Gautam Anand
5. Daniel Day-Lewis, ‘Lincoln’
Though Lincoln died more than one hundred years ago, the startlingly authentic portrayal that Day-Lewis creates of him is as close as you can come to actually witnessing Lincoln. From the first moment we see Day-Lewis in the film, speaking to two black soldiers, it is clear that nobody could have played Lincoln as brilliantly as as him. It’s not without reason that he’s considered one of the all-time greats.
4. Bruno Ganz, ‘Downfall’
Portraying the most heinous human to have ever lived on-screen can never be easy. But Ganz made sure that he gets inside the skin of the character and bring out the vulnerabilities and fears residing within Hitler during his last days. As a result, we get to see Hitler as a human – a miserable one at that – and not as a caricature.
3. Casey Affleck, ‘Manchester by the Sea’
Casey Affleck seems to have become such an inseparable quotient of that devastation that when I look back at that film, all memory of him seems to be flooded by that enchanting use of classical music and I am instantly taken back to that heartbreaking velocity with which he played Lee. There is no affectation or artificiality. It’s as if he’s walked in Lee’s heavy shoes forever.
2. Joaquin Phoenix, ‘The Master’
I could not take my eyes off of him throughout this masterful film. His strange manner of holding his hands on his hips as he stalked a room; his jaw jutting out, almost daring someone to take a shot at him; his eyes holding humanity in contempt. He’s raw, visceral, filled with anger and rage. A performance that only an acting genius like Phoenix could have pulled off.
1. Daniel Day-Lewis, ‘There Will Be Blood’
Channelling fierce determination, bravado and ruthlessness with his eyes, voice and stride, Day-Lewis creates a man who is as much detestable as he is likeable. Filled with a single-minded competitive streak and an insatiable greed, his single glance is enough to make anyone aware of his contempt. It’s an epic performance in every regard. A performance that just gets imprinted on your mind forever.
Read More: The 20 Greatest Hollywood Movies of 1990s
