Best Acting Performance

Doevle

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What's the best acting performance you've seen?

For me it's Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Anthony Hopkins as Hannbial Lector.

Of newer films, I was mighty impressed with Heath Ledger as the Joker.
 
MrMarcello said:
Steven Gerrard, 2005 Champions League Final
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:lol:

Doevle said:
What's the best acting performance you've seen?

For me it's Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Anthony Hopkins as Hannbial Lector.

Of newer films, I was mighty impressed with Heath Ledger as the Joker.
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I agree with all the mentioned, including Heath Ledger's joker.
I'd also have to put al Pacino's Scarface and I really liked his performance in Scent of a woman.

And can't leave out Jack Nicholson in The shinning.
 
Most of the one's mentioned so far are overacting albeit entertaining overacting.

Pacino in Godfather 2 and Juliette Binoche in 3 Colours Blue are both sublime.
 
Kevin Spacey in American Beauty. Perhaps not the best performance of all time, but I fecking love how he plays the character.
 
Christian Bale (in quite a few movies) but in Rescue Dawn was good.
Denzel Washington in Glory was good; I didn't think he was THAT good in Training Day, he obviously had a strong performance but so did Christpher Lloyd in Back to the Future. Washington is a bot of an over-actor I think, check out American Gangster, good but some cringing moments.
 
Surprised Brendan Fraser hasnt been nominated yet
 
Johnno said:
Christian Bale (in quite a few movies) but in Rescue Dawn was good.
Denzel Washington in Glory was good; I didn't think he was THAT good in Training Day, he obviously had a strong performance but so did Christpher Lloyd in Back to the Future. Washington is a bot of an over-actor I think, check out American Gangster, good but some cringing moments.
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American Gangster was hugely disappointing, he was very good in Man on Fire though
 
Johnno said:
Christian Bale (in quite a few movies) but in Rescue Dawn was good.
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In Empire of the Sun, probably the best child performance of all time. Well, the best I've seen anyway.
 
Alex said:
American Gangster was hugely disappointing, he was very good in Man on Fire though
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I actually thought American Gangster was very good; it had a good storyline and pretty good performances without being outstanding, a very good film.
Load of bollocks though, the real Frank Lucas was illiterate and just a thug who somehow slipped through the cracks when the forces were trying to infiltrate the big fish, ie; the Mafia and other Harlem crime syndicates.
 
Christian Bale in American Psycho?

I don't know, I'm usually not very good at spotting the difference between a good performance and a great performance. I take in the whole picture. I can spot a poor performance though, and that'll ruin the whole film if I do spot it.
 
I loved Marlon Brando's old work. His character in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is still probably my favorite character of all time. He's so foul but you can't not love him.

Also Nicholson in Cuckoos Nest.
 
De Niros portrayal of Travis Bickle.

or Malcolm McDowells Alex DeLarge.. I might be biased, it is said that I'm a ACO-fanboy..
 
Most recent, Heath Ledger as the Joker in Dark Knight.

Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon in Walk the Line
Al Pacino in Serpico, Scent of a Woman and Godfather 1 & 2
Jeff Bridges and John Goodman in The Big Lebowski

I really could go on all day. But I won't.
 
I think Ledger's performance in TDK is very overrated, In fact theres no way he would have reaped in as much praise had he still been alive. Aaron Eckhart was equally as good IMO.

Very good performance but thats it really, R.I.P Heath Ledger.
 
RedKaos said:
I think Ledger's performance in TDK is very overrated, In fact theres no way he would have reaped in as much praise had he still been alive.

Very good performance but thats it really, R.I.P Heath Ledger.
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Before I saw the film I was sceptical. If I'm honest, I hadn't seen him in too much, so couldn't call myself a fan of his.

I've seen the movie twice all the way through now (once in the cinema and once on blu-ray) and I don't spend the film waiting to see what Batman does next, but what the Joker will do instead.

All down to personal opinion of course, but its one of the great performances for me.
 
redspoony said:
Before I saw the film I was sceptical. If I'm honest, I hadn't seen him in too much, so couldn't call myself a fan of his.

I've seen the movie twice all the way through now (once in the cinema and once on blu-ray) and I don't spend the film waiting to see what Batman does next, but what the Joker will do instead.

All down to personal opinion of course, but its one of the great performances for me.
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I would agree, I walked into the film thinking that everybody had praised him because he was dead and I left the film thinking that he really was great in the role.

Keeping a recent film theme, I also liked DiCaprio in The Departed.
 
I would go with:

Bale in Empire of the Sun
Spacey in American Beauty
Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Hopkins in Silence of Lambs

and not mentioned yet

Malkovich in Of Mice and Men - pure genius
 
niMic said:
Christian Bale in American Psycho?

I don't know, I'm usually not very good at spotting the difference between a good performance and a great performance. I take in the whole picture. I can spot a poor performance though, and that'll ruin the whole film if I do spot it.
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I'd say bale in American Psycho. He was brilliant. The scene where he is in his office on the floor leaving the answering machine message on his lawyers phone deserved an oscar!
 
Some not-so-great performances getting the nod so far in this thread, IMO.

My short-list would include:

John Hurt - The Elephant Man
Bob De Niro - Taxi-Driver
Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Last two might be influenced by still being fresh in my mind. But I still reckon they're awesome.
 
Al Pacino - The Godfather

Controversially, I prefer his performance in the first of the trilogy. The subtly of his move from unassuming and unwilling participant to reserved but assertive mastermind is beautiful.
 
Gene Hackman in the French Connection is another class performance.

Does this have to be limited to film?

If not, then the following:

Kiefer Sutherland in 24
James Gandolfini in The Sopranos
Alec Guinness in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
John Hurt - The Elephant Man
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Yep. Anthony Hopkins' best performance is also in The Elephant man. Brian Cox was the better Lecktor.

Alec Guinness in 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' or any of his Ealing work.
Robert Mitchum in Night of the hunter.
Day Lewis in There Will be Blood is hard to beat for intensity.
 
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