wow...I can't fucking wait
Watch the trailer here
Emmywatch Part II
I am now officially excited to see the HBO mini-series Elizabeth I with the always brilliant Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, which airs on Hallmark next month. The film picked up four Emmys including Best Mini-Series, Best Actress in TV Film and Supporting Actor in a TV film. I'm ok with the win for The Amazing Race but it's getting ridiculous that neither American Idol or Project Runway have won yet. I am thrilled that My Name is Earl got it's just desserts after the cruel snub in the series category by doing a Malcolm and winning both Directing and Writing for a Comedy for the brilliant Pilot episode. I was worried for a minute there that The Office would not prevail but I'm overjoyed that it managed to snag the Emmy. As for 24, well, it's been a long time coming. Very very pleased at it's wins, especially for a season that rivals the first as the best the show's produced: Easily the best moment of the whole ceremony.
And fuck yeah on the Piv's win. "Let's hug it out bitch!"
Full list of winners here.
Emmywatch
So the Emmys are this weekend and I thought I'd plough through the crap and make some predictions. Before I start I should clarify how the Emmy voting system works. Unlike other shows, the Emmys make those who vote sign a an affadavit saying they have watched the given sample episode(s) from each of the nominees. These sample episodes are chosen by the nominees, 1 episode for those in Lead, 2 for those in supporting, and each series picks 2 pairs of 6 episodes. Got it? ok
Drama Series
24
Grey's Anatomy
House
The Sopranos
The West Wing
We can start off by cutting House and The Sopranos from the list-neither have the tapes to win. House got in on the strenght of one great episode, 'Autopsy', and they don't really have anything else to offer. The Sopranos just isn't what it used to be and this years half-season had it's moments but didn't really stand up. That leaves The West Wing looking to get it's fifth (that'd be a record) win and 24 and Grey's Anatomy, neither of which have won before. The latter two will battle it out with the edge going to Grey's. 24 is always at a disadvantage at the Emmys since the stand-alone episode system doesn't work given the show's premise (people who don't watch regularly will just be confused). That leaves that annoying super-hit to clean up the awards with it's hit status, media attention and tapes that scream Emmy (particularly the two-parter It's the End of the World...As We Know It). Meaning that, yet again, the Emmys will be a celebration of medioctity.
Will Win: Grey's Anatomy
Dark Horse: The West Wing
Should Win (out of the nominees) : 24
Should Win (overall): Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men
This is actually a pretty great lineup, save for the hideous Two and a Half Men. Who'll win? Nothing's written in stone but The Office is the only show currently at it's peak- the second season was golden and they really could've picked any 6 episodes from the season and still had great submissions. Tapes wise, they're in the lead but look out for the only traditional sitcom of the bunch, Two and a Half Men, to possibly upset.
Will Win: The Office
Dark Horse: Two and a Half Men
Should Win (out of the nominees) : The Office
Should Win (overall): The Office
Best Actor-Drama
Peter Krause in Six Feet Under
Denis Leary in Rescue Me
Christopher Meloni in Law and Order: SVU
Martin Sheen in The West Wing
Kiefer Sutherland in 24
I pretty much like this everyone this category, they've all been great at one point or another during the entire runs of their shows. Looking at the tapes it seems like Denis Leary's brilliant work on his show might just take the win. Which is wild since even his nomination wasn't a sure thing. His tape, the second season finale (which should air on AXN in the next few weeks), is everything an actor needs: big drama (his son is killed), range (he goes from grief to anger to quiet realisation) and empathy (the last scene is a killer). Sheen is the other popular choice for the win since, despite being the star of a show that's won 4 times and that has a cast that has together amassed 8 emmys in 5 years, he has never once won. I hope this won't happen since his placement here is ridiculous since he was hardly there this whole season.
Will Win: Denis Leary
Dark Horse: Martin Sheen and Peter Krause (I'm going out on a limb)
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Denis Leary
Should Win (overall): Michael C. Hall in Six Feet Under
Best Actress-Drama
Frances Conroy in Six Feet Under
Geena Davis in Commander in Chief
Mariska Hargitay in Law and Order: SVU
Allison Janney in The West Wing
Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer
This category blows chunks. Fucking big ass chunks. Geena Davis? Kyra Sedgwick? Hargitay? zzzzzzzz. I love Allison Janney but she's won FOUR of these...however, if anything holds true with the Emmys: If you've won once, you'll win again. My heart goes to Frances Conroy but her submission, the show's emotional series finale 'Everyone's Waiting', didn't really give the voters what they like. Janney seems like she's headed for the win yet again with a great tape in 'Institutional Memory'. Sedgwick could possibly upset in a situation quite like Patricia Arquette's surprise victory last year, since her show has ardent fans.
Will Win: Allison Janney
Dark Horse: Kyra Sedgwick
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Frances Conroy
Should Win (overall): Frances Conroy
Best Actor-Comedy
Steve Carrell in The Office
Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm
Kevin James in The King of Queens
Tony Shaloub in Monk
Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men
Shaloub is the only previous victor here, having won twice, so it's up to a newbie. There are only two good nominees here: Larry David playing himself and Steve Carrell rounding out a hell of a year. The noms for James and Sheen are big gaping holes of what the fuck. It seems like, by some fluke, the man who really deserves it will walk away with the win. Carrell probably should've submitted 'Booze Cruise' which gave his character some much-needed sympathy, but 'The Injury' where his character burns his foot on a George Forman grill is hilarious and will probably end up putting an Emmy in his hands.
Will Win: Steve Carrell
Dark Horse: Steve Carrell
Should Win (out of the nominees): Steve Carrell
Should Win (overall): Steve Carrell
Best Actress-Comedy
Stockard Channing in Out of Practice
Jane Kaczmerak in Malcolm in the Middle
Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The New Adventures of Old Christine
Debra Messing in Will and Grace
Another wtf lineup. Dreyfus is the only one of the five whose show returns for another season with both Malcolm and Will and Grace having given their swan songs and both and The Comeback and Out of Practice being put out of their own misery. Kaczmerak looks like she's finally set for the win after 6 straight losses in years before. Her submission, 'Lois Knows Best', is very well liked. So is Kudrow's, who gives a brilliant performance on a terrible show and is terrific in her tape, 'Valerie Does Another Classic Leno'. Watch out for her to sneak up behind Kaczmerak. That said, Kaczmerak is the only woman of the five to have never won an Emmy for anything which could very well help the sympathy votes usher in.
Will Win: Jane Kaczmerak
Dark Horse: Lisa Kudrow
Should Win (out of the nominees): Lisa Kudrow
Should Win (overall): MARY-LOUISE PARKER in WEEDS (!!!!!!!!!!)
Best Supporting Actor-Drama
Alan Alda in The West Wing
Michael Imperioli in The Sopranos
Gregory Itzin in 24
Oliver Platt in Huff
William Shatner in Boston Legal
First off, Imperioli and Platt are out. Past winner Imperioli didn't have much to do this year and Platt's show isn't well known and he doesn't really have the tapes. Of the other three, Alda could ride the coattails of a West Wing sweep but I feel the other two have a better chance. Itzin is downright chilling on 24 as President Logan-it is an electrifying performance that's reflected in the two episodes he submitted. His scene where he confronts his wife in the finale should get him an Emmy alone. But the emmys, for some unknown reason, have decided to honour Captain Kirk twice before for playing Denny Crane on Boston Legal, so who's to say they won't do it again?
Will Win: William Shatner/Alan Alda
Dark Horse: Gregory Itzin
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Gregory Itzin
Should Win (overall): Gregory Itzin
Best Supporting Actress-Drama
Candice Bergen in Boston Legal
Blythe Danner in Huff
Sandra Oh in Grey's Anatomy
Jean Smart in 24
Chandra Wilson in Grey's Anatomy
There's only one real standout in this lineup and that's Jean Smart who's five kinds of awesome as the First Lady on 24. Her tapes are pretty great but I fear that she doesn't have too much screentime in her first tape. Bergen has one good tape as does Globe winner Oh, but both of them don't have a killer second tape. Oh's co-star Chandra Wilson's tapes seem like winners. In her first tape she loses an old patient of hers and in the second gives birth while her husband lies on an operating table- tough stuff. Ultimately its a toss-up, and I'm going with...Wilson? Smart? Bergen? Oh?....Danner???
Will Win: Chandra Wilson
Dark Horse: Jean Smart or Sandra Oh
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Jean Smart
Should Win (overall): Jean Smart
Best Supporting Actor-Comedy
Will Arnett in Arrested Development
Bryan Cranston in Malcolm in the Middle
John Cryer in Two and a Half Men
Sean Hayes in Will and Grace
Jeremy Piven in Entourage
Let's get Arnett, Hayes and Cryer out of the way first. Arnett has one great tape and one that's so-so, so despite my absolute love for this nomination I'm going to pass on him. Hayes and Cryer's noms are horrible, as are they're tapes. The Piv is my pick of the year for his superlative performance as the agent Ari Gold, and both his tapes are killer. 'The Bat Mitzvah', where he balances being a father and an agent and 'Exodus', the best half-hour of comedy this year, where his plans to stage a coup at his agency go awry. I haven't seen Cranston's tapes but word is they should get him the emmy easily. Of these two men, I'll go with Cranston, since he and his show have passed their peak and I prefer Piven and if I've learned anything from watching the Emmy's those two are almost pre-requisites for winning an Emmy.
Will Win: Bryan Cranston/Jeremy Piven (Cranston's got the edge)
Dark Horse: Will Arnett
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Jeremy Piven
Should Win (overall): Jeremy Piven
Best Supporting Actress-Comedy
Cheryl Hines in Curb Your Enthusiasm
Megan Mullally in Will and Grace
Elizabeth Perkins in Weeds
Jaime Pressly in My Name is Earl
Alfre Woodard in Desperate Housewives
As long as the voters watch the tapes this race belongs to just one woman, Jaime Pressly. Pressly has managed to leave her Maxim model days behind and craft an inspird performance as Joy, Earl's trailer-trash ex-wife on My Name is Earl. My heart belongs to Elizabeth Perkin's lunatic bitch-fest on Weeds but she, like all the other nominees, seriously botched up her submission.
Will Win: Jaime Pressly
Dark Horse: Megan Mullally (due to sentiment)
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Elizabeth Perkins
Should Win (overall): Elizabeth Perkins
Drama Series
24
Grey's Anatomy
House
The Sopranos
The West Wing
We can start off by cutting House and The Sopranos from the list-neither have the tapes to win. House got in on the strenght of one great episode, 'Autopsy', and they don't really have anything else to offer. The Sopranos just isn't what it used to be and this years half-season had it's moments but didn't really stand up. That leaves The West Wing looking to get it's fifth (that'd be a record) win and 24 and Grey's Anatomy, neither of which have won before. The latter two will battle it out with the edge going to Grey's. 24 is always at a disadvantage at the Emmys since the stand-alone episode system doesn't work given the show's premise (people who don't watch regularly will just be confused). That leaves that annoying super-hit to clean up the awards with it's hit status, media attention and tapes that scream Emmy (particularly the two-parter It's the End of the World...As We Know It). Meaning that, yet again, the Emmys will be a celebration of medioctity.
Will Win: Grey's Anatomy
Dark Horse: The West Wing
Should Win (out of the nominees) : 24
Should Win (overall): Battlestar Galactica
Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men
This is actually a pretty great lineup, save for the hideous Two and a Half Men. Who'll win? Nothing's written in stone but The Office is the only show currently at it's peak- the second season was golden and they really could've picked any 6 episodes from the season and still had great submissions. Tapes wise, they're in the lead but look out for the only traditional sitcom of the bunch, Two and a Half Men, to possibly upset.
Will Win: The Office
Dark Horse: Two and a Half Men
Should Win (out of the nominees) : The Office
Should Win (overall): The Office
Best Actor-Drama
Peter Krause in Six Feet Under
Denis Leary in Rescue Me
Christopher Meloni in Law and Order: SVU
Martin Sheen in The West Wing
Kiefer Sutherland in 24
I pretty much like this everyone this category, they've all been great at one point or another during the entire runs of their shows. Looking at the tapes it seems like Denis Leary's brilliant work on his show might just take the win. Which is wild since even his nomination wasn't a sure thing. His tape, the second season finale (which should air on AXN in the next few weeks), is everything an actor needs: big drama (his son is killed), range (he goes from grief to anger to quiet realisation) and empathy (the last scene is a killer). Sheen is the other popular choice for the win since, despite being the star of a show that's won 4 times and that has a cast that has together amassed 8 emmys in 5 years, he has never once won. I hope this won't happen since his placement here is ridiculous since he was hardly there this whole season.
Will Win: Denis Leary
Dark Horse: Martin Sheen and Peter Krause (I'm going out on a limb)
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Denis Leary
Should Win (overall): Michael C. Hall in Six Feet Under
Best Actress-Drama
Frances Conroy in Six Feet Under
Geena Davis in Commander in Chief
Mariska Hargitay in Law and Order: SVU
Allison Janney in The West Wing
Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer
This category blows chunks. Fucking big ass chunks. Geena Davis? Kyra Sedgwick? Hargitay? zzzzzzzz. I love Allison Janney but she's won FOUR of these...however, if anything holds true with the Emmys: If you've won once, you'll win again. My heart goes to Frances Conroy but her submission, the show's emotional series finale 'Everyone's Waiting', didn't really give the voters what they like. Janney seems like she's headed for the win yet again with a great tape in 'Institutional Memory'. Sedgwick could possibly upset in a situation quite like Patricia Arquette's surprise victory last year, since her show has ardent fans.
Will Win: Allison Janney
Dark Horse: Kyra Sedgwick
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Frances Conroy
Should Win (overall): Frances Conroy
Best Actor-Comedy
Steve Carrell in The Office
Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm
Kevin James in The King of Queens
Tony Shaloub in Monk
Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men
Shaloub is the only previous victor here, having won twice, so it's up to a newbie. There are only two good nominees here: Larry David playing himself and Steve Carrell rounding out a hell of a year. The noms for James and Sheen are big gaping holes of what the fuck. It seems like, by some fluke, the man who really deserves it will walk away with the win. Carrell probably should've submitted 'Booze Cruise' which gave his character some much-needed sympathy, but 'The Injury' where his character burns his foot on a George Forman grill is hilarious and will probably end up putting an Emmy in his hands.
Will Win: Steve Carrell
Dark Horse: Steve Carrell
Should Win (out of the nominees): Steve Carrell
Should Win (overall): Steve Carrell
Best Actress-Comedy
Stockard Channing in Out of Practice
Jane Kaczmerak in Malcolm in the Middle
Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The New Adventures of Old Christine
Debra Messing in Will and Grace
Another wtf lineup. Dreyfus is the only one of the five whose show returns for another season with both Malcolm and Will and Grace having given their swan songs and both and The Comeback and Out of Practice being put out of their own misery. Kaczmerak looks like she's finally set for the win after 6 straight losses in years before. Her submission, 'Lois Knows Best', is very well liked. So is Kudrow's, who gives a brilliant performance on a terrible show and is terrific in her tape, 'Valerie Does Another Classic Leno'. Watch out for her to sneak up behind Kaczmerak. That said, Kaczmerak is the only woman of the five to have never won an Emmy for anything which could very well help the sympathy votes usher in.
Will Win: Jane Kaczmerak
Dark Horse: Lisa Kudrow
Should Win (out of the nominees): Lisa Kudrow
Should Win (overall): MARY-LOUISE PARKER in WEEDS (!!!!!!!!!!)
Best Supporting Actor-Drama
Alan Alda in The West Wing
Michael Imperioli in The Sopranos
Gregory Itzin in 24
Oliver Platt in Huff
William Shatner in Boston Legal
First off, Imperioli and Platt are out. Past winner Imperioli didn't have much to do this year and Platt's show isn't well known and he doesn't really have the tapes. Of the other three, Alda could ride the coattails of a West Wing sweep but I feel the other two have a better chance. Itzin is downright chilling on 24 as President Logan-it is an electrifying performance that's reflected in the two episodes he submitted. His scene where he confronts his wife in the finale should get him an Emmy alone. But the emmys, for some unknown reason, have decided to honour Captain Kirk twice before for playing Denny Crane on Boston Legal, so who's to say they won't do it again?
Will Win: William Shatner/Alan Alda
Dark Horse: Gregory Itzin
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Gregory Itzin
Should Win (overall): Gregory Itzin
Best Supporting Actress-Drama
Candice Bergen in Boston Legal
Blythe Danner in Huff
Sandra Oh in Grey's Anatomy
Jean Smart in 24
Chandra Wilson in Grey's Anatomy
There's only one real standout in this lineup and that's Jean Smart who's five kinds of awesome as the First Lady on 24. Her tapes are pretty great but I fear that she doesn't have too much screentime in her first tape. Bergen has one good tape as does Globe winner Oh, but both of them don't have a killer second tape. Oh's co-star Chandra Wilson's tapes seem like winners. In her first tape she loses an old patient of hers and in the second gives birth while her husband lies on an operating table- tough stuff. Ultimately its a toss-up, and I'm going with...Wilson? Smart? Bergen? Oh?....Danner???
Will Win: Chandra Wilson
Dark Horse: Jean Smart or Sandra Oh
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Jean Smart
Should Win (overall): Jean Smart
Best Supporting Actor-Comedy
Will Arnett in Arrested Development
Bryan Cranston in Malcolm in the Middle
John Cryer in Two and a Half Men
Sean Hayes in Will and Grace
Jeremy Piven in Entourage
Let's get Arnett, Hayes and Cryer out of the way first. Arnett has one great tape and one that's so-so, so despite my absolute love for this nomination I'm going to pass on him. Hayes and Cryer's noms are horrible, as are they're tapes. The Piv is my pick of the year for his superlative performance as the agent Ari Gold, and both his tapes are killer. 'The Bat Mitzvah', where he balances being a father and an agent and 'Exodus', the best half-hour of comedy this year, where his plans to stage a coup at his agency go awry. I haven't seen Cranston's tapes but word is they should get him the emmy easily. Of these two men, I'll go with Cranston, since he and his show have passed their peak and I prefer Piven and if I've learned anything from watching the Emmy's those two are almost pre-requisites for winning an Emmy.
Will Win: Bryan Cranston/Jeremy Piven (Cranston's got the edge)
Dark Horse: Will Arnett
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Jeremy Piven
Should Win (overall): Jeremy Piven
Best Supporting Actress-Comedy
Cheryl Hines in Curb Your Enthusiasm
Megan Mullally in Will and Grace
Elizabeth Perkins in Weeds
Jaime Pressly in My Name is Earl
Alfre Woodard in Desperate Housewives
As long as the voters watch the tapes this race belongs to just one woman, Jaime Pressly. Pressly has managed to leave her Maxim model days behind and craft an inspird performance as Joy, Earl's trailer-trash ex-wife on My Name is Earl. My heart belongs to Elizabeth Perkin's lunatic bitch-fest on Weeds but she, like all the other nominees, seriously botched up her submission.
Will Win: Jaime Pressly
Dark Horse: Megan Mullally (due to sentiment)
Should Win (out of the nominees) : Elizabeth Perkins
Should Win (overall): Elizabeth Perkins
Who's Next?
I'm feeling it...
Arun Ashwini Asvajit Bianca Danielle Hiran Juhani Kanya Natasha Subha Twiggy Vicknesh Yanik
are you?
Arun Ashwini Asvajit Bianca Danielle Hiran Juhani Kanya Natasha Subha Twiggy Vicknesh Yanik
are you?
As always, thank you to Yanik (and Bianca) and Indi for the photographs
Me and Zooey McGee??
Excuse the horrible title of this post but I needed something. I'm sure you've already read this everywhere else on the interweb, but Zooey Deschanel will be playing Janis Joplin in the long-planned bio-pic titled Piece of My Heart. While I'm not ecstatic about the news, I do think Deschanel is a better fit than also-rans Renee Zellweger and Pink. None of the three really fit the role but Deschanel has something in her that tells me she could do it. And really, all I'm thankful for is that it's not some 2-bit pop star or a (used-to-be-great) actress who looks she'd fly away in the wind. It is a shame that Courtney Love got fucked up again, since she could nail this: voice, experience, looks and, most importantly, a fuckload of talent (don't act like The People Vs Larry Flynt never happened). Even my beloved Frances McDormand, but she's probably too old for the part.Anyway, I digress, the real focus of this post is to profess my love for Zooey Deschanel. I always knew I liked her and I always knew she was special but it was only yesterday, while steering through the ultimate shit-storm of a movie, that it all clicked. My first major date with Zooey at the cinema was most people's first as well, her brilliant work in All the Real Girls where she gave a touching and elegiac performance. After that, critical kudos followed and Zooey's profile became more popular resulting in small but funny roles as the sidekick or girlfriend in big studio comedies like Elf, Big Trouble, Hitchhiker's Guide, etc. Now, I know I should be crying out for her to get roles with some meat on them (which she finally is) but it was in all these little roles in bad films (and sometimes good ones like Almost Famous and The Good Girl) that my heart grew fonder. I finally fell for her yesterday when I saw the aforementioned crapsterpiece Failure to Launch with that visionary thespian Matthew McConaughey front and centre. I wasn't really expecting that much of anything from the film, until Zooey walked on playing that stock Rom-Com role of the weird roommate. Zooey never lets that get her down though, single-handedly elevating the sub-par material and giving the film it's only laughs. She's a gem and I ♥ her. Next up for her is a film that seems to star every actor I love, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (is that not a stunning title?). So everyone go see the movie at the end of the year or just rent any of the previously mentioned films (All the Real Girls! All the Real Girls!) and say hi to my new girlfriend Ms. Zooey Deschanel.
Top 100 Male Performances 2000-05 Part III
and so it continues...
80. Paul Bettany, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Bettany makes his second appearance in the top 100 with his subtle and quietly breathtaking work in Master and Commander. As Dr. Stephen Maturin Bettany finds the perfect role, he takes the character and imbues him with an intelligence and humour that may have been lost in the hands of another. He never misses a beat, finding a perfect balance with Russell Crowe, thus making the film a perfect balancing act between the two men. Master and Commander has a tendency to meander and Peter Wier seems to be an overkill mode throughout but Bettany always has his eye on the goal, grounding the film with a sense of reality. Then there's the scene where he operates on himself....wow.
79. Jamie Foxx, Collateral
The other Foxx performance of 2004 was indeed rewarded with an Academy Award nomination but in the WRONG category, by no stretch of the imagination is this a supporting role. Foxx is, without a doubt, the lead of Collateral, and rightly so, gone are the tics of his work in Ray instead replaced by an actor presenting a real character. Foxx's Max is a man who holds certain ideals close to him and lives his life the best way he knows how, suddenly thrown into a situation where he's in over his head. The actor gives a calm and quiet performance, allowing his co-star to soak up the spotlight with the flashier role. That isn't to say that Foxx doesn't stand out, in fact his workman-like performance is the real gem of the piece: perfectly in step with Michael Mann's vision of the urban vastness of Los Angeles. Jamie Foxx is a man with an insufferable ego who can easily grate on an audience but in this film, stripped of his 'look at me!' attitude, he gives a performance that easily justifies his star status.
78. Naseeruddin Shah, Monsoon Wedding
What's not to love about this film? Mira Nair's film is positively bursting with joy, and Shah is right at the centre. The veteran actor embraces his role of befuddled father and brings out the joy and warmth in Sabrina Dhawan's screenplay. He mixes the high comedy and dramatic gravitas of his role expertly, grabbing the audience and refusing to let go. A work that will bring a smile to your face and leave you in tears by the end.
77. Hugh Grant, About a Boy
Who'd have thought Hugh Grant had this in him? 8 years after he exploded on the scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant finally proves to us that there's a real actor hiding in there. While Grant's Will is hardly new territory for the actor: the self-conscious tics and stammering are still there, but Grant adds an acidic edge to the whole act. The greatness lies in how it is not only Grant relying on these tics but Will Freeman himself and when the character is forced to break out of his constraints Grant does too. His remarkably charming performance helps carry the movie and, alongside the Weitz brothers' brilliant screenplay and great supporting work from Toni Collette, keep it far and away from becoming the cutesy, sentimental fair it could've so easily have been.
76. Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
You know you're doing something right when your starring opposite the biggest movie star in the world and you're the one everyone's talking about and that's just what happened to Ken Watanabe here. While Cruise sleepwalks through his role, Watanabe stands on the screen dripping in charisma. His Katsumoto is a stoic symbol of a dying Japanese culture: commanding and understanding. Watanabe is in complete control of the audience and it is quickly apparent that this is a star we are watching. He's so good he makes you forget just how horrifyingly awful the film really is-- and that is quite a feat.
75. Russell Crowe, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Crowe and I have a love/hate relationship. See, I'm all for Crowe of the late 90s, the charismatic actor in L.A. Confidential and The Insider, but I couldn't run further away from the Crowe of this decade, the pompous, arrogant movie star of terrible films like A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and Gladiator. So it was a pleasant surprise when the Crowe I once admired was back in Peter Wier's adaptation of two Patrick O'Brien novels. The actor gives a brilliant, understated turn as Jack Aubrey, exuding charisma but never showboating. Its hard to find performances that are this intelligent. Crowe and Wier work perfectly in synch, creating a classic hero with all the trappings but always keeping him in the realm of reality.
74. Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot
Its easy to make the mistake, when watching most movies, that in order to be a child actor one must not have any talent whatsoever. Hollywood is littered with kids who couldn't act out of a paper bag so when someone this special pops up its time to sit up and take notice. Jamie Bell is, of course, no longer a child at 20 but he was a mere 14 when he gave this terrific performance. Under the guidance of director Stephen Daldry, Bell infuses the film with its inspiring spirit- he's at the core of this story and for it to work in any capacity, the performance had to be nothing short of fantastic. Bell is admirably up to the task and manages not only to hold his own against acting greats like Julie Walters but to show them up from time to time, proving that perhaps he too will one day be just as esteemed.
73. David Carradine, Kill Bill, Volume 2
It couldn't have been an easy task playing the titular character in Quentin Tarantino's gargantuan film, not only was there the expectation of a new QT film- this was the second part and after the whirlwind of Volume 1, expectations were sky high for the second volume. There's also the small matter that we never saw Carradine's face in that first film, only that sandpaper voice ordering people around and, even then, only for a few minutes. But Carradine delivers the goods without breaking a sweat: his Bill is cool, calm, funny and warm- from that first scene onwards, Carradine shows the audience why the Bride trusted him in the first place, all the while never forgetting to remind us just how sinister Bill really is. Carradine instantly suggests the nature of his relationship with Bride and creates a complexity that I feel may not have been there on paper. He is devious, devilish and quiet- giving a quintessential Tarantinoian performance. The very definition of cool.
72. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator
The success of The Aviator is often attributed to one man: the GREAT Martin Scorsese and sometimes that bracket is stretched to include Cate Blanchett. Poor ol' DiCaprio is often left out in the cold, like a distant (and ugly) third cousin. This is highly unfortunate (and foolish) as the film would be nowhere near as good as it is without DiCaprio's contribution. The performance is important in many ways: amongst them were the public finally getting why Scorsese had decided that his new De Niro would be DiCaprio and the acceptance of DiCaprio as a serious actor yet again. Another reason is because it is a damn good performance. The actor acutely maps out Howard Hughes' rise into the world of the rich and famous, his searing ambition and his eventual fall into mental disarray due to OCD. In scenes like the one in which Hughes locks himself in the car all the while creeping into dementia, or the heartbreaking scene where Blanchett's Katharine Hepburn comes to visit Hughes, whose locked himself up in his room, DiCaprio is downright chilling. The Aviator gives solid proof that Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a bona fide movie star but one of the best actors of his generation.
71. Owen Wilson, Zoolander
Owen Wilson, like most of the 'big' comics, has a film persona that he rarely deviates from, that of the laid back stoner. The difference between his shtick as opposed to, say, Ben Stiller's is that Wilson's never feels like it. He has the uncanny ability to read every line in a fresh and new way and constantly surprise his audience. Zoolander marks the birth, if not the zenith, of this persona. Wilson plays Hansel, the new top male model who's "so hot right now", and embraces the character completely. He never condescends or tries to explain and even though Stiller has the 'funnier' character, its Wilson who gets the laughs. A truly inspired comic turn.
[click here for the full list, so far, of Arun's Top 100 Male Performances from 2000 to 2005]
80. Paul Bettany, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Bettany makes his second appearance in the top 100 with his subtle and quietly breathtaking work in Master and Commander. As Dr. Stephen Maturin Bettany finds the perfect role, he takes the character and imbues him with an intelligence and humour that may have been lost in the hands of another. He never misses a beat, finding a perfect balance with Russell Crowe, thus making the film a perfect balancing act between the two men. Master and Commander has a tendency to meander and Peter Wier seems to be an overkill mode throughout but Bettany always has his eye on the goal, grounding the film with a sense of reality. Then there's the scene where he operates on himself....wow.
79. Jamie Foxx, Collateral
The other Foxx performance of 2004 was indeed rewarded with an Academy Award nomination but in the WRONG category, by no stretch of the imagination is this a supporting role. Foxx is, without a doubt, the lead of Collateral, and rightly so, gone are the tics of his work in Ray instead replaced by an actor presenting a real character. Foxx's Max is a man who holds certain ideals close to him and lives his life the best way he knows how, suddenly thrown into a situation where he's in over his head. The actor gives a calm and quiet performance, allowing his co-star to soak up the spotlight with the flashier role. That isn't to say that Foxx doesn't stand out, in fact his workman-like performance is the real gem of the piece: perfectly in step with Michael Mann's vision of the urban vastness of Los Angeles. Jamie Foxx is a man with an insufferable ego who can easily grate on an audience but in this film, stripped of his 'look at me!' attitude, he gives a performance that easily justifies his star status.
78. Naseeruddin Shah, Monsoon Wedding
What's not to love about this film? Mira Nair's film is positively bursting with joy, and Shah is right at the centre. The veteran actor embraces his role of befuddled father and brings out the joy and warmth in Sabrina Dhawan's screenplay. He mixes the high comedy and dramatic gravitas of his role expertly, grabbing the audience and refusing to let go. A work that will bring a smile to your face and leave you in tears by the end.
77. Hugh Grant, About a Boy
Who'd have thought Hugh Grant had this in him? 8 years after he exploded on the scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grant finally proves to us that there's a real actor hiding in there. While Grant's Will is hardly new territory for the actor: the self-conscious tics and stammering are still there, but Grant adds an acidic edge to the whole act. The greatness lies in how it is not only Grant relying on these tics but Will Freeman himself and when the character is forced to break out of his constraints Grant does too. His remarkably charming performance helps carry the movie and, alongside the Weitz brothers' brilliant screenplay and great supporting work from Toni Collette, keep it far and away from becoming the cutesy, sentimental fair it could've so easily have been.
76. Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
You know you're doing something right when your starring opposite the biggest movie star in the world and you're the one everyone's talking about and that's just what happened to Ken Watanabe here. While Cruise sleepwalks through his role, Watanabe stands on the screen dripping in charisma. His Katsumoto is a stoic symbol of a dying Japanese culture: commanding and understanding. Watanabe is in complete control of the audience and it is quickly apparent that this is a star we are watching. He's so good he makes you forget just how horrifyingly awful the film really is-- and that is quite a feat.
75. Russell Crowe, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Crowe and I have a love/hate relationship. See, I'm all for Crowe of the late 90s, the charismatic actor in L.A. Confidential and The Insider, but I couldn't run further away from the Crowe of this decade, the pompous, arrogant movie star of terrible films like A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and Gladiator. So it was a pleasant surprise when the Crowe I once admired was back in Peter Wier's adaptation of two Patrick O'Brien novels. The actor gives a brilliant, understated turn as Jack Aubrey, exuding charisma but never showboating. Its hard to find performances that are this intelligent. Crowe and Wier work perfectly in synch, creating a classic hero with all the trappings but always keeping him in the realm of reality.
74. Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot
Its easy to make the mistake, when watching most movies, that in order to be a child actor one must not have any talent whatsoever. Hollywood is littered with kids who couldn't act out of a paper bag so when someone this special pops up its time to sit up and take notice. Jamie Bell is, of course, no longer a child at 20 but he was a mere 14 when he gave this terrific performance. Under the guidance of director Stephen Daldry, Bell infuses the film with its inspiring spirit- he's at the core of this story and for it to work in any capacity, the performance had to be nothing short of fantastic. Bell is admirably up to the task and manages not only to hold his own against acting greats like Julie Walters but to show them up from time to time, proving that perhaps he too will one day be just as esteemed.
73. David Carradine, Kill Bill, Volume 2
It couldn't have been an easy task playing the titular character in Quentin Tarantino's gargantuan film, not only was there the expectation of a new QT film- this was the second part and after the whirlwind of Volume 1, expectations were sky high for the second volume. There's also the small matter that we never saw Carradine's face in that first film, only that sandpaper voice ordering people around and, even then, only for a few minutes. But Carradine delivers the goods without breaking a sweat: his Bill is cool, calm, funny and warm- from that first scene onwards, Carradine shows the audience why the Bride trusted him in the first place, all the while never forgetting to remind us just how sinister Bill really is. Carradine instantly suggests the nature of his relationship with Bride and creates a complexity that I feel may not have been there on paper. He is devious, devilish and quiet- giving a quintessential Tarantinoian performance. The very definition of cool.
72. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator
The success of The Aviator is often attributed to one man: the GREAT Martin Scorsese and sometimes that bracket is stretched to include Cate Blanchett. Poor ol' DiCaprio is often left out in the cold, like a distant (and ugly) third cousin. This is highly unfortunate (and foolish) as the film would be nowhere near as good as it is without DiCaprio's contribution. The performance is important in many ways: amongst them were the public finally getting why Scorsese had decided that his new De Niro would be DiCaprio and the acceptance of DiCaprio as a serious actor yet again. Another reason is because it is a damn good performance. The actor acutely maps out Howard Hughes' rise into the world of the rich and famous, his searing ambition and his eventual fall into mental disarray due to OCD. In scenes like the one in which Hughes locks himself in the car all the while creeping into dementia, or the heartbreaking scene where Blanchett's Katharine Hepburn comes to visit Hughes, whose locked himself up in his room, DiCaprio is downright chilling. The Aviator gives solid proof that Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a bona fide movie star but one of the best actors of his generation.
71. Owen Wilson, Zoolander
Owen Wilson, like most of the 'big' comics, has a film persona that he rarely deviates from, that of the laid back stoner. The difference between his shtick as opposed to, say, Ben Stiller's is that Wilson's never feels like it. He has the uncanny ability to read every line in a fresh and new way and constantly surprise his audience. Zoolander marks the birth, if not the zenith, of this persona. Wilson plays Hansel, the new top male model who's "so hot right now", and embraces the character completely. He never condescends or tries to explain and even though Stiller has the 'funnier' character, its Wilson who gets the laughs. A truly inspired comic turn.
[click here for the full list, so far, of Arun's Top 100 Male Performances from 2000 to 2005]