[BobHarvey]

I say Daniel Day Lewis (Blood) and Heath Ledger (Batman).

[Capybara]

Those two were great, but gotta go with Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. Incredible performance. Also, Sean Penn in Milk and Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, both from last year. And of course Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.

[Eellsy27]

Top Ten List

1. Adrien Brody- The Pianist
2. Daniel Day Lewis- Gangs of New York
3. Russell Crowe- Gladiator
4. Viggo Mortensen- Eastern Promises
5. Leonardo DiCaprio- The Aviator
6. Denzel Washington- Training Day
7. Daniel Day Lewis- There Will Be Blood
8. Mickey Rourke- The Wrestler
9. Cliint Eastwood- Million Dollar Baby
10. Heath Ledger- The Dark Night

[Jiggy Fly]

Robert Downey playing the black dude in Tropical Thunder!!!

[Dunder]

Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland

[fsugolf]

Originally Posted by Dunder

Forest Whitaker - Last King of Scotland

this dude is underrated

[Boner_18]

Decade still has another year to go... Of the last 10 years there are some good names mentioned here.

[Mudcat]

I'll lob a few out there.

Julianne Moore is my favorite freaky chick. I'm a huge fan. I wish I could say Magnolia but that was 1999. However Far from Heaven was excellent work from this decade - and more of a leading role anyway.

This may be going off the beaten track but I was absolutely blown away by Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire. She was probably about 10 at the time. Just an unbelievable natural talent who I hope will be around for a long time.

I gotta mention Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Hell of a performance - and it won me a lot of cash!

[Mudcat]

Adding

Renee Zellweger in Nurse Betty. Say what you want about the movie, it was a very odd role, part comedy, part not. She pulled it off. She was a hundred times better in this than that role they gave her the Oscar for (Cold Mountain).

[Reload]

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

[pavyracer]

Jason Statham - The Transporter (2002)

[Bread]

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. And he was ROBBED!

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Bread

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. And he was ROBBED!

Bready, that's exactly what I thought.. until I saw Milk. Sean Penn was ree-frickin'-diculous in that movie. Did you see it? Guy WAS Harvey Milk. And as far as I know, Sean Penn is 100% straight.

[Cougar Bait]

Have to side with Bread here Capy. Maybe it's because I never cared about Harvey Milk from scene one, or because Sean Penn has probably 5 or 6 awards by now. The role that Mickey Rourke played not only embodied his character, but it was in essence a real life self-promotion. A down and out actor, given one last chance to prove he has the ability to turn an audience on their ear. It was the bottom of the 9th and Mickey Rourke was fukkin Kirk Gibson with a bum leg. He hit that shit straight out of the park. And even if you weren't a fan, you had to be impressed.

[flyingillini]

Andy Hunter - Shoot your load

[Brock Landers]

Tom Green - Freddy got fingered

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Cougar Bait

Have to side with Bread here Capy. Maybe it's because I never cared about Harvey Milk from scene one, or because Sean Penn has probably 5 or 6 awards by now. The role that Mickey Rourke played not only embodied his character, but it was in essence a real life self-promotion. A down and out actor, given one last chance to prove he has the ability to turn an audience on their ear. It was the bottom of the 9th and Mickey Rourke was fukkin Kirk Gibson with a bum leg. He hit that shit straight out of the park. And even if you weren't a fan, you had to be impressed.

Don't get me wrong, Guys, I thought Mickey Rourke was note-perfect -- brilliant, pitch-perfect performance. But as you indicated, he was sort of playing himself. Sean Penn had to fully embody someone who is pretty f'n far off from who Sean Penn is -- I just thought that with every mannerism, every word, every look on his face, he was this guy. I did get wrapped up in the story as well, pretty inspirational story.

But check out my next post...

[Capybara]

Here's your winner. Philip Seymour Hoffman is f--king insanely talented.

[Cougar Bait]

I guess this is where we will differ. The story of Milk means nothing to me on a personal level. I understand what he went through, but I can not in the slightest way identify with it.

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Cougar Bait

I guess this is where we will differ. The story of Milk means nothing to me on a personal level. I understand what he went through, but I can not in the slightest way identify with it.

Since when do you need to 100% identify with a hero's story to find it moving or inspirational? I mean, I'm as straight as can be (see various hot-chick-related posts under my name )... but I love a good true story about any oppressed minority fighting for their rights, and in this case it was a true story and this guy really changed the world for gay people through his own heart, courage, and hard work.

[Capybara]

And for the same token, I'm also as far as can be away from Mickey Rourke's character in The Wrestler, but I still completely related and felt his pain in that movie.

I do hear you about being able to relate in some regard to a protagonist... you have to be rooting for them... but I don't think we really need to feel we have too much in common with them.

[Cougar Bait]

Originally Posted by Capybara

Since when do you need to 100% identify with a hero's story to find it moving or inspirational? I mean, I'm as straight as can be (see various hot-chick-related posts under my name )... but I love a good true story about any oppressed minority fighting for their rights, and in this case it was a true story and this guy really changed the world for gay people through his own heart, courage, and hard work.

I guess since never. But I'm not a Dodger fan either.

[Shark79]

- Mickey ROurke - The Wrestler
- Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
- Heath Ledger - Batman

Yes, in that order.

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Shark79

- Mickey ROurke - The Wrestler
- Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
- Heath Ledger - Batman

Yes, in that order.

It sucks that Heath Ledger died. F'n guy was great. Why is it that it's always the really talented artists that die young, while the hacks grow old and fat and rich and we're forced to keep seeing them in movies/ hearing their records/ whatever??

[Cougar Bait]

Ever seen Candy with Heath Ledger? Geoffrey Rush in it as well...

Here's another movie from the decade that needed consideration QUILLS...man I can't believe I forgot that one.

[Mudcat]

I saw Candy. Heath was great and Abby Cornish was also excellent (or maybe I was just hopelessly horny for her). No I joke, they were great. (But she really was insanely hot.)

I later saw Abby Cornish in something else where she wasn't so great - but I digress.

Candy is a good flick. As an addict, I could relate to the story very much and they did an inspired job of capturing the characters.

[Jshap1515]

Thank You For Smoking

[Boner_18]

JJ Gold in "The Storyteller."

[Cougar Bait]

Originally Posted by Mudcat

I saw Candy. Heath was great and Abby Cornish was also excellent (or maybe I was just hopelessly horny for her). No I joke, they were great. (But she really was insanely hot.) I later saw Abby Cornish in something else where she wasn't so great - but I digress. Candy is a good flick. As an addict, I could relate to the story very much and they did an inspired job of capturing the characters.

Originally Posted by Cougar Bait

I can not in the slightest way identify with it.

Originally Posted by Capybara

Since when do you need to 100% identify with a hero's story

So I guess relating to the protagonist does matter. Huh. Who knew?

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Cougar Bait

So I guess relating to the protagonist does matter. Huh. Who knew?

LOL, I never said it didn't matter, I just said you don't have to 100% identify. I've never been a drug addict, but I assume I could still enjoy that movie and you'd still recommend it, right?

Sometimes you can tangentially identify, as I'm sure you'd agree. Like "being an outsider"... "having to overcome bad decisions"... etc.

[Cougar Bait]

I was just yanking your chain Capy.

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Cougar Bait

I was just yanking your chain Capy.

This conversation actually reminds me of when I went to see There Will Be Blood with my brother... A great film, obviously, and we both enjoyed it a lot, but I knew for a fact that he must have LOVED it because he himself is a total misanthrope, and I knew -- knew -- while watching it that he must have felt a connection with Daniel Plainview, with his mistrust of people and his just wanting to make enough money so he could get away from everyone.

Obviously my bro is not a murderer, LOL, but I was 100% correct, he loved that character. "Sometimes I look at people, and I see nothing worth liking."

[Cougar Bait]

Originally Posted by Capybara

This conversation actually reminds me of when I went to see There Will Be Blood with my brother... A great film, obviously, and we both enjoyed it a lot, but I knew for a fact that he must have LOVED it because he himself is a total misanthrope, and I knew -- knew -- while watching it that he must have felt a connection with Daniel Plainview, with his mistrust of people and his just wanting to make enough money so he could get away from everyone. Obviously my bro is not a murderer, LOL, but I was 100% correct, he loved that character. "Sometimes I look at people, and I see nothing worth liking."

Yep. A lot of truth there. I also relate to flawed characters. Ones in nice neat packages always bore the shit out of me.

[AMBlai01]

I give my nod to Daniel Day Lewis....but I might be a bit biased

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by AMBlai01

I give my nod to Daniel Day Lewis....but I might be a bit biased

Why, is he your cousin or something? That would be cool as sh-t, by the way.