My Blog Turns One Year Old!

And to celebrate, you get a list of my favorite performances.

I'm in a listing mood, so here it goes. These were performances that touched me, fascinated me and kept me glued to the screen. They had something uncommon about them: these were not just actors playing their parts, these were real people living inside the screen.

John Hurt in The Elephant Man:His portrayal of John Merrick, cruelly nicknamed "the elephant man" is the most touching performance I've seen. He made his character humane and sympathetic, transmitting all emotions subtly and beautifully. Physically, he fully transforms, but still, he's able to show what's under all the make-up. It's the type of performance that reaches deep within you and I'll never forget it.


Al Pacino in The Godfather Part I/II: Al Pacino plays Michael Corleone, the son of a Mafia boss who is forced to become the Boss perfectly. His transformation is wholly believable: the character always keeps his core, but changes a lot. With his subtle use of body language, unforgettable dialog delivery, expressive, focused eyes and sexiness, he creates a man who's trapped in his own life but still tries to keep his values and family intact. No one else has ever given a performance like this.


Nicole Kidman in To Die For: Suzanne Stone really is an unforgettable character. This ice-cold, ambitious woman, who'd do anything-really anything- to be in TV is awesomely played by Nicole Kidman. She sugarcoats the character, while allowing you to see what's inside. She never gets out of character, creating a unique body language that shows the character's fake nature, expressive eyes that create a full-fleshed person, and using a soft, mellow voice to deliver her dialog. She elevates this film and creates the most fascinating mean character. You just can't take your eyes off her.


Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Clementine Kruczynski is an extroverted, impulsive, foul-mouthed young woman. It's an extremely risky character, who, in the hands of someone less talented than Winslet, would have become an hysterically over-the-top caricature. Instead, she makes her character fascinating, with her ordinary beauty, unpredictability, and quirks hiding a sensitive, confused girl. She's able to show all this with a single look. It's a unique mix of entertainment, humor, sensibility and raw emotion. You can't avoid loving her.


Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense: Cole Sear is a troubled kid: he can communicate with the dead, and because of this he's picked on at school. Haley Joel Osment becomes Cole, it's as simple as that. He plays him with rarely seen intensity, without making this boy cutesy or precocious (which happens so many times with young actors). He is perfect in every aspect, but what really stands out are his eyes, permanently teary and expressive. When he's delivering his dialog, he captures all the cracks and nuances in his character's feelings. It's an imposingly natural performance, and Osment is a scene-stealer here.


Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands: Johnny Depp gives a pitch-perfect, heart-felt performance here. Edward, the shy man created by an inventor, deeply desires to love and touch, but he can't. This gives the performance its undercurrent of sadness, that becomes heart-breaking by the end. The awesomeness of this resides in the amazing mix of hilarious slapstick comedy and raw emotion, both of them beautifully played. This is the type of performance you feel, the type of performance that reaches a higher level.


Julianne Moore in The Hours: Any of The Hours leading ladies could be here, honestly, but Julianne Moore was the most impressive to me. Her depressed housewife is just like I imagined this character to be. She's likable even if she leaves her family: you can't help but understand her and root for her to be happy. She captures depression without ever being melodramatic or getting out of her part even for a second. She's sympathetic without begging for sympathy, and makes her storyline even more affecting. The chemistry she has with the camera is divine: she's not a showy performer, she simply becomes this woman. The magic of this is contained in little moments, looks, sentences that build up to create a woman.


James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause: This searing portrait of being a teenager is raw and true. It's obviously a deeply felt performance, with James Dean blending with his character forever. The special touch of this is its deep clinging for affection and search for a beautiful world. His confusion and fear come off perfectly with his whimsy moments, aggressive delivery of dialog, dreamy stare and self-aware movements. Everyone can relate.


Diane Keaton in Annie Hall: Annie Hall is the core of this movie, with her apparent simplicity and loveliness. Diane Keaton makes her imposingly funny while also believable, infusing her with vital little quirks and, above all, a darker side. She never makes her dramatic, going with the spirit of the movie, but explores Annie's insecurities, issues and obsessions through dizzy body language and fast dialog delivery. It's a simply human character, while also being one of the most hilarious nes ever portrayed. Oh, and some of the lines she speaks are just immortal.


Jamie Bell in Billy Elliott: This was the first acting performance I really loved. Jamie Bell filled this role with youthful energy and life, doing brilliantly expressive dance scenes and presenting a very realistic, natural 11-year-old boy with ease. You like this character from the moment you see him and you root for him. His chemistry with the other cast members is perfect and is dialog delivery is remarkable. He has natural charisma, holds the screen and fills this movie with feeling, without ever being unnatural or sappy.