The Best Actor

Discuss your favorite actors, directors or screenwriters
Stewball
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The Best Actor

Post by Stewball »

For me, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson are the two best actors, of either gender, working today. Johansson has the raw talent to project emotion from the tip of her little finger, while Adams is the most versatile, bringing something fresh to a throwaway role like the fairy tale princess in Enchanted, to playing a nun, a hustler, the only non-idiot in The Master, and the incredibly subtle Amy in Her. Yeah, they've both had their duds, and lucrative dalliances as superhero molls, but who hasn't. I think Emma Stone and Meryl Streep are close, but just don't quite make it to the pinnacle.

I'm surprised that I couldn't think of a comparable male. Daniel Day-Lewis and Geoffrey Rush come to mind but still fall short IMNTBHO. Heath Ledger might have hit the apex, if he'd lived--he came close as it was. The biggest flash-in-the-pan disappointment is Johnny Depp--talk about crash and burn, he's become about as one-dimensional as they get, but he made a lot of money on the way down. Defending my gender, I think guys rule as directors, with only one top-quality female D., Kathryn Bigelow, after 50 years of women having a reasonable expectation of finding work there.

There, I said it and I'm glad.

VinegarBob
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by VinegarBob »

Amy Adams yes, Scarlett Johannson absolutely not. She has a kind of sleepy eyed charm, but no acting chops whatsoever as far as a I can tell. Replace her with Tilda Swinton and you'll have my vote for the women. As for males, and sticking with English language fare for the time being, Michael Fassbender rarely puts a foot wrong. He invests every performance with an intensity that's uncommon these days. I'd rate him above anyone else working in Hollywood right now, although there is some fine talent around - Jake Gyllenhaal springs immediately to mind - his performances in Denis Villeneuve's two films last year Enemy and Prisoners were both excellent.
Last edited by VinegarBob on Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

mattorama12
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by mattorama12 »

Amy Adams is fantastic. I've been a huge fan since Doubt, but the range I've seen of hers since then has elevated her to absolute top tier. I think ScarJo and Emma Stone are both great for what they are: ScarJo as a generally likable, sexy, and seductive character and Emma Stone as a cute, relatable girl-next-door type. I don't think either of them has enough range to be considered among the finest actors, but they are great as movie stars and I look forward to most of their projects. Lol at the idea that either of those two is better than Meryl Streep, though. Tilda Swinton is a great choice. I haven't seen her in too many roles, but she definitely excels when she has the material to do so. She may even have the chops to compare to Meryl Streep. Unfortunately for Swinton, she doesn't have the good looks to reach the same level of career success.

As for guys, I have to go with Fassbender right now. DDL is a god among men, but he's in such rarefied air that it's not even interesting to talk about his talent. Fassbender may get there if he keeps it up, though. Shame is one of the best performances I've ever seen. To quote my mini review: "Probably my favorite thing about this movie was how much of the story was told exclusively with Fassbender's facial expressions." I couldn't live myself if I didn't also mention Gary Oldman here. Between True Lies and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and everything in between, he's certainly one of the all-time great chameleons.

Stewball
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Stewball »

Rumplesink wrote:Amy Adams yes, Scarlett Johannson absolutely not. She has a kind of sleepy eyed charm, but no acting chops whatsoever as far as a I can tell.


Don't judge her by her action rolls, although she gets points for the action sequences. And I'm not even relying on Lost in Translation which I thought was a so-so film. I'm concentrating on Girl with a Pearl Earring, Love Song for Bobby Long, The Other Boleyn Girl, her voice only performance in Her which many are calling the best ever, and my favorite, playing the controlling Brooklyn accented bitch in Don Jon.

As for males, and sticking with English language fare for the time being, Michael Fassbender rarely puts a foot wrong.


I agree, and if he had more under his belt I'd have put him up there. He was nominated for 12 Years a Slave last year, but he should have been nominated, and won, for The Counselor--a tremendous performance.

Jake Gyllenhaal springs immediately to mind - his performances in Denis Villeneuve's two films last year Enemy and especially Prisoners were excellent.


I didn't like either of those movies, especially Enemy, but with Michael Peña he put one of the greatest partnerships of any kind on film in End of Watch. He was also exceptional in Jarhead.

movieboy wrote:All the people I consider great actors have all spent a lot of time in the movie industry
- Robert De Niro
- Jack Nicholson
- Sean Penn
- Edward Norton (someone who hasn't really done too many films where he can show his acting chops - mostly chooses run of the mill roles and does them adequately).


The first three are great within their range, but they don't venture out of that much if at all. De Niro (and Morgan Freeman) have been on the Hollywood assembly line for years now , and Sean Penn doesn't know how to do much besides moody. Ed Norton has done some good stuff (Fight Club, American History X, The Illusionist and most recently in The Bourne Legacy), but he's done some stinkers too, like his Wes Anderson stuff and his role in the otherwise good The Italian Job.)
Last edited by Stewball on Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Stewball
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Stewball »

mattorama12 wrote:Amy Adams is fantastic. I've been a huge fan since Doubt, but the range I've seen of hers since then has elevated her to absolute top tier. I think ScarJo and Emma Stone are both great for what they are: ScarJo as a generally likable, sexy, and seductive character and Emma Stone as a cute, relatable girl-next-door type.


Emma Stone pulled herself out of the typical girl next door image at the start with Easy A and The Help. She can't help it because she's cute.


I don't think either of them has enough range to be considered among the finest actors, but they are great as movie stars and I look forward to most of their projects. Lol at the idea that either of those two is better than Meryl Streep, though.


I think Meryl passed the baton on to Amy after they worked together in Doubt and Julie and Julia. I know that's assuming a lot but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 8-)

Tilda Swinton is a great choice. I haven't seen her in too many roles, but she definitely excels when she has the material to do so. She may even have the chops to compare to Meryl Streep. Unfortunately for Swinton, she doesn't have the good looks to reach the same level of career success.

I didn't want to say that, but......

mattorama12
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by mattorama12 »

Stewball wrote:Emma Stone pulled herself out of the typical girl next door image at the start with Easy A and The Help. She can't help it because she's cute.


I haven't seen The Help and I don't really plan to. I thought Easy A was great--and she was great in it, even if she was overshadowed by her awesome parents--but I don't think she really stretched too far from her normal role. Again, I like her a lot and think she's great at what she does, I just don't think you can throw her in any role and expect greatness.


I think Meryl passed the baton on to Amy after they worked together in Doubt and Julie and Julia. I know that's assuming a lot but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 8-)


Just to be clear, I was laughing at comparing Johansson or Stone to Streep. I'd still give Streep the edge over Adams, but that's at least a fair conversation.

mattorama12 wrote: Tilda Swinton is a great choice. I haven't seen her in too many roles, but she definitely excels when she has the material to do so. She may even have the chops to compare to Meryl Streep. Unfortunately for Swinton, she doesn't have the good looks to reach the same level of career success.

I didn't want to say that, but......


I'm not saying it's good or right, just that it's a fact. Unfortunately in Hollywood, a lot of looks and modest talent will usually take you much further than a lot of talent and modest looks.

Paxton
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Paxton »

I think Cate Blanchett is the best actress at the moment. Amy Adams is working her way towards her.

DDL, Fassbender. I hate to overstate someone's worth based on their passing, but I think Philip Seymour Hoffman could be brought into the conversation.

Stewball
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Stewball »

mattorama12 wrote:I haven't seen The Help and I don't really plan to.


Well then.....

I thought Easy A was great--and she was great in it, even if she was overshadowed by her awesome parents


They were barely in it by comparison, though they helped make it.

--but I don't think she really stretched too far from her normal role
.

Ergo her follow on in The Help, which see.

Stewball
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Stewball »

Paxton wrote:I think Cate Blanchett is the best actress at the moment. Amy Adams is working her way towards her.


What has Cate done, Blue Jasmine? Oscar or no, hardly a calling card.

DDL, Fassbender. I hate to overstate someone's worth based on their passing, but I think Philip Seymour Hoffman could be brought into the conversation.


I seriously considered him but just couldn't pull it off. Look at him in Doubt with Streep and Adams; he was as subdued by their performances as his character was by theirs. Maybe overstating it a tad, but only by a matter of degree. Plus, his range just wasn't that great.

Bojangles
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Re: The Best Actor

Post by Bojangles »

Men are better than women. Women be all focused on emotional shit like love and babies, while men perfect their egotistical crafts. It's science.

I've got:

Casey Affleck
Adrien Brody
Christian Bale
DDL
Chris Cooper
Benicio Del Toro
Joaquin Phoenix
Tom Hanks
Nicolas Cage
Maybe Denzel Washington if he's working with a decent director.
Pretty amazing how Meryl Streep hasn't lost her touch.

Then a tier below:

Amy Adams

The a few tiers below that:
ScarJo (to be fair, I haven't seen any of the movies you mention as highlights)
Emma Stone
whomever else

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