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General Category => Entertainment and Media => Topic started by: Strangeluv on March 30, 2008, 07:49:25 pm

Title: Underrated/Overlooked Performances
Post by: Strangeluv on March 30, 2008, 07:49:25 pm

They're either overshadowed by grandstanders or fit into their role so comfortably that we forget that they are just playing a character. These are the performances that zip right past everyone's heads and probably do not get the attention or proper acclaim they deserve. This week's list is dedicated to the underrated and/or overlooked performances in cinema.

I have a rather short attention span for this one so you'll notice a lot of performances are very recent, so you'll have to forgive me for that. Here are my top 20 underrated performances (let's just say for the past 15 years):

20 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/49600/2004010126507239664_rs.jpg)

Alan Ford as "Brick Top" in Snatch (1999)

There were lots of interesting villainous characters and performances in Snatch and I'm surprised Alan Ford's name hasn't popped out on any Great Villains list anywhere. Some people may find him hilarious with his rotten teeth, thick accent and thick-ass glasses but I found him scary. He made me nervous. And he knows the entire lowdown on how to feed people to pigs for Christ's sake!

19 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/47522/2004002508513221263_rs.jpg)

Eric Stoltz as "Lance" in Pulp Fiction (1994)

In a movie where there are badass performances by John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames and Tim Roth, somebody's bound to be overshadowed. The person in this movie I thought was overshadowed was Eric Stoltz in his role as long-haired drug dealer, Lance. His manic behaviour during the scene "with the bubblegumming bitch" really impressed me, especially when he was on the cell phone. PRANK CALLER, PRANK CALLER!

18 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu06.webshots.com/image/50365/2000969158242198521_rs.jpg)

Paul Bettany as "Young Gangster 55" in Gangster No. 1 (2000)

Paul Bettany needs some better roles than that monk in Da Vinci Code. Even in that, he was creepy. But not as creepy as the unnamed gangster in Gangster No. 1. His stark features accentuate his gritty, murderous behaviour and I just noticed that a lot of the performances in this list are those that make me nervous...

17 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu25.webshots.com/image/48384/2004082974348070079_rs.jpg)

Eric Bana as "Avner" in Munich (2005)

Munich received a lot of acclaim from all directions but what I thought did not get any recognition was the cast, especially Eric Bana. The last movie I had seen Eric Bana in was The Hulk, which sucked immeasurably. And then he comes and does Munich, accent down and everything. He did a good job at leading his team of hitmen and interacted well with everyone and the scene where he was talking on the phone with his daughter. Man... =(

16 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/50337/2000964991858536835_rs.jpg)

Michael Sheen as "Tony Blair" in The Queen (2006)

I usually do not go ga-ga for acting that is just an impersonation of a real person but Michael Sheen REALLY got it down for Tony Blair in The Queen. Maybe he was born to play that role but he was uncanny in his portrayal of Tony Blair, from the physical gestures to the facial expressions (that wide smile) to the style of talking. Unfortunately, he had to share the screen with HELEN MIRREN as Queen Elizabeth and it seemed everyone was watching her instead.

15 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/48357/2000993192597717256_rs.jpg)

Josh Peck as "George" in Mean Creek (2003)

Yes, Josh Peck. Of "Drake and Josh". I actually saw Mean Creek before I knew anything about Drake and Josh. He has a powerhouse performance in Mean Creek that was severely overlooked. His was a very hard character to play. The audience has to hate him and feel sorry for him at the same time. I couldn't decide which to do so anytime he was on-screen, I was torn between hating and sympathizing for him. The funny thing is that though he may have been the meanest kid at school with the brashest, cockiest behaviour and the thrower of the worst tantrums, he was probably the most likeable person in the whole movie by the end.

14 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu34.webshots.com/image/48313/2000962549688319796_rs.jpg)

William H. Macy as "Quiz Kid Donnie Smith" in Magnolia (1999)

It's the "many stars syndrome" again. You got Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards - someone is going to get really overlooked somewhere. William H. Macy plays a pathetic, lonely, lovelorn, forlorn, depressed character who was once a star on a game show as a kid but now just hangs out in a bar to gawk at a certain patron. He was probably the most depressing character in this movie that is a mosaic of depressing characters.

13 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu16.webshots.com/image/51015/2004029278506106877_rs.jpg)

Christina Ricci as "Rae" in Black Snake Moan (2007)

Let me just say that I disliked Ricci's character through the majority of this movie - she was way too much of a slut in most of it. But she was great at playing a slut, the biggest slut in town. But when you get past that and she really lets you see who she is, you can't help but appreciate the performance. I'm surprised it was overlooked by so many people. It was probably one of the best female performance of 2007, if not the best.

12 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/49498/2000964500774979357_rs.jpg)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as "Brendan Frye" in Brick (2006)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a majorly underrated actor in films like Brick, The Lookout and Mysterious Skin. I decided to choose his performance in Brick because I really think he nailed the feel of a character straight out of the film-noir genre - the way he carried himself in the movie, the way he spoke, I really think he nailed it. I hope more people recognize him one day and give him the attention he deserves.

11 (Click to reveal)

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James MacAvoy as "Nicholas Garrigan" in The Last King of Scotland (2006)

James MacAvoy was so terrific in this film. Unfortunately, he had Forest Whitaker grandstand him. But that also did something good for his role - it made us really care and worry for him and he ran with this superbly. He starts off as this cocky young doctor, almost dislikeable in a way, and then he's put in the spot so many times that we can't help but show concern for him. The scenes where he argues with Forest Whitaker in his office are outstanding. "YOU SHOULD HAVE PERSUADED ME, NICHOLAS."

10 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu30.webshots.com/image/49789/2000990574688582065_rs.jpg)

Keke Palmer as "Akeelah Anderson" in Akeelah and the Bee (2005)

I think Keke Palmer got a lot of acclaim for this but I'm not sure. I still decided to put her in here because I didn't know who she was when I saw this and she was a great underdog in a sports movie that had no sport, just spelling. She jumps rope to help her spell - it's kinda stupid but I found it pretty cool!

9 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu30.webshots.com/image/47669/2004050503268744178_rs.jpg)

Larenz Tate as "O-Dog" in Menace II Society (1993)

I don't know if dudes like this exist in reality (they probably do) but I don't want to meet one. Think you've seen badass gangsters? Forget Boyz N the Hood. Rent Menace II Society and check out Larenz Tate's performance in Menace II Society. He made me fucking nervous in every scene he was in because he just seemed to kill whoever he wanted to kill and laugh at them after. He's like a black version of Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, in the hood.

8 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu25.webshots.com/image/49584/2004090123363383686_rs.jpg)

Adam Sandler as "Barry Egan" in Punch Drunk Love (2002)

People must be tired of me plugging this movie but I really have to give Adam Sandler endless props for not acting like a childish ass in a movie, man, and going the more reserved way. I found his character especially likeable and wanted him to succeed in everything he was trying to do. I wanted him to get the girl because he was a good guy. He's quiet and shy for a lot of the movie and he's the type of guy who shows he's pleased with something by doing a little jig in the grocery aisle, but you can tell there's a rage building up in the scenes where he's put upon - and this is a movie where Sandler's trademark rage works well.

7 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/50843/2004066638103832804_rs.jpg)

Irrfan Khan as "Ashoke" in The Namesake (2006)

Totally unfair how this performance has been overlooked. Irrfan Khan's performance was so reserved and tranquil compared to everyone else in the movie that I just couldn't help but like the guy. I prefer this to melodrama. The looks on his face are so subtle when his son ignores him and especially in a key scene in a car. It's good to see there are some GOOD actors coming out of Bollywood.

6 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/50057/2000925199050715665_rs.jpg)

Michael Shannon as "Peter Evans" in Bug (2007)

I'm plugging Michael Shannon again because his performance is just too, too good. The movie isn't all that but damn... "MACHINE! MACHINE! IT'S A MACHINE!"

5 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/48102/2000912685421823230_rs.jpg)

Naomi Watts (left) as "Betty/Diane" in Mulholland Drive (2001)

Mulholland Drive and David Lynch have a following so I don't know if this belongs here. But people talk about Mulholland Drive and they often talk about the story or Lynch and not Naomi Watts, who I thought was the true (broken) heart of this movie. She has to play two characters and one is cheerful and peppy and in love while the other is desperate, forlorn and masturbates in depression. I don't see how people can not give props to this spectrum of emotion.

4 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/48161/2004068107074387671_rs.jpg)

Chris Cooper as "Robert Hanssen" in Breach (2006)

Severely overlooked. Probably because this performance didn't entail any melodrama on Chris Cooper's part. He plays everything straight and strict and this makes him even more intimidating than if he had shouted for the lot of the movie. His face droops and he maintains this perpetual frown while giving this calculating gaze at everyone. Chris Cooper always looks asshole-ish to me but he really did it for me in this movie.

3 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu19.webshots.com/image/47658/2000985682923221917_rs.jpg)

Jennifer Connelly as "Marion Silver" in Requiem for a Dream (1999)

Another instance of grandstanding. Though Ellen Burstyn and Jennifer Connelly never cross paths in Requiem for a Dream, I still think Burstyn grandstanded Connelly, as well as the rest of the cast. And I think they decided to make up to Jennifer Connelly by giving her the Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind". But if you've seen this movie, you will know what I mean by underrated, severely underrated. Requiem for a Dream is about the breakdown of four people due to drugs and I think Connelly's hit me the hardest... okay well no, Burstyn's did... but Connelly too. To see go from this sweet friendly girl to fantasizing about stabbing forks in people's hands and shouting "FUCK YOU!" at her boyfriend... man. It's unfair.

2 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/47995/2004012059515015456_rs.jpg)

Greg Kinnear as "Richard Hoover" in Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

This whole cast was great. You have the cursing grandpa, the sweet beauty-obsessed girl, the silent emo teen, the gay suicidal uncle, the mom holding everything together... and then you have that dad. Why I put Greg Kinnear so high? I thought he had the best performance in the movie and he got like zero recognition for it. It's really something to make me dislike a character for the first half of the movie and then make me be on his side the second half and root for his ideas. It's one of the most subtle personality changes in a movie I've seen in a while. For a character obsessed about winning, I thought he was much more likeable when he was losing.

1 (Click to reveal)

(http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/48357/2000949729577010244_rs.jpg)

Leandro Firmino as "Lil Zé" in City of God (2002)

Haaaaa. How many of you know this guy? When they were casting City of God, this guy had just come in to keep his friend company during his audition and ended up being cast instead. He's right from the favelas of Brazil and this is probably why he looks and plays the part so well. The thing about his performance is that his character is so horrible and so greedy yet I felt sorry for him, especially when the narrator was comparing him to the "Knockout Ned" character. And another part that really hit me hard was when Benny dies and he's bawling and shooting his gun in the air. That shit just hit me hard and though it made him some more human to the audience, you know he's not going to use it to make himself better but make himself more into a monster.

So that's my list!

What are yours? Discuss any performance you think is underrated or overlooked in a movie.

Title: Underrated/Overlooked Performances
Post by: Roman on March 30, 2008, 08:09:55 pm

Dude I'm pretty sure I bring up Naomi Watts all the time and if I don't then I should. 

Also Laura Dern in INLAND EMPIRE, or Laura Dern in almost anything ever because she's a really good actress but doesn't seem to get a lot of credit.

edit: also I don't really think Lynch has much of a following here I think I just talk about him all the time and that is confusing you (also Steel brings up Mulholland Dr. a lot but other than that I don't think many people ever bring up Lynch)

edit edit: also Justin Theroux in anything ever he is the man

Title: Underrated/Overlooked Performances
Post by: Strangeluv on March 30, 2008, 08:49:20 pm

I wasn't referring to anyone here actually! I know some 'film buffs' who parade themselves as Lynch fans and they all talk about Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire and whatnot but I've never heard them mention Naomi Watts when they talk about Mulholland Drive so maybe I'm generalizing. But yeah, wasn't referring to anyone on GW...

Title: Underrated/Overlooked Performances
Post by: Lyndon on March 30, 2008, 09:05:25 pm

Naomi Watts was brilliant in Mulholland drive. I remember when I first saw it and had no idea who she was. For the first half of the film I was like, man this woman is a shit actor! Then she did that scene with the old pervert actor and I was blown away. Then it became clear why she purposely acted terrible in the begining part of the movie.

Also. she was hardly unnoticed. It was this movie that put her on the map. She was also nominated for the American Film institute (AFI) award for this role...

As for other actors that go unnoticed, thats the name of the game. There are a lot of really great actors out there that never get roles that allow them to shine in the spotlight :/

Title: Underrated/Overlooked Performances
Post by: Strangeluv on March 31, 2008, 04:15:24 am

Oh really! I always thought she went virtually unnoticed for that performance. That's my bad then!

Anyway, some honourable mentions:

Joe Pantoliano in "Memento"

John Ritter in "Sling Blade"

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "25th Hour"

William Mapother, "In the Bedroom"

Ewen Bremner, "Trainspotting"

Kevin Bacon, "The Woodsman"

Mark Ruffalo, "Zodiac"