For this list, I decided to list only the great casting decisions that aren't spoken of as much. We all know Ian Mckellen is perfect as Gandalf, that nobody could probably have pulled off Walter White better than Bryan Cranston, and that Heath Ledger will always be remembered as one of the greatest film antagonists of all time. This list goes to the ones with less attention. It's time for their praise.
1. Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom, Nightcrawler.
No, this film is not about the popular X-Men character who can teleport. It's about real crime video journalism. Nightcrawler was one of the best movies of 2014, hands down. Jake Gylllenhal stars as Louis Bloom, a semi-emaciated but much more dangerous than he looks kind of guy. His lanky frame and sunken eyes reminds one of a jackal or a hyena, and he has the personality to match as well. From the very beginning the audience is shown Louis Bloom is a pretty despicable guy, but it's still every bit as shocking to watch the depths he sinks to in order to get ahead in life throughout the film. This film was snubbed for a well earned nomination for best picture at the Oscars for 2014.
2. Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Harry Potter Series.
What can I say about the late, great Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape? Certainly no more than has been written about him a million times over already, by fans of both the character and of the actor himself. Rickman's role as the menacing professor who you love to dislike, before learning to hate him, but then eventually coming to love him, was undoubtedly his biggest success. Rickman was certainly perfectly cast as Snape. When audiences watched him in the first Harry Potter film it was as if the actual character himself had simply walked right out of the books and onto the screen. He was virtually identical to his print counterpart in every way, down to the dark, brooding, greasy, and menacing appearance. He even pulled of the character's late sympathetic turn masterfully.We lost a great talent in Mr. Rickman, may he rest in peace.
3. Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock.
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch excels at playing intelligent, enigmatic personas who are several steps ahead of the average mind, and he has sharpened that skill to a fine tipped blade as the popular detective Holmes in the acclaimed BBC drama. One of many great things about Cumberbatch's performance is his perfection in playing the genius Sherlock as a distant person, more of a high functioning psychopath, instead of a chipper and friendly man. Intelligence on the level of Mr. Holmes tends to give people a bit of a superiority complex, which puts a wall between them and other people, and this manifests spectacularly in Benedict Cumberbatch's role as the titular detective.
4. Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey, The Green Mile.
This film is one of the greatest films of all time, and along with the Shawshank Redemption, it is one of the greatest Stephen King adaptations as well. Michael Clarke Duncan's role as John Coffey, the kind and friendly giant who's afraid of the dark and has healing powers, that gets put on Death row for murder, is the late actor's greatest role. It's a performance for the ages in one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. Tom Hanks brings that gravitas to his role also, but Tom Hanks always brings the gravitas. Duncan's role is one to remember. This movie deserves to be seen, and I can assure that once you have, you will never forget it.
5. Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, The Terminator Series.
The first two Terminator films are great cinema, and Arnie was always his best as the unstoppable killing machine. But let us focus on another, even better actor, who's performance and character is often given nearly as much attention. Linda Hamilton did a good job of playing Sarah Connor in the first Terminator. She convincingly portrays an everyday woman thrown in circumstances she can't believe or understand. Where Hamilton really excels in the role however is with T2: Judgement Day. By the time the events of the second film take place, Sarah Connor is a hardened warrior. The transformation is outstanding and Linda Hamilton portrays the change perfectly.
6. Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo "Gus" Fring, Breaking Bad.
Giancarlo Esposito's performance as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad is one of the the most memorable performances I've seen in my life. Esposito really excels at showing both light and dark sides to Gus. He makes him sympathetic despite the fact he is clearly evil. From the very beginning, I found Gus to be a likable guy, even though I knew he was evil. The actor was so good at making Gus seem like a really kind man who cared about people. Of course, when it actually came to delivering on the dark side of Gus, Esposito held nothing back, and excelled just as well. The time he brutally murdered an employee by slicing their throat was as intense as it gets.
There you have it! I hope you enjoyed the article, and part 2 will release next week, and I promise you it's even better than this one! Share my article and follow me so you'll catch all of my new stuff, as well as be able to read the old.
