The 10 Best Performances of the Year

I must have seen over 200 new films this year, which means thousands of acting performances, but none stood out more than these ten:

Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”

Rose and her son Peter (Kodi Smit- McPhee) arrive at the ranch, but are clearly not welcomed by Phil, continually abrasive and macho, he feels a certain unspoken jealousy towards his brother. the latter delivers a towering performance as a cowboy hiding behind a costumed toxic masculinity. He mocks the overtly sensitive Peter, but his cruelty and violence hides deeper nuances behind the shield; a repressive nature that can only come in not feeling comfortable in one’s own skin.

Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World”

Thank the heavens for Renate Reinsve who plays Julie, a med school student in her late 20s filled with all the youthful possibilities the world can offer. Reinsve, in her first major role, as the smart but naive millennial, saves Joachim Trier’s film from cuddlesome twee — you can’t take your eyes off her.

Alana Haim, “Licorice Pizza”

Alana Haim is absolutely lovely in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.” The first-timer is charismatically natural and relaxed in the way she approaches her confused young adult character. There’s an inordinate amount of radiance in her performance, and by the film’s end you realize that a star is truly born.

Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”

Olivia Colman’s performance is wryly brilliant. The more her Leda reminisces about her bad parenting, the more she starts to crack, remembering her own struggles and inability to fully embrace motherhood. It’s a performance that deserves awards, a darkly humorous tour-de-force that riskingly tackles the selfish nature that some mothers struggle with.

Will Smith, “King Richard”

Will Smith embodies the role of Richard Williams with such authentic fervor. This is intensely disciplined acting from Smith, maybe not career best work (check out his “Ali” for that), but close to it. The 53-year-old actor has always proven that he’s a commendable actor, but not without choosing the wrong project time and time again. That changes with “King Richard.”

Ben Affleck, “The Last Duel”

Adam Driver’s Le Gris hangs out at orgy parties with the King’s libertine cousin, Count Pierre d’Alençon (played with immeasurably snarky playfulness by Ben Affleck).Affleck, with dyed blonde hair, and ridiculous facial hair, chews up the scenery, both menacing, spoiled and infused with droll-like humour. I can’t think of the last time he’s ignited the screen with this much playful command.

Simon Rex, “Red Rocket”

Simon Rex plays has-been porn star Mikey Saber, who returns homeless and without money to his native Texas to get his mojo back, literally and figuratively. Rex (a former porn star himself) is another triumphant bit of casting from the Sean Baker oeuvre. This man can sweet talk his way into just about anything, and we believe it. The energy and sense of vitality Rex exudes in every frame carries the film into fresh new ground.

Jared Leto, “House of Gucci”

All hail Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci. This is the kind of gonzo performance that deserves both an Oscar and a Razzie. Wearing a fat suit, with a bald wig and THICK Italian accent, Leto is damn-near goofy in his delivery. “A triumph of mediocrity,” Rodolfo calls Paolo, and that he is. Whether Leto delivers a great or awful performance will be stuff of debate for years to come, but he’s the high-wire act that this movie desperately needed more of.

Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

Playing Rose, a lonely widow who marries a wealthy cattle broker, Kirsten Dunst delivers the best performance of her career. You can see the impact Cumberbatch’s Phil has had on Rose’s mental health and well-being by purely staring at her anguished eyes.