Surprising Performance

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

Usually you come to expect certain things from certain actors. I always expect Gary Oldman to be awesome, and Hayden Christensen to be terrible. But every once in a while an actor gives a performance that surprises you one way or the other.

For instance, I've never though much of the ability of Steve Zahn, always thought he was mediocre at best. Then I saw him in Rescue Dawn, and thought he was absolutely brilliant.

 

[matrix_ghost]

Leonardo Di Caprio - THe Aviator ( the moment when i actually began to take him serious as an actor)

Shia LaBeouf - Disturbia ( ditto as with Leo)

Will post some more

 

[Octoberist]

Maybe this actor just surprised the living heck out of me, but Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. The movie was depressing but my lord, Michael Shannon alone was worth the ticket.

 

[That-Guy]

I always love it when I see an relatively unknown actor in the midst of a mostly-famous cast and really stand out. Examples:

Rebecca Hall - Vicky Christina Barcelona

Emily Mortimer - Transsiberian

Patrick Fugit - Almost Famous

 

[gwynplaine]

Maybe this actor just surprised the living heck out of me, but Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. The movie was depressing but my lord, Michael Shannon alone was worth the ticket.

Agreed. Great actor and great performance, he was my first choice for Freddy Krueger in the remake of NOES but I'm fine with JEH.

Also James Franco with Pineapple and Milk. I didn't know the guy was funny, let alone that he could pull off a dramatic performance like he did in Milk. if the Joker was ever recast (not that I would necessarly want it), I think he would be a interesting candidate, for his range and level of commitment to a role.

 

[Octoberist]

Rebbecca Hall was not only a surprise in Vicky Christina Barcelona, but she was more beautiful than Scarlett and Cruz.

It made so mad that she's not even on the DVD cover. Rebecca played Vicky; her name is in the freakin' title!

 

[That-Guy]

Rebbecca Hall was not only a surprise in Vicky Christina Barcelona, but she was more beautiful than Scarlett and Cruz.

It made so mad that she's not even on the DVD cover. Rebecca played Vicky; her name is in the freakin' title!

Yeah, that irritates me too. And no disrespect to Penelope Cruz, but if her performance in that film could win an oscar, then Rebecca should damn well have (at least) got a nomination!

*On that note, ever notice that it often seems like the performance that is the heart and soul of a movie is often the most overlooked?

 

[Octoberist]

Cruz did not even deserve that Oscar. She didn't do...a whole lot and she's done better work in her Spanish movies. It's so weird.

 

[Octoberist]

Yeah, that irritates me too. And no disrespect to Penelope Cruz, but if her performance in that film could win an oscar, then Rebecca should damn well have (at least) got a nomination!

*On that note, ever notice that it often seems like the performance that is the heart and soul of a movie is often the most overlooked?

I agree.

 

[Figs]

Penelope Cruz seems to almost play the same character in just about all the movies I've seen that she was in.

 

[xwolverine2]

pretty much anyone in Kill Bill vol2...lol

 

[enterthemadness]

JCVD in JCVD. Good movie, and better acting from him. He was never bad in the films I seen him in, but he's gotten better since doing DTV movies imo.

 

[Christmas]

Maybe this actor just surprised the living heck out of me, but Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. The movie was depressing but my lord, Michael Shannon alone was worth the ticket.

Agreed!

 

[SonikDeath]

Kirsten Dunst in Crazy/Beautiful.

 

[dude stannis]

Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight. I knew nothing about this guy before TDK so I was blown away by when this guy outshone the whole cast.

 

[Lone]

JCVD in JCVD. Good movie, and better acting from him. He was never bad in the films I seen him in, but he's gotten better since doing DTV movies imo.

QFT

 

[Punisher Rising]

Woody Harrelson in Natural Born Killers. Who knew he'd be so good at playing a homicidal lunatic.

 

[chaseter]

Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight. I knew nothing about this guy before TDK so I was blown away by when this guy outshone the whole cast.

Watch Thank You for Smoking.

 

[Dark Victory]

I'll probably catch a lot of flak for this....James McAvoy in Wanted.

 

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

I'll probably catch a lot of flak for this....James McAvoy in Wanted.

I totally agree, I hated the movie but thought he was good in it.

 

[xwolverine2]

I'll probably catch a lot of flak for this....James McAvoy in Wanted.

well its not like he was in anything else before that

 

[Octoberist]

xwolverine2..please watch more movies. (sobbing)

He was in Atonement and Last King of Scotland. Oscar nominated movies. (weeping)

 

[dude stannis]

Watch Thank You for Smoking.

I watched it shortly afterwards....

and punched myself in the head repeatedly for not seeing it earlier.

 

[That-Guy]

well its not like he was in anything else before that

Ummm... I hope you're being sarcastic.

Atonement, Narnia, The Last King of Scotland, Becoming Jane, State of Play...

 

[That-Guy]

Cruz did not even deserve that Oscar. She didn't do...a whole lot and she's done better work in her Spanish movies. It's so weird.

Yeah, that's the one thing that really ticks me off about the Oscars. They'll totally ignore a great performance by an actor or actress, and then give it to them for a role that wasn't nearly as significant or powerful.

The worst case of this (though it was in the reverse order) that I can remember was giving Russell Crowe and oscar for Gladiator but then not giving it to him for A Beautiful Mind. Granted, Gladiator was the better movie, but his performance in ABM was heartbreaking and powerful. He was great in Gladiator too, but that wasn't nearly as complicated of a role.