In what movies do you think the acting (in and of itself) is superior?

Peter O’Toole and everyone else in “Lawrence of Arabia”
O’Toole again and Richard Burton in “Becket”
Sinatra in “Manchurian Candidate”
Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw” and others in “A Man for All Seasons”
And so many other movies that my mind boggles at the question

Will Smith in Six Degrees of Separation.

In no particular order:

Downfall. – This one deserves a mention, because any actor who can actually make you feel sorry for Hitler for a moment, has to get a slot on the list by default.

Forest Gump – This one gets a mention because apart from it showing Tom Hanks in what is probably his strongest performance to date, there is not a single bad actor or corny line in the entire film. All the characters have depth to them, even small parts and extras do a good job on this one.

Freeze Frame – This one gets a mention on the list, because it stars Lee Evans, a comedian . He is normally known for his stand up comedy, and is not a trained actor as far as I know. However, in the film FreezeFrame he plays a paranoid crazy person who records everything he does, and his performance really is great for someone who is usually known for comedy.

Finally.. I would like to give a mention to That Mitchell and Webb Look for David Mitchell’s and Webb’s acting in the show. For being able to turn a silly scene like the linked one, in to something actually moving, turned on a dime.

Recently? I really liked the work in Silver Linings Playbook.

Everything Rod Steiger ever did, ditto Gene Hackman.
Martin Balsam only played a cameo role in Psycho, but the scene where he questions Bates in reception is a pure masterclass, Scorsese says as much too.
Best acting performance of recent years has to be Tom Hardy in Bronson, brilliant stuff.
Oops & not forgetting Christoph Waltz for his epic portrayal of the awesome Hans Landa.

Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movies.

Not a movie, but Benedict Cumberbatch in the TV show, Sherlock.

Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.

Peter O’Toole in Venus.

Emma Thompson in Sense and Sensibility.

Mary Steenburgen in the movie Romantic Comedy and on the TV series Joan of Arcadia.

Claire Danes on the TV series My So Called Life.

Carey Mulligan in the Masterpiece Theater mini-series Bleak House.

Again, not a movie but a TV show, Maggie Smith on Downton Abbey.

Patrick Stewart both on the TV show Star Trek the Next Generation and the movie A Christmas Carol.

Leonard Nimoy in all of the Star Trek movies, but especially in The Wrath of Khan.

Zachary Quinto in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Billy Connolly in Mrs. Brown.

Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows and Edward Scissor Hands.

Meryl Streep in Doubt and Julie and Julia.

Anna Paquin in The Piano.

Tatum O’Neal in Paper Moon.

Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.

Tony Shaloub in the TV show, Monk.

Cote de Pablo in the TV show, NCIS.

Shirley Temple in the Littlest Rebel.

Bill Murray in Lost in Translation.

Scarlett Johansen in The Girl with the Pearl Earring.

Jack Haley in The Wizard of Oz.

Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Tom Cruise in Taps.

Jon Heder in Napoleon Dynamite.

Michael Caine in Deathtrap, Flawless, and Educating Rita.

Edward Norton in The Illusionist.

Anthony Perkins in Psycho.

Jude Law in the Sherlock Holmes movies.

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins and Victor Victoria.

Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond.

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the British version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace in the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Kôji Yakusho from the Japanese version of Shall We Dance.

Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption.

Diane Lane in A Little Romance.

Russell Crow in A Beautiful Mind.

Frank Langella in Dracula.

Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give.

Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon.

Alan Arkin and Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

@Kardamom

Your failure to mention the thespian tour de force in this movie, puts you on the dangerously thin ice of losing your membership in the FDFC. ;-o

Godzilla was especially on cue vs Mothra. He’d really found his character by then and rolled with it all the way up to Destroy All Monsters and Terror of Mechagodzilla. The way he could just scream “Kahahhaehhaheehhahha”! was so moving.

Sadly, upon his return in 1984, the ten year hiatus made his acting wheels a bit squeaky for my taste. He’d lost it. I don’t know if the fame got to him. Rumors of drug abuse fluttered about, but no evidence was ever presented. He never seemed to get back the former glory. All subsequent performances were rather doleful.

True Confessions

DeNiro and Robert Duvall.
A story loosely based (they tell me) on the Black Dahlia murder.
Not a great script, no great suspense, but a great example of actors doing great stuff.
The supporting cast is top shelf as well.

@Lightlyseared, I agree about Will Smith in “Six Degrees.” It was his first film still his best acting job so far as I’m concerned. More than held his own against major talents Sutherland and Channing.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room ‘s list is a good one.
The acting in Unforgiven is terrific. Same with E.T., which is a film I am not crazy about.

John Travolta in Battlefield Earth. Such beautiful over-the-top hamminess.

@Kardamom Heh, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone commend Jon Heder on his acting chops in Napoleon Dynamite.

Al Pacino in The Godfather
Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke
Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone
Phiilip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects
Nicolas Cage in Birdy

To me an awesome performance is one where you can’t see the actor, just the character. These all fit that criteria.

Meryl Streep’s performance in The Iron Lady was brilliant. It’s no wonder why she received an Oscar for Best Actress. It’s also not a surprise why the film wasn’t nominated for Best Movie. The first review posted on the link sums up my sentiments.

@Brian1946 Ha Ha Ha! I wanted so badly to mention my Franny, but I thought everyone would just groan because they know how obsessed I am. Believe it or not, I’ve never even seen that movie. I love her so much in The Nanny (and she reminds me of a modern day Lucille Ball, only way sexier). I may have to finally watch that movie, even though it sounds dreadful. But then again, that’s what I thought about The Nanny until my friend convinced me to watch it. Then I was hooked on Fran Drescher : P

God, now you’ve got me sucked into a fantasy movie where Fran and Zachary Quinto as Spock hook up! God stop me before I speculate again!!!

Yes, the panties are on the floor already. Sheez!

I was going to say Leonardo DiCaprio in Django but then I got to thinking how as a vegetarian I don’t really condone the use of animals in film. So the acting award for me has got to go to the horses. Check out the take at approximately 11:14.

Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and not shown much here but Robert DeNiro in Silver Linings Playbook.

Tom Cruise Oblivion.

Gangster Squad, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling he’s from my home town

I have to add my most favorite movie of all time “Tom Hanks in “The Money Pit lmfao

Three memorable performances I’ve seen recently:

•  Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
•  Will Keen as Cezanne in The Impressionists (2006 TV miniseries)
•  Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan in The Departed (2006)

And a bonus fourth, from my ongoing remedial program of viewing old films and foreign classics—something I saw just this evening:

•  Jean-Louis Barrault as Baptiste in Children of Paradise (1945, French)

I agree with @Kardamom about Billy Connolly in Mrs Brown and @Pied_Pfeffer about Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. I would also like to add Angelina Jolie in Girl Interrupted and Barbra Streisand in The Prince of Tides (I think that may have been the film that made me fall in love with Streisand when I was a child).

@Leanne1986 I second Angelina in Girl Interrupted. That’s an incredible movie.

I also like Leonardo DiCaprio (and Mark Ruffalo) in Shutter Island, as well as Morgan Freeman in just about anything.

Min-sik Choi in Oldboy and I Saw the Devil.
Byung-hun Lee as the “protagonist” in I Saw the Devil.

Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone. I think she was only 15 at the time.

I love love LOVE John Cusack in 1408.

And most of @Kardamom‘s list.

@Seek_Kolinahr I love John Cusack vs. Mini fridge! We need to have a sleepover some time.

@Leanne1986 and @livelaughlove21: I third Angelina Jolie in Girl Interrupted.

@Seek_Kolinahr: Winter’s Bone was a great movie and I encouraged all my friends to see it. Jennifer Lawrence was 20 at at the time (2010 and she was born in 1990).