Saturday, July 28, 2012

My 10 Favourite Male Performances of 2011.

After checking out my favourite directors and ladies of 2011, it is time to look at the lovely men that impressed me on screen. Tomorrow, it'll be time to unveil my favourite films of 2011 - finally! However, back to the men of 2011: wasn't last year really a 'year for actors'? There were so many great performances that it made it hard for me to cut my list down to ten. Hence the fact that I have a rather long list of honourable mentions, who in a perfect world, would have all been in my top ten. Seriously, all of them just missed out on a place.

Honourable mentions: Ezra Miller - We Need to Talk About Kevin, Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Ewan McGregor - Beginners, Christopher Plummer - Beginners, Colin Firth - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mark Strong - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tom Hardy - Warrior, Joel Edgerton - Warrior, Patton Oswalt - Young Adult, Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar, Rhys Ifans - Anonymous, Antonio Banderas - The Skin I Live In, Ben Kingsley - Hugo, Ralph Fiennes - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn, Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March, Ryan Gosling - Drive, Albert Brooks - Drive, Jonah Hill - Moneyball, John Hawkes - Martha Marcy May Marlene, Peyman Moadi - A Separation, Andy Serkis - Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hunter McCracken - The Tree of Life, Brad Pitt - The Tree of Life, Michael Fassbender - X-Men: First Class, Adrien Brody - Midnight in Paris, Corey Stoll - Midnight in Paris, Tom Hiddleston - Thor, Anton Yelchin - Like Crazy, Matthew McConaughey - The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Fassbender - Jane Eyre, Christian McKay - I Melt with You, Peter Mullan - Tyrannosaur, Paul Rudd - Our Idiot Brother, Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Hesher.

10. Michael Shannon as Curtis LaForche in Take Shelter.


Michael Shannon has always been a great actor who has taken supporting roles and stolen the entire film within a few minutes. Revolutionary Road was a classic example of that. In Take Shelter, Shannon gets the lead role, and totally rocks the entire film. Curtis is a rather difficult character who is on the cusp of madness, constantly trying to make everyone believe that there's an apocalypse coming. Shannon's performance is a study of paranoia, instability and weakness. If it hadn't been Shannon playing him, I doubt that I would have felt so connected to Curtis. Instead of viewing his actions as irrational, I definitely felt as if I should get a shovel and pitch in with his plans.
Key scene: "There's a storm coming!"

9. Nick Nolte as Paddy Conlon in Warrior.


Warrior, one of the most surprisingly great films of 2011, worked on the basis of the towering performances from the three leading men: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and the Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte. The word 'comeback' is probably thrown around a little too much, but this is the kind of performance that we should see more of from him. He plays a man filled with regrets, trying to break even with his sons, caught up in a whirlwind of religious awakening. This isn't one of those 'pity the old man' performances - Nolte is truly heart-breaking in his role, commanding the screen with his tragic presence. Being the finest performer of Warrior is a little bit of an achievement in itself, too.
Key scene: The hotel scene where he succumbs to alcohol again.

8. Jean Dujardin as George Valentin in The Artist.


This year's winner for Best Actor (I was seriously rooting for him even when I hadn't seen the film because I really didn't want George Clooney to win) was Jean Dujardin, a popular French actor who fit right into The Artist's 1920s nostalgia-fest. He certainly looks the part, with his thin moustache and perfect appearance making him seem like he came straight from the same dressing room as Rudolph Valentino. He can also be the part extremely well, charming his way through the film even as his character starts hitting a few lows. Dujardin is a magnetic presence in this film, effortlessly doing the difficult job of acting without words. Even though he isn't my favourite 2011 actor, I can't say that the Oscar wasn't deserved.
Key scene: George takes all the applause for 'The Russian Affair'.

7. Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.


I feel a little odd about putting Rickman here, considering that I only just watched all of the Harry Potter films in one go at the end of last year. Surely his performance means a lot more to the actual fans of the series. However, Rickman was the actor that I found to be the most consistent throughout the entire series, and I couldn't help but be a fan of Snape from the very beginning. The final chapter to the series let me justify that. Even though Snape isn't around in the film for that long, Rickman commands the screen as we find out that tragedy behind Snape's story. Thanks to Rickman's work, I think that's going to be one of the most memorable scenes from 2011.
Key scene: "Always."

6. Bryan Cranston as Shannon in Drive.


Sure, Ryan Gosling was great in this film as the silent, brooding driver/killer. And as it says up at the top of this post, he only just missed out on a spot. Bryan Cranston gets a spot, though, because his supporting performance as the Driver's mentor, Shannon, is so bloody brilliant. He fills the role better than anyone else would, ensuring that Shannon doesn't become just another figure in the film, but another colourful character in a film rife with interesting people. The way he adores the Driver's skills and fears the taunts of Nino and his gang is truly spectacular to watch. He stole the film, for me, which is quite interesting considering the size of the role and how much is going for this film.
Key scene: When Irene has to get her car fixed and he is trying to hook her and the Driver up.

5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam in 50/50.


Considering that JGL took this role two days before shooting began, he did a damn good job of playing Adam, a young guy who is diagnosed with cancer. Hell, even if he'd had months to prepare for the film, he still would have done a damn good job. I think it is pretty hard for a young actor to play the role of a cancer patient. Most of them go way over the top, crying and screaming every five seconds. Partly due to the fact that 50/50 is a little more on the comedic side, JGL finds a nice balance between having a laugh, seeing the best of his situation and just wishing things would be better. And through his aversion to unnecessary drama, we have a realistic portrayal of someone who has cancer, not someone who is just trying to get our pity.
Key scene: The scene before his operation.

4. Gary Oldman as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.


It would be unfair to do this list without mentioning at least one of the great actors from the power ensemble of the year: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It was really difficult to pick a favourite, since just about everyone was playing against type: we had Colin Firth as a slimy womaniser, Mark Strong not being a villain, and Gary Oldman leading the pack as the very quiet, reserved George Smiley. Like he does with any role, he immerses himself in it, becoming practically unrecognisable. He's a man of very few words, and very few actions, but that doesn't mean he is a concrete brick. It is absolutely fascinating to watch how Oldman works this role with so much restraint. Thank goodness he got an Oscar nomination for this.
Key scene: "We're not so very different, you and I..."


3. Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball.


If I was doing this list two months earlier, Brad Pitt wouldn't have featured on it at all. To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed by his performance when I first watched it - I thought that anyone could have done what he did. However, on a second watch, I completely fell in love with his work. I can't really say what changed, because I just end up constantly beating myself up over that knee-jerk reaction. Billy Beane is a man of mystery. He's an enigmatic, charismatic father, boss, former star baseball player. He's an interesting man, filled with ideas, but without the people to listen to him. This isn't the 'movie star Brad Pitt'. This is just Brad Pitt showing us that he can be a totally normal person. Some may argue that that's exactly what George Clooney did in The Descendants, but Pitt does it far better.
Key scene: His reaction to daughter's song.

2. Kiefer Sutherland as John in Melancholia.


This will probably come as a surprise, especially being this high up, but I feel like Sutherland was truly amazing in Melancholia. Besides Kirsten Dunst's apt and terrifying portrayal of depression, Sutherland held the most interest for me. John is a guy who is just trying to keep up with his wife's "stark raving mad" family, and the fact that there's a planet passing by. The way he reacts to everything at the wedding is just priceless. But then everything changes when he finds out that Melancholia is actually coming for earth, and we see just how selfish the guy really is. Sutherland does such a great job with what could have been a one note character. If I'm alone in thinking that, then so be it.
Key scene: "Is everyone in your family stark raving mad?"

1. Michael Fassbender as Brandon in Shame.


How in the name of all things great Michael Fassbender did not get an Oscar nomination for his spectacular work in Shame is beyond me. When was the last time we had a performance as rich and as brave as this one? His performance isn't great because he bares all. If he'd worn five hundred coats he still would have been just as good. While the script has a little bit of ambigiuity surrounding Brandon's character, Fassbender brings the character layers and complexities which makes him pretty darn terrifying to watch at times. He pretty much threw himself down on the line for this role, and seemed to come out on the other side smiling. It must have been a very difficult task, but it is a stunning achievement. This is probably one of the best performances I've ever seen.

What do you think of these picks? Who were your favourite men of 2011?

37 comments:

  1. *Hnngg* Alan Rickman and his 'Always' - http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7uiakyBet1rscttco1_500.jpg

    So many great performances last year. Michael Fassbender, of course :) And Gary Oldman - Hells yes!

    I still haven't seen 50/50. I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to watch it with my Mum. It will be a very tough film for us both because of my Opa.

    I love how Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong both got honourable mentions. Heart them both. Major hearts.

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    1. I dont' know why there are huge spaces in my first sentence....huh...

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    2. I read that first sentence reeeeeeeeeeally slowly. Oh Alan :'(

      50/50 will be a tough film if you've been connected to someone with cancer, but it is still an extremely enjoyable one. I think you'll like it.

      Major hearts to Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong!

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  2. I'm not a big fan of Kiefer Sutherland after seeing him in 24, but I must admit that I was impressed with his performance in MELANCHOLIA. It was a particularly hard role to pull off, especially when you put his previous acting experience into context.

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    1. I don't even think I've seen anything from Sutherland before that :O I mean, I probably have, but I can never remember.

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  3. Great list. You pretty much highlighted all the ones I was thinking of (interesting to see an honourable mention for an actor in I Melt With You... I thought you loathed that movie?), though for me Fassbender in SHAME is in a league of his own, miles ahead of the others. Great stuff.

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    1. I did loathe I Melt with You. But a) it is Christian McKay, b) the performances in that were actually quite good and c) if you can be good in such a shitty movie, you deserve a medal. Or a friggin knighthood!

      And yes, Fassy is in a league of his own. So goooood!

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  4. SEVERUS SNAPE HELL YEAH! Excuse me the emotional beginning of the comment...
    I do have to see Take Shelter with two fine actors starring in it and what seems to be a compelling story.
    I agree with you on Dujardin. He's not my favorite of the last year, but I don't think that he didn't deserve that Oscar.
    And the best male performance of 2011 is Michael Fassbender's in Shame, we're unanimous in our opinion Stevee.

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    1. SNAPE UNTIL THE END! ALWAYS!

      You haven't seen Take Shelter? You must!

      I wish the Academy were as unanimous :(

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  5. Really nice list. The only one I disagree with is Oldman, who for me was basically wandering around. I love how high up Pitt and Sutherland are on your list, the latter is especially underrated.

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    1. Sutherland is reeeeeeally underrated. He blew me away in that film.

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  6. Yessssssssssss for Rickman. Goddamn Academy iudgybfuihjhigjhohjokhppgjfo

    I think Fassbender is definitely the best performance of last year. However speaking of favourites, nothing tops Ryan Gosling in Drive for me.

    Loved Oldman, Shannon and Dujardin. For me, Brad Pitt's performance in The Tree of Life trumps that in Moneyball. Adrien Brody was my favourite cameo of last year. Miller was amazing too.

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    1. ahkahfkahhfioauioewhrhkshlakhfkda - I agree.

      Ryan Gosling was so good in Drive. Man, all the actors must have been on something last year because the men were on fire!

      Adrien Brody was my favourite part of Midnight in Paris - which is quite an achievement. And Ezra Miller. I love him. I feel so unhealthy about my love for him, though.

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  7. The simple reason Fassbender got nothing for Shame? All of the Academy's voters are a bunch of prudes.

    All in all, great list. (I probably would've substituted Pitt for Gosling though.)

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  8. I'm in agreement once again with your top choice Stevee. Fassbender was remarkable in Shame and one of the bravest pieces of acting I've ever witnessed.
    I would probably have included Clooney in the ten for the Descendants and my choice from Pitt would have been The Tree of Life. Great list though.

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    1. He really was!

      I wasn't such a fan of The Descendants but Clooney was pretty good. Pitt was very good in The Tree of Life!

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  9. I saw your Honorable Mentions list and immediately though "Well, damn, who the hell is on this list, then?" But yeah, for the most part, I agree with the list. I don't know about Bryan Cranston or Kiefer Sutherland though making the Top 10. I might switch those out for JoGo in Hesher and Ezra Miller in Kevin.

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    1. Haha, I know. So many good actors!

      I'm more of an 'underdog' person, so I loved what work Cranston and Sutherland did in their supporting roles. JoGo in Hesher *just* about made it in. And so did Ezra Miller. But I was scared that I might look back on choosing Miller as just a representative of my unhealthy crush on the guy. And I couldn't add him without adding the younger Kevin's. Still, he was really fantastic!

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  10. This list is stellar, especially your top pick. Fassbender undoubtedly gave the performance of the year.

    The main names missing completely from your post, in my eyes, are Tom Cullen and Chris New for Weekend. Cullen was my pick for Best Actor right up until I saw Shame. I think it may be on Netflix Watch Instant if you want to check it out; or pick up the Criterion Collection release next month.

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    1. I'll be checking out Weekend when it becomes available for me. It looks really good!

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  11. I LOVED Michael Shannon in Take Shelter. I became a huge fan of him for Boardwalk Empire and now that film... brilliant. Jean Dujardin and Alan Rickman, obviously yes, and Michael Fassbender is unquestionable.

    I certainly wasn't expecting Kiefer Sutherland... but I like that choice. Looking back, he was quite an interesting asshole, yes.

    As for Brad Pitt, I haven't seen Moneyball yet, but if that tops The Tree of Life... man. I was very impressed with his work there, so honest and organic, brutal and moving at the same time.

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    1. Michael Shannon is awesome!

      Many people probably weren't expecting Sutherland. I like to surprise like that!

      Brad Pitt had a very honest and organic year last year. Both of his performances were realistically fantastic.

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  12. I'm so happy to see Nick Nolte and Alan Rickman on the list, they deserve so much more credit then they got- same goes for JGL, I loved his performance in 50/50! I was kinda sure Michael Fassbender would be your number 1, and I get it, he would be mine, too!:)

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    1. Fassbender has been getting a lot of love around here! That's because his performance was amazing.

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  13. Great choices. I especially love that you included the largely overlooked performances of Sutherland, Cranston, Rickman, and (arguably) Nolte in your top 10.

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    1. I like to add overlooked stuff. I didn't want to give you what the Academy were voting for!

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  14. Cool list. I think that Fassbender in Shame was one of the best performances of this decade. The only thing I somewhat disagree with, and I am not putting down his Moneyball performance, is that I thought Brad Pitt gave a better performance in The Tree of Life, regardless of how you felt about the film itself. All in all though you gave a really diverse list not focusing on any one film but rather covering many.

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    1. Moneyball and The Tree of Life were very close, but there was something about Moneyball that got me - and I can't for the life of me tell you what that is.

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  15. What I like about Sutherland is that most of his roles are nothing like the one that made him super famous, he usually adds a whole other level of creepy to a character. See Dark City for major example. This was a good pick Stevee.

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  16. Good list Stevee. A few others to consider are Omar Sy in The Intouchables, Peter Mullan in Tyrannosaur, and Matthias Schoenaerts in Bullhead.

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    1. Peter Mullan was fantastic in Tyrannosaur. He only *just* missed out.

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  17. Ah, I hoped I knew where this was going, and yep, certainly no argument from me! Fass reigns supreme.

    Enjoyed all the other picks as well. Nolte was just a saddened force of nature in Warrior. Really enjoyed his work there.

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    1. Fassbender reigns supreme in like, his own planet or soemthing. He was soooooo good in that movie.

      Nolte was amazing in Warrior. I'm so happy that he got an Oscar nomination.

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  18. Sorry I'm behind on reading stuff. WOW, I love this list! I so agree on Rickman as Severus, he should've gotten a darn Oscar for his performance!! And yes for Gordon-Levitt in 50/50, such a bravura performance. Dujardin is a given and clearly the whole world fell in love w/ him! :)

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    1. He really should have! JGL was fantastic in 50/50, especially because he had such a short time to prepare for the role. And I fell in love with Jean too!

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You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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