Top 30 Film Performances of the Decade
While there are a lot of obvious choices here I do hope that this list is a nice and well rounded representation of the film performances that impressed me the most. A lot of the ones that happen to be considered the best of the decade really truly are. I am not going to give reasons for most of these; I just think they are all incredible performances. Thigns might change a bit when I see more of the films from this year but for now only one performance from this year made my list. I had to cut this down from 100 performances so these 30 are indeed special to me.
30. Cate Blanchett - Sheba Hart - Notes on a Scandal
I chose this performance over a few of her more noted performance. Even though she is amazing in The Aviator, I have always preferred this performance over any other. It is a very tough role to play and she does it beautifully. I also think she looks more stunning in this than in anything else she has done.
29. Gary Oldman - Shelly Runyon - The Contender
28. Kate Winslet - Clementine Kruczynski - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Very close to picking her performance in Little Children but ended up not.
27. Sam Rockwell - Glenn Marchand - Snow Angels
26. Mark Wahlberg - Tommy Corn - I Heart Huckabees
The only comedic performance on my list. For my money its the best comedic performance of the past ten years. I think he is brilliant in this.
25. Nicolas Cage - Charlie Kaufman/Donald Kaufman - Adaptation
24. Sean Penn - Harvey Milk - Milk
23. Birol Unel - Cahit - Gegen die Wand (Head-On)
22. Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Neil - Mysterious Skin
21. Sean Penn - Sam Bicke - The Assassination of Richard Nixon
20. Ulrich Muhe - Captain Gerd Weisler - Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
19. Brad Pitt - Jesse James - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
18. Laura Linney - Wendy Savage - The Savages
17. Christoph Waltz - Colonel Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds
16. Ryan Gosling - Dan Dunne - Half Nelson
15. Naomi Watts - Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn - Mulholland Dr.
I figured I would put up a picture of each character. The first is Diane's idealized version of herself. The way she once was perhaps. She gives herself talent, innocence and optimism and even the woman of her dreams in a situation where both parties are inexperienced, curious and vulnerable. In her own dream, she disturbingly does not give herself the name Diane but in fact renames herself. Then we have the real thing; Diane. Essentially the opposite of Betty. As we see how Diane's life and Betty's life do not match up, we can see how tragic Diane is and it is Watts' performance that really gets under your skin in the way that she juxtaposes the two characters.
14. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote - Capote
Almost went with Owning Mahoney or Before the Devil Knows You're Dead but in the end I could not pick anything else but this.
13. Jeff Daniels - Bernard Berkman - The Squid and the Whale
12. Jackie Earle Haley - Ronnie J. McGorvey - Little Children
11. Casey Affleck - Robert Ford - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
10. Mickey Rourke - Randy - The Wrestler
9. Anne Hathaway - Kym - Rachel Getting Married
8. Julie Delpy - Celine - Before Sunset
7. Sally Hawkins - Poppy - Happy-Go-Lucky
6. Marion Cotillard - Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose
5. Bruno Ganz - Adolf Hitler - Der Untergang (Downfall)
4. Heath Ledger - Ennis Del Mar - Brokeback Mountain
3. Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos - Monster
2. Daniel Day-Lewis - Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood
1. Ellen Burstyn - Sara Goldfarb - Requiem for a Dream
30. Cate Blanchett - Sheba Hart - Notes on a Scandal
I chose this performance over a few of her more noted performance. Even though she is amazing in The Aviator, I have always preferred this performance over any other. It is a very tough role to play and she does it beautifully. I also think she looks more stunning in this than in anything else she has done.
29. Gary Oldman - Shelly Runyon - The Contender
28. Kate Winslet - Clementine Kruczynski - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Very close to picking her performance in Little Children but ended up not.
27. Sam Rockwell - Glenn Marchand - Snow Angels
26. Mark Wahlberg - Tommy Corn - I Heart Huckabees
The only comedic performance on my list. For my money its the best comedic performance of the past ten years. I think he is brilliant in this.
25. Nicolas Cage - Charlie Kaufman/Donald Kaufman - Adaptation
24. Sean Penn - Harvey Milk - Milk
23. Birol Unel - Cahit - Gegen die Wand (Head-On)
22. Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Neil - Mysterious Skin
21. Sean Penn - Sam Bicke - The Assassination of Richard Nixon
20. Ulrich Muhe - Captain Gerd Weisler - Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)
19. Brad Pitt - Jesse James - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
18. Laura Linney - Wendy Savage - The Savages
17. Christoph Waltz - Colonel Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds
16. Ryan Gosling - Dan Dunne - Half Nelson
15. Naomi Watts - Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn - Mulholland Dr.
I figured I would put up a picture of each character. The first is Diane's idealized version of herself. The way she once was perhaps. She gives herself talent, innocence and optimism and even the woman of her dreams in a situation where both parties are inexperienced, curious and vulnerable. In her own dream, she disturbingly does not give herself the name Diane but in fact renames herself. Then we have the real thing; Diane. Essentially the opposite of Betty. As we see how Diane's life and Betty's life do not match up, we can see how tragic Diane is and it is Watts' performance that really gets under your skin in the way that she juxtaposes the two characters.
14. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote - Capote
Almost went with Owning Mahoney or Before the Devil Knows You're Dead but in the end I could not pick anything else but this.
13. Jeff Daniels - Bernard Berkman - The Squid and the Whale
12. Jackie Earle Haley - Ronnie J. McGorvey - Little Children
11. Casey Affleck - Robert Ford - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
10. Mickey Rourke - Randy - The Wrestler
9. Anne Hathaway - Kym - Rachel Getting Married
8. Julie Delpy - Celine - Before Sunset
7. Sally Hawkins - Poppy - Happy-Go-Lucky
6. Marion Cotillard - Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose
5. Bruno Ganz - Adolf Hitler - Der Untergang (Downfall)
4. Heath Ledger - Ennis Del Mar - Brokeback Mountain
3. Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos - Monster
2. Daniel Day-Lewis - Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood
1. Ellen Burstyn - Sara Goldfarb - Requiem for a Dream
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Glad to see Christoph Waltz on there... just an incredible performance.