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By disappointment media Staff
Note: Due to repeated infractions against disappointment media's strict anti-gatekeeping policy, all Netflix titles have been blacklisted from coverage on the site for a period of 30 days. This includes mentions in this article.
Sean Boelman's Pick: Mercedes Hernandez, Identifying Features
A scene from Identifying Features, courtesy Kino Lorber.
Oftentimes, the performances that get the most attention on end-of-year lists like these are those which are big, flashy, and command the screen. However, it is just as important to recognize those turns which have a quiet power to them, and that is exactly what Mercedes Hernández brings to her role in Identifying Features. As a mother looking for her lost son who went missing while emigrating to the United States, Hernández doesn’t have a ton of dialogue, but when she does, she delivers it in a way that is entirely subtle. Instead, it is the emotion of her performance that she is able to convey through her smaller mannerisms and movements that is more impressive. In a year full of great performances from seasoned veterans and newcomers alike, Hernández’s is one that could be overlooked, but certainly deserves the attention.
Camden Ferrell's Pick: Sidney Flanagan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Sidney Flanigan stars as Autumn in NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features.
Sidney Flanigan's lead performance in Never Rarely Sometimes Always is one of the most profound and moving experiences of the year. Playing Autumn, a teenage girl traveling to New York after an unintended pregnancy, Flanigan is able to speak volumes without much dialogue. Every pause, breath, and action she performs is meaningful, and she does it with such grace and ease. Her role is more subdued than her peers this year, but it is one of the most brilliant performances you may ever see. She plays the role so convincingly that it will simply tear you apart into pieces with its authenticity and emotional power. Flanigan's debut performance will leave you speechless and in desperate need of a tissue. It is an awe-inspiring exhibition of her raw talent as an actress, and it shows the promise of a star in the making.
Dan Skip Allen's Pick: Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Frances McDormand in the film NOMADLAND. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Frances McDormand has had a pretty good career if I do say so myself. Her two Oscar-winning performances couldn't be more different, though. One was this happy go lucky police chief who fell into a murder investigation, and the other was a no-nonsense woman who would take any crap from anybody. Once again, McDormand changes it up for her turn as Fern, a woman with nowhere to turn after the plant she worked at and the town it was in both shut down. She is forced to become a nomad traveling from place to place and town to town looking for work just to survive. She lived in her van and eventually finds a community she can feel at home with. Chloe Zhao used a similar style to her previous films with Nomadland. It was semi-nonfiction because of the people Fern comes across, but the character of Fern is fictional. The world she resides in is all too real. This is a much more subdued performance from McDormand than her ones in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Fargo.
Sarah Williams's Pick: Kate Lyn Sheil, She Dies Tomorrow
She Dies Tomorrow is a surreal oddity, made more real with Kate Lyn Sheil playing a version of director Amy Seimetz. Sheil is an actress who many say is an acquired taste, but her tactile, on-edge acting style and distinctive voice work wonders to bring the psychological horror to life. For every flashing neon light and dramatic tearful closeup, there is a distant moment of monotony, one of acceptance and forced emotionless. Between these, there's a sweet spot where her performance shines brightest, these raw cracks in the masks her character puts on, whether it be one of acceptance or hysteria, shown in her relationships to one of the year's finest ensembles, scenes with Sun Don't Shine co-star Kentucker Audrey perfectly encapsulating the alienating chemistry of a toxic relationship on the outs.
Adam Donato's Pick: Elizabeth Moss, The Invisible Man
Two of the best performances last year were Lupita Nyong’o in Us and Florence Pugh in Midsommar. There’s just something so satisfying about watching a character navigate their way through a horror movie to come out a badass by the end of it. Elisabeth Moss was so good that she made her co-star seem invisible. Usually, performances torpedo when an actor has to act opposite a green screen, but seeing all the effort behind the scenes in how it was made to work is impressive. After mostly being known for the hit series The Handmaid's Tale, it’s nice to see Moss in a leading role for a blockbuster-type movie. It’s been months since this movie came out and Moss’s face at the end of the movie is still ingrained in the audience's heads. Moss is so good in The Invisible Man that she’s not just the final girl, she’s the only girl and that deserves some recognition.
What are your favorite performances of 2020? Let us know!
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By disappointment media Staff
Note: Due to repeated infractions against disappointment media's strict anti-gatekeeping policy, all Netflix titles have been blacklisted from coverage on the site for a period of 30 days. This includes mentions in this article.
Sean Boelman's Pick: Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami
Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI. Photo: Patti Perret/Amazon Studios.
Audiences probably thought that they had seen the definitive Malcolm X performance when they saw Denzel Washington’s turn in Spike Lee’s biopic, but Regina King and Kingsley Ben-Adir would like a word. Ben-Adir’s performance as the iconic Civil Rights leader in One Night in Miami doesn’t feel like an impersonation, but rather, an embodiment of the qualities that made him who he was. The entire ensemble is great (Leslie Odom Jr. also shines in his supporting role as singer Sam Cooke), but it is Ben-Adir’s presence that brings the whole thing together. And even though Ben-Adir has been a relative unknown up to this point, expect this performance to bring him a level of notoriety that will allow him to do big things in the future.
Camden Ferrell's Pick: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
SOUND OF METAL. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Sound of Metal succeeded in exposing and educating a wider audience about the deaf community, but this message was boosted significantly by the strongest leading actor performance of the year. Riz Ahmed gets a chance to shine in the spotlight as a lead actor, and he doesn't waste any time in proving how talented he is. From the start, Ahmed's performance as Ruben is engaging, but it slowly becomes mesmerizing to watch as the narrative progresses. Faced with a spiritual dilemma when he loses his hearing, Ruben's story is equal parts frustrating and heartwarming. This journey is one that isn't without challenge, and Ahmed does an astounding job of taking the audience along for the ride and to learn with his character. It's an extremely emotional performance that solidifies Ahmed's place in the future of film.
Dan Skip Allen's Pick: Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Anthony Hopkins as Anthony in THE FATHER. Photo by Sean Gleason. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Sir Anthony Hopkins has been acting for quite some time now. His career spans over fifty years, not including his stage work. A lot of his work has been of the dramatic fare, but he has been known to take a role for its comedic elements. Being knighted by Queen Elizabeth has shown what his career has meant to the English people and monarchy. His latest film, The Father, might arguably be the best of his career to date. In The Father, Sir Anthony plays a man who is dealing with dementia. His daughter is dealing with him and her at her wit's end. She doesn't know what to do. Director Florian Zeller puts the person watching the film in both the shoes of the main character and his daughter at various points in the film. We feel the disorientation Anthony is going through as well as what his daughter feels like dealing with a man with this debilitating disease. It's not a good feeling being in either person's shoes. Sir Anthony makes the viewer believe he has this disease at every point in the film. It's not an easy thing to digest, having a loved one go through this.
Sarah Williams's Pick: John Boyega, Red, White and Blue
While best-known for Star Wars, John Boyega's strength as a serious actor has been made more clear than ever with this year's Small Axe. Red, White and Blue is the story of a young man who chooses to join a police force that actively works to keep him down, and he learns the corruption and unchanging nature of a police state through the inside. Boyega embodies the two poles here, from hopeful, young belief, to the quick descent into a seasoned man who's learned too soon how corrupt his world can be. His journey from realizing that what he wants for the police is not a mission of doom, but one not possible for this system is a deeply human portrayal of a young man who just wants better, and his inner turmoil is clear, making a tricky story to tell nuanced.
Adam Donato's Pick: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
The Academy has yet to recognize Sacha Baron Cohen for his acting, despite a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2007 for Borat. Some movies are better if you know the behind the scenes of what went into making the movie, and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is definitely one of them. The fact that he had people tweeting about a KKK member walking through a Republican event over a half year ago before the world even knew it was getting a sequel to Borat is amazing. Just think about how much improvisation goes in this performance as Borat is interacting with actual people who are unaware of the celebrity that lies before them. He didn’t consume actual raw bison liver like former Best Actors, but he did quarantine with some old fools for days during a pandemic. This performance gives life to an iconic character that can only be pulled off by one man and the world is lucky it got to see it a second time.
What are your favorite performances of 2020? Let us know!
By disappointment media Staff
Note: Due to repeated infractions against disappointment media's strict anti-gatekeeping policy, all Netflix titles have been blacklisted from coverage on the site for a period of 30 days. This includes mentions in this article.
Sean Boelman's Pick: Catherine Deneuve, The Truth
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda’s first film not in the Japanese language, The Truth, may be more about the phenomenally talented Juliette Binoche’s character, but it is Catherine Deneuve’s performance as her mother that absolutely steals the show. Playing an aging actress dealing with her own mortality while experiencing family struggles, this is a shining performance in an otherwise low-key film. However, Deneuve’s turn still has all of the subtlety and grace of which audiences know her to be capable of. In terms of supporting roles, Deneuve’s is on the meatier side, giving her plenty of both time and material to deliver something completely powerful. Also impressive is the way in which she lights up the screen with co-star Binoche, embodying the mother-daughter relationship in a way that is both completely believable and entirely empathetic.
Camden Ferrell's Pick: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
When news of a new Borat movie surfaced, it was no surprise that it ended up becoming a cultural event that spoke volumes about the state of America. However, few expected to see a surprise breakthrough performance in Maria Bakalova. Playing Borat's daughter, Tutar, Bakalova fits perfectly into the chaotic and funny environment of the film. She holds her own extremely well alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, and she even tends to outshine him in some of the film's scenes. She has amazing chemistry with her co-star and a natural talent for the shock comedy in the film. Her performance also serves as the emotional core of the film, and she provides a heart to the film that wasn't expected but much appreciated. After her hilarious performance in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it's safe to say we'll be seeing her plenty in years to come.
Dan Skip Allen's Pick: Saoirse Ronan, Ammonite
Saoirse Ronan came onto the acting scene with a bang in 2007 with her star-making performance in Atonement. She would later receive three more Academy Award nominations for Brooklyn, Lady Bird, and Little Women. In Ammonite, she teams with the also prolific actress, Kate Winslet, a six-time Academy Award nominee and one-time winner (for The Reader). The pair play two women who are forced to live together because of melancholia. Romans character is not feeling good so her husband leaves her with Winslet's character to see if she can somehow get her out of the doldrums she is in. They go for walks on the beach and look for fossils. They start becoming closer as the film moves forward. This is a little different for Ronan because she usually plays more upbeat characters. The solemn nature of her character requires a lot of subtlety, taking full advantage of her range as an actress.
Sarah Williams's Pick: Vasilisa Perelygina, Beanpole
Vasilisa Perelygina in a scene from Beanpole, courtesy Kino Lorber.
Released in the dead of January before chaos broke out, Beanpole is still one of the finest films, even if this had been a less odd year. Vasilisa Perelygina's role as a former soldier and mother who has lost her child and been sterilized to fight is one with a deep humanity within it, even with every twisted desire her character has to try to fill that hole left by the death of her young son. Perelygina fills the character of Masha with life. A sequence in which she tries on a new green dress and spins to see the light hit the fabric is one of the most moving in the film. As Masha spins faster and faster, she laughs, gleeful, like a child. It's a small moment of pure humanity in a film that is otherwise so brutal, one that humanizes all the suffering around it.
Adam Donato's Pick: Anne Hathaway, The Witches
ANNE HATHAWAY as Grand High Witch in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure “THE WITCHES,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photograph Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Flying under the radar due to its straight to streaming release, The Witches was surprisingly good and Anne Hathaway carries the movie. In terms of fun villains, Hathaway channels her inner Streep from The Devil Wears Prada. It’s easy to tell how much fun she is having. Also, it’s nice to see Zemeckis not have his own ambition get in the way of her performance. Hathaway is truly terrifying in this movie, while also being so over the top evil that the audience can laugh at her. For anyone that read the book, it’s as faithful of an adaptation that fans could ask for. The ballroom scene alone sells the movie. Hathaway gives the most terrifying speech about her resentment for children, and it is at the edge of your seat material. It’s almost difficult calling this a supporting performance as she is front and center. Still, what a fun villain to hate.
What were your favorite performances of 2020? Let us know!
By disappointment media Staff
Note: Due to repeated infractions against disappointment media's strict anti-gatekeeping policy, all Netflix titles have been blacklisted from coverage on the site for a period of 30 days. This includes mentions in this article.
Sean Boelman's Pick: Kyle Marvin, The Climb
Left to Right: Kyle Marvin as Kyle, Michael Angelo Covino as Mike, Gayle Rankin as Marissa Photo by Zach Kuperstein. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.Left to Right: Kyle Marvin as Kyle, Michael Angelo Covino as Mike, Gayle Rankin as Marissa. Photo by Zach Kuperstein. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.
Michael Angelo Covino’s lovely and darkly hilarious buddy comedy The Climb is one of the best depictions of friendship to grace the screen this year, largely thanks to the chemistry between real-life friends Covino and Kyle Marvin. And while Covino is great as the eternal screw-up who drags everyone around him down, Marvin steals the show as his lovably goofy and endearingly forgiving best friend. Whether struggling to cycle up a steep incline or failing to seduce his girlfriend with an embarrassingly funny dance, Marvin is absolutely wonderful in his role. He holds his own against his more experienced co-stars, turning a role that easily could have been little more than a vector of development for the flawed protagonist into something far more enjoyable and memorable. As he wrote the film with Covino, it’s clear that these roles were written for themselves, but we can expect great things from him in less specific roles too.
Camden Ferrell's Pick: Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Daveed Diggs is Marquis de Lafayette in HAMILTON, the filmed version of the original Broadway production.
Hamilton, the live stage recording of the hit Broadway musical, was one of the best movies of the year, in part due to its outstanding supporting actor performance from Daveed Diggs. He delivers an undeniably energetic and vibrant dual turn as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. He radiates joy and has a lively stage presence in many of his numbers while also proving to be a formidable foe to Hamilton in act two. He especially shines in songs like "Guns and Ships" and "Washington on Your Side". Playing two fundamentally different roles is a challenge, but Diggs effortlessly adopts both characters and creates some truly engaging turns. He gracefully handles the rapid-fire raps, the witty banter, and the show's enjoyable choreography. There is phenomenal chemistry between Diggs and his co-stars, and his palpable charisma is one of the shining moments in film this year.
Dan Skip Allen's Pick: Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami
LESLIE ODOM JR. stars in ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI. Photo: Patti Perret. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Leslie Odom Jr. is best known as one of the stars of the hit Broadway play Hamilton. But since his fame on Broadway, he has ventured out into the medium of film, starring opposite Cynthia Erivo in Harriet as William Still, and that was just dipping his toes in the water. His role as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami is one he really could sink his teeth into. Odom Jr. starred opposite Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown, and Eli Goree as Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay. He stood toe to toe with Ben-Adir and the others from the very beginning of the film. Like Sam Cooke, his discussions with Malcolm X opened up some new avenues of thought for him, making him think about all the aspects of being a black man in America during the civil rights movement. He even had some conscious thought-provoking moments of his own. Odom Jr. has started coming into his own as a character actor to reckon with in the future.
Sarah Williams's Pick: Orion Lee, First Cow
Orion Lee as First Cow's King-Lu is a large part of what made that movie so genuine. Amidst the rugged landscape, his character is soft-spoken and steady, with this articulate charm that stands out among a landscape of men either silent or gruff. Lee's performance isn't a flashy one, but it has the sort of heart that adds so much warmth and depth to a character, one that quietly blends, hardly telling actor from character, that is noteworthy for how it lingers. First Cow is quite accuracy-centric as a period film, with the actors taking on survival training and fully loving and breathing as their frontiersmen for a bit, and the comfort in their characters shows. Without being showy, Orion Lee makes a simple foil for our lead, John Magaro's Cookie, memorably heartfelt, and it's the kind of simple, subtle, warm acting role that's overlooked.
Adam Donato's Pick: Jim Carrey, Sonic the Hedgehog
Jim Carrey in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.
Remember Jim Carrey from the ’90s? Well, he’s back in a big way. One of the reasons Ron Howard's version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas works so well is that Carrey is very animated and over the top. So seeing him flex this strength again as another animated villain is perfect. Sonic the Hedgehog works as a movie, but without Carrey as Robotnik, it would have been painfully generic and bad. His relationship and chemistry with his henchman, Agent Stone, is absolutely hilarious. Not to mention, the "Where Evil Grows" dance number is one of the greatest scenes in any movie ever. What happened to the cartoonish villain who revels in being evil despite their goofiness? Seeing as the film was a success at the box office, it’s exciting to see where Carrey will get to go in the sequel, especially after where his character is at the end of the movie. It’s just really nice to see Jim Carrey harnessing what made him so great in the past. Thanks for coming back.
What were your favorite performances of 2020? Let us know!
By Dan Skip Allen  Martin Scorsese came into his own as a filmmaker while he was making Raging Bull. As a human being, he was coming off of the toughest time in his life. He never wanted to direct Raging Bull. It was a sports movie and he wasn't interested in sports. And Rocky had come out a few years before, so he figured he couldn't get another boxing film made. Robert De Niro came to Scorsese about this book about Jake LaMotta, and he changed his mind based on their relationship. He knew Marty and what he was going through. Scorcese found a place he could come from after reading the book. It was a difficult place in LaMotta's life. He used it as a framing device and went into the meat and potatoes of his life after that. "About a steak" is the scene that resonates with me because it reminded me of my own father and mother. They argued like cats and dogs very similar to this scene. The steak scene shows the explosive nature of Jake LaMotta and how he can go from a calm person to a "raging bull". Another scene is when Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) is questioning his brother Joey (Joe Pesci) about whether or not he had sex with his wife Vicki (Kathy Moriarty). He runs out of his apartment down the block and goes into Joey's apartment and starts attacking him. The very explosive nature of this man is at the heart of this film. That where the moniker of "raging bull" came from, not to mention he was an absolute beast in the ring as well. There have been some great boxing movies that came out over the decades. Rocky, Cinderella Man, Ali, and The Hurricane all come to mind. Filmmakers have learned from Scorsese and Raging Bull how to film boxing matches. The crane overhead circling the ring kept the scenes moving quickly and very frantic. They kept it hit some of the fighters looked weary and tired while filming scenes as well. These fights were some of the best ever put to the screen. LaMotta fought "Sugar" Ray Robinson six times and they were all great fights. They split most of them but Robinson had the edge on the win-loss record. LaMotta won one big one though. The scene near the end of the film was very prophetic though, "You never got me down, Ray." This is a play on Scorsese's own life. Drugs and alcohol never took control of him and got him down. This line was the most powerful in the film because of the double meaning it had.  Scorsese had made personal and working relationships on Raging Bull that he would keep the rest of his life. Obviously, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent are actors he's worked with for over forty years. Thelma Schoonmaker his editor and friend for nearly fifty years as well. She has won three Academy Awards. Her first film editing for Scorsese was Raging Bull and it allowed her to win her first Oscar. Paul Schrader, a great writer and director in his own right, wrote the script for both Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.
An indicator of how great something is is how people rank it or list it. People Magazine put out their ranking of the best films of the '80s and Raging Bull was number one. The most famous film critics of the time, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, both had Raging Bull as their number one film of the decade as well. The big precursor of greatness as far as films go is the Academy Awards. Raging Bull was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two: Robert De Niro for Best Actor and the aforementioned Thelma Schoonmaker for Best Film Editing. Scorsese, Pesci, and the film all lost to Robert Redford, Timothy Hutton, and Ordinary People at that year's Oscars. This film really resonated with me as a six-year-old child because it reminded me of my life. The arguing and fighting were like my parents. The types of places they lived in were like my homes as a little kid as well. The loud neighbors as well. The violent nature of La Motta really reminded me of my father growing up. This seemed like my life. Not the idyllic life portrayed in Ordinary People. I'm sure I'm not the only person who can relate to this film. These types of people existed everywhere then and still do today. These days there is medicine for anger issues. Sports films are one of the best genres of film now and years ago. They can inspire like Chariots of Fire or they can make you sad like Rocky. In the case of Raging Bull, they can make you angry. Jake LaMotta is a despicable human being. He has no redeeming qualities except that he is an incredible boxer. Is this an excuse for all his behavior in this film? Probably not! Sports films take you as a viewer on a trip down a road. Sometimes it's a fun and enjoyable trip and sometimes it's not. Raging Bull isn't for the faint of heart. But the best films aren't always happy. Sometimes they are just depressing and upsetting. As far as life goes, it's not always fun, enjoyable, or happy. It can be a bad experience. For Jake LaMotta, he had good times, but mostly bad times. Most people have more bad times in life than good. Raging Bull is a picture of a damaged, dark human being. That doesn't mean it's not a good film. From my perspective and many others, it means it's a great film. Scorsese is a great director for taking these dark characters like Travis Bickle, Rupert Pupkin, and Jake LaMotta and giving them life on the big screen. But Robert De Niro gets a lot of credit for imbuing them with everything emotion he could. |