The Best Leading Film Performances of 2011
by George Watches Things
Female
Honorable mentions:
Catherine Deneuve (Potiche), Liana Liberato (Trust), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)
5. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Mara as Lisbeth Salander
I didn’t know where Lisbeth Salander began and where Rooney Mara ended. Sure, that can be said about a lot of the performances up here, but the range that Mara had to cover was enormous. The instances that sealed the deal for me: all the scenes with her most recent guardian, and the final shot.
4. Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
Dunst as Justine
Melancholia was weird. The good kind of weird you get when directors try big things. It could have been bad weird, though, had it not been for this very powerful and believable performance from its star (cosmic pun intended). The Dunst we saw in the first half was good and all, but it was the brilliance of her in the latter half that was amazing. The way she just slightly looses her cool and gets angry at her sister for being pathetic was glorious, and her half-depressed half-”I could care less, but I don’t care enough to” attitude was (ironically?) inspired.
3. Manjinder Virk (The Arbor)
Virk as Lorraine
I’d like to take a moment and congratulate the entire cast of The Arbor. I firmly believe they were the best overall cast at the movies this year, and their jobs were extra hard, since (for most of them) none of their real voices were put into the film. Manjinder Virk was the immediate standout for me, but not only because she had the most to do. She not only gets the lip-syncing right… her expressions throughout are fully emotional and occasionally heartbreaking. The Arbor requires its actors to become the character they’re portraying, and Virk does just that.
2. Juliette Binoche (Certified Copy)
Binoche as a character without a name in Certified Copy
I’ll talk about Certified Copy way more in depth next week, but I can tell you now that one of the things I’ll be praising is Juliette Binoche. There would be no movie without her. For those of you who were inspired by this film, go ahead and imagine it without her. Replace her with any other actress, even the most talented of them. See? It doesn’t work.
1. Yun Jung-Hee (Poetry)
Jung-Hee as Mija
Jung-Hee is our surrogate in Poetry. She is our window into all of these different worlds/plot lines. When I spoke typed about Rooney Mara earlier, I said that I didn’t know where her character began and she ended. But with Mija (Jung-Hee’s character), I didn’t know where what she was experiencing began and where what I was watching ended.
Male
Honorable mentions:
Steve Coogan (The Trip), Paul Giamatti (Win Win), Andreas Lust (The Robber), Hunter McCraken (The Tree of Life), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Luis Tosar (Even the Rain), Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins)
6. Asa Butterfield (Hugo)
Butterfield as Hugo Cabret
This was, for sure, the best underage performance of the year. The movie’s name is Hugo, and the main character’s name is Hugo. So, based on that information, I’d say that miscasting the role of Hugo would probably have been a huge mistake. Fortunately for everyone involved, they got it right. I’ll be rooting for Hugo on February 26. [Note: I listened to Filmspotting talk about my current #2 just before I posted this, and decided to push him into the top 5.]
5. John Boyega (Attack the Block)
Boyega (left) as Moses, with fellow Filmtooth semi-winner Jodie Whittaker (center) as Sam
Talk about a powerhouse performance. Boyega is angry in this movie, and I love that. Attack the Block gives him so much to do, it’s a miracle he pulls it off. I’m looking forward to the rest of his career.
4. Mikael Persbrandt (In a Better World)
Persbrandt as Anton
Persbrandt got slapped a good amount In a Better World, but each time, his reaction was perfect. I felt for the pacifist who was separated from his wife (for whom he still has feelings). I don’t usually like watching people stare at the distance, but I didn’t mind it when Persbrandt did it, because I was staring right there with him.
3. Tom Cullen/Chris New (Weekend)
Cullen (right) and New (left) play Russell and Glen, respectively
Honestly, I couldn’t pick just one. They are this film. You cannot hope to have a successful movie about a relationship if you don’t have all-in performances from the leads, and Weekend benefits from Cullen and New being beyond all-in. But more on that later.
2. Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Pitt as Billy Beane
This is the one. Last week, I was convinced that his best performance this year (and perhaps ever) was in The Tree of Life. But then I listened to Filmspotting, the movie podcast, and they reminded me about a part of the movie I completely forgot about. (For those of you that have seen it, think “coulda been.”) Something in my brain clicked, and Pitt went from being an honorable mention to being at #2. Now, before I name the best films of the year, I have some thinking to do regarding Moneyball.
1. Michael Parks (Red State)
Parks as Abin Cooper
Boy, do I have a hipster list. Seriously, all of these picks feel underground [with the exception of the late inclusion, Brad Pitt]. Especially my #1, Michael Parks. Say what you will of Red State (I happened to like it), but you must agree that Parks was committed to his role as the violent leader of a violent, anti-homosexual cult. He was mesmerizing and very powerful, sure, but my favorite scene of his was the final one. I suggest you go and see it (not only the scene, but the entire movie).
Viola Davis would have to be number one for me :D
I haven’t seen The Help (which I assume you’re referring to), and I only will if it gets a Best Picture nomination.
Spot on for Parks. He was the only one that was frighting in Red State. I think it was because he was so believable.
If I could add to your list (if that’s okay) I would add Jonah Hill from Moneyball and Shailene Woodley from The Descendants. I really liked their performance as well.
Hill made my supporting list, and I have yet to see The Descendants. Thanks!
I can’t believe I haven’t seen “Dragon” yet. Rooney must have done some job considering the shoes she had to fill. Brad Pitt was great in Moneyball too.
Mara wasn’t necessarily better than Rapace. They were very different portrayals, but I loved them both.
I love your list because it turns me on to performances I haven’t seen yet and therefore must check out.
I’m raising my granddaughter, so . . . . I saw Hugo and LOVED it. Until I get to see the other flicks, Hugo gets my vote. WE had read the book when it won the Caldecott Medal. The illustrations were wonderful and it worked for a film, too!
Hugo is one of my favorites of the year, and it’s a lock to be on my Top 10 list next week.
I definitely loved the kid in Hugo. His acting definitely pulled my emotional strings in some parts, I just felt so bad for his character. I really liked the actress in Poetry too, and not just because I’m Korean. I’ve watched many Kmovies and Kdramas and the problem with most of them is that there’s maybe like 2-3 “fresh” stories roughly every 5 years, I’d like to say, and everything else is a regurgitation of those same dramas/movies with slightly different twists and endings…basically making it feel like they’re not necessarily copies of each other so much as whoever wrote the borderline rip-off drama/movie just rewrote whatever they didn’t like of the original one. Kind of like fanfiction writing. Does that make any sense? Sorry if that was confusing.
I liked Brad’s acting in Moneyball too. He’s one of those strange actors in my mind though. I can’t put my finger on an exact adjective for him…sort of subtle, I guess? Like he stands out so quietly in certain films despite the fact that he’s one of those really well-known actors. I really liked him in Benjamin Button.
Anyway, the only person on your list I feel the need to raise my eyebrow at is Kirsten Dunst. (I haven’t seen many of the other actors in action nor have I watched those movies, so that is also part of the reason.) For some reason, I feel like Dunst always plays the same similar roles in every movie. That’s just me though. I haven’t seen Melancholia though, so I suppose I should at least check it out first (when I’m in a melancholy mood, ha-ha), but I’d only be surprised if I felt surprised by her acting watching it.
Attack the Block was an amazing film for being so low budget! Was well exciting. I can’t remember, but was it a Film4 film? Either way, was well worth the orange wednesday ticket.
Spot-on choices here!
[...] must confront Maja’s employer and her brother’s advances. And Persbrandt, who scored a top 5 leading actor finish last year, is great and very unlikable (in the Pitt-in-Tree of Life way) in the scene that requires him to [...]