway Jury. He's a stand-in for the audience and an exposition fairy. Maybe the movie could work without him. He's a small part, but an important one. Besides, in a movie called Runaway Jury, you need a jury consultant.
The moral of the story: Jeremy Piven needs more work, and more movies need Jeremy Piven. Why not a leading role for a change?
7.) Casey Affleck as Patrick Kenzie in Gone Baby Gone
"I lived on this block my whole life; most of these people have. When your job is to find people who are missing, it helps to know where they started. I find the people who started in the cracks and then fell through."
When you first hear that Ben Affleck's directorial debut stars his young brother Casey, "nepotism" is probably the first thing that pops into your mind. That's understandable, but don't let it stop you from watching, because the younger Affleck's performance is so much more than that. Like the Affleck brothers, Patrick Kenzie is a born and bred Boston boy. He's a realistic mix of cynical and naive. When the aunt and uncle of a missing girl ask for help, he takes the case, even knowing that he may be in over his head. When he solves the case, he does what he believes is the right thing, even as everyone tells him differently. Watching Affleck's performance will dispel any doubts about how good he is from your mind.
Also, he appears shirtless. So there's that.
6.) Billy Crystal as Harry Burns in When Harry Met Sally...
"You know, I have a theory that hieroglyphics are just an ancient comic strip about a character named Sphinxy."
Harry Burns could be a very unlikable character. When we first meet him...okay, when we first meet him, he's making out with his girlfriend. But when we first get to know him, he's a frat boy with a depressing, chavanistic personality who pries into Sally's sex life. As he grows up, he's less depressing and more likable. Seeing him fall for Sally is a wonderful experience, because Billy Crystal mixes cynicism, humor and relatability perfectly.
5.) Matt Damon as Jason Boune in The Bourne Identity (and Supremacy and Ultimatum)
"I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred and fifty pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?"
Before the Bourne movies, nobody thought of Matt Damon as an action star. And maybe he isn't. Really, he's just an actor who happens to be playing a bad-ass assassin who's lost a part of his life and is trying to get it back. The performance isn't just brawn. It's intelligence and strength and quiet emotion. Identity is still my favorite of the trilogy because of his relationship with Marie, when he's trying to piece everything together while protecting a woman he barely knows. It brings the entire thing down to a truly human level. Between the action, Damon's performance is surprisingly simple and quiet and that seems to be precisely why it works.
4.) John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything... and Martin Blank in Grosse Pointe Blank
"I'm looking for a 'dare to be great' situation."
I want to marry Lloyd Dobler. You know, if he wasn't a good twenty years older than me. Cameron Crowe and John Cusack created the quentissential teen romantic comedy with one of the most likable and lovable heroes ever. He could've easily been annoying in the hands of a less capable actor, but Cusack hit all the right notes.
"I just honestly don't know what I have in common with those people anymore... or with anyone, really. I mean, they'll all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they'll have made themselves a part of something, and they can talk about what they do. And what am I going to say? 'I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How have you been?'"
On the other end of the spectrum is Martin Blank, professional killer, who, in an effort for better mental health, goes to his ten-year high-school reunion. It's fascinating to watch him deal with the choices he's made and the chaos he finds himself in with a mix of emotion and dark humor.
3.) George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Michael Clayton in Michael Clayton
"Well, ain't it a small world, spiritually speakin'. Pete and Delmar just been baptized and saved. I guess I'm the only one that remains unaffiliated."
George Clooney is both a huge goofball and a tremendous actor. I chose the performance in O Brother Where Art Thou? because it's just so hilarious. The character is a two-bit con man who thinks he knows everything and won't shut up about it. It is, IMO, one of Clooney's best comedic roles simply because he's not afraid to look like a total jackass. In fact, he seems to love it.
"You're so fucked. Here, let me get a picture while I'm at it."
The title role in Michael Clayton could not be more different. The character is a man who does know it all and is paid very well to cover it up. When his colleague and friend seems to go off the deep end and begins working against a huge client, Michael is caught between the right thing to do and what he's been hired to do. It's a complicated plot and character and Clooney owns it.
2.) Robert Downey, Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man
"I'm just not the hero type, clearly. What, with this laundry list of character defaults and all the mistakes I've made, largly publicly."
I didn't know anything about Iron Man before seeing the movie, other than the fact that the trailer looked fantastic. (Which is saying a lot considering I was watching it on the TV in the theater lobby, with no sound.) And in a movie full of awesomeness and great performances, Robert Downey Jr. holds everything together as Tony Stark. He plays a character whose eyes are opened to the horror that he has created and must fix, with a perfect blend of snarkiness, humor, humanity and drama. All while looking fabulous and sporting an awesome beard.
1.) Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight
"Why so serious?"
I know, The Joker has been so hyped and praised that a lot of you might be rolling your eyes. I don't care. I think it's truly an amazing perfomance and the best part of the movie. It was easy for me to forget that there even was an actor in there. It seemed like The Joker just appeared, which, is exactly how the character is supposed to be seen.
And this has little to nothing to do with the performance, but the make-up was amazing. It doesn't even look like Heath Ledger.
Honorable Mention: Jim Carrey as Joel Barish in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Like Harold Crick and Will Ferrell, Joel Barish is the opposite of a normal Jim Carrey character. Shy, sweet, unassuming. Even as his relationship with Clementine makes them both look not-so-great, Carrey and Kate Winslet sell the happy, sweet moments so perfectly that you want them to be together, no matter how short a time it lasts. His performance is one of the cornerstones of a great movie and a great love story and he completely pulls it off.
Honorable Mention: Shia LaBeouf as Kale Brecht in Disturbia- Disturbia is a hybrid of teen comedy and thriller, so it makes sense that it's leading man would be a mix of comedy actor and action star. They hit the jackpot with Shia LaBeouf. He embodies the normal teenage boy, spying on the new girl next door, waging war with mischevious neighborhood kids, hanging out with his best friend and trying to not get killed by the creepy lawn-obsessed guy behind him. You know, normal teen stuff. LaBeouf pulls off Kale's sense of humor, grief over his father and raging teenage hormones, making him into much more than a troubled teen or a creepy voyeur.
Honorable Mention: The Cast of Ocean's 11 (and 12 and 13 and Infinity and Beyond)- Beyond the headliners of the Ocean's trilogy is a fantastic ensemble cast. One of the best things about 12 and 13 compared to 11 is that they all had more time to shine. 13, especially, highlighted the comradere and friendship that had only gotten better along the way. To only focus on the "leading men" is a crime to the rest of the hugely talent cast. Individually, the characters weren't as developed as they could've been, but all three films are still joys to watch.
Keep in mind, this is all my (highly uncultured) OPINION. I've only seen so many movies. Please, let me know what you think.
Hopefully will put together my other four lists soon. I should probably get some actual work done at the moment.
<3
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 02:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:11 am (UTC)It goes without saying that I recommend Speak, but have you seen Carrey in The Truman Show? It could really be a satire/black comedy just as well as a drama, but either way, it's awesome.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:19 am (UTC)I like a whole lot of movies. Like, something has to be seriously wrong for me to not like a movie. LoL. I'm easy.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-30 03:29 am (UTC)