Best Acting Performance

[Stookie]

Martin Sheen - the Damned United.
Ben Kingsley- Sexy Beast
Jamie Foxx- Ray

 

[evra]

Yeah. He was far more interesting in those days too, before he got all shouty, vaguely hispanic and his hair started to out act him. I agree with whoever put Donnie Brasco up earlier though, that's a great modern performance from him. The stand out gangster actor in that film, and he's playing the understated, put upon, almost Fredo-like role. And he sold it perfectly.

John Cazale's always overlooked in those films too. I thought he was a stronger support than De Niro In Godfather II personally.

De Niro always gets a lot of credit for Raging Bull & Taxi Driver, but it's largely a lot of shouting and looking mean. I think his Russian roulette scenes in Deerhunter are probably the best thing he's done. He's amazing in them.

I've seen that film a couple of times and I've never really thought about the acting performances, that's probably a sign that they are doing their job right.

 

[Leg-End]

The Russian roulette scenes are incredible, De Niro's face goes through so many emotions in that one scene on the river its a godly performance and thats before we even get the desperation of the final scenes.

We were robbed of more Cazale performances, he was fantastic.

I'm gonna have to re-watch The Deer Hunter again tonight now.

 

[R.N7]

De Niro's performance in The King of Comedy is probably his most underrated one. Such a real and awkward portrayal of a man completely out of touch with reality.

 

[sammymc]

obviously without having read the thread Id say:

mia farrow - rosemarys baby
spencer tracey - bad day at black rock
robert shaw - jaws
paddy considine & toby kebbell - dead mans shoes
Paul Giamatti - sideways
forest whittaker - bird
christopher guest, michael mckean and harry shearer - spinal tap
kirk douglas - lonely are the brave
ray winstone and kathy burke - nil by mouth

are just some i rate

 

[John_Jensen]

Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood (in fact, Daniel Day Lewis in pretty much anything)

Clint Eastwood - Unforgiven

Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

Add Gene Hackman in that too.

I thought Eric Bana was outstanding in Chopper, not reached those heights since imo.

 

[R.N7]

Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
Jeremy Irons - Dead Ringers
Maria Falconetti - The Passion of Joan of Arc
Ana Torrent - The Spirit of the Beehive

 

[SteveJ]

Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
Jeremy Irons - Dead Ringers
Maria Falconetti - The Passion of Joan of Arc
Ana Torrent - The Spirit of the Beehive

Fantastic, effecting performance.

 

[MichaelS]

Few women here, so I'll throw in Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive. Especially that audition scene, holy shit.

Yeah, and she gets nekkid and stuff. Both her and that latino lady are brilliant in it. especially since they get it on with eachother. Lesbian sex at it's best.

 

[Homeomorphic]

Pacino in The Godfather II. His facial expression when she tells him that it was an abortion.



1:48 - 1:54 LOOK AT HIS FACIAL EXRPESSION!!!1

 

[R.N7]

Fantastic, effecting performance.

Only her second and last film role as well.

For Falconetti, the performance was an ordeal. Legends from the set tell of Dreyer forcing her to kneel painfully on stone and then wipe all expression from her face—so that the viewer would read suppressed or inner pain. He filmed the same shots again and again, hoping that in the editing room he could find exactly the right nuance in her facial expression

 

[JustAFan]

Peter Sellers in Being There
Tom Hulce in Dominick and Eugene (a film I liked much better than Rain Man)
Robert Shaw in Jaws
Frank Sinatra in Suddenly
Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children

 

[Brwned]

For women:

Jean Seberg - À bout de souffle (Breathless)
Irène Jacob - Trois Couleurs: Rouge (Three Colours: Red)
Frances McDormand - Fargo
Catherine Deneuve - Repulsion
Bette Davis - All About Eve

 

[Decotron]

obviously without having read the thread Id say:

mia farrow - rosemarys baby
spencer tracey - bad day at black rock
robert shaw - jaws
paddy considine & toby kebbell - dead mans shoes
Paul Giamatti - sideways
forest whittaker - bird
christopher guest, michael mckean and harry shearer - spinal tap
kirk douglas - lonely are the brave
ray winstone and kathy burke - nil by mouth

are just some i rate

Some cracking shouts there. Kathy Burke in Nil By Mouth was a very underated performance imo. I know its won a few awards but in terms of the English media anyway...

 

[duffer]

Nic Cage in whatever the feck this film is...

 

[dinners85]

For memorable performances a lot of those I'd go for have already been mentioned.

For blood sweat and tears and sweet FA in return....If only for the joy they've given - Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels.

 

[Wibble]

I think many have misread the title and think that it was asking for the greatest act if overacting.

 

[Red Dreams]

surely Laurence Olivier in Hamlet.

Brando in Waterfront is a personal favorite

De Niro in Raging Bull

 

[Red Dreams]

Henry V - Kenneth Branagh

I've watched that version several times. Superb.

 

[Hallucinogen]

I don't know why, no matter how many great movies I watch I somehow always feel that no character has been done as perfectly as Hans Landa.Every emotion, every movement is just perfectly done by Waltz.