Best Scene: Final speech.
4. Thomas Bo Larsen in Festen - Larsen is an expert lout however is effective in showing the intensity of his transitions later on both for better and worse.
Best Scene: Punishments.
3. Kiefer Sutherland in Dark City - Sutherland gives a strange but compelling portrayal of a man twisted by his very odd existence.
Best Scene: Teaching everything in but a moment.
2. Donald Sutherland in Without Limits - Sutherland Sr. steals his film by making a potentially standard coach role stand out, and utterly his own.
Best Scene: Eulogy.
1. Jim Caviezel in The Thin Red Line - The question wasn't if Caviezel would top this lineup but rather how I would decide on what Thin Red Line performer for the win. As Nolte, Koteas, Penn and Caviezel are all brilliant in portraying the different and distinct perspective of each of their soldiers so powerfully. And honestly it is a toss up till this point I've toyed with putting Caviezel in lead to make it *slightly* easier, which I actually don't think is grievous fraud since Witt's story bookends the film and is a consistent presence throughout. Anyway forgetting that for a moment, the top four are the top four, though to say it is set in stone is hard to say.
Best Scene: The hut.
Next: 1977 Lead
37 comments:
Fernando Rey - Elisa, Vida Mia
Bruno S. - Stroszek
Boris Plotnikov - The Ascent
Rutger Hauer/Jeroen Krabbé - Soldier Of Orange
William Devane - Rolling Thunder
Alt. Richard Chamberlain - The Last Wave
Bonus: Bruno Ganz - The American Friend
Jesus Of Nazareth (Re-Watch)
Roots
The Duellists (Re-Watch)
The American Friend (Re-Watch)
The Goodbye Girl (Re-Watch)
Sorcerer (Re-Watch)
Annie Hall (Re-Watch)
Wizards
Pete's Dragon
The Ascent
Suspiria
Soldier Of Orange
That Obscure Object Of Desire
Elisa, Vida Mía
Stroszek
Man Of Marble
3 Women
Opening Night
Looking For Mr. Goodbar
Madame Rosa
The Lacemaker
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden
The Last Wave
Sleeping Dogs
Iphigenia
House
Jabberwocky
The Hunters
Bobby Deerfield
One Sings, The Other Doesn’t
Peppermint Soda
The Report
Pumping Iron
Between The Lines
The Serpent’s Egg
The Devil Probably
The Man Who Loved Women
Padre Padrone
Baxter, Vera Baxter
Iodo
Office Romance
The Lorry
Short Eyes
Candleshoe
Islands In The Stream
Heroes
Alucarda
Ballad Of Orin
Rabid
The Hills Have Eyes
The Sentinel
Desperate Living
Sette Note In Nero
Capricorn One
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Alice Or The Last Escapade
Demon Seed
Shock
The Gauntlet
Perfumed Nightmare
Rituals
The Deep
Executioners From Shaolin
False Face
Valentino
Twilight's Last Gleaming
Tomorrow I'll Wake Up And Scald Myself With Tea
Handle With Care
The Forbidden Room
The Heroin Busters
I Nuovi Mostri
Joseph Andrews
Roseland
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the lead performances. Ratings and thoughts on the supporting performances with a 3.5 or higher.
And any updates to the Female rankings with ratings.
Louis: Ahhh 1977 My most anticipated year, potentially so many hidden gems.
Luke: Just imagine Louis watching Pete's Dragon, Suspiria and House back to back, biggest acid trip of his life lol.
I’m actually predicting John Gielgud to take 1977 in a surprise bonus review for Providence.
My biggest hope is Keitel going up for The Duellists.
Michael McCarthy and Luke: BTW have you both seen Looking for Mr Goodbar? because i am desperate to hear what Louis will say about....that scene....
The Best Actress winner is really up for debate as well.
Louis: where would you rank the casts of Great Expectations and SLC Punk!?
Along with Louis Wolheim, Laurence Olivier and Bradley Cooper, Nolte is another name who had a golden year in being at the top in lead and supporting.
Louis: Lowest 3 on this list?
No complaints with Nolte taking it, although reading the reviews, I was expecting a Penn/Caviezel tie.
Louis: Your favorite Cobra Kai scenes from the show so far? I think some of mine are:
Reading Mr. Miyagi's last letter
Silver betrays Kreese
"I love you too Robby"
Hawk vs. Robby
Cafeteria Fight
Tory's flashback (recency bias sure, but List is just incredible)
Medal of Honor argument
Daniel vs. Silver
Johnny tells Miguel about Robby's birth
Meeting Chozen again
Louis: Rating and thoughts on...
The cast of The Spanish Prisoner
Berenger, Duvall & RDJ in The Gingerbread Man
Gillian Anderson and James Gandolfini in The Mighty
Sheryl Lee, Daniel Baldwin & Thomas Ian Griffith in Vampires
Bruno Ganz in American Friend and John Gielgud in Providence as Bonus
Robert De Niro in New York, New York
Fernando Rey in That Obscure Object of Desire
Roy Scheider in Sorcerer
Bruno S in Stroszek
I will also support a Gielgud review if he's a possible five.
Rating and thoughts on Gary Oldman in Quest For Camelot.
Louis: Would Kathy Burke in Elizabeth be in your Supporting Actress ranking. You gave her a 4 when you saw it.
Ratings and thoughts on Katrin Cartlidge in Claire Dolan and Sandrine Bonnaire in Secret Defense.
Louis: If you have time to watch either Jesus Of Nazareth or Roots then please watch the former as I've been wanting to get your opinion on Powell for awhile and decide who's the best Jesus between him and Dafoe.
And with 1977, I predict 7 wins for Star Wars and 3-4 for The Duellists.
Nick Nolte just got a massive glow up on here.
Perfectionist: What I've always loved about the blog, gives even his lesser favourites their fair dues.
RatedRStar: Apologies for the late reply, Best Actress looks very strong on paper. Duvall, Spacek and Rowlands are definite fives. Keaton, Signoret and Huppert are strong possibilities as well.
My expectations for Supporting Actor are rather low. Like 78, Be lucky to get a lineup.
Have some suggestion
Rutger hauer the hitcher
Jean gabin Alain Delon e lino ventura le clan des sicilienes
Gian Maria Volonté giordano bruno
Gene hackman twice in a Life time
Donald Sutherland oviri
Louis: You haven't updated the 1998 nominees ranking yet.
Louis: Is it safe to assume Caviezel would have been your win in Lead?
One of the weirdest movies. With one of the weirdest performers of all time.
Håkan Serner in Bang! directed by the master full director Jan Troell is my rec.
This is his most autobiographical films.
Louis: What are the most common recurring themes you noticed across the films of 1998, and what do you think of it as a year in cinema overall?
Any changes to your Actress and Supporting Actress top 10s, Louis?
Glad to see Nolte take the win.
Luke:
Rea - 4.5(Most of the greatness of his performance actually is in his narration where he brings such an essential comic nuance that better than any element in the film sells the story's very unwieldy tone. He's also good though as the exhausted and completely lost father. Portraying the random moments of horribleness, to warmth, to just being completely destroyed by his world, creating this natural flow within a seemingly singular state. Of just being a broken man who changes slightly but is always as broken. He's also good in his last scene as his other character, where he doesn't just repeat the father, rather brings the narrator to live action life quite nicely as a finally darkly comic statement.)
Song, Choi & Park - 4(All are good in playing their different comedic beats. Park being the straightforward domineering man only caring about money and bringing into each scene this right kind of horribleness of a man whose only annoyed by the problems that get in the way of his questionable business decisions. Choi & Song are a bit of a duo of comedic incompetents, though a bit differently in each instance as Choi brings a bit of a light hopeful quality as the closest to a "good" character in the film, where Song plays up the idiotic sleaze in contrast quite wonderfully. And more than anything it is a bit of treat to see the two, who would become such commanding leading men, be such comic fools.)
Knaup - 4(Brings an effective intensity in his scenes that creates the different vibes of his character quite effectively, in being basically different levels of horribleness in terms of what we see in his reactions to his daughter, sometimes just hating her, to kind of caring, to being just confused, however in every instance Knaup captures this specific reflection effectively.)
Gazzara - 4(I mean he plays horrible, quite effectively, in just bringing this cold viciousness though with this casual ease of a man who just is this bad father, and plays it with these grumpy asides. That is with combination though with a sleazy old man trying to charm his "daughter in law" and being lecherous towards her too. All contrasted nicely by his song scene, that is just beautifully done in his lip-synching filled with so much joy and hope of a dream, that we see crumbled at some point leaving just a miserable man behind.)
Farmer - 4(Gives an effective portrayal of the "failed" father in showing the moments of genuine care mixed in with the moments of genuine regret. Farmer brings a great natural quality to his work that makes his moments of just seeing sweet and humble dad, seem just as honest as the ones of the abusive or neglectful alcoholic. He doesn't force any note, showing it all coming from the same imperfect man.)
Parks - 4(Just some off-beat work from him that brings a considerable charm in his particular way of doing things that just manages to make his scenes come to life with some much needed warmth in a film that is missing too often otherwise. Parks is the heart of the the film, though I'm not sure the film even knows that, but he makes himself as such rather nicely.)
Rennie - 3.5(Brings enough of a charm with the sleaze of the man wanting to just have sex with as many women as possible. Doesn't overplay either note to create at least an actual semblance of a man trying to figure out some kind of meaning behind it, even if he's also owning the base desire aspect of it fairly broadly as well.)
Cooper - 3.5(Brings just such an earnest warmth that makes his Joe so likable, and then makes it so heartbreaking when he ends up getting mistreated by Hawke's character. Just seems honest, something that isn't always the case with the film, but works with Cooper.)
De Niro - 3.5(Plays the two sides of the character well in first being genuinely dangerous in his early scenes that you believe him as a violent convict, then is the opposite as this friendly older man with kind of a wistful manner of just appreciating what his good deed has done for this young man. Again Hawke gives him nothing really in terms of truly making it something moving, but De Niro does his part regardless.)
Arkin - 3.5(Very Arkiny but in a way that works and brings the right comedic exasperation.)
Huster - 3.5(Brings an effective trollish energy to his performance consistently, with the right sort of wink in every interaction as he sees the suffering of our protagonists caused by their own choices.)
Radziwilowicz - 3.5(Although I think the film is far too gradual with his character, there is a certain effectiveness regardless in portraying the sort of calmness within the character's moral choices of a man who lives kind of without any kind of conflict within himself.)
Krumholtz - 3.5(Doing his sort of nerdy thing quite effectively here and plays the right comedic notes particularly in contrast to Arkin and Lyonne.)
Shaw - 3.5(Brings quite a bit of nuance to his performance actually in showing the quiet regrets his character is having and particularly the frustration of having to take the dive. I think the film kind of loses the character motivation later on but Shaw is very good in his focal point scene.)
Skarsgard - 3.5(Makes for a rock solid calm villain throughout, particularly his last scene in his face of realizes his extremely specific plan isn't going to work after all.)
Reno - 3.5(Basically a reprise of the professional though with less of the childlike qualities, but completely works as the calmer professional.)
Oldman - 2(Just doesn't appear to know what he is doing in any direction with his vocal work here, particularly when he tries to sing. Emphasis on tries. )
Lead:
1. Fernanda Montenegro - Central Station
2. Frankie Potente - Run Lola Run
3. Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth
4. Elodie Bouchez - The Dreamlife of Angels
5. Natacha Regnier - The Dreamlife of Angels
6. Christina Ricci - Buffalo '66
7. Christina Ricci - The Opposite of Sex -
8. Alexandra Dahlstrom - Show Me Love
9. Rebecka Liljeberg - Show Me Love
10. Louise Goodall - My Name is Joe
11. Manisha Koirala - Dil Se..
12. Robin Tunney - Niagara Niagara
13. Emily Watson - Hillary and Jackie
14. Shim Eun-ha - Christmas in August
15. Rachel Griffiths - Hillary and Jackie
16. Lisa Kudrow - The Opposite of Sex
17. Katrin Cartlidge - Claire Dolan
18. Sandrine Bonnaire in Secret Defense
19. Ally Sheedy - High Art
20. Natasha Lyonne - Slums of Beverly Hills
Supporting is unchanged.
Burke would have only been in the "and" section.
Ytrewq:
The Lock Stock Players.
Tahmeed:
Visiting Miyagi's grave
Silver betrays Kreese
Miyagi's last letter
Daniel and Johnny's first meeting
Daniel vs. Silver
Silver beating Stingray
Hawk vs. Robby
Chozen showing "no mercy"
Johnny and Chozen hating on then praising Daniel
Johnny and Tommy's final talk
Anonymous:
Martin - 3(I think he's entirely *fine* in being very un-Martin like, but I also don't think it is that notable of a performance beyond that. Although he does do just fine with Mamet's sometimes ropier lines.)
Berenger is in the movie. Might be Duvall's worst performance that I've seen, but he's actually entirely okay, it's just not a very good part as this "hideous dad". Downey gives his worst performance other than his turn as the Professor in The Sympathizer, as his accent is worse than Branagh, quite an accomplishment and just sticks out poorly within the film.
Gave thoughts on Lee. Baldwin is charisma deficient and where his character apparently is supposed to come off as as a romantic sort in some way, his performance doesn't really work as such in a way. Griffith, who I have only praised in his recent return to acting, is pretty terrible here. He just pretty much makes every possible overacting choice he can and is just consistently ridiculous.
Anonymous:
Cartlidge - (Her performance is really the only reason to watch the film, I still wouldn't recommend it though, as she approaches the role of the focal point prostitute never quite in the way you might expect, as she reacts to everything kind of an atypical way, except the ending. And what she does in this is create kind of this performance logic of someone who seals herself away most of the time expect the performance where she puts on the show, that is old, but still has enough "professionalism" to it. She falls flat but in a way that works in creating the state of who Claire is in her job that she treats as just another day. With the changes truly only leading in that final pivotal moment where we seem to see the real Claire quite clearly, which is beautifully performed. I don't think the film getting there is particularly compelling but Cartlidge earns the moment.)
Bonnaire - (Similar, very similar to Cartlidge, in that her performance too isn't quite an expected thing of someone seeking revenge and then getting too deep. As she gives such a passive performance within this, however that is kind of the overall problem with the film as everyone is passive, however Bonnaire finds an internal logic within her work as someone who becomes kind of lost in the past, then lost in her action. Creating this state of sort of broken reality of someone whose lost any grasp she had and works in exploring it. I think the film however would've been far more compelling if everyone else acted more presently around her, but I digress.)
Marcus:
Yes.
Tony:
I've seen another world: Truman Show, Dark City, Run Lola Run, The Thin Red Line, Buffalo '66, Eternity and a Day, What Drams May Come at different levels of literal and figurative.
Sins of the Past: American History X, Apt Pupil, Snake Eyes, The Ring, Buffalo '66, My Name is Joe Beloved and Specifically Sins of the Father: Smoke Signals, Croupier, He Got Game, The Celebration, The Mask of Zorro, The Prince of Egypt, Run Lola Run, Affliction, One True Thing, the Mighty, The Gingerbread Man, Secret Defense
Breaking out of one's role: Perfect Blue, The Thin Red Line, The Truman Show, Buffalo '66, The Mask of Zorro, A Simple plan, Dark City, Shakespeare in Love, Central Station, SLC Punk, The Prince of Egypt, Beast Cops, Twenty Four Seven, Christmas in August, Bugs Life, Mulan, American History X, Patch Adams, Rushmore, Pi, Armageddon, Meet Joe Black, Pleasantville, Show Me Love, Rounders, Ever After, Bulworth, 54, Little Voice, the Mighty and of course AIR BUD
Proper Bowling preparation: The Big Lebowski, Buffalo '66
Tony:
The year overall is definitely one defined for me by its strength in sort of the off-beaten path, because even The Thin Red Line, which is the easy peak of the year (and a peak in most years of cinema), was sadly the respected "also ran" at the Oscars without being in real contention. The favored films of Saving Private Ryan and Shakespeare in Love, I both like but I don't think are truly great. Then of course I don't like Elizabeth or Life is Beautiful. But the same is true for really a lot of the mainstream films. I mean I actively dislike a lot of the big hits, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Godzilla, Patch Adams, my favorite blockbuster (positioned as a blockbuster) is the Zorro reboot of all things. Most of my favorite films of the year though aren't the big hits, but I'd even say, beyond my top ten, I think the year is filled with more "good" films than great ones, with some examples being ones that either hit a more modest mark or are uneven in their attempts at greatness like Dark City and Saving Private Ryan. Although definitely a year with greatness, any year with The Thin Red Line is worthwhile, I do think it is a lesser year in the cinematic landscape overall.
Boris Plotnikov - The Ascent
Rutger Hauer/Jeroen Krabbé - Soldier Of Orange
William Devane - Rolling Thunder
Richard Chamberlain - The Last Wave
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