What do you think is the greatest film performance by an actor or actress?

Insomnia has struck and I've been staring at the ceiling thinking about movies. "The greatest performance ever" is totally subjective, but here are my thoughts on this subject.

Brando and Vivien Leigh in "Streetcar Named Desire."

Bogart and/or Claude Rains in "Casablanca."

Meryl Streep in anything she ever did.

Orsen Welles in "Citizen Kane."

James Dean in his three movies.

But if I had to choose one performance, it would have to be Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs." Had anyone else done the part they may have been nominated for best supporting actor since I doubt if he had more than 20 or 25 minutes on the screen. But he nailed the best actor award for one of the most magnificent performances I've ever seen.

Let's hear yours.

...Cary Grant in "His Girl Friday", Jack Nicholson in "...Cuckoo's Nest" and "Five Easy Pieces", Sean Penn in "Mystic River", and--in a different vein--Astaire in any of his classic films...don't tell me he's not "acting" when he dances... The ladies? Garbo in "Camille", Jessica Lange in just about anything, but especially--for me--"Rob Roy", Carole Lombard in "My Man Godfrey", Bette Davis in "Now Voyager", and Louise Brooks in "Lulu"...and a zillion others that come to mind, Groucho, Keaton, Cagney, Bogie, Hepburn, Streep, lots and lots...oh yeah--Orson in "Third Man"...and on it goes...

it be?

http://www.nitrovideo.com/moviedb/body_heat/images/bbburnsy@nitrovideo_top100bodyheat_kathleenturner01.jpg

my favorite performance is probably THE DUDE in big lebowski or bill murray in rushmore


for the ladies..hmmmmmmm nurse ratchet maybe

or Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun or From Here to Eternity; Anthony Perkins in Psycho; John Garfield and Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice; Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce; William Holden and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.

memory is that of Adrian Brody in "The Pianist". What a haunting movie and performance. I was so jazzed that he received the Oscar.

performance while the city is being smashed to bits... unbelievable.

Brody seemed to come from out of nowhere to be that role. A great performance.

character, also.

in Pulp Fiction.
Also loved Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects

overlooked pair of performances in film history.

Those two men were riveting, brilliant, miraculous.... in their characters. I have never ever been so moved as by the those performances.

As far as a woman, Holly Hunter in The Piano. Absolutely steller, brilliant, awe inspiring, stunning, shocking, beyond compare.

Jack Nicholson in FIVE EASY PIECES.

Fernanda Montenegro in CENTRAL STATION.

Lee Remick in DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES.

David Bowie in THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.

Richard Burton in EQUUS.

Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn in THE LION IN WINTER.

Ian McKellan in RICHARD III.

Dustin Hoffman in MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

Cher in COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN JIMMY DEAN.

Elizabeth Taylor in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Heath Ledger in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Glenda Jackson in SUNDAY, BLOODY SUNDAY.

Jodie Foster in STEALING HOME.

Geraldine Page in THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL.

even in a bad film, he shines.

Peter O'toole in The Lion in Winter.

Charlize Theron in Monster.

:)

That movie really stayed with me for a long time afterwards.

Chaney plays "Alonzo the Armless Wonder" who does a knife throwing act in a sideshow. However, he isn't really armless -- he just pretends to be in order to hide his identity as a murderer on the lam (he has double thumbs). He is in love with his partner (Joan Crawford), a young girl who is terrified of being held in a man's arms. One night, she accidentally sees him killing another man. Although she can't see his face, his thumbs are readily visible. He ends up going to a doctor and ordering him to amputate his arms (this is both to escape detection and for love of the girl).

When he returns to the sideshow, he learns that Joan Crawford has fallen in love with another man and it shows him holding her in his arms while she playfully kisses his hands. The look on Chaney's face when he realizes that he did what he did for nothing is stunning.

Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man" tied with Robin Williams in "Goodwill Hunting" and then Billy Bob Thornton in "Sling Blade"

those also were absolutely incredible peformances - as was that of Nicole Watts. 21 Grams was one of the most intense movies I've ever seen. As I think very underrated.

Just awesome stuff.

I will also second the choice of Streep in "Sophie's Choice", and add Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby".

in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

Mz Pip
:dem: