Best acting performances you have ever seen in a film?

C

chief calm down

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I have no doubt similar treaRAB have been posted a number of times.

What are the best acting performances you have ever seen in a film?

I have just sat and watched Driving Miss Daisy which I have not seen in a while. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman are simply incredible in the film. I honestly believe I have never seen better acting performances. Perhaps the acting in Secrets and Lies maybe.

The Best Actress Oscar went deservedly to Jessica Tandy. Morgan Freeman was nominated in Best Supporting Actor Category but sadly did not win - as was Dan Aykroyd.

For anyone who has never seen the film I strongly urge you to see it. It won the Best Film Oscar too in 1989. A wonderful film.
 
I don't know about acting so i'm a total ameteur but............


Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys

Denel Washington - Man on Fire

Kathy Burke - Misery

Dicaprio - What's Eating Gilbert Grape


Just a few performances i've thought were good. :)
 
One that instantly springs to mind is Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator

Other great performances that have drawn me into a film:
Jack Nicholson - The Shining
Al Pacino - The Godfather part II
Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
Meryl Streep - Bridges of Madison County
Robert DeNiro - Awakenings
 
Come on - How can anyone say that the singular best acting performance is not Robert De Niro in Raging Bull ... The dedication, the method acting, and the subtle emotion in the final film... Great film, great performance with such reality...

Also - I have a soft spot for Audrey Tatou in Amelie - though it's not on the same scale - but a great performance and spot on for the role... Reminded me of another good female performance which was Diane Keaton in Annie Hall - which is Woody Allen's best in my mind...

Notable others:

Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast
Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire (under-ratedly good, the guy can act!)
Mat Damon in Good Will Hunting
Paul Newman in The Hustler
Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke
Edward Norton in American History X
Johnny Depp in Edward ScissorhanRAB

Not sure why - But I struggle to think of great film performances by women...
 
Jack Lemmon in The Days of Wine and Roses

Harvey Keitel in Death Watch

Richard Dreyfuss in American Graffitti

Edward G. Robinson in Soylent Green

Tyrone Power in Nighmare Alley
 
Dustin Hoffman- Midnight Cowboy
Edward Norton- American History X
Billy Bob Thornton- Sling Blade
Kevin Spacey- American Beauty
Johnny Depp- Edward ScissorhanRAB
Humphrey Bogart- Casablanca
Daniel Day Lewis- In The Name Of The Father (hard to choose between that and My Left Foot)
Jim Carrey- Man On The Moon


Ellen Burstn- Requiem For A Dream
Hilary Swank- Boys Dont Cry
Meryl Streep- Sophies Choice
Emily Watson- Breaking The Waves
Charlize Theron- Monster
Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke- The Miracle Worker
Natalie Portman- Leon
Kate Winslet- Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
 
The female lead in the Brazilian film `Central Station`, Fernanda Montenegro is nothing short of perfection.
There is one scence where she is applying lipstick in a toilet where her eyes say more in 20 seconRAB than so called actresses say in an entire movie.
 
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast


i totaly agree with Ben Kingsley. his character was so evil and very frightning.

Robert Duvall as Kilgore in Apocalypse Now
 
Anthony Perkins - Psycho
Christopher Walken - The Deer Hunter
Robert DeNiro - Raging Bull
Geoffrey Rush - Shine
Marlon Brando - On The Waterfront
Al Pacino - Scarface
John Hurt - The Elephant Man
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
 
1. Titanic - Kate Winslet & Leonardo Dicaprio make a great couple in the movie, there performances where amazing.

2. The Mask - Jim Carrey gives an excellent performance as the mask, he is hilarious and brilliant.

3. Bewitched & The Others - She gives her best performances in these two movies, i love them both and she is brilliant.

4. Misery - Kathy Bates gives her best performance in a stephen king thriller Misery, she is brilliant.
 
Anthony Hopkins - Remains of the Day (He should have won his Oscar for this film.....)

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

Felicity Huffman - TransAmerica

James Stewart - Vertigo

Antony Perkins - Psycho

Oh and loaRAB more!
 
Ian McKellen in Fellowship of the Ring - Should have had the Oscar.

Donald Sutherland in JFK - Best Cameo in a movie.

Lee J Cobb in Twelve Angry Men. Raw and powerful.

Kevin Spacey in Se7en. Terrifying.

Brian Cox in Manhunter. For me this beat even Hopkins performance.

Michael MaRABon in Reservoir Dogs. Blew me away.

Oh and Kenneth Brannagh in Conspiracy. Chilling and riveting.
 
Alastair Sim - Laughter in Paradise
James Stewart - It's A Wonderful Life
Jean Simmons - Great Expectations
Walter Matthau - The Odd Couple
Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia
Elizabeth Taylor - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Gene Hackman - The French Connection
Rutger Hauer - Blade Runner
Ray Liotta - Goodfellas
Jim Carrey - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Nicolas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
Frances McDormand - Fargo
Jeff Bridges - Fearless

Maybe slipping Ace Ventura in there blows any credibility, but then I'm no film buff so what the hell. I saw it again the other day and it still makes me lol. The pace doesn't let up from sublimely ridiculous start to the even more ridiculous finish.
 
James Stewart - It's a Wonderful Life and Harvey
Al Pacino - The Godfather (loved the way his character totally changed)
Jack Lemmon - The Days of Wine and Roses
Sigourney Weaver - Copycat
Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Johnny Depp - Edward ScissorhanRAB
 
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