Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast, he plays Don Logan basically the most cockney person ever, which is funny because Kingsley is so well spoken in real life, but he is amazing in this movie. Its a cult film and more people need to see it.
Also Christian Bale in American Psycho, I can quote the "Huey Lewis" scene from start to finish I've watched it that many times.
Oh god yes. The scenes where she is playing one of her characters who is in turn pretending to be a different character are so fucking amazing. It sounds so confusing writing it down, but the way she pulls it off is incredible. The viewer is never once confused as to which character they are seeing, even when they are in disguise as each other.
Daystar Clarion said:
Recently, I've got to say Bryan Cranston as Walter White.
To go from Hal, from Malcolm in the Middle, to a character like that.
Definitely. Especially in the scene just gone buy immediately after he
has abducted his daughter and done a runner and he calls his wife to threaten her
My god, i had always thought he was amazing, but that scene... that fucking scene. Cemented in my mind as one of the greatest acting moments ever. The threatening voice juxtaposed with the anguished and emotional physical appearance.. i was blown the fuck away.
Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd in Bug.
First thing i'd seen Michael Shannon in, actually pretty sure it was his first film, as he was in the original stage production this film was taken from. Fucking incredible. Until this movie, i had written Ashley Judd off as "barely competent" but wow it showed with the right person to act with and the write director, this woman can ACT dammit.
PS. I find it odd that the spell checker on this keeps telling me i spell things like favourite incorrectly, but "dammit" is a word.
Lanse Henriksen has managed to pul a swirling pit of scum that is called "Pit and the Pendulum" into a watchable movie. He is great in pretty much everything.
Chrostian Bale is also awesome and he was awesome before he was batman. Remmeber equalibrium, the machinist? yes?
Have to say (prob the most predictable) Robert DeNiro, in every movie he has been in especially Heat, Cape fear, the King of Comedy, Midnight Run, Deer Hunter and Night and the City
Dustin Hoffman is also one of the greatests. Kramer vs Kramer was one emotional and endearing films iv ever seen. Tootsie was fantastic. Not to mention Rainman and All the presidents men.
Others that make the "Wow one hell of an actor" Category are:
KRISTEN STEWART (HAHAHAHAHAHA JOKE)
Robert Redford
Paul Newman
Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert Downey Junior
Bryan Cranston
Kevin Costner
Carry Grant
Jane Levy (Evil dead Remake, she was pretty darn good)
Robert Deniro in Taxi Driver.
He has such crazy person eyes in it and it creeps me out an turn me on t the same time.
Along the same line is Ikuta Toma in Nouotoko.
Actually, I think Nouotoko is the ost exciting japanese movie I have seen in years because all the cast are simply amazing.
Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter.
His breakdown at the hospital after the Russian Roulette scene is sad and his complete dehumanisation afterwards are downright chilling.
Those scenes are what really sell the acting quality. It's impressive enough to see a single scene with multiple characters played by the same woman and view them as completely distinct characters.
But, when you start getting those characters pretending to be each other with varying levels of success (or lack of), with glimpses of their 'selves' leaking through.. That's some impressive stuff.
[spoiler: If so, then...]
In the Adventure Time episode "Holly Jolly Secrets", we get a glimpse into the Ice King's back story, and boy, is it dark.
He was once a mild-mannered archaeologist by the name of Simon Petkrov, who after buying a familiar-looking crown in Scandinavia, went to show his fiancee Betty, even putting it on his head as a joke... only to be assaulted by visions and voices, and when he finally took it off... he had done something so terrible that Betty, his "Princess" left him forever, slowly loosing his mind as time went on.
What cliches it for me is Tom Kenny as the Ice King/Simon Petrikov in that scene, as he is really what sells it, his anguish just tears at your heartstrings...
See for yourself, just skip ahead about a minute to get to that part.
How about Mark Hamill voice acting Joker in.. well, anything?
Also, recently watched a move called Ironclad. Paul Giamatti as King John. Specifically the castle courtyard scene late in the movie. I've liked Paul before, but that performance was quite powerful, to me.
Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. That one scene where he tortures the Dalek was pretty much the moment when Doctor Who transformed from just a fun show to a great show in my eyes.
I wasn't aware that voice actors also count! In that case I have to say Karen Strassman and Erin Fitzgerald.
Karen is really capable actress, but damn is she good at voice overs. She can play any accent, any character and still be recognizable for her sweet, soothing and motherly voice. Her performance as Aigis was just amazing, especially once you hear how she goes from emotionless robot to a real human being.
Erin is also an amazing voice actress. Her performance as Chie was half a reason I've fallen in love with the character. She's loud, energetic and even a little bit obnoxious. Not just that, but Erin can play literally anyone and you won't ever be able to recognize her.
Well, let's see.... Tom Cruise in "Thropic Thunder" and "Collateral". Just shows that you can be a great actor even if you are a batshit insane scientologist. Not everyone can play a fat, bald movie producer with a love for diet coke and temper tantrums AND a cold, ruthless, snarky, nihilistic assassin while retaining their movie carreer.
Hat off to you, Mr. Cruise. Now get of my damn couch, you crazy bastard!!!
The obvious choice here is Daniel Day Lewis. The guy's transformations are just otherworldly. A bit of Lincoln came on the other night and my girlfriend commented that he was so good that his routine excellence was getting boring.
Most recently I was blown away by Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables. Insanely difficult song, sung live with no dubbing or cuts, and she KILLS it emotionally. She earned that Oscar.
Also Vincent Donofrio. One HELL of an actor who I feel doesn't get enough attention and has a tendency to also make me do a double take because he's so damn good.
Definitely another vote for Mr.D'Onofrio. He is one of my favourite actors. His role as Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal intent is simply amazing to watch, especially in the later seasons. His roles in Full metal jacket, Men in black and The cell also show his versatility as an actor.
I'm very surprised this scene hasn't been mentioned by name yet (though his character is a huge part of what made this movie as good as it was).
Gary Oldman's "One Minute Past" scene in Leon the Professional.
Of course, I'd be remiss for not including these two scenes of him from the same movie, including one with a child Natalie Portman, back when she could act, apparently.
Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind. What? I was godsmack seeing and hearing him acting as a serious actor and not being the comedic character he has always played in the past.
In reflection of Amy Adams? ?meh? performance of proto-Lois Lane, I?ve learned to appreciate Margot Kidder?s portrayal of Lois Lane. She?s one of the few ?superhero love interest? characters that I actually like, and is one of the reasons why Superman 2 is one of my favourite superhero films.
Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Seriously, don?t underestimate how much acting it takes to play a drunk guy for almost an entire film. Anyone who says Cage can?t act, or over-acts, probably hasn?t seen this film.
Brad Pitt in Fight Club. I just love Tyler Durden as a character, and I love Pitt playing Durden that well. Sometimes, I think the guy?s a little underrated.
Jack Nicholson and Jodie Foster in?pretty much everything they do. They?re probably my favourite actor and actress respectively.
Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach in Watchmen. Even though I didn?t like the film as a whole, I?ve gotta commend Zack Snyder?s casting ? it was great across the board, apart for maybe Silk Spectre II and Ozymandias ? and I now can?t think of anyone else who could play that role as well as him. He even looks the part too!
Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. 'Nuff said.
And you really can?t underestimate how far Leonard DiCaprio has come from his ?pretty boy? days in the 90s, transforming into a golden actor in his own right.
TheRightToArmBears said:
The first thing that I can think of is Colin Firth in A Single Man, pretty much the whole way through he acts the fuck out of that film. It's pretty awesome considering I've only ever seen him act before in pretty stiff period dramas or shitty rom-coms.
Shit, I just saw that yesterday and was about to say that. Yeah, he really pulled off a great performance in that film. I honestly almost teared up when
he suddenly had a heart attack and died at the end, with that fade-to-white.
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